Sorry for the long wait, my motivation has been pretty low lately (and MH keeping me occupied certainly didn't help). That also becomes a reason (along with a writer's block) why I haven't updated How They See it, but I'll try to finish the next chapter soon.

Thank you for those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed this story, I hope this chapter can entertain you guys.

Please enjoy and leave a review if possible.

Beta Reader: DarkAngelDan98.

"You will receive a message from the knights when it is time to depart. Until then, use your time wisely."

And with that Seteth left the audience chamber, leaving Byleth and Edelgard alone. The two had just received instructions in regard to their first mission which was to subdue some bandits. According to Seteth, Byleth and her students were to depart to complete their mission as soon as the Knights of Seiros managed to locate the bandits that had been designated as their target. Until then, Byleth planned to train her students further as well as training herself to improve her own skills in magic too. She also planned to give the mages a chance to learn from Robin tomorrow where her lesson would only involve covering theory while her partner would provide a more practical session for some of the students.

"The last time we fought bandits, you saved me. Maybe I can return the favor this time." Edelgard stated once Seteth had left the room, a hint of smile could be seen in her lips.

"I wouldn't mind if that end up being the case but just make sure not to get careless and repeat the same mistake you made the last time." Byleth advised, reminding the younger girl of how a previous error had almost cost both of them their lives the last time they fought bandits. If it hadn't been for Robin's timely arrival, there was a very real possibility that neither she nor the Adestrian princess would be here talking right now.

"Indeed, that was a pathetic performance on my part. However, I can't help pointing out that our situation is different this time and I have been trained by you for the past few weeks so I'm confident in my current abilities." Edelgard replied, letting out a frustrated sigh at the memory of her past blunder before she looked up at the blue haired professor with a small but confident smile.

Seeing the optimistic expression on the white haired girl's face reminded Byleth of how her students assured her that she was a good teacher despite the fact that she blamed their loss on what she perceived as her own incompetence in teaching them. Byleth had decided that for now it was best to push aside the feelings of disappointment within herself and do whatever she can to improve herself as their professor.

"Though while I believe that it's unlikely that we would lose but it is the best for us to do all we can to prepare." Edelgard declared as she crossed her arms after a few moments of thinking.

"That would be the best." Byleth nodding in agreement at her student's conclusion.

"Very well then, shall we meet with the others and inform them of the details of the mission?" Edelgard offered as she uncrossed her arms. While Byleth normally would be happy to go along with this but unfortunately for now, she had another arrangement to see to.

"Actually, would you mind telling the others without me? I wish to see my father first."

During the weeks leading to the mock battle, much of Byleth's time had revolved around teaching and readying her students for that particular event while she used most of her free time to either bond with her class outside of the setting of their lessons or spending time with Robin; thus she was unable to check on her father much. Moreover, her father has been busy readjusting himself with once again taking up his former role as the Captain of the Knights of Seiros. She had heard about how he quite literally thrashed anyone who had dared to openly doubt him and his capacity for this role despite his renowned reputation as the strongest knight and mercenary.

Thankfully the number of people who had the nerve for such audacious behavior was minimal and even then Jeralt would only go that far if the ignoramuses in question did not heed the initial warnings from him and their own peers. She understood that it would take a while for him to fully adjust to his old role thus he couldn't spend too much time with her yet.

She was lucky that Robin was having an easier time in adjusting himself with their new life.

"I see. Then I will see you in the classroom professor." Edelgard replied with a nod before she took her leave. Byleth remained in the room for a few more seconds, just to gather her thoughts, before leaving it too and making her way toward her father's office.

"Did you spend a lot of time with your father before coming here?" Sothis suddenly asked though thankfully she had already expected the girl to speak up, since she noticed that Sothis had a tendency to start up a conversation whenever she was alone and so could focus solely on speaking with the girl.

'Not exactly, before coming here when it came to purely conversing and interacting with I'd say that I spent more time around Robin even though we all travelled together. But naturally I did spend more time with Father back when I was younger.' Byleth answered with her thoughts.

Her father always felt…rather aloof even to her. He was more involved in her life when she was younger such as constantly carrying her on his shoulder or measuring her height constantly by using one of the caravans that tended to accompany them and those habits continued for quite a while. He taught her many things though his lessons mostly revolved around surviving in the wild and about combats.

As she got older, she noticed that her father became a little bit distant to her. Not to the point that they barely interacted but distant enough that she didn't always converse with him all day. In a way it may seem strange that she felt as though he was being distant considering they still travelled together constantly and seldom ever separated, she could count the number of times he went off on his own without her for more than a few days on one hand, and yet despite them still being around each other most of the time Byleth certainly noticed that their dynamic shifted as the years went by.

It didn't bother her of course as she simply thought that perhaps now that she was older, her father trusted her to be a bit more independent. She never believed that he had begun to care for her less, he still came to her aid whenever she was overwhelmed in a battle or when one of the newest members of their group didn't respect her personal space but most of the time, Byleth was on her own.

It was only when Robin joined their group that she started to interact more with other people… even if for a time the term 'other people' consisted only of Robin…though even then that was because he was rather insistent on spending more time with her after he had joined up with them.

After reaching her father's office, Byleth knocked the closed door twice before waiting for his response. Byleth waited until hearing her father voiced his permission to enter that Byleth opened the door. To her surprise, her father wasn't alone in the room, Robin was also there.

"Morning kid." Jeralt greeted with a nod while Robin simply gave her a grin and a small wave.

"Good morning Father, Robin." Byleth greeted back while giving each man a nod and a smile.

"I assume you just got briefed on this month's mission?" Jeralt asked as he leaned back against his seat while crossing his arms.

"Yes. According to Seteth, my class will be subduing a group of bandits that have been causing problems in the nearby area." Byleth answered with a nod.

"Alois told me that a group of knights will be departing today to try to locate the ones you're after. I heard there's a chance these bandits might be the same as the ones that we faced last month in Remire village." Robin informed her as he placed a hand on his waist though the information he just shared caused Byleth to tilt her head in curiosity.

"Are you going to be part of that group?"

"Not this time, I already have my own mission." Robin answered while shaking his head though the smile that Robin has right now seemed to indicate the man was amused by something.

Byleth only could blink in confusion as she tried to determine what exactly Robin found to be amusing.

"This sort of thing is fairly routine for you by now so I'm sure there won't be much problem. However, don't forget that this might be the first real taste of battle for those brats. It'll be tougher to sleep at night if you let one of your little pupils die, so stay vigilant and lead them well." Jeralt advised with a serious look, almost as if he was speaking from experience.

And knowing her father, he might even be referring to some unfortunate event that happened in his past that he neglected to tell her about...considering his habit it wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

"I understand." Byleth replied curtly with a nod.

"I wish I could offer my support but Lady Rhea won't allow it… but fortunately, she gave me permission to help you out in another way." Jeralt informed her with a small smile. It didn't take long for Byleth to connect all the dots in her mind to decipher the meaning of her father's words before she shifts her attention to Robin.

"For my first official mission as a knight, I have been assigned to escort and support the professor and the students of Black Eagles House in completing their mission." Robin said to her with a nod, already guessing what was on her mind before she even spoke the words.

"I at least managed to convince Lady Rhea to allow Robin to accompany you on this mission. Not that I don't trust you to get it done without the extra help but I think it'll be better to have assistance in watching over those brats considering most of them are still rookies. You won't mind having him around for this, will you?" Jeralt added as he raised one of his eyebrows and leaned back against his seat more.

"Absolutely not." Byleth answered without hesitation. While Byleth was confident in her skills when it came to combat, she couldn't deny that fighting while having to protect several other people wasn't something she was accustomed to considering she used to only have to look after herself back then. Both her father and Robin were incredibly strong and skilled thus she felt no need to worry much about them when they were in a battle, even the other mercenaries were at least able to take care of themselves since having a certain degree of skill in combat was both expected and required for Jeralt to allow a mercenary to serve in his band.

But her students were different. Most of them have never been in a real battle situation just as her father said and it would up to her to not only keep them safe but also guide them so that they would be able to help take care of themselves and each other. Even though she has led a team before but in those times the ones whom she had been responsible for were hardened mercenaries, not a bunch of youths who had yet to become even young adults who also lacked real combat experience and on top of that they also happen to still be in the process of mastering their own skills and abilities. So, having Robin around would at least ensure her that she wouldn't be alone in making sure each of her students came back from this mission alive.

"Glad to hear that. For now, I'll try to figure out what Lady Rhea wants from you. I don't mind you settling into your life here, but don't let your guard down. Ever" Jeralt warned her firmly, prompting Byleth to simply nod her head in response.

Byleth still remembered how her father warned her to watch out for Lady Rhea during their first day here at the Monastery. While she agreed that she found it odd that the Archbishop would suddenly make her a professor without her undergoing the usual procedure, leading to Robin inventing the 'Byleth's Treatment' term, she wasn't exactly sure what it was that she should be watching out for exactly since Rhea had barely interacted with her outside of the usual official setting between a professor and the Archbishop.

The most they've talked has been mainly limited to receiving several debriefs and explanations from the older woman and she hadn't noticed anything concerning in Rhea's words or actions. However it was very rare to see her father so genuinely concerned about something so she was sure that there was good reason to be wary of the Archbishop even if her disposition suggested otherwise.

"Anyway, you seem have adjusted well to your new life here. I honestly didn't expect it to be so easy for you considering back when we were mercenaries I handled pretty much everything." Jeralt said using a softer tone as he finally rose from his seat to walk up toward her.

"It was a bit of a surprise to me too but everyone here has been very nice to me…and I guess having a familiar face helped a lot." Byleth admitted before giving Robin a small smile which the man replied with a quick wink and a grin.

Back then, Byleth barely had any contact with people; the closest thing that could be counted as 'interaction' were the fights that she has with her opponents. Outside of battle, Byleth always kept everything to herself unless her father wanted something from her. Growing up as a mercenary meant that Byleth was constantly surrounded by less than reputable individuals who would only approach her if they had some ulterior motives, like perverse scum who wanted to touch a certain part of her body, or opportunity seekers trying to get information out of her regarding her father or their work. There was barely anything that could be counted as a 'meaningful interaction' unless it was with her father…

And then they met Robin…and it didn't take long for the man to drag her from a dull world that seemd utterly monotone into another one that was much more vibrant and full of colors that she never experienced before.

"Then I guess I truly didn't have anything to worry about regarding you getting settled." Jeralt stated with a small smile as he closed his eyes briefly. Byleth simply smiled at her father and gave him a small nod as a response, her way to assure him that she was fine and was adjusting just fine.

Afterward, both Byleth and Robin excused themselves as Byleth's class would start soon while Robin had patrol duty this morning. As they walked toward the exit of the building they were currently in, Byleth noticed that Robin was smiling for some reason.

"What's on your mind?" Byleth asked out of curiosity as she tilted her head slightly.

"Our days as mercenary. After hearing your father mentioned how he handled everything for you, it reminded of the days when I was, more or less, your teacher." Robin explained as he smiled at her.

A small smile formed on Byleth's lips as the memories of the days they spent together as fellow mercenaries, once Robin joined her father's mercenary band, resurfaced in her mind. At the beginning, their exchanges mostly consisted of Robin telling her about something that she had never seen before in her life or what the outside world looked like compared to Fodlan. Then it developed into more practical lessons where Robin taught her various things ranging from something complex like spell casting to something much simpler like making a flower crown.

"Do you remember the first time I made you laugh?" Robin asked with a grin and Byleth couldn't refrain herself from rolling her eyes playfully.

"I don't think I could forget that." Byleth replied with an amused scoff as that particular memory started to play in her mind…

"So you never laugh before? Not even once."

Byleth raised her eyebrow as the white-haired man looked at her in bafflement. Wasn't she already clear enough when she said she never laugh?

"No." She decided to answer as she shook her head.

The man crossed his arms and looked at her with an expression that she couldn't comprehend. It looked like he was contemplating something, but she couldn't discern what it could be.

"So do you believe that you can't laugh?"

"I don't know." Byleth answered honestly. She had heard the other mercenaries make comments about her inability to express her feelings in general let alone in emotional gestures such as laughter and concluded that she was simply just different. Byleth herself didn't know why she couldn't laugh. She had stood amongst people who were deep in thralls of laughter and mirth before yet she just couldn't find it in herself to join them for a reason unbeknownst even to her.

"Then shall we find out?"

What?

Before she could say anything, the man already leaned forward and started to rub his fingers in a repetitive motion against her clothed sides, prompting her to raise her eyebrow in confusion as she was unsure what he was trying to accomplish. When the action failed to elicit a reaction from her, he started to rub his fingers on various spots around her body like her thighs and midriff.

Byleth started to feel annoyed by his rather invasive actions but before she could shove him away, his fingers hit a certain spot on her underarms.

And Byleth's body immediately jolted.

"W-What?"

"Found it!"

And for the first time in her life, as far as she could remember anyway, Byleth Eisner giggled as Robin kept rubbing, later she learned that it was called tickling, that particular spot on her underarm.

"You were nothing less than nefarious, refusing to stop tickling me even after I begged you to stop." Byleth recalled with a small smile before she nudged his side when Robin chuckled in response.

"In my defense, you have a beautiful laugh."

Byleth couldn't help but blush a little at the compliment.

"And as a reminder you also chased me around the forest afterward and even poked my forehead with your training sword a few times when you managed to catch me." Robin added with a small grin, earning himself an irritated look from the blue haired professor.

"You invaded my personal space, touched me on various spots, and then started tickling me without mercy, what did you expect?" Byleth said in irritation as her eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Alright, as I said before, I might have overdone it…but the result was worth it. That day, you finally learned what it felt like to laugh." Robin replied with a warm smile. Despite the feelings of irritation bubbling in her mind, Byleth couldn't refrain herself from following Robin's example in smiling too.

While there was more to that story as even though she finally knew how it felt to laugh, Byleth still found herself unable to truly laugh of her own volition which prompted Robin to pull out all sort of ridiculous stunts to make her laugh again without being tickled, like dressing in a woman's dress while wearing a lot of makeup just to make sure he looked as ridiculous as possible, it was undeniable that he was the first one to make her laugh.

He never gave up on her and didn't just write her off as simply being 'different' like the others…

And that was one of the many reasons why she was grateful having him in her life.

Robin continued to munch on a strip of beef jerky that definitely didn't come from the kitchen at the dining hall as he kept on reading the book that explained Fodlan's history with its neighbors. Dagda, Sreng, and Almyra, those three countries have been known to invade Fodlan throughout history though thankfully none managed to fully conquer Fodlan, or even establish any permanent settlements on the continent's soil. Now that he thought about it, Fodlan was surrounded by many countries and if the map was to be believed, it was bigger than its neighbors and probably had more resources. He could see this as being a possible reason of why the people of Fodlan found themselves being subjected to invasion from nearby lands.

His homeland was a little lucky that it wasn't surrounded by various foreign territories that wanted to conquer it…except for that one time they needed to fight an Empire's force from another land. Apparently, according to the book anyway, Fodlan has managed to always drive off the invaders thanks to the people of the continent being in possession of Crests and the Hero Relics, the weapons that once had been wielded by the legendary Ten Elites during the battle against evil beings…until the power of the Relics drove them mad that is.

And of course, there was also matter with Duscur. He didn't know that there was such a bloody story behind the relationship between Fodlan, or should he say Faerghus, and Duscur despite the fact that Duscur had been an ally to the Holy Kingdom for years. No wonder Dedue asked him if he was fine in interacting with him for an extensive period of time. He needed to read more about this Tragedy of Duscur to find out more information regarding it.

It seemed that this continent's history was more complex than what he had anticipated. Though he had to admit that the leaders of Fodlan deserved some praise, seeing as how they've managed to maintain peace most of the time as there hasn't been any large scale war in this continent for decades.

He wished he could say the same thing about the country he came from…

"Sir Robin."

Robin looked up as he just swallowed the jerky in his mouth to see Linhardt approaching him with three girls behind him. He recognized all of the boy's female companions but he only knew the names of two of them.

"Linhardt." Robin greeted with a nod before he shifted his attention to the girl with orange hair.

"Annette, right?"

"Yup, that's me!" the girl replied with a friendly grin.

"You're Mercedes, yes?" Robin recalled as he turned his attention to the blonde girl.

"That's right; good evening Sir Robin." Mercedes replied with a nod and a small wave.

Robin then looked at the last girl, she was easily recognizable as the short girl with white hair who participated at the mock battle, and immediately raised his eyebrow when he noticed her staring at him rather intensely. He knew Annette and Mercedes because he, alongside Byleth, had met them when they explored the Monastery together for the first time. While they had also met with the girl with the white hair during that excursion but at the time they just happened to meet her in the library where Robin immediately took off to search for new books he could read, believing Byleth could talk to the white haired girl on her own.

"Is something wrong?" Robin said aloud in attempt to gain her attention. The other students also couldn't help but glance at the girl in either confusion or curiosity.

The girl blinked, seemingly finally realizing her strange action. The girl then cleared her throat, probably to regain her composure though Robin still could see that her cheeks were reddening slightly.

"P-Pardon my attitude; I just had something on mind. I believe we haven't been formerly introduced to each other yet, my name is Lysithea Von Ordelia." The girl introduced herself as she nodded to the knight.

"Robin Daraen, nice to meet you." Robin replied with a small smile before he turned his attention to Linhardt.

"Let me guess, you told them about my method of casting spells?" Robin asked while raising his eyebrow at the boy.

"Yes though you never informed me that it was supposed to be a secret." Linhardt answered in his usual bored tone which earned him an eye roll from the knight.

With a sigh, Robin decided to mark the page he was reading and close his book before telling the students to take a seat, prompting Linhardt and Lysithea settling in the chairs across from him while Annette and Mercedes decided to sit next to him.

"Is it true Sir Robin? You can use the magical energy around us in order to cast magic?" Annette immediately asked as soon as everyone was seated.

"Yes, you can ask Professor Hanneman for further clarification. I had a discussion with him regarding this subject not too long ago." Robin answered with a shrug.

"I already had a word with him about this. He mentioned he was interested in learning more about the tomes that came from your homeland. Would you mind elaborating more on the subject?" Linhardt asked as he leaned forward slightly, while he still had his usual tired expression there was a slight difference in his eyes, normally they would look as though he could fall asleep at any moment but now they appeared to be a bit more alert and somewhat attentive. It seemed as though at least some aspect of all this intrigued the boy somewhat.

"If you've spoken to Hanneman then shouldn't you already know about the tomes as well as why he was interested in those?" Robin replied while tilting his head slightly in confusion.

"Well, when it comes to topics I've never hear of that may have some possible application for my research I prefer to learn from the original source if it was possible despite how tiresome that can be, thankfully in this case the original source in question just so happens to be easily accessed." Lindhart, groaned a little just at the memory of sometimes going to the trouble of finding the origin of certain useful papers and materials. While it may involve a bit of walking he certainly preferred to just approaching someone with the answers rather than spending hours digging through musty archives.

"You came from outside of Fodlan Sir Robin?" Mercedes suddenly asked, appearing to be surprised by this revelation. While the knights knew he wasn't from Fodlan, he guessed most of the students had not yet been made aware of this fact. So far, he had only told Dedue about this directly and some of Byleth's students probably learned about his status as a foreigner from Byleth herself.

"That is correct." Robin answered with a nod. Surprisingly, it only caused the girl to smile brightly at him.

"Where are you from? What is your homeland looks like? It is anything like Fodlan?" Mercedes asked, seemingly more eager to learn about his homeland rather than the topic of his spell casting method. Robin simply blinked, not expecting the girl to show interest in his homeland, but before he can say anything, Linhardt knocked the table gently to attract their attention.

"Could we focus on the matter at hand? You can ask about his homeland afterward." Lysithea asked with a slight look of annoyance.

"Oh yes, please forgive me, I got distracted. Please continue with the explanation of the tomes first Sir Robin." Mercedes said as she gave Robin a sweet smile while gesturing for him to continue.

"Well, if you all insist then…"

Just like with Hanneman, Robin started things off by explaining the difference between the spell casting method in Fodlan and how it worked on where he came from. Once they understood what he meant, Robin started to explain just what exactly tomes were and why they held such significance for the mages from his homeland.

"A magic book, I never thought something like that really existed. Books that have spells written within them? Sure there are loads of those but books that are actually a part of the spell casting progress? Now that sounds like something incredible." Annette said in awe once Robin finished his explanation.

"So, the magic users in your homeland rely heavily on the tomes to be able to cast their spells." Lysithea concluded as she placed her hand under her chin.

"Yes, since the way we cast a spell focuses a lot on making use of the outside forces around us. Manipulating the magical power in our surroundings is harder compared to manipulating the magical power that is always present inside you. There are indeed some benefits in using external forces to cast a spell such as not having to worry about running out of power in a dire situation, not to mention your spell could be fired with much more power if you know how to properly gather the energy around us." Robin elaborated with a nod.

"And I assume there're also downsides in using this method aside from the difficulties in manipulating the external magical energy." Lysithea guessed which earned her another nod from the knight.

"Correct. For example, since one tome is limited to containing only a single spell, we are required to carry multiple tomes with us if we want to have any sort of variety in our arsenal. It was recommended for mages at my homeland to carry more than one tome at once. Back then, I usually carried a lightning tome and a wind tome." Robin confirmed with a nod.

"But of course, just because it is difficult doesn't mean controlling the external magical force is impossible. Those with enough dedication will be capable to master the art of manipulating the flow of magical energy that the atmosphere provides, allowing those individuals to cast a spell without a tome." Robin added while giving the four students a direct demonstration by summoning a small fireball on his open palm.

"Sounds rather bothersome." Linhardt pointed out as he rested his face in the palm of his hand, most likely finding the idea of carrying multiple tomes to be tiresome.

"Well yes I can certainly agree with you on that but the fact that each of the mages in my homeland had to carry multiple tomes in a battle led to the invention of this." Robin replied before he performed a small gesture with his hand that caused the books next to him to fly around him, circling him in an orderly fashion.

The display of magic certainly caused the four students to stare at the floating books with looks of surprise and intrigue.

"How in the world did you do that?" Annette asked in surprise as she leaned forward to observe the floating books more closely while Linhardt simply grabbed one of the books and raised his eyebrow in curiosity when the book began shaking as it attempted to escape his grasp.

Robin couldn't help but smile at the way the students stared inquisitively at what he just did. It was a relatively simple spell, one that he learned from Miriel after the bespectacled woman saw him struggling to effectively retrieve and store tomes in his coat to suit his situation during a battle. The spell had been quite a life saver since then especially since he also could use the tomes to block any spell that managed to get through his defenses…of course, he'd need to get a new tome afterward if it came to that so he preferred to use them as shields only when he had to rather than it be his go-to method of defense.

"Greetings Sir Daraen!"

Robin, who was about to explain the nature of the spell he used, was interrupted by the arrival of one enthusiastic gatekeeper who saluted him upon greeting him.

"Good evening gatekeeper, is there something that needed my attention?" Robin asked with a nod as he made all of the floating books gently descend onto the table.

"As matter of fact yes! Advisor Seteth sent me to inform you that he wishes to discuss something with you in his office." The gatekeeper reported with his usual enthusiastic tone.

Robin couldn't help but stare at the gatekeeper in confusion after hearing his report. If he remembered correctly, Seteth was the advisor to the Archbishop and assisted her with various administration duties which made him wonder why someone like that would need something from him. Though, remembering that Seteth's gaze reminded him of Frederick(son)'s then Robin had a pretty good guess as to why the green haired man would request his presence.

It also might be a good chance to see if the feeling that he got from being in Lady Rhea's presence was also present when he was around Seteth since Robin hadn't gotten chance to see the man after their very first meeting when he arrived in the Monastery alongside Byleth and Jeralt.

"Alright then, I'll head there immediately." Robin replied as he got up from his seat before giving the four students an apologetic grin.

"Sorry, looks like we'll have to end this discussion early."

"It's fine, your duty must always need to be a top priority." Lysithea replied while shaking her head slightly, hoping to dissuade any feelings of guilt on his part.

"I hope we can finish this discussion another time." Annette added while nodding her head several times.

"Of course." Robin agreed, seeing no harm in continuing their conversation regarding the difference between the magic systems of his homeland and Fodlan.

"Thank you for your time Sir Robin." Mercedes thanked the knight with a smile and a nod while Linhardt simply let out a sigh, most likely disappointed that they needed to end their discussion early.

After biding the students and the gatekeeper farewell, Robin left the table, not bothering to return the books that he had accumulated while he was there. Though that because he intended to return later to finish those books which was why he made a quick stop to the librarian's table to inform them before leaving the library.

"Tomas, as per usual don't bother to return the books on my table, I intend to continue reading them later."

"In the mood for another reading session, are you good sir?"

"Indeed."

Is it just his imagination that when Tomas smiled at him, something about the smile seemed a little…off?…Must be just his imagination.

"Byleth."

The woman in question, who was on her way to Seteth's office, turned around when a familiar voice called her to see Robin approaching her with a smile on his face.

"Robin." Byleth replied with a nod and a small smile.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked once he was standing next to her.

"Seteth's office, you?"

"Same."

Byleth blinked her eyes upon hearing that before tilting her head a little. Earlier, she was having tea with Professor Manuela while taking about Manuela's teaching experience as well as what advice the older woman could offer to improve her own skills in teaching her students. Their discussion, unfortunately, had to end prematurely when the gatekeeper informed her that Seteth was asking her to come to his office. Manuela, to her relief, agreed to continue their talk tomorrow and offered to give Byleth some books that would be useful in helping her to better understand the theory of Faith Magic in general, an offer that she immediately took her up on.

Anyway, she had already kind of expected that either Seteth or Archbishop herself might want to speak to her after the mock battle since she remembered that Seteth said that they would use the mock battle to gauge her teaching abilities. And since her class ending up losing then they might want to have a few words with her thus she wasn't that surprised to hear that the stern man wished to speak with her.

But what he would want with Robin?

"Let's go then, better not make him wait for us too long." Robin said as he nodded toward the direction of Seteth's office before starting to walk again.

"Why are you heading there?" Byleth decided to ask as she walked next to him.

"It seems that Seteth wanted to speak to me about something, though I have a hunch on what it is but it's better confirm it directly." Robin answered with a shrug.

While Byleth was still curious on what his hunch was, she decided that Robin was right. It was better for them see in person what it was that Seteth wanted from them.

Upon arriving at his office, Seteth greeted them and told them to take a sit.

"I apologize for calling you two so suddenly like this but there is a matter that I would like to discuss with you two." Seteth started as he took a seat in front of them, his eyes were just as firm as Robin and Byleth remembered. This once again reminded Robin of Frederick's own gaze.

"I believe I have told you this before, but it is my responsibility to aid the Archbishop in all her duties." Seteth continued as he clasped his hands together and put it on his laps.

"Administrative duties I presume." Robin replied as he mimicked Seteth's action.

"Correct. I aid Lady Rhea in many of the church's administrative duties such as spiritual instruction, ceremony oversight, and donation management. I oversee not only the priesthood but also the Knights of Seiros and the Officers Academy. The Archbishop entrusts a great deal to my discretion, and I am honored by her confidence. Even when she must make decisions herself, she often seeks my counsel in advance. And yet…"

"I see…so that's what this is about." Robin said suddenly, cutting Seteth before he can finish his statement and making Byleth glanced at him in curiosity.

"It was about Lady Rhea's decision in appointing Byleth as a professor and knighting me, right?" Robin asked as he leaned forward slightly, staring at the advisor directly in his eyes. That feeling had definitely returned, the same feeling that he got whenever he was in the same room with the Archbishop. But he couldn't just make assumptions based on his feeling alone…but now that he thought about it…

Why did both Lady Rhea and Seteth's hair hide their ears? Was it just a simple coincidence?

"Yes." Seteth replied with a nod. To the man surprise though, the knight let out a relieved sigh as he leaned back on his seat with a small smile on his face.

"I mean no disrespect to the Archbishop but to be honest I did have concerns regarding the decision she made. Jeralt told me that ordinarily there were procedures that one must go through before they can become a knight or a professor, yet Lady Rhea handed both Byleth and myself these positions just like that without even checking our background. It's honestly a relief to know that at least one person took these matters into careful consideration." Robin explained.

Both Byleth and Seteth only blinked after hearing Robin's explanation though a few moments later, Seteth let out a relived sigh of his own before he crosses his arms.

"I see. It is a relief to hear that you aren't offended by, for the lack of a better term, my distrust in you. I must say, however, that my distrust does not come from any personal feelings of resentment but rather by the fact that there is very little information about you two. I am the Archbishop's right hand, yet I have been told nothing about this all. I agree with Sir Daraen that at minimum, an investigation should be performed to check on your background and to ensure that you can be trusted with such responsibilities." Seteth agreed with a nod, feeling relieved that at least the white-haired man seemed to understand his intention regarding why he was doing this.

"So, this isn't about the fact that my students lost the mock battle?" Byleth couldn't help but ask as she stared at the green haired man with an uncertain look.

"While it is indeed unfortunate that the students under your care were not victorious, but please be assured that neither the Archbishop nor I were disappointed by it. While I'll spare you from my conjecture, but you should know I have received a report from Princess Edelgard herself that she, in her own words, thought of you as more than skilled enough to be the teacher of her class. Additionally, the Archbishop doesn't seem to have any misgivings regarding the results of the mock battle. You can take comfort in knowing that there are people who truly believe in your competence as a professor." Seteth answered with a small smile and a nod, assuring the blue haired woman that her students' lost wouldn't affect her in any way.

Of course, Seteth chosen to not mention his doubt about the young woman's capability as a professor but he figured that it was still too early to form a definitive conclusion, better to observe her further to ensure that he made a fair judgement.

Byleth let out a small sigh of relief, the worry that she felt weighing on her was washed away after hearing Seteth's answer especially in regard on how Edelgard had gone as far as sending that kind of report to Seteth. She had to remember to thank the princess for that later. Byleth looked up at Robin when she felt his hand on her shoulder to see the man gave her a smile, a nod, and a thumb up. Byleth simply smiled at him in response before she reaches up to hold his hand in hers and squeeze it slightly.

Seteth, who observed the small gesture in silent, decided to not comment on it and instead moved on with their discussion.

"Well then, with that out of the way, I would like to begin by asking you some questions. I ask that you two answer my queries honestly. I would be most grateful for your cooperation." Seteth spoke out to attract the attention of the couple, causing Robin to pull his hand back after patting Byleth's shoulder twice.

"Let's start with you Professor Eisner. I would like to know just how much you know about yourself. You're the child of Jeralt Eisner, correct?"

"I am." Byleth answered without any hesitation.

"Next, how long has it been since you became a mercenary?" Seteth asked the next question after giving the woman a nod.

"I…don't really know the exact number of years it has been since I started working as a mercenary…only that I've been doing this for as long as I can remember." Byleth answered while looking at her laps slightly, her expression showing signs of slight uncertainty. Byleth could recall her childhood, of when her father trained her in combats, of when she had her first battle, but…

"I see. Most curious…come to think of it, I have never asked your age. Just how old are you exactly?" Seteth asked with a slight frown.

Byleth blinked her eyes a few times, now looking very unsure. The truth was she…

"Neither of us knows."

"What?" Seteth glanced at Robin when the man answered the question for Byleth, confusion could be seen in the advisor's eyes and expression.

Robin glanced at Byleth, silently asking for her permission with his eyes. After a brief consideration, Byleth nodded at him as she saw this as something that they couldn't hide, and she honestly didn't see the point of trying to cover it up.

"You see, neither Byleth nor I know what her age is because Jeralt has never mentioned it to either of us. I have tried to ask him before but the man always avoided my question so eventually I just kind of gave up in asking him that and simply figured that Byleth is likely in her twenties or even younger than that considering her appearance." Robin admitted with a shrug.

"Not knowing how old I am never bothered me because it was irrelevant to my combat capability. The reason why I am not even sure how long it has been since I become a mercenary was because back then, everyday felt the same to me, everything was almost repetitive that I didn't bother to keep track of what day, month, or even what year it was. Time just seemed to blur together." Byleth added. As far as she can remember, her life up to when she met Robin had always followed a specific pattern which involved training, traveling, resting, and fighting. Every day was always like that with minor deviations here and there so Byleth didn't see much point in keeping track of days when almost every one of them felt exactly the same.

It was only when Robin came to her life that he broke that seemingly endless pattern by teaching her of what the world had to offer outside of battles and training.

Seteth simply stayed silent as he watched the couple with an unreadable expression, most likely assessing their words, before he eventually lets out a sigh.

"Your faces make it quite clear that neither of you are lying. Unbelievable, what was Jeralt thinking raising you this way?" Seteth said while shaking his head in disappointment though it was clear his disapproval wasn't directed at them.

"I'm sure Jeralt had his reasons for not disclosing that information." Robin said, trying to justify Jeralt's actions. Though Robin couldn't say much about this since he was just as in the dark on this as Byleth was.

"No matter, I think any further questions to Professor Eisner would just be a waste of our time. With that being said, let's move on to you Sir Daraen. I hope you could at least enlighten me as to who you are. I know you were Jeralt's second-in-command in his mercenary group and came from another continent but other than that, I know nothing of you." Seteth said with another sigh before he shifts his attention to the white-haired knight.

"I'll admit that I have actually suffered from amnesia during my teenage days that made me unable to remember my past. Even now much of my life is just an empty blank to me but I can tell you what I have been doing so far from when I first woke up to the point where I met Byleth and Jeralt and joined his band of mercenaries." Robin admitted.

While Robin was telling the truth in that he still couldn't remember his past, Robin actually had more than enough knowledge to figure out his past at this point. Though he didn't think it was something that Seteth needed to know for now.

Although Seteth did raise his eyebrow after hearing of Robin's amnesia case, the man still nodded his head to accept the knight's offer.

"Well, as you already mentioned I am not from Fodlan, I hail from a land known as Ylisse. I used to work for the Halidom of Ylisse as its military's tactician, leading a militia group known as Shepherds alongside my best friend, the current Exalt, which means Holy King in Ylisse's language, of the Halidom of Ylisse. And in case you're wondering about my experience in conflict during my previous occupation, yes, I have been involved in a large-scale war before, three different wars to be exact." Robin explaining who he was as simply as he could while still make sure to include everything that he thought Seteth needed to know. Byleth silently reached Robin's hand and held it gently when she noticed the firm expression on Robin's face, earning her a slight squeeze from her partner.

Seteth, on the other hand, only could stare at the white-haired man with a pair of wide eyes; the shock on his face was all too plain to see.

"I-I see… I must admit I certainly wasn't expecting that…"

"In fairness it isn't every day you meet someone who makes a bold claim like participating in three different wars, yes? But it is the truth." Robin replied with a weak grin, understanding why the advisor looked so surprised.

"But I need to point out that I am no longer serving as a tactician, I was a mercenary and now a knight. My days as a tactician who participated in a war ended years ago." Robin added, just to make it clear that he wasn't particularly fond of reminiscing about his days as a tactician in those conflicts.

Seteth simply nodded, seemingly still trying to process the fact that one of the newest additions in the Monastery was once a tactician who fought in three different wars. While it might be easy to dismiss that idea as a lie but Seteth was sharp enough to know when people were trying to be deceitful. Just from his eyes alone, Seteth could tell that Robin was speaking the truth. The way his shoulders tensed, the way sadness reflected in his eyes, and the way he squeezed Byleth's hand, all indicated that whatever he experienced during those wars must have been very unpleasant to say at the least.

But the man before him still looked young, as matter of fact he looked to be around Byleth's age if not a little older…to hear that he experienced three separate large-scale wars in such young age…

"Thank you for your willingness to share that information Sir Daraen, I deeply appreciate it. While I won't ask for any further details regarding those wars…I offer my condolences to those who might have lost their lives during the war." Seteth said eventually, deciding that he shouldn't pry any further into Robin's past. However, he wondered if he said something wrong when he noticed the knight's eyes darkening with grief…before he closed his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Yes, thank you Seteth." Robin said with a small smile once he reopened his eyes.

Seteth silently glanced at the blue haired professor to see that the woman was staring at the knight with a concerned look which was enough for Seteth to understand that Robin's past, specifically the wars he experienced, must be a rather sensitive topic.

"Will you record or publish the information we just gave you?" Robin suddenly asked, bringing Seteth's attention back to the young man.

"No, I am under no obligation to make any such record of your answers. While I will need to share this information with Lady Rhea should she ask for it as it is my duty to answer her but rest assured that I will do my utmost to strongly advise against her making this information public knowledge. If she never asks then the information you just gave me will never leave this room, I promise." Seteth promised the couple with a nod, easily deducing the reason behind the worried tone in Robin's voice.

"Thank you Seteth, we appreciate that." Byleth replied with a small smile and a nod.

"One last question, may I know how old you are Sir Daraen?" Seteth decided to ask in order to confirm his suspicion over Robin's story.

"As of now, I'm 23. I was 17 when I experienced my first taste of war in case you're wondering." Robin answered, already deducing the reason why Seteth decided to ask about his age. While Robin wasn't entirely certain if he really was 23 years old, thanks to his amnesia, but he has since decided to make himself 2 years younger than his best friend and 2 years older than Lissa when they were talking about choosing a potential date for his birthday.

"By the Goddess, you were that young when you first participated in a war?" Seteth exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise. He knew that Robin must had been relatively young for him to have participated in 3 different wars while his youth still being very clear to see at the present time but 17…

Robin simply gave the green haired man a weak smile, wondering how surprised Seteth must be if he revealed that he wasn't the youngest in their army. Lissa, Henry, Ricken, they were all younger than him when they first fought in a war.

Silence followed afterward as Seteth seemed to try to comprehend the information he just received while Robin and Byleth opted to just be silent and wait for what Seteth would do next. Eventually, the man thanked them for their time and their willingness to cooperate with him before once again promising them that he would ensure that their discussion would never leave his office.

"Are you okay?" Byleth asked once they left Seteth's office, her hand was still gently holding his.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I know he meant well but when he said about offering condolences to those who have fallen…it just reminded me of those I failed to save." Robin admitted with a sigh.

Byleth stared at him with concern as she squeezed his hand in hope of comforting him. Byleth knew that while Robin wouldn't mind sharing his experience during the wars he experienced, especially the lighthearted moments, but reminding him of those he felt he had failed to save…especially his best friend's big sister…would sour his mood. She usually made it her job to try to cheer him up despite her limited knowledge about the subject.

"What're you going to do now?"

"Well, just heading back to the library and continuing my reading."

"That means you still have some free time. You'll come with me to the dining hall then." Byleth said with a nod, glad that she has time to cheer him up.

"What? Why?" Robin asked, staring at her in confusion.

"Isn't that obvious? I'll cook you your favorite meal." Byleth said with a smile while shaking her head in a gesture that said he should already know the answer. At first, Robin simply blinked his eyes before a soft smile formed on his face once he realizes what Byleth was attempting to do.

"You know that dinner is still several hours away, right?" Robin said in a joking manner with a small grin.

"I don't think anyone would be offended if we decide to have dinner a little early." Byleth replied while rolling her eyes.

Robin simply chuckled before he pulled her closer to him just to land a peck on her cheek and whisper a thank you on her ear directly.

"Thank you dear."

"Ugh, I always feel like some sort of intruder whenever you two decided to be romantic." Sothis complained in her mind though Byleth paid her no mind as she simply smiled softly at the man.

"You're more than welcome."