Last night, after chatting a bit with Alois, I just went back to my room, prepared my bed and went to sleep as soon as possible. As I did so, some part of my brain thought that when I woke up I'd be in my actual bed in my house.

As the banging on a door can attest, it was the dumb part of my brain.

"Hey Eugenio, are you awake?" a woman's voice asks loudly.

"What…?" I groggily ask, still not fully awake.

Considering what I'm answered with is more banging, maybe it wasn't the best thing to say.

"I said 'are you awake?'. It's me, Rebecca!"

Rebecca who?

Oh right, right.

"What are you doing here?" I ask groggily.

"I wanted to make sure you didn't oversleep," her voice responds. "And it seems you almost did. It's almost five in the morning."

Five in the-? Oh brother.

"By what time are we supposed to be in the kitchen?"

"Five in the morning. Quarter past five tops."

Kill me.

"I'm coming," I grumble. "Just…let me put on my boots."

There is a moment of silence before Rebecca responds with, "Alright, just be quick."

The amused note in her voice as she says that doesn't escape me. What's so funny about what I said?

In any case, moving as quickly as my half-asleep body allows me, I get out of bed, put on the new boots and awkwardly get up. I then slowly walk over to the door, unlock and open it. Rebecca is on the other side, arms crossed and an amused grin on her face. A grin that drops when she sees me.

"Uh," is all she has to say as she looks me up and down with a confused face.

"What?"

"You actually kept on your uniform?"

"Yes?" What's so strange about it?

"I mean...aren't you uncomfortable sleeping in that?" She points at my shirt.

I shrug. "I don't have any night clothes with me. So this is the best I could do."

A smug expression then comes over her face. "Too embarrassed to sleep in your underwear, are you?"

I wince. "What kind of question is that?!"

She responds by laughing in my face. Someone please end me right here right now, I won't last a day if this is how it's going to be.

"But seriously," she says when her laughter calms down. "Why don't you try it? It'll be just you, so you don't exactly have to worry about people getting a peek at-"

"Enough," I cut her off before this gets any more awkward. "Let's just get moving, alright?"

"Sure thing," Rebecca replies before heading down the hallway to the stairs, with me right behind her.

So, my first impression of the kitchens is that it's a fun place to be around. Not.

The guy in charge is some fat bastard ordering people around like he owns them. And he immediately makes it known he doesn't like me when he singles me out as the new 'Dagdan sea rat' that is joining them today, which draws a bunch of glares from a good handful of the rest of the staff. And if Mister Fatso doesn't bother me specifically any further, it is only thanks to Rebecca pointing out that I'm here on Rhea's recommendation.

Although the damage is already done, as any attempts I make to talk with quite a few of the other members of the staff are politely ignored or not-so-politely sneered at.

I hate Fódlan.

Still, at least I'm given a position that is not all bad. Taking orders at the counter alongside Rebecca.

"You want him to take orders?" some old crone protests when those instructions are given. "How can you trust him not to poison the people' minds with his heretic agenda! Think of the youths!"

How about you think of walking down a cliff, you hag?

"Quiet," Mister Fatso thankfully tells her. "I'm trusting Rebecca here to make sure he doesn't try to pull anything." He gives her a side glance. "You will do that, won't you?"

"Of course, of course!" she reassures him with a nervous chuckle and a cringe of her teeth.

And so here I am with Rebecca now. Just standing by our side of the counter, taking orders, going back into the kitchen to take the food while collecting a few side glares in the process and bringing it back to the counter.

But man, even the rest of the Monastery's and Academy's personnel really want to remind me I'm an outsider. Whenever I open my mouth to ask what they want, I always get surprised looks. And that's the nice ones.

"What are you doing here?!" is the first thing 'Knight-Lieutenant' Riley furiously says upon seeing me, not even giving me the time to ask what she wants. "Are you trying to poison all of Garreg Mach?!"

Why world, why? Couldn't you send me to a version of Fódlan where everyone speaks italian? I would have blended in better there.

"He's here so he can't if that's your worry, Lieutenant," Rebecca curtly addresses her, causing the blonde woman to turn her glare to her. "Any further complaint will have to be taken to the Lord Cardinal."

Riley doesn't reply to that. She just gives me her order and tears her tray out of my hands before stomping away. I fail to refrain myself from shaking my head this time. She's gonna be a pain in my ass for as long as I stay here. I know it.

At least amidst the various neutral or unfriendly faces, there is one friendly one. Even if it's one with a habit of making bad jokes.

"Good morning you two!" Alois cheerfully greets us, earning a brief nod from Rebecca before she has to turn her attention to some priest. He then turns to me. "How's your first day cooking here?"

I honestly can't tell if that's one of his jokes or a manner of saying I'm unfamiliar with.

I glance at the line of Knights behind him and decide to say, "It's...the first day. It will take some time to get used to it."

If one can even get used to people hating his guts because he's a foreigner.

"Glad to hear!" an oblivious Alois says, smiling as he pats me on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work and you'll fit in perfectly."

I sincerely doubt that.

"Also," he turns to where Rebecca was standing a moment ago before she went to the kitchen. "Did Rebecca have any plans for you later?"

Uh…"No?"

"Excellent!" Alois cheerfully exclaims. "Then when you're finished you can come visit me at the training grounds in the Knights' barracks!"

"Why?" I ask, taken aback.

"Why not!" he replies. "It will be something to pass the time!" He briefly glances at the line behind him and then leans toward me. After he does that, he whispers. "And you will be with more friendly company that way."

Oh! I...I…

"Thank you," I whisper back after a bit.

Alois smiles at me again. "Don't mention it!"

After that exchange, I take Alois' order and go back to the kitchens to pick it up, crossing Rebecca on the way there. Once he's been served, he salutes both of us and waves as he walks off, with the two of us waving back.

When no one else shows up at the dining hall, Mister Fatso finally announces that we're off and can have breakfast ourselves. Of course, that means what we get to eat are the left-overs of what the kitchens had prepared. Which means taking what we can get.

"Fish sandwich?" I ask Rebecca as she picks one up. "At this hour?"

She shrugs. "Why not? Fish is good and I'm not complaining if I get to eat it now."

Suit yourself if you like it that much.

On my part, I just take a toast and some water. Rebecca then leads the way out of the kitchens and we sit at one of the now empty tables. The fact that the rest of the staff avoids the one we sit at doesn't escape me.

Both of us proceed to chew on our chosen dishes without too much preamble. When we're halfway through, though, Rebecca stops and asks me, "So, how are you finding your new job?"

I shrug. "I'll need to get used to waking up at that hour, but I can manage. Plus, if the queue is always as orderly as this, it shouldn't be too exhausting."

Rebecca smirks and nods at that. "Everyone gets a little more lively during certain festivities, but the fact most of the people here are nobles or of noble descent has its perks." Her smirk drops. "But that is not what I meant."

My toast wasn't that tasteful before. But as she says that, it seems to become even less so.

"Do you want me to be honest?" I ask as my hands drop on the table. She nods. "Seeing people despising me the moment they realize I'm not a native speaker...it hurts," I admit. "A bunch of people I've never met before, have no idea what they're like and they instantly point their fingers at me even if I haven't done anything yet. It really hurts."

Her eyes narrow as she nods again. "I can imagine. Though I suspect your stay here will be more pleasant than what you experienced in the Empire, even if ever so slightly."

Huh?

My confusion must show, as Rebecca then continues with a furrowed brow. "You know, the part of Fódlan you had to traverse to get here after traversing the sea?"

"Oh!" I exclaim. "Oh yeah...that."

Her brow furrows more at that response. Well, shit. What do I tell her now? She is going to be my handler for the foreseeable future. But how much can I trust her?

Still, as cold as this might be to say, she's just a serving lady of the dining hall. No one too important. Definitely not important enough to alter this world's future if I'm careful.

I give quick glances around to make sure no one is looking at us. I then lean closer to her and whisper, "If I tell you, can you keep it to yourself?"

Rebecca arches an eyebrow, but then leans forward as well. "Of course."

"I don't know how I got to Fódlan." Her eyes widen at my declaration. "I don't know what happened, but I only arrived yesterday. One moment I was walking near my house, the next Alois, Catherine and Shamir found me in these mountains."

To Rebecca's credit, her surprise doesn't last too long, and she is able to recover enough to say, "That is...how?"

"I don't know," I reply, sighing. "It just happened. Right now, the Archbishop is looking into it, but until she finds anything, I'm stuck here."

To my surprise, Rebecca slightly pales at that. "The Archbishop knows?"

"Yeah," I tell her. "Had to explain it to her and Seteth when I came here." I arch an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with that?"

Her face returns to a natural color at that. "No, I'm just surprised to hear how big this is. I did not think your situation was anything like this."

"Believe me," I snort as I lower my head. "I wish it weren't."

Silence falls between us after that. Rebecca looks at me. I just stare down at my half-eaten toast. Which I don't feel particularly compelled to finish as of right now.

"Okay, I believe that's enough heavy stuff for you today," Rebecca ultimately breaks the silence as she lightly shoves my shoulder. I look up and find her face now adorned with a closed-eyes smile. "Let's talk about something lighter, alright?"

"I guess," I respond weakly.

She clasps her hands together. "Good! Now," she opens her eyes and her mouth forms a new smirk. "You mentioned Catherine and Shamir. What do you think of them?" She winks. "They're a pair of dream boats, aren't they?"

I wince at the question. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up, lady!" I tell her. "I never said anything like that!"

"Come on, don't tell me you didn't at least think about it," she insists. "At least Catherine must have gotten your eye. Tall, muscular, tanned, confident."

Way too much of a religious zealot for my taste. Not to mention with an unhealthy admiration for Rhea. Still…

"You may have a point," I concede. "Though personally, Shamir is more attractive. She may not be as tall, muscular or tanned, but she's also confident. Not to mention her eyes and hair are much more beautiful and she has this air of finesse that Catherine just doesn't-"

I cut myself off mid-sentence as I realize what I'm saying. And looking at Rebecca, her grin has spread.

"Wait, why am I having this conversation with you?"

Rebecca just leans her head back and has a hearty laugh.

God have mercy on me...

When we're done eating, I tell Rebecca that I'm supposed to meet with Alois. She tells me it's fine and reminds me to be back by half past eleven, which I nod to.

And after that, it's off to the barracks. With its two towers from one of which I see a big death lizard taking off.

God, that is still so weird.

As I enter the building, I find a few Knights sitting by some tables. A couple are by their lonesomes reading books, but the rest are together playing some game of cards.

Most of them are new faces for me. However, I do recognize one of the bookworms by his darker armor and ginger hair, even though it has more gray strands than I was expecting.

"Gilbert."

I don't remember if he and Shamir ever interact in the game, but I do remember he's at least acquainted with Catherine. That should count for something when it comes to his opinion of Dagdans. Right?

I walk over to him and then clear my throat. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" he quietly answers, turning his head to me. Thankfully, he doesn't make any faces. "May I help you?"

"I need to go to the training grounds. Knight-Lieutenant Alois is waiting for me."

He turns to one of the exits of this room and points at it. "Second exit on the left in that corridor."

I nod to him. "Thank you, much obliged."

"Mmmhm," is all he has to say before he goes back to his book. Really not that talkative, is he?

In any case, I leave him be and head where he directed me.

"Ah, there you are!" Alois jovially greets me once he notices me, interrupting the exercises he was going through with his axe. Although said axe held in his hands while he does that makes for an…uncomfortable vibe.

"H-hi." I wave at him, though it's probably a stiff thing with how uneasy I feel as I watch that axe.

And unfortunately, Alois notices my discomfort, as he hastily tries to hide it behind his back, his smile getting more embarrassed in the process.

"Sorry about that," he chuckles nervously.

"It's okay," I gulp down. "So, I am here." I glance around, noticing other Knights around training, though a couple of them steal glances my way. "What do you suggest I do?"

Alois opens his mouth but then refrains from talking. "I uhm," he chuckles nervously as he rubs the back of his head. "I hadn't thought that far."

Oh, yey…

Alois has a quick glance around before he addresses me again. "Say, did you practice any kind of physical activity back in your home?"

Uhm…

"Well, I…" I rub the back of my head, hesitating. "I practiced a martial art called 'karate'."

"Excellent!" he happily declares. "Then you have the perfect spot to practice here!"

I widen my eyes. Then I glance left and right. "Here?"

"Of course!"

"But…" I glance at the other Knights surrounding us. "Won't it be an issue for everyone else?"

"Oh please," he says dismissively. "Remember that kid that trains with archery? He's Almyran. But no one has ever complained about him."

Yeah, because he's a kid. I'm a grown man.

"Be that as it may, I still don't feel safe practicing in public," I reply. "There have already been people that made their complaints about me known. I don't want them to add that I could physically assault someone to their arsenal."

"You're talking about the kitchen personnel, aren't you?"

I instantly turn around to the newcomer to our conversation, who turns out to be a grinning Catherine with Shamir by her side.

"Ah, welcome back girls!" Alois tells them, arms spread welcoming. "When did you return?"

"Not long ago," Catherine replies. "We're just back from reporting to Seteth."

"Monica was nowhere to be found," Shamir intervenes.

Her statement instantly drags the mood down for all three of us. Alois and Catherine for reasons I can guess. Me because it serves as a reminder for what's on the horizon for this world. And what I must try to escape.

"Anyway," Catherine intervenes, turning to me. "Seteth told us of your arrangement. If Rebecca really is the one with you, you can count on her to have your back." A smile returns to her features. "She knows how to handle the kitchen staff. Just tell her if anyone steps out of line."

"If only they were the only ones," I sigh. "Another one of the Lieutenants has already made it clear I'm not welcome."

Catherine frowns. "Wh-?"

"It's Riley, isn't it?" Shamir chimes in with an unsurprised tone.

I nod to her.

"That bitch!" Catherine growls, taking me aback with how pissed off she gets all of a sudden. "I swear one of these days I'll-!

"Calm down, Catherine," Shamir admonishes her friend. "Remember why we're still banned from the Two Cavaliers tavern?"

The blond blushes and I arch an eyebrow at seeing that.

"What got you banned?"

Alois answers by chuckling. "They got into a fight there with Riley. It got so bad, half of the inn was destroyed by the end."

Wait, what?

"Seriously?" I ask the two.

"Hey, we weren't the ones that started it!" a flustered Catherine protests.

"Really?" Shamir retorts sardonically. "I remember your fist being the one connecting with Riley's jaw first, not the other way around."

"She started it when she decided to harass you!"

"And I had told you to ignore her!"

I do my best not to laugh at the ensuing debate. Alois is less successful than me.

"Anyway." Catherine turns back to me. With a hungry look in her eyes that makes my amusement instantly evaporate. "You said you practiced a martial art, right?"

"Uhm…" How much has she heard? "Yes?"

I tense the moment she raises her arms and starts cracking her knuckles. "Good," she says, a predatory smirk on her face. "Because you just got a training partner."

What?!

On her side, I see Shamir rolling her eyes, but doing nothing more. Alois, at least, is more helpful.

"Ah, ah, ah!" he intervenes. "Remember what happened with Stephan the first time you sparred?"

I turn to him. "What happened?"

"She kicked his knee too strongly and broke it."

WHAT?!

"That was one time!" Catherine protests.

Alois crosses his arms and gives her a knowing look. "And Justine?"

"...okay, two. But that was only because that misogynistic little shit was pissing me off!"

Oh, brother…

"If I can say my piece," I intervene before this escalates. "I'm not exactly one with much experience actually fighting. Most of what I know is just theory, like the katas and some techniques. I've never had to actually put it in practice."

All three of them look at me confusedly. "What's a kata?" Catherine asks.

Okay, maybe this line of talking will convince her.

"A sequence of moves meant to mimic taking on multiple opponents." I spread my legs and stretch out my arms. "Here let me show you."

For the sake of simplicity, I decide to show them Taikyoku Shodan, the first and easiest kata I ever learned. I manage to go through the motions without too much trouble, with the only issue one moment when I have to ask the three to make room for me.

By the time I'm finished, the trio of Knights are looking at me with various expressions. Shamir has arched an eyebrow, Alois has furrowed his brow and Catherine is looking at me pensively.

"What?" I ask them. Did I do something strange? Please, tell me I didn't.

Alois' face instantly shifts. "Oh, sorry," he says. "I was just trying to remember if I've seen that style of fighting before."

Shamir rolls her eyes. "He's from a land we don't know, Alois," she chides him. "I doubt you have."

Alois responds with a gasp of realization followed by a nervous chuckle.

Meanwhile, Catherine keeps staring at me.

"You know what?" she says after a bit. "After that display, I don't think what you need is a sparring partner." She places a hand on my shoulder, giving me shivers down from it. The solemn look she regards me with doesn't help either. "What you need is a teacher."

Wh-what?! "Excuse me?"

"Your movements are sloppy," she explains. "You have technique, but that is as far as I can tell. But with the proper guidance, that can be fixed."

Well, I…uhm…

"Catherine," Shamir sighs.

"What?" the blonde responds to the bluenette. "If you can teach Cyril, there's no reason I can't teach him." She turns back to me. "So, what do you say?"

…ideally, I wouldn't have to worry about having to defend myself. But nothing about my situation is ideal. And unlike magic, this is something I could make use of once I'm home.

"I think we have an agreement."

Catherine smiles excitedly at that. "Excellent!"

"Now," she takes a couple of steps away from me, "first lesson: punch me in the face."

"What?" I ask dully.

"Punch me," she repeats. "I want to see how you do it."

"Catherine, I don't think that's-"

"Hush, Alois, let me handle this."

Shamir doesn't add anything. But the way she shakes her head is rather telling.

"Come on!" Catherine insists.

Guess I have no choice.

I crouch my legs and plant myself into a guard stance. When Catherine does nothing, I opt to attack.

The tall woman just grabs my fist and twists my wrist, making me hiss in pain.

"Too telegraphed," she comments. "You need to move faster and not announce your attack with charges."

Can I regret this decision already?

Despite her hands-on approach, Catherine quickly proves able to provide some actual insight. From comments on my form to suggestions on how to pace myself with my asthma, she gives some pretty useful advice.

Although, how I manage to apply them and how it goes for me…the less said about them, the better.

And unfortunately, we end up staying at the training ground well over what we were supposed to. As such, when I arrive at the dining hall with them, Rebecca is being assisted by someone else.

And when her eyes land on me, she excuse herself momentarily and comes to the four of us, a scowl on her face.

"What were you thinking?" she scolds me after we're finished explaining what happened. "And what were you thinking?" she then scolds Catherine.

"I, uhm…" I try to say.

"This one's all on me," Catherine intervenes. "I didn't keep track of time and I didn't consider he was needed."

"So you haven't," Rebecca groans before burying her face in her hand.

When she looks at us again, her scowl is replaced by a more neutral expression. "Look, if you want to train, that's fine. But this can't happen again. Understood?"

"Understood/Yes," Catherine and I say at the same time.

"Good," she sighs before pointing back to the kitchens. "Geoffrey is over there right now. He's expecting an explanation."

Who's Geoffrey? Mister Fatso?

"Thanks," Catherine says.

"Don't thank me yet," she replies before looking at me. "He's not happy with you."

Yeah, I can imagine.

Not showing up alone thankfully saves me from the worst of whatever scolding Mister Fatso had in store for me, as he gets meek in the presence of the famed Thunder Catherine. And her explanation of what happened probably saves me from whatever my punishment would have been.

And after a quick lunch, the rest of the afternoon goes by with Catherine running some more drills with me. It's tiring, but at least not to a point I can't work properly at the next shift (which I arrive to in time, thankfully).

Serving dinners is not that different from the breakfasts, thankfully. The only notable difference is the fact that I get fewer surprised looks this time around. And Riley insisting on being served by Rebecca rather than me. How such a womanchild got into a position of power, I'll never understand.

One new thing is meeting a couple of other faces from the game. First is Manuela who, true to her character, tries to flirt with me as soon as we meet. I opt to just tell her she's making the rest of the line wait, taking her aback. And while she leaves sulking, I hear Rebecca snicker at my side.

And then there is the other one. Hanneman. Who is also true to his character, as the first thing he asks me is if I know what Crests are.

But after I answer positively, he surprises me by asking, "Do you happen to bear one?"

"...me?" I ask, dumbfounded. "Professor, you are aware I'm not from Fódlan, right?"

"I am," he replies, nodding. "But that does not necessarily mean you can't have had an ancestor of mixed origins. Possibly one descended from one of the Elites."

Stretching it much, Hanneman?

"Be that as it may, I doubt I bear a Crest." I know I don't, but explaining that would be tricky. "No one in my family has ever had any weird powers, as far as we know."

"Even so," Hanneman insists, "the possibility, slight as it may be, of you having one should be kept in mind. As such, I would like to test you for Crests."

I refrain from letting out a sigh. He's not going to budge, is he?

"Fine," I tell him. "When?"

He opens his mouth, but before he can talk, Rebecca intervenes. "I'm afraid we're going to be a bit too busy until the end of the year, Professor."

Wait, we are? How?

Hanneman doesn't seem to take offense at that interruption, as he just says, "Oh, I see."

He then turns his attention back to me. "Well, in that case, would some day during the new year's break be good?"

I shrug. "Sure, I guess." If there's one thing to be taken from Hanneman's support with Seteth, it's that he is persistent. Better get this out of the way as fast as possible.

Hanneman's face brightens up at that answer. "Excellent," he says, bumping his fist. "I will look forward to it."

After that, I take his order and bring it to him. After he's left, though, I take the first chance I can to talk with Rebecca again.

"What exactly is coming up that will have us so busy?" I ask her.

"The two of us, nothing much," she replies, confusing me. "That was just to stall him."

What?! "Why would you do that?"

"Because," her expression becomes extremely serious all of a sudden, "Crests are a mess of intrigues that you don't want to be involved in. Trust me, it's not a path that leads to anything good."

Oh…

"Well, don't worry," I reassure her. "I'm fairly sure nothing will come up. And after that, there will be nothing to worry about on that front."

Rebecca doesn't look convinced by my words, but she decides not to say anything further on the subject. And the matter doesn't come up again all through the rest of our shift.

[Rebecca]

As soon as I return from the night shift, I make sure there is no one on the other side of my door, pick up the Sending Stone and twirl it in my hands.

"Well, well, well," Anacharsis' chirpy voice comes from the crystal right after it lights up. "Got news for me already, Rebecca? My, my, how efficient. No wonder you were once trusted by-"

"Shut up," I hiss. The least I have to think about that, the better.

Her tone remains the same as she continues. "Suit yourself. Now, what have you got for me?"

I take a deep breath before speaking again. "I have managed to gain some level of trust with Eugenio. He admitted to the means of his arrival in Fódlan, though he didn't mention his outwordly origins."

Anacharsis chuckles. "Not surprising. I doubt he'd have reason to think anyone would believe them. Anything else?"

"He also said the Archbishop and her assistant know of this," I continue. "And that they are looking into the matter. I don't know what exactly he told them, but there is no doubt Seiros and Cichol know something is up."

There is a pause of silence from Anacharsis' end before she speaks again, in a quieter tone. "That is interesting. Shelter still makes a modicum of sense. But why help someone that could have only provided what no doubt sounds like mad rambling? What did he tell them?"

Did she not listen to me? "I already told you, I don't know."

"Hmmm? Oh, don't worry, my dear, I wasn't talking to you. I was just thinking to myself."

I massage the bridge of my nose at that answer.

"Well, anything else?" she then says, mirth returning to her voice.

Ah, yes. "There is a couple more things. It seems he was an aspiring martial artist back in his world, and Thunder Catherine has decided to take him under her wing."

"Is that so?" she replies. "That could be good for us, assuming that Knight doesn't try to make him her squire."

"I don't think she will." Catherine is not the type that would force the beliefs of the Church on someone. At least, not of her own volition.

"As for the other thing," I continue. "During dinner, he was approached by the local teacher of Anima and Elder Magic, Professor Hanneman von Essar. He wants to test him for Crests."

Silence is what answers the news.

"I managed to convince Eugenio to wait until the end of the year for that test, but if I try to delay further it will look suspicious. What should I do?"

"Oh, nothing."

I blink in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"I said 'nothing'. Whatever test this professor wants to run, they will give us an answer on whether the ritual worked, so it's perfect."

"But if he tests positive, the Church will know!" I protest. "They won't let someone like him walk free!"

"Yes," she says deviously. "They will turn on him. And, as an old saying goes, the enemy of our enemy is our friend."

I let down a discomforted gulp.

And chapter. More stuff here has changed from the original, including the pacing of some events. Hope that will keep you guys interested in seeing what happens next :)

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

See you all next time!