(A/N: Unexpected events have cropped up into existence. Let's see how they play out)
Night of the 14th Day of the Garland Moon
Lelouch was faced with a prospect he'd never thought he'd find himself in since allowing himself to be declared legally deceased without a fight. Yuri Leclerc, the man kneeling before him, had figured out his secret and was now down on one knee asking Lelouch sincerely for help. And that would be all well and good…had Yuri not murdered Clovis in cold blood not five minutes ago.
Lelouch, still a bit perplexed by all of this, simply uttered, "You need…my help?"
"I can't ask anyone else for this. If I turn to my usual contacts, I could end up getting the Ashen Wolves killed," Yuri replied, bowing his head.
The Ashen Wolves killed? Does this have something to do with the Savage Mockingbird? …No. Yuri works for the Mockingbird and says they have an interest in me. This likely is in furtherance of their goals, and Yuri's, so I doubt I'm going against the world's most notorious mob boss. "Tell me what you can."
"Have you heard the story of the Four Apostles?" Yuri asked.
"Four Apostles…I think I read about something like that. The rare crests, right? Timotheus, Chevalier, Aubin and Noa, right?" Lelouch scratched the side of his helmet with one finger. "If memory serves, these servants of Saint Seiros gathered for an important ritual, but were supposed to have flubbed. Scriptures read that the Apostles were working with Saint Seiros to restore the Goddess to this world, but failed. Supposedly, unable to live with the guilt of disappointing the saint, the four Apostles went to the four corners of the world, never to be seen again, their bloodlines lost to history, not passed down like Nemesis's 10 elites."
Yuri stood up. "I knew I liked you for a reason. Yes, you're completely correct."
"What of that story?" Lelouch inquired.
"Feast your eyes on this," Yuri said with a smirk. He unbuttoned the cuff of his right sleeve and rolled it up to his elbow. Lelouch could barely believe his eyes. There on Yuri's right forearm was the crest of the Apostle Aubin. And not just any crest, but a major crest, stage 2 even based on what Lelouch was observing. He'd learned a lot from Professor Hannemann.
"I, as well as the other non-Japanese members of the Ashen Wolves all bear a crest of one of the four apostles," Yuri said.
"That's impossible. All records from House Nuvelle—"
"State that the house passes down the crest of Saint Macuil? Yeah, I know. That was a lie they perpetuated to keep their secret. Constance bears the Crest of Apostle Noa. I confirmed it with my own eyes when we met. Her family tree isn't so much a tree as it is a lamppost in order to keep that secret closely guarded. Honestly, it amazes me the Shady Lady's bloodline lasted this long given its decline in strong births. Constance herself appears to be a rare exception to come out of the last few generations." Yuri smirked, gesturing his whole hand to Lelouch. "Not quite unlike you, my friend."
Lelouch didn't object to Yuri's statement. There were more than a few comparisons between himself and the fallen heiress of House Nuvelle. The big difference was that one of them knew how to keep their mouth shut when it mattered.
Yuri rolled his sleeve back down and buttoned his cuff. "The ritual in question involved an ancient artifact known only as the Chalice of Beginnings. Supposedly, if you mix the blood of all four apostles as well as the chalice, you can resurrect the dead."
Lelouch gasped.
"Ahhhhh, have I caught your attention?" Yuri asked.
Resurrect the dead…then…my mother…I could…
"I see those gears turning and I'll offer you a deal, Lelouch. There's someone, down here in Abyss, planning to use the blood of me and my fellow wolves as fuel for the Chalice. But he doesn't just plan to take a small blood sample. Ohhhhhhh no, that'd be far too sane. He's going to make us ritualistic sacrifices for the Chalice. But, he has to find the Chalice first. Apparently, it's located somewhere deep within Rome itself. I'm not sure where, but I'm looking into it."
"And who is this mystery man that's threatening my self-proclaimed students?" Lelouch asked.
"That I leave for you to figure out. I know the answer of course, but if he thinks I've recruited help, he might make a move that could set your precious plan backwards, such as killing one or more wolves. If you figure it out on your own without my help however, I can claim plausible deniability. You help me ice this guy and the Chalice is yours once we find it. Deal?"
"Yuri, you're a shrewd businessman, but that's what I like about you," Lelouch said and offered Yuri his hand to shake. "Deal."
The two shook firmly on it.
"I'm going to slink back into Abyss the way I came. I suggest you leave out your intended route so we're not seen together," Yuri said. "And if anyone asks, we never had this conversation."
"What conversation?" Lelouch said. Yuri didn't have to see the smirk to know it was there. "I came in here to find Clovis dead on the floor."
"Good man. See you tomorrow," Yuri said and retreated into the darkness.
Lelouch, wisely, chose to do the same, heading for his dorm room. Eventually, after some moments of restlessness, he fell asleep.
Morning of the 15th Day of the Garland Moon
Shortly after morning lecture, Shez grabbed Lelouch before lunch, "Hey, Lelouch, got a minute?" she asked.
"Something the matter?" Lelouch asked her. Now that time had passed through the year, as long as people didn't know that he and Shez had a deeper history, he didn't mind being as casual with her as he had been back at Ashford.
"Hey, so, if you were having a problem…you'd tell me, right?" Shez asked.
"Hmm?"
"I keep seeing you moving about every which way like you can't relax. Plus, I've seen you disappear at night," Shez stated.
"Are you sure it's not your bad sense of direction causing you to forget where you are?" Lelouch asked.
"Oh ha ha," Shez said sarcastically. "No, but seriously, I've known you for too long. I can't help but worry about you."
"Everything's under control," Lelouch told her calmly. "If I needed your help, rest assured I'd ask for it."
"Are you sure? Because it feels like to me that you've…changed a little," Shez told him.
"I'm the same as you've always known me, Shez," Lelouch said to her.
"I dunno," she said, not wholly convinced, "Ever since you brought back that green-haired refugee, you've been a bit more…how do I put this? It's like there's life in you I hadn't seen back at Ashford. I don't yet know if it's a good thing or not."
"You worry too much," Lelouch said with a smile. "Trust me. I'm fine."
Shez gave him a look of concern. "If you're in sudden debt or something, I'll bail you out, okay? I'll knock those shady guys' heads so hard, it'll make their descendants born dizzy."
Lelouch chuckled. "While that's an amusing image, I'm perfectly safe. If something was amiss, you're one of the first people I'd tell, if not the first depending on the circumstances."
Shez felt reassured, but still felt a little worried about the young man she considered like a brother to her. "Well, if you say so. But I still can't help this gnawing feeling in my gut."
"Could be breakfast or last night's dinner," Lelouch teased.
"Yeah, yeah, make your jokes," Shez responded and sighed. "Speaking of food though. Lunch?"
"I'd love some," Lelouch said and the two headed off.
That afternoon...
Among the curriculum at Garreg Mach, besides lectures and field work, students were often given scheduled "free training" time cross class to perform at their leisure. The combat professor, and house teacher of the Black Eagle house, Jeritza, oversaw these training hours between lectures.
At present, among the students at the training ground, were Marika Soresi and Ingrid Galatea. The two were actually sparring with each other, wooden practice lances clashing against each other along the shafts. Ingrid's life experience clashed with the fact that the younger Marika was technically already a Britannian soldier.
Jeritza was paying neither any mind. They were far too weak to catch his attention.
Marika and Ingrid drew away from each other as the wooden weapons began clashing at the tips. Ingrid then leapt over a two-handed side sweep Marika made at Ingrid's legs. Ingrid then thrust her weapon forward and down as Marika leapt back to avoid the attack. As the two clashed, they realized that the battle would not be decided by experience, but by stamina. And the older Ingrid had that on her side.
Out of breath, Marika called, "Time!" and got down on one knee, panting.
Ingrid chuckled, resting her lance on her shoulders. "You're really good for your age, Marika," she told her. "If we had the same athletic structure, you likely would have beaten me just now."
"If this was a real fight I also wouldn't have given up, either," Marika said and raised up her weapon. "But when you're training, you can afford such luxuries, especially when you've got a good sparring partner."
"I've never thought of it like that," Ingrid said. "I always used to think of training as preparation for real battle and should be treated with similar conditions."
Marika shook her head. "Oz and Leon both say that training is the time to work out your flaws and build your strengths. So, that's what I plan to do during my time here. I have a lot of responsibility as an honorary Glinda Knight that's part of the esteemed Valkyrie Squadron under Sir Luciano Bradley."
"Honestly, I don't know much about the Knights of the Round other than the names of those involved. What's it like working for Sir Bradley?" Ingrid asked.
"Oh, Sir Bradley?" Marika asked, fanning her fingers out in front of her face. "What would you like to know?"
"What type of man is he like? I always imagine a knight as the pinnacle of the people, so a Knight of the Round must be something incredible?" Ingrid said, crafty an image in her head.
"Well…Sir Bradley isn't exactly what I would call…knightly," Marika said. "Don't get me wrong, he cares about Liliana, me and the others, but at the same time, he's not exactly the image of a chivalrous knight you're clearly painting in her head. That moniker of The Vampire of Britannia is well earned."
"Vampire?" Ingrid questioned. "I did notice that your HLKMF is called the Vampire Valkyrie, but…"
"Sir Bradley pilots both a KMF and an HLKMF, the Percival and the Vladimir, both of which are death machines designed to eviscerate his foes, and that's not even getting into his knife collection," Marika exposited.
"I…see…"
"Nothing excites Sir Bradley more than the sight of freshly spilled blood. I've learned to live with it. The Soresi family expects good things of me. As long as he respects the work I do, I'm in a lot more danger dying from my KMF exploding or getting killed by an enemy," Marika said.
"Have you seen live combat?" Ingrid asked.
Marika nodded. "We get operations from time to time to keep the peace. You have too, right? That whole…Tragedy of Duscur business?"
Ingrid looked nervously at her fingers and fidgeted with them. "I don't…really want to talk about it."
"Oh. Sorry. Sore subject?" Marika asked, apologizing.
"I…lost someone very important to me, four years ago. I…still have emotional scars remembering what it did to me," Ingrid said.
"I'm so sorry," Marika apologized with sympathetic sorrow, bowing.
"It's fine. I didn't mean to bring the mood down. Now then," Ingrid took a prepared stance. "Are you ready for round two?"
"Yes I am!" Marika exclaimed and the training began anew.
Morning of the 16th Day of the Garland Moon
Seteth burst into Rhea's office, pale as a ghost. "Lady Rhea! I bring ill news!" He exclaimed.
"Seteth, you look positively beside yourself," Rhea said with stark surprise, "Whatever is the matter."
"I had gone down to the prison to speak with Prince Clovis. His sister, Second Princess Cornelia, has been asking about his well-being. I thought to take matters personally into my own hands. Somehow, no one reported his corpse just…just lying there in his cell!"
"His corpse?!" Rhea jolted back in surprise.
"It was hard to mistake given how much blood…all that blood…some of it was already drying. I do believe he's been dead for more than a full day," Seteth said.
"How did we miss this?" Rhea asked. "Someone should have said something."
"I don't know," Seteth said. "…But I have a theory."
"I'm listening."
"The guards I spoke to seemed beside themselves, almost as if they couldn't remember, almost as if they were in trance," Seteth said. "No one could tell me when he died either or how they missed a gun shot, acting like they had no memory of the event at all."
"Memory loss and strange behavior. …We've encountered this before, haven't we? Long ago…"
"Yes, it would appear that one of our enemies has risen from the ashes," Seteth stated. "Let us pray they don't make contact with our other old enemy."
Rhea nodded. "The Geass Order and the Agarthan Empire, two foes I thought the church buried centuries ago. It would appear I was mistaken."
"Shall I increase security?" Seteth asked. "For all we know Lonato's rebellion could be evidence of—"
"You can't say that without proof," Rhea replied calmly. "If we increase security now, it will only cause panic. Clovis had many enemies. The guard's account is cause for concern, but we should focus on the death of the prince, not the circumstances surrounding it. I will speak with Prime Minister Schneizel to pay reparations. Hopefully given our actions so far, Britannia will not believe that we somehow acted counter to our spoken intentions."
"Prime Minister Schneizel is a reasonable man. I doubt he will make brazen assumptions without evidence and we have nothing to hide," Seteth stated.
"I agree," Rhea stated. "Still, though he may have turned his back to the Goddess and to the church, Prince Clovis was still a human capable of regret. He should have lived out his life to repent for that regret, not have it cut short. Assassination is still a crime, especially when it goes against the intentions of the church. We will cooperate with Britannia to look into this. Let's hope this nightmare does not carry its weight over into the Rite of Rebirth. This year, more than ever, we need to cleanse the church of its sins."
"I couldn't agree more," Seteth replied gravely and left to go to his duties.
That afternoon…
It had been a day and a half since Lelouch's chat with Yuri in front of Clovis's corpse, yet he had come no closer to finding out who was pulling Yuri's strings. He needed an information network of some variety outside the Ashen Wolves. Until he had that, he felt, the mystery would remain unsolved. Certification exams were tomorrow, but Lelouch didn't have any intention of participating without Byleth's instruction.
As he walked around, lost in thought, he came upon a familiar face. "Greetings, Lelouch. Nothing to report. Hope you're doing well. Haven't seen you in a while."
"Apologies, I've not had reason to leave the Monastery much," Lelouch replied honestly.
"I know the feeling," Gatekeeper responded. "Just replace much with not at all."
At the sight of Gatekeeper, Lelouch hatched on an idea. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have a network of people to spread information to and from your position as a gate guard, would you?"
"An information network?" Gatekeeper asked, thinking about it. "I don't know if you'd call it a network, but I do hear gossip coming and going in and out of the Monastery. Most people don't pay attention to a lowly Gatekeeper like me. You're the only person besides the new professor and Miss Shez Lamperouge that consistently pay me any mind."
Shez and Byleth talk to him? Now that was news to Lelouch. But that tidbit alone wasn't the important part. This guy…has an impeccable memory when he wants. "How much do you know about Abyss?"
"Abyss?" The Gatekeeper responded. He scratched his chin with his finger. "Oh…I think I've heard of it. That's that supposed underground city beneath the Monastery, right? I don't know a lot about it."
"Just anything will do," Lelouch said.
"Hmmmm…" Gatekeeper did his best to think about it. "Well, I don't know a whole lot. There's an Abyss Keeper on duty. He'd be your go to guy for anything happening down there. As for me, the most I know is the name of the guy running the joint."
"You mean Aelfric?" Lelouch asked.
"Yeah, him," Gatekeeper said with a nod. "He actually didn't always used to be in charge. Archbishop Rhea had a different monk running the Abyss until about fifteen years ago. Nothing shady going on there though, I'm afraid. The monk simply left the monastery of their own accord. Something about hating the politics of it all. Aelfric volunteered for the job, something about showing the church's good will to the least fortunate."
"Mhm," Lelouch responded. Sounds like I'll need to talk to the Abyss Keeper if I want more information. "Anything unsavory come out of it lately or in your tenure?" Lelouch asked.
"Unsavory? No, not really. Although, I do know there are sects of the church that would be dying to get rid of Abyss wholesale. Something about it being a bad influence on the Monastery as a whole. Apparently, up until a few years ago, Tomas, the librarian actually liked Abyss, but has now become a pretty passive aggressive detractor of the place. All ever since he came back from a world traveling pilgrimage. Guess he saw something he didn't like," Gatekeeper replied with a laugh.
"Perhaps," Lelouch said with a smile. I don't buy that for a second. Something shady is going on with this Tomas character. Bribery probably. I'll have to look into it. He began to contemplate things much more seriously. I have three people I need to talk to: The Abyss Keeper, Aelfric, and Tomas. One of them should lead me to my answer. He offered Gatekeeper a much larger sum of money than normal. "This isn't standard, but I really needed that information."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Gatekeeper replied and pocketed it. "You can always count on me for all of your Gatekeeping needs!"
Lelouch nodded and rounded the corner past the hangar and towards the student lounges. None of the books in the lounge had library stamps. They could be freely borrowed and exchanged as long as they weren't lost or damaged. Students rarely checked them out though since they were mostly just history books or text books. Lelouch, however, was going spine to spine looking to see if he could find something in particular when his hand collided with someone else's.
"Oh! Sorry!" It was the person he'd bumped into that apologized first. Lelouch recognized her right away: Hilda Valentin Goneril.
"My apologies," Lelouch said, bowing politely. "I got so wrapped up in what I was doing, I didn't even notice you approach, Hilda."
"Eh, that's pretty on brand for you, Lelouch. You're always lost in thought on some tangent or another. At least you keep the inner workings of your brain to yourself," Hilda remarked.
"Claude driving you crazy again?" Lelouch asked.
Hilda fumed. "When isn't he driving me crazy? And if it's not him, it's Holst!"
"Holst? Your big brother?" Lelouch asked.
"Ugh, it's so embarrassing, but he gets ants in the pants if I don't call him, like, every day to let him know I'm all right. Some days I wish someone would kidnap me so that he would have something to worry about," Hilda complained.
"Don't say something like that," Lelouch barked rather seriously. He was almost glaring at Hilda. "A good big brother is measured by how well he takes care of his one and only sister. If you take Holst's worry for granted, one day you might lose it, or him. And then you'll be cursing yourself for the rest of your life."
"Yiiiikes, didn't mean to get you riled up. Makes sense though. I sometimes forget you're a big brother too. But…you're much better at it then Holst."
"Make no mistake," Lelouch replied. "If Nunnally was not here at the Monastery with me, I would be doing exactly what Holst is doing. You're quite the distance from home, Hilda, nearly ten megameters. Holst can't just jump on a plane or walk downstairs into the kitchen to check on you."
"But does it have to be every day?" Hilda complained. "I'm suffocating here. And I doubt you spend ten minutes of a conversation with Nunnally telling her how wonderful and the best ever she is while singing songs you made up on the spot in her honor."
"Well, no…but…"
"See? That's the problem. And, you've actually let Nunnally handle herself a lot lately. When you first got here, you two were inseparable. Now I see her hanging out with all sorts of people," Hilda said.
"Nunnally needs a friend group," Lelouch answered seemingly honestly. I know every single person she interacts with regularly and how well they can be trusted. Even as Hilda and I speak, since it's Saturday, she should be in the dining hall with Raphael and Ignatz having lunch. They're a reliable duo. If Nunnally wasn't with them, they'd tell me. Ignatz is too paranoid and Raphael has his own little sister he dotes on, so he knows how I'd feel. In truth, not a second ticked by that Lelouch's thoughts were not of his little sister. She didn't just live rent free in his head; she had a mansion on the boardwalk with a backyard pool and hedge garden.
"Well yeah, everyone's gotta have friends. Still, I think Holst could learn to chill every once in a while is all I'm saying. Hey, you're a big brother. Got any tips on how I can placate him?" Hilda asked.
"No, I'm afraid that big brothers are a curse. Can't live with them, can't live without them. And when you get old enough to marry someone, you'll come to appreciate just how much you've needed Holst all your life."
"Ugh, marriage," Hilda groaned like she was about to suffocate. "I can hear my big brother planning my fairy tale wedding behind my back. And that's assuming he doesn't string the groom up by his short hairs out of sheer overprotectiveness."
"You think maybe part of the problem is that you don't show Holst you can handle yourself?" Lelouch asked.
"Huh?" Hilda asked.
"How you're acting at Garreg Mach is not unlike how I used to act at Ashford. You don't want to apply yourself because success would be inconvenient. My case was a bit different, but I can see the signs," Lelouch said.
"Noooooo, I'm not being lazy. I swear. Y-you saw me at the Mock Battle. I pull my weight. Besides, I'm not the best at combat. Just look at my noodle arms. I'm much better suited to backline support," Hilda replied. She didn't sound the least bit sincere. She sounded like a car dealer trying to downplay the defects on an old refurbished model.
Lelouch's eyes narrowed in on Hilda's behavior. She was hiding the nature of her true skill, that much was obvious, but for what purpose? Hilda's reasons definitely weren't the same as Lelouch's own. She was well-attached to her family, for starters.
! And it didn't take much more than that for Lelouch to put the pieces together. Hilda had a crest. Holst did not. Holst had years of accomplishments. Hilda had just started attending Garreg Mach. She's afraid to try, Lelouch thought. She can't handle the pressure.
"Huh? Uhhhhh, Earth to Lelouch. You okay?" Hilda asked.
"Sorry, just coming to a realization," Lelouch answered with a smile. If I ever find myself making an enemy of House Goneril, the safest option would be to play the politics of House Goneril against itself. Lelouch covered his left eye. I'll have to save my Geass for Hilda until I absolutely need it, or until such a time that I know House Goneril will not be my enemy.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Hilda asked.
"Yeah," Lelouch said, rubbing his eye, shutting it, "Just some dust. Oh, wow," he said with all the calmness of talking about the weather, "That really stings. I should go talk to Professor Manuela. See you later, Hilda." Lelouch excused himself from the conversation and made his way into the entrance hall, putting his back to one of the swung open doors. I'll have to double back to the area later. I'll need to play up my excuse for now. He then sniffed the aroma from the dining hall. And honestly, I'm quite hungry.
Back in the lounge, Hilda sighed. "I got the feeling he was sizing me up in some way. Well, whatever. Not like I don't get enough of that already. Now then," she turned her attention back towards the bookshelf. "Wheeeeeeere's that book?"
Evening 17th Day of the Garland Moon
When lectures concluded for the day, students were always permitted to free time, be it studying, training, or just unwinding. Homework was given once a week to be completed by the end of the week, but students were always encouraged to apply themselves in whatever way possible. And while some students, like Ferdinand von Aegir, certainly applied themselves to whatever extra work they could get their hands on, others, like Claude von Riegan, spent their after hours whittling away on shenanigans.
The gigantic lecture halls of Garreg Mach Monastery weren't just used for lectures. All manner of events and get togethers could be spent in there as the school had very few rooms in the ways of club rooms and lounges. The main lounge on the other side of the Monastery was included in this. Claude was in the process of hooking up a TV to the outlet in the teacher side of the hall that he'd wheeled in from who knew where. He then sat down with a chair with a controller in his hand and began playing video games in the classroom.
Or at least, he was about to. Someone passed by the lecture hall, saw the game on screen and gasped. "Holy Four Saints! Is that Mario Party?!" An enthusiastic Sokkia shouted.
Claude stood up and turned around. "Oh? You play? Yeah, Japan makes some of the best games, don't they? Shame all that money's now going into the church's pockets. This is how I unwind on the regular."
"Do I play? That was my childhood! Gimme a controller! I'm gonna kick your butt!"
"Whoa, there, settle down. It's just a game," Claude said with a chuckle. He then hatched an idea. "You know what? We've got four controllers, lemme see if I can round up some other players. I'll be right back."
Claude didn't have to go far. His two victims, er, extra players, were right in the tea garden playing chess. "Hey! Lelouch! Edelgard! Fancy yourselves a game of strategy?"
"Are we not already playing one?" Edelgard asked.
"Claude, I don't have time to entertain your inane scheming," Lelouch said. "Edelgard and I are engaged in an intellectual challenge."
"Inane scheming? Ack! You wound me!" Claude said as he gripped at his chest, crouching slightly on one knee. "My feelings. They'll never recover."
Lelouch rolled his eyes.
"No, but seriously. I could use a couple extra players. Sokkia and I were about to start up a game of Mario Party. Best way to unwind after a long day of lectures," Claude said with a smile.
"Mario Party?" Edelgard asked, raising an intrigued fist to cheek level. "I've not heard of this."
"Whaaaaaat? That's crazy. Everyone I've ever talked to loves this game, even Lysithea," Claude said.
Under most circumstances, Lelouch would've been skeptical that anything Claude considered fun would also be fun for Lysithea and not an excuse to hurl unfriendly spells at him, but he knew the game Claude was talking about. He played it a few times with Suzaku. He recalled having something resembling fun.
7 years ago…
"That was MY star!"
"Too bad! I rolled a 10!"
"You have three stars already!"
"That sounds like a you problem!"
Present…
I…think we were having fun? "If you've never played, Edelgard, it could be a chance to broaden your scope of culture."
Edelgard gave it some thought. "Very well, but I would ask we finish our game first. I never leave a battlefield half-finished."
"Sure, sure, nooooot a problem. Not like the game is going anywhere," Claude conceded. "I'll just wait here, for like, what, less than five minutes with the way you two play?"
Lelouch looked at the board. "Make it two."
Edelgard gave Lelouch a rather harsh stare. "You really think you can finish this game in two minutes?"
"I do."
He turned out to be right. 1 minute and 45 seconds.
Edelgard groaned. "Checkmated again." She shook her head in dismay. "You'd think with how similar you and Marrybell are I would beat you at least once."
"You've tied with me, that's more than most can say," Lelouch said.
"Right then, let's go fire up the ol' console and have some chaotic fun," Claude said.
"I'm not sure how chaos can be fun, but I'll try anything once."
The version Claude had was called Mario Party All Stars, featuring a collection of boards from past games and every playable character the franchise had up to that point. But before character selection could even begin, technical difficulties needed to be overcome. When Claude handed Edelgard the controller, she stared at it and began tumbling it around in her hands.
"It's a controller, Edelgard, not a dead body," Claude said.
"A…controller," Edelgard said, unfamiliar with what was being said to her.
"Princess Edelgard…have you never played video games before?" Sokkia asked.
"Well…no," Edelgard said, frowning. "I've only ever played board games and the odd game of Old Maid with Hubert or Monica."
Sokkia gasped as if Edelgard had spoken pure blasphemy. "You've never played a video game?" A wicked smile crossed Sokkia's lips. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"
"Maybe we should fire up the tutorial to give our Princess here a clearer understanding of the game."
"Might be a good idea. It's been seven years since I've even touched this franchise. I could use the refresher," Lelouch remarked.
"Oh this is getting sadder by the minute," Claude remarked, sweating along one cheek. "Welp…can't say I wasn't expecting this, but hey, you two are smart, you'll catch on quick."
Claude wasn't wrong. Despite never holding a controller before, Edelgard acclimated to the game quite well. But, of course, this was Mario Party, the hallmark of chaos in modern gaming. And while it was only the third turn, things would soon be getting ugly.
Claude had set a quick 25 turn game. Sokkia selected Waluigi, Claude picked Yoshi, Lelouch picked Boo, and Edelgard selected Toadette. Turn order was in that specific order. So far, nobody had any stars and Claude had the most coins. On its surface, totally normal game of Mario Party.
Turn 11/25
"Simply outrageous!" Edelgard exclaimed, frowning. "I have rolled three threes in a row!"
"Skill issue," Sokkia said, coughing into her hand.
Edelgard punched her across the side of the temple.
Turn 16/25
Claude had stepped on a Lakitu space, allowing him to steal a star from someone of his choosing. He was currently in third.
"Let's see, what do I want to do?" Claude asked himself, drumming his thumbs on parts of the controller that didn't contain buttons.
"Is the choice not obvious?" Edelgard asked. "Sokkia is in the lead, you should obviously steal from her."
"Oh so you can have first place?" Sokkia asked.
"Claude will have a much easier time overcoming his deficit of coins to me than the extra star needed to catch up to you."
"Says Miss-I've-never-played-a-game-before-in-my-life-oh-also-queen-of-button-mashing," Claude remarked.
"There are other skills in these so-called minigames required to win. Perhaps if you weren't so unfocused, you would have more coins," Edelgard commented.
"I don't want to hear that from the woman who gambled away 5 coins and won 50," Claude replied.
As the trio devolved into a chaotic argument, Lelouch just sat there in abject silence, gently squeezing his controller, wondering if he should be regretting the life choices he made today.
"OW! You bit me!" Sokkia exclaimed. "That's a ten-coin penalty! And a felony!"
"In war there is no mercy!" Edelgard declared.
Lelouch sighed, hanging his head.
Turn 19/25
"Okay, Lelouch, it looks like we're on the same team for this minigame, let's cooperate effectively," Edelgard commented.
"Oh, sure, I see how it is. When Lelouch is your teammate it's "Oh, help me Lelouch, I need your big, veiny Britannian brain,"," Claude said, imitating Edelgard, "But when I'm your partner, it's "Claude, don't screw this up. You're an incompetent buffoon.""
"You said it, not me," Edelgard remarked.
"Too be fair, I'm more likely to screw things up," Sokkia said, rubbing the back of her head.
Lelouch hit the start button while nobody was paying attention. He was still in last place, had been for most of the game. He was in 2nd place at one point, then Sokkia stole his one and only star he ever got.
Turn 24/25
The game was coming to an end. Lelouch was in last. Edelgard was first, having amassed a comfortable lead. Claude and Sokkia were practically rabid animals competing for second and third. It was currently Lelouch's turn. Armed with a skeleton key and special dice block to select how far he wanted to move, Claude suddenly realized they'd all been had as Lelouch rolled a 7.
"Oh, you insufferable monster," Claude stated, sweating.
As Lelouch strolled forward and through a not-yet opened skeleton key gate on the map, Sokkia suddenly realized what was happening. "N-N-N-N-Now Lelouch, we can talk this out. Don't do anything hasty."
Edelgard watched with interest, oblivious to what was happening as Boo passed by King Boo's domain.
Lelouch, who'd been playing with a poker face, except to react to the insanity around him this whole game, suddenly smirked wickedly. "Heh."
By staying in last, he'd amassed a massive stockpile of coins, over 200. And now was in a position to steal a star from every player at once! Sure, Edelgard still had five stars to her name, but Claude knew better. The amount of spaces Boo still had to move was going to have the character land on a chance time space.
As Claude and Sokkia fell to 2 stars apiece and Edelgard to 4 thanks to the power of King Boo, if Lelouch somehow got a star, he would have more coins than Edelgard. But with only one turn to go, and no super mushroom in his inventory, Edelgard seemed poised to win, or did she?
Landing on chance time, Lelouch's hand eye coordination allowed him to have 1 star and 50 coins passed over to himself from any person of his choosing.
"Don't you dare!" Edelgard shouted, realizing what was about to happen. Too late.
Claude started to laugh his ass off. "Oh! Oh wow! That's something else!"
"A true master strategist never shows his full hand until the plan comes to fruition," Lelouch remarked, still grinning devilishly.
"Is this cause I stole our star back on turn seven cause if so, I'm very sorry," Sokkia said.
"Nah, I doubt that's the only reason. Lelouch just hates to lose," Claude said, still barely able to contain his laughter.
"He's not the only one," Edelgard said, glaring at her chess rival.
Post-game wrap up…
Bonus stars were on. Within her last two turns, Edelgard was able to get one more star thanks to a fatefully timed Super Mushroom. She and Lelouch had four stars each, while Claude and Sokkia each had two. Lelouch, thanks to his big gambit, only had 72 coins while Edelgard had 14. Claude and Sokkia had 2 stars each while having 65 and 69 coins respectively. Sokkia had won the final mini-game.
"Nice," Sokkia said when she saw her total.
"We set the bonus stars to random, right?" Claude asked.
"Don't ask me, Sokkia set up the options while you and I were teaching Edelgard about buttons," Lelouch said.
"Yup. Random," Sokkia answered.
"Bonus stars?" Edelgard questioned.
"I told you the game wasn't over," Lelouch stated.
The first bonus star was the Coin star, granted to the person who held the most coins at one time. To no one's surprise, Lelouch took this with zero issue.
The second star granted was the event star, given to the person landing on the most event spaces.
"Oh, so the game is over," Edelgard said, knowing that star was going to Sokkia.
"Your fault by the way!" Sokkia exclaimed.
There was a three-turn period where Edelgard kept giving Sokkia cursed die blocks because Sokkia had stolen her coins, a star, and cheated her out of a mini-game win in that order. Each and every single time the result had been Sokkia losing even more coins due to being attacked by Chain Chomps and shy guys.
"I will not apologize for tactical brutality!" Edelgard shot back.
"Ladies! Ladies! Relax," Claude said, trying not to laugh. "It's just a game."
"Says the guy in last," Lelouch commented.
"Besides, not over. I set the bonus stars to five."
"You what now?" Claude asked.
A third star was granted for the number of spaces walked on the board. This went to Edelgard.
A fourth star was granted for the number of coins won from mini games. This ended up going to Claude.
"Oooooh! The plot thickens," he said with a grin. While he and Sokkia could not win at this point, the fifth star would basically determine who placed where.
The fifth star was being granted the Slowpoke Star, granted to the person who moved the fewest spaces across the entire game. Immediately, Claude and Lelouch looked at Edelgard and Sokkia. Edelgard had her three turns in a row rolling threes, but then there was the aforementioned disaster of Sokkia having cursed dice blocks because Edelgard was being petty. Granted, Edelgard had used a Super Mushroom at one point, but so had Sokkia. Everyone watched with baited breath and…
When the star landed on Waluigi, Claude burst out laughing.
"HA!" Sokkia exclaimed. "In your face! That's what you get for being petty, Edel—"
WHACK!
Edelgard slapped Sokkia upside the chin with the controller and stormed out of the lecture hall.
"Okaaaaaaay, never inviting her back to game night," Claude said, a bit concerned.
"She's just competitive, that's all," Lelouch commented.
In the infirmary, Claude was helping Sokkia to an ice pack.
"Hope you and her imperial ladyship aren't about to start an international incident over a video game," Claude said.
"Nah, I've strangled Oz for less. I get it," Sokkia said.
Claude laughed. "Should've figured Mario Party would pair well for downtime in the Glinda Knights."
"Heck yeah, it's the best!" Sokkia exclaimed. "Mary banned the game though, eventually. Said we would stay up too late playing and then scolded Oz for not regulating playtime enough."
"Ouch. But hey, those rules don't apply now, right?" Claude asked.
"Haha! Nope! Loopholes are for winners!" Sokkia exclaimed.
"Ain't that the truth," Claude said, laughing. "I should invite you to play with me and Lysithea next time. We'll drive her crazy."
Sokkia laughed hysterically. "I'll bring Oz. We can tag team."
"Oof, facing the serious Oldrin Zevon in a game of Mario Party? I can already feel the heart attack coming on," Claude said, sounding nervous.
Sokkia laughed even harder. "Oz has a competitive streak, yeah." She then sighed deeply.
"What's the matter?" Claude asked.
"It's just…sometimes I feel guilty playing all those games, you know? Like…the church owns Japan so they're not exactly being paid for stuff that brings our lives enriched joy. I don't know, somehow that just feels wrong to me."
"Nah, I'd say that's just economics in a nutshell. Besides, if I had to worry about whether or not my game purchases went into the pockets of the people who made 'em, I'd never sleep a wink," Claude commented. "Besides, if the church hadn't stepped in, Britannia would've invaded and then you would've had no games."
"Oof! Good point," Sokkia answered.
"Say, Sokes, you ever thought about studying abroad in Leicester? I know you're big on the whole Glinda Knight gig, but I bet you'd make a greater entertainer," Claude said to her.
"Well, I have thought about hosting my own talent show," Sokkia said, rubbing the back of her head. "But…"
"Buuuuut?"
"I can't," Sokkia said. "While the world's still at war, I could never leave my friends in the Glinda Knights."
"Okay, so maybe when you start to get older, maybe reconsider it. Nobody stays in the military forever. My grandfather's evidence of that, so's Judith Daphnel. Told me straight to my face she'd quit the military to become my advisor as soon as I became head of House Riegan."
Sokkia folded her arms and tilted her head up sideways. "You know, I hadn't actually considered what I'm gonna do when I get older." She rubbed the back of her head. "I just kinda live one day at a time without really thinking about what comes tomorrow. I'm not smart enough for that." She smiled brightly. "I leave critical thinking to smart people like Oz and Mary. And if my own shortcomings get me in a jam, that's what I've got friends for."
Claude smiled. "You got a good head on your shoulders, Sokkia. Let's make sure it stays attached to your shoulders."
Sokkia giggled. "Thanks, Claude. Oh and next time, I'm totally going to kick your butt at Mario Party."
Claude laughed, putting his hands behind his head. "I look forward to it."
Night of the 19th Day of the Garland Moon
As Zero concluded lectures for the evening, Yuri stood up. "Hey, Zero, before you head out, I've got some reports back on Lonato."
Zero sat at his desk and tented his fingers, resting the sides of his hands on the desk. "You have my full attention."
Yuri read the report. "Army size, about 1500. The army appears to be mostly made up of citizenry and well-paid PMCs. I've got details on this sheet for you," he said, holding up the two stapled pieces of paper together. He flipped to the next page. "But it's this part that has my attention. Mages in all black robes with no seeming affiliation for any known nation accompany Lonato's army, numbering in the hundreds, increasing the army's size by nearly fifty percent."
"Fifty? Five zero?" Ryo asked.
"That's what I said," Yuri replied. "So far Lonato's army appears to be marching through cover of mist. My men believe this to be the work of magic and not natural weather."
"Mist hmm? If it's being controlled by the advancing army, that certainly puts Lonato's forces at an advantage. You said Lonato was employing PMCs but that these black robed mages don't appear to have any affiliation?" Zero questioned.
"So sources are telling me," Yuri commented. "The PMCs my guys spoke to were willing to readily identify themselves for a fee, but these mages…really shady folk."
"How shady are we talking?" Hapi asked.
"So much so I wouldn't be surprised if you knew some of them," Yuri remarked.
Hapi made an irritated face. Zero was less shocked by that and more that she didn't say anything back to Yuri. That sent the message that she knew Yuri could be right and painted her reaction in a different light. Past trauma perhaps?
"What about the path of interception?" Yukiya asked Yuri.
"I'm getting to that," Yuri said. "In five days, the Blue Lion house will be deploying along with Thunder Catherine to an outpost in Faerghus to collide with what remains of Lonato's forces where Magdred Way crosses into Chinese Mongolia. A much larger force is going to already be colliding with Lonato's forces, comprised of troops from Charon territory in Faerghus. While Kazakhstan is also owned by Chinese Federation sovereignty, Lord Lonato didn't want to deal with House Rowe chasing him into Federation territory. In fact, Count Rowe has all but lost the trail, meaning Lonato won't be caught in a pincer move as he tries to make a break for Mongolia."
"How would he have gotten caught in a pincer move? China's on his side, right?" Balthus asked.
Zero half-thought to check under his desk for a winged pig. Did…did Balthus just ask a question resembling intelligence?
"Customs is a nasty business," Yuri said. "Lonato would have been trying to smuggle half his territory through sovereignty lines. We're not talking about just canoeing from Northern to Southern Britannia here, we're talking about moving from one superpower into another. And from what I've heard, that's a lot harder to do going into Kazakhstan."
"Why's that?" Hapi asked.
"Because they don't just sit on the border of Faerghus, but also Adrestia and the Alliance. Meanwhile, Mongolia only sits on the border of Faerghus and is much closer to the capital nation of the federation itself, China. Plus, on the way, our fair lord has been burning every church he can, surprisingly only at nightfall when there's no one in it," Yuri said with a sigh as though he'd just spilled his coffee.
"So, what's our game plan, Zero?" Ryo asked.
"We'll leave in a matter of days," Zero stated. "Prime the Neverland with two weeks of supplies. You never know how much we could get grounded out there. I'm hoping we will only be gone for five days at most, however."
"All right, that covers travel, but what about our game plan?" Yuri asked.
"I'll determine that another night," Zero stated. "We need to look into these mysterious mages with no allegiance. Their employer could actually be who's pulling Lonato's strings. But we won't know unless we uncover what, exactly, we're dealing with."
"All right, I'll start looking into it immediately," Yuri said. "Just leave it to me."
"I'm counting on you, Yuri. Don't let me down," Zero told him.
Morning of the 20th Day of the Garland Moon
"You are quite certain you do not require any compensation for what has transpired?" Rhea asked Schneizel. The two were chatting over a video call.
"While many mourn Prince Clovis, the majority opinion is that he turned his back on the Hero Princess, Marrybell and I have already given my statement on the matter," Schneizel said. "Britannia is very good at controlling its citizens. I would not be surprised if one of our own paid to have him killed for his ill manners."
"That is both a relief…and regrettable," Rhea stated. "I was not aware that despite my harsh rhetoric that Prince Clovis's image had been so thoroughly tarnished."
"Oh, please, Archbishop, no need to stand on ceremony. I know in your heart you believe things could not have happened to a nicer man."
Rhea felt a pit form in her stomach at how accurate Schneizel was.
"My former half-brother's mother has been committed to a mental asylum, and his sister is nowhere to be found. Father also has no interest in burying someone that would turn their back on the Empire. Cornelia might be willing to barter for the body, but I can't speak for my sister," Schneizel stated.
Rhea nodded.
"On that note, Cornelia, Euphemia and I will be attending the Rite of Rebirth. I don't suppose, if you feel so guilty, that asking for the VIP treatment would be too much to ask?"
Rhea beamed. "Not at all Prince Schneizel. I will personally see the red carpet rolled out for you and your siblings." She put her hands together in prayer, unable to wipe a smile off her face. "How fortunate. This year's Rite of Rebirth is sure to be unforgettable. It is rare we have royalty in attendance, let alone ones of such high prestige."
"Oh? Are your students not going to be in attendance?" Schneizel asked.
"My students will have their own assignments," Rhea stated. "I cannot guarantee they will choose to attend."
"Ah, I see. Very well then, I shall see you in a month's time, Archbishop. Take care of yourself," Schneizel told her.
"You as well, Prince Schneizel," Rhea stated.
And with that, the two mutually ended the call.
Rhea let out a sigh of relief. "Oh Goddess, thank you," she prayed. "There is still hope yet."
That Afternoon…
"Suzaku! There you are!"
Suzaku turned, only to find an arm around his neck, followed by several hearty slaps to the chest, which was then followed by laughter.
"Hi, Catherine," Suzaku said, trying not to choke.
Catherine laughed and proceeded to make a mess of Suzaku's hair in place of a noogie. She laughed some more. "You got taller since I last saw you. I think anyway. You look it, at least."
"No, you just haven't seen me in several months. Probably too busy taking down enemies in the name of Lady Rhea," Suzaku said, fixing his hair and re-orienting his uniform."
Catherine laughed boisterously. "You know me too well, Suzaku. Doing well for yourself, from what I heard. Lady Rhea trusted you with a big mission last month, I heard."
Suzaku nodded. "And the expedition. I've slowly been branching out to help outside the Monastery."
"You should do it more. Being a knight is about more than castle defense, you know," Catherine said. "That's precisely what I wanted to talk to you about. I'd like it if you came with me to Magdred Way to put down Lonato's Rebellion."
"What? Really?"
"Why so surprised? I was only your babysitter for like three years," Catherine said, laughing. "My one and only squire."
Suzaku smiled. "Yeah, you sure whipped me into shape. I learned a lot about the church from you too."
Catherine laughed more. "Honestly, you were a big pain in the neck at times. Nearly got yourself killed once or twice. But, look at you now, a honest to Goddess Knight of Seiros. I'm proud of you, Suzaku, always have been since you first showed me you could fight."
"Thank you, Catherine," Suzaku said, keeping up the smile. "That means a lot."
"Keep up the good work and you might end up a Holy Knight like me one day," Catherine told him.
"You really think so?" Suzaku asked her.
"I'd say you're slowly inching your way there. Only way to know for certain is if you keep branching outside your skill set. Monastery security is great. I do it all the time when there's nothing else to do and no battles to be won, but you'll never grow if you don't thrust yourself headfirst into battle," Catherine told him.
"Well, you've never steered me wrong before, Catherine," Suzaku replied. "So, all right. You can count on me."
"Excellent," Catherine said. "Glad to have you aboard."
Afternoon of the 21st Day of the Garland Moon
Holed up in Edelgard's dorm room, she, Hubert and Monica were having tea with the door locked. "Apologies for all the secrecy," Hubert said. "But I've come across some vital information. Apparently Lord Arundel has been meeting with Kyoto House in secret."
"My uncle with the head of Kyoto House? To what end?" Edelgard asked.
"Rest assured, it can't be anything good," Hubert remarked, nearly nibbling on his glove.
Monica thought about the situation in a bit more detail before speaking her thoughts aloud. "Taizo Kirihara is Empress Kaguya's caretaker, right? You think Lord Arundel plans to use him for ill purposes?"
"Whatever the case may be, we know that the future of the Japan's leadership may soon be at risk. Unfortunately, that may be a sacrifice we may have to make. However, you have more to report, yes, Hubert? I can see it in your eyes," Edelgard stated.
"I do, Lady Edelgard." Hubert grinned widely. "For it appears that thanks to Lord Arundel's meddling that House Kyoto and the JLF are no longer getting along. With a bit of pressure, one might say they could…fracture."
"The JLF…the Japanese Liberation Front," Monica mused, remembering the organization. "They're led by General Katase, the eldest serving general in the original Japanese military. And Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh is now his second in command." Monica spoke with enthusiasm, showing off her memory. "If I had to pick one organization, the JLF is the one I would want to make allies with."
"There are advantages to one or the other. The Japanese people listen to their government, more than their military might," Hubert stated.
"Perhaps so," Edelgard said, agreeing with him, "But at the same time we need additional military might."
"Then perhaps we might make it our mission to pay them a visit next month," Hubert remarked.
"I'll help out in any way I can," Monica stated.
"I'm sure you'll be a big help for this operation, Monica," Edelgard said with a smile.
Monica swooned. "If you say I will, Lady Edelgard, then I shall work twice as hard."
Hubert chuckled. "We will all have our roles to play. For Lady Edelgard's sake, let us make sure we play them flawlessly."
Afternoon of the 22nd Day of the Garland Moon
In all weapon categories, Garreg Mach's academy had a leaderboard between houses. There were many categories ranging from time trials for hitting targets, to endurance tests with a single weapon type—or straight up spellcasting. Even simulated HLKMF combat could be tested against hard light holographic enemies. However, in particular, for those who could compete in it, the categories for Marksmanship were the most competitive.
They were the easiest to judge and the easiest to complete. Every high-tech cartridge rifle—the going standard in long-range non-magic combat—had very little variety. Gone were the days of picking between shotguns, long range rifles or machine guns. If you wanted to do a lot of damage from a distance, you didn't need a rifle, you needed a KMF (HL or vanilla) or a magic attack. If you wanted to do significant damage up close and personal, you typically used an energy melee weapon or energy gauntlets. But for infantry combat, pistols were if you were within 20 meters, and long range rifles were for anything over that.
The advantage of specially marked "Cartridge Pistols" were that they didn't have to be reloaded after each shot and most pistols let you fire 6 to 10 shots per cartridge. Cartridge Rifles had to be reloaded with each shot, but they packed a serious punch and could do serious damage to a target depending on the ammo loaded in. They also had far more ammo varieties, including newly produced magic-laced ammo for users with little magic affinity, but still wanted to set people on fire.
Among the categories for Cartridge Rifle training there were three main categories, distance to bullseye, shots per minute and target training course time trials. Among those categories, the first one was certainly the most popular, but the last one was the most fun. Claude von Riegan himself dominated the scoreboard on the various difficulties for the time trials. It's how he was slowly ending up with the nickname "Trick Shot Claude."
But when it came to landing far away targets, this year's top sniper was a Green Pheasant by the name of Naomi Inoue. With a pull of the trigger, she scored a 105 meter shot, not just burying second place's Ignatz Victor further away from her, but also pulling her up Garreg Mach's all time leaderboard another placement.
"Wooooow, that's really impressive, Naomi."
Inoue turned to see Oldrin Zevon staring down range at the target, seeing the footage rendered on the terminal from the down range camera.
"Please call me Inoue, Zevon-san. We're not nearly close enough for you to call me by my first name," Inoue said, slinging her rifle over her shoulder.
"Oops, sorry. I forgot the Japanese have that whole last name business," Oldrin said, covering her mouth. She scratched her head. "Doesn't that get confusing though, I mean, like at family meetings and such."
"It's a bit more nuanced than that," Inoue said. She slung her rifle back over her shoulder. She had to take a break anyway.
"Nuanced?" Oldrin asked.
"Say you were a teacher at a Japanese school having a parent teacher conference, you would use different honorifics to differentiate if you were talking with respect to the parent, or the student. Or, you may forego the name altogether and just say 'your son or daughter' depending on if it's a boy or a girl," Inoue explained.
"But what if you're friends with someone and their sibling and you just shout "Hey, Inoue!" to use your last name as an example and both you and your hypothetical brother turn your head?" She asked.
"Under most circumstances, friends are close enough to use first names. Additionally, a mutual friend could be close enough with a friend of the same sex to use a first name, but formal enough with a friend's sibling of the opposite sex to use their last name."
"That feels kinda cruel," Oldrin said.
"Well how would you feel if I started calling you Oz?" Inoue asked.
"Everyone calls me Oz," Oldrin said. "Bad example. And it's different in Britannia. Nicknames are everywhere."
"Mhm, so I've noticed. That one Adrestian girl from the streets, what's her name…Arnault, I believe, she is very informal with a lot of people."
"Oh! Dorothea! Yeah, she's a gem and a sweetie. Sokkia really likes her. I hear she wants to write an opera with her," Oldrin said.
Inoue bristled. This conversation was not going the way she wanted.
"It kind of almost sounds to me like you're just afraid to have friends, that sharing your personal emotions with others is almost seen as culturally morally wrong," Oldrin stated.
"It's not like that at all," Inoue said, a bit ruder than intended. "It comes from a deeply ingrained root of respect in our culture. Family became important in the early days of our people. If you didn't respect a family, how could you respect its individual members? It also goes all the way back to teachings we instilled in our children. The younger sibling must respect the older sibling and both siblings must respect the parents."
"Kay, starting to make a little more sense," Oldrin said, nodding to comprehend what she was being told. "So why does Kallen go around letting people call her by first name?"
"Kallen was raised in a half-Britannian household, going to Britannian schools, so she probably doesn't have nearly as much understanding of her culture as we do. I think what really woke her up to her mom's side of her family was the church's invasion of Japan. Ohgi's known her since before the invasion. He said she changed from when she was a little girl. She's gotten feistier from what I've heard."
"I could barely imagine Kallen as a sweet little thing," Oldrin said.
Inoue smirked. "Me neither, but people change. …And she's not the only one."
"Come again?"
Inoue groaned. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. "I used to have a family. I also wasn't as good with a gun as I am now. I picked that up more recently. My family died not from the war, but from the aftermath. The Church divided us into two groups, those that accepted the Goddess and those that refused. My family initially refused to give up Buddhism, but that cost us. It cost us a lot. While there were plenty of Japanese opposed to the Church's occupation, there were plenty who welcomed the Goddess's faith, but not for stellar reasons. It was the politicians who jumped on it to protect their assets and those same politicians used those assets to leverage the poor and helpless. Everyone talks about the one month beating the Japanese took from the church, but nobody talks about the underhanded political war that occurred after because it was never publicized. I was at ground zero. My family was well off. My dad worked in the diet building." Inoue turned her head and stared at the floor. "He was too attached to his principles, much like Former Prime Minister Kururugi so he ended up getting us thrown out to the slums. People who didn't welcome the church got blacklisted. The Diet Building ended up getting filled with pro-church sycophants in the confusion and chaos. And in the line of fire…"
Inoue cringed as she could hear the smell of gunfire.
"…I don't know how, I don't know why, but…at some point a gun clattered to the ground and I picked it up and started shooting people. It got easier with time. In Japan, childhood innocence is supposed to be something you're never supposed to lose. At the very least, it shouldn't be easy to lose it. But…" Inoue gave Oldrin a strong determined look. "It gave me the strength to fight, so I don't regret it."
"So…you're fighting…to avenge your family?" Oldrin asked, confused.
"No. I'm fighting so that one day…my country can go back to the way it was. The people of Japan…the real people of Japan, don't like the church's occupation. I came to Rome, to Garreg Mach, to learn about the church so I could better understand my enemy so that when I go back to Japan, I know what I'm looking for." Inoue glared at Oldrin. "So I can more easily kick them out."
Oldrin gulped. "Th-th-that feels like terroristic rhetoric." She was contemplating reporting Inoue to Seteth.
"I can understand why it might come across that way. I'm here studying at this place, but I've no love for the Goddess, or even the church. People I know lost people they loved in the last seven years and the blood is all on the church's hands. I must sound like a complete heretic. But…I have no intention of pointing a weapon at the church directly. I'm not naïve enough not to know the alternative. My enemy is my own people, the people who sold us out and took advantage of the confusion," Inoue said.
"Maybe…maybe you could try letting the Goddess into your heart," Oldrin said.
Inoue's face reflected that those were poorly chosen words.
"I-I'm not saying you have to give up whatever it is you believe in, but…" Oldrin put her hands together in prayer by her stomach. She stared at her knuckles. "If your enemy isn't with the Goddess herself or its believers, but people who are abusing the Goddess's message, wouldn't coming to understand the Goddess help deliver you from your enemies. You know, kind of a "I am a true child of the Goddess" kind of mentality."
Inoue went from mad to actually quite intrigued by Oldrin's suggestion. Her lips curled and she started laughing. She then slapped Oldrin on the shoulder. "You're all right, Zevon-san. Maybe I'll take your proposal into consideration. Anyway," she slid her rifle off and took to position again. "I've got a little more training to do. Good chat though."
"Oh, do you think you could teach me a thing or two? I don't exactly have the greatest magic affinity, and I'm a bit of a mess with a rifle unless it's an emergency pistol," Oldrin admitted. "And you can't rely on HLKMFs in tight corridors and unsafe conditions."
"Well, I don't mind teaching some basics," Inoue said. "There are practice rifles on the rack there. Grab one. This is my custom rifle so yours won't fire the same, but it'll do for learning some poiners."
"Yes, thank you," Oldrin said and went to go get a rifle.
Inoue smiled. Zevon-san's a good Britannian. I wish the rest of them were like her.
Morning of the 23rd Day of the Garland Moon
"You want me to take you off the roster for the upcoming mission?" Byleth asked Lelouch. "I don't mind if you have a good reason, but why?"
Why indeed. Lelouch needed an airtight excuse to get past his teacher that was also like a big sister to him. "Security detail isn't exactly my strong suit and you'll already have Marrybell there to direct the flow of traffic. I highly doubt, even if pirates or terrorists show up, that it would be something the Ashen Demon couldn't handle."
"Lelouch, I know you too well to know when you're up to something," Byleth said to him. "You've been running around a lot lately. Gatekeeper says people have seen you skulking about in the dead of night."
Lelouch was worried at first, but Byleth put his fears at ease by saying, "I'm not exactly inclined to report you to Seteth or anything, but I am allowed to worry about my brother. So is Nunnally."
"The girl I found, the refugee, remember her?" Lelouch asked.
"I do," Byleth replied with a nod.
"Apparently, she was being persecuted by Britannia, but her issues run deeper than that. I have to run a need-to-know basis investigation in order to get to the bottom of it. For me, this is more important than simple security detail," Lelouch said to her. "If people find out what I'm up to, especially those in our class, I run the risk of Britannia coming after her again."
Byleth pondered this for a hot minute. She then asked the burning question, "Was she what was in that capsule?"
Lelouch didn't immediately answer his sister.
"Lelouch, the news of Clovis's death has spread all over Britannia. If we're harboring the contents that he turned his back on the Empire for and not telling anyone—"
"Rest assured that is not the case. I told you, she's a refugee that got caught up in all the confusion," Lelouch stated.
Byleth wasn't completely convinced, but answered with a "If you say so."
"I appreciate your discretion, sister," Lelouch said, bowing.
"I better get an explanation when all is said and done," Byleth said to him.
"When all is said and done, perhaps," Lelouch said and turned to walk away. And perhaps even sooner than that. He then left the room.
That night…
Zero's first time stepping foot into the Neverland was a sight to behold. In his childhood, Lelouch vi Britannia had never stood inside the hull of a warship. Now, grown up, Zero gazed upon everything around him for the first time, soaking it all in. Not only did the Ashen Wolves have their custom HLKMFs, the Neverland was also outfitted with a custom model of Knightmare Frame: The Wallaces. Each was painted ashen gray and outfitted with both a massive battle rifle, multiple slash harkens, a riot shield, and a metal blade. The budget was too low for a Maser Vibration Sword (MVS), so the wolves had to make due with reinforced steel that could switch between longsword and claymore length—relative to the Wallace model—that vibrated at much lower speeds. Archaic in terms of technology to a true MVS, but it would get the job done against most enemy war machines, especially aircrafts and tanks if the Slash Harkens were jammed, disabled, destroyed, or the enemy was too close.
"I managed to commission a ninth Wallace in case you need one," Yuri told Zero.
"Let's hope we don't need them," Zero remarked. "Our mission is to get to Lonato's forces ahead of the Blue Lion house and the Knights of Seiros. Set the ship's course for the coordinates I provided and we should be able to arrive in roughly four to five hours. Who's our main pilot?"
"That would be me!" Constance exclaimed cheerfully. "Fear not, Zero! For you are in the hands of a Nuvelle! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"…Make that six hours," Zero remarked calmly. "I'll be in my quarters until we hit cruising altitude. Yuri, the bridge is yours until I take command. See to it that we don't fall off course or suffer unintended setbacks."
"The Neverland is a delicate lady, Zero. I shall keep her afloat and safe until her commander's chair is sat upon by yourself," Yuri told him.
"Good, I'm counting on you," Zero said.
"Ahem! Excuse me! And where are the thanks coming my way. The Neverland would not be able to fly without my expert piloting skills," Constance stated.
"If you pilot as well as you study, I shall retract my concerns and shower you with praise," Zero responded. "But actions speak louder than words. Your behavior up until now would suggest that the only person I would feel more concerned at the helm of the flight controls more than you to be Balthus."
"AH! Rude!" Constance exclaimed, put off. "This after I have defended your honor time and again more times than you will ever know?" She snapped, crossly gazing at Zero. She swept her hand across her body and out wide. "This simply will not do! I shall show you a Nuvelle's expert piloting skills. You believe our flight to be four hours? Nay! I shall get us there in three! Safely! And when I do I expect not only an apology, but also praise worthy of my glorious status. Zero. Yuri. I bid you adieu." She marched off for the bridge.
"I imagine you need time from the bridge to conserve energy for the suit you're wearing?" Yuri asked.
"Indeed," Lelouch said and tapped the crystal in his palm with his index finger. The battery charge read 95%. "Normally I would stand by with you all for the duration of the flight, but HLKMFs are not designed for lengthy combat. An evening lecture? Sure. I don't know where Anna got this model, but its charge length is a maximum of eight hours with no strenuous activity. Having a half-charge would be risky. A three-quarters charge, however? Something would have to go seriously wrong for it to run out of power at an inopportune time. But, fortunately, we have the Wallace units. Let's just hope our mission is quick, easy and gets us back to Garreg Mach within 48 hours."
"So then why the two week's supply?" Yuri asked.
"Always prepare for a worst-case scenario," Zero stated.
"And what does worst-case mean in this instance?" Yuri asked.
"That we get captured and held for ransom or worse by Lord Lonato's benefactors," Zero responded. "But, at least this way Balthus won't complain about rations."
Yuri burst out laughing. "Oh. Oh that one got me," he said, holding the side of his abdomen. He sighed to catch his breath. "You've barely been with us a full month and you're already getting used to us. One of these days, Zero, you really should trust everyone with your secret."
"Let's not allude to those kind of things here. You never know who could be listening," Zero responded.
"All right. All right," Yuri said, holding up his hands. "Fair enough. Welp. Time for bridge duty. I'll see you later." Yuri then went up the elevator Constance had previously taken.
Lelouch retired to the Captain's quarters, dismissing the Zero Matrix as he locked the door. He was greeted by the sight of C.C. lounging on his bed and eating pizza. She was lounging in nothing but shorts and a cropped top. And there's the other reason I asked for a two week's supply.
"You didn't have to come with us."
"My getting captured while you're away would cause you trouble. It was a prudent decision." She sat up, setting the slice she'd been holding into the box. "Besides, damned if I did, damned if I didn't. Sure, perhaps I'm in danger here as well, but I'm in far less danger with the Ashen Wolves. Also, you promised."
"About your one wish, right?" Lelouch asked her.
C.C. nodded.
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me what that is," Lelouch stated, sitting down at the computer terminal in the room.
C.C. didn't answer him verbally, but did so with body language by picking up the unfinished slice of pizza and eating it. Lelouch rolled his eyes in response.
He looked at the external cameras as moonlight and stars funneled in through the long rail tunnel the Neverland used to pick up speed from inside the cavern it rested inside.
On the bridge, Yuri directed his fellow wolves. "Flagship Neverland, begin launch!"
"Ignition on!" Constance exclaimed.
The engines of the Neverland fired up.
"All systems are stabilized and green!" Hapi exclaimed.
"Weapon systems and hangar are functioning and on standby," Ryo stated.
From the hangar, Ayano radioed in, "This is Vanguard Unit. Awaiting emergency deployment if needed." She was standing shoulder to shoulder with Akito and Balthus.
"This is engineering," Yukiya radioed in after Ayano, "No problems detected."
"Very well then," Yuri said. "Shady Lady, take us out!"
"Ahem!" Constance exclaimed aggressively.
Yuri sighed. She was so picky. "Miss glorious Constance von Nuvelle please grace us with your piloting skills."
With a chipper smile, Constance declared, "Aye-aye, sir!" Fiddling with the controls, Constance got the Neverland up to speed and then it shot out of Rome's crust like a V-shaped cannonball.
"Ahahahahahaha! See this? This is the skill and grace of House Nuvelle! Let the air beneath our wings tremble before my feet!"
"Fine, whatever. Just don't crash the ship and don't do anything dumb or insane," Yuri said. "Balthus and I have sensitive stomachs."
"And I'll sigh so big the vultures will be pecking at your corpse, Coco."
"Ah! Rude! I did not slave over textbook after textbook as a child to have my piloting skills called into question. On the future glory of House Nuvelle I shall grace us with our destination in record time!" Constance exclaimed.
"No one's calling it into question, Constance, but this is the Neverland's first non-test flight and we're all nervous," Ryo remarked. "And also because, on occasion, your claims of grandeur outreach your capability."
Constance puffed her cheeks. "Grrrrr, I will show all of you what a Nuvelle can do and then you'll be sorry!" She sent the Neverland higher into the air and at a fasting cruising altitude. Nothing dangerous, but the bridge did feel it.
Still, Constance was true to her word. The Neverland, for the time being, was safe in her hands.
Eventually, Zero joined his team on the bridge, relieving Yuri of duty. "What's our status?"
"Everything's stable," Hapi said.
"Good, then we're on schedule," Zero said. "Helmswoman Constance, what's our cruising altitude."
"900 kilometers and stable, Captain!" Constance reported happily.
"Begin cutting speed to 880 at 1 kilometer per hour every minute until speed is achieved. After that, start the angle of our descent until we've lost half our altitude and then stabilize until we approach. After that, I leave our descent in your hands," Zero instructed.
"Roger that," Constance answered with an enthusiastic smile. "You can rely on me."
Zero leaned back in his chair as he clasped his fingers together. I don't know what awaits us at Magdred Way. I don't know exactly what strings are being pulled or what type of man Lonato has become. But what I do know is that we're walking into a political theater surely to erupt in war if not handled delicately.
On the inside of the Zero Matrix, Lelouch smirked. Well then, Lord Lonato, Thunder Catherine, and the Blue Lion house, the die has been cast.
On a little table next to his seat, a chessboard was set up for Lelouch's amusement that he'd been fiddling with since getting ready for the operation. He picked up the white king and moved it.
And I call Check!
(A/N: *Yuukyou Seishin Ka plays*
Kedomo Kemonomichi Shishi yo tora yo to hoe
Akane sasu sora no cantata ni mahoroba
*Record Needle Scratch*
Don't you hate it when you misclick on the credits? Erhem, so uh anyway, lotta stuff going on in this chapter. I won't comment on the more serious bits, I'll leave that for all of you to comment on, but I will say that the Mario Party sketch was done as an homage to Party Crashers because EpicLinkSam and I thought it would be funny. If you weren't amused by it, lemme know and I won't use the gag again. Other than that, things are moving forward towards the 2nd major mission of Fire Emblem Three Houses. What chaos and mystery await us at the Battle of Magdred Way? On one side, we have Lonato, the mysterious mages and the Ashen Wolves. On the other, the Blue Lions, Thunder Catherine, Suzaku and the Knights. This is Fire Emblem, but are we playing on Casual or Classic? (evil grin) Next time, the Blue Lions HLKMFs will debut and the Battle of Magdred Way will obviously be the focus. I hope it lives up to the hype. It'll be the first live, deadly combat since the terrorist attack during the expedition. Until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)