(A/N: How're you gonna get out of this one, Lelouch? You're in check way deeper than anything you've had before. Grab your popcorn. This is gonna be fun to watch)
Night of the 13th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
2017 atb
Garreg Mach Monastery
Shez had just dropped the mother of all questions onto Lelouch. And, judging from Byleth's presence, both of them were suspicious. He knew this would happen. He suspected Byleth would eventually come to suspect him from the minute his Geass took hold of her in the Holy Mausoleum. Fortunately, he knew what tracks he had and hadn't covered. That made it easier to hopefully slip out from underneath this interrogation.
Putting on a friendly face, he said to Shez, "My, that's quite the accusation."
"Lelouch, cut the crap and be honest with me," Shez said with a glare. "I know you go out at night. I know you've got beef with Rome. Add the chess metaphors and I'd be more shocked if Zero isn't you."
Lelouch tried to play innocent. "Shez, I really don't know what you want me to say. My enemy is Britannia. Besides, a guy that dresses the way Zero does, clearly has a few screws loose."
"You saw him?" Byleth asked.
"We were both in the Holy Mausoleum, were we not? How could I fight Zero's forces if I was also the man himself? Come on, I'm bitter, not crazy. I know just how big of an enemy Rome is," Lelouch reasoned.
"Well…I suppose that's true," Shez admitted.
"No. I think we're onto something here," Arval said. "Don't give in so easily."
Huh? Are you sure, Arval? Shez thought.
"Denial is often the first strategy of a cornered thief, is it not? Same principle applies here," Arval suggested.
Byleth didn't need extra input to push the issue. "You and Zero have the same hypnotic power."
"Hypnosis?" Lelouch asked.
"When I fought Zero the first time, he forced me to fight everyone around me," Byleth stated. "I don't recall memory of the incident at all."
"And I tried to do the same thing?" Lelouch asked.
Byleth thought how best to answer. Giving further detail would give away her Divine Pulse ability and she could feel Sothis glaring at her for being so short-sighted in her deductive reasoning. Rather than elaborate, Byleth simply questioned, "You deny it?"
"I do," Lelouch responded without even hesitating. "When it comes to magic, the only power that resembles hypnosis is the white magic spell: Sleep, but that's not what you're describing. You're describing something more akin to mind control. I know better than anyone how strong you are, even if I were Zero, I would never force you to do something so reckless."
"I must admit, it's sound logic. Still, I can't help but feel that we are being fooled," Sothis commented.
"What about the Chalice of Beginnings?" Byleth asked.
"Chalice of beginnings?" Lelouch asked, doing his best to look visibly confused.
"Oh right! That thing Zero was talking about while he was taking off!" Shez exclaimed.
"First I'm hearing of it," Lelouch said with a cheerful smile. "I've been at the monastery all day."
"Great claim. Got anyone who can back it up?" Shez asked.
Lelouch opened a drawer and pulled out a paper receipt. The purchase was at Anna's and the time stamp on the receipt gave him an airtight alibi for Saitama. The purchase was for an energy sword repair kit. With skills he'd learned from Yukiya as Zero, he'd managed to make an electronic purchase at Anna's shop but gotten the paper receipt printed with the timestamp on it that Lelouch wanted. From how he obtained the Zero Matrix, Lelouch suspected Anna and Yuri were cooperating to some extent. If that was the case, Anna would likely cover for Lelouch, either out of merchant's discretion for their clients, or on Yuri's behalf.
"You can ask Anna in the morning, if you'd like," Lelouch told his adoptive sisters.
"Well, isn't that convenient?" Arval asked.
What? Are you saying he planned this? Shez questioned.
"I am mystified by his alibi as well, yet he seems…too prepared for this interrogation. Perhaps it's my imagination. But, whether he is Zero or not, I do not believe we will be able to pry it out of him with our current evidence," Arval told her.
Yeah, probably, Shez responded. She sighed inwardly. I wish he'd trust us.
"Perhaps he has reason for keeping you two at arm's length. Ah…perhaps…"
What is it?
"Perhaps he is uncertain of the chances of his own success and rather than add your might to his, would rather, if something were to happen to him, to secure the safety of his younger sister. She is everything to him after all," Arval theorized.
"Ah!" Shez gasped.
"Something the matter, Shez?" Lelouch asked her.
With all of the acting performance of a B-movie extra, Shez said awkwardly, "I…just remembered. I have an early sparring match just before dawn tomorrow. I had best get some sleep. Hahaha," she laughed in a fake fashion. "See you in the morning, bro." She abruptly left.
Bro? Shez never used that particular noun to refer to Lelouch. She either realized something and she's not saying it, or she is falling back for now to redouble her efforts later. He then mentally chastised himself. No, what am I thinking? This is Shez I'm talking about. You could put a stethoscope up to her head and you'd probably get back an archaic dial-up connection noise.
Byleth, however, wasn't yet convinced of Lelouch's innocence. But, her idea of trying to get Lelouch to come clean was a bit different. "Cornelia misses you."
"And how would you know that?" Lelouch asked her, sounding more mad about this than being accused of being Zero.
Byleth reflected on a conversation she had on the flight back to Rome.
Byleth and Cornelia sat in a medical room, parallel with each other. They'd been given preliminary treatment for bruising sustained in the battle, but the ship's medical staff, including Euphemia, wanted to check them for burns or shrapnel sustained from the explosion of the Neverland.
"Much as I am loathed to admit it, destroying the Neverland to cover his escape was an absolutely brilliant tactic on Zero's part. From start to finish, he had that entire battlefield orchestrated to his whim," Cornelia spoke aloud.
"You think?" Byleth questioned.
Cornelia nodded. "I know what it's like to see a strategy unfold from the onset." Her face grew nostalgic. "It was back when my brother and I used to play chess."
"Schneizel?" Byleth inquired.
"No, my late brother, the one I cherished above all others, Lelouch vi Britannia, the son of Empress Consort Marianne, her firstborn no less," Cornelia said and gazed out the window. "If only I could have been there when she was shot."
"You couldn't have known," Byleth said.
"Except I did know! I should've…I should've done something. But…I was a coward, afraid to disobey orders," Cornelia thought, staring at her lap. She shook her head. "Apologies, it's improper of me to burden someone I barely know with memories of my past."
"I don't mind," Byleth told her.
Cornelia smirked. "You're odd, but you're straightforward. I kind of like that."
"If Lelouch were still alive, what would you want to say to him?" Byleth asked.
Cornelia closed her hands together. "I would want to apologize, for not doing more…for not being a better sister. I would want to bring him home. Aquarius villa is more than capable of accommodating him. I just…"
"Beating yourself up over it won't bring him back," Byleth told her.
"I know," Cornelia admitted. "But…some days, at my worst, I feel it's all I can do and use that feeling of failure to push myself to become stronger."
Lelouch turned his head coldly as if turning his eyes away from an uncomfortable truth.
"Your family loves you," Byleth told them. "Charles was the one who abandoned you, not them."
"She doesn't understand," Lelouch said.
Byleth lifted her head a little, confused.
"She doesn't understand at all!" Lelouch shouted. "I'm never going home. Britannia is corrupt and rotten down to its core! And Rome is even worse! No matter where you go in this world, you're a political prisoner! Even Cornelia would be tossed aside if she failed a big operation! If she was taken captive, Britannia would leave her for dead! That's why I have to change things!" Lelouch glared at Byleth. "I will end this world's corruption once and for all!"
Lelouch was not prepared when Byleth hugged him. Tenderely. Securely. It was like he was a child throwing a temper tantrum and she was doing her best to sooth him. Under normal circumstances, this would be seen as condescending and inappropriate, but with Byleth the situation was a bit more nuanced. In all his years of knowing his sister: Byleth never gave out free hugs.
Whatever animosity Lelouch was building to a crescendo faded at the warmth of his adoptive older sister.
"Let me help you," Byleth pleaded with Lelouch.
"There's nothing to help, I'm not Zero," Lelouch told her, maintaining his story.
Byleth's hug got tighter, as if she was trying to squeeze the truth out of him.
"My, my. If he really is Zero after all, he plays ignorant well, I must say. Perhaps we should do as Shez has done and back off for now. I don't suspect we will get anywhere under the current circumstances."
Lelouch needs my help, Byleth thought back at Sothis with an attitude.
In most cases, Sothis would have chewed Byleth out, but the tiny girl in Byleth's head was not without her sympathies. Her face reflected this. "You cannot force help onto someone that does not want it. You have to wait until they reach out to you. He knows you care. It is up to him to recognize the lengths you're willing to go for him."
And what if I'm not there to protect him? Byleth thought, upset.
"I am sure, as someone smarter than you, he has already taken that into consideration," Sothis told her. "Let us allow him to do as he pleases and keep our suspicion to ourselves."
Byleth agreed. She let go of Lelouch. "I wouldn't be angry if you were Zero."
"You shouldn't say that too loudly, I might report you to Seteth," Lelouch joked. He got the implication, that Byleth would roll heads if it meant fighting for what Lelouch believed in, having little to fight for on her own.
Byleth, not really knowing how else to respond, defaulted to hiding her emotion and speaking with a stoic tone, "Have a pleasant evening." She left.
Lelouch waited until she was down the hall before cracking his windows and waited until he saw Byleth out in the courtyard under a lamp light to finally let out a sigh of relief. That was far too close for comfort.
I'll have to take further action to lead them both astray, Lelouch theorized. At least for now. The time isn't yet right for them to join the revolution. He smiled. But…I'm glad to know where they stand.
He then shut the windows again and finished getting ready for bed. He then curled up under the sheets and went to sleep.
14th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Front page news came out the next day highlighting the absolute chaos that was Saitama, pieced together from reports from the church, Cornelia and others that were present. But the one person people couldn't stop talking about was the man that had outwitted both the JLF and Cornelia despite the size of his force barely cracking the double digits according to reports.
"Zero the Mastermind." That was what people were calling him now.
"Mastermind, is it?" Hubert questioned, reading a newspaper, as he sat around a table for tea with Edelgard and Monica. "How intriguing."
"He was indeed a fierce opponent," Edelgard admitted.
"Are you sure it was a good idea not to team up with him?" Monica asked her, curious. "You might have won cleanly if you had."
"I couldn't," Edelgard said sternly. "Not when my uncle has so thoroughly ingratiated himself to Zero. If we're ever to reshape the Empire, I can't coddle with its enemy for too long."
"Lady Edelgard may have lost the battle, but she may yet win the war," Hubert remarked. "By fighting Zero, we gained valuable information, namely that he has a Crest of Macuil. I've already begun an investigation to find likely suspects."
"Well don't pin it on me," Monica said, sweating. "I was here all day yesterday! You can ask the Gatekeeper and Dorothea! I was up here at the Monastery while everything was going down on the ground!"
Hubert chuckled. "I should certainly hope you aren't plotting anything against Lady Edelgard, Monica. Your life would be forfeit."
"Don't even joke about that!" Monica exclaimed, offended. "Lady Edelgard is perfect in every way! If I would ever think to betray her, I'd cut off my arm!"
"Please do not dismember yourself over thought crimes, Monica," Edelgard, responded, looking ill. "I will not have one of my closest confidants conducting self-harm."
"Oh! My apologies!" Monica exclaimed, gasping. "I just…"
"I understand, Monica. You're wholly devoted to the cause. Just…keep it grounded," Edelgard told her.
Monica nodded.
"I suspect Monica should also be on high alert," Hubert stated.
"You think?" Edelgard questioned.
"Following things logically, Zero is somewhere here in Rome. You inquired about the call for Macuilian blood. We know Lord Arundel sees some value in whatever Zero is conducting. We also know Monica was asked not to donate her blood. All signs point to meddling form our enemies. Add the acquisition of the Chalice of Beginnings, and I believe our enemies have a vested interest in seeing Zero succeed, whatever his goals may be," Hubert said.
"Is there anything you can think of, Lady Edelgard?" Monica asked her.
Edelgard pondered her banter with Zero, looking for clues. "Hmm, he seemed adamant about taking Cornelia in alive."
"Interesting," Hubert responded with all the delight of a serial killer spotting their next victim. "Then he would obviously have a use for her alive, however temporary. The Second Princess makes a terrible hostage, and we have already warded Lord Arundel away from the idea of using one of his own to impersonate her. Therefore, we can conclude that Zero was acting on his own interests, perhaps interrogation."
"Second Princess Cornelia is tight lipped though," Monica reminded Hubert.
"I would agree, normally," Hubert stated. "However, then there's the Professor's bizarre behavior. Zero has some kind of mind control power. He could make Princess Cornelia divulge secrets she may not wish to. If we know what secrets only she could know, we may yet discover Zero's true objective."
"True objective? Is he not interested in the fall of Rome?" Edelgard asked, confused.
"Rome and the chalice are just a smokescreen." Hubert spoke in a manner that was neither theoretical, nor suggestive. He seemed to be under the impression that his statement was unassailable fact. He quickly explained why. "Zero is crafty, underhanded, sneaky. All traits I possess, and if I think about it that way, I must ask myself: why?"
"Why what?" Edelgard asked.
"Why Rome? Why the chalice? Just as you, Lady Edelgard, have your own reasons for your actions, so too, must Zero. If we can figure out the motive to the man behind the mask, the face follows suit," Hubert explained.
"I'll leave that kind of research to you then," Edelgard told him.
Hubert chuckled. "Perhaps we could use Monica as bait. Zero will inevitably have to come into contact with her, perhaps to divine if she was the one whose crest-bearing blood was denied donation. If we are in possession of that information, it conversely follows that Zero was told that someone did not donate. And, logically following that Zero is in Rome, Monica being a prominent bearer of the Crest of Macuil is an important first target for interrogation."
"I will do whatever it takes," Monica said with the utmost seriousness.
Edelgard appeared deep in thought, speaking only a full minute after her brow crinkled in confusion. "Hubert…a question, would you even interrogate Monica at this stage?"
"I beg your pardon?" Hubert inquired.
"It's just…if I was Zero, and I recognized Monica as an interrogation target, all the more reason to stay away," Edelgard said.
Hubert looked confused. "I don't follow."
"Ohhhhh, I get it," Monica said, smiling. "Everything we're saying would naturally occur to Zero, so you're suggesting he'd sense Hubert has it out for him and not interrogate me for some time."
Hubert slowly went from confused to amused. He laughed with his sinister chuckle. "I must admit, that's sound logic. Yes…that is exactly what I would do. So then, it's not necessarily who Monica interacts with, but more importantly who she doesn't. And, in furtherance of that, Monica, do report any gaps in your memory you experience. A perfect memory such as yours doesn't simply forget things."
"If anything goes wrong with my noggin, you and Lady Edelgard will be the first to know," Monica said cheerfully.
"Then it appears the strategy of our investigation into Zero is concluded. So then, shall we have tea now and relax for a short while?"
"I would be more than happy to," Monica responded with a big smile.
Hubert smirked, sitting down, having been standing the whole time. "I as well."
15th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Sitting in one of the gardens, Lelouch had a book cracked open well past the halfway point. He was petting a stray cat that had wandered up to him and was now purring loudly. It was all black with a "patch" over its right eye with a little darker dot on its forehead. Garreg Mach was home to a host of stray cats and dogs. It was part of the teachings of Seiros.
"Man and Beast are intertwined. And so it was Seiros who sheltered a thousand cats and dogs during great famine to protect them from the hungry, for her compassion for the less fortunate knew no limits." It was in the Book of Timotheos, chapter 16, verse 17.
However, as footsteps approached, the purplish furred cat scampered off towards the market. Lelouch took its departure as a sign that whomever was approaching was intent on speaking with him. That sign proved to be correct when he saw Shirley standing over him. Lelouch folded his book across his lap, figuring she wanted to speak with him.
Shirley gazed back, her body blocking Shez hiding in a bush from Lelouch's view. However, when Lelouch craned his head he saw someone hunker down in said bush. Oblivious to the friendship Shez had with Shirley, he presumed it to be Milly putting Shirley up to something evil.
That idea was thrown immediately out the window when Shirley started the conversation fairly normally, "Hey, Lulu, um…enjoying your book? If this is a bad time, we can talk later."
From the bush, Shez slapped her forehead, gnashing her teeth, eyes clenched shut.
"I can spare a few minutes," Lelouch said, trying to appear outwardly friendly.
Shirley sat down, taking a spot next to him and now Lelouch could see the binoculars gazing at him from the bush, but only said binoculars were poking through so he couldn't identify their owner. Nevertheless, he pretended not to notice.
Shirley squirmed. She'd never…sat this close to Lelouch before. About a meter and a half to the right and she'd bump his shoulder. She blushed. "S-so um…crazy world we live in, right? Ahaha, ha?" Whatever she and Shez had prepared ahead of time had gone flying out the window and Shirley was now completely off-script.
Lelouch tilted his head, having no idea what she was talking about.
"Boy that uh…had a few close brushes with death down in Saitama," Shirley said.
Ah. Now it made sense. "Yes. Milly told me that your HLKMF evolved. That's really impressive, Shirley. You're the first to do so among the Violet Tigers."
Shirley's heart thumped in her chest. "Y-yeah, it was uh…pretty weird. One moment I'm kicking a KMF in the face, the next thing I know, I'm stronger than I've ever felt."
"You're going to become a Knight of Seiros when you graduate at the end of the Lone Moon, right?" Lelouch inquired.
Shirley turned to look at him. Her fingers approached her lips like she was trying to shove an invisible cookie up to it. "Uh…yeah, that um…that's the idea," she spoke nervously.
"You could do anything with your life, why the Knights?" Lelouch asked.
"Well um…" Shirley swallowed, staring at her lap. "I guess…I don't know. I didn't realize when I got here just how good I would be at being a knight. Everything I've learned here…I want it all to mean something. More than Britannia…I want to pay back the church for guiding me. My family…we're all really religious, you know? My dad would trade places with me in a heartbeat to attend Sunday services every week at the Garreg Mach Monastery." She gasped. "Oh. That's right. You're not a big fan of the faith, are you, Lulu? I uh…I must come across like such a—"
"No. The faith isn't the problem, it's the establishment," Lelouch corrected her. "If you want to become a knight, you should. But…don't do so if it's just a means to an end." Lelouch gave her a serious look. "Become a knight if it's what you want to do, not because it would make someone else, like your father, happy."
"…would it make you happy, to see me as a knight?" Shirley muttered.
"I'm sorry?" Lelouch questioned, having not heard what she said.
"Nothing!" Shirley exclaimed much louder, blushing. "S-so, um…what are you going to do after Garreg Mach, Lulu? I don't think even Milly knows."
Lelouch put his hands behind his head and reclined against the hedge bush behind him and Shirley. "I honestly might move to Adrestia," he said. He offered no further elaboration.
And suddenly jealousy sparked from Shirley. "So…so what? You think Edelgard is oh so pretty and awesome? Is…is that it?"
This again, Lelouch groaned. "I needed to leave the Violet Tigers for personal reasons. My talents were best served with another house so they could grow. Edelgard recognized them first. So far, I have been enjoying my time with the Black Eagles."
Shirley, however, was not going to let this go. "So do you think she's pretty?"
"I don't know…maybe?" Lelouch asked. He really didn't want to be part of this conversation all of a sudden.
"Do…do you think she's prettier than me?" Shirley asked. She adjusted her posture and look to try and look as modestly appealing as possible.
Well that was a loaded question. Lelouch could feel the rifle being aimed at his head. I'm not pulling the pin on this grenade, he thought. He started to get up.
"Hey! Where are you going? I asked a question!" Shirley snapped. She stood up. "Don't just leave me here!"
While all of this was going on, Shez—who couldn't hear a damn thing at the distance she was at—was wondering how or if she should step in and salvage the situation. Whilst doing so, she failed to notice the same stray cat approaching her that Lelouch had been petting earlier. It sniffed Shez's right leg.
Lelouch, and Shirley, were not prepared when Shez leapt out of the bushes with a loud, "YEOWCH!" The stray cat scampering off into the quad. She tapped her right foot to the ground. "Ow! Stupid cat! What was that for?" She frowned. "I'm usually so good with animals."
Wait…the person in the bushes was Shez?! Lelouch tried to wrap his brain around this while Shirley looked absolutely mortified.
Shez, now realizing she'd exposed herself, wandered over to Lelouch and Shirley. "Heyyyyy, you two," she said, trying to ignore the cat bite in her lower right calf. "How's it goin? Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?" She asked, eyes shut tight, smile forced to distract from the pain.
Lelouch barely needed to look up and over Shez's head to point out the obvious. "It's overcast."
"Ohhhhhhh, silly me. Must not be aware of that over this throbbing cat bite my leg," Shez admitted.
It's been overcast all day, Lelouch thought. "Come on, let's have Professor Manuela take a look at you. Can you walk on it?"
"No, no, it's fine. I can…I can walk," Shez said. She stomped her foot twice. "See?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "Never better." Please just stay here with Shirley, Lelouch.
"I insist," Lelouch responded cheerfully. Anything to avoid answering this question. "That all right with you, Shirley?"
Shirley answered with a whine, her face covered with her hands, body tilted forward in absolute and utter embarrassment.
Shez, now recognizing the situation was unsalvageable, stated, "All right. Fine. Thanks, Lelouch." She thought about asking a nonchalant "Lunch, later?" but since she was trying to help Shirley out, that felt disingenuous.
Lelouch and Shez began to head for the staircase to the second floor of the main building of the Monastery, leaving Shirley to her own devices. It took her a minute to process everything. Lelouch…with Manuela?
The woman's visage ran through Shirley's mind. Manuela may have been getting up in age, but she still had the sprightly form of a woman in her late 20s.
"Wait! Shez!" she exclaimed, running after her and Lelouch. "I'm coming too!"
When it came to getting sick since his exile, Lelouch always dreaded going to the doctor. Not because of a fear of needles, or the doctor itself, or something dumb like that, but because medical history put a historical footprint on a person. Lelouch was always afraid his medical documents could give the game away about his true nature.
With Professor Manuela…he had a completely different problem. Begrudgingly, he strolled into the entrance to her infirmary.
"Ohhhhh, well look who it is," the academy medical professional cooed, grinning ear to ear. "It's my favorite young, handsome Britannian school boy. Have you come down with Florence Nightengale Syndrome all of a sudden?" she asked, chuckling.
I come here for headache pills one time. ONE. TIME, Lelouch groaned internally. "No, Professor. I'm here on someone else's behalf."
"Oh, well that's a shame," Manuela said with a friendly enough disposition. "You're free to stay though. I have free beds."
I would rather nap on a pile of straw in Abyss, Lelouch thought. Who in their right mind thought that a washed-up, frequently drunk songstress yearning for love was the best possible hire for Medical Director?
Manuela's age was a secret, but she appeared to be in her 30s. Despite her rather well-groomed brown hair and appropriately colored and applied makeup that helped bring out her brown eyes, the woman's dress apparel left little to the imagination and much to be desired for the life of a professional. Manuela frequently dressed in low-cut one-piece dresses, high heels without stockings, and a priestess's shawl. She was clearly intending to flaunt her sex appeal without even having to bend over. To date, she was also probably the only woman Lelouch knew whose bust could outstrip Milly and Byleth's.
But, despite her…flaws, Manuela was actually fantastic at her job. It was just Lelouch's opinion that the woman was always just one bottle of wine and a sleeping, male patient from a sex scandal.
Shez then walked into the room. "Hey, Professor. Could you take a look at my lower right leg. A cat bit it.
"Oh, dear. That sounds unpleasant," Manuela responded with the appropriate amount of concern. "Take a seat right over there and I'll get what I need."
Manuela proceeded to gather some cotton balls, some gauze and some disinfectant and took to task examining Shez's leg, propping it up on a footstool.
Shirley then ran to the door, grabbing the nearest part of the frame and panted to catch her breath.
Manuela looked up from Shez. "Oh, dear! Shirley, is everything okay?"
Shirley held up her index finger while still keeping her hands on her knees, continuing to pant.
"She's fine," Shez said. "She just ran all the way here to catch up with us after Lelouch decided to escort me."
"Well that wasn't nice to leave her behind," she said, frowning.
"She wasn't following us at first. We didn't even realize she was following us at first and by that point, I was helping Shez up the stairs," Lelouch said. He proceeded to go into the infirmary and get Shirley a bottle of water from the fridge under Manuela's desk. She kept them there precisely for thirsty students. He handed it to Shirley.
Shirley gulped down more than half the bottle before letting out an audible, "Phwah!"
"Feel better?" Lelouch asked her.
She nodded. "Thank you."
Lelouch nodded and then looked towards Shez. "I need to get something from the library," he told her. "Are you going to be all right?"
"Actually, she's good as new. Treatment's already complete," Manuela said.
Shez stood up, looking at the bandage wrapped around her shin. "Thanks, Professor. I really appreciate it."
"Oh, Shez, you're welcome here any time," Manuela said with a flirtatious wink.
Shez laughed nervously.
Forget male patient. If anyone falls in her strike zone and needs care while she's drunk, that will be the last day of her career, Lelouch thought. "I'm heading for the library."
Shez got up to follow him.
"You kids take care now!" Manuela called after them.
Upon arriving in the library, Shirley noticed Lelouch march up the staircase immediately to the second "floor" of the majestic Garreg Mach library.
"So, what are you looking for, exactly?" she asked.
"According to news, Zero apparently acquired the Chalice of Beginnings. I thought I saw a book here recently that mentioned it. If I can dig up what the chalice does, I can figure out what Zero's after," Lelouch said.
"If he's Zero, he's certainly good at pretending not to be," Arval commented.
I know what you mean. Zero would already know what the chalice does. Otherwise, why take it?
"Need any help?" Shirley asked.
"Not particularly," Lelouch said. He picked up a random book and flipped through it.
In truth, Lelouch didn't need any such book, knowing that all mentions of the Chalice were down in Abyss. He was simply trying to look busy, to avoid having to confront Shirley's question about who was attractive between her and Edelgard. A woman's animosity at another woman was not to be entertained, nor rebuked. If there was one thing being friends with Milly had taught Lelouch, it was that.
Shez put a hand on Shirley's shoulder. "Come on," she said. "I think he wants to be alone."
Shirley pouted. "Ugh, fine." She stormed off.
"You'd better watch yourself, or that cat you were with will be the closest thing you have to an eternal companion," Shez said.
"Sure, why not? It already bit you for being nosy," Lelouch remarked without even looking up from the book he was pretending to read.
Shez stifled a grunt of laughter as best she could. "See you around, Lelouch." She stopped smiling. "But seriously though, stop and think about the women in your life. …Or the men. I don't judge."
Lelouch put the book back and picked up another one. "I'll keep that in mind," he said in a surly tone.
"Right, you're busy. I get it. See you later," Shez said and walked away.
For Lelouch, this was business as usual. He had to avoid complicated, romantic relationships at all costs, he felt.
The mission cannot be jeopardized by a romantic love affair. Until Britannia burns, any such relationship, he thought as he slammed a book shut in front of his face, would be wholly premature.
16th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
The duties of the Archbishop were far less demanding than one would expect of someone in Rhea's station. Aside from hosting worship services three times a day, except on Sundays—excluding religious holidays—Rhea also was frequently embedded in international politics—but only when the situation escalated to her personal intervention—and keeping tabs on the day-to-day livelihood of Rome and Neo-Japan, though mostly Rome.
Aside from forcing Neo-Japan to accept the Church of Seiros as its faith, Rhea kept a pretty hands-off approach to the country and let it run autonomously, aside from taxes. And when it came to Rome, Rhea rarely intervened to say something couldn't be done when it came to budget, corporations building new businesses, or solving the problems of the people. That's what the chain of command was for, and she sat at the top. The perks of being the archbishop were quite ideal.
However, when Rhea wasn't doing anything in particular—unless she was taking a moment to collect herself—she would frequently be found in the audience hall, offering wisdom to any and all who came by, asking for guidance. This was when Seteth often knew was the best time to talk with her, as it meant his long-time friend was stress-free for the moment.
"Lady Rhea," he said, approaching her. "I bring news."
"What sort of news, Seteth?" Rhea asked.
"We've…located the new home of the Chalice of Beginnings," Seteth told her.
"Goodness! So quickly," Rhea said with shock.
"It is…down in Abyss, locked behind a rather well-built vault," Seteth told her.
Rhea was now even more shocked. "How did you come by this knowledge?"
"Aelfric reported it in, actually," Seteth told her. "He said he didn't want us to worry and that everything was under control."
Rhea was silent for a bit, contemplating the implications of this.
"I know exactly what you must be thinking. Zero must have ties to the Ashen Wolves, or simply to Abyss itself. Our old friend Aelfric may even be Zero," Seteth suggested. "Do we…do something about this?"
Rhea gave the matter an extended period of thought. She thought aloud, recapping Zero's antics. "Zero has attached himself to Lonato's rebellion, the attack on the Holy Mausoleum, and now was caught in battle between the JLF and Cornelia's forces, fighting both sides, correct?"
"That's correct," Seteth nodded.
Rhea thought the situation over a bit more. "I…don't yet believe we are in a position to say for certain that Zero stands against Rome then. The mages he fought alongside at the Holy Mausoleum, including the Death Knight, stood against him at Saitama. He may have simply been attempting to recover the chalice and been caught in all the chaos. As for Lonato's rebellion, Zero didn't kill the injured, even when he had the chance at Magdred Way. He's cause for concern, for certain, but I want him alive, Seteth. This…Flame Emperor on the other hand is far more cause for concern."
"You believe them to be behind the Western Church?" Seteth questioned.
"And now they've gone and teamed up with the Japanese Liberation Front. I want them unmasked and publicly executed," Rhea ordered.
"I'll relay the orders to Catherine immediately," Seteth told her. "What should we do about the fact that the chalice is back in Rome? You went to such lengths to move its previous location."
"We must assume that Zero has every intention to use the chalice," Rhea stated. "Monitor Abyss for now and send word of any rituals being conducted that suggest the Rite of Rising is being performed again."
"Understood. I shall proceed with the utmost discretion," Seteth told her and walked away.
"And Seteth," Rhea called out to him.
"Yes, Lady Rhea?" Seteth asked, turning back around.
Rhea smiled amicably at him. "Do be careful."
Seteth smiled back at her. "Of course, your grace." He then left.
17th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Ever since Rolo and Clara had started attending class with the Black Eagles, the house had grown a bit livelier for many. However, for Caspar von Bergliez, his life had hardly changed. Same get up early in the morning and train, same throwing hands at would-be bullies and punks, and same failing test scores followed by the gaze of disappointment from Jeritza.
Right now, the young blue-haired boy was throwing himself at his training, screaming absurdly loud battle cries as if the energy he put into screaming was going to deal extra damage to the training dummy.
"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGGH! TAKE THAT! AAAAAAAND THAT! AND HAVE SOME MORE!"
Each exclamation was followed by a hard punch using the energy gauntlets he was wearing, trying to beat his personal best of force delivered to the dummy.
After wearing himself out, he grabbed a bottle of water and started drinking. Before he could start his next round, however, he was approached by of all people, Marrybell mel Britannia.
"That's quite the spirited training," she commented. "I wish Sokkia and Leonhardt put in that much energy."
"Oh, hey, Princess Marrybell," Caspar said cheerfully and extremely casually, "How's it goin?"
"I was about to start a training session of my own, but I couldn't concentrate over all the shouting. So, I just watched you for the past few minutes," she answered politely.
Caspar laughed. "What can I say? When I start throwing hands, everything else just kinda fades away? But what did you think, pretty good, right?"
"Actually, I thought it was quite sloppy. A lot of wasted movement and dedicated to showmanship over anything effective," Marrybell lectured.
"What?" Caspar asked, sounding and looking like he'd been caught entirely flatfooted. He was floored when Marrybell went and equipped a pair of heavy training gauntlets. "Hey! What are you doing? Careful with those!"
Marrybell surprised him by getting right in his space and gently putting the knuckles of the gauntlet under his chin. "Or what?" she asked, coldly. "Do you think me some fragile princess that needs protecting, or did you forget that I established the Glinda Knights?"
"N-No, I didn't…forget, I just…um…"
Marrybell backed away and held up her gauntlet covered fists. "You'll understand better more with a hands-on lesson, right? So, come on. Let's spar."
Caspar could feel his competitive spirit rising. "You wanna go?! All right then, I don't care if you are a princess, I'LL HOLD NOTHING BACK!"
Marrybell and Caspar then began to smash their gauntlets into each other left, right and center, with Caspar yelling the entire time, Marrybell keeping her cool. And, much to Caspar's surprise, after the initial wave of blows where Marrybell started on the back foot, Marrybell suddenly countered. And, in contrast to her petit frame, she hit really, really hard. It was like he'd gotten punched by Edelgard. And Marrybell didn't stop either. She kept going until Caspar was on the ground and putting her foot on his chest.
"Agh! Crap!" Caspar grunted.
"Do you get it? You go in like a complete hot head, but your flame burns out quickly," she told him. "Any skilled combatant will see you not live to see tomorrow." She took her foot off his ribs and helped him up.
Caspar laughed. "Boy, you're really good, Marrybell. I totally underestimated you. What do you say? Round two?"
Marrybell sighed, shaking her head. "You'll get the same result."
"Nuh uh! I'm totally ready this time!" Caspar shouted. "Let's have another match."
Marrybell sighed, but obliged. New battle. Same result.
Marrybell stood over Caspar, her heel pressing in between his ribs this time. "See? It wasn't just an underestimation thing. You're strong and you're loud, but that's all you have." She helped him up again.
Caspar was now out of breath. "Jeez, man, you're tough as nails, Princess Marrybell. Where'd you learn to fight like this?"
"There was a period of my life where I was extremely helpless, so I trained in all manner of combat so that I would never be helpless again," Marrybell told him. "And, of course, Cornelia helped me in her spare time."
"Ah…yeah…that'd do it," Caspar said, sounding a bit scared. "Man, I do not like envisioning the idea of meeting her on the battlefield."
"No one does, except maybe a select few that know they can beat her. However, what makes Cornelia such an effective commander isn't her personal strength, but battlefield control. Many have gone into battle expecting to win, only to find themselves completely overwhelmed by the loyalty she instills in her troops," Marrybell explained.
"About the only one I know that could probably beat her, no questions asked, is my father," Caspar commented.
"Leopold von Bergliez…" Marrybell reflected on the man heralded as the strongest man in the Adrestian Empire. "Indeed. I believe the only person who could match his strength would be our Knights of the Round. I daresay even the Ashen Demon would be hard pressed to edge a win," Marrybell stated.
"Hah," Caspar uttered, flabbergasted. "Yeah, no. My dad would eat the Professor and Sir Bismarck for breakfast and then ask when's lunch."
"I am detecting a sense of bias here," Marrybell remarked, frowning.
"Hey, you've only read about him in books, I had to go through what he likes to call "training". Oz would pass out if she tried it. Let's leave it at that," Caspar remarked.
"Yet I see very little of that has rubbed off on you," Marrybell commented.
"What?! Oh, that's IT! Round three! Come on! I still got energy to burn! Let's go!" Caspar shouted.
Marrybell sighed. This is about to be my entire day, isn't it? Still, she thought as she can Caspar began throwing hands again. Perhaps I may have spoken to harshly.
SMASH!
Whatever Leopold instilled in Caspar, it's clearly made him quite strong.
SMASH!
What Caspar is lacking isn't strength or discipline.
SMASH!
It's skill and experience.
SMASH!
And he'll only get those…here at Garreg Mach.
18th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Since the battle at Saitama, Oldrin Zevon had realized just how tough some of the stronger members of other nations truly were. In terms of global reputation, Kyoshiro Tohdoh didn't even compare to monsters like Holst Sigiswald Goneril, Leopold von Bergliez and, of course, Byleth Eisner the Ashen Demon. If it had been the professor fighting Tohdoh, Oldrin was certain she would have come out on top.
That was why as soon as the day rolled over after the battle, it was back onto the training grounds, doubly so. Today however, in between her exercises, she was approached by Petra.
"Greetings, Lady Zevon," Petra said, approaching. "Is this day finding you well?"
Oldrin was a bit out of breath, but she did her best to address Petra politely. "Oh, hey, Petra. Yeah, I'm…I'm fine. Today's a good day for training after all, shining sun and all that. But, you can just call me Oz. Everyone does."
"I am most grateful for permission to be using your nickname. And I am having agreement," Petra said with a smile. "Cloudless skies are being perfect for training."
"Hey, so um, sorry if this is a bit personal, but…why do you talk like that?"
"Talk like what? Oh! You are meaning my manner of speaking. Ah, I am having apologies. Even though Brighid is a vassal state of the Adrestian Empire, Seirosian common language is not being taught there. I am having capability reading and writing the language but talk…ing is difficult for me," Petra explained.
"Anything I can do to help?" Oldrin asked. "The Zevon family stops just short of royalty in most cases. I'm very literate."
"I would be liking that greatly," Petra said with enthusiasm. "Ah, but I am having question for you as well as it would seem."
"Ask away!" Oldrin encouraged.
"Why are you be fighting with two swords? Is it having more efficiency. Such that one sword has the power of 100, so two swords has twice the power. Is it working off of such logic?"
"Oh! No. Nothing of the sort," Oldrin said with a laugh. "In fact, in most cases, many would claim a shield to be preferrable in hand than an additional weapon."
"I am having agreement," Petra stated. "Yet, you and Shez both appear to be wielding two swords. However, through careful observance, I have been making deduction that your swordsmanship is more refined, so I am asking you for guidance."
"Well, you've certainly come to the right place," Oldrin said. "As it stands, the twin-sword style is a Zevon family staple. My mother taught me how to fight since I was a little girl and all of my family's tutors are well-versed in the style. After all, the Zevon family is at the head of Britannia's black ops military divisions. We specialize in assassinations."
"Assassinations? Perhaps that is having relation to what befell the late Empress Consort?" Petra inquired.
"I thought that too, but sadly two things prevent me from finding out," Oldrin said sadly.
"What things are these?" Petra inquired.
"The first is that, from what I can gather, the Zevon family has no real grasp of what happened themselves. However, the other part of that is the person currently in charge of the Zevon family, my uncle," Oldrin stated.
"Your…uncle?" Petra questioned, then realized how that sounded. "Ah, do not be mistaking, I am well aware of what an uncle is. I am simply having confusion over what his part in your sadness is."
"My uncle killed my mother," Oldrin said with a straight face. "I don't know why, but…one day I walked in on him and my mother fighting and he just…he killed her right in front of me. I watched my mother die on the floor and then he left without a word. If not for Mary…I'd be homeless."
"Oz…"
"So, without the family's resources, I can't investigate the matter myself, much as I would like to."
"I am having deepest sympathies for your loss, Oz," Petra told the blonde.
"Your words are kind, Petra. Thank you," Oldrin told her.
"If it would not be too much to be asking, in addition to teaching me language, might you also teach me of the Zevon Twin-Sword Style? I would be much liking to learn it. It looks like it would be complimenting my own style well," Petra said.
"I would be more than happy to teach you, Petra!" Oldrin exclaimed with delight. "I've never taught anyone, but that's because no one's ever been interested, so sorry if I'm a poor teacher."
"I am promising not to be doing complaining, only learning. Please show me all you can be teaching me, Professor Oz."
Oldrin laughed chipperly. Teaching Petra her family's secret style was just another positive experience to add to her list of her time spent here at Garreg Mach.
19th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Now that Clara and Rolo were full-fledged students at Garreg Mach, they each had their own room at the Monastery. Each had decorated their rooms in their own unique way. Rolo's room was full of military magazines, tool kits for building things like smoke bombs and grenades, and posters of the Mittlefrank Opera Company's productions. When asked, he was insistent that it was perfectly normal for him to like fine arts being Lord Arundel's adopted son and all.
In contrast, Clara's room was a lot more normal for a girl her age: stuffed animal plushies, makeup kits, music CDs from bands other students had recommended, and other things that wouldn't be out of place in a teenage girl's room. Of course, Clara was currently laying in her bed with one of her favorite stuffed animals sharing her bed space, mouth oriented in such a way that she looked like an adorably grumpy chipmunk. As per usual, the whole student thing was getting on her nerves. It wasn't even really a choice that she and Rolo would attend Garreg Mach. That was Arundel and Papa's plan all along. And, at first, Clara was fine with it because she got to spend time with her new cousin Edel. She got to be around people her age.
…And now she was getting to experience just what that entailed. These people were too happy. It wasn't right! Where was all the misery, the dread? They were people her age being trained to fight and die for the church, yet they were acting like it was Tuesday at a frat house every damn day!
The worst part was she was getting drawn in. Ever since that…thing that never happened with the mouse, Clara had gone from cold, violent assassin to almost…domestic. No! She could not allow this to happen! Rolo! She had to talk to Rolo right now!
Leaving her room in her PJs, Clara knocked on the door next to hers with her other hand trailing a big stuffed animal behind her.
"Come in!"
From the sound of it, Rolo was up late, as per usual. Clara walked in to see her so-called brother poured over textbooks by desk lamp light.
"Mnnngh, bright," Clara complained, rubbing her eyes.
Rolo turned down the light a little. "Oh, sorry. What's the matter, Clara?" he asked with a smile. "Can't sleep? Have you tried using the bathroom?"
"You're not funny," she grumbled and then sat her butt down on Rolo's bed, placing her stuffed animal in her lap, hugging it. "How come you're studying?"
"I mean…why not, right? If we study, we'll be better prepared for what's to come," Rolo told her.
"Are you being serious right now?" Clara asked with all the grumpiness of a surly cat.
Rolo turned to look at her from over the back of his chair. "I am being serious. There's so much we didn't know, Clara! You'd know if you picked up more than the textbooks Professor Jeritza asks you to."
"Bleh, studying is for losers," Clara commented. "Besides, this is only temporary."
"It…doesn't have to be," Rolo said.
Oh joy. The one person she expected to be hard focused and logical about all of this and he was getting sentimental on her.
"Sure, maybe Garreg Mach is only for the year, but…the people we meet, the Black Eagles and even some others, the world is full of possibilities, Clara. Thanks to Lord Arundel, we could live lives of luxury. We could—"
"Papa is going to make us kill one or more of these people and Thales will sell us out the moment we become inconvenient!" she shouted.
Rolo immediately shut the door, hoping no one heard that.
Clara covered her mouth. Oh shit, had she blown their cover? Fortunately, no one appeared to come running.
"Well, you aren't wrong," Rolo said, sitting back down. "We are mere pawns for the Geass order and the Agarthan Empire. No, we're tools to be discarded once we've lost our use. But…that doesn't have to be our future, Clara."
"I came in here for you to tell me to go back on the right path, not to have you encourage me to go AWOL!" Clara shouted. She then noticed the Mittlefrank posters. "Oh my Nemesis, you're getting too used to it too."
Rolo shifted uncomfortably. "Everyone in the Black Eagles is…really nice. Well, except Hubert, but…well…it's Lord Hubert."
"Oh so it's Lord Hubert now, hmm?" Clara asked. She clutched her plushie. "Rolo…what's happening to us? I don't like it." She started to cry, staring at her brother. "I feel like if this keeps up, I'll want to betray Papa for the mouse! I don't want to upset Papa, Rolo! He asked us to do a job."
Rolo put his hands on Clara's shoulders. "We'll get the job done, Clara!"
"How can we! We're basically acting like we're one of them! We're not pretending anymore, Rolo! We're turning into them!" Clara exclaimed, freaking out. She hiccupped, hyperventilating as she clutched her plushie. "I don't want Bernie to get hurt. She's my…she's my special friend. But I…I…"
Rolo let go of Clara and sat back down in his chair. He stared at the ceiling. "If you don't want to stay here Clara…we can't go back to the Order as failures. …Should we run away?"
"Run away?" Clara questioned. "But…no…I love Papa. But I…I'm scared Rolo. I'm scared of these feelings I don't understand. Scared of these people that aren't afraid of me. Scared that one day I'm just going to wake up and it'll be back to the drills and the scalpels and the stitches and the shocks and the—"
"I know. Me too. One day it all be back to killing people," he said.
The pair was silent for a long time.
"What if we're not afraid of what's happening, but afraid of the fleeting time we have remaining?" Rolo asked. "It's like…it's almost as if someone suddenly told us we only have one year left to live, and we're freaking out about the time we have left…because we don't want it to end." Rolo closed his eyes and thought about it. "Is this what happiness is like? Are we…happy here, at Garreg Mach, Clara?"
Clara buried her face in her plushie. She didn't answer Rolo with words, but her body language said it all.
"I guess we should figure out what it is we want out of all this," Rolo said, getting up. He shook Clara's shoulder. "Come on, we should sleep in our own rooms before people start asking too many questions."
The two shuffled out of Rolo's room, only to see Byleth shutting one of the doors.
"Oh! It's the Professor."
"Hey! Isn't that Cousin Edel's room?"
The two watched Byleth walk down the hall and come to a stop in front of them.
"Oh uh, Good evening Professor Byleth," Rolo said.
"Good evening," Byleth said with a stoic expression and a bow.
"How come you were visiting Cousin Edel?" Clara asked Byleth.
"She asked me to," Byleth said.
"She did…why?" Clara asked.
"That's our secret," Byleth said with a nod.
Clara gave her a judgmental look. "Sexually harassing students is grounds for a scandal."
Byleth shook her head, keeping her stoic expression. "I would never."
"Uh huh? Suuuuuure you wouldn't. You strike me the type that would marry their own student with enough time passing," Clara stated, still judging Byleth with her eyes.
"I'm really not interested in my students like that," Byleth said.
"You say that now, but wait until five years pass when everyone's got adult charm and more mature physiques," Clara told her.
"You have an active imagination," Byleth told her.
"We're sorry to disturb you, Professor. Clara was having trouble sleeping so we were just having a nice chat. Oh uh, you didn't hear us, did you?" Rolo asked.
Byleth shook her head.
Rolo breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddess. You know how heated some sibling rivalries can get."
"I wouldn't know," Byleth responded in a deadpan tone.
"You must be a thrill at parties," Clara quipped.
Byleth didn't answer her.
"Well, whatever," Clara said and went into her room. "Good night, Rolo."
"Good night," Rolo told Clara as she shut the door behind her.
"Good night," Byleth said and then promptly walked down the hall.
Rolo then went back inside his room as Clara hunkered down in her bed. She didn't feel any better since she exited her room. If anything, she felt worse. However, one thing was for certain, these feelings weren't going anyway. If anything they would continue to grow. And Clara had no idea if she should stick to her principles, or let herself be corrupted by these feelings she didn't understand.
20th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
When it came to the Ashen Wolves, Lelouch hadn't just self-proclaimed himself their teacher and done everything on a whim, oh no, no, no. He took his self-proclaimed job very seriously. He didn't just give lectures, he also tested them. But how did a man that wasn't a teacher give tests? Well, luckily he had a solution. Professor Hannemann, who had been at the academy for multiple years and overseen multiple different houses, was a boon to Lelouch's efforts. Lelouch didn't even need his Geass. In exchange for being allowed to look at some old tests on history, math and other subjects that Hannemann had graded and kept in years prior, Lelouch allowed Hannemann to examine his Crest of Macuil to his satisfaction once a month while Lelouch poured over the tests and materials.
"My word," Hannemann had said at the time Lelouch made the deal. "I've never known youth to be so dedicated to their studies. Study hard enough and you could become a teacher yourself, my dear boy."
Lelouch knew better than to comment on the irony of the situation.
So, that was how Lelouch found himself the night of the 17th sitting in his self-designed "office" in Abyss, grading test papers. Balthus failed, unsurprisingly. Yuri, Yukiya, and Constance passed with flying colors, and everyone else performed to varying degrees of success. Even C.C. actually put in effort when she wasn't doodling pictures of Cheese-kun all over her paper.
Most strikingly was Kronya's test. Why? Well, for that, it required Lelouch to reflect upon his time at Ashford. Many times, Lelouch would return a blank test back to his teacher, and then get an earful from Milly about how she could only cover for him only so many times. Lelouch was genius after all, wise well beyond his physical age. It didn't sit right with her that he would intentionally fail. So, Lelouch had to strike a balance between total apathy and keeping his identity safe. Lelouch had no drive. Until the opportunity came knocking at Garreg Mach, he had no reason to succeed in life. Now he'd been put in direct contact with the world's youngest leaders of tomorrow. He had to show his worth…to some extent. He flubbed his intelligence when it best suited him to avoid suspicion.
What did this have to do with the Ashen Wolves? Well, Lelouch knew better than anyone that grades were never an indication of intelligence. Despite Balthus flunking the exam, Lelouch knew enough about the man to know it was a lack of care and effort, rather than blatant stupidity. C.C., for her part, seemed to be completing the exam out of sheer boredom. Lelouch didn't even force her to attend classes. She just showed up on her own. Lelouch had told her last month that if she sat in for an exam or a quiz, she would be treated the same as the rest of the wolves. The doodles and imperfect test scores seemed to be an indication that she didn't really know what else to do with herself some days.
Kronya however, she had zero reason to try. She spent most of her time in Zero's presence complaining and isolating herself from her fellow Wolves. Her time here was temporary until such a time that Arundel decided to yank her out of whatever mission he had her here for. Of course, at this point Zero believed Arundel just wanted to spy on him. Kronya could have folded up her test into a paper airplane and sent it flying onto his desk untouched and Lelouch wouldn't have bat an eyelash. However, her score was…actually commendable. It spoke of someone putting in effort, but not quite having the memorization to nail a perfect score, or maybe it was partially a lack of will. However, too many answers were correct for this to have all been Kronya randomly answering the questions. What did Kronya of all people have to prove as an Ashen Wolf when she didn't even like being here?
Before Lelouch could contemplate the question, the door to his office was pushed open. He left it unlocked when it was okay to come in. Of course, his new intruder could have knocked. That wasn't important right now though.
Speak the heretic's name and lo they shall appear, Zero thought, quoting the scriptures. "Kronya, can I help you with something?"
"Can we talk?" she asked, shutting the door.
Zero tilted his head to make sure he heard her correctly. Was he being pranked? Was this an elaborate joke? "You? Talk? That's usually not your style. You typically respond to everything with "I'm a superior being and to whence you came with all of you! When can I stab someone?""
Kronya looked really mad. "Hey!" she snapped. "I have feelings and emotions too, you know! I exist!"
"All right," Zero said, folding his came over himself as he sat behind his desk. "Take a seat. Talk."
Kronya sat in front of Zero's desk. "I…I'm not used to all of this."
"Not used to what?" Zero asked.
"This! You! The Wolves! Everything!" Kronya shouted. "In Shambhala, your education is specialized based on what you're found to be good at! It was around the time I started snatching flies out of the air and outpacing my fellow Agarthans that Solon and Thales saw my potential. I've…never really had a formal education. I was taught stuff, yeah, but that was cause it was vital to whatever mission I was needed to complete. I'm a master assassin, not a mathematician."
"Your test score says otherwise," Zero said, showing the paper he'd finished grading to her. A big 87 was circled in red ink in the top right corner.
"That's…cause…" Kronya stuttered, growling in frustration. "I have to! For the mission! I…I feel like I should pay attention to your lectures, in case I hear something important. Gathering information is what I do and so…well…I retain it well!"
Lelouch saw right to the subtext of Kronya's words. Kronya could deny it all she wanted, but she actually thought Lelouch was a good teacher. That was the vibe he was getting.
"Nobody's forcing you to pay attention, Kronya," Zero told her.
"I know! And that's what's pissing me off!" she shouted. "I don't do this kind of thing! I don't party! I don't make friends! I stalk the shadows! I follow victims and I kill people! This? Participating in battles? Sharing victories? Birthday parties?! I'm so far out of my element I don't know where to begin! I don't want to like you guys. Thales is going to ask me to kill you one of these days."
"You're afraid."
"I am SO not!" Kronya exasperated.
"Listen to yourself, Kronya," Zero told her. "You don't want to kill us. You've grown complacent here. Two moons of being around positive vibes isn't what you're use to, you're correct. But that's why it's important. It may be another half a year before Thales asks you to strike. And who knows if that strike will come at our expense. You don't have to hate us. You don't have to listen to Thales."
Kronya looked petrified. "No. No. No. I have to listen to Thales. That is not even in question." She appeared to be shaking.
On the inside of the costume, Lelouch was grinning in sadistic delight. It's as I suspected. Agartha is an Empire ruled on fear and nothing else. Thales, you complete fool, you've opened the door to giving me access to your best assassin. I hope you don't mind if I kill with a borrowed knife.
Zero stood up and started getting theatrical. "Thales's might will never match the might of Rome! For if the Ashen Wolves are not strong enough as a pack, we shall fight for—"
"I'm not in the mood for one of your speeches!" Kronya shouted, cutting him off. "Thales is terrifying when he's mad! Be thankful you've never seen it, or this whole place would be on fire!"
The fear in Kronya's voice masked something else that Lelouch could see behind her terror. It was something he thought he'd lost until recently: the will to live. That, he now understood, was why Kronya tried so hard. If she failed, she could be denied life itself.
Zero covered himself with his cloak and gazed directly at Kronya. "Kronya, you are my student. So long as that is true, you are under my protection. Unlike Thales, I have no intention of throwing away pawns needlessly. I don't sacrifice my pawns for the sake of a goal. I use them until they throw themselves away. But Kronya, you are no pawn on my board. To me, every member of the Ashen Wolves is a rook, a knight, or a bishop."
"No! I can't! I can't get used to this!" She made for the door and flung it open. "I just can't!"
Zero watched her go, watching the door swing on its hinges.
And this is a perfect example of why I insist on staying out of romantic affairs. Emotions cloud judgment. Kronya is teetering on two worlds, and fear is getting the better of her. The Flame Emperor believes Agartha is full of only those who can hurt. But I can see it plain as day, it is also home…
Kronya curled up in her bed, sniffling as a tear fell out and hit the floor.
…to those who can cry
(A/N: For those who were expecting Byleth and Shez to join the wolves, sorry to disappoint. But, they're at least operating under the assumption that they might be right so they'll act accordingly. Next time should be the last chapter before Conrad Tower and then it's off to more emotional heartache than the last two scenes of this chapter.
Speaking of, I know a lot of stuff is happening off screen, but it's really difficult to plan things out bit by bit instead of just letting conversations happen naturally with the idea that "time passes and stuff just has to be stuff". Just because we're not looking at Edelgard, Claude or Dimitri doesn't mean they aren't getting up to antics. And, I decided that it would be better for the story to move with a sense of good pacing even if it means sacrificing some of the details.
If you folks want me to slow down and write at a slower pace to make the character development feel more earned even if it means getting to the good stuff later I can do that, but I don't want the story to drag. Let me know with a comment or a review if you like the pacing and character progression as is, or if you think I should slow things down and cover everything in painstaking uncomfortable detail.
And, until next time, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)