Paladin Perfection
A Fire Emblem One-Shot by ktlnboyle
One day, one of the Blue Lions students, Sylvain Jose Gautier, was in the library at Garreg Mach Monastery, which was a key location in the continent of Fódlan. Then, without warning, Sylvain's professor, a turquoise-haired man named Byleth Eisner, came into the room.
"Sylvain, come with me for a minute. I want a strict word with you." Byleth said. Sylvain knew he was in trouble with the professor.
"Where should I meet with you, Professor?" Sylvain asked. "Your room?"
"Hmph. Very funny, Sylvain." Byleth said. "I am not in the mood for this at all. Come with me now."
"Fine." Sylvain said. He later followed the professor down to wherever they were going. Then, Byleth later bumped into the archbishop of the Church of Seiros, a mint green-haired woman named Rhea.
"What happened, Professor?" Rhea asked Byleth.
"I would not want to say it in front of my good friend Sylvain here, Lady Rhea." Byleth said.
"Oh, I see." Rhea said. "Okay, you can go off now, Professor."
"Thank you, Lady Rhea." Byleth said.
Byleth and Sylvain then went down to the first floor after Byleth had his word with Archbishop Rhea. This was odd for Sylvain's case for him being a noble, and nobles resided on the second floor of the dormitory of Garreg Mach Monastery. However, there was a reason that Byleth took Sylvain to the first floor. And that was to bring Sylvain to the Blue Lions classroom at the Officers Academy for a very strict word about the test Sylvain took.
"So, why exactly did you bring me down here, Professor?" Sylvain asked. "Did you bring me down here because I was wooing with the women of the monastery?"
"This is not exactly why I have you in my classroom after school, Sylvain." Byleth explained. "I brought you here because you failed your mid-term paladin certification exam."
"I what?"" Sylvain asked.
"You failed your mid-term paladin certification exam!" Byleth exclaimed as he repeated himself.
"You didn't have to yell at me, Professor!" Sylvain yelled back at Byleth.
"Well, this time I did yell at you, Sylvain!" Byleth said.
"What the hell is your problem?!" Sylvain asked Byleth. "And what the hell do you want me to do about it now? It's not like I can fix those damn mistakes!"
"Well actually, yes, you can fix the mistakes, Sylvain." Byleth said.
"How?" Sylvain asked.
"Well, let me demonstrate, Sylvain." Byleth said. And so, Byleth demonstrated the way Sylvain could fix his mistakes he made on the test by drawing diagrams on the classroom chalkboard and giving him textbooks after that.
"What is all of this stuff, Professor?" Sylvain asked Byleth.
"It's stuff so you can retake your exam, Sylvain." Byleth explained. "And I set homework assignments aside with it. Each assignment is fifteen questions long. And I want all of this stuff due tomorrow morning as soon as you jump out of bed."
"Yes, Professor. It's understood." Sylvain said.
"Yes, I am glad you understand it well, Sylvain. Now get to work or you will be sitting in here all night. Manuela will watch you work while I work with other students and do my chores around the monastery. And I still have to eat dinner." Byleth said. Sylvain later sighed as he sat in the room all night long doing his work under Manuela's watch when she entered the room when Byleth left to do his chores and work with other Officers Academy students.
The next morning arrived, and Sylvain was asleep on his desk in the Blue Lions classroom. Byleth later came into the classroom.
"Sylvain, I expect you to be done everything I asked you to do yesterday afternoon." Byleth said.
"I'm done. I've been done for quite some time." Sylvain said in honesty.
"Let me see." Byleth said. Sylvain then gave Byleth the paper, and Byleth slowly read it over. Sylvain asked him what he thought of it.
"Hmph. I see what you did there." Byleth said. "You studied first, then took the mid-term exam again. Very well done. I'm impressed by your actions, Sylvain."
"So, did I pass?" Sylvain asked.
"We'll just have to find out in a few minutes." Byleth said. And so, Sylvain waited peacefully for Byleth to grade his paper. And as it turned out, Sylvain passed the exam with a solid one hundred percent.
"Outstanding job, Sylvain." Byleth said. "You just passed your paladin certification exam. I'll dispose of your old one, and then you can immediately start training at the end of the month."
"Thanks, Professor." Sylvain said. "I am very well grateful that you decided to do this for me."
"It was all your choice, Sylvain." Byleth said. "After all, choices people make in this world matter to everyone, including themselves."
And so, Byleth later started to tutor Sylvain with skills of becoming a well-balanced paladin on horseback. And when Sylvain listened to every single order, he finally got his wish of becoming a successful cavalry soldier.
THE END