Three Houses - A Long Short Week
23rd of the Great Tree Moon, 1180
"...I will be handling sword lessons for today," the figure at the front of the gathered students informed. "As a Swordmaster, I am more than capable. If you still want to complain, take it up with one of the professors."
Given the low student count, it wasn't difficult to see why they'd been deprioritised, but the nameless knight still scanned over the group again, looking past the wide brim of her headwear to see if anyone would complain about the substitution.
Reidun and Isabella were there with Felix, and other than them it was only Marianne and Raphael, accompanied by their cohorts.
Seemingly satisfied, the Swordmaster nodded.
"You-" she turned and addressed Felix, "-have a good idea of what you're doing. Start training as you normally would, I'll get back to you after getting the other two started."
"Fine by me," Felix stated, turning away and stepping past Reidun and Isabella to find a spot to begin, while Joseph helpfully pointed out that the boy approved of the arrangement.
Isabella looked at the boy who passed them, then to the Swordmaster, back again, and-
"I suppose we should join him," Reidun voiced for Isabella's benefit. 'Don't you start. I'm just making sure that nothing bogs down the lesson.'
"Sure you are," Joseph pretended to agree with a dry tone.
"Right, of course," Isabella agreed as well, though far more genuinely.
Felix didn't wait for them, as was becoming obvious.
'I guess we're just doing our own thing then,' Reidun thought.
"That is why we picked Felix," Joseph pointed out.
Without any further ado, Reidun took off the blazer of her uniform, hung it up, and began running.
Leaving behind a very conflicted and lost Isabella.
When Reidun finished her first lap…
"...she still looks lost," Joseph pointed out.
'Am I supposed to do something about it?' Reidun thought back with only a small amount of malice, while she took a quick sip of water.
Joseph stared and Reidun visualised herself huffing.
'Fine,' she relented, turning to Isabella with her default polite smile plastered on her face. "We're supposed to warm up. You should probably either run with me, or try copying him."
Joseph was happy to tell Reidun that Isabella appreciated it.
'Oh shut up.'
Eventually, after running, stretching, and starting on some basic forms and stances, the Swordmaster approached Felix. The conversation was quiet enough that Reidun couldn't quite make it out from where she and Isabella were practising with her own ears, but fortunately for her, Joseph was.
She didn't let herself think the thought that came to mind. Joseph would hear it if she did. This was simply one of the many things that didn't quite add up when compared to his claim that he was a ghost haunting her.
If he was really just a ghost, why were they so connected? Why did they share their feelings? Why could he hear her thoughts? Why could she use his eyes and ears? Why could he use hers?
Questions and thoughts that Joseph avoided or brushed off the few times she brought it up.
There wasn't anyone else she could ask either. She'd considered the church, but they'd try to exorcise him if they found out. Nothing was worth that.
So, like with the man's knowledge of the future, she stopped thinking about it. She'd have the answer eventually, whether it was a hint or a slip up. She just needed to wait and watch.
Now, what she was thinking about, was the advice and guidance the Swordmaster was giving her cohort leader.
It wasn't all useful; much of the advice focused on Felix's specific brand of swordsmanship. So even if Reidun's swordsmanship had been purely from Faerghus -which, given the Leicester and Duscur influence, it wasn't-, Felix had long since branched off and worked on his own variant.
…but everything else was. Whether it was compliments or criticism, and whether Reidun did it better, similarly, or worse.
'It seems the academy is definitely worth the investment,' Reidun thought to herself. '...and this isn't even coming from one of the real professors.'
sabella was too far to listen in as well… not that it would do much given that it was all a bit beyond her current skill level.
A specific piece of advice had Felix adjusting his footing, and Reidun found herself doing the same.
Unseen by the girl and the ghost both, it had not gone unnoticed by the boy.
…
"...that concludes the day's lesson," the Swordmaster concluded, having rounded everyone up again. "Before you go, are there any questions?"
A prompt from Joseph had Reidun raise her hand, and a nod from the Swordmaster prompted her to speak.
"How confident a swordsman do I need to be to become a Mercenary?" she asked. "The class, not the occupation, I mean."
"You should be good if you can figure out your second Combat art," the knight answered curtly. "Anyone else?"
A moment passed.
"Very well. Dismissed."
'That's one thing out of the way,' Reidun thought to herself. 'Hm, we have at least an hour until lunch, now is as good a time as any to check out the Pegasus stables-'
"We're sparring," A voice cut her thoughts. "Now."
"Hey, you don't need to be so rude about it!" Isabella complained to their cohort leader on Reidun's behalf.
Felix regarded the girl with a momentary dismissive glance, but nothing more, before turning his focused gaze back to Reidun.
"I am supposed to order you around, and you're clearly skilled," Felix elaborated, the compliment still sounding somewhat like an insult thanks to the boy's tone… not that Reidun realised.
"Sure," she accepted readily as she internalised a sigh. 'Interrupted again…'
At least this was worth the time. Seeing as the faculty still hadn't removed her ban from using the academy's training weapons without her cohort leader to supervise.
Without ceremony and without notice, the training blades clashed, both students having closed the gap in a charge and met in the middle.
The blades stayed locked for a couple of seconds, drifting slightly closer to Reidun as Felix overpowered her, but her feet were planted and her stance far more steady.
Their eyes met, and like an unspoken conversation, they visualised the seconds to come. How each of them could try to break the lock and the way around them. A tensed shoulder spoke a sentence, a loosened grip answered.
Until they reached an agreement: Stalemate.
Thus, they broke away, each pulling back to strike again.
Felix recovered faster, reclosing the gap with a lunge aimed for the girl's core, to which she forwent her back handed strike, instead stepping right and shoving the incoming blade aside with her own, her arm raised above her.
Despite having to step back from the force of the impact, she doubled down and continued the motion forward into Felix's space, twisting her blade arms to circle into an overhead strike, forcing him to block the attack with the back of his free hand.
With the advantage, Reidun pushed again, continuing the circle until her blade was in a position to sweep up towards his chest, her left foot sliding back to give the attack the space and impact it needed.
But Felix's blade came back into play, swinging fast and deflecting the incoming strike, and cracking through Reidun's posture.
The boy stood there with both hands on his weapons, and Reidun's vision was filled with emerald green light.
'Ah, not again!' she panicked, just before the crest infused strike could crash into her ramshackle guard and send the implement flying from her hands.
Before the weapon could hit the ground, Reidun found the tip of Felix's practice weapon at her throat.
"My loss, good-"
An irritated grunt from the boy interrupted her as the boy pulled his weapon back and glared her way, which Joseph helpful pointed out as anger.
'What, why?!'
The ghost could only shrug.
"Don't insult me–you're clearly holding back," Felix accused, sheathing the practice weapon.
Reidun's confusion, as usual, didn't show on her face. Which, in hindsight, made her seem a lot more condescending when she commented. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about."
"You're hesitating. Pulling your punches. Your form practically screams it–just like when we fought in the entrance exam" Felix bit out. Then he started to turn to leave, with another scoff. "This was a waste of time. Unless you're serious, don't bother trying again."
The boy started walking, and Reidun brought a finger to her chin to think. Poor Isabella, was off alone to the side awkwardly shifting her eyes between her self-declared friend and her cohort leader, with everyone else having left already.
The two girl's had a similar thought.
'Am I holding back?'
If she was, it wasn't intentional…
'Is there anything different now from how I normally fight?'
After a moment, it was Joseph who answered her thought.
"Me."
'Huh?' Reidun thought.
"You're used to me having your back," Joseph clarified. "Every time it actually matters, at least."
Internally, Reidun's eyes lit up.
'Then…!' she thought, before calling out to Felix. "Wait!"
The boy stopped, looking at her back over his shoulder.
"Reidun what are you-?" Joseph questioned.
'Just back me up on this,' Reidun answered unhelpfully. "I think I figured out what you're talking about."
He turned to face her.
"So you'll fight me properly then?" he asked, a hint of excitement hidden under the usual irritation.
"Yeah… but you have to keep this secret," Reidun compromised, offering a hand. "Deal?"
The boy didn't hesitate, stepping up and taking her hand.
"Deal."
"Reidun-" Joseph warned.
'Sylvain already knows I can heal,' Reidun pointed out. '...and Felix is bound to find out if we end up in actual combat anyway.'
The ghost's unseen shoulders sagged dejectedly. "Urgh, fine."
The students took up positions again and drew their weapons once more.
Now that Felix had pointed it out… Reidun could feel it. The way the feel of magic on the tip of her friend's fingertips filled her with confidence. With the ghost alert, her second sight felt enhanced, bringing the world into an even greater focus.
With Joseph at her back, she was invincible.
Once again, the battle started with a clash, but this time, Reidun held and the blades locked in the middle.
Once again, Felix was faster to break out and strike, but this time, Reidun didn't hesitate, even as the glow of the boy's crest sounded in her ears. She charged forward, taking the attack with her free arm as she crashed her other shoulder into the boy's chest.
The boy was still stumbling back as her blade raised into the air, and the bruises on her arm from the crest-induced attack began to fade.
She stopped her attack just short of his forehead.
Then, she pulled back and relaxed her shoulders.
"Whoo, go Reidun!" Isabella cheered. 'I don't really know what changed, but she totally trashed him this time!"
Felix brought a hand up to his head as a confused frown took over his features.
"That… was entirely reckless," he muttered, turning his attention to his sparring partner with a glare as he came to a realisation. "...you're a berserker. Just like the boar, except you don't even have a crest to back it up. Do you have a death wish?"
"Not quite," Reidun answered, raising the arm that had taken the crest enhanced hit so Felix and Isabella could get a good look as the bruises finished fading. "...I just know I can take a hit while I'm like this."
"Woah… that's really creepy," Isabella commented, before she could stop herself, her face going a bit red as she realised she said that out loud. "Ah, sorry, I-"
"Tsk, and I suppose this is the secret?" Felix continued to ignore the other girl.
"Yup," Reidun confirmed with a skip in her tone. "Sylvain knows though."
"Oh, did he see it when the bandits-?"
"Fine, I'll keep your secret," Felix interrupted again, stepping back and readying up once more. "Again."
Reidun held up a hand to object.
"Sorry, but the healing's somewhat limited and there's a chance someone walks in on us," Reidun explained. "What if Isabella joins my side and you take us both on?"
'...more importantly, it might exhaust Joseph.' she thought, which the ghost agreed on.
"Oh, yeah. I can do that," Issabella agreed.
"Fine."
They sparred and trained until lunch, even arriving a little late.
…Reidun was not rude enough to point out that Isabella's inclusion had made no difference for the matchup.
With classes the rest of the day, Reidun, again, missed her chance to check out the Pegasus stables.
'Eh… what now?' Reidun considered. 'Joseph, copied any more stories yet?'
The ghost shook his head.
"Sorry Reidun, I write those when you sleep," he pointed out.
The girl froze in her tracks.
'Then, not sleeping means…' she thought, horrified.
"No new chapters or stories, yup," Joseph confirmed.
'THere's got to be a solution, something you can do!' the girl pleaded.
"Woah, woah, calm down," Joseph said, with some mild exasperation. As he spoke though, he realised that he could maybe wager this to finally force the girl to adopt a healthy sleeping schedule.
He just…
Reidun stared at him.
He just…
She kept staring.
He just needed to ignore the massive pleading puppy dog eyes the girl had been projecting at him.
Easy enough. Just a small feat of willpower.
"...I can maybe work on it during your classes and when everyone else has gone to sleep," he mumbled. 'Damnit Joseph!'
He would at least pretend it was because Reidun needed to be stronger to be safe, and not because of the way she lit up with joy at the compromise.
"Reidun!" a now very familiar voice greeted, as Isabella returned from her detention, muffling the girl's sudden positivity. "Where are we going?"
"I was going to look for something to read," Reidun answered.
"So we're heading to the library?" Isabella inquired.
"Maybe check with Ashe first!" Joseph interjected very quickly. "You were interested in his recommendations earlier."
Reidun proceeded to ignore him.
"Exactly."
At this hour, it was mostly empty, barring a few students. Joseph was tense the whole time, and Reidun couldn't quite figure out why.
"...and this one is a great…" Isabella went on, pointing out the different books she recognised, an admittedly miniscule piece of the library's repertoire, but Reidun reluctantly admitted that it was helpful.
"I'll have to come back another day to check them out," she concluded, once they realised that none of the library staff were present. '...and find out what scares Joseph so much about this place.'
She buried the thought before the ghost could notice it.
"For now, it's about time I got back to training."
Just like how the day started, Reidun stood alone in the firelit training hall. The last of the late night students had packed up at left, ending with Isabella, despite her best attempts to keep up.
So, finally, with some peace and quiet, the empty book in Reidun's pack floated out and opened to a new page.
In the background, Reidun practiced. Swinging her blade until morning came and the daily routine started all over again.
Naturally, the days that followed were hardly much different.
24th of the Great Tree Moon, 1180
"...argh, late again!" Isabella realised. "Do you even sleep?"
She shook off the thought before Reidun could figure out how to answer.
"I supposed I'll just have to get up even earlier."
…
Felix paid them no mind as they joined him for class.
…
Archery was apparently popular.
Edelgard, Ferdinand, Dimitri, Ashe, Sylvain, Claude, Ignatz, Leonie, and Lorenz were all present.
Whoever it was that was supposed to teach them, hadn't arrived yet, and from Felix's side, Reidun had a clear view of the three house leaders rapidly escalating conversation.
"They're certainly spirited," Joseph commented.
'Oh?' Reidun genuinely wondered.
Joseph coughed, before answering. "Right, sorry. I meant to joke about the three of them having strong opinions, and getting thoroughly engaged."
'Hm, I see,' Reidun thought, before commenting out loud. "I suppose this will be something of a repeated scene until schedules alter."
"Tsk, the boar can do as he likes," Felix spat out. "We're wasting our time here."
The words made Reidun think.
'...are we?'
For a moment, Reidun embraced fiction, and started looking around.
'If this is anything like in a story…'her thoughts continued, eying the nearby tree tops and roofs. 'The instructor will be sitting casually nearby waiting for someone to spot them!'
Joseph raised an amused eyebrow at the girl, who mentally prodded him back.
'Come on, help me look.'
The bemused ghost shook his head and floated up to get a bit of a better view.
"Well, I'll be…" he muttered shortly after, Reidun hitchhiking on his vision to spot the figure lounging nearby as well.
She was very pale skinned, clothed in black and dark green. The woman laid on a nearby rooftop, idly cloud gazing as she listened in on the conversations in the training yard.
Reidun considered the students again.
The three house leaders were still locked in debate, Ignatz and Ashe seemed to be chatting together pleasantly, with Lorenz and Sylvain doing the same. Leonie, like Felix, seemed restless.
None of them seemed to have noticed the woman.
"Shamir," Joseph helpfully supplied.
Reidun subtly turned her own eyes up towards where Shamir was 'hiding'. Actually calling it hiding was a stretch, given that she was somewhat out in the open.
Felix followed Reidun's gaze, spotting the figure himself with a lot less subtlety. His features somehow slid into more of a frown.
"You don't look like a knight, what are you doing here?" the boy threatened, loudly enough that the rest of the class took note and finally took note of the figure themselves.
Shamir rose to her feet, balancing effortlessly on the roof tiles, walking to the edge and dropping down in front of them.
"Looks can be deceiving," she stated, walking up to the set up targets in front of everyone. "When you're handling a bow, you need to be aware of more than just your immediate surroundings. It is up to us to spot and deal with enemy fliers, and enemy snipers will often perch themselves in elevated positions to make them harder to spot and reach."
"Hey, it's not like we were looking for anyone!" Leonie complained.
"-and that's why I get to shoot first," Shamir quickly refuted, then she relaxed. "Though this is Garreg Mach, so I suppose your lack of awareness is fine."
The woman sighed.
"My name is Shamir, and when I'm not on mission, I will be responsible for archery lessons here at the academy…"
…
"Hey Felix, Reidun. Why don't you join me for lunch? My treat," Sylvain approached after the lesson.
Reidun internalised a curious glance as she turned to face him.
"I thought you said we broke up," she pointed out innocently.
"...and I thought you said we weren't even dating to begin with," Sylvain countered. He lounged back. "That means nothing's changed between us."
"Hm," Reidun acknowledged with a nod. "Fair point."
"Now, you, gorgeous. I don't think we've had the pleasure of being properly introduced," Sylvain flirted, turning his attention to Isabella, who seemed lost on how to react.
Felix scoffed.
"I'm going to train."
"Come on Felix, wait…" Sylvain protested as his childhood friend departed the conversation.
…
Reidun was back in the library, and it was obvious that Joseph was tense again, despite his best efforts to hide it.
She also noticed that he relaxed when he saw who the current library staff member on duty was.
'Hm, someone else then,' she realised, the thought slipping by the very distracted ghost.
"Pardon me, could I check out this book?" Reidun asked.
…
Night came again, and once again, Reidun was training.
…and much to her chagrin, once again, Isabella had joined her.
Reidun glanced over at the girl.
'Urgh, fine,' she relented, moving over so that she was standing across from Isabella, rather than by her side.
"You're too static. You're going to want to adjust to what you're fighting…" Reidun started explaining, resting her lance against the blade and slowly working through a demonstration.
25th of the Great Tree Moon, 1180
"Reidun, you need to get ready for breakfast," Joseph said, jolting Reidun in surprise.
'Really?' she asked, looking around quickly in mild confusion.
"Yup, it's that time," Joseph confirmed.
Reidun's eyes fell on the space beside her… the empty space.
',right, of course,' she acknowledged.
She wasn't disappointed, just caught off guard that Isabella didn't show up.
She would enjoy finally getting a peaceful morning again.
…
"Yo, Reidun, mind if we sit here with you?" a student asked. Reidun didn't recognise them.
'One of the guys Isabella introduced me to,' Reidun guessed. "Not at all, feel free."
…
It was as Reidun was heading to the first class for the morning that Isabella finally made her appearance, running up with a frazzled look.
"Ah, sorry!" she apologised, with a sheepish laugh. "I overslept."
"No worries, it happens," Reidun excused.
She would deny all accusations of being relieved at the girl's appearance.
…
Felix was extra irritable that day.
Understandable, really, given that the rosters for the practise battle had been finalised and Felix hadn't made the cut. That meant that they would simply be spectators.
'Shame,' Reidun thought.
…
Reidun finished the book she'd checked out the day before. Closing it up and taking a moment to savour the conclusion in the garden, where she and Isabella had each been reading on their own.
'Fodlan's books aren't so bad,' she thought.
She'd have to return the book the next day and borrow another.
…
Late night again. Training again.
It was just Reidun and Isabella.
"Hey, Rei-" Isabella started, interrupting herself with a yawn. "I'm just going to sit down and catch my breath. I'll be back in a second."
Reidun nodded, switching to her more regular solo drills.
She was halfway through her second set when a cough from Joseph interrupted her.
'Joseph?'
The ghost brought a finger to his lips, and gestured over to where Reidun's training partner had sat down.
Sat down and fallen asleep, to be exact.
Reidun stared for a moment.
Then, with an audible sigh, she sat aside her weapon, walked over, and gently picked her up.
"Let's get you back to your room."
Reidun ignored the smug look her ghost was giving her.
26th of the Great Tree Moon, 1180
'Why am I here?' Reidun wondered, standing in front of Isabella's door.
"Probably because you're worried she's going to miss breakfast again," Joseph answered.
'You know I meant that rhetorically!' she complained, before shaking off the teasing and knocking. "Isabella?"
…
It was finally time!
Reidun was heading to the Pegasus Stables!
She was going there straight from archery, coincidentally following the same path as the cyan haired Marianne.
She checked in with the stablehand, explained that she wanted to be sure that nothing would go wrong when she eventually took up flying classes, and approached one of the winged horses.
"Hey," Reidun said in the most soothingly calm voice she could manage, stepping closer.
Isabella watched incredulously, having approached another one of the other pegasi far more casually. "You really don't need to be that careful-"
As if, determined to prove her wrong, the pegasus Reidun had been approaching let out a loud and violent neigh, and bucked up in a show of force, knocked Reidun back in the process onto her back.
That was clearly not far enough back for the flying horse, as it tensed up again, but before it could act out again, a silhouette of a student placed herself between them, and with just a word, the pegasus calmed.
It took a moment for the adrenaline to leave her system, but afterwards, Reidun managed to recognise Marianne, who continued to whisper soothing words to the animal.
"Reidun, are you okay?!" Isabella asked in a mild panic.
"I am," she answered, with Joseph's healing magic already fading away. "...I don't think they liked me."
"That's a mild understatement," Isabella muttered, raising her voice to a question. "I haven't seen a pegasus react like that since my second cousin had a bit too much to drink and thought he'd have a go. But that shouldn't have happened to you…"
Joseph cringed apologetically at the observation.
Isabella helped Reidun up to her feet.
"I couldn't say why," Reidun answered eventually, bringing her attention back to the girl who'd helped calm the situation down. "Thank you, Marianne. I think that could have gone quite poorly without your intervention."
The blue haired girl didn't seem to hear her, instead -according to Joseph- looking at the animal with a very befuddled expression.
"Ghosts?" Marianne muttered, to which both Reidun and Joseph froze.
"Um, ah, act natural!" Joseph suggested in a rapid panic.
'Right!' Reidun quickly accepted, politely coughing into her fist. "Excuse me? Is everything alright?"
Marianne sent a nervous glance back at the ginger girl.
"It's… fine," she let out after a moment. "I think it might be best if you leave."
Reidun internally flinched.
"You're probably right," she said, no sign of her thoughts showing on her face. "Sorry for the trouble…"
24th of the Great Tree Moon, 1180
Flayn had identified her next mission, which was why she found herself chatting with the knights, traders, and pilgrims visiting the monastery.
"Thank you for the help young lady," an elderly man said.
"Oh it was really no issue," Flayn excused, as she finished directing him to the main chapel. "I hope you find what you're looking for!"
Specifically, she'd been trying to talk to anyone who had news from the Western Church.
'No one has mentioned anything yet…' she lamented, before shaking off the failure and reinvigorating herself. 'No, I will find what I'm looking for!'
The search for a rumour continued.
26th of the Great Tree Moon, 1180
She did it! Someone had mentioned what she'd been looking for!
'Time for step 2,' Flayn thought, knocking on Seteth's door. "Brother?"
"Come in," Seteth invited, prompting Flayn to open the door and step inside. "A moment, I just need to finish this."
The man swept through a quick series of strokes with the quill, before gently placing it back in its place and turning a smile to Flayn.
"Flayn, how can I help you?" he asked, a content smile easing its way onto his face from the unexpected visit.
Flayn fidgeted.
"Brother, could we perhaps visit mother?" she asked, hoping that her guilt over the upcoming deception read as nerves instead.
The smile stayed, but a sombre air fell over the man.
"I am sure that could be arranged," he assured, before letting concern take hold, "but Flayn, what brought this on?"
That was the cue Flayn had been waiting for.
"I am so worried, brother," she began, bringing her hands together. "I heard this dreadful rumour… and I worry that we may not be able to visit her again if it were to be true."
"Oh Flayn," Seteth assured, rising to his feet to move around the desk. "I am sure that it is nothing to be concerned about, but if it will assure you, I can have the knights look into it."
"Really?"
"Of course," Seteth assured, "what did you hear?"
"Oh, it is just so dreadful," Flayn sighed dramatically, her fears not entirely false, "they said that people from the Western Church had been going missing. That they seem to think that we're responsible. It is the western church that watches over mother's grave. If they were to turn on the central church, then…"
"You're right Flayn, that does sound troubling," Seteth empathised, before adopting a reassuring smile. "I'll speak with Rhea. Even if it is mere rumour, a visit to strengthen the bonds of the church can only be a good thing."
'Yes!' Flayn celebrated, working hard to keep her feelings contained. "Thank you, brother."
25th of the Great Tree Moon, 1180
"Edelgard," Petra announced as she approached. "May I be asking a question?"
"You do not need permission, Petra," Edelgard pointed out. "Ask away."
A look of confusion took over the princess of Brigid's expression.
"You are a meaning that I should ask away from you?" she questioned. "Then how are you supposed to hear?"
"It is an expression," Edelgard answered. "It means to go ahead and ask your questions."
"Ah, now I am understanding," Petra accepted, before returning to the initial topic she'd meant to ask about. "If I have been seeing someone do something suspicious, but they are also a student, should I be telling?"
"Who did you see?" Edelgard asked, curious.
"That girl, Reidun," she answered, raising alarm bells in Edelgard's head. "She was sneaking in the bushes."
"Bushes?" Edelgard asked, confused.
"I am believing she went through a hole in the wall," Petra explained. "She was running when I called."
'Into the catacombs,' Edelgard realised. "I appreciate you letting me know. I'll speak with her directly."
"Very well," Petra accepted. "I should be going now."
Then Edelgard was alone again.
'The catacombs…'
It made a lot of sense. If Reidun had left the monastery, that would explain why Huberts agents hadn't managed to find her when he'd panicked earlier.
'...but what was she doing?'
Did she know that Thales and his allies had found a way through there themselves?
Unlikely'
She reckoned.
'Still, if there is a chance that our current routes are compromised, we need to establish redundancies.'
Perhaps, if they found enough… they could sneak a more substantial force into the monastery itself when the time came to capture Garreg Mach.
'A thought for the future.'
For now, she had lessons to attend.
An: I'm realising that my chapter naming scheme (using the game's chapter names as super titles) is maybe a bit flawed, since Reidun's story doesn't necessarily follow the same pace as Byleths. hm, maybe I'll go by arc instead? or the calendar month/year? Eh, something to think about.
To Royalrain20xx (Nov 14, 2024): I'm going to have to disappoint you on the mock battle. Though I suspect that some of the eyes on Reidun that you mentioned are probably also disappointed. Writing totally-not-just-three-hopes-monica Isabella is a lot of fun! I also love it when characters (including ones outside the main cast) are allowed to be smart/competent. Whether that's Edelgard, Byleth, or anyone else. Which naturally includes the risk of the mc's being figured out.
To eseer (Nov 14, 2024): It took me too long to realise that 'Gremlayn' was a play on 'Gremlin' and not 'Gremory', love the wordplay! Bias is a pain indeed.
To Uemei (Nov 15. 2024): No shame my dude! While the evidence was there, I did try to mention it subtly. When it comes to Byleth's knowledge? Well... that's the big question. I will say, so far at least (in terms of what I've mentioned), Byleth hasn't changed anything themselves... supposedly.
(Byleth's change in professor-ship is supposedly a result of Seteth managing a compromise with Rhea during the meeting where he normally objects; which in turn is supposedly a result of Jeralt mentioning Jeritza; which in turn is supposedly a result of Jeralt overhearing Edelgard mentioning him; which in turn is supposedly a result of Flayn asking Byleth about being a professor on the way to Garreg Mach.)