The battlefield lay eerily silent, a stark contrast to the cacophony of death that had reigned mere days ago. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and the ground was littered with the fallen, their lifeless eyes staring blankly at the sky.
Or rather, that was what Byleth thought it looked like.
They had left the battlefield a while back, leaving behind all the bodies that had been strewn about. They didn't have the resources nor the will to go back and carry them, not with the already demoralized men and women around her.
The somber march back to the monastery was a silent one, each step heavy with the weight of what had transpired. Ashe, still in a daze, was flanked by the rest of the Blue Lions, their expressions a mix of shock and sorrow. Byleth, at the head of the group, walked with a stoic resolve, her mind racing with the events of the day.
The monastery's gates, usually a symbol of sanctuary and learning, now seemed to mock them with their grandeur. As they passed through, the usual bustle of the place felt strangely out of place. Whispers and curious glances followed them, more than one excited at their return, but none dared to approach, sensing the gravity of their steps.
"Take a rest for now." She called out to her students. They silently nodded, the events previously having been exhausting. She gave a pointed look to Dimitri, motioning to the quiet Ashe in the back. The blond nodded back, understanding what she wanted.
She walked a bit more after that, leaving behind her students and casually walking into an unoccupied room.
The moment the door closed, she screamed. She had no doubt that some others may have heard her, but at this point, she couldn't bring herself to care.
"Come out, I know you're listening!" She growled out into the empty room. Sothis kept quiet in the back of her head, something that would normally worry her. Not this time. Not when that bastard needed to be set straight.
A shimmer of gold in the corner of her eye.
There.
"Why the fuck did you do that?!" She yelled in his face. It didn't affect the Archer, who looked at her with an almost bored expression.
"Do what?"
"Don't play games with me! I understand that they were rebels, but most of them were nothing more than forced conscripts! You knew that, didn't you?!"
"Yes? And your point is?"
"You killed them all!"
The Archer's expression remained unchanged, an unnerving calm amidst the storm of Byleth's fury. His eyes, cold and detached, met hers without a hint of remorse or regret.
"They were enemies on the battlefield," he said, his voice as emotionless as his gaze. "In war, you eliminate your enemies. That's the nature of conflict."
Byleth felt a surge of anger at his callous words. "They were villagers, not soldiers! They didn't choose this! You could have spared them, incapacitated them without taking their lives!"
The Archer shrugged, a gesture that only fueled her anger. "Choices have consequences. They chose to stand with the rebels, whether by force or not. In the heat of battle, such distinctions are irrelevant. My mission was to end the conflict, and I did."
"You're a monster," Byleth spat, her hands clenching into fists. "You have no regard for human life. How can you be so indifferent?"
He regarded her steadily, his face betraying no emotion. "I've seen more wars and deaths than you can imagine. In my world, I've been forced to make hard choices, to do what must be done. You may call it monstrous, but I call it survival. I don't expect you to understand."
His golden eyes shifted, "On second thought, you should understand. You were a mercenary after all. Moreover, what do you think would've happened even if I were to take prisoners? That they'll be pardoned?" He scoffed.
"Hardly. Execution was the only thing waiting for those cultists. I just sped things along."
Byleth's gaze hardened, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "There's a difference between necessity and cruelty. You didn't just defeat them; you slaughtered them without a second thought. There's always a choice, and you chose the path of least resistance, the path of maximum destruction."
"Wouldn't you?" The words were delivered with the same indifference that the Archer had spoken with, "Had I not been there, wouldn't you have done the same? If the choice was between the lives of your students and them, I have no doubt you would have killed them without a second thought."
Byleth's breath caught in her throat, the Archer's words striking a chord deep within her. She hesitated, the certainty in her voice wavering for a moment. "It's not the same," she finally said, but her voice lacked its earlier conviction. "I would've sought a way to minimize the loss of life. I've always strived to find a balance, to protect without needless slaughter."
The Archer let out a humorless chuckle. "Idealism. Noble, but often impractical in the face of reality. You speak of balance, yet on the battlefield, the scales are rarely even. Sometimes, the only way to protect what you cherish is to utterly destroy what threatens it."
His words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding, like the final verdict of a judge. Byleth felt a chill run down her spine. The Archer's perspective, though harsh, echoed a truth that she had always known but never fully accepted.
"In war, ideals are luxury, and mercy can be a fatal weakness," he continued, his voice like a blade, sharp and precise. "You've seen the brutality of battle, the cost of hesitation. I made a choice, a necessary evil to end the conflict swiftly and decisively. That's the burden of command, the weight of responsibility."
Byleth's eyes narrowed, her mind wrestling with his words. "Responsibility doesn't justify cruelty," she countered, her voice firm. "Leadership isn't about making the easy choices; it's about making the right ones, even when they're hard, even when they hurt. You chose the easy way out, the path of least resistance. That's not leadership; that's cowardice."
The Archer's expression remained impassive, but there was a flicker in his eyes, a brief spark that hinted at something deeper. "Cowardice?" he mused, almost to himself. "Perhaps. Or perhaps it's a different kind of courage, the courage to do what's necessary, no matter the cost. War isn't about heroism or honor; it's about survival. And sometimes, survival demands sacrifices."
Byleth felt her resolve waver, her anger giving way to a troubled uncertainty. "Sacrifices," she repeated, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. "But at what cost? How many lives must be sacrificed before it becomes senseless slaughter?"
The Archer stepped closer, his golden eyes piercing through her. "That's the question, isn't it?" He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, "Never mind. I suppose you'll truly understand one of these days."
He pulled something out of a side pocket and tossed it to her. A scroll. She furrowed her brow.
"You were all too busy fleeing that you didn't even bother checking the bodies. No need to thank me." All at once, the stoicness and solemnity of the Archer faded away, bringing back the Archer that shot back with snark.
With no other words, and a mist of golden sparks, he disappeared.
Byleth stared at the scroll in her hands, uncertain of just what it was. From the Archer's words, it came from one of the bodies they had left behind. Whose, that was the question. She carefully opened it, and read it.
She could feel even Sothis' eyes widen as she did.
"An attempt to assassinate me?" Rhea stared at Byleth in surprise, as she held the scroll in her hands, "Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time. Still, you only found this now?"
"Yes, Lady Rhea. The Archer brought it to my attention." As bitter as those words were on her lips, Byleth had to give the man credit where credit was due.
Rhea's expression hardened, her gaze shifting from the scroll back to Byleth. "The Archer... I see," she murmured, her voice carrying a mix of contemplation and unease. "His methods may be... questionable, but his effectiveness is undeniable."
Byleth nodded silently, her thoughts still swirling around the revelation. The assassination attempt, hidden in the shadows of the battlefield, brought a new dimension to the conflict they had just survived. It wasn't just a battle against rebels; it was a chess game with hidden players and unseen moves.
"Tell me, Byleth," Rhea continued, her eyes piercing. "What do you make of this Archer? His presence has been...a variable I did not anticipate."
Byleth hesitated.
"He's ruthless," she finally said. "He sees the world in a way that's...different. He acts without hesitation, without remorse. It's effective, but it's also terrifying."
Rhea nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yes, I can see how he would be both an asset and a concern. His perspective is one of a seasoned warrior, one who has seen too much war. But we must not forget, Byleth, that in times of war, such perspectives can be invaluable."
The room fell into a contemplative silence, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on both women. It was broken a few moments later by a cough on the side. Seteth looked distinctly uncomfortable at doing so, but pressed on.
"Be that as it may, our current concern is this apparent assassination attempt. The Goddess' Rite of Rebirth shall start soon, and I would like to request that you and your students join the knights in providing security."
Byleth frowned, "So soon? My students just got back, they need rest."
Seteth and Rhea at least looked sheepish at the reminder. The green haired man spoke for the both of them, "I understand, yes. Our problem is that while we still have the knights, their presence will be spread too thinly around the monastery. And with your students already having experience-"
"-They would be able to at least hold their ground should the assassination attempt go through." Byleth finished the sentence with a sigh. Try as she might, Seteth did hold a pretty decent point, "I'll make no promises, but I will talk to them."
"That's all we ask." Rhea smiled at her. With a nod, Byleth turned to leave, her body already feeling heavy with everything she had already done.
"Ah, if I may ask one more question, Professor?" She gave Rhea a questioning, if not impatient look, "You say the Archer found this on one of Lonato's men?" Byleth nodded.
"You only have his testimony, yes?" Another nod, more alert.
"Then, what do you think the chances are that this is nothing more than forgery than an actual order?"
Byleth paused, the question catching her off-guard. She turned back to Rhea, her expression contemplative. The possibility of the scroll being a forgery hadn't crossed her mind, consumed as she was by the immediate revelations it brought. Yet, Rhea's inquiry held weight, especially considering the complex layers of political intrigue they were navigating.
"I...hadn't considered that," Byleth admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. She thought back to the dark-skinned man. His methods, personality.
"I think it is real. The Archer is many things, but he has not given me reason to believe he has lied." Yes, that was the truth. The man was repugnant, a monster in human flesh. Uncaring about human life, in some cases.
Efficient, brutal. More words, each painting a picture of a monster.
Not a single one of them portrayed him as a liar.
"I see." Rhea hummed as she nodded, "Thank you, Professor. You may go."
Byleth nodded in acknowledgement, her mind still churning with the complexity of the situation. As she stepped out of the room, the weight of leadership felt heavier than ever. The possibility of a forgery loomed in her mind, but her intuition told her the Archer's discovery was genuine. His indifference to human life was chilling, but his actions had yet to prove deceitful.
"You should get some rest too, Byleth." Sothis spoke up for the first time in a while. The worry in her voice was warranted. Her feet and arms felt heavy. She could barely stay awake as it was. She hadn't slept in a good three days already, and had been wearing her combat gear this entire time.
She could give her students another day or so before she brought anything up. At this point, they all needed a bit of rest.
Commissioned by: FireRogueWolf25
A/N: If you like what I do and want to support me, check out my P-atreon at P-atreon•com(slash)Almistyor.
And a special thanks to: FireRogueWolf25, brutalcrab and Tassimo.