A knock echoed from somewhere nearby.

I jolted back to consciousness, raising my head. Papers fluttered to the floor and faint rays of light blinded me for a moment.

I blinked and shook my head to get rid of the lingering sleepiness and regain my bearings.

I was seated at my desk, papers scattered all around. It seemed like I fell asleep sometime in the middle of the night after working on the lecture notes and quiz.

There was another knock, from my door, I realized, and then a stern voice called out.

"Professor? Are you awake?"

That was Seteth. Probably to get me for the morning meeting.

I yawned and scooted my chair out before walking over to the door. After unlocking it, I opened the door.

Seteth stood there holding a book under his left arm and wearing dark blue robes. It was similar to what he always wore when getting me for the faculty meetings, but a bit more comfortable looking.

"Morning Seteth. Time for the meeting?"

He nodded. "Indeed. But… I see that you had a long night." His eyes flitted towards my forehead.

I frowned and reached towards it with my right hand. When I did, I felt a piece of paper stuck there.

I sighed and peeled it off. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be anything important. Just a crumpled scrap I scribbled some fast notes on.

After crumpling it up again and jamming it in my pocket, I said, "Isn't it obvious? With having to teach thirty kids, how could I not have a long night?" I frowned and said, "I still can't believe you allowed them all to transfer to my class."

Seteth shrugged. "Far be it for me to deny a student's request to change their instructor."

"You could have just told them they'd be getting worse education doing so. After all, you can't expect one guy to properly teach such a large group, can you?"

Seteth raised an eyebrow. "From what I hear, you are doing just that and admirably as well. Unless there's something you wish to tell me, Professor?"

I nodded. "Yes. Transfer out half of my students to Manuela or Hanneman."

"Denied."

I sighed.

Seteth stepped forward and patted my right shoulder with his hand. "If it is any consolation, Hanneman and Manuela underwent similar situations when they first began teaching."

"They did?"

"Oh yes." Seteth lowered his hand and then nodded. "For Hanneman, it was due to his reputation as the foremost expert of Crestology. As for Manuela her… assets, as well as her reputation as the Divine Songstress of the Mittelfrank Opera Company sent a great deal of cadets her way as well when she began."

I frowned.

That… made sense.

"Furthermore," Seteth said. "Your current roster's size pales in comparison to their own."

"…It does?"

Seteth nodded. "Enrollment surged when the two joined the staff of the Officers Academy. As a result… I believe their class sizes numbered around a hundred? Granted, the number dwindled throughout the year as some students dropped out or failed in their studies, but it was no small amount of hardship the two had to deal with."

"Huh. No wonder the two were so calm with teaching…"

After such a hectic first year, having such a small class must have been a breeze in comparison…

"Wait." I narrowed my eyes and said, "That still doesn't excuse the fact that I have to deal with all of these students out of the blue! Not only that, but those two had proper training as professors, didn't they?"

Seteth coughed and then said, "In any case, Professor. Do you wish to sort yourself out before the meeting? Lady Rhea returned early this morning, so it might be prudent to tend to yourself before seeing her."

My response to his suggestion was to walk back into my room and grab my coat before tossing it on over my ruffled dress shirt.

Seteth shook his head. "Of course. Why did I even bother asking?" He sighed and then turned around. "Very well. Follow me."

The meeting took place back in the war council room, the usual place for the faculty meeting. It was the same as always, fancy pillars, the rectangle of long tables, the hanging map… the only difference was that my dad was hanging out by a pillar near the entrance as we walked in.

He glanced at me and then laughed. "You look like hell, Kid. The teaching life not going well?"

"Oh shut up. You're lucky you've got Alois to toss your duties to."

"Ooh, snippy this morning, huh Kid?" My dad smirked.

I rolled my eyes and walked forward.

As I passed my dad, he pushed himself off from the pillar and walked beside me.

"Anyway," he said. "Alois is more suited to doing paperwork than I am. Besides, better to keep the guy with a family doing safe work in an office rather than risking his life, right?"

I frowned. "…I guess."

Seteth followed behind us and said, "Do you two have this type of exchange every morning?"

Jeralt shook his head. "Nah. I think the kid's just a bit stressed. He never had to do much paper work growing up, you see? I was the one who handled all of that back in our company."

Seteth nodded. "I see." He glanced towards me and said, "Well, I wish you luck in your continued choice of career then, Professor."

"Ha ha."

I shook my head and then glanced around the room.

It seemed like Hanneman and Manuela had arrived ahead of me.

The Crest Scholar was seated at the table already, enjoying a cup of coffee poured from metal thermos. He noticed me approaching and waved, a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Byleth!" When he saw my face, his smile turned into a frown. "…I hope that you have not been having too much trouble with your classes." He shook his head and said, "I must admit, I do feel a bit guilty about shifting the burden of the cadets to your class."

"It's fine." I shrugged and stopped beside him to talk. "More time for you to focus on our project, right?"

My dad walked around the table to the right of the main chair where the Archbishop was supposed to sit. However, instead of taking a seat immediately beside that chair, he pointedly sat down a few seats over.

I frowned at seeing that, but before I could think much on it, Seteth walked over to us and said, "Project?"

The green-haired advisor looked between me and Hanneman with a frown on his face. "Is this something I should know about?"

I shook my head. "It's… complicated, but essentially we're working on saving Edelgard."

"Ah." Seteth nodded. "Yes, Miss Hresvelg… or rather, the soon to be Miss Eisner. I do recall her condition being quite precarious… If that is the case, you need not say any more." His eyes became distant and he said, "I understand all too well the wish to save someone dear to your heart."

Hanneman's face became somber as well and he said, "Indeed. The pain of losing one that you love…" He looked to me with fire in his eyes. "Rest assured, Byleth. I will do my very best so that you never have to undergo such an experience."

I smiled. "Thanks, Hanneman. I appreciate it."

Seteth nodded. "I will keep Miss Hresvelg in my prayers… Ah. Speaking of your fiancée." He looked to me and said, "Have you decided upon a reception date for the wedding yet? Or do you plan to delay it until after graduation?"

I groaned and said, "Could we please not talk about that right now? I don't want to have to plan a wedding as well amidst all of my other work."

From across the table, my dad frowned. "It's a bit late to be scared about commitment now, Kid. Besides, you two are already married on record anyway. The ceremony's just a formality at this point."

I froze.

Seteth did as well before slowly turning to look at my dad. "What did you just say, Jeralt?"

I nodded. "Right. What are you talking about, Dad?"

"Hm?" He frowned and then said, "Oh. You were being slow about it, so I went ahead and filed the marriage license the other day." He shifted his gaze to the advisor standing beside me and then smirked. "And you should know this, Seteth. After all, I brought it to you to stamp for approval."

Seteth pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Was that the paper that you barged into my room late last night and insisted that I approve? The one that you brought mere moments before I fell asleep?"

My dad shrugged. "Hey. Not my fault you're not more cautious about these things." He leaned back in his chair and said, "You need to be more attentive."

Seteth sighed and said, "I am glad that Rhea has returned. At the least she can be the one to deal with this mess… I will be happy if I can just stick to the usual chaos of running the Church of Seiros and keeping it afloat." He shook his head and then started walking around to the other side of the table.

After he did, I turned my attention to the final person in the room. The one seated to the left of Hanneman.

Manuela looked absolutely miserable. She placed her head against the table, her face turned to the side, and looked like she was regretting everything in her life. Her right arm was slumped over the tabletop and she clutched her silver flask in her hands, as if using it as a lifeline.

I cautiously took a seat beside her and said, "Long night, Manuela?"

She groaned and lifted her head up. "Why couldn't you have just gone easy on my students, Byleth? Now I have to deal with Hilda complaining every morning and Claude making snide remarks for the rest of the year."

Hanneman adjusted his monocle and said, "That is the result of your own actions, Manuela. Perhaps if you were not so stubborn-"

"Oh shut it, old geezer. You only have to deal with the officers in your class. I've got to handle all the cadets too, you know? If I did that, they'd think they could step all over me."

"…Hm. I suppose you do give off a weak presence."

Manuela sat up straight and crossed her arms. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Hanneman shrugged. "I only mean to say that you are not the most sterling example of a professor."

"And you are, Mister Independent Study?"

"It is not my fault that my students are self-sufficient. Besides, I offer guidance when requested."

Manuela scoffed.

I decided to interrupt before either of them got into their usual tirade. "In any case… Where's Rhea?" I looked around and said, "I don't see her anywhere."

Seteth sat down at the chair to the left of where Rhea was supposed to sit and then said, "She should return any moment now. I believe she mentioned that she had to retrieve something before you arrived."

I frowned.

Retrieve something? What could-

My thoughts were cut off by the sound of the doors opening again. I turned around to see a familiar woman with long light green hair walk inside the room.

Rhea looked the same as ever, serene and dressed in her flowing white robes. When she noticed me, she smiled and said, "My dear Byleth! I see that you've finally arrived!"

I nodded, but my attention was elsewhere. Specifically, it was on what Rhea was carrying with her.

Like I said, Rhea looked the same as ever… but she was carrying something odd. A large metal box that looked to be made from mithril or some other precious ore.

From a casual glance, it must have been heavy. The box was almost half Rhea's height. Yet she easily carried it, clutching the sides and holding it close to her like she was hugging it.

"…What's that for?"

Rhea walked over to the tables and then placed the box on the floor beside it. After that, she shook her head and said, "It is a long story, something I will explain afterward. For now, however, we have quite a bit to discuss." She took her seat and then said, "Now… Shall we begin?"

The room became silent.

Seeing that, Rhea nodded and then said, "First of all, I want to congratulate Byleth for leading the Black Eagles to victory." She looked at me and smiled. "While I was not able to attend the mock battle, from what Seteth tells me, you did quite well in adapting to the unexpected changes that Claude wrought."

I shook my head. "I wouldn't put it like that. If anything, I was just on par with the other students in the fight."

"There is no need to be modest, Byleth," Rhea said.

"I'm not being modest." I let out a frustrated sigh and said, "Holding back is… difficult."

Hanneman nodded. "Yes. I suppose that must be the case for one like you."

Manuela rolled her eyes. "If it's so hard holding back, next time just let me and the Golden Deer win, mmkay? It'll save all of us trouble."

Rhea laughed. "A bit competitive, are we, Manuela?"

The songstress shook her head and said, "Just expressing my honest opinions, Lady Rhea."

"If only your work was honest," Hanneman grumbled.

Manuela glared at him.

Rhea shook her head and said, "Well, if that is how you feel about the matter, Byleth, I suppose we will leave it at that. Moving on… I wish to thank all of you for keeping the students and the monastery safe in my absence." She frowned and said, "From what I hear, quite a few events have happened since I departed… as well as a joyous occasion."

Her gaze settled on me, an amused look in her eyes.

I coughed and averted my gaze.

Manuela laughed and said, "You shouldn't try to hide it, Professor. While the students might be guessing about Miss Hresvelg's mystery fiancé, all of us here know full well who he really is."

I frowned and rubbed the back of my neck. "It's… still a bit awkward to bring up casually, alright?"

My dad shook his head and said, "Just own up to it already, Kid. That's what I did with your mother and everything turned out fine."

"Fine?" Rhea gave my dad a blank look and said, "Jeralt. Were it not for your long history and reputation as my esteemed knight, I highly doubt things would have turned out well."

"Hmph." My dad crossed his arms and said, "And what would you know about that, Rhea?"

Rhea narrowed her eyes. "I know that your wife was one of the most devout holy maidens in the Church of Seiros. I also know that you not only went out of your way to seduce her, but you even filed a marriage certificate under my nose without my approval." She paused, suddenly realizing something, and then glared at my dad. "Do not tell me that you did the same for Byleth and Miss Hresvelg, Jeralt."

My dad shifted his gaze to the side and whistled.

Rhea glanced at Seteth.

The advisor sighed and then nodded his head.

Rhea pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "You are fortunate that Iris is not around, Jeralt. Were she to hear of your antics…"

My dad flinched, but then his face smoothed out into the indiscernible look of Jeralt Reus Eisner. "Maybe. Or she might be happy that I'm being a good parent and supporting our kid, unlike a certain person we all know."

That time, Rhea flinched.

Manuela glanced between Rhea and my dad and said, "I feel like I'm missing something here…"

Hanneman frowned and nodded. "Yes. Iris, is it? The name is familiar, but I can't seem to place it."

My dad sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's… complicated."

Rhea shook her head. "Must you be so evasive, Jeralt?" She sighed and then looked over to Manuela and Hanneman. "To answer your questions, Iris is my daughter… as well as Jeralt's deceased wife."

Hanneman's eyes widened. "That… explains quite a great deal. If Byleth is the grandson of the Archbishop who received enlightenment from the Goddess herself, then…"

Manuela blinked and then said, "Wait. You had a daughter, Lady Rhea?"

Seteth nodded and then gave Rhea a pointed look. "Indeed. I was unaware that you had any descendants, my dear… friend."

The Archbishop's face froze, remorse flickering in her eyes for a brief moment. After that, she let out a long sigh and said, "I did indeed have a daughter. A beautiful, bright, cheerful, and talented child who deserved more love than what I gave her."

My dad grunted. "Now you say that…"

Seteth frowned. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he realized that this wasn't the time or place to speak it.

I coughed and then said, "While I'd love to stick around and talk about the past, especially if it involved finding more about my mother, someone shackled me with having to teach thirty students." I glared at Seteth.

He smiled back.

I shook my head and said, "I'd appreciate it if we could speed things up."

After all, I still needed to rehearse my lecture notes, catch Lysithea up to speed, finish the quiz answer sheet…

Rhea sighed. "My apologies, Byleth." She shook her head and said, "Then… I will move onto the next topic and the main purpose of this meeting." She folded her hands together and placed them on the table before glancing at Seteth.

He nodded and then said, "As you all know, the political climate in Fodlan is currently in a precarious state. In this time, it will not do to have those affiliated with Garreg Mach Monastery simply hide behind its walls. Thus, each house will have a mission venturing out beyond these hallowed walls. Of course, due to the potential dangers lying in wait, a Knight of Seiros will be accompanying each house in addition to the professors on the missions."

Rhea nodded. "As he says." She sighed and said, "While I wish that the students could simply study in peace for a while longer until Fodlan's situation stabilizes… it would show weakness to the outside powers." Her face darkened and she said, "Considering that vile man become Emperor Regent, such a situation is unacceptable."

I frowned. "Vile man? You mean Edelgard's uncle?" I paused and said, "…I take it the meeting in Enbarr didn't go well?"

Rhea shook her head. "On the contrary, the meeting with Lord Arundel and myself went fine. He was extremely polite and made his position quite clear. Quite."

That… didn't sound good.

"But enough of that man," Rhea said. "Allow me to explain the missions for each house this upcoming month." She looked to Manuela and said, "The Golden Deer will head to Derdriu to fulfill a request forwarded by the Eastern Church. It appears that pirates have been causing havoc at the center of House Riegan's territory recently and they requested aid from the Knights of Seiros."

"Derdriu, huh?" Manuela frowned. "I've wanted to visit it again recently, but to go like this… Well, I suppose Claude should be able to deal with things. I just have to sit back and make sure my little deerlings stay alive."

"You're placing quite a great deal of faith in your student, Manuela," Hanneman said.

Manuela scoffed. "Were you half-asleep during the mock battle old man? If it wasn't for Byleth being such a wild card, we would have won. Or did you forget how the 'fruits of your labor' were shut down by a mere student?"

"Why you-!"

Seteth cleared his throat.

Hanneman sighed and shook his head. "My apologies."

Rhea continued. "For reinforcement, Shamir will be traveling with the Golden Deer. She is familiar with the Alliance territory and well-versed in scouting, so it should prove enough to keep you and your students safe. The request is urgent, however, so it would be best to gather your students and prepare to leave within the week if possible."

"So soon?" Manuela said. "But I can see why, I guess… Well, I suppose I'll just have to shift things around again…"

Rhea shifted her gaze. "Next… Hanneman."

"Yes, Lady Rhea."

"You will lead the Blue Lions to the Duscur region of the Kingdom. It seems that the chaos granted by the disappearance of the Regent King has provided an opportunity for insurgents to attempt and rebel. Viscount Kleiman, the one ruling over the region, has sent requests for aid to both the capital and the church, but it seems that only we are capable of answering it."

Hanneman frowned. "Insurgents? In Duscur?" His eyes widened and he said, "I see. The Duscur survivors must have seen this as the perfect time to reclaim their land."

Rhea nodded. "That is so. And with the chaos in Faerghus at the moment, they will either succeed… or be completely wiped out." She sighed and said, "I recently received word from Catherine that she had diverted her task to try and help quell the conflict along with her knights but the situation is precarious. While I do not doubt her abilities, especially as she has Thunderbrand with her, I cannot say the same for the people living in the region."

Hanneman nodded. "Rest assured. We will do our best to resolve the situation. I believe young Dedue and Dimitri will prove useful in settling it peacefully." He frowned. "Barring that… While the loss of life is regrettable, it does provide an opportunity to test out other facets of my recent research…"

Manuela frowned. "That's quite cold of you, isn't it, old man?"

Hanneman shook his head. "It may be so, but one cannot achieve anything without sacrifice."

I felt a chill run through my heart at his words. "That's a dangerous line of thought there, Hanneman."

He smiled and said, "Rest assured, Byleth. I know where to draw the line."

"…So long as you do."

Hanneman nodded. "Furthermore… I believe that I will allow Dimitri to take the lead in this mission. While I may be skilled with overall strategy, young Dimitri has an uncanny charisma and ability to persuade people." He frowned and said, "Hopefully, the situation can be resolved without much bloodshed."

Rhea nodded. "We can only hope so, Hanneman. Ah, and for your reinforcement, I will be sending Alois to join you and the Blue Lions."

Hanneman placed a hand on his chin. "Alois, is it? Hm. Perhaps this will turn out well after all…"

After that, Rhea turned to me.

I stared back.

"As for the Black Eagles…"

I tensed.

What were we going to be doing? A trip to the Empire? Following everyone else's pattern, that was obvious, right?

Rhea continued. "Anna, a trusted merchant and supplier of Garreg Mach Monastery, has requested some aid from us in a potential business venture. While a bit unusual, the Church is… unfortunately quite lacking in finances recently, so we accepted."

"Wait." I frowned and said, "You… want me and my students to participate in mercenary work?"

Seteth coughed. "I would not quite put it that way… but yes. You will be aiding Miss Anna under the pretense of sharing a portion of her profits."

My frown deepened.

My dad smiled and said, "Relax, Kid. I'll be the one coming along with you this time, so you don't need to worry about your precious students getting hurt."

I shook my head. "It's not that. Just… I was expecting there to be a request from the Empire for the Black Eagles, like with the other houses." I glanced at Rhea.

She stared at me, surprised, and then slowly nodded. "I admit, there is a request from the Empire… But dear Byleth. Do you truly believe it is a good idea to venture into hostile territory with his students? Let alone after becoming engaged to the future Adrestrian Emperor?"

"…What did he ask?"

Rhea shook her head. "It doesn't matter. The request was impossible in any case, so I declined it."

"Won't that cause troubles?"

Rhea sighed. "That may very well be the case. But if it is so, then so be it." She frowned. "I will not risk having my remaining family-" She cut herself off and then shook her head. After smoothing her features, she said, "…That concludes today's meeting. Seteth? Anything to add?"

He nodded. "I will have a detailed report on each mission sent out by the end of the day. As for when to report on results, the deadline is, as always, the end of the month. Beyond that… I have nothing else to add."

Manuela got up and stretched. After that, she said, "Since we're going to leave on such short notice, I think I'll head on first to prepare my deerlings." She frowned and said, "I also need to stock up on some vulneraries and concoctions too… and shift around my lesson plans." Saying that, she left.

Hanneman nodded and stood up as well. "I will also take my leave. If events are as chaotic as I fear they are, I will need to prepare some safety measures as well as inform my students." He placed a hand on his chin and said, "Young Dimitri and Dedue will likely want some time to discuss what they wish to do, so it would be best to tell them ahead of our departure… And departing… Hm. Perhaps next week would be best…" Muttering to himself, the Crest Scholar walked out of the room, heading towards the classrooms.

I got up to leave as well, but then Rhea called out.

"Ah, Byleth. Would you wait a moment? Seteth, you as well. And Jeralt, of course. There is something I wish to discuss with all of you."

I hesitated, but then nodded and sat back down.

Rhea waited for a bit so that Hanneman and Manuela could leave, but when the two left the room completely, she waved her hand. Wards, silence spells, and other precautionary magical countermeasures flared to life, obscuring the room.

I frowned. "What's going on here?"

Seteth frowned as well. "Yes, Rhea. What is it that is so important it drives you to take such caution?"

Rhea paused and then walked around the tables back to the metal box she left on the ground. Picking it up, she placed it on the table next to me and then glanced at my dad.

He frowned and crossed his arms, pointedly looking away from Rhea.

She sighed and then shook her head. Afterwards, she looked to me and said, "Do you remember when I set out to Zanado to reconvene with Jeralt?"

I slowly nodded. "Yes." I paused and said, "Dad never did tell me what happened there."

Seteth's eyes widened. "You said that Zanado was calling you, Rhea. You mean to say that it truly was?"

"In a way. As for what exactly was calling me…" She opened the box and reached inside, pulling something out.

When I saw it, I froze.

It was a robe, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. It also looked to be woven from flowers, countless blossoms carefully sewn together.

Familiar flowers.

Seeing them, I reflexively said their name. "Priphea flowers?"

Rhea smiled, a sad expression that didn't match her usual serene air. "You recognize it, I see."

Seteth shook his head. "I… do not understand, Rhea. What does that robe have to do with Zanado?"

Rhea sighed and gently unpacked the rest of the box.

A pair of emerald boots, a glistening crystal drop, a yellow moonstone.

I didn't recognize them, but in the corner of my eyes, I could see my dad barely holding back his anger.

Rhea shook her head and said, "There are Iris's finest works. Items that she imbued with divine power and gifted to me."

Hearing that, my dad snapped. "Now you acknowledge that they're your gifts and not to the goddess?" He laughed, a cold sound, and said, "You had me fooled, placing them in that dusty ruin for any old bandit to find."

"I was honoring my daughter's devotion to the Goddess!" Rhea shook her head and said, "Next to the Holy Tomb, Zanado is the most sacred place to keep such divine items! Furthermore, they were under plenty of protections!"

My dad scoffed. "If that's what you call protection then I wonder how safe the monastery really is." He narrowed his eyes and said, "After all, bandits managed to get inside Zanado and not only steal my wife's greatest works, but also ruin the flowers she painstakingly planted to honor the goddess! And don't even get me started on how you were keeping those items to 'honor' your daughter's devotion."

Rhea flinched. "That…"

My dad shook his head and said, "Whatever. I'm done here."

"Jerry-"

He glared at Rhea and said, "Do not call me that. You don't have the right after what you did to her." After that, my dad left, marching out of the room without even giving me a glance.

Seteth stared after him and then turned to look at Rhea. "…What did you do, Rhea? Jeralt is not a man to lose his temper so easily."

I nodded.

Dad… I had seen him angry before, but never like that. The way he acted… it was similar to how I reacted whenever someone tried to hurt Delly-

I froze, suddenly realizing something. I glanced at Rhea.

She caught my gaze and then looked away. "Byleth, I…" She sighed, seeming to age decades and then shook her head, remaining quiet.

"Rhea." Seteth stared at the Archbishop and quietly said, "What did you do?"

She shook her head and said, "What I thought was necessary at the time, Seteth… and something I dearly regret."

Seteth narrowed his eyes.

Rhea turned to look at me and said, "You are free to go, Byleth. I am sure you have more important things to do than to spend it here… Ah. But before I forget." She turned to Seteth and said, "I wish to formally acknowledge Byleth as my grandson and heir. Would you be so kind as to do the proper paperwork for that, Seteth?"

I froze. "Hold on. You're… formally acknowledging me as your grandson?"

Rhea looked hurt. "Do you not wish for me to? If so…"

I shook my head. "Not that I mind, but…" I stared at her and frowned.

Rhea… I couldn't seem to read her these days. The obsessive woman that I thought she was, the one that I had met initially… she was nowhere to be seen. Instead… the serene and ageless beauty had become a haunted and remorseful woman.

Why?

…I was missing something here. I was sure of it. But… what exactly? And was my mother responsible for it?

Before I could think any more on it, Rhea smiled and said, "I am glad you think you agree. After all, what better union could there be than one between Wilhelm's descendant and my own? Such a blessed pairing is one that not even that vile man can dare intervene."

Seteth blinked and then said, "Well… I suppose that is indeed one way to solve the situation between Miss Hresvelg and the Professor."

Rhea nodded. "Indeed… Furthermore, I can also uphold my promise to Wilhelm to-" She cut herself off and then shook her head. After that, she looked at me and said, "My apologies, Byleth. But like the other topic, this will have to wait until later."

"…Fine. But I want to hear the whole story at some point."

I needed to. There was… a lot going on that wasn't making sense. And with what Stella mentioned to me earlier about time stabilizing… Somehow, I had a feeling that it was important.

Rhea smiled. "I promise. Now… I believe you have students to tend to?"

I sighed. "Regrettably."

Rhea nodded. "In that case, I suggest you hurry off to fulfill your duties." She glanced at the green-haired man standing beside her and said, "As for Seteth and I… there is a long overdue conversation we must have."

"Indeed, Rhea. There is… much to discuss." Seteth narrowed his eyes. "And much you have left out, it would appear."

Rhea sighed.

Seeing that, I decided to leave the two alone and headed off to my classroom.

Hopefully the rest of the day would be normal…

Author's Notes:

A bit more foreshadowing and setup. Kudos to people who figure out what events the Blue Lions and Golden Deer missions are referencing to. It should be fairly obvious, but points either way.

Still getting back into the flow of things. I've been working on other projects recently, so I'm doing a bit of shuffling to get writing this story in as well. Might have late updates like this for a while.

Anyway, thanks for reading and leaving your input on the last chapter! I really need to get around to replying sometime, but I'm regrettably extremely busy... I will say that I really enjoy reading them though, and always appreciate it.

I hope the chapter was enjoyable!

Have a good day and I'll see you soon!