(A/N: BATTLE OF THE EAGLE AND LION APPROACHING…
7 DAYS REMAIN!)
22nd Day of the Wyvern Moon
Cornelia sat at her desk, typing up reports both for the monastery, and for Britannia, when Shez stood in the open doorway. "You…wanted to see me?" she asked.
"I did. Close the door and have a seat," she told her.
Shez gulped, shut the door and sat down. "Is…is there a problem?"
"Hopefully not," Cornelia told her. "But, as one of the strongest members of my class, I've been looking into your background. How did a humble girl from Leicester get to where she is? That kind of thing."
"Oh! I uh…I see."
"I found some interesting things during my investigation and I'm hoping you can answer them," Cornelia stated and then gave Shez her full attention.
Shez, again, gulped.
"For starters, I understand it that Clovis paid for your tuition. Is that fair to say?" Cornelia asked.
"Y-Yeah. I was working for your brother around the time it was time to enroll. I uh…stopped a big break in all by myself," Shez told her.
Cornelia nodded. The reports reflected that.
"As I understand it, you got the recommendation to his office from Milly Ashford, correct?" Cornelia asked.
Shez nodded. "Yeah, that's about the size of it."
"Is that how you came by the name Lamperouge?" Cornelia asked.
…Uh oh.
"The Ashford family was close with Lady Marianne, previously known as Marianne Lamperouge when she was a commoner," Cornelia responded. "I looked into your small village. I've had time to get information back to me. Apparently you just went by Shez in those days. And from asking around, I dug up contract work you did under Berling's mercenaries. At the time also only going by Shez, not that Captain Berling seemed to mind from mercenaries that left her company before you were all wiped out by Jeralt's."
"I uh…you see the thing is…"
Cornelia raised an eyebrow. Oh she couldn't wait to hear this excuse.
Arval, help me out here!
Arval took a deep breath. "All right. I think I have an idea to help Lelouch out. Follow my words exactly."
Shez spoke the words Arval gave her directly to Cornelia. "So the thing is, in order to work for Clovis, I needed a surname. Milly handpicked it for me."
"Really? Because when I spoke with Miss Ashford, she couldn't give me a straight answer, almost as if the information came from somewhere else. And when I spoke with Jeralt about his extended family, he told me the children he encountered came from Leicester as well, though he met them in Japan, and they're of Britannian descent."
Great job, Arval!
"Do not blame me for this. I had no idea she had already spoken with Milly Ashford," Arval responded, just as apprehensive as her.
"Shez, the children of Lady Marianne were among my most precious siblings. If they're alive, if you're hiding them. If Lelouch Eisner really is Lelouch vi Britannia…"
Shez shook her head. Okay, finally a breakthrough. "I know how it looks, but you're chasing ghosts, Princess. Yeah, Lelouch and I met at Ashford. He saved me from the snow when I was about to bleed out or catch hypothermia. But…I don't know what to tell you. How much is actually known about Empress Marianne's ancestry. Just like how House Daphnel splintered into the Weinbergs and the Galatea's, maybe she had a common ancestor back in Leicester too."
"Well, I must say, expertly crafted. Someone's been paying attention in history class," Arval praised.
Cornelia sighed, leaning back in her chair. Yeah, that was still on the table. "Forgive me, Shez. I…after what happened at the Rhodos Coast…I…I wanted to believe otherwise."
"I don't know a lot about the royal family," Shez said. "Nobody that high up in Britannia ever hired me outside of doing desk work for Clovis. I wasn't a bodyguard or doing real merc work for anyone. Do you want to…I don't know, since we've come this far, talk about it?"
Cornelia exhaled, sitting upright, gathering her wits about her. She stared at the desk in sorrow. "No, there's nothing to discuss. The little brother I loved is dead." She closed her eyes. "You're dismissed, Shez Lamperouge. If you and the late Empress do share a common ancestor, then I pray to the Goddess you continue to wear that name proudly. Because if you're even half as strong as her, we will need that strength next week."
"Right, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. We're having a strategy meet for that later this week, correct?"
Cornelia nodded. "Probably multiple. Speaking of, there's another reason I called you in here." She handed Shez a folder wrapped in a rubber band. "This is a Swordmaster certification exam. I'm a bit busy at the moment to oversee it, but my knight, Guilford can oversee your aptitude at the training ground. He's waiting for your arrival. Good luck."
Shez, ever the military woman, saluted with glee. Now this was something to get excited about. "Yes, your highness!"
She passed with flying colors.
23rd Day of the Wyvern Moon
In the training hall that day, Oldrin Zevon had a sparring partner she hadn't yet square off with, at least…not under their current rule set: Monica Krushevsky. She had respect for the Knight of Twelve, a young, up and coming knight of similar age with remarkable skill.
Monica's gun went off and Oldrin had to use her energy blades to block or deflect the incoming energy blasts from the weapon. Sometimes she could dodge, but not always.
"Ha! Hup! Yah!" Oldrin shouted, exhaling as she exerted herself. Monica was good. A cool customer with a level head. As soon as her cartridge pistol was empty, Oldrin knew she had an opening to go charging in. Monica blocked with an energy sword of her own. Despite Oldrin's skill, Monica, it seemed, had the fortitude to stop an incoming charge. She had pre-emptively taken a half-step back in order to sturdy herself against Oldrin's incoming blitz. With the penchant for two swords, a style she developed and refined fighting against Shez, Oldrin's onslaught of furious blows, quickly overwhelmed the Knight of Twelve, leaving her open. However, Monica had one last tech up her sleeve before Oldrin could enact a finishing blow: an energy shield.
With Oldrin's attack repelled, Monica took a big leap backwards and, quickly, and in the same motion, reloaded her gun. However, rather than wait for the incoming barrage, Oldrin began to flank Monica.
Following Oldrin with her eyes and slowly turning her head as needed, Monica fired only after Oldrin got outside her peripheral vision. This was at the peak of her jump. Oldrin ducked under the shot, cutting her speed all the way to nothing as Monica's feet touched the ground firmly. Now able to aim with a little more precision, Monica took three shots at the crouched Oldrin, but the leader of the Glinda Knights blazed to flank and try and get behind Monica.
Rather than try to intercept Oldrin as she blazed ahead, Monica turned and took out a cartridge rifle to try and shoot Oldrin juuuuust as Oldrin was getting behind her. However, Monica was not the only one who could make calculated decisions to predict her opponent's moves. Oldrin took a leap of faith into the air just as Monica made the shot. At the peak of her jump, she sheathed one sword and took out a cartridge pistol. The two fired at each other. Despite the blasts slamming into each other in midair, the blast power from Monica's rifle more than overpowered Oldrin's pistol shot. That wasn't the point though. Oldrin had no intention of staying in the air.
Rather than let gravity do the work, she sped towards the ground intentionally and then immediately rolled left, believing Monica would give her no quarter, opening fire while she was prone. She was absolutely correct and had to roll like a downhill pillar away from her opponent. It was a close shave, but when Oldrin got up and took a leap backwards, Monica's shot hit the ground where she'd been. Oldrin slid back on her feet, panting, sweating. She knew a spar with a Knight of the Round would be no joke.
The two had agreed on only one rule: No HLKMFs. They wanted to imitate battle conditions that would be set up for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. True, HLKMFs were allowed in this mock battle now that students had time to get used to them. However, Cornelia's strategy was to open the festivities with her hardest hitters immediately going for their HLKMFs. Oldrin in particular knew that this meant she could not count on the Lancelot Avalon lasting the whole battle. She wanted to treat this battle as a worst-case scenario for her, when she was already tired, possibly injured and relying on her wits and weapons.
Monica, for her part, accepted these terms, wishing to test her own limits. Oldrin Zevon was a capable soldier. If not for her loyalty to the Glinda Knights, she had all the makings of a Knight of the Round herself. The position of Knights Seven, Eight and Eleven were all open. Based on how this battle was going, Monica firmly believed Oldrin could take any of them if she was recommended, and accepted a promotion.
But that wasn't Oldrin's style. The woman had one goal in life: to be Marrybell's knight. Seeing Oldrin pant, and knowing she could take the time to reload, Monica spoke. "You're exhausted, Oldrin. At the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, it won't be chivalrous one on ones. While you're standing there exhausted, anyone could come up behind you and shoot you in the back.
"I know," Oldrin acknowledged. "That's why we're doing this. I need to get my stamina up. The Black Eagles have Professor Byleth on their side. She's good, real good. I don't think there's a stronger fighter in the whole school. So, if I can't beat her head on, I have to outlast her."
Oldrin charged back in, but her charge was sloppy. She hadn't fully recovered, hoping that Monica was unnerved enough to flinch as Oldrin ran zig-zag to avoid the rifle shots. Unfortunately, Monica had the timing down on such an assault. She took out a sword of her own just as Oldrin came in, evading her initial strike. She then brought a the pommel of her weapon down into Oldrin's back hard, causing the girl to gasp. She then grabbed Oldrin by the back of the hair and held her energy weapon to the girl's throat.
"Out," she said calmly and then threw Oldrin backwards by the head, letting the girl stumble. "You made a critical error." Monica then activated her own crest, a level two minor crest of Seiros. "You forgot this." Her hair billowed as bright blue energy enveloped her body. She then de-activated her own crest.
"I didn't forget it. I wanted to see how well I could do without it. My crest is really strong now and I want to make this fair," Oldrin said.
"Unlike a Knightmare, crests have no limit," Monica stated, she watched Oldrin go back to her starting position.
"Yeah, but if I train my baseline, my crest boosted levels get even higher," Oldrin stated. "And if I don't know my non-crest limits, I'll never know when and when not to use it. Crests are an extension of the body. I could burn myself out even quicker if I overextend. Besides, this wouldn't be a spar if I used my crest."
"I find that hard to believe," Monica said, holding a sword in one hand and a gun in the other.
"Oh yeah? Well then tell me what you make of this," Oldrin said and activated her level 3 major crest. What Monica witnessed was Oldrin's intent to charge and then completely lost sight of her as Oldrin slipped straight past her, having sliced the gun in two and also delivered enough strikes to Monica's body that the pain had to catch up with her as the girl crumpled to the ground.
After shaking off the disorientation, Monica was more impressed than upset. She pushed herself up off the ground and dusted herself off. "That's incredible. Have you been this strong since the incident with Viscount Kleiman?"
Oldrin nodded. "I've dabbled in my crest's power, but it's so overwhelming. I feel so invincible that I try not to rely on it." She looked at her hand, flexing it. "When I'm that strong…it's just…this is a mock battle. I don't want to actually kill anyone by mistake." She turned towards Monica. "I wonder how Professor Byleth handles it."
"I honestly don't think such things bother that woman," Monica said flatly. "She seems like she doesn't concern herself with such trivialities."
Oldrin laughed. "Yeah, she does come across like that." When no one said anything, Oldrin then asked, "Are you still scared of her?"
"If that's a question of do I still think that she could slice my head off and I would have no moment to offer the Goddess a prayer? Yes. If that's a question of am I afraid to face her in battle? No. I am a Knight of the Round, and I live and die by the knight's code," Monica said, crossing her arm over her body and fondling her cape's broach.
Oldrin smiled. "All right." She got herself jazzed up and went back to her starting position. "Break time's over. Let's go again! This time I'll beat you without my crest for sure!"
Monica nodded and aimed her pistol at Oldrin. "Come at me however you like."
24th Day of the Wyvern Moon
As he had promised days earlier, today was Zero's strategy meeting for the Ashen Wolves as to their battle plans for the upcoming Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Although he had excused Shamir from the meeting, she still chose to attend anyway. She cited, before the meeting, that her attendance was purely from an administrative perspective. She was concerned Zero would implement tactics that skirted the boundaries of rules violations and needed to prepare him, or Seteth, of anything that was talked about at the meeting that even she would find sketchy for her conscience.
Of course, Zero opened the meeting with a rather wild place to start. "Although it is tradition for students to lead their house into battle, unfortunately, I won't be able to do that."
"But…but we need you out there," Constance stuttered, shocked.
"Let me clarify. I won't be able to start the battle leading the Ashen Wolves. That's precisely why we're having this meeting. We're going to go over our tactics in detail so that, until I'm able to join you all, you'll know what to do. Yukiya has been piling my email inbox with data sheet after data sheet of important foes to be concerned about. We're a small team. The loss of any one of us compared to the much larger houses we're facing drops our ability to catch up in scored points significantly. But before we can talk about that, I should explain to you all why. Yuri, Kronya and C.C. already know of it, and some of you may have suspected it, but I am younger than some of you standing in front of me. I don't just fall into the age range of a Garreg Mach student. I am a Garreg Mach student. I've kept this from you for obvious reasons, but I believe by now my skills have spoken for themselves, that you all trust me at my word to lead you."
"Yeah, suppose that's true," Hapi said. "If you had told us that when you first came before us, I probably would've slept through your classes. But, at this point, you've been so good to us that your age doesn't matter. Anyone got a different opinion?"
Nobody vocalized to the contrary.
"I will need to begin the battle with my starting class," Zero stated. "For the sake of my identity not being scrutinized, I won't say which one. I have multiple contingencies for getting onto the battlefield. Yukiya, I thank you for teaching me how to hack certain mainframes so I can further muddle my identity."
"If you're planning to hack anything so that the student trackers can't keep an eye on your location, I'll need to make sure you won't be tampering with sensitive data," Shamir spoke up. "I've overlooked the Black Knight's involvement in copying security footage and gazing at sensitive data because the money's good and my moral code is loose. But, even I can't overlook certain protocols for a battleground considered this sacred. Seteth and Rhea will look for any excuse to unmask you after all."
"I don't mind going over my plan with you later then," Zero said to her. "Just be aware I'll be using a dummy identity to show you how."
"It's nothing serious anyway, just some location spoofing."
"I've also called in an old friend to masquerade as me. We will be switching places throughout the battle," Zero explained. He looked to Shamir. "I trust there is no rule against that."
"Failing to uncover spies in your own camp is a pre-battle blunder," she stated. "There's nothing in the official rulebook. The Battle of the Eagle and Lion is designed to follow as close to a live combat scenario as possible. That's why nothing is off limits and, for student protections, hard light personalized energy shielding is temporarily put in place, especially in modern clashes. And there's a medic team on standby. Anyone whose personalized shields give out, or anyone in need of a medical emergency, is immediately disqualified. As long as no one dies or suffers a life altering injury healing magic can't fix, there's no penalty, both on and off the battlefield. It's an encouragement, a test if you will, of students who think they have what it takes. That's why, annually, the greatest number of withdrawals from the academy is always the month of the Red Wolf Moon, though some students wait until the holidays are over."
"Man, I remember when I participated in my official Battle of the Eagle and Lion when I ran with the Golden Deer. Won't surprise anyone to know Holst and I mopped up shop that year," Balthus boasted, laughing.
"Indeed, and your experience will be invaluable in today's meeting," Zero told Balthus.
"Hell yeah!" Balthus exclaimed, pumped. "Just leave any questions about being in the event itself to the Veteran King of Grappling!"
"So, are we all in comprehension of my involvement in all of this at the start?" Zero asked. "Are there any objections or questions? If so, ask them now, or we're moving on." He waited a bit, but nobody did anything, not even a half-hearted hand raise. "Good, then let's move on to our next order of business. Kronya!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Are you comfortable stepping onto this battlefield?" Zero asked her. "If so, you probably won't be allowed to use Athame given what it does to those it strikes."
"It should be fine with the personalized energy shielding as long as she pulls her strikes," Shamir spoke up. "Ever since Shirley's injury at Rhodos, Professor Manuela has had time to analyze the scaring and recovery from the injury's sustained. In her medical expertise, it was concluded that while the wound can't be cured by magic, the injury itself still scars over, suggesting that traditional medicinal treatments, such as suturing, painkillers and the passage of time will work."
"Gotta hand it to the drunk diva then," Kronya remarked. "All of that is true."
"Regarding your actual involvement though, since I act as an advisor and advocate for the Ashen Wolf house to Seteth, I've had the opportunity speak on your behalf. You are, without question, a member of the Ashen Wolves. At least, that's how Zero sees it."
"Yeah, one problem though," Kronya told her. "I can't sign on as a student. I'm a Black Knight. Sorry, Zero, unlike you, I don't have a contingency plan for swapping out my other identity. I'm also infiltrating on the surface as a student. Thales would rather me keep up the masquerade."
"May I at least know who you're masquerading as? I can avoid engagement. Just because you have to be my enemy on paper doesn't mean you can't aid us," Zero pointed out.
"Yeah, but I've got orders. I'm…really sorry," Kronya apologized.
Zero nodded, understanding. "It's fine. We'll work around it."
"Don't worry though, if I see you guys, unless I've got no choice, I'll probably find a different target," Kronya told them.
"That by itself is enough," Zero responded. "It's just a shame your victories will count towards whatever house you're flying under the banner under."
Kronya chuckled. "Think of it as a little friendly competition. Besides, if you win without me, imagine what you can do with me."
"Would that I would only have you fight at our side, Kronya, but I'd be a hypocrite if I lectured you on this matter in particular. Let's move on. Constance."
"Yes, Zero?"
"Your…condition. Will that be a problem?"
She sighed. "I feared you would bring this up. I am able to follow all orders given, even as my…other self. As I have stated before, my issue is with regards to confidence, not skill. Tis a shame we have no control over the weather. If the battlefield was overcast, there would be no cause for concern.
Zero thought about things for a moment. "I'd like to run some experiments with you later, if that's okay."
"Ex-Experiments…" Meddling with alchemy and magical experimentation was Constance's lifeblood. Hearing Zero take interest in her work, gave her a significant leap in her pulse.
"For your condition," Zero clarified. "I want to see if something other than a cloud can render the issue moot. You take great pains on every mission we've been on to stay out of the sun, which means you consider the you as you are in this classroom to be who you are. I'd rather deal with what I'm used to than what I'm not."
"I completely agree! Experimentation it is!" Constance declared excitedly.
"Hapi."
Hapi groaned. "Ooooof course it's me. Let me guess, no sighing?"
"No, quite the opposite. A few boars, bears and wolves attacking the battlefield can stir up chaos that can lead to free points," Zero responded. He looked to Shamir. "Any student that can't kill a bear with an energy weapon doesn't belong on that battlefield to start with."
"You'll hear no arguments from me," Shamir responded, more intrigued by the craftiness than upset by it. "We have plenty of medical staff on standby. Hapi's sighing is a known issue by the church. If they didn't want to deal with it, you would have gotten a memo telling her to stay off the battlefield."
"Good, then I have one additional question. Aside from this being a mock battle, there are few tactics that are actually outright banned because warfare is unpredictable, chaotic and hardly has rules. That said, there's always a first time offense for everything. We have the Neverland Mk. II. It is well-known at that it is classified as a vessel belonging to the Ashen Wolves. Can it be brought onto the battlefield and piloted?"
Shamir thought about it. "I'll have to run that one by Seteth. Chances are high it's not allowed to sit in the spectator area, and any student leaving the battlefield is disqualified. If you can somehow get it to attack remotely, it might be allowed, but don't quote me on it. Wait for me to discuss it."
"Very well," Zero responded. "Then the only thing we need to do now is discuss all of the noteworthy foes we'll need to watch out for. All students from every house are allowed on the battlefield, unlike the mock battle where each house was limited to five combatants. This is an army battle royale type of scenario. And with only eleven combatants, we are outnumbered even by the Green Pheasant house."
"Fear not, for with my magic—"
"Constance, you will be hanging back until things get troublesome," Zero interrupted her.
"WHAT?! But how am I to stand out to bring glory back to House Nuvelle if I am on reserve?" Constance questioned, bewildered. "I am your strongest mage."
C.C. cleared her throat.
"Second strongest mage, and one of only three not counting yourself."
"And that's precisely why you need to hold back. We're a small force. If you go charging out there and end up getting knocked out, our endgame plans are in tatters," he told her.
"So then what is the plan?" Constance asked.
"I'm so glad you asked," Zero remarked and began drawing on the chalkboard. "We will use scavenger tactics to monitor the enemy. Yuri, Ayano, and Akito will go charging out right at the start. They'll remove isolated units from the enemy path while we build a defensive core near home base, at least until we know where the fighting is concentrated."
He marked the battlefield with a big graph-like grid. "Yuri, Ayano and Akito will provide intel on the battlefield as it unfolds. Meanwhile, I want you, and Yukiya to work together and try to get the Neverland up and running. If that's not applicable, Constance, your next priority is basically as a siege weapon."
"Forgive me for not understanding, but isn't Balthus the better siege weapon?" she questioned.
"I think I get it," Hapi said. "Coco's long range Bolting spell."
"Ah! So that is what you meant by siege. I am essentially a magic catapult. INGENIOUS!"
"Yukiya, Neverland or no Neverland, I want you to tap into enemy comms. Specifically, keep hacking frequencies until you hear one of the other house leaders," he instructed.
"Got it," Yukiya replied with a nod.
"Once the most vulnerable targets have been picked off, the battle will enter its second stage, with only the most resilient fighters left to pick hard to acquire victory points. So now, as previously stated. Let's discuss every last enemy I predict will be a problem in some form or another, starting with the obvious."
He activated a slideshow from a computer in the back with the push of a remote switch, using it to project onto the movie screen near the chalkboard. An image of Byleth appeared, to the absolute shock of no one.
"Byleth Eisner, the Ashen Demon, almost certain to be the most powerful warrior on that battlefield. If you so much as spot her, do not engage. If she pursues, try to shake her and lure her into a different battle. If you do cross blades with her and she flees, do not pursue. Until she's one of the only enemies left on the battlefield, about the only friendly fire I want aimed at her is the Akane straffing as it zips through the air." He looked at Constance. "Save your Boltings for easier targets." He looked at Ryo. "If she's not using The Forgotten Saint, use the Howling Timberwolf to give yourself covering fire but do not start the hostilities."
"Right, got it."
"In addition to the Forgotten Saint's overwhelming power, Professor Eisner has the Sword of the Creator and the Crest of Flames. She is an unparalleled warrior without equal. For that reason, she has a threat level of SS. I repeat do not engage unless told to otherwise."
Next on the slideshow was Edelgard. "Edelgard von Hresvelg, house leader of the Black Eagles. She prefers heavy armor and getting in close, so stay at a distance. Balthus, you and Hilda should steer clear of her. She will outmatch you."
Both nodded.
"Between her hardened battle proficiency and her ability to take a hit, I warrant her threat level A, but that threat level goes up to S when partnered with her retainer, Hubert. If Edelgard is charging ahead, he will undoubtedly be waiting in the shadows. Be cautious. His magic is not to be trifled with. He can rival Hapi in terms of damage caused by one Miasma blast."
"The Bert does seem as dangerous as he is sketchy," Hapi agreed.
"Next person I want to talk about." A picture of Monica von Ochs appeared. "Miss von Ochs has an identic memory. She was kidnapped near the end of last year's school year and nearly led the Black Eagles to victory. She would have led the Black Eagle house to victory if not for the overwhelming prowess of the Green Pheasants' Suzaku Kururugi. Between her Crest of Macuil, specialization in fire magic and fierce loyalty to Edelgard, I grant her threat level A Plus."
Next was a person that confused the group: Bernadetta.
"I know what you all are thinking, but undererstimate Bernadetta von Varley at your own peril. When cornered, the girl turns into a whirlwind of incomprehensible and unmitigated chaos. The other day I happened to witness Felix Hugo Fraldarius, someone we'll talk about soon enough, attempting to return a parcel to Bernadetta. As is typical of her, she freaked out and disarmed him of his sword in the process. I will remind all of you that Felix comes from countless generations of well-trained heirs in the art of combat. One does not simply disarm Felix Hugo Fraldarius. Then there's also Bernadetta's Crest of Saint Indech, which she is clearly capable of using. The Grizzly Fortress, her HLKMF, is also as its name suggests. It's a mobile fortress packed with every weapon Bernadetta can imagine. Unless you can sneak up on her and knock her out, stay away from her and let her be another house's problem. Threat level S."
Zero moved on. "I also want to discuss Clara Lanfranc. I don't think she's going to be of murderous issue now, but Yuri and I have discussed that she may have a hidden power we don't yet know about. If you engage, do so only with your HLKMF equipped so she can't see your face. Threat level B minus, but can go up. Stay on your guard."
He moved on from the Black Eagles to the Blue Lions, starting with their house leader. "Dimitri Alexandre Blayddid, the most powerful, by far of the Blue Lion house. The man doesn't know when to quit. However, he's extremely self-sacrificing. Despite his crazy strength, if allies are in danger, he'll move to protect them. Threat level A. He'd be higher if not for his exploitable emotions."
Next, Lelouch showed Ingrid Brandl Galatea. "Ingrid's HLKMF can fly. That alone will cause problems for our default strategy. However, she is highly trained and takes combat very seriously. If you run into her, use your best judgment. Threat level B plus."
Zero then showed Felix. "Felix Hugo Fraldarius we discussed a moment ago, but to emphasize the point, he and Ayano are roughly equal with each other. So, I am advising to allow her to engage one on one. Felix also is merciless, but he also seeks a challenge. Those of you that fight up close should engage, but only to hold his attention. Otherwise, let him be if you can."
Zero instantly moved on to the Golden Deer. "Claude von Riegan is roughly Yuri's equal when it comes to being crafty and is just as much of a schemer. Don't let his joking nature fool you, he does have a brain rattling around inside his head. If he's out in the open, he's probably safe to engage. However, if it seems like he's stalling, run and don't entertain him. I don't know just what his Saffron Chimera's limits are but it's safe to say he's going to be a problem regardless. S minus threat level."
Hilda appeared next. "Hilda Valentine Goneril has made the apt decision to increase how seriously she approaches combat."
"I can take this one, pal, if you don't mind," Balthus requested.
"Go ahead," Zero replied, dropping his arms at his sides.
"My advice to everyone here, let her be somebody else's problem. Hilda's scary when she gets serious. I'm probably the only one who can handle her and even then I don't like my chances. If anyone's gonna be last man standing in the Golden Deer, it's gonna be her, no question about it."
"I have to agree and echo that assessment. She's almost as dangerous as the Ashen Demon herself. Threat level S plus."
Zero was not done with the Golden Deer though. "This is Lysithea von Ordelia," he said, showing off a small girl with white hair.
"Oh yeah, Lily's real strong. We saw that back when we fought Odesse," Hapi pointed out, sounding completely serious.
Zero nodded. "I have no doubt Claude plans to equip her with Thyrsus over Lorenz. I've looked into Thyrsus as a Hero's Relic, it increases the range by which magic can be cast, doubles the user's defenses, and increases magic attack potency. Lysithea already has a high tolerance for suffering magic attacks and with that extra range, getting in close will prove difficult. I advise isolating her from Hilda only after the two are the last two remaining so that Hilda can't save her and taking her out up close. She doesn't have swift reflexes so a melee combatant like Yuri, Balthus or even Kallen should be able to handle her."
Everyone nodded.
"Threat level S." He then switched gears to the next house. "This brings me to the Violet Tigers, starting with Princess Cornelia herself. I'm sure everyone here needs no introduction to how dangerous the Scathach is. Princess Cornelia may choose to fight on the front lines with her men, but so does Oldrin Zevon, who I will also talk about. They're both highly skilled, highly dangerous fighters." He made three more pictures appear of Monica, Gino and Anya. "Princess Cornelia has effectively stacked the deck in her favor. All five of these combatants are S-class level threats. Let the other houses deal with them until we have no choice. Gino might seem carefree and Anya might seem dull-witted but they both understand a battlefield quite well. Keep your distance."
"What about Princess Marrybell?" Ayano asked.
"Princess Marrybell is pretty straightforward. The Saintly Witch might be dangerous, but from the data Yukiya gathered for me, Hapi's Demonic Hellcat should more than be a match for it under optimal circumstances."
"Okay, what about non-optimal circumstances, for me, I mean."
"From what I can gather, Princess Marrybell suffers from PTSD due to a childhood trauma. If she becomes isolated or surrounded by fire, she tends to lose her nerve if Oldrin Zevon isn't near. That's my only backup option. Still, she is a good pilot, but I know how she thinks, lessening her impact to cause chaos on the battlefield. She's only a B rank threat."
"That brings me to Shez Lamperouge, a threat almost as dangerous as the Ashen Demon herself. The advice I have for her is the same as dealing with Hilda and Byleth: keep your distance. Shez may have no sense of direction, but that never seems to impact her on a battlefield, just when she's moving day to day. Yuri, you're the only one I can trust to even buy time against her."
"What about me? I recall soundly repelling her back at Saitama," C.C. reminded him.
"You're my secret weapon," Zero told her. "The longer we can put off using you the better. All of the other powerful enemies will be rushing headlong into battle to scoop up as many points as they can. I want you to not exert yourself so that I have you for the endgame when the hunters become the hunted. Now that you're in play, our victory will hinge on how much of an impact you can make. However, I also distinctly recall you being outmatched by Oldrin Zevon and she and Shez have only gotten stronger since. Even you need to be careful, C.C."
"Understood." The woman gave no further argument.
"The various members of the Glinda Knights such as Tink, Leonhardt, Marika and Sokkia are dangerous, but nothing we can't handle as a unit. We've dealt with worse. Keep your wits about you and your heads on straight," he pointed out. "That just leave the Green Pheasant House. Fortunately for us, their greatest asset now works for us." He looked right at Kallen.
Kallen made a grunt signifying her acknowledgment of this fact.
"Empress Kaguya is strong, but I feel as though she doesn't rise to the level of vital threat. If anything, I don't expect the Green Pheasant house to last very long into the battle. However, they do have one person I want to talk about, but first let me show you all how the start of battle will look."
He showed everyone the six house starting positions on his chalk drawn map. There were six quadrants designated as home base for each of the six houses: northwest, northeast, east, southeast, southwest, and west.
"We are designated on the western bank," Zero pointed out. "To our direct south is the Black Eagle house. To our north, the Violet Tigers. All the way across the battlefield, is the Green Pheasant house, caught between the Blue Lions to the north, and the Golden Deer to the south. We don't have to engage the Green Pheasant house until towards the end of the battle. But, should they cross the battlefield to avoid the Golden Deer, they may head for the turret gun in the center," he said, tapping the board with chalk. "And that brings me to the last person I want to talk about."
A picture of a woman in a green shirt, with blue hair, appeared. "This is Naomi Inoue. She's one of the best snipers in all of Garreg Mach's student body at the moment. She gave Akito trouble at Saitama, and she can have only gotten better. Threat level A."
He closed the presentation and went for the battle map. "We are in luck that the first order of business for the Violet Tigers is to cross the river that separates them and the Blue Lions from the rest of the battlefield. The Black Eagles have the disadvantage of having to navigate around a bunch of man-made barricades placed by House Bergliez to keep out intruders. If they want to attack us at the start, they'll leave themselves open to the Golden Deer pushing west. If I know Edelgard, she'll simply use the barricades to her advantage.
"Claude recognizes the Black Eagles as the bigger threat and may already be working to set up a temporary truce between himself and the Green Pheasants to cover his flank. That will leave the Blue Lion house to attack the Green Pheasants. As for the Violet Tigers, they're going to be a big problem."
He drew some Xs that separated the Tigers from the Lions and then a wavy line in front of the Tigers and the Lions. "There's a wide thicket that will keep the Lions and the Tigers separated from each other, making it awkward to attack on the northern bank. Knowing Cornelia, she's likely to attack us, a small force, believing she can crush us in small numbers, before moving on to the bigger threat, the Black Eagles. Constance is already going to act as our siege defense, but we may have our starting position overrun. Should that happen…"
Lelouch drew a line that slipped around the Violet Tigers' flank and kept moving northeast. "We will attempt to engage the Blue Lions and catch them off guard. We can then split our force and wrestle the Green Pheasants for the turret cannon. None of the other houses need such an advantage. They have numbers and synergy. We will need to balance our engagement with the Lions and the Pheasants and avoid being flanked by the Tigers."
"If we take the hill with the turret cannon though, we're trapped on all sides. Every house will fracture in some direction or another," Yuri pointed out.
"Yes, but that's where we can use the objective of the battle to our advantage. No one is going to waste time dealing with us immediately. We're too small in number and every body counts as one point. There is no bonus for valor in this war."
"You're suspecting the other teams will ignore us in favor of enemies with larger armies," Ryo realized.
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting, yes. And the turret hill only has four ways to reach it from the four main compass directions. Balthus. Kallen. C.C. Akito. Should we find ourselves pinned, you will cover our center, so that we can maintain control of the hill."
"Got it. Just leave it to the Sturdy King of Grappling!" Balthus declared.
"Is…that it then?" Hapi asked.
"It is," Zero said, putting the chalk down. "For now. However, battle is all about re-evaluating threats. There's still a little over half a week to refine and retune our plans. If something comes up, I will talk about it after lecture this week. You're all dismissed. See you all tonight."
"Death before dishonor!" Constance declared happily.
"Hahahaha, I'm with you there, Coco. Death before dishonor," Hapi laughed.
It won't be easy, and the plan's full of holes, but this battlefield is going to be a chaotic mess. If we place second to any house, I wish for it to be Adrestia's Black Eagles. I need the world this Sunday to fear one of two people: The Ashen Demon…or Zero.
25th Day of the Wyvern Moon
Bernadetta von Varley watched one of the strongest students at Garreg Mach, Kallen Kozuki, doing some light stretching and exercise out in the quad. The redhead was performing her warm-up exercises before going into the training ground to do something more grueling.
"Kallen's so brave," Bernie remarked with a smile. "I wish I could be just like her. She doesn't let anything stop her." She sighed. "Compared to her, I'm nothing."
Completely inadvertently, Kallen made eye contact with Bernadetta. It had nothing to do with her exercise, or Bernadetta's mutterings either. She just happened to be in between sets and noticed Bernadetta looking at her. However, the minute Bernadetta saw Kallen looking back at her staring, she shrieked and hid behind some bushes.
Kallen, for her part, shrugged and uncapped some water, taking a drink.
Despite hiding, Bernadetta continued to watch Kallen with great interest, taking notes, wondering if she exercised like Kallen if that would instantly make her braver.
However, while she was in the bushes, an insect landed on her nose.
Hearing the subsequent shrieking, Kallen went over to where Bernadetta had backed herself up to the wall, the creature crawling up her forehead.
"Please don't sting me, Mr. Bee! I don't taste very good!"
This was no ordinary insect, but a mutated species of a yellow jacket that had grown comfortable at high altitudes over the centuries. It wasn't a bee though, as Bernadetta called it. It was closer in size and shape to the Asian Giant Hornet, but had descended from Adrestian fauna.
With Bernadetta freaking out, practically paralyzed with fear, Kallen came over, towering over the sitting girl. She saw what was happening and only spoke two words: "Stay still."
Bernadetta gulped, expecting Kallen to end her existence quickly, only for Kallen to very deftly snatch the offending insect from Bernadetta's face by the head, standing upright, the insect struggling to move as Kallen applied pressure with her fingers to its skull. Then, ever the cold-blooded freedom fighter, Kallen wasted a cartridge pistol shot to obliterate the insect with one loud BANG
Bernadetta, thinking she'd been shot, fainted.
Kallen took one look at her and shrugged, even as the unconscious Bernadetta foamed at the mouth. Believing Bernadetta to require some medical attention—she couldn't just leave her there—she hoisted Bernadetta up over her shoulder and carted her off towards Manuela's office.
It was the middle of the afternoon, when Kallen was wrapping up her training, wiping sweat from her brow, when she turned and saw Bernadetta standing not that far away. Kallen, having not expected the girl to be there, felt her blood pressure shoot up 10bpm.
"U-Um," Bernadetta said nervously, fiddling with her fingers, staring at the ground.
"Yeah? Something you need Bernadetta?"
"U-um!" Bernadetta gasped, staring at Kallen.
"Look, if you're just gonna stutter all day, I've got other things to do," Kallen remarked.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm a waste of space and I should just die and leave you alone!" Bernadetta shouted.
Kallen rolled her eyes, saying nothing, waiting for Bernadetta to hopefully calm down, but the girl said nothing, just standing there quivering in fear.
"Hey, are you okay? Do you need to go back to Manuela's office?" she asked.
"N-No! I'm fine I…ugh! Why is this so hard?" she grumbled.
"Because you're making it so?" Kallen asked, her tone carrying how tiring Bernadetta's antics were quickly becoming.
"That's…" Bernadetta started, only to whine. Kallen had her there. "Sorry, I'll go."
"That's it? You're just giving up?"
"I-I mean…" Bernadetta stuttered.
"Do you honestly think that little of yourself?" Kallen asked. "Where's your pride?!"
"What pride?! I'd sooner beg for my life!" Bernadetta shouted.
. . .Is she for real?
"Look, just…ugh! Forget it! I just…I want to be more like you, okay? There! I said it!"
"More like…me?"
"Yeah…Lady Edelgard's really intimidating, but she's near peerless in her bravery, but you…you're not so scary by comparison." She smiled. "You're actually really nice. I've seen you make friends and punish bullies so…so I thought. Urrrrrrgh! This is…stupid. Nevermind!"
Bernadetta turned to leave, but Kallen grabbed her shoulder. "Wait."
Bernadetta gasped, quivering in fright again.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be stronger, Bernadetta. But strength doesn't come from watching other brave people. It comes from within. You don't get stronger just by wanting it. You get it by pushing yourself," Kallen told her.
"Pushing myself? That sounds terrifying!" Bernadetta whined.
"Then be a coward for the rest of your life," Kallen told her, shrugging. She walked forward and proceeded for the double doors that led on and off the training grounds.
"I don't want that either!" Bernadetta shouted. "I just want to be safe!"
Kallen turned towards her. "Being safe and being strong are two different things. Maybe instead of just saying 'I want to be strong and brave', maybe ask yourself why you want to be and what you want out of life. Maybe then you'll find your own strength."
Bernadetta took this to heart. "I mean…I guess I could do that. I mean, I just don't want to be scared of everything my entire life, but it's really hard to just…" she stared at the ground, "Not be pathetic."
"I don't think you're pathetic, Bernadetta."
"Eh?" Bernadetta craned her head up to meet Kallen's gaze. "You…don't?"
"Not at all. You're the most openly scared person in the whole monastery, but you don't go screaming into the night to book the first flight out of here. You've toughed it out all this time. That's not nothing," Kallen told her.
Bernadetta sighed. "That's different. My dad's at home and I don't want to have to deal with him. It'd be worse there than here. That's not strength. It's the path of least resistance," Bernadetta insulted herself.
"Family issues, huh? Well, you wouldn't be the first. Everyone here at Garreg Mach has some kind of baggage," Kallen told her.
"I mean…I guess so. I never really thought about it," Bernadetta stated.
"You know Professor Ohgi with the Green Pheasants? He always had a saying: when adversity strikes, people react in one of three ways: like a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean in boiling water."
Bernadetta tilted her head, confused.
"I didn't get it either at first, but then he showed my brother and me when we were kids. Carrots wilt. They respond to adversity by growing weaker. Eggs form a hard shell. They respond to adversity by becoming harder, sterner even. But a coffee bean, it becomes coffee. It takes the adversity and transforms it into something else, taking control. Right now, I'd say you're a carrot, Bernadetta."
"So then you're so strong because you're a coffee bean?" Bernadetta asked.
Kallen shook her head. "No. I'm very much an egg. Zero's a coffee bean."
Bernadetta laughed. "Yeah, Zero's the hero all right." She stared up at the afternoon sky. "The hero of the weak and helpless. I really look up to him, you know?"
"Hey, there's always a place in the Ashen Wolves," Kallen told her.
"Huh?! Uh uh! NOPE! No way!" Bernadetta exclaimed. "Being in the Ashen Wolves means the whole world's your enemy cause you're the outcast of all the major superpowers and then I have to go on really dangerous missions!" Bernadetta freaked out and pushed the door open. "Nooooooo! I'm a good girl! I don't want to dieeeeeeeee!"
Kallen groaned deeply, pinching her nose and shaking her head.
Later that same evening, Hilda was wheeling Nunnally through the school yard, the two having spent their time after afternoon classes together, as they often did.
"I hope it's dinnertime soon," Nunnally said. "I'm so hungry."
"Oh, I think dinner's just around the corner," Hilda said to her with a smile.
"What makes you say that?" Nunnally asked. "What time is it?"
However, Hilda didn't answer her, she simply walked into the dining hall from the south side entry ramp, followed by a loud, "SURPRISE!"
"OH! Goodness!" Nunnally exclaimed, flustered. "Wh-what's all this?"
"It's your birthday, isn't it? Don't tell me you don't know the day you were born?" Hilda asked.
"Oh! No! Of course I remember, but this is all…"
"A bit different, huh?" Lelouch asked, approaching. His hand fell atop his sister's head. "Thanks for watching her, Hilda."
"No problem, no problem. You know I'm always willing to look after Nunna. She's a sweetie."
Despite being blind, Nunnally could feel the vibes from Hilda and her big brother, turning her head between them. "…Are you two flirting?"
"NO! NO, we are NOT!" Hilda shouted, flustered.
"Come on, there's cake and games and I even got some Karaoke for everyone," Lelouch said, taking command of Nunnally's chair.
"What's gotten into you, big brother? Normally you insist on celebrating my birthday just the two of us?"
"Well, this year's a special occasion," he told her. "Shez and Byleth wanted to celebrate and when I considered just how many people wanted to wish you a happy birthday, I thought maybe you'd like to have a small party."
Nunnally reached up her hand to where Lelouch's hand was on her wheelchair. "Thank you very much, Lelouch. I really appreciate it."
He smiled.
Party attendees included: Claude, Hilda, Raphael, Ignatz, Leonie, Byleth, Shez, Edelgard, Ferdinand, Sokkia, Dorothea, Suzaku, Annette, Mercedes, Lysithea, Marianne, Shirley, Milly, Nina, Rivalz, and…
"Happy Birthday, Nunnally."
"Oh! Alice! You're here too?" Nunnally questioned.
"Yes, and…here…" she handed Nunnally a wrapped gift. It was smaller than a tablet, but bulkier.
"I was going to have her open all of her gifts later.
"Well, I want her to open it now," Alice responded, fussy. "I came because I had a little time off, but my unit's on call today so I could have to report for duty at any moment."
Lelouch relented. "Fine. Go ahead, Nunnally."
"Okay!" She declared and began tearing open the packaging. After feeling around the carboard box, Nunnally opened the top, revealing a watch, a really well-made watch to boot. And all the numbers were in brail.
"The numbers perforate whenever the hour or minute hand is nearest to them for easy time telling, so if only one number is raised, you know it's 1:05, 2:10, 3:15 and so on," Alice explained. "W-want help putting it on?"
"Oh! If you don't mind!" Nunnally exclaimed, holding out her wrist.
Lelouch looked amused by Alice's behavior as she finished. Alice caught his gaze and expression.
"What? …WHAT?!"
Lelouch chuckled. "Nothing, nothing at all."
"Hey! Party planner!" Claude called out in a whimsical voice, holding up a game controller. "The gang's here! I want my revenge!"
"I'll be right there!" Lelouch called out to him and returned his attention to the two younger teens before him. "Well, I'm being summoned to show Claude why he's never going to beat me at Mario Party."
"Oh! Can I sit nearby?" Nunnally asked. "I know I can't see, but it would mean a lot if I could hear you having fun, Lelouch."
"Are you sure? I don't normally comment," he said.
"That's fine. Just knowing you're interacting with others is good enough for me," she replied.
Alice watched Lelouch wheel Nunnally over as Edelgard reluctantly sat down next to Sokkia. The other students were watching them about to embark on a grueling testament of their amicability to sit in the same room as each other.
Alice only had one sentiment on her mind. He's a good big brother.
Now a little more aware of Lelouch's tendency to fly under the radar, Claude thought he knew how to handle Lelouch at video games. Unfortunately, Sokkia made that very difficult when she was just…the agent of chaos.
Why did I agree to this again? Edelgard found herself thinking. I should have at least set up a camera and treated this like a stream.
However, the evening of merriment was shifted, for Lelouch, into a night of an unexpected guest during his lecture as Zero: Felix Hugo Fraldarius, a first.
After the lecture, as others left, Felix approached Zero. "Zero, a moment of your time."
"I have nothing but moments, but you're granted this one. Speak."
"I just received a phone call from my father earlier this evening. Sightings of those mages in the black robes have been reported within Fraldarius territory. Ordinarily, I would go straight to Professor Hannemann or Professor Ohgi and get the Blue Lions or the Green Pheasants involved. However, given recent events, I thought it might be of interest to you," Felix remarked.
"Is this just an excuse to see me in battle?" Zero asked.
"You don't pull any punches, do you?" Felix asked, smirking. "But you're right. I want a chance to observe you up close without you attempting to attack me. I find myself intrigued by you, especially since you have swayed both the Green Pheasants ace, Kallen Kozuki, but also have four Japanese citizens under your command prior to that. In case your intelligence network has not informed you, House Fraldarius has blood ties to Japan. I would like to see why half of my bloodline has chosen to follow you." He looked over to Yuri. "The same with Count Rowe's adopted son."
"Ah, seems as though my face is recognizable. I'm so honored," Yuri quipped.
"There's also been talk of banditry and thieving and while law enforcement certainly has that covered, I don't imagine making a statement between right and wrong is outside your code of conduct? Or are you a champion of anarchy in any form?"
"I am a champion of justice. Anarchy is a form, but it is not universal. Still, your request intrigues me. When would you have me off?"
"Tomorrow morning, if possible. My father has made the arrangements. Fraldarius territory is much closer to Rome than even Magdred Way. We can be back before dinner tomorrow."
Zero looked at his students still in the classroom.
"Hey, you'll hear no complaints from me at this point," Hapi remarked with a smile, pumping her fists. "Getting out and doing things for people gets me jazzed up."
"Hey, I'm down for a good scrap any day," Balthus said.
"I'd like to go," Ayano requested.
Even without verbal declarations from the others, Zero could tell that this was a resounding "Yes" from the majority. "I'll meet you at the hangar in the morning."
"I look forward to it," Felix said with a nod and left.
As the classroom dispersed, Zero caught up with Yuri. "Count Rowe?"
"Hey, not everyone chooses to be a simple street urchin their whole life. Some of us butter up the nobility and squeeze them out of coin to make a living," Yuri remarked whimsically.
"There are a lot of things you don't tell me, Yuri," Zero said to him.
"That's to your benefit and a lack of asking the right questions," Yuri responded with a cheeky grin.
"What do we know about House Fraldarius besides what Felix told us?" Zero asked.
"Well, I doubt this is a trap, if that's what you're suggesting. Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius, the current duke, is probably one of the most noble and forthright and honest people in all of Faerghus," Yuri told him. "If he's getting reports about Agarthans, probably valid."
"I can second that," Kronya remarked, sneaking up from behind.
"Yeesh, didn't even know you were there. Trying to give me a heart attack," Yuri responded.
"Sounds like a you problem," Kronya remarked and then looked at Zero. "Our Empire has a foothold in every major region except Britannia. I think being separated by an entire ocean helps with that. At least, last I knew we didn't have spies there," she corrected.
"Who are we going to be up against?" Zero asked.
"I don't Cleobulus, our best wizard, is making a move. She's disguised as someone too important to lose at this stage. Could be Anaximandros, could be Pittacus. Could also be Myson."
"What do we have on them?"
"I'll draft a report and hand it to you on tomorrow's flight. That work?" she asked.
Zero nodded. "I can make plans in that narrow of a time frame. That'll be fine." And get me a good night's sleep.
"Are you doing all right by the way, Kronya?" Yuri asked. "I know things haven't been great since…"
"If I wanted to sit out, I'd say it. Thales hasn't told me to stay out of Agarthan operations if Zero gets involved. I…think he likes Zero. I think he has plans for you, despite losing some of our best."
"Survival of the fittest indeed," Zero remarked. "The sentiment concerns me. You almost make it sound as if Thales doesn't think I'll turn on him."
"…"
"That silence is damning. Unless you have anything further to add, dismissed, Kronya," Zero told her.
The woman vanished.
"So I've been hard at work trying to figure out how Lord Arundel fits into all of this," Yuri stated.
"And, what have you uncovered?" Zero asked him.
"Not as much as I would like. Adrestia keeps a lot of its current goings on under careful scrutiny. I've lost a lot of good messengers just to get information that tells me absolutely nothing of value," Yuri told Zero. "But if there's one region I think the Agarthans have a heavy presence in, it's Adrestia. I think both Arundel and Duke Aegir cut a deal with them, but I have yet to get the evidence to prove it."
"Edelgard did say that Ludwig would do anything for Adrestia's strength. If you learn nothing of value, try buttering up Rhea and seeing if any useful information falls out. I may dislike the woman, but staying on her good side yields results. As a pious man of the faith, you might be able to get information out of her I can't."
"Ha! Yeah, that's not going to happen. I've tried, believe me, but she gets tighter than a bear trap if I try bringing it up, saying that it's not something I need to worry about. Almost makes me think there's a conspiracy tying Rhea to them, as if she's allowing them to fester," Yuri remarked.
"Is that not the case?" Zero asked.
"No. They're the ones that tried to assassinate her and steal the Sword of the Creator, remember? It feels like we're a few pieces short of this jigsaw. The Flame Emperor's connected to all of it. If we could unmask them, it would all fall into place," Yuri stated.
"I have some theories about that. After Lady Matilda's demise the other day, if the Flame Emperor isn't Edelgard, it has to be one of her thought to be deceased siblings. Start there," Lelouch instructed.
"Will do, but…don't expect much. Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, a bit of coin now and then to hire new messengers would be great. I'm gonna have to be forced to start posting mortality rates otherwise," Yuri stated.
"Understood. I'll wire something your way," Zero told him.
"Yeah, that something better come with plenty of zeroes after it," Yuri sighed.
"I'll figure it out," Zero remarked rudely and then left. He didn't like the idea of Yuri shaking him down for coin. He then headed for the elevator, quick changed into his civilian look and exited, heading for bed. When he got to his dorm room, there was a taped up piece of paper attached to it, folded over. It was designed a little bit like a card.
On the cover, it read "to my best big brother ever." Unfolded once it read. "Thank you for the best birthday party ever." And unfolded twice it read, "Love Nunnally."
Lelouch smiled, opened the door to his dorm room, put the letter on his desk somewhere he could always see it while doing homework, and then dressed down for bed. Tomorrow would be an important day. Tomorrow, the Ashen Wolves would strike yet again at the heart of Faerghus, but for the first time, it would be in defense of the kingdom.
In his mind, as he fell asleep, Lelouch could see a chess board. Rook to e5. Check!
(A/N: And that'll just about wrap it up as we move on to the paralogue True Chivalry. Depending on how long it is, we might get a 2 for 1 paralogue combo of it and Rumored Nuptials, although I very much doubt that given what I have planned in mind for it. But, until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)
SPECIAL THANKS to my Patrons ShawnH and Wizard Aro. If you'd like to support my work, consider subscribing. I don't offer much, but I would like to turn fanfiction into a job if possible, or at least to help me scrape by while I look for a new one, as I am presently unemployed. Thanks everyone for your continued support as readers. Just your comments and love for my work is enough to keep me doing this in my spare time!