Chapter Twenty-Four
1.
Heads are counted, messages are passed, and by the end of the day only Dr. Preston Pettigrew is declared missing. Leonie makes a note to remember him, if only because no body means he'll likely reappear at some point. That, or mentions of him will circulate in which someone will need to hunt down his last whereabouts.
"The teleportation mechanism was damaged near the end of the fighting," Hilda explains to the group of Deer students, having just returned from her meeting with Seteth. "They are going to walk back with the mercenaries who saved them. Meanwhile, we are being split up with the other classes until a new professor is found. Those of you in the side classes, your schedules are up here. Leonie, Lysithea, Marianne, and Raphael will be joining Hanneman's welcome speech and lectures, while myself, Lorenz, Ignatz, and eventually Claude will be in Manuela's group."
Better you then me, Leonie relaxes at the news, rewrapping the handle of one of her many swords. She is desperately trying to ignore the insistent itch that Claude better give back her weapon. Her obsession is made a more noticeable problem without proper time to come to terms with loaning an item she's claimed as hers. Also, the nerves she's begun to jitter with at the thought of meeting Byleth and seeing Jeralt again aren't helping.
The replacement knife in her boot doesn't fit right yet. Leonie's hoping she doesn't have to get used to it. Wants Claude to come back and hand over her weapon so everything is fine, so that everything will be fine, because if he lost it then it might set back the budding trust Leonie has in him.
She doesn't want that.
"There's an introductory lesson for us all tomorrow," Hilda continues. A tired smile passes over her face at the responding groans. "I understand. I want my Sunday as well. Especially after today. They seem to think that keeping us busy is going to help us, so we get the curriculum, one-on-ones with the professors, and a look at what the beginner certifications entail. Those of you who already have a licence can talk with Hanneman or Manuela about class advancements and masteries."
There's a bit of relief that comes when the side class students take their schedules and head for their new dorms. Most have taken the day to process the attack from the early morning. It's helped several disgruntled students come to terms their placements, seeing as how only the main class students are required to do live battle practice and kill people. For some, the only battle they will ever see will be the Eagle and Lion, where teachers can recruit the best of their House from the secondary class to make up numbers.
However there are students, like Gregory and Tristan, who give the main class a stink eye, still determined to take a spot and experience bloodshed.
Others, like Penelope, almost wish they were in the extra classes, where the only training they do is theory and their focus is spent on club activities.
Not a single Deer was placed in an extra class this year, so some of the paperwork should be easier and their bonds less tested. Unless someone from the extra classes decide to jump into the Golden Deer, but transfers in that class level is rare. Leonie would bet money that it's only happened because of a horrible professor or constant bullying.
"Crowd around," Hilda moves over to an empty table in their classroom. She smooths a few large pages out, swinging it around to face the rest of them. "These are the dorm assignments. If you have a problem about where you are placed, complain to Seteth. He won't move me so I don't think any of you will have better luck."
Leonie finds Hilda's name first because of that statement. Winces after reading the pinkette's neighbor and finds herself vaguely curious just how Hilda managed to bring up that she wants to move away from one of the likely most sought after rooms. Though, the woman can vaguely understand why Hilda was chosen for Edelgard's second neighbor. Dimitri has his childhood friends and – while Felix may not put his life on the life for the prince – can easily be slotted between them with no fear of backstabbing or betrayal. The layout has males and females separated, and with Hubert being the only noble utterly devoted to Edelgard it leaves one side open. Can't put her on an end room – too open for assassinations – and can't bring the only registered noble Eagle on to the second floor because Bernadetta would never leave her room with the constant risk of a closed-space hallway surrounded by strangers. Discounting the issue Hilda has with the princess because Monica is still missing, the pinkette would be the only real choice of neighbor because the two ladies should never cross stances in their political careers. Hilda is a noble with a Crest, but her brother is the one inheriting. The next best option would Marianne because she is not a named heir nor bordering on Empire territory, but Hilda's brute strength is better backup.
Felix's neutrality towards protecting others may be a sticking point in this, Leonie realizes when she finds Claude's name stuffed between him and Lorenz. Ferdinand would be too politically inclined as a neighbor, and it is a surprise that Caspar made it up on the second floor at all. If they were to go by rank, Lysithea beats out Marianne and Linhardt trumps Caspar with their heir statuses. Leonie nudges the youngest in the room, searching for their names on the first-floor map, "You alright on the ground with us?"
"Ground-? Oh, yes. I requested something along the bottom," Lysithea then mutters quieter, "for health reasons."
Leonie nods, distracted as she finds Lysithea's name.
Then finds her own.
"Ugh," she can't help the vocal displeasure, face twisting as she taps on the area in question.
Lysithea asks, "What's the issue?" while Hilda, seeing the problem, reaches up and over to pat Leonie's head.
"You will never be able to get out of that one," the vice-House leader gives a patronizing smile.
If this is the room the original Leonie got, the woman thinks, then its no wonder she wasn't nice. Explains, "I'm sure you'll be a great neighbor, Lysithea. It's the foot traffic on the other side that I'm concerned with."
The room closest to the greenhouse, and also the only area with stair accessible for the second-floor dormitories. Plenty of pedestrian traffic that will head for the docks or cafeteria. For someone who can be a light sleeper, this is the equivalent of turning on a vacuum every time a person wants a midnight snack or decides to set out ghost hunting. Already Leonie's changing her plans, trying to design an on-off ward just so she can get some consecutive hours of sleep without soundproofing her room completely.
"If we can't lock the door," she's a moment away from begging Hilda, "can we at least stick a chair under it?"
"Any damage to the things that come with the room will require you to pay for them."
In other words, the assassin breaks it, room owner has to buy a new one. Leonie will also need a triggering mechanism to wake up because the doors won't have locks. Letting the professors have free access to her room is going to be a difficult enough relinquishment, having to pay for damages that could be deterred by something extra keeping her door shut sits wrong with the woman.
"Hey, um, Leonie?" Ignatz pipes up. "Would you be able to help us carry Claude's things? We don't want to leave anything unattended when we move…"
"Yah, sure, I'll come back after Lysithea and I drop our things."
Said youngest jumps on her back, getting a laugh from everyone as Leonie staggers to balance. Lysithea points forward, demanding they hurry it up and resting her head on her steed when Leonie begins to jog. Far enough away, the teen murmurs, "We're warding our rooms, correct?"
"Of course. Try and think of a way to get us privacy because I don't know how else to do it that also lets the staff in at any time."
"I guess we'll need that too. I was thinking about something anti-theft since I don't have a special, bottomless bag."
"Can't put anything like that down. The staff routinely confiscates things and I don't want to explain why they can't take a pen out of your room if they decide to borrow it. Also, help me, I don't know how to make a room look like a person inhabits it."
"What do you mean you don't know how to design your room?! Just toss some things in there. Books, papers… you know!"
"I actually don't," Leonie feels her cheeks heating up a bit, letting the teen down as they've reached their stand-in room. She is definitely not up to noble standard from what she saw during their short stint in guy's room. Hilda also always had things scattered about, and Marianne may be neater but she had trinkets on a desk or near her pillow. It's mainly Lysithea's things that make their shared room looked lived-in.
Leonie opens the door and winces because the only thing of hers in the room is the container with folded academy uniforms.
Lysithea doesn't seem to notice, gathering her things, "Do what you did at home."
"I slept in my home's kitchen-seating area until I was, like, ten or something. When I asked for my own room, my father shuffled around the storage area until we could fit in a bit of furniture. I don't know what a person's room is supposed to look like." Here, at least.
"It- well it's-" Lysithea struggles to speak her point. "It's you. Your room should be something your comfortable with." Seems to clue into the fact that Leonie has practically nothing with emotional attachment in the room. "You know what, let's get Hilda for help. She can at least tell you what will pass inspection."
"Alright." As long as the final design won't draw suspicion, which is more than can be said about whatever bare room layout Leonie would come up with.
2.
"Oh good, you have the rug out."
"I helped lay out Claude's," Leonie snorts, sitting up on her new bed. It is rather comfortable, surprisingly so. There are no charms, spells, or devices around the room. The ceiling she had been eye-tracing is sturdy as well. Any tampering to this place will be noticeable. "How do I make this room look full?"
"You don't have to worry about the shelves," Hilda replies, waving a hand while her attention is on opening the sparsely filled drawers. "Those will fill up once the professors give us our assigned readings. Do you not have any formal clothing?"
"Hey," Leonie protests, vaguely offended, "I spend a long time making sure the white shirts stay white." Through intense washing or magic, all the while keeping the threads from fraying. A feat in its own right.
"Those are not formal. I've seen you wear these under your jacket."
"They're nice, which is why I wear them when I represent the school."
"Step one, you need a dress."
"No," Leonie says it firm and solid enough that Hilda finally stops to look at her. "I am not getting something I can't work in. I am poor, Hilda." Which may be a bit false, but Leonie has her money budgeted down to only a few hundred coins left over at the end of the year if she cannot find work between classes. Ink is almost as expensive as the bounded paper it goes on. "Whatever money I have is for emergencies and if I splurge it must have long-lasting benefits. The only reason I even got nicer meals in the dinning hall is because I gathered half of the food there. No, I am on a budget tighter than you've ever seen, and I need your help to make this place look like I'm not."
Whatever biting, cutting remark that Hilda is moments away from saying is stopped by the teen taking a deep breath. Slowly looks over Leonie, distaste curling the edges from her words. "You are right, a dress would not suit you. So, we need to make do with what you have." Claps her hands and swings the desk chair around to sit like a monarch. "What do you have?"
Weapons, Leonie bites back the first response, but Hilda sees it and waves a finger.
"Nah uh, if you want my help, I need full disclosure."
I'm a bit of a weapons hoarder? Collector? Um… "I have a lot of weapons."
"O…kay… Do you get a lot of use out of them?"
"I train with them when I can," and think about using them to kill people when I haven't for a while.
"That's a start! I have seen you fixing and fiddling with some now that I think about it. Do you have tools for the job?"
"Yes…?"
"Perfect!" Hilda leaps to her feet, motioning to the desk. "Then you can setup a workspace here! I'm thinking of doing something similar for my jewellery, so you won't be the only one!"
There is a creeping horror at the thought of leaving her things out where anyone can just take them, "Hilda, if my things go missing, I can't replace them."
"Don't be difficult," the pinkette huffs, mad about her idea being shot down when she was trying to be helpful. "Only the professors are supposed to come into our rooms uninvited. If anything goes missing, just let them know and they'll sort it out."
"…How can you say that with a straight face after what happened last week?"
Now Hilda pauses, understanding flashing in her eyes.
"Can't I just add a couple pillows and blankets? Petra's been drying out an animal hide for weeks to add as a rug."
"No, and you aren't Petra. Put a dead animal anything in here as a trophy and I'll make sure passing inspection is the least of your problems." Hilda sits again, tightening a pigtail as she gathers resolve. "Make yourself a small workshop. Spread some notes on weapon maintenance or poetry around. Maybe get a vase and a few flowers. Goddess, if you have any talent in patching clothes then get some fabric and sewing supplies. This will be something you can upkeep without it becoming a chore, and it will still look like you live in the room." When Leonie doesn't look convinced, she throws out, "Think of it like a trust exercise."
The woman cannot help the horrified grimace. Not only is Hilda asking her to put out tools she's gathered, bonded with and knows how to use in an intimate way that comes with years of experience refurbishing and blacksmithing the weapons in her care, but the teenager also wants Leonie to trust the religious faction and students throughout this place will not bother to mess with a no-name commoner's things.
It's almost like she didn't hear a word I said, Leonie thinks. Then, maybe she doesn't understand.
Leonie doesn't know the fine details of Hilda's life, but what little she does paints a picture where very few and very unlikely things that could totally upset the girl's point of view. Hilda is the second child of an important noble family, with a Crest and loving, protective family members. She has lived far away from the politics of the country, seen the worst of international relations between Fódlan and Almyra, but likely has never been placed on the battlefield where hundreds are soldiers are lent from all across Fódlan to stop an invasion.
If Hilda's brother dies, she becomes heir. If her family becomes desperate, they will only sell her off if she insists. Without training, she has more strength than a bodybuilder because of her Crest. The only way the teen would lose everything is if she were kidnapped and restrained beyond reach of her family, or if the Almyrans finally managed to overrun into Alliance territory. If anyone were to do anything to her in the Officer's Academy, Hilda could ruin their lives with a flick of her finger or a letter home.
She did that to two people while Claude was away on Alliance business, a reminder for others not to mess with her.
If Leonie did not have other skills, money saved or a collection of objects to survive with in a pocket dimension, losing the tools to repair her things could very well ruin her.
It is not a guarantee that Professors will give weapons or repair things out of pocket. The Officer's Academy does not give much allowance to their educators, and all cash from Operations on free days get split between the supervisor and the Church.
Hilda has the freedom to make jewellery. All she has to do is write home for money or supplies.
Leonie must buy her own materials, because most of them cannot be scavenged around here and killing the merchants for their things would cause more problems then it solves.
"You have to put something out here," Hilda stresses. Likely getting annoyed that Leonie keeps shooting down ideas. "Get some beads, weights, I will even take a watering can or fishing rod. You can borrow anything from the greenhouse as long as you give it back by then end of the week. It would give you time, at least."
And pay for whatever gets stolen, comes the pessimistic shade of Leonie, no thanks.
But there's something there that gives her a start of an idea. "Alright, I think I might know what I can do. Thanks for the help, Hilda."
"You're not even going to tell me?!"
"You'll just have to be surprised like everyone else," Leonie winks and pokes a cheek.
Hilda makes a disgusted noise but gets up. "Remember, no dead animals."
Cute. "Sure thing, boss."
3.
Even after Hilda is gone, it is a slow process to start making the room hers. Leonie starts small, the idea still in her head, and makes a confused noise when the bag she pulls from her pocket does not, in fact, carry personally made marbles.
"I really shouldn't leave this out," Leonie mutters, tucking back the engraved balls she pilfered from the cavern with the pedestals and Crest of Maurice. Searching for the balls she made a long time ago comes up empty. Leonie could have sworn she kept a bag on herself, but a check in her supplies papers explains she lent that last set to the kids back in Sauin.
Plan changed, she sets to laying out scraps of metal on the desk. Reluctantly places a few tools in the middle, but at least these would be simple enough to remake should the need arise. It brings back memories of working on her fire-inclined magic. Leonie has never been able to make glass for the colourful marbles of her past life, but she's can recreate the balls of solid metal. Perfect spheres, projectiles, and choking hazards that have a bit more oomph to them. First thing she taught the children was to never put it in their mouths, then was how to play with them, and finally how they can be used against enemies.
Leonie sighs, something almost fond, it took the nuns weeks to forgive me for making that toy.
Knock knock, "Hey, Leonie?! You there?!"
"Yah!" She hurries over to the closed door, swinging it open to reveal an Eagle with a light, almost baby blue hair-and-eyes combo. "What's up?"
"Bernadetta's locked herself in her new room," Caspar winces, scratching his head. "We tried coaxing her out, but I think the attack from this morning really hit her when she was alone. Do you think you can get her to open up the door long enough for some food?"
"Sure thing, lead the way." Leonie shuts the door, hesitating just a moment to breathe out and cut off the nagging from leaving something behind as best she can. Forces her mind to trail after other thoughts, and it so happens that Caspar may have answers for a curiosity. "Hey Caspar, I've got a question."
"Yah?"
"Feel free to tell me to mind my own business. Just wondering, how'd you manage to swing a second-floor room?"
"It was actually Linhardt's. He got Seteth to change our names on paper, but we're sharing the rooms. He needed more room for his books and I'm not going to turn down a nicer bed every few nights, you know?"
"Completely. It's awesome that you guys are close enough to work like that, reminds me of the kids back in Sauin. Got to admit, I found it really jarring how a lot of nobles here aren't as friendly even though you've known each other so long."
"A lot of our families didn't like us mixing with others too far from home." They slow as they near Bernadetta's room. "Especially not after the Insurrection of the Seven."
To the side of Bernadetta's door sits a teen with orange hair, looking younger and saddened off into the distance as he talks with the distressed teen through the wood. Ferdinand forces a smile and waves as they come, calling out, "Bernadetta, Leonie is here! Would you agree to speak with her?"
The woman wouldn't bet money on recalling the names of all Empire nobles who couped against their Emperor, but she thinks maybe the three here are children of a direct line from them. Something to look into later. There's bound to be a quiz.
"…Leonie? Can you come in?"
The teens look surprised. Leonie nods out of habit, "Sure. Can you unlock the door?"
There's a grinding noise, like someone moving a cupboard out of the way of the door. Leonie stands close enough that Bernadetta's hand is the only thing to appear then the door opens, pulling her in and shutting them into near darkness with the blinds covering the windows.
Bernadetta wraps her arms around Leonie and trembles but doesn't cry. Leonie hesitantly returns the hug, rubbing her back. When she wants to talk, the teen mutters into the fabric, "I will have to kill someone."
Most people would feel some hesitancy or disgust at the thought of playing sole judge, jury, or executioner with another living thing's life. None of that is in Bernadetta's voice, and Leonie has long since passed that point thanks to her nature and nurture, "Probably."
"I'm not scared to do it."
"…You don't have to be scared."
Bernadetta pulls back to wrinkle Leonie's white undershirt in tight fists. The teen's eyes are closed, face scrunched up with a kind of hurt, "My father hurt me for years. Stupid Bernie. Worthless, unmarriageable! But never did he want me dead. He never tried to kill me."
Leonie is careful, cupping her hands around the too pale and thin face. Purple eyes look up at the contact, staring into an orange that almost glows.
"Stifling your spirit," Leonie tells her, "is the same as trying to kill you."
To break in an effort to mold is a fast or slow poison depending on many things.
Leonie gets down on one knee, hands trailing to holds the fists that only tighten in the movement, "If your father ever contacts you again, even peripherally, you come to one of us immediately. He will never hurt you again."
The fact she has shed all the tears she can is likely the only reason Bernadetta doesn't have more fall, shoulders shaking in silent sobs. "I'm not scared of killing them. I'm scared they want to kill me."
"I don't. The guys outside don't. No one around here does, and if they do then I will deal with them myself." Bernadetta throws herself at Leonie, and the woman doesn't hesitate to give a firm hug back this time. "You are safe here, Bernadetta. We will keep you safe, no matter what. Okay?"
"O-okay," she sobs into Leonie's shoulder. "O-okay. I believe you. I-I am-m w-w-worth it."
"You are worth it."
For a moment, Leonie remembers her plans to leave if she didn't get into the main class as planned. For a moment after, she feels something horrible and curling, a terrible emotion that leaves her burning herself from the inside out.
Guilt.
Leonie rubs the teen's back again, muttering into her shoulder, "You are worth it."
Glad she can still feel that.
4.
"You're here late."
Bernadetta squeaks and ducks under a startled Ferdinand's arm. Leonie greets, "Hey Shamir, Cyril. How are you two?"
"Dealing," is the short reply from the woman. A shorter nod to trio of Eagles, "Congratulations on making it into the Officer's Academy. Bernadetta, I expect to see you when my archery lectures begin."
Bernadetta groans like she's dying.
"Shamir is an instructor," Leonie responds to Caspar's confused face, over Ferdinand's soft reassurances to the purplette. "Caspar, Ferdinand, you've probably seen Shamir and her apprentice Cyril around."
Whatever clicks in the orange haired noble's head is roughly swallowed back as he forces a smile. Caspar, on the other hand, leaps to his feet in excitement, "You're the archery teacher! Man, I am so excited to learn from you! Rumor says you have the best aim in the whole Monastery."
"She does," Cyril breaks in, nudging his partially frozen mentor into moving with his food tray. "Not better than Lady Rhea, but no one else here can hit a spider from a battlefield away."
Shamir huffs, loosening a bit, and denies nothing, "Hold on, we're here for a reason. Leonie, I'm going to be gone for a bit. Make sure Cyril does not get in over his with training and work."
"I know how to take care of myself."
"Will do," Leonie waves her fork. "And Cyril, if you want payback, join the Golden Deer in their pursuit of making sure I eat. Lorenz wants these guys to report what I eat to him after dinner."
"Hey, you aren't the only one with a schedule," Caspar laughs. "We're rotating in pairs on who can get Linhardt to eat."
"I wonder if they're like that in the Lions too," Leonie ponders, waving as the mentor and student go to their own baren table in the cafeteria. "Can't really tell who would need monitoring. Maybe Felix?"
"Nah," Caspar denies. "That guy is super intense with this training. He gets hungry or thirsty and he stops right away."
"You're right- wait. Have you seen him sparring?"
"Hard not to. He's always in the training grounds or armory."
"How about you, Leonie?" Ferdinand breaks in. "Where have you seen Heir Fraldarius at work?"
"We've sparred together, and he's taught Lysithea and Bernadetta a few things with a sword." The teen 'eep's when her classmates turn. "I guess we'll need to book the training hall once things have settled. Maybe we can get Jeritza to watch and we can have an official mock battle."
"No thank you," Bernadetta whimpers.
"Ah, then maybe I can convince him to go against me."
"Let me know what works!" Caspar crows. "He refused to spar with me!"
Ferdinand does a polite cough-laugh, "Maybe you will have better luck if you do not wave an axe in his face next time."
"Do you really think that would work? He seems like the kind of guy to appreciate actions over words."
"It would not hurt to try a… friendlier approach."
"Felix does like facing against swords," Bernadetta mumbles. The guys stop to listen. "I-I mean, maybe try asking him to a sword fight?"
"Great idea, Detta!" the blue haired teen cheers. "I'm a bit rusty, but a spar's a spar! It can't be that hard to get a few wins off him.
Bernadetta and Leonie share a glance full of commiserating pity. Neither bursts his excited bubble, not that it would have dissuaded Caspar otherwise.
5.
Lysithea drags her to the teen's new room before curfew, waiting for one-way sound stones to be placed and active before suggesting, "What if we've been going about this wrong?"
There are a lot of things Leonie isn't sure of, "You're going to have to be more specific."
"The wards you put in our old rooms divert the effects of Crests and leftover magics." Lysithea paces as Leonie sits on the bed, admiring how fast the teen has set up her books. The deer stuffy peeks out from under the bed, getting a tiny smile from the woman. "The wards on your skin block and divert the subconscious effects of Crests and emotional-based magics. That's why you can't feel killing intent."
"Really?" that's new. Leonie has never exactly explained Crest bonds, mostly hoping Lysithea would stumble across the stuff in the forbidden tomes. Lysithea knows the skin wards are supposed to help her block or defer magic, but that's it. "Where did you find that information?"
"It's in one of the Crest books. Here, an excerpt from Falcia Fraldarius," Lysithea passes it over. Leonie is pretty sure she has a copy from the Abyss library, but hers is incomplete and Lysithea's isn't torn or stained. "From the moment she activated her Crest, she found it hard to connect with people. Any perceived betrayals and she would feel scarred by the world. The Crest of Fraldarius is also known as the Shield Dragon Sign, so what if her Crest was doing more then strengthening her? We know that people born from a long line of Crests have some different biological factors, so why not have it effect our magics and emotions differently as well."
Leonie does not know about the biology differences, but it does make sense. "Okay, so, we know your body isn't suited for any Crest because you weren't born with them. That's why two is so hard on you. What does it have to do with Falcia's writings?"
"You solved how to do the subconscious effect with your skin wards, but you didn't need to take in account any internal Crest effects to balance it. What if we modify the wards so they do the exact thing as the Crest? The magic and emotional differences are kept in me, separate from the world, while other magics are repelled from me?"
Leonie thinks that sounds like a recipe for disaster, "You'd risk frying yourself, though. Your body isn't made to hold Crests, not being able to release the excess energy from two very different sources isn't going to end well."
"Right. So we don't cover my body, just do something small," Lysithea motions to her neck. "You still do the dampener to my room, but I also carry around something like Bernadetta's charm. A portable shield that forces my Crests to expend their energy going around it and leaves some breathing room for whatever's in the air affecting me."
The woman still isn't convinced, but they're honestly running out of ideas to ease Lysithea's pain in order for her to function at peak performance for classes. "You drop a stone in a river, the water will still flow around it…"
"It doesn't need to be perfect," Lysithea is firm. "Just enough that I don't dread leaving my room."
She can't argue with that. Leonie nods, her little river analogy still in her head and furthering an idea in combination with her skin wards. Water and wheels. Human body and electrical currents. Air and turbines. Electricity and batteries.
Crest of Charon, Lightening Dragon Sign.
"My wards work because I have them on a current, or I refresh them," Leonie slowly vocalizes her thoughts. "What if…" It can't be that easy.
"'What if' what?"
In theory, skin wards will only turn off once removed from an energy source. In theory, a person with a Crest cannot turn it off, just as a person without a Crest are always bonded to and not from. "What if we power it with your Crests, or at least one of them? You're right that I didn't have worry about a Crest within me when I made my wards, but I had to mark them directly on me in order to keep them constant. What if we… I can't believe I'm saying this but what if we recreate the effect from Fraldarius? The Shield Dragon Sign means it must use its ability alone to create some kind of blocker. We could use the subconscious magic or energy your Crests produce with a conductor to power a diverter or blocker ward."
"It's doesn't have to cover all of me," Lysithea says with wide eyes. "If we have it covering my forward, then at fast enough speeds the effects from others' magics shouldn't touch me."
"If we shape it properly, yah."
Lysithea sits beside Leonie on her bed, burying her head in the woman's side for a hug and hysterical laugh, "Recreate a Crest side-effect."
"Do you think the Church would kick us out for heresy? I think they would."
"Who cares?! They sure didn't when I was forced to contain two Crests! What's another one, it isn't even the good part of the Crest."
"Do we tell Felix?"
"No. Well. Maybe. If we manage to reverse engineer how his Crest effects his emotions and come up with a good reason for ever testing it that doesn't involve me. From what I know, everyone loves his father, so it could just be a Felix thing to be so blunt."
Or trauma, but Leonie isn't going to crack that can of worms now. Not when she's getting extremely curious on how Crested physiology can differ but still produce humans, albeit even more magical. She could have sworn the Crests were either grafted, transfused, or osmosis-ed into the Ten Elites, and honestly it should have killed them as alien invaders to the human body or radiation would. Now it's treated as a genetic to pass down, keeping the Crested just human enough that any children made with a normal, non-Crested magical human doesn't leave the offspring infertile. At least, not that Leonie's heard of it happening. Who knows what goes on with these nobles behind closed doors.
"Do you think we can do it?" Lysithea asks in a small voice.
"Absolutely," it's one of the few things she has faith in, but Leonie is sure that anything can be done with magic. That's why it's magic. "Not tonight, though. I've got to set up both our rooms."
"How long will that take?"
For both rooms? The whole night, "A few hours."
Leonie knows she needs sleep. It's already been a night without it, and with classes starting tomorrow she cannot afford to lose more. Lysithea will have her room warded, because Leonie can be nice sometimes, but the woman is sleeping on her own floor tonight.
In front of the door.
Guarding.
The problem with always having Danger Sense running, even at the lowest level, is that it is not possible to ever feel completely safe.
6.
While Leonie hadn't been too curious about who gets Manuela Casagranda and who is assigned to Hanneman von Essar until a third professor is hired, she certainly is now because she and Raphael are the only ones without a Crest in the room. It makes it odder, seeing how there are two perfectly noble Golden Deer with active Crests. Though, maybe it isn't so odd to see Hilda and Lorenz missing, as Hubert and Dedue have no Crest and therefore no reason to be in this class. Ferdinand and Felix aren't in this class either.
In fact, there are only two Black-Red Eagles in the room. Bernadetta bursts from under a table, startling a dozing Linhardt. The purplette slams into Leonie, neither showing just how much it felt like an unstoppable force hitting an immovable wall. The sound, however, causes Sylvain to stop practicing his flirting with the three ladies who have no care for it.
"Ah, Leonie!" he waves, Mercedes joining in with her own behind his back. "I have to say, I am surprised to see you in this class."
"Manuela hates me," she explains, motioning her classmates to follow as she gently pulls Bernadetta back to her seat. "Feeling is pretty mutual. She'd rather drink then spend a moment with me, and I don't trust her in a medical profession."
"S-surly she isn't that bad…"
"Mercedes, Marianne, if I'm ever in a medical emergency, can I come to you two?"
Mercedes laughs her gentle, airy breath with an, "Of course. Though I do remind you I am not a professional."
Meanwhile, Marianne pales further than her normal exhausted look and manages to stutter out a, "I am not qualified."
"No pressure. Just throwing it out there."
"We'll just have to make sure we don't get hurt!" Raphael laughs. "Hey Ingrid, Annette, Linhardt. How have you all been?"
They chat, slowly picking chairs. Lysithea chooses the front, across the aisle from the Eagle's table that was obviously Linhardt's choice. Marianne and Raphael migrate behind the Eagles, caught in a conversation with Linhardt as Bernadetta tries to hide again. Leonie takes the seat next to Lysithea, nearest the wall, angling so she faces the Lions behind her and manages not to block any views of the front. It's because of this she sees Hanneman slip in through the back door of what will be the Lions' classroom; Leonie raises a hand and calls, "Hey Professor."
"Hello, Ms. Pinelli." The amount of times they've met and talked can be counted on one hand, so she's vaguely impressed he remembers her name. "Ah, good, everyone is here. The stack of papers on the desk are the syllabi. Please, go up and grab one."
Leonie waves the Deer off, counting out twelve before Hanneman even makes it halfway down the aisle. She hands out one to Sylvain and another to Ingrid as they had been heading for the pile. Bernadetta takes hers under the table, while Linhardt nods his thanks that his even made it on to the table. Marianne and Raphael are vocal with their thanks, at different volumes though. Annette takes two with thanks and hands one over to her seatmate.
"Leaving me for last?" Lysithea snarks, eyes eagerly skimming over the papers when she has them.
Leonie slides back into her seat, catching the tail end of Hanneman's intrigued look, "More efficient to not double back."
"I guess."
"Welcome everyone," Hanneman calls, quieting the room. "And congratulations on making it into the main class offered by the Officer's Academy. For some of you, this will be the most difficult experience you will ever have. In addition to studying a variety of subjects, you will also be assigned missions to complete each month with your House, starting after the mock battle next week. Furthermore, a requirement to staying in this class is to complete an Operation once a month, starting in your third month at the Academy. This is something the second and extra classes do not have, and it will be left up to you to plan your schedule around it accordingly.
"I will go into more detail on everything as we go through the syllabus together but do make note that what you have in your hands is my syllabus. Every professor has different teaching styles and backgrounds and will construct their outline to reflect such. For example, I teach a unit on Crestology while Professor Casagranda has one on arts. I will explain more on class transfers and seminars when we get to them in the syllabus. I believe that covers the most pressing questions so, before we delve into what this year will look like, is there anything not related to the Officer's Academy that you must ask about?"
Leonie pops up her hand when no one else does.
"Ms. Pinelli?"
"Is attendance at the chapel mandatory for holidays or special occasions?"
"Ah, no. Though the Officer's Academy is based in the headquarters of the Church of Seiros, you are expected to devote your times to your studies. You will not be faulted for choosing schoolwork over attending a procession, though I do recommend attending them if you are working on Faith magics. Now, if there are no other questions, please turn to the first page. Ms. von Varley, would be so kind as to read the first paragraph?"
Bernadetta squeaks and would have bolted if not for Linhardt's grabbing the back of her uniform, offering, "Why not start with Leonie, Professor? That way we can snake the turns instead of fighting for who will go once our side has finished reading."
Hanneman hums, displeased but mostly ignores the teen slipping under her table again like it is a never-ending earthquake drill. "Very well. I do hope you will be prepared for your section when it comes, Ms. von Varley. Ms. Pinelli, if you would?"
"You can call me Leonie, Professor. Same goes to all of you." Breaking the tension in the room a bit, but unable to shake the imaginings of stabbing the one who singled our Bernadetta, Leonie starts her reading.
7.
"So?" Dorothea pokes Leonie's cheek before taking the empty seat at the tea table. "How was class?"
This isn't Leonie's first recon detailing of the day. The other main class Deer had all convened to share notes. "It was alright. We don't start any of the fun topics for a few months." And don't get any interesting ones that all schools should teach.
"I do admit," Mercedes pours them tea, gaze unfocused as she remembers, "I did not expect the level of politics we will be covering."
"It is important, no matter the job we come away with at the end of the year," Dorothea sighs into her teacup. "We will be considered the best the academy can offer. Both as fighters, and as the next generation of leaders."
Leonie groans, "The authority lessons are going to kill me."
Both ladies look amused, Dorothea wondering, "How so?"
"I'm not used to leading people. I've been a solo hunter in my village for years."
"I think you are a good leader," Mercedes comments like a nice breeze in a sunny day. It takes Leonie aback. "There is more than one kind of way to lead. Handing out materials in a timely manner, for example."
"That was just being helpful. Or unhelpful, if someone wanted to use the time to stretch their legs."
"Wait, did Hanneman do that exercise with you as well?" Dorothea breaks in. "Manuela told us to get the syllabus from her desk, and it was almost like a war breaking out. Those of us who didn't rush to get one ended up witnessing Hubert attempting to sabotage Hilda and Dedue. Manuela had to fix his fingers after Hilda broke them."
Hilda nor the others mentioned that in their reports. "Is he okay?"
"Yes, it almost seemed like Manuela was expecting something like that to happen. Other then that, it was a nice class. I would love to have Manuela teach my class this year."
"You can have her," Leonie makes a face. She knows the teen looks up to the Divine Songstress, and it's one of the mutual agreements that Leonie doesn't push the hate around her so long as Dorothea doesn't sing praises, literally or figuratively. "Hanneman managed to squeeze a class on Crestology into his year, so I am hoping to get to hear that."
"That's right, you and Raphael were the only ones without a Crest," Mercedes nods. "I can understand you, but why was Raphael assigned our class?"
"One of his parents has a Crest. I think Hanneman is hoping he'll manifest. That, or word's gone around that he lets Bernadetta use him as a place to hide."
"It's cute," Dorothea giggles. "Oh, tell me, did her hair look better today? She let Petra and myself straighten it, but I know she runs her fingers through her hair often."
"Now that you mention it, there was a bit less poof in it today. Still a bit messy though."
"Well… it is progress, at least."
8.
Hey G,
Not sure if you've heard, but it's been a crazy last couple of days.
…
Hey everyone,
Your Big Sister made it into the Officer's Academy's Main Class.
…
After a hesitation, Leonie crosses out the Hey C, discarding the paper as scrap.
Counts her coins and finds eight extremely similar and cheap, empty books. Uses a large chunk of magic and ink to connect them all together. Writes a different name in each and prepares a ward to activate once it gets some DNA within a timeline. Sets up her own and double checks it all works by adding instructions to the first page. The duplicated text on all other pages is grey instead of black as planned.
Goes a step further, because it would be incredibly suspicious if all the Main Class Golden Deer were writing in the same empty-looking book. The covers get colour-coated, her own a dirty orange.
Leonie leans back from her desk, more relieved then smug at creating an instant messenger. Some habits die hard, but late-night help while cramming isn't something she is ready to let go of yet. The issue will be of how to hand this out, and if she trusts the others to keep it a secret.
Lysithea is no problem. Claude will probably not turn around and reveal the information for an exchange worth it. It's the rest who are the issues.
Something in her yearns to trust them, because if not them then who else?
But not yet.
Maybe after the mock battle. If it can wait that long.
9.
Sir Gatekeep laughs, cutting off midsentence to point at her feet, "It looks like the cats here really like you."
Leonie, who had been doing her best to ignore the purring and brushing against her leg, sighs and gives in to scratching them, flicking away the Crest strands that try to wrap around her, "I don't know why. It's not like I feed them."
"Some animals just take to certain people better than others." His fellow guard bends down to pet the few cats who drift over. It is a slow day; classes are over for the main group and Leonie was going off to hunt freely for the last time. Their class's chore list is posted, and the Deer are all on dish duty for the rest of the week. Meal gathering begins tomorrow for the Lions. "Did you have any cats in your home village?"
"Yah-" Leonie has to pause, soft breath leaving her like a small sucker punch, heart beating faster as her wards work harder to block and repel. A few of the cats have frozen as well, the gatekeepers have stiffened, and the rest of the world falls silent as the Crest blanket expands outward in a rush. It then pulses like a wave, eager and tumultuous. Trying to sink claws into everyone and everything as it searches.
Old, with a power that has faded from disuse, it is not graceful nor supreme in its actions.
"-only barn cats, though," Leonie continues as the world does. "I didn't get to spend much time with them, since I was always out hunting or helping around the village."
"Then maybe you have a magic touch," Gatekeeper responds, and only because she's hyperaware does Leonie notice the strain in his words. "Hey, before you go out, why don't you take a look on top of the walls to see if the House Leaders are coming? They are supposed to be arriving today, it might be best to see if they're nearer then stumbling across them while you're out."
"Really?" Leonie must doublecheck he's offering because non-Church personal are not allowed to walk the walls. "Can I really go up there and look?"
"Sure," he nods towards the 'hidden' staircase. "Tell them I sent you, and that I said you could use a telescope."
"Thank you, Sir!"
Leonie has managed to get this to this height before on a couple of trees, but up on the walls guarding Garreg Mach Monastery feels almost special. The landscape below is beautiful, a mixture of towns, cliffs, and rolling hills. There are a few ponds, lakes, and rivers about, but no one really goes near them, a lingering chill giving them no need to cool down further and plumbing is gifted to every house in the area. Trying to picture this place abandoned or razed to the ground seems impossible.
Especially since whatever magic Sothis or Rhea put up has kept their enemies from launching large-scale, non-physical attacks all this time.
It takes a few minutes, the Crest blanket pulsing around her like an excited puppy, but Leonie spots the group. Something in her chest relaxes at knowing the House Leaders are safe, while at the same time her fingers itch to the beat of knifeknifeknife. She turns her sights on Jeralt.
He really hasn't aged a day.
And finally, Byleth.
"Are you almost done?" asks the Knight watching her.
"Yah," Leonie swallows hard and hands back the telescope. "Thank you."
She stops by the Gatekeeper to tell him the good news. Then goes around hunting for main class students, watching them go running for the gates to wait for the Leaders.
As the last of them goes, Leonie finally realizes her hands are shaking. There is a buzz under her skin that's been masked by the effects of fending of the Crest blanket. Her stomach feels shrivelled and there never seems to be enough air in each breath.
Nervous, Leonie works it out. I am nervous.
More than she has ever been in this life. However, this is not a fixed point, and there is very little she can do to make this go spectacularly wrong. That would be on the shoulders of the House Leaders. Leonie drags her feet a bit on the way to the market gates, and just so happens to spot an orange shirt cutting through a crowd of Knights that belongs to a man with a scarred face.
"Captain Jeralt!" her cry cuts through the excited gathering, parting enough to let her pass. "It's great to see you again! I don't know if you remember me-"
"Leonie," he grunts, breaking into a grin. "Leonie Pinelli. It's good to see you, kid."
"Not a kid," she huffs with a joking smile, "but still young enough to attend the Officer's Academy."
It is easier to breathe now, focus completely on the most dangerous person in the area but feeling no fear. There's something like happiness spreading through Leonie, a certain relief that she is remembered after all these years.
"Really? What class did you get in?"
She points at her cheeks, smile beaming and real, "Main class Golden Deer."
"Congratulations! I guess all that training did help in the end."
"Absolutely. And, uh," she taps her fist over her heart, "all the stuff you taught me. I've been keeping it up."
He nods, smile turning a bit brittle, and ruffles her hair like she really is a kid. "Glad to hear it. Now, I have to get going, summoned by the Archbishop and all that, but find me tomorrow and we can catch up. Oh, and my group brought your House Leaders back. They should still be at the gates talking with that green haired guy."
"Thank you so much! Good luck with your meeting and see you tomorrow! And, uh, it really is great seeing you again, sir! I'll be sure to do you proud while I'm here!"
"Do yourself proud first," is his parting wisdom.
Leonie stares at his retreating back a bit more before hurrying for the gates. She is unsure what it is she feels, but relief is mixed in there and only grows stronger when she spies the House Leaders and a small mob of students greeting them. Seteth is off to the side, waiting for a chance to approach, but Leonie doesn't let herself hesitate and makes it straight for the Gold Deer group.
Claude meets her eyes through the chaos, raising a hand in return to her wave to call out her name. A couple Deer turn to look, giving her a chance to squeak through and ask a loud, "Are you hurt?!"
"No," he laughs, hands behind his head as if he deals with this many people on the regular. As if he doesn't feel boxed in, unlike Leonie.
"Good. Next time send me off to play distraction. I'll make sure to evacuate after, like you were supposed to."
"No promises," he mutters, and laughs louder as her face goes to a playful long-suffering.
Leonie tells him, "Glad you're back," and then slips to the edges of the crowd so others get a turn with his attention. Leans against the nearby wall and ignores any attention on her for a chance to further scan the crowd.
There's no Byleth.
Not yet.
Raphael taps her shoulder to get her attention, "Come on! We're going to have a feast to celebrate their return!"
Leonie matches his grin, "Can't wait."
10.
Leonie blinks, not quite shocked at her before-curfew visitor but certainly not expecting him, "Shouldn't you be resting?"
"Probably," Claude agrees. Eyes her elbow resting on the doorframe. "Can I come in?"
She sighs but steps back and goes for her bed, "Shut the door behind you."
Claude does, commenting, "Most women would rather it be left open with a strange man in their room."
"Ha. Ha." She taps the perfectly circular ink drop on her wall, activating safety precautions like soundproofing and hidden tech frying in one go. It looks like any other stain, except only she can turn it on and off. Nothing starts smoking and Claude doesn't get thrown out of the room, so he passes all tests cases set for the magic arrays. "I'm not most women, and you aren't a strange man. What do you need?"
"Straight to the point," he hums, digging out a folded paper from his chest. "Can you make a copy of this and the syllabus you have for Hanneman?"
Leonie does a quick glance over it, calculating supplies and magic needed. "Sure. Two-hundred fifty gold."
"What?" he obviously wasn't expecting that, dropping backwards-facing into the desk chair so that he can cross his arms and pout against the back. "You are really going to make your sad, traumatized House Leader pay?"
"I don't see you carrying blank paper or ink, so yes. The extra fifty is for my time and magic."
He whistles and digs out the coins. "Stingy."
"Broke," and not interested in handouts to the ones who can afford it.
Claude watches her intently, holding her hand when she goes to take the offering, "How hard off are you?"
"I'll get by, and if it threatens my place in the academy then I'll let you know."
"Good," he relaxes and lets go. Leonie digs out her syllabus from a drawer that is supposed to hold clothing, and then paper from another. "What do you have to do when it's laundry day?"
"Use magic or the sink in the ladies' bathroom. You?"
"Pay the Church to do it. How easy is a cleaning spell?"
"Depends on what you want for the outcome. Can you be rough on the threads? Do you need to keep the colour? Is your clothing at risk of shrinking?"
"Okay, I get it. I'll stick with the Faith shield and Church handling. You have to teach me a fun spell, though."
Leonie chuckles, finishing her setup. "Think of one and I'll see what I can do. Now, move over and quiet for a little bit. I need to concentrate." At least while standing.
And so close, she's having a few imaginings about how to ask for her knife back. It takes a lot of focus to copy Hanneman and Manuela's different writing styles and not smear the ink as it passes through the uncovered papers to the blank ones. On the positive side, Leonie is certain she could make a barely passable note in either's handwriting should she be so inclined.
"Ta da," Leonie mutters, stepping away and waving out the papers to dry the last bit of ink. "Don't stay up all night reading."
"I won't," Claude promises. Pauses after he gets his merchandise, and then step forwards to hug her. Leonie hugs back, hesitant and pretending she doesn't hear something hit her desk. He steps with a cheeky wave, "Have a good night."
Leonie purses her lips, "You too." Waits until the door is shut to look down.
Freezes.
"Huh," Leonie picks up the sharpened and polished knife, "would you look at that."
It is very rare to find someone who delivers something back better than when they got it. Usually it happens because it was part of a crime, most likely a murder. Leonie isn't sure why Claude would give back a boot knife without prompting – or why he kept it at all – but she is very touched by the gesture.
Finds herself more relieved at this then at seeing Jeralt again.
Wonder what that says about me, Leonie gives a sad laugh and relaxes with the familiar weapon back where she wants it. Hope Claude got some use out of it.
Debates on setting up his room with a ward system, and ultimately decides against it. Two rooms side-by-side can be pushed off as coincidence, but his is on the guy's side of the second floor. Besides, the real test will be the instant messengers.
For now, it's the thought that counts.
A/N: Room décor, moral dilemmas, and schoolwork. The Officer's Academy only officially teaches one of them, life imparts some, and experience helps with all three.
Thank you so much for reading! A really big thank you to NihthKuro, Faranon423, joshiro99, StarShow, ShadowWolf223, Cobra-100, DestructionDragon360, Eclipse130, WhiteVolder, EmpirePlayer, xenocanaan, guisniperman, Hong-Meirin, BlueBunnyims, Axel Magnus, PsychedAnon, Awkward-03, and Guest for reviewing! The support truly means a lot!
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