A new day dawned. Light shined through the cracks of the sturdy, wooden windowsill, disturbing the resting soul below. A soul whose form was bruised and battered through harsh, yet consensual beatings delivered onto it by another individual. While rest is a necessity for all living lifeforms, it was especially required for the resting person.
Because Jeralt's training session was unlike anything Lucas had ever experienced. Near constant beatings that were designed to train his toughness, harsh albeit fair criticisms of his sword wielding skills and very limited rest times. Lucas was barely allowed any time to relax his muscles. He was never an expert on working out back on Earth, but he could've sworn that it was a bad idea to overwork one's body in general, let alone in a single session. Jeralt seemed to be violating everything Lucas knew about training.
Was that merely the Blade Breaker's way? Byleth all but confirmed this was the case. That indicated to Lucas that the man would never let up. A part of him regretted having accepted Jeralt's training in the first place, though another, more determined side was proud that he was taking this first step towards protecting Fódlan.
That determination Lucas displayed, the show of defiance in the face of doubt...it surprised him. He hadn't expected such positivity from his own mind. Was he truly capable of such things? Was he really not worthless? Could he help himself? These questioning thoughts initially kept Lucas awake. They clashed with his pre-existing ideals, only serving to worsen his sleep schedule slightly. Eventually, he was able to fall asleep. His mind was too busy warring with itself to dream.
Or perhaps Lucas' subconscious thought it to be best for him to forget all he dreamed of.
When he awoke next morning, his eyes were ruthlessly assaulted by the rays of light pouring in through his window. Rays of light so strong that Lucas began to lament the lack of blinds.
"Good morning," Sothis greeted him from the confines of his own brain, stifling a yawn that she may or may not have actually needed to do.
"G-good morn…" Lucas mumbled aloud, too tired to remember to speak internally instead of externally. "Is nice to see you again…"
Sothis smiled. "It is nice to speak with you again, indeed. Sleep is a powerful temptress."
"Yup," Lucas drawled.
"Don't you think it's about time for you to awaken?" Sothis quizzed the mortal man. "Your itinerary for the day is rather lengthy, is it not? It is 5:04 in the morning. You should get up and get moving."
"Bed sssso waarm…" Lucas slowly spoke.
"Sothis is right. You have to train the students today. Father said he'll help. Do you not remember?" Byleth chimed in.
"Five more minutes," yawned Lucas.
Sothis frowned. She snapped her fingers, somehow causing an aching pang to ring throughout Lucas' body, acting akin to a sudden application of cold water upon his person. It immediately woke him out of his post-sleep stupor.
"Ah! Fuck, was that necessary?" Lucas yelped in pain. He caught his error. "I mean, was that necessary? You could've done anything else, but no. You chose to do that. Whatever the hell that was."
"Cease your complaining. I could have done much worse," Sothis claimed.
"You may as well have electrocuted me! God, I feel so hyper right now. At least I'm awake. What time is it?" Lucas checked the clock in his room. "Five in the morning?! What kind of insane person wakes up at five in the morning?"
"You," Sothis pointed out.
"Touché. I suppose I can't say anything. Back home, I'd sometimes never sleep at all," Lucas accepted defeat.
"That can't be healthy," commented Byleth.
"It really isn't. But sometimes you have to do what you shouldn't. Writing that damn book took too much outta me," Lucas continued to recount.
"As much as I would like to learn more of your past without having to peruse through your memories again, you must get dressed. You have a busy day ahead of you," Sothis insisted.
Lucas nodded. Because of course he had a busy day ahead of him. He grabbed his rough brown robes, the same ones Jeralt handed to him at camp, which were draped over the chair to his desk. Upon putting them on, Lucas learned something.
"I stink," he told the other two. "How do you guys freshen up here in Fódlan? Back in my world, we had showers or baths we could take to get rid of body odour. I know Garreg Mach has a sauna, but that's not for freshening up, is it?"
"There are publicly available baths located in various points throughout the monastery," Byleth informed. "Most of them are in the same building as the sauna. There are some in the main building's second floor that only the staff can access, and some more can be found in the knights' barracks. Your best bet would be to use the ones next to the sauna."
"Well that's convenient," Lucas remarked. "Just one more question. Do they have soap there? Does soap even exist in this world? I highly doubt you guys have shower gel or shampoo so soap will have to do."
"Yes, we have soap," Byleth confirmed with a nod. "I am curious as to what shower gel and shampoo are. More examples of technology from Earth?"
"In a sense. Basically, shower gel is what we use on our bodies and shampoo is for our hair," Lucas briefly explained.
"I can never understand the machinations of mortals. Why have two different things that serve the same purpose?" Sothis questioned. Lucas was about to sound a counterargument, yet Sothis shushed him. "I can tell what you're about to say. I am referring to the primary function of cleaning. If soap can work for both hair and body, why create two different kinds of products that focus on those distinctions?"
"I'm not sure. Probably something science related. Or maybe it's all for capitalism, I dunno," Lucas shrugged.
"Capitalism? Earth is sounding more and more strange the more we hear of it. Wait, ugh! You've got me far too invested in this matter! Go and get yourself clean and ready for your training session with the brats! No more distractions! Go!" Sothis demanded.
"Alright, alright! I'm going."
Lucas adjusted his hair as best as he could without a comb (meaning, his hair was to remain at least somewhat frazzled) and began to turn the knob for his room's door. Once there, he froze in place.
"What now?" Sothis frowned.
"I don't have a spare change of clothes. There isn't anything in the closet and I don't have my first paycheck yet. What the hell am I meant to do?" Lucas brought up.
"Ask Seteth. He can give you something to wear," Byleth answered, much to Lucas' delight.
"I guess there's my first stop."
After tucking into a lonesome breakfast meal consisting of eggs and bread (he wasn't willing to branch out his tastes just yet), Lucas traversed the monastery's grounds to get to Seteth's office, hoping to catch the man himself there. Luckily, he was. A quick knock on the door alerted Seteth to Lucas' presence, the latter being invited into the room.
Walking in immediately gave Lucas a sense of dread.
"I...should I do this? Is this a bad time?" The mortal man wondered internally. "I don't know why, but I swear I can practically taste the disappointment and disapproval Seteth's likely feeling towards me. I don't want to be here."
"You should know how Seteth is. He's always been distrustful of new people. Especially those he can't figure out the backgrounds of," Byleth tried to reassure him. "Considering your situation, you literally do not have a traceable background. Even less of a one than I had. That may have driven Seteth mad in some way."
"While Byleth may be correct, do not forget that Seteth is the way he is because he truly cares for those he loves. Particularly that Flayn girl. Keep that in mind, Lucas. All you will need to do is to prove his doubts wrong," Sothis added.
"I see. Thanks guys."
Taking a silent deep breath, Lucas placed his backside down upon the seat Seteth offered him.
"Well, Lucas, what do you need?" The Nabatean male asked, a frown clear on his face.
"I need some clothes. I've long since lost the only ones I had. All I've got now are these robes. Do you have any professor uniforms I can use?" Lucas requested, ignoring the negative thoughts that were clouding his mind, doing so at the behest of Byleth and Sothis.
"You truly lack other items of clothing? No wonder why you haven't changed yet," Seteth sighed. "I do wonder what Lady Rhea was thinking when she chose someone like you for the job. Not only do you merely possess a single item of clothing, but your combat skills are uncertain. Alois' reports were rather vague. He mentioned, according to Edelgard, you distracted the enemy leader while she attacked. May I ask why you chose to do that rather than simply taking out the bandit yourself?"
Lucas began sweating. "Uh, well, I didn't have a weapon."
"So you ran into battle unarmed? It seems you are a rather reckless person. Recklessness is a trait which may result in others being harmed, or potentially killed. Can we really afford to allow someone like that to lead a contingent of students?" Seteth analysed the new recruit.
"I'll try my best," Lucas merely responded.
"Hmm. Your response indicates you do not have much faith in your own abilities. After all, someone with more confidence wouldn't be using the word 'try'. Either you will, or you will not. There is no in-between. Especially when it comes to the lives of the students you command."
"Look, I'm just-"
"Just lying? Just fooling others so you can get what you want?" Seteth interjected. "I do not know what it is you're trying to do, but I will not allow it. An anomaly like you cannot be allowed to roam free in the monastery."
"Anomaly?"
"Yes, that is what I said. I have asked certain individuals for any details regarding your personal history. All I have managed to discover is your brief time with Jeralt's mercenary group. Tell me, what village are you from? Which of the three territories is it in? If you can tell me truthfully, I may shift my judgement on you."
Lucas sat there, paralysed. He really wished to run out of the office and leave all this stress behind him, at least for a bit. Sothis and Byleth prevented him from doing anything of the sort. Not only would it worsen his reputation here at the monastery, it would give Seteth more ammunition for accusations. They also wouldn't permit him to run from his problems.
So, he sat there, looking for a lie.
"Varholm Village? It's in Gloucester territory," Lucas quickly thought up.
"Such a place does not exist. I do not need to look through a map to confirm that," Seteth denied. "Do not waste your time with further lies. I can already tell you will not disclose the truth easily. Unless you would like to tell me who you truly are?"
Lucas looked to the side. "You wouldn't believe me. Look, I just need a uniform or additional clothing of any kind. Please. I have to get ready for a training session with my students."
"Fine. Ultimately, I have no choice but to help you. It's in Lady Rhea's and the monastery's best interest for me to do so," Seteth leaned forward slightly. "You best prove yourself a worthy professor, Lucas. For your sake."
With a terrifying image and an absolutely horrifying implication implanted within Lucas' mind, Seteth led him to a room deep within the monastery's main building. It was mostly dim, only lit via two torches. All that was in the room were closets, cupboards and other means of storage. Inside one closet was a set of clothing Lucas recognised.
The Officers' Academy Uniform, from the game's DLC. Multiple sets were available in the closet Seteth had opened; the rest were likely different in size. As Seteth demonstrated, it even came with a cape. Lucas lit up upon seeing this.
"This is so cool! I always loved using this thing in the game when that wave of DLC came out. And it comes with the cape, too? Hell yeah!" Lucas exclaimed, much to the amusement of the souls that were sharing his mind. "That looks great! Thank you, Seteth."
Lucas received the new clothing, almost happy enough to forget all about the form of invisible torture Seteth put him through mere minutes earlier. He just really liked that damn uniform. But before he could change, he needed to tend to something first: personal hygiene.
Free from the clutches of the fearful Seteth, Lucas moseyed on over to the sauna, keen to get his clean on. Immediately through the front door were signs pointing towards two different paths. One led to the sauna while the other led to the baths. Clearly, Lucas needed the latter, so he went down the bath path, having to open another door in the process.
What followed was a long, winding path that had several doors lined up amongst the walls. Some of them were locked. Most of the locked ones had faint humming sounds coming from them. Evidently, the baths were behind these doors.
"Good thing there's a lot of them here or else there'd be huge ques leading outside," Lucas commented. "They have bathrooms in other areas of the monastery, right? That's just good sense considering how many people are at Garreg Mach."
"Yes. It's also quite convenient how our room is right next to this building. We don't have to walk very far to get clean," Byleth stated.
"Huh. You're right. That IS very convenient."
Putting aside his unusual suspicions, Lucas selected a random unlocked bathroom and ventured inside, making sure to lock the door behind him for some necessary privacy. The bathroom was quite small and entirely made of stone. Enough space was given so as to prevent the room from feeling cramped. There was a stone rack for holding things like clothes and towels. Lucas put the uniform Seteth gave him onto the rack and approached the bath, which was located in the middle of the room. Right away, Lucas needed to inspect the cleaning apparatus before him.
"Hey Byleth, how do I turn this thing on?" He inquired.
"Press the button in the middle of the metal handle at the front end of the bath. Turn the left dial for cold water and turn the right dial for hot water," Byleth handily explained. "Are baths set up differently in your world?"
"Not really. I just assumed this bath here would have some kind of usage requirement I wouldn't be aware of."
"Why would that be?" Sothis wondered.
"Hey, I dunno. Fódlan and Earth are practically poles apart. Excuse me for assuming things wouldn't work the same way here as they do back home."
Lucas ignored Byleth and Sothis' remaining humour-filled jabbers towards himself and did as he was instructed by the man of the future. Cold water poured from the tap and filled the bath at a moderate pace. When the water level almost reached the edge of the tub, Lucas paused the flow of water and admired his handiwork. But then Sothis reminded him.
"How do you expect to clean yourself with no towel or soap?"
"Shit," Lucas mentally responded, slapping his forehead in a mildly cartoonish fit of frustration. "I knew I forgot something. Can you two hold the fort with some godly spiritual magic or whatever?"
"That's not how it works," Sothis refused, shaking her head.
"You're a goddess. Why wouldn't it work that way?" Lucas questioned.
"I am not about to use my power for something so mundane."
Within the dark void of his mind, Lucas turned to Byleth. "Can you help me out? Ms. Goddess over here doesn't wanna help."
"Do NOT help him, Byleth! I am trying to teach him the importance of responsibility! He should not apply divine abilities to normal circumstances like this!" Sothis demanded, also turning to Byleth.
"Oh come on. It's not like I'm asking you to help me win the lottery or anything. I just need you to either keep this bathroom door locked while I go out and get some soap as well as a towel. Or you can teleport me out so I can get the stuff I need and then warp me back in when I'm done. I'm sure mages do that kind of thing all the time," Lucas tried to convince the goddess. "It would hardly be a grievous misuse of your powers, Sothis."
"I do not care! I will not allow my abilities as a goddess be used for such an unnecessary task!" Sothis exclaimed, frowning. "Byleth, don't help him!"
Whilst Sothis and Lucas were having their little argument, Byleth was standing there in the void, thinking. Lucas recognised this as the same thinking pose he used in the game, where he'd put his hand on his chin while tilting his head to the side slightly. In the game, it came off as weird because of the limited animation, but here in reality, it looked like Byleth was smiling. Lucas temporarily wondered why this was the case before shrugging it off.
"I will help you, Lucas. Sorry, Sothis. This is a small matter, therefore I do not think it will be a problem if I provide assistance," Byleth eventually spoke up.
"Ugh, fine. Do as you wish. I suppose there are worse things our power can be wasted on," Sothis sighed, leaning back into her throne.
Lucas did a small victory arm pump. "Yes! Thanks, Byleth."
"You're welcome. Now, I am unsure if anything I can do will have an impact on the real world, but since I will merely be teleporting you, the person whose body I am inhabiting, everything should work out fine. I'll warp you to the other side of the bathroom door to lower the chances of anything going wrong," Byleth explained and theorised.
"Alright, sounds good. Actually, that sounds kind of broken. What's stopping you from warping me around anywhere I go?"
"I agree with Sothis that such power should not be misused. I will not be allowing myself to help you to that extent. You should solve your problems on your own. For smaller situations like this, I can afford to provide some minor help. But that is all I will do."
"Ugh, fine. Warp me whenever."
Nodding, Byleth began charging up magical energy from within Lucas' mind. Seconds later, Lucas found himself enveloped in a flash of magical light. He was outside the bathroom door moments later. Since he possessed no funds whatsoever, it was a challenging task to go and find a towel and some soap nobody was using.
Refusing to talk to Seteth again, Lucas was able to get the required items from Jeralt, who led Lucas to one of the monastery's stock rooms. There, he was able to get a towel along with a piece of soap. He returned to the sauna. Byleth warped him back into the bathroom.
"Now to get down to business. Guys, privacy?" He asked his comrades.
Sothis and Byleth complied with the mortal man's request. They closed their eyes as Lucas removed his robes and slid into the cool, relaxing water. It was so comforting that it nearly nudged Lucas to sleep. He released a groan of pleasure soon after putting himself in place within the bath.
"Oh, this is nice. I forget how good this can get," Lucas commented, relaxing his body.
"Did you not bathe often in your world?" Sothis queried, keeping her eyes closed as she spoke.
"My apartment didn't have the space for a bath. Ergo, I only had showers. I always saw those as less of a time sink anyway, so I never complained," explained Lucas.
"What is ergo?" Byleth was curious to know. He also remembered to give Lucas his privacy.
"It's a Latin word from my world. It's another way to say 'therefore'," Lucas informed.
Sothis raised an eyebrow. "You may need to force those words out of your vocabulary. The people of Fódlan would only find it confusing if you kept using them. It may draw unneeded suspicion."
"Unneeded suspicion? I highly doubt me saying 'ergo' of all things would cause someone to piece together my situation. That would be very contrived," Lucas doubted.
"Perhaps not initially. But there are those who know much about the languages of this world. If none of your words exist amongst them, it may only draw suspicion towards you. Cut down on your lexicon so your future reputation doesn't change," Sothis insisted. "After all, if you were overly scrutinised for utilising a particular word, you may lose out on opportunities to save Fódlan."
"Opportunities to save Fódlan, huh?" Lucas repeated. He looked up towards the ceiling, temporarily losing himself in thought. "How am I gonna do that, exactly? It's way too big of a task for one person."
"You know of future events, don't you? The game should have told you all about the paths I've experienced. Couldn't you do something about that? Use your foreknowledge to change the outcome of certain events," Byleth suggested.
"No! Doing that would go against the course set out by Fate. It is no coincidence that those four paths are the same as in Lucas' game. It must be because those are the paths of Fate, the only futures that may exist for Fódlan. Going against Fate by diverging its paths can have disastrous consequences," Sothis detailed. "It's best if you follow the path, Lucas."
"Haven't you ever heard of multiverse theory, timelines and whatnot? It shouldn't be possible for the routes to be Fódlan's only futures since there should be an infinite amount of potential futures. Or are you referring to the butterfly effect, where one small change can have a larger impact on something later on?" Lucas asked, narrowing his eyes.
"What are you talking about? Are those mere fictional ideas thought up by mortals who don't know any better?" Sothis frowned further.
"Well, no, they're not exactly fictional. They're based on logic and scientific calculations. Your idea of there only being four timelines for Fódlan is illogical," Lucas countered.
"What?! The arrogance! How dare you assume a goddess' logic is illogical! That's-why would you even say such a foolish thing? Where did your previous, more demure personality disappear to?" Sothis inquired.
"Oh, don't remind me of that, please. I'm trying to have a good time here. Anyway, you're the one ignoring my world's ideas without considering the possibility they may be correct," Lucas returned. "That's very narrow minded."
"It is you whose mind is narrow! Remember, I am a goddess. I know more than a measly group of mortals," Sothis claimed. "That being said, do not go against the whims of Fate. You know of this 'butterfly effect' at least, so you must understand what I am warning you of. To some extent."
A pause.
"I understand, Sothis. I just think saving someone's life or helping someone out with their personal problems earlier than intended won't matter much in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it might result in a storm that'll destroy the monastery or something, but I'm sure something like that can be circumvented somehow," Lucas reasoned.
"You would wager the destruction of a portion of Fódlan over the life of one person?" Sothis asked.
"Yeah. Of course I would. I hate making people sad," Lucas answered with a small nod.
Another pause.
"Fine," Sothis reluctantly accepted. "If that is what you wish to do, so be it. Don't say I didn't warn you if your decisions decide to haunt you in any way."
"That's okay. I'll take it as they come."
Silence followed. It allowed Lucas more time to absolve his worries, aches and body odour. Time that Sothis and Byleth would allow him. Eventually, Lucas had to be reminded that he needed to clean himself, to make use of the soap. He did precisely that, ensuring he could be as clean as possible. Once that was over, Lucas retreated deep into the calm water.
"Lucas. Do you have any particular plans for the future? What kinds of changes do you intend on making to the timeline?" Byleth questioned. "I am curious. I tried to do that by selecting a different house each time, yet it seems I was apparently following the paths of Fate, according to Sothis."
"I don't know. Obviously, I don't want Jeralt to meet his fate. He's a nice guy and doesn't deserve what happens to him. Maybe I can stop that by intercepting Monica somehow…" Lucas began to plan. "Hmm. I don't have any concrete ideas just yet, but I'm sure the inspiration will come to me eventually."
"But what will you do now? You're thinking long term. I meant from a short term perspective. Are you going to kill Edelgard so she isn't able to start her war, for instance?" Byleth proposed.
"Kill Edelgard? Even if I wanted to, I doubt I could. I'm a terrible fighter, remember? She could sense my intent from a mile away. There's gotta be an easier way than wanton murder," Lucas hoped.
"She's the sort of person that needs to see something in order to believe in it. It took a while for her to believe in my strength and our overall relationship. Convincing her to cease her plans would be an insurmountable task," Byleth added.
Lucas planned some more. "She needs to see something to believe in it. Can I use that somehow? I'm too weak for her to trust in my strength. Is there something else I can use? …Wait!"
"Hmm?" Byleth raised an eyebrow. "Do you have an idea?"
"If Edelgard only deals in truths and absolutes, then I'll have no choice but to provide her with exactly that. It's a good thing I have foreknowledge. Once she learns I can see the future, she'll have to listen to me and my warnings about where her path will take her. Yeah, I can do this!" Lucas exclaimed, encouraging himself.
"That's assuming Fate decides to not intervene," Sothis cut in.
"You worry too much about fate, Sothis. As I said, I'll take things as they come. No use in worrying about what may or may not happen. I'll do what I feel is right," Lucas told her.
"If that's what you wish," Sothis yawned, falling asleep.
Byleth nodded. "That seems like a good idea. When do you plan on starting it? At the training session later today?"
"No, too early. I want her to have some more time to adjust to my presence, if that makes sense. If I start this off right now, then she may find herself drawn away from me. I might creep her out in some way. Eventually, I'll tell her all about it," Lucas decided. "For now, I'll take my time and relax. Goddess knows I need it."
Garreg Mach's new professor continued to soak himself in the relaxing depths of bath water for quite some time. He was reluctant to leave, but he knew he had a job to attend to. After all, his students were soon to be expecting a training session with him.
As Lucas departed from the bath, his nerves returned.
All eight students of the Black Eagles arrived at the location. Alongside them was their new professor as well as someone they hadn't expected: Captain Jeralt. The legendary Blade Breaker. Why was he here? None of them knew. None of them could tell precisely what Professor Lucas had in store.
They would find out once the group of ten reached their location, a decently sized field of grass found below Garreg Mach. It was close enough for any guards to keep watch on the scene for the possibility of something going awry. A perfect place for practice. Lucas spoke once everyone stopped moving.
"Hello everybody! I'm sure you're all aware of the mock battle that's to happen in a few days time. Well, it's probably a good idea we train for that. There can only be three of you in the battle aside from myself and Edelgard. I want to find out who'd be best to fill those remaining slots. Judging from a first glance, I think I have a good idea of what each of you are capable of, but I'd like you all to show me what you can do for yourselves. Give me a good demonstration of your strength and skill. Then you may make the team," Lucas began. "Of course, it's also just a good idea to train in general."
"What will we be doing today, Professor?" Ferdinand raised his hand and asked.
"Simple. You will all be fighting Captain Jeralt over here. Each one of you versus him. I want to see what your individual talents are and I also wanna see what you guys can do as a group. Knowing how to fight as a team is very important. Without that, you won't be coordinated when it comes to an actual conflict. That can only lead to your death, particularly if you don't know how to work well with your team," Lucas answered. "Remember! Teamwork makes the dreamwork!"
The students nodded along. Linhardt yawned and Bernadetta yelped in fear.
"What are the terms of battle?" Edelgard inquired.
"Land a single clean hit on Jeralt. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Remember that you'll be fighting the Blade Breaker. If he is able to land a clean hit on either of you, you'll be considered 'taken out' and thus you won't be permitted to fight any further," Lucas replied. "I won't be giving you any hints or anything like that. Edelgard, I want you to lead your fellow students. Take everyone further down the field to discuss a strategy. When you're ready, let me know and I'll signal the start of the fight. Understood?"
"Yes, I understand, Professor. Everyone, let's discuss a strategy for our first training session as a class. Follow me," the princess commanded her friends.
Without a complaint from anyone that wasn't a shrinking violet or a sleepy greenhead, the Black Eagles students ventured over to the other side of the field, far enough away that Lucas and Jeralt couldn't make out what they were saying. The latter duo shared a nod, Lucas walking away from the glorified training dummy to get a good spectator's view of the fight, clipboard, paper, and quill in hand. He and Jeralt were keen to see what the students would come up with.
"Sending us off to plan for ourselves. That is not what I was expecting, Professor," Edelgard thought while she and the other students walked over to their planning spot. "Everyone. Do any of you have any ideas you wish to share?"
"Oh! I got something!" Caspar exclaimed, raising his hand as far as it could go.
"Yes, Caspar?" Edelgard turned her gaze to meet her light blue haired compatriot's eager visage.
"How about we all rush him? No matter how strong you are, there's no way you can take on eight people!" Caspar suggested, looking around expectedly, hoping someone would appreciate his genius.
"Hmm. That is an interesting idea, Caspar. It certainly makes sense, yet I feel as if blindly charging in will only be a detriment to our success," Edelgard commented. "A staggered approach may be more effective. Send in a small contingent of our forces to keep our opponent distracted while an additional force closes in to obtain the hit we need. Does anyone have any objections to this stratagem?"
"I-um...please don't put me on the front lines! Can I just stay back and watch you all fight?" Bernadetta cried. "I would be useless…"
"Oh, Bernie. You don't need to worry. Captain Jeralt isn't the sort of man who'd hurt you. Or any of us for that matter. It will be fine," Dorothea reassured her ally, who'd been partially hiding behind her all this time.
"As long as we're airing out our sentiments, I'd like to be left behind as well. I don't know any combat oriented spells. I'm literally useless in a fight," Linhardt contributed.
"Of course. I never planned on putting either of you at the front," Edelgard confirmed. "The initial attack force shall consist of myself, Petra and Hubert. Ferdinand, Caspar, Dorothea and Bernadetta will begin to attack once we've started engaging the enemy. Linhardt, you stay as far back as you can from the second group while still keeping in range for your healing spells. I do not believe any harm will come to any of us, but it's good to have reassurance. Is everyone clear?"
"Yes, Lady Edelgard. I will not disappoint you," Hubert vowed.
"I am clearance, uh, no. I am clear, Edelgard! I will also not have disappointing!" Petra exclaimed, her determination as clear as day.
"I'm ready when everyone else is!" Caspar notified his house leader in his energetic way.
"As am I. I, Ferdinand von Aegir, will not lose in our first training session!" Ferdinand von Aegir added.
"I think I'm ready. I just hope I'll be good enough," Dorothea hoped.
"There's no other option, is there? Oh…" Bernadetta complained, sighing. "Linhardt is so lucky."
"Lucky? I have to move around. Maybe I'll even have to cast a spell. That's hardly what I would call lucky," Linhardt disagreed. "If I were lucky, I would be able to sleep right here and now. I can already tell I won't be given such a luxury."
"That is correct. We are here to train, not to sleep," Edelgard interjected. "Progress is impossible to obtain with inaction. With that in mind, I believe we may start now."
She waved to the professor, indicating that her group was ready. Lucas nodded.
"Alright. Time to begin, everyone. On the count of three," the professor initiated a countdown. "Three, two, one...go!"
As instructed, Petra and Hubert followed Edelgard as she rushed towards Jeralt, who'd been standing at the other end of the field, patiently waiting for the attack with a single spear. Hubert readied one of his bread and butter spells: Miasma. He launched the dark magic attack straight at Jeralt, who merely avoided it by jumping to the side. Petra and Edelgard used this time to get in close. The former of the two females managed to get there first. She attempted a deft sword swing, yet Jeralt was able to parry it with his lance, using enough strength to send Petra down to the ground. Edelgard was surprised to see this happen. She stopped in her tracks as Petra landed on the ground back-first with an audible thud.
That moment of indecision was all Jeralt needed. He reeled his spear back in and lunged at Edelgard. However, his lunge had to be cut short since Hubert sent another Miasma his way, forcing Jeralt to dodge. It was at this time when the second group of Ferdinand, Caspar, Dorothea and Bernadetta started dashing over to the scene.
"Damn, these kids are better than I gave them credit for. But they're not good enough!" He commented internally after realising that reinforcements were arriving.
Jeralt broke away from Edelgard and zoomed over to Hubert, who'd been flinging Miasmas as much as he could to keep the Blade Breaker at bay. Much to the dark mage's dismay, Jeralt was able to duck and weave through the oncoming projectiles, so much so that he quickly found himself in range for a light spear jab. It was strong enough to send Hubert crashing to the ground, but not enough to cause any real damage. There wasn't enough time to think about his opponent's wellbeing as Edelgard was coming in with an axe swing attempt. Jeralt narrowly weaved his body to the right to avoid the attack and smacked Edelgard in the head with the blunt end of his spear, putting her out of commission for the rest of the fight.
"Whoa, he just took out Edelgard!" Caspar loudly noted.
"Oh no...do we really stand a chance?" Bernadetta complained, shaking in her uniform.
"I'll be honest, I'm not really sure. I don't want to be on the sharp end of that stick," Dorothea gave her opinion.
"Nonsense! We most certainly stand a chance! It wouldn't be very noble of us to simply give up now," Ferdinand claimed. "Captain Jeralt! Know that we will not give up!"
"Are you gonna keep talking, or are you gonna attack?" Jeralt said as he got into a stance with his lance.
Ferdinand mumbled something in annoyance. He and Caspar led the charge forwards, with Dorothea and Bernadetta keeping Jeralt pinned down via the use of the Thunder spell and arrows respectively. While Jeralt wasn't as familiar with magic as any other form of combat, he still knew how pretty much every spell worked.
Including Thunder.
Jeralt the Blade Breaker evaded Ferdinand's lance lunge and Caspar's rapid barrage of punches, fighting back with a wide swing of his own spear that slashed at his attackers' chests, sending them out of the fight. Turning his attention to the two ranged fighters, Jeralt began dashing over to them. The sight of such a fearsome figure coming her way was enough to cause Bernadetta to freeze up in fear, leaving Dorothea the last one in the fight. She tried to shoot more Thunders, yet Jeralt was able to anticipate each one. Soon enough, he was in striking range of Dorothea. A single tap was all he needed to perform to attain victory.
So that's what he did. One tap with the blunt end of his spear caused Dorothea to crash onto the ground. Bernadetta was clearly in no position to fight - neither was Linhardt. Lucas, who'd been writing down various notes while observing the battle, had seen enough.
"Alright, that's a wrap! Fight over! It's all done now!" The professor called out, officially ending the fight. "Linhardt, go do a round of healing. It's probably not necessary, but everyone might appreciate it."
"Understood. I'll make myself useful," Linhardt accepted, walking to whoever was nearest.
With the students preoccupied by pain and healing, Lucas returned to Jeralt's side. The professor took a good glance at the state the students were in. Most of them seemed to be groaning, grunting or doing their best to make it look like they were fine when they really weren't.
Lucas smirked. "Wow, you really did a number on them."
"You asked me to train them. You knew what they were getting into," Jeralt responded to Lucas' quip. "And besides, it's not like they were hurt or seriously injured."
"True. I suppose I can't question your methods, seeing as it's working for me. I think," Lucas agreed.
"You've only been training under me for three days. Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. Any of your students would be more than a match for you. Except the healer, but that's only because he doesn't have any offensive spells or weapons," Jeralt countered. "Maybe the archer, too. You'd probably scare her to death before you can even unsheath your sword."
"I know…" Lucas sighed, sadness returning.
"How interesting," Sothis observed all of a sudden, catching Lucas off guard.
"Sothis? What was that?" he asked, having barely heard it.
"Oh, it was nothing. Carry on."
Ignoring whatever that was about, Lucas dealt with the demons of doubt in his soul (it was a losing battle for him) while Linhardt healed his fellow students. Doing so was a tedious process, as he complained multiple times over, although there was something about receiving thanks from everyone that left him with a smile. Once all the students were good to go, they reformed as a group in front of Lucas and Jeralt.
"Uh, g-good work, everyone!" Lucas mildly stuttered, his students' collective gaze enough to break him out of whatever spell he fell into. It took him some time to figure out what to say next. Luckily, a wave of inspiration hit him. "Yes, very good work. You all fought well."
"But we lost!" Caspar whined. "How is that good?"
"This battle wasn't about winning," Lucas began to say, using the very idea he thought of moments ago. "It was a test of your characters, your wills. The way each of you acted during the fight, the moves you took, the strategies you came up with, how you all reacted to changes to the battle as they happened - it was all enlightening. I now understand each of you a little better."
"Surely there were better ways of achieving that without having me go through such tedium?" Linhardt questioned.
"Perhaps. I also thought this kind of session, a fight against an opponent you weren't likely to beat, would grant you all a chance to work with one another. As far as I'm aware, you guys haven't known each other for long. What better way to get more familiar with one another than a tense fight like this?" Lucas explained.
Nobody seemed convinced. Not entirely, anyway.
"They aren't totally buying it but I'm gonna roll with it," Lucas realised. "At the very least, I've been able to discern how good you all are with your respective weapons of choice and how each of you handle combat personally. I have a solid idea of our mock battle line-up now."
"When will you reveal it?" Edelgard wondered.
"Tomorrow morning. I know classes haven't officially begun yet, but that doesn't mean we can't meet as if we were having a class," Lucas answered with a smile. "Dismissed!"
With that, Lucas, Jeralt and the students ventured back to Garreg Mach, their training session over. While the students were unsure about what they experienced, Lucas felt confident that they would come around eventually. Surely, they would be much more accustomed to his self-made teaching style as time went on. Perhaps attaining success at the mock battle would be enough.
That was only one reason why failure wouldn't be an option.
Author Notes: I'm a big dummy and I forgot to link the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord server I'm in. It's a really cool place! We talk about fanfics, writing, gaming, anime and whatever. If you'd like to join, here's the invite code: 9XG3U7a.
Oh, before I sign off, I'd like to address some reviews I got for the last chapter. Guest user Krumpte, the only reason Lucas is a sword user right now is because of the excuse he gave. Since swords are indeed overplayed and overused, that was the first thing he came up with and now he's sticking to his guns. He may change things up later on. I'm not gonna give him a morning star since I'd like to stick with canon weapons, but I do appreciate the idea. Next chapter will be the mock battle so maybe we can see some unique battle strategies from Lucas, like you suggested.
And as for your last idea, I honestly didn't think about sending him into the storyline earlier on, but I feel fine with sticking with what I'm doing now. I like the idea of this bumbling, self-deprecating fool who's somehow bullshitting his way through the events of the game, going by the seat of his pants and somehow making it through. I'm not about to hand Lucas everything on a silver platter, but I won't completely dunk on the guy. Someone like him will get the scrutinisation he deserves. Thanks again for your review!
Now, user King Gai (love that username), at the moment Lucas would probably be a commoner. His stats and level would all be very low, indicating his lack of strength and experience that comes from being an average dude from our world. However, since he's now training with Jeralt, his stats and XP will slowly be increasing from this point on. Will he ever be as strong as the game's cast? Maybe. Thanks for your review!
Alright, with that done, I'll see y'all next time!
EDIT (22/09/2021): More of my week-long editing process. Didn't remove or add anything here, I feel this one's pretty good as it is. Just changed some capitalisation issues and other minor stuff like that.
EDIT (24/11/2021): More beta editing.