Chapter 5

The Mock Battle

Today was the day. N was up early for the day that was ahead of him. Today was the day of the mock battle, meant to showcase the students battle prowess. This was also the day of Byleth's test to see if she was a capable teacher. N was sure she was going to pass, but part him knew that even if she did it would still take time for people to still view her as capable. He knew all too well what she was capable of on the battlefield. Growing up together and training together helped that immensely.

In the two weeks prior, N made taught the students what was left about types. It mostly involved more about the strengths and weaknesses plus how attacks from the same type dealt more damage. That part about types was something many of students did not know. Some had guessed that was the case, but it was still something new to them. He did not show it, but N was happy that his first lessons had something new for the students to learn. He hoped that the students would use what they learned in today's mock battle.

As N ate breakfast, he was joined by Dimitri, Ashe, and Dedue. Though, Ashe seemed a bit nervous about sitting next to Dimitri. N asked how their house was approaching the mock battle; Byleth had not told him anything about their strategy. However, he was not given an answer. With a playful tone, Dimitri said that there were people from the other houses present and he did not want to give away their strategy. N understood, but could not help but laughed a bit in response.

"Can you guys tell me how Byleth is as a teacher?" N asked, changing the subject. "I can't image someone as silent as her teaching a class." N finished his sentence with a chuckle.

"If I had to say, she's straight to the point," Ashe answered.

Dimitri nodded. "Ashe's right. She doesn't mince words, but she isn't strict."

"She doesn't speak more than she needs to," Dedue added.

"Kind of like you, Dedue," Ashe said with a chuckle.

Both Dimitri and N laughed as well, while Dedue remained stone faced.

N was glad to hear that Byelth sounded like a good teacher. He was worried that her usual silence would affect how she taught, but if the students with him were learning from her then everything was alright.

"It was nice catching up, but I have to go meet up with Jeralt," N said as he began to stand.

"Of course. Don't let us keep you," Dimitri replied.

"Good luck out there," N said as he began to walk away.

"Root for us!" Ashe called out.

N replied with a wave and exited the dining hall. When he did, he took a moment to stare at the sky. It was a clear day out, which felt like good luck. N took in a breath and made his way to the stables to meet up with Jeralt.

For the mock battle N was assigned to be a healer. Since he did not teach one of the houses, that meant he was relegated to the sidelines. He offered his assistance as a healer for both the students and the creatures. He was skilled in healing magic, the only one proficient at it within the mercenary band. He was always there to patch people up when missions became dangerous. Now, he was healing for both people and creatures. He made sure to study up on healing creatures, as healing magic was not as useful on them. It worked, as he would test its capabilities on Zorua, but it was not as effective. Healing creatures came from nature, such as roots and berries. He made a mental note to teach the students about healing their partners as well.

When he reached the stables, Jeralt was speaking to other knights. His Mudsdale standing behind him. When he finished giving instructions to the knights, they walked away and he turned to his Mudsdale. N watched as the older man tended to his partner. N did not need to hear Mudsdale's voice to know it wholly trusted its partner. In the back of his mind, a bad memory tried to worm its way to the forefront of his thoughts, but he pushed it back.

"Hey, Jeralt! Or is it Captain Jeralt now?" N said, making his presence known.

The older man looked up to see N walking towards him. He smiled and waved towards the teen.

"Ah, you're here. Sure took your sweet time," Jeralt said with a chuckle.

N placed and hand behind his head. "Sorry. Was talking with some of the students in the dining hall."

"Is that so? How're the brats?"

N shrugged. "From the little I've been with them, they seem like a good group of kids."

"Kids? You and them and practically the same age," Jeralt said with a laugh.

N rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of that joke. "I know. It'll take time for them to get over the fact that someone their age is teaching them."

"Anyways, you ready for today?"

N nodded and thankful for the change in subject. "I have everything I need in the bag." N patted the bag on his hip to emphasize the point.

Jeralt nodded in response. "They'll be counting on you for first aid."

"I know. This isn't my first time being in charge of this stuff. Plus, I'll have church mages backing me up."

The mention of the church made Jeralt's expression darken. N knew that the church was still a sour spot for the man. Despite not knowing a lot about his past, N knew that him and the church were not on the best of terms. He was sure that something had happened that caused him to leave. Being forced to return as well did not help mediate his opinions on them.

"Don't worry. I still have your words replaying in my mind," N said, trying to reassure the man.

"That's all I ask."

"Captain Jeralt!"

N and Jeralt turned to see a Alois walking up to them. His Onix lumbering behind him. N could only wonder how the rock snake managed to move around in the monastery. The two groaned seeing him. Alois was well intentioned, but both found him to be more annoying than anything.

"We're just about to head out. The students and teachers should be ready as well," Alois said.

"Thank you, Alois. I'll meet up with the others in a minute. I have to finish up here with Mudsdale," Jeralt said.

"Of course. We'll meet you at the main gate." Alois' gaze then fell towards N. Likely noticing him for the first time. "Ah, you're here as well. The church healers are waiting for you as well."

"Wait. I'm in charge of them?" N asked.

Alois nodded enthusiastically. "But of course! I do believe Lady Rhea assigned you to do this."

N let out a sigh. He did not like being told things last minute. "I'll meet up with them when I finish helping Jeralt."

"Right. I'll see you both in a few minutes," Alois replied. "I'll leave you two to finish here. Let us go, Onix."

The rock snake let out a low groan and followed the man as he walked away. N, once again, wondered how Onix moved around within the monastery. However, he could tell there was a strong bond between Onix and Alois. How that was possible baffled N.

"Well, we should probably get going soon," Jeralt said.

N nodded in response.

Jeralt grabbed Mudsdale's reins and began to walk towards the main gate. N stood on the other side of Mudsdale and walked as well.

"Leading the healers, huh? Been here two weeks and you're already climbing the ranks," Jeralt jabbed.

N let out an annoyed sigh. "Please don't patronize me."

—-

N and Jeralt arrived earlier than the students at the field where the mock battle would take place. It was near the monastery, a quick walk descending down the mountain. The walk back up might become more of a challenge.

N surveyed the area from where he was. The field looked like it has been used many times over the course of many years. One corner was adorned with a simple barricade and a slightly elevated platform. Another corner had a small concrete structure with an odd looking inscription within it. The field was littered with small patchworks of trees. Providing a bit of a defensive position.

N made sure to know where each of the houses would be positioned for the mock battle. The Golden Stantlers would be taking a more defensive position behind the barricade. The Black Staraptors would be positioned near the concrete structure. The Blue Pyroars would take the open area facing the other two. The position left them at a disadvantage, as they only had trees as support. It was likely that someone made sure they had to remain on the offensive. N's mind immediately went to Seteth. The aide to the Archbishop had it out for the both of them since they arrived, and he would still refuse to warm up to them.

"Taking in the sights?"

N looked back to see Jeralt walking towards him. N looked past him to see his Mudsdale tied to a tree. N turned his attention back to the field in front of him.

"You could say that."

"What do you make of the battlefield?" Jeralt asked.

"It's obvious Byleth's class is at a disadvantage. They have no position to fall back on. They're going to be on the offensive for most of the battle," N answered.

"What would do, if you were leading them?"

"Take them on one by one. The Golden Stantlers don't have a reason to move past their barricades, that leaves the Black Staraptors as the first opponent. When they're defeated, move towards the others. They'd have to around the barricade regardless."

Jeralt let out an amused chuckle. "Not bad. You're a pretty good tactician."

N waved a hand in disagreement. "What I pointed out, anyone can realize. A real tactician needs to worry about the nitty-gritty details of a battle."

"I think you're selling yourself short," Jeralt replied crossing his arms on his chest.

N shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't teach tactics."

Before Jeralt could respond, the sound of a horn filled the air. N and Jeralt looked up to see the church's banner waving in the air, along with several knights.

"Looks like they're here," N said as he stood up.

"Let's get to our position," Jeralt said pointing to hill on the edge of the field.

N nodded and followed the older man. He took a moment to look back towards the group entering the field. He could see the students behind the rows of knights sent as protection. His gaze fell on Byleth's class. She walked in front of her students like she was meant to be there. It made him smile seeing that. As if noticing his gaze, Byleth turned towards him. Even if she was far away, he could still make out the faint smile she sent his way. N smiled back and gave her a thumbs up. His way of saying good luck.

"N! Stop staring into space!" Jeralt called out.

"Right! Sorry." N turned on his heel and followed Jeralt to the hill.

—-

Once the three houses were in position, Jeralt laid out the rules of the mock battle. He had a cone shaped contraption that helped amplify his voice. N took that time to survey all the houses. Those that carried weapons wielded blunted training weapons. Nothing that could harm the students too much, but injury was still possible. He was a bit more worried about those who mainly used magic, as those with limited experience could sometimes not precisely use it.

He turned attention to the teachers of each house. All of them were acting as the general of their respective force. He knew that Byleth was capable of leading people, as whenever Jeralt was predisposed she would lead the band. He wondered how the other two teachers would fair. He had only limited interaction with them, as he told himself to avoid both of them. He wondered how they taught. He only knew what some of the students had mentioned. Then again, he barely knew how Byleth taught.

Overall, he was curious to see who would come out on top.

"One final rule, your creature partner is allowed to battle," Jeralt said.

N perked up at that. He assumed the students would use them, but never got an outright confirmation. Now he was even more curious. Battle like this was different to the one on one battles he was teaching. He made a mental note to teach them about this kind of battle as well.

Glad I packed herbs and berries to heal them.

With another horn, the mock battle began. N watched as the students got in the position their teachers ordered them too. Like N had anticipated, The Golden Stantlers assumed a position behind the barricade. Claude stood behind it, as his specialty with a bow made his position optimal. With him was Hilda who served more as Claude's defense. N chuckled, it was likely that Hilda was enjoying the assignment as it required the least amount of effort. The other students were positioned in the small forested area, bordering the Black Staraptor's territory.

As Byleth moved her class on the offensive. When they began to move, N could hear Claude teasing Dimitri. He chuckled a bit. He appreciated Claude's relaxed nature. Plus, distractions on the battlefield meant you could lose your life. N watched as her students raced on the battlefield towards their opponents. Some took positions in the forested area, while others continued to move forwards in the open field. N then realized that his initial assessment of the positioning was incorrect.

"Oh, I get it now," N muttered.

"Finally noticed?" Jeralt asked.

N nodded. "I thought that Byleth would be at the disadvantage, but they have the slight edge over the other two classes. The other two houses need to divide their forces in order to properly attack and defend. In this case, the Black Staraptors are at the disadvantage due to having to fight on two fronts. The Golden Stantlers only really have to defend the barricades while the rest go on the offensive."

Jeralt chuckled lightly. "Not a bad assessment."

"Guess I'm a pretty bad tactician," N replied.

N turned his attention back to the battlefield. The Blue Pyroars focused their offensive on the Black Staraptors. Pushing them back to the concrete structure where Professor Manuela was. There had yet to be any crossing of blades, but magical blasts had been exchanged and attacks from the students partners. N noticed how effectively they used their partners for this. He had not taught them a lot about battle, but the basics in usual tactics helped greatly. Though, he did notice things that needed improvement. N smiled to himself. He was happy there were lessons he could teach the students.

When steel met each other, N was ready to go out and heal the injured. He watched as Felix defeat Caspar, using his superior speed to overwhelm the ax wielding teen. Despite having the disadvantage, Honedge defeated Drilbur. However, Ferdinand was able to close the distance between him and Ashe, besting the archer. The grey-haired teen's Treeko did manage to defeat his Farfetch'd with its superior speed. Despite the victory, Ashe recalled his Treeko as he moved away from the battlefield.

N made his way towards the grey-haired teen to make sure he was not hurt.

"You did well out here," N said as he looked over Ashe's limbs.

Ashe laughed sheepishly. "Thanks. I wish I had been more help."

"Don't beat yourself up. I was watching, you held your own well. Just need to switch between weapons a bit faster. Plus, Treeko beat Farfetch'd."

"That was impressive. I thought he had me beat there." Ashe turned to the green reptile, who smiled at his partner.

N laughed as he finished looking over Ashe. He pulled a berry out from his bad and gave it to Treeko. The green reptile happily took it, munching on it with glee.

"You two should be good to go," N said.

"Thanks, Professor. But shouldn't you've tended to Ferdinand's Farfetch'd first?"

"Technically yes, but I can't interfere with people still on the battlefield. I can only tend to those who were defeated. Speaking of which, I need to get to Caspar," N answered.

"Don't let me keep you," Ashe replied.

N nodded and stood up. "Keep up the good work. Also, I'm rooting for your class."

The grey haired teen's mood brightened hearing N's words. He was not supposed to show favoritism, but Byleth was his closest friend. He could not help but root for who he was closest to.

He made his way to Caspar. He did the same thing he did with Ashe with him. He made sure the teen did not have any injuries. He had a bruise on his thigh, but nothing life threatening. He used some herbs as pain killers and applied a bit of healing magic to the bruise. When he finished with Caspar, he moved on to Drilbur. The only thing that the mole had wounded was its pride. N chuckled as the mole tried to deny the berry, but ended up taking it any way.

After a short conversation with the teen, N noticed that the Blue Pyroars had pushed the Black Staraptors back. The students that had yet to be bested were Edelgard and Hubert. Meanwhile, Byleth's class were still only without Ashe. N could not help but be impressed with her leadership skills. He chalked up Ashe being bested to her inexperience leading the class.

When all of the Black Staraptors were defeated, N moved to where they were all gathered. He made sure that everyone was relatively uninjured. He could not help but chuckle a bit when someone would answer that the only thing that was injured was their pride. N would not respond to that, as it would make it obvious he was picking a side. However, he expected that the more astute students knew he had a soft spot for Byleth and her class.

When he got to Edelgard, she was quick to strike a conversation with him.

"You seem to be in high spirits."

"Am I?" N asked.

"Indeed you are. Is it because your friend is winning?" A slight scowl appeared on her face.

"A bit. I'm not supposed to take sides, but it's hard not to root for someone close to you," N answered.

"At least you're honest."

N sighed. He had to hide his admiration for Byleth's growing confidence better. What had got him in a good mood, was how well Byleth led the class. Normally she was quiet and reserved, never speaking too often. Even the few times she led members of the band, her orders would be short and to the point.

"I thought your class did well to hold out as long as you did," N said changing the subject.

Edelgard sighed. "I wasn't anticipating an all out offensive from the new Professor."

"She does tend to do that. When we would spar, her main focus was always offense. Very rarely was she ever on the defensive," N said. "She must've applied that experience here."

"High praise."

"I'm not trying to bring your efforts down," N said with a sigh. "Sorry, I'm not very good at these kinds of things."

Edelgard chuckled. Her serious expression vanishing. "It's fine. You admire her a lot. I can respect that."

"Thanks," N said with a relieved sigh. "We can chat more later. I got to move on to the others."

"I'll be fine. Though, I think this will be over soon."

N rose an eyebrow in confusion. The Golden Stantlers still had to be defeated. Seeming to read N's thoughts, Edelgard pointed towards where the Golden Stantlers were positioned. N looked over his shoulder to see that half of the Golden Stantler students had been defeated.

"Better make my way over there," N said as he put a hand in the bad he had. He pulled out a berry and gave to Rufflet, who used its beak to bite into it.

He turned his attention to where he was needed next.

—

The Blue Pyroars had emerged victorious in the mock battle. They had emerged victorious, and only two of the students had been defeated, Ashe and Ingrid. Despite being a bit disappointed in being defeated, they still joined their class in the victory.

N watched from afar. He still had to make sure the Golden Stantler students were all uninjured. Each student he tended to would say what had gotten the best of them in battle. N would simply nod and listen. He would let the students vent a bit. Though Leonie and Lorenz's venting grew a bit annoying the more he listened. The final student he tended to was Claude. He complimented Byleth and the Blue Pyroars compared to the others.

"You think you underestimated them?" N asked.

"Nah. I think it's more about being surprised," Claude answered. "I was surprised at how effective Teach leads. Dimitri and the others had full faith in her."

N nodded in agreement. "To be honest, I was surprised too. I've never seen her so expressive before."

"Expressive?" Claude asked with a laugh. "She looked pretty stone faced to me."

"The more you get to know her the easier it becomes to figure out what she's thinking."

"Is that so? She's a lot more interesting than I thought. Wish she joined out house," Claude mused.

N said nothing in response. Their conversation ended soon after that, as well as his healing. He cleared Claude and gave his Deerling the last berry in his pouch. The two parted ways and N joined the healers the Church assigned to him. Once they all agreed that all the students were healthy, they went their separate ways.

N let out a breath once he was alone. He never expected leading a group of people would be so exhausting. It was different kind of fatigue compared to battle. He chalked it up to mental fatigue. He looked back to see that Byleth and her class were gathered and talking amongst each other. Soon after, they were joined by the other classes. N smiled and turned away. He still had to check in with Jeralt.

N and Jeralt met half way. The older man strode towards the teen on his Mudsdale. When the two met up, he jumped off his partner. He fed it an apple from the pouch on the saddle.

"That's a good girl," Jeralt mumbled. He then turned to N. "Good work out there, kid."

"Thanks. I'm just glad no one was hurt too badly," N replied.

"The most that can happen in something like this is small cuts and bruises."

"Better to be safe than sorry," N said.

Before Jeralt could respond, a voice was calling out to them. The two turned to see Ashe jogging towards them. N waved enthusiastically towards his students, while Jeralt simply raised his hand. When the teen arrived, he placed his hand on his knees and took in deep breaths.

"What's up, Ashe?" N asked.

"You left the field before we could call out to you," Ashe answered.

"You guys were all healthy. I was no longer needed," N said.

"I guess that's true. Anyways, we're all getting together to celebrate. We wanted you to join us," Ashe said.

N's eyes widened slightly in surprise and pointed a finger at himself. He did not expect to be asked to join. He assumed since he was not a teacher for a house, he should not meddle too much with the houses.

"Me?"

Ashe nodded enthusiastically. "Well, of course."

"Go on," Jeralt said as he slapped the green haired professor's back. "It's not often you get to act like a teenager." He finished his sentence with a smile.

N rolled his eyes at the older man. He turned back to Ashe, who was still eagerly awaiting his answer. N let out a breath and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure. Sounds fun," N said.

Ashe's smile widened. "Great. We should catch up with the others."

"After you," N replied.

Ashe nodded and turned to walk. N bid farewell to Jeralt and followed the grey haired teen to where the others were gathered. N looked up to the setting sky. He smiled as he saw the mix of red, orange, and blue. He felt like he was on a better path.

"Hey, there he is!"

N looked up to see Claude waving towards him.

"Took you long enough. Now we can really celebrate."

Claudes words brought about cheers from everyone present. The group of students and the two new professors made their way back up the mountain, towards a post battle celebration. N smiled the whole way and talked with everyone. He really did feel like he belonged. Even if a part of him still wanted to be a bit more free.

—

The setting sun's light pierced through a window in the Imperial Palace in the capital city of Enbarr. The sunlight entered a large room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, all stuffed with books ranging from centuries old to only a few weeks only. In the middle of the room was a desk. Books were stacked on it. Ancient tomes as well as newer books. At the desk sat an older man. He had pale green hair, almost white and red eyes. He wore a red eyepatch over his left eye. He wore black robes with an eye etched on his left side. The collar was perked up which covered his mouth. His left arm was hidden beneath his robe, while his right hand was being used as pointer as he read one of the older tomes.

He let out a disappointed sigh as he closed the tome with a resounding thud. He moved the tome aside and moved to grab another. Before he could, the left side of his body began to burn with pain. His right arm immediately went to his left side as he tried to soothe the pain.

As if teleporting, a younger man appeared. He had long white hair with grey eyes. He wore a headband and mask on his face. A brown sleeveless shirt and similarly colored pants. When he appeared, he kneeled in front of the man. When he looked up, he saw the man writhing in pain. He quickly shot up and rushed to the man's side.

"Lord Ghetsis! What's wrong?" the white haired man asked.

"The drawer! The drawer!" the man, now named Ghetsis, wheezed as he pointed.

The white haired man's eyes darted to where he was pointing and saw the drawer. He opened it and saw a closed bag.

"Water," Ghetsis wheezed again.

The white haired man's eyes moved to the small table by the window. There was a jug of water and a cup. He poured water into the cup and delivered it to Ghetsis. In the bag was a pale yellow powder and Ghetsis put a spoonful of it in the water. Without bothering to mix it, he drank the water. He could feel as the pain began to subside. When it was bearable, he slammed the cup onto the desk.

The white haired man returned to his kneeling position in front of the desk. Ghetsis was pleased to see that he was disciplined. Ghetsis collected himself before giving his full attention to the white haired man.

"Yes, Shadow?"

"I have an update. But first, do you remain unwell?" Shadow asked.

"I'll live. Now, the update," Ghestsis answered.

"The beast had been located."

Ghetsis' pain immediately disappeared when he heard those words. A pleased half smile formed on his face. It was still difficult to for him to move his left side.

"Where?"

"The farthest point north of Faerghus. Exactly where eludes us at the moment," Shadow answered.

"Where is that scatterbrained scientist?"

"En route to Faerghus. He was the one who discovered the location."

Ghetsis scowled. He did not fully trust the so called scientist that was entrusted with both the study of the creatures and his health. However, he was slowly proving himself. The medicine he had concocted was working, and his research into the legendary dragons was bearing fruit.

"We leave for Faerghus immediately," Ghetsis said as he stood from his chair. He grabbed the cane that rested at the side of the desk. "Fetch Anthea and Concordia. They will finally be of some use to me."

Shadow bowed his head. "As you wish, Lord Ghetsis."

In the blink of an eye, Shadow was gone. Ghetsis let his guard drop when the man was no longer in the room.

"After so long. After so many setbacks, my plans will finally be set into motion. No one will be able to stand in my way now," Ghetsis muttered to himself as he walked to the door.

When he opened the door, the two knights that guarded the door stood straight in attention.

"I'll be leaving Enbarr for some time. I have to leave immediately. Could you please inform the Emperor," Ghetsis said.

"Of course, Lord Ghetsis," one of the knights said.

Ghetsis nodded in acknowledgement. He made his way to where his loyal followers were stationed. He had to inform someone else of his departure as well. He made his way to the stables, where a large, black armored bird was. It wore a saddle that did not hinder its ability to fly. The large bird turned to Ghetsis and roared at him.

"Relax Corvinknight, it's only me," Ghetsis grumbled.

Corvinkight roared again. Ghetsis did not move, but the others around him grew weary of the bird.

"You'll be reunited with your partner soon. Very soon, in fact." Ghetsis took out a scroll from within his robes. "Deliver this to her if you would. She must be informed of my departure."

Ghetsis moved the bird's side and placed the scroll into the pouch on its saddle. The black bird moved outside of its stable into the open field. The bird flapped its wings causing for the winds to intensify. With another powerful flap, Corvinknight took to the sky.

Ghetsis smiled again. He was sure the Flame Emperor would be pleased with the development.

—-

In the middle of the night, Edelgard awoke in a cold sweat. It was the same dream that always plagued her. She was positive it was a nightmare at this point. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and slowly sat up on her bed.

I need some air.

Edelgard sat up, grabbed a coat, and exited her room. It was late spring, but the nights could still be chilly. She draped the coat over her shoulders as she exited the dormitory for the nobles. When she descended the stairs, she made sure the no one was around before walking into the moonlit area. The dormitory was close to the pond in front of the dining hall, it would usually be the best spot to simply stare up at the sky within the monastery. The sight of the moon and stars calmed her down as she slowly began to forget the nightmare that plagued her.

"I know Zorua, but there was something I needed to do," a voice said.

Edelgard turned to where she heard the voice was coming from. Her hand went to the dagger she had hidden in her coat. She relaxed a bit when she saw who it was. The moonlight illuminated N's presence. He was not wearing armor, but had a sword sheathed at his hip. His Zorua was perched on his shoulder as usual.

N looked up to see Edelgard staring at him. He smiled kindly towards her as he walked towards her. He could tell she was tense about something. As N got closer, Edelgard relaxed more and let her arms fall to her sides. N stood next to her and stared up at the sky. He assumed that was the reason why she was out.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?"

Edelgard turned her attention back to the sky. "I think so."

"Can't sleep?"

Edelgard's gaze moved towards the reflection of the moon in the water. "You could say that."

"Ah, a nightmare then."

Edelgard's eyes widened as she turned to N. However, her surprise was now to see an understanding smile on his face. "How did…?"

"I have them too," N answered. "Makes it impossible to sleep at times."

"Yes, it was a nightmare. One that I've had since I was a child. It's frustrating," Edelgard said.

"One of those. I understand all too well."

Edelgard looked towards the new professor again. He was still staring at the sky. She followed his gaze and he was still staring at the moon. She turned back to him. His look of understanding was still there. Edelgard could only guess what he experienced in order to have a similar dream. There was the possibility that they were more alike than she anticipated.

"If you don't mind me asking, what're they about?" N asked, concern laced in his voice.

Edelgard was silent for a moment. This person she just met was concerned for her. There was ulterior motive to him. He genuinely wanted to know because he was worried.

"Just… my childhood. A time before I discovered who I was destined to become," she answered.

"I guess we both had bad childhoods. If you want to talk about it, you can trust me. Maybe listening to you will help me open up as well," N replied.

Edelgard was stunned again. The person in front of her aged several years despite only being a year older than her. His kind smile had yet to fade, but she could see the pain in his eyes.

"I suppose I could try, but swear you won't tell anyone!"

N nodded. "I won't, not until you feel ready to."

Edelgard could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Before she could turn red, she composed herself. It was a painful story, but maybe talking to someone about it would help. Edelgard told him the story of her siblings and how she became the only one left. How before she could barely speak each one of them were dying from disease, losing their mind, or simply died for another reason.

As she told the story, N's expression never changed. He took in each detail and the pain in his heart grew. For someone so young to experience so much loss hurt N a lot more than he was anticipating. But the only expression he could muster was one of sympathy.

When the story concluded, Edelgard took in a breath and released it. While N released one that he did not know he was holding in.

"So much loss. That's awful," N said.

"Things just kept getting worse. The darkness got darker. In the end, I was the only one who survived. The nightmares are a reminder to never forget. To never allow such a thing to happen again," Edelgard replied.

This time, N was silent. He processed her words. It was likely that those event were what shaped her convictions. He respected that. Wanting to change something in order to make life easier. However, he could also see that it was way to avoid thinking about the past. For the first time in the night, N's gaze moved towards the ground.

"I think… Never mind. Forget I said anything," N said.

Edelgard rose an eyebrow, but did not say anything. "I'm now the only one who can carry the weight of the Adrestrian Empire. The future of everything depends on me." She paused for a moment. "I shared a bit too much. I suppose there's something in the air. I've never told anyone about my past before. Please forget I said anything. Sleep well, Professor."

She turned to leave. As she walked past N, she saw that his eyes returned to staring at the moon.

"Maybe it's because I'm a stranger."

"Hm?"

"Because I'm still more or less a stranger to you, it's easier to speak to me."

N then turned to Edelgard. The kind expression returning to his face. The pained eyes he had had disappeared. His grey eyes now showed understanding.

"That weight you think is yours to bear, you should allow others to help you bear it. I know it's hypocritical coming from someone who is too afraid to talk about his past, but I've shared a bit of my burden with Byleth. It helps me keep going."

Edelgard once again saw the aged version of N. The version was the cause of her curiosity of him. She, again, wondered what caused for someone to age so much by simply talking. She was broken from her thoughts when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If you ever feel the need to share something else, come talk to me. I'll make sure to speak about myself as well. That way we'll understand each other better, maybe."

Edelgard chuckled. "How're you only a year older than me?"

N was not sure how to respond to that question. It was possible it was rhetorical.

"Good night, Professor. I look forward to our next moonlit talk," Edelgard said.

N nodded and removed the hand he placed on her shoulder. "Good night, Edelgard."

As Edelgard walked away, N turned back to gazing at the moon. There was something about it that felt like he was connected to someone. Zorua then let out a yawn, breaking N from his thoughts. N turned to the fox and chuckled.

"You were awfully quiet during that conversation."

Zorua yawned again.

"Okay I get. Let's get some sleep."

AN: Here ends this chapter. First I want to apologize for taking so long. Before I could finish the chapter my laptop was acting funny so I had to take it to get fixed. Also, I had final week before I sent my laptop to get fixed so I was swamped with uni work. I've also been grinding out Breath of the Wild. I'm trying to keep myself busy in this quarantine.

With that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This chapter beings to lay the seeds of what is going on behind the scenes. Plus out first view of Ghetsis. What are his plans I wonder? Can any of you guess? I also put in what could be considered one of N's support conversations. It's literately just Byleth's C support with her, but I changed it up a bit to fit N better. So expect them to interact a bit more often.

Okay, now for a few disclaimers. I have only beaten Three Houses once one the Blue Lions path. I only know bits and pieces of how Black Eagles go and a bit more of a concrete idea on the Golden Deer (thank Joe Zeiga for that). However, I'll sort of be making my own version of the ending but it will take a lot of inspiration from the Blue Lions ending. I hope you guys can understand what I'm trying to say. A second thing/announcement is that I will be including the Ashen Wolves in this story. The Cindered Shadows side story is important to Byleth's character and I feel like it should be told. Things will change slightly in that side story but events will largely stay the same. Though I haven't decided if I'll make it a whole separate story or make it a part of this one.

With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit on the shorter side, so I apologize for that. Stay tuned for the next chapter. If you're enjoying this story feel free to follow, favorite and/or review. You should also follow me on Twitter. I post story updates and other stuff there.