Playing Pretend - On the Run
30th of the Harpstring Moon, 1180
Joseph saw Reidun disappear in a flash of purple as his spell went through.
Then, as usual, he felt their connection tighten and pull, forcing the world to blur in motion until he arrived where he'd sent her: sprawling as she fell into one of the passenger seats of her new carriage.
'Again,' Joseph thought, thankful for the white magic efficiency that the Bishop class granted him, before he again cast- "Warp!"
Once again, Reidun disappeared in a flash of purple light, along with the horse, carriage, and belongings. Then once again, Joseph was pulled by his ghostly tether to where he'd sent her, the edge of his reach.
Then, with little fuss, he floated over to the driver's seat and grabbed the reins.
"Joseph!" Reidun shouted from the back, making a fuss as she crawled out to the front, her anger and irritation expressed across their connection. "Turn us around. I wasn't done!"
"Really, Reidun?" the ghost shot back dryly. "I'm sorry, did you want me to wait for the knights to detain you?"
"They weren't going to detain me," Reidun denied. While her spoken tone remained even, a hint of disgust echoed the words across their connection.
It only irritated Joseph more.
"Of course not," he drawled. "They were just going to help you fulfill your dreams of cosplaying as a porcupine."
He turned and glared at the girl, prompting her to flinch and step back.
"You share my sight, Reidun," he pointed out venomously. "So don't pretend you couldn't see the situation you were charging into."
The words seemed to have silenced the girl, and Joseph directed his focus back to the road, trying his damndest to block out the sudden wave of guilt flooding his way from the now silenced girl.
He'd told her that the plan had been stupid.
He'd told her repeatedly that she needed to be careful.
He'd-
Joseph closed his eyes and –despite not needing to– tried to take a deep deep breath.
'I'm doing it again…' he realised, the thought coming to him like a cold shower. 'Advise, not command. It's her life, and her mistakes…'
No matter how preventable, or how much he disagreed with the choices. Joseph refused to let himself make that mistake again.
So, despite his irritation and the way his unbeaten heart froze every time this stupid little girl put herself in harm's way… he let it go and forced himself to calm down.
"There's still time," Joseph explained, his eyes focused on the road. "Whether the church is trying to protect, investigate, or condemn them, neither Solon nor Kronya will have the freedom to act for now."
He could feel the slight way that Reidun's shoulders relaxed with the words and hear the urgency drain from her thoughts. Though he didn't miss the wary glance she sent his way, before she answered.
"...but we can still go back," she argued.
"You could," Joseph acknowledged in a flat tone. "...but as you've long since figured out, the gift I had you deliver to Seteth included everything I know. No matter what, you've given him an opportunity to act on that."
He paused for a moment, taking great care with how he worded what he said next.
"Either he'll use that chance immediately, or he'll have some other plan," Joseph explained. "Going back might just make things worse. So, Reidun…"
He turned and looked the girl in the eyes.
"Do you really need to go back there right now?"
Joseph saw a myriad of emotions wash across the face the girl kept within her mind, before it finally settled on a disgruntled resignation.
"Fine," she grumbled, crawling back into the carriage, leaving it up to Joseph to figure out how to evade the largest knightly order on the continent.
1st of the Garland Moon, 1180
Reidun stared at the board in the town centre.
'So…' she started thinking. 'You said that Seteth would do something.'
"I did…" Joseph admitted, staring at the same board.
More specifically, the two of them were staring at the new wanted poster with Reidun's face on it.
"...I also said that he might have other plans," Joseph defended awkwardly.
'Is that what you think is happening?' Reidun questioned sincerely.
"Absolutely," he answered. "We know that he got the gift, and there have been big enough changes that someone must have acted on it. I can't see anyway it couldn't be-"
30th of the Harpstring Moon, 1180
Flayn was panicking.
'How did this go so wrong?!"
"-Seteth who is acting on it, and if it's him, he should have full control over the situation," Joseph reasoned. "I mean… the only person who could counteract him is archbishop Rhea, and I don't see any reason why she-"
30th of the Harpstring Moon, 1180
Ingrid was in an awkward position.
There were five books arrayed on the desk of her dorm… books from Reidun's collection.
'If Rhea finds out, she'll burn them too…'
"-would actively work against us," Joseph continued, before a hint of uncertainty crossed his features. "I suppose neither of them would have any way of knowing that you aren't with them, but the circumstance should be pretty self-explanatory, given the information they have.
Reidun adjusted the hood covering her most recognisable features and stepped away from the town's message board to avoid a group of approaching knights.
'All according to plan, then?' she asked.
"I reckon, yes," Joseph answered. Like I said earlier, with what Seteth knows, there's no way-"
30th of the Harpstring Moon, 1180
In a dank hidden room, Solon prepared his next experiment.
"Soon…"
"-he'd let Solon and Kronya be without some degree of surveillance or security," he stated confidently, as Reidun stepped through the door to the inn she was staying at. "Laying low and staying on the run might be the best option for now."
Reidun rolled her eyes and made her way into her room, closing the door behind her and slinging herself onto the bed.
"Urgh, but that's so boring," she complained.
'It's a good thing I've spent the last two days preparing for this,' Joseph thought to himself. With a smirk, he delved into the act he'd readied and asked, "Are you sure about that?"
Reidun didn't move, but he felt her attention sharpen.
'You're not the only one who can be sneaky. I may not be able to stop you…' Joseph thought to himself.
Joseph posed, lowering his voice dramatically.
"Wanted across the country, our hero refuses to yield…" he started, shifting Reidun's attention over to curiosity. "All the while, the enemy lurks in the shadows, smearing her good name."
Joseph snapped his fingers and shifted pose.
"Well, let them!" he declared. "If they've chosen to ruin one name, then like many heroes of yore, you must adopt another…"
Reidun sat up, looking straight at the ghost.
"...so tell me, Reidun," Joseph commanded melodramatically. "What shall we call this mysterious hero?"
There were sparkles in Reidun's mind's eyes, and Joseph could feel her vibrating with excitement and hear her running through the options.
"Does that mean you'll finally start telling me things?!" she asked.
"Of course," Joseph lied. "But if we're going to do this properly, we're going to need to do more than just interfere with the plot, and when we do, we'll have to do it properly."
"Right, right," Reidun readily agreed with an excitement that made their connection buzz. "What's the plan?"
"Well obviously, our hero can't just arrive and save the day," Joseph reasoned. "You need to build up that aura of mystery after all."
"Like the phantom thieves or Lucina!" Reidun agreed, jumping to her feet. "Ooh, ooh-"
She picked up a scroll case and brought her other hand up to cover her eyes. As she also lowered her voice dramatically.
"You may call me Marth," she acted, holding the scroll case up like a sword. "Do not ask why I am here. My reasons are my own, but be assured, we fight on the same side."
'...but I can distract you,' Joseph finished his thought, convinced he'd managed it.
He raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"Do you think you can pull off a convincing Marth?" Joseph challenged. "It will be a first for the people of Fodlan, so you better do a good job."
"Of course!" Reidun declared, quieting down as she brought a finger up to her chin. "Hmm, I'll need a mask, and blue hair dye…"
'And a lot of training to deal with the massive target you've placed on yourself,' Joseph thought.
Suddenly, Reidun stopped and blinked.
"Actually, Joseph… don't you find it a little strange?" she asked.
"You're going to need to elaborate on that," Joseph pointed out, mildly concerned with the sudden shift.
"How it went, I mean," Reidun said, visualising a frown. "I've been thinking it over the last two days, and I realised that I got close, really close."
Joseph internalised a sigh.
"If you're trying to say you should go back again-"
"No, no. That's not where I'm going with this," Reidun interrupted. "What I mean is that if I had been just a couple of minutes– maybe even just a few seconds faster, I would have gotten to Solon before the Knights were ready."
Joseph frowned as well.
"I supposed, but you arrived together with Kronya, and she was practically running, with the guard in tow, to get to Rhea as quickly as possible," Joseph reasoned. "Even with you just walking, there wouldn't have been a large window for her to work."
"I know, I know," Reidun agreed dismissively, raising a finger. "...but a couple of minutes is also just how long I was delayed by Byleth."
Joseph froze, the implication setting in.
"You're saying-"
"That Byleth turned back time and intentionally stopped me?" Reidun finished for him. "Yes. I think that's what might have happened."
With a deep breath, Joseph closed his eyes and thought it over.
"It's… possible," he agreed, opening his eyes again with a frown. "It could also simply be a coincidence."
"It could," Reidun agreed curtly. "...but if he did, he must have had a reason, right?"
The girl shrugged.
"That's where I'm stumped," she said, letting herself fall back onto the bed and glancing down at Joseph out of the corner of her eye. "Do you have any ideas?"
'You might have died,' Joseph thought, the idea surfacing before he'd even fully heard the question.
If Reidun were to die while Byleth was nearby… There were ways to make sure he'd rewind.
"Something might have gone wrong," Joseph mentioned instead. "I wouldn't put it past Solon to have some sort of vindictive trap for if he's killed within the monastery grounds."
"Like a magical bomb?" Reidun asked.
"...or demonic beasts, yeah," Joseph elaborated, but then shrugged with casual disregard. "But frankly, I don't think lingering on what might have happened will do us any good. We'd be here for hours and any wild guess would be as good as any other."
"I guess…" Reidun reluctantly acknowledged, shifting her gaze to the woodwork of the ceiling as the words lingered in the air.
9th of the Garland Moon, 1180
Declan really didn't know what to make of the current situation.
It had been barely more than a couple of months since the old boss had given up her seat and Declan had taken over. While count Galatea was the one who'd taken over ownership of the company, it was Declan who ran it.
It'd been a hassle enough just trying to take up all the work that the dear old boss used to handle, and now –with the boss being labeled an enemy of Fodlan– the knights of Seiros were probably going to come sniffing by any day now.
'This whole thing is a fucking mess,' he thought, looking down at the torn letter in his hands to try to ease his nerves.
Declan,
my trusted friend.
—
As you've probably heard, I'm now a wanted woman and on the run.
I don't know what the church thinks I did or what the one's framing me are claiming, but I am not their enemy, and neither am I yours.
—
I won't ask for help, even if you did believe me, the company is a business, not a charity I can look to for handouts.
So, more simply, I'd like to make a purchase. General food stuffs, travel supplies…
Declan was brought out of his thoughts by the armoured gauntlet on his shoulder.
"There's no need to be nervous. You did the right thing coming to us," the hand's owner spoke, and Declan shifted his gaze over to look at Catherine, Knight of Seiros.
Declan had obviously heard of the knight, it would have been stranger to have not heard of the legendary wielder of the hero's relic Thunderbrand. Her posture held a well deserved confidence, paired with the bright whites of her Swordmaster's clothes and polished armour emphasised that she was the knight of Seiros. Her short crop of messy blonde hair was tied out of the way into a simple ponytail, which gave a clear view of her face and blue eyes.
Then, of course, there was the relic on her hip.
The way Declan understood it, such a weapon in the right hands was more a match equal for even a small army. Given that the Lance of Ruin practically single handedly secures the northern border with Sreng, that might even have been understating the point.
…and those relics wielded by the knight of Seiros was here.
'What the hell did you do, boss?!' Declan thought to himself.
The woman, ignorant to Declan's thoughts, channeled some of that well earned confidence into a reassuring expression and asked, "Do you remember the plan?"
Declan nodded.
"Go to the meeting spot, wait for her to show up, try to keep her there until you finish surrounding the place," he recalled.
"That's right," Catherine confirmed. "But remember, don't provoke her, and if you feel at all threatened, don't be afraid to leave. While we appreciate your dedication, there's no need to put yourself at risk. Your safety and the safety of the other civilians takes priority over her capture. Is that clear?"
It was reassuring to hear, even if Declan didn't think it would be necessary.
From what he'd learned about the boss, they weren't really vindictive in that way. If Reidun decided to retaliate… Declan would probably feel it in the company's profit margins, not blood.
So with a final nod, he walked into town, carrying the bag the girl had ordered.
Declan hadn't been involved in many clandestine deals on behalf of the company. Actually, this would be a first.
He'd always expected it to happen in a seedy tavern or a back alley.
Nope.
Reidun was standing in the open, right by the fountain in the town centre. She was even talking to one of the guards.
"...but I can't help but feel like I've seen you somewhere before," the guard commented.
"Wanted poster," Reidun supplied, her expression unchanged from when Declan had last seen her over a couple of months ago. "The newest one looks just like me."
'Because it is you, boss,' Declan thought to himself.
"Oof, right poor luck that," the guard empathized.
"I know, it is a major hassle," Reidun acknowledged, before spotting him out of the corner of her eye. "You'll have to pardon me, it seems the other half of my meeting has arrived. I wish you the best with guarding the town."
"...and good fortune for your meeting," the guard bade as he took his leave, making way for Declan to approach.
"You certainly don't look like someone who's on the run," Declan commented mirthfully.
"Of course," Reidun agreed. "The knights and all the guards are looking for someone trying to hide. '17 year old, blue eyed, ginger' doesn't particularly narrow it down... though the knights might be a more familiar with what I look like."
After a moment's pause, the girl continued, her depression and tone unchanged.
"It's good to see you again, Declan."
"You as well boss," Declan answered.
"Well, let's get straight to the point," Reidun started, facing Declan directly. "There's a secret society of face stealing villains who've been around fighting the church and the goddess for over a thousand years. They helped nemesis betray and butcher the goddess and are basically behind every horrible thing that's ever happened to Fodlan."
Declan blinked.
"...and about a month ago they tried to kidnap me, so I killed everyone in their hideout and ran off with all their stuff. They're likely quite angry with me, so I reckon they might have a go at the company, given our ties," Reidun continued. "Did I mention the face stealing? They can kill people and then replace them. So find a few people you trust and keep an eye out for people disappearing and acting differently after coming back."
She paused again, and Declan recognised that she was thinking.
"You can recognise them by their general disdain for humanity, and their preference for Dark Magic and alien technology," she added to the very unbelievable explanation. "Is there anything you need me to clarify?"
Declan blinked again.
"I'm sorry…" he started, "what?"
"I said that there's a secret society of face stealing-"
"I heard you the first time!" Declan interrupted. "Allow me to rephrase: boss, what the hell? Are you serious?"
"Yes," she answered with that unchanged stare.
He stared a moment longer.
'She really is,' he realised, feeling a weight on his shoulders.
He brought his palm to his forehead and dragged it down his face with a groan.
'I'd have hoped that some time amongst the noble brats would have taught her some tact,' he thought to himself. It was the most irritating thing about her. She'd tell you that your brother died on the job the exact same way she'd tell you that the kitchen had a slice of cake to spare.
By all rights, he should have complained or at least chastised her.
Instead, he let out a resigned sigh.
"Then no, you've been perfectly clear," Declan finally answered, then –knowing that the knights needed him to keep her here a bit longer– he asked. "Wait, since I know this now, did you just put a target on my back?"
"Yup," Reidun acknowledged cheerfully without hesitation. "...but that should be fine. As I said earlier, you were already liable to be vulnerable already."
'Because of you!' he internalised as he felt his eyebrow twitch. 'I should'a just stuck to banditry, a life of wealth and comfort isn't worth this stress…'
"So, do you have it?" the source of his worries asked.
Declan put aside his thoughts and lifted up the bag in his hands.
"Yes, but-" he said, pulling the bag out of her reach, "-money first."
He needed to stall a little longer, after all.
"You think I would cheat you?" she asked. "I thought I had a bit more trust than that."
"Company policy," Declan excused. "You don't get to complain, you're the one who wrote the rule."
The girl simply nodded and handed over the bag of gold.
'Now just to make a show of counting…' Declan thought, opening up the bag. Then, slowly, picked out a coin, gave it a squeeze to confirm the texture and weight, and then moved on to the next.
There was a moment of quiet, and though the girl's expression remained unchanging, Declan knew that she'd seen something.
She opened her mouth to speak.
Silence.
"Now!"
The knights spilled forth, seeping out of the nearby buildings and alleys, blocking every entrance and exit.
Reidun ripped the bag of goods from Declan's hands with such force that he felt himself falling back out of the way of the approaching knights.
Everything that happened next was rapid.
Reidun may have been smiling, but Declan could see the focus in her eyes as she scanned the rank of knights ahead of her, one hand gripping the sack, the other resting on the hilt of the blade on her waist.
With her back facing the rest, she shouldn't have seen the two knights that rushed to take advantage of the supposed opening. Yet she managed to duck to avoid one strike, and get away from the other with a slight scratch.
The girl may have been hard to read, but Declan had more experience than most. He saw the way a finger on the hand resting on the sword twitched and came to rest.
She wasn't drawing her weapon because she couldn't.
She'd decided that she wouldn't.
Her eyes still scanned the crowd, looking for-
"Back off, I've got this!"
All of a sudden, Thunderbrand Catherine was just there, her blade extended in a swing that would have decapitated the girl if she hadn't stumbled out of the way. With inhuman swiftness, Catherine adjusted her stance and the blade swung again, forcing Reidun's controlled retreat to lose balance.
Except, Reidun was not even granted the liberty of falling to the ground.
Reidun could do nothing but raise her arms to dampen the third strike that came her way, the impact tearing a crimson streak horizontally across the raised arms, blowing the impromptu guard way open, and adding to her airtime.
Recovering from the third attack, Catherine pivoted her wide swing into a rising torrent, cutting the girl from her gut up to her chin and sending her flying, only to land on the ground a couple meters away.
Catherine had already readied her blade again to pursue, but the girl just laid there, unmoving.
All done within seconds, like a painting finished with four strokes.
Declan couldn't quite believe his eyes.
Seemingly content, Catherine did a quick flourish with her blade to shake off some of the blood…
Which was when the girl was enveloped in purple light and disappeared.
'I expected as much,' Declan thought with relief while the knights around him startled.
"What?! No one can cast magic when they're-"
"An Ally!" Catherine interrupted the faceless knight with realization. "If they're using Rescue, they can't be far. Spread out and find them!"
""Yes ma'am!""
Declan doubted that was it, but he kept his tongue.
Catherine turned to him and offered a hand.
"Thank you, for putting yourself at risk like that," she commended as she helped him to his feet. Then she noticed the distinct lack of a certain sack. "Damnit, looks like she got what she came for as well."
She snarled in irritation, before addressing Declan again.
"I'm sorry about your lost goods, I'll make sure the church pays for the damages," she apologised. "Just to be sure, all she asked for was food and travel supplies?"
"That's right," Declan lied, handing over the letter he'd received before holding up the coin pouch. "...and don't mind the losses, it looks like it's all paid for, but…"
Declan stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"All that stuff she said. Is there really some secret enemy of the church?" he asked.
"I wouldn't put stock in the words of a heretic like her," Catherine dismissed with a shrug. "It sounded like nonsense to me, but I'll be sure to report it anyway."
That's when one of the knights came running back.
"Ser, we've searched most of the town: No sign of the enemy, and several townsfolk saw the heretic riding out of town."
""Damn," Catherine said quietly with a shake of her head. She fixed her eyes on Declan again. "I'll see about increasing the knight's presence in the Galatea Domain, but if you see or hear anything, be sure to call for help. Alright?"
"Will do," Declan acknowledged. "I appreciate it."
"Good. Stay safe," she said as she turned to leave.
As Declan watched the knight leave, he fiddled with the other half other letter in his pocket with one thought on his mind.
'What in the world does the boss need blue hair dye for?!'
An: Pardon the longer delay. I may have the broad strokes of the overall story mapped out, but some of my plot threads ended up tangled up when I started planning this arc, so it took a bit longer than usual to get things sorted out.
To Royalrain20xx (Feb 11, 2025): Pretty much right on the money in terms of what you said about the books. Anything from that collection that isn't historical/fantasy stank of Agarthan levels of science. As for Joseph's connection to the Agarthan's? I'll refrain from commenting. Sometimes the characters are right, and as this chapter shows... sometimes they're very, very, wrong about things. I will say that I do have the reason for Joseph's presence written in stone and it will eventually come to light. Also, ey, gotta give Flayn some victories! (...even if she may be unintentionally hampering herself.)
To Blackplant (Feb 11, 2025): Stress is definitely a word I'd use to describe that situation, yup. Heh, Joseph's trying his best. I do look forward to being able to propperly deploy the gremlin.
To NightmareKnight1 (Feb 11, 2025): That was the intention. I was hoping to leverage Monica's appearance in Hopes to make it unclear whether it was actually her here or not.
Rhea is a contentious character indeed, a lot of folks could say the same about others like Edelgard. I like to consider it a sign of Three houses' depth. But also... fair. I have a feeling I may have accidentally portrayed Rhea as a bit worth than intended. oops, hehe.
To Uemei (Feb 12, 2025): Huh, I may not have communicated my intent properly there. The idea is that Flayn is making the mistake of thinking that she has full control over the situation. It's the classic time-traveller mistake of not realising that others will react to the things you change. Hm, I'll have to look that over a couple times and see if I can make that more clear.
Also yes, everything is a complete disaster! Unfortunately, Joseph has his own suite of problems that are getting in the way of that lecture...
Thanks for the feedback. Hmm... it shouldn't be that much of a stretch for the book Rhea pulled to be a land mine, but that's on me for not communicating that properly. The idea was that all the stuff that Ingrid points out as 'weird' would stink of Agarthan tech levels. Hm, I suppose I should also have made it clear from Rhea perspective why that would be a trigger for her. Something to think about.
To Infernal Enby (Feb 13, 2025): Hm, yes... (wanted by the entire continent)... a 'minor' setback indeed. XD. I and many characters would probably agree with you when it comes to the books. It mightt be fanon, but I do a character in Abyss coments on Rhea supressing certain knowledge, so it's not beyond her policy (even when trauma is not involved).
When it comes to the opinions of some of the other characters? That's in the next chapter. (Figured I should stick a bit with Reidun directly with some of the recent chapters being more alt PoV focused.)
To MyReviewSuckSory (Feb 14, 2025): Gonna be honest, I agree. I have been trying to figure out how I could have done this all better. I think you make a good point about relying on the date tags rather than trying to communicate time within the prose proper, I'll try to keep that in mind moving forward. I have a feeling that the 'Catherine Encounter' in this chapter might be messy as well. Thanks for the critisicm, I honestly appreciate it!
To Niuzu0130 (Feb 17, 2025): "I am a Jedi, like my father before me-" "Reidun, your father is a farmer." "I'm making a reference Joseph!" ...does a Lenin Sword count? Because that might be a lot more feasible.
To Guest (Feb 26, 2025): Are both of these the same person? I think they're both the same. Most of Joseph's skill and magical ability comes from his experience healing/supporting. He, quite frankly, just hasn't had the opportunities/desire to go murder a bunch of people with magic, so he's lacking in experience on that front. Hence the C-rank. Though, I would argue that Joseph is already hella OP.
To Kasierreich (Apr 16, 2025): Hey, not far off with that familiar ground. She may be doing something new, but she's still got old friends.