The Three Houses of Hyperdimension

A Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Hyperdimension Neptunia Crossover Fan Fiction

by Derald Snyder

Episode 36: March on the Governor's Mansion

"Let me get this straight," Seteth said as he and Bishop Rhea stood across from Byleth, Edelgard, Rei Ryghts and Simon Blackquill. "You mean to take the Black Eagles and march on Enbarr with the Knights of Seiros at your back?"

"With all due respect, Bishop Rhea, you must realize that Volkhard von Arundel has not been the same person since he assumed the governorship," Blackquill responded. "Even having been incarcerated for a few years, I can tell that he has changed- and these changes cannot simply be explained away by the burdens of ruling a province like Adrestia. To say nothing of the things I have heard from House Vestra itself..."

"And what have you heard, Prosecutor Blackquill?" Rhea gently prodded.

"They say that Lord Arundel practices black magic in secret, and that he is able to change his appearance at will," the twisted samurai responded. "But seeing as there has been nothing to prove such, I remained silent on the matter until now. But I am not the only one who has suspicions. While the word of Miss Hresvelg could be potentially dismissed as the whinings of a petulant child, the word of the Chief Magistrate cannot."

"Are you saying Count Hevring also suspects something?" Seteth asked incredulously.

"He said as much to us in our meeting after the trial's conclusion," Byleth nodded. "And Miss Ryghts can back me up on that. However, he doesn't feel comfortable taking any sort of legal action, due to what Blackquill said about there being no proof."

"I'm sorry, but how does this connect back to the trial and the Flame Emperor?" Seteth said. "There seems to be a bit of a leap in logic here..."

"Well, how, pray tell, did known miscreants like Kronya and Shez manage to infiltrate the courthouse without being detected until they made their move?" Blackquill pointed out. "Security has been on pins and needles due to the high profile of the defendant here, and yet these two come dangerously close to assassinating her? The only way that could happen is if some of the bailiffs were convinced to look the other way... and given who the defendant was, the only person who could have made that happen is the governor himself. Not such a leap of logic, once you connect the dots, headmaster."

"Oh, wow... I-I hadn't even th-thought of th-that..." Rei said with her head bowed. "C-clearly I have a long way t-to go b-before I'm equal t-to my boss Mr. Samson..."

"You sell yourself too short, Lady Ryghts," Seteth shook his head. "If the forces of 'those who slither in the dark' felt they had no choice but to try and assassinate Edelgard outright, despite their convincing attempt at framing her, that should speak to how they view your reputation as a defense attorney. Getting back to the main point, however, Mr. Blackquill makes an excellent point that cannot be so easily refuted. Perhaps Hubert's paranoia about Edelgard potentially being murdered in prison was not so far-fetched after all..."

"Then you will agree to assist us?" Edelgard asked hopefully.

"I have two conditions. One, once Arundel is secured, he is to be turned over to the knights at once," Rhea instructed. "Two, the knights must not engage directly in battle. You are only to use them to keep the general populace of Enbarr from descending into panic and chaos. Is that understood?"

"That's fine. We and the Black Eagles should be more than enough, especially now that Shez is no longer a factor," Byleth agreed.

"We should make haste, though. No doubt that corrupt Duke Aegir is venting about the trial's failure to Arundel as we speak. This may be our best chance at killing two- ahem, catching two birds with one net. Sorry, Taka." Blackquill gently scratched Taka under his beak.

"Must you take that bird everywhere you go, Prosecutor?" Byleth sighed.

"Yes, speaking of animals... Edelgard, why did you not tell us about the creature that you had found and were caring for?" Rhea addressed the Black Eagles leader. "Did you truly believe that I would allow a creation of the first goddess to be put down?"

"...You're right, Lady Rhea. Maybe I should have told you," Edelgard admitted, averting her gaze. "But... well, let's just say that Hubert's not the only one who's been overly paranoid over the past year or so. I hope you can forgive me."

"I c-can't say I b-blame her, g-given th-that Kronya had d-disguised herself as a f-fellow student of hers..." Rei spoke up. "Um, b-but where d-do I fit into this...?"

"I'll explain my strategy en route," Byleth replied. "Don't worry, I won't force you to do something that you're not comfortable with."

"Right, then you should get moving with all due haste," Seteth spoke up. "The matter of the yoshisaur can be put aside until later. But as Mr. Blackquill says, if Lord Arundel is indeed secretly a member of those who slither in the dark, now is the opportune time to apprehend him before he can regroup from the failed assassination attempt."

"May the goddess Sothis watch over you all," Rhea dismissed the group with a smile and nod, who bowed to her before heading off.

*Governor's Mansion*

"How could things have gone so far off the rails?!" Duke Aegir ranted to Arundel in the latter's office. "What were your assassins thinking, trying to off Edelgard like that?! Didn't they realize that security would be on pins and needles after Vestra's kid tried to jailbreak her?!"

"For what it's worth, I agree with you. That one lady did indeed jump the gun," Arundel sighed. "But even if they caught one of them, they have no way of tracing it back to us." (After all, Ghetsis made sure they only know enough to do their jobs and little else,) he added to himself.

"And how do you know that Edelgard won't just give a sob story to that Rhea to make her send the knights after us?!" Ludwig pointed out.

"She cannot do that legally. Rhea is well aware that she would be stripped of her position as bishop were she to attempt such a thing," Arundel replied calmly. "The knights can only act in situations of rebellion, monster outbreaks, or to back up local law enforcement upon request. And no such request shall be made."

"You had better hope you're right..." Aegir grumbled. "I'm still having trouble getting a lawyer to cover for my tax troubles! The moment they hear that Rei Ryghts was involved, they lose their nerve and cut me off! Cowards, all of them! And I still can't believe Ferdinand- my beloved son! - would do this to me...!"

Just then, the two men heard a voice through a megaphone, turning to see none other than the Knights of Seiros gathered outside the gates to the mansion courtyard. "This is Captain Alois of the Knights of Seiros! We are here to serve a warrant of arrest to Duke Ludwig von Aegir for tax fraud! We demand that Duke Aegir surrender himself at once! If you refuse to hand him over, the Black Eagles of Garreg Mach are authorized to apprehend him by force!"

"Ahhhh! You see?! I knew it!" Duke Aegir cried in panic, looking to see any orange hair among their ranks, and finding none. (Well, at least Ferdinand isn't with them...)

Arundel just sighed in frustration as he stood up and walked over to the window with a tome in hand, opening a pane before casting a voice projection spell. "Captain Alois, you and the Knights of Seiros are in gross violation of the law. It clearly states that deployment of the knights to apprehend a noble can only be approved by the goddess of Lowee herself. I will give you one chance to disperse and return to Garreg Mach!"

To the men's surprise, a familiar horned woman suddenly appeared from the ranks and calmly relieved Alois of his megaphone. "Well, the joke's on you, governor, because I AM a goddess, and Lowee is my legal residence! Which means MY approval is all they need, you pathetic worms! HAAAAA-hahahahahaha!"

"...okay, that's actually quite clever," Ludwig admitted. "Curses! I must flee!"

"My men will hold them off for you. Go!" Arundel pointed, the balding duke nodding and rushing out of the office. Turning back to the window, the governor saw that Byleth and the Black Eagles had already breached the gate and were rushing the mansion proper. "So, this is your choice, is it, Edelgard...?" he muttered as his gaze fixed on the white-haired woman leading the charge... "How dare she bare her fangs at us...!"

*Down below...*

Several men armed with conventional weaponry came to meet the Black Eagles' charge, while two men armed with semiautomatic rifles stayed back to guard the front door to the mansion proper. "Stay low so they don't pick you off, Petra!" Byleth ordered.

"Understood, Professor!" Petra nodded as her lance clashed with an enemy's sword.

"These men are elite soldiers! Do not hold back against them!" Edelgard warned as she swung her axe, chopping an enemy's lance in half, the man promptly retreating.

"Good thing I brought a sword this time!" Dorothea said as she parried a sword slice. She ducked as another soldier thrust at her with his spear, the weapon just missing her head, but knocking her hat off with a noticeable tear. "Ahhh! You jerks! That was my favorite hat!" she wailed in dismay, which soon turned to anger. "THORON!" she intoned, the powerful lighting spell zapping not only the man before her, but those behind him as well, a small discharge continuing on and hitting one of the gunmen at the door, causing him to drop his weapon!

(I must not be missing this opportunity!) Petra thought as her pegasus launched into the air, the student hurling her javelin at the remaining gunman, hitting him in the shoulder before he could aim his rifle! She then swooped down, her pegasus slamming the man into the door with it's front hooves! Petra quickly dismounted and drew a short sword, bashing the guard in the head with the hilt, all but knocking him unconscious. She then turned and stabbed the other guard through the throat before he could recover from the earlier shock. "I have secured the front doors!" she announced.

"Good work, Petra!" Byleth called back as he cut down another soldier, he and Edelgard swiftly dispatching the remainder, save one straggler that Dorothea dealt with using a Thunder spell. That done, the trio regrouped with Petra at the doors. "All right, keep your eyes open for any ambushes when we go in. And Petra, you won't be able to bring your pegasus in the mansion."

"That will be fine," the foreign exchange student nodded. "Please hurry and be breaking down the doors, Edelgard!"

"Right, stand back," Edelgard ordered, swinging her axe overhead and embedding it between the locked doors, Byleth then forcing them open with a hard kick! "Let's go, Black Eagles!"

"Right behind you, Edie!" Dorothea exclaimed as they entered the mansion proper.

*Elsewhere...*

Duke Aegir panted as he ran down a secret passageway from the mansion's basement, soon reaching a door that opened into a small, nondescript cavern just outside the city limits. (Once I'm through here, I should be home free,) he thought as he turned the knob...

But to the corrupt duke's surprise, a familiar face blocked the cave's exit... "Apologies, Ludwig, but if you want to leave, you'll have to go through me," stated Count Bergliez, gauntlets at the ready. Duke Aegir then heard footsteps behind him, turning...

"And if you want back in, you'll have to go through me- although I must seem like nothing in comparison to that bear at the cave's mouth," said Count Hevring with a magic tome in hand.

"...You would turn on me now?! Preposterous!" Ludwig seethed in helpless rage. "How can this be? I have riches, power... I am as great as a man can be!"

"Not anymore, Ludwig!" Leopold shook his head. "We're bringing you in for fraud, corruption, and treason against the goddess! Right, Weldmar?"

"I'm surprised you remembered all that," Count Hevring snarked. "But yes, we're holding you until the Knights of Seiros can arrest you properly. So I would suggest you sit down and remain silent until then..."

*Back in the mansion...*

"Counts Bergliez and Hevring should have cut off Duke Aegir's escape by now," Edelgard mused as her axe clashed with an enemy soldier's spear. "That just leaves Lord Arundel."

"Good thing they were willing to help us," Dorothea said as she cast an ice spell to freeze a soldier solid. "But where did Hubie go? He was with us at the front gates..."

"I imagine he's taking care of some personal business," Edelgard replied as she cut down another enemy...

*Secret Chamber*

Marquis Vestra sat quietly as he listened to the chaos outside... (That fool Duke Aegir... looks like his overindulgence finally came back to bite him. But as it's not me they're after, all I have to do is stay hidden until everything blows over...) To his shock, however, the bookcase that served as the door to the secret chamber began to open! (What?! Who could possibly-) He cried out as a hawk suddenly flew in and assaulted him with its talons! "What's a bird doing in here?!" He got his answer in the form of a whistle, the hawk obediantly flying back and perching on its master's shoulder. "Wh- Simon Blackquill?!"

"Marquis Vestra. Long time no see," Blackquill said with a smirk that was devoid of happiness. "Probably not since before I was sentenced to prison... you just hung me out to dry, not even a statement of support..."

"You confessed!" Marquis Vestra rebuffed him.

"You of all people should have known that it was a false confession to protect my mentor's daughter," Blackquill said darkly. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm just the escort, so to speak."

"Escort? For who...?" Marquis Vestra trailed off as Hubert appeared through the secret entrance. "Hubert?! What's going on?"

"Don't play dumb, Father. Surely you already know," Hubert said darkly. "The time has come for you to finally answer for your many crimes against House Hresvelg..."

"What? Don't be stupid!" the nobleman argued. "Ionius was the one who attempted to become a dictator! We did what had to be done!"

"And what about his children? The torture they were put through by Duke Aegir?! Such that Lady Edelgard was the only survivor?! Was that 'what needed to be done'?!" Hubert yelled angrily. "You knew what was occurring in this very mansion's dungeon, and never lifted a finger to help her! You stomped on centuries of tradition, of House Vestra dutifully serving House Hresvelg!"

"You have not seen what I have seen, young man!" Marquis Vestra shot back. "That Arundel is not one to be trifled with-!"

"So you admit your cowardice, do you?" Hubert cut him off. "What would you call that in legal terms, Simon?"

"Given that all but Edelgard herself perished, that's murder by inaction. Depraved indifference," Blackquill replied. "Ten counts in all, punishable by death. But I am only a prosecutor, and thus cannot pass judgement. So I shall leave it to the Marquis' heir."

"Simon?! You can't be seri- ugghkkk!" Marquis Vestra grunted as a foul miasma suddenly cut off his air supply!

"No more of your empty words," Hubert said with his hand outstretched, a dark magic tome in his other hand. "I'm sure Lady Edelgard's siblings will have their own words for you in the afterlife..." His face remained stoic as his father's struggles ceased and he went limp, before finally releasing the spell and allowing his body to fall to the floor. "It is done; judgement has been passed."

"Indeed," Blackquill nodded, before peeking out the bookshelf entrance. "Ah, it seems Arundel has summoned dark mages to erect a magic barrier to his office; he must've cottoned on to the real reason for the attack. Well then, I believe I'll go and cut one of them down personally; then I can say that I avenged Marquis Vestra's unfortunate death at the hands of one of these miscreants."

"You do that then," Hubert said with a knowing smile. "I will join as soon as I've moved the body to a more plausible spot..."

*Episode 36- End*

A/N: Sorry this took so long, but this seemed like a good place to stop. Hopefully the next episode will come out a little faster...