Crossing Fields: A Twin Byleth AU

by Eon The Eevee

They say that time is as cruel and unfeeling as the battlefield. Bells learns this the hard way when her once normal life is turned upside down and discovers her twin. Guarded by the ever enigmatic Rhea. Dark truths and secrets will rise. Why were they separated? Who is this girl that the twins can see? Why is Rhea so protective of Byleth? Just who is Rhea and what is she hiding?

1. Chapter 1

-Crossing Fields: A Twin Byleth AU-

AN: Hello! Thank you for checking this out. This is going to follow the canon… mostly. An altered version of Crimson Flower. Bells and Byleth each have their respective default outfits. (Bells being female Byleth.)

This story began as a joke between some friends, then it stumbled and rolled into this and… here we are. A joke taken a bit too seriously and now I have this entire AU in my head that I have to get onto here. I'm using base Three Houses for some idea of how things go and changing it accordingly.

Please comment and all that fun stuff but most of all,

Enjoy~

(Link to cover art in my Bio.)

-Chapter 1: Awakening-

-Part One: White Clouds-

A void of nothing but pure black would permeate the area. A lone woman opened her eyes, seeing the void of nothing. The space had no shape, just… blackness. Nothing but the void to keep her company. The female took a step forward,.A soft green light entered the room before the area was illuminated quickly It was as if someone had just snapped their fingers and light came into the room, though it wasn't clear who or what caused the light to exist. With the female slowly adjusting to the light, the room came to focus. The light itself was limited to just a small square area, then leading up to the stairs and the throne before her, but still there nonetheless.

Despite having light come into the room, it was limited, taking a closer look at the area in front of her, was a set of stone stairs leading up to a throne up to the very seat. The back of the seat being quite tall with the top being obscured by darkness. It would be in this moment that the woman would notice someone sitting on a throne.

With a small yawn, the girl sat up. Her long, flowing green hair that was somewhat braided in places would be the first thing the woman noticed. Next would be how she was about half her size. The green haired girl would open and rub her eyes. Taking a closer look at the small girl's clothing would reveal a rather scant outfit of flowing, slit fabric held together by with chains and other ornamentation, covered only by robe flourished with soft silk, dyed with with purple and gold accents that went down to just before her feet as to make her not trip. The rest of her outfit would consist of a tiara sitting atop her head.

"Oh my. How did you get in here?" The green haired girl asked, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't as if they hadn't met before, quite the contrary. They had seen each other quite a few times, especially when the azure haired female was a young girl. As the female had aged, she had seen her less, but would appear every so often to her.

"It seems fate still has us tied together. You were… ah yes. Bells, was it?" The smaller form continued, watching the person below her rather intensely, waiting for an answer. The taller women nodded promptly.

"You… You're my friend that nobody else could see. Whenever I pointed you out, everyone would dismiss you. I had a name for you… So… Sothee?" Bells finally let out, letting her voice carry to the smaller girl with ease, a tone of soft confusion. Bells never had an issue speaking her mind and this was clearly no different.

The green haired girl would stand from her throne, stretch, and began to descend the stairs. She would be slow and methodical about this, as to not trip.

"You always did have that name for me. However, you are incorrect about my name. Memory still fails me greatly, yet I remember it. My name is Sothis. Also known as, The Beginning." She stood at eye level with Bells, a few steps from the bottom of the staircase. The girl then crossed her arms, musing aloud. This would become something of a habit of hers. Sothis was never one to keep things to herself, she was much like Bells in that way. She always spoke her mind, no matter how crass or rude it sounded. Never looking before she lept, only egged on by Sothis at an early age.

"Hm… Who called me such? I do not know. Yet… it is time to begin." The small girl let out with a small yawn. Then returning to her throne above, she sat down, and promptly fell asleep, leaning on her left arm to do so. Before long, the void would once again consume the area and Bells fell into darkness.

Bells wanted to say something, but being as Sothis was, it seldom left time to interject or insert someone else's voice unless she asked for it. This, unfortunately, was one of those times.

[Day Twenty, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180, 4:30 AM]

"Hey. Time to wake up." A soft yet gruff voice would let out, shaking Bells a little bit as he did so. Bells yawned, having a small case of bedhead, though since she kept her hair short, it wouldn't be much of a problem to fix in just a moment or two with brushing her hair. It was still dark out, that much was for certain. The first thing Bells saw was a rough looking man, face chiseled from the battles he had faced in his many years as a mercenary, Jeralt. Her father. The two had stayed in Remire Village for the night, the people there being more than thankful to have a mercenary with such great renown. His Kindness. He valued life more than anything else because he took it so often. He protected the weak. If he saw someone being picked on, he would step in. Just his name or appearance would strike fear in the hearts of bandits everywhere. Finally. He believed even a mercenary should have some morals. He wouldn't ever strike someone who couldn't fight back. Petty thieves were often Jeralt's targets. Yet he would avoid bloodshed. Merely talking to them was usually enough to get them to stop.

"Father? I shall be ready in just a few minutes." The woman yawned, pushing the rather heavy wool blanket away from her and sitting up. It wasn't too particularly cold last night but the people there still gave Jeralt and his group the warmest blankets they had to spare. The rooms they had been given weren't too bad either, nothing super luxurious but not skimping on anything that would make the experience uncomfortable. Looking around, the room was clearly a spare. one with plenty of boxes full of various items, and bookshelves stuffed with lots of books. Nothing to make the room feel cramped, but it was still worth noting. Jeralt looked away for a moment, motioning his small group of men to get ready to move out before looking at Bells. His daughter always had this certain look when something was on her mind. Despite Bells being quite loud, she easily got lost in thought over complicated topics and wouldn't open up about them until she had thought about it sufficiently and come to her own conclusion. That was, if she didn't work on gut response.

Jeralt wasn't the best at emotions and talking about feelings but he always wanted to try to connect with his daughter. That wasn't to say that they had a strained relationship, quite the opposite. The mercenary had always tried to maintain his close relationship with his child..

"Hey. What's on your mind? Was it a dream or something?" Jeralt frowns lightly, concern filling his voice as Bells stood up. Bells could be an odd child at times. Though it was often recommended to her, Bells ignored the advice to take off her armor when she slept. Her reasoning was that they could be attacked at any time. Which was true to some extent, a lot of bandits would like to claim that they killed the almighty Jeralt: The Bladebreaker. To which her father would point that they had a group to watch the camp at night, Bells just shrugged. Better to be safe than sorry she thought whenever the conversation came up.

"Yeah. There was this little girl I saw. You know the imaginary friend I had when I was a child? She was in there. It was… strange." Bells responded with a soft tone of confusion. Ah yes. Bells' childhood imaginary friend. Jeralt always felt somewhat guilty when the topic came up, he always wanted to be able to let Bells make friends, she certainly didn't have issues getting along with other kids. It was just, being a mercenary meant you lived a nomadic lifestyle and you rarely stayed in one place for more than a few days at a time. By the time Bells had made a friend, she wouldn't see them for months, maybe even years at a time. As such, Jeralt had let her keep the imaginary friend. "Sothee" or something along those lines. Bells, for some reason just, didn't interact with Jeralt's men. Truth was that she felt strange talking to them, like there was some major disconnect between her and them, despite living together in a sense. Especially when she was young, she would actively avoid talking to them. Other kids just felt more natural to be around.

"I've never really understood dreams, but. It's not something that's going to harm you in some way. I would brush it off, we got a busy day ahead of us. We're traveling north to go meet a noble in Kingdom territory wanting some escort to Alliance soil. Never really liked him but he's paying well." Jeralt replies. He wanted to connect to her, he really did. But Bells could be so vague at times that it was hard to get information out of her. The father intended to ask more about it, but they had a long day of marching ahead and it would be for another time.

It would only be now that Jeralt noticed how everyone else was already prepared and outside. All the beds were made and no sign of the group being there at all. The leader was about to mention that fact. Even opening his mouth, only to be interrupted by one of his subordinates. Clad in armor and panting somewhat, visibly alarmed. He was quick to get the news out to his leader.

"Jeralt sir!" the male voice spoke up, facing his leader as the soft clinking of his chainmail made slight noise. The leader would raise an eyebrow, rarely would a situation like this would come up.

"There are three kids outside, said they are being chased by bandits." He lets out before Jeralt nodded and walked out of the room with Bells following close behind and the knight closing up the room behind them. It was a brisk walk to the northern entrance of the village, Jeralt's men just waiting for orders at the entrance.

Jeralt and Bells quickly laid eyes on the three that had come to the village for help. Two boys and one girl. All of them dressed rather professionally and clean, despite being chased for who knows how long. The trio wore identical outfits, save each of them wearing a different color. The outfits themselves were well made, covering the entire body. The boy with blonde hair and wearing blue would speak first.

"We are sorry to bother you so early in the morning. We wouldn't have come for help if it wasn't so urgent." He says, facing Jeralt and letting out a small bow. This only followed up with Jeralt nodding, having been told earlier about the situation they had been put in. Though it would surprise him, Remire was a rather peaceful place with few people even owning weapons. They just didn't need it. Jeralt would be taken from his thoughts by a female voice, elaborating on the situation they had been put in.

"It's true. They attacked us while we were resting in our camp." Bells and Jeralt looked at her intently. She too wore a similar uniform, just red. Though the white hair was peculiar, it wasn't a very common hair color in Fodlan, not that Bells or Jeralt had seen. Being able to talk to a potential client was essential in this line of work, it could decide if you got a job or not. As such, the two had interacted with many people and never once had they seen someone with white hair.

"We've been separated from our companions and we're outnumbered. They're trying to kill us and take our gold and other valuables." A third voice let out, Bells turning to face him directly. In front of her was a somewhat messy haired boy with a rather relaxed demeanor given the situation the trio had come from. It was rather unnerving..

"Well. You're staying calm, that's rather impressive given that someone is out for your head. First… Wait. Your uniforms.." Jeralt's voice trailed off, memories of his past flashing in his mind. Before he became a sell sword for the highest bidder. This reflection wouldn't last long as clinking of metal came over with a familiar voice.

"Jeralt sir! Bandits spotted just outside the village! Lots of them!" One of Jeralt's men came over, everyone looking at him as he gave the report. Jeralt rubbed his eyes a little, wiping the little exhaustion that had built up since he had woke up. It was time for battle. First thing in a fight to gather everyone and issue orders.

"We won't be leaving here without a fight, we owe it to the villagers here. Everyone! Prepare for battle!" Jeralt raised his voice a bit, just enough to let his men hear but not enough to wake the villagers, the last thing they needed was someone to panic. Drawing their weapons, the group wouldn't have to leave the gate to see the bandits that had come for the three kids. Keeping everyone alive was the top priority here.

Just a short distance away was a small group of bandits rushing towards them. They were your typical grunts, wearing cheap brown coats and wielding iron swords, most likely because they couldn't get anything else without pillaging some place. The group was somewhat organized, having a few smaller groups, ultimately creating five smaller battalions of sorts. (If you could call a small group of five a battalion…) with the leader of the group wielding a steel axe and running solo, likely due to unchecked confidence. (That and he'd rather relegate his men to other groups.) It came from the tactic they ran, small groups that work fast. The idea was to hit them, take what they needed and get out before anyone could strike back or send out for help. In truth, this group was somewhat infamous. The Knights of Serios had placed a bounty on their heads. A hefty sum of one hundred thousand gold to bring in the leader alive. The one running this group was a man named Kostas. Jeralt had seen the wanted poster in passing but never seriously looked into hunting them, they had other jobs to do of course. Not that the poster itself was very detailed. Most it said was to contact some local knights in which they would take him off your hands. Never once actually mentioning the people who put the bounty out.

Jeralt's commands came swiftly with everyone drawing their respective weapons. The blonde with his lance, the girl with her axe, and the boy notching an arrow on his taut bowstring. Bells would draw her sword with the leader of the group hopping onto his horse that one of his men retrieved for him. Jeralt's men went to back up the kids as per his orders. Now was the time to wait and see how the enemy would react.

The first of the groups of bandits rushed to the entrance of Remire Village, a small group of five with the leader taking vanguard. A rouge in the back would notice one man in particular stood out from the group that lay before them. It was the kids that they had been chasing, it wasn't that, to his shock and horror, the famous 'Jeralt The Bladebreaker' was commanding these kids. This was a huge mistake on Kostas's part. Fear finally got the best of him, though he wouldn't run off, he needed to tell Kostas that this was a mistake in hopes that he would order people to run off.

When the bandit would reach the leader, he would point out the fact that they were about to battle with the very person that most bandits dreaded. The expression of the pillager would contort to something of concern and anger.

"What the hell are mercenaries, much less the bladebreaker doing here?!" He yells, much rather not caring what time it was nor his location. Kostas was never the type to hold in his impulses. This was no exception. Some part of him wanted to run, but his own pride and reputation won him over. What would people think? Kostas, one of the most feared and wanted bandits, running from someone with his tail between his legs. No. He wouldn't run. He couldn't.

"Bells, blond boy! Quick. Take out the kingpin and the rest will run. The person standing in front is the one, go!" Jeralt's voice was firm and clear, pointing at the man standing menacingly just about twenty or so yards in front of them, his men at the back glaring at them. The noble and mercenary quickly nodded and followed orders promptly.

The pair sprinted at the enemy. Once they reached attacking range, Dimitri jumped into the air to take on the bandit's attention. The enemy raised his sword to counter the airborne attack. The weapons clashed with a striking clang. Admittedly Dimitri's attack was somewhat sloppy, having the enemy sword hit the middle of the lance. Being made of refined wood, it left a small dent. Bells made a mental note of it. The azure mercenary kept her feet on the ground, maneuvering to the side to try to trip up the leader, only to meet some of his grunts. They weren't just going to sit here and let their chief go down. Jeralt's mercenaries would rush to back them up. The tide of this battle would quickly change with Bells and Dimitri knocking the leader to the ground and the rest of them, fearing for their lives would run off, even if they had clashed with Jeralt's men. The battle there would quickly end with one of Jeralt's men confiscating the weapon that the group leader wielded. He was then kept in check with Jeralt's men keeping a sword held to the leader's face.

Just as the pair finished up with that group, Claude and Edelgard had taken up a position within the small thicket of trees. Edelgard took the front with her axe at the ready and Claude drawing his bowstring back as the group leader started to attack Edelgard. Focusing on the people in the back, with a soft hum of Claude's bow, the enemy began to fall. One by one they fell like flies, Jeralt's men making up for any openings that the two strangers would have left. Just as Edelgard finished off the leader of that particular group, Claude's arrow would find the second group leader at the rear. This single handedly took out the captain's of those two groups. The rest of the grunts in those two groups, of course, fled when they could.

Having lost the leaders of those groups, this left only Kostas and the two group leaders he had positioned next to was enraged at the cowardice of his men. Knowing who he was going up against, the only option he felt right was to charge right at them. As such, he and his two group leaders ran towards Bells and the others. Jeralt would be there to meet Kostas who had taken the lead.

"What the hell are you doing here Jeralt?!" Kostas yelled, stopping just a few feet before the horse that Jeralt sat on. Kostas' expression twisted to something of confusion and anger. Jeralt however would glare right back at him in irritation.

"I should be the one complaining," he answered. "You and your men made a huge mess that I have to clean up!" The mercenary leader was rather disgruntled. Not only was he rather upset with him and his bandits coming to harm others, but the yelling just added to his headache. With hopes of ending this quickly, Jeralt rushed Kostas with his lance. Though it was rather unconventional tactics, the bandit leader was hit with the blunt end of Jeralt's lance. This was more to stun than to harm him. Quickly motioning Dimitri to move and knock him to the ground.

A brief moment of pause filled the air. Suddenly Kostas would spring to his feet. He gripped his axe as tightly as he could, charging at Edelgard as fast as he humanly could. Quickly leaping into the air to try to deliver the blow to the white haired girl who had just come out of the woods. She drew a dagger that rested at her hip. Bells felt something within her. She was compulsive by nature, she just felt the need to protect Edelgard, even at the cost of her own life. Seeing what was about to happen, Bells rushed to Edelgard's side, moving her body in front to take the blow for her. She closed her eyes and braced for impact.

A young man quietly rested in his bed. His eyes shot open with a soft gasp. Confused and startled, questions immediately spurred in his head. 'Why am I awake?' and 'Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen?' These thoughts swirled in his mind as he sat up, his vision still hazy. Rubbing his eyes, he couldn't shake this feeling of impending dread. His dream was strange to say the least. He was in this void, with that girl he saw when he was a child. Byleth couldn't bring himself to say anything. He felt… paralyzed. Nothing would happen, it was like he was looking into a picture. Nothing more than a moment lost in time. Byleth rubbed his eyes once more, he should try to get back to sleep now. He looked out the window, wishing, hoping things would be okay.

Timebreak!

Bells opened her eyes, confused. Looking around to realize she had returned to the void she had found herself in not too long ago.

"What were you thinking with that little stunt?! It's like you're trying to get us killed!" A familiar, evidently annoyed voice rang out. Bells turned around, sword still drawn, with shock and confusion as the girl she had met in her dream lay sitting on her throne with a look of disbelief and slight anger. The path was darkened, Bells could faintly make out the steps up to the seat Sothis sat at. The light focused on Sothis and her throne. The shorter girl would let out a sigh.

"It's fine. If you don't know the value of your own life, you won't protect it. Won't you? I guess it's up to me to be around more often now, isn't it? You clearly need guidance, you were about to throw your life away after all!" Sothis stood up from her throne, walking towards the edge of the steps before starting to pace back and forth. Light followed her as she did so. It seemed like she could control the light here.

"No matter. All is well. I have paused time. Although briefly. I shall revert time, you know what is to come, don't do something so stupid this time." Sothis stopped. Turning to face Bells once more. Her expression morphing to something more confused and questioning.

"I saw… I saw some other person in here. He looked remarkably similar to you in fact. He didn't speak to me. I have some memory of him too. It's… strange." Sothis would go on, speaking aloud. It would seem that Sothis, despite being as impulsive as she was, could be lost in thought.

Bells perked up at the mention of another person. Someone else was able to see Sothis? It was a strange thought, though that would be a time for later. It was time to go back...

Time would slow for a few moments, just enough for Bells to get her bearings. Kostas jumped back onto his feet, gripping his axe tightly, and once again ran at Edelgard. Having knowledge of the future now, Bells once again found herself rushing to Edelgard's side. Her blade at the ready, it was a simple task to send the axe within Kostas's hand flying and the bandit to the ground below. Something felt… off about this moment to Edelgard. Like she had missed some crucial detail. Despite her quick thought of the matter, she was unable to come up with anything. Dismissing the thought, Edelgard turned to face her savior and the others came over in awe.

Kostas didn't get up, his men having run off somewhere. The bandit wouldn't be able to pull anything, not that Bells would allow. Everyone let out a relieved expression, that could have gone significantly worse than it did, even if there was something strange about what just happened. Time was a fickle thing, playing with it, even only for a moment or two left everyone confused, memories were lost when time was reversed, for everyone but the user of course.

Jeralt rode over on horseback, to his child and the three other kids. He too, was confused about what just happened. Jeralt's expression was contorted to something of confusion and surprise.

"Hey… did you just…" The mercenary leader was closest to figuring out what happened, but was interrupted by another booming voice.

"The Knights of Serios are here! Anyone who dare threaten our students shall be cut down!" A male voice came along with the loud clinking of metal. Looking over to see where the voice came from would reveal three men. Two men dressed in identical white metal armor, adorned with some fur to form a skirt of sorts. Each wielding an axe, though less like Kostas's one. It was clean, refined, and hinted at how much more refined they were than the brutes the group had fended off earlier. In the middle of the group lay the leader and the one with the rather loud voice.

The loud shuffling of bandits still trying to get away could be somewhat heard. The leader looked rather exasperated when he realized such.

"Hey! Go after them! They're running away!" The person with the refined cape and armor pointed at the forest in which the rocky terrain slowed the escape attempt. The men promptly nodded and ran into the forest after them, trying to capture any and all bandits possible. Even Kostas had seemingly gotten away.

Running towards the group, the concerned looking man eyes them all. An expression of confusion and relief in his visage. He quickly scanned over the group.

"Hm? You all are unharmed, that's good. Who is this?" The man, holding his weapon, (Also an axe) rather lazily at this point turned and faced the two faces he hadn't seen before. Bells finally got a better look at the leader of the "Knights of Serios" person. He looked to be in his late thirties to early forties; with a small bit of facial hair and a rather loud voice.

"Ugh… Of all people, Why him?" Jeralt let out a loud sigh and shook his head, as his hands massaged the temples on his cheeks. This was the last person in Fodlan that he wanted to see… Memories of Jeralt's past surfaced and played in his head as confusion painted Bells' face. Very rarely had she seen her father so… bothered. Who was this man, and why is father so unhappy to see him?

Jeralt got off his horse as the man approached him and Bells. The leader of the knights looked rather excited. Not too dissimilar to a young child getting to pick out a sweet in a candy store or a new toy.

"Captain Jeralt?! It's really you! Goodness, Where have you been all this time?!" the man would let bellow, slightly out of breath. This one sentence raised so many questions within Bells. Jeralt never spoke about his past, it was an uncomfortable subject. So many memories, good and bad were tied to this man and the connections he had. Not to mention, he'd rather not get wrapped up with… Her again...

"Don't you remember me? It's Alois! Your partner! Well, That's how I always saw us anyway. It was about twenty years ago that you vanished without a trace! I never gave up hope of finding you!" Alois was certainly a character… easily excitable and often spoke quickly. Jeralt would have to interject to finally get a word in at times. In some ways, he reminded Bells of an excitable young child.

"You haven't changed at all Alois… Just as loud as ever. Drop the "Captain" title, I don't work for the knights anymore. I'm just a Sellsword with a job to do. Good-bye old friend." Jeralt let out, rubbing his eyes now and turning around. If he could get himself and Bells out of this, the better off both of them would be. Jeralt was going to have a hell of a time trying to explain this away...

"Right… Good-bye Capt- Wait! This isn't how things end! I insist you come back to the monastery with me! Everyone will greet you with open arms!" From the short interaction between these two, Bells had gathered a few things. Alois was loud, excitable, and refused to take no for an answer. That, and these two clearly have a past together. What that was… would be revealed in time.

"Gareg Mach Monastery… I suppose this moment was inevitable." the mercenary leader released a slight frown. He didn't want to go, but even he knew it was pointless to run from the Knights of Serios. Regardless of if he was wanted or not. Alois turned to Bells, confusion filling his visage.

"How about- Byleth?! What are you doing all the way out here? I thought you were to never leave the monastery! Rhea will be livid if she finds out th-"

Bells just turned her head a bit. She had never heard of this, "Byleth" before and why was she being mixed up with this other person? These past few minutes have left Bells with more questions than answers. It would take a moment for Bells to find her voice in the scuffle that was this surprising conversation.

"Byleth? Who's that?" A soft voice of confusion would let out, only for the knight clad in white to shake his head. A sheepish look came over him.

"Oh! I apologize. It's just that you look so much like him. It's almost like you could be twins!" A soft laugh would escape his lips, Alois was easily amused by things it seems. The commander of the small group of knights wouldn't let his smile leave his expression. His head ablaze with the thoughts of Jeralt coming back and the festivities that would ensue. Jeralt was and still is considered to be one of the best commanders and swordmen in all of Fodlan. Having him command the knights again would only be a good thing.

Bells paused for a moment, maybe she should tell him that she was related to Jeralt. Before too long, her voice would work again.

"I'm… his daughter. Jeralt is my father. " Her voice lets out rather flatly. Alois was a bit to handle at times. Boundless energy came from him and it was exhausting at times.

"The monastery isn't too far either. Only a few days march. I'm sure lady Rhea could smooth things over with that person you were escorting and everything will be all good! Your child must want to see the monastery too captain!" Alois would pause for a moment, letting Bells answer, even if only nodding. She would have spoken but Alois seemed to be the type to… ramble quite a bit. Jeralt let out a small sigh. There was no easy way out of this. He wanted to keep away from that damned monastery but running from them wasn't an option either. The knights simply outmatched them in numbers. Alois turned around and motioned the two to follow, grinning from ear to ear.

Sothis was watching. She could see anything Bells was seeing, and read her thoughts. Almost like she was watching a play of some sort. For now, She kept quiet. As much she would like to comment on this. She wanted to see how those three kids reacted to this turn of events.

Bells would look around for a moment, quickly spotting the trio talking amongst themselves. It wasn't exactly difficult given how distinct the outfits they wore were. Approaching them, they turned to Bells. The woman in red would begin,

"'Jeralt The Blade Breaker,' Famous Sellsword and considered to be one of the strongest warriors to ever live. Former Captain of the Knights of Serios. Went missing several years ago. Have I missed something?" Edelgard would raise a brow slightly, only to the surprise of Bells. Edelgard was a perceptive one, they were several feet away and having an entire separate conversation after all. Bells would be silent for a moment before rubbing the back of her neck.

"...I've never heard of the knights before."

This drew the surprise of everyone else there. Expressions alone telling Bells what they thought of her comment. Despite this, she held her ground, holding her now neutral look. Edelgard would answer her immediately.

"You really haven't heard of the knights before? The most organized group of fighters in all of Fodlan?" Bells shook her head. Jeralt had never once mentioned this group to her. His reasons why however, would remain unknown. Claude would interject in, his trademark enigmatic grin still on full display.

"You're coming with us to the monastery right? I guess it's my job to fill you in. Oh! I should tell you that we, the three of us are students there. A military academy. We came out here to do some training before we were attacked and our teacher turned tail. We still haven't found him." Claude dropped his expression. A look of concern before the yellow clad student would continue on.

"Maybe if our teacher stood his ground or these two didn't chase me, all the bandits wouldn't have followed." A sarcastic tone would lace his words, his grin returning, drawing the ire of the other students.

"Claude. You ran without telling us where you were going or what your plan was. Of course we chased after you." Edelgard's exasperated voice came.

The yellow clad student just shrugged. Everyone was still alive and that's all that mattered to him.

The topic would quickly change to what had just happened, facing Bells once more, praise would come down from all three of them. Dimitri went first, forgoing manners all together and just blurting it out.

"I must say, your ability to hold your own was incredible! You showed me how far I still have to go to become a great knight! You never once lost control of the situation at hand!" Dimitri lets out in amazement, reminding Bells of an excitable child who just got what he wanted. Though he would be quickly cut off by the red garbed girl to his left.

"This ability to hold your own is exactly why I must request you lend your services to the Empire. You should know, I'm not just some student of the officers academy. My name is Edelgard Von Heresvelg, and the future leader of-" Edelgard would stop half way through her impromptu speech with Claude's wink and holding out his hand. The white haired girl raised an eyebrow.

"Well. While these two beg for you to join them. I shall build a long lasting friendship before begging for favors. It's honestly really unsightly for the future rulers of this continent to be asking someone they just met to join them." Claude had his hand met by Bells. Jeralt always taught her to be professional and friendly. It was the way you got new clients, and in turn, payment. All three house students looked back at Bells, expecting something from her.

"Alas. Things like waiting to get to know people has no place in this world, so let's just cut to the chase here. Where do you hail from? " Claude quickly followed up, his slightly sarcastic tone and fake disappointment being plastered all over his voice. Bells paused. Truth was she could remember very little. She's lived a very nomadic life for as long as she could remember. She just shook her head.

"I have none. I'm just a wandering mercenary with my father, looking for the next job." Bells would reply flatly. She really didn't know how to reply. It was all so… sudden.

Edelgard's eyebrows arched, such a skilled swordswoman having no particular alignment to any of the three major factions of Fodlan was… rather strange. Especially considering she was traveling under Jeralt, one of the strongest fighters to ever take up the blade. In truth, Jeralt had been offered a massive sum of gold to swear his loyalty to one of the many nobles of each kingdom. Each time he had refused. Jeralt had never let Bells in on why that was the case. She had just assumed that it was due to his distaste for nobility and how snobbish they could be.

Dimitri would begin to speak once again, being interrupted. Were he not disrupted, he would have gone on for a few minutes about how Bells should join the kingdom. But unfortunately. A much louder, (and arguably more annoying voice) would interject between him and Bells.

"Alright! Enough idle chatter! We have a long march ahead of us and we need to get moving!" Alois's voice came as he walked over to the group of 4 people. Jeralt only being reminded about how loud he could really be. The blonde haired boy let out a sigh. Such a conversation would have to wait until another time.

The trio of students nodded silently and started to walk away. Bells became quickly lost in her own thoughts. About what had just transpired, and what that girl was saying… Sothis. With the power to manipulate time? It was… strange. Everything was normal before today. Just do the next job, get paid. Repeat. Nothing too difficult. But this one encounter has completely thrown a wrench into everything.

Edelgard. The most refined and calculating. With just that short interaction, Bells felt like she was… being judged constantly. Edelgard's expression hid something… it made Bells wonder just what was going on within her head.

Dimitri. A skilled lance user and very polite. The quick mention of having a dire need of people like her struck her as strange? What could have happened to be in need of skills such as hers?

Claude. Mysterious. He clearly wasn't playing with his full hand. Snarky and quick to make jabs at others. His expression was… enigmatic. It just didn't sit right with her. His easy smile betrayed something deeper..

Bells rubbed her eyes. Her thoughts could become a mess if she let them. Now wasn't the time to let herself think. For now, it was time to move on. The sun was about to rise. As such, the marching towards Garreg Mach Monastery began.

-End of Chapter 1-