Sunlight broke through the canopy of trees as the sun slowly climbed its way to its zenith in the sky. The air was crisp, and the forest hummed with life, birds and insects joining together in a cacophony of tweets and buzzes. The path cutting through the woods was well maintained, the dirt trail devoid of any potholes or crevices. It was here that Claude found himself, as he slowly made his way back to the monastery. Of course, he wasn't returning alone. His company was far more than when he had originally set out. For walking with the students were the entirety of Jeralt's mercenary band, the legendary warrior included.

"I can't believe we were able to cross paths again! Truly is was the goddesses' divine will that you would once again be brought to the church of Seiros! We can finally fight together again, captain and squire, just like old times!" The speaker's bright attitude was only outmatched by the shine of his armor.

"Alois," Jeralt sighed. "For the last time, I am not a captain. Even if I were to be reinstated, I don't think you would be working under me."

Claude had heard stories of the Captain Jeralt, almost everyone at the Officer's Academy had. Upon meeting the man however, Claude had finally realized why he garnered so much respect. Jeralt for all his fame and expertise was a modest man. Alois had regaled the group with stories of Jeralt exploits throughout the trip. However, no matter how difficult the mission or how brilliant his plans were, Jeralt always played down his role.

"I could have done better" and "there is always room for improvement" were his common excuses when asked about his numerous feats. Quite frankly, Claude hadn't seen the man brag once, even when speaking about his more impressive exploits. It was a humbling experience, knowing that a man once known as the captain of the Knights of Seiros, the legendary Blade Breaker, considered himself only human. Under most circumstances, Claude would have loved to chat with the knight of legend, learning what he could from such a great man. However, there was a more interesting individual among the group.

Byleth, the mercenary that had released them from their binds and lead them into battle. Being in the back lines and providing support certainly had its advantages. Chiefly among them was being able to watch the man single handedly dismantle the majority of the bandit group with ease. He had of course been wary when the man had said he would lead the charge. Claude had chalked it up then to bravado or perhaps a misguided passion for battle. However, he was soon proven wrong as Byleth took to the field. The mercenary had devastated each of his opponents within seconds, without hesitation. Claude swore the man hadn't even broken stride. It was then and there that Claude realized that he wanted, no needed Byleth's strength for the Alliance.

To his dismay, his fellow companions had quickly come to the same conclusion.

"How do you feel about pledging your loyalty to the Kingdom of Faerghus?" Dimitri asked from beside Byleth. "As the prince, I can guarantee you'll have everything you could want. In fact-" His sentence was cut short as another voice joined.

"That's enough, Dimitri," The princess declared from Byleth's other side. "Do you mean to take him away from his group of mercenaries and his own father?" At Dimitri's stuttering denials, Edelgard continued. "The Empire would be more than happy to hire your entire band of mercenaries and offer room and board when you are not on any assignments."

Claude could only laugh to himself at how obvious their attempts were. He supposed that it was to be expected from royalty. Their vision was so narrow, trying to get their hands on Byleth with promises of food and shelter, or fulfilling his desires. A man was more than base needs and wants. They held dreams and aspirations that shaped and formed who they were. Without knowing that, their efforts to recruit him would be pointless. As if to confirm his thoughts, Byleth had not so much as batted an eye at either of their offers.

"Come on you two, stop pestering the man." Claude said catching the three's attention. "You've barely known him for a day and you're already trying to jump down his throat." Edelgard and Dimitri started, having the decency to look a little ashamed about their behavior. Claude smile widened. "Though I wouldn't mind inviting you to the Alliance." He sent Byleth a wink with a lazy smile. Claude had expected a small smirk or even nod of thanks, but Byleth did neither. His eyes locked onto Claude's and after examining him for a few seconds, Byleth finally sighed.

"I appreciate your offers, but my father is the one you should speak with for all contracts regarding our mercenary group." Both Dimitri and Edelgard gave a sigh of their own before changing topics but Claude's eyes narrowed. The rejection Byleth had given was carefully neutral. He hadn't shown any favoritism whatsoever, which is what confused Claude. Usual he could pick out those types of things with ease, but Byleth was turning out to be a puzzle he couldn't solve. He allowed another smile to grace his features. This was certainly turning out to be more entertaining than he first thought. Perhaps he would watch the man for a little while longer.

-Ω-

The Hall of the Archbishop was a sight to behold. Expensive chandeliers hung from chains filling the space with light. Even higher than the chandeliers, ornate stained-glass windows filtered in the sunlight from outside mixing their colorful bounty with the tiles below creating a serene spectacle. Thick pillars lined the sides leading up to a lavish throne meant for the Archbishop. The effect was rather ruined however by the argument happening before him.

"Please Lady Rhea, I beg you to reconsider." A green haired individual was pleading, the stress clear on his face. The man shot a look back easily meeting Byleth's eyes, deep green boring into his own azure. His smooth facial features were marred with a sharp frown. Clearly, the man didn't want him to become a teacher, not that Byleth could argue the point. The man turned back to the resplendent woman before him. "The decision seems exceedingly rash. Pray, take a few minutes to reconsider."

"Enough Seteth, my decision will be final." The melodious voice of Rhea responded, echoing throughout the chamber. It was amazing that such a calm voice could hold so much conviction. Once it was clear Seteth wouldn't continue, she spoke again. "I understand your concern, truly I do. Yet, I feel as though the goddess herself is influencing my actions." Rhea looked to Byleth a gentle smile on her lips. "He is not only the son of a long-lost lamb, but the shepherd who brought three of our flock home. Surely, this must be a message from the divine herself." Her point made, Seteth could only deflate, grudgingly accepting his leader's choice.

"Very well, I will leave this in your capable hands my lady." With a final bow, the man turned and left, not without send Byleth one last look. Byleth watched him leave, keeping his face carefully blank. He understood Seteth's points, and quite frankly he agreed with the man. When he had heard of the decision to make him a teacher, Byleth had several questions himself. Having been a mercenary all his life, he had more than a few doubts about stepping into the roles as a teacher.

"I am sorry you had to witness such an ungraceful spectacle," the musical voice of archbishop brought Byleth's attention back to the present. "He is the cautious type and worries far too much. Pray, forgive him his brashness. I believe he will come to understand your abilities in time." A small smile graced the woman's lips and her seafoam hair came down in tress, framing her face. A decorative head piece sat upon her head, along with a flower sticking out from between her light green locks. Honestly, the entire ensemble looked ridiculous, and yet somehow it only enhanced Lady Rhea's beauty. Byleth forced himself to concentrate. There were far more pressing matters.

"Perhaps if I am causing dissonance among the staff it would be best for me to refuse the position?" Byleth asked plainly. "I could always join the knights of Serios like my father." It had been his original plan after all. Unsurprisingly, Rhea only shook her head.

"I have faith in Jeralt, and his skills in raising you." She replied clasping her hands in a show of prayer. "and I have faith in my skills to perceive a person. But most of all, I have faith in you, my dear Byleth. Please trust in your heart to make the decision." The quote faith is blind, quickly came to his mind, but he quickly tossed it away. Byleth was certain that such a phrase would only anger the Archbishop.

"Be careful," Jeralt had pulled him to the side earlier. "I don't know her intentions for making you a professor, but you must keep your head low. There were reasons I left the Knights and the church." Jeralt had quickly looked around for any listening ears before continuing. "Lady Rhea is an incredibly powerful person within Fódlan, and it would not be wise to anger her. Do as I have taught you and observe everything you can. From there take the best course of action." The conversation in mind, Byleth responded.

"Very well, I thank you for the opportunity you have blessed me with." He bowed low. "I hope I do not disappoint." He rose from his position and saw an overjoyed smile on the archbishop.

"I have no doubts that you will succeed." Rhea responded before a frown overtook her features. "I apologize but I must depart. Please meet with the other professors and discuss with them your responsibilities moving forward." With that she gave a small nod and departed leaving Byleth alone to stew in his thoughts.

-Ω-

"I certainly wasn't expecting someone so… young," the comment came from the female teacher observing him with brown eyes and a small frown on her face. It was clear that 'young' was not the first adjective that had come to mind. Byleth internally sighed. He had briefly hoped that his fellow professors were more open minded, but that had turned out to be a pipe dream. The other teacher, an older man with greying hair, tilted his head up and down as if examining a specimen. There was an awkward pause as neither party seemed eager to continue the conversation.

"My name is Byleth, I hope to work well with both of you," the introduction was followed by a half bow of sorts. Jeralt had once told him that his social skills, while not horrible, certainly left something to be desired. As a mercenary, Byleth had never seen the need to work on them seeing as his father took the lead on all negotiations. However, this was a different situation altogether. It would be wise to at least make an attempt at creating cordial relationships with his co-workers. Thankfully his greeting seemed to shake the other members from their stupor.

"Yes of course, I am Hanneman," grey eyes met azure with a slight nod. "I may be a professor at this academy, but I consider myself a crest scholar first and foremost."

"And, I am Manuela." The woman gave a small bow of her own. "I am a professor, a physician, a songstress and available." The end came out as purr which seemed to disgruntle the man beside her.

"Really Manuela?" The gentleman scolded adjusting his glasses. "Not three minutes in and you're already allowing your baser instincts to guide you?"

"It was a joke Hanneman, goddess forbid I attempt to lighten the mood with how dour you are."

"Excuse me! I'll have you know-!" Byleth was then treated to the sight of his fellow professors dropping into an excessive argument. He could slowly feel the dread sinking into his stomach. Byleth supposed Lady Rhea had made a fair point. Compared to these two, he might make a half decent teacher. The argument was quieted as Byleth audibly cleared his throat snapping the professors out of their dispute.

"Excuse us, that was rather unsightly," Hanneman apologized coughing slightly into his fist. "I believe we still need to discuss which house we wish to guide for the year. I assume you have been briefed on the situation, correct?" Byleth nodded. Jeralt had taken the time to fill him in on the tradition of the Officer's academy. He, along with other professors, would need to decide on which one of the three houses to lead for the year. The three choices were the Black Eagles for the Adrestian Empire, the Blue Lions for the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Golden Deer for the Leicester Alliance.

"Usually we would have several discussions on who is suited for teaching which house," Manuela added. "We had such discussion with your predecessor and chose the appropriate houses for each of us. We would love to open up the topic again, however with the school year beginning tomorrow, we are rather short on time." Byleth could only nod. He supposed it couldn't be helped. They had probably already written up lesson plans and made preparations for their respective classes. He would have to make do.

"What class am I in charge of then?" He asked mentally running though the three houses leader he had met earlier.

First was the blonde-haired prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Dimitri. He had a solid build, easily discernable underneath his armor and was quite deadly with a spear if memory served. His pale blue eyes shone with sincerity and he very polite in the conversations on the way to the monastery. He was honestly quite easy to read, but only on the surface. There was something deeper, something dark which he hesitated to uncover.

Then there was the grandson to Duke Riegan, current head of the Alliance, Claude. Green eyes, with a mess of brown hair along with a face that would melt a lady's insides. He was easy going and relaxed and seemed to plaster a smile on his face for the world to see. But Byleth's sharp eyes were not fooled by the façade. His eyes never showed such a pleasant emotion and, the ferocity in them as he mowed down his targets was truly a sight to behold. His mind also seemed to be continuously active. However, whatever the boy was planning was lost even to Byleth.

Lastly was the lilac-eyed princess of the Empire, Edelgard. With shimmering white locks reaching the small of her back and a petite figure to match, Byleth could honestly say she was beautiful. Her manners were also clearly refined, unlike many a noble he had the displeasure of working with. Her battle technique with an axe was surprising, especially considering her small build, but she held a passion and drive that was beyond him. Yet when she gazed at him, Byleth felt that she did not see him as an equal, but merely as a pawn on the board. It was unnerving to say the least.

Quite honestly if Byleth had met any of these students on opposite sides of the battlefield, he would have shown them no mercy. Even young, they were each powerful individuals in their own right and that fact was clear in his eyes. All three would group up to change the world, of this he had no doubts.

"The Black Eagles," Hanneman voice broke through the fog in his mind, bringing him back the conversation at hand. "I was given charge of the Blue Lions, and Manuela was placed in charge of the Golden Deer. I hope you have no arguments?" Byleth shook his head. He would have been fine with any of the classes. He would adapt like he always did.

"Well now that we have settled things, I believe we should go meet our classes." Manuela suggested, clapping her hands together. "We kept who would teach which class a secret from the students and I am sure they practically bursting with excitement by now."

"The students should be in their classrooms right now." Hanneman said, checking his watch. "It is customary that the students clean their assigned room a day before classes begin. Now would be a great time to introduce yourself."

Thus, following Hanneman and Manuela, Byleth slowly made his way to the classroom of the Black Eagles. The doors were shut allowing him a moment to mentally prepare himself. First impressions were the most important after all. He needed to do this right. Taking a deep breath, he swung open the door only to be met with chaos.

The room was a mess, several desks overturned with papers and quills littering the ground. The corners were full of webs, while a layer of dust stuck to many a surface throughout the room. Sections of the floor were still dirty while others were slick due to excess water. Muck stuck to several windows dimming the light in the room. However, the worst was by far the racket. His greeting died on his lips, at the utter cacophony of noise erupting throughout the room.

"Linhardt!" A blue haired boy with a short stature was bellowing at another green haired one, the latter seated in a chair head resting against one of the still standing desks. "Get up and help clean! This needs to be done by the end of today!"

"You have more than enough energy for both of us." The boy, now identified as Linhardt, responded with a yawn. He tiredly rubbed his dark blue eyes before continuing, "I'll leave my share to you Caspar. Thanks for your hard work." Before Byleth could fully comprehend what was happening a scream tore through the air. A tall and rather ominous looking student was standing before a cowering small purple haired girl.

"Please don't kill me!" The girl shrieked covering her head as trembled. "I'm sorry for whatever I did Hubert, so please show me mercy! I'm sorry!"

"No, I just need you to move aside so I can clean-" The boy in question was holding what appeared to be a duster and was clearly trying to reach some the cobwebs, but the girl would have none of it.

"Oh dear goddess Bernie, why did you have to cross the meanest looking student?! He going to toss your body under a bridge, and no one will hear from you again!" Assured that no real threat lay with the two, Byleth's eyes panned across the room landing on two girls. One had sun-kissed skin and purple marks adorning her face with purple hair tied in a ponytail. The other had brown tresses spilling down her shoulders and a black cap sat upon her head. The former was holding a mop, clearly tasked with cleaning the floor while the other stood a few steps away with her arms crossed over her ample chest.

"The man was being rather insistent too!" The brown-haired girl laughed. "So I told him to meet me at the café at noon, but I totally stood him up!" The elicited a fit of giggles from the girl while the other only tilted her head in confusion.

"Dorothea, am I right in understanding that you helped the man stand?" The purple-haired girl asked. "Is that considered to be humorous in this part of Fódlan?" The laugher stopped as Dorothea eyes widened in realization.

"No…I apologize Petra. It's a phrase that means-"

"Today is the day I defeat you!" Once more did Byleth's vision shift, this time landing on an orange haired boy and Edelgard. The boy seemed to be making some sort of speech. "I will clean more items in this room more quickly and thoroughly than you ever could. Thus, people will recognize my greatness and I will rise to take the throne!"

"This is ridiculous! What does cleaning a classroom have to do with leading a country?!" The annoyed princess snapped back with a glare. "Ferdinand, I swear if you weren't a member of this class I would-!"

The remainder of the conversation was lost as Byleth covered his face with his hands. He was expected to teach these kids? He would rather fight a group of bandits with one of his arm's tied behind his back. Maybe both… Perhaps he still had time to run back to Rhea and call off the whole thing.

He quickly shook his head, dissipating such negative thoughts. He would treat this like any other mission. He would be the teacher of the Black Eagles… or die trying. Resolution made, Byleth brought two fingers up to his lips and sent a shrill whistle into the classroom.

-Ω-

Edelgard covered her ears as an ear-piercing noise echoed throughout the room. Her eyes, along with the rest of the classes snapped to the entrance where a solitary figure stood. Edelgard was about to yell at the person before realizing who they were. The mercenary from earlier, Byleth, stood in the doorway looking over the room.

"That hurt you dastard!" Caspar cried removing his hands from his ears and clenching his fist. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am the newest professor and your professor." Byleth responded without missing a beat. "Lady Rhea has granted me the privilege of overseeing your growth for the year. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The introduction left the entire room silent as realization dawned on them all. Caspar, most of all, was severely regretting his recent choice of words. Edelgard's eyes quickly darted around the room taking into account the state of it. It looked like someone had used wind magic and thrown everything into disarray. She winced realizing she had gotten too caught up in her argument to notice.

This was a complete and utter embarrassment. She couldn't even imagine what their newest professor thought about the class. About her ability to lead them. She had wanted to make a good standing for herself, to show that she was responsible and worthy of his trust. This had almost certainly dropped his opinion of her to rock bottom. Cheek flushed with shame, she quickly looked back to Byleth, excuses ready when he sighed.

"I was going to start off with introductions, but I suppose that can wait until we clean up this mess." Without another word he strode forward and bent down righting a desk from its fallen state. The class stare in disbelief as Byleth slowly started to clean, kneeling down to pick up a group of displaced parchment.

"Y-you're going to help us?" Bernadetta's quivering voice asked from the corner of the room.

"Of course," Byleth replied "From the looks of it, there is a lot to be done, and the job will go faster if we all work together."

"Forgive me professor, but cleaning the room is the job of the students," Ferdinand pointed out. "The teacher's job is to well…teach." The professor straightened up, discarding the pile of parchment on the desk.

"A teacher's job is the guide their students," Byleth corrected, moving to right another fallen table. "And I find the best type of guidance is given through example not mere verbal instruction." He once again rose looking at the class as he did so. A few moments of silent passed as his words settled into the students' minds. It was finally broken as Byleth spoke again. "So… I am going to need all your help, or this is going to take all day."

Like flipping a switch the students all scattered quickly picking up tasks and cleaning the room. Only Edelgard stood still, staring wide eyed. He had gotten the entire room to follow his direction at a single command. Even Linhardt and Bernadetta were working without problem or complaint. This is what she wanted to become. A leader that could inspire people to action in even the most tired of soldiers.

"Miss Hresvelg?" Byleth's voice brought her back to awareness. He stood before her an undetectable look in his eyes. "You are the house leader of the Black Eagles, correct?"

"Yes Professor." Edelgard stuttered out, mentally preparing herself for the tongue lashing she was sure to get. If she had been more attentive, he wouldn't have to be helping clean up their mess.

"I believe leaders lead by example as well," To her surprise, he held out a sponge. "Could I trouble you to get the windows?" Edelgard blankly nodded taking the proffered cleaning tool. With a nod of his own Byleth turned and proceeded elsewhere. Edelgard's blank look soon transformed into a small smile. This was certainly shaping up to be an interesting year.

-Ω-

Give a favorite, follow or review if you enjoyed it. As a nod to my first play through, Byleth will be managing the Black Eagles. I have a lot planned for them, so hopefully you all enjoy it

If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a review or send me a private message. I will answer them as soon as I can.