[20th of Great Tree Mooon]

Cloudy

I met important people today.

I didn't know they were important when I first met them, but Jeralt and Robin told me afterwards.

I had the dream again. There was a battle. A green-haired woman was fighting a white-haired man with a whip-sword that looked impractical. I wonder if he's related to Robin or just has normally white hair.

The green-haired woman won.

I don't know if I should feel bad because the person that looks like Robin died, or I should be amused. After all, the guy with the impractical sword lost.

I did manage to catch the name of the white-haired man, however.

'Nemesis'

What a weird name.

Still, it's more than I've gotten in the past couple of years. The first time I had the dream was before my first battle. In that battle, I tore off a man's head with my bare hands. I didn't cut it off because I broke my iron sword on his shoulder. I asked Jeralt for a steel sword afterwards. He complied.

I then proceeded to kill everyone else that wasn't a part of the company in sight.

I think that and the fires that I accidentally caused were what gave me the nickname 'Ashen Demon'.

Or maybe it was that one time I burned down Dawnwood? I don't know.

Today's dream was even more unusual because that dream was followed up by another one.

This time, a different green-haired woman sat on an uncomfortable-looking throne of rock. Why would she sit there? It looks cold. It's probably colder since she wears almost nothing.

Is she not cold?

"Hm… I have not seen the likes of you before," She said to me.

I tilted my head in confusion. I wanted to say that I haven't seen the likes of her either, but I didn't want to seem rude.

Robin said that asking questions before introducing oneself is rude, so I did not ask questions.

She then asked me what I am.

I wanted to respond with 'Ashen Demon', but then I remembered that Robin didn't want me to use that name anymore. Something about it not being what I am. I don't understand, but Robin is smarter than I am, so I will listen to him.

So instead, I said:

"I am a mortal,"

"I see… Then you must have a name of some sort. Go on, what is your name?"

"My name is Byleth,"

"Huh. I shall not grow accustomed to the sound of human names. You must possess a birthday as well?"

"26th of the Blue Sea Moon,"

"Well! Wonders never cease, it would seem that we share the same day of birth. How strange!"

I don't know what to say to this, so I say nothing.

"Hmm.. it all feels so familiar… I think it may be time for another nap…"

I then wake up.

"That dream again?" Jeralt raised an eyebrow as I come into the main room of the house that we are currently living in.

I nod.

Jeralt then started to talk but was cut off by a horn being blown.

"What now- Oh, that's not good," His face contorted into a grimace.

"That's the horn that we use to signal an enemy attack, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is…" Jeralt sighs.

"They went through the woods, didn't they?"

"Yes, By. No need to state the obvious…"

"We should call Robin. Now," Perhaps I stressed my statement a bit too much, but Jeralt looked surprised and then nodded, and started walking outside.

As soon as we get outside, the sound of battle can already be heard in the distance. It wasn't very fierce, thankfully, and there weren't any screams. Yet.

Jeralt dutifully pulled out the flare, pointed it up towards the sky, and loosed the spell of flame inside of it.

A ball of purple flame rocketed upward, the bright light that it made illuminated the forest and the surrounding fields and village for more than 'a dozen hundred feet'. It seems that Robin overestimated how powerful his flare was.

"Captain Eisner!" A rider approached from the forest, looking very confused and annoyed. "We found a couple of brats that were caught up with the bandits.

"Brats?"

"They say they're from the Officer's Academy. Not sure what noble brats are doing here, but they seemed important enough for me to inform you of," Now that the rider had come closer, I can see the unmistakable face of Mikal riding towards us. A massive frown is written on his face.

"Well, I'll be darned. By, go with Mikal and see what these nobles are doing here. I'll be back after I get my horse," I nodded in response to Jeralt's words.

"You need a lift?" Mikal raised an eyebrow at me. I frown.

"No, I don't know how to ride a horse,"

"Just sit behind me and don't fall off,"

"So stab you with a dagger and hold on to that?" Robin told me that if I need to climb something, I should stab into it with a dagger to create a handhold so I don't fall off. I don't know if it's the same with horseriding.

I was later told that it was not.

"Wh- Oh right, you're the Ashen Demon…" Mikal muttered under his breath. "They're over there, past that clearing. Zonzi's platoon is covering them right now."

I gave him a nod of understanding and thanks. I dashed over to the wooded ridge past the small clearing that Mikal pointed to.

It took but a moment to spot the three 'Noble Brats' that Mikal was talking about.

Thinking back on it, I don't think that the children I met today could be recognized as important people when you first look at them.

For one, they look so weak. Unlike Jeralt and Robin, who look strong. Well, maybe not Robin, but he looks important. His coat makes him look mysterious and intimidating, at least according to Mikal. I can't tell either way. That's why I leave the politics to Robin.

There was one girl and two boys standing there, looking extremely confused. The sound of the fighting had died down. One side decided to stop pushing, and considering Zonzi isn't screaming for her men to stand their ground, the bandits probably stopped attacking rather than Zonzi's platoon running away.

I stared at them and gathered as much information as I could. Robin always said that information wins fights when pure strength doesn't.

The only girl has white hair and is wearing what appears to be a uniform, though the red cape and leggings seem to be her addition. Is she related to Robin in some way? I've never seen someone so young who has white hair, except for Robin. Her lavender eyes bore holes into me, doing to me what I'm doing to her: quietly judging.

The boy in the middle has a messy mop of blonde hair. Where the girl is partial to the colour red, this boy's motif is without a doubt blue. His height seems to indicate that he's from the Kingdom; people from Faergus have always had a massive height advantage. Then again, Robin had always been tall. Perhaps he was from Faergus too?

The last boy has a decently well-kept head of brown hair. His colour seemed to be yellow, with all the little details on his uniform being yellow. His cape is yellow too. A small braid falls from one side of his head. He must be an archer or a mage; any handholds that you give an opponent in melee could be fatal. His skin is a couple of shades darker than the average Fodlani, being more like an Almyran's. Perhaps he's from there? He has the same glint in his eyes that Robin has when he's planning something stupid, brilliant, stupidly brilliantly, or brilliantly stupid.

The blonde boy spoke first. I decided to start calling him 'Blondie'.

"Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire," Blondie informed me.

I nodded in response. Then I frowned.

"What happened?"

"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support. That's what I would say, but it seems that your mercenaries have already started to fight. My ask for a name?"

"Bandits? Those?" I ignored his question and pointed towards the sound of the battle that was raging only a couple of seconds ago.

"Y-yes. Those bandits. They attacked us when we were in camp," My frown deepened.

"What about the men we send to block the road?" Worry spiked in my brain. My mind drifted to Robin. What happened?

"Uh- They went around?" This caused me to frown. Didn't Robin say only one or two platoons could get through the forest?

"Yup! They went around the road and into the forest!" The yellow-caped boy smiled after Blondie's confused answer. His smile seems so fake. Even when Robin pretended to smile, he did it better. It managed to convince Zonzi that her cooking was editable, which was a real shock. I dubbed thee 'Fake Smile.'

"How many?"

"Around fifty to sixty men," This time it was the white-haired girl that spoke. Her eyes were really strange. I dubbed her 'Purple Eyes'.

I suddenly smiled at the number that Purple Eyes provided me. This seemed to catch the three of them off guard.

"We should get going. Zonzi's going to be charging ahead in a couple of moments. Don't want her platoon to get all of the fun, do we?" I inform them with a smile. Fifty to Sixty ill-trained bandits? Robin and I can take them by ourselves on a good day.

I can take them.

I charged ahead, not waiting for the three kids. They seemed to follow me, however, even if Blondie was yelling about not rushing ahead the entire time.

I passed the small wooden palisade that marked the edge of the village. Zonzi's platoon seemed to be exhausted, no doubt from the exercises that Zonzi put on them yesterday.

I got a couple of acknowledging nods as I charged outside. I've fought with Zonzi's squad on multiple occasions. They know what I'm doing, and they'll back me up when I've started to bathe in spilt blood.

"Ashen Demon," Zonzi rode up to me, her blonde hair rippling in the wind. Her lance was still dripping with blood from the combat earlier, and she looked tired. Seems like her platoon didn't do as she liked.

"Zonzi," I slowed my pace to a slow jog. This still seemed to be faster than what the three nobles could manage, so I had some time to talk to Zonzi by myself.

"Where you headed? And why weren't we told about this attack? Robin's plans finally go awry?"

"To check out what's happened. Robin wasn't wrong about what the bandits were going to do, only about the number of bandits. They only have fifty to sixty, he was expecting a larger force,"

I think that was the most I've ever said to Zonzi up to that point. She frowned and stared at me with her green eyes.

"Right then. There's a watchtower in the fields over there," Zonzi pointed to a field to the left. "The bandits took it since the people assigned to it are cowards and need to be disciplined. I don't know if I should be ordering you around or not, but it would help us a lot if you retook it."

I saw the wooden watchtower off in the distance. It wouldn't take too long for me to reach it. It was only around a thousand feet away.

"I'll go. Don't worry,"

Zonzi nodded.

"Use a smoke signal once you've retaken it. I'll push up the men in my platoon who grew a pair this morning,"

I nodded again, even if I don't know what she wanted the men to grow.

Spying a bush-covered fence on the way, I quickly motioned to the small gaggle behind me that I would be stopping there to assess the situation. They seemed confused. Then I remembered that the signal I used was learned from Robin; he had developed the system exclusively for use within Jeralt's mercenary company.

Sighing, I pointed at the small fence and said:

"We wait there,"

They seemed to understand then.

I dashed, sliding into cover as the small gaggle followed suit, though less quickly and less gracefully.

I peeked out, counting fifteen bandits between us and the watchtower. A small fortified campsite lies between us and the watchtower; eight men are outside of the campsite, while seven are inside. The sound of laughter permeated the air. They were probably having a quick meal. Did they not eat breakfast?

"What are we doing?" Fake Smile asked me with a raised eyebrow.

"Taking the watchtower. Zonzi wanted us to retake that position so we will have a better tactical position," I informed him.

"By ourselves? There are how many people between us and that watchtower?"

"Fifteen, with four or five others in the watchtower itself,"

"That means we're outnumbered nearly five-to-one!"

"Twenty-to-one," I corrected.

"What?" Fake Smile's smile disappeared and was replaced by a frown.

"You cannot be serious, ma'am! Fighting against those odds alone would be suicide!" Blondie seemed to understand what I meant the fastest.

I shrugged in response.

"I've faced worse odds,"

I took another look at the small campsite and spotted a large and dry bush growing next to the palisade. A small chant left my lips as a small fire spell ignited on my finger. I spell that Robin had taught me when I asked him to teach me magic. It is an incredibly useful spell.

I fling the small ball of flame towards the bush and it instantly ignites. The reactions of the bandits are delayed; they are either distracted or inebriated. Either one is good for me.

"Stay here, do not move out until I've taken out these eight," I turned to look at the small gaggle huddled behind me. The tone in my voice seems to make them comply.

I start to walk through the field between the fence and the watchtower. I was more than halfway to the watchtower when one of the bandits noticed me walking towards their effort to extinguish the flame.

"Oi! Sarge! Look 'over there! Looks like we 'ave a little lass who wants te fight us!" Inebriated. Definitely inebriated. As Robin would say, how in Naga's name did they manage to fight Zonzi's platoon to a standstill?

At the very least, they seem ex-military, though that's not saying much.

"Huh?" Sarge twisted his neck back to look at me, only for his eyes to widen in surprise.

While this was happening, I had enough time to grab the knife on my belt, casually twirl it in the air, and throw it with what Robin would describe as a frightening speed.

"A-Ashen…Demon?" He managed to yell out before he was silenced. The knife cleanly impacted his throat and whatever he was going to say was turned into a series of gurgles and coughs.

Huh. It seemed like he knew my name. Sad that I had to kill him.

Seeing their commander die, the rest of the bandits lose all cohesion. Typical. Robin would be disappointed in them. Four charge me, two with lances and two with swords. The rest rush back to defend the palisade, two with fear in their eyes and the other one looking incredibly bored.

The first lancer comes up to me and jabs with his lance, while one of his comrades tries to circle to where he thinks I will dodge. They're coordinated, I'll give them that. However, instead of dodging, I simply grab the lance of the person who tried to strike me first, and jank hard as he strikes. Unable to keep his balance, he stumbles and falls to the ground, relinquishing his lance to me. His eyes fill with shock and fear as he falls. Good.

I sidestep a strike from the other bandit, who is now confused and frightened. Turning the lance around in my hand, I plunge it into the neck of the bandit who's on the ground. It severs the connection between the head and body; a slight spasm shudders his body, and the man is dead.

I leave the lance there and pull out my sword. While the lance has better reach, it has one major weakness. That is, if I close the distance, the lance just becomes a quarterstaff with an extremely heavy end. My enemy's lance has the exact same problem. Rushing forward would render the weapon useless. So I do exactly that, dodging another strike from the second lancer as the first swordsman arrives. I enter the man's guard. Fear flashes in his eyes as he realizes that his lance is now useless, and I drive my steel sword into his gut. A satisfying snap can be heard as I sever his spine. Even if he lives, he'll be paralyzed from the chest down.

He falls into a pile as I turn and catch the falling sword from the first swordsman in a bind. He isn't very strong, but I wasn't going to fight for the bind in the first place. A quick kick to the crotch causes him to drop his sword and kneel in pain, and I take that time to separate the head from his body. A pained expression is seen on his face as his read flies some distance away, landing on the ground and rolling away.

The last swordsman takes in the scene that I've caused in around ten seconds and decides that running away would be the best option. Then, he suddenly realizes that his comrades had closed the palisade gates a long time ago. So, he does the only other option, running towards the forest. This gives me enough time to calmly take my dagger out of the corpse of Sarge and nimbly catch the back of his neck with the thrown Almyran blade, the polished dagger once again claims an unsuspected target. I removed the dagger from his neck and wipe the blood away on my pants.

I then heard clapping from behind me. Turning around, I found that Fake Smile had left the fence and started to clap.

"Bravo, Ashen Demon! Great show, definitely better than what I could have done," Fake Smile still had a fake smile.

Blondie and Purple Eyes slowly peeked their heads from around the fence, stunned at the carnage that I had caused. I then heard gurgling from beside me, and realize that the man I had stabbed through the gut did not in fact die.

I frowned and relieved him of his head.

I turned back to the three children that I'd taken with me to fight. Why did I do this? I still don't know what drove me to take them under my wing. Perhaps Robin is rubbing off on me too much?

"That was…amazing… How did you manage to defeat them so quickly?" Blondie gasped. Something stirred under his eyes. I don't know what is happening under those blue eyes. I doubt that he's just complimenting my form.

"While it utilized a large amount of dagger throws, that was still very very impressive," Purple Eyes nods. "Where did learn how to fight like that?"

Why were they talking to me in the middle of a fight? There were still enemies around!

I told them as much and rushed to the palisade. The three follow suit.

The small wooden wall isn't very strong, but tearing out the poles would cost us too much time.

"There's still eleven inside the palisade,"

"Who's the strongest here?" I asked the three nobles behind me.

"I thought you didn't want us talking in the middle of a battle, ma'am," Fake Smile's eyes lit up.

"This is important. Who's the strongest?"

"I am, ma'am. I still didn't get your name…" Blondie informed me.

"You don't need to know my name. Ma'am will be fine. Lift me over the wall, Blondie,"

"E-excuse me?"

For some reason, this caused Fake Smile to cackle with laughter and a hint of a smile to appear on Purple Eyes's face.

"I said, lift me. Do you not understand?"

"I d-do, but what name did you use for me, ma'am?"

"Blondie,"

"W-Why?"

"Because you're blonde?" This made Fake Smile laugh even harder.

"Why are you laughing, Fake Smile?"

"Whu- Fake Smile? Please, madam, my laughter here is genuine, I assure you! Nobody has ever called him 'Blondie' in his life before, and I find that hilarious,"

"Fake Smile and Blondie, huh… Not the strangest names to give them…" Purple Eyes muttered to herself.

"Hurry up and lift me over this damned wall, Blondie,"

"Y-yes, madam," He held out a hand. I frowned. How was I supposed to get over the palisade with his hand? I instead put my left foot on his shoulder, and using the palisade as a brace, I pushed off of him and flipped over the wooden wall. True to his word, his shoulder doesn't even budge as I kick off of it. He is very strong.

I landed on my feet, completely surprising the men who had stayed on the ground. The five men were guarding the gate, and they turned around with surprise written all over their faces. I drew my sword once again and began cutting through the flesh of the five men.

I sidestepped an axe swing, parried a sword, and proceeded to lob off the head of the man who had tried to circle me. One down, ten left. The axeman tries again, his slow and clumsy swing easily sidestepped and he impaled his axe into the palisade. I grabbed the lance of one of the men and stab it into his comrade behind me. At this point, the drunk and scared men start to truly fear for their lives. They take bigger risks, wilder swings, and heavier blows.

A different lance managed to graze my flank as I twisted to avoid a sword blow. The man in question gets a dagger in his throat for his trouble.

I grab the hilt of an axe being swung at me and slam the axehead into the man beside him, killing him instantly.

I get nicked by a sword, only to use a combat art to cut his and his comrade's stomach open.

A swordsman gets my sword in his gut as I used him to block a jab from a lance, the second wound on his back causing him to scream in pain.

A man manages to parry my blade, only to get my foot kicked firmly into his crotch. He crumples to the ground and loses his head to my sword.

Taking my dagger out of the man I killed a couple of seconds earlier, I throw it at the man who is currently trying to take his axe out of the wall. It impales his arm into the wood, and he screams.

I frowned when I did that. I was aiming for his throat. I usually don't miss.

At this point, I've killed most of the men in the small campsite. There were only three left, and one was pinned against the wall.

I must have lowered my guard a bit because I managed to get another scratch on my side. -No, you get hurt very often, By. You just don't notice it. You had thirteen scratches that day. R.

The axeman who still has both his arms responding to him swung at me. He missed. I stabbed him through the head. I grimaced as the grey matter splattered on my clothes. Blood was already hard to get out of clothing; I don't intend to find out how hard grey matter is.

The last man falls quickly too, his sword skills hardly a match for me.

I finally allowed myself to take a deep breath. I stabbed my sword into the ground and leaned on it. Zorach will be pissed that I blunted it like this again, but he can go fuck himself with a whetstone.

"Come on in, you three. I've cleared out the palisade," I yelled out to the three people who were hiding behind the palisade.

It was then I turned around and found out that the man I had impaled against the wall had cut off his arm to get himself free. Why he didn't just pull out my dagger I will never know. I think I know why Robin told me to never fight drunk.

That wasn't important.

What was important is that he still had his axe, and my sword was still stuck in the dirt.

Realizing that I didn't have enough time to pull out my sword, my mind snapped to the tome bound by yellow leather that I always kept around my belt. Feeling my mana pool around my hand, my mind flipped to the first spell in the book. There wasn't time to cast anything higher than an Elthunder in the first place, and Elthunder is too big of a spell to cast in such an enclosed space. Perhaps Robin could pull it off without electrocuting himself, but I can't.

A thunder spell crackled to life in my palm.

Suddenly, a metal point appeared in the man's chest. The spell died out as Blondie yanked out his spear and panted. Purple Eyes was right behind him, with Fake Smile right behind, whistling an annoying tune.

"Madam! Are you alright?" Blondie managed to ask me in between heavy breaths.

"I'm fine? He wouldn't have been able to take me," I frowned.

"R-Really? You don't even have your sword on you! Your knife is stuck to his arm!"

I responded with a thunder spell that blasted a clean hole through the palisade, the top of the log in question tumbling down clumsily.

This shut Blondie up.

"You can cast magic?" Purple Eyes raised an eyebrow.

"Yes? Robin is the best mage I have ever met. I learned magic from him," I replied to her.

"Who is this Robin person?"

"A tactician,"

"Ah! So like Claude here?" Blondie nodded in understanding.

"Who's Claude?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Me, Madam! Mr Fake Smile!" Fake Smile's smile is still fake.

"Claude is a tactician?"

"Yep! King of lies and deception here!"

"Have you commanded an army yet?"

"Er… No… I haven't…"

"Robin lead an army to victory in a full-scale war when he was eighteen,"

"Bwuh! Eighteen?" This time it's Purple Eyes who spoke up.

"He is talented,"

"But really? At the age of eighteen?" Blondie seems sceptical.

"He has reduced the casualty rate of Jeralt's company by fifty per cent since he's come here,"

This seems to convince most of them.

"So this Robin person… He's a good mage and he's an impressive tactician?" Blondie asks.

"Yes,"

"The Kingdom of-" Whatever Blondie was going to say was cut off by the sound of hooves. Six of them.

I bit my lip.

"We need to get back,"

"Why?" Purple Eyes asked after Blondie stumbled on his words. It seems my voice was enough to remind him that we were in a combat situation.

"Don't want to deal with calvary without Robin's pike formations,"

"You went up singlehanded against eleven men and you're afraid of some horses?" Fake Smile asks me, but he was still following me out the gate of the palisade. I frown when I look back; the horsemen were too close for us to get to the palisade surrounding the village. I could make it back there myself but…

For some reason, I didn't want to leave the brats to their deaths. Am I getting weak, Robin? -No. R.

Instead, after running some distance towards the walls, I jumped into a ditch. The three nobles hopped down into the drainage ditch with me. Their reactions are all mild. I thought they were nobles. Weren't they supposed to be hoity-toity?

"Do you know how to unhorse someone with that axe?" I asked Purple Eyes, pointing at the hand-axe at her waist.

"N-No?"

"I'll teach you then,"

She nodded. Something seemed to spark in her eyes. Robin said he saw something in my eyes whenever he taught me something new. Is this what he's talking about?

I explain to her what unhorsing is: cutting off the front legs of a horse to force the rider off.

"Throw it using your elbow as a pivot; you want it to be spinning while it flies. Aim high, at the person who's riding the horse. That way it will hit the knees of the horse. When he's off his horse, I'll blast the rest of them with magic. Fake Smile!"

Fake Smile looks up.

"Can you shoot?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You have a bow," I pointed out. He then understands and nodded his head.

"Good. I'll blast the ones on the right. Shoot the two on the left of the leading cavalryman,"

"Madam? A question if I may," Blondie coughs slightly.

"Go ahead,"

"Why aren't we attacking the one in the middle?"

"Because he's the leader. Robin will want to ask him some questions,"

Blondie nods.

"Three… Two… One… Go!" Purple Eyes takes my cue very well, her axe flying out and slamming into the bandit leader's horse. It hits perfectly on target, the horse crumpled as one of its front legs was cut cleanly off at the knee.

I feel the connection to my tome light up. Thunder crackled in my palm.

"Elthunder!"

A blast of thunder shot out from my hand and impacted the first bandit in the stomach. It blew a small hole through him as he fell to the ground.

Without thought to my mana, I charge another spell.

"Thunder!"

A blast of lightning, slower than the first, shot out and burned through the second horseman, and he too fell to the ground. I am aware of the other two riders falling as Fake Smile put arrows into their bodies.

I lept out from the ditch and charged forward at the bandit leader. He's still on the ground, next to his fallen horse.

I must have made too much noise, as he stands up just as my sword comes down on his head. In a single motion, he picks up the axe that Purple Eyes threw at his horse and blocks my attack.

My attacks are still strong, even when they are blocked. He was knocked back onto his back.

I look back at the children in the ditch, only for a weird and unsettling feeling to appear in my stomach.

Purple Eyes had come out of the ditch and was walking towards me.

I did not tell her to do that.

With a yell of rage, the bandit leader lept up and charged at Purple Eyes.

She didn't have her weapon!

Purple Eyes staggered a little bit and started to draw her dagger.

I knew, however, that she wouldn't have enough time to block the incoming strike.

Robin, I don't know what compelled me to do this, but I wanted to protect her. Is that wrong?

I leapt in front of the axe and braced myself for the pain that would ensue.

I got a different kind of pain.

"Hmm… Sothis... Yes, that is it. My name is Sothis." I find myself in front of the green-haired girl once again.

I tilt my head in confusion. Was this a dream?

"And I am also called...The Beginning. But who once called me that?"

"Why would you be called The Beginning?" I asked. That caused the girl to frown.

"I-I am not sure… Up until now, I was not able to recall my own name…" Her frown deepens. "And then, it just came to me… Without warning… How incredibly odd…"

I must have given Sothis a weird look since she frowned and huffed afterwards.

"That look upon your face... Did you consider me to be a child? A mere child who forgot her own name?"

"You do look like a child," I responded. She did and still does. I can hear her screaming in my head as I write this, but she is just like a child.

"Hmph. And you were saved by that "Child". What does that make you?"

I thought about this for a moment. Does that mean…

"I am less than a child?" I voice my thoughts out loud.

"I-Is that a joke? Do you think this is funny? I have only heard that agglomeration of dark magic given human shape with the name of Robin joke that much. I have never heard you make such a joke!"

"...What did you call Robin?"

This caused Sothis to snort.

"That man has so much dark magic trapped in him that I'm surprised that he hasn't burst at the seams. I don't know why he cares so much about us,"

"Us?"

"Yes! Us! I am you, as you are I! Hmph,"

I simply stared at her.

"...In spite of your foolishness, I have saved us from certain death. Seriously, what came over you? Did that Robin not tell you to protect yourself more? What would he think if he saw you this injured? Time will not flow until I allow it to, so you are safe for the time being,"

I looked away from her and stared at my feet. I…know what Robin would say to me. I could already hear his voice ringing inside my head.

Then something that Sothis said hit my mind like a sledgehammer.

"...Wait… You stopped time?"

"Of course I did! And still, I do not hear your gratitude for saving you!"

"You have my thanks,"

"Hmph. That's more like it. Was it too much to ask? I have decided that you are important enough to save…Even if I do not know how I stopped time…"

I frowned.

"What now?" Robin taught me to never look too deep into the past and to focus on the future. 'Think of a brighter tomorrow instead of staring at the dark yesterday' he said.

"When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end. Hmph! How rude of you to drag me into this! Now what to do…"

"...Why don't you turn back time, then?" I blurted out. After all, if she could stop time, why couldn't she have turned it back?

This makes a massive smile bloom on her face.

"Of course! I must turn back the hands of time! Yes... I do believe it can be done. You really are quite troublesome, you know? I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time."

A massive ethereal clock appears, and the hands begin to move backwards.

"Yes... Now, go... Yes, you who bears the flames within. Drift through the flow of time to find the answers that you seek…"

With Sothis bending the hands of time back, I had some time to consider what to do instead of diving to my death.

Then I remembered one thing that I had on me that could solve everything. Magic.

As time resumed its flow, I felt the connection to the tome at my side, causing a spark of energy to appear in my hand.

The bandit leader leapt towards Purple Eyes.

She goes for her dagger.

The bandit leader's axe started to swing down…

An Arcthunder spell roared forwards, smashing into the bandit leader's side.

The smell of burning flesh and leather filled the air as the bandit leader is blown to the side, flying for at least ten feet before landing hard on the ground.

Usually, I would have finished him off.

However…

"Are you alright?" I rushed over to Purple Eyes. She looks shocked, the bandit leader mere inches away from striking her.

Other than a bit more sweat than usual, she looks fine.

"Y-Yes… I'm… fine… Thanks to you…" Purple Eyes was hyperventilating. Not unusual, she just went through a life-or-death situation.

Fake Smile and Blondie rushed to our side not a moment later.

"Edelgard! I told you not to go out!" Blondie scolds Purple Eyes.

"It didn't matter in the end, did it, Dimitri?" Purple Eyes narrowed her purple eyes.

"N-No, I guess not…" Blondie sighed. Or rather, Dimitri? And Purple Eyes is Edelgard? And I'm pretty sure they called Fake Smile Claude earlier.

"The Knights of Seiros are here! You'll molest our students no longer!" A voice suddenly called out.

A knight with brown hair and a decent moustache wearing a massive suit of white armour (with a massive shoulder spike that is as impractical as it is large) charged into the small clearing with a bunch of other soldiers wearing armour and carrying well-maintained weapons.

"Ah! The Knights of Seiros are here," Dimitri pointed out the obvious.

"Around ten minutes too late," Claude sighed.

"Wha- Wow, I was not expecting-" The knight began to say before the sound of hooves pounding at the ground interrupted him.

Jeralt's horse rushed across the small clearing, stopping right next to me. Jeralt was on the horse, along with a panicked-looking Robin.

"By! Are you alright?" Robin screamed out the moment he saw me.

"Wait a moment. Is that…!" The knight's eyes widen as he sees Jeralt approaching.

The moment the horse stops, Robin jumped off and grabbed my shoulders.

"By! Did you get hurt? Do you need healing?" This seemed to amuse Jeralt and confuse everyone else.

"N-No?" I managed to respond.

"Bullshit! You got so many scratches!" Robin let go of my shoulders and pointed to my side, where multiple red lines can be seen through my armour. I winced, realizing that I had injured myself more than I realized.

"I'm fine,"

"No, By," Robin tutted before reaching into his cloak and grabbing a vulnerary from somewhere in his cloak. He handed it to me. "Drink it."

It is not a question.

I complied. Oddly enough, the vulnerary doesn't taste as bad as the ones I usually drink. It has a clear taste to it…

I felt my sides heat up, the wounds stitching themselves back together.

"Huh. colour me surprised, By. You managed to create this bloodbath and not die without Robin's help. You even kept the brats alive," Jeralt said, surprised.

"Good sir, I don't think that your assessment of her is accurate. I believe she is capable of accomplishing such a task. She showed excellent abilities in the battle," Dimitri frowned. This caused Jeralt to laugh.

"Hey, kid. Are you saying that a father doesn't even know what his daughter is capable of?" Jeralt gave Dimitri a toothy grin.

"Jeralt, you don't even remember how old you are. I don't think you can be talking about the fighting ability of others. Just stick to butchering the enemy, and let this lowly tactician deal with the number, alright?" Robin countered.

With the mention of Jeralt's name, both the kids and the knight did a double take.

"Wait a minute! Jeralt the Blade Breaker?" Claude's eyes seemed to want to bulge out of his head.

"It really is you! Captain Jeralt! It's been too long! It's me, your former right-hand man, Alois!" The knight, Alois, said loudly. He has said three sentences and all three are nearly at Jeralt's yelling volume. He seems to be extremely loud.

"Oh, fuck. Seems my luck has finally run out, huh? It's good to see you again, Alois. I have to go check on something back in the village. See you later," Jeralt started riding back towards Remire.

"Oh, I see. See you later too, Captain," Alois nods. "Wait a moment! This isn't how this ends! I insist you come with me back to the monastery!"

"Hey! Jeralt, go with… what's your name?" Robin barked at Jeralt and Alois.

"A-Alois?" Alois blinked.

"Alright. Jeralt, go with Alois somewhere else! Discuss this… whatever you two need to discuss over there!"

"A-Alright?" Alois seems stunned at Robin's words, while Jeralt just sighed and complied.

Robin sighed once Jeralt and Alois left earshot.

"Why did you do that?" I asked him.

"Because they want to talk to you, and the White-haired one is going to break her brain trying to think of a way to catch your attention," Robin pointed back to where the three nobles are standing. Indeed, Edelgard's face is concentrated. It looked as if she was preparing a speech that will go through one ear and out the other. I'm not good with speeches. Only Robin's speeches make any sense.

As we walk back to where the three nobles are standing, Edelgard takes a deep breath.

"I appreciate your help back there-"

"...And let's stop right there. We know enough about ourselves that praise is unnecessary. What do you want?" Robin sighed. Edelgard looks as if she was slapped.

Why did Robin say that? I don't know. I did realize that his face seemed more tired than usual. What happened this morning?

"Ah-I-I mean- I wanted to ask, are you the daughter of Jeralt the Blade Breaker? The man who is said to be the greatest of all of the Knights of Seiros?"

"I believe so,"

"What do you mean you believe so?"

"Jeralt never said anything about the Knights of Seiros before,"

"But are you his daughter?"

"Yes, or so I am told," This caused Robin to snort.

"You are, By. You two have so much in common that I can't believe anything else,"

This caused Edelgard to frown.

"I see… I suppose there is a reason your father never told you about the monastery…"

At this moment, Claude cut in.

"Hey, Ashen Demon! You are- Are you coming to the monastery with us?"

"I don't know. Ask Robin. He's the person that plans all of our moves," I shrugged.

Three pairs of eyes fell onto the white-haired man. Robin coughed nervously.

"I-I think so? It all depends on what Jeralt says. Ah, speak of Grima and he will stab you," Robin noticed a dejected-looking Jeralt riding towards them.

"Hey! Jeralt! Are we going to the monastery?" Robin yelled to Jeralt.

"Yes…" Jeralt responded back, sighing.

"Well, there. You have your answer," Robin turns back

Claude's face broke into a large grin that was still fake.

"Well! I don't know if we mentioned this or not, but we're students at Garreg Mach Monastery's Officer Academy!" His grin became even bigger. "We were doing some exercises when got ambushed. I got the worst of it, that's for sure,"

"That…would be because you ran off," Edelgard informs him.

"Too true!" Claude shrugs. "I was the first to make a strategic retreat."

He stared me in the eyes. I stare at his eyes back.

"Everything would have worked out if these two hadn't followed me and ruined everything. Because of them, every single one of those bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous... "

This causes Dimitri to speak.

"Ah, so that's what you were thinking, Claude. And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all,"

This causes Robin to snort for some reason.

"His intentions were as clear as day. You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words," Edelgard snorts as well.

"Hm. You will prove a lacking ruler yourself if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on," This causes the smallest of smiles to erupt onto Robin's face, accompanied by another snort, though it is quashed quickly and his face goes back to normal.

Claude sighed and shrugged.

"Oh, joy. A royal debate between Their Highnesses. I wonder how being completely predictable affects one's ability to wield power. What do you two think, Demon and good sir?"

"I don't know. I leave that to Robin,"

"It's been a long time since I've had any real power; I'm not qualified to talk about such things,"

"Ah, naturally. You two are just living the life of a merc. I respect that! Personally, as the avatar of distrust, I'd say their little exchange smacks of naiveté. As cynical, hardened sellswords wouldn't you two agree?"

I shrug again. To my surprise, Robin doesn't answer and also shrugs.

"Me? Naive? Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?"

This got another snort out of Robin and he turns to leave, sighing. I turned to go with him before I suddenly feel a firm hand on my shoulder. Robin also stopped, probably because the same person had grabbed his shoulder as well.

"Ah, De- Mercenary, I'm sorry that we've gotten so caught up in this argument with you present. It dawned on me that we have not yet introduced ourselves in any official manner, and given that you have saved all three of our lives, that is incredibly rude. I would forever be grateful if you allowed us to rectify that mistake," Dimitri turns his head to Robin. "I would also be grateful if you stayed for introductions as well. You seem like an experienced fighter and she seems to defer to you out of respect. I would love to meet a person that can garner the respect of the Daughter of the Blade Breaker."

Robin looked at me. I gave him a blank stare back, and he sighed.

"Fine. We'll listen to your introductions…"

"Thank you! My name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Faerghus,"

Claude's eyes suddenly went wide as he was arguing with Edelgard, and he, for all intents and purposes, glided over to Dimitri's shoulder, his feet barely moving with each step.

"Oh damn, we never introduced ourselves, huh? I'm Claude von Riegan, next in line to be the Grand Duke of Riegan, but I don't think you really care for titles, so just call me Claude,"

Claude then grinned. Edelgard stepped up and shot a questioning glance at Robin before her eyes settled back on me.

"My name is Edelgard. You may call me that because I owe you my life. For you," Edelgard shoots a glance at Robin. "You may call me Edelgard von Hresvelg, heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire."

Robin for some reason chuckled at the slight malice that Edelgard threw his way.

"Well, little miss-"

"You would do well to address me by my proper name," Edelgard frowned. "I am the Heir Apparent to the largest nation in Fodlan."

"Competing for most impressive titles, are we, Miss von Hresvelg?" Robin said with a smirk, a mischievous glint hiding in his eyes.

"No-?" Edelgard tried to respond, confusion laced in the one word she managed to get out before Robin took a deep breath and spoke.

"I am Robin Salador, the Foundling, former Master and current Grandmaster of Ylisse, Crown Prince of Plegia, Tactician of the Shepherds, Savior of Ylisse and Liberator of Valm. Currently serving as Second in Command of the Chained Sword Mercenary Group," Robin managed to get through all of that in a single breath. Inhaling deeply, he continued on. "Unless you know a Anna, don't ask. If you do know a Anna, ask her. Also, don't call me Salador; that name has negative connotations where I'm from."

"I-I see…?" I don't think Edelgard 'sees'.

"Hold on, Sir…Robin? It's ok if I call you Robin, right?" Claude asked.

"That's fine. Drop the 'Sir' though,"

"So hold on, Robin. You speak of this Ylisse as if you know about it,"

"Of course, I talk if I know about it. I'm from Ylisse, for Naga's sake,"

"Halt, Claude. You seem to know information that the rest of us do not know. Could you please explain to Edelgard and myself what knowledge you possess?"

"You see, there's a merchant named, ironically enough, Anna in Garreg Mach. She has some wares from Ylisse. Very rare gemstones, I think. That's where I remember the name. She said it's a nation beyond the veil of Fodlan,"

"Well, that saves me a lot of explaining. Just go ask Anna if you're curious about me. Now, I have to make sure Zonzi hasn't murdered anyone yet. Deal with them, Byleth," And with that, Robin turned and walked away, leaving me confused and in the company of three nobles.

"Well, I believe that completes our introductions. Madam Eisner, allow me to make a formal request. The way you held your ground against the bandits' leader was captivating! You never lost control of the situation. It showed me I still have much to learn…" Dimitri began.

"-Which is precisely why I must ask you to lend your strength to the Empire," Only to be cut off by Edelgard.

"H-Halt Edelgard, I wasn't finished with my own proposition. The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals like yourself. Please consider returning to the Kingdom with me,"

At this, Claude simply chuckled.

"Whoa, there! You two sure are hasty. Trying to recruit someone you just met... Tactless, really. I was personally planning to develop a deep and lasting friendship on our journey back to the monastery before begging for favours."

He then sighs.

"But it seems there's no time for niceties in this world. So, capable stranger, let's get right to it. Where does your allegiance lie?"

I bit my lip, thinking. With Robin gone, I could not ask him for help. Or can I?

"Go ask Robin, he handles the Political stuff,"

The look on their faces made me want to laugh.

AN: Wow! I finished that faster than I imagined! Hopefully, it's up to your standards! Also, sorry if it reads a lot like Crimson Pages. I am getting heavy inspiration from that Fic. Don't worry, plot will diverge incredibly quickly. Next up I plan to do an Interlude, a Paralogue and a Xenologue. I plan to do one at the end of each "Week". What are Interludes, Paralogues, and Xenologues? Interludes cut to Edelgard's perspective 6 months after the Battle of Garreg Mach. Paralogues cut to Robin... well, you'll see in due time. Xenologues cut to happenings outside of Fodlan, such as Chrom, Frederick, and Maribelle desperately trying to keep Ylisse running, Morgan ruling Plegia, Robin's Wife being Robin's Wife, Lucina trying to find Robin, etc etc. Expect the first Interlude in a week or so. Actually this time, I haven't even started on it yet. Now, onto the part you guys were actually looking forward to in the author's notes, review responses! Thank you all for the reviews this time around! Your reviews give me life!

Idsa: No. I have not. Not enough time. Sorry.

StellarLupine: (Cool name btw) Yeah, I've always thought of Robin as a goofball. Personally, Robin is one of if not my favourite characters in Fire Emblem. He's really interesting to write. Sorry if I made him come off a bit unnatural here, it will be explained why he acts so differently in front of the House Leaders (especially Dimitri). Also, I don't intend on including Shez; I've never played Three Hopes... But about the story changes... Remember, this is post-awakening Robin being dropped into pre-timeskip Three Houses. The same Robin that throws Mjölnir around with relative impunity. So yeah, lots of major plot deviations. Solon is going to have even less of a good time.

Plasma Dragon 312: Sorry man, but a writer has his plans.

Kamencolin: Thank you and yes, Morgan's mother is an Awakening character. Just which one she is will be left as an exercise to the reader.