After grading all of the multiple choice portions of the quizzes, the curve seemed to be relatively high.

Whether that spoke well of my teaching methods or poorly of my quiz design, I wasn't sure.

The distribution of the grades was the typical bell curve with a score of seventy as the average. That'd make the cutoffs the usual ones of C=70, B=80 and so on.

On one hand, I was happy that I didn't have to talk with many of the students.

Out of the thirty quizzes, there were only six students that scored below a D. Five were cadets… and the last was Caspar.

I'd pretty much expected that though.

Caspar had seemed troubled about the test and he didn't seem to be a good test taker in general. In practice, he did fine, but putting the theory into words wasn't his forte.

But that was fine. I'd been meaning to give him a different lesson plan as well since he seemed to take to the techniques I taught him without much extra help.

As for the cadets…

I said that remedial lessons would only be for the officers since I expected better of them, but I suppose making a note to Clark and Diane to work those five a bit harder wouldn't hurt.

Anyway, there was also the free response portion of the quizzes to grade. Those were more time consuming, so there were still a few left to grade. Mostly from the officers since that quiz had more questions.

Surprisingly, my students did better on the free response. The answers I read showed a good deal of comprehension and ingenuity… when it wasn't someone like Caspar who still tried to use pictures and sound effects to describe things.

Maybe it was the unfamiliarity with multiple choice questions?

Perhaps I needed clearer instructions the next time I wrote a multiple choice section. Probably helper tips like what it means to choose the 'best' answer and that only one of the answers would be correct.

A soft clink echoed in the room. The sound of a coffee mug striking against a table.

I blinked and looked towards it to see Seteth shuffling his papers together and pulling out another stack.

Seteth glanced over and said, "Finished already, Professor?"

"Not quite… but I think I might take a break." I glanced over at the window to see a few faint rays of light filtering in. "Stella and the others might yell at me if I coop myself up any longer."

Seteth nodded. "Indeed. I should tend to Flayn as well. She worries when I do not show up in time for breakfast."

I stretched and then placed my hands behind my head. "I don't know how you do it, Seteth.

The green-haired advisor simply poured himself some more coffee and said, "You get used to it."

I shook my head. "I don't think I want to… but at this rate I'll definitely have to." I sighed and then gazed at his thermos. "By the way, are you sure I can't have any coffee?"

Seteth paused and then said, "If you are that insistent, then you should convene with Miss Anna. She is the primary supplier of the coffee beans. I am sure that she would be more than willing to add you to the list. Furthermore, I believe that you have yet to introduce yourself to her, correct?"

I thought about it and then said, "Huh. Now that you mention it, I don't think I have."

Seteth nodded. "In that case, it would be imperative for you to do so at the earliest possibility. Though not as time dependent as the missions that the other houses must fulfill, your house's mission is no less essential."

"Yeah, I got it."

"I pray that you do." Seteth placed his mug back down and said, "Are you familiar with where she usually sets up shop?"

"The marketplace by the southern gate, right? I haven't actually visited it yet, but I'm somewhat aware of where it should be."

Seteth hummed and said, "I see. Then I will say no more." That done, he picked up his pen and turned back around to work on another stack of papers.

I started packing the graded quizzes in my bag and prepared to leave.

"Ah." Seteth lowered his pen and then looked at me. "There is one final thing I wish to say."

"Hm?" I paused after throwing my bag over my shoulder and turned towards him. "Yeah?"

"Despite everything that has occurred and your undeniably irrational actions… I wish to say that you are doing well, Byleth."

I blinked, caught off-guard at the sudden compliment. "Seteth?"

He smiled, the look of a proud parent, and then said, "In all honesty, I did not expect to ever have any additions to my family, especially in this day and age. The fact that I can now include you among that number as well as Stella, and that you two are not only capable but considerate as well… I am glad."

I rubbed the back of my neck, unsure of how to respond. "Well… you're welcome?"

Seteth nodded and said, "Keep up the good work, Byleth. Do so and I might just overlook the fact that you have kept me up these past seventy two hours sorting out the tangled mess of affairs that you have started."

I gave a nervous laugh and then waved, quickly exiting the room before Seteth could change his mind.

As I did, I caught sight of Seteth shaking his head, an amused look on his face, and then return to work.

Outside of the main monastery building, the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon and the sky was a vibrant orange, still the edge of dawn, but also a new day. Saturday, the third day of the Harpstring Moon. 5/3.

I bit back a yawn as I unlocked the door to my room and stepped inside.

The sound of soft breathing echoed in the room. Stella was still fast asleep.

Seeing that, I gently closed the door behind me and then, instead of tossing my bag aside like I planned, I knelt down and placed it lightly along the wall.

Stella stirred a bit in her sleep at that, her brows furrowing.

Did she hear me? I frowned and slowly walked over to check on her, but that didn't seem to be it.

My dear sister tossed and turned a bit in her sleep, her eyes fluttering beneath her eyelids.

"A bad dream, huh?" I wondered what she was seeing and whether it was a vision of the future, her past, or just her fears coming to life. Whatever the case though, it wouldn't do for me to just let that be.

Stella pulled a pillow against her chest and muttered beneath her breath. Most of what she said was unclear, but a few words like "Byleth", "idiot", and "don't go" were clear.

I sighed and ruffled her hair a bit. "You silly girl. Stop worrying so much, alright? I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Stella stiffened, but then she relaxed, her breathing slowly calming down and returning to a restful sleep.

I shook my head and rearranged her sleeping area, moving the pillow back under her head and pulling the sheets up to her chin. After making sure that she was comfortable, I headed over to my wardrobe.

Seteth had made a valid point earlier.

I probably should check in with Anna… and there were a few things I wanted to buy too. If things didn't change, she should have the stat boosters for sale. While my funds weren't unlimited, I still had a decent amount from my last trip to the village. Enough to buy at least one stat booster, I hoped.

That or coffee. It depended on which was more expensive.

I hoped it wasn't the coffee, but considering how my luck was going recently with these kinds of things.

My coin bag was tucked in beneath a pile of clothes in my wardrobe. Not the most secure place to put it, but better than sitting out in the open.

I grabbed it, checking briefly to make sure it wasn't empty, and then placed it in my inside pocket beneath my coat. That done, I walked towards the door, pausing for a moment before I left the room entirely.

Stella's quiet breathing echoed in the room. It seemed like whatever nightmares plagued her had left.

Seeing that, I nodded and whispered, "Pleasant dreams, Stella. I'll see you later." That done, I closed the door behind me and headed off.

Next stop, the marketplace.

Aidem waved and said, "Greetings, Professor! I haven't seen you for a while!"

I waved back.

The southern checkpoint. In the game, and apparently in real life, the marketplace shouldn't be far past it.

Which was odd since I hadn't seen anything like that when I passed through all the other times, but maybe it was only open a few days? That or it was only open at certain times… either way, I had arrived at the checkpoint to complete today's objective: meeting up with Anna and securing my supply of coffee.

That and discussing the mission, of course.

I couldn't forget about that. Seteth would never let me live it down… and it was also good to confirm the details. As always, it wasn't smart to rely solely on what had happened in the game.

Aidem smiled at me and said, "Have you been well?"

I sighed and walked over to him. "Somewhat. I've been busy teaching and staying up long nights to prepare lessons and assignments."

He nodded. "I heard about that. You have the bulk of the students this year, right?" He shook his head and said, "I don't envy you. I have to train a few new recruits too, and it's stressful enough. I couldn't imagine dealing with as many as you do… and kids at that!"

"Tell me about it… Wait." I blinked and said, "You're training new recruits, Aidem?"

"Ssh!" Aidem looked around and then leaned over and said in a hushed voice, "It's Gatekeeper on the job, Professor!"

"Ah, right, right." I nodded and said, "But you're training new recruits, Gatekeeper?" I frowned and said, "Are the Knights of Seiros expanding their numbers?"

Aidem shook his head. "I'm not sure. I mean, I'm just a simple Gatekeeper, so I don't get to know all the details, but even my seniors have been busy training newbies, so I guess so?"

That… was slightly concerning. A bit relieving in that Garreg Mach wouldn't fall so easily in an invasion if there were more knights at hand, but the fact that it was necessary in the first place.

Was there more going on at the Empire that Rhea didn't mention? Could it be that Thales… or rather Lord Arundel was arranging things that required building up the forces at Garreg Mach?

Either way, it seemed like I'd have more than just a few questions to ask Rhea when it was time for that talk she mentioned we'd have.

"Ah, that's right!" Aidem tapped his spear on the ground and said, "I forgot to ask you, Professor! Are you heading out again today?"

I shook my head. "Not very far. I'm just heading towards the marketplace, actually." I glanced past the checkpoint and said, "Is it just down there?"

"Oh. I suppose you haven't actually visited it yet, have you Professor?" Aidem placed a hand on his chin and said, "Hm… Well, I guess I can show you there."

"It's fine. You can just point me in the right direction and-"

"No can do, Professor!" Aidem shook his head and said, "My job as Gatekeeper is more than just guarding this place, you know! It's to help guide visitors too!"

"I'm not really a visitor though?"

"But you are new to the monastery. Here, give me a moment." Aidem moved to the side of the checkpoint and pulled a lever. A few seconds later, there was a grating sound and the gate blocking the checkpoint was raised.

I frowned. "Are you sure this is a good idea? You're on the job, right?"

Aidem walked back over and said, "And I am doing my job, Professor. Now come on and follow me. The marketplace is actually tucked a bit out of the way from the main path, you see."

"Hm…" I was skeptical, but followed behind Aidem anyway.

We took the path that I usually did to head down the monastery to the village, but about midway down Aidem took an abrupt left.

I blinked. "Huh?"

There was a fork in the path. One that definitely hadn't been there the last time I walked down the mountain.

Aidem noticed and laughed. "Yeah, it takes most visitors by surprise the first time." He took his spear and tapped against the ground. "None of us are too sure how it works, but most people get turned around here if they aren't careful. That's why I'm here!"

I blinked and stared at the path again, frowning.

It wasn't mana or anything like that.

Not that I could tell at least.

Was it just an optical illusion? Or was this a defense Rhea set up?

I could have sworn there wasn't anything like this when I passed by the last few times. And considering how close and direct it was…

Aidem turned back and said, "Are you coming, Professor?"

I shook my head and quickly followed. As I did, I glanced back and said, "That's weird. Really weird."

Aidem nodded. "Isn't it? One of the Seven Wonders here at Garreg Mach."

I paused. "Seven Wonders?"

"Yep! We've got this mysterious crossroad, the shadow students, the Abyss, the blue maiden, the rainbow flower, the room of requirements, and then the fish of mystery that sometimes shows up in the pond." Aidem listed them off and then paused. "Though, of those the only confirmed ones are the crossroad and the fish of mystery. The others are just rumors." He smiled at me and said, "But they're interesting, right?"

"Interesting… Well, that's one way to put it." I was familiar with half of those. The rainbow flower had to have been Priphea. The fish of mystery was that one fish you could catch in the game. The mysterious crossroad I just came across… and the shadow students seemed to be the weird glitches that could happen in the game where student shadows seemed to sometimes appear on the stairs and stuff.

The blue maiden, the Abyss, and the room of requirements though… the last one had to have been a joke. It was too poignant to not be. But the blue maiden and the Abyss…

I had a guess as to who or what the blue maiden was, especially if the rumor had been going on for a long time. But the Abyss was new.

A breeze blew past, causing the grass to shift. Nothing but the sounds of Aidem's clanking armor and our footsteps echoed as we moved along the path.

I'd call it eerie if not for the fact that I could see some people further down setting up stalls and caravans.

"Anyway," Aidem said. "How's your sister? Is she adjusting to monastery life well?"

I nodded. "Stella's doing good. Almost annoyingly so." I frowned and said, "She seems to be taking to the role of a teenaged student hanging out with her friends a bit too much, actually."

Aidem laughed. "That just shows how much you care, Professor!" He shook his head and said, "You two really are close, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say we're that close… but I guess so." I paused, remembering that Aidem had a sibling too and said, "What about your brother? Have you talked with him recently?"

Aidem scratched the back of his head and said, "I sent him a letter, but I think he's still upset at me. But hey! At least this time I got a response!"

I… didn't know how to reply to that, so I just stayed quiet.

Aidem said, "He's doing alright. It seems like he's not as mad at me for leaving now too. From what he said, it seems he's actually being a bit disillusioned with the Empire from how things are in the capital."

I frowned. "What's going on in the capital?"

Aidem shook his head. "He wouldn't say, just that things are weird recently. The Regent Emperor is apparently gathering forces and expanding the army. While it's a good thing since it means more jobs, it's not a good sign." He paused and said, "Do you have any idea what's going on, Professor? I mean, you and Lady Edelgard are like 'that', right?"

"I take offense to you saying we're like 'that'… but as for what's happening…" I placed my hand on my chin and said, "I've got guesses. None of them good… but that's all I've got. No hard news, only conjecture."

Aidem furrowed his brows and said, "That's worrying." After a while though, he shrugged. "Guess whatever comes will come though. You can't change the inevitable, right, Professor?"

"I disagree with those words… but I like that attitude. Keep on being positive, Ai- er, Gatekeeper."

After some more walking, we arrived at the marketplace.

Although the interior of the monastery had been fairly empty due to the early time of day, it was the opposite at the marketplace. A few merchants had already arrived and were bustling about to prep their goods while some mercenary troops were propping their banners up along with their caravans.

In short, it was a lively scene that I hadn't really expected to see so close to the monastery.

"Well here we are, Professor!" Aidem turned to me and said, "I probably should get back to my post now."

I glanced at him and smiled. "Thanks for the help, Aidem." I turned back to look at the path, remembering how I missed such an obvious turn and said, "I would have wasted a lot of time without you. And thanks for telling me about the Seven Wonders of Garreg Mach." I frowned and said, "I'll have to look into those sometime."

"Always a pleasure, Professor!" Aidem saluted and then walked off. "Take care! I'll be around until noon, but I'll remember to tell the next shift to let you in if I miss you!"

I waved at him as he left and then turned around to look at the marketplace. "Now… Where's Anna?"

Fire Emblem's familiar mascot merchant… was nowhere to be seen.

No matter how I looked, I didn't catch sight of either her familiar red ponytail. I also didn't hear anybody that sounded like her either.

Maybe she wasn't here yet?

I had arrived a bit early.

Considering the kinds of things Anna usually sold, maybe she was taking her time and being safe.

I shrugged and decided to take a look around in the meantime then. "Let's see…"

Merchant, merchant, mercenary troop… blacksmith?

At the far end of the marketplace, which was really just a flea market with propped up stalls and caravans, there was a stall setup with a forge, anvil, and other blacksmithing things that I couldn't identify laying around.

The person manning the place was a woman with short orange hair swept to the side beneath a steel mask that framed her face. She was in the middle of lighting her forge and sorting out materials.

Curious, I walked over to watch.

The blacksmith noticed me approach and looked up when I got within speaking distance. "Can I help you?"

I paused, considering the question for a bit. Eventually, I said, "Not really? Blacksmithing is an interest of mine, so I wanted to take a look." That and see if I couldn't borrow some techniques to try and make things with Nabatean gold.

"Hm…" She brushed off her hands against the apron she was wearing and said, "You seem pretty young, but those clothes aren't what a student would wear… You the new professor?"

I nodded. "That's right. And I might actually be coming by often in the future." I stepped forward and held out my hand. "Byleth's the name. Byleth Eisner."

The blacksmith gave me a weird look and then stepped forward, grabbing my hand. "You can call me Blacksmith. Name's not too important."

I finished the handshake and frowned. "Blacksmith, huh? That's an odd way of being addressed."

"Not so much as odd as being named Byleth. Who names their kid after a King of Hell?" Blacksmith shook her head and said, "Anyway… It's just a family tradition. I'll use my real name when I've got the chops to match up to my predecessors… til then though, Blacksmith's all I've got."

I was curious about her story, but it was clear that I wasn't going to get anything out of her. Instead of probing her then, I decided to ask about something else. I glanced over at her anvil and the swords lying on the ground beside it and said, "Do you take commissions? I've been interested in getting a sword made for myself recently… maybe for some of my students too."

Like Edelgard and Dorothea… Stella too whenever she got around to fighting seriously with a weapon instead of her magic.

Blacksmith shook her head. "I'm not confident in making anything from scratch, but if it's reforging or repair work, I'm your gal."

I glanced at the scattered swords around her anvil and said, "Those aren't original creations then?"

Blacksmith followed my gaze and shook her head. "Those are just scrap metal. Failures… If you're interested though, feel free to take a look." That said, she went back to setting up her forge.

I walked over to the anvil and picked up one of the swords laying on the ground. The moment I did, I noticed what she meant.

It was completely wrong. The balance was off, the blade was sharp, but the edge rippled and twisted as if the maker hadn't decided on a form and was pulled in different ways during its making.

I wasn't an expert on swords, but even I could see that it wasn't made right. While it wasn't unusable, after all the blade was still sharp and made of metal, it wasn't something that a swordsman could use normally.

Blacksmith glanced over from the forge and shook her head. "Don't think those reflect my skills. They're just empty shells I made trying to copy my Master."

I froze when I heard that and then looked back at the sword. "Empty shells…?"

Blacksmith nodded and said, "Mm. My Master was able to attach a Crest to the weapons and make them stronger, enough to rival those Heroes' Relics." She sighed and said, "I'm still not there yet though. Most I can do is just repair a Hero's Relic or strengthen and reforged ordinary weapons."

I turned around to look at her and said, "You say that so casually… But I don't think any ordinary blacksmith could do that, right?"

She laughed and said, "An ordinary blacksmith with a Hero's Relic? They'd be too scared to risk damaging it to even try."

"And you aren't?"

Blacksmith shrugged and said, "While I can't make my own things yet, I've got everything else down." She patted to her chest and said, "When it comes to reinforcement and reforging, even my Master said I was better than him."

"…I'm really curious about your Master now."

Her hair color, the fact that she was a blacksmith who didn't want to give her name.

That reminded me of another person, one who used magic to create an infinite number of swords.

But it was impossible for that guy to be here. Someone like that showing up would have been the equivalent of dropping a nuke in a pond.

It must have just been a coincidence. An intriguing one, but definitely just that.

Blacksmith stretched and then said, "Anyway, you planning to just stand there all day, Professor Eisner? Or do you actually have business for me?"

"Well…" I glanced at the sword and said, "If this is a failure, could you rework this into an ordinary sword for me to use? I'm down one at the moment and don't really trust the ordinary shops for what I might have to use it for."

"Sure. It'll cost you though."

I nodded and reached into my coat pocket to pull out my coin bag. As I did though, my fingers brushed against something else. Confused, I pulled them out.

A trio of diamonds glimmered in the sunlight. Red, blue, and green.

It took me a moment to remember why I had them, and then I recalled that I had left them in my coat since the last time I went out. I was surprised they were still there and hadn't fallen out, actually.

"Hm?" Blacksmith noticed the diamonds and said, "Geez, they pay you that much for being a Professor? Might need to up my rates then."

I shook my head. "No, this isn't part of my salary. I had this from before I was a professor… But would this be enough?" I handed them over to her.

Blacksmith took the diamonds from my hand and looked at them. "Hm… Bit much for just a steel sword. I think I can use this red one to make something good though."

"Something good?"

Blacksmith smiled and handed the other diamonds back. "All I'll say is that you won't be disappointed. Next time though, I'd appreciate being paid in coins. It's nice and all using colored gems in forging, but it doesn't put food on the table, you know?"

"Ah, in that case…" I pulled out my coin bag and started to untie it.

Blacksmith held up her hand and said, "This time is fine. It'll be a fun learning experience… For the future though, my rates are market price for repairs and reforges. Ah, but lower if you give the materials, of course."

"Got it."

With that said, Blacksmith got to work. Taking the sword that I was looking at, she walked over to her forge and placed the blade inside. When she did, she glanced back at me and said, "It'll be a few hours til I'm done. Don't think you have to stand around and watch. I'm sure a professor like you has more important things to do."

I nodded. "I understand… I still want to watch though."

She shook her head. "Weirdo… but whatever floats your boat." She shrugged and then held out her hand, gathering flames to send into the forge.

I kept quiet and watched, paying careful attention to the flow of mana around her.

Immediately, heat and mana gathered. Not only that, but they wove together to form a spell in a complicated pattern that amplified the flames Blacksmith was using, increasing the purity of the fire as well as its heat.

It was impressive but not something I couldn't do, but also something that not many other could. Hanneman might be able to figure it out if he could see it, but for a seemingly ordinary blacksmith to not only pull it off but do so with such ease was pretty insane.

The flames converged on the sword and spread through it, instantly turning the blade into white hot liquid steel. Yet, somehow, it maintained its shape while Blacksmith used a pair of tongs to carry it over to the anvil.

Again, impressive, but nothing new to me. Stella basically did the same thing before she had gotten her new body.

Blacksmith let the sword stay on the anvil, still wreathed in flames, and then reached for a hammer. Afterwards, she took a breath and then raised it in the air A seemingly ordinary act to the naked eye.

But I saw it differently. And what I did saw made me freeze in shock.

Blacksmith's mana seeped into every part of the hammer and her body, threaded through like a complex tapestry. Not only that, but the flames threaded through the sword and keeping its form started to resonate when she raised her hammer.

Alive. That was the only way I could put it. As if the mana in the sword, her body, and the hammer were as one and breathing in unison, pulsing and moving like one whole.

Blacksmith swung her hammer down, striking the sword. When she did, the mana and flames around the sword scattered, but also bound back together, tightening around its form. Impurities were wrenched out, and the gaps that remained were filled in with mana, weaving seamlessly into the metal itself.

No wonder she could repair even the Sword of the Creator in the game. This… wasn't simple blacksmithing anymore.

The concept was similar to what I did in combat. Wreathing mana around my limbs and body to move faster and attack. Yet, it was also different. Where I wrapped mana, she wove it. Where I treated mana as a tool and aid, she treated it as a part of her own body- no, used it to treat her tools as an extension of herself.

It was… hard to describe. While I could see it, at a first glance I could also tell that there were layers to what she was doing that I couldn't even begin to fathom. But what I could see gave me ideas. Hypotheses and potential paths I could use to save my Edelgard and Lysithea. I just-

"Hm?" A female voice called out. Not Blacksmith's but a different one. Light and somewhat teasing. "You there! In the coat!"

I blinked, broken out of my trance, and then turned towards the voice.

A woman was standing behind me.

Light red hair a few shades darker than pink, tied in a long wavy ponytail and matching colored irises. She wore a white blouse with a strange dark brown sash over it, emblazoned with the Crest of Ernst.

Though she was different and I'd never met her, I could still recognize that appearance. How could I not when it was essentially unchanged across all the Fire Emblem games?"

Anna placed her right index finger on her chin and carefully scrutinized me, her eyes narrowed. "Dark blue-green hair, gloomy expression, and a fairly handsome face… You're the Professor that's going to help me out, right?"

I blinked. "Assuming you're Anna, yes. But just who-"

"Finally!" She lunged forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me away. "You have no idea how long I've been looking for you!"

"W-Wait a minute, I-"

"Wait?" Anna turned to look at me and huffed. "I've been waiting long enough! Time is money, and you've made me waste a whole day of both!" That said, she pulled me along with surprising strength, giving me no way out.

I glanced back at Blacksmith, who was completely oblivious due to being engrossed in her work, and sighed before resigning myself to dealing with Anna instead.

On the bright side, at least I didn't have to go looking for Anna.

On the down side, it was starting to look a lot like trouble seemed to find its way to drag me into it…

Author's Note:

Er, no real reason why this update is late. I was working on other projects and before I knew it over a week had passed, haha...

Anyway, thanks for reading! I'll make sure to update the next chapter soon, promise. Tomorrow night at the latest.

Til then, take care!