A lot of things happened last night. Several of which exist somewhat hazily in my current sequencing of events. In short, I can't remember if they happened before midnight, or after. For clarity, I think - and as a general rule in the future, I'll treat events happening after 9pm in the following day's entry. It seems rather judicious as that is the time in which I generally compose entries for the preceding day - unless otherwise occupied like I was last night.

The Monastery's "town" was located on the opposite side of the great viaduct. Calling the establishment a town is probably quite generous, as it's more like a shopping street with some residences behind them. It's quite a walk to get to these places, so I imagine that anyone going must do so with intent. When I walked it silently with my father this morning, the bridge spanning the seemingly endless chasm took about fifteen minutes to clear. In the rain, snow, or winds - this would probably take much longer.

I should add that being lazy also makes the journey much longer. Claude and Hilda go about life like true nobles - they walk at a stroll, immersed in idle gossip. I wouldn't be surprised if this excursion took us thirty. But - it's not so bad. I find myself absorbing the impressive nighttime views, and attempting to push idle thoughts away. Edelgard seemed to be doing the same up until quite recently, causing me to wonder if she regretted her decision to accompany me. She seems to preempt this by asking me a question.

"You look... conflicted, Professor…"

My head turns to her and I raise an eyebrow. Claude, perhaps noticing that Hilda has been occupying all of his mental real estate at the peril of his guests, opts to cut in next.

"G for your thoughts, Teach?" Much to my surprise, he actually flips a farthing coin in my direction, which I catch in a rather belated, animated fashion. This prompts a laugh from Hilda.

"It was a very strange thought. Perhaps I shouldn't share it."

"Awww…. Professor, you can be honest with us. I already know I'm very cute, if that's what you were thinking."

Hilda is starting to grow on me. She's got all the confidence of the mercenaries I used to serve with, wrapped up in the package of a dainty lady. Apart from the pink hair, though, she doesn't remind me of her brother in the slightest. Holst struck me as a man worn down by the expectations of his country. Hilda exists without a care in the world.

"You captivated me." I manage with an expression of total apathy.

Thinking I'd get a rise out of Hilda, it was actually Edelgard who flashed red. Curious, that one. Hilda just seemed elated.

Claude laughed.

"Ah, come on Teach - no one believes that - you can tell us, really."

I think your rival house leader actually believed it, but regardless.

"You guys would find it boring."

"You're a fellow who's just a few years older than us and lived a hell of a lot more adventurously than any of us could have. Your boredom is our excitement. Tell us!"

"Speak for yourself, Claude." Edelgard piped in.

Claude raised an eyebrow at her backhand criticism of my accomplishments.

"Aw come on Edel, it's not like you have a nickname like Ashen Demon, do ya?"

"Well, be that as it may…"

"I always thought it was weird." I say after a few beats.

"What do you mean, Professor?" Hilda asked.

"The nickname, I mean. I don't really get it. No offense to your brother, of course."

Hilda took a few moments to process my meaning.

"Woah… Holst gave you that nickname? My big brother thought you were cool enough for a nickname?"

"He nicknamed everyone, but yeah… it's a long story, though."

"Aw come on Teach - you can't just say you're tight with the biggest living hero on the continent and just brush it off like that. That's Hildie's big-bro too. She's got quite a complex about him."

"Yuck! I do not have a complex, Claude."

"We got on well enough." I offered with a shrug.

"Of course you did, my big brother is the best! I'm just surprised you know him so well..."

"Holst always preferred using mercenaries."

"Oh yeah, and why's that? No one ever talks to me about any of that stuff!"

Something tells me that Hilda's not particularly interested in matters of warfare outside of her brother's wellbeing, so I guess it makes sense why she never examined it.

I turn to Claude next.

"Does the Avatar of Deceit have an opinion?"

"Hmm… Is it because the various Lords of the Alliance are fighting one another all the time?"

"Pathetic." Edelgard said, reminding me she was indeed listening.

"I'm not sure that's right..." I reply.

"Oh yeah… I remember Gramps telling me that every Alliance Lord has to keep troops on the Locket come hell or high water. True enough! Well, you've got me stumped, I guess."

I turn to Edelgard.

"Any thoughts?"

Compared to Hilda and Claude who were clearly just interested in conversation, Edelgard looked like she was preparing to answer a test question. Finally, she answered.

"Could it be related to Elan?"

Impressed, I nodded.

"What's that word mean, Princess?" Hilda asked.

" It's like… fighting spirit, right Teach?" Claude offered.

"Basically that, yeah."

"What are you saying, Professor? That Alliance troops don't want to fight with Big Bro? I'll tell my dad that they're being lazy!"

I turn back to Hilda.

"Holst... thinks the best defense is a good offense. Mercenaries are the only ones who agree."

"Because he pays well, right?" Claude asked with a wink. "I've heard Hildie's family are real moneybags."

"So what if we're rich, Claude? Your grandpa is, too."

I shrug.

"That's… not why I joined his raids. I wouldn't know if he pays any better or worse than anyone else."

Claude eyebrows shot up when he heard me say that.

"Whoa whoa whoa… Slow down a minute - are you saying you would join Holst on his raids? The ones where it's like a hundred guys taking on entire Almyran citadels?"

I bring my finger to my chin.

"Yes. He had some kind of name for it…

"The Forlorn Hopes." Edelgard stated intensely, rejoining the conversation with renewed interest. "Many great warriors in the Empire have joined that band so they can escape court intrigues in Enbarr."

I shrug. Edelgard is doing her political bit again. Claude however, seems perturbed.

"No way, Teach. I gotta call it wyvern-shit here. The casualty rates on those raids were like ninety percent. Even Holst came back as good as dead in two of them."

"Big bro lost his little finger in the last one… his right hand is so ugly now." Hilda said with a tinge of sadness. The solemnity of her words was ruined by her holding up her hand and hiding her pinky finger. Her body language seemed to just exude levity.

"I wasn't in every single one. Just the ones when my father and I were contracted."

"...Okay, and how many of those did you participate in?" Claude asked with a raised eyebrow. I wonder what gave him the impression I was lying?

I pull out a medal that I keep under my breastplate. It's a simple thing. It's basically a miniature golden keyring with little ornamental keys stuck to it. Each of the keys signals a castle that I took with Holst's band of picked troops. He gave them to everyone who went over the top with him - even contracted mercenaries. I never actually kept count, so I make a quick tally now.

"Nine.."

Claude, Hilda and Edelgard all looked surprised, now. I clearly missed something.

"Oh… Professor, my brother has that medallion, too."

"How many keys does he have on it?" Claude asked.

"Eleven! " Hilda yipped, but then a realization began to wash over her "And Holst has been hurt twice…"

"I never saw him wounded." I reply matter-of-factly.

Claude's lower lip dropped.

"Holy shit, Teach. You really are for real. Are you his guardian angel, too?"

"Oh Goddess… could you really be one, you think?!" Hilda asked me with widened eyes. "If so, I'll definitely bring you back with me! We can make you a Knight of Goneril!"

Edelgard was sullen-looking.

"Guardian Angel, huh?" I asked.

"Who would've figured - the Ashen Demon is actually the Ashen Angel!" Claude quipped.

I shrug.

"I'm not sure if I believe in any of that stuff."

My blunt and public admission of faithlessness shocked everyone present. Claude, who seemingly never misses a beat, slid in right next to me with his eyebrow raised.

"You know Teach, that's a pretty dangerous thing to say… especially when you work for Lady Rhea. You're also standing right next to a direct descendant of Wilhelm, champion of the Goddess."

Claude cocks his neck in the direction of our Adrestrian companion. Realizing she was put on the spot, she frowned.

"The Professor is entitled to his beliefs. I'm sure they were forged by his experiences on the battlefield." Edelgard replied coolly.

"She must really like you to say that, Teach."

"C-Claude!"

The heir to House Riegan began to smirk devilishly at me.

"Anyway, did you know that they burn people alive in the Empire for saying what you just said? They've got this big square in Enbarr called Heathen's Square and they torture them in the stocks for days if they take the Goddess's name in vain. Their citizens treat it like a spectator sport. Just something to consider if you ever think about taking up Edel's offer from Remire..."

Edelgard stops. Claude and I notice and stop shortly ahead of her, but it seems that Hilda has pretty much tuned us out and trots on ahead, humming a tune to herself in contentment.

"Professor… despite what Claude assumes about my lineage, I will never allow such a thing to continue when I become Empress. I swear it to you now. No person should be tortured or killed for their beliefs... especially someone as honest and forthright as you."

Perhaps realizing that he's gone too far, Claude cracks his neck and tries to stammer out an apology.

"Listen, Princess, I-"

I hold up a palm to Claude. He's done enough. I then turn to the young woman who I now find myself suddenly concerned for.

"I believe you, Edelgard."

She locks eyes with mine. There's a great deal of passion in them. I wonder what she sees in mine? Does she see the depth of feelings that even I cannot, or does she see something else?

"Strange… I feel as if I know you did already… but thank you, Professor."

As she says that, she appears to calm down considerably. The delay was interesting. It was as if she was waiting for my eyes to betray my words. There's no reason for them to, though. I just don't feel like I need to lie with Edelgard. If she asked me if I had overheard Hubert and her a few hours ago, I would simply tell her everything I knew.

I wish I could say the same for Dimtiri and the Blue Lions but… I just don't.

Even though I knew she's hiding something from me - that she wanted me as a teacher but for some reason cannot ask. That there was some mysterious leverage over Hanneman, and all that stuff. So why do I trust her? What a strange feeling to have about someone.

"Hey everyone, the place is right over here!" Hilda yelps.


The inn is the first building on the other side of the viaduct. I suppose that I was expecting a place altogether less conspicuous but given the nature of the monastery - perhaps I was silly for expecting that.

We enter through the main door and are immediately greeted with an overwhelming smell of spice. I suppose that's to be expected, given that Dagda is the home of many of the expensive and exotic seasonings that sometimes grace the tables of Fodlan's nobility. Even the disastrous war with the Empire that killed so many of its citizens did little to disrupt the flow from their plantations. I've smelled these smells before - usually when a Lord would treat my father and other mercenary captains to a victory feast.

The clientele is mostly what I expected - Knights of Seiros. I was told by Alois that they're paid quite well for what they do, far more than any of the other troops on the continent. My father always seemed to have a cash reserve in tight spots, and he always attributed it to his "old gig" paying well. Now that I know who his former employer was after all these years, it only makes sense to realize that these Knights could afford such fine food - and then some.

I recalled the fat envelope sitting behind my breastplate. If they paid academics that well, I'm sure these guys were doing fine.

"Wait here, Princess and Prof. Hilda's gonna get us a table upstairs."

Hilda then trots off to speak to the barkeep.

"Upstairs?"

"Yeah, there's a second-floor porch in the back. Real exclusive. Nobles only." Claude said with a wink.

"Are you sure I'd be allowed up there?"

"Huh. That's a good question, Teach. Do you want a barony or something? My Gramps could oblige, you know! If you accepted, you'd be obligated to teach the Golden Deer."

Edelgard hummed in disapproval.

"The Professor would never accept such a title from the gutter... would you?"

Her eyes seemed almost pleading.

"I'll pass, Claude."

"Ah, so you won't settle for less than a Viscounty! I'll have to check with the old man first."

"Guys, there's a table upstairs! Let's go, go!" Hilda shouted from the bar.

As we make our way towards the stairs, a figure approaches us.

"-Edie, is that you?"

"Oh… Dorothea!"

I turn to meet the voice and see a rather arresting, buxom young woman who's right around my age. I quickly notice that she's not just looking at Edelgard - rather, her eyes keep darting back and forth between myself and her. I wonder how they're acquainted?

"Woah, so this is the illustrious songstress Dorothea, huh? They say that you're the only Black Eagle with a social life." Claude quipped.

Dorothea did a curtsy at the Golden Deer. It was equal parts graceful and venomous.

"Why yes… Dorothea Arnault, in the flesh. And I take it you're the Golden Deer leader who turned tail and ran when the big bad bandits came knocking, is that right?"

"Yeesh… you give all the guys you date that kind of treatment, too?"

Dorothea giggled as if she had him wrapped around her finger.

"You're... not my type, Riegan."

"Ouch."

She then turned to me.

"But... you might be, mysterious stranger."

To drive the point home, she pokes my breastplate with one of her long, delicate-looking fingers.

"Dorothea!"

Edelgard looks like she's starting to melt.

"Oh, Edie - I'm so sorry! I didn't think you two were on a date!"

This prompts Claude to laugh so hard he begins to cough.

"D-Dorothea, this is-"

Hilda, who's already at the top of the stairs, shouts down at us.

"Claude, Professor - you guys coming or not?!"

Dorothea, catching my title, suddenly goes wide-eyed.

"No way… you're the academy's new Professor?"

She brings her hand to cover her lips.

"That's what they keep telling me." I say at last.

"Wow… so you're the one who saved Edie, too then - right? I wish we could talk more but… I have to get back to that brute of a knight who I'm on a terrible first date with…"

She points at a totally unassuming, handsome young man who is watching us from a corner table. I'm starting to get Manuela-esque vibes from this woman. Dorothea then leans in close to Edelgard.

"But Edie… I think we should totally have a cup of tea tomorrow. You know, to discuss academic things, of course…"

Claude calls us from halfway up the stairs "Hurry up you two! Curfew's at midnight, after all!"

Dorothea waves us ahead after whispering something in Edelgard's ear that causes the princess's eyes to go wide.


The inn's porch offered a view fit for a King. Unfortunately, only two heiresses, an heir, and a commoner were there to enjoy it.

When it came time to sit down, Claude grabbed his seat first and I took the one directly across from him. I noticed that Edelgard was keeping rather close to me. When I took my seat, she shuffled in the chair next to mine almost immediately. I get the impression she was eager to not be in direct eyeshot of Claude. Hard to blame her, given that she took every piece of bait he threw at her over the past hour. Hilda was the last to sit, after summoning the waiter - and took her place next to Claude.

The waiter arrived with only two menus. I suppose the thought was that we were couples.

"So… what're you thinking for booze, Teach? We could split a bottle of hard stuff while the ladies get cocktails."

"No preference. It's my treat, so pick whatever you'd like."

"Wow, a Professor's treating us…!" Hilda seemed ecstatic.

"Ah, so you're gonna let me pick? Dangerous move!"

"Are you suuuure you want to trust Claude with that, Professor?" Hilda chuckled.

"I can drink anytime I want." I noted. "I'd prefer you guys try whatever you'd like."

"We have such a great Professor!" Hilda yipped.

I noticed that Edelgard had been pretty quiet throughout the conversation, and so I turned to her.

"Don't feel pressured to get something alcoholic if you'd prefer not to." I say.

That's the teacher-ly thing to say, right? Maybe the teacher-ly thing isn't to take your students out drinking - but it's too late for that now.

She looks up at me with a frustrated expression.

"No… I think I should at least try alcohol at least once, I just don't know what these different drinks are... There are no descriptions of their contents."

I lean in and peruse the cocktail section of the menu. Much to my surprise, Edelgard leans in too. Our faces are quite close now.

"Do you know about any of these, Professor?" she asks, pointing to the cocktails with a white-gloved finger.

Most are pretty much bog-standard Dagdan cocktails. The Dagdans tend to be the most prolific drinkers on our side of the world - naturally some degree of mixology follows from that. Most of Fodlan hadn't really stumbled on the idea of pairing different alcohol with fruit juices before Dagdans took to opening bars in port cities.

I know this because Dagdan mercs are usually the first people to remind you of this when you're out drinking with them.

"My father's made me try most of them, yeah. You like sweet things, right?"

"Well… sweet but not too sweet… but... how did you know that?"

"You had dessert for dinner at the dining hall earlier."

She rolled her eyes.

"Professor… you said you wouldn't judge me for that, you know…"

I stare at her blankly. Is she really giving me a hard time when I'm trying to be considerate?

Perhaps realizing this, her embarrassed eyes fall back to the menu. Mine follow shortly thereafter.

After a moment, I found something right up her alley.

"Ah, maybe you'd like this one." I point to a cocktail named Dos Cravos.

She whispers the words.

"What does it mean, Professor?"

"It's a name for a flower in Dagdan... I think? I know it's red honey liqueur, Enbarr gin, and bergamot-flavored tonic water."

"Is that so…"

"It's quite light, so I think it would be good for someone who doesn't drink much. Plus, you like Bergamot."

Her cheeks redden slightly.

"Not as much as you, clearly… but yes, I quite like it. And the honey sounds delightful, too."

Our conversation is interrupted by clapping across the table.

"Real nice work there, Teach. Gotta admit, you're a worldly guy. Not as worldly as me, but close!"

"Choose for me next, Professor!" Hilda demanded.

"Claude knows you pretty well, right? Maybe he can."

"Ugh, he just picks things to try and get me drunk. So he can - you know!"

The Avatar of Distrust seems to have been put off by that accusation.

"Hey, Hilda, don't give them a bad impression of me, now!"

"Too late for that…" Edelgard interjected.

"...Besides, you liked the Wu-Wu, didn't you?" Claude asked his retainer earnestly.

Edelgard looks at me with a quizzical expression. I bring a hand to my hair.

"No idea what that translates to."

"You've had it before, though, right Teach?"

I ponder the question for a moment.

"It's Albinean berry juice and that Fearghus potato liquor, right?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Claude confirmed.

"It was too bitter!" Hilda complained.

"Maybe try…Sex on the Beach?" I ask innocently.

The three students stared at me silently with widened eyes. It occurred to me that they've probably never really examined the menu before, and just knew various drinks off hearsay and rumors. That's essentially what my father did.

Although, in fairness, I guess it does just sound like I've propositioned a seventeen year old. Probably not the best move.

I place my cocktail menu on the center of the table and point to the item that says "Wu-Wu". Their eyes fall to it in unison.

Just under the title is a subtitle that reads, in sloppy handwriting:

Sex on the Beach: +100G (Peach Juice)

"Whoa.." Was all avatar of distrust could manage.

"Who in their right mind would give the beverage a name like that?!" Edelgard asks in disbelief.

I shrug. Someone in Fodlan, probably. Given how it is one of the few drinks on the menu that's not transliterated from the Dagdan language.

"That sounds really good, Professor! Peach is much sweeter than Albinean Berry!"

At least Hilda's thankful. Maybe… too thankful.

"Well, I guess that settles it. I'll put our orders in the bar so we can get them sooner." Claude says, and gets up from his chair.

I look at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Don't worry, Teach, you and I are getting something good. It's just gonna be a surprise. A good one."


A little while later, a waitress arrives with the bottle of alcohol from the bar downstairs. Claude tips her handsomely, and she bats him an eye. He seems to appreciate the gesture, which again causes me to question if there's not a discrepancy between his claimed and actual ability to deceive people. She informs him that the cocktails will be out soon.

In front of me and Claude are two shot glasses, and a large bottle of liquor. The label on the bottle is covered in squiggly lines and raised dots. I know it's Almyran, but in spite of all that time on the Throat with my Father, I never quite learned how to make out the language.

Few in Fodlan do, however - so that's not a case of particularly unique negligence on my part.

"You know what this is?" Claude asks.

I shrug.

"Ah, Teach is stumped! So I've reclaimed my title as the worldliest man in Garegg Mach!"

Edelgard leaped to my defense.

"Can you just tell us what it actually is, then?"

Claude smirked.

"The strongest drink in all the land. Those fruity cocktails by the Dagdans can't compare!"

I stare blankly at Claude. I wonder if this is another bait-and-switch. Edelgard and Hilda both eye the bottle suspiciously.

Suddenly, a realization dawned on me.

"Is that… Arz Lubaniyya?"

Claude chuckled.

"Not bad, not bad!"

Edelgard and Hilda now looked at me as if I had cast some kind of silence incantation. Claude took their shock as an opportunity to continue.

"Teach, did you ever get a chance to try this stuff? Maybe you sampled some after you took one of those castles with Holst?"

I shake my head and take a second to collect my thoughts.

"I think… I've seen that bottle before - but it was always empty. When we would take a camp or something, they'd be everywhere."

"Yeah, that makes sense! The tradition the Almyrans have is to drink it before battle."

Claude takes the opportunity to pop the cap and fill the shot glasses to the brim. Edelgard stares at the clear liquid, clearly taken by surprise.

"It's.. clear?"

"The bottle's tinted, Princess. It's to keep it from getting sun-kissed in the desert."

"Why yes… of course… that is the predominant terrain in Almyra, after all."

I appreciated how Edelgard always needed to try and claw back the upper hand in her conversations with the Deer's Leader. As if they were battles themselves - and battles just as mortal and final as the physical ones I fought on the Throat - or that most recent scrap in Remire, I suppose. I did die there, after all. On her behalf, no less.

"And do not forget who saved the two of you!"

Right. Right. Thanks again, Sothis.

Something tells me, however, that Claude is already quite familiar with the nature of that country. Perhaps more familiar than even I am.

"Is that like the Faerghus potato stuff, Claude? That was clear, too… right?" Hilda asks.

Claude strokes his chin.

"In a way, yeah - but it's not from potatoes. It's from pine tree dew."

I raise an eyebrow.

"Arz Lubaniyya means 'dew of the tree', Teach. Surprised you didn't know!"

"This stuff.. It's quite strong, isn't it?" I ask after a few moments.

"You better believe it! It's-"

"Dos Cravos and a Sex on the Beach?"

Hearing the cocktail's name for the second time is no less surprising for the three, but Hilda and Edelgard eventually both eagerly grab their cocktails. Hilda's look is of genuine excitement.

"It's orange this time!" She notes excitedly.

Edelgard wears a look of surprise. She then gently places the red drink on the table, looking quite contemplative as she does so.

"This flower...?"

The drink is traditionally decorated with a blossom from the carnation.

"Dos Cravos is its name in Dagdan, my dear." The waitress says simply before bowing and taking her leave.

"I see…"

Noticing that the waitress had departed, Edelgard then turns back to me, her face with an expression that seems to plead with me silently over some unknown wound.

"Professor… must I eat it? The carnation is… well… I quite like this flower."

Ah, she's partial to that crimson flower. It suits her, I think.

"It's just a garnish, Edelgard."

"A… garnish?"

Garnishing dishes or drinks is not really a Fodlan thing. I knew that much from being shocked about it myself once. I grabbed the flower from her drink, and after noticing an open loop on her cape, weaved its stem through it in one fluid motion. After doing so, I made a quick and dirty knot.

I remember a Dagdan Lady Savant doing this to me once after treating me to a victory drink. I always thought it was a nice gesture to give to one of your comrades.

Edelgard froze and went completely flush as I did so.

"Professor… this…"

I gave her a blank look. What's she getting so embarrassed about?

"Teach… you've gotta show that move to Lorenz. You'd blow his mind!"

"Move…?"

"Awww Professor… I don't have a flower for you to do that with…." Hilda said glumly.

The waitress circled back to our table and noticed that I had affixed the flower to Edelgard. She laughed heartily.

"I did not know a man of Fodlan to be so familiar with our customs!"

"He's only the second most worldly guy here, y'know."

The waitress, ignoring Claude's boast, gave a slight bow toward Edelgard.

"Congratulations on your victory, Madame."

"V-victory?" Edelgard asked, stunned.

"Huh?" Hilda asked as well.

"In our country, if one has won a great victory or success, we celebrate with Dos Cravos. That flower is proof of yours."

She bows again and takes her leave.

"Is that so…"

"We did beat the bandits." I offer.

"I suppose we did…" she confirms.

Claude seems crushed he's no longer the center of attention.

"Where's mine, Teach? I fought in that battle too!" He quipped.

I didn't even bother looking. I found myself captivated with Edelgard, who can't seem to take her own eyes off the flower.

"Professor… thank you for showing me this lovely tradition. I feel ashamed I cannot offer the same to you, however."

"We can always do this again."

"Perhaps… but only if you become my tea-"

Claude interrupts the tail end of Edelgard's sentence by clanging on his shot glass with a spoon, sending some of its contents out in a spill.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now that we've all got our drinks, I'd like to propose a toast."

I turn back to Claude, who's standing up.

"I'd like to dedicate this drink to our Teach over here, Professor Byleth, as he did save our skins from a marauding bandit party. What do you say, everyone?"

"To the Professor!" Hilda said, raising her glass toward Claude's.

Edelgard, whose look of frustration at being interrupted has since melted away into one of contentment, raised her glass as well.

"Might I add something else, Claude?"

"Go for it, Edel." Claude said with a nod.

"We only have one life to live, so let us toast to making the most of these peaceful days."

"That's so deep, Princess!" Hilda confirmed.

"Anything you want to drop in, Guest of Honor?" Claude asked.

I joined them in standing up.

"To new paths. Let's walk on them together, as long as fate allows."

I noticed Edelgard's eyes widen a bit at these words, but she didn't look unhappy at all. Claude and Hilda both nodded.

We all clang our glasses together.

"Well said, Teach! I hope your lectures are that short!"

"We'll see about that."

"What I want to see now is you going bottoms-up on that Lubaniyya." Claude fired back.

I look to Edelgard, Hilda, and Claude in turn. They all look at me expectantly.

I can't let these kids down, I guess.

"Fine."

I take the glass to my lips and immediately knock it back. It's relatively tasteless with a mild sweetness to it, but it definitely burns on the way down. All the strong stuff does. When you've spent as much time as I have choking on the embers of burning fortresses, however - such a sensation wasn't even worth a grimace.

I clear my throat after downing it.

"Woah, Teach."

I tip my empty glass towards him as proof.

"Ah, I guess I have to try after that…"

Claude does his level best to down it, but his gag reflex activates about halfway through the shot.

Edelgard and Hilda both laugh.

"What a foolish challenge to issue to our Professor…" Edelgard noted.

"Claude, hurry up and finish so we can sit down!" Hilda ordered.

"Yeah, yeah..." He chokes it down.


Much to my relief, both girls visibly enjoy the first sips of their cocktails. Claude, however, still looks like he's smarting from our toast. It makes me feel a bit bad on his behalf, but what adolescent challenges an adult three or four years his senior to a competition like that?

"Teach, do you want to play a drinking game?" He asks.

This is where I start to lose track of time, for what it's worth.

Against all logic, I agree.

"Sure." I say.

Edelgard looks at me with surprise. Hilda looks at me with a smirk.

"No way Professor, that's totally, extremely dangerous!" Hilda shouted. She was quickly working away at her cocktail.

"Do you know how Truth or Drink is played?" von Riegan inquires with a smirk.

I shrug. It's not exactly a complex game, although I've only ever seen female mercenaries want to play it.

"Claude, what is this game?" The Adrestian asks with more than a hint of concern.

"Ah, it's simple enough, Princess. Everyone takes turns asking each other a question. If you don't want to answer said question, you have to drink. If you do answer the question, the person who asks has to drink."

"T-that sounds like a horrifying game to me."

"It's not so bad." I offer.

I admit I'm curious to learn more about the present company.

"Well, since you're so keen on it, how about we start with you, Teach?" Claude asked.

"Yes! Let's." Suddenly, the girl sitting next to me doesn't think the game's so horrifying.

"Oooooohhhhh, yeah, let's start with the Professor!" Hilda confirms. She's already worked through a quarter of her cocktail, so I question how much she'll even have left by her turn.

Their enthusiasm at my relatively short life so far strikes me as strange, but I suppose I could grant that I'm not entirely a normal person. Maybe that's what intrigues them so much?

"Who wants to ask first?" Claude asks.

Edelgard shoots up her hand. Hilda does shortly after

"Alrighty then, Princess over here gets priority, then Hilda. Then it's my turn."

I turn to the Adrestian. She's blushing, but I'm willing to grant that it might just be the alcohol.

"Professor, you seem quite near to us in age… might I inquire about how old you are…?"

"Twenty-one." I answer matter-of-factly. That's the age my father tells me I am, at least. I've no reason to doubt him, although he seems to be rather reluctant to inform me of his own.

"So we are quite close in age, then. I turn eighteen on the twenty-second of Garland Moon."

"Just two more months until she's legal for you to wife up, Teach." Claude says with a wink.

"C-Claude!"

Seeing his mark start to waver, he goes in for the kill.

"By the way, Princess - you're not supposed to reply with facts about you until we ask. Now drink up!"

Edelgard complies without further protest.

"So Professor... I guess we know your age, but not your birthday! What is it?" Hilda asks next.

"The twentieth of Horsebow Moon." I reply.

"Oh wow, Professor - you were born under the star of the Goddess!"

I stare at Hilda blankly. Claude leans in.

"It's all star-sign nonsense. All women love it."

"Is that so, Claude?" Edelgard replied sharply.

He winks at me knowingly.

"Anyway, Teach - before our tomboyish friend interrupted us, I was due to ask you a question."

I nod.

"That's a nice dagger on your belt. Tyrian purple, I think. From Almyra too - right?"

"Correct."

Claude takes a drink.

"Follow-up question: who's the lucky Sultana that you're engaged to?"

Now it's my turn to be surprised. Although, given the look of sheer terror on Edelgard's, and total shock on Hilda's - I suppose I'm not alone in that feeling.

"Woooooowwww… the Professor already has a wife? I guess it's natural. He's quite handsome."

Hilda notes, quick on the uptake as ever. She takes another huge drink from her cocktail.

"This is just a trophy." I say with a shrug.

"What a terrible way to talk about the holiest of sacraments, Teach!"

"No, I mean I killed the woman who owned this in a battle. She tried to stab me with it."

Claude frowned.

"You sure about that? Can I see it?"

I unhook the sheathed knife from my belt and slid it to him across the table. Claude inspects the dagger's sheath, which has a bunch of Almyran characters inscribed on it. Edelgard and Hilda both look intrigued as well, but something tells me that the heir to the Grand Duchy of Riegan has the most particular interest.

"You said you killed her?" He asked after a time.

"She was leading an assault on the Locket, yeah."

"Around two years ago, right?"

Curious that he knows that.

I nod.

"Don't look at me like that, Teach. I'm only asking because the name was familiar. And as it turns out, I knew the Sultana who this used to belong to."

All three of us have our interest piqued. It's rare for anyone in Fodlan to know much about Almyra. Claude seems to know quite a bit - even more than me, and I spent the last half-decade in an on-and-off fight with them.

"Oh... hey Claude, was she related to that Nader guy?" Hilda asked.

"You got me there, Hilda."

He turns back to me and Edelgard.

"We've got an emissary in Derdriu who married one of the princesses of Almyra. They had a daughter that went missing on the Throat a while back. Her name's on this dagger."

"...Missing?"

"You ever notice how the Almyrans always send slaves out on the field to pick up the daggers of the dead?"

I shrug.

"These guys are mostly ceremonial." He says, twirling the sheathed blade around in his hand "The parents get one made on the day their child is born, and it's given to them the day when they come of age. It's like a name-tag so you can identify the body."

He's quite well informed.

"So what was that about the Professor being married, then?" Edelgard asked. She still seemed a bit on edge.

"Well, the only time you really part with these is as an offering to a person you intend to marry. That's why I asked. When Nader didn't get his daughter's dagger back, I guess the assumption was that she eloped with someone from Fodlan. She was that good in a fight. They're real serious about getting these back, y'know. And you can't miss the color anywhere. The only Almyrans allowed to carry purple sheathes are royalty."

"I had no idea." I said truthfully.

The conversation seemed to die with that admission.

"To me, she was just a powerful opponent." I continue.

"You've lived quite a life, haven't you?." Claude asked soberly.

"That's your fifth question, Claude." I note.

Claude's eyes widened before a smirk grew on his lips.

"You got me there, Teach."

He pours another glass. I don't remember what happened after that for a while.


"Professor! Professor! Wake up!"

My memory of the night jolts back as Hilda shook me out of what must have been an alcohol-induced fugue. I stared at the bottle of Lubaniyya. Empty. I stared at Edelgard's glass. Empty. There was also another glass. Empty. Hilda's cocktail was a bunch of faintly orange icewater now. Did she really drink the least out of all of us?

It seemed like Claude and Edelgard got rather involved in the drinking game. So did I, clearly.

Edelgard has since passed out, fast asleep on the table, her inclined head planted firmly on the table and facing me. Thankfully, her breathing is routine and regular. A hint of drool falls from her lower lip.

Claude is in that drunken twilight between sleep and wakefulness.

"Teach… is Hilda….?"

Hilda is shaking Claude now.

"Claude, Curfew!"

I loudly slap myself back into awareness, driving my palms harshly into my cheekbones.

"Hilda, I'll get them back. You go on ahead." I say.

"Nonsense, Professor! We're going back together." she replies.

I'm really impressed she's kept her cool like this. In reality, she's the last person who I expected to be sober right now.

Claude doesn't quite rise with the same vigor that I did at Hilda's jolting. I suspect he's taken the booze a bit harder than I did. I turn back to Edelgard and put a hand on her shoulder. Much to my surprise, it's padded. I give it a gentle shake. Perhaps too gentle.

"Edelgard, it's time to head back."

"Don't even bother Professor, she's out like a light!" Hilda yipped.

I turn back to Hilda.

"Do you know if her friend is still downstairs, Hilda?"

Hilda's still violently shaking an already shaky Claude, who starts to hiccup.

"Ohhh… Dory, you mean? Nah, she left with that Knight a long time ago." Hilda confirmed.

"I see."

Well, there was no avoiding it at that point.

"I'll carry Edelgard on my back. Hilda, can you support Claude with me? It seems like he can walk a bit."

"Sure, Professor. But we need to hurry!"


There's no way to hurry in such a configuration. Our anabasis over the viaduct inches along as Edelgard saws logs, and Claude staggers along at a drunkard's gait. Hilda does her level best to keep him from tripping, and in the cases where Claude's unstable kinetic energy is tossed violently in my direction, I use my left shoulder as a buttress against which the little Goneril can bring him back to something approaching an upright stance.

About halfway across the bridge, this settles into something of a routine. I can more or less guess when Claude's about to lose his footing, and Edelgard for her part is almost frozen in place, as I support her light frame with my forearms under the back of her knees.

There's just one issue, a nagging one in the back of my mind.

I can smell blood.

Initially my fear was that Claude may have stepped on some glass, or something to that effect. The boots he has on are quite light and seem more suited for the catwalk rather than the battlefield.

"Hilda, can you give Claude a quick checkup from your side? Does it look like he's hurt?" I ask.

Claude, hearing his name, babbles something incoherently.

"He looks fine to me, Professor."

Interesting definition of "fine", but I take her word for it.

"And you're alright, too, Hilda?"

"Of course, Professor! Don't worry about me!"

I steal a glance towards Edelgard's face, which is resting on my right shoulder. As far as I can tell, there's neither blemish nor bloody nose, but I am somewhat drawn to her expression. It's changed from one of placidity to one of consternation. It's an expression my father claims I have when I dream about the battle. He's described it to me in detail, and the contours of his own descriptions I can immediately place on the Adrestian's, down to the most minute of details.

Her brow is furrowed. Instead of her eyelids being restfully relaxed, they're scrunched together - as if she's trying in desperation to shield herself from a vision that she can't escape from. The contented-looking expression adorned with drool that she wore on her lips was completely gone now, instead her mouth was turned downcast in a frown. Additionally, her nostrils flared out, and her jaw was also clenched tight. All in all, she wears an expression fit for battle, not rest.

It occurred to me that she may have bitten the inside of her lip, as I've accidentally done before in my sleep. Even if that had happened, though, there's no way I would be smelling it.

I turn my gaze down to inspect my own body. Perhaps in the heat of the moment, I might have neglected my own person. Getting Claude and Edelgard down the narrow staircase of the bar was quite the adventure. It certainly wouldn't be the first time this week that I had ignored my own condition at the sake of someone else's.

Sothis was strangely quiet when I considered this.

Perhaps she's drunk, too?

What is she, anyway?

As these thoughts cross my mind, I notice Edelgard's hand fall towards my side. Previously, her entire arm was dangling over my shoulders, but the constant push rightwards from Claude's erratic strides against my shoulder seems to have shifted her own weight around on my back.

It's at that moment that I notice it - the red blood dripping down the Adrestian's white glove and leaving splotches on the stone below.

She's clenching her fist in her sleep. She's clenching so hard that it's drawing blood, even through her silken gloves.

My chest aches.

Instinctively, I grab her hand, attempting to pry her fist open. Much to my surprise, she has quite the grip, and does not allow me to do so easily. After a prolonged struggle, I can finally release her bleeding palm from the violence inflicted by her own fingernails. Much to my surprise, she's cut through the glove completely with her trim nails.

As I cover her now-extended digits with my own palm, I can hear her mumble:

"Uhh... Agh... Fath... Save…"

Her fingers clench again reflexively, with incredible force. They do not dive into her palm this time, but into my own. As I lack a glove to absorb the blow, the nails poking through her own immediately begin to cut into my flesh like five little daggers. I admit that the suddenness provoked a grimace, although I could easily claim to have suffered more grievous wounds than the one she just inflicted on me. My body bears the scars borne from five years of constant fighting.

Realizing that she could easily be manifesting the behavior in left hand, I quickly consulted my periphery. Thankfully, this tic is only brought to bear on her right.

Our party arrives in the gatekeeper's view in a bloody mess. I suppose I'm using that term both figuratively and literally. For a moment, it occurs to me that chaperoning such a debacle could easily result in my firing, especially if the Gatekeeper was a harsh fellow and filed an unforgiving report to Seteth or the Archbishop. For a moment, I felt a bit of joy as I realized that this could be my ticket back to mercenary life. But as Edelgard's fingers dug ever deeper into my flesh, I realized that I might be losing something as well.

It also strikes me that endangering children might result in a penalty far harsher than my dismissal, as well.

"Oh, hello Professor! Nothing to report."

I stare at him blankly.

Whatever is happening here is something to report, is it not?

"Did you enjoy your night on the town, Professor?"

I nod. Has he noticed that we're dripping blood right in front of him?

"You're a bit late for curfew, but I'll have the door open in a second!"

I nod again. Is he blind?

He pulls a lever next to him that opens the great doorframe of the monastery.

"See you tomorrow, Professor!"

As I leave a trail of blood all the way to the dormitory, I count my blessings.


I finish the field dressing on my hand with some effort. It took me quite some time to sanitize the wound, as I wanted to make sure to clean the areas where my blood met hers quite thoroughly. An exchange under such circumstances could easily result in blood poisoning for either of us. Earlier, I had managed to give Edelgard's a quick dressing with Hilda's assistance.

After reaching the student dormitories, I instructed Hilda to relay to Edelgard that she should check in with Manuela, the songstress-cum-physician as soon as she wakes up. She nodded and said she'd leave a note, after nearly vomiting in her mouth when she realized that Edelgard had clamped onto my hand like a Duscur Bear trap. I warned her that gossiping about what she witnessed would result in her expulsion. She seemed to accept my bluff for what it was.

It took me another twenty minutes of wandering the promenade to find my dormitory. Thankfully, someone had the foresight to affix a sign with my name on it.

It's now two-in-the-morning, according to the clock in my otherwise unfurnished dormitory.

As I complete my entry for the previous day while laying on the freshly dressed bed, Sothis decides to check in. She appears to me in what must be a quasi-physical form, sitting on the bed. Her toes dig into the sheets, which strikes me a bit odd given that she's just a figment of my imagination, isn't she?

"Your handwriting for today is most sloppy."

I showed her my bandaged palm.

"I know! I was there!"

I raise an eyebrow, too tired to reply.

"My vision was just cloudy. Anyway, I don't believe it's wise for you to drink that type of fire-water. Especially with children!"

"Was that your first time, too?" I ask at last.

"So what if it was? Phooey! Don't give me that look. You think you're so tough."

"You're projecting."

"How can I not? We inhabit the same body."

"Is that so?"

"Anyway! That is not what I wish to talk about."

I wait for her to finally arrive at her desired topic.

"I wish to know which class you will claim tomorrow. I believe this will be one of the most singularly important decisions you'll ever make in your life."

I sigh. I was honestly going to save this decision for after I took a nap, but I suppose Sothis wants it now. It's probably for the best, though. The faculty meeting is in less than six hours.

I consider my options.

And then I stare at my bloody, bandaged hand.

"Ugh! So predictable."

I look back at Sothis.

"You will never grow tired of suffering on that girl's behalf, I suppose."

Later that morning, I staggered into the faculty meeting, disheveled, bloodshot and bandaged. Without a moment's hesitation, I chose the Black Eagles.