Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Hitting the Bullseye
Garreg Mach monastery. Home to the central church. A structure that had maintained the weather of time for nearly a thousand years. Towering walls and sky-high buildings that seemed etched into the land itself. All things considered it was truly a wonder of the world. Despite that, the history of the monastery was the last thing on Richter’s mind. No, what his critical gaze fell upon first was the massive influx of students bustling into its sacred halls. Coming from all walks of life, they arrived from every corner of Fodlan. Elite nobles draped in only the finest of attire the air of superiority dripping off their every movement, commoners of exceptional status scraping their last two gold coins together with nothing but determination that led them this far, and even those hailing from affluent merchant families featuring a wide cast that scanned everything around for market price.
Richter fell into the latter. Born into the Adrestian Empire along the Nuvelle Coast, there was only one thing he had on his mind. That everyone and everything had value. He wasn’t like the other merchants who were only concerned about making a profit. What value meant often went far beyond the boundaries of gold and fine jewelry. Value, true value, was measured in all aspects of life. How did one present themselves? How did they view others? What did they spend their time doing? All of these little things accumulated into a profile. Being able to read the profile of any one individual is what allowed the Caerus family to rise to the top of the financial market. Though things were nothing like the glory days of old…
As Richter walked through the crowds, his belongings neatly secured in a bundle on his back for now, all he could do was his best to blend in with the other arriving students. He had spent most of his life working, either on the bureaucracy of business or the manual labor required to make a profit. Although he worked with his kids his own age in the past outside of the occasional party (which he despised) did he interact with kids his own age. There was a certain awkwardness to how he made his way at first. His steps measured and precisely as if he was trying to achieve some sort of perfect stride. After several minutes of navigating the crowd, that hesitation and anxiety melted away as such fears never truly kept him down for long.
The price of admission was no simple sum, but for his family it was merely a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. Whatever value was gained from graduation far outweighed the cost of attendance in the end. Regardless, he was still stunned by just how many people were truly admitted into the academy. Of course, this surprise was nowhere on his face. A sharp steel mask plastered over his eyes and mouth. After all, the first rule of business was to never panic. To never allow emotion to cloud one's judgment. Even in a new environment like this showing weakness could have his reputation and overall value tainted before showing what he was truly capable of.
Walking up the steps to the reception hall, Richter quickly scanned the massive hall, stained glass windows the size of entire rooms with tall wooden doors that almost seemed to reach the sky itself. Only the finest of tapestry adorned the walls of the hall with enough space between its walls to hold an entire battalion of men. It was opulent yet plain in its design, as if over the years the value of these sacred halls increased necessitating the gouache fabrications. Not to be distracted easily however, his eyes quickly fell upon what was no doubt the check-in station. The monk behind the desk frantically sorting through paperwork and other important documents for the coming year. Without hesitation he strode through the sea of students holding various conversions around him and approached the desk. His deep amber eyes quickly met the monks.
“Excuse me, is this the check-in station for new students correct?” He asked as a formality than a real question. Paperwork was what truly made the world turn despite the clashing of savage swords and the spilling of blood that often hogged the pages of history. Richter had spent his entire life surrounded by paper stacks taller than most men to the point he could sniff out the paper trail of any bureaucrat a mile away.
The monk looked up from her paperwork for a moment, taking in the new student before her. Richter's serious and straightforward demeanor made him seem more mature than he actually was in the monk's eyes. She nodded in response to his question, “That’s right. May I see your admission paperwork?” She asked with an outstretched hand waiting for his proper documentation.
Richter nodded and quickly pulled out the requested documents from his back without wasting a second. Despite the tightness of his bundle, the paperwork was immaculate, not a single crease, and the ink freshly preserved as if it had just been written moments ago. “You’ll find everything in order.” He said, handing off the admission paperwork.
The monk took the paperwork and quickly gave it a once over. Her eyes were tired from the long day taking in countless admissions papers along with the often-haughty attitude of new students. She was grateful that the paperwork was so well organized that it barely needed to be looked over to confirm that everything was in order. “I see, thank you.” She said, "And placing the documentation with the others."
“A member of the Caerus family?” She mumbled under her breath for a moment, the name familiar though not entirely known to the monk who had spent her life at the monastery. She knew it was a merchant family from the Empire, but that was the extent of her knowledge on the subject. “You’ll be assigned to these dorms, here are your keys. Should you lose them, please report your loss to the nearest faculty member immediately." She said, pointing to the location of his assigned dorm on the map of the monastery on the desk before reaching into a crate below and presenting the appropriate key to Richter.
Richter took the keys from her with a solemn nod, all business. “That won’t be an issue. Thank you for your time.” He said promptly, giving her a polite nod and taking off towards his destination.
For Richter, it was important to treat even the lowest members of the previable ladder of society with respect to each interaction. It was the workers in the docks who moved the cargo from the ships. It was the maids and butlers who kept the home presentable to potential business partners during important meetings. It was the security at the storehouses who prevented thieves from making off with precious resources. This is what it meant to see true value. To see what lies beyond the words on paper or the clinking of gold in a pocket. The truth of the world was that of a machine, each gear turning in an almost predictable rhythm. Some gears had more value than others but without each gear working in exact precision then nothing could become profitable for anyone. Showing proper respect for this global machine is what allowed someone, anyone at all really, to gain both value and prestige. To master the machine would be foolish; it is a task with no real end. However, there are enough corpses in history who took on the challenge only to lose it all. But as any good craftsman would tell you, the more you work on something the more it becomes a part of you. So, by working on the machine, feeling its gears and seeing how it truly turns one can always stay one step ahead. And that skill is particularly useful when one plans to make a profit.
As Richter made his way towards the dorms, he began to scan the other students around him. Many of them looked presentable, muscles in the right places and the proper bearings of warriors through and through. Years of practice etched on to their faces despite their youth. They seemingly came from all over Fodlan but the children of Fargus showed particular skill. Their reputation seemingly for naught as even from a distance he could feel their chilled ferocity. Others were full of hot air and unearned confidence than anything else. These could be easily identified as the weak links in the chain. The gears with too much self-importance to turn on rhythm. These were the ones who placed much value on themselves rather than the true value of this world.
Richter was already making mental notes to avoid these weak links with each step he took. He needed every asset possible and would not allow himself to rely on those who would only slow him down.
Arriving at the dorms, Richter opened the door without a moment of hesitation. The dorm was smaller than his room back home, but the size of the space was utterly irrelevant at the end of the day. He was a member of the officers' academy and at this moment no one could take that from him. Quickly unpacking his belongings, he organized everything in a systematic fashion, each object placed in a specific location for a specific reason. Stopping by a nearby mirror as he organized, there was a brief moment where he reflected on his visage. Soft cream-colored skin alongside short cut red hair that did little in the way of making him any kind of stylish manner. Sharp amber eyes that often-made others think his gaze was more of a judgmental glare than his resting face. Nothing about him stood out in particular in his own mind but he had been told many times in the past that he would accumulate more favor if he could turn his unnerving smile into something more…. Friendly.
Once everything was in its place, Richter closed the dorm behind him and locked it tightly with the key he had been given. For now, it would be best to head towards the main cathedral for the opening ceremony. Although he wasn’t of noble origin, presenting oneself as anything other than professional would be a disgrace to his family name. Of course, he had studied the monastery layout long before coming here but seeing something in person was often much different than reading from a book as he tried navigating the halls.
Arriving at the cathedral he once again found himself in a sea of students. It was easy enough to blend into the crowd, just another face among many. Despite this Richter had a sneaking suspicion; he had a pair of eyes following his movement. Where were these eyes exactly? Nearly impossible to tell in such a thick crowd. But there was no doubt in his mind his movements were being watched. After working on so many caravans and guard posts, he developed a heightened sense of observation. The first rule was to know when someone was watching your movements. The second was to get into an advantageous position to watch back. But there was still unanswered questions. Who was watching him? Why? What did they have to gain? Why now in this sea of more important political figures? Questions upon questions but not a single clear answer in sight.
Whatever suspicions Richter had, however, would wait for the time being as the archbishop made her way into the cathedral. The entire hall fell silent the moment she passed through the doors. All eyes glued to the holy leaders in every movement. Not a single whisper would escape the lips of any student as she confidently yet gracefully parted the sea of students to address the crowd in front of the glass-stained windows positioned in front of the pillory.
“Good evening one and all. I am relieved to see all of your faces on this momentous day. The Goddess smiles upon us all at the start of the academic year.” The archbishop's words were cold yet gentle, commanding the entire room the moment she began to speak. “Before the year begins, I have a few words I wish to impart upon you. The Officers Academy exists to shape you-not only in knowledge or skill-but in character. Some of you are from more noble backgrounds and some of you rose from humble beginnings. Regardless of one's origins you must trust in yourself, trust in the Goddess, and most of all bring honor to these hallowed halls like those before you. ”
And just like that, as soon as her speech began, it was over. Once again parting the sea of students as another took her place upfront. A faculty member with deep green hair and a serious expression. He didn’t need to speak any louder than the archbishop, but his words commanded the same presence.
“You have all been assigned to your house before arriving. Once you have settled in, report to your assigned homeroom. Your house leaders will give you a more in-depth introduction to your new life at the academy. Should you not know where your dorm or homeroom is located, find the nearest faculty member and ask for assistance. Everyone at the academy is here to support you and as such you will show them the proper respect they are due. Remember the academy rules are not suggestions, they will be enforced.” His words delivered like a hammer strike, crisp, clear, and leaving zero room for misinterpretation.
With that, the second speaker had wrapped up just as quickly as the first, parting the sea of students and following the trail of the archbishop as the chatter of students began to rise again. In this moment, whatever, or whoever was observing Richter had taken its gaze elsewhere. Not wanting to let the observer slink away so easily he scanned the crowd with precision for any sudden movement or suspicious behavior. Tuning his other senses, he could overhear most of the noise and was able to separate it enough to understand it beyond white noise.
“She was so pretty!”
“You think they’ll let us talk to the archbishop again?"
“I can’t believe I saw the archbishop in person.”
“I won’t allow myself to be dishonored at the academy like others.”
“Graduation seems so far off…”
Most of it was useless information, but it was clear that the student body was just as taken aback by the presence of the archbishop as Richter was. The occasional painting and written text about her certainly didn’t do her much justice. Regardless, the amount of respect she had gotten from just a few spoken words showed how much authority she truly commanded. Despite not being a devoted member of the church himself, it was easy to see why so many people held the faith of Serios in such high regard with someone like Rhea in charge.
However, nothing overall suspicious or threatening. The observer had gone away. Then again, it might have been paranoia. Not that Richter was easily frightened or overly suspicious but with everything going on in his life as of late he had been overly observant. A bit too on edge. For now, it was better to take whatever suspicions of being observed and keep them to himself to avoid any friction with the other students with baseless accusations.
Shaking off these thoughts for now, Richter began making his way towards the Black Eagles homeroom. Of course, all members of the house belonged to the Adrestian Empire. No doubt many nobles would be amongst their ranks and just as many with a crest major or minor. While Richter never gave much thought to crests, this would be the one environment where they couldn’t be ignored. Those with crests would have an advantage over him in many ways both on and off the battlefield. Although he had spent years training with a bow, he never truly thought it would be useful beyond the occasional show of force. Now he would need to push his skills to their limit to keep himself afloat.
Arriving in the homeroom Richter noticed he was one of the first to arrive. Good. Prompt and on time. A good business deal always started with being ahead of schedule. Despite his cold exterior however, there was some part of him that was anxious to get introductions over with. After waiting several more minutes the rest of the class arrived. And of course, Richter evaluated them all one by one.
The first was Edelgard. Although Richter had never met her in person, she was easy to identify through reputation alone. Long white hair worn loose with light purple ribbons tying off two sections at the sides. Lilac eyes. Regal presence, and a commanding aura. Even from a glance it was easy to tell she was a woman of authority. A real royal. Her uniform was even modified to match her leadership position. A short black coat with gold trim, bright red tights, and an asymmetrical red cape draped over her left shoulder. Even as he looked at her with his own sharp gaze, he could feel her gaze looking back with the same intensity. Good. If one was to be in a position of power, they cannot afford to back down. Not even for an instant. If this was to be his leader for the next year, one could not ask for a better one.
Behind her was a rather ominous shadow. Or at least it looked like a shadow at first to Richter, but to his surprise the shadow was a person. Tall figure, asymmetrical dark-olive/black hair, a long-jagged fringe completely draping over the left side of his face obscuring his left eye, ghostly pale skin, and eyes that seemed both sunk in and alert at the same time. His uniform was seemingly modified as well with a high stiff collar and a long black undershirt that buttoned tightly up his throat, concealing all skin below the jawline. He seemed like some sort of attendant the way he followed Edelgard's every action. Supporting her both subtly and not so subtly at the same time. A talented act. Regardless, it was important to watch the shadows just as much as they watched you.
Filling out the room with the sound of his own voice was an orange-ginger haired student; his hair styled in a neat shoulder-length trim that flips outward slightly at the ends. His uniform had a tight, high-collared vest alongside formal gloves. Although Richter had no evidence to call him a noble, it was obvious by almost every feature he portrayed. The way he walked, the way he talked, down to the way he held himself upright with self-importance. Someone to either avoid, or profit from. Whatever the case may be, further observation would be necessary. Though with the way he acted and talked, finding this orange haired noble in a crowd wouldn't prove to be difficult.
Then there was the sleeping young man with green hair. His hair was styled in a chin-length bob with a low messy ponytail tying back his longer strands. The uniform was unchanged except for the collar which was left unbuttoned. The fact that he thought it was appropriate to sleep in such an important setting at all told Richter everything he needed to know about him. Either he was completely incompetent or simply didn’t care about everything around him. It didn’t matter which he was; all that mattered was that he could be useful in the right settings. Whether that meant if it was off or on the battlefield, whatever was valuable would shine in the moment.
Besides, the sleeping student was one almost polar opposite. Short, messy, spiked cyan hair styled into an undercut, featuring closely shaved sides and an even shorter stature. The student seemingly ditched his black jacket for a simple white undershirt; his sleeves rolled past his elbow. Richter could feel his manic energy from across the room. It was like he was bursting with passion and ready to brawl at a moment's notice. Simple minded and straight forward. One could only hope this student would at least make it to the end of the year without chasing too much chaos.
Near the corner of the room was someone who was obviously trying to hide from sight but was doing a… less than stellar job. Wild purple hair that was unkempt and choppy with long uneven bangs that partially covered her face, clearly indicated the type of person who cared little for their personal appearance. Her uniform only had the addition of a blue hoodie underneath her school jacket. Richter assumed it would be easy enough to comply with their unspoken request not to be noticed, but it was often those who wanted to hide that had the most impact, intentional or not.
Richter could smell her before seeing this student. Long flowing brunette hair, a black flat hat, her uniform unbuttoned featuring a black top alongside a short skirt with black stocking. She was fashionable from head to toe. Why a person like this was at the academy attending classes for war was beyond his understanding at the moment. After all, there was value in beauty, and this student clearly knew that it was better than most. Where she intended to use that beauty and for what ends would be important to keep an eye on.
Finally, a student that was completely foreign to Richter. Not in the sense that he couldn’t evaluate them or understand them with a glance but rather in their appearance. Long purple hair tied down to their shoulder and a strange purple mark under their right eye. Her uniform was unique as it was a tight, form-fitting skirt that ended right below the chest alongside a white top shirt that had the sleeves reaching down to her wrists. It was clear they weren’t your average Fodlan citizen, but he never put much thought into such things. Though he couldn’t remember the last time, he had been intrigued so much by something new.
As Richter began mentally compartmentalizing his fellow students for future purposes, Edelgard cleared her throat, getting the attention of the entire room in a mere moment. Moving a stray strand of her hair from her face, Edelgard began her speech.
“I welcome you one and all to the Black Eagles. Most of you know me and some of you don’t. Regardless, I intend to be the kind of leader you can rely on this academic year. Should you need my assistance no matter how small, I shall do my utmost to support you. That being said, I also have high expectations for you all. Each one of us here is a representative for the empire no matter how big or small. Mistakes can be made but I will not tolerate outright failure. You will pick yourself back up as many times as it takes until you achieve victory both on and off the battlefield. Before the end of the year, we will become a team who can work together seamlessly, so please support your fellow students as I support you. As such, we will now go around the room to introduce ourselves.”
Her manner of speaking was haughty to be sure but not without cause or reliability. A leader needed to be focused all the time. Every second was an opportunity for success or failure when dealing with such high stakes. To Richter, it was clear this ideology wasn’t lost on Edelgard. From across the room, he could feel her intense aura and burning ambitions.
Before anyone could say anything else, the shadow attending Edelgard spoke first. It was as if he was trying to get some sort of advantage over the rest of the class by speaking first to show some sort of authority. “I am Hubert von Vestra, I do hope we can all have a productive year together." His words were direct and cold, as if he was trying to make it clear he had no intention of letting any of us fall behind. No doubt in order to not shame Edelgard. His loyalty was outstanding, if not a bit… intense.
As soon as Hubert finished speaking, the orange-haired noble jumped into the metaphysical space, his eagerness radiating off of him like a giddy child. “I am Ferdinand von Aegir, heir to the noble house of Aegir. Fear not my fellow classmates, with my talents and abilities our house shall become the makings of legends.” His arrogance was on clear display, but not exactly the kind of arrogance Richter was used to from most nobles. Ferdinand’s pompous attitude wasn’t hostile. In Richter's eyes it seemed like Ferdinand genuinely wanted everyone to succeed, but for his own success to exceed everyone else.
Richter could hear a soft sigh escape from Edelgard’s lip as her face fought the urge to cringe if not frown in displeasure from Ferdinand’s chauvinistic attitude. Regardless, the half-asleep student with green hair raises his hand clearly wanting to get his own introduction over with. “I’m Linhardt von Hevring.” He said quickly yet lazily in the same breath, waving to the rest of the class from his sitting position before placing his head back down with a very clear intention of going back to sleep.
The blue-haired student let out a dismissive groan, shaking Linhardt to make any kind of sleep impossible. After accomplishing his mission, he stands up, putting his thumb to his chest as if to mark himself for his own introduction. “I’m Caspar von Bergliez and you don’t gotta worry about me. If you need someone to back you up in a fight, I’m down to scrap whenever. Just point me at em!” He said his introduction was overwhelmingly enthusiastic compared to the previous one.
This radiating energy would certainly outshine the next student. However, a mind riddled with anxiety speaking last was no doubt a major fear as the number of students who hadn’t spoken yet began to dwindle. So, one student quickly stood up, her eyes flickering between fear and faltering confidence as she spoke. “Uh… I mean…. My name… My name is Bernadetta!” She said almost yelling at the last part before quickly retreating under a nearby table in fear.
A small, awkward energy began to hang in the air for a moment, making Richter wonder who could possibly follow that up. Then without waning the elegant student began to speak, her voice soft and pleasing like fine velvet. “I’m Dorothea and it's nice to meet everyone here. Let’s all get along alright?” Her tone is like a true professional of the stage who took in that awkward energy from before and turned it into something positive with overwhelming charm.
Taking the initiative, the foreigner with the strange mark on her face spoke next. “I am Petra Macneary of Brigid. It is having pleasure…. No, it is my pleasure to meet you all.” She said earnestly though she quickly catches the mistake in her words before embarrassing herself. To Richter it was clear she had a good grasp on the language but making minor mistakes like that made him think she was forced to learn quickly, or she simply had so much on her mind that these little errors weren’t always at the forefront.
And just like that all the eyes fell on Richter. Some would feel a bit of fear or anxiety at having to speak last, but Richter saw it as an opportunity. Now he had the full attention of everyone in the class with no distractions of thoughts for their own self introductions.
Richter coughed softly, making sure there wasn’t any way he could make a mistake in his tone or diction. “My name is Richter Caerus; let us all make great strides together for the future." He said, his tone straightforward. It wasn’t much but by being so succinct he hoped that would make it clear he was here to make real progress. If others couldn’t keep up his pace, then he had no intention of slowing down.
With that, Edelgard once again gained control of the room, going over various rules and regulations for the academy. She didn’t want anyone to make a foolish mistake and while her diction was as dry as the handbook, this would also serve as the entire house’s one warning. Edelgard walked a fine line between overbearing and just the right amount of proper motivation. As she spoke, it was becoming increasingly clear that Edelgard had no intention of letting the house fall behind the others. After all, competition was a great way of staying ahead on one’s own personal goals as well. Though the reactions were varying, the entire room acknowledged that they would need to bring their best if they had any hope of staying in this house without incurring Edelgard’s wrath. After a long discussion of the scheduling for the homeroom, Edelgard dismissed everyone else for the day telling them to prepare in the coming weeks for the first mock battle of the academic year. Failure would not be an option; it was either winning this battle or swearing to never lose again. He spent the rest of his day checking out the rest of the monastery's grounds. Though he had a mental map in his head, knowing every corner and dusty hallway would prove useful in the future for various unknown advantages. After spending the day at his own pace, he eventually settled in for the night. He fell asleep with a kind of rhythmic focus, counting down all the responsibilities he had placed upon his shoulders.
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The first few days of the academy flew by in Richter's eyes, but he was quickly brought back to focus when the three house leaders left on a training exercise. There was no world where he could have predicted that the three nobles would be attacked by common bandits, nor would their supposed protector abandon them. When he first heard the news, he assumed heads might roll for such a blunder. To his surprise, the three leaders were not harmed in the slightest. According to the story he had received from Edelgard she had been saved by a talented mercenary. Mercenaries are common and often not worthy of any kind of remembrance but for the heiress to the imperial throne to be singing one's praise must say a lot about this particular mercenary’s skills.
Gathered in the small courtyard outside the homerooms, the students from the three houses were enjoying some time off from their studies. Many of them were gossiping about the supposed super mercenary that had captured so much attention. While most were oblivious, Richter saw a stranger making their way through the courtyard. Dark teal blue hair. Uptight posture. The way they carried themselves with such a determined nature. He could only assume this was the supposed special mercenary that had saved his house leader. It would only make sense for them to collect their payout personally from the church, but why they were talking to students of the academy was beyond him.
As she approached him, Richter could feel an odd sense of ease of washing over him. Not in the way that he felt more comfortable around her but more in that he didn’t feel the need to seek any kind of goal with them. It was like looking at a longtime companion; however, he knew they had never met before in their lives.
The stranger was the first to speak, asking Richter for his name. Her words were somewhat cold but straight forward. He appreciated that. “Ah you must be that mercenary everyone is talking about.” He said fishing for that information as the mercenary nodded to his assessment.
“I suppose thanks are in order for your service. The church will do well to pay your fee no matter the cost for your service.” He said that his mind drifted to business first and foremost. "My name is Richter and you have my personal thanks for saving our house leader as well. Perhaps in the future we will cross paths and I could see your acclaimed strength with my own eyes.”
The mercenary nodded again at his words. No verbal response needed, but Richter could tell his subtle indications were not lost on her. Despite her seemingly stoic nature she was sharp. Much sharper than she let on. Even with this brief interaction, he could see why this particularly mercenary was leaving such positive impressions. As she walked away to talk to the other students, Richter felt an odd sensation beginning to well in his chest. Normally when he wished to see someone more than once, it was for necessary reasons. There weren’t a lot of room or time in his life for simple relationships with no recurring value. But this mercenary… they were different. He wanted to meet them again, after all what kind of value was this person truly hiding behind those unblinking eyes?
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Byleth approached Edelgard asking about the students in the Black Eagle house, going over the roster of students. When her finger fell upon Richter's name, Edelgard gave her a brief description.
“Richter comes from a family of merchants who have served as a powerhouse in the imperial economy for generations. He is an earnest person who works hard at everything he sets forth to do. Some say his personality is a bit cold, but I see no issue with it. However, his manner of speaking can be rather… blunt at times. Regardless, you won’t find a more honest person here.”