Chapter Text
(Imperial Year 1179, somewhere in Leicester territory)
Shez was defeated. Even with her newfound power, she was still no match for Byleth. The Ashen Demon chose not to kill her, however. Instead, he turned to leave.
“Sorry, but this fight is over.” Byleth said simply.
What? Byleth was just walking away? HE decided this was over? That arrogant BASTARD! Shez was having none of it!
“Hey! Wait!” The magenta-haired woman protested.
“Why? We’ve achieved our goal. Your job was to stop us, and you failed.” Byleth replied, his statement matter-of-fact.
Shez snarled. She wanted to rip Byleth to shreds… but she was too tired. She could barely hold her swords.
“Another time, perhaps.” Byleth said absentmindedly. He walked away as Shez collapsed.
“Hey! We’re not done here! Why…. am I so tired?” Shez managed to say before falling unconscious.
(A few months later, Imperial Year 1180, Garreg Mach Monastery)
Byleth was not sure what to expect when he passed through the hallowed gates of Garreg Mach, the base of the Church of Seiros. But he knew that Jeralt was apprehensive in regards to one woman: Rhea. The Archbishop of the Church.
Yet, when Byleth looked upon her, he… could not help but be drawn to her. He wanted to know more about her, but he didn’t know why. He wasn’t sure his father would approve, so Byleth kept that to himself… for now.
The next day, after Byleth met Rhea, Seteth, Manuela and Hanneman, The Archbishop summoned the newest professor for his first task: to interact with the various students of the Academy’s three Houses. The Black Eagles, The Golden Deer, and the Blue Lions.
The Black Eagles… a majority of them struck a positive chord with Byleth. Ferdinand and Caspar seemed well-intentioned. Ferdinand von Aegir did think quite highly of himself, but he did want to prove himself as a true noble. Caspar seemed to be quite eager for battle, but it was clear he valued justice to a fault. Linhardt, Caspar’s best friend, seemed like he just wanted to sleep the day away, but he was polite enough to Byleth… just about. Petra was eager to find out more about Byleth. She struggled to speak Fodlan’s language, but she could read and write very well. Dorothea was quite pleasant, even flirtatious, but Byleth could not help but believe that she was after something. He didn’t mistrust her, though. He decided she was a good person at heart. Then there was Bernadetta. Byleth acted professionally, of course, but he felt an incredible need to protect her from any and all who wished her harm. Though, he kept that private.
Unfortunately, whilst Byleth remained cordial with everyone, he could tell that Hubert, Edelgard’s retainer, was quite unpleasant. He expressed thanks to Byleth for rescuing Edelgard, but the blue-haired professor theorized that under other circumstances, Hubert wouldn’t bother with him. There was something about the son of Marquis Vestra that seemed rather… sinister, for lack of a better word. Edelgard was somewhat more charming, but she was quite impolite to others, unnecessarily so. There was something about Edelgard and Hubert that Byleth did not completely trust.
Next were the Golden Deer. The house leader, Claude, seemed to possess remarkable cunning and a strategic mind. Byleth was under the impression that there was more to the young Riegan than meets the eye. Nonetheless, Claude seemed more pleasant than Edelgard, though more snarky than Dimitri. Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, who did not think much of Claude, thought quite highly of himself (like Ferdinand). Lorenz wasn’t a bad person, though… just rather insensitive, and with quite the ego. Raphael and Ignatz were both incredibly polite, though Rapheal did need to be reminded of who Byleth was… ten seconds after being introduced to Byleth. Byleth cut him slack, though. Claude had told the Professor about what Rapheal had been through. Byleth also learned that Ignatz was training to become a knight… though he wasn’t entirely enthusiastic about it. Lysithea had somewhat of an attitude, which contrasted with Marianne’s quiet and self-deprecating personality. In regards to both women, Byleth… could not help but feel there was something quite tragic about both of them. When speaking to them, Byleth would need to handle those interactions with care.
From what Claude told Byleth of Hilda, he was expecting someone quite slovenly, but Byleth got the impression that the young Goneril actually was quite perceptive, or so Sothis told him. Lastly, Leonie Pinelli was quite earnest. She fancied herself to be Jeralt’s first and greatest apprentice, but she also wanted to become a mercenary to earn money for her village. Byleth had nothing but respect for Leonie, but he feared the sentiment was not reciprocated. Well…He would just need to earn her respect, then.
The last house to examine was the Blue Lions. Dimitri, the Crown Prince of Faerghus, seemed like a good man, honest and virtuous to a fault. Byleth did sense something dark beneath the surface, but it wasn’t villainy… just trauma. But Byleth couldn’t figure out what. If Byleth chose to teach Dimitri’s House, he decided he would need to look out for the young Prince as much as he could.
Dedue was Dimitri’s retainer. Clearly, the man from Duscur was quite loyal and devoted to Dimitri… to the point where Dedue would forsake his own safety for Dimitri. Dedue also seemed quite gentle and polite. Hubert could learn a lot from him.
Ashe was the adopted son of Lord Lonato of House Gaspard. Ashe clearly valued tales of chivalry and heroism. He wanted to be just like those legendary heroes. Byleth could tell that Ashe had been through a lot, to say the least, much like Rapheal.
Sylvain, Ingrid and Felix had been Dimitri’s friends since childhood. Ingrid was exceedingly diligent and industrious. Like Ashe, she was very fond of chivalric exploits. Dimitri warned Byleth that Sylvain was… a womanizer, to put it bluntly. He wasn’t unpleasant, just carefree, to an unhealthy extent. Then, there was Felix. The young heir to Duke Fraldarius. Felix didn’t take to the idea of chivalry quite well, and he could be quite sharp-tongued, even rude, at times. But Byleth could tell Felix truly did care about his friends, more than he would ever admit. There was clearly something weighing on Felix’s mind… Byleth was certain of it.
Mercedes and Annette had been best friends for a while now. They knew each other from the Fhirdiad Royal School of Sorcery, which Lorenz also attended, funnily enough. Mercedes seemed eccentric to a degree, but she was nonetheless a benevolent soul. From what Byleth had been told, she was actually born in the Empire, but came to the Kingdom. Annette was studious and chipper, but rather clumsy. Dimitri mentioned she caused an explosion in the kitchen the night before (on accident, of course).
Byleth also encountered the Gatekeeper, who had nothing to report. Jeritza, meanwhile, seemed to have little interest in conversation. He addressed Byleth, spoke of the training grounds, and bid Byleth farewell.
In any case, Byleth had completed his task. Now it was time to return to Rhea.
Byleth returned to the Audience Chamber. Rhea awaited him, alongside Seteth, Hanneman and Manuela. Seteth seemed to be evaluating Byleth with his very stare. He knew that Seteth did not trust him very much. Somehow, Byleth couldn’t fault him for that. Hanneman was pondering what sort of Crest Byleth possessed. Byleth caught Manuela winking at him for a moment. Rhea simply awaited Byleth’s decision. Byleth would choose his House, and Manuela and Hanneman would supervise the remaining two. Seteth wasn’t entirely sure about this, but he was willing to defer to Rhea’s judgement.
With everything Byleth had seen, his choice was clear.
“The Blue Lions. I want to teach them.” Byleth said.
“Are you certain?” Rhea asked.
“Yes. I’m certain of it.” Byleth decided.
And so it was decided. Manuela chose the Black Eagles, which left Hanneman with the Golden Deer. Hanneman initially wished to teach the Lions, but he was content with this turn of events. Flayn, Seteth’s younger sister, appeared and introduced herself to Byleth. Seteth informed Byleth that a mock battle would take place at the end of the month that was the Great Tree Moon. Before leaving, Byleth had a question for Rhea.
“Archbishop Rhea… I heard that a student can transfer to another House, if they wish. Is that true?” Byleth asked.
“Indeed. Some students would be quite challenging to convince, but it is possible for you to recruit students to the Blue Lions. If I may, I would advise getting to know each of the students here and earning their trust and respect. Also, it would be prudent to study certain fields of expertise that would interest them. Whilst Edelgard and Claude must remain in their respective houses, I am confident that you can convince quite a few of these well-intentioned souls to join your class.” Rhea spoke serenely.
“Thank you, Lady Rhea. Your advice is appreciated.” Said Byleth.
“You are most welcome, dear child. And please, when it is just us, call me Rhea.” Rhea assured Byleth with a sweet smile.
Byleth nodded and left the Audience Chamber to formally introduce himself to the Blue Lions. A few days later, Byleth visited Hanneman in his research laboratory. They discovered that Byleth did possess a crest, but the two weren’t sure as to which Crest it was.
Byleth returned to his personal quarters. He needed to plan ahead for the month’s mock battle. He reflected on everything he learned so far. On his way to his room, Byleth heard rumors of an underground region beneath the Monastery. If he remembered correctly, it was called Abyss. He wanted to investigate it, and see about recruiting other students to his class. But he knew that both of these matters would have to wait until after the mock battle. Once that was over with, Byleth would begin to recruit other students into his class. He had no idea why, but for some reason…. He felt it was a matter of life and death for them. He would, of course, care for the eight students he had already, too.
He went over the students in his head. He excluded the House Leaders, naturally. Hubert can be crossed off the proverbial list. He was undyingly loyal to Edelgard. Ferdinand and Caspar were possible, but Byleth knew that he would need to impress them. Ferdinand would prove to be the most difficult of the lot. He was apparently interested in one’s expertise in wearing heavy armour. Byleth deduced that this was because Edelgard liked to wear armour, and Ferdinand was interested in surpassing Edelgard in every possible way. The young professor wasn’t very skilled in wearing heavy armour, but he heard Alois could instruct him. If Byleth could demonstrate that he was capable of teaching Ferdinand how to surpass the Imperial Princess, the noble scion of House Aegir might be willing to join the Blue Lions. As for the other Eagles and Golden Deer, Byleth believed he should simply earn their friendship, just like Rhea suggested.
For now, he would get some rest. As he sat down on his bed, Sothis quietly observed her host. She was already quite fond of Byleth, though she felt he was somewhat dense at times. Nonetheless, he was quite dependable and even virtuous. What helped was that he was handsome! He seemed like a knight out of a fairy tale!
…
…
Did she really just say all that? Well, anyway, there were more pressing concerns.right now. Her thoughts dwelled on that mercenary woman from a few months prior. Personally, Sothis would have preferred it if Byleth had killed her (Sothis wasn’t sure why). However, it seemed all was well. Chances are that the magenta-haired sellsword was dead, anyway. Even if she had survived her wounds from her battle with Byleth, she wouldn’t survive long by herself. Even if she did, that girl was unlikely to want to pick a fight with the Ashen Demon again.
Or perhaps she was plotting revenge at this very moment. Well, Byleth could handle that girl, surely.
In any event, Sothis and Byleth both believed that this would be a long year, indeed.
(Back to Imperial Year 1179, somewhere in Leicester territory)
As Arval promised, Shez regained consciousness. She was clearly on the same battlefield where Byleth had left her.
Byleth…. The man who killed Berling and crushed her company. Byleth, the man who dealt Shez a humiliating defeat. She had no doubt that, without Arval’s intervention, Byleth would have killed her.
But here she was. She was still alive. And she knew what she had to do.
Shez was going to destroy Jeralt’s Mercenaries, and Byleth along with them. That ambition was all she had now. Well, that and Arval, of course, who claimed to be her ‘Partner in Destiny’. But if Shez was going to defeat Byleth, she would need to grow stronger.
(Shez’s Perspective, A few months later, on the outskirts of Remire Village)
Shez was confident that she could surely defeat Byleth now. She may have nearly died on twenty-two occasions, but she decided that it was worth it. Falling off of those cliffs helped develop her endurance, and fighting those large packs of monsters provided her with valuable combat experience.
She was on her way to Remire Village. She knew that Jeralt’s band were there… or at least HAD been there. She knew that there was every chance that they had moved on, but this was the only lead Shez had.
As Shez travelled down the road leading to Remire, she encountered a group of merchants heading in the opposite direction. One of them addressed Shez.
“Hello, miss. Are you, by chance, going to Remire Village?” The merchant asked.
“Yep. I’m tracking a band of mercs led by a guy named Jeralt. Are they still there?” Shez questioned.
“Um…. no. They apparently moved on a while ago. We don’t know where they went. But there IS a mercenary group camped there. Maybe they know where Jeralt is…” Another merchant said, though he seemed reluctant to speak up.
“Oh, okay.. I’ll head there anyway, then. Hey, are you alright? You seemed unnerved by something.” Shez addressed the quivering merchant.
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just… the mercenaries at Remire Village currently…. They’re… well… Just be careful around them, alright?” the shaken merchant said.
“Uh… Sure. Well, thanks for the help, you guys. See ya!” Shez bid the merchants farewell before heading for Remire Village.
(Remire Village, Morning)
Shez had finally arrived at her destination. Shez didn’t know where Jeralt’s group went, but surely there was someone here who did.
As she entered the village, the atmosphere seemed… tense. Shez didn’t understand why, but she had a very bad feeling, all of a sudden. The villagers seemed to share that sentiment. Very few of them were still present in the area. Most seemed to be in their homes, and she could hear hushed voices from inside. It was very clear they were unwilling to make their presence known.
It seemed as if the villagers were hiding from something, or someone. But who? It couldn’t have been Shez, surely.
Then, Shez remembered the Merchant she met earlier…. Who told her to be careful. Why? Just who were these mercs? They couldn’t be that bad… right?
As Shez approached the tavern, she started to hear faint voices and laughter. She stepped inside the tavern. She was greeted by the sight of various people, who appeared to be mercenaries, drinking and singing together. Half of them seemed intoxicated, But none of this seemed unusual. Shez approached a trio of mercenaries and asked a question.
“Anyone… know a group called Jeralt’s Mercenaries?”
Silence.
The singing stopped. The laughter stopped. The chatter stopped. It was as if time had frozen.
One man approached Shez. He was a pale man in his early twenties. He had short raven hair, orange eyes, and had a lean build. His hand wandered to his forged silver sword in his scabbard. He looked as if he was waiting for any excuse to unsheathe his blade and cut her down. He spoke with a raspy voice.
“And…. What do you want with those guys? Are you… friends with them?” The young man asked. Shez had a feeling that she needed to answer him… and quickly.
“N-no. I want to crush Jeralt’s Mercenaries, and the Ashen Demon along with them.”
…
…
“Well, why didn’t you say so earlier, then? This way. I know someone who could help you out.” The merc grumbled. He motioned for Shez to follow him to a corner of the tavern. There sat a tall man with brown hair, crimson eyes, and a fair complexion. He had a muscular build and was physically fit. He had some facial hair, though it was clear he shaved frequently. Shez assumed the man in question was in his early forties, and had a wealth of combat experience. It turns out he was the mercenary group’s captain.
“Captain. This girl here wants to hunt down Jeralt’s lot.” The young merc spoke to his commander.
“I see. Thank you, Bael. Return to your beverage.” The captain said in a baritone, gruff voice.
“Yes, sir.” Bael said simply. He sat at the table. The captain invited Shez to join them, which she did. She sat opposite Bael, and next to the mercenary group’s leader.
“So… your guy said you’d be able to help me, Mister…. Uh….” Shez started but paused. The man she was speaking to finally saw fit to reveal his name.
“Balrog. You may call me Balrog.” The man said.
‘Right, uh, Balrog. You can help me find Jeralt’s Mercenaries, right?” Shez asked hopefully.
“Yes. And as a matter of fact, I can help you a great deal, if you wish.” Balrog spoke calmly.
Balrog decided it was only fair to make a formal introduction.
“This group is officially called Balrog’s Mercenaries, led by myself, of course. Though, we prefer to call ourselves The Archons. This young lad, who you are acquainted with already, is called Bael. He is my trusted second-in-command. He’s not one for manners, but you needn’t worry. He’s only dangerous when he needs to be.” Balrog explained.
“Sure. Well, it’s nice to meet you guys. I’m Shez. I used to run with Berling’s Mercenaries.” Shez introduced herself.
“Berling? Ah, yes. A fierce warrior. I was sorry to hear of her passing. You have my condolences. Still, it’s quite a surprise that there were any survivors at all.” Barog admitted.
“Yeah, it must’ve been one hell of a battle. I mean, not many pick a fight with Byleth and live. Gotta say, the fact that you’re still here says a lot about ya.” Bael added.
“Thanks, you two. Anyway, I’m hoping to beat Byleth, one day. You said you know where he is, right?” Shez asked again.
“Yes…. though I’m afraid you will not be able to reach him, much less fight him, for some time.” Balrog revealed.
“Really? Well…. Why?” Shez questioned, annoyed by this setback.
“Jeralt and his mercs are at Garreg Mach Monastery. It’s the seat of those Church of Seiros stooges that Jeralt is now pals with. Going there alone and wanting to pick a fight? Yeah, you’ll just be getting yourself killed.” Bael said.
“Unfortunately, Bael is right. You’ll only be throwing your life away if you try to take vengeance yourself. But, I have a proposition for you, and it’s entirely up to you if you wish to accept.” Balrog said.
Shez thought for a moment, then spoke. “I’m listening.”
“We’re always looking for new recruits, and without meaning to boast, we’re quite exceptionally skilled warriors. Additionally, I have my own score to settle with Jeralt and Byleth. If you wish, you may join our ranks. You can make a name for yourself, earn a substantial amount of gold, train with us to become stronger… And together, we will crush our common foe, and avenge your fallen allies. You don’t have to, of course. Yet, surely you realise, if you wish to obtain vengeance, you’ll be most able to do so with our help.” Balrog made his offer.
Arval spoke within Shez’s mind. “Personally, I think you should accept his generous offer. That, and I do believe we can trust him. Come now. Surely it would be incredibly satisfying to destroy the one who murdered your comrades, right? This is our best chance to do so!!”
Admittedly, Shez couldn’t disagree.
“Alright, then. I’m in.” Shez decided.
“Excellent. I assure you that this will be beneficial for both of us. You’ll see.” Balrog said, a cold smile gracing his features.
The two shook hands. Balrog was quite pleased with this turn of events. He would explain everything to Shez… In time.
Balrog’s mercenary company were primarily based in Adrestia. Despite this, they did undertake work for Grand Duke Rufus, the current Regent of Faerghus, and Acheron Lethe Phlegethon of the Leicester Alliance. The group were currently in the employ of the Imperial Princess, Edelgard Von Hresvelg. In public, however, they called her the Flame Emperor. She despised the Central Church and the Archbishop at its head. As well as deposing the Archbishop and dismantling the Church, Edelgard wanted to conquer Faerghus and Leicester, and ‘unify’ Fodlan, or some nonsense like that. Balrog didn’t care all that much for Edelgard’s ambitions, but she could be useful.
Balrog was interested in making a name for himself, though gold certainly didn’t hurt, either. The Fire Lord (as Balrog was called by others) decided that he could earn gold and prestige by assisting Edelgard with her conquest of Fodlan. Perhaps he could even earn the title of Lord, and all the benefits that come from it.
He also wanted to kill Jeralt and Byleth. This was for two reasons. First, doing so would make Balrog a legend. But there was a second reason: to settle his vendetta.
Long ago, Jeralt had dealt Balrog a rather devastating defeat. Balrog wanted to make Jeralt pay for that humiliation with his life. But nothing could compare to when Balrog lost his wife, Delilah, who was slain by Byleth. One would argue that Delilah was a ruthless, sadistic killer who received swift justice, and Byleth could hardly be blamed for simply doing his job. But to Balrog, the love of his life had been cruelly taken from him. That was all that mattered.
Yes… for what Byleth and Jeralt had done… Balrog would see them both dead for it. Preferably, by his own hand.
Meanwhile, Bael wasn’t that interested in lofty titles, honestly. As long as he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, he would be satisfied. He liked gold, wine, and other luxuries. But there was one thing that Bael loved more than anything else in existence…. Killing. Nothing brought Bael more pleasure than watching the life fade from his victim’s eyes. In fact, Bael would even say he needed to kill. If he went too long without spilling blood… well, he would likely go into a frenzy. It has happened before.. Balrog preferred not to speak of it to clients. It would’ve been quite the embarrassment. Bael, at the very least, didn’t attack small animals. His only reason being that they would barely fight back. However, Balrog had to specifically forbid Bael from attacking villagers and civilians (at least, for now), because it would ruin future job prospects. Bael respected Balrog’s command, of course. Partially out of loyalty to the Fire Lord, and partially out of fear of being beaten to death by Balrog, which they both knew he could easily do.
Bael never had a family. In fact, he felt he didn’t need one. He never knew his parents, and he decided they weren’t worth remembering, anyway. Hell, the thought of having a family made him sick. Why would he restrain himself like that? He was far more content being a mercenary. If there was one person he trusted, it was Balrog. Bael spent the first fifteen years of his life in the slums of Enbarr. From the age of six, he picked fights with others every day of every week. He was constantly covered in blood and bruises. Not that he was upset with this. Fighting was the only thing Bael knew at the time. Balrog happened upon Bael one day. He respected Bael’s lust for violence, and took him under his wing. Bael had been working for Balrog ever since.
Back in the present, Balrog promised to introduce Shez to the others, later. Shez, meanwhile, was filled with anticipation. Her journey to defeat Byleth had officially begun.
“Just you wait, Byleth. I’m coming for you.”