(Alternative title: In Which Byleth Does A Lot of Talking. Also, there’s no size interaction in this chapter.)
“Professor?” Edelgard called, the last of the Black Eagle students to enter the classroom. “Is there a reason for this emergency meeting?”
Byleth nodded, laying out the evidence of her investigation onto one of the desks. The other students stepped forward and took a better look, finding it much closer to a strange merchant hunt rather than anything coherent.
“Bernadetta’s run away,” the professor said, a disappointed sigh slipping into her voice. “She’s taken some extreme measures to ensure she isn’t found.”
The students stepped up to the table and examined the clues, still struggling to make a solid connection.
“Uh, no offense, but this just looks like a pile of junk, Professor,” Caspar said, picking up a carved wooden horse with wheels attached to its legs.
“Oh, I loved this book as a child!” Dorothea squealed, hugging the children’s novel tight. “I always wondered what it would be like to be as small as a borrower.”
Edelgard picked up the vial and examined it. “A shrinking potion? I apologize, Professor, but this has to be another one of Claude’s childish pranks.”
“I assumed so as well,” the professor said, grabbing the bottle and forcing off the lid with her thumb. She poured a drop onto the stem of an apple, one of the many snacks she had confiscated from Bernadetta’s room.
The rest of her students stared intently at the fruit, not sure what to expect. Hubert traded a glance with Edelgard, with the latter silently asking if the professor’s newfound lunacy would prove to be harmful in the future.
The drop slowly rolled into the core, and the moment the drop was absorbed, the apple began to shrink in size, becoming a small speck that had the students rushing in to confirm it was still there.
“This is the horrible,” Petra gasped, coming to the same conclusions as the rest of the students.
“Oh, Bernie,” Dorothea commented sadly. “She must be terrified. Our poor, defenseless little Shrinking Violet, lost in a big scary world.”
Linhardt’s eyes went wide. “This is absolutely fascinating. I must study the concoction.”
He leapt for the vial, only for Byleth to hold it close to her chest. “Only for finding an antidote for Bernadetta.”
The flighty boy groaned, the motivation leaving his body via dramatic sigh. “Fine. If you insist, Professor.”
“Good boy,” she said, holding it out and dropping it on his expectant palm. “Hubert, accompany him. Ensure he doesn’t end up drinking it himself.”
“As you wish.”
The pair of mages left the classroom, leaving the rest of the students to form a search party. Byleth’s expression had become focused, a look the other students had only seen when she was barking orders on the battlefield.
“What’s the plan, Professor?” Ferdinand asked. “I assure you as future prime minister I will not let any harm come to Bernadetta, or my name isn’t Ferdinand Von—”
“Time is of the essence,” Byleth cut off, sparing the rest of the students from another one of Ferdinands speeches. “I want you and Caspar to notify other students of the situation. I’d prefer if you’d only tell students on the first floor of the dorms. They’re the ones most likely to run into her.”
“Right on, Professor,” Caspar said, pumping his fist. Full of energy as ever, he rushed out of the classroom.
Byleth pinched her nose. “Ferdinand, make sure he watches his steps when he gets to the dormitory.”
Once the separate teams were made, it only left the squad of Dorothea, Petra, and Edelgard.
“What about us, Professor?” Dorothea asked, still holding the book close to her chest.
“You and Petra live in the same section of the dorm,” Byleth began. “I want you two to keep an eye out for her. Think of it like hunting for rabbits. They get startled easily, so you’ll have to be quiet and fast to catch her.”
Petra nodded. “I will be treating Bernadetta like prey, however I will not be doing the eating.”
“Don’t expect you to.” Byleth turned her attention over to a small chocolate cake she swiped from the dining hall. “Dorothea, put this on your nightstand. I confiscated her stash of snacks, so she will almost certainly be scavenging for food later.”
The former songstress accepted the cake. “I’ll just feign sleep and catch Bernie if she tries to sneak a bite.”
Byleth nodded and turned to Edelgard. “You and I will be searching the dorms. Bernadetta couldn’t have gotten too far, especially at her new size.”
“Of course, my teacher.”
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