The intention of travelling to get Edelgard a present and increase Bernadetta's confidence along the way was good-natured in thought. However, after roughly fifteen-minutes of browsing, the archer had grown weary of both the crowds and the mediocre items on offer.
"I couldn't find anything, sorry," the archer said with a defeated look, having returned from the planned browsing session with nothing to show for it.
"Now Bernie, I doubt you saw at least one-quarter of what the city is offering in fifteen-minutes," the professor responded with his arms folded, "Especially when I watched you refuse to enter any of the shops you walked past", he continued in a typical disappointed teacher-like fashion.
Bernadetta sighed, but before she could make a remark on how much she disliked being in crowds the professor had spun her around to face a random building.
"Gah-professor!" she remarked in shock, "What are you doing!?"
"Look at that building, just look at it," the professor commanded, "What is it?"
"I don't know, it's just a shop or something!" Bernadetta said with frustration, still unhappy with being wheeled around in the same matter a farm animal would.
"Do you know what it sells?" the professor asked, this time moving around to stand beside her.
"Um...no," the archer responded cluelessly.
"So, in theory, it's possible that this shop holds the perfect birthday gift for Edelgard," the professor stated, "I'm not saying it will, but would you agree that it is certainly possible?"
"...yes, it's possible," Bernadetta said reluctantly, before having her hand grabbed and being pulled into the shop by her teacher, "Wah!"
As the pair entered the shop, which was large, yet distinctly cosy, they were greeted by the shopkeeper, "Hi there, what can I fix you with?" he said with a cheery smile, which the professor responded to with an equally cheerful smile.
"Hello, my name is Byleth, and this young lady is..." Byleth said, planning to introduce Bernadetta, but the archer had disappeared from his side and was now cowering behind his back. The professor sighed, "Bernie, what are you doing…?" he asked, trying his best to appear unfazed.
"Professor, he has a sword!" Bernadetta challenged in fear.
"Bernadetta, everyone has a sword, even you have a sword!" the professor rebutted in disbelief.
"Oh...yeah..." the archer said, her attention being drawn to the sword she had recently been gifted from Felix.
"Let's try that again..." the professor muttered as he turned back to face the shopkeeper, pulling Bernie to his side, "This incredibly confident and intelligent master of the sword is Bernadetta, say hello Bernie."
"Um...hello," she said quietly, unable to bring her gaze to meet the shopkeeper's, who was chuckling at the exchange between the pair.
"Nice to meet you both!" the shopkeeper said with a beaming smile, he was a large fellow who the professor ascertained to be very fond of certain beverages, on the account of his rosy cheeks, "Is there anything you were looking for in particular?"
"Well, I'm looking for a birthday present you see," the professor said as he started to peruse the shop's wares, "It's for a lady I know, but I'm not really sure what I should get her."
The shopkeeper made his way out from behind the counter, briefly raising his hands submissively as Bernadetta stepped backwards before moving towards the professor.
"Well, what's this lady like?" he asked, "Does she have any interests?"
The professor turned to Bernadetta, "Bernie, what would you say your head of house's interests are?"
Bernie was taken aback by being called upon, but rose to the challenge surprising the professor, "Em...she likes axes and tea, maybe we want something to do with that."
The shopkeeper folded his arms and nodded, "Okay, we can work with that, could you describe her personality to me, is she strong, meek, confident?"
"Hates the Church," the professor responded bluntly, "I'd say that's her personality."
Bernadetta tilted her head like a confused puppy, but no remark was made.
"Hmm..." the shopkeeper held his chin with his hand and began to ponder on the information he's been given, "So I think if it was me, I'd go down the axe route."
The professor and Bernadetta were then directed to the back-left of the shop, where a vast array of axes were set on display, ranging from mini-hatchets to full sized battle-axes.
"You kinda forget how big they are until you see them up close..." Bernadetta said as she got closer to the weapons, once again surprising her professor with a willingness to speak, "You don't use axes do you professor? I've only ever seen you use a sword or lance."
"I've never been a fan of axes," her teacher responded as he lifted one off its stand to inspect, "Awfully heavy things, the only axes I ever used were light hatchets that I could have in each hand."
"Ah...wait a second," the shopkeeper said, drawing attention to himself with his tone of surprise.
"Problem?" the professor asked, immediately thinking he wasn't allowed to touch the store models, putting back the axe he had lifted up.
"See, I thought you'd have been an axeman yourself, if you don't use them, and neither does she," he said while indicating to Bernadetta, "Then maybe you'll not get an axe that your lady will like, especially if she's a daily user, she'll want one that's perfect for her."
The professor nodded, it wasn't something he had even considered.
"I think he's right," Bernadetta said in agreement, "If we're fighting a battle, she could be at risk if she doesn't have the right axe for her."
"That's true, a birthday gift that results in the premature end of the receiver's life probably isn't going to win many awards," Byleth said as he folded his arms and started to think again.
"Do you have anything else that might be suitable?" Bernadetta asked the shopkeeper, "Maybe to do with tea?"
The shopkeeper shook his head, "I'm sorry lass, the only tea we've got here is in my cup," he said as he pointed to his own personal teacup.
"Damn," the professor said before shrugging with a smile, "Well, getting the gift in the first shop would have been incredibly fortunate, I guess we'll just have to keep browsing."
"If you go to the shop five doors down, they stock all the fancy stuff, that might be worth a shot," the shopkeeper said as the pair made their way out of the store, thanking him for his assistance.
After heading to the shop that stored the so-called 'fancy stuff' and finding that it was merely an establishment that sold scented candles, the student and teacher spent the next two hours entering each shop, only to find disappointment instead of a birthday gift each time. One shop stocked a variety of paintings, some of which were of axes which Bernadetta found quite strange. Another was host to a range of animals and the possibility of getting a pet for Edelgard arose, but after some deliberation the professor decided against it, remarking that adding more responsibility to her plate was not the purpose of this gift. The most interesting shop was one that created their own blends of herbal tea, which both the professor and Bernadetta tried and purchased for their own personal use, however no blend that Edelgard might have liked was found.
Eventually as motivation and perseverance was wearing thin, they found themselves back at the armoury where they had started, returning to give the shopkeeper, whose name they learned to be Lago, a small sachet of a blend they thought he would like.
"Well at least you got a nice gift for me!" he said with a hearty chuckle as the trio sat down and shared in the tea, "But it's a shame you couldn't find anything for your lady."
Bernadetta sipped on her own blend, "I didn't think it was this tricky to get gifts, are you sure you can't just send her some flowers?"
"A lesser man would Bernie," the professor said with a faux air of superiority, "But I don't think she would accept that, especially given the fact I told her it was something exotic, the intention was something she didn't have to use or maintain."
"Something you wouldn't have to maintain..." Lago said as he rose from the stool he was sitting on, "You said axes and tea earlier, right?"
The pair nodded in agreement as their host ran to the other side of the shop, opposite where the axes were kept, to his rather small jewellery section. He began shuffling through drawers and lifting sheets of paper that had been left sitting around, mumbling away as he did so,
"When you hear tea you only think about the drink itself, but I might have something here that relates to it!"
When he returned he was brandishing a small brooch in the shape of an axe, it's colouring was bright white with some splashes of red on the handle and edge of the blade.
"Well that is certainly an example of fine craftsmanship!" the professor said with an approving tone, as the shopkeeper handed it to Bernadetta, "What material is it?"
"Look professor, it's porcelain!" the archer said with delight as she held the brooch to her teacher, "Just like our tea cups!"
The professor started to laugh as he held his head in his hands, "It's seemingly the perfect gift, and it was here all along!" he remarked jovially.
"Because your lady sounded like a warrior, jewellery wasn't on my mind, but this might work!" the shopkeeper responded with a bright grin.
"Thank you very much Lago, I'd wager this will be our gift of choice, what do you say Bernie?" the professor asked his student, who eagerly agreed.
"Yes, let's get it!" she said, incredibly confident that Edelgard would appreciate the gift.
After purchasing the gift and bidding farewell to Lago, the pair set back on the long road home, but at the start of this journey, Bernadetta's mood was one of confidence and happiness, not reluctance and reservation.
