Ferdinand and Felix alike glanced about for a few long seconds, unwilling to make eye contact with either of themselves or Bernadetta. “Bernie, if you don’t want to deal with either of them alone, I will gladly come along.” Dorothea said in a friendly tone, while her glare clearly told Ferdinand another story.
“Thanks, Dorothea, but… Why can’t you two just… work together if you want to accompany me so much?” Bernadetta finally mutters in frustration.
Ferdinand and Felix finally looked at each other. Felix audibly sighed.
“Fine. Bernadetta, I must apologize. I never intended to pressure you into this sort of situation. Ferdinand, I’m sure you or Dorothea will do fine. You are the locals here, after all.”
Felix turned around and walked off to some other section of the room, letting Bernadetta, Felix, and Ferdinand stand in surprised silence for a bit longer.
“Well, Felix made this a bit easier.” Dorothea said. Do you still need me, Bernie? I can criticize Ferdie for a lot, but he knows his way around the city center. I think it would be best for the Professor for us to split up in our search, and I want to go to the part of the city I know.”
“That’s true, Dorothea, I think we can manage.”
“Yes, of course” Ferdinand finally said. “Bernadetta, it will be an honor to join you in searching for our professor. Shall we set out as soon as people have settled themselves here, and prepare ourselves for the trip?”
“Alright.” Bernadetta said.
Ferdinand saw Lorenz arguing with Edelgard about something as him and Bernadetta began to head for the door. She seemed to be getting very heated about something. It had taken Ferdinand many years to know not to push Edelgard to that degree without a good reason, and he knew Lorenz would eventually learn the same lesson.
Still, he couldn’t shake his lingering shock and regret from Felix’s submission. Why did he let his emotions and prejudice about Fraldarius overtake him in that moment? He should have realized that the gentlemanly thing to do would not have been to join Felix in arguing for himself, but stood down and permitted Bernadetta to make a decision in peace. Bernadetta herself, seemed quiet and bothered, to be expected considering Byleth’s sudden disappearance, but he just couldn’t tell whether Bernadetta really would have preferred him. There must have been some odd confidence that motivated the moody son of Fraldarius to come forward with such assurance?
Ferdinand and Bernadetta proceeded down towards the armory. Neither were properly prepared for a potential battle, wearing formal attire which, especially Bernadetta’s dress, would make but
“If we want to do a thorough search, I would not recommend riding out tonight. I fear our horses may trip in some of the narrower streets, and that would be challenging to deal with.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. And I don’t think I can ride a horse in this dress” Bernadetta said.
“That would be challenging, even for walking on foot. You could take it off…” Bernadetta looked at him with a confused expression as he said this, before he finished his thought. “I’m sure we will be able to find clothing that would suit you better…”
“I’m… not sure if that’s necessary…”
“It’s merely my recommendation, Bernadetta.” Ferdinand stopped to make sure that Bernadetta had not fallen behind, but she was fortunately well able to keep up.

The guards of the armory seemed to be expecting them, and let them in without question, curtly bowing to Ferdinand.
After a bit of consideration between a silver sword and a small throwing axe, Ferdinand decided on the sword. It was visible, but still fit more naturally with his formal attire. A bit rusty, but it should serve its purpose. Bernadetta took a small, compact bow, easy to both carry and, if necessary, conceal, as well as a quiver of arrows.
After drinking cups of hot tea, the two set off.

The two departed past the main gates of the compound, watching Edelgard, followed by Lysithea, Claude, and the other Black Eagles (aside from Hubert) out of the front gates.
“Let’s go elsewhere. Concentrating our search efforts in one area is imprudent to our Professor.” Ferdinand said, recalling Dorothea’s words.” He still felt a sense of duty to Byleth as his Chancellor.
“Yeah. Let’s find the professor.” Bernadetta said.
Ferdinand set out of the east entrance, into Enbarr’s “Noble Quarter”, the section of town wedged between the Imperial compound, the town center, and the “theater district”. The two areas worked to insulate the Noble Quarter from the bourgeois quarter, the shipping of the estuary dockyards and many of Enbarr’s lower class areas respectively. Ferdinand didn't think much of that. Although not as extensively master-planned as intricately as the city center and its grand canals, the Noble Quarter was a grand and beautiful neighborhood, dominated by the grand manors of the old Adrestian nobility, lining the well-cleaned streets, lit throughout the nights. Or… at least it used to be. Edelgard’s crackdown on the nobility and the ensuing war had had the expected impact on the neighborhood. Tonight, the streets were a bit less consistently lit. Many of the manors were still obviously unoccupied or unmaintained, uncontrolled weeds, rusting gates, cracking stucco, and boarded windows all not uncommon sights on what were once the largest and proudest mansions. Ochs, Gerth, Vestra, and even smaller places like Essar’s and Bartels’, all seemed to be close to abandoned, or having been requisitioned into a more “useful” purpose by the imperial government. Only, Bergliez, Hevring, and the old Hrym estate, now owned by Arundel, seemed to be completely maintained. And used to their prewar-standard. The streets were a bit dirtier than he recalled, and the individuals who traversed it this late night lacked the poised confidence of the young, smartly dressed nobles who often traversed it this late on warm early fall nights in his memory. Instead, a few shadowy figures hustled about the broad cobblestone, with equally hurried riders trotting by every once in a while. Ferdinand had his eyes on the streets, however, and regularly peered into various alleyways in search.
“This is where all the nobles live, right?” Bernadetta asked, in a hushed voice.
“Yes, this is the Noble Quarter. Have you really never been here, Bernadetta?” Ferdinand asked, leading her down a sidestreet. Recognizing all the mansions towering up as dark blocks around them, he tried to think of what could hold information about their professor.
“No, I’ve been here a few times, but… I never really stayed for a few days, so I don’t really remember much. My father… he used to go down to Enbarr for weeks on official business, and leave me back in our lands. That… that was always a little nice, even if they still didn’t let me out of the castle.”
Ferdinand was silence, being reminded of Bernadetta’s past, and how sheltered she truly is. It was sobering, even out on this serious excursion.
The two of them continued around the avenues and alleyways of the noble quarter, searching. Ferdinand kept close to Bernadetta throughout it all, keeping an eye on her and potential threats around them. He never really felt unsafe in his old neighborhood, but there was certainly something foreign about such a familiar setting being so barren, in a sense, even quiet sometimes. Still, the city seemed immense and incalculable at night, with any of the darkened or lightened facades holding the potential for clues on Byleth’s whereabouts.

At one point, they approached the Varley mansion. Made of Ogma stone, the building was not nearly as large or imposing as any of the other major noble houses, less than four stories tall and sharing its 200 meter long block with several other smaller buildings, including a few shuttered shops. The styling was less elaborate as most of the others but the reminiscence of Gareg Mach was unmistakable, as were the religious symbols still engraved into the sides of the building. But, much like Gareg mach, the place seemed to be built as much of a fortress as a building of any civilian use. The windows were high and covered in iron bars, although the vague outlines of weeds and plants seemed to overreach the stone walls of the rear gardens behind the building. Ferdinand stood back as Bernadetta approached the door, which was boarded up. He just couldn’t bring himself to follow her up, for some reason. Under the shadow of the house’s entryway, Ferdinand lost sight of Bernadetta for a second, before she walked back.
“Is the door boarded up?” Ferdinand asked.
Bernadetta nodded, prompting Ferdinand to draw his sword and hack at the boards of the door, eager to open the but was unable to make a serious scratch.
“No, Ferdinand! Stop! I don’t want to go in there!”
“Ah… apologies.” Ferdinand backed down and proceeded back to Bernadetta. All of a sudden, breathing heavily, he struggled to fit his sword back into the scabbard. He couldn’t deny it, he was tired. Bernadetta too, although growing harder to see as the flames continued to go out, seemed quiet and tired. Wandering the streets of Enbarr aimlessly was getting them nowhere.

The streets were darker and more desolate than ever before, and all that dancing finally seemed to be catching up to Ferdinand.
“Are… are you tired, Bernadetta?” he asked. The Aegir residence is close by, and I would be glad to provide accommodation for the night.”
“Ummm… It’s alright, Ferdiand. Shouldn’t we check in with Edelgard before we go to sleep. She already given us all rooms in the palace too.” Bernadetta whispered in response. “Is there anything we can do to help find the Professor?”
“Well…” Ferdinand looked down a familiar sidestreet, and finally had a decent idea.
“Bernadetta, this way.”
He leads Bernadetta to yet another large noble estate, another dark and towering structure, adorned with the architectural trappings of another region However, even compared to the crumbling earthworks of the Varley mansion, this one seems especially decrepit and lifeless.
“Ferdinand, what’s this?”
“This is, or was, the mansion of House Nuvelle, before its elimination in the Brigid and Dagda War a decade ago. This one has been abandoned far longer than most of the others. Still, I know it well… it could have something that may help us locate the professor.”

The door was a lot less securely sealed, and with a little bit of prying with his sword, the feeble plank keeping the hard wooden doors of house Nuvelle closed were revealed. For decency’s sake, Ferdinand knocked the tarnished bronze knocker four times, firmly and loudly, to no response. He then rapped his hand rhythmically on the door five times, before a faint bell sounded and he pushed it open.

The entryway was dusty, dark, and silent, but ornately decorated. The carpets seemed to be eaten away with mold and mites, the wood paneling moist and a bit mildewy. In addition to dust caked chandeliers, some fallen to the ground in disrepair, there was a table displaying an intricate model ship, its glass case fogged up for some unknown reason. It all seemed so… lifeless. Ferdinand’s faint memories of the place seemed to fade as fast as they came as the new reality, but he knew they needed to head upstairs.
While the light illumination of the moon made the entryway slightly visible, the rest of the house, including the upstairs, seemed completely dark.
“Bernadetta, take my hand. I… I may recall my way around this place. It can be a bit complicated, and I do not want to lose you, or for you to trip on anything. I will try to find more windows or light sources to open.”
Berndetta silently grabbed Ferdinand’s left arm, as he began to ascend the staircase into the dark upper floors. She seemed oddly calm and collected about the whole affair, at least to Ferdinand’s perspective.

After using the hilt of his sword to crack open a window, Ferdinand finally got a better look at the rooms around him on the second floor. All seemed empty still. Many seemed to be bedrooms of sorts, but one, a large room in the corner of the building, held a large table, with several seats surrounding it. Ferdinand led Bernadetta in and pried the boards off of yet another window. The room, ringed by small tables and bookcases, held a variety of nautical trinkets and decorations, more model boats and a dock diarama, detailed illustrations of fish and shellfish, hefty books that, upon another look, appeared to be old shipping ledgers, dating back to the 1160s and early 1170s. the walls, covered in large charts, of both oceans, rocky coastlines, and harbors. A painting of a sandy beach ringed with rocky coastlines, now partially eaten away, sat in a cracked glass case, sat over the table, which, upon closer inspection, held another chart. This one, however, seemed different than the last. It was of the Adrestian Empire, Albinea, Brigid, and Northern Dagda, and bore a variety of annotations in striking blue ink.
Small wooden cylinders and ships, in shades of purple, green, orange, red, and grey graced the map, arrows and lines drawn around their locations. To Ferdinand, the meaning and purpose of this map was obvious. Here, the green and purple ships and cylinders were far offshore from Nuvelle, closer to the red ones down near Hevring and the Fangs. Either there or the Adrestian Gulf, threatening the peninsula’s eastern coastline. So that’s where the Grey ships were headed. With a sigh, Ferdinand led Bernadetta out of the room.
The third floor was a bit smaller, and far less interesting, so Ferdinand and Bernadetta slowly but silently proceeded past a door to an even higher floor one that was dominated by a single room. Up here, many windows were left unbarred, making sight a bit easier, inviting light, blue from the sky and orange from the streets below spilling into the room. It illuminated its contents, books and papers strewn about on the floor, tables, chests, and bookcases lining the walls, all carrying odd objects and containers of varying size, shape, and transparency. While still terribly musty and dusty, unlike the rest of the mansion, this secluded chamber was not as thoughtfully decorated, adorned with a few faded charts, tables, and diagrams, haphazardly pinned to the walls. Ferdinand picked up some of the tomes off the ground, flipping through its distorted pages, moistened and misshapen from the moisture, before setting it aside, so Bernadetta will not trip. Bernadetta had, by that point, let go of Ferdinand’s arm, scurrying across the floor over to an odd glass case, concealing some overgrown, yet dead and shriveled up plants, one of which seemed to be a flytrap of some sort.
“Oh…” she whispered in both awe and curiosity. “I’ve never seen a plant quite like this before… what is this place?”
“Constance’s old study, where she practiced magic for a number of years, before her house’s fall. I think there is something here that could help us in finding the Professor. Still, be careful, Bernadetta. I fear that some of the objects here could still be quite dangerous.” While he uttered this, Ferdinand peered at a specific chest, before shaking one of its wooden drawers open. The right bowl was still there, good. He grabbed one of the foggy prisms from inside, and praying that it worked, pressed hard on the metal piece in the back while trying his best to conjure up a bit of magical power. He was still a bit worn out from the catacombs, but he could do it, and six reys of colored light shot from the side of the crystal. Twisting the metal bit on the bottom, Ferdinand managed to concentrate the colors into a white beam, shooting from the end of the crystal.
Bernadetta moved on from the plant to inspect a wide tome, inscribed with the title: “A STUDY ON THE PROPERTIES OF FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE SOUTHERN BRIONAC PLATEAU”, by one “T. von Goddertz”, placed the book on a table and walked over a few papers to watch as Ferdinand used the beam to inspect several ceramic jars sitting side by side on another shelf. He could hardly make out their faded labels, but he could see enough to figure out if any was the one he really needed. Eventually, he found it, the faded red letters on a small yellow jar certainly what he was looking for. Dropping the still shining prism into his pocket, he picked the jar up and placed in on a table sitting in the middle of the room. Bernadetta watched as he twisted the lid off to reveal pebbles, stones, and gravel, all of an odd, pale blue hue that stood out, even in their blue-lit surroundings.
“Umm… Ferdinand? What’s this?” Bernadetta asked confusedly.
“Bernadetta, this is a powder that changes color when in the presence of recently used magic.” Ferdinand used a small ceramic spoon to take some of the powder out and inspect it. “I recall Constance showing me this substance once, after a ball. She declared it to be the first step to creating a proper magically controllable dye… I think. It changes color when exposed to magic, both active and… uh… remnants from recent spells.”
“You… think?” Bernadetta said, raising her eyebrow with a bit of confusion. “I hope you didn’t force me to walk up this horrifying old rotting palace on… just a hunch, although I do kinda like the quiet… And why exactly do you think this can help us find the Professor?”
“Alright, it may be advantageous to test this before we use it. But my purpose in being here, Bernadetta, is because I fear that his disappearance could be a result of magic, not of any typical means of kidnapping.” Ferdinand walked up a small staircase, and, with a fair bit of work, wedged open a doorway on the other side of the room, revealing a small balcony. “You saw… Arundel’s striking disappearance, did you not? Perhaps he has teleported Byleth away in much the same fashion?”
“So… can this dye detect when magic has been used, so you want to use it to see if the Professor was transported away?”
“Indeed, spread it around the site of his disappearance, and it will react if there has been any odd magic.” Ferdinand said, leading Bernadetta out onto the balcony. “And furthermore, I believe this powder reacts to different magic differently, which could provide us with more information.”
The balcony itself was worn out, but presented a surprisingly good view of Enbarr below. Somehow built between the towers of the surrounding mansions, it afforded a relatively unobstructed view of the city center below, as well as the now starry sky above. Ferdinand craned around to look at the alley below, but it was far too dark to make out. Standing alone in the slightly cold outside air, Ferdinand noticed that despite the lateness, Bernadetta seemed to be wide awake. Her clothing, was all a bit dusty from the house, as was his, but her large purple eyes peered up at him with all the attentiveness and focus of their first meetings, just without the same overwhelming anxiety. There was no doubt to Ferdinand that Bernadetta was no longer the same craven little girl who feared most strangers and holed up in her room all day. Anyways, they needed to test the powder.
“Bernadetta… are, uh, have you been educated in any sort of magic? Do you know any proper spells?” Ferdinand asked.
“No…” she responded quietly, swaying a bit as a gust of chilly wind blasted them from the northwest.
“Ah, very well, then I suppose I will have to perform it.” Ferdinand scooped a bit of the powder out of the jar and thought about how he could possibly due this in a decent way… Eventually, he knew what needed to be done. Grabbing an even larger scoop of powder, he held if forward, Bernadetta still standing before him.
“Bernadetta… close your eyes. I apologize.” Ferdinand muttered, before swinging the scoop in front of him, spreading powder all along Bernadetta’s body, from hair to dress.
Bernadetta screamed in surprise at the powder as it came over her. She ruffled her hairstyle up with her hands in an attempt to shed the bluish powder, and shook her dress about, only succeeding in wrinkling it and spreading the powder around even more.
“Bernadetta, I -ha- would like to -heheha- ask you to not shake all of the powder off of yourself, for the sake of the test!” Ferdinand said, failing to contain his giggling.
“For the sake of the… Since when was tossing magic powder at people without their knowledge a test?” she responded, playfully grabbing some power and throwing it back at Ferdinand.
“Ah… that’s.. Enough.” he said at first attempting to wipe it off himself before quickly stopping. Anyways, stand still.” Ferdinand then stood steady, and with a slow deep breath and a brean wrack for the proper gestures conjured up a magical green circle in front of him, and proceeded to cast a Ward on Bernadetta. A greenish wave ran across her, and, as if directly on queue, the light blue powder transformed into a deep, dark green hue, far more visible and dark on her hair and dress in the light blue and orange light of the sky and Enbarr.
“Oh!”, Bernadetta said in alarm and surprise at the transformation and the already noticeable marks they made on her dress and skin. “Wow… this stuff really can work! That.. wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared it could be…” she said, a small yet genuine smile once again across her lips.
“I’m glad to hear you feel that way, Bernadetta…” Ferdinand responded. With his risky idea having yielded a potentially useful asset in their previously fruitless search, Ferdinand should have, in most reasons, headed back to the palace. But… this moment out here, in the late night air far above the black shadows of Enbarr below and underneath the stars all above, something felt… right, even after such a stressful day. The last thing he would want to do was to cut this short, and Bernadetta, standing close to him in her newly stained dress, looking up and him and the stars, seemed to be of the same mind.
“Wait…” Bernadetta whispered, pointing down to an odd orange glow shining across the stones of the balcony. “What’s that?”
Ferdinand and Bernadetta both turned around to look back in the room, and were shocked to find orange/yellow light coming from up the staircase, slowly spreading and growing, as if its source was growing closer and closer each second. Something odd was coming.
“Wh-wh-at’s that?” Bernadetta asked again. “Is that… a torch?”
“Perhaps, although it is quite bright for a torch… Perhaps it would be best for us to attempt an escape, if this is a building fire?”
"Shhh! It is a torch!" Bernadetta, ducking behind Ferdinand, pulled him into a shadowy corner of the room, their bodies blocked by a bookcase. The slight creak of footsteps on the stairs seemed to confirm their worst fears. Ferdinand, knowing his duty of taking the initiative and defending Bernadetta, drew his sword, craning his neck to look beyond the staircase at the great ball of fire in the doorway, illuminating the entire room in an orange glow. Ferdinand felt conflicted and confused once again. Was it really a house fire after all? Was this how the last son of the great and noble House Aegir, Adrestia's newly christened chancellor, comes to his end, burned alive in some remote chamber of an old abandoned mansion, corpse rapped around some unwed noble girl while his new liege was left captured, possibly for good by some unknown foe? "As is my duty", he whispered aloud in response to his own thoughts. His left arm clutched Bernadetta even more firmly, and his right held his sword with even more conviction. Regardless of what faces them, be it man, nature, or something beyond, he would face it down with whatever he has left.

"Which of the basest scoundrels in this rotten world finds it so amusing to so defile this already disgraced place? Is this not enough? Ahh! … Oh…”
Constance’s orb of fire evaporated, plunging the room back into the dark blue moonlight let in by the windows, her eyes fixated on Ferdinand and Bernadetta, cowering in each other’s arms.
“F-F-Ferdinand?” Constance’s voice wavered, almost as quiet as a whisper
He pulled Bernadetta up with him to their feet, in a shocked silence, his mind desperately racing to figure out what would be best to say. Slowly he lowered his sword to his side and released his hold on Bernadetta’s shoulders.
“Constance, I…”
“You… why are… would...” Dark streaks marred Constance’s clean cheeks. Ferdinand just couldn’t think of anything that could explain the solution.
“If I could… He thought that there might be something in here that might help find the… professor…” Bernadetta’s whisper was barely audible, but understandable in the present silence. Ferdinand looked over at Bernadetta, still marked with the green powder, before reaching to the ground, and picking up the jar, holding it out to Constance.
She reached forward and slowly but firmly took it from Ferdinand’s hand, holding the small ceramic container delicately in her hands, before opening its sloppily replaced lid, peering into the contents with a forcefully neutral expression, before sniffling.
“This dye?” Her voice carried a bit more of its characteristic confidence.
“Yes.” Ferdinand said hastily. “I suspect the possibility that the professor may have been teleported away with some sort of magic, and recalling your… display of this dye to me so many years ago, I decided to return here to search for it, so that it can be quickly used on the scene of the disappearance to discern whether there has been any magical trickery.” Ferdinand stepped out further into the center of the room
Constance took a deep breath, unsteady as she looked a the room around her. “Using the dye to detect magic that has already occurred? I… suppose it may work.” Her gaze then focused on Bernadetta, still standing in the corner, watching the two of them, her tousled dress dusty around her legs
“Yes, and Bernadetta, as my charge this evening’s search, had to accompany me.” Ferdinand added, finally sliding his sword back into its scabbard.
“I see… In that case, it would be most prudent for us to transport the dye to the palace as soon as possible, is it not?” A bit more confidence returned to her voice. She held the jar back out to him in a swift gesture, and he took it steadily. Ferdinand nodded at Constance, to no response. “Indeed. We all should be departing.” Ferdinand followed Constance as she briskly walked down the stairs, gesturing for Bernadetta to follow behind him.
“Be sure to watch your step on the way down.” Ferdinand said to Bernadetta behind him, as he grabbed the light emitting prism to see the steps. When Ferdinand and Bernadetta finally exited the manor, Constance let them pass, closing the door shut and beating out a long rhythmic pattern on its knocker. The three then walked down the darkened streets of the noble quarter, the only sounds echoing on the broad street the pattering of three sets of feet on the dim cobblestone streets.

The three of them finally reached the dimmed lights of the Palace at some inordinate hour, and heard from the gate guards of some order from Edelgard to get to sleep as soon as possible. Every hallway seemed dark and abandoned, the halls devoid of any life but the guards, dozing away at their stations. the weight of their busy days finally weighing down. Eventually, they found their way to their designated chambers. In the hallway before, Ferdinand stopped and faced his two companions, Bernadetta, still marked with the light green powder, appearing close to passing out, and Constance, standing tall but unsteady before him, with an odd look of conviction still on her face.
“You two… you two must rest. Ferdinand eventually said. I will bring this dye to Hubert, or Edelgard, if she is awake at this time, and explain its purpose so that it may be used quickly at the… uh… scene. I will of course, give Constance and house Nuvelle all due credit as the creators of this. Good night?”
“Night.” Bernadetta ducked into her room with remarkable speed following the quiet utterance
“Good night.” Constance said, tersely, before walking down the hall to her room.\

For some more time, Ferdinand walked idly through the empty halls of the Imperial Palace, clutching the small pot of magic-detecting dust. Oddly enough, he could not find a soul in the entire place, not even any guards. Of course, Hubert was nowhere to be found. Ferdinand had no idea where to even look for him. Eventually, he finally gave in and retired, too late into the night, and collapsed on his bed, deeply exhausted from the uncontrollable ride of the last day. Ferdinand’s awakening at the Aegir mansion, little more than 20 hours ago, felt like a lifetime in the past. The unusual sense of silence and solitude had overtaken him at last, as the halls of the palace echoed with the same emptiness of the Nuvelle palace. Only a faint crying, mysteriously lingering about the halls, served as a sign of life to the place.

A hard knock on the door awakened Ferdinand, or, at least what he thought was a knock. He faced towards the window, the sun had certainly risen, and although he was unsure of exactly how long he had slept, it could not have been more than a few hours. All he felt was… tired, but he knew he must rise early and present himself with the honor and dignity befitting a noble of his status. Using one arm to turn himself around, he picked himself out of the bed and stomped over to the small wash basin provided in the room, and looked at himself in the mirror. Having cast off his previous clothes before collapsing asleep, he stood before himself in the small mirror, shirtless and dirty, a grimacing face and weak eyes shining out from behind a mangled, unkempt hair, which shot out at all angles from his head while falling down in uneven tendrils upon his sweaty face, some bits still tainted blue by the dust Bernadetta had flung at him. The only comparable thing Ferdinand could think of were either the worst of the common street urchins of his youth, rotting away in the gutters of Enbarr, or the dead visage of Dimitri after Edelgard cut him down in muddy Tailtean, but even in those, there was some deeper peace, some sympathy. This image had none of a child’s innocence or Dimitri’s serenity in death. It was familiar, yet completely foreign to Ferdinand, but truly seemed to be dark, cold, uncaring to the core, yet weak, almost scared. It was not the face Ferdinand saw in himself, nor the face he hoped anyone else would ever see, and it made him mad, mad and oddly afraid.

Ferdinand turned down from the mirror and gathered some water to cleanse himself of that image. He violently splashed the lukewarm water on his face, awakening himself from his sleep deprived stupor, if only for a second. He splashed his body, attempting to purge as much of the odor of yesterday’s activities as possible from his person. And, most importantly, he submerged his hair in the water, straightening it as it dripped down his head and shoulders, while washing the remaining powder away. He pushed it all back, behind his face, and with a towel, carefully patted it dry. Returning his gaze to the mirror, his face, eyes, mouth, and hair all seemed to be his again. Then he faced the conundrum of his clothes. The only clothing he had brought from the Aegir mansion was that which he wore on his own back, never expecting to have to stay over for the night, or the circumstances around his stay. Part of him wanted to kick himself for failing to pick up new clothes, considering he passed the Aegir mansion with Bernadetta and Constance while returning to the palace last night, but in fairness, the social circumstances of that time made that an awkward detour for him to take. He looked at his old clothes, soaked in sweat. His formal undershirt would not do, but one of the plain undershirts available for visitors could work, with his worn waistcoat on top, even though it was not in ideal condition. The breeches would pose a challenge though, but he would have to settle for what he had. His cloak, relatively used to tough treatment, was present, and could serve as a decent cover capable of concealing it. Fortunately, they did have some fair socks here, so he could just wear his previous shoes. It was an odd look, quite less put together than what he could expect, but hopefully, he would be able to check back in and get some proper clothes soon enough. After taking a deep breath, stuffing the small jar of dust into a pocket, and taking one last look at his hair, and collecting all of his remaining belongings into a corner, Ferdinand opened his door and left his room to find some tea to offset his rapidly advancing tiredness better than some water could.

It quickly became apparent that no, or at least very few of his BESF comrades had woken up yet. How little had he slept? Regardless, he made his way down to the war room of the palace, where he found some freshly prepared tea, sitting near, presumably for the servants cleaning the place. After looking around to see if Lorenz was lurking around any corners, he poured himself a sizable cup, far larger than any proper tasting quantity. It was a pretty basic strong black tea, heavily oversteeped and likewise lacking in much subtlety to the flavor, but he just needed a bit of caffeine at this point. After downing a cup in half a minute, he poured himself another and drank it in barely any more time. It was not a civilized way to drink tea by any stretch, but he turned a blind eye to it just this once, when no one was watching.

Ferdinand, a bit more refreshed, stepped outside for some fresh air, walking out to the gardens to admire the palace’s vast grounds from the inside, something he never really took the time to do.
’Even under such close scrutiny, it is quite well done,’ he thought. ’I must ask Edelgard for a reference on her landscaper, the rebuilding of the once-grand gardens of the Aegir estate could use such mindful work…’
Ferdinand turned around and looked up at the central hall of the Palace, but instead of the grand Adrestian architecture of the complex, his eyes were drawn to unusual looking lines beginning to cross the sky, outlined pillars that seemed to rapidly descend upon the city and palace. He had never seen or heard of anything like it, but whatever it was, he found it hard to think such magic could ever be the work of Edelgard or Hubert, despite their ancient power.
Suddenly, one of the same pillars seemed to descend right towards his very location! Watching the circles appear, he briefly considered the powder he held… if this truly was some sort of magic, it could render the vital powder he held completely used in a fraction of a second. Clutching the ceramic container to his chest, Ferdinand dug his soles into the ground before diving off the stone terrace he stood upon into the garden.
A hedge “cushioned” his landing with twigs poking into his sides, leaves fallen on his face, and a dozen stinging red scratches scattered across his arms, hands, and neck. Wonderful. Ferdinand jumped to the ground and felt the jar, fortunately, it had not broken in the impact, allowing him to breathe easy. For a second, that is, until, hearing faint screaming and yelling all the way from the common streets of Enbarr, he faced skyward once again, only to see the ringed columns begin to fill with long black spear-like objects, burning so intensely that they almost seemed as if great spears of light were being shot down from the stars above. It was thoroughly unlike anything Ferdinand ever saw, wider than a country mansion, longer than the tallest towers of Enbarr, and moving at speeds greater than gravity was ever known to accelerate, Ferdinand did not want to know what sort of destructive power they held when they struck the ground, but with multiple pillars trained upon the palace and surrounding areas, he truly intended to find out. For the first time in months, Ferdinand truly felt afraid… was this the last moments of the great city of Enbarr, playing out before his very eyes, all to be lost to all future generations in mere minutes? Whatever foe can call upon such powerful weapons may very well be impossible for even the Empire to overcome…
Just then, an odd tremor rocked the gardens, sending leaves and petals scattering from their trees and bushes. ’True catastrophe… it must be upon us…’ Ferdinand thought, assuming that the projectiles were finally hitting home. He began to run from the palace with haste, expecting the debris from the inevitable impact to fall down upon him. The large statue of the Goddess in the center of the garden suddenly cracked and exploded without warning, sending a few stone fragments falling upon him. He dearly hoped he was still dreaming…
When he saw it first, Ferdinand didn’t think much of the red light that shot across the sky from the palace roof. What surprised him more was when the beams struck many of the lower projectiles, destroying them with resonating bangs. Soon, the red lights seemed to arch around the city’s wide premises, and wiped out many more.
Ferdinand was relieved at this, but thought about what the cause of this salvation could be, but as the red light coalesses into a great, flaming double headed eagle, symbol of the Empire and Hresvelg dynasty, the source becomes clear.
Ferdinand felt a sense of pride at seeing the eagle snatch the burning projectiles from the sky, and sling them back to the sky from which they were sent, knowing the importance of this event for the people of Enbarr and his role in witnessing the activation of this power.
Ferdinand, with a bit more confidence, brushed the dirt and debris off of his cloak and walked back towards the palace, bells ringing from several bell towers across the city. On the other side of the palace, Ferdinand caught an eruption of clapping, cheering, and dancing.
’The people must be rejoicing. What a wonderful thing to hear!’ he thought, grinning as he walked into the palace for some breakfast. “At least everyone should be wide awake!”, he muttered to himself.

Although he was feeling far more refreshed, Ferdinand grabbed another cup of tea. He needed to be alert before he needed to inform Edelgard and Hubert of the magic-detecting powder. Ferdinand spies Hubert, looking unusually haggard and pale while slowly drinking an especially dark cup of coffee.
“Hubert, do you have a moment?” Ferdinand says.
“Ferdinand. What is it?” Hubert said, barely even looking at him as he quickly spoke.
“I have something that may provide clues as to how The Professor disappeared. I must speak with you and Her Majesty as soon as she is available.
“You do? What could that be?” Hubert said with only the slightest bit of levity.
“I would rather not explain it twice, but I think it is imperative that this be-”
“Very well. She should be in the Imperial dining room.” Hubert said abruptly.
“I see. Thank you, Hubert. Are you ready to go, then?”
“Yes.” he said, gulping the rest of the coffee down. “I find it odd you request my presence at this meeting, although I would have attended regardless.” he says as they walk off.
Ferdinand was oddly pleased with Hubert’s curiosity. “It is a magical matter, and as the magical authority closest to this matter, I see it as suitable for you to be present.”
“Humph.”

“Ferdinand, and Hubert, not a duo I see very often.” Edelgard said as they approached, evidently in a decent mood following the morning's events. "How did last night go for you and Bernadetta?"
While Edelgard smiled at him, Ferdinand wondered how much about the events of last night she knew. He would not be surprised if Constance or even Bernadetta had already talked to her.
“He says that he found some magical substance that may help us learn more about… the professor.” Hubert said, dryly, before Ferdinand could develop a response.
“Oh, what could that be?” she said, just a bit more serious and clearly curious.
"Pardon me, Edelgard." Ferdinand said, placing the ceramic jar of powder on the table. "This is the 'magical substance' Hubert is referring to. Dye that changes color in reaction to magical energy. I hope that by spreading this about the area where Byleth was, to determine if any magic was involved in his disappearance."
Hubert and Edelgard both seemed alert and attentive.
"An interesting idea, but is this substance capable of detecting inactive magic?" Hubert asked, his demeanor as alert as ever despite his visually tired body.
"To my knowledge, it can, as long as some bit of magical energy has been left over." Ferdinand
"It can? May I see it, Ferdinand?" Edelgard said, leading to Ferdinand leaning over to place the jar in front of the Emperor. "Where did you find this 'dye'?", Edelgard asked, removing the lid and peering at the blue powder coating the inside of the jar. Slipping one of her red gloves on her right hand, she scraped a bare along the side of the vessel, accruing a fair accumulation of blue powder before rubbing her fingers together, letting the powder fall back down into the jar.
"It's a bit complicated, but Bernadetta and I retrieved the substance from the old Nuvelle manor in the Noble quarter. You see, I remembered that Constance had shown me a dye that changed color from magic long ago, and thinking it would be expedient to acquire as quickly as possible, I dragged Bernadetta to get it."
"I'm glad to hear you and Bernadetta were able to achieve anything productive last night…" Hubert muttered, reaching for another cup of coffee.
Edelgard seemed amused by the story, but Ferdinand, recalling his promise, continued. "Still, credit the magical ingenuity of Constance and House Nuvelle for devising this invention. I merely wished to bring it to the scene in a timely fashion."
"I see. Well, I sincerely thank you and Bernadetta for working to find this and be sure to assign all due credit for it to its creators in the 'temporarily unsettled' house of Nuvelle." Edelgard, although serious, said the last part in a clearly imitating tone. Ferdinand nodded in recognition.
"Indeed, if this… dye works as you claim, it may prove useful." Hubert said with a grin. "Still, we cannot try it yet. Your majesty, our meeting in the War Room begins in thirty minutes. We must finalize our preparations."
"We have plenty of time for that, Hubert, but I agree, we should rejoin our fellow guests in the more public chambers. Ferdinand, please present the... dust once again at the meeting."
"Of course."
She got up out of her seat and put on her other glove, and picked up a few sheets of parchment from a nearby table and led the two men downstairs. Ferdinand grabbed the dust off the table before following downstairs.

Ferdinand walked back down, ate some breakfast, and waited around for a bit as more people filtered into the hall from their rooms, and, after breakfast and tea, proceeded into the war room. The mood was odd, as while the bombastic events in the sky that morning had filled most people with new enthusiasm, the mystery of the professor's disappearance.
"Remember back at Gareg Mach, when monster Rhea threw him into a hole and we didn't see him in five years?" Ferdinand heard Caspar asking Annette quietly. "If there's anyone who I can trust to live through a disappearance like that and live to tell the tale, he'd be it."
Ferdinand also kept an eye on a few other people. Lysithea, looking a bit disheveled but very much awake, came downstairs around the middle of the group, but abstained from actually eating any breakfast. Linhardt came down last, as would be expected of him. Edelgard kept quite busy, having private conversations with a number of people, including approaching Bernadetta and Constance alike with questions. Ferdinand could only speculate what details of last night those two would divulge.

Assembled around the table (with far more chairs provided this time), Edelgard commenced the meeting, listening to the various groups' reports. Most groups didn't find much of anything, as Ferdinand expected, deep down.
"Ferdinand, Bernadetta. What did you two find?" Edelgard asked, turning to their place a bit away. "Besides each other." She added on with a wink, leading Ferdinand to roll his eyes. He couldn't challenge the assertion, just brush it off.
"Unfortunately, our search did not yield any results about the Professor, or his captors. However, we did manage to acquire something that I think will prove useful, this dust." Once again Ferdinand placed the jar upon the table, this time before the eyes of all of his Gareg Mach peers. Some looked on with curiosity, others with skepticism, Constance with intense repressed interest.
"What exactly does this dust do, and how is it useful to me?"
Once more, Ferdinand used his gloves hand to remove the lid before her.
"It is a dye that reacts to magical energy. If it were to be scattered in a place where magic has recently been performed, it will be able to detect and trace energy remaining from the spell."
"So, it could tell us if magic was involved in my husband's disappearance?" Edelgard asked.
"Exactly." Ferdinand nodded.
"Well, that is rather helpful of you Ferdinand, Bernadetta." Edelgard responded. Bernadetta smiled and nodded in response to the recognition. One person, Ferdinand noticed, was quite far from nodding at the whole affair, instead glaring at him, smile fading with his silence.
"Actually, this is Constance's invention, your majesty, the result of research and experimentation under the disenfranchised House of Nuvelle!"
Ferdinand, along with most of the people present, turned around to face Constance, who naturally seemed quite pleased with all the attention.
"Interesting. Thank you Constance for this contribution." Edelgard said after a couple seconds, bringing the focus of the conversation back to her. But Constance wouldn't let her attention go to waste so quickly.
"Your majesty, if my invention should be the deciding factor in locating and rescuing the Professor, would you not think it sensible to have House Nuvelle's historic lands and titles restored in recognition…?"
"Oh?" Edelgard responded, with a bit of annoyance in her voice. "Whatever of the old noble ideal of service, only for the good of the Empire?" Ferdinand knew that if anyone could bother Edelgard more than Lorenz, Constance would be the one. She was already getting ready for a retort, on the spot.
"The 'good of the Empire', you say? Your majesty, I see no contradiction in this idea, the restoration of House Nuvelle should be rightfully considered a benefit in itself!"
Edelgard, already done with this conversation, set out to silence Constance.
"Well, Constance, this is certainly of more use to me than the last invention you showed me- the parlor trick with the tea, was it? If you can make a few more discoveries like this more regularly than a decade or so, an Advisorship of Magic may be in your future. Who knows, it might just include a little parcel of land to the west of here!"
This hint seemed to appease Constance who looked thankfully at Ferdinand and Edelgard.
"Oh! Thank you Edelgard! You are such a gracious liege-lord for considering it! House Nuvelle deserves such a title, of course, and it is my honor to deliver it to her!"
Edelgard had already turned to face groggy-looking Hubert, slouching into his chair in a way Ferdinand thought remarkably unusual for Hubert’s character
"What about you? Is there any place in the Palace, besides Byleth's room we should spread this dust at?"
Hubert started, pulling himself up quickly before turning to Edelgard.
"What? Oh. My apologies, your majesty, what was that you just asked?"
"Were you just sleeping? And...why do you smell rancid? Hubert, did you find anything of note here in the Palace?"
"Of course. I uncovered a portal, which appears to have been used by Thales."

A bit of fear shot through Ferdinand. Had Hubert already rendered their dye useless? He watched on as others presented their findings, and Claude's insights were made public. What would they do next with all this information?
Eventually, Edelgard settled on the Wolves' Abyss lead and dismissed the meeting. As Edelgard talked with Yuri and Dorothea, Constance walked over to Ferdinand, silently taking the jar from the table in front of him.
“If I may, Ferdinand? For its use.”
“Yes Constance, I agree you would likely know best how to use this.”
“Indeed.” She turned to Hubert, and was faced with the challenging task of rousting the Marquis, who seemed to have fallen asleep yet again.
“Great work last night, Bernadetta. Our efforts in retrieval may yield helpful results.” Ferdinand said, seeking to busy himself as people cleared out of the room.
“Oh, thanks.” she said, casually, without much emotion. Despite staying up about as late as he did, she looked a lot less tired.
“Did you catch what Edelgard mentioned... about us-” she added.
“Yes.” Ferdinand tiredly said, the tea finally starting to wear off after the lengthy meeting. “Let them think what they think. I would completely understand if you found the whole night terrifying, and if so, I apologize for dragging you into that place and the dangerous circumstances. It was not an ideal conclusion to an already tiring day.” Ferdinand leaned back in his chair, realizing the unnecessary stress he must have brought Bernadetta last night. She, of all people, did not deserve such an experience.
Bernadetta sighed, and looked up at Ferdinand again. “Yeah, it was scary, but don’t be too hard on yourself, Ferdinand. As someone who rarely leaves their own home, let alone goes into anyone else’s, it was all kinda interesting.
“Interesting is certainly a way to put it. I’m glad you found some redeeming qualities to the entire exercise.” Ferdinand looked around, trying to locate the nearest teapot. “If you could excuse me for a second…” He got up from his chair and proceeded to walk out of the room. Bernadetta also got up and followed quickly behind.
“Ferdinand…” Bernadetta, clearly a little flustered, said, with some emotion this time. “Of course, I can’t ignore the scary parts, but thinking back, that’s not the first stuff I remember, it’s looking up at the towering mansions from the ground level, it’s the weird dead plants and magical… stuff around the house, and it’s standing out on that balcony, looking out over the rooftops of the city. I've never seen anything like that before in my entire life, even in the massive towers at the academy!”
“And what was I doing in the wonderful moment but throwing powder at you to see if it would change color.” Ferdinand should have known such an act was unbecoming of both his status and the situation.
“Exactly! And that’s what makes it all the more memorable!” Bernadetta said, barely reigning her voice down to normal levels to try to avoid attention. “It was annoying at the moment, sure, but for some reason it’s so harmless and weird that I can’t fault you for it. Out of the whole day of crazy stuff, it might be the most memorable bit, actually.
Ferdinand sighed, taking a sip of his freshly poured cup of tea. It was lukewarm and a bit weak, and looked back at Bernadetta, who almost seemed to be glaring at him at this point.
“I truly am happy to hear that Bernadetta, but I apologize if it might not seem like I’m being genuine here, as I am still quite tired. I too thought it was a remarkably memorable night as well, I will not be forgetting it anytime soon. Regardless, how are you traveling up to Gareg Mach? I am more than able to provide a horse or carriage if you should need it, or accompany you if you would like”
“Oh… no, I’m fine. I can ride up on my own. I’ve done it before.” she said, with confidence. If we organize a group, then I’ll join them, so you can come with me then.”
“Ah… that’s good to hear,” Ferdinand said, a bit surprised that after requesting a companion on a brief search on the streets of Enbarr, she would be willing to make the whole trip up to Gareg Mach on her own, but knowing his own circumstances, was silently grateful. “It was wonderful to see you this last day, uh… Duchess Bernadetta. I will see you at Gareg Mach soon enough.”
“You too, Chancellor Ferdinand.” Bernadetta replied, as Ferdinand bowed and began to walk away.

“Ferdinand! I have an important matter to discuss with you!” Constance yelled as Ferdinand was walking through some odd pathway of the sprawling palace, in the general direction of the stables. Surprised, he turned around to see her, running in his direction.
“Constance? You’ve already applied the powder? Has anything been found?”
“Unfortunately, I am not sure.” Constance replied, firmly. Ferdinand noticed she was not holding the ceramic jar. Hubert von Vestra would not permit me to observe the application of my own dye upon the scene of the Professor’s disappearance! He said that the areas where it needs to be used are not open for public access. I, naturally, protested this outrage, but he naturally gave me little heed.”
“I see.” Ferdinand wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, but was not surprised in the least. Regardless, Ferdinand could not bring himself to be interested in dealing with Constance, not right now, not after last night. “That’s a true shame. Only you, of all people, know how the dye works, after all. Regardless, Constance, I must-”
“Ferdinand, I also came to say something far more important. Thank you.”
“Urm… you have?” Ferdinand finally stopped and faced Constance. The idea of her thanking him was enough to keep him interested
“Yes, Ferdinand. I feel that I must apologize for the way that I have treated you yesterday. It was… rude, uncouth, and petty, and certainly not becoming of a noble of House Nuvelle.”
Ferdinand looked above, and was almost shocked to see the stone ceiling facing back down at them.
“Nonsense. It is completely understandable, considering I broke into your family’s rightful home and stole one of your own inventions. I am the one who truly needs to apologize. Regardless of the circumstance, that was not a noble act, even if I thought otherwise in the moment.”
Constance took an especially deep breath, and moved a few steps closer to Ferdinand.
“I am not merely referring to how I treated you then, Ferdinand, but all throughout the wedding, I was standoffish, bitter, and cold. Why? I was jealous of you. I have been for a long time, since the war and the fall of House Nuvelle fell, I have been. As House Aegir, your name, was elevated to the apex of political authority, second only to the Archbishop herself in domination of Fodlan, I, the sole heir of my dynasty, was forced underground, growing pale in the depths of Abyss. Over time, I began to forget, but then I met you once again at the monastery, and all those memories of the good times, all the hopes of what could have been, all came rushing back in an instant. You treated me with nothing but civility and kindness, but I remained bitter and hostile, holding each of your social missteps against you, to reduce the pity I thought I saw you feel towards me. My true insecurities only showed through under the burning light of the sun, but then, I and you alike could brush them off as overreactions. Eventually, as Edelgard’s rise led to your father’s fall and your own precarity, and we became comrades in arms for the protection or restitution of our rightful domains, my jealousy seemed to fade, our splendors seemingly reduced to the parity not seen since the days before the invasion. It was only recently, dear Ferdinand, that I felt jealous once again.
“Constance, Constance, you must-”
“If you would please, Ferdinand. When Fhridhiad had fallen, the School of Sorcery that I had spent so many winters fallen to the flames of the Immaculate One, I heard the news that the Emperor, the very same emperor who you had declared your rival, the Emperor who had pledged to tear down the corrupt nobility five years ago, formally restored to you authority over the Dukedom of Aegir, previously pried from the command of your father as one of the first acts against the disloyal insurrectionists. I had seen your honorable service in battle, but to see you, a noble who I considered myself at least an equal to in judgement and honor, restored to a position of trust and respect. All the while, honorable house Nuvelle, who had sacrificed their lives in service to the Empires, facing the brutal hordes of Dagda and Brigid both on the open seas and as they landed on our cliffs and beaches while the Imperial armies mustered inland, seemed neglected, Edelgard brushing off my requests for consideration, seemingly out of hand.
Arriving at this wedding to show my honor, only to see you, not only selected as witness for Byleth’s coronation, but appointed his Chancellor instead, while I wilted off into the background, fueled my jealousy even more, so that when I saw you, Ferdinand, the man who had single-handedly restored his ancient noble house from the brink of ruin to the upper chambers of power and honor in all of Fodlan, in a society supposedly based on meritocracy and equal opportunity, cowering beneath me in a corner of my own laboratory in our old abandoned estate… I truly did not know what to think.

Ferdinand, too, did not know what to think, and sat shocked and slack-jawed at the monologue. It was not Constance’s words that surprised him, but her behavior, her openness, not characteristic of the girl who always seemed to keep her cards close to her chest, waiting for a solid hand. Regardless, Constance, after a brief break to catch her breath, continued on.
You see,I have known since we met all those years ago, in this very building, dear Ferdinand, that you are a truly unparalleled model of a noble gentleman, from your deportment, attire, conduct, mentality, sense of duty, diligence, loyalty, piety, and appreciation of high culture. In my jealousy, I had forgotten this realization, and became fixated in comparing myself in principle and in conduct, and my accomplishments, to you and yours, attempting to deconstruct the clear difference in the latter. But after seeing you, the great and honored nobleman, holding Bernadetta tightly last night, sword drawn, prepared to defend her to your very last in such an inexplicable place, I could no longer deny the true cause of your success: putting ideals of a noble to life, and being ready and willing to die, without question, to defend them. If you are able to put on such a wonderfully magnificent dancing performance as you did with me last night, transporting me back to our glory days in that ballroom, I will not doubt your deportment, conduct, and knowledge of the arts and culture. If you are willing to break into an abandoned building on a hunch to find a specific substance that may have the possibility of leading to clues about the whereabouts of your missing lord, I cannot see it fair to doubt your bravery, loyalty, work ethic, or sense of duty.
Ferdinand felt honored to hear these compliments, but the lengthiness of Constance’s spiel was alarming him. No one seemed to be around at first glance, but she seemed to sneak ever closer to him, her voice growing louder and more emotional each sentence.
“Ferdinand, I have looked through all the records of Abyss, high and low, heard tales of and maintained ties with families from across all three realms of Fodlan. I have heard the fate or future of every noble house in all the land, and fisthand reports of their morals and circumstancesm and I can say without the slightest reservation, that you, Ferdinand von Aegir, are the sole greatest hope for the future of our fading noble culture. There is no man alive who understands the honor and purpose of nobility like you do. There is no one who would serve his people as an exemplary and outstanding lord in the noble ideal as you do. There is no one who would be a more dutiful noble husband than you would be. There is no man who would serve as a better father for the upstanding nobility of the future, and pass our legacy on to future generations..”
Constance was getting quite close at this point, looking deeper into his eyes, so Ferdinand said this while inching backwards towards a door outside. “Erm.. Constance… what are you implying with this?”
“Ferdinand, the future of nobility,-and my House Nuvelle,-it relies on you. All the houses left are dead, dying, or morally bankrupt! We need you, Ferdinand, I NEED YOU, FERDINAND!”
Ferdinand was honored, but couldn’t appreciate Constance’s words as she seemed to be verging on some sort of mental breakdown. Ferdinand jerked his elbow back, pushing open the door behind him, and stepped outside, but Constance didn’t stop. She reached out her right hand and grabbed hold of Ferdinand’s left arm, and stumbled forward into the sunlight.
“Constance! Get a hold of yourself!” Ferdinand finally said, loudly and firmly, but she didn’t react. Eyes wide, she stared up at the sun for a second, before her expression, previously intense, faded to a look of deep and profound longing. She looked back at Ferdinand.
“It… it was so foolish of me to ever consider my sorry self to ever compare to the degree of noble magnificence that you, Duke Ferdinand of Aegir, have shown, or even try to compete. With all my being, I must apologize, but humbly request your most kind and gentle consideration, but you… you alone are the last remaining hope for the future of my poor, paltry house. It is with this stated and affirmed that… I must humbly offer my hand in marriage.” Ferdinand sighed, pulled Constance up off of the ground. “Ohh… Ferdinand?” she whispered, smiling as he did this. Ferdinand almost pushed her inside the doorway, and shook off her grip on his arms.
“You realize that if we were to be married, well, as the last heirs to our houses, one would be lost? Even if we were to join our houses together, your family, as the weaker house, would clearly be the junior partner in the union. Is that truly what you wish to see for House Nuvelle?” Ferdinand finally continued, finally closing the door behind them
“Oh? Uhh… well… I… uh… suppose that would be true, wouldn’t it?” she said, standing up off the ground, looking around and brushing some dust off of her dress. “I… uh… just ignore all that, then.” Constance nearly whispered in response, now standing tall, but failing to make eye contact with Ferdinand.
Ferdinand nodded along, although he knew he probably couldn’t. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be anyone nearby, but the whole ordeal. He would have offered her a handkerchief, had had any on him...
“I understand. Still, I have one last thing to ask of you.” she continued, in a show of emotional endurance that both shocked and, to a certain extent, scared, Ferdinand. “ When our group reunites at the monastery, I would like to invite you to a private meeting, in a specific part of Abyss, before we search for the Professor.”
“A meeting? What would we… uh… discuss?” Ferdinand asked, out of politeness.
“We must discuss the future of nobility. I have other attendees, of course, but even if you… we must stand together if we are to survive.
Ferdinand waited for a second… was she really right? Regardless, she still saw her tears, still silently slipping down her cheeks, and accepted.
“Of course, Constance, I will be glad to attend.”
“Thank you, Ferdinand.”
“My pleasure, Constance. As the flyer that you are, I know you will have no issues getting to the Monastery in a timely fashion. Please, forgive me if I am a bit late, only riding on horseback.”
“It is understandable. Farewell, Ferdinand.” Constance said, nodding and beginning to walk off.
“Farewell, Constance.” Ferdinand waved her away and set out for the stables, pleased that that was finally finished.

A lot of Constance’s words lingered on in tired Ferdinand’s mind, as he rode his energetic horse back to the Aegir manor. One detail stood out more than any other, even the proposal. Her description of her perception and mentality of him that felt deeply familiar, as if it was a distorted image of something else he had avoided, refracted back for him to look at. He recognized the image without a doubt, but it was not a thought, not a comparison, that Ferdinand had the energy, patience, or will to consider…

Finally back at the Aegir mansion, Ferdinand let his warmed up horse out and walked inside. He glanced at the grand clock in the main hall, reading twelve-forty something.
‘Has it already been five, six hours? Another day, another trip. Best to get packing.’ he thought, walking himself upstairs to change into something a bit nicer. Ferdinand passed out the second he sat down to take off his socks.

Ferdinand wakes up, sock still hanging half on his left foot. It’s quite dark, and no lights are on in his room. He finally kicks off his socks as he gets up from the chair and notices a sliver of orange-colored flight seeping in from the windows. Sleeping all the way until sunset… not a particularly enviable deed. Regardless, the party should not have gone far in the day, if he can depart by twilight.
Ferdinand lights a candle, and using its feeble light to supplement the red glow of the sunset, continues to pack several bags with both formal and functional clothes (although the distinction between the two is less for Ferdinand than most). Feeling well-rested and fairly prepared, he dresses in appropriate riding attire (his more durable and expendable formalwear. With clean socks and proper riding boots, he takes his candle downstairs… but something isn’t right… Ferdinand looks at the clock in his front hall, which ticked away at approximately six and a quarter of an hour.
’Hmm… A bit early for a sunrise…’ he thinks to himself, proceeding to gather some provisions, a sack of gold and a few other essentials.
‘Unless…’ Ferdinand hikes back up the stairs to return to his room, now well covered in barely tinted light flowing in from the windows. Snuffing his candle out, Ferdinand looked out towards the southeast, where the sun was clearly shining well over the river and buildings that lined it. It was unmistakable now: Ferdinand, the slothful and irresponsible man he was, had slept the whole afternoon and night through, and the group had advanced without him having departed with haste hours past! At least he knew they would likely be taking “the Wilhelm” north, the same route he took down here some 40 hours ago. He needed to depart, and fast.

Quickly, Ferdinand finished locking up the manor, leaving messages detailing his departure for the housecleaning crew, and hoofed it around back to the stables, where he woke up that same horse who had taken him here to return to Gareg Mach. She had served him as well as any of his hand-picked Aegir horses had, but Ferdinand had forgotten whatever her name was. ’I think I will call her… Freya.’ he thought as he stroked her mane a few times before finding her some food and water before the pursuit. Of course, there is one more thing he needs to gather. For weaponry, Ferdinand takes what he has: a steel lance, a silver sword, and a sturdy short axe well suited to both throwing and slicing. Once he gets to the monastery, he will get his true combat arms.

The streets of Enbarr weren’t too crowded this early in the morning, but that really doesn’t really help. Even sticking to the broadest avenues, shipping carts, other riders, and oblivious pedestrians made getting out of the developed stretch of the Wilhelm north. Eventually, as the sun beat down over a sky interspersed with clouds, the multi-floored townhouses and the small storefronts beneath gave way to single-floor huts, which even more quickly opened to the same farmland he had marveled at so many times before, interspersed with villages and woodlands. The road too, seemed to thin out, so as the sun began to cross the center of the sky, Ferdinand, silently praying for his horse’s health and strength, urged Freya into a gallop. Here, where the land was flat, the road was straight, and water abundant, was his only chance to catch his party, or at least make up for his long-delayed start. So, as fast as Freya could carry him and all the items he has brought, Ferdinand whips down the center of the road, travelers passing behind him on both sides. Along with the travelers, so passed tall and broad forests of golden grain, shining brightly once again in the sun, now setting over the flat western plains of Hresvelg. It was clear to anyone that the harvest season was clearly imminent, but Ferdinand wanted to be in the walls of the old monastery before the farmhands could fell their golden forests with sickles and scythes.

As darkness came to conceal the contours of the land, Ferdinand finally gave his horse a bit of a break. Riding into a dimly lit village, he took stock of their progress: passing over the fork in the great southern river and advancing a fair distance north. It was well past the twenty-second hour of the night, and while personally invigorated, Ferdinand could tell Freya needed some rest. Sighing, Ferdinand stepped off her saddle, fished out his bag of gold, and walked her to the local stable. They would set out at dawn.
Only when riding with the most haste did Ferdinand truly understand the vastness of Fodlan. He passed over the upper bridge on the Southern river on the third day of travel, a landmark typically encountered on the fifth day of a standard trip. ’Just a quick jump in there, and I’d be back in Enbarr again…’ he thought. Ahead of him, the mountains surrounding the pass Merceus held rose, foggy and jagged, above the river valley. The hills of central Adrestia would soon present themselves… and Ferdinand was unsure if Freya, already weakening under the strain of two and a half days of galloping, from sunrise to sunset, could easily deal with them. Fortunately, flatlands remained in their immediate future, and Ferdinand, after letting her drink out of the river’s rushing banks and softly stroking her mane, drove his horse northward once again. He owed a lot to her speed and endurance already for making decent time, but it was her companionship that kept this long, solitary journey from becoming truly miserable.

Three nights in, it was becoming clear to Ferdinand that the other group had to have made remarkable time to evade him all this way, and as hills finally slowed his breakneck pace, the deep loneliness of solitary travel began to strike him. Just days ago, he had rejected Constance’s desperate appeal for companionship, only to find himself alone again, fruitlessly galloping on the long and winding road, chasing some theoretical party who may not even be ahead of him. It was monotonous, bland, and deeply tiring to Ferdinand, and while he truly appreciated Freya’s companionship through the sun-blasted days and rain-soaked nights, he resolved to never take to the roads of Fodlan alone again.

Eventually, a bit less than a day’s trot away from Fort Merceus, Ferdinand peering wearily over the curvature of a hill, saw a shocking mirage before him: a lengthy procession of white horses, flanked by attendants bearing the Imperial banners, passing into a small, poor mountain village, surging from a small crowd of brown and grey tunics.
“That… that must be her!” Ferdinand said to himself, pointing towards the village some three thousand meters away. “You have a little more, don’t you?” Ferdinand said as he leaned forward, urging Freya on into a quick gallop. They sped downhill in a refreshing rush and soon caught the party, still caught up in the middle of the town, having barely moved, much to Ferdinand’s surprise. He could finally get a decent look at the riders, and sure enough, all the Eagles seemed to be present, alongside Lysithea, Jeritza, as well as Hanneman and Manuela. Aside from Lysithea, no Lions or Deer seemed to be present, interestingly enough, one individual was conspicuously missing from the group: Bernadetta was nowhere to be seen. Everyone seemed to be focusing on Edelgard, who, surrounded by the crowd, appeared to have dismounted her horse for some reason, so Ferdinand’s dramatic approach was hardly noticed. His horse tired, Ferdinand weaved through the crowded street, coming to the front of the group to see what was going on. Edelgard seemed to be talking with someone, an older woman who seemed to be in the process of handing her something. Ferdinand turned to Hubert, intending to ask what was going on, but thought against it. A few minutes later, Edelgard, having collected the item and had a long conversation with the woman, ascended her white steed and signaled for the group to continue. Ferdinand rode forward to her left to address her.
“Edelgard, I apologize for my tardiness, but I must ask, what has been the cause of this hold-up?”
“Ferdinand?” Edelgard seemed surprised at the sight of him, as did Hubert, who flanked her on the right side. How did I fail to notice you since we departed Enbarr? Have you been traveling with the other group?
“The… other group?” Ferdinand tried to recall Bernadetta’s words a few weeks past, but couldn’t make out the details. “Again, I apologize. I simply left the city a bit late. I only just caught up with you, and never saw any other group when I tried to catch up with your retinue.”
Edelgard still seemed a bit puzzled. “It’s unusual for you, of all people, to have trouble leaving on time. I don’t think I ever remember you ever gathered an unexcused tardy during our time at school. With you and Bernadetta both absent, I hope you’ll forgive me for assuming you two had decided to make the trip on your own."
Ferdinand shook his head a bit, but in all honesty, figured he would probably surmise the same thing. He couldn’t imagine what Edelgard could possibly be thinking about him now. How much could she possibly know about the events of that fateful night and the morning that followed? How much did he? Still, he was eager to change the subject.
"Regardless, I have been quite impressed at the pace you have managed to maintain over these past few days, so I must ask why you found it important to delay your progress to talk to this specific commoner.
Edelgard sighed with frustration, and departed the outskirts of the village, signaling to the rest of the party to keep an elevated pace. Freya struggled, tired and worn from her own long trip, but Ferdinand urged her forward to keep pace with the Emperor.
“I don’t know why you find yourself concerned with this, Ferdinand, as we only stopped for a few minutes at most.That was no average citizen, Ferdinand. She was an army cook for our army Arianrhod and her brother, was a soldier who was mortally wounded when the fortress was destroyed, by the same javelins of light that we saved Enbarr from falling to less than a week ago.”
Ferdinand was confused at this. Arianrhod had been destroyed by those falling projectile things?
“I thought Ahrianhrod was destroyed by the Church, in retaliation for its capture. Am I mistaken?”
Edelgard looked around, Hubert was away, and Lysithea, Caspar and Linhardt, who followed closest behind her, seemed to be distracted with Caspar’s loud conversation. She edged a bit closer and lowered her voice before continuing, a pattern that somewhat alarmed Ferdinand.
“I apologize, but I was not completely honest with you then. The forces who slither in the dark, under the command of my “uncle”, organized it in retaliation for killing one of his closest accomplices, the mage Cornelia. I thought it best to cover it up at the time, to not risk disunity within our Imperial ranks when victory over the Kingdom and Church seemed so close by.”
“I… see…” Ferdinand was shocked, but not as surprised as he was expecting. In retrospect, it made a lot of sense, especially after seeing the “javelins” firsthand. But Edelgard, admitting to lying to the Black Eagle Strike Force and public alike in a time of great need still bothered Ferdinand a bit more than he would have liked.
Edelgard leaned back and tried to lighten her tone a bit, likely catching Ferdinand’s concerned thinking expression. “Regardless, the woman seemed truly thankful for all I had done, and recounted her brother’s own pride in serving us. I don’t want the distinction between commoners and nobles to dominate our society anymore, but seeing the devotion of everyday people to the cause and government feels wonderfully gratifying. Still, that was not the reason I stopped, this was:”
Edelgard reached a hand into a pouch on the side of her horse, and after a few seconds of searching, retrieved a large, mangled chunk of hard, dull grey metal.
“What is this?” Ferdinand asked, struggling to identify the substance.
“Careful, it’s quite heavy, and sharp on the edges.” she said, as she offered it to Ferdinand, arm clearly working to hold it out. He reached out to take it from her gauntleted hands, but upon feeling the weight of the object, brought the other one to take it. It was a relatively heavy, but clearly tough material, whose one flat side offered a surprisingly smooth texture. The jagged and bumpy other sides revealed odd dark veins lacing the stone, while the intact corner of the front bore several symbols along it, some familiar letters such as an H, a K, and a Z, while others Ferdinand could not make any sense of, three horizontal lines, an oval with a vertical line cutting through it.
“It’s a fragment of one of Cornelia’s mechanized automatons, destroyed in the battle and retrieved by the woman’s brother. She said he claimed it used to pulsate with some lost magical power when he first retrieved it. When he was leaving the fortress with the metal, the javelins struck, costing him his eye and his leg as the walls crumbled down upon him. Somehow, this fragment remained intact, picked up by his sister, who carried it and her brother back home on their mule in the wake of the chaos. That Javelin killed so many Imperial and Kingdom soldiers and citizens alike, but it also destroyed Cornelia’s laboratories and the wrecks of her magical metal puppets. That is why I stopped so quickly when she showed it to me, it could be one of the last remaining fragments of their technology left for us to study.”
Ferdinand, shocked into silence at Edelgard’s explanation, offered the fragment back to Edelgard, which she took with both hands.
“I see. In that case, I am glad to see you are taking the initiative to gather potentially useful items, even when we are traveling.” he said in response, not really knowing how to respond to such a story.
“I intend to pass this item to our resident magical enthusiasts…” she said, looking back at Lysithea. “so that they can more deeply study its composition and magical properties. I will carry it for the time being, however.”
“A wise and expedient choice.” Ferdinand responded, not expecting any magical enthusiast strong enough to carry the object.
“I hope that satiates your curiosity, Ferdinand.” Edelgard says, looking forward at a sizeable hill ahead. “Catching up with us so early after our departure is no easy feat. Give your poor horse a break and stick to the back. We’ll be riding until we reach Merceus.”
“I-” Ferdinand, although he felt a bit patronized by Edelgard’s recommendation, thought of Freya, and decided to heed her. ”I will.”Thank you for your time, Edelgard.”

Ferdinand told his horse to slow down, much to her relief, and fell to the back of the column. There, he saw Dorothea bringing up the rear of the main group, seeming to be struggling to handle her horse. Ferdinand, fearing for her stability on the way up the hill, came a bit closer.
“Dorothea! Toss me your reins.”, he yelled over.
“Ferdie?” Dorothea said, surprised. “Where have you been?” She looked at her reins and tossed them at Ferdinand, who caught it in his left hand.
“I left Enbarr a bit late. I apologize.” Passing it to his left, he firmly but lightly held it with his own while stroking her horse’s side with his right. The white steed gradually straightened out and settled down a bit, much to Dorothea’s relief. Ferdinand passed Dorothea back the reins.
“Hold them lightly, but steadily, and try not to tug them around too much. If you want to go a bit faster, just try to lean forward a bit and hold your horse a bit closer with your legs.
“Well… thank you, Ferdinand.” Dorothea said, clearly trying to put Ferdinand’s advice into action. “I must say, Ferdie, you certainly have a way with horses.”
“It’s nothing anyone cannot learn with a bit of practice. As both a noble and a soldier for the Empire, I had to master it.” Unfortunately, Dorothea already seemed to be struggling again as they made their way to the top of the hill, the horse growing a bit agitated again.
“I know that you could certainly achieve the same level of mastery with enough time and effort.”
Dorothea smiled at the compliment, despite her apparent discomfort. “Oh, you know I can’t, and I don’t think I want to put in the effort to try. I’ve never really got along all that well with animals, anyways. Too many Enbarr rats and pigeons tried to hitch a ride on me that the appeal in getting on top of any furry or scaled creature for transportation purposes just… doesn’t have the appeal it seems to for so many other girls.”
“A shame to hear. Beautiful animals, horses. If you are ever in need of arranged transportation around Enbarr or Aegir, do not hesitate to contact me. The carriages of house Aegir are at your disposal.”
“Really? That’s quite thoughtful of you, Ferdie.” Dorothea said as Ferdinand tried to settle down her horse, to limited success. She seemed to be less perturbed by it now. Still feeling a bit curious about what he missed over the last night, he decided to change the subject.
“Did I see you sitting with Felix and the Blue Lions the morning after Edelgard and the Professor’s wedding? Are they who you went out on a search party with?”
“Oh, so you did catch that little bit Why yes, Ferdie, I accompanied them. You see, once you went out with Bernie, I saw that, confused bunch of Faerghans and thought I should make myself most useful as their urban guide.”
“A commendable bit of initiative on your part, Dorothea.” Ferdinand said, proud of her for her quick-thinking idea. “I hope you had a pleasant time. Recalling Felix’s report, your leadership was successful.”
Dorothea laughed a bit. “A pleasant time? I wouldn’t go that far, Ferdie. And I don’t think I was too much of a help. The tracks were just on the palace grounds, after all, Felix found them on his own. The night felt like it should have been a good time, but knowing the professor needed our help took a lot of the fun out of it.”
Ferdinand waited in silence for a second. He was pleased that he could talk so freely with Dorothea, without the open hostility framing Dorothea now, without the same but thinking about the Blue Lions reminded him of a question he felt a burning pressure to ask Dorothea about.
“Dorothea, you saw how Felix approached Bernadetta that night? He stood forward in specific response to my offer, and argued that I was somehow unfit for the job of protecting Bernadetta. It truly seemed like he despised me, and I cannot understand the reason for his contempt.”
Dorothea nodded along as Ferdinand, who couldn’t help but vent a bit of his confusion and frustration, continued.
“I have never tried to bother him, or even interact with him when not necessary. Even since you convinced him to back down, he has done nothing but glare at me whenever we are near. I know he is abrasive to most, but the type of hostility he saves for me seems… unusually harsh. So, I must ask, do you have any idea why Felix dislikes me so much? As someone who once admitted to hating me to my face, I feel like you, Dorothea, are the most qualified to provide insight on this matter.”
"Oh, Ferdie…" Dorothea said, pushed her flowing hair out of her face, and Ferdinand, realizing his own hair’s disorderliness, did the same. "Felix... can be a hard person to understand. I certainly don’t know why he acts in the way he does. He seemed to hate me too, shooing me away like some kind of animal back in the Academy, and he’s cold, blunt, and unflinchingly direct to everyone, even his closest childhood friends, like Sylvain and Ingrid. What I did learn is that, while he seems cynical, Felix respects honesty, when others are earnest and realistic, but can’t see common social courtesies as anything but a hollow attempt to earn social favor. I’m going to be honest, Ferdie, at first, your idealism, your politeness, your pride in your house and ‘noble way’, it all seemed... too good to be true. It all seemed like an act, a front, to advance some hidden goal, cover up some deeply rooted hypocrisy, and I… I thought I had figured uh- you ou-out.”
Dorothea was looking at Ferdinand a bit pensively as she said this, but she began to face some riding issues again, her horse almost tripping over a stone laid in their path on the road from one of the steep hills surrounding them.
“Dorothea!” Ferdinand shouted, and once again, she threw her reins over to him, as he helped her calm her horse and straighten it out on the road. He tossed them back to her, and she responded with a thankful nod.
“Anyways, I think Felix might see you in a similar way, Ferdie.”
“Hmm… Thank you for your thoughts, Dorothea.” Ferdinand said. He really tried to consider what she was saying… he was being too nice to other people for Felix to trust him? “Do you, perhaps, have any ideas for how I may be able to prove my… authenticity to Felix? That I am competent and realistic in the ways of the world while being uncompromising in my principles?”
“I don’t really know, Ferdinand.” Dorothea responded, thinking deeply on her own. “He’s so stubborn sometimes that I wonder if I even managed to convince him of my own honesty. If there’s anything I know he respects, it’s skill with a sword, but he doesn’t like to spar with those who he thinks are weaker.”
Ferdinand considered her words, but he couldn’t escape the feeling he was still missing something about the whole situation. Why did he take such a keen interest in Bernadetta all of a sudden? It felt unsatisfactory. “I… see. I’m sure I can find a way to prove myself to Felix if the situation requires it.”
“Please, don’t worry too much about him, Ferdie. Felix is difficult with everyone, but he cares for Byleth just like you or I, and he realizes can’t deal with any petty squabbling in our Professor’s time of need.” (“...I hope...” she quietly adds under her breath.)
Ferdinand nodded in recognition. “Thank you, Dorothea. You leave me in awe of your understanding of people like Felix all the time. You truly are remarkable.” He meant it. Being able to talk freely with her, to be less afraid of her previously inescapable judgement and incomprehensible contempt of him was truly a gift. Of course, he could not deny the fact that she was an undeniably beautiful woman enhanced the conversational experience.
The discussion petered out in a series of pleasantries and compliments but the two of them continued to ride on for a little while longer, Ferdinand helping Dorothea’s horse along while she rested.

Eventually, the sun all but totally set over the hills to the west, the outline of Fort Merceus reveals itself, a ways down the mountain pass, gateway to the wide-open plains of Bergliez. Its broad and towering structure reminds Ferdinand of Arianhrod, making him look forward to Edelgard, still sitting upon her white steed, the bag carrying the odd metal fragment still securely locked. Although Ferdinand wondered what hidden knowledge Edelgard could still be hiding from the man who, at this point, quietly considered himself at least the fifth most powerful individual in Fodlan. One thing was for sure, the power of those who slither in the dark was nothing to be taken lightly, and something told Ferdinand that even as the Kingdom lies as absent as its famed fortress, war in Fodlan was far from over. For now, he, and perhaps, more importantly, his newly beloved Freya, could, at long last, rest for the night. More than half of the journey still waited for them, down the newly extended length of the Wilhelm.