"You know, as far as missions go," Hilda said in bemusement as she dropped a sugar cube into her steaming cup of tea. "That one had to be the absolute worst."

Beside her, Claude let out a half-hearted chuckle as he leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. "Which part, exactly? Was it the fog? The humidity? The sound of you complaining about the mud getting into your greaves?"

"Hey, for your information, it took me half of yesterday to get all of that stuff out!" His aide told him, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to scrub dry dirt out of those creases?"

"I wouldn't know, because I tend to be light on my feet most of the time." Her class leader smirked. "And I don't think you would know either, since you suckered Lorenz into doing it for you. Come on, it couldn't have been that bad. At least we were only dealing with the aftermath of Lonato's rebellion. After all, it was the Blue Lions who got the tougher end of that deal."

He took a moment to watch as Tomas, the librarian, slowly shuffled his way toward the exit while other students passed by him.

"Besides," he continued, leaning forward to pick up his own cup of tea, "even by those standards, you got off easy. Don't forget, you 'volunteered' yourself and your battalion to guard the Archbishop and conveniently avoid chasing down those renegades from the Western Church."

Hilda paused, her teacup halfway to her lips. "Well, can you blame me? All that running, searching and commanding sounded like way too much work. I'd rather deal with Lady Rhea's awkward silences than slog through those woods. And besides, Lady Catherine was the one who wanted to lead the charge in flushing them out, therefore somebody had to stay behind." Hilda then paused as a thought came to her. "Speaking of which, have you seen her and Lysithea training together lately?"

"You mean Catherine training Lysithea?" Claude Shrugged. "Of course, it only makes sense that she wants to be as prepared as possible for the tournament in a few weeks."

"A tournament you signed her up for without her consent." The pink haired noble reminded him.

The boy waved off the comment casually. "Consent is such a strong word. Let's just say I took the initiative she wouldn't."

Hilda shook her head. "You better hope she does well. You know how much she hates being put on the spot like that."

"I have faith in her," Claude said confidently as he took a sip of his tea. "Besides, you saw Catherine in action the other day. If there's anyone who can teach even a legless dog to swing a sword, it's her."

"Yeah, about that," pondered Hilda, "why did Lady Catherine suddenly take an interest in Lysithea, anyway? They're complete opposites. The former is like a mad bull charging at anything that moves, while the latter likes to plan everything out meticulously."

Claude set his teacup down gently. "Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. Most of the knight captains are a strange bunch anyways, especially Alois with his incessant dad jokes."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Hilda rolls her eyes before finishing hers. "I don't know how our professor can listen to that kind of lame hunor without feeling the need to put your ear to a grindstone."

"Well, to be fair, Teach doesn't feel much of anything, really."

The girl next to him scowled. "I mean, technically, I guess?" Hilda looked over at her classmate. "But you don't actually believe that, do you?"

Claude shook his head. "No, not really. At least, not anymore."

"What do you mean 'anymore?'"

He leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Think about it. Teach hardly reacts to anything, sure, but after the past four months, it seems pretty obvious that she cares, considering how she always taken our problems seriously."

"I suppose that's fair," Hilda admitted, swirling her tea thoughtfully. "By the way, are you still disappointed that we ended up with our current professor instead of Kratos and Mimir?" She paused, eyeing him curiously. "Particularly Professor Mimir?"

"I'd be lying if I said Professor Mimir wasn't the one I wanted to pick the brain of the most." He admitted. "A talking head with knowledge about other worlds? That's just too intriguing to pass up." Claude then added, "and the wealth of life experiences he has to share… who wouldn't want him as a professor?"

Hilda raised an eyebrow, amused. "Yeah, I suppose that'd be interesting. Still, I can't help but think. With Professor Mimir as our teacher, we would've also ended up with Sir Kratos. Can you imagine how exhausting that would've been?"

Claude laughed openly. "Oh, absolutely. With Kratos in charge, you'd never be able to slack off again. Imagine all that extra training and responsibility. Your worst nightmare."

"You say that as though our own professor isn't doing that already, but…" The young Goneril's eyes furrowed slightly as she lowered her teacup to her lap. "Since we're on the topic of weird teachers, have you noticed that our fencing instructor has been acting really strange lately?"

"Who, Jeritza?" Her classmate shrugged nonchalantly. "As far as I'm aware, he's the same as he's always been since he came back the other day. Though, he did seem to be a bit more on the grumpy side with that coughing fit of his."

"True, but it's not just the coughing, though." Hilda insisted though. "Ever since he got back from that border dispute, I've noticed that he pays extra attention whenever Flayn is nearby. Wouldn't you find that to be a little bit disturbing?"

Claude cocked his head. "That's… well, I'm not exactly sure what to make of that, though I'm more surprised by the fact that you were able to pick up that sort of thing."

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Come on, Claude. With all the harmless flirting I do, I've always had to be mindful of the actual creeps. You get pretty good at spotting the difference. That's how I noticed Jeritza occasionally glancing at Flayn whenever they're within eyesight of each other."

His playful expression shifted into something more thoughtful. "Alright, you've got a point there. But honestly, Jeritza? He's more of the 'stay the hell away from me unless you've come to pick a fight' type than a creep. Then again, I don't think that mask that he constantly wears around helps much either, but still…"

His aide had just started pouring herself another cup of tea when a couple of students could be seen walking through the large front doors. A familiar shade of blue hair caught Hilda's attention, and she looked up to see Marianne and Dimitri walking together side by side before eventually coming to a halt just beyond the garden gates where she and Claude were having tea beneath the pavilion.

The two students came to a halt just outside the gates. Marianne's back was facing Hilda, blocking her view of her best friend's expression, but the prince's face was clearly visible, brightened by his usual charming smile.

Hilda's eyes locked on the two individuals as Dimitri spoke, his expression warm and earnest. Marianne shook her head slightly, uncertainty visible even from a distance. Dimitri's smile faltered momentarily, replaced by a thoughtful frown, before he seemed to ask her another question.

This time Marianne's head bobbed up and down enthusiastically, causing Dimitri's grin to widen visibly, his eyes glimmering with relief.

It was then when Hilda heard Claude's voice say, "Um, Hilda…" and she looked down to see the tea overflowing from her cup and spilling Across the wooden table.

"Oh! Oh no!" She exclaimed as she hurriedly placed the teapot down. "Claude, I'm so sorry!"

Claude sighed dramatically. "Look, it's alright. All we have to is grab some rags-"

He didn't get to finish as his classmate quickly pushed her chair back and stood up. "Sorry, Claude!" Apologized again feebly. "There's something I've got to do that absolutely can't wait!"

Already, she was hurriedly making her way towards the gate, leaving Claude behind who continued to sit as he let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, don't worry, I'll just clean this up myself…"

Hilda turned and flashed him a playful wink. "Thanks, Claude, you're the best!"

Dimitri had already turned and left towards the interior of the monastery, with Marianne still standing by the gate as she watched him leave swaying slightly in place. Seeing her chance, Hilda quietly opened and stepped through the gate behind Marianne.

She crept silently forward until she was right behind her best friend and, without warning, leaned close and said playfully, "Soooo, what was that all about?"

The blunette jumped and spun around, eyes wide and face quickly reddening. "Hilda, don't do that to me!" she exclaimed, clearly embarrassed and flustered. Her face continued to deepen in color as she struggled to compose herself.

Hilda paused, slightly taken aback by Marianne's reaction. Normally, Marianne would have immediately become apologetic or shrunk away whenever confronted like this. Instead, however, the sharpness of her tone and the clear annoyance in her eyes made Hilda momentarily speechless.

Recovering quickly, the pink haired noble tilted her head curiously. "Wow, Marianne. Since when did you get so bold? Usually you'd apologize for breathing too loudly."

Marianne instinctively opened her mouth to protest, but her expression softened as her irritation faded. "I'm sorry, it's just... you startled me."

Hilda grinned reassuringly, crossing her arms. "Hey, it's a good look on you! In fact, I don't remember you being like this a week prior before you left for your mission." She leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Not only are you coming out of your shell, but now you're openly interacting with the Crown Prince of Fearghus? Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?"

Marianne's blush deepened further and she stammered, "I-it's not like that, Hilda. We're just- he was just-"

Hilda smirked mischievously. "Oh, come on, Marianne, please! You can tell me! Something must have happened during your mission to cause this, because you certainly weren't like this a week ago."

Her best friend shifted anxiously, eyes glued to the ground as she struggled to respond. "Well, it's just… during the mission, he- well, things got out of control, and we ended up having to help each other amidst the fighting. Once it was all over, we started talking, and…"

Goneril's eyes widened and she eagerly leaned closer in. "Wait, wait, wait, don't tell me: did you two kiss?" Marianne froze, clearly mortified, and she turned her head away and covered her face with one and gave a single nod. This causes Hilda to immediately squeal in delight. "Oh my goddess, Marianne! You kissed Prince Dimitri?!"

Marianne could offer no other response as her best friend practically bounced in place. "Oh, this is so exciting! I swear, I always knew that the Blue Lions was the right choice for you! So what happened then? What were you two talking about just now? Do you think that maybe you'll become-"

"Hilda!" Marianne suddenly snapped, giving her former classmate an irritated look. "I don't- it's too early for me to even talk about such things! Also, please, keep your voice down!"

Hilda paused, slightly embarrassed. "Ok, ok, you're right, Marianne. I'm sorry, I just got a little excited, that's all." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself before going right back to smiling. "So… what exactly did Prince Dimitri ask you earlier?"

Marianne hesitated briefly before responding in a hushed voice. "He asked if I was interested in going to ride with him some evening once we get settled back in, and… I happened to accept."

Hilda's eyes widened again, her voice rising slightly. "Oh. My. Goddess. You're telling me that the prince asked you out on a date?"

"N-no! It's not like that! It's just horseback riding- it's not a date!"

"Uh-huh. Sure, Marianne. I guess evening rides alone with the prince of Fearghus don't count as dates, apparently."

"It really isn't!" The blunette insisted.

"Well then," Hilda said teasingly, "if you're going to deny that, then perhaps you're going to explain to me how your first kiss wasn't actually a kiss?"

At this, Marianne couldn't help but get defensive at her best friend's assertion, even though she knew what she was fishing for. "I mean, it was nothing special, truly. During the mission, we were caught off guard by Miklan's gang, and the situation became dire very quickly. Dimitri protected me, and I ended up helping him as well."

The girl knew that she could've stopped then and there, but the unfamiliar desire of wanting to share the moment with one her closest confidants caused Marianne to want to keep going. "Afterward, we started talking. It was just nice to feel comfortable around him, you know? And then, we were standing beside Dorte, and it just… happened. One moment we understood one another, and the next thing we knew, we were-" Marianne hesitated and she blushed again. "Well, you know. I didn't even know what I was doing; my heart was still racing from dealing with that Demonic Beast, and at the time I wanted nothing more than to-"

Hilda, who'd been listening intently as she imagined the entire scenario playing out in her head, suddenly perked up and couldn't help but cut off her friend as she said, "Wait, wait, wait- back up a second, Marianne. What is this about a Demonic Bea-?"

Realizing her mistake, Marianne's eyes widened in panic, and without thinking, she lunged forward and pressed her hand firmly over Hilda's mouth. The gossiping girl was shocked at first, and simply stood there with pink eyes widened as the blunette prevented her from speaking any further.

Marianne quickly realized what she'd done and pulled her hand away, immediately looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, Hilda! I-I didn't mean to-"

Hilda blinked several times, still visibly startled by Marianne's sudden action. Before she could respond, Marianne anxiously glanced to the side past the gate that led into the garden to see if anyone else had heard them. Hilda followed their gaze, and they both watched as Claude continued to mop up the mess she'd made earlier with his back facing towards them, giving zero indication as to having heard the discussion.

Marianne seemed relieved by this, but she turned her attention back to her best friend before hurriedly taking her hand. "We need to talk somewhere quieter," she whispered urgently.

Without waiting for Hilda's response, she guided her toward a secluded corner nearby, hidden behind a stack of crates and dense shrubbery. Once safely out of sight, Marianne turned to face Hilda again.

"Marianne, what's this all about?" The youngest Goneril asked in exasperation.

Marianne's expression grew serious as she leaned closer. "Hilda, before I tell you anything, you have to promise me- promise me that you'll never speak of what I'm about to say to anyone. Ever."

Hilda hesitated, clearly unsettled by Marianne's urgency. "Alright, Marianne, you're starting to freak me out. Can't you just-"

"No." Marianne interrupted firmly, almost scarily so. "You have to swear it. Swear it by the goddess that you won't tell."

Hilda's playful demeanor had vanished entirely, and eventually she relented with a heavy sigh. "Fine. I swear by the goddess I won't tell anyone."

Satisfied, Marianne took a deep breath and told her story. And by the time she'd finally finished, all her friend could do was place her fingers over her own head as she tried to process everything she just heard.

"You mean to tell me…" Hilda began in disbelief, "that the Relic of Gautier turned Sylvain into some kind of monster?"

Marianne nodded slowly, her expression grave. "Yes. None of us were prepared for it. One moment Sylvain and Miklan were holding the Lance, and the next…"

Hilda couldn't help but let out a dry scoff and shook her head. "ok… This is all so… sudden. And does that mean that the other Relics are also prone to transforming their wielders at any point?"

"I don't know." The heir to Edmund territory admitted despondently. "We'd been told that we weren't to share what had happened at the tower under any circumstances, unless we were to suffer the wrath of the goddess' divine judgement."

"'The goddess' divine judgement'?" Hilda said flippantly as she slapped her hands on her hips. "Marianne, from the way you described it, it sounds more like the Church is just desperate to keep people from panicking over their precious Relics going rogue," she concluded bluntly, letting out a sigh. "And to think, my brother wants me to inherit one of those stupid things one day…"

Hilda took a moment to shake her head once more. "Look, Marianne, with everything that's happened as of late, you really should be extra careful from now on. Though, from the sound of it, you shouldn't have anything to worry about as long as you and the prince keep looking out for each other, but still."

Marianne nodded firmly, visibly relieved by Hilda's reassurance. "Of course we will. But please, Hilda- remember, you can't tell anyone about this. Not a single soul."

"Don't worry, Marianne," Hilda assured her gently, "my lips are sealed." However, her expression turned hesitant, and she glanced sideways with an uncomfortable look. "Although, there is one small problem."

The other girl narrowed her eyes skeptically at her. "What problem?"

Rather than answering directly, Hilda turned towards the bushes nearby and said loudly, "Claude, I know you're there. Come on out."

Marianne's eyes widened in horror at her best friend suddenly giving away her hiding spot, and was further dismayed when the bushes rustled and Claude stepped out, hands raised apologetically.

"Sorry, ladies," he said with an awkward smile. "I wasn't trying to spy. I mean, not exactly, but you weren't exactly subtle."

"More like you couldn't help but pry into other people's business, as per usual." Hilda commented with a roll of her eyes. "What gave us away?"

"Well, at first you had my curiosity when I heard our former classmate sharing a kiss with Prince Charming," the class leader said jokingly, causing Marianne to turn her head in embarrassment. "But then you had my full attention when I heard you, Hilda, mention the word 'Demonic' loud enough for the entire room to hear, and- put simply- I couldn't help myself."

Marianne's expression darkened slightly, clearly unhappy with Claude's admission. "So you heard everything from the start then," she muttered, anxiety creeping into her voice.

Claude quickly shook his head, raising his hands defensively. "Actually, no. I didn't listen to anything that I didn't already know."

Both girls looked at him, surprised by his casual admission.

"What do you mean you already knew?" Hilda asked, confused.

He gave them a knowing look. "Come on, do you really think the Church expected at least two hundred soldiers to keep quiet about something like what happened at Conand Tower?" The two friends looked at each other but said nothing, and Claude continued. "Eventually, some of them are going to let it slip, and rumors get out. However, in this instance, I wanted to make sure I got it from the horse's mouth."

Marianne stared at him in disbelief. "Claude…what exactly did you do?"

He raised his hands defensively. "Relax, Marianne. All I did was invite one of the soldiers out for drinks. After a few rounds, he loosened up enough to fill me in. Though, it did cost me a sizable portion of my allowance. And turns out, seeing a noble turn into a Demonic Beast isn't something anyone forgets easily."

Hilda shook her head, amused despite herself. "You know what, Claude, I shouldn't even be surprised by this point, yet somehow I still am."

Meanwhile, Marianne remained visibly uncomfortable as her eyes cast downward and hands nervously gripping the fabric of her skirt. Claude notices this.

"Hey," he said reassuringly, "everything's going to be fine, Marianne. You've got nothing to worry about. Your secret stays right here. I know we were only classmates for less than a couple months, but you know that I'm always true to my word." The blunette didn't give an audible response, and she looked him briefly in the eyes to give him a brief nod.

Satisfied, the leader of the Golden Deer concluded. "But in the meantime, I'll be taking a little detour to the monastery's library. Now that I've verified what's happened, I want to see what I can dig up about these Relics and their connection to Demonic Beasts."

"You really think you expect to find anything?" Hilda asked with uncertainty. "Considering how eager the Church is to everything all hush-hush, I doubt that they'll have anything aside from the usual sermons about divine blessings, tomes, and sacred bloodlines."

Claude shrugged lightly. "Maybe. But you never know what might have slipped past them. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that every hidden truth leaves some kind of trail. All we have to do is find it."

"Just be careful, alright?"

"Always."

"Pffft. Get out of here."

Claude turned to leave, and just a short distance away, Tomas stood hunched over behind one of the thick shrubs as he listened intently to the student's conversation. He wore a deep scowl, his expression darkening and his knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on his cane.

"That damned fool!" he whispered bitterly to himself.

Without wasting another moment, he extended his free hand, quickly summoning a magic circle beneath his feet. In an instant, the magic surged upward, enveloping him completely. A second later, Tomas vanished from sight, leaving no trace behind.