Chapter 48: Rulers
31st day of the Harpstring Moon 1181. Gates of Garreg Mach.
"Oh, Professor. Are you moving out as well?" asked Mercedes.
She made for a strange sight in Byleth's eyes. This was because she wore a nun's robes combined with functional armour and ceremonial decorations. They didn't look ridiculous by any means – she actually looked quite good – but the outfit looked very atypical on her. Clearly, something was afoot.
"Yes, with Edelgard. I'm surprised you're leaving yourself," he responded.
Edelgard, who was also there, complemented that statement with a question. "I recall that you wished to stay at Garreg Mach to become a fully-fledged nun. Has that changed?"
Mercedes shook her head and answered, "No. I'm actually leaving for the Church. I've been appointed legate for a force of roughly a thousand soldiers. We're supposed to reinforce the Eastern Church in a hurry. It's important for some stratagem of Claude's."
Edelgard frowned. She was unaware of the stratagem in question. She turned to Byleth and asked, "Do you know anything about this?"
He shook his head and answered, "I don't, but by the looks of it, it's only a temporary assignment."
"How did you know, Professor?" asked Mercedes.
From the side, Edelgard made her guess. Turning to Byleth, she said, "I take it that you deduced it based on the composition of your troops."
He answered, "Correct. The Church deploys only full corps to proper campaigns now. I should know; I command one."
"Oh. That makes sense," said Mercedes. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for command if I'm missing things like that."
"You have graduated from the Officers Academy and you have led soldiers in battle. Even if you aren't the best, you are good," said Edelgard. She added, "You must be confident, and the troops will be motivated."
Mercedes nodded in acceptance. "I will follow your advice. Thank you," she said. After a small pause, she continued, "I guess I'll have to go now. If the operation goes well, I'll be back for the Rite of Rising."
Byleth gave that statement a few seconds of thought. Quick deployments like that spoke of the mind of a strategist he was familiar with. "What is the operation's name?"
Surprised by the question, the blonde woman answered, "It's called Operation Maw. My unit is part of the task force for Case Oesophagus."
The former mercenary suppressed the urge to groan as he received confirmation. "This has to be Hyperion's idea, or he has corrupted Claude" he said instead.
"The ludicrous name was as clear a sign as could be," commented Edelgard drily.
The three shared a laugh at that, but it did not last long. They were all on a time table.
"I had best meet my troops," said Mercedes. "If you run across Emile, please tell him that I miss him."
"We will," replied Edelgard. After a short pause, she added, "Stay safe. Hyperion's plans tend to look clever on paper, but they can blow up spectacularly, or so I've heard. We're lucky that they're usually fleshed out by others."
Byleth nearly snorted. He had said that to her. "I wouldn't worry too much," he said.
The two women looked at him questioningly, so he elaborated, "This small force looks more like it's the insurance rather than the main element."
"Oh. That makes sense," pondered Mercedes. "The assignment wouldn't be temporary if my troops were essential."
"Yes, that's my thought as well," said Byleth.
The slightly older woman smiled at him. "I'm relieved to hear that, Professor, but I really must be going right now."
The other two nodded. "Come back safe and sound," instructed Byleth while Edelgard added, "I think a lot of people would be upset if you did not, Jeritza most of all."
"I will", said Mercedes with conviction.
She departed without further fanfare. Both the Emperor and the knight were left watching her as she slowly crept out of view. Their gazes lingered on her; one pensive and the other calculating. That didn't last, however.
Looking at the adorable face of the woman he was coming to love, Byleth decided to employ his headmates' teachings in the art of teasing. He found that it made interacting with Edelgard easier. "So… 'stay safe,' hm?" he said.
He enjoyed the sight of the blush that spread on her face. Her reply did nothing to lessen his amusement.
"W-well, Jeritza would be upset; I said as much," she said, almost tripping over her words, "Not to mention that it would be a shame to lose a heart as good as hers. And-"
"-And she's good on the eyes," suggested Byleth with a small grin.
Without thinking much, she echoed him, "Yes, she's good on the eyes."
A short moment later she realised what she'd said and sharply turned her head. She saw the mirth dancing in Byleth's eyes as she looked at him. Affronted, she slapped his arm and said, "Don't say such things in front of me! Or at all!"
A small chuckle left him as he replied, "I wouldn't have said anything if you hadn't stared at her."
Once again, her cheeks reddened. But she also noticed that Byleth showed the tiny signs of uncertainty she'd become capable of spotting in him. He knew that he was pushing it, and hoped he wasn't pushing too far with his teasing. Knowing what she knew about it, him she didn't take it too hard and instead decided to play along.
"It's impossible not to," she said.
She actually meant that. Mercedes was an incredibly attractive woman, and for somebody like her, who liked both men and women, she was hard not to look at.
"Do I need to be afraid of her stealing you from me?" asked Byleth, amused.
Edelgard huffed and said, "I should be asking you the same. If I was staring, then so were you!"
"As you said, it's impossible not to," he countered, "But it's even harder not to look at you."
Internally, he wore a triumphant smile as he saw Edelgard go completely beet red. Making her blush would never get old, he found, and he'd always try and find new ways to get her to that point. Alas, she seemed to get the hang of responding properly as well.
"Then spend your time looking at me!" she retorted.
Not backing down, he shot back, "Why do you think I'm always walking behind you?"
That left her sputtering again, much to his amusement. His headmates had taught him well, it seemed. He was sure that he'd be entertained by Edelgard's reactions to his newfound love for teasing her for quite some time. At least he wouldn't be bored until his return to the hallowed ground of the monastery.
3rd day of the Garland Moon 1181. Sothis' Heaven.
As Sothis stepped foot into the sacred realm that belonged to her, she was in awe. Majestic spires stretched into a beautiful blue sky. Dragon-sized homes adorned their sides and magnificent ornaments stretched all across each one's length. As far as the eye could see, these spires dotted the mountainous landscape. Around some of them, on the ground level, there appeared to be settlements full of Nabatean pyramids, some of which almost reached the size of a town. It truly was a breath-taking sight.
"I can't believe I've never been here," she whispered to herself.
She had known that this place existed, but she had never had the opportunity to visit it. Circumstances had prevented her from doing so, mostly due to poor timing.
After she had received the mantle of this world's Ein Sof Aur, this piece of Heaven dedicated to her had come to be. Sadly, worldly matters had been far too important back then; war with Agartha and the raising of her children had left no room for other things. After that, she'd had to heal the world to prevent the extinction of humanity. And then, her healing sleep had followed, as well as its unplanned end through Nemesis. Now that her power was returning to her, however, and she had some time, she was finally able to come and visit this place.
The longer she observed the landscape, the more she liked it. The hills, mountains and spires were wonderful to behold, as were the settlements at their feet. The faint sound of the bustling villages and the flapping of the dragons' wings she could hear in the sky brought a smile to her face. Everything looked so peaceful and idyllic. It really deserved to be called Heaven.
The thing that drew the most attention, however, was the truly majestic spire in the midst of the mountain range she found herself in. It easily stretched several kilometres into the sky, towering over the very mountains it was surrounded by. Its ornaments were far more elaborate than any other spire's, dotted by murals and symbols painted in gold and accented by emeralds. But the most distinguishing feature it showed was the truly gigantic inscription on the side of the spire that faced the others: It was her name, written in Enochian.
And so, Sothis began her trek across the mountains to the spire that bore her name. The journey took several hours, and her bare feet were not at all appreciative of the rocky terrain. She pushed on nevertheless, determined to reach her goal before the day was out. She wanted to be back with her beloved by the evening, after all. With this thought in mind, she released the wings whose use she had regained over the past few months, and picked up the pace.
When she had eventually reached the spire, she touched its surface, hoping for a reaction. As soon as she did so, a green light engulfed her, and she suddenly felt a strong pull upwards. Before she knew what was happening, she was ascending the side of the structure through no initiative of her own. Up and up she went, and as she broke through the clouds, she lost sight of the ground.
The tumultuous journey found its end relatively soon. Whatever force had pulled her up now deposited her at the top of the spire, leaving her to get her bearings again. She retracted her wings and took stock of her new surroundings.
The spire's top was flat for the most part. The one thing that defied the even terrain's uniformity was extraordinary, however. It looked like a pyramid, designed in the same way as those she'd seen in the settlements further down; her children's design choices were easily discernible. However, the size was incomparable. What stood before her could not be called anything less than a palace.
Eager to see its interior, she entered the building. Upon doing so, she beheld the craftsmanship of the building's insides. The spacious halls upheld by decorated pillars met her approval. The murals on the walls did the same, picturing scenes from her time fighting against the Agarthans at Manannan's side, saving people and raising her children; there were many bad memories associated with these images, but also many good ones, and all of them were important to her. And so, she went on to explore the rest of the structure.
Eventually, she came upon a hall that could only be dubbed a throne room. It featured more decorated pillars, a beautiful mosaic on the floor and a large throne reminiscent of the one in the Holy Tomb.
Sothis frowned as she looked at it. There was something about it she didn't like at all. After a second's thought, she realised what it was that bothered her. It was the throne's surroundings. It stood alone.
There's a throne for me next to Hyperion's in his palace. If this is supposed to be my throne room, there will either have to be a second throne or this one will have to be replaced by a broader one. I want my love to sit beside me, she thought.
Leaving those contemplations aside, she went back to her exploratory efforts. There were a few empty chambers devoid of life and even lacking furniture. Other rooms that could be identified as storage, treasury and kitchens were also empty bar the most basic identifying features. The second and third floors more of the same; the rooms were empty. It appeared that the entire palace was entirely deserted.
With a frown adorning her face, the Goddess left the building after some time. She much preferred the sight of the outside to the inside. The palace was too desolate to her tastes, no matter the beautiful craftsmanship and design were. Abandoned places, especially those dedicated to her, were of little interest to her.
Sadly, the view of the other spires and the settlements around them was blocked by the clouds. Her frown grew more pronounced at that. She didn't like it. It made her feel lonely.
Her expression changed to a scowl at that thought. This may be a piece of Heaven made for her and her descendants, but she felt like didn't belong here. Nobody had come to greet her, despite the multitude of dragons that must have spotted her on her journey to this spire. It was like she was beneath their notice.
She shook her head; perhaps that was an unfair thought. They might not have noticed that she was not someone who'd been here before. There were many people who featured her looks around here, she deduced. And even then, not every new addition had to be greeted with fanfare. She still didn't like it, but she understood.
Alas, this did not nothing for her sense of belonging. No, this place meant little to her at this point. She belonged with her friends and family, namely Byleth, Seiros and Hyperion. They were in the world of the living and thus needed her support the most, and they gave her their support in return.
A grin that definitely didn't belong on the icon of purity some of her more naïve followers saw her as spread on her face. It came from the thought that soon, she might belong not only with but also to her beloved Hyperion. There was a lot the two of them wanted to do based on that after the Rite or Rising had run its course, and it was going to be quite enjoyable.
With her good mood restored, Sothis then hummed to herself and prepared to return to Byleth's mindscape. Maybe her next visit would go better. She planned to go see the settlements then, and reunite with her long-lost kin down there. She was looking forward to it.
8th day of the Garland Moon 1181. Gideon territory, command tent of Dimitri's army.
"Family reunions suck, huh?" said Sylvain to Dimitri.
Dimitri scoffed and shot back, "I guess we have that in common."
The former Blue Lions had just finished their discussion of the battle plan for the upcoming clash with the enemy. Since there was still some time left, they now discussed strategy at large, mainly the reasons for the current situation.
"Why is this even happening?" asked Annette, "Shouldn't Rufus go on the defensive and fortify his position? We've got superior numbers now."
"He has to attack," commented Felix.
Annette was slightly confused, as was Ashe. He asked, "But why? Shouldn't he save his strength and regroup?"
It was Ingrid who answered that question. "We have superior numbers and also more manpower available. When the enemy is stronger than you and has more stamina, the only recourse is aggression."
Sylvain added, "Retreat would be an option if he still held Arianrhod, but he lost it, and it's a smouldering pile of rocks now, too."
That statement drew grimaces from everyone. The destruction of Arianrhod had nearly caused a panic in the army, but calm and collected leadership had prevented the worst of it. Then, a few days ago, the elite mages of the army had been taught a new countermeasure. Said countermeasure was untested, but it bolstered morale immensely. It remained to be seen how effective it would be.
Resuming the discussion, Dimitri said, "Yes. It's fortunate that our allies camped outside the fortress when the attack occurred. It has left Rufus in a dangerous position. He has to defeat either Baron Ochs or me before turning to the other. If he goes after Baron Ochs first, he gives me time to retake more and more of Faerghus. If he goes after me first and manages to kill me, he will stand as the sole member of House Blaiddyd, thus raising his legitimacy and increasing the number of potential new recruits."
"In other words," said Felix, "If Rufus doesn't defeat us before Baron Ochs falls into his back, he's finished. If he wins against us, he still has a chance at victory."
Sylvain amended that statement. "Since he's also facing mass desertions after his recent defeats at Arianrhod and Fhirdiad, this battle is essentially his only chance before he loses too many soldiers. If he loses here, he might as well off himself."
"Oh," said Annette. "I think I understand now. That explains the size of the army."
Dimitri nodded and said, "Correct. He's scrounged up every soldier he could find and amassed a force of about 60'000 to our 65'000. We're evenly matched. I would have liked to retreat and gather more troops, but the strategic situation forces me to give battle."
Felix frowned and countered, "Our allies won't collapse in a few weeks."
"I don't think it's about that," said Ashe. He turned to Dimitri and asked, "It's about the Tailteann plains, isn't it?"
The king answered, "Yes. This year's seeds have already been sowed, so we can't allow the Kingdom's breadbasket to fall into Rufus' hands. We'd have a famine on our hands if we did. Retreating from here and exposing the Tailteann plains is unacceptable. That is also why I've left a significant garrison to protect them against raiders and bandits."
Ingrid, despite being a noble, was very familiar with the concept. Her father's county had been hanging at the precipice of famine for many years now. It had gotten slightly better recently, but not by too much. As such, she understood Dimitri's thought process in this regard.
"It looks like a lot is on the line, then," she said, "I'd best get my troops in battle order and see that they're ready."
Dimitri agreed. "We all should. Before that, are there any questions regarding the battleplan we discussed before?" Shaken heads answered him. "Good, then," he said, "Get your troop ready for battle."
"Yes, Your Majesty," answered his former classmates and left.
Only Dedue stayed behind. "Your Majesty," he said, "Are you sure you wish to proceed with your plan? The risk to you is too great."
"Then why didn't you object before?" asked Dimitri.
"Because it was not a question of the plan's effectiveness but one of personal worry. I will follow your orders, but I'm uncomfortable with the risk it poses to you," said Dedue.
Dimitri chuckles slightly. "I thank you for your concern with my safety, but this is the plan that should result in the lowest number of casualties."
"Very well," said Dedue unhappily. "Then I shall prepare my troops."
With the discussion over, the two left the command tent as well to prepare for battle. Rufus' army was drawing ever closer, after all. Dimitri wanted his soldiers in formation and ready for combat before he was in range of his uncle's cavalry. Fortunately, there was sufficient time to do so, seeing as no sentry had as of yet reported sighting the enemy. The preparations proceeded calmy as a result.
An hour later, the army had formed up as Dimitri had wished. Heavy infantry filled the centre. On their flanks was light infantry. Even further out was the cavalry. Behind this first line were reserve units of both heavy and light infantry, as well as the majority of the mages and the king's personal guard unit. Behind even them were the flyers, who waited for orders to take to the skies. Battle order was achieved with time to spare.
It was not long after this that scouts reported sighting Rufus' army. Dimitri gave the order for the flyers to take to the sky and establish aerial dominance while the ground troops advanced. He intended to have them harass the enemy an disrupt their formation before the lines met each other. It would still take some time, but for the latter part to happen, but it was better to start early.
This proved to be a prudent decision, for the flyers sent to harass the traitorous army, they spotted black-clad mages in a strange formation. Immediately recognising them as priority targets, Ingrid ordered a sizeable detachment of her troops to disrupt them. As soon as the first dozen or so of them fell, a strange shimmering was seen in the air behind Rufus' army. When more were killed, the spell they were maintaining started to fail, and whatever was under its concealment was revealed.
As soon as she spotted the demonic beasts and Titanus war machines, Ingrid was quick to react. "Draw back! Establish a charging cycle on the flanks and avoid the large targets! Send a message to His Majesty and request further orders!" she shouted, having trumpeters relay her instructions.
When the messenger reached Dimitri, he had already spotted the problem. Recalling what had been talked about before, he opted to trump the now revealed superior strength of the enemy with aggression. This was reflected in the orders he gave.
"Tell Sylvain to charge at the enemy cavalry. Have Ingrid help him. The enemy's mobility must be crippled. Once that is achieved, they are to keep the demonic beasts and war machines busy," he told one messenger.
To another, he said, "I want Felix and the light infantry to rush forward to screen Ashe and his archers. Have them occupy the enemy line."
He turned to a third messenger. "Tell Annette and the mages to push forward as well. Then go to Dedue and have him arrange the infantry in wedges. He is to wait for me and then follow my push on the enemy infantry's flanks."
It was fortunate that Rufus had already lost a large number of his flyers in the battle of Fhirdiad. Otherwise, Ingrid would have had to use more than just a token force to keep them busy, and Dimitri's plan would have fallen apart. As it was, however, she was able to support Sylvain's cavalry in their mission while keeping a reserve in the sky.
That reserve proved to be sorely needed. Rufus and Cornelia, who jointly commanded the enemy army, were clearly not fools. Ingrid could see them give quick orders to their heavy backline. Faced with that problem, Ingrid had no choice but to take her reserves and engage the demonic beasts and Titanus before they could disrupt Felix's push.
Felix meanwhile was feeling the heat. He and his light infantry were pitted against the entirety of Rufus' foot soldiers. His troops were definitely not suited to take on heavy infantry. Even with Ashe's archers and Annette's magic support, he was in a tight spot.
"Half-swording, I said! Half-swording and murder hew!" he shouted while demonstrating the technique.
While keeping the handle of his sword in one hand, he grabbed the blade at the midway point and made a thrust into the gap of an opponent's armour. After that, he kicked his opponent and switched his grip so that he was holding the blade in both hands. He then proceeded to bash the sword's pommel on his heavily armour opponent's head, knocking him out.
His soldiers copied him with various degrees of success. While it did nothing to reduce his own losses, the enemy's were mounting noticeably as a result. It also helped morale to know that there was a way to wound the enemy despite their thick armour. At least it kept the line from collapsing.
That was when the horns assigned to the heavy infantry were sounded. Dedue and Dimitri thus joined the fray, smashing into one flank of the enemy infantry each.
This made the momentum in the centre shift. Not only were the troops that had begun to surround Felix' light infantry now trapped between them and the heavy infantry of the loyalists, but their morale also took a nosedive. Those trapped elements were swiftly crushed as a result.
A significant portion of Rufus' army was at the breaking point now. If he didn't do something quickly, he was going to lose. That was when he spotted Dimitri's personal banner.
"Damn that brat," he said as he considered his options, "He's got me right where he wanted me."
"Stop being impressed with him and do something about it!" sniped Cornelia from beside him.
He glowered at her. "Don't get snippy with me, woman. I'll meet him head on. That's probably what he wanted from the start."
She scoffed and said, "You'd better not mess this up."
"Enough!" shouted Rufus. He turned to a senior officer whom he had chosen as his Lieutenant and told him, "If she tries to flee, kill her."
Not waiting for a reply, he rode off with his personal guard, leaving Cornelia behind with a smattering of guards that outnumbered her own. She'd been pulling strings for far too long, and Rufus was starting to regret associating with her. Alas, the die had been cast, and he now had a job to do, even if it was going to be his last one.
And so, he rode out to meet Dimitri on the battlefield. He headed directly towards his nephew's position; there was no time to be lost. If he did not arrive in time to bolster morale, his army would lose cohesion in no time. And even then, he had to win fast if he wanted to end the battle with enough forces left over to continue the war.
Dimitri, for his part, noticed his uncle's approach. He gave the order to continue pushing against the enemy infantry and then took his personal guard to meet Rufus' charge.
Their first exchange was not much of one at all. Rufus had to pull the reins after Dimitri's soldiers had created an improvised but effective spear wall. Some of Rufus' riders had crashed into it, however, much to the detriment of both sides. It was to be the last lull of their engagement.
This time, Dimitri's forces surged forward, as did he. They couldn't allow Rufus to build momentum again. As such, their attack was executed swiftly, and Rufus' personal guard was quickly exchanged.
In the scuffle, Dimitri found himself glad that he had chosen to take a blade-tipped spear into battle. The sweeps and cuts he preferred to make were easier to execute than with a lance or other types of spears. It also gave him the necessary reach to unhorse his opponents without having to do risky thrusts in the chaotic melee.
One of those he unhorsed ended up being his uncle, though the man avoided injury from the fall. He rolled backwards and used the momentum to jump up on his feet again, keeping a grip on his sword at all times.
"There can be only one King of Faerghus, nephew," said Rufus.
"The time for talking is long past. Fight," replied Dimitri.
The ensuing clash was painfully short. While Rufus was no fool and had a good strategic mind, he was hopelessly outclassed by Dimitri when it came to physical strength. Even the advantage he had with his sword didn't help much. He couldn't close in before his nephew managed to thrust his spear into Rufus' abdomen.
Spitting blood, he mocked, "…. Long… live… the true… king."
Ignoring the words as the older man keeled over, Dimitri shouted, "Rufus is dead!"
Rufus' bodyguard had seen him fall, turning tail as soon as they could. This, in turn caused nearby troops to rout as well. A chain reaction followed during which Rufus' army basically disintegrated. The demoralisation caused by their leader's death and the pressure they were under, the soldiers either fled or surrendered in short order.
There was a hold-out, however. A force that could not be mistaken for anything but Agarthan was still holding strong. Normally, they would have retreated, but the soldiers loyal to Rufus who surrounded Cornelia forced her and her troops to stay. They knew the battle was lost, but the longer the Agarthans held out the more time their comrades had to flee.
It helped little in the grand scheme of things. Sylvain's cavalry had peeled off from their fight with the demonic beasts and Titanus, and was now in pursuit of the fleeing enemy. The infantry was now able to enter the fight against the larger foes to replace them, after all. What the guards did accomplish was to trap the woman.
Consequently, it was no surprise that she eventually found herself surrounded. Her own guards lay dead, and those Rufus had posted around her had surrendered to Dimitri. And while the beasts and war machines still fought on, they had been reduced to a handful of ineffectual nuisances while she was surrounded by her enemies.
Still, she saw no reason not to be petty in her last moments. "I don't think you're feeling to merciful right now, are you, Princeling?"
"I am the king," retorted Dimitri.
"So it would seem. My, how you've grown. Having your family and friends butchered in front of you all those years ago did you some good," she said scathingly.
While Dimitri was close to popping a vein, he held himself back. Instead, he replied, "And it seems like all that Dark Magic has impaired your mental faculties."
"Oh my, did I hurt your feelings?" asked Cornelia.
Dimitri simply scoffed. "Annette, cast the spell," he called.
The young woman in question, who had come here at Dedue's behest, quickly cast Reveal. The disguise of the enemy woman immediately melted away. Her true appearance featured much the same figure as the skin she had worn had, but her complexion was typically Agarthan. Her hair was a matted purple, her eyes red and her clothing entirely black.
"I take it your name is not really Cornelia," said Dimitri.
The Agarthan chuckled. "You guessed correctly. Well, you've defeated me, so I guess you earned at least that privilege. My name is Cleobulus."
Dimitri nodded in acknowledgement and said, "Good. I make it a matter of principle to know the names of those I'm personally executing."
"My, what viciousness!" laughed Cleobulus. "No, that is for sure not the worst kind of death. Now hurry and get it over with. But be a dear and irritate Thales for me, would you?"
"I will take it under advisement," said Dimitri before he then swung his spear and cutting her head off in one strike.
With that, the battle was over, and with it, the civil war in Faerghus. There was still the matter of brining the remaining rebellious territories to heel, but the fighting was for the most part concluded. Now it was time to rebuild the country. Duke Fraldarius would have to be in charge of it however, as there was still another war to fight.
While peace would now return to the territories of the Kingdom, the nation would have to fight on. The Agarthans were not yet beaten, and the allies of Faerghus were in dire need of help, the Alliance most of all.
10th day of the Garland Moon 1181. Derdriu.
The capital of the Alliance had been under siege for a little more than a week now, and Claude was not too happy about it. Oh, he had planned for it, but it still grated on him. As much as he liked his strategies and as much as he considered the current one the best approach, he was under no illusions as to the risk. If he slipped up during his defence of the city, the Alliance would suffer a crippling blow.
Fortunately, he had the hardiest soldiers in the Alliance at his command. It was kind of ironic that those soldiers happened to be Almyran, though, but it was also a diplomatic move. For one, Almyrans hated losing battle after battle, which was why Claude had kept them in reserve to defend Derdriu. The additional bonus was that the citizens would see Almyrans defending them, and the Almyrans would shed blood and have their blood shed with Alliance soldiers as brothers and sisters in arms. Ties would be forged over this, and the comradery would hopefully last far beyond the defence of the capital.
Of supreme importance to this effort was Nader. The man was finding out that defending was more tedious than attacking, but his leadership was as good as ever. The soldiers followed him and kept their nerves. He also made sure that there were no excesses and that the peace was kept between his subordinates and the Alliance forces as well as the citizens. He was also a big part of the war council currently in session.
"How are your forces fitting in with the garrison?" asked Claude.
"Reasonably well," answered Nader, "I've had to bash a few heads together, but nothing major so far. The soldiers are bonding, my Prince."
"Nice to know that we're not at each other's throats. Guess that means that our defences are holding so far," said Claude.
Nader made a short laugh. "They are. The army is good on morale for now."
"Any word from the rest of our forces?" asked Claude, turning his head to another man.
"Yes, my Duke. We've received an update on the timeline," said Lord Atten, a minor noble who was responsible for communications and military intelligence. He was one of the few Alliance nobles Claude actually liked.
"Good. What does it say?" asked Claude.
Lord Atten procured a number of letters. Taking one out of the stack, he read out, "Count Gloucester will mount his attack along the northern front on the 13th, according to his coded missive." He took out another few sheaves of paper and continued, "Lady Judith is set to begin support operations for Count Gloucester on the 14th. Meanwhile, Count Goneril and Generals Raphael, Ignatz and Leonie will begin their southern attacks on the 20th so as to ensure that the enemy has enough time to move troops north before they begin their attack."
Claude nodded. "All seems to be going according to plan, then. Do we have any word on Margrave Edmund and the Eastern Church?"
"We do," answered Lord Atten. "The preparations are not yet complete, but they should be within the week. The Eastern Church also reports that they will receive temporary reinforcements from the Central Church for the duration of Operation Maw."
"That's an acceptable timeframe," said Claude with a hum. "If there's nothing else, this meeting is adjourned. Nader and I should discuss matters pertaining the city's defence in private."
No one raised any new points, which prompted everyone but Claude and Nader to leave. The war council was an institution for the purposes of discussing the war, not the city's defence. As such, they didn't protest, leaving quietly instead.
When they were gone, Claude asked, "Apart from cohesion and morale, how is it?"
"Well, there's a lot to cover," answered Nader. "We dug those trenches you wanted. I have to say, that stuff would be a nightmare for your average Almyran army. Wyverns can't sweep in and cavalry can't storm them."
"Magic can still devastate them," warned Claude, "So don't trust the trenches too much. They're just part of the defence network."
Nader eyed him sceptically and said, "Defence network? Those trench towers are just flimsy stilts. One good hit from a competent mage or a medium-sized catapult is going to reduce those things to firewood. That's not even counting demonic beasts or those Titanus things we've been hearing about."
A hearty laugh escaped Claude at that. "Oh, you're completely right about those towers. They're just distractions hiding the real defences."
"Oh? And what are those defences?" asked Nader.
Claude smirked and answered, "Let's just say that your work on the trenches disguised my work in the towers"
Nader simply stared flatly at him. "It's tunnels, isn't it?"
"Being able to outflank the enemy in a trench is not something normal military minds in Fodlan can understand," said Claude.
"Almyrans don't think like that either," said Nader with a scoff. "Let's hope it'll work as well as you think it will."
The smirk was back on Claude's face as he replied, "Oh, it's going to work better than you can imagine. If they survive my initial plan, they'll never recover from my back-up plan."
"What if the enemy has a back-up plan as well? We can't count on them to be stupid," retorted Nader.
"Then we resort to unsavoury tactics," said Claude. "I already put together a unit of wind mages to make it happen."
"Let's hope it doesn't blow up in you face if it is what I think it is," said Nader with caution.
"There's always going to be a risk," admitted Claude, "But we can't afford to hold back against the Agarthans. Otherwise, they'll just continue unhindered."
12th day of the Garland Moon 1181. Shared Prayer Space of Hyperion and Sothis.
"Things can't continue like this," said Kronya with an empty look in her eyes.
She had been called here to give a report to Sothis and me. Her work in Shambhala was slowly gaining traction from what she'd been reporting over the last three weeks. The downtrodden and the dissenters of Agarthan society were flocking to her side, taken in by the promise of peace and genuine sunlight, something that had a bigger impact than even I had suspected. The movement her team had started was growing rapidly.
It clearly came with its downsides. The workload and the stress that came with building an underground resistance movement, keeping that movement on a leash and keeping it secret on top of it all was taking its toll on her. There hadn't been a single day in the last week on which she'd shown up looking okay.
Today, however, it was worse. She looked haggard and out of breath. Her gaze was shaky and lifeless. She appeared completely broken.
Sothis and I shared a look and stood up simultaneously. We walked over to Kronya and embraced her tightly just as her legs lost their strength. She collapsed into our arms and began sobbing.
"What's wrong?" I asked her as we held her. "What can't go on?"
"Today," choked out Kronya, "We were investigating a new lead. We… we were trying to figure out what Chilon is doing. A few of us made it into the catacombs. What we saw… I can't… My Lord, it was a corpse pit."
After that, she clammed up, choking so completely on her words that nothing came out. Sothis and I looked at each other in worry for a second before we refocused on the crying woman between us.
"How bad was it?" asked Sothis, gently rubbing her back.
"… Hundreds…," she began, "Hundreds of thousands. They're depopulating every area they occupy!"
My stomach dropped, and I could see the same happening to Sothis. "Let's sit down," I suggested.
The three of us did so. Kronya was still in between us when we sat down. We waited for her to regain her composure, and I was thinking hard.
There were hundreds of thousands of corpses, according to Kronya. That statement was extremely worrying for two reasons. One, it was a gigantic loss of life and nothing less than genocide. Second, there was no influx of souls. I hadn't been notified of sudden increase in the souls of the dead such a massacre would normally cause. That was cause for great alarm
There were few ways for souls to not come to the Underworld. One was immediate admittance into Heaven – impossible given the current absence of faith in my Adonai. Another was banishment to Hell – impossible when one considered the number of affected souls. And lastly, they remained in the living world as ghosts.
Ghosts only happened when the souls were cursed by divine force – impossible under current conditions – or when deliberate disrespect of funeral practices by the killers and strong hatred from the killed were combined with potent magical residue. That was why ghosts normally appeared on battlefields, though Sothis' power in the land purified those promptly. Shambhala, however, was closed to Sothis. Her power could not call those ghosts to their rightful resting place. They were left to haunt the place their hatred was centred on or where their remains resided.
The lack of influx of souls told me one extremely worrying thing. Practically all those souls, down to the infants, were subjected to treatment which called forth such immense hatred that they remained as ghosts. That spoke of torture beyond imagination, crimes against life itself. That state of affairs could not be tolerated.
Before I could contemplate this further. I was taken out of my thoughts by what was happening in front of me. There was a subordinate to comfort.
"Shh… it's alright. Let it out," said Sothis. She looked shaken herself, but she focussed on Kronya instead.
"We're here for you," I added. It was not the most original thing to say nor the most helpful. I meant it, though.
She wrapped one arm each around us. Still crying, she said, "Please don't let go. My Lord, my Lady, don't let go. Don't let go of me."
"We won't", we said in unison.
The pale woman's state of mind was clearly one of turmoil. She normally went out of her way to not address me as her Lord when she wasn't taking part in an official function or teasing. She'd also never before called Sothis her Lady.
It occurred to me that if that was what she was calling us when her mind was slipping, then that was what she saw us as in her own mind. That was something that bore further thinking. Later, however.
Right now, she needed help, and I, for my part, was ready to provide it without hesitation. So was Sothis, if I was judging the look on her face correctly. We tightened our hold on Kronya, and she responded in kind.
After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, the crying slowly subsided. Kronya finally spoke, "There were – are so many of them, and we couldn't help at all. It hurts. It hurts so much. How can people be so cruel? How can my people be such monsters?"
I was thinking. This was a tragedy beyond imagination. Kronya's initial statement had been right; such things couldn't be allowed to continue. Such declarations did little for those for whom it was already too late, however. Still, there was one thing I could do.
"Kronya," I began, making her look at me, "Be strong. Your people need you, now more than ever. They need to be shown that they don't have to tolerate the monsters in their midst."
"But I'm one of those monsters!" she yelled at me.
"Not anymore," said Sothis softly from the side. "You stopped being a monster the moment you had the choice. Hyperion is right; you are a shining example for your fellow Agarthans that evil can and must be cast out."
Kronya's arms tightened again around us. "How can anyone tolerate us after what we've done?" she asked.
"The atrocities you've seen today are being committed by the Agarthan leadership and the corrupt collaborators that enable them," I said. "If your people are seen rejecting their evil, if they are seen fighting that evil, they will be tolerated, perhaps even accepted. Kronya, I promise you that your people can be saved, and they will be saved. But in order to do that, you must show them that their souls can be saved from the evil Thales and his ilk have heaped on them."
"What about the souls of all those murdered people?" asked Kronya, "Who will save them?"
"You," I said with a sad smile.
"What?" asked Kronya. Sothis, too, looked at me with a question on the tip of her tongue.
I explained, "These people's souls are still around, probably near their bodies, since they haven't appeared in the Underworld. They've become ghosts bereft of the eternal rest they deserve. If I had a body, I'd fetch them myself, but I don't, so I can't. You, however, are close by."
A look of understanding entered Sothis' eyes. "You're going to make her a psychopomp?"
Kronya blinked away the tears that were still in her eyes. "A what now?" she asked.
"A psychopomp is an entity who retrieves the souls of the dead and transports them to the afterlife," I explained to her, "And Sothis was correct. I want to make you one. Possibly the rest of your team as well."
She looked at me wide-eyed, a glimmer of hope on her face. "R-really. We can still do something for those people?"
I nodded. "Yes," I said, "But there's something you need to know first."
"What is it?" she asked.
It was Sothis who answered this time. "Psychopomps all fall into one of two categories: Gods or immortal beings. If you accept this position, you'll become immortal. You'll outlive your friends and family, and will rarely ever see them again."
Kronya looked down on the floor. Not for long, however. She raised her head quickly, a look of determination in her eyes, and said, "That's alright. As long as I have my Lord and my Lady, I'll be happy."
Sothis and I exchanged glances. We would have to talk about this later. Now was not the right time, however.
"You also said you'd make my team into psychopomps too, right? I'll have my friends with me," she said.
I nodded and said, "Normally, I wouldn't offer such a thing so early in your life, but the situation is forcing our hand. Whatever this is, it's just a little taste of what's to come. There will be many more ghosts. Plus, if something goes wrong during the Rite of Rising – and I just know it will – we need people on the ground who can help mitigate the damage Thales will undoubtedly do in our absence."
Kronya swallowed drily as she listened to me speaking. When I was finished, she said, "I'll do it. I swore to serve you, my Lord. And… and I want to help the ghosts."
"… Alright," I said. I turned to Sothis and asked, "Can you help? I don't know if I can do it alone yet."
"Of course, my love," she said.
Then, as one, we kissed Kronya's forehead, and a bright light illuminated the room.
AN: Greetings, dear readers!
I hope you've enjoyed today's chapter despite that rather dark ending segment there. This time, like in the last chapter, an arc finishes, only for two new ones to begin. Byleth employs the official Hyperion and Sothis Relationship Teasing Programme (trademark pending), Sothis makes plans for rennovations, Dimitri trims the family tree and pulls a weed, Claude is up to a new scheme, and Kronya brings very worrying news. What is Chilon doing? How does it fit into Thales' plans? Why is it happening?
Also, just for clarification: No, Kronya has not been deified. Immortal human comes closer to an accurate description of her new status of being.
If you have questions are comments about anything else, please don't hesitate to review or send a PM. I'll do my best to respond swiftly, provided the messaging function doesn't randomly decide to not work anymore.
Now, on a final note, I've finally found a story to recommend again (unless I've already recommended this story and simply forgotten). It's called A Game of Monsters written by Adrian King1. Joshua Davis, a young man with severe problems finds himself switching places with a version of himself from another world. By the time he realises that this new world is High School DxD, he's already ruined canon, adopted a sister, got an adorable kid to look after, and a menagerie of stupidly dangerous but equally adorable familiars, and has somehow become a genius magician while his divine benefactor tries pranking him every so often.
Now then, all that said, I wish you all a pleasant day. Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!