Author's Note: This is the first of the campaign-log format.

These will be pretty expositional with the occasional smattering of one-liners, as there's no way Byleth is recording these things in the same detail on campaign than he would back at the Academy.

My humble attempt at bridging the days where the Beagles will be on the road without feeding you 10K word chapters. We'll be arriving at the Red Canyon soon(tm).


We're bringing the ballista.

Hinted the change in mission situation to Claude & Lorenz shortly after receiving that letter from Danton – they are in.

Duke Gloucester is apparently a mathematician, I'm told, who wrote some sort of geometric equation detailing the so-called silver ratio of female beauty – Lorenz is eager to impress his father with his own understanding of physics through artillery, under the impression that females cannot be appreciated mathematically, but by traditional standards of noble virtue. In this he sounds rather like Ferdinand... but Ferdinand seems to actively detest half the women in my class, so maybe that comparison has its limits.

Additionally, the Heir to House Gloucester is in a difficult situation at present, because a rival noble with Imperial sympathies is making trouble for his father – and I'm informed that this rival is a minor noble with a significant fortune by the name of Acheron. Apparently, he gained this fortune by profiteering in a war with Lysithea's family, but I didn't catch all the details. Most are, of course, political.

Lorenz also asked when practicum periods would begin – and I reminded him that I don't even have an office and only find out about these things through the morning post. I'm later informed that practicums are like field trips – but Claude then also adds that they are fine opportunities to "practice cumming" as well, going so far as to suggest that I do such with Edelgard next month, as she will be turning eighteen.

Does Edelgard enjoy "cumming"?

After thinking that above thought, I stare blankly at Claude, unsure what cum or cumming means. He elbows his classmate, as if he is in on the joke, but Lorenz makes no effort to laugh either. The Bowl-Cut Cavalier informs me that it's the duty of a noble to save his seed for the production of heirs, which Claude laughs at – but Lorenz and I don't. Mostly because I thought heirs came from loving someone, and not from seeds – but the point remains – Lorenz is having none of Claude.

I appreciate Sir Lorenz.

The Alpha Buck also intimated that he was gathering a team for the practicum period – and wished me to escort them in lieu of Professor Manuela, who was apparently drowning in male attention and had better things to do. I replied that I could help as long as I deferred to Edelgard, and Claude immediately set about plotting something – doubtlessly a way to draw her into his scheme.

The Deer who can communicate in Fodlanese returned to explaining the innovativeness of his father's formula shortly after. Still, I can't really grasp it, and Lorenz was flummoxed to explain any of the actual algebra behind it.

As he rambled, I thought: Edelgard probably fits such a ratio if brilliance is a factor, no?

I find her long legs quite beautiful as well, even though I've never actually really seen her legs.

Anyway, Claude and Lorenz go on a liquor run at my direction after loading the ballista, purchasing all 350 bottles of clear liquor from Celica's cellar in the wee hours of the morning. I offered to compensate in full, but Claude was eager to "flex" on Lorenz…? Claude doesn't look muscular enough to really flex his arms on the Deer's Noblest, anyway. This makes less sense when I'm informed that this Acheron business has put the Glouscesters in a bad way financially as well as militarily. I told Lorenz that it would be the ideal time to put on some muscle, and he asked what any of that had to do with money.

I'm a professor, but according to Edelgard, I shouldn't wander too far out of my subject area.

On that note, I sent them off with a nod. Just after that, I grabbed a crate full of unused tablecloths from the classroom and loaded it into the supply train.

I will not detail my true intent for that just yet, however – they probably think the booze is for a post-battle celebration.

After sojourning into town to meet the Deer at 4am, Maya Kirsten met us outside the Inn, where she informed us that she had Sylvain tied up to the bedposts inside her room. This reminded me to pick up some rope from the dry goods store. Before I took my leave from the Younger Kirsten, I replied that the Lion seemed to like accompanying her of his own volition and that there was no need to restrain him. Maya riposted with a prediction that Edelgard would do the same to me within a month.

Claude entrusted the logistician to restock Celica's through her gray market contacts. She happily obliged, noting to me that she was already running the family import/export firm behind her brother's back, having Coup'd the trust fund manager sometime ago through a potion of some sort. The Morfians are good at potion-making, perhaps because they fill their potions with high-grade opiates. My guess is that she picked up that bit of skullduggery there. Claude also slapped her ass on the way out.

But Maya hates Claude, doesn't she...?

Then again, Claude slapped my ass in the maid outfit. Perhaps he's being comradely.

My attention occupied itself with thinking about being tied up on Edelgard's bed while in the dry-goods store. I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to be held against my will – if it were Edelgard – because at least I could explore her motivations for doing so. Even that revelation on St. Macuil's day brought forth more questions than answers.


Reuniting with the Deer at the supply wagons just prior to departure time, we:

-Replaced 1st and 2nd Iron Arrow Crate with Liquor Crates

-Replaced 3rd Iron Axe Crate with Tablecloth Crate

-Replaced 1st Iron Sword Crate with Rope Crate

And after a power nap in the wagons, began marching with our respective classes at 9:00AM sharp.

My House Leader was quite surprised me to find nodding off in the wagon with the two Deer, and then admitted that she had opened my door in order to wake me up.

When she didn't find me there, she noted how worried she was.

Hearing that provokes the most wonderful agony in my chest that I've ever experienced.

She also tells me I didn't receive any mail, but I don't believe that. There's no way that Hubert has gone without sending me an essay for this long.

As an apology to provoking her worry, I defer to Edelgard for march column command. To my surprise, she immediately started to align the Eagles into a Srengian phalanx before I suggested splitting off Petra and Bernadetta for forage duty. I suppose she found some information on it in that short period... or was a very good listener based on my description on the 9th. With eyes falling away, she asked if I would lead the march with her, and I tersely implied that my presence at the head of the column would only subtract from her own brilliance.

She still likes being called brilliant, because she blushed very brilliantly when I called her that.

So, I let her brilliantly lead the Eagles ahead shortly thereafter, confident in her own leadership.

My principal concern at that moment anyway was Herding the Deer, because Claude and Lorenz decided to leave the band rudderless by napping inside the supply wagon.

For dinner, Petra caught several hares from an improvised trap.

Bernadetta shot two pheasants. Supplemented with camp cakes.

Tents go up quickly for the Eagles, and I'm impressed.


Edelgard invited me to her and Petra's tent to play a politically-themed board game. She won quite easily, but I feel as if she was withholding some of the rules of the game to me – only informing me of certain ones after she had a clear advantage in assets.

I think I will endeavor to get her chess-set for her birthday, as it is a popular board-game in Almyra. One time, when I was stalking a pair of Almyran scouts, I noticed them playing it, and it seemed quite strategic. Before I strangled them to death, I had them inform me of the rules in some detail. Edelgard also seems rather interested in that country, for whatever reason.

Or… at least interested in my opinion of it.

I may need to strangle more Almyrans for her... and I'm so excited at that thought.

Anyway, after losing the game, saying my goodnights and exiting the tent, I noticed Hubert lording over the entrance. He did not return to his own until after some of the Deer wandered over to bug me.

After thinking about that for a time, I realize he tends to make his presence known whenever Edelgard laughs, and she was having a great laugh while beating me in the board game.

Her laugh is wonderful, I think – and perhaps Hubert finds listening to it as comforting as I do.