"Just how much mud…?" Byleth muttered to herself, pointedly ignoring her father's growing grin. She'd been combing dirt and mud from her hair for what felt like hours now, the result of her attempt to help free their cart from a particularly deep rut in the road. Still, regardless of how many times she ran her fingers through her hair, it never felt like she was making any amount of progress. After a few more attempts to rid herself of the grime, she sighed in defeat, deciding to just wait until they reached Remire so she could properly bathe.

"I swear, it's like you tried to bring the whole puddle with you," Jeralt chuckled, giving her a wry grin before returning his attention to the road.

Under other circumstances, Byleth would have tried to retaliate and turn the teasing back on her father. As it was, the trek from Lord Arundel's territory had been thoroughly draining, so she just shook her head, making sure no mud had collected in the seams of her armor. After a moment, the man looked back towards her and smiled, chuckling again. Byleth raised an eyebrow at the action. "What now?"

Jeralt shook his head. "Nothing. Just— Do you remember a couple years back when I took a long job up in the Alliance? You and Nigel handled business down here while I was gone."

"I remember. I think we only had one job the whole time." She had been more than a little bitter that her father had made her stay behind, but he had always been protective of her. In the end, she figured that had been his reasoning.

"Something like that," her father replied, getting a far-off look in his eye for a brief second. "Anyway, there was a girl I took on as an apprentice for a bit there. She always had a knack for getting dirty."

Byleth tilted her head curiously as she watched her father reminisce. "You never told me you had an apprentice." She grinned slightly before continuing. I don't need to be worried, do I? Don't tell me this is how I find out I have a sister."

"No, no, no. Nothing like that." Jeralt and Byleth shared a laugh together, falling into a comfortable silence as they exited the tree line just outside their destination. As they passed the watchtower on the small rise outside of town, they could see a familiar figure waving them down from the gate. "Looks like Nigel's been waiting for us."

"Ho, Jeralt!" the man called out as they pulled up to the gate of Remire village. Jeralt guided the cart to a stop just outside. "Road wasn't too bad, I take it? You two made it a lot faster than we thought you would."

Not wanting to wait much longer, Byleth patted her father's knee before climbing down from the cart. She gestured towards the inn to let him know where she would be, and he nodded in reply, letting Nigel take her seat before heading off further into town. After watching the cart for a moment, she turned and trudged her way through the open gate.

The inn had been built just inside the village wall near the gate, making it easily noticeable and accessible by travelers making their way from one side of the empire to the other. Since Byleth and Jeralt had stayed here so often when traveling from job to job, the inn had become the closest thing they had to a true home. The room they stayed in was essentially a permanent rental under Jeralt's name. Even the residents of Remire village considered them as part of the community, often trading food and supplies for their travels in return for helping with various tasks.

Byleth scraped the last bits of mud from her boots on the cleaner just outside the inn door before entering the building. Her arrival caught the attention of the brunette sitting behind the front counter, who looked up and offered her a warm smile. "Welcome back! You look tired."

"I feel it, Sophia," she chuckled softly, crossing the small entry area to lean on the counter. "Any chance I can trouble you for one of the well buckets?"

Sophia giggled softly, apparently noticing the leftover dirt on Byleth's face and armor. "I think I could do that." The girl quickly ducked into the small closet beneath the stairs, pulling out a simple wooden bucket with a metal handle. She dropped a small block into it before handing it to the mercenary, causing her to raise an eyebrow as she looked at the item. "It's a soap made with lavender. A trader from the capital was selling it for cheap just yesterday."

Lifting the small bar, Byleth could easily recognize the scent of lavender even through the wrapping. She gave the girl a grateful smile as she pocketed the soap. "You're too kind. That just made today a whole lot better. "

The girl beamed at the praise for a moment before she seemed to remember something. "Oh! That reminds me…" she reached under the counter and pulled out a neatly folded shirt, one that was far too big for Byleth. "Mom wanted to give this to your father for helping with the wood last moon."

A wry grin spread across both girls' faces, starting with Byleth. Sophia's mom, Charlotte, had been vying for Jeralt's affection for quite some time now. She wasn't the only lady in the village that had her eye on Byleth's father, but she was certainly one of the most persistent. He had always tried to be as polite as possible when rejecting her advances, though that only ever seemed to encourage her to try harder.

Byleth tried her best to hide a giggle as she set the shirt gently over the bucket. "I'll be sure to let him know. Think I should remind him of her standing offer to make him dinner as well?"

"Oh, of course!" Sophia laughed in reply. "She's still a little upset he hasn't already taken her up on that. Though I have a feeling you and I wouldn't be invited."

Giggles echoed through the small entryway for a few moments before the girls did their best to compose themselves. "I should probably go wash up," Byleth eventually said, still grinning broadly along with her friend. "We've got an early day tomorrow."

"Try not to be gone too long this time"

"I'll try. All I know is we're heading up to the kingdom somewhere, so it may be a while."

"Well then I guess I'll just see you once you're back." Sophia offered a brief hug across the counter, one which Byleth readily accepted before turning to head upstairs to her room.

As soon as she entered the room, Byleth worked free the clasps near her neck, allowing her pauldrons and cloak to fall free. She rolled her shoulders briefly before spreading out the cloak on the wooden floor. Her sword belt came away next, which she hung on a hook by the door before getting to work on her arm and leg guards. Once she was free of the majority of her armor, she set the clean pieces aside and bundled the dirtier articles in her cloak. She retrieved a simple shirt and pair of trousers from the drawers near her bed and stuffed them haphazardly into the bucket along with an old towel; Jeralt's new shirt she placed neatly on his bed. After tucking the cloak-wrapped bundle under one arm, she picked up the bucket and exited the room.

The sun was nearing the horizon as Byleth walked out of the inn and made her way to the pond in the woods just outside the village. It was a quiet spot, with the trees dampening any noise from the road or fields nearby. A wide patch of reeds along the edge made a perfect place for her to bathe out of sight, a precaution she took even though she was fairly certain no one else came out here. Once she was out of sight in her usual bathing spot, she pulled her clothes and towel out of the bucket and hung them on a nearby plant to keep dry.

Next came the rest of her armor. The boots were simple enough to remove, only requiring a little force since they were a tight fit. Her chestplate took a little more work. A mix of overlapping steel plates fitted over a corset of sorts made of wyvern leather, it was surprisingly comfortable to wear. Since the armor's design did so little to restrict her mobility, Byleth would often opt to wear it instead of more common clothes. The only real downside was that the form-fitting nature of the armor made its removal a bit more of a process. After a couple of seconds Byleth pulled the armor piece up over her head and set it aside with the rest, ready to get to work cleaning off the last of the mud. The cleaning process only took a few minutes, leaving her with more than enough sunlight to enjoy her time bathing.

The soap Sophia had given her smelled divine, the scent of lavender becoming even more prominent as Byleth lathered herself with it. Soaps and perfumes were something she rarely gave much thought to, given how little use she had for such things. Lavender was an exception. She indulged herself a little as she bathed, using far more of the soap than she normally would. It wasn't until she figured she was cleaner than she ever had been, or ever would be again, that she finally climbed out of the pond to dry off and get dressed.

Jeralt had returned to their room by the time Byleth got back, already out of his armor and dressed for bed. "Hey, you're back." He held up the shirt Charlotte had made for him. "Do you know where this came from? I don't remember having a shirt like this."

Byleth bit her lip to hide a grin as she unrolled her cloak, laying her armor out to finish drying. "It's from Charlotte. Sophia said it was to thank you for cutting wood for them a bit ago." As her father's expression shifted a little, she added. "She also wondered if you'd forgotten about her dinner offer."

The man's cheeks turned a fantastic shade of scarlet, and Byleth made a choking sound as she barely stopped herself from bursting into laughter. Embarrassment was such a rare emotion for Jeralt to show; seeing it to this extent was a most welcome surprise. "I-I probably should… take her up on that one of these days," he admitted slowly, refolding the shirt and setting it on her dresser. "Maybe after we get back from the kingdom."

The fit of giggles Byleth had finally let out faded quickly at the mention of their next job. "I was meaning to ask about that, since you said we'd be pretty far north: We're not going to the Gautier territory, are we?"

"No, not quite that far. Duke Fraldarius sent out a request for help doing some reconnaissance on a group of deserters. Says his own soldiers would be too noticeable for the job." Jeralt turned back towards Byleth and grinned. "Don't worry. Your virtue won't be in any jeopardy."

Now it was Byleth's turn to blush. One of the sons of Margrave Gautier had earned quite a reputation for being a playboy, apparently switching romantic partners on an almost weekly basis. She wasn't overly concerned about falling for the young man, however; romance had never been much of a desire for her anyway. Her true concern was of what consequences may come should the young man be a little too persistent with any advances he might make. It had only been a year since the incident in Gloucester, and that was a hassle she'd prefer to avoid if possible.

"That's not— You know what I mean," she huffed, turning to hide her blush.

Jeralt chuckled softly, blowing out the lamp by his bed before responding. "I know, I know. But let's get some rest now. We're gonna need it."

Thousands of soldiers rushed across the muddy field below, the thunder of horse hooves and steel-shod feet filling the air. Pegasi and Wyverns clashed above the fray, dancing between the arrows and javelins flying from the back lines. The sounds of the march soon faded as the battle commenced, ringing out a chorus of metal striking metal and the screams of dying men. Swords and lance points flashed in the light of the magic that rained down death and destruction indiscriminately, felling man and beast alike.

Yet even as Byleth gazed out over the vision of slaughter, a new sound invaded her mind. An ethereal hum that was barely audible over the raging battle below her, yet it seemed to pulse through her, filling her entire being. Turning to find the source, she found herself encompassed by a seemingly unending void, utterly dark save for a single, distant point of light. The clashing metal and dying screams faded away as she walked forward, taking only a moment to look over her shoulder and confirm that the vision of war had vanished.

Byleth turned back to the source of the light, now only a short distance away on a raised platform. A stone throne was set on a dais, upon which a young girl slept. Her long green hair was held back by an ornate headpiece, with two braids hanging down over either shoulder, interwoven with ribbons of red and white. The dress she wore was of curious design, deep blue with gold patterns near the hem, and an ancient looking necklace that covered from her chest to her hip.

The girl stirred, rubbing at her eyes and stifling a yawn before noticing Byleth nearby. A look of curiosity formed as she leaned forward and their gazes finally met.

"Oh my."

"What could have brought you here?"

The girl's voice faded into the back of Byleth's mind as her consciousness returned. Bleary-eyed, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, covering a yawn with the back of her hand. Her father was already pulling on his armor; he rarely traveled in common clothes as a precaution. "Hey, you're awake," he commented simply, glancing her way as she stood and moved to set up the changing screen. "Looked like you were having a dream again."

"Yeah. It was the one with the war again." It was a dream she'd had before, each time focusing on different events within the same battle. The girl on the throne was a brand new addition, so she decided to keep it to herself for now.

Jeralt nodded in recognition as he worked on strapping one of his arm guards in place. "I remember the one. There hasn't been a battle like that in a few hundred years." He fell silent for a moment, as if lost in thought before shaking his head and returning to his task. "Anyway, we should hurry. The sooner we leave, the more ground we can cover before nightfall."

Byleth stifled another yawn but nodded all the same, stepping around the screen before starting to change into her armor. As she worked to fasten her chestplate, her father muttered something that she couldn't quite hear, moments before someone knocked loudly on their room door. "Who is it?"

"It's me!" Nigel's muffled voice came through the door, sounding a little worried. "Sorry about the hour, but we need you down at the gate."

Byleth peaked around the screen to share a curious look with her father. After a moment, Jeralt turned back and replied, "We'll be down in just a moment. What's going on?"

"Three kids showed up from the woods. Said something about being chased. I brought them inside, but figured you'd be the best ones to help."

It took another minute or so for Byleth to finish donning her gear. She and her father followed Nigel out of the inn towards the gate where, sure enough, three youths were waiting. They seemed to be just a few years younger than her, each dressed in a formal looking uniform with capes of varying color.

The three looked up as they approached, exchanging glances before coming to meet them. "Please pardon the intrusion," the blond boy called out, bowing politely as they drew closer. "We know it's sudden, but we wouldn't bother you if we weren't in dire need of aid."

"Want to explain what's so dire?" Jeralt's tone was almost cold, but Byleth knew it was little more than a test. He wanted to be sure this request was a legitimate one.

The young man seemed unperturbed, meeting the older mercenary's gaze as he replied. "There's a group of bandits currently pursuing us. We were hoping you could lend us some support in fending them off."

The claim caught both of them off-guard. They had seen no signs of bandits during their travels the previous day, nor heard any recent rumors. "Are you sure it was bandits?" Jeralt asked.

"It's true." The girl with white hair stepped up beside her peer. "We were just setting up camp when they attacked us."

The third youth, a young man with tanned skin and brown hair, nodded in confirmation of what the others had said. "We were separated from our companions. It was pretty clear that they're after our gold as well as our lives."

Byleth shared a glance with her father, both knowing they had little choice but to aid the three. "Considering the situation, it's pretty impressive you're as calm as you are. Though, considering your unifo—"

The watchtower bell rang loudly through the pre-dawn air, cutting Jeralt's words short. All five of them turned towards the sound, seeing one of the other villagers, Lukas, rushing towards them. "Bandits," he called out. "Big group, just passing the tree line!"

"Looks like you were right," Jeralt sighed before turning to his daughter. "Time to do our job. You take point; I'll make sure to take care of any stragglers."

Byleth stepped on the bandit's shoulder as she tugged her sword free of his chest, spattering the grass below with gore. Claude, the tanned boy, had missed his bow shot just past the bandit's ear, but the distraction had been more than enough for her to close the distance and finish him quickly. The brief encounter showed her just what kind of enemies they were facing, a suspicion that was further confirmed when she turned to see Edelgard, the white-haired girl, finish off the second leading bandit with an axe swipe to his chest. These were standard, untrained thugs, the kind that preyed on unprotected merchants and farming towns. Pure scum.

Edelgard and Dimitri, the blond boy, jogged up beside the young mercenary as she looked across the field in front of the village. A small group of bandits had clustered just on the other side of the trees by the watchtower. "We need to kill those four before any more arrive," Byleth said matter-of-factly, already pacing towards the closer group. "We can use the trees to give us a bit of cover, but they'll probably do the same if they decide to go on the offensive."

"We'll follow your lead," Dimitri replied, voice firm as he readied his lance. Edelgard nodded as well, both hands gripping her axe.

Claude trailed behind slightly. "I'll keep my distance. Maybe I can pick at least one of them off before they get too close."

Byleth's pace slowed as they neared the small copse of trees, surprised the bandits didn't seem to have noticed their approach. From their posture and their continued glances back towards the eastern tree line, she was more certain that reinforcements were on their way. "See if you can take out the one over there," she muttered, pointing her sword towards one bandit a short distance apart from the others. "Edelgard, Dimitri, you two move right and get their attention after he fires. I'll come at their side with Claude."

The two students gave an affirmative and began to move, using the nearby boulder to stay out of sight. At the same time, Claude readied his attack, letting out a deep breath to steady himself. He inhaled deep as he pulled the arrow back to his ear, drawing a bead. Three seconds later, he let fly, letting out his breath.

The target crumpled to the ground, his weapon and armor clattering in the process and drawing the attention of his comrades. Claude's arrow had struck true, apparently piercing the man's heart and killing him instantly. Shouting came from the other three bandits as they realized what had happened, all drawing their weapons and looking around for the source of the attack. As they began moving towards the trees, Edelgard smacked her axe against the boulder, drawing their gaze and causing two of the men to charge in her and Dimitri's direction.

Byleth tried to use the distraction to her advantage, rushing towards the third bandit with her blade at the ready. The man was ready for her attack, noticing her advance while she was still a short distance away. He turned the mercenary's first attack away with his own short sword following up with a quick horizontal swipe that missed Byleth by inches when she leaned away. His follow-up attack was less controlled than the first, pinging harmlessly off her arm guard as she brought her own sword back to bear.

"Help the others!" Byleth shouted back at Claude, not bothering to see if he obeyed before rushing the bandit again. The man could only partially block her attack, resulting in a deep gash through his shoulder that rendered his sword arm useless. With no hesitation, Byleth brought her sword down again, the man's raised hand unable to keep her blade from cleaving into his neck.

A cry of pain echoed from where the others had been. The mercenary tore her blade free of the bandit she'd just dispatched and sprinted towards the sound. Of the two bandits that had rushed towards the kids, only one was still standing; the other had an arrow lodged in his shoulder blade and a hole through his chest, likely from Dimitri's lance. The one still alive, the other sword-wielder, had managed to score a nasty cut on the blond boy's forearm, causing blood to stain his uniform as he staggered back. Edelgard had stepped between the two, fending off the bandit's next attack with the haft of her axe. As she swiped in retaliation, the man skipped back just out of reach, a motion that caused Claude's next shot to miss wide.

Seeming desperate, the man turned away from Edelgard and charged at Claude, apparently hoping to close the distance before the archer could react. The white-haired girl tried to run after him, but her delayed reaction had given the bandit a significant lead. What the man hadn't expected was for Byleth to be charging past the archer at the same time, sword held ready. He was able to slow his momentum, though the action left him off balance as he desperately batted at the mercenary's attack.

The block was successful, though, as Byleth let her swing stop short of hitting the man before retracting her blade. He grinned as he brought his sword to bear just moments before Edelgard's axe blade was lodged into his spine. Byleth nodded to Edelgard as the girl pulled her weapon free, letting the dying bandit fall wordlessly to the earth. "Let's help Dimitri."

The three jogged back over to the boy, who had moved to sit against a tree. He'd pulled a small vial from his side pouch, but was struggling to get the cork out. "Here, let me," Edelgard said, all but snatching the vial from the boy's hand and tugging the stopper free. Dimitri hissed in pain through gritted teeth as the girl poured a small amount of the blue liquid inside over the wound. The damaged flesh seemed to sizzle and boil even as the gash began to seal on its own, leaving only a small cut behind when the potion had finished working. Edelgard moved to apply another dose, but Dimitri grabbed her arm. "Don't. That's good enough for now. We may need it later."

At the boy's words, the rest of them looked up towards the small rise beyond the watchtower, seeing another small group of bandits quickly approaching. A moment later, the sound of nearing hoofbeats pulled their attention back in the direction of the village, seeing Jeralt riding out to meet them. "Looks like that one's probably the leader." He gestured at one of the approaching bandits with his lance, a burly man with thicker armor than the others. "He'll probably try to run if we go charging in, though, so we'll want to try and draw them in."

Byleth looked back at Dimitri; apart from the remaining cut and a dazed expression that was quickly fading, the boy looked more or less fine. "Why don't we fake a retreat?" she suggested. "You carry Dimitri back as if he's wounded. They'd probably see it as an opportunity to rush a potentially easy target."

"That could work." Jeralt turned his gaze towards Dimitri, who nodded in agreement at the plan. "The moment I hear fighting, though, I come back to assist."

The younger mercenary grinned before turning to the other two kids. "We'll be down by one. Think you can handle it?" They both nodded, adjusting their grip on their weapons with a determined look in their eyes. "Good. Then let's get ready."

It didn't take long to see that their plan worked just as Byleth had predicted. The moment Jeralt set off at a trot with Dimitri riding with him, the bandits shouted and charged forward. As they passed the wall surrounding the watchtower, however, the remaining three sprung their trap. Claude's arrow caught one bandit in the waist causing him to stumble and crash face first to the ground; Edelgard's axe ensured that he stayed there. The remaining three bandits slowed their charge, but only two of them fully stopped. The third continued towards Jeralt and Dimitri, noticing a little too late that the pair had turned back and were charging at him in return.

Byleth's attention was focused on the leader, letting Edelgard and Claude handle the remaining bandit. "Get out of my way, merc!" the leader shouted, raising his axe to meet the blue-haired girl. "I'll kill you where you stand!"

The sheer ferocity of his first attack caught her a little off-guard, causing her to backpedal for a moment to correct her footing. She was ready for the next attack, turning her sword to deflect his weapon with the flat of her blade. Before he had a chance to swing again, Byleth launched a quick sequence of attacks; the first two were intended to test the bandit's defense while the third was a thrust aimed at his exposed shoulder. All three strikes failed to land more than a glancing blow, and Byleth barely managed to avoid an impromptu haymaker from the leader's offhand.

Instead of going back on the defensive, however, she decided to press the attack, hoping to end this fight as quickly as possible. With the distance she'd gained from dodging the punch, Byleth pulled the small knife from her belt and flung it towards the man, rushing in behind it. The leader slapped the projectile aside easily, but the simple distraction had been enough. As he tried to ready his axe, Byleth slashed up and across. Her blade tore into the man's leather armor, gashing his stomach before skipping off one of his ribs. The man gave a choking cry of pain as he stumbled back, finally toppling backwards where he lay unmoving.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Byleth watched the man for any sign of movement. If he was dead, all the better. If alive, they could question him regarding the location of any more bandits. Once she was fairly certain he was down for good, she turned back and started making her way towards Edelgard, who had finished off her own opponent without too much difficulty.

Sound from behind her caught her attention. She turned back just in time to see the bandit leader in a full out sprint towards the white-haired girl, axe raised high. In a split second decision, Byleth ran towards the girl as well in an attempt to push her out of harm's way, barely registering the dagger the girl had produced to defend herself. The bandit let out a war cry, bringing the axe down just as Byleth gripped Edelgard's shoulders, pivoting to block the attack with her own body.