Ashen Demon's Servant | Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Act IV

When Beleth arrived at Derdriu, it was already in flames.

Leicester citizens and Adrestian soldiers alike were flooding the streets, shouts and screams mixing with the fire in a cacophony of terror and hurt.

He walked past the inn he stayed in the last time he was in the city. The flames were grazing the sky, and he could hear the sobs of the people whose loved ones did not manage to escape the building in time. He wanted to help, but he could not afford to stop. He had a mission, one he must complete no matter what.

Finally, he reached the Golden Deer. Similar to all the other structures in Derdriu, it was lit up in a brilliant blaze.

Just as he approached the shop, Lorenz burst out of the front door, a bundle of different teas in his arms. He was covered in soot and his eyes were wide and crazed, but otherwise he did not seem hurt.

"Lorenz," Beleth said, and the man turned to look at him.

"B-Beleth," he coughed, "What are you...What are you doing here?"

"Where's everyone else?"

"Hilda and Claude are getting water. If you're here, help me save some of this tea—"

"Abandon the teashop, Lorenz," Beleth cut him off.

Lorenz shook his head hard. "I can't do that. Do you know how much time we've all invested in the Golden Deer? It's our home. We can't just abandon it!"

"Lorenz," Beleth said, staring him in the eye, hoping he would just give up. "I'm saying this for the last time. Abandon the teashop and run."

He held Beleth's gaze. "No," he said firmly. "If you're not going to help, then leave us alone."

Beleth gritted his teeth. "Then you leave me with no choice." Drawing the sword hidden away in his cloak, he pointed it at the other man. Within moments, it was done. Lorenz dropped to the ground, his neck slashed open. Bleeding out on the doorstep of the beloved tea shop he refused to abandon. Did he know Beleth was going to kill him? Maybe, but the shock on his face told him otherwise.

The sound of a metal bucket falling to the ground, water splashing onto the stone road, alerted Beleth that there was a witness. He turned to the origin of the sound and saw Hilda, frozen, her jaw dropped wide open.

Before she could scream, Beleth lunged forward, driving his sword deep into her chest, through her ribcage and into her heart. She was dead before she knew it.

He pulled out the blood-covered sword. Hilda's body collapsed to the ground. In the night, the fire illuminated their bodies, giving it a sort of nightmarish, dream-like feel. None of this felt real, but unlike a dream, they would not wake up, even if the sun rose the next morning.

Beleth flicked the sword down, letting the excess blood fall to the ground. The well where Claude was could not be far. The bucket Hilda was carrying was quite full, meaning the well she drew it from must be quite close, or else it would have spilled out.

He headed towards the back of the shop, and sure enough, Beleth spotted him. A patch of greenery laid there, with a well at the edge of it. Claude's back was facing him, and a few buckets laid at his feet. His movements were erratic as he rushed to draw water from the well. Even with the urgency of the situation, Beleth found himself standing still, the bloodied sword limp in his hand as he watched him. Even with how sporadically Claude was moving, Beleth thought his movements were still graceful and beautiful.

"Hilda, this is not the time to be lazy!" Claude shouted, and he turned around, meeting Beleth's eyes. Shock hit him first, then confusion, and finally acceptance rested on his face. "Beleth. You chose a fine time to come back."

Beleth gripped the sword tighter in his hand.

Claude smiled weakly. "So it was the Adrestian princess, huh? Was she the one who sent you?"

He blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"

"'The Ashen Demon'...well, you're the splitting image of her. I had my suspicions when I first found you, and I wished I was wrong. But it looks like I'm not." Claude leaned back against the well. "Was she the one who ordered Derdriu to burn?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Beleth did not say anything as he walked closer to the other man. Despite the blood on the sword he was holding that surely gave away his intentions, Claude did not run. He made no movements that might hint at an escape, but his shoulders tensed up.

"Is it...because of Dimitri?" Claude said softly, in a voice so quiet Beleth almost did not hear.

His jaw clenched, and Claude took his silence as an answer.

"Then I suppose she has no intention of letting me live. You won't let me escape either, right?" Claude seemed to be joking, but Beleth could see the hope dying in his eyes as he realized there was no way he could escape this situation.

To his surprise, Claude lifted his arms, as if beckoning Beleth into a hug. His entire body was shaking.

"Go on. Make it fast," he said. "No matter what, this is the end of the line for me, right? It's a bad time to die, but..." He forced a smile. "At least it's you."

"...I'm sorry." Beleth raised his sword and aimed it at Claude's heart. His vision blurred in front of him as he lunged forward, grabbing onto Claude's arm and plunging it as deep and as hard into his chest as he could, in order to make it as quick and painless as possible.

Claude struggled for a moment as his body realized what was happening to it. Miraculously, he was able to rest his hand on Beleth's back for a moment before life was drained out of his body and he went limp.

Beleth held him, his arms shaking as he felt Claude's body become colder and colder in his hands, until he could no longer remember what it felt like when it was warm. Slowly and gently, he lowered his body into a sitting position, leaning him down against the well.

Beleth felt his skin burn when he realized Claude's eyes were still open, his green eyes glazed and haunting. He raised a trembling hand and shut his eyes, finally allowing him to sleep.

"I'm sorry," Beleth whispered, pulling his sword out of his chest. It hurt him so much to leave him there, but Beleth knew he had no right to do anything regarding Claude anymore. He had done what he had come here to do—the rest, from burying Claude to avenging his death, was now left to Dimitri.

Still, Beleth could not stop himself from turning back one more time.

"I've returned, my lady," Beleth said, entering the sitting room that Byleth was lounging in.

She looked up from her book. "Welcome back," she said. "Did you do it?"

"...Yes," Beleth responded, lowering his head. "You no longer have to worry about him. He's dead."

Byleth leaned back into the couch. "Good. Thank you."

Beleth opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by the ringing of bells.

"Oh, it's tea time." Byleth got to her feet. "I wonder what the chef prepared for today?"

He wanted to call out to her, ask her if she felt anything after ordering the deaths of so many people. But she turned around, her large blue eyes wide and sparkling as she asked him, "Are you coming?"

Her smile, which was so rare to see, calmed all of Beleth's worries. Here was his reason for everything. As long as she was safe and happy, what else mattered?

"Yes, my lady," Beleth answered, following her out of the room. "I passed by the kitchen on my way here. I believe the chef prepared brioche for today."

"Oh, brioche? We haven't had that in a while. Yesterday, the chef made saghert and cream. It was delicious, as always, but I've been wanting some brioche for a while...What?" Byleth stopped talking, looking at him with an odd expression. "Is there something on my face?"

"Hm? Why?"

"You're smiling."

Beleth lifted his hand to his face, and indeed, a small smile lifted his lips. "...It's nothing," he responded. "Now, what were you saying about your snacks?"