Chapter 41: Stubborn Old Generals, Emperors and Changes
1st day of the Great Tree Moon 1181. Fort Merceus.
General Arnold stood on the ramparts of the fortress' walls with his spyglass, and he did not like what he was seeing. The enemy was moving again. Another attack would occur, as was usual for the siege that had been going on for several weeks. However, something was different this time. He spotted not just Bergliez forces and those of the treasonous part of the Imperial Army. No, he also spotted a large contingent of those mages who had so far chosen to only do their weird ritual in the distance. Additionally, there seemed to be demonic beasts, both terrestrial and aerial, that attempted to remain out of his sight. The coming attack was going to be an all-out assault.
"Send a messenger to General Ladislava and another to His Majesty. The message is as follows: 'Fort Merceus is under heavy attack. If no further messages follow, assume we have fallen.' Send it post-haste," he ordered.
"General?" asked the soldier next to him. "Should we not request reinforcements?"
Arnold scoffed. "Of course not. That's what the enemy is expecting. If they're attacking in full force, they'll expect full resistance. If their plan is to break the backbone of the Emperor's forces by making them abandon their defensive positions, I will not give them satisfaction of succeeding. Besides, any reinforcements would arrive far too late. Now go, and fulfil my order."
"Yes, General," said the soldier with a salute.
"And soldier," added the General, "Make sure you send the youngest messengers we have. We might not see tomorrow, and I want to have fewer youngsters on my conscience."
The soldier saluted again. "By your order," he said and left.
Arnold sighed. He had a bad feeling about it all. It was brought on by decades of military experience and instinct in equal measure. He did not think he would survive this day, but he was determined to make the enemy pay a steep price for every centimetre of ground.
"Get ready for battle!" he shouted, "Man the walls and long-distance weapons!"
Instruments came to life, ensuring that his orders were followed. The fort quickly became a beehive of activity as the soldiers scrambled to get ready. Archers and mages were the first to show up, quickly followed by the light infantry. The heavy infantry and cavalry would take longer since full plate was time-consuming to put on. By the time the attack hit the defences, however, nearly everyone would be ready.
All the while, General Arnold took a few seconds every now and then to take a peek at the enemy with his spyglass. The way they marched made their intent to mount a full-on attack all the clearer. Their approach also seemed steady instead of rushed. Such was to be expected from a commander of Count Bergliez' reputation. He might not have been the greatest person to be around and an all-around naval idiot, but he was very competent when it came to ground combat. Since this was not a naval action or a landing operation, Arnold was very sure that his opponent wouldn't make errors.
He also spied the approach of a different commander. The figure's importance was easy to identify to his trained eye. Whoever that person was, he or she was positioned at the centre of the large mage formation on the enemy's right flank. The way these mages and the demonic beasts were deployed around them hinted at it. It appeared that the fort garrison would have to deal with a two-pronged assault at the very least.
As he lowered his spyglass, General Arnold grabbed a nearby soldier and ordered, "Go find Captains Mathew and Laura. I have new orders for them."
The soldier quickly ran off to retrieve the two officers. He returned only a few minutes later with both in tow.
"I'll not waste time," the general said, "The enemy force has two commanders. We can expect a two-pronged attack. One will likely breach our defences. I don't know how they'll do it, but I want to be prepared. Your units are being held in reserve as a quick response force. Your job is to fill in the gaps and hold the line until troops can be redistributed. Understood?"
The two captains saluted. "Yes, General!"
Rather than watch as they ran off, Arnold busied himself with picking up his weapon and heading for the command post somewhat removed but still close to the northern east gate. At his age, he was too old to fight directly on the front line for a prolonged time, but he still retained his sharp mind and commanding presence. His soldiers had to see him near them as a sign of his faith in them, even if he did not participate in the fighting himself. The slight distance and elevation also gave him the opportunity to survey the battlefield.
Soon after he had reached his position, he heard the trumpets sound the ready signal. The enemy was entering archer range. It wouldn't be long now.
The archers and mages began shooting not a minute later. They rained death on the assaulting army, though much of its effectiveness was reduced by Ward spells cast over certain section of the encroaching forces. Additionally, many of the arrows and spells had to be diverted towards the flying demonic beasts, which had begun taking dives at the soldiers stationed on the walls. The clash that followed this caused a lot of noise and led to a partial disruption of the battle order.
Siege spells started impacting both the wall and the gates in short order. They were far more powerful than any that had been used before during the siege. Such was evidenced by the quickly deteriorating structure of the northern east gate. The heavy oak and iron gate was starting to splinter despite the multitude of protective enchantments which had been woven into it. The situation was the same for the southern east gate as well. Both of them were not long for this world at this point. The walls were in a slightly better state, but they, too, were suffering. The protective enchantments were taking a severe beating, and General Arnold would have to order a retreat from them at some point.
Sharp blasts of horns were heard from the walls, informing the general of fast approaching enemy close combat troops. As if on cue, the gates burst after a few more seconds. Soon thereafter, enemy soldiers started streaming through the beached gates. The loyalist troops countered the charge immediately, trying to bog down the enemy at the gates. The chances for success in that regard were low, however, and General Arnold knew this.
"Abandon the east walls!" he ordered, "Mages and archers on the street, cover their retreat!"
As his orders to the front were being followed, he also sent a contingent of mounted knight to each gate with orders to charge any enemy who breached the defensive line. He did not expect them to hold for long, but it would be enough time for the soldiers on the walls to get down. After that, he would be able to recall them.
"General!" shouted a runner as she approached him, "The outlook reports strong light from the mage contingent left in the enemy camp. The garrison companies are requesting new orders."
That was not good. Whatever the enemy was doing, it involved powerful magic. Nothing harmless would take several weeks of ritualistic preparation.
"Tell them to brace for an enemy attack at the heart of the fortress and to secure an escape route to the west gates. I have no idea what they're doing, but it can't be healthy for us," he replied.
When the runner had left, General Arnold refocussed on the thick of the fight. The walls were abandoned at this point. The soldiers previously on it now retreated behind the melee units and began to pelt the enemy troops pouring through the gates. Their task was made difficult by the appearance of demonic beasts, however. The pressure was mounting, and it was only a question of time before the current position became untenable.
As if to punctuate that statement, a series of great lightning bolts crashed into the walls. Their protective enchantments were finally overpowered, and so was their structural integrity. Stone crumbled as numerous breaches in the walls opened. Through them came more enemy soldiers to assault the loyalist lines. The dreaded moment had come.
"It's time to pull back. Retreat to higher ground!" ordered Arnold.
Slowly, the line shifted backwards. The general himself moved back as well, though he made sure not to outpace his soldiers. The retreat had to be orderly, after all. This methodical approach had the desired effect and maintained coherence in his forces. The move also allowed him to concentrate his diminishing troops, which made it harder for even the demonic beasts to penetrate the defensive formation. Indeed, it caused them to hinder the movement of their allied soldiers as well since they had a terrible sense of friend and foe. Still, it was a retreat, and Arnold did not like yielding ground to the enemy.
To make matters worse, a bright light shone from the direction of the enemy camp. Not only did it blind many of the loyalist soldiers but also heralded the effects of a powerful spell. A loud snap was heard then, soon followed by the sounds of stone being shattered, houses being crushed and defences being toppled.
"General! The Warp suppression field has been torn to shreds!" shouted one of General Arnold's guards.
"Stop stating the obvious and get a grip!" barked the general as he beheld the sight before him.
All around the fortress had appeared what appeared to be armoured giants. They bore swords and shields, but they also boasted magic if their flying sword slashes were any indication. Whatever they were, they were also clearly hostile, evidenced by the fact that they began tearing into the loyalist forces. From the lack of effect his troops were having against them, Arnold also surmised that they were even tougher than the demonic beasts.
"Send a runner," said the general, "Captains Mathew and Laura are to aid the garrison companies in securing an escape route. We're abandoning Fort Merceus before it's too late."
The soldiers around him looked like they were sucking on a lemon. "General, that means giving up the best defence Enbarr has!" shouted one of them
"It's a defence we can't hold," retorted Arnold. "Staying only accomplishes our deaths. We must retreat now before these hulking monstrosities overwhelm the garrison companies."
"As you will, general," responded the soldier reluctantly.
The signal was given post-haste. The banners and standards of all companies were waved in the pattern that informed those who had not been able to hear the instruments, and the line was now drawn back even further. The centre of the fortress was now no longer an option, and so, it was left behind after a bout of intense fighting. All the while, General Arnold struggled to keep his disrupted formation in order.
Indeed, several companies had already been isolated and crushed due to the sudden arrival of the metallic giants. As such, it was difficult to keep the order of battle from falling apart on the side of the loyalists. The traitors and the Agarthans used this to press their attack to great effect. The longer this went on, the lower the loyalists' morale fell. The retreat was not far away from turning into a full-blown rout.
Fortunately, General Arnold's foresight was paying off. The exhausted and nearly panicking soldiers finally reached the positions established by the two captains he had sent to reinforce the garrison companies. They had already engaged the giants and flying demonic beasts that had attempted to encircle the loyalist forces and were no forming a line behind which the retreating troops could regain their composure.
From there, they moved further towards the west gates, linking up with the beleaguered garrison companies as they went. This further shortened the front, which stabilised the condition of the loyalist army. While they continued taking heavy losses due to the overwhelming enemy force, they gave back almost as good as they got on their retreat. Several demonic beasts and at least two of the metallic giants had already fallen. The sight of these small victories kept morale from deteriorating further.
They arrived at the west gates after half an hour of orderly retreat. They split in two groups, one for each gate, and prepared to leave Fort Merceus through them. The plan hit a snag, however, when flashes of light appeared in their way. When they subsided, the Adrestian loyalists were dismayed to note that mages in dark robes were blocking their way.
"You will not stop me from attaining a crushing victory," yelled the one in charge of the northern group.
Arnold noted that this was the person whom he had pegged as the leader of the second force assaulting Fort Merceus. The pale skin and the distinctive clothes were a clear indicator of what he was. There was also a distinct aura of power around him. Clearly, this foe was expecting to stop his retreat and destroy what remained of the garrison. The old general came to a decision.
"Guards, to me! Captain Laura, you as well. We're going to keep them busy. Everyone else, break through the southern west gate," he ordered. "From there, retreat to the next line of defence."
Understanding the implications of that order, the soldiers grimly relayed his orders. Quickly, most of the norther group split off to reinforce from the southern one to engage the mages blocking the way to the southern west gate. This left Arnold and Laura's troops isolated and surrounded on all sides. Nonetheless, he charged at the enemy with a war cry with his soldiers at his back.
It was true that he was old, and that he did not have the stamina for prolonged fights anymore, but he still had most of his old strength in short bursts.
"For His Majesty! For Adrestia and her people!" he roared as he struck the first blow against the opposition.
The enemy commander wore an angered expression as this went on. It appeared that things were not going according to his grand design. Arnold allowed himself a smirk as that realisation sunk in. He took satisfaction from that piece of knowledge as he bore down on the enemy soldiers.
"How dare you ruin my debut?" shouted the elaborately dressed mage.
Arnold scoffed internally, even as he began to grow winded. Talking to the enemy while in melee range was for amateurs and posers, unless it was to surrender. Since his opponent didn't seem to be doing that, he surmised that the man was a fool. Instead of dwelling further on it, tough, he focussed on the fight.
Before long, he was in range and began engaging the pale man directly. He quickly learned that while the mage was lacking in tactical experience, he was a good fighter. Arnold's swings were dodged expertly, and spells were flung back at him at an alarming pace. Going by the screams behind him, his soldiers appeared to be paying the price for his success in evasion. Sadly, however, he was unable to keep this pace up for long.
It came as no surprise then, that he was struck by a rather powerful spell. Pain bloomed in his chest as he fell to the ground. He tried to lift his arms, but they refused to move.
"Finally," said the enemy mage.
General Arnold laughed lightly, coughing up blood. "You don't sound satisfied," he said.
A growl answered him. "You ruined my crowning achievement, you stubborn old fool!"
"Ah, so they broke through," remarked Arnold. "Seems like you failed, then."
"Silence!" barked the mage, casting another spell that took off the defeated general's head. "I am Myson. I do not fail!"
3rd day of the Great Tree Moon 1181. Enbarr, Throne Room of the Imperial Palace.
Recent days had been bad for Emperor Ionius. Not only was his health failing, but he was also stuck having to wage a war in his condition. The expenses were high and the resources were difficult to manage. Then, compounding the issue further, was the recent defeat at Fort Merceus and the loss of his old friend Arnold. Now the only thing that stood between the enemy and Enbarr was a series of hastily erected defences. He had expected as much, but that did not make it any less painful. Fortunately, however, it seemed that better days were ahead.
His daughter had arrived in the harbour of Enbarr less than an hour ago. With her, she had brought over 5'000 soldiers as well as a new batch of fully fledged officers. There was also the infamous Ashen Demon in her company. Leaving any personal feelings aside, he knew that the man was a competent commander and an unparalleled fighter. The morale of the army in Enbarr had received a boost by their arrival, and Ionius' own heart felt lighter at the same time.
Levity aside, he had taken the opportunity to arrange Edelgard's coronation. While there would be no fanfare to it all, the ceremony had been planned months in advance. His health did not permit a big, ostentatious celebration, and neither did the war, but the official process still had to be observed. Hastily executed emergency coronations tended to evoke doubts of legitimacy, after all.
Thanks to his meticulous preparation, the event could fortunately take place within the day. Scribes and witnesses had already been summoned. Some had even arrived already. The senior military staff present in Enbarr was the most notable among those. Among those yet to arrive were sworn knights and representatives from many noble houses who fought on his side. Once they arrived, all that remained would be the paperwork, which had been prepared long in advance.
After a waiting period of roughly half an hour, everyone on the list of attendees had arrived, including the Princess herself. She entered the hall with Byleth slightly behind her.
"Greetings, father," she said while bowing deeply.
Byleth bowed as well. "Your Majesty," he said.
"Welcome home, my daughter. It brings me great joy to see you again. Welcome to you as well, Sir Eisner. I have been looking forward to take your measure for quite some time now," responded the aged Emperor in greeting.
When he two younger people rose again, he spoke, "Come closer. I wish to get the most pressing matter out of the way right now."
"What is it, Father?" asked Edelgard as she and Byleth approached him.
"Something I had lost hope I would live to see," said Ionius. He slowly rose from the throne, took off the crown he had worn up until this point and ordered, "Kneel, my daughter."
The Princess' eyes widened slightly, but she did not hesitate. She went on her knees before her father. She had expected this to happen during her stay here in Enbarr, but she couldn't have imagined that her father would want to do it this soon.
"Will you stand witness for the Church of Seiros, Sir Eisner?" asked Ionius.
Without hesitation, Byleth answered, "Yes, I shall."
The Emperor turned to the others in the room. "Will you stand witness for the Adrestian Empire?"
"Yes, we shall!" they replied-
Ionius' gaze went back to his daughter. "Edelgard von Hresvelg," he began as he lowered the crown on her head, "By the covenant between the red blood and the white sword, and by the double-headed eagle upon your head, I hereby pronounce you the new Emperor. Are you prepared to take those responsibilities as your own?"
Edelgard recited the answer she had been practicing ever since her ascension to heirship. There were modifications to it, however. "In accordance with the ancient covenant, and in keeping with the Hresvelg legacy, I swear that upon this throne, I shall use my reign to lead Adrestia to a prosperous future and to work for the betterment and peace of all of Fodlan."
Accepting her vow, Ionius proclaimed, "The Imperial succession is complete." As he sat back down, a bit of mirth crept into his voice while he said, "Please forgive me for not vacating your throne just yet, my daughter. My health is not what it once was."
"Of course, Father," said Edelgard with a smile. "A throne is an idea. What you are sitting on is but a fancy chair. Never would I ask you to strain yourself merely for decorum's sake."
The former Emperor laughed, which turned into a wheeze and a cough. "I am happy that you still receive me with such warmth, even after my repeated failures to protect you."
"Father…," she began to say, "Even while my siblings and I suffered, I knew that you were suffering too. Your rage, your despair, your love for us; I felt it all. To know that you truly cared saved me in those dark times."
The people in the throne room looked distinctly uncomfortable as they heard the father-daughter duo talk. Some of them had been within the palace during those days, completely oblivious to the agonising torture the Emperor's family had been subjected to. Those who had not been there had at least heard by now. The feeling both of these groups shared, the former more so than the latter, were deep shame and guilt. As loyal subjects to their Emperor, Ionius then and Edelgard now, they felt that they had failed horribly.
Picking up on the mood, Ionius said to Edelgard, "Perhaps we should talk more on private, if you permit it."
She nodded. "Of course," she said and turned to the others. "Everyone except for Sir Eisner and my father, leave us. Members of the senior military staff may remain on call. I shall need them for a war council after I have finished matters with my present company."
The knights, officials and nobles within the Throne Room bowed deeply and made their exit. It wouldn't do to disobey the first order of their new Emperor, after all. The guards exited last, closing the doors behind them and leaving only Ionius, Edelgard and Byleth.
Once he was sure that no one else was in the room, Ionius spoke again, "Please forgive me for my lack of attention to you so far, Sir Eisner, but I wished to carry out the coronation as soon as possible."
"Your apology is appreciated, but it is unnecessary," replied Byleth, "Family takes priority, even in official matters."
The old man smiled slightly before he said, "It is good that you speak of family. I think that would be a fitting topic to continue with."
"What do you mean?" asked Edelgard.
"My daughter," he began, "You are now the Emperor, but you will not live forever. Forgive me for saying it like this, but it is now your responsibility to ensure that there will be an Emperor after you."
Immediately, Edelgard's face lit up with a truly massive blush. She sputtered, "F-father, that-"
A wheezing chuckle left Ionius' mouth. "To see you reacting to this like an ordinary girl fills me with joy," he said, "Nevertheless, the topic is serious and deserves some thought. It is only right that we talk about it now, especially since the man you are interested in is standing right behind you."
His words did nothing to lessen the intensity of her blush, but her mind was working hard in spite of this. She had played this conversation out in her head many times now, each with a different result. Consequently, she felt nervousness rise within her. She had never been good at dealing with uncertainty. With that in mind, she was now struggling to find an appropriate response.
"I… am well aware of the options you presented to me some time ago," she eventually said.
"Have you come to a decision, then?" asked Ionius.
Edelgard shook her head. "No, not yet. My Tea- Byleth wished to avoid the matter of affections between us while he was still a Professor and I a student."
Ionius nodded in approval. "That is good," he said. He sighed, "He avoided the mistake I made with your mother."
"What mistake?" asked Edelgard, though she had an inkling of the answer already.
A sad look came upon her father's face. "I moved too fast on her," he said. "The age gap notwithstanding, she was barely an adult when I proposed to her. I liked her, loved her even, but I never thought to consider that what she felt for me was not the same. In the end, I exploited her. I never meant to, but it is what I ended up doing to her. Up until the Insurrection of the Seven, that was my greatest regret and my greatest shame."
"Father," said Edelgard, "Mother… spoke of this a few times when we talked. She does not hate you, nor does she blame you."
"Then what I have done to her is even worse than I thought," replied Ionius bitterly. "Leaving my own failings aside," he continued, "I am pleased that both you and Sir Eisner have the restraint I lacked."
"Edelgard is precious to me," said Byleth, finally speaking up himself, "And I know that I am developing romantic feelings for her, but emotions are not my strong suit. With the Officers Academy now behind us, there is the opportunity for us to discover how deep our feelings for each other go on either side. However, rushing any of it will not end well."
"Indeed," continued Edelgard, "Managing such a relationship during a war is already difficult. Involving matters of the Imperial succession on top of it is bound to be even more complicated. Until we both know where exactly we stand, it is impossible to make an informed decision."
"I cannot blame you for coming to that conclusion. While it leaves the future of House Hresvelg in danger, I cannot find it in myself to urge you to another course of action. I do hope you have at least given the unconventional options some thought, however," said Ionius.
Edelgard nodded. She said, "I have. There are a few candidates I have in mind… for either option, but I must admit that I prefer a more conventional approach."
"I imagine you would. Believe me, I would not have thought of anything but that if the situation were less dire," said Ionius with understanding. He turned to Byleth and asked, "What about you?"
"I do honestly not quite know what you are talking about," answered Byleth, "However, it is probably irrelevant to me until it is clear whether a relationship between Edelgard and me would work out."
Edelgard hesitated, a plethora of complex emotions coming over her face. "I… would not say that it is completely irrelevant to you," she said, "However, the deciding factor is going to be the result a medical examination I wish to schedule in the near future."
Byleth's eyebrows scrunched up. "I do not understand."
She bit her lip and then said, "What if the experiments I was subjected to damaged my body in certain ways? What if I can't have children?"
The knight's eyes widened ever so slightly as he processed her question. "That would present a great problem," he said.
"Yes, it would," said Ionius. "I have considered this possibility and have given Edelgard a list of possible solutions."
"They are not what I would prefer, but they are viable," said Edelgard. "I… no, we should discuss those in the near future."
Byleth nodded. "Alright," he said.
"Was there anything more you wished to say on this topic, Father?" asked Edelgard.
Ionius shook his head. "No. For now, I am satisfied with the knowledge that you have chosen a young man with integrity and patience to be your partner."
"Then let us table this discussion for later and call the military staff for the war council," said Edelgard.
8th day of the Great Tree Moon 1181. Garreg Mach, War Room.
Seiros felt a nervousness within her that rarely overcame her heart these days. Excitement, joy and bitterness warred with each other within her. She was about to meet family; family that lived, even thrived, but had also never contacted her. The joy of knowing that not all of her kin were gone was in conflict with the anger at being abandoned by them. Where had they been these past twelve centuries?
Hiding from their butchers, part of her mind supplied her. Despite this rational thought, however, her emotions got the better of her sometimes.
She was well aware that her emotions had more control over her actions than she would have admitted even a short time ago. Ever since her beloved mother had yelled at her, she had been forced to re-examine her behaviour and even her thought processes. She'd come to the uncomfortable conclusion that she was very biased on certain topics. She had therefore begun to make an effort to minimise the impact of that bias. At least she was making progress if her exceedingly civil conversations with her mother's… relationship partner were anything to go by.
As such, she now made sure to take a deep beath and calm herself down as much as possible. It would not do for her temper to rise when meeting an estranged family member.
Soon, other people filed into the room. First were Seteth and Flayn, being her fellow Nabateans. Next was the merchant Anna, having formerly been the spy of the tribes of Norweg and being one of their official representatives now. The last two people who entered were a green-haired, pointy-eared man and a red-haired, rather muscular woman. Everyone quickly took their seats, and the meeting was ready to begin in short order.
"I am pleased to finally meet you in person," said Seiros to the two hitherto unknown people, "Seated next to me are Cichol and Cethleann."
"My name is Georg," said the green-haired man, "To my right is Irma. To my left is Anna, but you already know her."
Seiros frowned. "Georg is not a traditional Nabatean name. Is there a reason for that?" she asked.
The man in question raised an eyebrow and answered, "Mother was not acquainted with our people's naming conventions. I am also fond of the name she gave me. It's all I have left of her."
Having heard the tone in which he had answered, Seiros quickly said, "My apologies. I did not mean to imply that I disapproved. I was merely startled and curious."
"I admit that I'm curious as well. Mother could only tell me what she remembered of Father. She did not have much of an idea of Nabatean culture," said Georg.
Irma added, "The clan's records also don't say much about Nabatean civilisation. Ernest's journals only detail the aftermath of the one massacre he was present at together with that Maurice fellow."
At that point, Cichol spoke up and asked, "Was that where Ernest decided to betray Nemesis?"
The redhead and the estranged Nabatean nodded. "Yes," said Irma. "Reportedly, Ernest arrived at the main settlement after dealing with the Nabatean rear-guard and happened upon Maurice and his clan… enjoying the spoils of victory. When he told them to stop, he was told that Nemesis had given them free rein to do whatever they wanted with any survivors after the victory."
"Mother never liked talking about that day," said Georg with a strained voice, "She would stare into empty space and say that the hours until Ernest found her had been the worst of her life, and that the only reason she'd even lived so long was that Maurice's people knew she was pregnant and wished to insult her husband even in death."
The implications of this statement were not lost on anyone. It brought forth extremely unpleasant memories in Seiros, and she had to actively restrain herself from snarling. Cichol was not much better in this regard. While he had not been present at the massacre in Zanado, he had seen his fair share of cruelty during the War of Heroes. Cethleann, too, was hit hard by the tale. During that war, she'd often dealt with survivors of similar events.
Continuing the story, Irma said, "The records say that Ernest had had enough at this point and ordered his men to attack Maurice's. After Maurice and his band had been driven off, Ernest declared that Nemesis' cause could not be righteous. He then took his clan and the handful of survivors from the massacre and left for Norweg."
"It was Mother who informed him about the nature of his Crest and the weapon he used," added Georg, "According to her, he was revolted when he found out that they could only have come from a Nabatean, and what that meant in context. They buried it in accordance with his clan's funeral rites."
"For fear of reprisal from both Nemesis and the Nabateans, Ernest decreed that Norweg would isolate itself from Fodlan," said Irma.
Cichol frowned in thought. "He did participate in an attack on a Nabatean settlement. His caution was warranted," he said.
Seiros agreed. Had the Nabateans in Zanado found out what had happened to their kin outside the Holy City, they would have gone to war with the perpetrators in an instant. Indeed, if Ernest had still been alive, she would be very tempted to find him and personally end him for this transgression. In that sense, Ernest had been wise to isolate his clan from the rest of the world.
"Did that policy change?" she asked.
Irma answered, "Yes. After Ernest's death, the clan started sending spies under the guise of merchants to gauge the state of Fodlan. The War of Heroes had ended only a few years prior to that first scouting mission. The clan feared that the fervour of the nascent Adrestian Empire and the Church of Seiros would have led to an attack on Norweg if they revealed themselves."
"Yes," added Georg "Observation continued and the clan continued to grow. Eventually, our numbers were so large that we could start settling more places. In case we were ever attacked, that would buy time for the others to flee. That was how Ernest's clan became the tribes of Norweg, with my tribe maintaining coherence."
Irma spoke up again, "There were many times when the tribes considered contacting Fodlan, but things kept happening. Dagda's invasions, the War of the Eagle and Lion, the Leicester Revolt, the Crescent Moon War, Almyran incursions; we feared that those events and the increasing isolationism and xenophobia of Fodlan would cause a war between our peoples."
"What made you decide to get in contact with us, then?" asked Cethleann.
"Anna's reports," said Irma.
"Yeah, it was honestly touch and go for quite some time," said Anna, finally speaking up, "But when a lot of changes started happening and talk of reforms began, it took an interesting turn. Then the current war started and you actually came through with those reforms, especially those concerning foreigners and religious tolerance. After that, I got the ball rolling with my reports. Our boats became more obvious to spot, and Duke Gerth got curious."
"I see," said Seiros, "Does that mean that the migration of your tribes to Fodlan is not because of a food scarcity?"
Georg answered, "Only partially. We would have made it, but we would have had to ration food. A lot of us are coming south now because even after more than twelve centuries, Fodlan is our home. The ones who feel more attached to Norweg stayed behind as insurance in case things go wrong and to maintain the settlements."
"The big trouble now is settling in, getting accustomed to the local laws and customs and learning how to farm down here," said Irma.
Seiros smiled, "I am more than happy to assist in this endeavour when I have time."
"Indeed. So would I," added Cichol. Then, he frowned. "We are sadly a bit tight on time, however. We have many duties that will keep us busy for the foreseeable future."
"I could help!" proposed Cethleann. "I have the time to help. I must admit that I am not too familiar with the customs of the time, but I could at least lay the groundwork. Oh, and I could show them Zanado! I am certain that Georg and his tribe would love to see where our people began."
"The idea has merit," said Seiros. "Very well. Cethleann shall be the guide for our guests, in that case. If nothing further needs to be discussed right now, I propose we adjourn this meeting."
"Fine by me," said Anna.
Irma and Georg nodded in agreement. With that, the first of many meetings between the tribes and the Church was concluded.
11th day of the Great Tree Moon 1181. Enbarr.
Ever since Edelgard's coronation, Enbarr had been a hub of activity. The actual festivities had been short and rather underwhelming, but the new Emperor had given a rousing speech and promised to lead the Empire into a new age. After that, preparations for the upcoming siege had been hastened by a motivated population. These were not the only form of activity, however.
In her speech, Edelgard had announced social reforms, beginning with education. For this purpose, veterans from Jeralt's Mercenaries – now Byleth's personal guard – who were not able to fight anymore due to injury or age were now busy teaching people how to read, write and do maths. A lot of people were eager to learn, and the places where such lessons took place were often stuffed to the brim from all walks of life. Even the street beggars were welcomed by the teachers, lending credence to the new Emperor's promises.
Once of the teachers was Lars. He had trained intensively the day before and had therefore been given a day off from physically intense tasks. He had volunteered to take over the first lesson of a new "class." He felt that he was suited since he had been present for a few discussions between Byleth and Edelgard during which the educational reforms had been a topic. It appeared that they thought the same.
"Hello everyone. My name is Lars, and I will be your teacher today," he greeted. He went on, "Before we begin, though, I'd like to go into the reason why you are being taught."
He took up a piece of chalk and wrote the words "Political Systems" on the blackboard that had been wheeled into the main room of the tavern where his lesson took place.
Then, he said, "These words here are why the Emperor wants you to learn all this; because the political system-" he pointed at the words on the blackboard "-of the Adrestian Empire is about to change. Until now, nobles have determined nearly every facet of society. They can do that because they have wealth, power and knowledge. Emperor Edelgard envisions a future where the power of the nobles is diminished and the power of the people increased. However, making informed political decisions without an education in subjects like law, economy and geography and other such things is almost impossible. All these more advanced subjects require you to be able to read, write and perform basic mathematics. And that is the reason why I and many others are now teaching all of you. Any questions?"
An older woman raised her hand and asked, "How are those things supposed to shift power from the nobles to the commoners?"
Lars' face lit up with a smile. "A great question to start with!" he said, "Almost all positions of power in the Imperial government have traditionally been held by nobles. That is because they have an education in these subjects and are therefore the only ones suited for such positions. Now, if there are suddenly many more people who know just as much as the nobles, positions in the government can then be given to commoners as well. Other questions?"
"Are you going to teach everyone?" asked someone else.
Lars answered, "That's the idea. It'll take a lot of planning, but once everything has been worked out, an overarching schooling system is going to be employed. The idea is for children to be taught from a certain age. They will learn everything they need to know over the course of several years of education. Until the system is ready for implementation, teaching is going to be more haphazard, though."
Another hand was raised and a further question asked, "Won't that cut into the time the children can help out at home?"
"Yes," said Lars, "I don't know the details since it's above my pay grade, but from what I do know, it's one of the reasons why the reforms will take a few years to implement. The new systems for education, economy, politics and social structure are going to cause great changes in Adrestian society. The higher-ups are aware that it might cause problems and are on the look-out for solutions before they start the reforms. Any other questions?"
Nobody raised their hand.
"Alright then," he said, "Then let's begin with our lesson. Now, the first thing we will look at is the alphabet…"
Several hours later, Lars stumbled into the quarters in the Imperial Palace he had been given as Byleth's squire. He sat down on an armchair and sagged almost immediately.
"Man, that was exhausting. No clue how Sir Byleth did that for a whole year," he sighed out.
What had to be said, however, was that while Lars did not understand how Byleth had done it, he understood why. Teaching students who were eager to learn was quite fulfilling. He had his first taste of the profession with the sword fighting lessons he had given Lysithea and Marianne over the course of the last year. Now he had made his first foray into teaching other subjects, and he had to admit that it felt satisfying to share his knowledge with others. Sure, he was not fond enough to take it up as a career, but the experience had pleasantly surprised him.
Leaving these thoughts aside, he took his attention to the matters of the next day. He would be training again, for neither the educational nor the social reforms would go anywhere if Enbarr fell to the enemy, after all. He wondered if the coordination between the Imperial troops and the Church forces had improved any in his absence. Even if it had, though, the next day's training would be gruelling.
"No matter how good you are, you can always get better," had been Sir Byleth's words to him the last time he'd asked how his mentor kept getting stronger.
I guess that applies to all aspects of life. They do say one never finishes learning, even in old age, thought Lars.
Indeed, he wondered how much more he would learn – and teach – before this war was over.
AN: Hello there, dear readers!
I hoped you liked reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it. Quite a lot has happened. For one, the Agarthans are finally taking a more active stance, and with a bigwig to boot. Fort Merceus has fallen, and Enbarr isn't looking too hot right now. After that, we got to see Ionius relinquishing his crown and getting his first impression of the hero of this story. Now that he has the former Emperor's tacit approval, I intend to develop the relationship between Byleth and Edelgard over the coming chapters. I hope you all also liked the new information on the tribes of Norweg and their motivations, even if their tale got morbid for a second. And finally, Lars is having a little excursion as well. His segment serves as one of the first introductions of actual change, since talking about reforms without showing any is bad form.
With all that said, my sincerest thanks to everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed since last chapter.
I've got nothing more to say, except that I eagerly await you all next chapter. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!