Just wanted to upload this before I finally work on How They See It again. Once again, thank you so much for those who have leave a review for the story, your review motivate me... it still sounds cheesy.
Please enjoy and tell me how the chapter was in your review.
Beta Reader: DarkAngelDan98.
Thankfully, the journey back to Garreg Mach Monastery was relatively peaceful as the party did not have to fight through anymore battles as they continued their journey. Robin and Byleth were walking alongside the three students from the Officer Academy while Jeralt was walking with Alois and the knights just a few meters in front of them. Throughout the journey back, Robin decided to learn as much as he could about Garreg Mach Monastery before actually arriving there. While he has heard of the Monastery before from some people on the various villages he had been on with Byleth and Jeralt, he wasn't that interested on it back then as he had no reason to give it a second thought. Now that he was going for a visit, with a bad feeling about it to top things off, Robin felt he needed to learn a little bit more about the place…of course, the topic of discussion ended up with him being able to learn the most interesting part of the Monastery in his opinion…
The library.
"So, those who don't work for the Monastery and aren't students are still allowed to visit the library?" Robin asked, liking the sound of the rule. That just meant he could visit the library himself which should provide him with access to a fair amount of knowledge that he had yet to learn about.
"Yes, but unfortunately those who aren't affiliated with the Monastery are not permitted to borrow the books. But on the bright side, you are still allowed to read the books within the confines of the library itself until the time comes for the students' curfew." Dimitri explained, confirming Robin's question with a nod.
"What about the environment of the library itself, is it a place where you can truly read a book in peace and comfort?" while Robin admittedly has the ability to read a book nearly anywhere, he still fond of a good place that provided a suitable atmosphere for book readers and would much prefer to enjoy his reading somewhere his thoughts wouldn't be disturbed. He hoped that the library in the Monastery actually felt comfortable like all the libraries that he has visited back in his homeland.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Despite it's age, the library has a rather soft seat, a quiet atmosphere that is good for focus, as well as nice lighting to aid with reading, but the most important thing is that it holds an incredibly varied collection. We have almost anything from history to geography and even some famous novels from all around Fodlan." Claude chimed in with a grin and a thumbs up.
If Robin lacked a good self-control, he probably would've already stared at the students with a childish sparkle in his eyes. He started to like the sound of this library, it truly sounded like it would serve as a pleasant haven for him even if he had to obey the restrictions that came with not being directly aligned with the Monastery.
"If you plan on reading the books they have there, just make sure you don't end up getting too absorbed unless you want that accident to happen again." Byleth reminded the white-haired man with a sigh.
"Accident?" Edelgard inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"One time, he visited a bookstore and didn't return even after when the hour was late and the moon was high. As it turned out, Robin was reading in the corner of the shop and was completely engrossed in what he was reading; he was so quiet that no one even noticed he was there. In the end, he wound up getting locked inside the store." Byleth recounted with another sigh before giving the white-haired man a dry smile.
That was just one of the many times that Byleth had borne witness to how lost Robin could become in the pages of a book and she was certain that the library would only cause similar instances to occur.
Claude didn't hesitate to laugh rather loudly while Dimitri simply put a fist over his mouth to stifle his own chuckle. Edelgard simply rolled her eyes at the story though Byleth still could spot the amused smile on her lips.
"That…wasn't exactly one of my finest moments." Robin admitted with a weak grin as he rubbed the back of his head.
"You don't need to worry about that happening in our library though. Our librarian, Tomas, always makes sure that those who aren't working for the Monastery leave the library as soon as the curfew period begins." Dimitri assured with an encouraging smile.
"Unless of course Robin here actually manages to find a reading spot that not even Tomas would notice." Claude added with a chuckle as he placed his hands behind his head.
Robin was about to give his reply when a growl that came from the blue haired woman next to him interrupted what he was going to say. Glancing to his side, Robin noticed that Byleth was now was staring down at her stomach while rubbing it slightly.
"That's right; we usually have a breakfast around this hour." Robin realized before he starts to inspect the trees around them.
"Please hold on a little longer, we should arrive at the Monastery soon enough. I'm sure the Dining Hall has already prepared meals for the residents by now. I'll be glad to treat you to anything you wish to eat today." Dimitri tried to reassure the blue haired woman, also considering this as a chance to make up for what he did earlier at the village.
"Or we could ask the Knights if we can stop by the village near the Monastery real quick to grab some food." Claude suggested with an easygoing grin.
Byleth simply let out a sigh when her stomach growled again but her attention was immediately shifted to the white-haired man next to her when she noticed that he was pointing at something with his finger. Before she could question what he was doing, Robin fired a finger-sized icicle from his fingertip which hit the stalk of a fruit hanging on a tree above them, causing it to fall.
Before the fruit could hit the ground, Robin did a slight hand gesture to magically make the fruit fly towards him. Robin then warmed up both his gloved hand with his magic and rolled the fruit around his palm, this was a method to get rid of some of bacteria on the fruit's surface that he had learned previously.
"Here you go Milady, a freshly picked apple that's been warmed by my magic. Enjoy!" Robin offered the fruit to the blue haired woman next to him before giving her a wink.
"Thank you." Byleth replied with a small smile as she accepted the apple and took a bite from it without hesitation. It felt warm and tasted sourly sweet.
"You're quite skilled mage, aren't you Sir Daraen? I might not be an expert in magic but I heard it takes a precise control to be able to cast a spell on such small and controlled scale." Edelgard commented and Robin couldn't help but felt that the girl was evaluating him for some reason.
"It wasn't anything special. One can always do the same if they have the drive to actually learn it, the same way you can master a weapon with enough determination and desire to improve." Robin replied with a shrug.
"The drive and determination to improve oneself to become better is a certainly a foundation for someone to improve their skills in all areas." Byleth commented with a nod before she takes another bite of her apple.
Before long, all of them finally stepped out of the forest which allowed them to finally see the Garreg Mach Monastery in its fully glory. Byleth couldn't prevent her eyes from widening slightly as she admired the admittedly beautiful structure of the Monastery from afar while Robin simply stared at the construction with a neutral expression. It wasn't that he didn't find the Monastery to be majestic or amazing, it just that he has simply seen a lot of amazing constructions in the past so at this point the Monastery was nothing but another building to him.
It still had some beautiful architecture though.
"This will be your first time at the Monastery, correct? I'd be happy to show you two around." Dimitri offered with a polite smile once the five of them stopped momentarily to admire the Monastery.
"Well, I'm looking forward to the tour of the library." Robin replied with a small grin and a nod, earning himself a chuckle from the two male students.
"But seriously, the Monastery really is Fodlan in nutshell." Claude stated once the five of them started to walk again, not wanting to be left behind by the group of knights in front of them.
"The good and the bad."
"Like it or not, we'll be there soon enough." Edelgard commented, making Byleth turned her attention to the younger girl. Through their journey, Edelgard has been the most silent and only asking questions or commenting on something a few times, even Byleth talked more compared to her. Her expression was carefully guarded, and her gaze was usually always directed to the path ahead of them.
The one thing she noticed the most, however, was that whenever Edelgard shifted her attention away from the path in front of them, she would always look at either her or Robin with those sharp eyes of hers…like she was carefully asserting them.
Byleth wondered if Robin also noticed this and what this could mean…
Once they reached the Monastery, the knights immediately led them to the audience chamber while the students were instructed to go to the infirmary for a physical checkup. On their way to the audience chamber, Byleth couldn't stop herself from observing her surroundings constantly, finding the environment of the Monastery to be both intriguing and beautiful. She rarely got the chance to visit these sorts of places so this could be counted as a new experience for her.
"Enjoying the sights?" Robin asked her with a small smile.
"It was the first time I have been to a place like this…have you been to similar locations to this one before?" Byleth asked back she looked up at Robin.
"A couple of times." Robin answered with a shrug. Considering the position that some of his friends have or what his previous occupation was, a sight like this wasn't unusual for him.
"That must be nice." Byleth commented with a nod.
"It was far nicer to have someone to accompany you when taking a walk around while enjoying the day. I know Dimitri offered a tour but what do you say we try to explore the Monastery on our own once we get the chance to?" Robin offered, prompting Byleth to smile at him and give him a nod.
"I would like that very much."
Once Robin turned his attention back to the path in front of him, he noticed that Jeralt was staring dryly at him from over his shoulder. Robin simply gave the older man a grin and a shrug, causing Jeralt to shake his head before he looks back at the path in front of them. He would take that as a yes, that he had permission from the father to take his daughter on a walk around this unfamiliar place.
It didn't take long before they eventually reached the building where audience chamber was located when Jeralt suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked up. Robin and Byleth exchanged a glance before the two of them followed Jeralt's gaze and came to the conclusion that the man was staring at the green haired woman who wore a white robe and stood on a balcony that seemed to function as a place to overlook the Monastery.
"Rhea's here." Jeralt muttered without taking his eyes off the serene-looking woman above them.
"Who is she? One of the priests here?" Robin questioned in curiosity.
"She's more than that. She is the leader of the Church of the Seiros. The Archbishop, Lady Rhea." Jeralt explained curtly before he glances away from the Archbishop and closes his eyes briefly while letting out a sigh.
Robin glanced at Jeralt when he heard the man's sigh before looking up at the green haired lady again. That meant the lady was the leader of the biggest religious organization on this continent…if Robin remembered correctly…the last leader of a big religious organization that he had met was…him…
Dear Naga…he hoped this one was just your regular leader of organization with a real and logical goal for the betterment of the people of Fodlan or at least her own organization…
"Robin, what's wrong?"
Robin glanced at the blue haired woman next to him to find her already looking up at him with a concerned expression. Even Jeralt was already staring at him, seemingly waiting for his response.
"Nothing, everything's fine. I just wondered if she was already expecting us." Robin lied as he crossed his arms and returned his gaze back to the woman on the balcony.
"No doubt about that; Alois went ahead earlier to inform her of our arrival." Jeralt answered before he started to walk into the building. Byleth immediately followed her father in silence while Robin kept standing in that same spot for a few more seconds, watching as the woman, Lady Rhea, left the balcony. It was only after she completely disappeared from his view that Robin followed after Jeralt and Byleth into the building.
"It's been years since I've set eyes on this place…to be forced to see her now." Jeralt commented quietly once the three of them finally reached the audience chamber, a great hall with rather colorful tiles.
"Her? You mean Lady Rhea? The one we saw earlier?" Byleth asked in curiosity as she titled her head slightly.
"Yes." Jeralt answered simply with a nod.
Robin narrowed his eyes slightly as his mind started to form a conclusion based on Jeralt's behavior and comment. Did this mean…
"Jeralt, is she-"
Before Robin could finish his question, two people entered the room. One was, obviously, Lady Rhea herself while the other was a man with dark green hair who wore a blue outfit. He had a rather stern look that reminded Robin a little bit of one of his friends back at home…the one and only Frederick(son).
"Thank you for your patience Jeralt. My name is Seteth, I am an advisor to the Archbishop." the man introduced himself as he and Rhea walked up to stand in front of them. His eyes immediately analyzed the three of them with such intense stare…that once again reminded Robin of Frederick.
"Right. Hello." Jeralt replied simply while giving the other man a nod in greeting.
"It has been a long time Jeralt. I wonder…was it the will of the Goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?" Rhea spoke up, her voice was calm and soft as she stared at the former Captain of the Knights of Seiros with the same serene look that seemed to be her default expression.
Robin didn't miss the uncomfortable look that briefly appeared on Jeralt's face.
"Forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke." Jeralt replied softly as he gave the Archbishop a bow to accompany his apology.
"So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. She is your daughter, is she not?" Rhea asked as she turned her attention to the blue haired woman. Byleth noted that the Archbishop's eyes seemed to soften when their gaze met.
"Yes…born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to the mother of my child…but I'm afraid we lost her to an illness." Jeralt replied with a nod.
"I see. My condolences." Rhea said as she closed her eyes briefly before she opens them and shifted her gaze to Byleth again.
"Tell me dear child, what is your name?"
"My name is Byleth Eisner." Byleth replied, making sure to also give a bow to the Archbishop as she introduced herself.
"A fine name indeed. And what about this young man?" the Archbishop inquired, finally turning her attention to the white-haired man.
"This is Robin Daraen, my second-in-command in my mercenary company, an incredibly talented and wise warrior despite his young age. He has been a great help to both me and my daughter for a long while, both inside and outside of combat. It's safe to say…that I trust him completely even with my own life." Jeralt said as he glanced at the younger man with a rare small soft smile on his face.
While Robin wanted to question why the older man introduced him like that but he decided to remain silent even though he certainly felt that he hasn't helped both Byleth and Jeralt enough time to be worthy of such trust. Even Byleth was also smiling at him at the same time.
He wanted to blush…
"For Jeralt to praise you so highly, you must be a respectable man indeed." Rhea said with a small smile.
"I try my best to be there for everyone in our group." Robin replied humbly as he gave the Archbishop a bow, Fodlan-style, while channeling his inner Frederick(son).
"I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois." Rhea said softly after giving Robin a nod before she places her hand on her chest and gives the three mercenaries a gentle nod.
"From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students from the Officers Academy."
Afterward, Rhea asked Jeralt of the one question he already knew, the offer to return to the Knights of Seiros. As the conversation continued on, Robin couldn't help but feel that there was something familiar yet at the same time foreign about Rhea…no, not only Rhea, he also got this sense from Seteth too. Where in the world had he experienced this kind of feeling before? He felt like he was sensing something distinctly familiar.
"I must step away for now, but I expect the knights will desire a word with you soon Jeralt. Please listen carefully to what they have to say." Rhea stated before she shifts her attention to Byleth.
"There will be also people who wish to speak to you. The teaching staff from the Academy should arrive in a minute so please wait for them here."
Byleth couldn't help but blink her eyes as she only could ask one question in her mind…what did the Archbishop want her to talk to the academy teachers about?
"Until tomorrow…farewell." it was only when the Archbishop and her advisor left the room that something finally clicked in Robin's mind.
Green hair…green eyes…this familiar feeling…oh dear…
His bad feeling about this place had grown even bigger now.
"I can't believe it…forced back into the Knights of Seiros." Jeralt said as he shook his head in disbelief.
"I'm sorry I dragged you two into this. Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while." Jeralt continued with a sigh as he massaged his temple.
"I get feeling that we won't be leaving this place for some time. Especially since it seems the Archbishop wants Byleth to offer her services too." Robin observed as he crossed his arms.
"Me? Working here?" Byleth pointed at herself as she blinked in bafflement.
"The boy's right. You heard what Lady Rhea said; the teaching staff want to speak with you and if what those brats said in the morning was true then the academy was short of a professor. If I had to guess, I suspect that damned Alois went ahead and recommended you to Lady Rhea." Jeralt explained before letting out another sigh.
Byleth only could blink her eyes again before she looked down at her feet as her mind processed what her father had just said.
Her? Teaching? Could she really do something like that?
"But is that really all it takes for someone to be made a professor? Shouldn't there some sort of procedure before someone can get the job?" Robin questioned, tilting his head in confusion.
"From what I heard, yes there should be a procedure before one can become a professor especially in a fancy academy like this one. But if the Archbishop wills it to happen then it will happen, similar to how a King or Emperor theoretically could promote an individual without that person needing to go through the usual process. Of course, in the latter's case there would be a lot of political craps that would follow such a decision but not here. In this place, the Archbishop's words are absolute." Jeralt explained to Robin.
Now that Robin thought about it…didn't something like this also happen to him before? His best friend, who happened to be the prince of Ylisse at the time and the leader of the Shepherds, made him into the Shepherds' tactician just because Robin showed some skills in strategy.
His best friend should be grateful that afterward, whenever they were going to recruit a new member, Robin always made sure that the new recruit passed the qualification test he made and that there was nothing suspicious about their background.
That blue haired Exalt could be a bit too trusting sometimes…
"I'm getting a sense of déjà vu from all of this." Robin admitted with a sigh, earning himself a curious look from both Jeralt and Byleth.
"So, you must be the new professor. My how stern and handsome you are!" proclaimed a woman as she and a man with a monocle entered the room. The woman, whom Robin noticed had a rather…noticeable busts…, spoke to Jeralt and then shifted her attention to him…and Robin could already guess what went through her mind and what she was going to say…
"Or perhaps is it you? My oh my, what a pair of gentle eyes you have there, not to mention combined with the face of a hero."
…Does he really have the face of a hero?
"The new professor you're looking for is me." Byleth corrected the woman though both Jeralt and Robin could hear the irritation in her voice. Robin needed to keep his mouth shut to prevent a chuckle from escaping.
"The two of us should get going, I trust you can handle things from here, right kid?" Jeralt stated with a sigh before glancing at his daughter who gave him a nod to answer his question.
"You'll be fine." Robin assured Byleth with a nod and a reassuring smile.
"Shall we meet up at the entrance of this building later for our walk?" Byleth asked with a small smile as she titled her head slightly.
"Sounds like a plan."
Robin then gave the two adults in front of him, whom he assumed were the other professors in the academy, a formal bow before he and Jeralt walked away, leaving Byleth on her own. Though, Robin noticed that Jeralt whispered something to Byleth just before they left.
"It's the Archbishop, isn't it? The one you warned me about earlier this morning." Robin tried to confirm as soon as they left the audience chamber.
Instead of answering Robin's question, Jeralt simply stared at him from over his shoulder before he glanced around the area and then gestured for Robin to follow him with a nod.
"She is." Jeralt finally confirmed with a nod once he was sure that they were really on their own.
He knew all too well from his years serving as a knight here how badmouthing Rhea in any shape or form could lead to all sorts of trouble if such words were overheard by the wrong person and that was the last thing they needed right now especially since he was still unsure of what the woman's plans for his daughter were.
"I can see why. The fact that she wanted Byleth to be a professor without going through the usual procedures and wanted you to return to the order of the knights here already struck me as odd. The tactician in me also believed it was unwise for a leader for an organization this big to do something like that just because one of her knights recommended you two." Robin said with a sigh once they stopped near a window that overlooked what seemed to be a garden.
"Sharp as always I see." Jeralt commented as he stared at the scenery outside of the glass.
"But there is one thing I want to know. Alois said you disappeared without trace, if you had retired formally, he shouldn't have had any reason to say that. Did you…did you run away from this place before forming your mercenary group?" Robin asked solemnly.
When he received no answer from the older man, Robin let out an irritated sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
"Still so secretive, guess that's to be expected. Alright, let's move on to another important topic. How am I supposed to stay here? I wasn't offered any position by the Archbishop…but I wonder if there is still any sort of job opening here that I can take." Robin wondered aloud as he placed a fist under his chin.
"That should be simple enough. Let's see if we can use Alois to convince Lady Rhea again to give you a pass to become a knight directly. I'll vouch for you too of course." Jeralt replied as he finally took his eyes away from the outside scenery to stare at the white-haired man.
"What? Hold on…you want the Archbishop to give me the 'Byleth treatment'? Where she'll promote me into a knight directly without going through the standard process?"
"Putting the questionable term you just created aside, yes. Besides, in my years of being the Captain of this order, I have never met someone with your skills. You'll make a fine knight; you've even already got the right attitude for it." Jeralt replied with a nod as he crossed his arms.
Well, Robin did hang out with some knights back at home…and was even trained by one too.
"I still don't know if this is a good idea." Robin admitted with a sigh before he looks back at the room that the two of them just came from. The room that Byleth was still in and talking to the two other professors.
"But…I'll do it."
For her sake if nothing else…
Byleth crossed her arms as she watched people walked pass her, some staring at her, some ignoring her. Her fellow professors, Manuela and Hanneman, had told her exactly what she needed to do now; talk to some students who belong to any of the three houses and make up her mind about which house that she wished to be responsible for this year. She could also use this opportunity to familiarize herself with the layout of the Monastery so she had a good grasp of where everything was.
However, she decided to hold off on exploring the Monastery right away in favor of waiting for Robin as they had promised to meet each other in front of this building. She didn't know where her father had taken Robin to but she trusted that he would come looking for her here once he was done with…whatever it was her father had involved him in.
Byleth let out a sigh as she looked up at the sky. Everything was really moving too fast, she was expecting herself to fight somewhere in the Kingdom of Faerghus' territory by now, she certainly didn't think that she'd go from being a mercenary to a professor just like that. When Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude tried to offer her a place in their respective nation, she thought that would be the end of it…and yet here she found herself being recruited by the Church of Seiros less than a day after receiving three separate proposals.
While their offers may have been hastily given at the very least those three youths gave her the chance to say no but this time around, she had no say in the matter…
"Why the long face?"
Byleth turned around when she heard a familiar voice to see the man she had been waiting for finally arrive.
"Robin, where had you two gone off to?" Byleth asked as she uncrossed her arms and walked up to him.
"A part of the Monastery called the Knights Hall, both me and your father needed to talk with Alois." Robin answered once he was sure that no one was listening to them.
"Why?"
"Well, I need a job to be able to stay here. And Jeralt thought I'd make a good knight. So, we decided to do "Operation Byleth Treatment" to get me into the Knights of Seiros."
Byleth needed a few seconds before she finally fully realizes what the white-haired man just said.
"Operation what?"
"Operation Byleth Treatment, named after the treatment Lady Rhea gave you as in making you a professor right away no questions asked." Robin answered with a wink and an amused grin.
Byleth sighed in amusement before she lightly slaps the man on his chest.
"Your questionable sense of naming aside, what exactly did this involve?" Byleth asked in curiosity as she titled her head slightly.
"Well, from what Jeralt told me, in order for one to become a knight first you need to pass a certain test, written and physical. Then you have to serve as a knight's squire for at least a year or so. Only when the knight you served under deems that you're ready to be promoted that's when you officially become a knight. Jeralt thought that process would take too long and decided to see if there was a way I could get some special treatment just like you by having both him and Alois vouch for me…if not, well, I just need to serve as someone's squire." Robin explained with a shrug.
Though that was half-truth since Robin decided to omit the part that Jeralt thought if he became someone's squire, it would take too much of his time meaning he couldn't properly watch over Byleth considering that Alois literally begged Jeralt to return as the Captain of the Knights of Seiros earlier. This meant that once Jeralt became the captain again, he would be too busy to watch out for Byleth thus Robin needed to have time to be able to do it.
And their solution was by making him an official knight.
"Thankfully, Alois agreed to vouch for me because as he said, if Jeralt trust me then he has no reason to not do the same. Unfortunately, Lady Rhea can't be interrupted right now so we will go see her tomorrow."
"I see…if you need someone else to vouch for you then I'll do it too." Byleth said as she looked up at the man and gave him a small smile before she decides to add…
"I also want you to stay."
Robin smiled at what she just confessed before he reached up to her hair and ruffled it affectionately.
"Well then, shall we begin our walk around the Monastery?" Robin asked with a grin as he offered his hand to her.
Byleth simply nodded her head and accepted his hand. After smiling at each other, the two of them started to take their first step to explore the place that they suspected would become their new home for a while.
Their lives had taken another sudden and unexpected turn and while they weren't sure what these changes might entail, they knew that they would face them together in the same way that they were walking now.
Hand-in-hand.