(Author's Note)
Hey guys! I'm back!
So, I suppose I overestimated how much I actually had to cover this time, since most of the things I needed and wanted to go over were kinda done last chapter, so comparatively speaking, this chapter is gonna be a bit shorter than that one.
It's still fairly long, just not 13k words long.
On an unrelated note, P3P, P4G and P5R are coming to Xbox and Windows (well, P4G's already here, but the other two aren't yet), so that's really cool. FE Warriors: Three Hopes got a demo release, so I plan on downloading that and giving it a play when I get the chance.
527 followers, 363 Favorites. I really need to stop making note of this sort of thing but It's just so... mind-blowing to me that I can't help but be flabbergasted every time I look at these numbers. I feel like I should thank you guys, should I do that?
Thank you so much for all your support.
Right, moving past that, Onto Reviews!
To Incognito74: Thanks! I'll be blunt and say that the pacing might be a bit off during this chapter, but after this we're at the Mock Battle and that's where the story is really going to pick up. That's not to say this chapter is filler, there's things being placed in advance for later, but it might feel a bit off to you.
To SuperSaiyanFever: Because of how the Velvet Room actually functions here, they aren't going to just be staring out into space now, it'll be more like the metaverse where they'll fade out of reality and end up in the velvet room. Hope that cleared it up!
To USSRParot: That was my exact same thought and I knew that I had to use it when the mental image flashed before me.
To JeaSonDash: I'm not 100% certain of that fact either, but I believe I went back and edited Igor's lines to reflect the lack of the ' in his speech earlier after getting this review. For future reference I'll be keeping it in mind. Thanks!
To Neb: I was not aware the Crests were tarot inspired, but that's a cool thing to know. And yeah, the mental image of Shadow Lysithea is... a very good one actually... Hm.
To AinzNamikazeD: Professor Joker is going to focus on it's own route when it comes time for things to go to shit, so while it'll be taking notes from the other routes, I'll be using them more as a guideline to work around than as a strict path. Thanks for the congratulations, btw.
To Kerrowe: So, technically, Ren still has all of his equipped persona's from Tokyo. However, because the cognition of our world and Fódlan's is so different, he can't access the most if not all of the persona's within his "Sea of Souls". So for now, and until he can do some proper mementos exploration, he's only got Arsene at his disposal.
To Idiotpart1: As much as I think that'd be hilarious, I doubt something like that would happen anytime soon if at all. Leave just a BIT too many questions for Ren.
To Faightan Gaims: I can neither confirm or deny such accusations, because Spoilers, but I will admit that students from other houses will be recruited. Not everyone, because Ren can only have so many confidants, but it'll happen.
Thanks to everyone who left a review on last chapter! Hearing feedback and excited speculation really helps me out when I write these, so if you ever feel like leaving a reply, please do!
Alright, I think I've spent enough time inflating the word count via Author's Note, let's get onto the story!
The first thing that Ren was aware of when he woke up that morning was his alarm going off. All that took was a quick unlock and dismiss to leave the room in silence as the morning sun beamed into the room from the window next to him.
The second thing was the fact he had fallen asleep still wearing his false glasses. He groaned, pulling himself into a sitting position, careful to not disturb the still sleeping feline next to him. He glanced down at his hands, letting out a sigh.
"...Day nine." Ren muttered, closing his eyes. He took in a breath to continue his thought, but exhaled instead as he moved to stand up, forcing Morgana to move to the side.
"Morning, Joker." Morgana yawned, looking up as the teen moved to the side to grab today's clothes. "You're up early."
"Yeah, gonna see if I can catch Byleth so we can discuss how her class went yesterday." Ren said, running a hand through his hair. "After that… see what else might come up."
"Well, I'll leave you to it for now. I'm gonna sleep in a bit longer." Morgana said, curling back up on the sunny spot of the bed.
"Alright. I'll see you later then." Ren said, walking down to the bathroom so he could change and freshen up.
Ren closed the front door of the café and locked it, stepping back to glance at the front as he tried to work out designs in his head. "You know, you keep doing this and eventually I'll have to file a complaint over stalking." Ren said after a moment, breaking out of his thoughts as he turned to look at Claude. The house leader in yellow was currently leaning against one of the nearby supports of the building next to the café, and judging from the easy going expression on his face, he didn't seem to be concerned over the earlier comment.
"Well, I heard from a friend of a friend that you had the day off and figured I'd stop by." Claude said with a shrug.
"Claude, everyone has today off. It's Sunday." Ren said, rolling his eyes. "Hell, you make more of an effort to go out and find me than my own House Leader does."
Claude chuckled, waving a hand. "Fair enough. I was actually here to ask a few things."
"More info digging for the Mock Battle?" The thief asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"Nothing like that. While I'm admittedly a bit concerned about facing an elite mercenary like Teach and an equally as skilled guy like you, asking for you to go easy on us isn't very likely. Just means I have to improvise and prepare. A competition is only fun if you win, after all." Claude shrugged, placing a hand on his hip.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "There is just as much fun to be found in losing as there is in victory. Just depends on how much you take away from the experience."
"Well, isn't that a nugget of wisdom." Claude chuckled, before letting his expression turn a touch more serious. "I'm Actually here to talk about Lysithea."
'Lysithea?' Ren paused, but turned to fully face Claude as he let his body stay loose. "What about?"
"Well… She's been off for a little bit now." Claude said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Or she… The Golden Deer house is my responsibility, and as much as I'd like to say I'm well and truly intimate with everyone, I'm not. I've only really known most of these guys since I got here, and I was hoping you might be able to help me out here."
Claude sighed. "Recently I've noticed she's been… overexerting herself, in a manner of speaking. I don't know if it's more a case of me just now noticing or if she's only suddenly started doing this, but it's a bit concerning." Calude shook his head, before glancing over at Ren. "As much as she yells at me for treating her like a kid, she IS only fifteen. And since I heard you were with her yesterday, I was hoping to ask for your… outside opinion on the matter."
"...Why me?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"...You remind me a little of myself, if I'm being honest." Claude said with a shrug, before pausing as he looked at Ren. "You have this… Look in your eye. It's not hard to miss if you know what you're looking for. The glasses help hide it, but you're always… Analyzing. The little things that others might miss? I've seen you lock onto them. So, I was hoping you'd be able to let me know anything I should keep in mind."
There was something in the way he spoke, but Ren felt that Claude had switched the subject after the first comment. "...She seemed tired." Ren said, shrugging. "Wasn't entirely noticeable, but I've had my fair share of sleepless nights personally to know when someone has started to form bags under their eyes."
Claude nodded to himself. "I see. Well, I'll keep that in mind for later." He said, before his expression lightened. "In any case, since your stance has been made, I'll be taking my leave. I'll see you around, Sensei!"
Ren stared at Claude as he walked away from the thief. A light sigh escaped from the teen as he shook his head. "Oh great, it's spreading." He muttered to himself mirthfully.
"You're up early." Ren turned around to see just who he was hoping to. Byleth came to a stop a few steps to his left, her blue eyes revealing the faint surprise that the swordswoman was feeling at the moment.
Ren paused, glancing at Byleth's attire for a moment. "You aren't wearing your coat." He noted, titling his head. Everything else was there and in order, including the dagger that was visible on her waist and within drawing range in case it was necessary, but the long flowing cloth that normally hung over her back was gone.
Byleth merely shrugged in response. "I ran into Edelgard and Hubert this morning. Some advice regarding the Mock Battle was given, though I believe it would be best if we held off discussing that for Tuesday."
"That sounds fine with me. We'll announce our picks and have everyone help finalize a plan of attack." Ren nodded, reaching up to idly twist some of his hair. "Even if they won't be there physically during the fight. They do know their friends better than we do. They can still give advice that will help us decide where to go next."
"True." Byleth nodded.
Ren breathed in and opened his mouth to speak, before whatever thought that was currently on his tongue swiftly died as what could best be described as an audible roar eliminated from Byleth's stomach.
The thief turned to look at Byleth, but could only stare at the very still look on the mercenary's face. "...I don't think either of us has had breakfast yet, right?" The teen asked, getting a nod from Byleth as the swordswoman quickly composed herself. "In that case, come with me. I've been meaning to get your opinion on this idea of mine anyways."
"I cannot believe that was your stomach!" Sothis's voice echoed in Byleth's head as the swordswoman walked into the now dust free room. "I almost thought we were under attack from some kind of beast!"
'Are you done yet?'
"Why are you even hungry enough to make that sound? You had food last night. I should know, I was there." Sothis continued.
'You should also recall we didn't eat much.' Byleth noted. 'Hanneman needed us for the crest machine, remember?'
"Oh, right. It was still embarrassingly loud." Sothis said, getting the briefest of twitches from Byleth's eye. "Ooh, that's the first heightened emotional response I've gotten out of you."
"It's cleaner than last time." Byleth spoke up, choosing to ignore Sothis as she glanced around the room.
"Well, it wouldn't make for a welcome café if dust was everywhere." Ren said with a shrug, setting up a pot on the nearby stove top he had set up behind the counter. It was one of the pieces of equipment he had requested from Anna first alongside everything he needed for his coffee brewing.
After all, the Leblanc Special was a two part set.
"A café?" Sothis asked.
"Well, it still isn't exactly what I'd call welcoming yet since I don't have everything set up, but once it is I was planning on hanging around here in my spare time. Maybe using it as a place for the students to come around and study or just as a place where we can talk without interruption." Ren continued, quickly moving through and getting to work on different ingredients that were quickly prepared and set aside. "Of course, hours would likely fluctuate until I can get together an actual schedule that works. Not like I'm gonna be hiring part timers either…"
"Why are you setting up a café?" Byleth asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow. Ren paused, holding a large bowl filled with rice in his right hand.
"...I lived in a café back home for a year before coming here. The layout is basically one to one, so I just sort of felt like I should set something up here." Ren shrugged, moving around to add ingredients. "It's just… a means of staving off some home sickness I guess. Among the earlier things I mentioned."
"Right. And what are you making now?" Byleth asked.
"Curry." Ren said, stepping to the side as he began to peel apples. "Note to self, make yogurt if possible. I know I made a note of it somewhere before…"
"He certainly knows what he's doing." Sothis noted as the two watched as Ren quickly got to work coring and chopping the now peeled apples before adding them to the pot. "Has he ever mentioned anything like this before now?"
Byleth shook her head. "Well, I'm not too surprised. You have only known each other for barely over a week by now." Sothis said.
With the exception of Ren's culinary activities, the rest of the room fell silent. Byleth blinked, taking in the scent that was beginning to permeate from the teen's direction, or more specifically, the pot of food.
A loud meow dragged the mercenary's attention over to the stairs at the back, as Morgana walked over to the ground, hopping up onto the counter a bit left of Byleth.
"Yeah, it most certainly does smell like Leblanc. Especially after all the coffee I brewed last night." Ren said, looking over at Morgana.
"Leblanc?" Byleth asked.
Ren and Morgana turned to face her. "That's the name of the Cafe I was staying at. Cafe Leblanc. The curry we made there was scientifically designed to be paired with our coffee, so the combo was a real knockout, metaphorically." Ren said, turning back to stir the pot. "It also meant the place smelt of coffee and curry, not that it was a bad thing. Speaking of Coffee, do you want a cup with breakfast? I know I plan on having some."
Morgana spoke up, his meows reaching the ears of both Byleth and Ren.
"Do you not remember what happened the last time you had some coffee? You were bouncing off the walls and passed out." Ren said in Japanese, raising an eyebrow. "There's a reason you didn't get any when it was handed out in the Metaverse."
The cat made another noise that almost made it sound like it was attempting to bargain with the teen. "Yeah, no. Even if this place is more magically tuned, there's no telling that it'd change anything."
"Are you… talking with your cat?" Byleth asked.
"He definitely is." Sothis said.
"Hm? Ah, yeah. I know enough of his signs to be able to tell what he's trying to get across." Ren said with a shrug. "Although I can understand getting disappointed by hearing I'm not some cat whisperer or something."
"...The cat's staring at you." Sothis said, gaining Byleth's attention as the swordswoman turned to look at the black and white feline.
Morgana tilted his head to the side, meowed once, and then curled up on the counter. Byleth blinked, missing the light snort that came from Ren in response.
"It'll take me a few more minutes, but the food should be ready by then." Ren said, before glancing back at Byleth. "Never got an answer by the way. You want some coffee?"
"Wow." Morgana muttered, watching as Byleth practically inhaled the curry in front of her. "I mean, I don't blame her… but wow."
"You do realize the food isn't going anywhere, right?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow as Byleth paused and placed her spoon down.
"Habit. We weren't always lucky to be able to take our time eating." Byleth said with a shrug, taking a sip of the coffee placed before her. "Hunger IS the enemy.
"Among other things." Ren chuckled, scooping up some of his own curry. He took a bite of the food, getting a good taste of it. 'There's some minor nuances. The apples are probably responsible in some regard. Haven't had a chance to find and/or make yogurt. And I haven't really been able to see what spices line up with the ones I know back home past the ones I used now…'
"So, how did yesterday go?" Ren asked, looking up at Byleth as the swordswoman took another bite of curry.
Byleth swallowed, placing her spoon onto the plate as she leaned back. "I decided it would be a good time to go over some of the strategies that we used frequently in the mercenary corps." She began, glancing down at her food. Her eyelids drooped slightly, a miniscule amount to anyone that wasn't looking for the minute changes like Ren was.
"You look… unsure?" Ren asked as he watched Byleth take a sip from her coffee before she turned to look at him.
"My father was usually the one who would go over these things. I know them like the back of my hand, so it was easy enough for me to just merge in when needed." Byleth exhaled through her mouth in an action that was almost a sigh. "Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the act of actually passing said knowledge on. I know there were a few questions raised, but I don't know how well the students took to the theoretical side of the lesson."
Ren shrugged. "I'm sure it's fine. You were able to answer any questions that were asked of you. You have experience using those strategies, so in case you feel you need to go over it again, you can draw from that experience to-" Ren cut himself off, tilting his head to the side as he raised an eyebrow. "The theoretical side?"
Byleth mimicked the head tilt and raised eyebrow that Ren had just performed. "Of course. I believe you agree with me when I say I'm more knowledgeable with teaching through practical means."
Ren felt a shudder run down his spine. "That's not ominous at all…" Morgana said sarcastically from his spot on the counter.
"So you put theory to the test then?" Ren asked.
"Yes." Byleth nodded, taking another sip of her coffee before continuing. "I think it helped some of the students learn these strategies by putting the thought to action. I know Caspar was able to get a better grasp of it that way, at least."
Ren smiled. "Byelth, I don't think you have anything to worry about." The thief said, before scooping up another bite of curry. "Besides, even if it didn't go well, you can always learn from your mistakes."
"Thanks." Byleth said.
The two professors continued to eat, before Byleth placed her spoon down on her empty plate. "What do you have planned for tomorrow?"
Ren smiled, taking a long sip from his coffee before placing a rectangular pouch onto the counter. "What do you know about 301?"
"I'm not the only one who thinks this place has everything, right?" Morgana asked as he poked his head out of Ren's bag. "There's the green house at the end of the student dorms, the fishing pond, we've already seen the library. All we're really missing is a theatre, an arcade, and some batting cages."
"I think we're a bit too… behind, for batting cages." Ren replied with a chuckle as he walked down the path near the pond. He came to a stop, glancing over at the pond. "...Arcade as well really. The movie theatre thing might be workable though… or at least, it would be if we had a way of actually recording video…"
"And then a way to project said video without being called a witch or something." Morgana continued.
"Warlock. Witch is feminine, warlock is masculine." Ren said.
"You know what I mean!" Morgana replied with a huff. "Well, what else was on the agenda today?"
"...See if we can get ourselves prepared for the Mock Battle for now. I need to figure out if I can get any practice arrows to either modify, or be made for Daredevil." Ren said, placing a hand against his chin. "After that… Unwind with Fishing, I guess. Or at least until we can get the last of the Cafe equipment from Anna and the rest of the stuff for tomorrow…"
"Sounds like a plan. But, uh… who exactly are you planning to ask about that?" Morgana asked.
Ren placed his hands in his pockets, glancing up at the sky. It was cloudy, but not overcast. "...Well, I doubt Seteth is who I should be asking. His job's more… academic?"
"And I'd ask Jeralt, but he's still settling in here." Ren continued, glancing over at Morgana. "At least for now, he's someone to talk to for his experience, not for things related to… Well, this."
Ren sighed, tilting his head back down to look out at the pond. "...You know, thinking about it, I might have someone in mind."
"Well, he's certainly energetic." Morgana noted, watching as the man in full plate before the two thieves laughed, throwing his head back in the process. "Hey, I'm gonna slip out. He's all yours."
Ren chuckled, watching as Morgana ducked out of the room. "Yeah, I haven't really had a lot of time to catch up since being hired."
"Well, all the more reason to do so now." Alois responded, placing a hand on his hip. "How has life at the monastery been treating you?"
"Better than I was expecting, if we're being honest." Ren shrugged. "It has been a bit touch and go, but I'm used to thinking things up on the fly."
"I've heard as much from Jeralt already." Alois said with a smile. "I'm almost a bit jealous, seeing as we're being honest with each other."
"Jealous?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alois nodded. "Yes. Before I was the man you see before you, I was actually Jeralt's squire, though that was about 2 decades ago." Alois sighed fondly. "The captain is hard to impress. Not that it can't be done, but the speed at which you left an impression is astonishing!"
"You were in his mercenary company for, what, 4 days?" Alois asked, but didn't wait for an answer as he continued. "And yet there was so much good he had to say about you!"
Alois' smile turned sheepish after that, as his hand raised to rub the back of his head. "I hope that I didn't cause you any grief with my recommendation." The knight said, letting his arm fall to his side. "If I did, I apologize."
"Why did you recommend me?" Ren asked, placing a hand against his chin. "I understand recommending Byleth. She's Jeralt's daughter. I, on the other hand…"
"Are a complete stranger, yes, Seteth had said the same thing." Alois sighed, shaking his head. "But I felt strongly about you anyways. Jeralt spoke highly of Byleth, but never truly brought up how she worked with the rest of his company. She understands combat, but from what I've seen, she's still learning people."
"You, on the other hand, are different." Alois continued, smiling once again. "One of the first things Jeralt brought up was how you almost immediately connected with Byleth. Compound that with the experience you have with combat, and I believed it was a perfect idea."
"So, we have the mercenary who's exceedingly good at her job, and the stranger who's exceedingly good with people." Alois nodded, clearly pleased with himself. "The perfect pair to take over as Professor."
Ren felt a bead of sweat roll down his left temple. "Ah, so you ALSO recommended we team up to teach?"
"Of course!" Alois stated, before calming down as he placed a hand on his hip. "But I am serious. I've heard that you've settled into this sudden role rather well, but I'm sure it wasn't without some growing pains."
Alois smiled. "I don't currently have anything in mind yet to repay you for my enthusiasm running amok, but I will eventually." He said, pumping a fist in the air. "So, if you ever need something. Don't hesitate to ask me for help."
Ren smiled. "Alright. I think it's not entirely necessary, but if you think it is, I won't say no."
"Great, glad to hear it, Sensei!" Alois said.
Ren resisted the urge to groan at that. The act was helped by the familiar darkening of his vision as Lavenza's voice echoed in his head.
I am Thou, Thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Sun Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
{RANK UP!}
Ren chuckled to himself, watching as familiar chains snapped and shattered around the blue arcana card. "Of course. Of course he's the sun…"
Time resumed to its natural flow, and this time Ren wasn't able to stop the good natured groan from leaking out.
"Sorry, is it something I said?" Alois asked.
"No, merely marveling at how freaking fast word travels around here." Ren said with a shake of his head. He looked back up at Alois, matching the knight's smile with his own. "So, I don't suppose you'd be able to help me requisition some practice arrows for the Mock battle?"
"Already back to see me so quickly?" Anna asked, looking over Ren as he walked over. She smiled, clasping her hands together. "Well, I certainly won't say no to repeat business."
"I'm here regarding my earlier orders." Ren said with a smile. "Any update on the renovations?"
Anna nodded. "We've got everything in order, I have them scheduled for tomorrow, while you're busy with classes. Just need a signature authorizing their entry and work." She said, handing over the forms. "And after that, I have your dart supplies ready."
"Oh good, I need those for tomorrow's class." Ren said, sighing in relief. He fished a fountain pen out from his bag, quickly getting to work signing the forms. "Okay, that's done. The dartboards and darts?"
"Right here!" Anna said, hefting up a large leather bag onto the countertop of her stall. "Not overly heavy, a little bit, but all things considered, I think you'll be fine."
Ren grabbed the edges of the bag and pulled up, lifting the bag into the air with a little bit of effort. "Yeah, that's manageable. And the rest of the cafe equipment?"
"I'll have it moved in during the renovation tomorrow." Anna replied with a wave of her hand. "Anything else I can help you with today?"
"Nothing right now. I think I'm pretty much all set." Ren nodded to himself, grabbing the bag of dart supplies as he turned to leave the market. "Thanks for all the help!"
"Have a nice day!" Anna said with a wave as Ren walked away.
"Alright, everything's in order." Ren said, glancing over the room before him. "All of the necessary equipment has been acquired for the Cafe, Anna has her… people coming in tomorrow to install the furniture, I've got everything ready for tomorrow's lesson…"
Ren turned to Morgana, who was lying on the counter nearby. "Anything else I'm missing?"
"You got those practice arrows from Alois for your crossbow." Morgana supplied, getting a nod from Ren as the thief pulled out Daredevil.
"Right, I'm stocked up for the battle on Wednesday." He said, ejecting the magazine to check that it was still empty, before inserting it back in and hiding it on his person. "And we've still got another 4 hours before it gets dark out."
"I take it that it's time to do some fishing?" Morgana asked.
"Morgana, it has been nine, long, stressful days since I've had any real time to 'relax'. So, to answer your question?" Ren tilted his head with a wry grin. "Of course we're going fishing!"
"I've missed this…" Ren said, sitting down on a stool he had dragged over, fishing rod held in his hands.
"You and me both." Morgana said, spreading out on the wood dock, soaking in the sun. The cat rolled over to look at Ren. "Anything biting yet?"
"Nope. If I wanted to go all out, I'd be using my third eye." Ren said with a shrug. "Especially since I'm basically cheating with it."
"We're thieves, Joker. We never play fair." Morgana noted with a smirk.
"True, doesn't mean I should forgo the challenge by using it." Ren responded. The teen paused, feeling his body go stiff before his grip tightened around his fishing pole as a strong tug ran through the pole. "Speaking of!"
Ren grit his teeth, pulling against the force on the other end of his line. "I should… make a better rod when I- Agh- have the chance!"
Ren wretched the rod upwards, pulling his catch firmly out of the water. He let out a breath as the large fish writhed out in the open. "Huh…"
"Ren, is… I'm not wrong in saying that fish looks like Gold, right?" Morgana asked, getting up and as he shook off the stray drops of water that had splashed onto him.
"...No, you're not." Ren said, blinking in slight confusion as the fish slowly stopped moving. "...Hey, we're allowed to sell caught fish, right?"
"Yeah, the sign over there says so." Morgana noted, tilting his head over to the sign in question hanging off of the side of the Fishkeeper's stall.
"...Well, in that case, let's see how much this thing's gonna sell for." Ren said, grabbing the line of his fishing rod with his off hand as he walked towards the Fishkeeper.
"Well, I guess we have an extra 500 gold to work with now…" Morgana muttered as the two stared down at the leather pouch sitting in the middle of the café.
"Yep…" Ren crossed his arms, letting out a breath. "What time is it right now?"
"Around dinner if I recall." Morgana said, licking his paw.
"Right, and tomorrow it's my first day of solo teaching." Ren nodded, walking over to the pouch of gold. He picked it up and tossed it into the air, catching it with his other hand as it fell. "Right, let's grab some food, then do some crafting so I have everything ready for Wednesday. I can worry about my lesson plan possibly blowing up in my face tomorrow."
There were a lot of things Edelgard was prepared for today.
Saturday's class had been an excellent look into Professor Eisner's mindset. Various strategies that the mercenary had personally experienced were laid out and explained to her and her classmates, before quickly being put to the test during the latter half of the lesson.
While not everyone was prepared for the lesson, everyone did leave that class having learned something.
It was a successful use of her time, and showed that Professor Eisner was suited to the position given to her.
So when she walked into the class, preparing herself for what lesson she might be subjected to by her other professor, she was suitably baffled by the sight of said professor's cat scoring a bullseye on the dartboard that had not been in the classroom during their previous lessons.
Amamiya Sensei, a title that had been spread through word of mouth by Dorothea and had subsequently become the class' new title for their professor, walked over to the dartboard set up next to the blackboard, and removed one of the darts that has been firmly impaled in the center of the dartboard.
The teen quickly marked down with chalk some quick subtractions underneath another number on the blackboard before swiftly drawing a line right through the previous number displayed, letting it join an ascending line of numbers that seemingly started at 701.
"Everyone, today will be a bit different, so for now I'd recommend not taking a seat." He said, turning to face the class, a metal dart of intricate design held in his right hand. "Feel free to step further into the classroom however."
The class silently made their way into the classroom, the two doors leading out into the courtyard closing behind them courtesy of Ferdinand. Ren nodded, turning back to face the dartboard as he removed the remaining two darts from the bullseye.
"This is going to be something of a practice run, we'll say." Ren said, turning back to face his class as he walked towards them. "Before I begin to explain the 'why', I'll ask this to get it out of the way. By show of hands, who here has experience with darts? Any game type is fine, but I'd like to know who here is experienced with the general mechanics behind it."
Edelgard raised a hand, followed soon by Dorothea, Hubert and Ferdinand. Ren nodded, coming to a stop at a spot marked by some colored tape. "Right, then for those of you who are not as informed, today we'll be getting everyone acquainted with said darts." He said, turning to face the now empty dartboard before bringing his right arm up. He closed his eyes, taking a breath in, before they snapped open. His irises shined with a keen edge, and a moment later, his arm moved.
The dart flew true, cutting through the air as it stabbed into a spot on the dartboard about midway above Bullseye. "A dartboard is typically segmented into twenty slices, each marked at the edge of the board ranging from one to twenty. You land a dart in that slice, you get that many points. The outer ring in red is worth double the point value of that slice, and the middle ring between that and the bullseye is worth triple."
Edelgard blinked, taking note of the clean triple 20 her teacher had just achieved as he paused and turned to his students to make sure the information was being passed on. "Then of course, you have the bullseye. Whoever is familiar with archery, you understand the idea behind this. It's the absolute center of the target and worth 50 points." Ren said, turning back to the dartboard before throwing another dart, slotting it perfectly into the very center bullseye. "The outer ring of the bullseye sometimes is considered to be worth 25 points, but for our purposes, we'll be sticking with a clean 50."
The teen turned back to face the class, passing the last of the three darts over to his right hand. "That isn't to say a bullseye is the highest score you can get. Landing a triple twenty is worth 60 points, and can be as difficult a target to hit as a bullseye." He said, before turning around and throwing another dart. The projectile slid into place next to the first dart, earning another 60 points for the professor. "So, now that I've explained the dartboard, allow me to explain just what it is we'll be playing."
Ren walked over to the black board, subtracting 110 points from the previous number, leaving behind 171. He quickly pulled the darts out of the dartboard and turned back to address the class. "While most game types tend to be a case of 'highest score wins', we'll be doing the opposite today. 301, 501 and 701 are game types where you and a teammate take turns throwing three darts at a dartboard."
The professor motioned to the blackboard and the example displayed to them already. "When you score points, you subtract that number from the total. Your goal is to lower the number to 0 within 5 turns." He continued, moving to the side as his cat jumped back up onto the stool. He placed the three darts onto the stool for the cat as he glanced back at his students. "Now, the normal rules dictate that if you subtract into the negatives instead of leaving with a clean zero, you bust and lose the game."
Morgana leapt into the air, throwing the first dart at the target. The dart collided with the board with a quiet thud, landing firmly in the triple 20 range. "However, since there are a fair number of you that haven't played darts before, and i'm fairly certain that most of you aren't entirely proficient with throwing them, we won't be playing with that rule. Your only goal is to subtract to zero. If you go below zero, that's still a win." Ren continued, much to the audible relief of some of Edelgard's classmates. The cat jumped up once more, another triple 20 scored. "You'll be split into pairs, and you'll alternate these pairs throughout the day. If you look to your left and right, you'll find 4 more dartboards set up on either side of the classroom. There's a blackboard on the desk next to these 'stations' for you to keep score."
Ren turned back to look at Morgana. "So with all that said…" He trailed off, watching as the cat jumped and threw the last dart into the triple 17 segment of the dartboard. He smirked and walked over to the blackboard, quickly subtracting the remaining number from the score before turning around to face his students.
He smiled, the large zero drawn on the board behind him much larger than the earlier scores purely for the dramatics. "Are there any questions?"
Edelgard raised her hand a moment later. "Sensei, I'm confused as to why this is what you're teaching us today." She said, lowering her arm. There were quiet mutters from a few of her classmates, Linhardt, Caspar chief among them, with some very quiet grumbles from Hubert that were almost inaudible to everyone else.
"Well, as I said earlier, this is… something akin to a practice run for future lessons of mine." Ren said, walking over to the now empty stool as his cat quickly vacated the spot. "...Before I joined up with Jeralt and Byleth, I faced battles with a group of friends back home. We were… untrained so we ended up learning a lot on the fly. That said, not everything can be learned in the heat of battle, and sometimes it's easier to learn something out of it."
Ren chuckled to himself. "Definitely less dangerous as well. So, we'd all come down to the darts and billiards club and we'd play 301. It was a way to… Unwind and relax, but it also brought us together more. And when we next went into battle, our teamwork was stronger than ever."
Ren leaned forward. "That's what I'm hoping to accomplish with these lessons. I've been a student before, I've been a fighter as well. Both of those things will drive you up the wall until you're beaten and exhausted. So I've been thinking of using some of my solo days, not all of them of course, but some for days like this." Ren said, motioning to the classroom. "A day where you all can relax and have some fun. A day where you still learn and work together to build up your teamwork. That's why you're going to be playing 301 instead of something more competitive."
Ren hopped off the stool, glancing around at the group. "Is that answer satisfactory, Edelgard?" He asked, looking over at the Imperial princess. It was an honest question, one without a hint of arrogance or spite.
Edelgard nodded. "I believe it is, Sensei."
The teen nodded, breaking eye contact to address the class as a whole. "Are there any other questions?"
Three seconds of silence passed before Ren smiled. "Right then, if you'll all come here. I have your names written down on slips of paper in a hat." Ren said, walking over to the side as he pulled up a black tophat. "I'll draw two slips at a time, and if your name is one of them, you'll move to a station with your partner. I'll keep doing this until we have our four groups."
"I'm not expecting amazing progress today from you all. Today is to merely get you familiar with the concept and to increase your proficiency with it. It's why we're starting at 301." Ren continued, picking up two slips from the hat. "That said, it wouldn't be the first time you guys pleasantly surprised me if some of you do get to 0. If that does happen, it's up to your discretion if you move up to 501 or not."
"So, the first pair!"
"Well, at least we don't need to explain proper safety…" Morgana mused, watching the class practice their dart throwing skills. "Is this basically the medieval rendition of putting a VHS on for the class?"
"I mean…" Ren shrugged, glancing up at the class before he dived back into the notebook he was holding, making more notes down on it.
"What's this you're going over?" Morgana asked, looking over at the notebook.
"Taking notes on their performance and habits." The thief replied, pen scratching against paper. "So, as an example, Bernadetta has good aim. Mostly due to her skill with a bow. Unfortunately, she's not used to throwing darts so her actual precision is…"
The thief glanced back up and looked over Ferdinand and Bernadetta's station. Ferdinand swapped places with Bernadetta, letting the archer take over. The thief watched as Bernadetta threw the first of three darts at the board, and the resulting bounce as it smacked against the outside edge of the dartboard. "Lacking."
"Then we have the others who are much better at this." Ren continued, looking over at the station Dorothea and Caspar were stationed at. "Dorothea knows what she's doing. At least well enough for casual games. Her form is good, she's keeping a firm but not overly tight grip of the dart, and she's following through with her arm after each throw."
Ren made a few minor notes on the rest of his students before closing the notebook and placing it to the side. "Alright, I think it's time to change teams."
"Any plans?" Morgana asked, watching as Ren began to shuffle the hat filled with named paper.
"Cheat the randomization." Ren responded, activating his third eye as he looked into the hat.
"Of course you are." Morgana said with a smile.
"Alright! We're going to be switching teams now!" Ren shouted, getting the attention of his class. As his students moved away from the stations, he quickly began to pull out slips of paper from the hat. "Team 1: Dorothea and Bernadetta. Team 2: Hubert and Ferdinand Team 3: Caspar and Petra. And Edelgard and Linhardt as Team 4."
He took another seat and watched as the students dispersed once again, opening his notebook as the first darts began to fly. Morgana glanced over at Ren and raised an eyebrow. "So, now what's your plan?"
"See if the new pairings can iron out some of the issues they might have… and if not, help them out personally." Ren said, glancing over at Dorothea as the spellcaster began to help Bernadetta better her technique. He smiled, glancing over at Morgana after a moment. "And already it's working out."
"See, I would've immediately went in to help them out. But not everyone is going to be… receptive to that kind of help immediately." Ren continued with a shrug. "I figured having a classmate help them work things out, as opposed to their new teacher who they barely know, would work better for some."
"Of course, there's some who will probably need my help anyways, so it's not like I'm wasting my time." Ren finished, flipping the page of his notebook over to start adding in more notes.
"Well, for now they seem to have things figured out." Morgana said.
"Yep." Ren nodded, looking up at the class for about a minute before he looked over at Morgana. "Caspar's throwing too hard and isn't letting go quick enough to match, so his aim is off and his darts tend to favor the lower side of the board. Petra's gotten things figured out on her end, though she's not following through with her throws so her grouping isn't as tight as it might be. Ferdinand and Hubert are clearly familiar with this, though they're teamwork is the thing that mainly needs work. Edelgard is throwing straight but she needs to apply a bit more force. Linhardt isn't taking things too seriously, but otherwise has the technique down. Dorothea's been stated already and is helping Bernadetta get up to stuff."
"You're scarily good at that." Morgana said with a smile.
"Most of us are. Analyzing on the spot and finding weak points in something was a skill that we frequently used in the Metaverse." Ren said with a shrug. "Queen was a lot better at it. Oracle could basically cheat at it, so she was already out of the rankings. I'm just more specialized, all things considered."
"...Has any team reached 0 yet?" Morgana asked.
"Round one had Edelgard and Petra reach it, alongside Hubert and Linhardt." Ren said, leaning back in his seat. "So far only Ferdinand, Huber, Edelgard and Linhardt have reached 0. They've moved up to 501 now I believe."
Ren paused, glancing over to Bernadetta's station as the archer sent a dart into the center bullseye. "Well, I see we also need to add Dorothea and Bernadetta to that list."
"...Wanna go for a round of 501?"
"Sure, I can't let my students have all the fun."
"Alright, so when you let go, follow through with your arm. It'll help your shots stay straight." Ren said, miming the action of throwing a dart as his arm leveled at the bullseye of the target.
"I see." Petra said, picking up her second dart with her right hand. "I will attempt it now."
Ren took a step back, falling in line with Edelgard as Petra aimed her shot. "...It's strange." Edelgard began quietly, just loud enough for Ren to hear. "I would be lying if I said this is what I thought you'd be having us partake in today."
"Yeah, I can imagine." Ren said back quietly. "Why do you think I chose to do this?"
"You told us, didn't you?" Edelgard asked, turning to look at Ren. "That it was to work on our teamwork and to help us Unwind."
"Which is true, for both of those." Ren said, watching as Petra landed her dart on the double 14. "But that's not the whole picture."
"...I don't believe I see what it is." Edelgard admitted, glancing at the thief in confusion. "Perhaps you'd be willing to enlighten me?"
Ren rolled his shoulders, glancing at Edelgard out of the corner of his eye. "There's a lot to be learnt when you can watch people try to work together." He continued as Petra picked up her third dart. "How they might try and help their teammates. If they might react poorly with the other. If there are some issues that need to be quickly addressed…"
"The Mock Battle is in two days. Tomorrow is when we're planning on going over our plan of attack, and I wanted to know what I need to keep an eye on when we're out on the field." Ren said, looking back at the dart board. A grin broke out on his face as the last of Petra's darts sank onto the bullseye. "Of course, playing darts with your friends is just plain fun, so I figured killing two birds with one stone was a good call."
"Good job, Petra." Ren said a bit louder, getting his student's attention as she turned to face him. "You're doing great."
"Thank you, Sensei." Ren shook his head with a smile at the girl's response before he turned to face Edelgard.
"Oh, and I should note. You might want to apply a bit more force to your throws. Otherwise your technique's very good." Ren said with a smile, walking away from the pair as he headed back to his desk.
"...I suppose I'll give that a try then." Edelgard said, turning to face Petra. "Good job. I'll take over from here."
"Good luck." Petra said, moving to the side as Edelgard to her spot in front of the dartboard.
'...I suppose this has its merits as well." Edelgard thought with a slight smile as she pulled up her first dart. 'Besides, tomorrow is when the real planning begins.'
'The Mock Battle is upon us. What do you two have in mind for us, I wonder?'