Marianne and the Forbidden Codex: A Fire Emblem Three Houses story

The Fire of Knowledge, Part One

The night had passed, as well as the snowfall. The sky was already apparent at dawn, and the snow shone brightly. The group left after breakfast. They quickly put everything in order and went on their way without wasting time.

The journey from the refuge would be short, at most a couple of hours. For the same reason, uncertainty and nervousness were widespread. Even Leonard felt the same way, despite having known the place for a long time. It was sure that his father was waiting for him there.

They advanced along the route that continued uphill until it went downhill. They had passed the last mountain. The Monastery was in a mountainous valley, so the snow did not come profusely. Soon they could see it. The building was neither as imposing nor as old as Garreg Mach. The style was different. There was some influence from the land of Almyra, Claude noted.

They approached the path that led to the entrance. They found several monks standing guard. They were going to hold the caravan, but Leonard showed up. They just hung their heads and let it go. Some group members imagined how terrified some monks were of the boy.

They passed through the doors of the Monastery and entered the vestibule. It was pretty spacious, more than they could have imagined, given the dimensions of the place. Leonard told the group to stay near the entrance and that he would move forward a bit since it wasn't a safe place anyway. He still couldn't see his father but could feel his presence. At that moment, he jumped back. Three weapons were stuck into the ground right where he had just been.

They all heard heavy footsteps getting louder and louder. They stopped when they were almost where Leonard was. The cloud of dust that had caused the impact of the weapons cleared up. They could see a man as tall and stocky as Holst but with a whitish beard and silver hair. They all knew who it should be.

"You deigned to come back, Leonard," came that deep voice that echoed throughout the hall.

"That's right, Father," he replied to the surprise of some.

Marianne moved closer instinctively. She knew that man, but only from behind. The girl had seen Leonard being taken away. Seeing his face gave a name to the suffering she experienced when she lost that person with whom she became attached when she arrived at his adoptive father.

Constantine remembered that girl. He remembered her hair and was aware of the reunion between the two. He looked at her a bit. The expression on her face and body reflected concern and love for her son. He couldn't tolerate it at this moment.

A volley of weapons of various kinds headed toward her. Marianne feared the worst. The guns were repelled as Leonard activated his codex using his Agarthan aspect.

"I see; You learned to use your true powers," said Constantine.

"That's right," Leonard replied angrily. "I learned to use the disgusting appearance that acquiring the Crest gave me."

"Appearance?" Constantine questioned with a wry smile. "You have not understood; you read the documents on my desk. Or at least that idea came to me."

Leonard was somewhat confused. He didn't understand what was happening. He sensed something but refused to state it in his mind.

"Looks like we need to talk," Constantine said with cold eyes and a powerful, solemn voice. "Follow me, son."

"No problem."

They both came closer. They would talk elsewhere. The group tried to get closer, but a wave of weapons dug into the ground, preventing them from passing.

"You will let Marianne in," Leonard said, his tone serious.

"Do you think I'll accede to your whims? Do you think this will be a family conversation?"