(A/N: Only thing I really have to say is there's a comment from chapter 13 I want to highlight for this chapter courtesy of Ranger24ff:

"Byleth meanwhile being absolutely terrifyingly nonchalant about the fact she's a human blending machine where you throw people at her and get chunk salsa as a result."

Laughed so hard. Remember, folks, your comment can be featured at the start of a chapter if I like it enough. Don't be shy by telling me exactly what you think of this story, even if it's to rip it apart)

26th Day of the Blue Sea Moon

Having to deal with Euphemia on campus was hard enough for Lelouch. As if ducking her from being in the Blue Lions class from time to time over the past moon wasn't hard enough, now she was in his territory. Fortunately, the Black Eagles were more than accepting enough to him to have him among their ranks. Edelgard had more than earned his respect in the past few moons, after all.

Sure, it put him right in Hubert's sight line, but at least this way he wouldn't be ambushed by the man. If Hubert was keeping an eye on Lelouch, then Lelouch was keeping an eye on him. Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. Lelouch knew there was bound to be fallout from his transfer. He just didn't expect the first sign of that fallout to come to him immediately after lunch.

"Hey, Lulu," Lelouch heard the dismayed call out from Shirley. She approached him slowly.

"Oh, Shirley," Lelouch said, keeping a watchful eye out for Euphemia. "Did you need something?"

"Why did you change classes?" Shirley asked, head aimed at the ground. "Do you…not like us, or something?"

Lelouch put his charming façade on. "No, Shirley. Don't be ridiculous. It's got nothing to do with you."

Shirley continued to look miserable. "I…I've been trying to impress you, you know. I…I've been mastering my marksmanship and HLKMF skills…because I thought you would want to see what I could do. I…um…"

Lelouch smiled. "You could always come to the Black Eagles yourself, Shirley," Lelouch told her.

"Wha…um…I just…" Shirley whipped her head up, covering her mouth, stuttering.

"I transferred because I wanted to learn more about Adrestia's culture, see how they teach. Edelgard and I have become good friends."

"S-so it's all because of Edelgard then?" Shirley asked, now sounding mad.

I will never understand women, Lelouch thought, noting the significant switch of emotion.

"Well…" Lelouch began to scratch his cheek. Technically that wasn't wrong.

Shirley started to growl. "You know what? Fine! I'll prove that you should come back to the Violet Tigers. I'll…I'll get stronger than even Lady Edelgard herself!" she stormed off.

Lelouch sighed internally. Well, that could have gone better, but at least it could have been worse.

Shez, having seen the whole thing go down from a bush, merely thought, Swing and a miss, Shirley. Swing and a miss. She'd talk to her later. She stood up from the bush, glanced at Lelouch heading off to do his own thing, and then she herself headed to the training ground to do her own thing.

27th Day of the Blue Sea Moon

In private, Seteth met with Rhea that day.

"Rhea, have you a moment?" he asked.

"Always for you, Seteth. Speak your mind," Rhea said, looking up from the sermon she was going over for tonight's services.

"I will be blunt, no matter how it might come across. Was it truly wise to leave such an important item in the professor's hands?" he asked. "I know your word is final on matters such as these, but…I can't help but feel apprehensive over all of this."

Rhea smiled warmly. "I have full confidence in them, Seteth. They are Jeralt's kin. They would never turn their blade upon us."

"I…suppose the professor did choose to stay here rather than go to Britannia, which brings me to my second point: was that a wise decision to almost let her fall into Britannia's army. The balance of the world could have been upset. She would have been Schneizel's personal knight," Seteth stated.

Rhea's smile did not fade. "I had full confidence she would turn it down. I have received nothing but praise of the new professor's actions. Surely you can say the same?"

Seteth had to admit, Rhea was correct about that. "I'll admit, I have received several student letters asking if the professor would remain here in subsequent years from students with younger siblings. Jeralt's daughter might be young, but the students do seem drawn to her."

"Will you put your worries aside, Seteth? Surely you can see I made the right decision here," Rhea told him, smile fading into a look of concern.

Seteth grumbled, shaking his head. "For Flayn's sake, I cannot afford to be lax. Jeralt is not the same man you once knew, Rhea. He drinks more, he's terser with others, and he seldom offers his prayers to the goddess."

"What is your point?"

"My point is that I also know what it's like for a daughter to show love to their father," Seteth told Rhea. "And while the new professor may have a funny way of showing it, I can say with certainty that Jeralt is the most important person in the world to her. If he asked her to raze the church, I have no doubt that she would do so, even convince the students around her to join her. As long as I can't shake that thought from my head, I can't relax around her."

Rhea smiled once more. "I am truly fortunate to have someone like you on my staff, Seteth. But you needn't worry. I know that merely saying that is not enough to convince you, but…I hope, in time, you will come to see that my words are true."

Seteth nodded. "Honestly, I do hope that they are proven true. I would like to count on Jeralt and the professor as staunch allies, regardless of their devotion to the Goddess. Jeralt was always a staunch captain of the knights, and his kin is a capable fighter and showing leadership qualities." He smiled. "It would bring me no shortage of joy if she showed that she was no threat, or better."

Rhea smiled. "I am happy to hear you say that." Her smile faded. "Now then, my sermon."

"Yes, of course. Sorry to disturb you, archbishop." Seteth said and left for his office across the hall, shutting the door.

Rhea turned her head to a painting hanging above the wall. It was an old painting, perfectly preserved, depicting Saint Seiros and the Four Saints, all gathered around with smiles. All five people portrayed in the picture had green hair, much like her and Seteth's own. She then returned to her sermon, checking it for errors or places she could improve. And, with that, time marched forward undisturbed.

28th Day of the Blue Sea Moon

With Nunnally in the Golden Deer, Lelouch was not able to watch over her all hours of the day, but if there was one thing he trusted the Deer to do, it was take care of her. Raphael, in particular, he felt he could implicitly trust with Nunnally's life. The day after the class switch, they'd had lunch together and Raphael had told him quite seriously:

"Don't worry, Lelouch. I'll treat Nunnally like she was my own sister. Even if Nunnally can't tip a pig over, even if she wasn't in a wheelchair, I'll still protect her like she was my dear sweet Maya."

Lelouch believed those words and the gravity behind them. Raphael was a simpleton, but a goodhearted simpleton. He was easy to read and lacked the ability to deceive others.

Then there was Lysithea. Lelouch and Lysithea were on excellent terms, especially following the incident in the Mausoleum. Library studies became a regular thing every Thursday after dinner. The two would study magic theory for an hour, playing friendly games of chess, even though Lelouch would always win.

Leonie also, Lelouch knew, would treat Nunnally well. To her, Nunnally was Jeralt's kin and Leonie, a commoner from the sticks, knew the value of a good medic. She'd protect Nunnally the way a platoon of soldiers protected their field medic. If you tried to harm Nunnally in Leonie's presence on the battlefield, you'd be going home in a body bag.

But, of the three, that wasn't the person Lelouch had seen most often in Nunnally's presence. No, the person that seemed to be around Nunnally the most, and spoiling her rotten, was Hilda Valentine Goneril. The two would craft little accessories together, Hilda would escort her everywhere and frequently lift Nunnally out of her wheelchair and sit Nunnally under her lap under a tree and listen to the birds, the squirrels and the wind.

There was a benefit to this. Hilda did not take kindly to Claude's less savory tendencies. If the leader of the Golden Deer tried to poke too much into Nunnally's history, Lelouch believed she would tell him to buzz off. Fortunately, as luck would have it, he had the rare opportunity to observe this directly as he passed by the park near the Monastery's grounds. Claude had come across harmless enough at first, making dumb jokes and acting the fool like he always did. And then he let this gaff fly out into the open…

"So, Nunnally, how exactly did you end up in your predicament?" Claude asked. "Get into a fight with a grizzly bear and lose?"

"Claude! It's probably the most traumatic day of her life," Hilda told him. "Stop asking such mean questions."

"Hey, come on, aren't you curious?" Claude asked.

"Of course I am," Hilda had said, as she brushed Nunnally's cheek with her own. "But I'd never upset this little squish bean here by being so blunt about it."

Nunnally giggled. "That tickles."

"Well don't you two just look like a seasons greetings cards," Claude chuckled. "No, but seriously," he said, dropping the cheer. "I'm not just curious, you don't just lose your eyesight over nothing. I mean, what if the people who did it are still out there? What if the start targeting higher ranking nobles. Imagine how Holst would feel if you ended up like Nunnally, Hilda."

"Ohhhhh my god," Hilda said, growling, but smiling, cheeks turning red. "I don't even want to think about that. But that's still no excuse to be bothering poor Nunna. We're having a good time here just the two of us, Claude. Beat it."

"All right. All right. I know what I'm not wanted. Poor me." Claude then headed off.

"Phew," Hilda said, shaking her head. "Now I don't have to get roped up into whatever he really wanted from me."

"Can we have our snack now?" Nunnally asked.

"Of course," Hilda said, reaching into her purse. "I made apple crumb cupcakes."

"Yay! Cupcakes!" Nunnally exclaimed.

And it was at this that Lelouch realized what Hilda's game plan was. She was using Nunnally as a "get out of work free" card. Part of him wanted to call her out on it. Part of him was actually quite angry that Nunnally was being used as a tool for Hilda's own personal gain. However…he couldn't bring himself to do it. Because in spite of Hilda's ulterior motives, Lelouch needed to only see the smile on Nunnally and Hilda's faces when Nunnally bit into that cupcake, made all sorts of yummy sounds, and then snuggled up to Hilda to realize she did, in fact, care about his sister's well-being.

Letting out a content, "Heh." Lelouch left his hiding spot and went back to the Monastery.

29th Day of the Blue Sea Moon

All her life, Euphemia li Britannia had received private tutors. Garreg Mach was the first time the young princess had ever attended school with boys and girls her age range. Most would feel overwhelmed, but not Euphemia. She felt very comfortable around her peers and classmates. It helped that they were all quite friendly. Well…almost all of them. There were a few people that Euphemia was having trouble making friends with, but that didn't deter her from approaching everything with a friendly smile.

While the third princess had little trouble in academia and group activities. Euphemia's biggest hurdle was the actual combat portion of the Officer's Academy. Clearly, this girl was not her sister. She excelled in magic and healing, but very little else. She was a terrible marksman, had little in the way of melee combat effectiveness, and her HLKMF response time was…pitiful to say the least. Still, not every student was effective at everything. But most of those students weren't also royals.

Edelgard von Hresvelg had predicted that Euphemia would perform poorly with regards to adapting to Garreg Mach's curriculum. It was why she found Marrybell's leadership within the Violet Tigers preferrable. And, now that Euphemia was here, Edelgard had no qualms about telling Euphemia about her shortcomings to her face.

She strolled up to the third princess after Euphemia finished her magic target practice. Euphemia's scores lagged behind a lot of students, even unnoteworthy ones. Still, she had finished her quota enough consider her skills improving and started drinking a bottle of water. That was when Edelgard made her presence known.

"Excuse me," she said, approaching the third princess from behind.

"Oh, hello Edelgard," Euphemia said joyously with a smile. "How is the day treating you?"

"The day is treating me fine," Edelgard said. "I'm far more concerned about you."

"Oh, you needn't worry about me. I'm quite—"

Euphemia was cut off when Edelgard took out her energy axe and nearly brought the blade to the princess's neck. Euphemia could hear it humming in her ear. She looked absolutely terrified.

"Your guard is completely down. In battle, such things are a death sentence." Edelgard was holding the two-handed axe steady with the muscles of a single arm. "You flit about this academy with a care free attitude as if you think the academy is some kind of social party that never ends. But it's not that. It's in the name, Garreg Mach's Officer's Academy. Everyone here is training relentlessly to become a knight, or a soldier, or open doors for their future. You're treating it like it's a vacation with mild responsibilities." Edelgard took her axe away and planted it firmly in the ground, dismissing the energy aspect, making it look like she just had a heavy metal pole slammed into the ground.

Euphemia's terrified stare turned to dismay as she locked gazes with Edelgard.

"I…" Euphemia began only to take a deep breath, compose herself and say much more sharply, "You're wrong."

"Am I now?" Edelgard asked, sounding unconvinced. "Please, enlighten me."

"It's because I'm incapable that I want to learn," Euphemia told Edelgard. "My sister always looks at me like I'm some fragile porcelain doll that needs to be protected. I want to prove to her that I'm more capable than she thinks. I want to be seen as reliable."

"Ha!" Edelgard scoffed. "You reliable? You lack any sort of leadership qualities, your combat abilities are terrible, and your social understanding is outdated by at least five years. You wouldn't survive a day in Adrestia's political climate, even as a guest. And I know Britannia's to be just as harsh depending on the circumstances."

"All the more reason I want to learn. I don't want to stay helpless forever, Edelgard. I want to be useful to my people, to my country," Euphemia told her.

"All right, then show me what you can do," Edelgard said. "Let's have a match, right here and now."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. If you think you have the slightest bit resolve then let me show you what diligent leadership looks like, and if it scares you, you should go running back to your sister and never stand in a lecture hall here at the Monastery again," Edelgard told her.

Euphemia swallowed as Edelgard began adjusting the training ground simulator to resemble a closed arena. Edelgard immediately activated her HLKMF, but not her Flame Emperor one. She had a spare to show off to her class. This one was as red as blood, heavily armored like a tank. The plating looked so heavy that it seemed impossible to move, yet Edelgard didn't seem to have much trouble. She carried a massive energy shield in one hand and an energy axe in the other. The helmet resembled the head of a black eagle with two plumes going out the backs of the eyes like horns, giving Edelgard a heavily armored Valkyrie aesthetic. Codename: Black Eagle Six.

Euphemia activated her own HLKMF. She had a custom model given to her by Cornelia for her own protection. The model was completely pink, looking as though it had a crinoline, but with metal filling in the gaps of the combat skirt. Euphemia had quite the endowed breast plate and gauntlets, with her helmet having the crest of a heart on the forehead. This was Euphemia's work in progress HLKMF: The Caring Princess.

Edelgard wasted no time opening the hostilities, wrapping a length of chain around her arm, connected to her axe, and tossed it forward, the business end slamming into Euphemia's chest, knocking her over with a yelp. Euphemia made to get up only to get slammed in the arm by Edelgard swinging a fire imbued energy axe from out wide towards Euphemia's shoulder, smashing in the integrity of the frame and knocking Euphemia across the arena. Edelgard pulled back her axe, choking up on it as she walked forward, shield raised.

"Pitiful," she said, in mockery. "You haven't the slightest bit of drive in you. You haven't the capacity to hurt anyone, and that makes you weak. Even the most basic of soldiers can defend themselves because of a drive to live. I treat battle, even a spar, as though it could be my last. Accidents happen and battles are unkind."

Euphemia did her best to push up on her good arm.

"You don't have what it takes to study here as a knight!"

Edelgard hurled her axe forward again. Euphemia got up and launched a fireball from her good hand, but it got wrecked in the approach by Edelgard's axe and the energy weapon cut into the hard light hand of the frame. Edelgard then tackled Euphemia's frame, sending her careening along the ground as she mustered to get up, only for her HLKMF to dispel, having run out of energy.

Edelgard dismissed her HLKMF. "That was pathetic. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"You…"

"Hmm?"

"You're…" Euphemia began to get out, only to raise up her head, her face lit up like a city at night, "SO COOL!"

"…What?" Edelgard questioned flatly, blinking.

"Princess Edelgard, I would be honored if you would teach me more about combat. You seem quite capable. And if you came all this way to scold me, surely you are concerned about my well-being, no?" Euphemia asked bowing.

"Er, well that's…" Edelgard commented, putting her knuckles to her chin.

Euphemia exuberantly took Edelgard's hands in hers, causing the imperial princess to blush. "Please take me as your student. If my success is your success, then it will improve relations between our nations."

"O-O-Out of the question," Edelgard stuttered, pulling one hand back. "I am not qualified to be a teacher and you could just as easily learn things from the new professor!"

"And you're so modest!" Euphemia exclaimed.

"Princess! Cease this foolishness!" Edelgard exclaimed, backing away. "I will have no dealings training up someone that can barely defend themselves! That is my final word!"

The mood seemed to cool at Edelgard's declaration.

"Honestly, do you really think I would be overtaken by your enthusiasm?" Edelgard asked, frowning. "Princess Euphemia, you really need to understand my position here. Yes, I'm concerned about your continued physical health, but only to the point of how you are letting your kingdom down. It is of no consequence to Adrestia if you are weak or strong." She looked at Euphemia with a serious expression. "If anything, it actually would benefit me if you left Garreg Mach and stopped trying to get stronger. It would strengthen Adrestia's political position if Britannia's third princess cannot fight back. You become an easy target for kidnappers and assassins. That was the meaning of my visit today. I honestly think you don't belong here."

The words began to sink in. Euphemia looked disheartened. "I just want to make friends." She said. "I've been home schooled all my life so…I don't have much experience being around people my age."

"You didn't have to become a student to succeed at that. You were already making friends with the Blue Lion house."

"That was temporary," Euphemia told her. "Honestly…I just wanted to stay here a bit longer. My sister would have never let me if I didn't try becoming a full-time student. Sure, maybe I'm not exactly here for the right reasons, but if I apply myself, I can only improve."

"And if you never obtain the hardness of your heart to be of use in battle, what then?" Euphemia asked.

"Many soldiers don't fight in battle. Look at Joan of Arc," Euphemia told her.

"Hmm," Edelgard said with a smirk. "I suppose stranger things do happen. Very well," she said with a serious expression. "I can see that you have your own reasons for being here, but I stand by what I said: you're no knight and you are no soldier. And unless that changes, you could become a detriment to your allies."

"The only ones who should kill…are the ones prepared to be killed," Euphemia said, staring up at the sky.

"Pardon?" Edelgard asked. Euphemia had practically muttered the words.

"It's something my sister and Lady Marianne used to say a lot. In other words, a soldier prepared to die is the only one qualified to take the life of someone else. Maybe that's part of it. Maybe I've got too much to live for, so I'm not prepared to die."

Edelgard smiled. "In some ways, I envy that. Life is a precious thing." Her smiled faded. "However, I am prepared to lay down my life for my ideals and for my people. Any member of royalty commanding troops should be able to say the same. Perhaps that is why Prince Schneizel prefers diplomacy to the battlefield, but even he understands the darkness lurking in this world. You do not. And that naivety will get you killed one day."

"I almost pity you, Edelgard. You're only capable of seeing the darkness in the world. You don't have light in your life," Euphemia told her.

"You're wrong, I do have light," Edelgard told her. "It's a glimmering sunrise found at the end of a very dark tunnel. It's faint, but it's there. If I was absent of light, this conversation wouldn't be happening at all. You'd be dead and I'd be laughing."

Euphemia bristled, greatly concerned by Edelgard's nonchalance.

The woman chuckled. "That was a joke. I hope the day never comes when I lose myself quite like that, or the day where I would have to kill you. In your current state, you're far more valuable to Adrestia alive."

"Oh, um…thank you?" Euphemia asked, not sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Be safe, Princess Euphemia. I imagine we will talk again," Edelgard said and left the training ground.

"Oh um, yes! …See you later!"

She watched Edelgard leave out the training ground. She held a fist by her chest. She sniffed, a tear dripping out. Do I really come across as that naïve and pitiful? Really? Cornelia…am I in over my head here?

30th Day of the Blue Sea Moon

When it came to joining the Black Eagles, Rolo was surprised to ask Clara be so eager to do so. Sure, Clara could be excitable, but it was usually a cover for her disturbed mind. But, she was being sincere when she told Rolo she was excited to join. Rolo, for his part, simply was doing this because it was his job. And, he felt, Hubert picked up on that.

Of course, Hubert was easy to converse with. The man knew he couldn't touch Rolo, which Rolo knew, or it would upset Arundel, which could be extremely bad…no would be extremely bad for Edelgard. No, there was someone else far, far more detrimental to Rolo's mission.

"Hey, Rolo," a sultry, chipper voice called out as Rolo entered the dining hall.

"Ah, Miss Dorothea. Something I could help you with?" Rolo asked politely.

"Well, I just thought we could have lunch together. Sometimes it feels like you're avoiding me."

That's because I am avoiding you, Rolo thought. Rolo's problem with Dorothea wasn't that she was mean to him. It's that she was nice. Too nice. And while Rolo wasn't averse to affection, that niceness made it easy to slip up. Worse, Dorothea, as he'd seen from observing her, had a penchant for seeing through other people's lies. Rolo felt he would rather lose chess to Lelouch from dawn to till dusk than spend an afternoon with this dangerous woman. Dorothea, unlike Hubert, had no restraints or reasons to restrain herself. And the last thing Rolo needed was getting caught by this woman.

Sure, he had a secret weapon and could kill her whenever he wanted, but killing a Songstress of the Mittlefrank Opera Company, one he'd admitted to visiting a show of hers, would not reflect well once the church's investigation got underway. Even if the investigation was brushed aside, Rolo thought he would spare Arundel that headache for as long as possible.

Still, at the moment, he was fresh out of excuses. And, if he acted like he was avoiding her, she could grow suspicious. Forcing a smile, he said, "Sure, I'm actually quite hungry."

The two sat down to a nice meal of a Garreg Mach Meat Pie: Cheese, sauce, mashed potatoes and ground meat. Rolo watched as Dorothea leaned her chin into her palm and ate whilst forking food into her mouth. He followed her gaze, noticing her staring at Lelouch with the nastiest of apathetic stares.

Ah, right, she and Lelouch don't get along, Rolo remembered. "Are you okay, Dorothea?" Why?! Why did I open my mouth?! He could have just stayed quiet, but nooooooooo, now he had to make small talk.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. It's just, Lelouch rubs me the wrong way is all." She pouted. "He said some really mean things to me a while ago and I still haven't forgiven him." She now looked more miserable than pouty. "I…thought he of all people would understand."

"Understand what exactly?" Rolo inquired.

Dorothea sighed. "Rolo, you came from the streets, right?"

"I did," he answered quickly. He didn't exactly come from the streets, more a lab, but Dorothea didn't need to know that.

"Then you know how it is. Nobles just…they look at you like you're a piece of garbage, like you're better off decontaminating the census of your filthy presence. If I didn't find my way to the opera company…I might be dead by now."

"Don't say that," Rolo said, attempting to be nice. "You seem tough enough to solider on through, well, anything."

Dorothea smiled. "You're sweet, Rolly, thanks."

R-Rolly?

"So, what's it like living with Edie's uncle? I bet it's incomparable to what you're used to, right?"

Rolo thought about. He hadn't been living with Arundel long before this assignment fell into his lap. He had to carefully visualize Lord Arundel's manor. "Well, it's definitely luxurious. Lots of chandeliers and expensive paintings." He sipped the iced coffee he got with his lunch. "Is…that the kind of life you want, Dorothea?"

"Well…yeah," she admitted, frowning. She grumbled. "I hate what Lelouch said. Because…because he wasn't wrong and…I hate myself for it. Maybe all those nobles were right," she said miserably. "Maybe I would be better off just decontaminating the census of my presence."

"Don't say that," Rolo told her. "Then they win. And you have a lot of positive qualities, Dorothea. You're a nice person, for one. I've seen you interact with people beyond just asking guys to dinner. You seem like you're a genuinely nice person."

Dorothea stared at Rolo, shocked to hear those words. Sure, she'd thought it. Sure, Petra had said it before in passing. But, hearing someone else reaffirm it, a guy no less, made Dorothea feel, well, practically giddy.

"You know, Rolly, I think you have a good heart too," she told him.

"What? Me? No…I…I don't, I…" Rolo scratched the back of his head. Yup. This was what he was afraid. He'd stepped in it now.

"I'm serious. Maybe it's because I don't know a lot of people who understand what it's like to be me, but…I feel like I can trust you," Dorothea said with a smile.

Rolo screamed furiously inside his brain. Oh great, Dorothea was latching onto him. That was the last thing he needed. He thought about it rapidly, trying to dig his way out of having someone smother him with…with…whatever she was making him feel.

Ah! He hatched on an idea. He pushed his plate back and looked miserable, standing. "No. I'm…I'm not a trustworthy person at all. Thank you for asking me to lunch. I'll be going now." He then walked away before Dorothea had a chance to protest. She looked mighty confused.

And just to rub salt in the wound, Lelouch passed by her table. "Another failed lunch rendezvous."

"Eat sand, Lelouch. I'm not in the mood," Dorothea snapped at him. She was floored when he sat down where Rolo had previously been sitting. She then scowled. "You have some nerve."

Lelouch ate in silence, taking a book out whilst he ate.

"Hey! Say something!"

"Your presence is convenient for me right now. Look to your right," Lelouch requested.

Dorothea didn't want to do anything Lelouch asked of her, but did so. She then noticed a bunch of girls, young noblewomen, all wondering what to do, holding their lunch trays. Dorothea could read their faces easily. They weren't approaching…because of her. They seemed to be convinced, or at least pondering if Lelouch and Dorothea were having a moment and Lelouch was…

"You are scum, you know that?" Dorothea snapped.

…He was taking advantage of her.

"I'm well aware of my shortcomings, Dorothea Arnault," Lelouch told her.

"Where do you get off, exactly?" she snapped at him. "What? You think just because your relatives are two of the strongest PMCs in the world and you inherited you found your way to riches that that entitles you to treat the rest of the world like trash?"

Intrigued by Dorothea's line of questioning, Lelouch actually closed his book and put it down. He stared at Dorothea with a hard to read expression.

"Well…" Dorothea stated, getting hot under the collar. "Answer me!"

Lelouch was silent, but only for a brief period before saying, "If you could reshape the world so that you didn't have to marry a rich man, but have love and fortune for the rest of your days, would you?"

"Huh?" Dorothea asked, jaw going slack. She was very confused. The way Lelouch asked the question it was if…it was as if he'd suddenly seen right through her.

"Should I repeat the question?" Lelouch asked.

"N-No…it's just…" Dorothea said, frowning. Lelouch heard her sniff like she might cry.

"Perhaps a change of venue is in order. Follow me."

The two walked out through the entrance hall and past the Gatekeeper.

"Greetings, Lelouch! Nothing to—" he then saw Dorothea and cut himself. "Oh! Never mind," he said, bowing, believing he'd be getting in the way of something, "Have a pleasant afternoon, sir!"

Lelouch smiled at the gatekeeper and he and Dorothea found an empty table in the marketplace under the sunny summer sky to finish their meal.

"You don't want to marry anyone rich. You'd rather be in love. You'd rather the world didn't force you to choose between a trophy wife and being who you are."

Dorothea was now more confused by Lelouch than ever. "I thought…I thought you hated me."

Lelouch dug a fork into his meat pie. "I would never hate someone that was genuinely kind to my sister. I was merely disgusted with your shallowness, but I'm slowly starting to see you from a different angle. I see your inner struggle. I'm seeing," he said as he then swallowed and sipped water, "Why you were trying to be nice to me."

Dorothea sniffed again. She could feel tears welling up, but she held them back. She settled for frowning. "You weren't wrong with what you said though."

"I know. I was missing pieces to the puzzle," Lelouch told her. He folded his arms on the table. "When we last conversed, I saw only half of who you are. Now, I'm seeing all of it. And so, I ask you, you know how cruel the world can be, what do you plan to do about it? Are you just going to run away? Is that really what you want?"

Dorothea looked miserable. "No, but I…what else could I do, really."

"You could fight," Lelouch told her.

"Fight?" Dorothea questioned.

"You curse the world, yet if you live in it without doing anything about it, you won't change it. You'll continue to curse it and the world won't care."

"Are you…fighting, Lelouch?" Dorothea asked.

"I've thought about it," Lelouch said, speaking calmly, looking dead in the eye. "But you can't change the world without getting your hands dirty, nor by yourself. When the time comes, I will need allies. Could I count on you?"

"You're talking about a revolution," Dorothea said, gasping.

"Perhaps," Lelouch said, refusing to explicitly give the game away.

"That's quite the stage to stand on," Dorothea said.

"Maybe, but if I had the choice, I would rather fight for what I believe in, than die having achieved nothing," Lelouch told her.

Dorothea contemplated this and then gave Lelouch a strong look. "You…you're right," she said. "I don't want to die having achieved nothing. Songstresses will come and go, but there's only one Dorothea Arnault. I…I don't know if I'd make a very good revolutionary, but…I'll think about it, okay? Just…"

"I get it. Violence isn't your first choice," Lelouch told her. "It's not everyone's. But when our pens fail, we only have our swords."

Dorothea chuckled. "You should be a poet."

Lelouch smirked. "Or a public speaker."

Dorothea laughed more. "I…was right about you," she said, smiling. "You're exactly the person I thought you were." She frowned. "I'm…sorry for calling you a jerk."

Lelouch shook his head. "I pushed you away because your presence was inconvenient. If I wanted a shallow, meaningless relationship with an attractive woman, I would have achieved one already, maybe two or three."

"Attractive?" Dorothea asked, blushing, giddy.

Of course that's the part she focuses on. "Look, that's not the point," Lelouch told her. "What I'm trying to say is."

Dorothea put a finger to Lelouch's lips, winking. "You don't have to say it. I get it." She finished her meal. "Thanks for being a gentleman today. I really appreciate it." She then left. "See you around."

Once Dorothea was out of sight, Lelouch leaned over the table, resting his chin on the backs of his hands. I need to find a proper venue to announce Zero to the world. My last two showings have not gone well. I need to have Rome take me seriously as a threat, but how?

Unfortunately, no good ideas came to his mind at that moment.

31st Day of the Blue Sea Moon

Sylvain Jose Gautier groaned as his cell phone made a "whoop" sound in the middle of the night. He sat up in bed, his sweaty, shirtless form basking in the moonlight through his window. It wasn't unusual for him to be wearing nothing up top since the previous moon. The man grew up in the cold regions of Faerghus, so dealing with the hot Roman summer temperatures was quite unusual. As beads of sweat dripped down his chest—even with the air conditioner on—he reached for his high-rise night stand for his phone. The sender was his father.

As Sylvain unlocked the phone, a lump on the other side of his bed rustled, blonde hair illuminated by the moonlight. As Sylvain sat up, texting, the owner of said blonde hair sat up slowly.

"Sylvain, what's going on?" The sleepy, topless form of Milly Ashford asked, as she yawned.

"My dad, apparently," Sylvain said, tapping away, responding to the text. "My brother did something really shitty. Go back to sleep, Milly."

Milly, however, did not go back to sleep. She instead shambled under the covers until her head was firmly pressed against Sylvain's stomach, her bare chest pressing down on his leg. She grumbled, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hey, come on, what's with all this. You're not seriously getting attached are you? I thought we agreed this was NSA," Sylvain said.

Milly poked his spinal column. "Yeah, but you woke me up, so you have to pay a penalty."

Sylvain sighed and put the phone down as he finished his text. "My brother stole the family relic. The night guard just alerted my father."

Milly sat up via a burst of adrenaline. "Your brother stole your family's—!"

"Shhhhhh!" Sylvain shushed, covering her mouth, putting a finger of his other hand to his own lips. "Not so loud!" he demanded in a loud whisper. "You wanna wake up the whole dorm?"

Milly shook her head, making noise that indicated she understood. Sylvain took his hand away. "Why'd your brother do that?"

"Oh, you know, cause his dick is tiny and he's got a chip on his shoulder," Sylvain said, making light of it.

Milly puffed her cheeks. She wasn't buying it, nor appreciating Sylvain making light of something so important.

Sylvain let out a grumbling exhale. "Miklan was disowned by my father a while ago for not having a crest the minute I popped out of my mother's womb. He's been trying to prove himself, but given how strict Faerghus is to the teachings of Seiros, there wasn't any room for that. So, he started up his own private militia, though they were more like a gang of thieves. He's always been a piece of crap, but I didn't think he'd go so far as to steal the relic. My dad was asking me if I could bring it up to the Archbishop in the morning. Sounds like one of the classes is going to be sent after my older brother."

"You don't think it'll be the Blue Lions?" Milly asked.

"After what happened last time, I don't think his Highness wants to spill Faerghusian blood on Faerghusian soil, plus we're down Ashe and Felix. Nah, for something like this, it'll probably end up in the hands of one of the other houses. My guess is the Green Pheasants, but I suck at gambling, so I'm probably wrong."

"I wouldn't say you suck at gambling," Milly said.

"Oh yeah, why's that?" Sylvain asked.

Milly booped his nose. "You took a chance on me, after all," she said, purring, crawling up his chest, putting her chin against his sternum."

Sylvain laughed, he couldn't help it. The joke was so dumb it was actually kinda funny. "Remember though, we just agreed to do this because we're young and stupid. It's not supposed to mean anythi—"

Milly made lip contact with Sylvain, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. "I know," she said, gazing away from him, "But…that was my first time, you know. It'll be hard to pull away."

"Milly, you have a fiancé," Sylvain reminded her.

"And what if I told our fathers I wanted you instead?" Milly asked.

"Leeeet's not start talking like that, okay? I mean, why would you want to be with a doofus like me anyway?" Sylvain asked.

Milly buried her face in Sylvain's chest. "Meanie," she muttered.

"What was that?" Sylvain missed it entirely.

"Nothing," Milly said and slid down Sylvain to lay on the wall side of the bed. She yawned. "Night, Sylvain."

"Yeah, uh, night," he said. He listened to Milly yawn again as she settled down and started to snore. He then curled his lip, wondering if he even believed the stuff they agreed to. He didn't outright say it, but…it had been his first time too. Caressing Milly's bare back and then her arm, Sylvain then hunkered back down to sleep, faced away from the bombshell blonde, and went back to sleep.

1st Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

The next morning, as he'd promised his father, Sylvain told Rhea about what was going on in Faerghus. As expected, the Blue Lions were not the ones tasked with recovering the Lance of Ruin. Instead, Rhea had another house in mind.

"Arriving as requested, your grace," Edelgard said with Jeritza in tow.

"Ah, Edelgard, excellent," Rhea said. "I have a…troubling matter I would like you and the Black Eagles to handle."

"We'll get it done. How may we be of service this month?"

Rhea told Edelgard about the incident with Miklan and the Lance of Ruin as she'd heard it from Sylvain.

"A hero's relic is it?" Jeritza asked. "Ahhhhh, what a worthy challenge." He seemed to be imagining facing its power.

"Don't get swept away by fantasies, Professor Jeritza. There is much planning to do," Edelgard told him.

"Of course," Jeritza stated.

"I have also assigned one of my knight squadrons to this mission as well, given the delicateness of the matter," Rhea stated.

"Which one?" Edelgard asked, only for footsteps to come waltzing in and the sound of panting of an adult man.

A man with graying orange hair, pulled back tight in a ponytail, garbed in the Knights of Seiros uniform, stood at the entrance to Rhea's audience hall, out of breath. "A thousand apologies, your grace. I am not as young as I used to be."

"Edelgard. Professor Jeritza. This is Gilbert of the Knights of Seiros."

Gilbert stood erect and then bowed to Edelgard. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, your highness."

"No need to stand on ceremony, Sir Gilbert. Just Edelgard is fine," Edelgard said calmly, but trying to be cordial.

"Apologies, but my principles are paramount," Gilbert told her. He looked to Professor Jeritza. "Ah, and well met, Professor."

"Hmmm," Jeritza uttered, far less enthusiastic about the meeting, clearly.

"Yes, well, we can discuss the our strategy in greater detail later. Right now, I have things to take care of and, I imagine, you'd like to make it to your lectures on time," Gilbert said.

"Of course," Edelgard said. "Perhaps I might have lunch in your office."

Gilbert nodded. "That would be acceptable."

"I'll be bringing several fellow classmates with me to discuss the matter. I hope you won't feel overwhelmed," Edelgard said.

"Nonsense. I am used to coordinating with a team. Before I was in servitude to the archbishop, I was in servitude to the his late majesty, King Lambert."

"Ah," Edelgard said, surprised briefly, only to smile, "A knight of Faerghus is it? Yes, that would make sense why you would be selected. I imagine you're familiar with Miklan's territory, then?"

"Conrad Tower actually sits closer to Rome than it does my own territory. I actually used to live much closer to the Empire, but now isn't the time to talk about myself," Gilbert said. "I shall excuse myself and see you later."

"Fare you thee this fine day then, Sir," Edelgard told him.

And, with that, Gilbert left.

"So that's the story," Edelgard told her class.

"Conrad Tower is it?" Rolo asked. "I've heard about it."

"Is it dangerous?" Bernadetta asked.

"If it is, you don't have to go, Bernie," Clara said.

"No, a tower like this would be imperative for someone of Bernadetta's marksmanship," Edelgard said.

Bernadetta whined. So much for staying home.

"Recovering a hero's relic for a neighboring kingdom. Quite the assignment," Hubert said.

Edelgard turned toward Lelouch. "Would you accompany Hubert, Monica and I to lunch with Sir Gilbert?" Edelgard asked.

"Huh? Me?" Lelouch asked, surprised.

"Don't look so surprised. You're a valuable part of this class now, even if you're Britannian by blood."

"I am believing you will have excellent contributions to our strategy, Lelouch," Petra said with confidence.

"I need only one strategy," Jeritza said in his usual dull monotone of voice. "Point me at the enemy."

Edelgard chuckled. "Settle down, Professor Jeritza. I will make sure to take your combat abilities into consideration."

"Hmmmmmm," the tall professor uttered.

Ferdinand spoke up. "Hold, Edelgard. If we are having a strategy meeting, then I should be involved in the discussion, no? I am the son of the Prime Minister, therefore—"

"Therefore, if we were to negotiate with Miklan Gautier, then your skills would be at their peak," Hubert cut in. "But we have been asked to settle this matter with weapons, not words. We haven't need of your abilities, Ferdinand."

Ferdinand got annoyed. "Now see here! I am a glorious politician and public servant, yes! But I am also a knight, a knight of house aegir! Ferdinand von Aegir! I will not have you treat me, Hubert, as if I am incompetent in battle tactics!"

"Incompetent? No. More accurate to say…you lack an extra level of complex understanding that Lelouch and Monica both possess," Hubert remarked, smirking smugly.

"I don't recall you possessing much tactical prowess outside 'oh how can I torture this man before I kill him'?" Ferdinand asked, furrowing his brow, balling a fist.

"I am Lady Edelgard's most trusted advisor. It is only natural I would be of aid regardless of my capabilities," Hubert responded, still smirking.

"And I am the future Prime Minister. I will be the only thing holding Edelgard back from making decisions that could negatively impact countless lives in the Empire. If there was ever a time to start building such a positive, working relationship, it's now!" Ferdinand argued.

"Girls. Girls. You're both pretty," Dorothea cut in. "Ferdie, you've made your point, but Hubie has made his decision."

Ferdinand grumbled, still not okay with this.

"If it's any consolation, Ferdinand," Lelouch told him. "I do believe Edelgard will set you on the battlefield in a way that plays to your strengths, but you're lacking in bigger picture tactics. You know what's best for you and people under your command, but your lack of experience and spatial awareness undercuts your ability to formulate an adaptive plan."

Ferdinand was taken aback, not used to having some so thoroughly cut through him with words. "L-Lelouch…"

"Heh, well said," Hubert said with a smirk.

"Lelouch is right though," Edelgard said. "Ferdinand, I hear your point, but I do not make my decision out of malice, but rather practicality. Rest assured, unlike the mock battle, you will be needed."

Ferdinand smiled with pride. "Most appreciated, Edelgard."

"Now that that's settled," Edelgard said. "Shall we begin morning lectures, Professor Jeritza?"

Jeritza grumbled. "If we must."

Everyone then took their seats and began listening to Jeritza talk dryly about hero's relics.

Holed up in Gilbert's office, the brightest minds of the Black Eagles sat around a map with the experienced knight, devising a strategy based upon knowing internal structuring of Conrad Tower.

"Do you honestly thing Bernadetta can even be a Vanguard?" Lelouch asked, in response to Edelgard's proposition.

Edelgard pointed to someone else she put as a forward unit. "That is why I have instructed Clara to be her adjutant," she explained. "The two of them have started getting along quite famously. I think as long as Clara is by her side, Bernadetta won't have an issue maintaining a forward position."

"Still, putting a marksman up front is…" Lelouch looked at the virtual construct from a different angle. "Oh! I see!"

Edelgard nodded. "Yes. Bernadetta can snipe enemies from the upper floors while the rest of us cover her back and make our way up the slow way."

"That's a lot of faith to place in Bernadetta, Lady Edelgard," Monica told her.

"I only assign positions to those who have earned it," Edelgard said. "On that note, how comes your research into Thoron?"

Monica sighed. "Not well, unfortunately. Thunder magic and I don't exactly mix. What about you, Lelouch?"

"I'm more of a dark magic expert, like Hubert," Lelouch responded.

"Then we'll have to rely on Dorothea," Edelgard pointed out.

"Last I checked, Dorothea has yet to learn Thoron," Hubert told Edelgard.

"You can leave that to me," Lelouch said. "Dorothea and I have reached an…understanding recently. I don't imagine she would disapprove of my company."

"Better you than me. I'd be so starstruck by her presence, I'd get tongue tied trying to teach her," Monica said, playing with her fingers.

"You will have other assignments leading up to our attack, I'm certain," Hubert pointed out.

The group continued to lay out a tactical strategy for making it up the tower. With Ferdinand, Caspar and Petra as the vanguard, the Eagles would have a proper balance of speed, strength and skill. Plus, all three had mastery of a different weapon so the enemy wouldn't have it easy figuring out what to do with their troops.

"We do have a disadvantage in that we can only move in one direction," Edelgard said.

"Permission to cover the rear flank then," Lelouch said. "You never know if Miklan could have outposts beyond the tower he asks to come attack us when we least expect it."

"Cover the rear? I fully expected the king to charge into battle," Hubert chuckled.

"We have enough troops on the forward position and my magic skill speaks for itself," Lelouch responded. "If Monica or Rolo would watch my back, nothing would attack the main force from behind."

"Monica or Rolo?" Edelgard asked.

"Ah, I think I see," Monica pointed out. "Bernadetta and Dorothea are already bringing up the rear. Since we don't know if enemy reinforcements will come at all, or if they're going to be more resilient to magic or rifles, doubling down on magic or adding an extra marksman just makes sense."

"Basic tactics should not be touted as a stroke of genius, but I do agree it's our best course of action," Hubert remarked.

"Few things require a master stroke of genius," Lelouch said. "But you'd be surprised how many people in life lack a functioning brain."

Hubert chuckled.

Gilbert sat there behind his desk and listened to the students chatter. He munched on his cold cut sandwich with lettuce. Have they forgotten I'm here? He wondered.

2nd Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

Today, it was Byleth's turn to receive her assignment. She marched into Rhea's audience hall with an unassuming mood.

"Ah, Professor. Good. How have you been since we last spoke?" Rhea asked.

"Decent," Byleth answered.

Rhea chuckled. "The matter I ask of you this month is of great importance. Are you familiar with the Japanese Liberation Front, often abbreviated as the JLF?" Rhea asked.

"I've never heard of them," Byleth responded.

"I see. A quick history lesson then. As a reminder, Rome installed its sovereignty over Japan about seven years ago. The war only lasted a month when the Japanese offered their unconditional surrender and the country was remade into Neo-Japan. However, not all members of the citizenry were happy with this outcome. Many would see Rome removed from Neo-Japan in its entirety, other, more extreme rebels would see Rome sink into the ocean, its people drowned."

"Quite the overreaction," Byleth quipped.

"I agree, but perhaps not with the lack of seriousness that comment came with," Rhea responded, sounding a bit disheartened at Byleth's rhetoric. She continued to speak in a more informative tone. "The Japanese Liberation Front is made up of those very same dissatisfied citizens under Rome's reign. Under General Tatawaki Katase, they are staunch defenders of Neo-Japan's previous culture prior to the church appropriating Japan. They often call themselves the true Japanese."

"Why did the church have to appropriate Japanese culture?" Byleth asked.

"In order to be fully recognized as a vassal state of Rome, Neo-Japan had to accept the construction of the Sub-Central church and the Goddess. This…went over poorly with the citizenry. I…tried my best to keep things civil, truly, I did, but…I underestimated just how disgusted the people were with the church's actions. Many called it exchanging one prison for another. Realize that if the church had not acted that Britannia would have taken over. This was…the only thing I could do to protect Japan. If I had not acted, Faerghus and Adrestia were ready to go to war with Britannia to protect Japan's sovereignty. I thought that there was no way for Japan to have peace without someone controlling it, so…I took matters into my own hands. It has been…a messy seven years."

"Sounds it," Byleth commented.

"Ha! Messy indeed. Were she more capable and understanding of the populace that lay beneath her floating colony, she may have been able to come to a bloodless compromise. Alas, I see the church is as incompetent as it is guided by poor leadership."

Byleth frowned. She thought that was a bit harsh, especially given her own shortcomings with other people, socially.

"I merely speak the truth. You are free to deny it as you wish," Sothis commented.

Moving on from Sothis being as bratty as ever, Byleth said to Rhea, "What does the JLF have to do with my mission?"

"I believe I will leave that to your benefactor," Rhea said with a smile.

At this, a woman with purple hair strode across the room. Byleth recognized her as Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia.

"I never thought the day would come that I would be fighting alongside the infamous Ashen Demon. Politics truly does make strange bedfellows, as they say," Cornelia stated.

"Your highness," Byleth said, giving an appropriate bow, but no inflection to her tone.

"I'll be expecting good things from you, Professor," Cornelia told her. "Allow me to go over exactly what I need help with. Earlier this morning, Britannian sources picked up a rogue shipment crossing Neo-Japanese roadways into the Saitama region. What that shipment was carrying we haven't the faintest. However, scouts reported that construction was being performed on some of the old buildings by men not found on the Neo-Japanese registry. Further investigation turned up military records from Japan during the war with Rome. While we don't have complete confirmation that it's the work of the JLF, there's enough evidence to suggest reasonable suspicion."

Byleth nodded, understanding this.

"I'm not sure what the JLF want with Saitama, but it can only mean they're planning to take action against the Seirosian nations. I plan to take a small task force of the Glaston Knights into battle. I was hoping you would bring the Violet Tigers with you. With the Glaston Knights there, victory is 97.5% certain, with you, Marrybell and the Violet Tigers, the remaining 2.5% are secured, plus we increase our chances of absolute victory if suspicious activity beyond reasonable predictions occurs."

Byleth nodded again, understanding what Cornelia was saying.

Cornelia smirked. "Not once for small talk, are you? I like that. There's not any immediate rush, but I would like to begin the assault before the 27th of the Moon. Can I count on you to be ready by then?" Cornelia asked. "And be ever vigilant if plans change?"

Byleth nodded firmly, showing Cornelia a serious look.

"Excellent. I look forward to working with you, Professor Byleth Eisner," Cornelia said, extending her gloved hand. Byleth shook it, smiling at the taller woman. "Let me know whenever you're ready to leave, even if it's nightfall. A good commander is prepared for any situation," Cornelia remarked, pulling her hand away. "Just remember one important detail. My sister is under your command. If something happens to her, there will be consequences. Am I understood?"

Byleth nodded. "I will make sure nothing happens to Euphemia."

"You'd better. I'm counting on you, Professor."

"Leave it to me," Byleth replied calmly. She looked to Rhea. "Will that be all?"

Rhea nodded. "Dismissed."

Byleth left to go begin morning lecture.

Rhea then glanced toward Cornelia. "And what do you make of her, the Professor, I mean?"

"I like her eyes," Cornelia said. "She may be a PMC, but she has the eyes of a veteran soldier. On the battlefield, experience and skill are everything and I feel I can count on no better ally commander than the fabled Ashen Demon."

"Was that the reason you requested the aid of the Violet Tigers, not because they're your countrymen?" Rhea asked.

"Indeed," Cornelia answered, putting a hand on her hip. "Professors Manuela and Hannemann aren't suited for real warfare and Professor Jeritza is occupied. And, obviously, I can't ask the Neo-Japanese to reliably fight their own countrymen. Besides, I wish to see the daughter of the Blade Breaker in action."

Rhea smiled warmly. "Well, I do believe she will not disappoint."

3rd Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

News had broken of the team up between the fabled Goddess of the Battlefield, and the Ashen Demon coming later this month. As Lelouch descended down the elevator, he recalled how Caspar threw his hands in the air, wishing he could be on that battlefield.

"If you're so keen, go join the Violet Tigers," Hubert had taunted. "No one is stopping you."

"Yeah, except maybe the threat of a knife in my back from you," Caspar had replied, sweating.

But that was then, this was now, and as Zero stepped off the elevator into Abyss, he passed by the Abyss Keeper. "Hey, you! I got something to report! The caretaker, Aelfric, has been making a lot of visits to Neo-Japan recently, or so people are saying. He leaves and then doesn't come back to Rome for hours. I think I've only seen him a handful of times in the past few weeks."

Aelfric making frequent trips to Neo-Japan, hmm? Something to keep in mind.

Lelouch passed the Abyss Keeper some money and then headed for the classroom. However, before he got there, he was stopped by Yuri.

"Hey, sorry to cut you off at the pass, but this is important," Yuri told him.

"An update?"

"Like you would not believe. Check this out," Yuri said and handed Zero a printout from his tablet. "The Savage Mockingbird sends his regards."

Lelouch read the report. It was a few pages long, detailing an expedition to Neo-Japan whilst he had been preparing for the Rite of Rebirth. After careful analysis of the area, it was believed, via notary stamp of approval by the Savage Mockingbird, that the fabled Chalice of Beginnings was somewhere in Neo-Japan, with a much more narrow location pending further investigation over the next nine days.

Behind Zero's helmet, Lelouch grinned wickedly, "Well then."

(A/N: Short chapter, but I made the previous chapter way too long so I guess it all balances out. Next time though, there will be far more content with the Black Eagles, Violet Tigers and others reacting to two intriguing battlefields due to happen this month.

I'm sure some of you have questions with some of the scenes taking place and remember, there's nothing wrong with not knowing something, that's why the Goddess invented the question mark. Until next time, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)