"May we discuss it over tea?" Byleth asked in response. A smile quickly spread across Jia's face.
"I'd much prefer wine at this hour, would that be acceptable?" he requested in turn. She seemed to think for a moment, before finally nodding.
"Come with me, I know a nice spot," she instructed, walking past Jia to exit the room. He followed a few paces behind, curiosity scratching at his mind.
The location Byleth led him to, could be best described as a garden. The grass was kept short and neat. A handful of flowers bloomed, all varying shades of red. Byleth walked toward a table with two chairs, and sat down in one. She gestured towards the other, and Jia sat opposite her.
It took a moment for Jia to realize something was out of place. "Where is the wine?" Jia asked teasingly, folding his arms across his chest.
"It will be here shortly," she assured him, almost as if she didn't notice his tone.
"Alright then. So, what did you need? Is there a problem with the students?" he asked, moving on.
"No, this is a more-" she stopped herself, searching for the right words. "Personal issue?" she questioned, and Jia's interest was piqued.
"I see, how so?" he asked, preparing to be as delicate as he could.
"Dorothea likes you." Byleth suddenly started, catching him by surprise. "Do you like her?" she asked her question. Jia was silent for a moment. It had been a while since anyone had broached the topic, and honestly; he thought they were past it.
"I'm going to have to ask how that is relevant to your issue?" Jia questioned, ignoring the topic of the songstress. Byleth was silent once more, though she didn't look in thought this time.
"I..." Byleth started, quickly trailing off. Whatever she wanted to ask, it must be something difficult for her to broach. Suddenly, she stiffened, and something changed behind her eyes. "There is a student, I feel something for them," she stated calmly, and Jia let her words sink in.
"And?" he asked simply, not seeing an issue yet.
"I thought, if you like Dorothea in the same way. Maybe you can help me act professional around them?" she asked, laying out her desires.
Jia couldn't contain the chuckle that reached him, placing a hand to his mouth to stifle it. Byleth at least looked unfazed. "You are mistaken." Jia began, now composed. "My situation is more than a little different to your own," he explained.
It was then, that a woman wearing the same outfit as those who worked in the kitchen appeared. She placed a tray of sweet looking pastries on the table between them, as well as a teapot, cup, bottle of wine, and a glass. After saying farewell, she left the two of them to their business.
"How so?" Byleth asked as if they were not just interrupted.
"As I've said many times before; once my homeland calls me home, that's it for my ties here," he explained more bluntly than usual. Of course, there was another more dire reasoning, but only the more informed of those back home knew of it. "In contrast, you can stay with your-" he stopped to think for a moment. "Let's say crush. You can stay with them forever, if you so desire," he finished, allowing himself to grab the bottle of wine left for them.
"I'm her teacher," Byleth reminded him.
"Her?" Jia thought; that certainly narrowed things down. "Irrelevant, you are not much older than the students themselves, an oversight of Rhea's really," he began, before shaking his head. This wasn't the time to criticize anyone's actions. "Besides, bonds are certain to form when you're constantly fighting for your lives by their side," he finished, punctuating his point with the pop of the wine bottle's cork.
"It still seems improper," she responded, grabbing a sticky bun covered in icing.
Jia poured himself half a glass of wine with practised ease, spilling not a drop. "If you wanted someone to dissuade you from this, you chose the wrong companion," Jia said with a chuckle. Byleth arched a brow in question. "Life is far too short to deny yourself such simple pleasures, if she wants you in the same way." He paused to take a sip of his wine, it being sweeter than that he shared with Jeralt, and with just a hint of citrus to its taste. "Then pursue her," he finished.
Byleth stared at the bun in her hand neutrally, seeming to contemplate his words. "Then, how should I broach the subject?" she asked, taking a large bite from the sticky treat.
Jia took another, longer sip of his wine, trying to buy a little time. "How would you normally?" he asked, playing it safe.
Byleth did not need to pause and think. "I am unsure, it is not something I've ever had to do," she confessed easily, and Jia feared that might be the case.
"I see. Perhaps I could be of more help if I knew the identity of this mystery woman?" he probed, hoping to gain a little more insight into the situation.
"Oh-ho, that won't do." A third voice joined the conversation, and Jia lightly chastised himself for forgetting. "There's no need to divulge too much," she almost sang, and Byleth stared off to the side. Maybe the voice does have a form, and he simply cannot perceive it? It mattered not, his goal of finding the identity seemed thwarted for the moment.
However, an earlier encounter reminded him of an avenue that may still be available to him. "How about this; a secret for a secret?" he asked, struggling to mask a smirk. Byleth raised a brow, yet remained silent.
"It's probably a trick," the voice spoke in a hushed tone, though not enough to escape his notice. Honestly, not the most absurd assumption, but Jia would not have been so apparent if deception was his method of choice. He did after all have a strong suspicion of who it was, a better tactic would have been to simply name the suspect, and attempt to see through Byleth's poker-face, however he feared even he may not be able to read it.
"Allow me to ease your suspicions then, I'll speak my secret first. If it's not to your liking, you may keep your own," he offered, a more than generous deal in his mind.
The voice did not speak this time, as Byleth had made up her mind with a nod. "Agreed," she said, looking at him expectantly. A smile spread across his face, and he placed the remainder of his wine back on the table. He already decided what he would tell her, and while the beginnings of a pit formed in his stomach; he powered on nonetheless.
"This stays strictly between us," he instructed her, and she nodded in understanding. A beat passed, and Jia took a deep calming breath. "I'll put this simply; I'm sick," he stated, choosing to close his eyes, not wishing to see a look of pity right now.
"Sick how?" she asked, and when Jia chanced to open his eyes, he saw only Byleth's usual neutral expression.
"My homeland does not have a name for it," he began, wondering how much to actually divulge. "My lungs are not as strong as most, and extremes in temperature make it impossible to mask," he explained, choosing to only divulge the most alarming of effects.
"It is difficult all the time?" she asked, her face still as stone.
"I find it hard to believe," the other added, and Jia chuckled, any hints of hesitancy dissolving swiftly.
"I may not have taught this lesson yet, but masking one's true status is second nature to a strategist; where you are weak, appear strong," he recited the well-known adage.
"Is there a cure?" Byleth pressed, and Jia simply shrugged.
"Not that I know of," he answered honestly.
"Then there is a chance to remedy this," she said with surprising resolve, and Jia could have sworn he saw a fire spark to life behind her eyes.
"There are better ways to spend my time, limited as it may be," he attempted to stifle her hopes, which had little effect. "Now, I believe you owe me a secret in turn?" he asked, ready to move on from the usually dour topic.
A look of realization spread across her face, and she looked down to the table. The first time she looked anything close to embarrassed, at least around the strategist. "Edelgard." She spoke the name quickly, and quietly. Jia almost missed the confession entirely.
"In which case, I have some advice for you," he began, and Byleth hung on every word...
A few days later, and Magoichi was tasked with teaching the Golden Deer, what with Manuela still recuperating from her wounds. Unfortunately, he didn't know a thing about magic. This shouldn't have been an issue, but that was the main focus of Manuela's lesson plans. So, Magoichi did what he thought best. He put those plans on hold, and instead shifted their focus onto improving their marksmanship.
To that end, he stood to the side of the training grounds. Every one of his students stood twenty meters from a target, training bow in hand. Their degrees of success varied widely, Ignatz and Claude the only two hitting consistent bullseyes. Still, Magoichi knew well the key to improvement in such areas was repetition.
The monotony of aiming, firing, and retrieving arrows was soon broken up by the arrival of the Ashen Wolves. Strangely, Jia seemed to be nowhere in sight. Magoichi simply watched them, and all they seemed to do was assemble in the corner. It was an odd sight indeed, and the Golden Deer seemed to agree. "Hey teach, what do you think is up with them?" Claude questioned, and Magoichi had no response.
Instructing the Deer to continue their practice, Magoichi approached the newly Arrived Wolves. They silenced themselves once he was in earshot, not doing much to quell his curiosity. "Need something?" Yuri asked, taking a step closer to him. Magoichi made a point of looking around the immediate vicinity.
"Jia's not with you?" he asked, earning a shake of the head.
"He's not feeling too well today, so we're practising on our own instead!" Balthus added. Magoichi frowned at that, and thanked the group before leaving them to their training, if you could call it that.
"Hey, you all finish up when you're satisfied. I've got an errand to run," Magoichi announced. The thud of arrows connecting with their targets promptly ceased, and the students were quick to begin gossiping. Magoichi waved it away, they're only young after all. He left them to themselves, intent on checking in with his friend.
Magoichi made his way to Jia's room, and happened to bump into Flayn on her way out. "Oh, hello professor!" she greeted cheerfully, prompting him to smile.
"Hey Flayn, how's Jia doing?" he asked.
"Fairly well, we just finished off some tea and cakes. There may be some left if you're interested," she informed him, before offering a wave and leaving.
He watched her retreat. "That doesn't quite add up," he thought silently, before knocking on the door. Footsteps could be heard from within, before the door opened.
"Forget something Flayn?" Jia asked, before realizing his mistake. "Oh, Mago'. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, stepping aside to allow his friend in.
Magoichi entered the room, and gave it a quick once over. Nothing inside indicated Jia was in poor health, and Flayn's statement proved to be true also, as a tray was currently resting on a stool in the centre of the room. "I heard you were ill," he said to the point. Jia's shoulder stiffened, and he took a quick calming breath.
"Now where did you hear that?" he asked gently, a playful grin finding its way to his face.
"Those Ashen Wolves, said you were too ill to help them train," Magoichi answered. Jia held back the urge to allow a sigh of relief, his recent conversation with Byleth still had him on edge it would seem.
"Right, I suppose I did use that little lie," he commented off hand.
"Not working out as well as you'd hoped then?" Magoichi asked knowingly. If Jia didn't know any better, he'd assume his friend was taunting him.
"Being part of my opposition, I shouldn't answer that you know." Jia teased, earning a chuckle from Magoichi.
"It's only a mock battle, not like you to take things so serious," he responded.
"We may not get on, but I still owe it to them to get a win. Their future will be brighter if I can assure it," Jia explained. Magoichi nodded in understanding.
"Fine, fine. Just don't stress too much over it," he cautioned, making to leave.
"It's like you don't know me." Jia responded, escorting his friend back to the door. The pair exchanged friendly farewells, and Magoichi departed. Once his friend was truly gone, Jia allowed himself a smile. Seeds of tension were beginning to be sown, and the Ashen Wolves thus far played their parts well.
Gronder Field, the battleground chosen for the students to show just how much they've improved. This year it would also serve as the battleground between Jeralt and Guo Jia. Jia could truly appreciate why such a location was chosen, the amount of terrain versatility alone was quite interesting. The additional feature of a Ballista mounted on the centre only made things even more interesting, and would no doubt prove to be an enticing target for budding strategists. Of course, such a weapon would not be of much use to his current forces, and he already had an urge to set a trap upon the weapon.
"Quite the sight from up here," Jeralt said, his commanding voice causing Jia to flinch ever so slightly.
"Indeed, if only all battlefields were so easily observed," Jia responded, a smile finding its way to his lips. Truthfully, it had been some time since he looked forward to a battle.
"Did Rhea not tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Jia asked in return, turning to look Jeralt in the eye.
Jeralt let out a sigh. "Come on, it would be best if you heard it from her," he said, walking away to rejoin Rhea and her attendants.
It did not take long to find Rhea, and it was easy to approach her with Jeralt leading the way. Jia offered a quick bow as Jeralt began to speak.
"Lady Rhea, it would seem Jia here has not been informed of your changes," he explained, and Jia did not fail to notice his posture straightened as he spoke.
"I see, then allow me to brief you," she began, her gaze focused on Jia. "The conditions for your conflict have changed, instead of fighting until one-side is unable to continue; a more tactical goal has been decided upon," she explained. Jia raised a questioning brow, but otherwise kept silent. "There are three keeps nearby, whoever has the most under their command at the end of half an hour shall be declared the victor," she finished, looking at Jia expectantly.
"That's quite an unreasonable change to make, I've been studying the layout of Gronder Field specifically," he began, forcing a frown. In truth, this kind of battle would play to his strengths. Rhea likely knew that, but to not put up a fight would tip-off Jeralt.
"Be that as it may, that is the decision that had been made," she stated, flashing a sweet smile that reminded Jia of Flayn. "I'm certain your strategical talent will see you through these changes," she assured, gesturing for a nearby attendant to approach. Said attendant stepped forward, holding a neatly wrapped scroll. "Here is a map of the new battlefield, so you won't be completely blind," she explained, and Jia received the map from the attendant.
Jia made a show of being irritated, almost storming away from her. He made his way to the Ashen Wolves, and was quick to explain the situation.
"And yet, you almost look pleased," Yuri noted, allowing a smirk.
"Of course, we now simply need to hold two keeps in order to win," Jia replied, gesturing for the students to follow him. They entered a make-shift command tent, and Jia unveiled the map for all to see. The terrain seemed to be mainly forest, and grassland. "Hmm, we have a manoeuvrability advantage in Constance," he noted, before touching each of the marked forts. One lay in each designated deployment zone, whilst the third was more or less in the centre of the battlefield.
"So, what's the plan?" Balthus asked, beginning to bounce on his heels in his excitement for the coming fight.
"Simple, we'll appear weak where we're strong, and strong where we're weak," Jia revealed with glee. His team-mates looked confused, but he was all to willing to clue them in.
Everyone knew their roles, and as long as they followed his orders even loosely they could not fail...
