[inuboku SS AU] nirvana #00 - edth

[ nirvana - 00 ]

“So you are the person whom Rhea-san spoke of. Byleth-san, correct?”

A shrill of small laughter welcomed her as she stepped on the lounge of this so-called housing complex, the ‘Monastery’—the place where she would live from now on.

Byleth adjusted her glasses from the lower bridge of her nose as she nodded. She was sure to follow the map given to her from Rhea, her foster aunt. The blue-haired woman didn’t expect to be seeing a housing complex, while the name said about ‘1180th branch of Monastery’. Her aunt did mention on phone that the place also doubles as a children day care and local choir studio, though it won’t bother much the neighborhood of this housing complex.

“Did Rhea-obasan ever live here, too?” Byleth asked.

“Oh, she didn’t tell you? She is one of the founder of this Monastery,” the blonde-haired woman said.

“It has been a while since I last talked to my aunt directly.” bowed Byleth. “I was …”

“Ah,” the receptionist covered her lips, looked apologetic. “Rhea-san did tell me that you survived a land fall at the old Gautier site and you lost your-”

Byleth only nodded at the mention as she looked down to her feet.

“I’m sorry, Byleth-san, I don’t mean to.”

“It’s … alright.”

The air is heavier, Byleth couldn’t help but to run her hand over her hair in a place to tame her sudden bloom of anxiety. She might have made a bad first impression.

“Ara, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mercedes, I’m the leader of the 1180th branch of Monastery. It’s nice to be your acquaintance, Byleth-san.”

The short-haired blonde woman tutted, beaming bright. “I take it that it is your first time in Monastery?”

“How … do you know?” Byleth blinked.

“Don’t worry about it; everyone else is feeling the oddity too since we are different from any apartment or any housing complex,” Mercedes explained. “Every Monastery in Fodlan is unique, after all.”

After Byleth filled in the needed papers given by Mercedes, Mercedes told the woman in glasses to follow her. Gathering the books she brought with her along with her suitcase, Byleth followed dutifully behind Mercedes. They passed the large room with big glass window, where a few people, young and old, man and woman, seemingly to let their hearts out as they sing. There are also spectators sitting on the back, but they are far obscured from the ones singing on the front. Byleth couldn’t hear what song they are singing as the doors are closed.

Though, the vigor of those people entranced Byleth, stopping her from walking just to take in the scenery. Mercedes, seemingly aware of Byleth’s sudden pause, followed to stand beside her, still smiling.

“Do you want to take a closer look? I’m happened to search for someone too.”

“Someone?”

“My Secret Service Agent walked away earlier when I needed to answer the phone by the receptionist,” Mercedes giggled. “She usually stays here when the choir club is in session.”

Byleth blinked at the mention, “Secret … Service? Oh, is that the special treatment from the residence of Monastery?”

The blonde woman nodded, “Ara, I take it you have known about that much, then I don’t need to explain the long and boring part to you.”

Monastery is said to be ‘celebrity apartment complex’, or so Byleth have heard from her aunt before. Located all over Fodlan in branches, Monastery housed particular people who’s known to be a descendant to one of the powerful legendary figures once ruling the lands of Fodlan to independence eons ago.

As of why these ‘descendants’ were given a place to assemble, it is said because a distasteful supernatural occurrence are bound to happen once for every 100 years, which has been written in an epic called ‘Fodlan Winds’ as to warn the people until the moment of now.

With the precaution, the Monastery also armed the rightful residence with a bodyguard agent called ‘Secret Service’ or ‘SS’ for short. From outside, Secret Service Agent is looked like your normal suited-up butler to any non-descendants, while SS also happened to be a descendant of powerful legendary figure.

Even though the resident descendants can protect themselves with their own power, it is observed that as the generations progressed, the inherited power is growing weaker against the possible supernatural threats. Hence, the presence of this ‘bodyguard’ is necessary.

Mercedes knocked at the door and entered the practice room. The people gathered by the center are singing, only for Byleth to realize later that the person who taught them on the attention is sitting on a wheelchair, their eyes closed with bandages. Right behind the wheelchair, a person in black tux is acting as their adept assistance.

Byleth didn’t let her eyes linger too long as Mercedes has found someone whom she sought of not long.

A smaller young woman with orange hair grown past her shoulder clad in black suit and pants stood up from one of the back seat, approaching Mercedes as quickly as possible – and tripped right in front of Byleth.

The blue-haired woman helped the SS Agent back to her feet. Yet the said SS Agent didn’t speak, while her face is beet red from embarrassment.

“Mou, Ann, you shouldn’t need to run.”

When the young woman replied to Mercedes with hand gestures, Byleth is finally aware.

“Byleth-san, let me introduce you to my SS Agent. Her name is Annette.” Mercedes said. On the cue, the SS Agent bowed. “She can’t speak but she can hear you just fine, so you can talk with her without using hand signs.”

“It’s … nice to meet you, Annette.” Byleth was unsure but she complied. Annette smiled back at her in return.

The orange-haired woman gestured something to Mercedes and Byleth waited until she is done.

“Ah, it seems that your assigned Secret Service Agent is waiting for you at the main lobby,” Mercedes interpreted. “Annette will stay here until the choir practice ended, so we should be in our way.”


- - -


The main lobby is located a bit far to the back, away from the children care area and the room for choir. Byleth listened idly to Mercedes explanation about the children care and choir activity, trying to take the information slowly.

Children daycare there is run by volunteers of Seiros, a certain group of youth which wanted to help people in need. Mercedes is a member of Seiros herself aside being a leader of this branch of Monastery, helping the daycare from time-to-time along with a few residents there. It’s not like the resident there should participate in either one of the activities; it’s just this branch of Monastery coexisted with the two social movements.

The local choir is not a frequent activity, though because of this choir, the students from the neighborhood were able to compete in the national choir of Fodlan. It was started by one of the residents, said to be a great songstress in the past. Byleth can only conclude that the woman on the wheelchair earlier is the said songstress and the woman in black suit beside her is her assigned SS. She didn’t quite observe the songstress’ face, but perhaps she would meet with them again as they are in one neighborhood.

“So you are an archaeologist just like your late father, huh? That seems like an adventure.” Mercedes commented.

“Not so great,” Byleth shook her head. “We spend too much time observing rather finding something.”

“But isn’t old sites like that roaming with Dark Soldiers of The Past?”

“Sometimes, but not always. Our group leader will tell us to leave once the tracking device shows up the presence of Dark Soldiers.” The archaeologist explained.

“Though Father said before that some of us can use the power to exorcise them … oh, I guess that’s how the SS work, huh?”

“Well, yes. The descendants can channel the power of their ancestors,” the blonde-haired woman nodded in apprehension.

“Do you have, perhaps, a complete awareness of your ancestor’s memory? It is said that if the memory is precise, you can channel the power better.”

Byleth paused, her throat felt dry for some reason. “I’m … not so sure about that.”

“Ara? How can you say so?”

Byleth didn’t have time to finish her train of sentence as they stepped in the lobby, a white-haired young woman greeted them outright. What caught Byleth right away is a glimpse of determined, sharp violet eyes, before a painful headache struck her out of sudden.

“Mercedes-dono, is she the one who’ll be my Master?”

“Yes. She is—“

Byleth still can hear them conversing, though as seconds passed, the pain is becoming close to unbearable. The last thing she could hear is Mercedes calling for her name, an image of the white-haired woman reached her, before she is surrounded by blackness.