Silver Snow Revised

by Cosmic Sky

When Byleth Eisner came to Garreg Mach, he brought an unexpected hope with him. It was a hope Rhea knew she had to nurture, never suspecting that things wouldn't quite work out as she expected. Byleth would show her that wasn't a bad thing. Likewise, she'd become something unexpected but precious to him. This is the story of the silver studded path they walked together.

12. Chapter 11-The Valiant and Vile Pt3

Hey, everyone. Welcome to the first chapter of 2024! We're finally in the year of the dragon and given this is a story that gives Three Houses' dragons some much needed love, I'm more than a little excited. That said, this chapter will be focusing on the Black Eagles as they wrap up their current mission, and deal with the surprises that come with it. Now then, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

I do not own anything.

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Silver Snow Revised

Chapter 11-The Valiant and the Vile Pt.3

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Byleth's hand immediately went to his sword as he felt that familiar feeling creeping into his bones. He knew what it was. His voice rose in accordance with those of the wagon mages. "Contact!" The single word response boomed like thunder and struck every member of the convoy with corresponding lightning. Byleth didn't need to look around, he knew that his warning was received and followed through on. Those he could see sprang into action, including Ferdinand right beside him.

They came from the earth, bursting forth like a pack of moles. He'd seen such things before, several times a natural skill and others done with the help of magic. Looking around, Byleth saw the glow of their hands, covered by clawed gauntlets; he could sense the traces of magic emanating from them. Magical digging gloves. That's cute.

You actually sound amused.

I read about them in one of my favorite stories. It was Sothis who sounded amused now. They won't be enough to stop my blade. No sooner was the thought made were the smoke bombs thrown. Unfazed, Byleth held up his sword, his muscles hardening as he summoned forth the strength that he'd shed blood, sweat, and tears to obtain.

SWOOOSH!

His slash was circular, releasing an omnidirectional burst of air. Not only was the smoky veil blown away, several of the would-be bandits were thrown back by the pressure as well. Their arms rose, yet they were still pushed back; even if they managed to land on their feet they stumbled. A handful downright fell onto their backsides, screaming in alarm. A moment later and they were screaming in terror as the counterattack began. At least one scream turned into a dying scream, thanks to Ferdinand driving his spear into the bandit's chest.

One of the bandits cried out at the death, only to growl as Ferdinand turned his spear toward him. The noble's spear and the bandit's clawed gauntlets met in a clash, one of many that broke out around the convoy. Gone was the peace and quiet, a disappearance that several, especially Byleth, had been expecting. Even up the sky the sounds of battle were audible. Pulling his attention away from the ground for only a moment, he looked up to see the wyvern riders pulling evasive maneuvers to avoid blasts of magic and arrows. Byleth's blue eyes followed the shared trajectory of several to some place far off to the east. If he had to guess, the bandits had dug themselves a little hole there to wait in, and launch cover fire for the initial assault team.

The latter had been completely stonewalled by the defensive line his group had put up. Composed of professional soldiers and his own students, it was a defense that the bandits found too hard to break. Several of them had already died from the effort.

As expected of him, Caspar had met the enemy head-on, swinging his axe with intent-both in offense and defense. He was obviously bursting with excitement, but it was thankfully controlled. That control allowed him to counter the enemies' attacks before launching into his own. Many of those attacks were spot-on, cleaving into what armor some of the bandits were. Despite his small size, he was a powerhouse, one that caught the outlaws completely off-guard. Byleth could hear their shock that such a "pipsqueak" was outmuscling some of them.

"I know I don't have a lot going for me in size, but I don't want anyone underestimating me because of that! I want to show them size isn't everything! Well, not unless I'm carrying a big axe."

"Don't worry, Caspar. I'm fairly certain I can help you assert that."

While Caspar was on the offensive along with Ferdinand, Bernadetta and Linhardt remained by the wagon, the former attacking from a distance with the rest of the archers. As attacking was Caspar's natural reaction, frightful alarm was Bernadetta's. After it though, came her own counterattack. She stayed by the wagon, now still, firing off arrows where she thought she needed to. Her shots often found their targets; even those that weren't kill shots either hit a bandit somewhere on their body or were close enough they paused in their assault That pausing proved fatal for some. From several yards away Byleth watched Bernadetta linger on some of the killings, but her gaze always moved to the next target, reaching back into her quiver for another arrow Luckily, she had plenty.

Linhardt's role was support as well, though in a more unique sort, what with his magical abilities. He wasn't firing off attacks like some of his fellow mages or archers, his focus was more on casting protective spells around their forces. That went a long way in repelling the bandits. They cursed as their weapons bounced off the magical protection, and as they were torn into by the defenders. Linhardt's eyes continuously scanned the battlefield, ascertaining who needed protecting and where such protection could serve a tactical advantage. It was a fitting role for the young mage, one that Byleth hoped he'd be able to maintaining, albeit he wasn't holding his breath.

Lastly, there was Ferdinand, who remained close to him. Atop his horse, he rode, slashing and thrusting with his spear, commanding his steed with all the skill with all one would have expected of a noble. Watching him, it was clear that he'd been taught by both experience and training. Like Caspar, Ferdinand was pressing outward, more so intent on a counteroffensive than merely defending. It was admirable, though Byleth wanted to ensure he didn't get too far out.

That was because some of the bandits still had those special gauntlets they'd used to dig through the earth. If they could dig through the earth then Byleth guessed they could manipulate it in other ways, more offensive ways. He was proven right as he saw two such bandits raise their arms up with the intention of thrusting them into the ground. Byleth had seen the motion before and knew what was about to come next.

"Ferdinand, the ground!" A thought occurred him that made him look back to the defensive circle. "Linhardt," he called. "Lift Ferdinand and his horse up!"

He knew that the green-haired mage had a moment of internal shock at his order. One of the perks of wind magic was its ability to levitate objects of varying size, the deciding factor often being the caster's strength. While he'd been practicing that usage with Linhardt, this would prove to be defining moment for the mage; Ferdinand's horse weighed around one-thousand pounds, atypical for a horse. Ferdinand himself was perhaps close to one-hundred and sixty pounds. Together, it'd be the heaviest thing Linhardt had ever lifted, even if he was only doing so temporarily.

Ferdinand's life was on the line, something that that Linhardt no doubt knew. That was added pressure.

As he steered his horse away, Byleth looked over at Ferdinand. He was doing the same, albeit their enemies still seemed to have their focus on him. True to his prediction, they slammed their hands into the ground, and from the magic within their weapons the earth erupted into sharp and blunt spikes that sped toward the orange-haired noble. His horse reacted in understandably horror while he gnashed his teeth. Luckily for both, tendrils of wind swirled beneath the former's hooves. They formed into miniature whirlwinds that quickly, and loudly, launched the pair into the air. Ferdinand shouted in shocked amazement as he and his horse completely avoided the attack.

"Linhardt, I am in your debt!" he shouted before hurling his lance at one of the bandits.

"Just survive this battle!" Came his housemate's voice over the chaos of the battle.

The thrown spear found its target, impaling the bandit in the head. It was a gory end, one that rightfully terrified his partner. That was Byleth's cue to ride toward him-he did, and in one swing of his sword he joined his companion. Grabbing the lance, Byleth hurled it back at Ferdinand, who'd returned to the ground. Together, they went back on the attack.

Byleth looked back to the sky, curious as to how the air battle was going. It was indeed a battle as wyverns flown by the bandits had joined the fight. As with the ground though, they'd found themselves sorely outmatched. That especially went for those that went up against Enrico and his jet-black wyvern. From the ground Byleth could hear the former's excited laughter as he clashed steel with the bandits; the latter couldn't stop cursing as their surprise attack had well and truly unraveled before their eyes.

"Ferdinand, with me! We're going for the source!" he called while urging his horse in a specific direction.

"Yes sir!" He enthusiastically called, quickly joining him.

Having never gotten the trajectory of the ranged attacks, he rode toward it. Byleth could see the attacks were still coming from the dug out in the ground. Magical energy concentrated around his freed left hand as he raised it up. From his palm shot a fireball half the size of a grown person, flying with the speed of an arrow. On impact, it exploded with quite a blast. It forced out the bandits that'd been hiding, leaving them to scatter.

"If you value your lives, run!" he called.

Silently, Sothis manifested beside him, a curious look on her face. She wanted to know how many of them would take his offer to flee with their lives versus trying to fight him and his student. The tide had completely turned against them, that much they all must have known. Rather or not they'd fight to turn it back was the question.

They chose not to.

Ah, I see bandits are still cowards. She remarked with casual indifference.

Most of them are. There's a few daredevils amongst them. This lot didn't seem to have any. Byleth answered back in an equally casual tone. He brought his horse to a stop, Ferdinand doing the same. Watching the bandits flee, he firmly concluded that they were out of the fight for good. Edelgard's group might have gotten them.

Hmm, that could pose a problem, though she and that Rhona are both skilled. I would likewise argue you put the more capable Eagles in her group while you oversaw the rest. For however long she'd been sleeping or whatever she'd been dealing with, her sharp intuition hadn't been dulled. One look at the way he'd split the Black Eagles and she'd seen right through his intentions. From what I can see, they're handling themselves well, including the little archer.

Riding back, he saw that the defensive line was holding. That was good, though Byleth couldn't shake the feeling that the enemy hadn't hit them with their best just yet. Then again, it was likewise possible that whatever their best was, it couldn't standup to the defense that they'd mounted. Byleth saw that as the optimistic option; tempting, but he couldn't fully take it.

Looking out ahead, he saw the road they'd been traveling on was mostly clear. With their defenses holding, maybe they could start to move again. That too was tempting, but his sense of caution kept him from giving the order. "Ferdinand, stay here with the others." Byleth called before motioning his horse forward. He didn't look back; he didn't have to. His noble student gave a stuttering cry of acceptance as he rode onward. If anyone was going to test the road ahead, Byleth felt it had to be him.

You wouldn't happen to be planning on using my power, would you? Sothis questioned.

If things go that badly, I'll consider it. I'd rather not to be honest.

Do you believe you're skilled enough?

Have I given you reason to doubt me?

A brief but humorous laugh left her lips. That is a fair point. Just do not get too reckless. Remember, this mission is to protect, not merely destroy the enemy.

That sense of danger struck at him like a bee. Byleth narrowed his eyes in anticipation at the road in front of him. I won't let them get a hold of the Relics, Sothis. I promise. He saw her face before she faded away. There was a glimmer of surprise, shock that he'd so clearly guessed her thoughts. It faded, and with it came a look of near peaceful solace. Like many, she'd put her faith in him, and he wasn't going to fail her.

His ears heard earth cracking, something forcing its way through. Byleth pinpointed where the sounds where loudest-the point of emergence. True to his prediction, that's where the cracks formed and quickly multiplied. Within seconds they gave way to a huge axe blade that emerged from the ground. It was spinning like a sawblade, coming directly at him. With his usual quiet focus, Byleth brought his sword up to block the attack. While he felt a slight buckle on his sword arm, his guard held. A few seconds later, he changed from defense to offense, shoving the spinning blade away.

A pair of boot-covered feet touched the barren ground, crouching while a deep laugh boomed from the figure's head. Even while in a crouch Byleth could see the man was built like a stonewall; as he stood up his suspicions were confirmed. Nearly six-feet-three and all muscle, he cut an intimidating figure. More so as he grinned, an expression that was terror-inducing thanks to the jagged scar running down the right side of his face, through his closed eye and stopping short of his mouth. Everything about him spoke of prided physical strength, and a desire to test it out on those he found worthy. In one glance he deemed Byleth to be such.

"Hehehe, so, you're the infamous Ashen Demon. You've got the clothes to match, but you're a hell of a lot scrawnier than I thought you'd be. Bit of a pretty boy too." The hulking battle axe he'd attempted to split him in two with was pointed at him, the silver-edged blade shining in the afternoon sun. "Luckily, you've got some muscle on you. Not a lot of people can claim they can block my blade, and do it with one hand!" the two-handed weapon was pulled back, clearly in preparation for a swing.

Never taking his eyes off the bandit, Byleth dismounted his horse and ordered it back to the defensive circle. The steed didn't need much incentive, it could no doubt sense the bloodlust emanating from the bandit and wanted to be as far away from it as possible. For Byleth, that wasn't an option.

"If you run, you'll live." He simply stated.

"Hah! You know who you're talking to, kid? Arnulf Larsen doesn't back down, and sure as hell not when he's so close to his goal!" Bellowed the black-haired bandit.

"You're as close as you're going to get." Byleth hit back. He already knew what sort of man he was dealing with. While he may have known his name and reputation, he saw it as soon-to-be fuel for his own.

Arnulf came at him fast, swinging his axe at his head with the clear intent to split him in half. In a single slash, Byleth deflected the attack and struck at his opponent's chest. Surprisingly, the larger man side sidestepped, his axe coming around in a horizontal swing. Again, Byleth parried the attack with his sword. They were off after that, attacking and counterattacking, each feeling the other yet going for that divisive blow that would end the fight. Byleth silently searched for that opening while his opponent laughed in blood lusted glee. He undoubtedly had an attitude that went well with his weapon. His axe was large but he wielded it with a certain degree of skill, not to mention he was remarkably light on his feet despite his huge size and that of his weapon.

By their sixteenth clash Byleth was sure of it-this man was former military. Highly likely a former member of the imperial army. The fact that he was now working for a criminal in defiance of everything he'd taken an oath for didn't surprise him. He honestly had no idea how many individuals like that he'd met over the years beyond "a dozen". With that in mind, Byleth knew he had to exercise a bit more caution in dealing with this enemy, not that he wasn't doing that already. One careless move and he knew he'd be out a limb, or bleeding out on the ground, his body severed at whatever angle. Arnulf's swings were more than capable of doing that if he gave him the opening.

Byleth didn't give him the opening though.

His speed and strength were great, but far from the greatest Byleth had ever encountered. He could follow the movements of the axe, and his body could match it-his sword could match it. Behind his vacant expression, he felt surges of joy every time their blades clashed. Byleth quietly admitted to himself that he was happy to find an opponent that could put up a little more of a fight. Based on Arnulf's expression, he was feeling the same way-these were the kinds of fights he lived for. Perhaps more importantly though, he lived for winning. It was a shame for him he wasn't going to be winning this fight.

The bandit's axe blade glowed as he channeled his no doubt abundant energy into the axe. Knowing what was coming, Byleth put his sword up in a defensive position. As he predicted, the empowered axe came down, carrying with it force that could have split a boulder clean in half. Byleth was no boulder though. Though the ground beneath his feet shook, his entire body remained firm and immovable, a sight that caused Arnulf's eyes to briefly widen. In that moment, he truly recognized that his opponent was as strong as he'd hoped, and perhaps even stronger than that.

Simultaneous to Byleth pushing him back an explosion shook the ground. Byleth briefly looked back, but only for a split second. His focus was back on his opponent, who'd caught his temporary gaze.

He snickered in amusement while twirling his axe. "Worried about the convoy?"

"Mildly. I know the others can handle it, including my students." Byleth calmly replied. He knew the second he turned his back to the scene behind him his opponent would strike. Arnulf was clearly trying to goad him into doing that.

"Hahaha! I'll admit, when I heard the stories, I couldn't believe it. The Ashen Demon taking up with the Knights of Seiros, even becoming a teacher! Even now, I can hardly believe it! Playing nursemaid to a bunch of brats!" Some time after he agreed to his teaching position, Byleth accepted this is the sort of response he would likely get from enemies. "Part of me is curious, what the hell made you decide to quit the battlefield to mentor a bunch of brats? Does the Church really pay that well? Did you find the goddess on one of your many battlefields?"

More like she found me. The answer played in his mind. "I have my reasons. Pretty sure you're not interested in hearing them."

"…You're right, I'm not. Well, not as interested as I am in collecting your head." New energy poured into his axe causing it to glow with whitish-blue energy. Byleth kept his gaze on it, knowing that another attack was coming. Where and what kind was still up in the air. "After I collect your head, I'm grabbing that Relic. Even if it means I've got to go through your students. Hah, actually, I may take some of them with me. Word is you've got a lot of noble brats in your class, including the imperial princess. They'd fetch a pretty nice price for ransom…or on the market." He laughed at Byleth's lack of reaction, sounding genuinely amused. "You really are one cold bastard."

He moved in a literal blur. The distance between them vanished in less than the blink of an eye. Arnulf realized he'd taken off just as he moved in behind him, swinging his sword at his neck. To his credit, he dodged it, rolling forward and avoiding his attempted decapitation. He came up in another crouch, rising from it while swinging his axe in a horizontal wave. The energy he'd been building for a melee strike was instead fired as a crescent wave. Byleth broke it apart in a single vertical slash. After doing so he rushed forward, intent on making his next attack hit home; it'd be the killing blow.

As he rushed toward his oversized opponent, he took note of the scenery behind him. A thin column of smoke was rising from where the convoy was. Though apparently an ominous sign, he could still hear the rumble of continued conflict coming from it. That was a sign that the battle was still raging. He chose to be optimistic and believe that his students were still holding the defensive line.

The number of slashes Byleth threw appeared to number in the hundreds; he did in fact threw close to that many slashes at his opponent to bring him down. Arnulf was skilled, but he'd been pushed indicating that his skills had a limit. His myriad attack was meant to push him to those limits, and the inevitably fall that awaited beyond it.

Arnulf managed to parry several attacks, but he was slower than Byleth, something he realized as several of his attacks broke through. Wide-eyed, he switched tactics, focusing instead on bulking up his defenses.

Byleth's leg struck out, hitting the larger man in the gut. He gasped for breath, faltering, and giving him further openings to attack, and that's what Byleth did. His left fist broke off and slammed into his jaw in an uppercut that launched the bandit skyward. Not caring for when he came down or how hard, Byleth ran back toward the convoy.

"B-B-Bastard!" Came the expected shout.

Ordinarily, Byleth would have kept running, but the sound of a sharpen blade slicing through the air got him to divert his attention. He went from running to spinning, his sword stretched out and colliding with the thrown axe. It was thrown off-course, impacting the ground several feet away. As for its owner, he came down, wiping some blood from his lip and glaring at Byleth with hatred in his brown eyes.

He knew that look, having been the recipient of it thousands of times. "Sure you want to keep on pressing your luck here? You can walk away here and now."

"Shut-up! You think I'm going to let you humiliate me like that and get away with it!" He barked. "You're the one who doesn't know what he's dealing with! Just because you got some hits in doesn't mean you're all that!" The second he reached into one of his pouches Byleth ran for him, his sword swinging at his neck. Arnulf's eyes widened in terror realizing that he wasn't going to be given the time to prepare. Luckily, he was just fast enough to avoid his initial swing, or almost. Blood trailed from the fresh cut on his nose as he doubled back.

Whatever it was in his hands, it was crushed, and from it spread a white aura that enveloped his entire body. He sensed magic from it-he knew it was magic.

A physical enchantment. I wonder how many of them are equipped with whatever the hell that thing was. The effects were made evident by the way Arnulf moved-twice as fast as before. Still not too fast that he couldn't be seen by Byleth's eyes. He saw him move from in front of him to his far left, picking up his axe then coming at him again.

KLANG!

"Seems you're the one getting cocky." He casually remarked while holding the enhanced bandit at bay. His doing so clearly enraged the powered-up bandit, who put more effort into his attempts to overpower Byleth.

"I'll split you in two!"

"You've been trying and failing at that." The loudest roar of them all sounded as Arnulf reeled back his axe, the blade taking on a diamond-like hue. Its gleam was even brighter as it came down toward Byleth. He could tell how sharp the blade became, sharp enough it could probably cleave through a diamond.

KLANG!

"And you're still failing at it."

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Given their position, the advantage seemingly lay with the bandits. Sandwiched on both sides by cliffs, their mobility was limited, not to mention their field of vision. Given they were on the defensive, those weren't good things. That said, they could form a tight defensive formation around the wagon carrying their precious cargo. If anyone were crazy enough to try to jump on it they'd be able to see it and shoot them down.

Alternatively, they could simply fall to the ground as lumps of ice and shatter on impact. In Edelgard's eyes, undoubtedly an awful way to die, but she found little sympathy in her heart for the bandits that suffered that fate. Perhaps not too surprising considering she was busy cutting several of them down with her own weapon.

The lot of them had essentially jumped to their deaths, something they started to become aware of as their number piled up on the walls dead. They joined the numerous chunks of ice that once were boulders and such attacks, all intended to stop or slow down their convoy.

Edelgard had to admit, Professor Eisner had made the right choice in assigning Captain Rhona to the Mansory Way. Not only did she keep appropriately cool under pressure, her mastery of ice magic lived up to the praise it was spoken with.

Her gaze was as alert as a hawk, and she was swift to act. An attack, be it a bandit dropping down or something else, was swiftly frozen. Completely frozen. Edelgard only caught glimpses of some of them and knew the people and objects she froze had been turned to ice down to the tiniest fibers of their beings. For the living, all of their internal organs had no doubt been frozen as well, as had their blood. When they cracked on the ground, their frozen internal organs were painted a disturbing red that Edelgard found somewhat displeasing to look at. Ironic considering that she was splitting those same men apart via her axe, their guts spilling onto the cold stone ground.

Her own housemates were also contributing in their own ways. Again, she could see that Professor Eisner had known what he was doing in selecting who would be a part of her group.

Petra had came equipped with a bow and quiver full of arrows, all of which she put to good use. She was an excellent archer; she would say on part with Hubert. Alongside her was Dorothea, whom she could say had shown remarkably improvement with her magic. Blasts of fire soared upward, hitting the enemy, and setting them ablaze. Given the property of the attack, Dorothea didn't need to exercise stellar aim, yet she was rather decent with her aim. Even her expression was one of determination, not letting the dying screams of the bandits distract her.

Lastly, there was her ever faithful loyal shadow. The minute the battle had started, Hubert too had smiled in relief. While he may have been more patient than her, he too had a limit. Especially when it came to dealing with fools such as these. He was all too happy to finally be able to do something about them.

There were many uses of dark magic, several of which people tended to find…unnerving to put it lightly. Shadows were things not quite bound by the laws of physics, including the notion of gravity. Becoming one, Hubert raced up the stone wall to the convoy's left side. Edelgard watched him cover a hundred feet in only a few seconds. Once he was at the top he vanished from her field of vision, but she didn't need to see him to know what he was doing. The sudden ceasing of attacks and cries of dismay were plenty. In cutting down what could be the final bandit from that side, she smiled.

Her smile was cut short as she felt tremors all around her. Discerning their origin, she looked up ahead and cursed.

Given the terrain, it was inevitable that the enemy would cut off their only path forward. It was the most basic tactic when it came to one-road impasses like this. Tons of rock cascaded down forming a high wall blocking their path. She imagined the bandits believed they'd bought themselves some time with this little stunt. Admittedly, they had, but nowhere near the admit that they believed they had.

"W-W-What! My magic!" Dorothea's cry of alarm shook her from her thoughts. Glancing over, she saw her looking at her hands in bewilderment. The same went for the other mages in their convoy. Glancing back up at the canyon top side, she imagined that Hubert was affected as well, though there was a possibility he may have been out of range of the Silence spell.

There was one person whom she was interested in seeing through. Looking straight ahead, her eyes fell on the group's redhaired leader with interest.

Rhona had discerned that a Silence spell had been cast as well, though unlike the others including her own housemate she wasn't panicking. Her cool expression remained unchanged.

Now then, Ice Queen, what will you do? You're a sorceress, and now your greatest asset has been-

As if to spite her, Rhona chilled the air with her raw magical power. Yes, magical power, Edelgard immediately recognized that's what she was sensing. Her eyes widened while her gasping breath came out a frozen cloud. So did several others, who gawked at the sight knowing what had been done to them. All eyes were on the redhead as an aura of icy-blue radiated from her mounted person. From her came the cold breath of winter, smacking against all within the canyon pass and those above, the latter no doubt panicking as their attempts to neutralize Rhona's magic failed.

Cra-ACK!

Edelgard saw the cracks around her, fine particles of ice that formed then scattered as they were broken apart. As those pieces scattered, she raised her hand, calling forth the inherent mana within her. True to her prediction, a full-sized fireball appeared in her palm, cackling and ready for use. She did so in launching it at the opposite side of the cliff, shocking the bandits stationed on it.

"Everyone, continue to hold them off! I will clear the road in front of us!" Shouted the Faerghus-born woman. Despite her words, Edelgard paid close attention to her, eager to see the next display of her magical prowess.

Throwing her hand out, she summoned forth a frigid gale of icy wind that smashed into the wall of rumble before her. All of it froze, from the smallest pebble to the largest boulders. Upon being frozen, Rhona's hand glowed in that familiar color. The frozen wall rose skyward, revealing the path forward. Edelgard was silently impressed as the transformed debris was shaped into a set of ice spears that were promptly launched at the bandits on the clifftop. Cries of alarm and death were short-lived.

From the ground, numerous gasps of awe rose up, even as Rhona ordered for them to continue moving.

"I must say…she is impressive. Especially for a Faerghus-native." She'd sensed Hubert returning to her side. A quick glance at him revealed some blood on his uniform-clearly not his own-but nothing else. "Anything frozen is hers to control."

"That is what it seems, and she can freeze anything, even the essence of a spell. Including a magic-suppression spell." There were various ways to overcome means of magical suppression. Amongst the simplest was to simply exert more magic than what could be suppress. Despite its simplicity, it could depend on the circumstances. A strong suppressant was needed to suppress strong magic. That was where bandits came up pitifully short. The powers of the Empire, on the other hand, would be a different story. Edelgard thought to herself. She had to admit, that small demonstrate had impressed her. Rhona Dynes was no mage to be trifled with, even when taking steps to neutralize her magic; that wasn't going to happen without a great deal of effort. Then again, part of her mind was focused less on neutralization and more on overpowering her.

"Lady Edelgard," her attendant called. "As you've realized, I've taken care of the bandits up top. I did leave a few alive to…deliver the message."

"Good." She responded while swinging her axe to the side, spraying the ground with the accumulated blood on the blade. There were several bandits that had remained alive throughout the fight, though they were far from how they were when the ambush began. As they continued on their way, they'd be collected by the men of Zellerfeld and be thrown into jail cells. Given the charges they're likely facing, the would-be thieves might be wishing for death right about now. More so since there'd be no help from their boss, who more than likely sent them off fully expecting them to die in pursuit of their target.

Her eyes examined the ground and the sides as they passed through the stretch of road that had been blocked to them just a minute prior. At the speed they were moving at they'd reach their destination in little more than twenty minutes. It was a thought that mildly put her heart at ease, though she refused to entirely rest easy, not until they were in safety's embrace.

"How do you think the others are doing, Hubert?"

"I would like to believe things are remaining under control thanks to Professor Eisner's guidance. That includes Bernadetta hopefully not having a breakdown and threatening the cohesion of the entire convoy."

While she did feel genuine pity for the girl, Edelgard had to say it was probably a blessing that she wasn't in their group. Their path was tight with high walls on either side. When the ambush started, it would have been easy to get discouraged, especially thanks to the enemies literally jumping down upon them. For Bernadetta, it would have been panic-inducing, or more panic-inducing.

And as it happens, thinking about her quick-to-panic housemate summoned something that would have had her breaking down into nervous terror. To be fair, it would have caused several people to.

There were few clouds in the sky, but none of them were storm clouds, thus the sudden boom of thunder was entirely unexpected. More booms followed, and still the sky remained relatively clear. Looking up, Edelgard and the rest saw the source wasn't the clouds but the magic circles gathering overhead. The designs were instantly recognizable.

"I see, so they're just planning on blowing us all to smithereens and picking through the remains for the Relic." Hubert mused.

Said musing caught the attention of their brunette housemate. "W-W-What?! Isn't that a little extreme?!"

"We've so casually repelled all their prior attempts, Dorothea. Not to mention Captain Dynes has shown to be far, far, stronger than the lot of them." The oily-haired mage answered in a casual tone. His fellow mage simply looked at him with further distress. "By this point, it's all or nothing, and I do believe these bandits are deciding to give it their all. One last push it seems."

Hubert's words were furthered enforced by the attacks that started coming in from the sides. Edelgard looked to either side to see bursts of fire and even molten magma rolling down toward their convoy. Her cool didn't entirely disappear, but she recognized the danger of the attacks.

As did their leader. "Mages, to the sides! Put up the strongest barrier spells you can! I shall take care of the lightning above!" The Seiros Knight ordered!

"Dorothea, with me! Hubert, find the casters and kill them!" Edelgard shouted to her housemates.

"Uh, shouldn't he be here with us putting up a barrier!" Dorothea yelled.

Her retainer melted into a shadow and sped up the walls, again. He was careful to avoid the oncoming attacks, straying far from them. As he moved up Edelgard, Dorothea, and the other mages moved into position on either side of the convoy. Their hands were raised, magic pouring out of their open palms and forming into multi-colored shields. Lined up together, the shields melded into one. They formed a translucent shoreline that the waves of fire slammed against.

Edelgard gritted her teeth in slight effort, Dorothea did so to a greater degree. Most of her magical training had been focused on offense instead of defense. After this, she was more than likely going to put in some training for the latter; Edelgard would certainly encourage her to do so. She was going to do the same to herself.

That said, she diverted her attention upward. There was still the looming Bolting spell that was due to come down upon them. It'd destroy the convoy, and leave all of them in nothing short of extreme agony if it hit, if they weren't killed on impact. The spell circles were still rotating, still gathering strength. That wasn't good. Like before, Edelgard found herself practically wishing the attack would come around. Admittedly, part of it was she wanted to see how Rhona would react to this latest attack. She knew it was possible to freeze thunder, but in great enough quantities such as the spell about to come down?

Show me, Ice Queen. Show me more of what you can do. She urged.

Her focus was on the sky and not the wave of fire she had to hold back, not entirely. Half of her effort was still being used to maintain the shield, but Edelgard shamelessly looked up.

The magic circles' rotation reached their zenith, spewing lightning all over the sky. Any second the strongest bolt would come down. Edelgard's keen eyes watched as it did, but not in the form she expected.

With a roar, one of the bandits jumped out, a mighty axe heaved high. The axe itself was magic, another enchanted weapon. All the lightning accumulated by the magic circles went into the weapon, turning it into a sharp-edged mass of lightning that descended like a mighty bolt. Edelgard was mildly impressed…but she was more blown away by the way in which Rhona handled it.

KLINK!

The bandit held a great amount of power in his weapon, enough that he could have demolished a building. To say it would have pulverized a human would have been an understatement. However, in one swift move all that power was nullified-frozen.

Based on the expression she could see the bandit never saw it coming. The freeze had been truly instantaneous. He hovered in the air, completely bound to Rhona's control. With a swing of her hand, he went sailing to her right, straight against the raging flames and the canyon wall. Edelgard didn't' see the impact, but she had a strong hunch that the bandit was dead. Smashed to pieces against the stone wall or getting incinerated by the flames. Speaking of the latter, now able to focus her attention on them. Rhona threw her hands out, blue energy flaring up from both her palms. The flames they'd been battling were immediately frozen, ending the struggle between them and the united barrier spell.

Dorothea's arms dropped faster than Edelgard's. "Wow…that was…wow."

"Not bad, though I'm curious as to the full extent of her abilities." Edelgard remarked.

Her housemate and friend laughed, an upbeat sound that belayed the exhaustion represented by the sweat on her brow. "What, would you like her to flash freeze an erupting volcano?"

All she did was smirk, but the truth was she would have liked to see something like that. Adrestia had produced ice mages capable of such feats, including those without Crests. Of course, for her it was more than just curiosity, she needed to know what Rhona was capable of for when she inevitably came to blows with the Faerghus sorceress.

A series of screams drew her attention back to the top of the rocky walls around them. "Ah, Hubert seems to be wrapping up."

"He is…scarily…e…e…efficient." Petra declared, a slightly apprehensive look on her face.

It was one that Dorothea shared. "Um, he's not going to kill all of them, is he?"

Edelgard looked between the two girls. Petra's expression was neutral, a contrast to the worried frown on Dorothea's face. "I trust Hubert's judgement. Besides…these men have made their choice on what to do with their lives."

"…I am…agreeing with Edelgard. While he is…terrifying, I believe…Hubert will be making the right decision." Came Petra's response. Edelgard had to admit, hearing it made her feel a little better. As a fellow ruler-to-be, she had a mindset that Edelgard could sympathize with.

"Well…when you put it like that, yeah. I can see your point. Not to mention these are the sort of guys who would…" Dorothea's unspoken thought hung in the air between them. They didn't need it vocalized to know what she was referring to. Her face hardened as she looked back to the ledges. "Hubert, just don't do anything reckless."

Her prayer of caution was answered as the black-haired mage stuck his head out from over the ledge. His self-assured smile told them that he'd taken care of the casters, and more than likely the remaining bandits. Upon his descent, he first looked to Edelgard, giving a modest bow that told her that's indeed what had happened.

"Hubert, are you alright?" Rhona called.

"Perfectly fine, Captain Dynes. I can assure you I took care of the last of the enemy. We shouldn't encounter anymore threats on the way to the rendezvous point."

"Let's just hope the others have withstood whatever's been thrown their way."

"With Professor Eisner with them, I'm sure they've got it under control." Hubert offered. It was a statement that Edelgard believed, as did Petra and Dorothea.

Professor, you had an open field to fight in, which was far preferable to you. Then again, you do have the others to look after. I wonder how you've managed it. She wondered.

---

Lotec Trail…

Despite all her praying, Bernadetta knew they were going to be attacked. It was an inevitability that she'd gone to sleep knowing. A wide-open road where they, a traveling group with a wagon, would be spotted by everything with eyes and heard by everything with ears. And that wasn't accounting for the fact they were carrying a holy relic that people have literally killed for. They were going to be facing people who were prepared to do the same to them.

Though she knew that, somewhere deep within Bernadetta's heart, she'd been…eager to face the bandits.

"You're not a failure, Bernadetta."

People didn't have confidence in her, especially if they hung around her. But Professor Eisner had. For whatever reason, he did have confidence in her.

"You can do it, Bernadetta."

Confidence. Determination. Things she wasn't used to having. Things that pumped in her veins as she reached into her quiver for her first arrow when the inevitable happened. She was frightened, yet Bernadetta could genuinely say that she was ready. Her arrows were drawn back and fired at every enemy that came within her line of fire.

She'd never forget her first encounter with bandits at the Red Canyon. To say she'd been terrified would be an understatement of epic proportions. That time seemed so long ago, yet if she closed her eyes, she could picture herself back there, in the ancient ruins that both frightened and fascinated her. She'd have liked to go back and examine some of them, preferably without the murderous bandits crawling over it. It was just one of the many things that she wanted to do, that she could do if she could workup the courage. Not to mention if she could survive long enough to do that.

Surrounded by capable fighters like her classmates, professional knights, and the archers that had served her family for decades, Bernadetta knew she could have survived by doing nothing. That would have been the easy thing to do, what she might have done if not Professor Eisner. He was out there fighting too. That fact added to the fire in her, the fire that allowed her to notch her arrows and let them fly again and again,

He believes me. He believes in me. He believes in me! He's not father! He actually believes in me! The repetition became instantaneous, as did her firing. Her eyes were constantly on the move, as focused as they were during practice at the Monastery. It was amazing how thinking about it also filled her with strength.

They'd formed a defensive circle around the wagon, which carried what she believed to be the fake Relics. She doubted that Professor Eisner would have entrusted their group with the real thing, it'd be far safer to put them with Edelgard's group. Still, they had to at least make it look convincing. That had devolved into them simply fighting to survive against the onslaught of bandits that assailed them.

Not only had their held their ground, Bernadetta was inclined to say they were winning. She didn't enjoy looking at the slow mounting bodies around them, but she did. Dead and wounded, they groaned and cursed, some attempting to crawl away. No one stopped them, especially her. If she were in their position she'd have been scurrying away as quickly as possible. Bernadetta optimistically hoped after this they might give up banditry, or at least stay away from Varley territory. If they lived but were caught, she knew her father would be anything but merciful to them.

Maybe it was wrong of her to think that way considering the men had tried to kill her-still trying to kill her, but Bernadetta just couldn't help it. Maybe her mercy made her soft. Maybe she'd get that accusation after the battle.

She saw the professor and Ferdinand ride far out. Bernadetta felt a ping of awe watching them. There'd always been something appealing to her about fighting on horseback, though part of the appeal also lay in the potential for retreat. After all, horses moved much faster than the average human; so, if need be, she could run away even faster. Still, she wasn't thinking about running away watching them.

Do you think that can be you? Do you seriously think that you can do that? Asked a disembodied voice within her subconscious. Don't be crazy. You're no knight.

Her hands trembled, preventing her from notching her next arrow. The next bead of sweat that rolled down her cheek wasn't because of the ongoing battle around her.

I-I-I…I know that. B-B-But…I…I…I still want to try!

You'll fail. You'll fail just like you always do. It's pointless. Forget it.

I…I-I…I don't want to.

Forget it. You're no knight. You're no warrior. You're just barely holding it together as is. All you'll do is embarrass yourself, just like you did the other day. That's all your fated for. Failure. Disgrace. Disappointment.

Bernadetta felt herself biting her lip. The arrow she'd been about to fire remained in her hand, trembling as her self-doubt rose up and wrapped its dark arms around her. She could feel its tight hold growing by the second. It was a familiar feeling, and yet…Bernadetta realized she didn't want to give into it. Not this time.

She didn't say anything back to the black mass. Her body still trembled in fear, but she pushed past it. As she notched the arrow, Bernadetta felt the trembling come to a sudden stop. Clarity fell upon her like a tidal wave, washing away everything else and leaving behind only the focus that Professor Eisner had installed into her. She saw far ahead of her, at a bandit preparing to cast a spell. It was amazing how clear she could see, and how easily it was to take the shot.

Over several meters away, yet Bernadetta heard the sinking thunk! of her arrow hitting its mark in the bandit's head. The shot was practically perfect in its execution, and it was in the heat of battle.

That was a fluke. Spat the disembodied voice.

Her grip on her bow tightened while her right hand reached into her quiver. Then…then…then watch this! As she spoke, Bernadetta felt an undeniable surge throughout her body. In the past she'd been faintly aware of it, of the power it brought to her. For once, she found herself able to channel it. The clarity that she'd achieved moments ago returned in a perfect replication. She used it to find her next target and deliver another killing shot to the head. Bernadetta felt the surge continuing; she seized on it and continued to fire, losing herself to the rhythm of the battle.

"B-B-B-Bernadetta."

It was somewhat ironic that it was Linhardt that snapped her out of her trance. Blinking, she turned to him, half-expecting to see something horribly wrong. What she got was his genuinely shocked face. "Y-You're…I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to interrupt you, especially since-"

"You were on a roll, Bernadetta!" Caspar shouted. "Keep it up!"

"Y-Y-Yes, I-I-I'm sorry about that. It's just…you were doing incredibly great." The green-haired mage explained. He quickly looked back at the battlefield, putting his focus back on it.

Bernadetta was about to do the same until she felt a pair of eyes watching her. Looking to her far right, she saw someone else smiling at her.

Kofler didn't say anything, he only gave her a smile and nod of confidence. Then he was back to firing. Bernadetta followed his lead, quietly basking in the show of support.

I…I can do this. I can really do this. I can really do this! Bernie, you've got this! The chant grew with increasing joy as she continued to fire. Bernadetta realized she probably should have been keeping count of the arrows in her quiver, but she was admittedly a little too high on the excitement of her breakthrough to care.

"Heads up! We've got a magic attack coming our way!" Someone shouted.

"Oh, come on!" Her immediate thought was that she'd tempted fate. Maybe she really wasn't meant to have any sort of confidence. The same tidal wave that had granted her clarity was replaced by a jet-black wave of despair that caused her to fumble her latest arrow. Her legs wobbled as she bent down to pick it up, even as the hairs across her back stood up on end. The intensity of the feeling led her to looking around her. She recognized the fiery sparks heading toward the convoy. "B-B-B-Bolga-"

"Shields up!"

She fumbled backward as the translucent magic walls went up around her. Instinct made her scoot far back, practically up to the wagon where she watched the fire magic slam into the barrier. Looking around her, she saw it held all around their group. Seconds passed and the barrier held; Bernadetta sighed in relief seeing that. It was quickly followed up by a gasp of fright as the flames intensified, like something was further fueling them. Still, the shield held.

"T-T-This is just as hard as the Professor said it'd be." The grunting voice led her to looking back at Linhardt. Sweat was visibly on his brow, and growing by the second. Holding back the flames wasn't easy. The sight actually made Bernadetta want to do something to lighten his load.

But what she could do?

T-Those attacks had to come from somewhere. I-I-If I can find the caster then I can stop anymore attacks like that! B-But how can I…I… Her panic-stricken heartbeat pounded in her ears despite the onrush of calmness that creeped up on her. It took her a moment to realize that fast beat was part of the calmness, in it she found a strange sense of serenity.

"Wait for your moment to strike. Sometimes that can mean weathering the opponent's attack. Not, it isn't easy, but it can be worth it. Keep your focus up, even if you're on the defensive."

"Pr-Professor, that's-"

"I know it isn't easy, Bernadetta, but it is doable. I believe you can do it."

The mage's barrier continued to hold, all the way to the end of the attack. She watched the flames recede, and with it she felt a greater sense of calmness envelope her. All of it was used to call forth the same clear headedness she'd discovered earlier. Bernadetta could do this, she told herself that as she notched her next arrow. The barrier fell giving her the opportunity to fire. In its fall she saw the embers of flames. With the return of that clarity, she was able to see through them. To her joy, she found one of the caster's a dozen meters away.

Bernadetta barely noticed the watery trail her arrow left in its wake. Not until her arrow found its mark (again) did she become fully aware of it. "I-I-I…I did that?" She stuttered.

"Yes…you did, Bernadetta. I have to say, it…would have helped if you did that a moment ago." Came Linhardt's strained voice. Bernadetta looked to him with mounting guilt on her face. He shook his head, "Just focus on taking out the enemy casters. Do that."

Shutting her mouth, she nodded and refocused her archer's eye on the various enemies still surrounding them. More arrows flew from her bow, shrouded in swirling torrents of water. Droplets from them quelled the lingering flames, as well as those that the bandits were attempting to channel for more attacks. Bernadetta would caught glimpses of her hands emanating watery bubbles as she drew back her arrows, a sight that would have left her speechless if she didn't have the adrenaline of battle running through her.

Linhardt would probably want to speak to her after the battle. Hopefully she'd be able to answer some of his questions, or he'd be able to give her some answers to her own.

Bernadetta didn't know how long it was, but things did eventually begin to wind down. Enemy attacks slowed down before seemingly stopping completely. In turn, their own attacks started to cease as well. There wasn't any need to return fire when the enemy wasn't firing on them anymore. She was grateful for it, as was Linhardt.

The two of them collapsed side by side, sharing a short stare between each other before letting their exhaustion show in tired pants.

"I…c-c-can't believe…we did that." The archer wheezed. "We…we won."

"Y-Y-Yeah, w-w-we did." Linhardt agreed.

"Not so fast, kids. It's not over just yet." As if called to attention, Bernadetta turned to Kofler. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he fixed them with first a smile, then a frown. "We still have to reach the drop off point, meaning we have to get this convoy moving again."

"C-C-Can't we at least take a little break? I-I-I need it!" Now that the surges of strength had left her, Bernadetta was being hit full force with the exhaustion of her rapid firing and use of Deadeye.

A humorous chuckle sounded from the distinguished archer. "I guess a minute-long break won't hurt. Seems like we've really scared them off."

"Not all of them." Bernadetta looked up at the familiar yet serious voice. Ferdinand had a sheen of sweat on his brow like the rest of them, but compared to her, it was frankly miniscule. Ironic considering he'd been riding about on a horse swinging his steel lance. Bernadetta knew it was another way she and her outgoing classmate were different. "Professor Eisner is still fighting one of them further up."

"Then let's go help him!" Caspar was sweating too, but like Ferdinand, he undoubtedly still had more energy to burn. A small part of Bernadetta was envious of them. "Ferdinand, give me a-"

"No, Caspar. Trust me. I can tell that our Professor has fight under control. From the looks of it, I…believe we might just end up getting in his way."

A mixture of respect and envy laced Ferdinand's tone. For her part, she completely believed him on both accounts. Professor Eisner was much more skilled than them, so she was fully confident he could handle the remaining bandits without their help; particularly, she was sure he could handle it without them trying to prove themselves. Or in her case, making a fool of herself. That meant that taking a minute to catch their breath was indeed the correct thing to do, and thus, that's what she did.

Things turned out alright. We…we actually made-

"HELP! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODDESS, HELP! HELP! HELLLLP!"

Bernadetta never expected to hear such a piercing shriek of terror coming from anyone except her. For a split second, she thought it was her disembodied spirit screaming for help. That thought passed as she heard the confusion around her. Everyone was asking who was crying for help; quickly, they all ascertained the direction of the scream and looked toward it.

Amazingly, Bernadetta's eyes were still working fine. What she saw made her wish they weren't.

Bandits terrified her. Seeing a bloody bandit running toward them screaming for help was absolutely terrifying, and confusing.

"P-P-P-PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU, H-H-HELP! I'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU-"

Behind the wounded man appeared a shadow, one with burning red eyes that scared Bernadetta into silence. That silence turned into a shocked shriek as a red blur cut across the man's back, blood spraying from it as he toppled to the ground. Rather than vanishing or dropping to the ground, Bernadetta watched as the blood hovered in the air, then was absorbed into something-the weapon that had cut hi down. From what she could see, it was an axe, a grotesque axe that glowed with a red aura, or in the case of what she saw-blood red.

"W-W-W-What t-t-the…" She stuttered.

"Everyone, on guard!" Kofler shouted while getting a new arrow notched.

"Hahaha, that's cute. 'Fraid it's not going to stop me!" Arrows were fired at the bandit, who was also shrouded in an aura of bloody red. Bernadetta saw it seemed to spread from his axe to him. The weapon wasn't just supernatural, it was downright evil-looking, and its power was seeping into the man. He swung his axe in front of him, blowing away all the arrows fired at him. A second swing sent an arc-shaped blast of energy heading straight for them.

Panic overriding all other senses, Edelgard hit the ground and threw her hands over her head, whimpering. Five seconds passed during which she didn't feel unimaginable pain like she thought she would. Peaking her head up, she saw a familiar magical shield in front of her and her allies, albeit it had cracks in it. Worry spiking within her, she looked to her left and saw Linhardt had contributed to the barrier. The damage done to it had been reflected back on him.

"You guys helped me out, so I'll be merciful and make this quick!" Bernadetta snapped her head back to the axe-wielding bandit. Crimson energy swirled around his raised axe, turning it into a lantern of vile power that made her hair stand up on end. She'd have sworn her own sweat had dissolved into vapor as well.

With a mad laugh he brought the axe down, sending forth a larger, ground-based blast of energy. Cries for the shield to be strengthened went up. The cracks vanished mere seconds before the attack slammed into the barrier, then they came back in multitudes.

"Everyone, get back! Get the wagon moving, now!" Kofler yelled.

"Bernadetta, Linhardt!" Ferdinand called out to them.

"I got Linhardt! You get Bernie!" Caspar shouted, grabbing at his green-haired friend, and hoisting him onto his shoulders. Despite his small stature, he certainly had the strength for it.

Bernadetta looked to Ferdinand's outstretched hand. She reached for it, but before she could grasp it, she was blown off her feet. So too was Ferdinand and his horse; everyone was. The world spun around her, the sky and ground changing places numerous times before she slammed into one of them. Given its hardness and the pain that followed, it was definitely the ground. Pain exploded across her body; her first instinct was to stay down and let it completely dominate her.

I-I-I-I…I…I knew it. I-I…I knew things were going to go bad. N-N-N-Nothing ever turns out right for me. Contrary to her words, her hands were spreading out, stretching along the ground in preparation to push herself up. What stopped her was the sound of cackling-she knew the voice. With what strength she could muster, Bernadetta lifted her head up.

Everyone was lying down, disoriented like her. Unfortunately, for the empowered bandit, that made them easy pickings. Her purple eyes widened in horror as he brought his axe down on several downed soldiers. As awful as that was, it wasn't the end of it. The blood drained from their bodies and flowed into the axe. The way it glowed reminded her of a person savoring a meal, and that's when it hit her. The axe was an enchanted weapon, a blood-sucking weapon to be precise.

"Y-Y-You bastard!" Caspar yelled from somewhere behind her. A moment later he was on his feet and charging the man. "You're going to pay for this!"

The bandit turned to the charging young man with a twisted smile. "I did promise you guys a quick death as thanks. Here ya' go, kid! You died nobly as a bonus!" Bernadetta wanted to shout as the man raised his axe and brought it down as Caspar came into swinging range. She knew he wouldn't be able to defend against the attack, not with how powerful the axe had become. She was about to watch one of her housemates die right in front of her.

KLING!

But she didn't, not thanks to the small but powerful enough barrier that shielded him from the attack. Though it shattered mere seconds, later, it did the job in keeping Caspar alive. Heart pounding in her chest, she looked back to find Linhardt had pushed himself up too; he had one arm stretched out, magic emanating from it. With the barrier's shattering he winced in shock at the blowback.

Turning back to the fight, Bernadetta was amazed to find Caspar had continued his attack, and he was somewhat holding his own. Though he was severely outmatched in power, he seemed to be doing a decent enough job of countering the bandit's attacks. Still, it was clear he was on the defensive, and that wasn't going to change unless someone intervened.

"Caspar, get down!"

A bright green light flashed far to her left. Ferdinand was standing on his feet, a second away from hurling his lance like a javelin. His Crest flashed brightly over his head before he made the throw. He wasn't alone as several arrows and spells joined the thrown projectile in heading toward the bandit.

Yelping, Caspar did as he was told, rolling away as the bandit stared at the myriad of attacks heading his way. For a second, Bernadetta thought this would be enough to do it. Sure, it'd be messy, but it'd surely.

"NO!" yelled the bandit as he brought his axe down, creating an explosive burst of red energy. The myriad of attacks slammed into it, creating a greater explosion. Again, Bernadetta hoped that would be the end of it, but a blade cut through the explosion. The bandit was bleeding from the head, but he was still very much alive. And very angry. "Die, all of you, just fucking die!" His axe came down sending forth another wave of energy.

"Everyone, move!" Kofler yelled again. His voice sounded a lot closer than before. There was a good reason for that-Bernadetta whipped her head to the right to find him grabbing her and hauling her to her feet. Actually, not really, he was carrying her as he ran.

"M-M-Mr. Kofler!" She shouted.

"I know it's my job to protect that Relic, but you're pretty important too, Lady Bernadetta!" He yelled with a smile before he was thrown off his feet. Even then, he held onto her as they went rolling. In just a few seconds the spinning stopped and he lay beside her, protectively holding her in his arms. "Are…you…okay?" He said while blood trickled from his lips.

Bernadetta gapped at him, hardly able to believe what had just happened. Slowly, she shut her jaw and nodded, finding it difficult to speak. Dirty caked her face while blood trickled from cuts on her forehead. Her arms and legs felt like twigs, yet she struggled to get them to work. Mustering what strength she could, Bernadetta pushed herself up to her knees.

Looking around, she saw their defensive circle had been blown apart by the multiple attacks. Winding fissures in the ground were lingering physical reminders of his assault. As she looked around, she caught sight of a broken heap-the wagon containing the Relics. And the bandit was approaching it with a maniacal look in his eyes.

Her common sense told her to just let him have it. After all, it was a fake. There was no harm in letting him have it.

B-B-B-But…but…we have a mission to protect it. Unlike her trembling form, the voice was steady, focused. Exactly how she wished she could be.

For whatever reason, Bernadetta chose to listen to it. "S-S-Stop!" She shouted.

To her internal chagrin, the bandit looked her way. She wished she hadn't, his face was contorted in a horrible grin, one that broadened as he stared at her.

"I recognize you, Count Varley's little girl. I heard you're a hell of a coward, so this is kind of surprising. Eh, you picked a bad day to work up some courage. Then again, maybe not. Just sit there and you'll live." He chuckled.

"W-W-W-Why were you thinking us earlier?" She squeaked.

"Because," he started twirling his axe, letting her get a look at the horrid black and red design. It still hummed with that insidious crimson aura. "You guys made my job a lot easier."

"T-T-T-That axe…i-it drinks blood." Despite her frightened mind, Bernadetta found herself putting the pieces together at rapid speed. "Y-You…you let it drink up the blood of your friends. Y-Y-You-"

"They weren't my friends, kid. You don't have friends in this world. On top of that…they were my competition, which you guys did me the favor of getting rid of."

Kofler had gotten to his feet, wiping away the blood from his head and finding his bow. "You selfish bastard."

"Oh, spare me! You're with the Varley Archers, aren't you? If anything, you all should know something about selfishness. Your boss is one of the biggest self-serving dastards in the Empire." The bandit retorted with a dismissive snort. "This whole thing was just him trying to cozy up to the Church since the Empire's on the slow road to ruin. Well, too bad the only one moving up is going to be me!"

"Like hell you'll be!" Kofler yelled. He'd found a quiver and drawn an arrow from it. Without missing a beat, he fired it.

In a single swing, the bandit split it in half. "Oh well, guess I'll just have to keep on feeding this guy!"

The axe came down again, firing off a red arc of energy straight for them.

No! No! "NO!" It was a childish, impulsive move, but Bernadetta simply couldn't help it. She was desperate to survive. Desperate to protect Kofler. Desperate to be something more than the failure her father and almost everyone believer her to be. Desperate to prove right the one person who pushed her because he truly believed in her.

She didn't know how or why, but those desires summoned up something within her. In her mind, she saw a giant tidal wave surging forward. Standing before it, she felt no fear, and there wasn't a need to. It crashed into her, flowed into her.

With her eyes shut, she couldn't see the wall of water swirling up in front of her, not at first. She also couldn't see the flashing manifestation of her Crest above her head. It took several splatters of water against her cheek for Bernadetta to open her eyes and see it. As she did so, the water all was supersized, growing larger and stronger in its rotation. In addition to the water droplets, Bernadetta felt a strong breeze. Her mind jumped to one person.

Turning to her right, she called out, "Linhardt!" Like her, his Crest was faintly flashing above his head, golden sparkles rolling off the divine sigil.

He met her gaze. "I-I don't quite know how we're doing this, but we've got to keep it up! We've got to push it toward him! It might be enough to stun him!"

"B-B-But how do I do that?!" She shouted back.

"J-Just push forward! Think of it like you're firing an arrow!"

Given the situation, she frantically pictured that image. She imagined her hand pulling the bowstring back, the firing.

For a split second, Bernadetta threw her eyes open and watched the water twister literally rush forward. It deflected more attacks from the demonic axe as it'd done with the initial strike. To her eyes, it moved fast, coming upon the bandit quickly, trapping him in the water twister. Bernadetta felt a sweeping wave of relief assail her. The feeling grew as she watched the red glow of his murderous axe literally be swept away with the swirling water. It was an incredible sight, one that grew as Bernadetta realized that she'd helped drain him of his power.

Alas, the axe flashed red one final time. Roaring with what air he had left, the bandit swung his axe about, displaying the watery tornado, although its effects on him were evident. His entire body was drenched from head to toe. His black hair clung to his face as much as his clothes and armor did. All of it seemed to weigh him down preventing him from taking so much as a single step forward.

Thok! Thok! Thok! Thok! Thok! Thok!

"Ahh!" Bernadetta screamed as the myriad of arrows pierced his chest. His axe fell from his grasp as he gasped his final breaths. With them, he locked eyes with her, communicating his final thoughts.

Bernadetta had never been looked at with such hatred, not even her father, albeit the man came close. Still, he couldn't compare to the raw fury the bandit expressed toward her with his blue eyes before they became devoid of life, curtsy of the arrow lodging itself in his forehead. He fell backward, falling into a puddle of water that slowly became tinted red with his blood.

As the life left the bandit, Bernadetta felt it returning to her. She'd have fallen forward onto her face it if wasn't for Kofler.

"You did, Lady Bernadetta. You did it." Her family's devoted guardian remarked. "Just like your professor said you could, you did it."

Just as Bernadetta felt his words sink in, Linhardt reminded them that he was still there. "Yes, you did, but can you please survey the area before you relax? I would rather us not have another unwanted surprise enemy to deal with."

Chuckling, Kofler stood up and began to call out to the others. Bernadetta had to admit, she wished he'd stayed. Still, she managed to remain upright despite the new wave of exhaustion hitting her. How long that would last though was up in the air.

Caspar came toward them, huffing and sweating, but still exuding more energy than them. "You guys alright? Linhardt? Bernadetta?"

"We…will live, hopefully past the next five minutes." Linhardt wheezed. "Where…is Ferdinand?"

"Over there." Bernadetta followed the point of his thumb to find their orange-haired classmate. Bernadetta wasn't sure which surprised her more: the fact that Ferdinand was back on his horse or that his horse had survived that entire assault. Like them, it bore some bruises, but not enough to keep it down.

Well, the Academy breeds some of the toughest horses around. She remarked as the ever-peppy man turned his gaze toward them and rode over.

"Are you all alright? Bernadetta?" he asked while dismounting from his brown-colored steed.

"I'm…I'm okay. Tired though. Please tell me we're done. Please." She answered.

"Bernadetta…not quite. We still have to drop these Relics off. That means we're going to have to get up and keep moving." Though she already knew the answer, Bernadetta still hated hearing it. "That said, I do believe we might be entitled to a little…" Instead of finishing his statement, Ferdinand looked upward to the sky.

Curious, Bernadetta did the same, except she saw nothing. Her joy at that was quickly replaced by concern.

It was Kofler who voiced what she, and likely everyone else, was thinking. "Where's our air support?"

"Uh…maybe they're further up where Professor Eisner is?" Caspar offered. His brow rose as he realized that it'd been some time since they'd seen their stoic yet supremely skilled instructor. "Do you guys think he's still fighting?"

Bernadetta honestly didn't want to think about that possibility. Though they'd yet to see a glimpse of their teacher's true power, what they saw had shown them he was vastly superior to them, and by extension many of the bandits they'd been fighting. Sure, there was the now dead cursed axe wielder, but she had a hunch that Professor Eisner wouldn't have struggled against him as they had. That still left the question of what was keeping him from regrouping with the rest of them, as well as what happened to their air support.

KAAAAAAAAAAWAAAAAAH!

"WHY?!" She never should have pondered the question. It was just begging for the kind of answer that would leave her terrified out of her mind, again.

A shadow passed over not just her but their entire group. Just as they turned skyward it was gone, but in its place came a fierce gust of wind that came close to knocking several off their feet. Bernadetta simply retreated into the fetal position, and even then, she felt like she was being lifted off the ground. Shouting reached her ears, but it was too gobbled up for her to make sense of it. Not to mention the roar of the sudden gale made the words harder to decipher.

Even after the gale subsided, she remained curled up, praying that this mission would just end. Somehow, someway.

"Bernadetta! Bernadetta! Come on, get up! You've got to see this!" Caspar shouted in her ear while shaking her.

"What! What do I have to see!" She whined back.

"The largest bird you've likely ever seen, which seems to have been tamed by our professor." Sounded Linhardt.

"…Huh?"

Slowly, she lifted her head as per Caspar's request. She looked straight ahead, her heart furiously pounding in fearful anticipation at what she would find.

It was just as Linhardt had said-the largest bird she'd ever seen. Even half-folded up, its wings still cut an impressive figure, being almost the size of two wagons pushed together. Its feathers were a stunning shade of brown intermixed with dots of red. Cast alight by the sun overhead, they appeared burning red, and its beak glittering bronze. She had to look up to see the beak as the bird possessed a suitably long yet strong neck, likewise covered in those blazing feathers. It easily towered over all of them, standing some twenty feet from the head down to its earth-planted feet. Glancing at the latter, the archer saw talons sharp enough they could probably shred through plated armor like paper, to say nothing of unprotected flesh. The massive bird opened its beak again and let out another piercing cry; it seemed to roll across the open field like a thunderclap.

Bernadetta was rightfully scared, but the same didn't go for the two, technically three, beings that stood between the giant bird and her group.

With its back turned to her, she couldn't get the best look at the wyvern, but she really didn't want to. She'd heard stories of the unique black wyvern that belonged to one of the Knights of Seiros, the same knight who'd been assigned to their detail. Word was that he was also a former criminal; it made sense that he'd have an equally fearsome creature for a mount. Luckily, the two of them stood between her and the giant bird, alongside one other person. Despite also being clad in black, Bernadetta felt much safer laying her gaze upon him.

"Easy, easy now." He called before turning back to the rest of them. Not a hair was out of place, not a sheen of sweat on his brow or spot of blood anywhere; the complete opposite of them. "Everyone, I need you to relax, and nobody shoot."

Looking around, Bernadetta noticed several expectingly reaching for their weapons. Looking back at the giant bird, she immediately hoped they chose to follow the professor's advice.

A second passed and nobody fired a shot or drew a blade. Regardless, the air remained thick with tension.

"See, we have no reason to fight you, or try to hold you down." Professor Byleth called to the giant beast. Bernadetta was silently taken back by how familiar his voice sounded. With a gasp, she realized that it was the exact same soft tone he took when speaking to her.

The realization left her mouth as a whisper, "He's…trying to calm it down."

"W-Why though?" Caspar pondered. "I mean isn't that thing-"

"Something we don't have to fight if we don't have to." His best friend interrupted. "Now, let us pray the Professor is able to…convince the beast there doesn't have to be anymore fighting."

The bird spread its wings, further revealing the absolutely massive scale of its wings. It certainly answered the question of where that sudden gale had come from that knocked them off their feet. Bernadetta had the strong feeling that what they'd experienced hadn't been intentional. If it came down to a fight, they'd be on the receiving end of something much stronger, not to mention those rather sharp-looking claws and beak. She would have rather not been in that position.

What came out of the bird's beak next wasn't another shriek that made her jump, it was closer to a chirp. Given its size though, the chirp was still quite loud, but the feeling it gave off was quite different. It served as a prelude to the bird flapping its wings and taking to the skies. While it generated quite a strong breeze, one that forced her to shield her eyes, she felt no aggression from it. Lowering her arms, she was able to watch the massive bird fly away, paying them all no mind.

Despite its size, it'd returned to its natural state of being-flying in the sky, free from all things.

In watching it fly away, Bernadetta subconsciously reached back into her memory. Something about the bird's incredibly size nagged at her. It certainly wasn't a simple monstrous bird. Something about it seemed almost…divine.

"A…a…"

"Is everyone alright?" Called her teacher.

Snapped out of her realization, she gave a response, "M-M-M-Mostly!"

"Seems like we lost a few." Spoke the wyvern flier. His gaze went to the corpses that lay strown about across the battlefield. The sight of them reminded Bernadetta that they had indeed suffered casualties.

"It could have been worse." Kofler offered stepping forth. "Frankly, we'd have lost a lot more trying to fight something like that giant bird. I take it the bandits had it stored away? Some kind of trump card?"

The gay-haired man nodded, then turned toward the Professor with a grin. "Yeah, they had a little surprise that could have been a bit of a problem. But, thanks to our little demon here, it didn't turn out to be a problem!" With a laugh, he patted the Professor on the back. A ghost of a smile briefly crossed his face at the friendly gesture. "Not only did he deflect all those killer feathers, he managed to actually figure out the big bird didn't want to fight us anymore did we did it and took care of the bastard forcin' it!"

"Forcing, so the creature was bound by magic?"

"Yes, Linhardt. Odds are the roc was either captured in Almyra-"

"So it was a roc!" Bernadetta explained, excitement shooting through her to the point she found herself getting to her feet.

Caspar looked between her and the Professor. "A…rock?"

"A roc!" Bernadetta corrected. "It's a type of mystic beast native to Almyra! They're birds capable of growing to humongous size! Stories go they can grow big enough they can literally pluck a ship out of the water and carry it for miles! And their wings can whip up storms that can storms strong enough to capsize ships!"

"And these bastards had one of those lying in wait for us." Kofler noted with bemusement. His tone reminded Bernadetta of the fact that rocs could be quite dangerous creatures when fought in battle. They'd indeed been luck. "So, how you'd stop it? Can I assume the bandits had some kind of beast tamer with them?"

Professor Byleth nodded. "A summoner, one that called forth the roc and controlled it against its will."

"And instead of giving the beast freedom through death, this guy here gave it its freedom back by killing the dastard controlling it." The Wyvern Lord laughed again while patting the professor on the back. "Pretty considerate! Saved us all and allowed the bird to go free."

"While you all managed to safeguard the Relics from what I can see." Professor Byleth remarked heading toward the remains of the wagon. Bernadetta quickly ran up to join him, her housemates following suit. In Ferdinand's case, he even dismounted from his horse. They all crowded around their professor as he sorted through the wreckage to pull out a familiar box lined with locked. "As I thought, you all did a great job in defending the Relics."

"W-Wait a minute…P-Professor," Bernadetta stuttered, the realization dawning upon her. "You mean…this whole time…w-w-we…we…our group had the real Relics!"

His impassive gave fell upon her, "Yes, Bernadetta. Your group did. That means-"

"You gave Edelgard's group, the far more skilled one, fakes. I must say-"

"You chose to trust us over Edelgard's group." Caspar interrupted.

"Trust that I can see was well-placed." He affirmed in a slightly upbeat voice.

"Naturally." Bernadetta could hear the noticeably satisfied tone of his voice. It figures that he was happy about this.

"Alright, take a minute to catch your breath and get patched up. We still have to get to Draycott. It's unlikely we'll be getting there first, but what's important is that we'll have the precious cargo."

"And quite a story to tell." There was still that hint of pride in Ferdinand's voice. Bernadetta wondered if he'd be the one to tell Edelgard the secret that it'd been them, not her group, guarding the real Relics. She knew that he'd enjoy that.

He trusted us. He trusted me. He…he trusted me, just like he said he would. That thought repeated in her mind while recovery began around her. Amidst it, her eyes found Professor Byleth's. Her lone recurring thought led her to smiling at him; it was a smile filled with utmost gratitude. Knowing he had to coordinate the convoy's recovery, she chose to quietly mouth the words that bubbled up within her.

Thank you.

That ghostly smile came to his face again, along with a short nod of confirmation.

Their mission wasn't over with yet, but Bernadetta, for the first time since waking up, felt an uptick of confidence that it wasn't going to be a disaster. And not on account of her.

---

Garreg Mach Monastery, Several Hours Later…

Byleth was unsurprised that they arrived back at the Monastery to some fanfare. There'd no thought been speculation as to when they would return, some likely betting on them taking several days to return. Long enough to miss the upcoming Saint's Day. Anyone who'd made that assumption was proven wrong as they marched through the front gates two days after exiting them. Even more, they'd arrived before night had fallen. Sure, the sun had begun its decent toward the horizon, but there was still a good deal of daylight left.

Overall, he'd say they'd made it back in good time. After arriving at Draycott and fully resting up, they'd hustled to make it back to Garreg Mach. It was the final stretch of the mission and there was a noticeable desire to see it completed. For all intents and purposes, it had been, though one could say not quite yet. Not until the Archbishop examined the Relics and saw to it that they were safely stored away.

You have many questions for her. Questions pertaining to the weapons of this land. Hmph, I cannot say I am surprised, nor can I say I'm not interested.

On the surface, things were back to normal for them. Byleth knew that wasn't really the case though. Sothis had experienced something when he came into contact with the Relics, a reaction that thankfully hadn't been repeated, albeit he hadn't directly touched them since that incident.

At least here at the Monastery things will be a little more controlled. The thought was entirely private, closed off from his spiritual companion. His next words were directed toward her. The Relic weapons seem to be pretty…primal in nature. It makes me curious to what your mindset was when you were forging them.

That makes two of us. Surely my artistic sense was better than crudely fashioning a bunch of bones into weapons to bestow upon my followers. She remarked with self-directed annoyance.

Who knows, maybe you were just going through a particular art phase. The spectral girl shot him an annoyed stare, the sort that he'd become used to receiving. It was good to have it back. Well, you can rest easy knowing your gifts are back in safe hands.

More like they're back in hands I do not wish to break, and a mouth I wish to seal with the hottest wax available. In turning her gaze to the central building, Byleth noted a peculiar fondness finding its way to her face. Rather it was because she simply liked being as far away from Count Varley as possible or if it were something else, he didn't know. He'd perhaps find out later into the evening. So, to satisfy our curiosity, will you be spending the evening speaking with Rhea?

I would honestly like to, but I have a feeling I'll have some celebrating to do with my students. There's also the possibility that she may be busy. He responded.

At the very least Rhea was there to greet them in person. Byleth noted a certain brightness in her smile as they came in hauling the massive box containing the spear and sword they'd fought to protect. At her side stood Seteth. He noted however brief it was, he too had a brightened expression on his face. It took only a second for him to place it-relief.

"Professor, welcome back. It pleases me to see not just you have returned with the Relics, but you and your students have returned unharmed." She greeted.

"We ran into some…trouble along the way, but yes, we made it back. Still, some Seiros and Adrestian soldiers were lost." He declared.

"Ah, I am saddened to hear that. The Church will help see to their burials and funerals."

"And what of the bandits?" Seteth asked.

"Either dead, running for their lives, or reporting back to their boss." In which case they're probably being chewed out at best or being punished at worst. Not that he cared whichever one it ended up being. "We didn't take any prisoners, so the dungeons won't be getting any new residents."

"This time. Who knows what the next time may bring." Hubert added in a tone that sounded very much like he'd enjoy bringing in those new residents. Byleth didn't' know if that was preferable to him putting them into the ground.

He pushed the question aside as he focused on pushing carrying forward the massive steel box that he'd hauled from the wagon up the main building. After all the weight lifting, he'd done throughout his life, it was like carrying a dinner plate. Seteth stepped forward to take the box from him. Byleth noted a complete lack of strain on his part.

"On behalf of the Church of Seiros, Professor Eisner, thank you." He proclaimed with a deep bow. "You have done us, and all of Fόdlan a great service in ensuring these weapons will remain out of the wrong hands." His gaze moved from Byleth to Bernadetta, who'd remained characteristically silent the entire time. "Actually, our gratitude extends to all of you, who took the rescue to deliver them into safe hands."

"It was our civic duty." Ferdinand proclaimed with pride. Hubert kept his response minimal, yet it was clear he didn't quite share the same sentiment.

Bernadetta seemed to realize that she too was being praised; it left her in temporary awe as she looked to the green-haired man, then the archbishop herself. The latter reinforced the former's words with a tender smile, one that was for a time directed straight at Bernadetta. Her cheeks sported a brief blush as she looked down in embarrassment.

"It's fair to say that you all have earned a break, then again, Saint Macuil's Day is within reach as well. Regardless, you all are free to spend the remainder of the week as you choose."

"Great, then that hopefully means I can start my break getting some rest." He expected nothing less from Linhardt. Some would have been a bit more careful speaking of such leisure in the presence. The archbishop, but he saw her smile in amusement.

"You know, usually I'd be up for more training, but I do think I could use a bit of a break after that mission." Caspar conceded.

"Hopefully you two don't get too into your rest. I'd say that after a big mission like that, we should have another house wide dinner."

"I am agreeing with Dorothea." Petra added. "Today, we achieve a great victory. All of us." Her eyes swept across the class, but they particularly fell on those who'd been in the second group. Again, Bernadetta ducked her head low to avoid embarrassment.

The sight didn't go unnoticed by the unseen goddess. I suppose excessive humility is preferable to what her father possesses. Sothis chimed with a small smile.

"It is best not to keep you all from enjoying this deserved break." Sounded the archbishop. "Go, you are all free to enjoy the rest of the evening, and I hope when Saint Macuil Day comes, you will be able to enjoy it as well."

"All that in mind, Professor, your mission report is still requested, albeit you may take your time in turning it in." Seteth added.

"Ah, come on, does the Professor really have to do one of those?" Caspar whispered.

"It's procedure, Caspar. Luckily, knowing him, he'll have it done-"

"You'll have it by tomorrow morning." Byleth stated; his declaration was met with some snickers from his students. His eyes though were on the archbishop and her right hand. The latter merely nodded in acceptance of his word while the former had a look of light amusement on her face. "All of you did well tonight, so as Lady Rhea said, enjoy the rest of the day."

It didn't take too long for them to trickle out of the building and disperse. Byleth was happy to see them do so. Edelgard and Bernadetta were the last to look at him as they left, the latter giving him the biggest smile he'd seen on her all day.

"It seems that the trip did young Miss Varley some good despite the apprehension she felt."

Looking back at the archbishop, he found himself oddly pleased that they were alone. "I take it you've heard. How bad are the stories?"

"I do not feel comfortable saying such, but I believe with this mission she has taken a step toward a brighter future. One that will hopefully be her own and not one charted by her father." Rhea answered with a gleam in her eyes. He was glad that she was respectful regarding his incredibly nervous and fearful student.

He walked closer, closing the distance between them yet still maintaining a respectful distance between them. It was one he felt comfortable with, and she seemed to feel the same. "Thank you for warning me about Count Varley. He was…"

"I would prefer it if you and your students had the pleasure of never interacting with him again, yet I am reluctant to make that much of an optimistic promise." She offered with a sympathetic smile. For reasons that she knew he knew, there was a chance he and the Black Eagles would be heading back to Zellerfeld, and with it Count Varley.

It was a possibility Byleth met with a shrug. "Now that I know what to expect, I'll be more ready. I'll add it wasn't entirely bad. While I could do without ever having to speak or see the man again, there were people around him that I wouldn't mind working with. The Varley Archers were admirable warriors and there was a priest at Bremen Cathedral that was far easier to work with." He thought for a moment about the people he did come to tolerate and even respect on his latest mission. It'd be nice to see them again, either on official business or on his own time.

"Is there…any chance you would go back of your own volition? I remember hearing that you have an interest in weaponry beyond merely wielding them." She broached.

Byleth immediately knew she was pushing him in a certain direction-that she knew something he didn't. "Even though I knew it was a mission, a part of me still felt disappointed I couldn't explore that side of the city. Next time I go, probably a personal visit, I'll have the time to do so." Seeing the slight uptick of her smile, Byleth felt his curiosity further piqued. "Do you want to try to come with me?"

My, how forward of you. Thankfully, there's no one around but you two.

"A tempting offer, one that…I would not mind taking you up on one day. Zellerfeld holds its charms for me as well." The green-haired woman replied in a cordial tone.

"Not to mention we won't have to put up with Count Varley." Though he didn't laugh, she did at his jab. Byleth did his best to smile though.

Her laughter ceased as a semi-serious look crossed her face. "Pro…Byleth, there is something rather important I need to tell you. It pertains to you specifically and not your students. You have received a challenge from one of the Knights of Seiros, he wishes to spar against you."

Byleth felt something-a jolt of excitement that he was familiar with. It'd rarely came to him since arriving at the Monastery, mostly on account of the lack of real challenges he'd had. With Rhea's words, he felt like that was about to change. "Who is it?"

"Caden Hopley, I believe you know of his reputation."

For a fraction of a second his eyes widened. "Caden…the Scarlet Needle." The jolt was a current of lightning circulating through his body, especially his heart. His hand fingers curled into a fix, albeit it wasn't out of anger. No, anger was the last thing he was feeling; the emotion swelling within him was quite the opposite of that. "He wants to spar with me."

"Yes, he does. He came to me a few days ago to formally make the request and I approved it. At least on the grounds that this match would take place after Saint Macuil Day."

He nodded as excitement continued to rush through him. Not even the news that he would have to wait for his match slowed it down. "Then I've got something else to look forward to. Also, I'd say you made the right call. If the two of us fought before Saint Macuil Day…I don't think either of us would be in the condition to enjoy it."

Rhea laughed again, though this one was somewhat shorter and less humorous. She knew how true his words were. "When considering the request, I did take that into consideration. I didn't quite have it in me to turn him down. On top of that, I…had a strong feeling that you would take up his request."

"I would have." He affirmed. "Since you gave your approval, I'm assuming there's a limit to how far we can take it."

"Yes, I did." Concern was starting to show on her face. He had a feeling that she was worried as to how he was going to react to what limits she'd placed on their fight. "Byleth-"

"I'll find the details out from him, or rather, I'll find them out myself when our battle comes. It'll be more fun that way."

His words wiped away a smidgen of the worry that appeared on her face. "That…sounds quite like you. Like a true warrior." She remarked with a smile. "The battlefield I approved for you two is a place called Jagen Plateau. It's long been used as a place for training for the Seiros Knights. It'll be large enough for the two of you to fight to your heart's content."

The more she talks, the more excited you become. I would be willing to guess this news has made you apathetic to the upcoming holiday.

That's not entirely true. If anything, I'll just say that this week just got more exciting for me. I'd say more exciting than the mission we just went on.

Considering he managed to press your father, I will say that you will undoubtedly get the fight that you've been wanting. To be honest…there is a part of me that would like to see more of your ability as well. Not to mention a chance to explore the limits of my own powers.

Sothis, He remarked. Byleth moved his focus from the spectral green-haired girl to the green-haired woman physically in front of him. "What are the odds that you'll be watching us?"

"I believe that will depend on circumstances. Watching the fight would be…different from my normal plans for the day." She answered. It felt like a bit of a dodgy answer, which left Byleth to speculate. Rhea more than likely knew how bloody their fight could get, even if they were still holding back to a certain extent.

"Regardless of rather or not you'll be able to watch, will you be rooting for either of us?" He asked.

Rhea's smile was almost apologetic. "Byleth, I will be rooting for you both to enjoy yourselves, and not to hurt each other too badly. Though Manuela would certainly enjoy both of your company, I doubt it'd be tending to grievous, life-threatening injuries."

He gave a nonchalant shrug, not too surprised by her answer. Someone else though had a different opinion.

Sothis leaned forward with her arms crossed. Surely you weren't expecting her to say you. While she seems fond of you, it would be incredibly improper for her to champion you instead of one of her longtime warriors.

Of course not, I was only curious.

Of course, you were.

Byleth really wasn't, though he'd have been surprised if she did choose one of them over the other. "Well, odds are she's going to be mending some broken bones at the minimal. From what she's told me though, that's nothing new. Still, I'll have to apologize to her for the mess she's going to have to deal with."

"I hope that doesn't mean you're going to go into the fight with the intention of accumulating as many injuries as possible on both Caden and yourself, Byleth." She asked in a somewhat playful tone that belayed the genuine seriousness of her statement.

"I'm assuming Caden already gave his word, so I'll give mine. To the best of my ability, I'll keep-"

"Byleth," She cut off in a firm yet soft voice. He went completely silent, giving her the floor. The pious woman let out a deep sigh before fixing him a gentle smile. "I'm asking you both to not go too far…but, as warriors, enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you, Rhea." He said with heartfelt gratitude. "I'm…I'm still curious about Saint Macuil Day and how to celebrate it. If possible, I'd like it if you could educate me on it, and the other Saint Days." Her face lit up with joy, a sight that he found rather pleasant to see. His happiness at that didn't go unnoticed by his spectral companion, but Sothis mercifully stayed silent; she just smiled at him from the side. He didn't find it as pleasant as Rhea's smile though.

Seconds before she could give him a response, the door behind them creaked open. Together, they looked back to the front entrance. The figure that emerged was one they both recognized.

"I'm back." He casually called to his father.

"Yeah, welcome back, kid. I…" His father had always been a smart, capable man. That included an eye for reading the atmosphere, despite his stoic exterior. "I…hope I wasn't interrupting anything important. If Byleth's still giving his mission report-"

"No, it's fine." Rhea quickly explained. "In truth, we were actually talking about Saint Macuil Day, as well as Byleth's battle with Caden."

"So, you told him."

"I hope that was alright by you, Jeralt."

"You're the Archbishop, not to mention you gave this the go ahead before me." He affirmed. "So, how psyched was he?"

Rhea chuckled as she looked to him. "Incredibly be."

Byleth directed a brief faint smirk her way. "I'm set up to have a very interesting week."

His father looked to him and chuckled, a short but audible and humor-laced chuckle. "And to think you just came back from a mission." His expression turned nervous as he looked away from Byleth. It was practical an admission that there was something was on his mind. Something that might take away from his packed schedule.

"Father," he spoke.

Recognizing his tone, he looked between him and Rhea. She put up a hand, "Go, you two are finally back together, so spend some time together. Especially since I do believe Byleth has a feast tonight planned with his students for a successful mission."

He nodded in confirmation when his father looked to him for confirmation. It was nice to see his consideration. "I guess I'll catch up with you tomorrow then, Lady Rhea."

"Yes, we will. Have a good evening, Professor Byleth." She said in response. He quietly noted how like him, she'd switched to their public honorifics with the presence of his father.

What would people think if they heard you two speaking of one another like that. Chimed the Goddess of Fόdlan.

That's something we're trying to hold off on for as long as possible. He entered with his students and he was leaving with his father. Where to, he didn't know, but Byleth was quite interested. More importantly though, he was happy to spend time with his father.

After seeing Bernadetta's, he was reminded once more just how lucky he was to have a father like his.

---

The first chapter of 2024 is now complete. Actually, this chapter was supposed to be something of a wrap up for 2023, but the end of the year turned out to be pretty busy for me. With all the talk about Saint Macuil Day, it would have been great if I could start those chapters on either Christmas or New Years, but hey, that's how things turned out.

Byleth's group was the battle I wanted to focus on for a variety of reasons, the biggest being yes, their group did in fact have the real Relics on them. The route they took had the most space for me to experiment, including having characters like Ferdinand and Byleth riding around on horses. Edelgard's were in a far tighter space, but thanks to the group set up they were able to easily repel their attacks.

On the matter of Edelgard's group, I'll skip to the feature I somewhat focused on the most, Rhona. She did indeed overpower a Silence spell through sheer power. This will not be the last time such a thing happens in this story. In a similar vein to Dragon Ball and Bleach, a stronger power can overrule the effects of a weaker power, though that won't always be the case. As an archmage, Rhona is an incredibly powerful mage, so don't expect her to be inconvenienced by a bunch of low-level bandits. What other magic users are on par with her or will be able to do the same? That's for all of you to speculate, though I'll just come out and say a certain character will probably be amongst your guesses.

Now, onto Byleth's group, it was much more of a dynamic battle. It was also a chance for me to turn the focus to Bernadetta. After the last couple of chapters, this was her big moment, and I'm hoping it paid off. I wanted to show how she could actually handle herself when push came to shove, especially thanks to Byleth's encouragement. Her activating her Crest was an idea that came to me during my writing and I decided to roll with it, more so since I've been thinking of ways to show the varied powers of Crests. The Crest of Indech was actually perfect for this chapter since I was able to write Bernadetta spamming Deadeye for a while; I did tweak the latter's effect so that it's powerful and accurate. In addition to that, I gave the Crest the additional power of water since Indech's a water dragon, and I think water as an element could suit Bernadetta (and later Hanneman).

The roc was an idea I had months back when I thought up the layout of the Eagles' mission. With Prince of Persia the Lost Crown on my mind (and it now around the corner), I was thinking of how I could have them fight a creature from Persian mythology, the backstory being the creature was smuggled out of Almyra. My other idea involved them fighting a manticore, which Bernadetta would have to step up to help defeat with a well-placed arrow shot. While I ultimately didn't go with that idea this time, I would still like to implement it at a later point in the story, perhaps on another one of the Black Eagles' missions where they encounter more criminals. Byleth's fight against the roc will be explained next chapter since I couldn't fit it in, as well as my original plan for it.

Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to try to post the next one since I've also got a lot planned for it. Byleth's going to be talking to a few different people, including Sothis (don't worry, I haven't forgotten about her), and running into a few faces as he gets ready for his first Saint Holiday. Until then, stay safe, reader!