Fodlan year 1177
Ethereal Moon
Family reunions had always been Bernadetta's favorite time of the year. Someone who knew her somewhat would find this strange, seeing at how she usually reacted to social interaction. Indeed, in normal times, the mere sight of a stranger, or even a close relative, would send her in a fit of panic as she sought the nearest refuge.
During the End of the Year's holiday period, however, there was a major difference, and this was the presence of her uncle, Jonas.
For some reason, when she was with him, she felt as if there was not any reason to be afraid, that she could finally relax, for some time. Since her father did not like him very much, it also meant that the occasions where she could see him were rather scarce, which made them all the more precious.
Now that he had finally arrived with Johnathan, Bernadetta took the opportunity to sit by his side on a large couch in her family's main living room as Jonas and her father began to discuss of politics, a subject which bored her to no end. Fortunately, there was no mention of her dad's latest attempts at betrothing her, probably because the discussions that ensued were… less than pleasant for everyone involved.
The teenager's moment of happiness was somewhat disturbed, however, by the complete stranger who had accompanied the large nobleman and his guard. Her glance shifted to near the fireplace, next to which the blonde man had just sit. As her relatives' conversation died down, Jonas noticed her uneasiness and rubbed the top of her head while smiling.
"Do not worry about mister Link, Bernie. You have my parole that he is a trustworthy person! I haven't told you about how he came to us like a savior, slaying the beast which attacked us! Wait, it would be better if he told you the story himself… Link?" Called the overweight man to the mysterious outsider. The latter, in response, turned his head to look at the noble and his niece with a relaxed expression. "Could you be kind enough to recount the events of this afternoon?"
"You have already told the story, Jonas. It is not necessary." Objected the Count, who glared in his brother's direction. It didn't stop the blonde man from standing up and approaching the pair sitting on the couch.
"Well, if I only told what happened today, there wouldn't be much to say. I'll begin from the start of this adventure in particular. This, I don't think you've heard, mister..?" Said Link, raising his open hand in the direction of the master of the house in order to emphasize his questioning.
"You shall refer to me as Count Varley, outsider." Answered the purple-haired man.
"Very well, mister Count Varley. As for you, girl, do you want to hear the story?"
If she had to be frank, Bernadetta would have told everyone right there and then that she would much rather not have to interact with this strange-looking man. A mysterious stranger, who just comes in and saves someone out of nowhere? And what if he had put her uncle in danger in the first place, so he could save him and come in her house, and then kill everyone in their sleep…
However, seeing the expression of utter amazement in her uncle's eyes when he spoke of the way that this Link had saved his life, she couldn't bring herself to disappoint him and turn his offer down, and as such she gathered what little courage she had and nodded up at the blonde outsider, who seemed rather amused by her fright.
"Good." Said Link before he began gesticulating in all directions, describing his story's events with the movements of his hands. "It all began around a week ago, when I walked into this large forest for the first time. After just a few hours, I found the prints of an animal in the snow, but not any random one… Oh no, this one was big enough to gulp a little thing like you in one bite!"
Seeing Bernadetta shriek and holding tight on her uncle's arm quickly made it evident that hearing this example frightened the young Varley way more than the narrator had expected, but he decided to continue, nonetheless.
"I tracked it down for around a day and, when I found it, I discovered that it was in fact an entire pack of these giant things. At this point, I did what I would always do in that kind of situation…" He then paused, for some dramatic effect, before he resumed. "I threw an explosive in the middle of the group in order to scatter them around and isolate them. Once that was done, I chased after one and I battled it."
"Mister Link…" Interrupted Jonas, who was now frowning slightly. "I understand if you tried to be careful in this situation, but why would you need such precautions? The strength and ability you showcased us led me to believe that you could handle a few of these beasts on your own, right?"
"That is a fair assumption…" Admitted the outsider, nodding a few times to the side in agreement. "However, for all the skills I have, I have always had terrible luck at multiple encounters. I can easily focus on and counter one enemy, but at three or more, I tend to get blindsided."
"Oh, I see. Please go on…" Said the overweight man, with his niece beginning to pay more attention to the story.
"Anyway, so after I killed the first wolf, I took the opportunity to gather its meat and guts, as you have seen me do already…" Link continued, pointing to Jonas and Johnathan with two quick movements of his chin. "Then, I took them down one by one until the time that you two arrived."
"Ha, you truly are a fantastic one. To fight and defeat an entire horde of giant, magic-infused monsters! Do you not agree, Bernadetta?"
After a slow affirmative nod from the nervous girl, Link smiled proudly and shrugged.
"Well, I will be honest with you, these beasts were nothing compared to some monsters of my homeland. Remember how I broke one's neck in two hits? Some of the things over there wouldn't even have a scratch after that kind of strike."
"And where do you come from?" Asked the Count with a frown.
"Some isolated kingdom named Hyrule. It's actually pretty far; you need to get past Dagda."
At the mention of this continent, the two Varley brothers went silent for a few moments before the Hylian spoke once again.
"You know, your familial reunion isn't very animated. Is there anyone else to come?"
"My wife has gone to visit her own relatives for now and the rest of the Varley family will arrive tomorrow. Jonas always comes sooner than the rest." Explained Count Varley, diverting his gaze.
"M-mister?"
At the sound of the high-pitched, squeaky voice, all of the people present in the vicinity, from the servant maid to the Count himself, turned their surprised gaze toward the little girl who had just spoken, which only served to make her even more stressed. After a few moments of her being too afraid to speak up again, Link decided to oblige her.
"Yeah? You had something to say?"
"…"
Now that the stranger had asked her directly to speak to him, this somehow made the pressure over Bernadetta's shoulders even worse than it had been previously. Glancing to the side and seeing her father's disapproving scowl only aggravated her state further.
However, looking up and seeing her smiling Uncle Jonas, she gulped hard and spoke in the most 'normal' voice she could utter.
"Thank… Thank you." After saying these two words, she took in a deep breath and continued as the blonde man in front of her slowly nodded. "… f-for saving my… my uncle…"
Once she was done with this arduous task, she let out a heavy sigh as Jonas wrapped his arm around her in sign of congratulations. Link, for his part, grinned slightly as he bowed slightly to the little girl.
"You do not need to thank me. I'm always helping people out when I can."
Fodlan year 1180
Harpstrings Moon
It was barely passed midnight as the room of the young Claude von Riegan was filled with nothing but the sound of turning pages.
He needed to read as quickly as possible. The blunder of Tomas may have helped him get a grasp on some pretty important documents of the Church and the Empire, but their disappearance would be eventually be discovered, and the schemer was ready to bet that it would happen sooner rather than later.
He had decided to read through the records of visits in the numerous noble Houses in the Empire, if only because it was merely a long list of names, as opposed to the very extricate documentation regarding the criminal cases notebook. The problem, though, was that it was a list of every single person to have – officially, at least – passed through all of the noble households of Adestria. That made a lot of names, and most of them were repeated quite often. Add to that the specifications that were sometimes put to explain the visits, and that meant that Claude had to be careful not to skip an potential mention of the Hylian.
The bright side was that Link had only been present in the continent for the last few years, if his claims were to be believed. As such, Claude did not need to bore himself with anything more than the last half of a decade of records. Since the lists were by alphabetical order for each year, that meant that from the years 1175 and onward, he would begin with the records of House Aegir, and he would finish with House Vestra.
After a few hours of meticulously analyzing the lists that he had basically stolen, the young outsider lifted his eyes from the notebook, emitting a sigh out of tiredness, as he leaned back in his wooden chair. He had just finished with the first few Houses of Year 1875, and there was still nothing on the blonde man.
When he was about to go back to his reading, however, Claude's eyes suddenly suffered from a dryness that forced him to close his eyes for a few seconds, which made him reconsider his next course of action. He had already passed some nearly sleepless nights lately, mostly because of his study of Fodlan, and this investigation on a fellow outsider was only accumulating his hours of missed rest. Thus, the young Riegan decided that he would continue his read later this week. He had Flying patrol duty along with Hilda in two days, but before that he would be able to read at his leisure.
Not even bothering with changing clothes, he went to bed and his mind quickly began to drift away in the dream realm. It was time for a much-deserved nap before he went to give to Tomas some of his books back.
Soon after the morning bells of the Officers' Academy made their melodious tune heard throughout the entire monastery, the young grey-haired boy known as Ashe stretched both of his arms after having gotten out of the students' barracks. The freckled archer smiled as he observed the magnificent colors that the sunset would give the early morning's sky, which were a superb range of colors from pink to bright blue.
A second thing which contributed to the boy's good mood was the fact that his House was going to have their first official weapon handling class since the mock battle, which was a great way of changing his mind from the lectures that Professor Hanneman would give them. Unlike some other students, like Sylvain or Felix, he didn't really hate those, but unlike others like Annette, he didn't really love them either.
He simply appreciated the physical exercise and bow practice a lot more.
As he went on his merry way to the training grounds, the grey-haired commoner decided that he could take his time a bit, since the lessons wouldn't begin until a good moment, and there happened to be a pair of the Knights of Seiros on the short path that he had to take. As he went by them, he unconsciously began to give more attention to the conversation that the two were having.
"So, the Archbishop truly let this… wandering vagabond to remain here? Bless her heart, truly, but she is far too trusting."
"Honestly… Outsiders are such wild cards. Sometimes you'll get ones like Shamir, who can help us out… you know, the good ones. The rest of the time, you end up with nothing but troublemakers. Have you seen the main Blue Lions, this year?"
"Oh, yes, this is just great!" Exclaimed the man sarcastically. "Now, we have one of those dirt-faces as one of our elite students!"
"I know, I bet the Prince only keeps him around like some sort of attack dog or something. Have you heard of the attacks that Duscur still does? You would think they learned their lesson by now…" Spoke the armored man before he noticed the glance that Ashe was giving him and his partner.
Upon seeing the apprentice archer, the knight simply bowed his head politely in salutation, as if nothing had been said. Ashe, for his part, preferred to accelerate his pace and distance himself from these two men rather than cause a scene by arguing.
Of course, being from Faerghus, he was not unaware of the injustices faced by Duscurians on a daily basis, as if they were all the same barbarians who had truly hurt the Kingdom. Being himself a former street dweller who stole whatever food he could to support himself and his little sister, he sympathized greatly with those poor men and women who were often openly abused by the citizens – and even authorities – of the Kingdom.
On top of it all, the Duscurian that these two knights had talked about was none other than Dedue, his classmate and the boy who had never expressed anything else than total, genuine devotion for Dimitri since the day of the Tragedy of Duscur. Yet no one seemed to treat him with any sort of respect short of the Prince himself.
The young man continued to ruminate these thoughts as he approached the gate of the training grounds. Looking behind him just before he entered, he could see a few other students wasting their time at the barracks, either by discussing among themselves or simply by waiting their free time away. Ashe himself was fairly sociable, but still. One could at least wait to be in class to chatter a bit.
One he passed the door and got a good look at the arena where he would spend his morning, he noticed that around half of the class had already arrived. Dimitri and Dedue, exemplary students as they were, had been expected, as well as the rather battle-focused Felix. Their instructor, the masked man Jeritza, was busy placing the training dummies and bow practice targets. Ingrid was also there, seemingly profiting of the time until Sylvain arrived to train her lance moves in peace.
Really, Ashe struggled to understand why this girl tolerated this Casanova so much. Maybe they had an history together?
As he was about to make his presence known to the early members of his House, however, he suddenly felt a faint gust of wind brushing past his back. When he turned around to see what is was about…
"Peekaboo!"
Out of nowhere, the outsider known as Link had appeared and placed himself right behind the grey-haired boy, causing the latter to flinch in surprise.
"Whoa, sorry, kid. Didn't think I'd startle you that much." Jokingly said the blonde man with a wide grin before he directed his gaze into the training area. "You're one of these Blue Lions, right? Saw your performance the other day. Quite the interesting display."
"Ah, um… Thank you, Sir." Responded Ashe, not entirely sure of what this man was doing at this place. "Are you going to train here as well?"
"Not exactly." Admitted the pointy-eared man while crossing his arms. "I've decided that if I was to spend my time in here, then I might as well offer some advice to the rookies. Just something to focus on."
"Then, you assist Professor Jeritza?"
"Unofficially, yes. We've talked about this yesterday, and he agreed to it. So, your instructor seems to be busy with your two classmates already, so why don't I become your tutor for today?"
As the outsider said this, the freckled young man couldn't help but feel a certain uneasiness. In order to verify his words, he intended to go ask Jeritza by himself. However, when he turned back to his regular instructor, the latter was already looking in his direction and nodded once, and this, plus the thumbs up that Link gave back, pretty much confirmed the deal.
"Alright, then. Are you a good bow practitioner?" Inquired the young commoner, looking up at Link.
"That, and pretty much any other weapon you can imagine. Lances, swords, maces, I use them all." He then shook his head slightly and backtracked his words. "Actually, I don't use the punching or something like that that I've seen this beefy Golden Deer youngster do."
"It's not really a problem for me. I am not really good at brawling either."
"Very well. Then, let's see how you shoot." Said Link, looking over to the targets which were currently being unused.
When the pair arrived at the section of the area dedicated to shooting practice, the blonde outsider gave Ashe a training bow and took a knee down in the sand besides the freckled young man as he observed his movements.
"First, I want to see how you go at it. We'll begin with a simple unmoving target, then I'll see what I can do for you. Now, go."
After Link gave his instructions, Ashe steadied his breathing and slowly drew his bow before letting go of his first arrow, which successfully hit the target rather close to the middle. After this first good shot, Ashe turned his head to the outsider who was now rubbing his chin in reflection.
"Alright, that's not bad. Now, I'll show you something, and you'll try to replicate it, okay?"
Wondering what his temporary instructor had in mind, the grey-haired boy acquiesced and gave his training gear to the blonde man, who had just finished performing a few stretches. He then took a few seconds in order to seemingly evaluate the weight and balance of the weapon before he began walking to the left. Confused, Ashe nonetheless let his gaze follow him.
Then, suddenly, the Hylian started to rush to the right at blinding speed, drawing his bow and shooting at the target a few times in only three or four seconds before he stopped his mad run. At this point, he took an upward angle and shot before performing a backflip and shooting again. The very confused Ashe's eyes then widened in surprise when the two arrows hit the target at the exact same time, even if not in the center. Looking onto the thing, there were seven arrows planted into it, including his own.
"So, do you think that you can do that?" Asked the outsider, directing his attention at the astonished freckled teenager.
"W-What? I… not yet… You want me to run while shooting?"
"Yes, I do. If you want to be the best archer on the battlefield, then nothing must disturb your steady aim. Not movement, yours or the enemy's, not horse mounting, not even an oncoming attack! In fact, that's when I prefer to unleash a flurry of arrows on my opponent…"
"… I see what you're talking about, mister Link…" Responded the freckled young man, taking a pensive look. "Though, I'm still far from being an expert."
The blonde man then scowled slightly as his gaze wandered around in his reflection.
"Yes, fair enough." Admitted the outsider. "Well, for now, we'll just exercise your aim and stance. Now, show me again."
While most of the Golden Deer were away doing whatever task Byleth had assigned them for today, the wide classroom of the House was left almost empty, except for two people. The new professor herself, keen on continuing to teach every single one of her charges individually, and the young Hilda. The latter, while glad to not have to be forced into manual labor, was still slightly annoyed to have to attend this session at all.
She had to, sure, and she went. It didn't mean that it pleased her the slightest bit.
"So, professor, I had some questions regarding the battles that you talked about yesterday…" Began the pink-haired beauty with a faked innocent tone.
"Go on." Bluntly responded the former mercenary.
"Yes, so… When you said that we were going to have a few weekends dedicated to those, you do mean something like a mock fight per Saturday or something like that, right?" Asked the young Goneril with an expecting look in her eyes.
"No. I meant battles against real people and monsters. It will be one per week, unless I manage to organize more."
"But… we will be putting our lives at risk for all these times, and it will so time consuming…" Complained the pink-haired teenager, passing a hand through her hair.
"Indeed, it will." Byleth began. "As I have realized with the mock battle, I need to accustom you all to battle and effective tactics. Can I ask you what your family does?"
At this, Hilda frowned a little. She did not like where this conversation was going.
"My family is House Goneril. My big brother defends Fodlan's throat against Almyra now that my father is too old." Said Hilda, putting an emphasis on the 'brother' part. However, rather than scolding her or comparing her to anyone else, Byleth instead lifted her head with a surprised look.
"Wait, where? How often does this happen?"
…
A strange silence then fell on the pair as Hilda found herself shocked by Byleth's question. She didn't expect everyone to know of the details of the Gonerils' constant struggles, but at least, she thought that it was common knowledge, like House Gautier's own battles with the Srengs.
"Fodlan's throat. You know where this is, right?" At her professor's unchanging expression, Hilda nodded awkwardly and proceeded. "It is a mountain chain at the farthest east of the Alliance. Past that, it's Almyra. You didn't know that?"
"I had vaguely heard of Almyra, but I was never really interested in politics." Explained the former mercenary.
"Uh-huh… Well, for your question of how often it happens, well… I would say around once every three or four months or so some years ago, but they are getting pretty tranquil since we fortified the Throat."
Byleth acquiesced slowly while taking mental notes.
"Well, in this case, let's picture this…"
'Here we go…' Thought Hilda, letting out an annoyed sigh.
"When you eventually graduate and if it turns out that your brother needs your help for stopping another attack, how are you going to help if you did not gain enough experience on the field?"
"Well, I do not intend to follow the same career as him, thank you very much. I am like a delicate little flower, and I will be of no use in fights!"
"I will be the judge of this." Retorted the new teacher with her eyebrows lifted in incredulity. "I do not know about what sort of path you will take, but I have been hired to make all of you worthwhile combatants, and this is what I am going to do. If you do not care at all for your graduation here, then tell me now."
"No, it's not that I don't care, I just don't think that-"
"Good." Interrupted Byleth, now scowling at the pink-haired girl. "Then, I expect you to give your all on the battlefield. I will not tolerate an attitude like this in a place where it can easily lead to the death of someone, is this clear?"
At the mention of 'Death', the atmosphere of the room suddenly became very tense. Hilda in particular seemed to be quite uncomfortable. Yes, she was lazy and manipulative, but the idea of having her behavior cost the life of someone was unbearable to her. As such, she bowed her head slightly and nodded.
"Yes, it's clear, Professor… Although, could we choose the chores we have to do, at least?"
"No. You do your tasks, and you do them well. You will have free time during the evenings and one weekend per Moon, and this is not negotiable." As the teenager adopted a defeated frown, she added. "Now, I think we know enough of your shortcomings. Why don't you tell me what you do well?"
Another grunt came out of Hilda. If she told that kind of information, then that would certainly set a standard that her teacher was going to stick her to. As such, she would try to undermine herself a little. Not to make the professor think that she was worthless, but just little enough to not have to overwork.
"Well, I suppose that I can handle a battle axe well enough… Our House does use those a lot."
"Very well. Then, we know about what I'm going to train you in. Anything else?"
"I…" After this, Hilda paused for a short moment as she thought of what she was going to answer next. This time, though, it wasn't out of a desire to trick her teacher again. No, she was actually struggling to find something that she was good at.
"I see. Well, we shall discover the rest during the year. Let's begin with some battle tactics, shall we?"
"You really do like talking of those, don't you Professor?" Asked Hilda with a teasing smile.
"It is the most important thing." Responded the blue-haired woman with a deadpan expression. "As long as their synergy is good, even a bunch of untrained rookies can decimate a stronger group with a competent enough tactician. In order to pull the tactics off successfully, though, everyone must have a decent grasp on them."
"Huh, I guess it makes sense. Just… how long is this going to be?" Asked the pink-haired teenager.
"You mean the lesson?" Byleth asked back, at which Hilda nodded slowly. "It is still soon in the morning, so we can afford to end a bit early. I want to have a reunion with the other teachers regarding the classes, so I hope it doesn't bother y-"
Then, the former mercenary's gaze met Hilda's own, as the younger woman was grinning happily, and she rolled her eyes
"Of course, you do not mind. Let's begin."
Noon was approaching fast and, while the three Houses were busy with either their classes or their assigned tasks, the rest of the monastery's staff was occupied with accommodating their charges' various needs, as well as the numerous knights who were not currently away on a mission. This resulted in the somewhat calming ambient sound of people talking and working filling the various facilities.
At the fishing pound, however, there was nothing important to do to speak of. The kitchen staff had already taken all of the fish they would need for the day and almost no one had some free time to lose at the time, with an emphasis on almost.
Indeed, near the small mere, there was a small figure sitting on the edge of the small wooden dock with a fishing rod in her hands. The little girl, with her massive green braid, was joyously humming while she waited for her unsuspecting prey to fall into her trap. Suddenly, the tip of the young-looking girl's rod began to move in erratic intervals, signaling a catch. Without wasting any time, she jumped on her feet and pulled with a precise control of her own strength in order to pull the fish out as efficiently as possible.
In short order, her efforts were rewarded when the unfortunate creature sprung out of the pond's clear water while still struggling violently against the hook that caught it in the first place. Smiling widely, she brought her catch back to her and proceeded to unhook the poor thing.
Captivated by her tranquil activity, she had failed to notice the blonde man who was taking a break of his own, observing the swimming creatures and trying to identify them. When the girl's struggles had begun, the noise caused by the scuffle attracted the stranger's attraction and led him to watching the scene with a curious expression.
Shortly after getting the small animal off her fishing rod, the young woman's hands began to glow with a faint green light as she channeled her Faith magic through the fish's body. After all, the hook had pierced the thing's mouth, and it was only natural for her to heal it before she let it go back into the water.
After another moment spent petting the struggling creature, the girl decided that it was time to return it to its natural habitat – or at least, as natural as a square-shaped pond could be. At this point, she turned her head around to look toward the dining hall, only to catch the sight of a tall and bearded man staring right back at her. However, from having seen him roam free in the facilities for the last few days, she immediately recognized him and smiled gently while bowing slightly.
"Oh, hello! You must be Mister Link."
The Hylian nodded a few times in response.
"Indeed, I am. And what's your name, girl? Are you a student here?"
"Oh, I am not actually one. My name is Flayn, you have certainly met my big brother…"
At this, Link frowned slightly as he recalled as many people that he had met in this place as he could that shared some sort of resemblance to the young woman in front of him.
"Wait, let me try to guess… there's this guy in the Black Eagles… He's lazy and has green hair, what's he called…" In his mental efforts to remember the lad's name, the Hero of Hyrule squinted his eyes and rubbed his forehead.
"I believe that his name is Linhardt, but he is not my brother. This would be Seteth, the Second-in-Command of Lady Rhea!"
"Ah, I see…" Said Link back before he had a small double take. "Wait, Seteth? How large is the age gap between the two of you?"
"It is rather big, I concede. However, we do not really like to talk about this sort of thing." After this, Flayn quickly made sure to change the subject of conversation.
"So, what were you doing at the pound, Mister? Did you want to fish?"
"Oh, not really. I was just relaxing a bit after having helped out the Blue Lions in their training. They're a fun bunch. Besides, I don't really catch fish like you people do."
"Is that so?" Asked Flayn, tilting her head to the side. "How do you proceed, then?"
"Well, back in Hyrule, they mostly use fishnets, because they do need a lot of food in the towns. My methods are a bit more… resonant, so to say. I don't think your brother would appreciate if I started to do it here… Then, there's the Zora, but they go catch the fish themselves."
Upon hearing this, the green-haired girl frowned slightly, as if trying to recall a distant memory.
"The Zora… why does this feel familiar…" Then, suddenly, her face lit up as a radiant smile flashed across her visage. "Oh! The mythical fish people!"
In reaction to this exclamation, however, Link could only stare at Flayn in shock.
"… You know of the Zora?"
'Oh, no…' Thought Flayn. 'Was I supposed not to?'
The girl's worries, however, were short-lived as the Hylian's facial features morphed into a pleased grin and he let out a small laughter.
"Wow, I must say, I didn't expect a Fodlanese to know of them. Back in Dagda, they still did, though… Actually, I'm sure there were a few hybrids over there… How did you learn about them?"
"I… my father used to tell me stories of a Fishman warrior, and the tales of his faraway race… I suppose that they are native from your homeland?"
"Yes, as far as I'm aware. Shark-like men and women, passing throughout the water as if there was nothing slowing them down! I assume that you're a fish lover, right?"
Excitedly, the little girl quickly nodded her head.
"Well, then, let me…" Now, the Hylian reached to his belt and took his Slate off of it. After powering it on, he traversed through the menus and the photographs he had taken of the adventures of his happy-go-lucky days and finally found the one image that he was searching for. He then turned the device over to Flayn so the braided girl could see it.
In the photo, his old friend Sidon was proudly posing next to the battered body of the Lynel that pestered the Zora's Kingdom every Blood Moon. The beast's red mane floated in the hill's winds as the Prince of the Zoras rested one of his feet on its corpse. Link was absent from the photograph, as he had desired that day to let Sidon have the spotlight for once.
When she saw what the image was about, Flayn's jaw went agape out of surprise before she inspected it further. However, to the Hylian's surprise, the green-haired young woman did not seem all that surprised to realize that the creatures that she thought of as of legendary nature were indeed real. Instead, she looked… almost nostalgic?
He didn't really think much of it. She did tell him that her father told her stories of this, so she might just be recalling those found memories.
Just as Flayn gave Link his Slate back, however, she looked up and went stiff all of a sudden. Curious as to what could cause her this sort of change in attitude, the outsider turned around.
Seteth was standing in the stairs leading to the dining hall, staring sternly at Link. His gaze softened slightly as he addressed his little sister.
"Flayn, the dinner will soon be ready. Would you come with me?" As the young woman lowered her head and followed the bureaucrat's instruction, the latter stared back at Link. "And could I know of what you were inquiring my sister, Link?"
Before Link could retort, however, Flayn grabbed the older man's arm and smiled at him while she explained herself.
"We were only talking about fishing and old Zora stories, Brother. Did you know that Mister Link came from somewhere called Hyrule?"
"I am aware, yes."
"He told me about the Zora, and how they are a lot over there! He even showed me a picture of one! He looked just like-"
"Flayn, that is enough." Ordered Seteth, although with a slightly more agitated tone than the professional one he usually had. He then sighed and continued. "Pardon me for my rudeness. Now, let's eat, shall we? And Link?"
"Yeah?"
"I would appreciate if you did not speak of the old stories that my sister and I share."
"Oh, alright… why though?" Inquired Link, lifting an eyebrow.
"They… these are very old legends, and it is a very personal past-time of mine to read about old myths. Please, by all means, have a good afternoon." Said the bureaucrat, giving Link a last stare before turning toward the kitchens and lunchroom. Flayn, for her part, gave the Hylian a shy goodbye wave as they went on their way, which he returned.
The outsider's mind was now running wild, with his good old deduction skills coming back in the open, even though the years had rusted them a little.
'It is a pastime of mine', Seteth had claimed. However, Flayn had told that her father was the one to tell her the stories.
Plus, he didn't want Link to reveal that he had some sort of bookworm hobby… and for what, exactly? If he did care about his reputation, then he wouldn't act like an annoying super-protective brother and pester everyone with minor rule infractions, now would he?
Ah, it's not as if no one had secrets. Hylia knew that he had his fair share, so who was he really to judge anybody else for having some?
When the bells of Garreg Mach began to ring their tune signifying that the lunch break had started, the entire Academy was filled with the cacophonic rumble caused by the footsteps and banter of the numerous students and staff members who suddenly rushed toward the dining hall, where the precious food that would fill their hungry stomachs for the afternoon will be served to them. Some particularly gluttonous fellows would run as fast as they could in order to avoid the long waiting lines that inevitably would form, if they hadn't gotten to the lunchroom in advance.
Once they were gone, most of the monastery found itself rather silent, with only the guards and a few dutiful employees were still wandering around. Among the latter figured the trio of Byleth, Manuela and Hanneman, who had reunited at the office of the latter at the request of the former.
The Crest specialist sat down at his chair while sighing slightly and passing a hand through his well-trimmed hair. Manuela, for her part, had brought the one from her own bureau and crossed her legs as she looked at Byleth, with a curious expression. The former mercenary was standing near the doorframe of the room and brushed her hair to the side before she commenced the discussion. Unlike her usual blank stare, her forehead was wrinkled a little due to the unexpected stress load brought by her new job.
"Sorry for having made you do this during the lunch break." As Hanneman waved his hand dismissively at the apologies, the young woman continued. "But I had been thinking of a problem. You must have your own specialties as teachers, right?"
"Yes, we do. What are you getting at, dear?" Asked the songstress.
"Then, do we have periods at which we can exchange students for certain classes? I cannot perform magic to save my life, and I have three people in my class who wish to specialize in it…"
"Oh, you mean the seminaries, then!" Exclaimed Hanneman, his face lightening up. At the sight of his young colleague's confused state, he cleared his throat and inquired. "Hasn't Seteth told you of them?"
The former mercenary shook her head, which took the other two by surprise.
"They do not begin until next week…" Manuela began to explain with a gentle tone. "But all three of us will have specialized classes during which we can teach the other Houses' students our specialties for a few hours. I personally give lessons of Swordsmanship and Faith magic, while Crestman here teaches bow shooting and Reason magic. As a result, we both have you covered. Other faculty members will join later in the year, but for this Moon, it will only be the three of us."
Upon hearing this, Byleth seemed to relax slightly, up until she frowned again.
"Then, what sort of lesson am I supposed to give?"
"I thought that it was already decided, actually." Admitted Hanneman. "I hadn't asked Seteth yet. He's always so busy…"
"In any case…" Interrupted Manuela. "You should give lessons on what you are really good at. From what I heard, you were the strategist of your father's group of mercenaries, am I right?"
"I was the tactician, there is a difference." Byleth corrected. "A strategy is more on the long-term scale of things, while I'm more of an expert in short-term combat decisions and formations. For example, 'trapping an enemy fort in a siege' is a strategy, while 'place several scouts to intercept supplies' is a tactic."
"Then, maybe you could give lessons in Authority? Dimitri has expressed some interest in this matter as an academic goal." Asked Hanneman, raising his finger.
"This would be a good idea. I should also give combat lessons." Then, Byleth paused as she thought of the sort of weapon that she would take.
She was pretty good with swords, daggers and the like, but Manuela already had them involved in her own seminary. The problem was that, while she was good with lances, axes and bows, she was far from skilled enough to give valuable advice in the matter. It left…
"I will have melee lessons as a complement, then. I have often had to fight bare-handed when I got disarmed." Announced Byleth half-assuredly.
"Well, that is settled, at least." Muttered Manuela, who looked at the office's window's direction. "How are your classes going, for now?"
"Oh, it is going slowly, but we're progressing." Responded the former mercenary. "I still have a tutorial with Ignatz this afternoon, then there will be Leonie, Lorenz, Claude and Raphael before Saturday."
After she said this, though, her two colleagues gave her a silent glare, with looks on uncertainty all over their face.
"What?"
"You're only having one student with you at a time?" Carefully asked Hanneman.
"Well, I figured that I needed to give them private tutoring if I was to make sure that they progress well. During this time, the rest carry out chores that I chose for them or they train…"
"So you're only supervising one at a time, is that right?"
Now, the new teacher was getting the creeping feeling that she might have made a mistake in her course planning.
"I have already trained certain recruits of my father, it worked very well…" She looked over to Manuela, who was currently in reflection over the blue-haired woman's words. The songstress then lifted her head and gave her piece of thought.
"It is not a bad idea to have some one-on-one with the students, but you should keep the rest of your class under your monitoring. With your method right now, some of your charges will certainly neglect their studies. Some of them did not necessarily want to be here, and you need to motivate them."
"To be fair…" Hanneman interrupted. "It is a good thing to get to know them more closely at first. For the next week and after that, though, you should keep your class together."
"I see…"
"Now!" Exclaimed Manuela, standing upright while stretching her arms. The latter action caused her quite large bust to protrude forward, much to her colleagues' embarrassment. "Let's go eat. I'm starving and there is not much time left!"
Silently agreeing to her proposition, the two other House teachers slowly went on their way to the dining hall. Just before they exited the office, though, Byleth turned to Hanneman.
"Oh, how was your research on my Crest going"
"Not so good, I'm afraid." Admitted the monocle-wearing man. "I have run through all the records of Crests that I possess, but nothing resembles yours. With the circumstances of its activation during the mock battle, I have assumed that its power had something to do with either blocking or healing damage, but then again, not much. I am beginning to think that you bear the Crest of a long-forgotten bloodline."
"Huh. Well, tell me if you find anything new."
"I sure will, Professor."
Shortly after the end of the lunch break, every student had come back to their respective House's classroom in order to have some lessons, except for the Golden Deer, who were mostly let loose in the facilities.
For the members of the Black Eagles, this meant that they were going to have a thorough lecture on the usage of Faith in battle. Manuela straightened her dress before she began discussing of the chosen with the class.
Meanwhile, the young Hubert had chosen to remain in the back of the class and take notes into a notepad. He wasn't actually scribing any worthwhile information on what his teacher was talking about, however. He may have great talent in dark magic, but Faith required an ease of mind that he simply did not have, and as such he was occupying his mind on something productive instead.
Link, the outsider.
He knew that he had heard this name when his mistress told him about his exploits, but he could simply not recall where or when. Add to this the fact that this wanderer got allowed to stay in the monastery just as Lady Edelgard went to study, and it put the servant in a quite uneased state.
That was, fortunately, until the strange interaction that the vagabond had had with Bernadetta the day before. At first, Hubert had been just as dumbfounded as everyone else, notably by the girl's sudden change in attitude with the blonde. However, during the rest of the day, the sinister servant's mind ran wild as it began to remember when it had heard of the mysterious outsider.
It was not even a year ago, when the quite sensational news of the near murder of Count Varley had spread around Adestria like wildfire. Apparently, his brother had welcomed an outsider in his home for some time, with the name of Link, and the latter was the prime suspect instead of immediately being recognized as guilty, since the Count was too traumatized to recall the events clearly. Coincidently, the man had disappeared after the event, never to be heard from again.
Until now.
Yes, it made sense now. This guy's identity was a perfect masquerade. Take the name and appearance of a man who disappeared some time ago, make a splendid first impression with the Church and get a prime access into the Officer's Academy. Now, with Link's proximity to Bernadetta, he was able to monitor Lady Edelgard at his leisure…
"Hubert, could you please pay some attention?"
He was suddenly taken out of his reflection when Manuela called out to him in the middle of her lecture with a stern look on her face. Not even bothering with saving face, the tall boy simply nodded at his teacher and feigned writing something on his paper that was related to the class.
Then, he looked around in order to observe the group's whereabouts. Linhardt was strangely attentive to the professor's lecture, unlike during literally any other time of the day, while Dorothea was also paying a good deal of attention, always eager to expand her repertoire. Caspar and Petra, while they were hardly mages, were still listening when their teacher talked about the ways to counter a Faith attack and how to work in tandem with a healer. Lady Edelgard, exemplary student as she was, was sitting at the front of the classroom and discussing with the songstress.
Then, there was Ferdinand, who was always asking his pointless questions. Hubert was not sure if he could put up with his attitude until the end of the year. He had optimism and good intentions, but he was hopelessly obnoxious and always treated everything like it was a competition to Lady Edelgard. He was taken out of his reverie when Manuela went to scribe something on the chalkboard.
"Oh, my… It seems that I forgot something… Bernadetta?"
A shaking voice asked from the back of the classroom.
"Y-yes, mad-madam?"
Oh, yes, Bernadetta. Hubert was surprised at how easily she had passed under his radar earlier… which was weird, considering she had been a pivotal part of his reflection prior.
"Could you be a darling and go ask Seteth for some chalk, please?"
Despite her expression dropping as if she had learned of a closed relative's death, the fragile girl still nodded and slowly got out of her chair in order to do her commission. Meanwhile, Hubert began to frown.
She was the key.
If Link was actually an impostor masquerading as him, then this girl would be the only person who would be able to realize it. He had to get all relevant information out of her in short order.
Now that he thought of it, he could also stalk the alleged outsider and observe his routine. If the man worked for who Hubert believed him to, then he must certainly respond to some sort of master. Since the blonde man seemed completely free to roam free for the moment, this would be very easy to pull off.
As he continued to reason on his next course of actions, he looked up and gave a worried look at his mistress, Lady Edelgard, who was diligently following the lesson and putting up with Ferdinand.
He had to proceed for her. Whether the man was a possible threat or a potential ally, the matter needed to be settled as quickly as possible. No matter how dangerous or malicious Link could be, there was no way that he would let Lady Edelgard was going to deal with him on her own.
This was his role.
While the students and the Academy's staff were occupied with their studies or their duty, the marketplace had found itself rather tranquil due to the lack of people to flow through and take part in mercantilist activities. As a result, most of the merchants had forsaken their stands in favor of either personal business or rearranging their little shops.
Meanwhile, at the small enclosure usually reserved to outsider merchants, Link was taking advantage of the general break in order to maintain his end of his bargain with Anna. The Hylian had thus brought in the ingredients required to do so. The merchant girl watched on expectantly as Link began explaining the process required to produce Hyrule-crafted potions.
"First of all, you will need either a small reptile or an insect which presents some specific characteristics. For example, this…" At this moment, the blonde man then reached for a white bug that he had put on display on a nearby table. "… is something that I've dubbed an 'iced dragonfly', from the plateau of Oghma. It is a dragonfly who has developed a resistance to cold and which, when cooked properly, can grant this ability to a person."
"I see, that's logical." Commented the pink-haired woman as she brought her index to her chin. "So, you boil them up in order to extract their active agent?"
"Not exactly, let me finish." Then, Link grabbed his Slate and commanded it to materialize one of his stored items, which turned out to be a piece of Giant Wolf intestine. "You see, in order to work properly, the main ingredient must be mixed with a specific kind of flesh."
"But aren't these just some animal's guts?" Interrupted Anna. The Hero of Hyrule gave her an annoyed look before continuing.
"Not any random one. Back in my homeland, we used the parts of monsters that were infused with some sort of dark magic. However, recently, the source of it has been… neutralized, and as such these monsters don't make for good potion ingredients anymore."
"Wow, it certainly isn't fortunate. You think that if we get there and sell some to them…"
"Later." Interrupted Link. "However, right after entering Fodlan, I discovered the existence of these 'Giant Monsters', as you call them. As I've learned, they grow to a disproportionate size due to magic infusing their bodies, which normally makes their meat inedible."
"Yeah, I know this. So, this means…"
"This means that these creatures make the perfect substitute for the Bokoblins and Moblins that I once used. Now, I've borrowed a cooking pot from the kitchen, so I'll do a demonstration for you."
"Gladly! Though I doubt that you managed to actually get the staff's permission. I've been coming here for some time, and they take their protocols pretty seriously." Said the merchant girl with an amused grin.
Shrugging his shoulders, Link did not let this accusation slow him down and promptly lighted up the few logs of wood under the pot with silex stones and waited for the water inside to begin to boil. During this period of time, a few other merchants had gotten curious of what was going on, but they had been driven away by Anna's own men.
Wouldn't want to lose exclusivity on a new product, now would she?
When a few bubbles began to erupt from the fuming liquid, then Link reached for the dragonfly that he had decided to use and threw it in the pot. Immediately, the concoction became clouded in a white mist. Then, he took a few parts of magic-infused Beast guts and put them in the mixture as well, and now the water's color was getting thicker and thicker.
Now getting more and more invested in the ongoing creation, Anna took a few steps forward and observed the reaction of the bug, meat and water and, as if it was a sort of soup getting prepared, she inhaled some of the fuming coming out and instantly flinched backwards, with her face twisted in disgust.
"Yeah, it doesn't really smell or taste good. As I said, this flesh could not make for any eatable meal. I can cook competently enough to tell you that…"
"No kidding. Is there no way to just infuse the bug with magic so we can extract its… powers?" Then, the merchant adopted a pensive expression, wondering why this seemingly simple method had never been discovered.
"Well, I cannot really use magic myself, but if no one in Fodlan has done it before, then maybe it isn't necessarily the magic, but the way it transforms the guts that cause this reaction… You'll have to ask an expert for that."
As he finished speaking, Link took a peak at the mixture that he was preparing and began to stir it up slightly, evaluating its texture while Anna looked on in silence. Once the Hylian was satisfied with his preparation, he began to stir it up some more.
"Is… is it ready?" Asked the greedy merchant, with her wide eyes glowing with excitation.
"No, not yet. As it is now, it would be almost useless. We need to evaporate more of the water in order to concentrate the whole thing." Responded Link, still focused on his creation.
"I see. Could we remedy to this by adding more ingredients at once?"
"This is actually a good question. The more main ingredients – bugs, lizards – that you have, the more intense the effect is, but more supplementary magical meat will increase the duration of the effect. Just adding more stuff will just make the overall process slower."
Nodding comprehensively, Anna stayed a bit further back in order to let Link observe his craft. At this point, however, a deep voice suddenly came from behind the two and surprised them.
"Anna. I have come for my command."
While slightly startled at first, it didn't take much time for Link to recognize the person who called out to the merchant from his voice alone. Turning around, he smiled slightly when he saw the form of Jeritza, looking at Anna dead in the eye.
"Oh, yeah, you wanted to take your new-"
"Not here." Interrupted the weapon instructor, glancing at the blonde outsider, who nodded at him in greetings.
"Ah, yes. Come with me, I'll show it to you." Commanded the merchant before looking back at Link. "It shouldn't take too long, so you can just finish it up while I'm gone, alright?"
After nodding slightly in agreement, the Hylian looked in curiosity at the two as they went into a more discreet part of the marketplace. When they went out of view, Link contented himself with fulfilling his part of the accord. If the mixture's state was of any indication, then it wouldn't be too long either.
After a few minutes, Anna came back to Link with a happy smile on her face. The Hero of Hyrule could only guess that she had just made a good deal of profits from whatever she sold to Jeritza.
"Ah, one good thing done! Now, my attention is all yours!" Exclaimed the pink-haired woman, rubbing her hands together.
"Perfect, I'm almost done. We'll just need to put it in flacons after that. You want to test them?" Asked Link, pointing at the impressive, yet disgusting-looking white concoction boiling in the pot.
"Uhm, you'll go first, then I'll have some too. You know, client satisfaction is extremely important, and as such I shall test whatever I make them take."
At this, Link nodded in agreement. He sometimes wondered if Beedle took similar precautions back in the day…
Once the potion had been taken out from its original container, the Hylian took the little bottle that they had put it in and took a quite sizable gulp and immediately felt its effects. Smiling proudly, he nodded at Anna, who then drank the thing herself. Apart from a little twist in her face, likely due to its horrible taste, she didn't react much.
"So… what am I supposed to feel next?" The merchant asked, checking herself out as if she was going to mutate into some sort of monster.
"Not much." Link began to explain. "The potions don't make you colder or hotter, they make you able to tolerate extreme temperatures more easily. You'll still feel as cold as before if you stand naked in the snow, but it will not be as inconvenient."
"I see. I'll take the rest and test it when I go to Faerghus. I think I'll begin to make more of these, if it works. Ten percents off for just you will certainly be worth it!"
"Yeah, it'll be worth it." Repeated Link. He then looked at the sun slowly going down the horizon. "Now, if we're done for today, I'll go take a walk before the supper. I told Jeralt that I would be there, and I am a man of my word."
"Someone who keeps their promises is someone worthy of trust… obviously." Stated Anna, examining the bottle containing her potential next main source of business. "I'll let you know if I need anything else, Link."
"Alright, good evening, then, Anna." Said Link, saluting the merchant as he went in the direction of the exit.
"Bye!"
After the constant, boring silence that enveloped the Monastery during most of the day, came the utter chaos and uproar which accompanied the evening's servings at the dining hall. Those who had been either wise or lucky enough to arrive first in line had already begun to take a seat at one of the many long tables of the place, while the unfortunate rest had to wait in queue, with the delicious odor of the food serving as torture to their empty stomachs.
Byleth and her father, fortunately, had been of the first group. The blue-haired woman had decided to end her first session with Ignatz sooner for the purpose of avoiding the waiting time and the young man had not been against it. As for Jeralt, as he wasn't assigned to anything at the moment, he could afford some flexibility in his schedule.
Father and daughter had nonverbally agreed to go in the corner of the large room, so they could eat in as much in peace as possible. When they sat down, though, Byleth looked at her plate and couldn't hide her disappointment, which slightly amused Jeralt.
"Hey, looks like even a place like this cannot always accommodate an appetite like yours, kid. You can always go take seconds if you wish." Said Jeralt playfully as he pleasantly hummed from the smell of his own meal.
"I sure will. These portions are ridiculous." Responded the new professor with a frown.
"Ha, you've always been more about quantity than quality. Try to enjoy what you have now, at least. I swear, you'll not always get a second serving because you didn't savor the first."
Sighing slightly, Byleth was about to comply and try out her food when a third, bearded figure entered her field of vision, dropping his plate on the table while complaining.
"They call this a supper? This would barely qualify as an appetizer!" Claimed Link, exhaling out in frustration as he sat next to Jeralt, who had placed his face in his palm. "This is the first time I've come here to eat, and honestly it'll probably be the last. I can cook my own stuff."
"Wow. Kindred spirits all around tonight. Just my luck." Groaned the knight while Link looked in Byleth's direction, acknowledging her with a nod, which was quickly reciprocated.
After this little outburst, the Hylian nonetheless eyed up his meal and prepared himself to eat before the newly re-appointed Knight of Seiros spoke to him and Byleth.
"So, you're both getting used to the life here?" Asked the orange-clothed man.
"For now, I still need to get the hang of teaching, but with the help of Professor Hanneman and Professor Manuela, I think that I'm going in the right direction."
"And how was your lesson with this kid… you know, with the glasses?" Jeralt inquired again.
"His name is Ignatz, and it went well enough. He is not very confident, but he can get a lot more assertive when speaking of something that he likes, like tactics."
"Well, he definitively sounds like he is on the same page as you, at least." Jeralt said jokingly before turning to Link. "And what about you? You spent quite a lot of time out there in the woods, didn't you?"
"Oh, it's happened a few times already. I come somewhere, the time to have some pleasant time, then I depart once again to the next step of my quest." Responded the Hylian.
"What is your quest?" Byleth asked while tilting her head slightly to the side.
"Well, that's the thing… I used to have one." Admitted Link with a sad frown. "Nowadays, I go when I'm bored more than anything, or when I…" The outsider then paused and his gaze remained fixed, looking at nothing in particular. When he came out of this trance, he glanced back at Byleth and Jeralt with an awkward smile.
"That is a story for another time. Until then, let's just eat."
The new teacher, the knight and the wanderer then silently enjoyed – or, in Link and Byleth's cases, devoured – what they had gotten out of the kitchen and quickly resumed talking once they were done.
"You said that you usually cook big meals for yourself?" Inquired Byleth, to which Link acquiesced. "Do you think that you could do some for me, sometimes?"
"What sort of man would I be to let a young woman starve to death?" Joked the Hylian. "I was thinking about helping out the staff at big events. During these, I would get us as much food as we want."
Then, as this topic died down, Byleth turned to her father.
"Do you have any news of the bandit group that we supposed to fight at the end of the moon?"
"Alois and his men have done some cleaning up duty after they attacked a few towns." Said the Knight. "For now, they are making sure that they are not causing any more trouble, but Rhea wants to have them forced out of the Red Canyon as soon as possible, so I'm not sure if it really is going to be your assigned mission. If it is, it risks being forwarded a bit."
"Wait, what does that mean?" Asked the new professor with a hint of worry. "You saw them during the mock battle, they are not ready to fight yet. At least, tell me that it is not until next week…"
"I can't promise anything, but I'm confidant that if it really gets too soon for your class, they will give you something else."
"Wow." Whispered Link. "So, the Church is just cooking them up to be picked up by their rookies? That's harsh, but I can't say these thugs don't deserve it."
"Yeah, the Church of Seiros can be a bit… extreme in their measures, sometimes. Some things just don't change."
As the three had finished their plate and the line to get seconds was still ridiculously long, Byleth and Link both abandoned the idea of filling their bellies to their hearts' content for the evening and all three of them decided to call an end to this day.
"Alright, let's see you all tomorrow. Were you doing anything else tonight?" Asked Jeralt, mainly to his daughter.
"I have to re-plan the lessons that I intended to give my students, so I'm in my room for the night. Goodbye, dad."
At this, the new teacher waved at her father, getting out without even a smile, which made Link slightly curious.
"Your girl, she doesn't seem to be the most emoting thing around, is she?"
"That's how she is." Jeralt responded. Looking at him, however, Link could see that his face was slightly wrinkled from either anger or worry. "As you said, that's a story for another time. What were you going to do now?"
"Going camping in the woods tonight. I like the comfort over here, but sometimes a man just needs to reconnect with his roots a bit."
"Don't go disappearing on us for your quest so fast, kid." Said Jeralt with an amused smile.
"Have no worry, that's not happening right now. I'm having too much fun right now, and there are some people I would like to have more time with."
On this, the knight and the outsider went in their own direction, while the uproar of the dining hall was slowly dying out as many were quitting the space as well.
Alright, another chapter out! I know it has taken a lot of time, and I am sorry for that. A mix of school and all the stress it brought and the attention it needed.
Well, now it is done, the beginning of the Bandit Arc! I've decided that I would separate the story like this instead of having every chapter named individually, mainly because we're looking at a lot of chapters here. I don't know the exact number yet, but we're ony just beginning.
As usual, I'm asking for your feedback. Do you think that the Zelda and FE universes are blended well together so far? Do you like the way I insert Link into Garreg Mach? What do you think of his and Bernadetta's shared backstory so far? Do you appreciate Byleth's characterization? Don't hesitate to ask questions as well!
Side note: The seminaries will basically work as optional courses that the students will be able to attend as they wish. Since Manuela already teaches Swordsmanship in those, I decided to have Byleth teach brawling instead, as it is one of her strengths. It will allow for certain characters to meet while they couldn't have otherwise. Remember how Dimitri wanted to follow leadership lessons?
On this, I wish to you a wonderful Holiday period, may this humble piece of amateurish literature be my little present to you all!