Chapter 24: Countdown to the Third Century

26th day of the Horsebow Moon 1180. Garreg Mach, War Room.

Ever since the Golden Deer had returned from Alliance territory, an air of nervousness had begun spreading throughout Garreg Mach. Open warfare had been expected by those who knew about the details of the Nuvelle mission, but not from within the Alliance. The situation in Fodlan was getting tense, and the people had started picking up the signs of worry their leaders displayed. And then, a horror story began unfolding for the unsuspecting public.

Said horror story was currently the topic of discussion among those assembled. Rhea, Catherine Seteth, Jeralt, Captain Wolfgang, having returned from the Nuvelle campaign earlier that day, Byleth, Manuela, Edelgard, Hubert and Ferdinand all sat at the large table. Each of them had a copy of the newest source of concern before them.

"It appears that His Majesty and General Arnold were most thorough," said Hubert, commenting on the contents of the paper he held.

By decree of His Majesty Ionius IX von Hresvelg, sovereign ruler of the Adrestian Empire by the grace of the Goddess, the following individuals are hereby summoned to Enbarr to stand trial:

Lord Volkhard von Arundel
Duke Ludwig von Aegir
Count Alastor von Varley
Count Sigmund von Hevring

These individuals, after being implicated by evidence unearthed during the recapture of the harbour city of Nuvelle, stand accused of treason, engagement and/or complicity in the crime of slavery, collusion with enemies of the Empire, performance of and/or complicity with and/or deliberate inaction in the face of torture of the Imperial Princes and Princesses resulting in the deaths of all bar Princess Edelgard, murder, extortion, blackmail, tax fraud, embezzlement and corruption. Should they fail to personally appear in Enbarr before the 30th of the Horsebow Moon 1180, they shall be tried in absentia. None may bring an entourage or guard stronger than twenty individuals lest they be denied entry into the city.

Additionally, due to the severity of the crimes in question, all accused and their spouses shall have their parental rights and privileges to their offspring suspended until the conclusion of the trials.

Furthermore, Marquis Vestra, having been accused of and tried for these crimes as well, has been found guilty and executed on the 25th of the Horsebow Moon 1180. His collaborators have been arrested, tried and, where appropriate, sentenced similarly. All titles are transferred to his son and heir Hubert von Vestra.

"Most thorough? What is that supposed to mean?" asked Catherine. Technically, she was only present as Rhea's bodyguard, but it was a valid question.

A dark chuckle escaped Hubert. "The rats in Enbarr and Hresvelg territory have been exterminated. There is no way that such a blatant statement would be publicised otherwise."

"Hubert! Your own father was one of these people!" exclaimed Manuela.

A scowl befell the young man's face. "He betrayed all our family has stood for since the founding of the Empire, spat on a legacy of loyalty and devotion of nigh on twelve centuries, and stood by while Her Highness and her siblings suffered unspeakable pain. That man was no father of mine. In fact, I am irked that I was unable to do the deed myself. Cleaning up the trash is part of my duties, after all."

Manuela had no words to respond to that. She was even a bit disturbed by the statement, though she could see where he was coming from. His words told her a tale of built-up resentment and what limited knowledge about his past that she had seemed to support this assessment.

"Be that as it may," interjected Captain Wolfgang, "I can't see any of the people on this list going to Enbarr without an army at their backs. For all that this document is a summons, it might just as well be a declaration of war."

Byleth agreed to that. "Yes. The Emperor probably planned for this."

Edelgard nodded to that. "There could be no other way. It's a way of claiming the moral high ground and undermining the legitimacy of the traitors. It will be effective, mainly because the accusations are true."

"What is your opinion on this, Ferdinand?" asked Rhea.

The youth had so far remained silent. The resigned expression on his face told a tale of internal debate. He answered, "There will be a brief period of choosing sides among the nobles. That's why I'm here too, right? To ascertain my loyalties?"

Before anyone else could try to be diplomatic about it, Edelgard cut to the chase. "Yes," she said. "Will you stand with us or against us?"

Ferdinand took a deep breath and answered, "I don't know if I can stand against my father, but I will most certainly not side with him." His tone was resolute as he said this.

"And why would that be?" questioned Hubert. "You are always very quick to espouse the virtues of the nobility. I would have guessed that you would be against their curtailment."

"I think you're misunderstanding me there," said Ferdinand. "I aim to be the ideal noble and I wish to see other nobles walk the same path. My father was never a good noble and I resolved to be better myself. I've seen it while growing up, but until recently, I at least thought he was a decent father."

"Can you specify?" asked Rhea, seeing the uncomfortable mien he made.

"I… yes," he began. "I have long known that my father isn't perfect, but when we were in Nuvelle and found those folders, I was shocked. My father sold people as slaves and I was, and still am, of the opinion that I owed it to them to figure out who they were so I could make sure they were taken care of. I read the folder and..." He paused briefly. Then, he looked at Byleth. "Professor, when I introduced myself to you, do you remember what I said?"

Byleth was briefly confused as he recalled the event. That confusion was lifted when a detail in the memory stood out to him. "You introduced yourself as legitimate son of the Aegir family."

Ferdinand nodded. "I said as much because I have three half-siblings. Two sisters and one brother." Things became clear as realisation went through the people at the table. Ferdinand continued with a heavy, grief-laden voice. "When I was told that I would attend Garreg Mach, I asked my father to provide them with a higher education as well. On the day I left, I saw them step into a carriage, smiles on their faces and thanking me because they knew very well that Father would have never on his own initiative sent them to the Imperial Academy in Enbarr. It's clearly not where they ended up." He clenched his fists and there were tears escaping from his eyes. "I looked for them. They're still alive, but they're… changed. Bernard can't come near a woman without flinching. Tanja and Hildegard are in the same condition, not to mention the injuries. From what they told me, they were all tormented by the same woman. None of them knew her name, but my father sold them to her directly." With fire in his eyes, he concluded, "No, I will not side with my father. Not after what he's done to my siblings."

The audience was aghast. Even Hubert had to admit that if the story was true – and it was easy to verify – there would be little reason to doubt Ferdinand's loyalties. The others had similar thoughts about that particular matter, though most of them were keener on viewing the humanitarian side of the tale.

"Rest assured that your siblings are safe now," said Rhea. "They and many of those rescued from Nuvelle who had nowhere to go have been brought to a safe location and are under excellent care."

"Thank you," said Ferdinand.

"Now that loyalties are declared, let us proceed with the actual topic of this meeting," remarked Seteth. "As is clear to all by now, the Church of Seiros will get involved in the Adrestian civil war. However, our plans must now change due to the situation in the Alliance. We need to figure out how to proceed from here."

Captain Wolfgang nodded. "Indeed. We cannot simply march in with our army and expect to win without a plan. As such, it might be prudent to gather intelligence before we act. The identity of the forces supporting Acheron must be ascertained."

Rhea spoke up in response. "That will not be necessary. Their identity has already been narrowed down to two suspects, both of whom are already our enemies."

The Captain looked startled. "I was not aware of this. Who are they, Your Grace?" he asked.

"Considering that they must have marched over the Great Bridge of Myrddin, these foes came into the Alliance's territory from the Hrym region. We can therefore assume that they are either Lord Arundel's troops or those of Shambhala," answered Rhea.

"Wait a moment," said Ferdinand, "I thought that the Hrym region was under my father's purview."

Byleth entered the conversation at this point. "Only officially. In actuality, Arundel calls the shots."

The student nodded. "Then… what is Shambhala?"

Only then did it occur to the rest of the room's occupants that Ferdinand had not been briefed on everything that was to be discussed this day. It was not a big worry, however. With the war breaking out, the time for secrecy on that particular issue was nearly over in any case.

"Shambhala is the capital city of the nation of Agartha, as well as their only remaining city at all," said Byleth. "It is where the enemies of the Goddess are based."

"Remaining? What happened to the other cities, then?" asked Edelgard out of curiosity. She hadn't heard of any other.

"The Goddess destroyed them," answered the Professor. "It is why they call her the Fell Star."

That was news to the Princess. "Isn't that a bit extreme?" The question was a bit hypocritical coming from her, but she had asked for the benefit of the others.

"They had done worse and they would have continued if they hadn't been stopped," he said.

Rhea decided to take control of the conversation again and bring it back on track. "I assume your curiosity is satisfied, Ferdinand?"

"Uhm, yes," answered the boy in question.

"In that case, we can continue with the discussion of our strategy," said the Archbishop. Nods of agreement followed from everyone at the table. "Very well. Seteth will summarise our strategic situation."

The man in question took a look at the stack of parchments in front of him and flipped over the sheaf of paper with the Emperor's decree. Reading from the parchment previously beneath it, he spoke calmly as he gave his report. "In terms of manpower, we have had an uptick as of late. Despite the losses taken during the suppression of the Western Church and during the Nuvelle campaign, the number of our available soldiers in the Knights of Seiros has swelled to just above 15'000, not including those in training, though the number of actual knights remains at closer to 500. Local minor nobles in Church territory can additionally field a combined force of 2'000 if necessary." He flipped another page. "In terms of finance and supply, we are actually running a deficit. In recent months, the Church has had very high expenditures due to recruitment efforts, equipment efforts for these new recruits, repair and extension of fortifications, procurement of supplies, and infrastructure reclamation. Fortunately, the Church's coffers are vast and the efforts we put into infrastructure will bear fruit once they are finished. I predict that we can maintain our forces for several years if we keep a tight lid on other expenses."

Captain Wolfgang was pleased with this. He had worried about these things while on campaign. He had initially pondered why he had never before commanded a force as large as the one he had been leading since the Western Church's rebellion. Such a force would have come in handy when repelling invaders form Sreng before King Lambert's campaign to the place. The answer had boiled down to finances, logistics and politics. None of these things were apparently hindering operations now.

"Still, we cannot hope to match our opposition with only this number of troops," continued Seteth. "The Empire's standing army under the command of Count Bergliez numbers over 180'000 soldiers. That is not even mentioning the household troops of our opposition. Roughly 30'000 from Duke Aegir, 10'000 respectively from Counts Bergliez, Hevring and Varley as well as between 10'000 and 20'000 from Lord Arundel stand against Emperor Ionius. On the Emperor's side are the 40'000 soldiers of the Hresvelg territory, Baron Ochs' 18'000 troops, an unknown number of Duke Gerth's fresh recruits and the Imperial Navy as well as 5'000 soldiers each from Baron Rusalka and Viscount Boramas, with an additional 10'000 from a league of minor nobles joining. 260'000 against maybe 80'000 is not a match we can influence much with our forces, and that is before we factor in any possible Agarthan support. It appears that we must stay on the defensive and weather the storm because of that alone."

"That is troubling," commented Manuela.

"Indeed," said Seteth. "We cannot send our forces out for another reason. Garreg Mach may be all but unassailable from the south, but an army can march through Zanado, which can be reached from Arundel territory, or through Aillel. If the army invading the Alliance reaches it, they can send troops through to invade both Garreg Mach and the backbone of the Kingdom."

There came suggestions from all sides about what to do, though it kept circling back to different defensive strategies. The discussion was lively, though it never became heated thanks to Seteth and Hubert's combined calm demeanour and Jeralt's silent brooding. However, there was an interruption when the doors were thrown open.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Rhea in agitation.

There in the doorway stood Dimitri next to the apologetic looking guards, out of breath and with a wild look in his eyes. Entering after him was a girl with light green hair and green eyes. Most recognised her as Flayn, Seteth's (supposed) little sister. Like the Prince, she was beathing hard as well. It appeared that both of them had been running.

"It's… an emergency," explained the girl, being the first to catch her breath.

Dimitri spoke after her. "News came not ten minutes ago. There is an uprising in Duscur. Count Kleiman's response is to put everyone of Duscur blood to the sword, man woman and child, regardless if they're a combatant or not. We have to stop him!" he blurted out.

That stirred the Goddess in Byleth's head. The Professor could hear her gasp after but a second and she said, "I can hear a few desperate prayers from there. I haven't noticed them before because they lacked proper invocation, but now that I'm actively listening, I can make them out. Byleth, we have to help these people!"

Shocked gasps and exclamations of outrage were the answer Dimitri received while Sothis was talking to the Golden Deer's Professor. Rhea even scowled in anger. However, it was Byleth who answered verbally. "The people of Duscur may worship many Gods, but our Goddess is one of them. Her Church shall not sit by idly as her followers are slaughtered," he declared.

That statement had more weight behind it than it would have a month earlier. He was a Knight of the Covenant, vested with the authority of a Cardinal. It was possible that his grandmother would not appreciate him deciding for her, the Archbishop, but she was likely to help out anyway. At least, he liked to think so. The look she gave him was one of reproach, but not one of disapproval. Not that her opinion mattered much in the face just who was behind his words.

"Indeed," said Rhea. "Captain Wolfgang, are your troops still ready to go?"

The man nodded. "Yes. I was planning to dismiss them after this meeting, but for now they are camped outside the Monastery."

"Have them ready to march within two hours. Provisions and other supplies shall be made ready with all haste. Go now," ordered the Archbishop.

The Captain stood up and bowed to her, then left with Jeralt in tow. Dimitri wanted to follow as well, but Rhea held him back. "Dimitri," she said, "Gather the Blue Lions and Professor Hanneman. Inform them that the other Houses and I myself will accompany you too." The Prince nodded and left with haste.

"I wish to go as well," said Flayn.

Seteth was aghast. "Out of the question!" he stated firmly. "It is not safe for you."

The girl, though, remained stubborn. "Regardless, I wish to go. I can't simply do nothing while such atrocities happen." She fixed her gaze on Seteth, and in her eyes he saw stubborn defiance. With heavy heart, he realised that she wouldn't budge on the issue.

He sighed and turned to Byleth, directing a piercing look at the young man. "It seems I will not be able to convince my sister of wisdom this time. Professor, I will put Flayn under your care. Bring her back to me healthy and whole, or there will be consequences."

"I will," said Byleth.

"Let us prepare to depart with haste, then," declared Rhea. They dispersed in short order and went about their tasks.

Several hours later. Field camp of the Church Army.

Wolfgang and Rhea had driven the whole army on at a pace that could best be described as a marathon. Not even Dimitri, agitated as he was, could complain about the progress they had made. Including the distance travelled via the Warp stations the Church maintained within the Kingdom, they had already marched two thirds of the way to Duscur. Such stations were fortunately far more frequent within Faerghus than within the Empire, having been built for quick deployment of forces against raiders from Sreng. Nevertheless, the soldiers had been pushed to the point of near collapse to get this far in only a handful of hours. By the time the Archbishop had ordered the camp to be set up, most of them were too exhausted to even do that much without some rest.

Eventually, however, people got moving. Tents were set up, patrols scheduled and dinner prepared. It was during this dinner that the students and the Professors of the three houses, plus Flayn, gathered around a large bonfire. Some stories were swapped, but it was mostly uncomfortable silence at the centre of which were Dimitri and Dedue.

"How are you holding up?" asked Mercedes. She had directed the question at Dedue.

The tall young man took a while to answer, but he found the words after some time. "I am… fearful and angry. My people are being hunted down and slaughtered. Again."

Several people winced. It was a hard truth, and it was an uncomfortable one. As it was, though, there were students with a gift for the uncomfortable, one of which was Claude. "So, Dimitri. What exactly is the plan for when we get there?" he asked. "We can't just show up and think our presence will fix the issue."

There was a scowl on Dimitri's face as he answered with a cold tone, "I will order Count Kleiman to stand down. He will either listen to his Prince, or he will be put down like a traitor deserves."

Claude pressed further. "Ah. But what if he has the Regent's approval?"

"Then Rufus will be removed from his position, by force, if necessary," said Dimitri in response.

Hubert hummed as he heard this. "That might be part of the plan," he said.

"What do you mean by that? Whose plan?" asked Ingrid.

"The Agarthans', I'd say," interjected Byleth. The students of all Houses had been briefed on them and their activities shortly before the march.

"Indeed," said Hubert. "Much is at stake for them in the Adrestian civil war. My guess is that they wish to eliminate outside factors such as the Alliance and the Kingdom. The Alliance they are invading directly, but if the Kingdom can be made to descend into civil war, they will be free to overwhelm Emperor Ionius with their numbers advantage."

"Except that it won't be that easy," commented Edelgard. "My father will likely turn this into a war of attrition, one that he will win. Count Bergliez might have the larger army, but he has less capacity to replenish his losses. The most populous cities of the Empire with the exception of Nuvelle are within Hresvelg territory."

Hubert took the word again. "The biggest obstacle for our side in that scenario would be the food supply. The enemy holds Gronder field, which means we will have to import food. This is where it circles back to the Kingdom. The Alliance is rich in fertile land, but it is being invaded. Therefore, the Kingdom remains as the sole supplier of food within Fodlan, though it has little to spare itself. Inciting a civil war here would definitely serve the Agarthans' purpose."

"Then we must crush the opposition if this happens," stated Dimitri with finality.

"That's just like you, boar," remarked Felix. "Though I happen to agree this time."

Ingrid frowned. "Would it kill you to be a bit more polite to His Highness?"

Felix merely huffed. "Politeness doesn't fix the issue," he said.

"Neither does harping on about past events," interjected Sylvain, making Felix scowl.

"If you are done bickering, can we get back to the matter at hand?" asked Hubert in irritation.

Dimitri levelled a look at him and frowned. "I don't know what more there is to say. If Count Kleiman won't obey my orders, we will fight him."

"Sounds a little barebones to me," said Claude. "Sure, it's a general plan, but the how is just as important as the what. Besides, we won't know how exactly the situation looks until we get there, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. There are going to be civilians in the combat area."

Dimitri looked at Dedue, who sat beside him like a statue carved from stone, and he thought about what Claude had said. "You have a point, I admit. I think that in the case you outlined, it would be best if we marched our army right between Count Kleiman's troops and any civilians in the area."

"Provided that this is possible, of course," added Claude (un-)helpfully.

"Yes," answered Dimitri curtly.

On that sour note the conversation descended into silence again. The students busied themselves with eating their food before it could cool down too much. The Professors did much the same, but they talked to each other about various topics, though it was mostly progress reports on the tasks the Archbishop had given them. One thing stood out from the others, however.

"Say, Byleth," began Hanneman, "How practical is the Gauss spell? I have not yet tried to cast it myself."

The young man in question was surprised. "You know the spell?"

Hanneman chuckled. "Of course. I helped design it, after all. I have to admit, the finishing touches were Hyperion's, but he shared them with me."

The state of surprise continued. "How can you talk to him?"

"Why, prayer of course! I do have to admit that it is more a spiritual call than straightforward prayer, but it is the way divine entities are usually contacted, is it not?" said Hanneman, somewhat baffled.

Byleth felt a slight headache at that. Hanneman was not an overly devout man and so, the obvious answer hadn't been that obvious to the youngest of the Professors. Outwardly, he only said, "I see. That makes sense." Then, he contemplated Hanneman's initial question. Eventually, he said, "The Gauss spell is very easy to use. It is crucial to let the lightning flow in the correct direction, but once you have internalised the formula, you don't even have to think. I used it several times while suffering from a concussion. That, and the sound block is important."

"Fascinating," said Hanneman. "I will practice it when I can, in that case."

Byleth hummed. "Just be careful."

Hanneman nodded. After a second, he said, "I am also making good progress on another project of his. It is a marvellous idea, I have to say. Combining wind magic and the Warp spell for long-range communication, why, it is positively brilliant!"

Byleth raised an eyebrow, but then he recalled his headmate's explanation of radio technology that had come up during their first movie nights. "I assume he told you it wasn't really his idea?"

"Indeed," said Hanneman. "He freely admitted that long-range communication was invented by others, but this new application of the principle was an inspired idea of his, I say."

"There are gaps in his knowledge," piped in Manuela, "But he does show creativity, even when it's not applicable. What he could tell me about genetics has been a great help in some of my projects, though."

Byleth blinked. "You pray to him too?" he asked.

Manuela laughed and said, "I did after I asked the Goddess about him. She seems very insistent on letting people get to know him."

"Yes," admitted the former mercenary. "He sometimes expresses his irritation over it."

"So…," a voice said, intruding into their conversation, "This new God seems to be quite personable, eh?" From its tone, the voice's owner could be identified as Claude. It was clear that he was speaking for most students since the others were paying attention as well.

"Indeed," said Byleth. "He sometimes mentions being uncomfortable about being the target of worship. He prefers normal conversations."

"Huh, neat," said Claude in response.

There was not much opportunity to say more before the signal for the first watch came, at which point the students dispersed, bar those who joined the patrols of the first watch. The rest of them headed for their tents, some more contemplative than others. It would appear that Hyperion was going to be busy tonight.

27th of the Horsebow Moon 1180. Kleiman territory, formerly known as Duscur.

The pace of the march for the last third of the march was drastically reduced compared to the day before. A forced march was not a good idea when combat was expected, but the Church army marched fast nevertheless and did not make camp at noon. Their midday meal was eaten on the go. And so, having resumed their journey shortly after sunrise, the army was at the former border of Duscur by the early afternoon.

It would not take much longer to get to the area were the survivors of Duscur's people were located. Only the southmost parts were still populated after Count Kleiman and the rest of the western Kingdom Lords had slaughtered their way through the country. Duke Fraldarius had put a stop to it once he'd arrived, but hundreds of thousands had already been massacred by that point. Thus, what little remained of the people of Duscur was concentrated at his entry point into the country.

Two hours later the Church army finally found itself approaching a settlement where people still seemed to live. They had encountered several hamlets and a village that had been burned to the ground on the way there, but it seemed that they were in time to save the people in this place. Before such thoughts could take root, however, banners appeared over a hill just a few hundred metres away from the village. Going by the heraldry, they belonged to Count Kleiman's troops.

"Jeralt!" barked Rhea. "Take the cavalry and take position between the incoming army and the village! Unfurl the banners!"

Jeralt blew his horn without hesitation and kicked the spurs. Within a minute, 500 riders bearing the banners of the Church of Seiros galloped towards the village. The rest of the army sped up as well in order to catch up. It was no run, as that would exhaust the soldiers, but it was a fast walk that Rhea was pushing them to perform. Fortunately, it appeared that the Kleiman troops had halted upon seeing the banners flown by Jeralt's riders. It would appear they were confused.

The villagers appeared confused as well as the Church army marched through their village. They were clearly frightened. Many were clutching household implements turned makeshift weapons while looking fearfully at the soldiers. Some tension was abated thanks to Dedue, who was displayed prominently at the front of the formation, but there was no quelling the fear that was in them. Still, the benefit of the doubt was given to the Church, mostly because the villagers weren't blind and could see that Kleiman's butchers had stopped approaching.

By the time the main force had caught up with Jeralt's soldiers, the Vice Captain was already dealing with a runner sent by the opposing force. Going by the old knight's stony face, he was not impressed with what he was hearing.

"For the last time," he said, "I don't care. The Count is not my liege. I don't give a damn if he's going to throw a hissy fit over my presence here."

The messenger sneered at him and said, "You are obstructing the business of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus!"

"At my behest," came the voice of Dimitri. He had wasted no time once he had caught up with the cavalry. "Unless you think the Crown Prince has no business interfering with the Kingdom's affairs, your argument holds no water."

The messenger looked nervous now. "Your Highness, you are not yet crowned. Your authority is limited and your future authority has no bearing on what is now."

Dimitri's face mimicked Jeralt's stony visage as he replied. "In that case, let me give you something to think over. You, your army and Count Kleiman can choose to leave now, while I have no authority to order you… Or I can execute all of you for murder and treason once I do have the authority."

That drew sputtering from the messenger. "B-but that is-"

"Did you think I was ignorant of Count Kleiman's role in the Tragedy of Duscur?!" roared the Prince. "He and all his forces will step down now or he and all who follow him will face my wrath. Should he comply, he will have a chance to defend himself in court once I have ascended the throne. Should he refuse, he will be summarily executed. Are we clear?"

Words failed the messenger as he tried to process what Dimitri had told him. He stood open-mouthed like a fish for a while.

"I suggest you follow His Highness' advice and leave with the rest of your comrades," said Rhea sternly, joining the conversation.

All colour fled Count Kleiman's soldier at that. If the Archbishop got herself involved personally, this was far above what he had been prepared to deal with. Without another word, he fled and ran back towards his own forces.

"What do you think their response will be?" asked Rhea.

Jeralt grunted. "They'll turn tail and run, even if they want to refuse the Prince's terms. They're barely a few hundred men and we're over 5'000. At this point, our worry should be with the village behind us and then any other villages that might still be under threat."

"That was my assessment as well," said Rhea with a nod. Then, she turned to Dimitri. "I recommend that we evacuate the village."

A frown came upon the boy's face. "We don't have the time to escort them to a save place and then come back to do the same for all villages."

"You are correct, of course," said Rhea. "I was thinking of taking them with us while we press forward and evacuate all the people of Duscur who yet live."

Dimitri blinked as he thought it over. "That does seem like our best option. Very well. I agree."

From there on, the Church army's soldiers busied themselves with helping the more open-minded among the frightened villagers pack their belongings while the Archbishop, Dimitri and Dedue worked to convince the others to come along.

"Why are you even helping us?" asked one of the elderly villagers.

"Because we know the truth. The people of Duscur were framed for the Tragedy. Sure, a handful of the perpetrators did hail from Duscur, but most I saw that day were definitely not your people," said Dimitri.

The elder nodded and then turned to Rhea. "What about you, then? I'm grateful if you're not lying about coming to our aid, but what is your reason?"

The Archbishop had half a mind to reprimand him for his tone, but she forced the urge down. His people were not raised to show deference to high-ranking members of the Church of Seiros, and he was nervous, even if he hid it well. "As the Archbishop, it is my duty to do what the Goddess commands me to do, and she commanded me to aid you. Though you worship many Gods, the Goddess is among them, and she heard your people's cries for help once she knew to listen for them."

A brow on the elder's face rose. "Knew how to listen for them?" he asked.

"Let me explain," said Dedue. He had been chosen to do so in case the question came up as he knew best how the religion of Duscur worked. "The name under which our people know the Goddess of Fodlan is not one she recognised as her own previously. It is a name we gave her without her knowledge. It is likely she thought these prayers were directed at another God and…"

"Answering another God's prayers is a theft of faith, yes," finished the elder. He sighed sadly. "Very well, if She of the Bloom has sent you, that is more than acceptable as a reason."

The evacuation went smoothly after that. In less than two hours, the whole village had gathered as much of their belongings as they could. They had even bought all their cattle, sheep and other farm animals with them. Herding them was not so difficult of a task with the help of the entire village. Keeping them separate by who owned them was also not a big problem since every farmer marked their animal with distinctive decorations unique to their family. Solid goods such as clothes, furniture, tools and food had been loaded onto carts. Those too young or too old to walk had also been placed on carts, either as drivers or passengers.

The next village was reached later that day. Convincing them to come along as well had taken some more time, but that was not a bad thing. It was too late to march to another village, so it was not too much of an inconvenience to take a bit longer. Eventually, the looming threat of Count Kleiman's soldiers proved to be the deciding factor and everyone was ready to depart by mid-morning of the next day.

Over the next week, the Church army scoured Duscur for more villages. They found many that were torched, filled with corpses of their previous inhabitants, but it appeared that Count Kleiman's troops hadn't attacked any more villagers since their arrival. Whether that was because of the Church army's presence or because he needed the troops elsewhere to subdue the revolting fighters from Duscur, they didn't know. Sadly, about half the settlements were already ruined and their people dead. On the upside, the inhabitants of the other villages came along without many complaints.

It was on the 5th day of the Wyvern Moon, when there were no more villages to find, that the Church army once more passed Duscur's former border with the pitiful remnants of its people in tow. All in all, there were about 3'400 of them left. It was a truly depressing picture, and it gnawed at the hearts of many a soldier that they had been the target of a near-total genocide.

During that time, Flayn was busying herself by helping out where she could, unintentionally ingratiating herself to the people of Duscur. She healed wounds on those who had them, from scrapes on children caused by playing on the rough ground, to wounds on the adults caused by steel. Her help, into which she roped many of the students and quite a few monks and nuns, also extended to other things, such as washing, cooking, repairs on wagons and clothes, caring for the animals and much more. The Saint in disguise was leaving a very positive impression of herself and her associates.

Another five days later, the train of soldiers and civilians reached Garreg Mach. Once there, the army was finally dismissed and the refugees from Duscur were directed to temporary housing. It was not their final destination, after all. They would be escorted to Zanado after some tome, where newly rebuilt homes awaited them, but for now, they were mingling with the townsfolk, swapping stories and trading occasionally.

Fortunate as the conclusion of these events was, there were problems following in its wake, and it would not take long for them to be known.

12th day of the Wyvern Moon 1180. Garreg Mach, War Room.

Once more, the highest-ranking members of the Church of Seiros' armed forces were present in the War Room. This time, yet another crisis was the topic of discussion. Unlike the one unfolding in the Alliance, however, this one had been somewhat expected. None of those present had ever doubted that their stint in Duscur wouldn't have consequences.

"I will get right to the point," said Seteth as he opened the meeting, "Faerghus is now in a state of civil war: Count Kleiman has openly protested against Dimitri's interference in 'internal matters of his County' and has accused him and the Church of collusion with the enemies of Faerghus. Prince-Regent Rufus responded by declaring Dimitri insane, citing years of mental instability as a reason, and therefore ineligible for the throne. Practically in the same breath, he proclaimed himself King of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Duke Fraldarius, Margrave Gautier, Count Charon and Count Galatea have denounced him in response and declared him a traitor."

"Well, this is more drastic and sooner than we expected, but I'm not that surprised," commented Jeralt.

"Indeed," said Rhea, "And it makes our situation more perilous than ever. The Monastery is now surrounded by enemies and there are too many fronts for us to cover. We cannot go on the offensive with any sizeable number of troops."

Wolfgang nodded grimly, but he was a bit more optimistic. "At least our defences are solid," he said. "The walls have been updated and our armed forces expanded. By next year, we will also have enough food to supply ourselves on our own. The Oghma mountain range is more fertile than people realise. The only exception is Zanado, of course, but outside the city itself, there are plateaus suited for animal husbandry and even farming. I imagine our new friends from Duscur will find it a good place to settle."

"That is true," conceded Rhea. "However, even that cannot last forever. We can hold the Oghma mountains for many years, and we may hold the access points near Remire village and in Aillel, but if our enemies conquer the rest of Fodlan, we will eventually follow our allies into defeat."

Jeralt spoke up again. "So, no matter how you slice it, we're knee-deep in it."

Byleth chose to add his opinion at this point. "I think you are misjudging the situation."

"Explain," said Seteth.

"Our enemies outnumber us," began the Professor, "But our side has mobility. We must take advantage of this." There were pensive frowns around the room as he continued. "We have the Imperial fleet. Any free troop elements can be transported by water much faster than they can be marched overland. We also have access to the pegasi of House Galatea and the wyverns of House Riegan. Combined, those two make up roughly 70% of all flying mounts in Fodlan."

"That's all well and good, but what's the plan, kid?" asked Jeralt.

"Air superiority and raids," said Byleth. "We hit their own fliers first so we remain unchallenged in the sky. Then, we use our fliers to attack any vulnerable position we can find. Supply hubs, production centres, unattended field camps and the like."

Wolfgang's eyes lit up as he heard this. He followed the train of thought the young man was laying out before him. "That way we force the enemy to either lose valuable supplies or waste troops on garrisons, effectively lowering their combat strength."

Byleth nodded. "Exactly. We will fight many small armies instead of a few big ones. Defeat in detail."

The plan seemed to meet the approval of the rest of the people at the table as well. It sounded promising to them. With the decision on the general strategy made, the details now had to be fleshed out. Food, finance, training and many more things were discussed at length. Near the end of the meeting, there was one particular matter that had to be brought up.

"The Officers Academy will have to fast-track the students," said Byleth with a frown.

Seteth frowned as well. "I can see why, yes. At least Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri will have to join the front lines sooner rather than later. There will likely not be a formal graduation ceremony, but I do not think we should let the students go just yet. They still have a lot to learn, and I would feel better about their safety if we were there to watch over them."

"I agree," said Rhea. "They will have to fight in battle, but we will not let them do so without us at their side."

"It's what I'd prefer too," admitted Byleth.

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to prepare them," said Seteth. "We will have to combine training and teaching, but it is doable. Free time will take a backseat, though we should not neglect it."

"Will Flayn be part of this?" asked the young Professor.

Seteth grimaced. While he would have preferred her staying at the back, she would insist on helping people. It was that same reasoning that had made her join the War of Heroes. It had led to her fighting at the forefront of things, risking her life, being struck and nearly dying. As her father, he wanted to forbid her from joining this new war, but she was stubborn and would do it nonetheless. Her compassion was beyond his ability to restrain.

"Yes," he finally said with great reluctance.

"It is decided, then," said Rhea. "For now, we should focus on preparing for the execution of our strategy and preparing contingencies in case it fails."

What was left unsaid was that there were not many other options with any hope of success. There was still room for some variety, though. There were a few ways to fight against a superior force. Still, the air superiority plan proposed by Byleth was new and had the greatest chance of surprising the enemy.

Little else was said afterwards, and the meeting was declared over before long. The attendees were left with many a thing to think over and with much to do. The had to use the time available to them to the greatest possible effect.

The night of the same day. Hyperion's prayer space.

I was pretty busy these days. That campfire conversation between the Professors and the students had finally opened the floodgates, and I had received some very curious guests as a consequence. It was nice to get to know them personally, for sure. I didn't want to treat them as mere characters but as people. Doing otherwise would not have ended well, I was sure.

The most recent visitor was one I hadn't expected to see, at least not this early. She looked at me for a long moment and smiled. "Hello. You must be Hyperion," she said.

I smiled as well. "Hello, Flayn. Or do you prefer Cethleann?"

Her expression shifted to surprise and she blinked once. Then, her smile came back and she answered, "Cethleann is fine. I love the name mother gave me. Sadly, I can't use it. It's not safe. It's different here, however."

Not much of a surprise there. Still, it was nice to finally talk to her as well. "I'm glad you think so. Now then, what can I do for you, Cethleann?"

"Nothing much," she said. "I merely wish to get to know you. Rhea- Seiros seems to be upset with you, but Father appears to bear no similar sentiment. The Professors seem to like you and the students whom I talked with and who know you are of the same opinion."

I laughed. "Well, that looks like glowing praise. I'm not sure if I deserve it, but I'll not look a gift horse in the mouth."

The smile on her face grew brighter. She really was a cheerful girl… well, woman. She was over a thousand years older than I. "Tell me about yourself," she said.

"You know," I said pensively and with some mirth, "It's funny. Apart from Sothis and Byleth, you're the first person to say that to me. The others just danced around the issue. I might as well tell you a bit."

From there, I launched into a tale about my childhood. I told her about how it was to grow up in my village, the devices we had or didn't have, the infrastructure and the schooling system. That last topic was one that piqued her interest.

"It seems so strange," she said. "Your people really had enough resources to just send children to school for so long? It sounds amazing."

I laughed at the irony. "Most kids were fed up with school a few years in. I was bored to death by the second week," I said while chuckling. After my chuckles had subsided somewhat, I continued, "Still, once there is peace in Fodlan, I do plan on suggesting educational reforms."

"Just suggesting?" she asked. "Surely, you want to shape Fodlan's future as well."

A grimace made its way onto my face. "That would bring a lot of responsibility with it. Responsibility and I have a complicated relationship that is best summarised as 'nice try, didn't work.' I try my best, but it's not enough most of the time. Being a God really doesn't change that. There are already responsibilities I have that I'm struggling with, and it's just the beginning. I'm the Lord of the Underworld. I have more people to look after than can ever fit on the world."

For the first time since in our conversation, Cethleann frowned. "That is overly pessimistic. I am sure you will do well."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I said. "Still, I don't expect much in terms of success. I have good ideas sometimes, yes, but I usually don't have what it takes to see them through." I shook my head. "Sorry for unloading that all on you."

The frown went away, but the smile didn't return to her face. "It is alright. I do have to admit that it is surprising. I did not expect you to tell me all this."

I made a small, slightly bitter smile as I replied. "You're uninvolved and easy to talk to. Normally, I'd talk to Byleth or Sothis about this, but… well, Byleth has enough on his plate as it is, and he relies on me to supply him with ideas and new spells. He'll stress out over it if I tell him that I can't deliver what I promised to deliver. And Sothis…" I sighed. "I don't want to disappoint her. She puts her faith in me, much more than I have in myself. Things will blow up in my face, as they usually do, but I'll drag it out for as long as I can to spare her the disappointment for a while. Maybe a miracle will happen and everything will turn out alright, but that's a rather distant hope."

It took me a few seconds to register that I had started to tear up. Internally, I scowled. I hated that, not because I thought that crying was unmanly, but because the only things I ever cried about were myself and stories I was reading. Never about other, real, tangible people who deserved it far more. Every time I cried, it was another reminder that I lacked compassion, that something with me just wasn't right. I hated it, and in my darker moments, I really, really hated myself for it.

Something must have shown on my face or maybe Cethleann was just really good at sensing this kind of stuff. By the time I realised what she was doing, she was next to me, laying a supporting hand on my shoulder and looking at me with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm not," I replied. "But I'll deal with it. I always do. The bad mood just surprised me. It'll pass."

It seemed she didn't quite believe me. There was a frown on her face again. "Does it have to do with Seiros? Are her comments getting to you? I can talk with her about it."

I shook my head. "Don't. I'm running roughshod all over her legacy with my interference. She has a right to be cross with me. And, well, I guess she's also afraid that she'll lose Sothis again, to me this time. It's irrational, but losing her mother the first time left a deep mark on Seiros, I imagine. There's no way Sothis would choose to abandon her family for as flimsy a reason as mere friendship with a random nobody such as myself."

Cethleann nodded slowly. From the way she looked, it seemed like she was thinking over what I'd said. I didn't know exactly where her thought process was taking her, but it must have been pretty far. She took quite some time. Eventually, however, she snapped her gaze back at me and said, "I think we should leave this topic for now. It looks like you could use some cheer."

A small smile was creeping onto my face again and I wiped away the remnants of my tears. "Sounds like a plan," I said.

"Splendid!" Cethleann was back to smiling as well. Her bubbly excitement was infectious and I felt that my spirits were lifted a tiny bit. "Since you told me about your childhood, let me tell you a bit about mine: I was born in Enbarr. I don't know too much about my first few years, however. The first real memory I have is of me sitting between Mother and Father. We were at the docks, sitting with fishing rods in our hands. Mine was child-sized, but…"

As Cethleann told me of her time growing up in Enbarr, I relaxed steadily. Her tale was surprisingly mundane, but I didn't mind. With the tumult in my mind, it was nice to hear something calming. Yes, I can see myself becoming friends with her, I thought to myself.

AN: Well, hello there, dear readers.

It's been nearly three weeks since the last update now, so I'd say we're right on schedule. There might be a delay on the next chapter, since it's probably going to be a longer one, but I'm not sure on both of those accounts yet.

This chapter, we've encountered another diversion from canon. Things in Duscur went out of control in a far different way than in-game, and Dimitri got to flex his authority. Sadly, things didn't turn out like he'd wished. The one thing that stayed was Flayn's introduction to the plot in this particular month, though not in the same way. I hope you liked the little bit of insight into Hyperion that came about in their conversation.

For those who know, this chapter's title is a reference to the Crisis of the Third Century, a Roman succession crisis that took place largely during the same time as the Three Kingdoms period of China, on which Fire Emblem: Three Houses is loosely based.

A big thank you to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed so far.

This time's recommended story is Harry Potter: Return of the Death Walker by WhiteDevilMGN, in which everything goes to shit, including Harry's last-ditch suicide attempt after the world has ended several times over. In fact, it has ended so many times over that Harry broke it into fixing itself… somewhat.