A/N: As always, thank you for the new favs, follows, and reviews! I'm also looking forward to playing Three Hopes. I wonder how they'll manage to give us a golden route this time. By the way, it'll still be a long while before I get the Ashen Wolves into play because I have to wait until the frickin' goddess rite month of the game which is like...a lot of chapters away. We haven't even reached Lord Lonato's rebellion yet and I have a lot planned for that lol.
Hang in there! I'll get there eventually xD
[White Clouds]
Chapter 10: The Blue Lions
"Can I be honest with you?"
"Of course."
"I— urgh, feel like I'm going to hurl."
Satiana stood quietly outside the classroom doors, leaning against the wall for support as she tapped her foot impatiently. Her hands were shivering, and she attempted to wipe the sweat off by wiping it against her skirt. Byleth stood next to her, hand on the door's handle, frowning in response to her squirming.
"If you throw up now, I'll never forgive you," Byleth said sternly. "We're going to make a good first impression, alright?"
Satiana sighed, rustling the strands of her hair. "I know, I know." She straightened her posture, fixing her ponytail in a rush. She breathed in deeply, then exhaled, rolling her shoulders to release the tension within her muscles. There was the loud crack of her bones shifting into place, and she slapped her hands on her cheeks, mustering up her courage.
"Okay, I can do this. It's just a couple of teenagers my age. What's there to be scared about? Oh right, the goddamn guilt inside of me because I sort of almost killed some of their family members—" she rambled on, words flying out on auto-pilot.
Byleth groaned, rubbing her face into her palms in exasperation. "Satiana." That one word from Byleth calling her name, not even snapped or yelled, was loaded with finality and a warning that immediately made Satiana clamp her mouth shut.
"S-Sorry," Satiana meekly squeaked. "I'm just being stupid, aren't I? It's not like they know who I am anyway, so I don't need to feel so scared of them." She reasoned with herself, eyes darting all over the place like a cat that got its tail stepped on.
"As much as I appreciate your kindness, at times like these, I wish you wouldn't feel so pressured for no reason," Byleth sighed, shaking her head. "Just be your normal self. I assure you. Even if something happens and your identity gets busted, they'll forgive you."
"No, they won't," Satiana snapped back immediately with such unfounded certainty it made Byleth want to slap her upside down, though she resisted the urge with all her might.
"Just think of this as a mission," Byleth suggested. "Always be calm and collected. Be prudent and confident."
"Easy for you to say," Satiana mumbled under her breath. "Not everyone is as stoned-face as you are."
"That, I concede on," Byleth held back a snort. "But anyway, it's almost time for class to begin. I'm going to open the door in one minute. Get your act together already."
"Yes, ma'am," Satiana saluted. "Just give me a second to breathe."
As promised, Satiana spent the last minute stretching her limbs, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm her thundering heart down. She did everything she could, from pinching herself, rubbing her cheeks, and even arguing with herself in a quiet monologue. Byleth felt her impatience growing thin as she watched Satiana finally overcome her anxiety.
Satiana straightened her back, a confident and nonchalant smile now plastered on her face. "Right, last check. Hair? Should be fine. Swords? Clean and pristine. Confidence? Zero, but whatever. Names? Yes, I checked over the roster twenty times last night," she reiterated to herself, counting off her fingers. Then, she nodded. "Alright, I think I'm ready now, Byleth."
"Finally," Byleth muttered. Then, without another second of hesitation, she opened the doors.
Immediately, all eyes inside the room turned towards them. Satiana felt her stomach squeeze as she strolled down the aisle, eyes focused in front of her. Although she was internally freaking out, she kept on her poise, confidently following Byleth's lead.
A group of students gathered in the center of the room. Dimitri stood in the middle of the circle, his face lighting up in recognition. He gave a small wave, a pleasant smile on his face. "Ah, there you are, professor, Satiana," he greeted with a curt nod.
"Hold on," Annette's eyes widened. "You're our new professor? Oh no, I spoke so informally to you!" She yelled in horror as her eyes met Byleth. "I-I'm so sorry, professor. You looked so young as if you were the same age as us!"
"I take no offense to that, Annette," Byleth replied, blank expression as usual. "You can treat me like a friend."
"That doesn't sit well with me," Dimitri frowned. "After all, we wish to show you due respect."
"Sure, but if the professor says it's fine, shouldn't we oblige? That is, if you can consent to such a thing, your highness," Sylvain commented, glancing at Dimitri. "I mean, we're already speaking this way to our future king. We might as well relax around the professor too."
"Well, if the professor says it's fine, we ought to accept that kindness gratefully," Dimitri replied with a nod.
"I'm not sure if I can manage to do that…" Ingrid mumbled behind the group, dejected.
"You don't have to force yourself if it's too difficult. You're fine with that too right, professor?" Mercedes commented.
Byleth simply nodded in response.
It was then that something peculiar happened. Sylvain suddenly walked up to Byleth, eyes shining with excitement. He placed his hand on his chest, eying her with awe. "Such benevolence is a sight to behold!" He exclaimed, moving closer towards Byleth. "I don't suppose you would care to join me for tea? We could discuss education and, well…" he trailed off, baritone voice dropping a notch lower. "And marriage," he ended suggestively, winking at her.
Satiana felt the bile running up her throat, and she almost vomited right then and there. Her mouth dropped at the cheese in his words, feeling shivers running down her spine. Unconsciously, she found her hand creeping to the hilt of her sword, eyebrows perfectly arched up in surprise.
Being the analytical person he was, Dimitri immediately noticed her actions and sweatdropped. "Uh, Satiana? There's no need for violence first thing in the morning," he dryly chuckled.
Satiana blinked, turning to address him. "I moved on instinct. Sorry," she deadpanned.
"I can imagine so," Dimitri shot her an understanding look. "Sylvain does that to everyone. He can be a bit of a bother, but he's not a bad person. I swear on my name."
Satiana glanced towards Sylvain, who was still beaming at the professor, all starry-eyed. "Uh, sure, I'll believe you," Satiana skeptically answered, voice filled with uncertainty.
"Ah, before I forget," Byleth suddenly spoke up, completely turning away from Sylvain, who immediately drooped, dejected at the apparent rejection. She jerked her head towards Satiana. "This is Satiana Eisner, my adopted sister. She's also joining your class starting today."
All eyes tuned in on her, and Satiana internally screamed, though she feigned indifference on the outside. She gave a small bow, plastering on the best smile she could muster up on a whim. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you all," she recited her introduction.
"Oh! So you're the other famed mercenary who saved his highness's life!" Annette beamed. She walked up to Satiana and grabbed her hands. "I've heard so much about you from his highness."
Satiana blinked, her gaze wandering towards Dimitri. "Really?" she questioned.
Dimitri scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, everyone was excited to meet the new professor and student this morning, so I just told them about how we first met."
"I see," Satiana replied curtly.
"Annie, it's rude to grab someone's hands so abruptly without warning," Mercedes chided.
Annette blinked, glancing at Satiana's hand that she was grabbing. She immediately let go, a sheepish smile on her face. "I'm sorry! I was just so excited to meet you."
Satiana shook her head, keeping the slight smile on her face. "No, it's quite alright."
"Forget the introductions. I have more important matters to discuss with the new professor here," Felix suddenly interjected with a smoldering glare. "Come to the training ground. You will show me what you're capable of there," he addressed Byleth. Then, he turned towards Satiana, eyes narrowing at the two swords hanging on her hips. "And you too. I hope you don't disappoint me with your combat style."
Satiana felt her eyes twitch slightly at his challenging words.
Felix Hugo Fraldarius. He doesn't resemble his father one single bit.
"That is a brilliant idea. Count me in for any such battle. Perhaps we can head over now to the training hall. The first class is always free time to study whatever we wish anyway," Dimitri suggested.
"Pardon me, but I would also like to observe you in battle for future reference. If that's okay with you, of course," Ashe spoke as he raised his hand shyly from the back of the group.
Dimitri turned to face Ashe, frowning. "Ashe, I won't have you just watch. You should join us too."
"Please be careful, your highness," Dedue quietly interjected from behind Dimitri.
"I know, Dedue. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Dimitri replied with a smile.
"Hey, isn't there something weird going on?" Sylvain recovered from his stupified state and complained. "Why are we supposed to cross blades to bond with each other?"
"Well, if that's how you feel, I suppose you'll stay behind while the rest of us are at the training ground," Ingrid calmly replied, rolling her eyes at Sylvain.
"Hey, that's not nice!" Sylvain pouted.
Byleth and Satiana shared a look of bewilderment. Although Byleth was annoyed by Satiana's panicked state earlier, she felt herself finally understanding the sentiment. The Blue Lions were quite a raucous bunch — their energy levels shooting through the roof. Byleth found herself frozen, unable to speak. Satiana noticed Byleth's eyes drooping, and she turned her face to the side, stifling a snicker.
"Then, why don't we all just move to the training grounds now?" Satiana suggested, bailing Byleth out of her crisis.
"That's a great idea," Dimitri smiled at her. "Is that alright with you, professor?"
Byleth blinked, blankly turning to Satiana for help. Satiana sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "You don't have to worry about Byleth. If there's one thing she knows how to teach, it's the sword art," Satiana answered in her stead.
"Then, let's hurry to the training grounds!" Annette cheerfully exclaimed.
The rest of the Blue Lions followed her lead, heading towards the training grounds. Byleth and Satiana lingered slightly behind the pack, sighing in harmony.
All eyes remained on Byleth as they walked into the training grounds. Surely, a dozen questions were filling their thoughts, but being the well-mannered students they were, they decided to give her some space. The Blue lions split off to retrieve their specific weapons. Satiana stood awkwardly on the side beside Byleth. She nudged Byleth with her elbow, earning Byleth's immediate attention.
She leaned in towards Byleth's ears and whispered. "So, what now?"
Byleth blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, what now?"
Satiana scowled in a hushed voice. "You know what I mean. You're not suggesting I seriously spar with them, are you?"
Byleth raised an eyebrow. "That's the plan. Why?"
Satiana narrowed her eyes in disdain. "I'm a goddamn assassin, Byleth. What if I accidentally, I don't know, cut their heads off by accident?" Her gaze wavered with anxiety, the mere thought of harming the other kids sending shudders down her spine.
Byleth snorted. "We're not using real blades, Satiana." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, you spar on a daily basis with Renard and me anyway. You won't make such a silly mistake." Byleth lightly bopped her on the head with her wooden sword. "Go get ready already." She shooed her towards the other students with her hands.
Satiana begrudgingly dragged her foot towards the weapon stands, randomly picking up two average-sized wooden swords. Unlike the other students, she didn't bother checking the quality of the swords. It was all just play-time to her — things like training under non-life-threatening conditions.
No point in getting all worked up. I'll just hold back a little, try not to gain attention on myself.
The students lined up in front of Byleth, waiting impatiently with bright smiles on their faces, with the exception of Dedue and Felix. Byleth hummed in thought as she did a quick look-over down the line.
Satiana knew that Byleth was judging her students, determining their skill level. Byleth was a well-trained warrior. She had keen senses and a good eye for people. That beast-like instinct gave her the ability to see through the combat abilities of her opponents without even having to fight them. The way their muscles ticked. Their standing posture. The grip they held on their weapons. That was more than enough for Byleth to determine the abilities of the students standing in front of her with accurate precision.
"Alright, should we do this one by one?" Byleth spoke as she casually balanced her sword on her shoulder, a small smile making its way up her features.
The Blue lions gave each other a confused glance. Dimitri frowned, stepping up to speak for the rest of his classmates. "Um, professor? Wouldn't that tire you out? It'll be a long while before you manage to fight us all, one by one."
Byleth shook her head. "You do not need to worry about my stamina. I assure you, it won't take as long as you think." Then, she held up three fingers in the air, eyes gleaming with interest and barely unleashed bloodlust. "Three minutes. That's all I need to get a grasp of your fighting abilities. Of course, you should aim to win against me in that short amount of time."
Her provocative words got the Blue Lions all tensed up. Sylvain whistled, probably delighted at Byleth's show of confidence while Felix had a wry smirk on his face. Dimitri simply laughed out loud, shaking his head lightly in disbelief.
"I see you are a confident one, professor. Then we shall do it your way. Who wants to go first?" Dimitri turned to his friends, glancing over them.
Without hesitation, Felix immediately stepped up. He strolled up to Byleth, glaring at her. He lifted his arm, pointing the blade of his training sword right up to her neck. Byleth stared back directly into his eyes, unperturbed by his silent declaration of violence. She even leaned her neck closer, letting the wooden blade slide against her skin.
That nonchalant action of hers irked Felix, making him seethe in quiet anger. "This will prove to be a fun challenge. I hope you don't regret your words, professor."
Byleth's lips contorted into a smirk. "Like I said, three minutes. I won't take it back."
Annette's eyes bounced between Felix and Byleth, sweat pouring down her face. "W-Will they be okay, Mercie?" She stammered, turning to Mercedes for help.
Mercedes merely chuckled, hiding her mouth politely behind her hand. "Don't worry, Annie. If any of them get hurt, I'll immediately patch them up with my healing magic."
"That Felix, does he have to be so violent all the time?" Ingrid sighed in dismay.
Sylvain just grinned from ear to ear, swaying lightly side to side on the balls of his feet. "It seems like this will be a battle to look forward to. Right, your highness?"
Dimitri nodded. "Felix is our best swordsman, after all. He's a perfect match-up against the professor who also wields a sword."
The Blue Lions shifted to the sidelines, watching with enthusiasm as Byleth and Felix stood in the center of the empty hall. Satiana leaned her back against the wall, arms crossed over her chest. Although she didn't have the motivation to fight herself, the minute crinkle in her eyes betrayed her genuine curiosity. For years, she had watched Byleth in action up close from a first-class seat. Byleth's prowess with the sword never failed to surprise her. She glanced at Felix, watching as he readied himself into a stance.
If he's their best swordsman, it'll be interesting to see how long he lasts against Byleth…
Byleth and Felix circled each other, sizing each other up with their sharp gazes, looking for weak spots in each other's defenses. The tension caped the room in silence, the Blue Lions watching intently, completely focused on the coming battle. Time continued to tick on, a light breeze enveloping their profiles. The wind picked up slightly, and Byleth shifted her feet slightly to the left.
Felix was right in front of her in a flash, blade tilting upwards. Byleth's eyes widened imperceptibly as she slid her foot back, his speed catching her off guard. The edge of his sword was a near inch away from her face when she managed to block it, gritting her teeth as she pushed back against his blow. Felix gripped the handle harder, pushing his weight against her. He refused to back off, opting to overwhelm her with sheer strength. Byleth counteracted his stubborn decision by smoothly using his weight against him, sliding her blade down the edge of his sword. She swerved to the left, letting Felix's sword tilt down to the ground at the sudden loss of impact. Felix's eyes widened as he quickly spun around, barely managing to parry Byleth's blow from his right.
Felix, realizing that he was at a disadvantage, chose to leap away from Byleth, backing off from the fight. However, Byleth immediately came on to him, slashing down at Felix's head. He stumbled on his foot but managed to lift his sword up high, blocking the attack. He slid backward from the impact and Byleth continued to overpower him with a flurry of attacks, slicing vertically, horizontally, and in all directions he never imagined.
Scowling in disdain, Felix roared as he pushed back against her with a particularly sharp strike, knocking Byleth's blade back. He gathered his strength, pushing against the sole of his feet, jumping at Byleth with his blade lifted high in the air. His arm trailed downwards, blade crashing against Byleth, who predicted his attack. Byleth ducked down on her knees, sword protecting her head. Then, she swept her foot across the ground with quick movements, knocking Felix off his feet. Felix's eyes widened as he tumbled backward, gravity taking action.
The battle was over with Felix sitting on the ground with the point of Byleth's blade at the base of his throat.
Byleth tilted her head innocently to the side. "I never said we were fighting with only our swords," she drawled out, amusement whirling in her dull eyes.
There was a deafening silence in the room. The Blue Lions were completely gobsmacked by the overwhelming result. By watching Byleth's battle, they knew that she had won by a complete landslide. It was obvious that she was still holding back and yet, their strongest contender lost completely without landing even a single blow.
Satiana was the only one who wasn't surprised at all. She expected the result, after all. Byleth would never lose to mere students who had no real experience on the battlefield. They were different species. But, to her surprise, Satiana found her eyes lingering on Felix's glaring figure on the ground.
She had a finger on her chin, rubbing the skin underneath in deep thought. Her lips tightened as she replayed the battle in her head. This was Felix's first battle against Byleth. He had no idea how strong she was or what she was truly capable of. And yet…
He lasted a whole minute against her. Against Byleth who actually isn't holding back unlike what these students may be thinking.
Satiana had exchanged blows with Byleth on multiple occasions before. Sometimes, Renard wasn't around when she sought a practice partner, and Byleth would help her instead. That's why she knew best that Byleth was not holding back — at least towards the end of the battle. If it was Byleth, she could easily win by using her blades, yet Felix forced her to use more dirty-handed tactics.
The speed of his attack. The tilt of his blade. The clean strokes of his arm. And not to mention that insane reflex that allowed him to counter Byleth's finishing blows.
Felix Hugo Fraldarius was, without a doubt, a talented swordsman.
Felix scoffed as he stood up on his feet, brushing the dirt off his trousers. The smoldering glare was still plastered on his face, but the corner of his lips twitched up into a satisfied smile. "I see. You are quite the worthy adversary."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Byleth casually replied, twirling the sword around in her hand. Then, she glanced over to the rest of the Blue Lions. "So? Who's next?"
True to her words, Byleth kept her promise. She finished battling against the rest of the Blue Lions, each bout taking less than a minute to finish. Of the remaining students, Dimitri fared the best against Byleth. Although Byleth had her own fair amount of experience against lance users, Jeralt being one of them, she still found herself struggling against Dimitri's extremely powerful blows. Unlike Felix, who relied more on his speed and precision, Dimitri struck with his boar-like strength, completely overpowering Byleth. But in the end, Byleth was much faster and more adept with the sword, easily dodging his final blows and countering them from behind.
Ashe panted, hands on his knees. "W-Wow, that was the most intense battle I've ever been in."
"Y-You've got that right, Ashe," Sylvain coughed for air, stabbing his lance into the ground in front of him, leaning against it for support. "Our new professor really pulled out all the stops."
"I thought I was going to be killed," Annette gaped, staring at her own shivering hands. "Before I knew it, the sword just came flying towards my face."
Mercedes chuckled, healing the wound on her hand with white magic. "Oh, Annie. You tried your best. That's all that matters."
Felix grunted, staring over his classmates with disdain. "Hmph. Pathetic," he scolded.
Ingrid glared at him from her position next to the wall. "Oh, please. You didn't last that much longer than we did."
Dedue leaned against the wall opposite of hers, staring in deep thought at Byleth. "The professor really is a formidable opponent. I couldn't find any weaknesses in her defense."
Dimitri nodded, smiling at Dedue from beside him. "I only managed to catch her off guard once in that entire battle. It seems we still have much to learn." He glanced over the rest of his classmates, who all looked completely beaten and battered.
Byleth hummed in acknowledgment, flipping the sword in her hand. Then, her languid gaze landed on Satiana, who was comfortably standing next to the exit. She lifted her arm and pointed the end of her sword at Satiana. "Satiana, it's your turn. Get over here."
Satiana blinked, frowning. "Who, me?" She pointed to herself, forehead creasing in confusion.
Byleth stared pointedly at her, tapping her foot impatiently. "Who else is named Satiana but you? You're the last one left."
"But you already know my skill levels," Satiana protested. "You don't have to fight against me to know that, do you?"
Byleth shrugged. "You're right, I don't. But I'm here as a professor." She folded her arms across her chest, smiling at Satiana. "I need to teach a lesson to these kids, so be my assistant for now. Just think of it as our usual spar."
All eyes in the room turned towards Satiana, and she flinched. It wasn't as if she disliked the idea of sparring with Byleth. She just didn't like the gallery. Not to mention, she wanted to hide her true skills in case her identity as an assassin was found out via her fighting style. Satiana pleaded to Byleth with her eyes, hoping that Byleth would understand the message.
Byleth betrayed her trust ultimately by jerking her chin towards the center of the training grounds. "Don't keep us waiting, Satiana," Byleth lowered her voice slightly.
Dark blue eyes met cerulean ones in a quiet confrontation. In the end, Satiana sighed in resignation, leaning away from the exit. She walked over towards Byleth, standing in front of her while holding two wooden swords in her hands. She raised an eyebrow at Byleth. "And? What now?"
"Hold on a moment," Byleth said once before she coughed once into her hands. Then, she turned around to address the rest of the Blue Lions, who were staring with interest at the two in the center. "I want you guys to observe this fight carefully. See the difference between how we fight compared to what you guys are used to in the academy."
"The difference, professor?" Dimitri contemplated, humming in thought.
Byleth nodded in response. "Yes, the difference. Now, I'm not only talking about fighting style, just so you know. You guys lack something, and it shows in your battles."
Byleth tightened her grip on the sword before facing Satiana, entering a stance immediately. Her eyes sharpened a dangerous, razor-like gleam to them. Satiana's instincts flared underneath the warning glare, and she stiffened, bending her knees slightly to gather strength in her legs.
Byleth darted forward, making the first move. With lightning speed, she sprinted directly towards Satiana. Satiana's instincts screamed at her to dodge the oncoming attack, but she forced herself to stay calm and collected. Satiana stood still, refusing to dodge as Byleth reached the two-meter mark, blade soaring through the air towards her head. Time seemed to still as she analyzed the trajectory of Byleth's path, the grip of her sword, and the shift in weight from the right to the left foot. She recognized Byleth's movements immediately, reading the true intentions behind them.
It's a bluff. She's not aiming for the head.
Satiana whipped her right arm up, blocking the sword that cut horizontally towards her ribs, completely taking the onlookers by surprise.
"What?! But the sword was definitely moving vertically towards her head just now!" Satiana heard someone's voice screaming, though she paid no attention to it.
Without a moment of hesitation, she pushed back against the sword with her right arm while steering her left arm towards Byleth's head. The sword landed on empty air as Byleth ducked underneath, landing down on a crouched position.
Satiana's attention snapped to the floor, and she jumped on pure instinct, dodging the sweeping kick that came after her feet. However, being suspended mid-air gave Byleth the opportunity for a free hit. Byleth parried the sword clashing against hers, pushing it away before she dived in for another slash. Satiana scowled, using her free left blade to block the blow. She felt herself being pushed back, unbalanced mid-air as gravity took hold.
I'll fall backward at this rate…!
Satiana made a split-moment decision mid-air, leaning her back even further. Instead of choosing to balance herself again once she landed, she allowed gravity to push her back. She landed on her right hand, and using the strength in her arm, she back-flipped in the air, sliding against the ground safely while dodging the end of Byleth's blade that flew an inch across her face.
Satiana leaped back further, adding distance between her and Byleth. Byleth prowled after her like a rapid beast, a flurry of attacks following after her path. Satiana calmly parried all of them, adjusting her stance as time ticked on.
By this point in the battle, the two were breathing heavily as sweat poured down their faces. Byleth narrowed her eyes, glaring holes at Satiana before she thrust her sword forward, aiming at Satiana's weak spot. Satiana received the blow with the flat of her sword, then turned the edge towards Byleth, leveraging around Byleth's blade as she thrust back into the gaps of Byleth's defense.
Satiana knew that Byleth was trying to end the battle now, judging by the increasing strength in each blow.
I have to end it before she continues pushing me back any further!
Resolving herself, Satiana dived in for the finishing blow. She dodged an attack from the right then used her speed to swerve around behind Byleth. In an instant, she slashed down vertically at Byleth's back…
Only to have Byleth flick her wrist, holding the sword firmly over her shoulder, parrying the attack from her blind spot. Satiana gaped at the back of Byleth's head, despairing over how her final blow was blocked without Byleth even having to glance behind her shoulder.
That moment of hesitation cost Satiana the battle as Byleth spun around and, with a roundhouse kick, sent the sword in her right hand flying towards the ground. Satiana flinched, immediately tossing her left sword into her right hand, hoping to parry the next blow, but it was too late. As she lifted her hand up to block the attack, Byleth caught her by surprise and kneed her in the stomach.
Satiana coughed, feeling her body fly backward. She crashed onto the floor behind her. Her back ached with pain, but she forced her body to move as she barrel-rolled on the floor, barely dodging Byleth's attack. She got up on her knees and turned around, lifting the blade up to slash at Byleth's neck, but the height difference was too much. Her sword hung limply in the air, an arm's length away from Byleth's neck while Byleth's landed directly underneath her chin.
A tensed miasma settled over the room, the long silence continuing as Byleth and Satiana panted for air, still frozen in their positions, glaring daggers at each other. After taking a minute to catch her breath, Satiana lowered her sword and sighed. She lifted her head to meet Byleth's hardened gaze and gave her a wry smile. "It's my loss, Byleth," she conceded.
Byleth followed suit and lowered her sword, nodding in appreciation. "You've gotten better at reading my moves. That first move of yours surprised me."
Satiana sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, about that, half of it was probably a fluke. You're not an easy person to read, Byleth. I only had an edge because I've fought against you numerous times before."
The tensed air dissipated, and Satiana got up on her feet. She glanced to the side, noticing her other sword lying broken on the floor. She winced, turning to face Byleth with a blank look. "Uh, is that being cut out of my paycheck?" She pointed towards the sword, sweat rolling down her face.
Byleth shrugged. "I don't know. I'll pay for it, seeing I'm the one who broke it."
"Ah, about that, you don't have to worry, Professor." Dimitri walked up towards them, an exhilarated look on his face. "The academy reimburses the swords we break. It happens often, after all. But that's not the point," Dimitri shook his head lightly. Then, he stared at Satiana with awe and admiration. "That was an amazing battle! I learned a lot just from watching."
Satiana blinked. "O-Oh, really? I guess that's a good thing…" Satiana stammered out, not used to the honest attention he was giving her.
"Seriously, what was that flip you did in the middle of the battle?" Sylvain entered the conversation, a dashing grin on his handsome features. "You soared through the sky like a beautiful swan. You need to show me that move again, alright?" He added in an extra wink.
"What?!" Satiana gawked at his compliment. "A s-swan?"
"Hm, a swan, huh?" Mercedes hummed in thought. "I think she looked more like a flying squirrel," she chuckled to herself.
"I don't think that's a nice thing to say, Mercie," Annette commented with an exasperated smile.
Satiana sweatdropped, laughing awkwardly. "Uh, I hope that's a compliment…"
"Indeed, that is not a move one can simply learn. If you don't have the physical strength and speed to match it, you'll end up hurting yourself," Dedue analyzed.
"To be honest, I was more impressed by the attacks that followed. How did you read the professor's movements so easily?" Ingrid interjected. "You fought as if you knew each other's next moves. It was a brilliant battle."
"The way you never gave up until the very end was very inspiring to me," Ashe added. "It reminded me of the dashing knights from the books I've read, relentlessly attacking their enemies with precision."
"I…see…" Satiana trailed off awkwardly.
The Blue Lions continued to crowd around her, showering her with compliments, and Satiana felt like she would suffocate to death. Although it was nice to be praised with such sincerity, Satiana wasn't used to having this much attention on herself. She quietly attacked behind the scenes, supporting the rest of Jeralt's crew from the shadows, assassinating the backline of the enemies. No one noticed her existence much aside from Renard, who partnered up with her on various occasions.
A part of her didn't believe that she was as strong as the Blue Lions appeared to think she was. It was like Byleth said: Satiana had no self-esteem. She always humbled herself, opting to hide her true skills because she had grown too accustomed to wearing a mask over herself due to her political position in the Kingdom.
But perhaps for today, she could allow herself to indulge in the spotlight for once.
"Hey, you." Felix's booming voice echoed from behind the crowd. Annette and Mercedes moved to the side, allowing Felix to part through the crowd. He halted to a stop in front of Satiana, eyes twinkling with curiosity and deep interest. "How did you know it was a bluff?" He asked bluntly, demanding an answer with a scorching glare.
"Uh, which one?" Satiana flickered through her memories, recognizing all the bluffs Byleth attempted to mix in with her attacks.
"The very first one," Felix repeated.
"Ah, that," Satiana started. "Byleth is right-handed, but she shifted her weight towards her left foot. That's how I knew it wasn't a direct hit aimed at my head. Not to mention, the edge of her sword was tilted slightly to the right, so I knew she was aiming for a horizontal attack towards my right side," Satiana explained nonchalantly.
The Blue Lions gaped at her, eyes bulging wide in an array of emotions from surprise to horror to awe.
Felix grunted. "Alright, then. How about when you swerved behind the professor to attack her from behind? Why did you decide to use that move at that moment?"
"I don't fare well in a long-drawn battle," Satiana confessed. "Byleth knows that, and so she tried to steal my stamina away by overpowering me with strength. If I want to end the battle early, then I have to be the one to make the first move."
Felix made a noise of acknowledgment. "I see," he finished his thought, then turned around, walking away from the crowd.
Satiana stared blankly at his receding figure with a frown on her face. "What was that about?" she muttered under her breath.
The excitement buzzing around the room intensified. The Blue Lions erupted into a cacophony of voices, sharing their honest opinions about the battle that had just occurred. Satiana stood stiffly in the center of it all, trying her best to answer all of their questions. Byleth watched from a distance, glancing up at the sky. The sun was now blazing high up in the sky, signaling the beginning of noon.
Byleth placed the wooden sword back into the wooden racks. Then, she clapped her hands, gathering the attention of the crowd. She ushered them back to the classroom. It wouldn't do her any good if Seteth caught her fooling around with the students on the first day of her job. After all, knowing his busy-body personality, she wouldn't hear the end of his scoldings until the end of the week, and that, Byleth wanted to avoid at all cost.
"Hey, Dimitri. I heard that mercenary ended up choosing your class," Claude spoke, sliding into the seat next to Dimitri.
The dining hall was filled to the brim in the afternoon. Dimitri sat at the same table as his classmates, listening absentmindedly to their chattering. Although the Blue Lions were a rowdy bunch, to begin with, they were more worked up than usual today. Not much happened at the monastery in terms of excitement, which only made the rumors about the new mercenary duo joining the Blue Lions spread like wildfire. Even the students of other classes were in an uproar after listening to tales of Byleth's and Satiana's battle earlier.
"Indeed. To be honest, I wasn't sure at first about having a mercenary as our professor, but her lessons were very eye-opening," Dimitri commented.
After the sparring session, Byleth gave a quick overview of her battle with Satiana in the classroom. She mentioned her experience living the tumultuous life of a mercenary and compared it to the training the students received. More specifically, she stressed the importance of having the drive to grow stronger, to best one's opponents.
It was something that most of the students lacked. They had become spoiled to the lighthearted nature of their sparring sessions, and apparently, Byleth saw it as a huge weakness. She stressed that in a real battle, losing meant death. She drilled the fear of losing one's life into the student's heads, asking them to take their training more seriously.
Some of the students found the nature of her speech too foreboding and gloomy for their liking, but Dimitri appreciated the blunt and honest way in which Byleth spoke. Not many teachers dared to directly drill into their student's heads the concept of dying in action. It was a morbid lesson, but useful nonetheless.
"You're lucky. To be honest, I wanted to steal her away to the Golden Deer," Claude laughed. "Guess this means we should keep an eye on you guys before the mock battle comes up."
Dimitri smiled confidently at Claude. "The same goes for you. I always end up being caught off guard by your tactics. I can never let down my guard against you, Claude."
"Yeah? Don't worry, your highness. I wouldn't dare disappoint you. Got to live up to your expectations, hm?" Claude taunted with a wink.
Dimitri only chuckled, shaking his head in exasperation at Claude's usual antics.
From a distance down the table, Felix and Sylvain were engrossed in their own conversation. Sylvain found it a pleasant surprise when Felix actively sought him out, inviting him for lunch. Felix was never someone who enjoyed being in the crowd. He spent his time quietly by himself, whether training or dining. Although Sylvain enjoyed Felix's company, regardless of his sharp mouth and snide comments, the oddity of Felix's action today did unnerve him quite a bit, leaving him slightly on edge.
"So, did you eat something weird for breakfast? I didn't expect you to call out to me for lunch," Sylvain teased with a lopsided grin on his face in a lighthearted manner.
Felix glared at him. "Shut it with the jokes, Sylvain."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sylvain waved Felix's sharp comment away with his hand. "It's you we're talking about. Something must really be bothering you if you came to me of all people for advice."
"Trust me. If I were going to seek advice, it wouldn't be from you," Felix flatly replied.
Sylvain rolled his eyes. "Please, you used to come crying to me every day. Do you remember when you fought with his highness? You came running to me in tears because you lost and—"
Felix stormed up from his seat. "I'm leaving," he sternly announced.
"Woah, hold up, man!" Sylvain stood up after him in a panic. "I was just joking. I'm sorry, okay? I'll stop talking now, and we can listen to your concerns or whatever it is you want to talk to me about."
Felix begrudgingly resigned himself, plopping back down to his seat. "Fine. I only asked you out because I figured if anyone knew best about acting, it would be you."
Sylvain sat down in his seat and raised an eyebrow in Felix's direction. "I'm sorry, what? Acting?"
Felix stared daggers at Sylvain. "You know exactly what I mean. You always pretend to be such a fool when you're really not. It annoys me to watch you floundering in those flock of women."
Sylvain visibly winced. "Uh, yeah, Felix? Let's keep that between the two of us, okay?" Sylvain awkwardly glanced off to the side as he scratched his cheeks in anxiety.
If there were someone who could see through Sylvain, it would be Felix, and if there were someone Felix could trust with his worries, it would be Sylvain. The common folks described their interesting dynamic as Sylvain constantly hounding for attention from Felix, who refused him every minute of the day. But between the two of them, they knew that no matter what facade they put up, how hard they tried to keep others at a safe distance to protect their own bruised hearts, it was impossible for the two of them to stray apart from each other.
Since they were young, there were no secrets between them. Although the tragedy made them grow estranged, they were still together at heart, both alive and breathing, and that was the only thing that mattered to them. Even if they both indulged in self-destructive actions, they would not say anything to each other because there was no need to.
They understood each other's pain more than anyone. Though, that didn't mean that Felix would allow himself to deal with Sylvain's flippant antics. He was never one to sugar-coat his words, anyway.
"So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Sylvain steered the conversation to safer grounds, smiling awkwardly.
"The boar may have gone mad, but if there's one thing that stayed constant, it's that beast-like instinct of his," Felix started off on a peculiar note.
Sylvain stared blankly at Felix. "You know, you don't mince your words at all, do you?"
"He said he thought something was off about that girl named Satiana, and I believe he's right," Felix dropped a bombshell, ignoring Sylvain's comment about his sarcastic remarks.
Sylvain's smile faltered. He straightened his posture, placing his elbow on the table as he leaned his head into his palm. "You think so?" He mused, tapping his fork against his plate with the other hand.
"I'm not suggesting she's out to kill the boar or anything," Felix continued, gaze hardening. "But I don't buy the story about her past."
"The fact that she's a mercenary, you mean?" Sylvain questioned.
"The boar said she's from a village near the place where…that happened four years ago," Felix carefully chose his words, avoiding the name of the incident itself.
The Tragedy had stolen many lives, destroying theirs in the process. No one in the Blue Lions wanted to openly talk about such a morbid topic, especially at the dining table. It'd only ruin their appetites. But today, Felix went straight to the point, refusing to mince his words.
"That's what he said," Sylvain shrugged. "What about it, though?"
"It doesn't explain that fighting style of hers," Felix pointed out. He interlocked his hands, placing them on the table, glaring holes into them. "She's been a mercenary for four years, but she doesn't fight like our professor."
"Uh, Felix?" Sylvain suddenly interjected, a sheepish grin on his face. "If you're going to start talking about combat style and all that jazz, I think you chose the wrong person to invite for a chat. I know nothing about things of that sort. You know that, don't you?"
"I know, but there's no one else I can talk to," Felix snorted. "Just listen to me, damn it."
"Okay, sure, you're the boss," Sylvain rolled his eyes, holding his hand in the air in a show of resignation.
"Those moves of hers. They aren't the movements of someone who just learned how to use the sword for four years," Felix spoke with narrowed eyes, clenching his hands tightly together. "Her swings were completely clean, rid of hesitation, and she aimed precisely at the professor's vital points each time. Even if she spent four years under Jeralt Eisner's wing, I highly doubt it's enough to reach her skill level."
"Well, maybe she's one of those geniuses that come around once in a million years?" Sylvain suggested, lazily tracing the bubbles in his glass of water with his fingers.
"Perhaps, but the professor asked us to determine the difference between how they fought," Felix reminded. "And from what I see, there's a clear distinction between how the two of them fought."
"Which is?" Sylvain drawled, now leaning his chin on the table, arms stretched forward in a comfortable stance.
"The desperation," Felix answered confidently. "I fought against the professor myself, so I know. That look of satisfaction on her face after beating her opponent. That glimmer of confidence in her eyes. She fights like a mercenary, thirsty for victory."
"Mhm," Sylvain made a noncommittal sound of agreement, yawning into the table.
"But that girl named Satiana. She didn't care about things like victory. Her focus wasn't on beating her opponent — it was on attacking Byleth's weak spots. As if she was simulating in her head a real battle, aiming for the kill. And she did it without even batting an eye," Felix commented, brows scrunching in deep thought.
"So, maybe she just fights differently?" Sylvain sighed, leaning back up from the table. "I still don't understand what you're trying to get at."
Felix stared knowingly at Sylvain. "You weren't really paying attention at all, right?"
Sylvain smirked. "Well, I got to say, I was more focused on the way their hair swirled around in the breeze and the sway of their hips and—"
"Okay, enough," Felix groaned, pinching his forehead in annoyance. "I get your point."
"Well, I don't really know what's got you all worried, but I'll keep an eye on her if you want," Sylvain offered with a wry smile. "Maybe I should try getting to know her better. You know, sliding in?" He wiggled his fingers in a suggestive manner.
Felix stared at him with disgust. "You never change, do you?"
"The same old good for nothing," Sylvain replied, snorting in amusement. "Anyway, I meant every word. If both Dimitri and you think something's off about her, I'll watch her carefully. See if she means any harm towards us." Then, Sylvain leaned in closer towards Felix with a frown. "But you have to realize that everyone has things they don't want to speak about. Satiana included. Don't interrogate her, alright?"
Felix scoffed. "That's up to me to decide. Besides, I have my ways."
"Ah, yes. Let me guess. Your way of asking nicely involves the use of your sword," Sylvain deadpanned.
Felix stared at him with a look that screamed 'of course you dolt,' and Sylvain sighed, shaking his head in exasperation.
Satiana stewed in edgy silence, swinging her legs nervously in the air from her seat on the chair in Hanneman's room. She sat in the corner, waiting impatiently for Hanneman to finish the set-up of his crest machine or whatever it was called. As soon as class ended for the day, Seteth immediately dragged her to the second floor, practically shoving her inside Hanneman's room. She was greeted with the sight of a peculiar mechanism in the middle of the room, glowing faintly purple and the beaming face of an old man.
"Satiana," Hanneman suddenly called out, snapping her out of her daydream.
"Yes?" Satiana responded meekly.
"The set-up is complete. Please make your way here in front of the machine," Hanneman ordered.
Satiana internally groaned, lumbering towards the machine with heavy steps. She stood awkwardly in front of it, staring holes into the machine's center. "Uh, what do I do with this?" she asked, pointing at the device with her index finger.
"You just have to hold your arm over the device. Then, wait for a few minutes and let the machine do its work for you. If you have a crest, its symbol will appear on the screen. If not, then nothing will occur, and you may leave," Hanneman explained.
Satiana nodded stiffly, holding her arm in front of the machine. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't believe I possess a crest. It's not as if my family members were nobles, to begin with. I'm just a commoner," Satiana spoke with confidence.
Or more like the cloaked mages failed to implant one in me…
"Now, now. There's no need to be so hasty. Crests are a mysterious phenomenon. Though they are only inherited through the bloodline, there may still be hidden crests around the world, waiting to be found," Hanneman assured her, though Satiana didn't understand his sentiments one bit.
"I don't particularly want to have one," Satiana mumbled to herself, feeling an eerie sense of dread creeping up inside of her.
I can't have a crest…right? Because wouldn't that mean the experiment succeeded without them realizing it? Unless I seriously have an ancestor with a crest…
To her dismay, the machine suddenly made a buzzing noise, the display sparkling to life. The screen turned purple with black lines decorated across it. An odd image appeared on the screen. Three half-circles of different sizes were connected with a straight line, the mysterious creature-like symbol sending shudders down her spine as her blood went cold.
No, it can't be!
Face ashen, Satiana frantically searched her brain for traces of her fading memories. She forced herself to relive the memories of her experiment, the blade cutting inside her body, the bottles of blood being poured inside of her, the nausea, the sharp pain, everything. Yet, there was nothing in her memories that indicated the success of their experiments. None of the crest stones were successfully implanted inside her — that she was sure of.
Is there something wrong with my body, after all? Am I going to die an early death because of their experiments? How did it succeed without anyone knowing?
Heart in her mouth, ice in her veins, she stared horror-stricken long after the screen had gone black. Questions barged inside her head, sending a sharp, intense blinding pain up her spine, and she visibly winced, wobbling on her feet.
"Satiana! Are you alright?" Hanneman was immediately by her side, hands gripping her shoulders tightly.
She nodded absentmindedly, eyes still whirling with confusion and panic. "I-I'm okay, sir. I'm just surprised. I never expected that I possessed a crest."
Hanneman frowned, eying her carefully. He dissected her with his vision, eyes gleaming with genuine interest. "Satiana, you said that you were from a village up north in the Kingdom of Faerghus?" He suddenly asked, spinning her around to face him.
Satiana blinked blearily up at him. "Uh, yes. Why?"
He stared deeper into her eyes, searching for something hiding within them. His eyes narrowed. "Then, do you happen to know if your parents migrated from elsewhere into Fodlan?"
Satiana's body jerked up at this pointed question, shoulders stiffening in high alert. "What…are you getting at?" She quietly asked, realizing that the conversation was steering towards dangerous grounds. "I don't know who my parents are, so I unfortunately can't answer you. I'm an orphan, Professor Hanneman," Satiana replied, voice stern and stable.
"I see…" He released his grip on Satiana's shoulder. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest, a hand rubbing his chin in thought as he contemplated quietly to himself. "It's just…I've only seen one other person who possesses this crest. But they received it under, well, strange circumstances. I can only imagine the reason why you also possess it is because you inherited it through your blood."
"Okay, but why do you think my parents are from outside of Fodlan?" Satiana narrowed her eyes with suspicion.
After all this, is this stupid crest going to blow my identity? That I'm not actually from Fodlan?
"You see, the person who first founded this crest was known to have no descendants. Unless our information is false, there should be no human alive who possesses this crest in the present. According to our accounts, the apostle migrated from Garreg Mach to an unknown town. We believe he settled outside of Fodlan," Hanneman explained.
Satiana stared blankly at him, the words flying over her head. "Uh, so what is this apostle thing, and what does it have to do with me?"
"Ah, forgive me. I should explain from the start," Hanneman cleared his throat. "You see, you possess a very rare crest from one of the Four Apostles." He then lowered his voice, whispering in a hushed voice as if it were a damning secret that could not be released to the world.
"Satiana, you possess the Minor Crest of Aubin," he declared.