"Use a couple of unique ingredients and suddenly everyone's mad at you," Marisa grumbled to herself as she scooped up another pile of hay and set it down in front of the horses. "You were perfectly happy eating before you knew what it was."

Stable Duty. That had been her punishment and replacement duties ever since that day in the Mess Hall. It honestly wasn't the worst thing in the world, she had smelled worse and dealt with wilder beasts in the past, it was just very tedious. At the very least Pegasus Dung and Wyvern would make for some very good components for her magic.

"Going have to grab myself a proper cauldron when I've got the time," Marisa mused. And possibly a container to store all that dung.

"You planning to make something with that?" a familiar tanned man appeared by the entrance of the stable and asked her.

"Just a couple of potions. Maybe some explosives or two," Marisa replied as she continued to scoop up the hay. "Why? You interested?"

"Let's just say that I have an interest in things that will give me an advantage," Claude replied.

"Huh, so rumors about you lacing laxatives in the food of teachers and students you don't like was true."

"Hey. Those are just rumors. Nothing proven, accusations at most."

"Please, I've pulled a couple of pranks in my time," Marisa replied as she lifted up her pitchfork. "If you want me to act as your supplier, I'm up for it."

Claude smiled. "I had a feeling I'd like you, especially after that big commotion you caused in the Mess Hall."

Marisa pointed a finger at him. "That was not on purpose." She then shook her head. "Besides, it's not like I'm the only one that causes issues here."


A brief moment ago

"Why!?" Seteth was at a complete loss for words. First Marisa, now Byleth. Was there anyone that could be in the Mess Hall without causing an incident?

"The staff told me to get them fish," Byleth replied.

"So you fish out the entire pond!?" Seteth gestured toward the literal carts full of fish that had to be dragged into the kitchen. "And possibly the nearby river?"

"Flayn kept telling me we should get more."

"What- Flayn don't you dare walk away! Get over here this instant!"

"Yes brother…"

"And you!" Seteth turned toward Byleth again. "What else do you have to say for yourself?"

Byleth's eyes wandered upward for a moment as if in deep contemplation. "Should I have gone to the lake instead?"

"No!"


"Honestly he got out easy with that month long ban," Claude admitted. "We're going to be eating salted and dried fish for weeks."

"… No offense, but how is he your Professor again?" Marisa asked.

"He is really good at his job… also the Archbishop is interested in him for some reason."

The same Archbishop that felt weird to be around. There could be a number of possibilities. She could just be a strange human, plenty of those in Gensokyo, or some sort of Youkai. It was mostly just conjecture at most and Lys would never take things seriously without evidence, so Marisa mostly just kept it to herself.

"Do you know anything about Rhea?" Marisa asked.

Claude shrugged. "Just as much as everyone else does. I swear though that woman is full of mystery."

"Well, I guess it's her business," Marisa replied.

"Really? That's it?"

"Just cause I'm curious doesn't mean I don't know when to stop prying. People keep things secret for a reason."

Claude looked at her curiously. "… I can't tell if you're more or less sensitive than you let on."

"I just don't give a damn if it doesn't matter and prefer to get straight to the point," Marisa admitted. "If you want to get me involved in one of your schemes that Lys keeps telling me about then just ask me. Don't give me the second degree."

Claude chuckled. "I know I've said this before, but this has to be reiterated. I think I'm going to like you."

"Heh." Marisa began to wash her hands now that she was done with cleaning the stables. "Get in line."


To think that we're sending a child to fight against and kill his own father. This… it can't possibly end well.

Byleth continued walking toward the Sauna, his mind occupied with talking with his mental companion. The Golden Deer are being sent alongside the Blue Lions on this mission. We can prevent that from happening.

It still doesn't change the fact that Ashe will have to fight against his father and people he knew. Even if he was able to fight, could we even guarantee his allegiance?

He's sincere. He won't betray us on the battlefield.

How can you be so sure?

I just am.

That must be your vaunted perception again. Sothis let out the mental equivalent of a sigh. For someone who struggles to express any feelings, you can detect and read the emotions of those around you quite remarkably well.

Byleth simply gave her the mental equivalent of a shrug as he arrived at the stairs of the sauna. Are you sure you want this? It wasn't the first time he had come here, there were plenty that had invited him, but this would be the first time that Sothis requested it herself.

I do. It's been a long time since I've been in one of these… or at least that's what I'm getting from my memories.

Can you even feel anything?

Through you? Yes.

Byleth froze. What?

Our connection isn't just mental. I can also experience the same physical stimuli that you do. What's wrong? You hardly blink whenever I pop in on you in the middle of a bath.

I get hurt a lot. It's fine if it's my pain but if it's yours too…

Sothis suddenly materialized in front of him and gave him an appreciative smile. "It's something that I can switch on and off, you don't have to worry. Besides, even if I couldn't, a little pain is worth keeping you company I guess."

"Sothis…"

Sothis put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Don't say my name in public. Even when there seems to be no one around. Remember we can't take any risks, not until I've regained some more of my memories."

Byleth nodded. Understood.

Before Sothis could dematerialize though they heard a large set of explosions coming from the training grounds. Said explosions were then followed by several more.

"I believe that's your little owl back at it again," Sothis observed before sighing. "It seems she is unsatisfied with her previous performance."

"It's good to improve yourself."

"Yes, but her drive is one bordering on insanity. The long hours spent in the library or at the training grounds. Bags under her eyes, likely from lack of proper sleep. And the company she keeps reinforces this behavior. Annette and that girl, Marisa, neither of them seem to understand the concept of restraint."

"I just don't think-"

Something exploded in the background.

"Or fu- fork you!" a familiar voice screeched.

"… I'll go see how she's doing," Byleth conceded as he went through the doors and then the halls that would lead him to the training grounds. On the way there he noticed Jeritza observing from a distant corner. Byleth and the reclusive man simply gave each other silent nods, before he focused on his student.

Lysithea's complexion was even paler than usual, her hair was frazzled, and there were dark bags under her eyes. Her hands were covered in small cuts and her outfit was singed as she continued to cast her spell.

"Water Sign: Fountain of-"

The girl cursed as the magic blew up in her hands. The splashing water ended up soaking her uniform in several places and her hands were left with another set of cuts, likely backlash from her failed spell.

"Why can't I do it?" Lysithea muttered to herself. "It's just water, every other Godsforsaken element."

She lifted her hand and fired a quick spell at the dummy. The bolt of fire collided with it and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Even they aren't good enough," Lysithea muttered to herself as she looked at her ring. "I can't even last a few seconds against Marisa like this."

"Dependent on what?" Byleth asked as he approached.

Lysithea let out a panicked shriek before spinning toward him. "Professor! I didn't realize you were there. How long were you watching?"

"I just arrived," Byleth admitted as Lysithea finally noticed Jeritza in the corner. "Not the only one here."

"Well, he is in charge of this place and I did have to get his permission to come here during my free time," Lysithea conceded. "I'd just prefer it if he wasn't trying to hide his intent to watch like that."

"He wasn't trying to hide," Byleth informed her. "If he was, you would've never noticed him."

"Then why-"

"You focus too much on what's in front of you that you lose sight of everything else around you. If Jeritza was an assassin, you would've been dead."

"This… isn't the first time you told me this."

Byleth nodded. "A knife in the back. An arrow from the dark. A little poison in your tea. They don't care how strong you are, they kill all the same. To fight and win you need strength. But to kill? Anyone can do that."

"And if I die… then all of my efforts would've gone to waste."

"The more important thing is that you would be gone, and people would miss you."

"I guess I should be thinking about others more," Lysithea admitted. "It's just that there's so much I need to learn about my own magic and then throw in weaknesses that I've only just become aware of. It's so much that I need to get done as quickly as possible."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

He wasn't the first to notice how much the girl pushed herself. Although there were plenty of hard workers in the Academy, Lysithea's methods had a sort of manic drive to them. Sothis was right to say that it was possibly bordering on insanity.

"I… just… A human life is short enough as it is and it can end at any moment," Lysithea replied. It was in a somewhat dismissive way though. There was something that she was hiding… but he wasn't going to force it out of her. It would be her choice whether or not to tell him. "If I'm to avoid being treated like a child then I need to bring results."

"And magic is your way to do that?" Byleth decided to ask instead as he looked at her hands.

This, it seemed that Lysithea was more willing to answer. "Magic is years of study, the strength to endure countless tests with a subject or even your own body. It is a passion bordering near insanity. A true Magician endlessly immerses themselves in something and devotes their entire life in pursuit of that thing. That is a creed that my Sensei followed and one she passed down to me."

"Is your magic a purpose or a tool then? What do you pursue?"

That seemed to cause his student to hesitate. "I… don't know," she admitted.

Byleth watched his own student carefully, as she struggled to find an answer to his question. It was something he had seen before, someone so determined to follow a specific path and goal that they ended up forgetting their reason for doing so in the first place. In cases like this sometimes the best course of action was to just-

"Take a break," Byleth told her.

"But Professor. If I don't fix this now-"

"Then you can fix it tomorrow. Productivity suffers when you exhaust yourself. Take a break," he all but commanded her this time.

"But-"

"I will ban you from the training grounds if I have to."

That took away any objections Lysithea might have. "Alright," she conceded.

"Good." Byleth held his hand out and cast a quick Heal on the girl. Mending the wounds on her hands.

"Professor!" Lysithea shouted in surprise. "I knew you were interested in magic, but I didn't know you practiced."

"I learned it to diversify my skills and use it when it's needed." Once he finished with his healing he looked at the girl from the bottom up. "Your uniform is still torn and you're dirty."

"I know. I'll go get a bath."

"Do you want to come with me to the Sauna?"

"… What?"


It was actually a lot less awkward than it sounded for a professor and student to go to the sauna together, even if they were opposite genders.

Thankfully there were actually two different types of saunas in the building. There was the more public one where students of both genders sat while garbed in basic loungewear. Then there were the private ones for each gender in their respective changing rooms. Those you were expected to be completely bare for full exposure to the steam's effects.

The former was simply a good place to talk and socialize despite status or gender in a shared and pleasant environment. Or at least that was what Lysithea had it described by others, this was her first time accepting such an invitation.

As such, even though it was a perfectly normal occasion, she wasn't entirely sure what to do. The Professor seemed entirely used to it though.

"Just relax and empty your mind," Byleth commented as he leaned back and placed a wet towel over his eyes.

"Understood," Lysithea replied before attempting to adjust herself into a more relaxed posture. She was still a bit stiff but at least the heat was pleasant. "Did you invite anyone else here with you?"

Byleth remained unmoving. Leaned back and apparently in a prime position to absorb the steam. "Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. Though usually they invite me."

"I see… you've certainly formed a lot of connections during your time here," Lysithea observed.

"… Maybe."

"Do you have any plans when this year is over then?"

"… I don't know."

"You don't?" Lysithea asked. The Professor seemed so knowledgeable. It made it hard to think that even he was uncertain about his own future.

"I don't think much about the future. Just the now."

That certainly sounded like a… simple way of living. Though she didn't really have the luxury of doing the same. "Everything I do is to secure a future that I'm not certain about."

Becoming a Witch, extending her life. What was she supposed to do after that?

"It's good to have a goal. Even if you don't know why. Gives you purpose," Byleth replied.

"Is that how you lived? When you were with your father's mercenary company?" Lysithea asked.

"…Yes."

He really was a simple man. It was almost refreshing to have such an honest person around in this Monastery full of schemers and nobles trying to grow their standings and other such motives. Maybe that was why she was so drawn to him. Seemed to be the right type for her, which made sense when you considered Marisa Kirisame. And maybe it would be fun to have Marisa around for the year.

Before Lysithea even realized it, she began to relax. Likely due to the company that she had. She closed and let herself bask in the warmth.

One of the other students there dumped a fresh bucket of water on the rocks. Soon the room was billowing with steam, to the point that Lysithea was having difficulty breathing through all the heat and steam.

Thankfully a quickly whispered spell was all it took to divert some of it away and make it comfortable for her again. The heat began to seep through her skin and embed itself in her weary flesh. What was one sore and stiff soon became soft puddy as she let her body just let go of everything that had been building up. That release, this moment to just slow down, it wasn't something she'd have ever thought to do on her own.

It was nice.

"Alright, I think that's enough for me," Lysithea eventually opened her eyes and sat up, her skin a nice pink from the heat. She'd have to go to the girl's changing room, toss off her drenched clothes, and get herself a nice dip in cold water. Maybe even go for a round in the gendered saunas? It'd probably be even more comfortable bare and without her loungewear sticking to her with her sweat.

Byleth remained silent.

"Professor?" Lysithea reached forward and poked the man. Then he fell, collapsing onto the floor in an undignified heap. "Professor!?"


"I can't believe you let yourself end up like this," Lysithea commented, dismayed, as she held her hands out and cooled down the Professor with continuous gusts of wind. She would've given him an ice pack, but well she didn't want to risk using any form of water magic while she herself was still recovering from the heat.

"It would be rude… to leave you there… after inviting you," the Professor mumbled as he laid on a bench. Thankfully the fresh air and Lysithea's wind were doing wonders to improve his complexion.

"I understand you're thinking about your students, but your own well-being is also important," Lysithea began to unintentionally chastise the man.

"Usually, the others would leave… before I got like this," Byleth admitted.

… Likely because they were paying attention to him. In that case this incident was partially Lysithea's own responsibility. "Just please, speak up if something's wrong with you. At least with me."

"… Understood."

"Good," Lysithea replied as she stopped her magic and stretched her arms. Heatstroke aside, the Sauna had been a good experience. She felt refreshed now, ready to tackle any task she would set for herself.

"Are you going back to train?" Byleth asked as he sat up.

"Studying. There's this spell I've been needing to finish along with countless other tasks that need to be done… although." A light pink dusted Lysithea's cheeks, and it wasn't from the heat of the sauna. "I wouldn't mind if you invited me for a break. Preferably over tea, we don't need a repeat of this incident."

"Agreed."