Edelgard left to meet with Thales early in the morning, a few days after the celebration. She expected some kind of instruction or demand—she found it odd that he didn't appear in Enbarr while she was there, even if she said she wouldn't bother with Arundel's work. He didn't often avoid a chance to hinder her.
Instead, she waited for an hour before the cold started to bother her. It…worried her, to some extent. She may not have anything to report, but whether or not she wanted to cooperate, she needed to coordinate things with his people. She couldn't do that if Thales wasn't there, and he wouldn't stay away for some mundane reason. He could sneak away easier than she could, at least.
She went back to the monastery, still an hour before the sun came up. No one was close to notice or question her—some knights were awake, but weren't near the entrance and otherwise didn't offer more than a little greeting—and she went back to her room. Until the sun rose, she focused on the other work she had to do; if Thales didn't tell her how he would prefer to be included, he could follow her lead.
Edelgard didn't leave her room again until she heard some students leaving theirs, a few beginning conversations that the others used as a sign to wake up. Hiding the work away for now under school papers, she briefly checked her appearance before going out.
Despite all classes having been moved to the reception hall, she still went to the Black Eagles' classroom. The professors would be meeting with Rhea to decide on missions for the month, and they still had things to do before the day could start; it would save Manuela some time, at least, and it gave Edelgard something to do. Hubert joined her wordlessly fairly quickly, as did Monica. It served as a time for students to ask questions about things before breakfast as well.
When it came time to eat, everything had been set out. Manuela came into the classroom before they left, offering a thankful smile.
"You know, I think you're the only house leader that's tried to manage my morning paperwork for more than a few weeks," she said kindly. "I appreciate it, Edelgard—Hubert and Monica are a good help, too."
All three nodded or murmured some kind of acknowledgement. Manuela gestured towards Edelgard.
"I do need you to stay for a moment, though. Just a few announcements with you, Dimitri, and Claude; it shouldn't take long."
Edelgard nodded, and glanced at the other two. Hubert left with a short bow and Monica followed him without any spoken request. Manuela went outside the room and called Dimitri over when he passed by; Claude came with Hanneman, and both stood around the room and waited for one of the professors to start.
"First things first," Manuela said, "While we are still looking for a new professor, we're making a few adjustments to the missions. Since it's not really fair to make you all share battle achievements, and Hanneman and I aren't specifically teaching just one class for the time being, we decided you three could decide where you go at the end of the month."
They gave their acknowledgement without much interruption; it was a good choice. The house leaders were the next people that knew the most about their respective classes and what they could handle. They would know if the other students could take on certain tasks.
Although Manuela started to speak again, it was Hanneman who actually continued.
"That leads into the next matter. There's an investigation on a certain village—we passed by it during the expedition at the start of the year. It seems like there are some…strange circumstances."
"What kind of circumstances?" Claude asked curiously.
"Poisoning or magic, causing a lot of the villagers to act differently than before," Manuela explained. "It's still a new occurrence, so we don't know much for sure. If things get worse—or if the village needs something from the church, like food—there may be an option for a few of you kids to go with the knights."
The image that came to mind wasn't pleasant—the stuff of nightmares, quite literally in her case. People being used just to make others seem stronger; experimentation.
Her thoughts went back to Thales. Something like this could explain his lack of interference, whether he was involved or simply watching it unfold. She doubted that he would be unaware of things that seemed so suited for his people.
She didn't know how long the silence lasted, but she still looked at Manuela.
"If students are asked to come along," Edelgard said, "Could the Black Eagles take on the mission?"
Manuela didn't seem to expect the request. "There are some…interesting reports coming back from the village. Whether or not the situation improves, it won't be pretty."
"I know. I'll speak with everyone to determine who comes."
Manuela nodded. "You seem to have a plan, then. I'll only chime in if you want me to." She looked at the other two. "You're all free to go—any further discussion about missions can be after classes today. We'll see you in another hour or so."
The house leaders all murmured their agreement, and left to return to the dining hall.