It has been quite some time since I've had the chance to take a walk in the wilderness. Usually, this would have been the sort of thing I'd do during summer when I couldn't go to the beach. Definitely not during the middle of March.

And not accompanied by a fictional character and the clanking of his very real armor.

"You know, you've been lucky we found you before any thief did," Alois says while we march. "That would have really left you out of breath, eh?"

And his terrible jokes.

"Mind if I ask you something?" I say, hoping an actual conversation will refrain him from making puns.

"Of course!"

"Your friend Shamir mentioned you lot wouldn't normally be around here. And you mentioned a 'Monica'." I arch an eyebrow. "Am I correct in assuming you were looking for her?"

"Ah, yes," his face falls almost immediately. "She's one of the students at the Academy, but last night she disappeared from her room. No sign of breaking in or of a struggle, though. It seems she ran away of her own accord."

Hah, if only.

"But yes, when we found you, we were looking for her. As are a lot of other Knights right now."

Good luck with that. You're gonna need it.

Although…should I feign ignorance of what academy he's talking about? It was established after the foundation of the Leicester Alliance, which was a relatively recent event, I remember that much. And the more recent events I admit knowing, the more suspicious I'll be.

Okay better play it safe.

"You mentioned an academy," I tell Alois. "What academy are you talking about?"

Alois' eyes widen at me. "You don't know?!"

"I'm not a local, remember?"

"Oh right, right." He lowers his head, furrows his brow and rubs his chin in thought after that. "How much of our history do you know?"

"The most recent thing I remember is the foundation of Garreg Mach some time after the Adrestian Empire defeated Nemesis." That should be far back enough to be believable without contradicting what I've already said.

Alois' mouth falls agape at that answer. "That, uh…that was almost a millennium ago. Things have changed since then."

"Enlighten me," I reply, mostly so I'll have an excuse in case I slip up.

For the rest of our walk, Alois gives me a rundown of the things that have happened after Garreg March's construction. The foundation of Faerghus and Leicester after they split from Adrestia, the conflicts with other countries, that sort of thing.

It quickly becomes evident that he is no historian, as what he says is pretty condensed and vague in terms of details. It does work for me, though, as I doubt what I already know is that much more detailed.

Eventually, we arrive at the beginning of a path that goes upward into one of the mountains. And about halfway up, there starts to be a series of large walls leading up to the peak of the mountain, where a huge structure with steeples that remind me of Notre-Dame rests.

Around its aerial vicinity, I can also see shapes literally flying around it. The larger ones seem to have bat-like wings. The smaller ones' look more bird-like.

"There it is! Garreg Mach Monastery!" Alois declares, confirming my suspicions.

In the meantime, I look down at the path in front of us. The long steep path in front of us. "Are we supposed to walk all the way up?"

"Well, of course!" Alois replies, to my discomfort. "What were you expecting?"

"It's not so much what I was expecting," I reply. "It's just that…well…"

Will he know what it is?

"What's wrong?" Alois asks concerned.

I gulp down. "I suffer from asthma. And I'm not sure if I can make it."

Alois furrows his brow. "As…what?"

"It's a problem I have with my lungs," I explain. "The short of it is, I can't strain them too much. Otherwise I end up gasping for air."

"Like you were when we found you?"

"That…okay, it's similar, but I wasn't coughing because of that back there. I was just walking like the two of us have just now and suddenly-"

"I get it," Alois reassures me. He then looks up at Garreg Mach, then back at me and then to the Monastery again.

"Well, I suppose we'll just proceed slowly. You let me know when you need to catch your breath and we'll take a break. Sounds good?"

"I…suppose so," I reply. This will make getting there much longer. But there aren't that many other alternatives for someone like me.

The path up to the mountain proves as steep as it looked back at the mountain's base. Thanks to the unevenness of the ground beneath our feet, it doesn't take much to have my asthma kick in.

Alois, thankfully, is understanding and interrupts our march every time I need to catch my breath. He also keeps conversations to a minimum, so I don't have to spend too much air talking.

Every time we reach one of the walls, we are greeted by soldiers in pristine white armors, who stop us in our tracks. Alois manages to have them let us pass with a few words, though the looks they all shoot at me don't escape my notice.

After the last wall, the two of us pass through a small town Alois calls "Seiros' Rest". Although, 'mall' might be a better description, looking at the shops and inns to actual homes ratio.

Finally, we arrive at the Monastery's gates, where there's one more of the soldiers greeting us. The face beneath his helmet doesn't tell me anything. But I manage to recognize the voice.

"Greetings, Sir Alois! Nothing to report!"

"I should be the one saying that, lad!" Alois chuckles. "But anyway, keep up the good work, as always!"

"Will do!" the Gatekeeper replies, giving Alois a salute that the Knight returns. And after that, the two of us press forward into the Monastery proper.

"Who was that guy?" I whisper to Alois in the meantime.

"The Gatekeeper," he replies.

"Just...the Gatekeeper?" He's got to have a name, right?

Alois' smile becomes strained before he answers me. "I didn't get his name the first time we met. It was so long ago that asking it now would be...embarrassing."

Wow, now I feel bad for the dude.

The first thing that strikes me in regards to Garreg Mach proper is...just how huge it is. For a setting inspired by the middle ages, its size is much grander than what churches of the era would normally be.

Unfortunately, I can't say its interiors are as impressive. Might be because of what I know from the games, or it might be because I've seen so many other places that try to give a sense of grandeur over the years, but I'm not particularly impressed by Garreg Mach.

The one thing that is different from other churches is the amount of attention I attract from the people around me. Every corridor Alois and I walk through, every corner we turn, if there is someone, they turn their gazes in our directions. Or rather, mine.

Some of them are people armored from head to toe - probably Knights of Seiros - whose expressions I can't read thanks to their helmets. But the majority are either folks wearing white and brown clerical robes - priests and priestesses of the Church, I suspect - or teens wearing black jackets with bronze markings, no doubt the Academy's students.

And their expressions I can see. Expressions that range from confusion to disapproval to disgust, as well as anything in-between.

I should not be surprised. The game made a point of showing the people of Fódlan are bred to be xenophobic. I don't know if I look like a local or not, but what I'm wearing is clear proof that I'm not. I should know better than to expect anything else.

And yet their looks hurt all the same.

In an attempt not to ponder on that too much, I try to see if I can spot any of the students from the games. Unlikely since this isn't the year in which they attend the Officers' Academy, but I don't know enough about the inner workings to know whether they could already be here or not.

Disappointingly, although not unexpectedly, I fail to spot any of them. I only manage to do two things: stir more frowns from the students (good job, me) and notice patterns on their uniforms that come in either red, blue or yellow. That's gotta be how they tell which Houses they belong to.

Although, I wonder. If I stick around long enough, will I be able to…

I mentally shake my head. That's absolutely not a good idea. My focus must be finding a way back home and staying alive. If I get tangled into the craziness that is the game's plot, I'll do the opposite. Edelgard's plots, Dimitri's PTSD and Claude's ambitions are Byleth's to handle.

I'll just keep my head low and be content with having met Alois, Catherine and Shamir. And, uhm…

"Who are you taking me to?" I ask Alois.

Alois briefly gives me a confused look, which almost immediately goes away as realization dawns on him. "Oh right, sorry I forgot to mention it. I'm taking you to the Lord Cardinal Seteth, the Archbishop's second-in-command. You can discuss with him the details for room and board."

...Seteth? The Seteth? The one who is actually Saint Chicol and a millenia old dragon whose family was butchered by humans that harvested their organs to create magic weapons? And that is suspicious of Byleth for being a stranger with no background to speak of? That's the guy I'm entrusting my fate to?

I am so doomed. He goes along with Byleth only because Rhea vouches for them. My circumstances are even less believable and the one vouching for me is a goofball.

"Ah, here we are!" Alois declares, snapping me back to reality.

We are now standing before a door, presumably the entrance to Seteth's office. I'm not sure when we got here, but I suddenly wish to be anywhere but here. And possibly anyone but me.

"Okay, now listen," Alois continues. "First thing to do: explain your situation to Seteth. Answer whatever questions he asks and then he'll decide what to do for you. Sounds good?"

I let down a gulp. "And if he tells me to pack up and leave...what then?" And that's the best of the worst. If he decides to have me killed, there isn't much I'm going to be able to do.

"Nah, that won't happen!" Alois replies, unfazed by my concerns. "I've known him since he started working here twenty years ago. He may appear austere at first, but he's actually a very nice fellow."

You know nothing about him, Alois. You have no idea what he is or what he's capable of.

"Now, then," he turns to the door and raises his fist "Let's-"

Before he can knock, the door opens and we come face-to-face with a man with matching green hair, beard and eyes. That, combined with the caped dark blue tunic with bronze markings he's wearing and the circlet around his head, leaves little doubt on who he is.

"Good day, Alois," Seteth greets the Knight.

"Ah, good day to you as well, Seteth! How did you know I was here?"

"I heard you through the door," the greenhead answers drily. "Your shouting was hard to miss."

As soon as he's said that, causing Alois to blush, he turns his scrutinous gaze to me. "I assume you are the one who needs to explain his situation, if I understood correctly?"

"Yes, that's me," I nervously reply, hopefully not to the point my words are indistinguishable for him. "My name is Eugenio Beccaria. It's an honor to make your...acquaintance," I pronounced that right, right? "Lord Cardinal Setet, ehm…" I glimpse at Alois and whisper, "What was the surname?"

"No surname," Seteth interjects, eyes narrowed at me. "It's just Seteth."

Right after saying that, the reptile in human disguise starts looking me up and down, his emerald eyes feeling like those of a predator looking down at its prey.

"I've never seen an outfit quite like yours," he finally says. "You are too short to be from Duscur or Sreng. And your complexion is not that of an Almyran or a Morfese. And the people from the western countries do not speak with an accent like yours." He arches an eyebrow. "Where are you from?"

...better if I try to stick as close to the truth as possible. I have a feeling I can't outsmart this lizard.

"From Italy."

If at all possible, Seteth frowns even more as he examines my face. Whatever he finds on it must be reason enough not to kill me right away as he takes a step back into his office and gestures inside.

"Please, come into my office you two," he says. "I believe you have quite a lot to explain."

We oblige those instructions and follow him in.

Upon entering, my attention is quickly drawn to how...spartan Seteth keeps his office. There isn't much in terms of decorations. Just a bookshelf resting against one of the walls, a closed casket against another, and a wooden desk at the end of the room opposite to the entrance. And matching the spirit of the room, the only things on said desk are a mountain of papers, an inkwell and a feather resting inside it.

Seteth sits on his side of the desk and gestures at the other. Alois and I both take a seat there.

"So," Seteth begins, looking at the Knight. "I believe you and the Knights were on a mission, Alois. How did you come across him?"

What follows is Alois' retelling of how he, Catherine and Shamir came across me and what I told them, mixed with a couple of his bad jokes that Seteth doesn't even acknowledge. In fact, Seteth remains impassive throughout it all, even the parts that must sound outlandish to him.

I pray that hearing of somewhere he's never heard before left him prepared for any and all strangeness. Because the alternative is a much less pleasant thing to consider.

When Alois is finished, Seteth turns to me. "So let me summarize," he says, letting out a sigh. "You claim to be from a far away land. One where Fódlan is only known through stories of our ancient history. And all you have to say in regards of how you arrived, is that you were walking around, felt your chest tighten, doubled over coughing and then passed out only to find yourself here."

The blank face he looks at me with says the question he's not asking.

Really?

Crap...what now?

"I know it sounds absurd," to put it mildly, "but it's true!"

"I can attest to that!" Alois jumps in my defense. "All three of us saw him appear!"

"I've heard you, Alois," Seteth tells the Knight, before turning to me again. "And if it is true, I assume you won't mind answering some details I find difficult to understand?"

Okay, maybe I'm not dead yet. "What do you want to know?"

"You claim your knowledge of Fódlan stems from stories and goes only as far as the foundation of Garreg Mach. That would require a countryman of yours to have visited some time after that. But we have no records of anyone from this 'Italy' ever making it to our shores." Seteth crosses his arms. "Explain."

Uh…

"Like you just said, those were just stories," I reply, trying my best not to show how nervous I feel. "No one thought they were actually real."

I realize saying that might not have been such a good idea when Seteth narrows his eyes. "And where do these stories stem from?"

From a bunch of videogame developers that unwittingly made my life a disaster waiting to happen.

"I don't know," I reply instead.

"Does your homeland happen to have been known by other names?" Seteth insists.

"Uh…" I hesitate for a moment. "Does the Roman Empire ring any bells?"

I don't know if bringing that up is a good idea, but I don't wanna risk making the situation worse by staying quiet.

"None, I'm afraid," Seteth unsurprisingly answers. "So what you are saying is that you don't know how our two civilizations came into contact."

"...no," I gulp down.

Seteth lets out a pensive murmur before speaking again. "And can you explain how it is that you know Adrestian common? I can tell it's not your native tongue, but I find it hard to believe your homeland would teach its children the language of a land they don't believe actually exists."

"I…am as lost as you on that one," I admit. "What you're speaking sounds like another language known as English to me. But I don't know how it can be the exact same."

I have to guess it's because of some interdimensional bullshit.

Another pensive murmur from Seteth. "And do you have any idea why someone would send or summon you here?"

I blink in confusion to that question. "Excuse me?"

"Those are the only two explanations for what happened to you that I can think of. Either someone from your homeland purposefully sent you here, or someone here summoned you."

"Why would anyone bother?" I retort. "I'm one among hundreds. Heck, there are lots that are native English-speakers. Why me?"

I don't know what it is about my question that affects Seteth, but his face relaxes after I ask it as he nods. "That is a good question to make."

Oooookay, so…?

"I have one final question," Seteth continues. "Now that you are here in Fódlan, what is it you intend to do?"

That question takes me aback. I am not able to answer right away, as I try to recover from the surprise.

When I manage to, though, I say, "What I would like to do is return home. As exciting as finding out a legendary land actually exists, I have a life where I come from. Although…" I pause, the next few words hard to hear from my own mouth "Although I don't know if...if I…"

"I understand," Seteth interrupts me, his expression softening ever so slightly.

It takes a couple of calming breaths before I'm able to continue. "But first, I need some form of shelter. And I don't know enough about the land to handle myself."

For my next statement, I point at Alois "Heck, if he hadn't told me, I would have had no idea the Empire had split up."

It's a lie, of course. But at least it's consistent with what I said so far.

Seteth's face becomes meditative after that. His lips purse for a bit, before he says, "That can be arranged."

Oh, thank God.

"However," he continues, "it is not going to be for free. The Church of Seiros expects some labor done in return for that shelter."

"What kind of labor?"

"That depends on you. What kind of occupation did you fulfill?"

I gulp down at that question. "That's…a complicated matter." Seteth frowns again. "I was looking for a job before this."

"Is that so?" Seteth replies. "What kind of job were you looking for?"

"Well…I'm a decent cook, so I was hoping to find something related to that."

"I see," is all Seteth says before he stands up. "In that case, I think something for you can be found."

"Great!" Alois, who has been strangely quiet this whole time, suddenly shouts out, making me wince in surprise.

"Thank you," I manage to tell Seteth as soon as I recover from Alois' outburst.

"You are welcome," Seteth neutrally replies. "We have but one thing left to do, first. I must present you to Archbishop Rhea."

A chill goes down my spine at those words. "Th-the Archbishop?"

"Yes," Seteth replies. "Given your particular situation, I believe it is best she meets you as well.

Oh no. No, no, no. He is secretive but still a reasonable person. But Rhea is a murderous nutjob. There's no way she'll let me stay. Or even live!

Some of my fears must show on my face, as Seteth's next words are. "Do not worry, this is more of a formality than anything. You have nothing to fear from her."

I have several things to fear from her, thank you very much.

Still, I don't exactly have a good reason to refuse meeting her. Not without coming out with what else I know of the game.

God have mercy on me…

It isn't long before Seteth leads us to the entrance of Rhea's chambers, where a large wooden double-door stands in front of us.

Seteth enters first, to inform the Archbishop of my situation and to explain the kind of arrangement we've agreed on.

Leaving me with having to wait, with nothing but my worries to keep me company.

"Nope, he hasn't."

Oh, and there's also Alois. Whose current out-of-nowhere comment doesn't make any sense.

"He hasn't what?"

"Worked here since he was a child," the Knight clarifies. "That's usually what people ask me when I tell them he's been working here for twenty years."

Ah…right, right. Gotta pretend that's a surprise to me.

"Then how does he look like that?" I ask in the best confused tone I can simulate. "He looks just barely older than me!"

Alois shrugs, "No idea, in twenty years he's always looked exactly the same."

Right as he says that, he glances around us for a bit and then leans closer to my ear. "I believe it is because he has a Major Crest of Cichol," he whispers. "Major Crests of the Saints seem to grant a longer lifespan."

…how did Alois of all people come to that conclusion? "What makes you say that?"

"My old mentor had a Major Crest of Seiros. I once asked him how old he was and he said he stopped counting when he reached a hundred years of age. A hundred!"

Oooh, that's true, Jeralt did do that. Well, well, looks like Alois might be sharper than the game gave him credit for.

"Well, damn," I say, still pretending to be surprised.

"I know, right?"

It is right after that exchange that the door opens again, drawing our attention to it. Seteth is standing by it and is holding an open hand toward the inside of the room.

"The Archbishop will see you now," he tells me. "Come in."

A knot forms in my throat, but I follow those instructions anyway. As I enter and leave Alois behind me, Seteth closes the door behind me. Leaving me alone with his crazed sister.

For the chambers of the most important person in all of Fódlan, Rhea's choice in furniture is surprisingly barren. The room is in pristine condition, but there isn't anything that makes this room particularly stand out.

The one thing that is worthy of attention, though, is the tall, elegant teal-haired woman in bronze and vlue robes in the middle of it. Who is clearly waiting for me.

With another gulp, I take the last few steps that close the distance between me and the white dragon.

"Mister Eugenio Beccaria," she greets me. There is a serene smile as she talks to me. But it doesn't reach her eyes.

I refrain myself from gulping yet again. "Lady Archbishop," I greet her back, bowing my head just enough for her to notice.

Unfortunately, my gesture is not the object of her interest. "You seem unsettled."

Uh-oh, do I?

"I'm not," I attempt to reassure her. "I'm just nervous, is all. It's not every day I get the chance to talk with an important figure such as yourself."

Rhea apparently decides to take that answer at face value, as her next words are. "Seteth has informed of your circumstances. A truly unusual and unfortunate experience."

For more reasons than you could possibly imagine.

"Although, I'm curious. What kind of land is this Italy?"

That question takes me aback. What does it matter to her?

"What would you like to know?"

"Anything you can tell me. Although I wouldn't mind hearing more of this 'Roman Empire'."

Crap…

History was never something I was particularly good at, but I try to give Rhea a rundown of how the Roman Empire came to be, how it fell, how the peninsula was divided in the following centuries and how current Italy came to be, trying to keep it as simple as I can.

I also tell her a bit of what the land is like there, with the mountain ranges and the seaside locations.

I try to avoid any and all mention of our government system and religion, however. I really don't want to risk seeing how Rhea reacts to either.

As I explain, though, she doesn't have much of a reaction to anything. She just keeps her composure and listens attentively. Which only serves to make me more and more nervous.

"Interesting," is all she has to say by the end.

"Is there anything else you can think of regarding your arrival?" she then continues, changing the topic of our conversation altogether. "Any strange individual you came across or glyphs you saw?"

I shake my head. "I've already said everything. I know as much about what actually happened as everyone else."

"Alas, events like this do not occur without reason. That you came here means there is someone that wanted you to."

Yeah, some wicked higher power that wanted to have fun at my expenses. If isekai stories taught me anything, the reasons one gets dragged to another world is because the stars aligned a certain way or something.

"But fear not," Rhea continues. "As long as you remain within these walls you will be protected. Standing against the Church of Seiros is equal to standing against the Goddess herself." Some warmth leaves her voice for the next words she utters. "A rather unpleasant position, wouldn't you agree?"

"Y-yes, Lady Rhea, I do," I shakily reply.

She nods to that answer. "As long as you remain here, your true origins will have to be kept hidden. As of now, you are no longer Eugenio Beccaria from Italy. You are Eugenio Beccaria from Dagda."

Wait, what?

"Dagda? Why?"

"Because your accent makes it far too obvious you are not native of Fódlan. And your complexion does not match that of the people of other known countries."

So I'm just gonna have to deal with the locals' hospitality toward outsiders? Great…

"Should the Church learn anything about what happened with you, you will be informed of it," the albino crocodile continues, unperturbed by my discomfort. "But for now, you will work in the kitchens. Your contact will be a lady named Rebecca. Follow her instructions on what to do. Understood?"

"Understood."

Work in the kitchens is fine. But I hope Rhea is not so out of touch with reality that she set me up with some Dagdans-hating bitch.

"Seteth will give you the last details for your stay," Rhea concludes as she points back at the door. Her smile widens a little for her next words. "And despite the circumstances, I wish you as pleasant of a stay as possible."

We'll see about that.

"Thank you, Archbishop," I tell her, bowing my head again before walking out of the room.

Upon exiting it, I'm greeted by the sight of Seteth, arms crossed, and Alois waiting for me.

"I assume the Archbishop was exhaustive on the terms of your stay?" he asks.

"Yeah."

"Good." Seteth then produces a key from one of his pockets and hands it to me. I find it is attached to a plate with the number 32 on it.

"That will be the room you reside in," Seteth explains. "I will have it arranged for you, as well as have suitable clothing delivered to it."

I furrow my brow. "What if it's not the right size for me?"

"If that is the case, let me know. But I don't think it will be an issue."

Confident in your ability to take measures on your own, aren't you?

"In the meantime, Alois," he glances at the Knight in question who smiles jovially at me, "will give you a tour of Garreg Mach, so you can get acquainted with it as soon as possible."

Ah, great. I'm being taken on a tour of a place I already know.

I keep that to myself and tell both of them. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome," Seteth stoically replies.

"Alright!" Alois interjects. "Let's get to it! Follow me, Eugenio!"

As soon as he says that, he starts walking back the way we came and I am hot on his trail."

But as we leave, I can feel Seteth's piercing glare following us.

[Seteth]

After I'm sure Sir Alois and Eugenio have walked a sufficient distance away, I reenter Rhea's chambers. I find her still standing in the center of it, the serene smile she usually wears around others replaced by a much more somber expression.

"Seteth," she says as she notices me. "Are they…?"

"They are, I confirm. "So, what do you make of this?"

"This Eugenio's claims are bold, but he seems to genuinely believe them," she responds. "And a liar seeking to gain access to Garreg Mach would resort to something more mundane. And then there is Alois' testimony. By all accounts, it would seem he's telling the truth."

"However," her brow furrows, "the way he tenses at being questioned is hard to miss. I believe there may be more to him than what he's told us."

Yes, that is the same conclusion I've come to.

"How do you want to proceed with him?"

"For now, let us leave him be. With time, he will grow accustomed to his new situation, and thus more likely to let the truth slip from him. And if not, whoever this mysterious person that sent him here will reveal themselves eventually. And then we will be able to question them on how they know of both Fódlan and Italy."

I nod at that. "As you say."

And here some of the changes start showing up. Eugenio is not an assistant librarian this time and no Alliance cover story.

Thanks to Softandhappy for betareading. You can find us at the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at: 9XG3U7a

See you all next time!