[25th of Great Tree Moon]
[Cloudy]
I lied yesterday. Something interesting did happen.
It was not fun, however. After I wrote that entry, Robin had agreed to Professor Hanneman that we would come in for a crest examination.
I should have dissuaded Robin from agreeing.
Oh well. It is what it is…
We went after lunch. Sothis started to talk with Robin about his past as we walked. I found the conversation…enlightening, so I listen to it. Not that I had a choice in the matter. Robin can't hear Sothis, so I told him what Sothis said.
So, who was this Grima person anyhow?
Robin grimaced.
"He was the single most evil being in this realm. Do you want to know what his life's goal was?"
What was it?
"To bring about the end of the world," Robin has a look of pain on his face. "He…He succeeded. In one possibility, we had failed. He poisoned the land, drained the lakes and streams, slaughtered the living, desecrated the dead, and even managed to choke out the sun. It was the most terrifying and horrifying sight I have ever seen."
That's terrible! Why would he do such a thing!
Robin gives Sothis a sad smile.
"That's what we all wanted to know. The problem was that Grima was so obsessed with his evil that we couldn't separate his reasoning from his madness. Even Naga, oh, that's our goddess, by the way, couldn't give us a straight answer," His face then darkens. "Honestly, I believe she's hiding something. Something that she can't or won't tell me."
But still, what was his reasoning for destroying the world?
"Revenge. The world had shunned him, it had betrayed him, and so the entire world must end for its insolence. Truly, arrogance beyond belief," Robin shakes his head. "Though his reasoning is understandable to a degree…"
How exactly did you manage to kill him? Grima seems like an immensely powerful being.
"Now we get to specifics that I dislike talking about," Robin sighs. He then turns to me. "Byleth, not a word, understood? That goes for you as well, Sothis, though I don't think you can talk to anyone."
I nod, making a motion across my lips.
Robin sighs in slight relief.
"Well, the thing is, I am Grima's vessel-"
You are WHAT?
I clutch my temples as Sothis's screaming causes waves of pain to spread through my head. I feel Robin's hand grab my shoulder, a look of concern on his face.
"Are you alright?" He asks me in a quiet voice. I nod.
"Sothis yelled 'You are WHAT' really loudly in my head. It's causing me a slight headache," I explain.
Robin smiles a little bit.
"It seems like when people in your head get angry or disturbed, they cause bodily harm…" He murmurs.
Answer my question! You cannot say you are the vessel of such a creature and not explain!
"Yes, yes, I understand. You might not like my explanation, though…" Robin says bitterly. Sothis seems to stop her incessant talking (I do NOT do that!) in order to not miss Robin's now very quiet voice. "You see, my Family, House Salador, were fanatical Grimleal. The Grimleal…were…are…people who believed that Grima was a god."
Why? Did they not know that Grima would destroy the world?
"They knew. Oh, they definitely knew. They didn't care. In fact, they wanted the world to end. 'Salvation through destruction' and all that…" Robin sighs. "We were a part of the Fell bloodline. We all had a part of Grima's soul in us. But…Grima was picky. He wouldn't be able to take anyone who was Fell as a vessel. The person had to have immense power."
I don't think I like where this is going…
Robin smiles thinly.
"My family bred themselves. They found the most powerful dark magic users of each generation and had them join the family. Really, the way in which they did so was quite interesting, though only morbidly so,"
So you were bred into becoming Grima's vessel? Then how did you…how exactly did you kill him?
"Simple. I am Grima and he is I. What happens if I kill myself?" Robin's question was very short and simple, and yet it felt like a stone had been placed upon them and was slowly crushing their souls. It took me a moment, but I realize what Robin was implying.
Sothis understood it much faster than I did.
You killed yourself?
"Indeed. The first time that Robin Salador died. I killed myself so that Grima would die. Of course, that wasn't everything, but the general gist of it. I would tell you more, but that isn't my secret to tell," Robin nods. "Still, that didn't excuse the fact that I was Grima's vessel. It didn't excuse what I could, would do if I had fallen under Grima's grasp. He and I shared a link similar to you and By, which is why I could recognize what By was experiencing. Considering my earlier experiences with such beings, I hope you'll excuse the rash manner in which I treated you."
No…I understand. I don't know why, but I do.
Robin smiled.
"What did you do after you died?" Sothis didn't ask this question, but I did.
Robin frowned.
"Well, I sought forgiveness,"
"Why?"
"Because I am evil. I am Grima, and in part, I was responsible for what he did. I asked Naga how I could repent. She said I didn't need to, but eventually, I convinced her that I needed to make up for what I did. I first helped reverse the damage I did, and then… I was loaned out, I suppose…" Robin folded his arms. "I first went to the Mythical Kingdoms, Nohr, Hoshido, and Valla. I served under King Ryuoma. My mission there was to stop the Silent Dragon Anankos. I died then because I revealed the curse of Valla. I then went to Askr. I died three times in Askr. Once to Zacharias and twice to Surtr."
Wait, you died multiple times?
"Well, yes. I am technically dead, only able to live by the grace of Naga. I was resummoned by Kiran multiple times, though I don't think that was because of Naga,"
And why are you here?
Robin smiles weakly.
"To protect Byleth, obviously. Though, I suppose I know why Naga told me to specifically protect you. You must be an important person to attract Naga's attention, Sothis,"
Hmph! I do believe myself more important than you give me credit for!
"Yes yes…" Robin chuckles. "Let's switch topics to something less morbid, yes? Hmmm…what about Byleth's inability to use a bow, no matter how hard I tried to teach her?"
"Robin!"
Oho? Do tell.
"The first time she ever picked up a bow she used it backwards, causing the bow to smack her in the face. If she had shown more emotion back then, I think she would have cried,"
"I did not have that like of expression!"
Robin waged his finger at her. He wagged it!
"Now now, By, I know you better than you know yourself. You know this as much as I do. That day, you would have cried, but something stopped you from doing so. Just think of it as a…tactician's intuition," Robin shot her a smirk.
I looked at him pointedly. Something must have been up (Nothing was up!) because he interpreted this look for something else.
"By? Are you, and I'm just throwing out a suggestion here, pouting?" He said with the usual mischievous glint in his eyes. At least, this time he was wrong. (He wasn't!)
No matter what the voices in my head say. (Phooey!)
"I'm not!" Perhaps she had said that too forcefully and it had come out as emotion because Robin then started to laugh uncontrollably.
"Robin! Get a hold of yourself!" I shoot him a fierce look. (It wasn't that fierce. It was pitiable, honestly.)
"I'm sorry…" Robin manages to say between fits of laughter. "You just reminded me of…someone I knew…who would do the same thing."
"Did you also confuse their inner emotions?"
"She always did say that. Lucina is one of the toughest people I know, but I could always tell what she was feeling. And, she is also incredibly fun to tease,"
"Hmph. We're getting close to Hanneman's office. Stay quiet,"
"Deflecting, are we?"
"I am not!"
To say I dislike Hanneman's room is an understatement. It physically unnerved me to stand in it. This wasn't Robin's room, the shelves filled with a thousand different books of differing languages and sizes, the scent of mint and old paper filling the air, and papers lying haphazardly on the ground.
Hanneman's room, on the other hand, felt too organized. It felt like a hospital more than the infirmary did, though I suppose that says more about Manuela than Hanneman. The books weren't here because Hanneman liked them, they were here because he needed their information. There weren't any that were well-worn, the binding needing to be replaced by the sheer times that the book had been opened. There were any books with scribbles and notes in them, no analysis, only facts.
If felt…unnatural. Especially when Robin was nearby. Hanneman is so similar to Robin, and yet so different. Whenever I'm near Hanneman, it feels as if he's trying to pick me apart. When I'm near Robin, it feels like he knows who I am without breaking me.
I suppose I am having difficulties writing down how I feel.
Maybe I should ask Robin to fill in? I'm leaving this next section blank for him to explain more.
Only you can describe your feelings, By. -R
Hanneman ushered us into the room.
"My goodness, I was not expecting you two to take me up on my offer this quickly. I must say, this is the most curious somebody has been for quite some time,"
Robin shakes his head.
"Not quite curious, but…intrigued. Intrigued as to what would happen,"
Hanneman raises his eyebrow.
"Isn't that just curiosity?"
Robin shakes his head again.
"Not curiosity is when you don't know what will happen. Here, I have an idea of what will happen. An idea that I do not want to be validated,"
Hanneman nods.
"An experiment, then. What is the result you are expecting?"
"The result I want or the result I am expecting?"
Hanneman cocks his head.
"Is there a difference?"
Robin snorts.
"Of course, there is,"
"Hmmm… I suppose I want the one you are expecting. It will give me a better base to work with,"
Robin nods.
"I am expecting something called the Mark of the Defile. If it appears in the machine, I will let you know,"
Hanneman hums to himself.
"I have never heard a crest called that…"
"That's because it's not a crest. Not in the traditional sense, anyhow. It's…something from where I'm from. I'm sorry, but the rest is not my secret to share," Robin apologizes, which Hanneman immediately waves off.
"That is fine. Now, I will simply need a blood sample…?" Robin nods in response to Hanneman's question and pulls out a small knife.
"Where do you need it?" Robin asks the older man.
"In this vial, if you will," Robin nods. Using the knife he cuts a precise line on his left thumb. Soon, a bead of blood formed on the lower part of the cut. Holding out the vial, Robin let the blood drip into the glass container.
"Ah, that will be enough-" Hanneman begins to say, only to realize that Robin had no intention of stopping.
After a few seconds, he gives the vial back to Hanneman.
The researcher blinks.
"I did not need this much blood,"
Robin blinks. Do all smart people blink when they're caught off guard?
"You don't?" He then realizes something and curses. "Ah, fuck. Sorry, old habits die hard."
This only seems to make the older man more confused.
"I suppose so…" Hanneman dripped a small drop of blood onto the purple machine.
It slowly churned, and a hazy image slowly appeared.
Hanneman muttered something to himself and turn a couple of knobs. After barely touching one, Robin inhaled. The image hadn't changed by much, but apparently, Robin could already make out what it was. Huh.
Hanneman twiddled away with the machine as Robin simply stood there, shocked beyond belief. This is…new. Not a single time in my life have I seen Robin simply shocked (I'm sure you have. He seems to be good at hiding it, though). Sure, he had been surprised before, but never had he just stood and done nothing. If this was the battlefield he would just mutter some curse and start throwing around orders.
After a few moments, Hanneman finishes twiddling with his machine. He turns back to look at Robin. It was only then that he realized what had appeared hazily.
"What…what exactly is that?"
I take a better look at it. It looks like a raindrop surrounded on the bottom by a U with massive serifs and a small spike extending downward.
Robin does not respond.
I poke him in the shoulder.
"Robin. What is that?" I ask.
He doesn't answer.
I shake his shoulder. That seems to do the trick as Robin awakens from his stupor. He blinks rapidly at me, a confused expression on his face.
"The brand…? You don't- Oh, Naga, I'm not in Ylisse anymore…" Robin sighs. Hanneman raises an eyebrow at the word Naga but doesn't question it. "That right there is the Brand of Naga."
"The Brand of Naga?"
"A blessing given by our Divine Dragon, a being who is said to be a goddess," Robin then blinks and mutters a curse to himself. He probably didn't mean for that to get out.
Hanneman chuckles slightly.
"I did not expect Lady Rhea to bring in a foreign heathen, not to insult you or anything,"
Robin snorts.
"None taken. Plus, I'm not overly religious anyway. To each their own, so long as it does not harm another. It's not like I'm going to charge into the cathedral with the Book of Naga and start trying to convert people of some shit like that. I don't even have the Book of Naga on me anyhow," Robin then calms slightly. "Though, could I ask you to keep this quiet, please? My first favour."
Hanneman chuckles.
"I wouldn't have either way," He smiles. "Though, I am extremely curious as to your reaction. This was not what you expected, and yet you seem to know what it means. Please, tell me."
"It means that I have been forgiven. Unfortunately, the rest isn't my secret to share," Robin nods his head. "I don't think this Brand gives me any special powers, and I definitely don't think anyone else can. Morgan doesn't have it, and I'm not sure about Marc. Still, it's good to know that even after everything I've done, Naga still forgave me."
Hanneman seems confused. So am I. Still, we don't question Robin's words and we moved on to my test.
Fortunately, the result was anticlimactic. Well, more anticlimactic since after Robin's test Hanneman thought I must be hiding a secret crest. Well, he wasn't wrong, but he couldn't make heads or tails of the result. He said it is a new crest, and that it would take some time to work out what it was. We left him to his studies.
The walk back to our room was silent. More silent, perhaps, than usual. I don't like to talk normally. Robin, however, seemed too tired to. A mask of calm broke into sad smiles of relief as soon as we were in areas that offered any kind of privacy. A mask that he put back on whenever he thought someone could see. I was curious, I have to admit.
But I am not so clueless as to not be able to see Robin's discomfort. My questions would have to wait.
Sothis, being the little goblin that she is (I am not!), disagreed. She wanted to ask him now.
He's hiding something, I am sure of it!
"I know," I whisper to myself. Robin was too distracted to notice. I think.
Well? Ask him about it!
"He obviously doesn't want to talk about it,"
And when has that stopped you?
I bite back a retort. Robin would definitely notice if I started cursing at Sothis.
"I don't want to disturb him. It's the first time I've seen him like this,"
That actually manages to shut him up.
So, in for the first time in our exchange, I ask Sothis a question.
"Why do you want to know?"
She doesn't respond for a moment. She then sighs. Dramatically. (I did not!)
I feel…something in that man. It is…hard to describe, but it is still there, nonetheless.
"When one tries to explain something, it is prudent to start from the beginning," I quote.
Sothis seems caught off guard by that. She simmers for a moment.
I'm guessing that is a quote from Robin?
I shake my head slightly.
"No. It's from a person named Miriel. Still doesn't make it any less true, however,"
Sothis sighs. Deeply.
I-I suppose that is true. When I first woke up, I woke up because of him. It is hard to explain how it felt, but it felt like deep darkness was choking me. Enveloping me, not letting me go. It got worse whenever he came close and it lessened whenever he backed away. I-I wanted to tell you, but when I saw how close you two were…I couldn't bring myself to.
I frowned. Deep darkness? I certainly haven't felt anything around him. His aura was cold sometimes, yes, but it was also comforting. More comforting than this goblin. (Hey!) Why couldn't I have Robin stuck in my mind instead of Sothis? It would be so much more informative (HEY!)
It has…improved in recent years, but it's still there. He seems…more in control if you understand what I mean.
I think about this a little bit. Sothis isn't wrong, per se. Robin had outbursts of rage when he first came into the company. However, that rage was usually directed at himself.
Really? Directed at himself?
I flinch. Then I remember that Sothis can hear my thoughts. I relax afterwards.
You still haven't answered my question.
"He would sit off to the side during strategy meetings, complaining about losing too many, or not doing enough. He stewed by himself, mumbling. I would have to pull him out of these stupors, and it hurt to do so,"
It hurt?
"Robin would give me these looks that hurt my chest. I still don't know why it does,"
Oho? Showing emotion now, are we?
"It was not emotion. It simply hurt my chest,"
Do you show the same emotion whenever someone else gives you that look?
I consider her question. I imagine Mikal giving me that look. My chest does not hurt. I imagine Robin giving me that look.
My chest suddenly squeezes. I let out a slight gasp. Robin gives me a weird look of concern. I tap my heart with my palm twice and pump my fist.
[I'm fine]
Robin gives me a sceptical look, but it quickly disappears as that weird smile comes back again.
See? It is emotion.
"It is not. Or else Robin would have told me," I insist. Robin has been teaching me about emotions for some time now, once Jeralt had gotten used to the purple mage. When I was writing this, Sothis said something about Robin being surprised that he would be the first, whatever that means. I should ask him about it. Sothis now started telling me not to. What do I do? Probably nothing.
He might not have noticed.
I think for a bit. Robin is observant, but he's not that observant. Perhaps he just didn't notice?
"I'll ask him about it later," I inform Sothis.
Sothis huffs but stays quiet. Good.
I was going to ask Robin about what had happened, but Robin had collapsed onto the mattress on the floor and was snoring by the end of the minute.
So much for that.
Robin wasn't in the room when I woke up this morning. The door was still locked. The window, then. Not surprising.
"Use all entrances. A window is still an entrance," Robin had said to me.
I look towards the window. Sure enough, there was a note there.
I will attach it here.
I woke up early today, By. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, so I'm going to get some breakfast. I'll be in the training yard by the time you're awake. Remember that class starts today. I'll be there in the afternoon. Do your best, By!
-R
Fuck.
This was not what I was expecting. Perhaps I'll ask why Robin wouldn't be next to me when we're teaching. Yeah, I will go do that.
Just as I was going out, Sothis started to yell at me from within my head.
Will you go get yourself dressed before we go out? You are still wearing your nightclothes!
I blink and look down. Indeed, I was still wearing my baggy nightwear.
I get myself changed while Sothis yelled and complained in my mind.
Seriously! Of all the things that you managed to pick up from that man, why did you pick up his inability to feel shame?
"Robin can feel shame," I frown, thinking back to the time Robin had a run-in with me after I was done bathing. That, he said, was the emotion of shame.
I am sure that he meant that you were supposed to feel shame! Then again, he was very red. I suppose he felt enough shame for the both of you. Hmph, it appears I need to reassess this Robin figure yet again.
By the time I had managed to put on my clothes, Sothis had started talking in circles, managing to get herself confused in her thought processes. (I was not 'confused in my thought process' thank you very much!)
I decided to go get breakfast first. It wouldn't do to fight on an empty stomach.
But you're not fighting! You're teaching!
"I'm not teaching, I'm fighting,"
Sothis is very confused.
I do not understand your logic… Perhaps you should write it down in the book that Robin gave you, that way I will have some understanding of it…
I comply:
I don't know how to teach, and Robin, who doesn't know how to teach, isn't here. However, I do know how to fight, so I will be using my knowledge about fighting to teach. (And you say my logic is confusing!)
As I am making my way to the dining hall, I pass many faces, none of which I recognize. I do, however, recognize one. I see the green hair of Seteth poke out from within the crowd. Seeing as he is the only person that I know in the hall, I walk towards him.
It seems he was looking for me anyway.
"There you are, Professor. Have you seen your compatriot today?" He asks. I cannot tell what tone he was using with me, but I don't think he was angry. Sothis, was he angry? She says no. I don't know if I should trust Sothis (Hey!), but Robin wasn't there. I guess I'll trust her. Today.
"You mean Robin?"
He sighs.
"Yes, I mean Professor Robin," He then frowns. "I've never gotten his last name. Do you know it?"
"Salador," I say without thinking.
"Salador, huh…" Seteth frowns. "Is there any reason why he hasn't told me yet?"
I think back to when Robin first told me about his name.
"He said that it carried negative connotations from where he's from,"
"In Ylisse," Seteth frowns. I give him a confused look. "I asked Claude what he knew about Robin today. It was…enlightening as much as it was worrying."
I nod.
"Robin said that he has a complicated past,"
"I can see that," Seteth says dryly. "Still, that doesn't mean there isn't anything to know about him. So Professor, what do you know about our resident dark mage?"
Dark mage?
"Robin isn't a dark mage," I insist.
Seteth blinks.
"He isn't?"
I shake my head.
"He refuses to study dark magic. He says it's too easy for him to lose control, and he would rather not unlock his potential than risk him losing his mind," I explain.
"So he has potential in dark magic," Seteth frowns.
I nod.
"The times that he has used it, he uses it extremely well. Even Jeralt was impressed,"
Seteth nods slowly.
"And you're sure Robin can control himself?"
I blink at the man. Damn, even I'm getting in the habit of blinking.
"I am sure,"
Seteth sighs.
"Please forgive me for asking such questions. This morning's…incident has left me…concerned,"
Incident?
"Sir Seteth, there was an incident this morning?"
Seteth looks at me, dumbfounded.
"You didn't know?"
"I woke up a moment ago. What happened?"
Seteth sighs and mutters something under his breath.
"Robin managed to beat Thunderstrike Catherine,"
"That seems normal…" I frown. I don't know who this 'Thunderstrike Catherine' is, but I haven't found a single person who could beat Robin yet.
"That's not the incident. I'm not sure what happened, but it appears that Catherine managed to enrage Robin to the point that black flames start appearing out of him. He then preceded to beat Catherine to within an inch of her life,"
I blink.
"Where are they now?"
"Robin both are currently in my office. Why?"
"Is Robin refusing to answer your questions?"
"He…is…" Seteth frowns. His eyes then narrow. "How did you know?"
"Because this has happened before. Let me guess, this Catherine person insulted Robin's wife,"
Seteth's face morphs into an expression of surprise.
"That's what happened?'
"Most likely,"
Seteth sighs.
"I'm too early for this…"
I give him a slight smile and wet to get my food.
Breakfast was mostly uneventful. I talked to some students from the Blue Lions house (Annette and Mercedes, I think), but that was about it. What was interesting is what happened afterwards.
As Robin said, today is the first day that I am teaching. I don't think I did too well.
I ran into Edelgard after breakfast.
"Ah! Professor Byleth! I did not expect to meet you here!" She says, waving at me with a small smile.
I return the smile.
"I did not either. However, it is a great boon to the both of us,"
Her eyes widen.
"Is it?"
I nod.
"It is. This way, I do not need to find you in order to tell you that I have been selected to lead your class this year,"
She blinks and then smiles brightly.
"I see! In that case, please follow me! I believe class is starting in thirty minutes, and we will have time to talk before everyone else comes,"
I smile at her.
"What exactly do you want to talk to me about?" I say as we are walking towards the classroom.
She suddenly quiets a little bit.
"I…wanted to talk about Professor Robin,"
I nod. We've reached the relative privacy of the Black Eagles classroom.
I take a look around the empty classroom. The chalkboard at the front of the class is empty. I have no doubt that Robin will have a field day with it.
But what would I use it for?
Ignoring Edelgard for the moment, I walk over to the blackboard while Edelgard stares, confused.
"Um…Professor?"
I take a piece of chalk and started writing. I first listed out the names that I remembered from our short greeting earlier.
Edelgard von Hresvelg
Hubert von Vestra
Ferdinand von Aegir
Caspar von Bergliez
Linhardt von Herving
Petra Macneary
I frown as I write down Petra's name. There was someone else… A girl, I think…No, two girls, one with brown hair and another with purple hair.
"Dorothea Arnault and Bernadetta von Varley, Professor," She then frowns. "Why are you writing our names down?"
I nod my thanks and add their names to the list.
"It's something Robin did with recruits. We would write their names down on a board and analyze their strengths and weaknesses as we got to know them," I answer.
She looks stunned. I smile.
"It's usually Robin who does the analyzing, really. He has a knack for this kind of stuff," I nod to myself.
Next to Edelgard's name, I write Axe-wielder (Armoured Knight?) and next to Hubert I write Dark Mage (Ask Robin).
"You hold Professor Robin in high regard," Edelgard states.
I nod. She seems intent on discussing Robin.
"I do. He taught me everything I know,"
Edelgard hums to herself. She's thinking about something.
"He did…? What about your father? Did Sir Jeralt not teach you anything?"
I stop writing and think for a moment. Jeralt…didn't really teach me anything. Nothing that Robin didn't teach better, anyway.
"No. I learned everything from Robin," I nod.
This seems to stump Edelgard. I walk forwards and take a seat next to her.
"Is it so strange?" I ask.
She looks at me with those large purple eyes.
"I suppose… I just… I don't understand how you can trust Professor Robin so much,"
"Why?"
"Well…because he's acting…"
Ah. She must be referring to the masks that Robin puts up. I suppose that's fair.
"Hmmm… You realized that Robin isn't showing his real self, then?"
Edelgard nods.
"Let him be, Edelgard. It's just how he is. He isn't sure of himself, so he pretends to be,"
"Why isn't he sure of himself? You say that he's one of the best fighters and the best tactician there is,"
I fall silent. Honestly? I'm not sure why Robin hates himself so much.
Then I remember something that Robin had said to me back when he would spend nights screaming from nightmares.
"Because everyone depends on him. He cannot get arrogant," I explain. That wasn't Robin's exact wording, but it's close enough.
Edelgard nods.
"That's… a good reason. Though, I can't help but wonder if that's his true reasoning…"
"Why?" I am genuinely confused.
"Because he feels… I'm sorry, professor, but I cannot put it into words…" Edelgard shakes her head.
I smile.
"Don't worry-" I begin to say before being interrupted by a loud whooping noise.
I stand up and stare at the door. The offending structure then bursts open, allowing a very loud Caspar to enter.
"Didya see that fight, Edelgard?" He yells.
Edelgard stares at Caspar with a confused expression.
"What fight?" She responds.
"Professor Robin fought Thunderbrand Catherine! And beat her in one hit!" Caspar pumps his fist in the air. "I can't wait to ask him to fight me!"
"Caspar! Be more polite!" Linhardt arrived behind his friend with a yawn. He found the closest seat and fell asleep in it.
Hubert appeared sometime during Caspar's announcement and sat down next to Edelgard.
Dorothea and Petra arrived next, the former trying to get the latter to dance. The latter was incredibly uncomfortable during this exchange. Ferdinand arrived after them, taking the seat next to Edelgard, much to Hubert's annoyance.
Last to arrive, literally dragged by Edelgard who I sent to get her, was Bernadetta.
Now that everyone was here, we could finally start class.
"Hello everyone. My name is Byleth Eisner, and I will be your Professor this year-" Before I can even finish, a groan of disappointment can be heard from Caspar.
"Awww… I really wanted it to be Professor Robin. Not that I think you'll be a bad Professor, Professor By-"
"Don't worry, Caspar. I did not believe that I could teach a class on my own, which is why Professor Robin was hired in the first place. We will alternate days. You will get him tomorrow," I interrupt him. "If you let me finish, you would have known that."
Caspar gains a sheepish look on his face.
"Sorry, Professor,"
It was at this point that I noticed that Linhardt was sleeping. Grabbing a piece of chalk, I throw it with a spin at Linhardt. It appears that my dart practice has paid off, as the spinning piece of chalk nails Linhardt in the forehead.
"OUCH!" He leaps up, now very awake.
"Thank you, Linhardt, for joining us," I nod to myself. "The next time you sleep, it would be prudent to bring a pillow and some head protection."
"I understand…" He mutters, rubbing his sore head.
"I, Ferdinand von Aegir, do not think that Professor Robin will be a better Professor than you. I would also like to remind you that I am the legitimate heir to House Aegir, whose current head is the current Prime Minister of the Empire. Furthermore, as I believe us to be of similar age, I would like to treat you as one of us. I hope you do not mind," Ferdinand manages to get through all of that in one breath. Truly a terrifying skill.
I turn my gaze to look at everyone in the class. From what I can remember from two days ago, they are a hyperactive bunch.
Then my eyes landed on Bernadetta, who immediately shrunk from my gaze.
I frowned. Did I do something strange?
"What's wrong Bernadetta?"
She screamed out a "EEK!" and hid under her book.
Dorothea sighs.
"I'm sorry, Professor. Bernie here is shy. Really shy,"
The girl in question nods her head.
"Don't worry, I won't bite," I say, trying to reassure her.
She nods slowly.
"You have a gut, Professor, to learn from a person like Professor Robin," Petra nods. "I will take great joy from your teachings."
"Petra, I think you're trying to say the professor has guts, not have a gut," Dorothea winces. "You can't say that someone this fit has a gut."
"Plus, it would be doing such a slim and attractive lady an injustice," She then winks at me.
"I am not understanding," Petra frowns. She then looks at me.
I blink in confusion. Oh, right. She wants me to translate for her.
Is Gnàths-cainnt é. Má deirtear go bhfuil inní agam, táim cróga.
Petra nods, the confusion disappearing from her eyes.
"Thank you, Professor," She smiles.
"Hey, I have a suggestion, Professor!" Caspar yells out, much too loud for an indoor setting.
"Oh, come on…" Linhardt groans.
"What is it?"
"Why don't we go outside and train? You haven't seen us in action, right?"
"That's…actually not a bad idea, Caspar," Edelgard admits.
I concur. It'll be easier for me to understand everyone if I can see them in action.
I'm about to agree when a meek voice interrupts us.
"C-Can we not train? C-C-Can we stay inside and learn from a-um book?" Bernadetta says under her book. She looks at me with indescribable pain in her eyes. She's practically pleading with me to let her stay inside. Unfortunately for her, I've heard that she's one of the best archers at the monastery, so that's not going anywhere.
"Or…we could all go and get some tea," Dorothea winks at me again. Why is she doing that? I'll have to ask Robin later.
The class then descends into bickering are yelling.
Edelgard sighs.
"I'm sorry, My Teacher, they aren't…usually this rowdy," She then frowns. "Though, I suppose I said that two days ago too…"
I roll my eyes and extend my hand upwards towards the ceiling. This time, however, Caspar realizes what I'm doing before I cast the spell.
"Hey, guys! The Professor's going to speak!" Caspar hollers, managing to calm the house down.
The room silences and eight pairs of eyes stare at me.
I clear my throat.
"We're going to the training yard,"
Getting everyone to the training yard proved to be harder than I expected. Much harder than I expected.
Linhardt and Bernadetta fought me the entire way, the former because he hated anything physically related, while the latter didn't even want to leave her room.
I managed to convince the former to come by assuring him that he wouldn't be doing anything too physically demanding if he didn't want to. We were just going to show off our skills, after all, and his skill lies in healing.
Bernadetta, however, I had more trouble with. I managed to convince her by letting her bring a book with her. Don't know why she agreed after that.
When we finally got to the training yard, I was surprised. I wasn't sure what I'd see, but a massive black scorch mark in the sand was definitely what I wasn't expecting.
"What happened here?" I mutter to myself. Apparently, I wasn't as quiet as I expected, and Caspar answer my question.
"That was Professor Robin," Caspar whistles. "I didn't know he was this good at magic, you know? I was not expecting black fire to shoot out from his arms and smack Catherine into the wall."
I blink a couple of times.
"Is Catherine alright?"
"Hmmm? I think so, she was knocked unconscious, but I heard that Professor Manuela managed to patch her up,"
I nod.
The scorch marks are slightly concerning, but nothing new. Robin loved to use fire spells, and his signature skill, Ignis, had him surrounded by black flames.
Though, the fact that Cathrine managed to get Robin mad enough to have him use Ignis had me concerned. It wasn't like Robin to show off. He must have taken a beating against Catherine or she pissed him off really badly.
Probably the latter. It is much easier to insult Robin than it is to beat him, and considering his eternal calm, that's saying something.
Still, what did Catherine do to piss Robin off? Mikal dumped an entire bucket of sludge and gristle on top of him and he laughed it off.
I'll ask him later.
"Everyone, grab the weapon that you are most comfortable using. If you use offensive spells that aren't black magic, prepare your tomes. Hubert, wait until I can contact Robin. I don't know anything about black magic, you'll have to ask him,"
Everyone nods in affirmation.
After a few minutes of fiddling around, the line back into something resembling a line facing me. Resembling might have been too forgiving, it wasn't a line at all.
Edelgard had Ferdinand standing to her side, the former with a hefty wooden axe and the latter with a short lance that he does not look comfortable wielding. I'll sort him out later. Hubert is staring daggers at Ferdinand. Dorothea stands with Linhardt to the side. Caspar is wielding a hand axe and seems ready to both punch and hack. Petra has a bow and a small sword and Bernadetta is shakingly holding a longbow.
"Please go through your warm-up movements," I instruct.
They start their warm-ups. From the start, their strikes are…strange
I frown.
They seem…untrained. Even Edelgard is handling her axe like a sword. She's holding it with a double-handed grip choked down towards the bottom of the hilt instead of holding it evenly. The off-balance axe swings wilding, not even close to the grace that Robin or Karath are able to handle it.
Only Petra is able to handle her weapon with any sort of grace, and even then she's fighting against her body.
I sigh silently. This is going to be harder than I thought. I better start with the ones that will understand.
"Tá do chlaíomh mícheart á choinneáil agat," I walk over to Petra, who blinks at me.
Shit. I hope I didn't get the article wrong there.
"Cad atá i gceist agat, a ollamh?" She responds. Good, she understood me. "Chomh maith leis sin, an bhféadfaimis labhairt i Foldani le do thoil. Is mian liom an teanga sin a fhoghlaim?"
I hum a little to myself. The drive that Petra has to learn Foldani is impressive.
"Sure. I have a question, Petra," I switch back to Foldani. "Do you think you can beat Ferdinand in a contest of strength?"
She thinks to herself.
"I could certainly be of trying, but I do not believe so," She shakes her head.
"Exactly. Then why are you trying to enter a contest of strength?"
Petra looks at me with confusion in her eyes.
"I am not of understanding, Professor,"
I frown. How to I tell her…?
Well, I could always just show her.
"I can show you," I inform her. "Would you like a demonstration?"
She nods.
I grab a wooden sword from the rack and face Petra.
Odd.
She doesn't get into a stance. She just stands here, her eyes shining brilliantly.
"Petra? Why aren't going into a stance?"
She blinks in confusion.
"You wish to fight me, Professor?" She asks.
"I cannot show you without an opponent, and no one else can use a sword," I inform her.
She nods and readies her sword. She takes a defensive stance, her sword held in front of her.
I take a more aggressive stance, holding the tip forwards. Petra gives me a strange look as I take a step back.
I go through the things that Robin said to me about his style of sword fighting.
[Never let yourself get weighed down. If you get stuck in a bind, back off. If they strike to strike, parry and back off. Conserve your strength. It takes less energy to dodge than it takes to block.]
"Begin!"
On my mark, Petra leaps forward. Left foot forwards, she swings from the left.
[Deflection instead of engagement.]
A twitch of my sword knocks Petra's off course, the quick movement diverting her sword to the outside of her guard.
It didn't take much footwork for me to step inside her guard, now that there was no sword in the war, and press the point of my sword against her neck.
She blinks.
"What did you do, Professor?" She looks at me with wide eyes of surprise and admiration.
I back away from her, allowing her to catch her breath. Not from exhaustion, no, but from sheer shock and surprise.
"I moved your sword out of the way," I turn back towards her. "Again!"
Petra nods and strikes a stance.
The second bout lasts an even shorter time than the first. A feint at her knees quickly diverted towards her neck and ended that bout.
We sparred for a long time. Long enough that everyone else had finished their training routines and were simply staring at us.
In all honestly, fighting her is pitiful. She can barely match the speed of some of the slowest sword masters that I've fought.
We fought for twenty-seven bouts. I won twenty-six of them. The last one wasn't considered a win because Petra was so tired at that point that she just gave up.
She sat on the side, drinking water from a skin while desperately trying to draw air. Did I push her too hard? Robin and I could go on for hours without rest, so it should be fine, right?
Thankfully, Petra improved drastically between bouts. By the 5th bout, she was no longer falling for basic feints. By the 13th, she had managed to figure out that there wasn't any point trying to block my strikes and instead disengage whenever I struck. By the 23rd, there was more pacing around than actual swings. That's good. She's getting used to movement.
"Professor, you have to show me how you do that," Dorothea suddenly said.
I stare at her confused.
"Do what?"
"Move like that!" She gestures to the spot where Petra and I were just sparring. "It felt like you two were dancing. Sure, Petra was barely holding on, but you were walking around as a dancer would!"
I frown. This…wasn't unexpected, per se.
[Your movements should be smooth, like a dancer's.]
I think about what to say for a moment. I certainly don't know how to dance. Perhaps Robin does?
"Robin always said that a swordmaster's movements should be like a dancer's. I don't know how to dance, but you could always ask Robin,"
Dorothea nods.
Oh dear…I'm afraid you might have overestimated Robin's abilities a little bit…
Sothis sighs in my head. I ignore her. She's wrong, no matter how much she yells in my mind.
Caspar yelled something about fighting him at me, so I do so. Robin had trained me in axes somewhat, so I took an axe from the training rack and face him.
"Edelgard, watch," I saw before we begin. The princess is surprised at being called out but does start staring at us with a higher intensity.
I had more trouble with Caspar than I did with Petra. Not because Caspar was better than Petra, but because of the nature of axes. My axe style is a brute-force style. I am stronger than Caspar, but not to the same extreme as my mobility outstripped Petra's.
Still, I won in the end. A powerful bow knocked Caspar's axe from his hand, and the next second my axehead was lying comfortably in the crook of his neck.
Caspar managed to speak after multiple seconds of heavy breathing.
"...Hoo…That was…intense…Professor…" He winced as we parted, stretching out his shoulders as he did so. "I wasn't expecting you to be so good at the axe."
I nod at him.
"Robin is a good teacher,"
He gives me a small smirk.
"Also, your legwork needs adjustment,"
He blinks at me.
"Why? It was fine, wasn't it?"
"Fine on flat ground. When are we ever going to be fighting on perfectly smooth ground?" I point out.
Caspar had been walking in a way that constantly tripped himself up, had there been any kind of imperfections on the ground. His heels dragged ever so slightly in the sand. His steps were heavy and uncalculated. If there was a small mound, I could have tripped him over it very easily.
"Try thinking before you step. It'll be better for you in the long run. You'll get used to it,"
Caspar nods in understanding.
Edelgard has been staring all this time, though the confusion on her face probably means that she hasn't noticed what I had seen earlier.
"Edelgard,"
"Yes? Professor?"
"Did you notice anything?"
"I…did not…Was there something to notice?"
"My grip," I grab the training axe. "How is it different from your grip?"
She blinks.
"Oh…You're holding higher up on the hilt,"
"It's not a hilt, Edelgard. An axe is not a sword. It's a handle. You're using your axe like a sword or scythe. That's not how you use an axe, Edelgard," I stare at her pointedly. A slight blush emerges on her face.
"I-I understand, My Teacher,"
"My Teacher?" I raise an eyebrow at that nickname. "Am I not everyone's teacher?"
"I-" The blush grows. "I didn't mean it like that…"
Something tightens in my chest. I frown a little bit. I'll have to go ask Robin about that later.
The training session lasted some time. My initial assessment of their combat readiness was on point. Ferdinand didn't seem to realize that a calvary lance wasn't suitable for infantry, Linhardt could barely run twenty paces before collapsing, Bernadetta would be an amazing archer if she would just keep her eyes open, Dorothea seemed to care more about trying to get me to take tea than actually listening to me, and Hubert's a lost cause.
They expect me to train this group to a combat-ready state. Without actual combat? They must be insane.
By the end of the training session, Edelgard is barely able to stand up without me to hold onto her, Caspar and Linhardt are both sleeping on the ground, Ferdinand is crumpled in a heap next to an equally tired Petra, Dorothea is staring at a stack of books that I told her to read in order to better her magic training, Hubert somehow managed to get nailed by an Elthunder spell that I launched earlier and is tending to his wounds, and Bernadetta is hiding in the corner. Typical.
"Class dismissed!" I yell, though I probably could have done without yelling. It is getting late, and I should have let them go on a lighter note. Still, it wouldn't hurt to get them used to this kind of intense training.
Moaning and groaning, my students file out of the sandy training pit. I'm still holding on to Edelgard, who is gripping my shoulder hard.
As we walk, Edelgard starts to talk.
"My-, I mean, Professor, I wanted to thank you,"
"You can call me that if you want,"
"What?" She looks at me in confusion.
"My Teacher. You can call me that if you want,"
She nods.
"My Teacher, I wanted to thank you,"
"Don't. Not until you see Robin tomorrow,"
She frowns.
"Why?"
"Because Robin is better," I don't need many words to explain that.
Her frown deepens.
"Yes, but Professor Robin isn't here. You are,"
I can't argue against that.
"I have to ask, My Teacher,"
"Yes?"
"You were going easy on us, right,"
I nod. I didn't use any of my skills, nor did I ever use my spells, unless it was against Dorothea or Hubert.
"That is correct. Why do you ask?"
"Could you…please…spar with me? With your full strength?"
I snort.
"I beat you into this state without my full strength," I point out.
She grimaces.
"I know… I just want…to know how weak I am,"
I hum a bit. I suppose that's fair. That's what I asked Robin to do when I first found out he was holding back. I was then thrown far enough by a Rexcaliber spell that Jeralt had sent out a search party.
Thankfully, I am not that strong.
"Ok. Just no live steel,"
She nods.
We spend the rest of the walk in silence.
By the time we got back to the dormitories, dinner was over. Thankfully for Edelgard, Hubert had thought ahead and had a meal for her prepared earlier in the day.
With an empty stomach, I opened the door to our room. To my surprise, there was a plate of steaming food. A steak and some vegetables. Beside that was a set of silverware and a note. I will attach it here for completion's sake:
Hello By!
I saw that you had missed dinner, so I cooked up something for you to eat.
Sorry, but I found something interesting in the pond. I'll be back later. I won't wake you up, so go ahead and sleep.
-R
I frown. I hadn't seen Robin all day. Though, I guess this is proof that he is looking after me nonetheless.
I take a bite of the steak. It tastes divine.
After finishing dinner, I prepare to sleep. There isn't much I want to do.
I was starting to change when I heard a knock on the door.
Strange.
Perhaps it is one of your students coming to ask a question?
Sothis makes a good point for once. (Hey!)
I go to open the door, but I am not greeted by a face I recognize. Instead, it is a short girl, shorter than Bernadetta. A pure white head of hair reminds me of Robin, but I shake off the resemblance. She doesn't feel like Robin.
"Hello?"
"Excuse me, but is Professor Robin in right now? I need to talk with him," She says with a stressed tone.
Oh no, Robin, I think someone likes you. (You dense being!)
"He's not here right now,"
"Oh…" She seems disappointed.
"Do you want to come in and wait for him? He was trying to find something in the pond,"
The girl blinks.
"Why would he want to do that?" She seems confused. "And are those chocolates?"
I blink. Then I realize the girl is looking behind me at the brown box that Robin had bought when he first came here. A taste of home, he said it was.
"I don't know. Do you want some?"
The girl looks conflicted.
"I suppose…I could help you find out what it is,"
She comes in. I open the box to find out that the box indeed contained chocolates.
All of them had the Brand of Naga on them though. I suppose that means that it is truly from Robin's homeland.
"So, who are you?" I ask the girl, who blinks.
"Um… what exactly does that mean?"
"Your name. I don't know who you are,"
"O-Oh. I am Lysithea von Ordelia. I am a member of the Golden Deer," I nod. That makes sense. I didn't like Claude, so I didn't bother to learn about that house.
"I see," I nod. "So, you wanted to see Robin?"
"Y-yes… I had some…questions for him," She then frowns. "I suppose I could ask you as well…"
I tilt my head in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I wanted to ask, how old is Professor Robin?"
"Five years older than I am, so twenty-nine," I inform her.
She blinks at me.
"Does he have a condition that makes his hair white?"
I frown.
"No, he doesn't. He says he's had white hair since he can remember," That seems to make her even more off guard. In fact, she seems downright uncomfortable at that bit of information. She's starting to breathe heavily now.
My frown deepens.
"Thank you, Professor Byleth. I-I think I have to go now," She gives me a bow and starts to leave. She then spies the chocolates. "C-Could I have some of the chocolates?"
I nod, handing over ten chocolates.
"Just don't tell Robin. He bought them," I give her a wink.
She shoots back a thin smile.
I smile too and get ready to sleep.
Today has been very tiring.
Name: Byleth Eisner
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Class: Swordmaster (Archanean)
All Previous Classes: Fighter (Archanean), Hero (Archanean), Tactician(Archanean), Commoner (Fodlani)
Level: 16/99
Skills (Archanean): Astra, Sol, Swordfaire, HP+5, Wrath
Skills (Fodlani): HP+5, Professor's Guidance
Items: Steel Sword, Combination Tome (Thunder, Elthunder, Arcthunder), Fire Tome
Description:
The daughter of the Blade Breaker, Jeralt Eisner, she fights with a style first invented by the current Campion of West Ferox and former shepherd, Lon'qu, and the Grandmaster of Ylisse, Robin. She fights much like her mentor, with quick and precise sword strikes and intermittent magic. In the past, she tried to imitate her mentor's more mentally focused abilities but failed. She favours her right hand and fights two-handed. She is trained in axes, lances, bows, and CQC, though she still prefers the sword.
AN: Sorry everyone! It's been a busy week, and I didn't find much time to write. I hope this chapter is ok! Don't worry, we'll see more of Robin and Byleth's interaction later, and what Lysithea is trying to learn. You guys probably know. Anyhow, we actually have a review this week! Please leave reviews, I live off of them.
Guest: I really don't know what to say. I- Come on, have you not read the story? I am posting the correct stuff, right? This is Robin free from Grima. He is Byleth's mentor. Also, I do not intend on writing any of your suggestions. Seriously, if you want it so bad, just write it yourself!
Anyhow, my muse put a gun to my head and forced me to write another fic. It's a bit more self-indulgent, and I don't think it's going to get updated as much as this one, but you can go check it out. It's A Thousand Burgundy Flowers over on AO3.
Acardia out!