Byleth lied awake in bed, his arm resting on his forehead as he stared up at the dark ceiling. Another night where his dreams kept him awake.

"Can't sleep?" Sothis asked, her voice ringing in his mind.

"No," he sighed, kicking his blankets off and sitting up.

Byleth had always been plagued with strange dreams, ever since he was a boy. At first, he only dreamed of a slumbering, small girl sitting alone on her throne. Then his dreams turned to that of war, where hundreds of thousands of nameless faces would meet their end in a city of fire. Blood painted the ground as steel pierced flesh, the cries of the innocent hanging in the air. The dreams were so vivid that Byleth thought he was there, but whenever he tried to reach out to touch anything, save anyone, his hands simply passed through their bodies as if he were a ghost.

Lately, however, he dreamed of the war-torn future of his students, where he had either met his demise or had seemingly vanished. The crying faces of Bernadetta and Dorothea plagued his thoughts. The image of Linhardt lying awake at night, his red eyes unable to rest. A picture of Petra and Ferdinand killing soldiers they once called friends. Caspar, all alone, relentlessly swinging his practice sword at what remained of a wooden dummy. Hubert, his expression dark as his magic tears through battalions of men, leaving no man standing.

It was her that he dreamed of most, however.

Edelgard's face pale as ash and eyes filled with sorrow as she stood alone at the front of an army of thousands.

Edelgard standing over a dying man, her tears masked by the downfall of rain as she watched the light leave his eyes.

Edelgard lying on the floor, defeated, surrounded by the bodies of her fallen comrades. Blood pooled beneath her as her lungs gave their last breath. With what little strength left, her lips mouthed one last name as her eyes closed for good.

These dreams were as confusing as the ones before. Byleth didn't understand what they meant, or why he was having them in the first place. Were they simply his unconscious worrying about what might happen to his precious pupils were he to perish?

He closed his tired eyes, a hand running across his face. Speculation was pointless. It didn't matter why he was having the dreams. All he wanted to know was how to prevent them.

"Where are you going?" Sothis's voice rang in his ears as he came to his feet.

"I need some fresh air," Byleth replied, slipping on a black tunic and pulling on a pair of pants.

"Well, alright," Sothis yawned. "Just don't stay out... too… late."

The gentle sounds of the girl snoring echoed in his thoughts. He almost envied his friend's ability to fall asleep on command. It'd save him quite a few sleepless nights.

Byleth opened the door to his quarters and stepped out into the cool, night air. The full moon hung high in the sky, painting him in its ethereal glow. The calmness of the night set his mind at ease. It was a stark contrast to the chaotic visions he saw only moments before.

The mercenary walked deeper into the heart of his monastery, his feet moving aimlessly as he looked upon the millions of stars in the sky. He had no destination, but he hardly needed one. There was little point in walking with a purpose if your intent was to clear your mind.

Garreg Mach was as quiet as the night, all of its occupants tucked tight in their beds, slumbering away. The only presence of life in the sleepy monastery was that of its guards patrolling the area.

"Professor Eisner."

A man in a suit of armor holding a lance nodded at him as he walked by. Byleth returned the greeting.

It wasn't much of a rare occurrence to see the professor striding around the monastery at dark. Whenever his dreams kept him up at night, he would always go for a walk to calm himself down. At first, Byleth was certain the nightwatch was suspicious of his behavior. Who could really blame them? The enigmatic mercenary-turned-professor prowling around in the shadows? Byleth would be cautious too were he in their position. It'd be hard to trust the man that was suddenly appointed a teaching position with no background in it.

But as time went by, they seemed to grow accustomed to his habit. Like many of the others at the monastery, word of Byleth's actions had slowly earned their trust. It was strange to think just how drastically everyone's perspective of him changed. The staff still respected him as a fellow professor, but many of the students seemed to worship the ground he walked on. It was an odd feeling. He had been a mercenary, and he was a killer. But, a hero? Now, that was new.

Byleth didn't exactly dislike it, though. Even if it was the Sword of the Creator and Crest of Flames that earned him their admiration, it was still pleasant to be accepted.

Unaware to him, his feet had brought him back to the Knight's Hall, to the very same path he had walked with his father not so long ago.

I suppose I'll visit Mother's grave once more. Maybe next time I should stop by the greenhouse to gather some flowers. Father did say she liked them.

Byleth hummed to himself, his eyes slowly drifting across the dark path.

"Hm?"

He stopped, his gaze landing on a solitary figure at the edge of the wall that overlooked the mountains below.

Who could that be at this hour? He hoped it wasn't one of his students. Byleth wasn't in the mood tonight to scold someone on staying up too late on a school night.

As he got closer, he could see the familiar glint of white hair in the moonlight. A pair of purple eyes that leered into the horizon.

"I would say I'm surprised."

Byleth's sudden voice caused Edelgard to flinch.

"But it seems I have acquired a knack of running into you lately," Byleth remarked as he stopped beside her.

"You scared me half to death," Edelgard exhaled, her hand to her chest. "You really shouldn't sneak up on someone like that."

"Sorry," he replied with a smirk.

"It is fine," she sighed, glancing over at him. "Perhaps it was simply the pull of fate that brought you here to me."

"Maybe." Byleth nodded. "I find it more likely that it was the lack of sleep that brought me here."

Edelgard smiled slightly at his joke.

"What brings you here at this hour?" Byleth asked, hands in his pockets as he stared out towards the mountains.

"I just wanted some fresh air. There's a lovely breeze tonight," Edelgard answered, brushing her hair away from her face. "I find the calmness of the night soothing whenever sleep evades me. I despise being cooped up when I can't sleep."

Byleth turned his attention to her, his features softening. He knew she asked him to forget about the conversation they had, but seeing as it was just the two of them alone in the dead of night, he didn't see the harm in bringing it up.

"More nightmares?"

Edelgard turned away to hide the hardening of her features.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to me."

The princess relaxed slightly.

"Yes, it seems as if those eyes of yours can see right through me," she mumbled as if to herself.

"That's only because I watch you closer than the others."

Edelgard faced him, her eyes blinking in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Byleth opened his mouth to respond, only to realize he didn't have a response to give. Despite his words so readily leaving his mouth, he had no reason as to why they did.

"Nothing." He shook his head, nearly as perplexed as she.

The two stood in a relative silence after their conversation petered out. Both of them simply enjoying the scenic view from atop the monastery. Byleth felt he should say something to reignite the conversation, but truthfully, he had no clue as to what he might say. Talking with Edelgard had always seemed so simple for him, but for some reason the right words just wouldn't come to him on this night.

"May I ask you a question, my teacher?"

Byleth looked over to his companion, his eyes widening slightly. She was still looking out to the horizon, her expression now blank.

"Have you ever felt a sort of… longing for the outdoors?"

"I do enjoy taking a stroll in the evenings," Byleth hummed to himself. "But, no, I can't say I have."

"Well, I have," Edelgard said. "There are times I long for the warmth of the sun, for the sweet breeze on my face… I'd sooner give up breathing than give up those things."

"That's a rather lofty sacrifice," Byleth commented.

"You'd be willing to give up a lot more were you to witness the things I've witnessed. Experience the things I've experienced."

Edelgard frowned, hugging her arms to her chest. The pain and loss in her eyes now was nearly more than Byleth could take. As Byleth looked at her, he saw none of the woman he had come to know so well during his time here. White knuckles that gripped so tightly to her arms as if to protect herself from some unseen force. Those strong eyes filled with sorrow, pointed steadily at the ground below. She looked so fragile now that the teacher had to prevent himself from reaching out towards her, afraid that if he did, she might just topple over.

"I take it you remember what we talked of that morning?" Edelgard asked, saving Byleth a question. "About my… past?"

"I do."

"None of my siblings had the chance to lead the sort of life they deserved. An ordinary life."

Byleth nodded, his chest rising as he took a long breath. Yes, an ordinary life. That was something that had been on his mind as of late as well.

"What happened, Edelgard?"

"My siblings and I were…" she paused, her voice cracking. "We were imprisoned underground, beneath the palace. That is why I treasure this sky above us. These things we so often take for granted… When you go for months without feeling the caress of the wind at your face or the grass beneath your feet, you find yourself willing to sacrifice your own life if it meant you could feel those things one last time."

Byleth swallowed the lump in his throat, his brow creasing in worry. He had an inkling of how terrible Edelgard's past had been, but he hadn't expected a tale like this. It made his lonely childhood seem like nothing in comparison.

"Why were you held captive?"

"They wanted to endow our bodies with the power of a Major Crest," Edelgard answered mechanically. "I have always possessed the Crest of Seiros, inherited through the Hresvelg bloodline."

Edelgard shook her head, her fingers digging into the fabric of her top. Byleth could see just how difficult these words were for her.

"But it was only a Minor Crest, and most of my siblings bore no Crest at all. In order to create a peerless emperor to rule Fódlan-"

Edelgard untangled her arms from her chest, then pulled off her white gloves.

Even with the dim light from the moon, Byleth could clearly see the tracings of scars that covered her hands like a spider's web. The very same scars he had seen once before, only now understanding the significance of them.

"They violated our bodies by cutting open our very flesh. These scars are only a fraction of how marred my body truly is."

She tucked her carved hands back within the confines of her gloves.

"Now here I stand, the fruit of that endeavor: Edelgard von Hresvelg!" She spat out the words as if they left a bad taste in her mouth. "It came at too high a price. The others were sacrificed. Ours weren't the only lives devastated by that terrible process. Innocents died as well, without even knowing what they were dying for."

The weakness in her eyes was replaced by that of burning anger.

"And there you have it, the truth of Hresvelg's Empire."

Byleth's fists clenched as his sides, his nails digging into his palms.

Would one truly go this far just for something as meaningless as a Crest? Could such a lust for strength really drive someone to commit these atrocities? Byleth's own Crest held very little weight to him. He liked to believe his strength lied in the edge of his blade or the brain in his skull rather than some latent power encoded in his blood. As a mercenary, he saw plenty of able-bodied men that were able to accomplish incredible things without the influence of a Crest.

Could one really be driven to do such things for a Crest? A Crest that wasn't even their own?

"Who did this to your family?" Byleth asked, his voice hard.

"The prime minister and his gaggle of nobles," she scoffed. "They had the empire under their thumbs."

Byleth's eyes widened. The prime minister?

Ferdinand's father did this?

"My father, the emperor tried to stop them, but… it was futile." Edelgard scowled. "My father was nothing but a puppet on a string by then. He was powerless to save us. I know how it all sounds..."

Unbelievable.

Unimaginable.

The truth to Edelgard's story was hard to believe, but Byleth knew she spoke the truth. He trusted her, and even if he didn't, he found it hard to believe someone could spin such a tale.

"I believe what you told me, Edelgard," Byleth assured.

"You… you do?" She faltered

"Of course. I just can hardly imagine that someone would go to such lengths to obtain strength."

"Then you are naïve. The path to power is one that is often paved in the blood of the innocent."

Edelgard sighed, a hand rubbing her temple.

"I am sorry, my teacher. I did not mean to-"

"No, you're right," Byleth interrupted. "In this case, I am woefully naïve. I'm afraid my life as a sword for hire has left me blind to the ways of the world in many ways."

He had no qualms admitting that. It was a fact that Byleth had been faced with day in and day out since he came to the monastery. His students had shared story after story with him about their pasts, each one more terrible than the last. Sweet Bernadetta, who had to endure torment at the hand of her father for the sake of more gold to line his coffer. The affectionate Dorothea, orphaned at a young age with nothing to call her own other than the title she bore. The strong Petra, held captive by a government in order to keep her own in check.

Byleth was no stranger to those that hunger for more than they have. He's witnessed firsthand how greed can corrupt, be it with nobility or simple thieves and bandits.

However, these stories he's been told were far worse than he could ever imagine. Part of him wished he could erase these terrible memories for them, or even bear their burdens himself. Perhaps that was simply his naivety rearing its head once more.

"Thank you for your understanding and for listening to this story of mine."

Edelgard turned to face him, the light from the moon illuminating only half her face.

"I really do believe that fate brought us together, and I'm not talking about tonight. Allow me to show you."

The princess raised a hand. A purple glow sprung from her palm as her Crest manifested itself.

Byleth's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.

"I have kept it hidden all this time, but this is my true strength." Edelgard's gaze drifted to her Crest. "The very same Crest you bear. The Crest of Flames."

Edelgard closed her hand into a fist and the Crest faded.

"When it manifested for me, I swore a silent oath. For the sake of my family and all the poor souls whose lives were traded for my existence… For their sake, I will create a world where such meaningless sacrifice is never again sanctioned. As emperor, I will change this world."

Byleth closed his eyes, realization dawning on him. Her declaration echoed in his mind. The pieces of some unseen puzzle all began to fall into place as the truth behind her past, cryptic words revealed itself to him

"That is quite the burden you bear," Byleth spoke, breaking the silence.

"It is the burden I must bear." Edelgard frowned, her usual strong façade returning. "This is the path I must walk. If that means my demise, so be it."

Byleth gaped at her, his mouth going dry.

"And you're okay with that?"

"It is what it is," she shrugged, as if that answer was the easiest one yet. "There's no point in dancing around it."

"Edelgard..."

To hear her reply so flippantly...

A lance pierced her heart.

She died all alone, her dream crashing around her as her heart slowed to a stop. Her lifeless eyes, stared off into the dawn. His name escaped her lips as she gave her final breath. Her last thoughts were of her family and the lives that were lost for her cause, lamenting the fact that she had failed them all.

Byleth's blood ran cold, a hand instinctively moving to claw at his chest.

"Please, don't speak like that." He grimaced, sudden pain gnawing at his heart.

"We'll all fall one day, my teacher. We can't avoid that."

"No. I will not accept that fate."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow at the finality in his tone and glanced over at him.

"I appreciate the thought, Professor, but even you can't change what is written should that be how my story-!"

She yelped as Byleth's hands seized her shoulders in a vice grip.

"What's gotten into you?!"

"I will not let you die."

Edelgard's protest died on her lips. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it just as quick.

"You can't promise me such things, Byleth."

"Why?" he asked. "Why can't I?"

"You... You just can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because! Because..." She looked away, her eyes a storm of emotion. "Years ago I realized that there might be no light at the end of my dark tunnel. There might not be any salvation for my blackened heart. I've come to terms with that fact. I've made my peace with it... But If you promise me this- this impossible thing no one can promise me... I'll start to hope. Hope that maybe even someone like I could..."

Edelgard trailed off, her unfinished statement hanging on the air.

"It'll be easier for me to focus on my duty if I continue believing otherwise. So, please... Stop."

"Listen to me, and listen well," Byleth said, his grip tightening. "I give you my word that you will live long enough to see the world you create. Not even death will stop me from that."

Edelgard lifted her head, her purple eyes searching his. He knew that he promised her something impossible. He knew, and she knew it. Death was as certain as life, and you cannot have one without the other. To vow that he would cheat such a thing for her sake was rash, to say the least.

Yet, when he looked at her, his eyes connected to hers, he found that for her, he would challenge even the impossible.

"…Okay. Okay," she relented, her voice barely above her whisper. "I… I will hold you to that."

Byleth scrutinized at her face as she purposefully avoided his. The softness of her usually hardened exterior, the paleness of her smooth skin, the contours of her cheeks, the curve of her pink lips… He committed her face to memory. Not the mask of the Imperial empress that she bore so well, but the face of Edelgard.

There was an unfamiliar tightening in his chest as he gazed at her. A feeling he had never felt before, therefore did not know how to describe it. It was painful... but it wasn't?

The sensation brought him back to reality: the reality that he still had a death grip on her shoulders, their bodies only separated by six or seven inches.

Byleth blinked, retracting his hands as quickly as they had moved. He cleared his throat, then took a step back.

"Good. That's good." He shook the thoughts from his head like a dog might to get water off its fur.

The two stood in an awkward silence, neither daring to meet the other's eyes. The tension he felt between them was fragile, as if the sound of a pen drop might cause it to all come crashing down. This feeling was foreign to him. It wasn't as if he had nothing left to say- quite the opposite in fact. There were countless things he wanted to say to her.

It was more that the aching in his heart and the churning of his stomach prevented him from saying anything more.

"I-I better head to bed," Edelgard murmured. "I want to make sure I am rested tomorrow for our shared lesson with the Lions."

"Right." Byleth nodded, a little more enthusiastic than necessary. "Sleep well, Edelgard."

Edelgard met his gaze and held it. While Byleth didn't have a strong grasp on his own emotions, he felt he was rather adept at reading other people's. So, why could he not recognize the expression she was making when she looked at him? Why did he not understand the emotions that hid behind her eyes?

"And you as well… Byleth."

The tightening in his chest returned at the sound of his name. He was sure the sensation was only because the thought of her death frightened him, so why did hearing his name from her lips cause the same reaction? Why was it so different than when she had said it before?

Edelgard broke away and turned to leave, Byleth watching her go.

The way her hair shone in the moonlight, the way it spilled over her shoulders and down her back…

Byleth buried his face in his hands, his fingers tearing at his scalp.

What is wrong with me?

His legs felt weak, yet he hadn't even exerted himself today.

Lack of sleep. It was the lack of sleep that sent him haywire. Were he well-rested, this wouldn't have happened.

Why did I do that? I didn't intend for our conversation to get so... heavy.

"I believe I told you to wake me should anything interesting happen?"

"Gah!"

The sudden sound of Sothis's voice in his ears caused him to jump.

"And here I thought I couldn't get the drop on you anymore," Sothis mused. "Perhaps it was because your mind was elsewhere?"

"I don't know what you mean," he replied coolly as he composed himself.

"You know you cannot fool me."

"How much did you hear?" Byleth frowned, defeated.

"Just about all of it," Sothis chimed. "I found it rather intriguing to see the usual, apathetic Byleth get so heated like that."

"I don't know what came over me. That was highly unprofessional."

"Unprofessional? Fufufu, now that is entertaining."

He could almost feel Sothis's amused grin.

"Tell me, were you speaking to that girl as a professional? Perhaps it was as a friend?" Sothis gave a pregnant pause. "Or were you speaking to her as something more?"

"Something more?" he quirked an eyebrow. "I don't know what you mean. What more could there be?"

"Oh, my dear, sweet Byleth," Sothis sighed. "If you are truly so dense, then let me pose a question for you: were this any other student, would you have gotten so passionate? Would you have promised one of your other students that you would defy even death itself to be by their side? Would you have lost sight of yourself were this anyone else?"

"I…"

Byleth realized he didn't have a reply to that. He was prepared to give an automatic 'yes' to her question, but suddenly that answer didn't ring so true.

When he didn't reply, Sothis's smarmy giggle echoed in his brain. He usually felt joy at hearing his companion laugh, but for some reason on this night, he found the noise to be terribly grating.

"Tell me, oh great Sothis, what do you think the answer is?"

"There is no need for sarcasm," Sothis huffed. "And there is no point in telling you what I think. That's something you must realize on your own, you oaf."

"Oaf?" he blinked.

"Yes, and a blockheaded one at that. Now, run along. It would be ever so unprofessional were their teacher to fall asleep during his own lesson because he stayed up half the night pondering my words."

She had a point there, at least.

Byleth relented and made his return to his dorm, but despite Sothis's advice, he had a feeling he would get little to no sleep on this night.


"I must say, Princess Edelgard, it is a refreshing change of pace to work with you as an ally, rather than against you as a competitor. I appreciate you giving my house this opportunity."

The Lion Prince's charming smile made her scoff.

"Don't look too far into it, Prince Dimitri," Edelgard replied, her voice cool. "I am only working with you now due to my professor's wishes. Were it up to me, we would have handled this assignment on our own."

Edelgard wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked around the training grounds, her sights resting on the handful of Blue Lions that had invaded their class.

Felix stood alone in the corner, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, seemingly uncaring to the fellow students around him.

Sylvain had planted himself among some of the girls of Edelgard's class, happily chatting them up. Dorothea looked amused by his failed attempts to woo her, while poor Petra didn't look to be following the conversation at all.

Dedue stood only a few feet away from his liege, his hard eyes trained on the two as they talked.

Then, there was the princeling himself…

"If you wish to thank someone, thank the professor," Edelgard said with a hand on her hip. "He is far more compassionate than I."

Edelgard's eyes darted to Byleth. Her professor had looked the same as always, but she could spot the hint of bags under his eyes. Somehow, the thought of Byleth having trouble sleeping relieved her.

It appears he didn't get much rest last night either…

Her heart fluttered in her chest as he turned to look at her.

The princess looked away, the events of the night before still fresh on her mind. Not even the intensity of today's training seemed to be enough to rattle the thoughts from her mind.

"…I see. Then I shall thank him again," Dimitri sighed. "You know, as future empress of Adrestia, I believe it would be in your best interest to learn how to accept help from others. What kind of nobles would we be if we did not know when to seek aid for the sake of our alliances?"

Edelgard shot Dimitri an icy glare.

"And as future king, I believe it would behoove you to not rely on the strength of others for tasks you could easily complete yourself, lest they walk all over you. In positions such as ours, to appear weak is certain death."

She had seen firsthand what 'nobles' were capable of were you only to give them the chance. Relinquish an inch, and they'll take a mile.

"It is unfortunate you feel that way." The prince frowned.

"And it is unfortunate that you don't. That trusting nature of yours will be your downfall, Dimitri."

Dimitri simply chuckled and shook his head.

"Was something I said so amusing?" Edelgard raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing of the sort. I just find it ironic to hear you say as such given the circumstances."

Edelgard followed Dimitri's line of sight, her eyes finally landing upon Byleth as he discussed something with Catherine and Shamir, who had helped with their lesson today at his request.

"That is different," Edelgard huffed. "Byleth has proven himself time and time again. He is a very capable instructor."

Dimitri tilted his head to the side.

"Byleth?"

Edelgard's eyes widened.

"Stow it," she growled, turning her head to hide the flush of her cheeks.

The princes's poorly masked grin only proved to infuriate her even more.

"Alright, everyone!"

The clap of Byleth's hands and the booming of his voice ended whatever conversation remained between the two.

Byleth walked towards the gaggle of students, with Catherine and Shamir on either side of him.

"That'll be all for today," he announced. "We'll reconvene tomorrow for our last session before we head to intercept Miklan."

Edelgard noted the stiffening of Sylvain's shoulders at the name of his brother.

"Let's all give Catherine and Shamir our thanks for taking time out of their busy schedules to assist us today."

Byleth began to clap. It was rather silly looking coming from him, given the blankness of his expression.

The Lions and Eagles shared a collective look before joining in on the round of applause.

"Thank you, thank you!" Catherine laughed, waving at the crowd like she was some kind of celebrity. "Always happy to help!"

"Stop clapping."

The students stopped abruptly at Shamir's curt request.

"You're such a killjoy, partner." Catherine hung her head, her shoulders drooping.

Shamir snorted, her expression almost as emotionless as Byleth's, whose mouth was now curving into an amused smirk. One wouldn't think it if you were to take one look at the mercenary, but Byleth had quite the mischievous side to him.

"Lions, you're dismissed. I'll see you all tomorrow." Byleth paused, a look of contemplation setting on his features. "Eagles, stay put."

Dimitri and Dedue gave him a bow as they turned to leave. Sylvain shot the professor a grin and a wink as he followed suit, while Felix simply left without saying a word.

"Are we still needed, Professor?" Shamir asked.

"No." Byleth shook his head. "Thanks again."

Shamir nodded and left as well. Catherine followed close behind, giving Byleth a toothy grin and a pat on the back as she went by.

"What else did you have planned for us, Professor?" Edelgard asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Byleth didn't respond, his head turned towards the exit.

"Hey, Professor?" Caspar looked confused as well. "Did you not hear her?"

Byleth held up a finger, his gaze following the knight and mercenary as they left the grounds. Once he was sure they were out of sight, he paced over to the weapons rack. Not the one that held the wooden ones used for training, but the one that held actual weapons. Iron swords, lances, even bows with their respective quivers.

"Now, this is interesting," Hubert cackled, shaking his head.

Grabbing a handful of the deadly arms, Byleth walked across the dirt arena, placing them down as he went. A sword here, an axe there, until there was a full row of weapons on the ground ranging from swords to gauntlets.

"Now that we're free of any prying ears-"

Their teacher turned to them, his expression stern.

"We'll begin our next phase of training."

Edelgard glanced to her class, all of them looking more curious than the next.

She had to admit, even she was intrigued by his confusing actions.

"What are you meaning, Professor?" Petra was the first to ask.

"Up till now, I have been teaching you battle strategies, formations, and training you how to fight," Byleth replied. "That changes today. I will no longer just be teaching you to fight. I'll be teaching you how to survive, the same way my father taught me; some of which might stray slightly from the church's curriculum."

"Oh, no…" Bernadetta groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I knew I should have stayed in my room today…"

"Can you give us a for instance?" Edelgard frowned. His words only proved to confuse her more.

Byleth scanned the crowd, his eyes meeting each of his students.

"By a show of hands, how many of you know how to hunt?"

Edelgard raised a hand, along with the other members of her class except for Linhardt. Hunting was a common chore among the student body. While some were more talented at the task than others, they at least had the basics down.

"Alright." Byleth nodded. "How many of you can start a fire in the pouring rain?"

This time, only Petra raised her hand.

"Hmm, perhaps these questions are too slanted…" Byleth mulled it over. "Change of pace. Without healing magic, how many of you can set a broken bone? Clean a wound? Suture a gash?"

No one raised a hand. Edelgard had some knowledge on wound treatment, but outside of bandaging a cut, she was rather inept in the subject.

"As I thought."

Linhardt raised a hand.

"Professor, I know you do not like being interrupted during a lesson-"

"You are right, I do not."

"-but what exactly is the point of all this if you're here?" Linhardt asked. "Or, you know, one of the other people that know how to do such troublesome tasks?"

"Linhardt, your lack of shame astounds me," Hubert sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, no. It's quite alright, Hubert; he makes a valid point." Byleth cut in. "Let me ask you a question of my own: what would you do if we were separated, Linhardt?"

"Simple, I'd get someone to do it for me." The boy shrugged.

"Impossible. There's a heavy storm. You're separated from the group. You're on your own, what do you do?"

Linhardt blinked a few times, pondering his choices.

"I guess I'll die."

"And you're fine with that?" Byleth frowned. "You're fine with dying? With never again being able to study Crests or nap through my class? You can honestly tell me you're okay with that outcome?"

"When you put it that way…" Linhardt trailed off, his face troubled.

"Exactly." Byleth nodded. "I've trained you all how to fight as one, cohesive unit. Starting today, I will also start teaching you how to be more self-sufficient without relying on the knowledge of your comrades or the wonders of magic. I will teach you everything from how to fix a hole in your garments to how to lay and set traps."

"What brought this on, Professor?" Dorothea asked. "After all, we'll always be together… won't we?"

Edelgard's chest tightened at Dorothea's words. She looked to the ground, Byleth's vow from the night jumping to the forefront of her mind. He had made such an impossible promise… It was simply childish of her to hope for such a thing. She knew how fickle life was. It was foolish of her to-

"I'll be with you for as long as you'll have me."

Edelgard lifted her head, her eyes meeting his, only to find that Byleth was already watching her.

"I am a man of my word, and my word is steel."

Byleth maintained eye contact with her for a few more moments before turning his attention back to the rest of his students.

"But I cannot assure you there will not be times where we are separated from one another," he continued. "It could be an hour. It could be a month. Regardless, I would sleep better at night knowing I've prepared you for such an occurrence."

The princess examined her professor, her eyes narrowing slightly. She couldn't help but feel as if there were some more, deeper meaning behind this all. It was all so sudden, which wasn't unusual with Byleth's teaching method, but the fact that he had subtly avoided the other part of Dorothea's question was rather telling.

What did bring this on?

"Dare I ask what the weaponry is for, then?" Linhardt interrupted a second time, pulling Edelgard from her thoughts.

"Oh. Right."

Byleth scratched the back of his head and looked down to the sharp weapons on the ground.

"Nearly forgot that."

The teacher clapped his hands together, then took a few steps back.

"As I said, I'll start instructing you like my father did me."

He waved a hand at the weapons on the ground.

"And that means using the real thing."

Linhardt raised his hand once again.

"Do we have-"

"Yes."

He sighed, his hand dropping back to his side.

"I will call a name, and then I want you to run towards the weapon of your choice and come at me with everything you've got. Attack me like you were trying to kill me."

Some of the gentler members of Edelgard's class looked troubled by that. It's not like she could blame them; the thought of attacking her teacher with killing intent disturbed her as well. Perhaps the only one that truly looked excited for this change of pace was Hubert.

"Uh, Professor?"

"Yes, Dorothea?"

"Some of us are more… delicate than most."

Byleth blinked, tilting his head to the side.

"If magic is your preferred weapon of choice, that is fine too."

"What Dorothea is trying to say is that not all of us are comfortable with the thought of killing another," Edelgard explained with a sigh. "I myself do not relish the thought of attacking you with the intent to kill, either."

"I see…" Byleth nodded. "As much as I empathize with that position, it'd be best for you to get past that. Soon, we will face a band of thieves whose leader wields a Hero's Relic. Do you believe he will give you quarter simply because you don't wish to kill him? Do you believe the Death Knight will hesitate to kill you?"

"I-I guess not," Dorothea mumbled, her face dark.

"I assure you, I take no pleasure in this either, Dorothea. If I had the power, I'd save all of you from this life." Byleth shook his head. "But sadly, I cannot, for this is the hand we were dealt."

Byleth drew his weapon, the Sword of the Creator glowing a bright red in his grasp.

"Indecisiveness means death on the battlefield. Lacking control over your emotions mean death on the battlefield. Over the course of the next few months, I will hammer that into you."


And that's that!

Couple things of note this chapter:

This whole Byleth's "visions" thing is a total headcanon of mine that was born from Sothis's line of "Both sides of time have been revealed to you."

Given Sothis's ability to control time (and in turn, Byleth's ability to control time), I like to believe that Byleth's dreams are more like prophetic visions of the past AND future. During the very first scene with Jeralt, the dialogue options for what his dreams are about are Sothis, and a "great war." One could think the war he dreams of might be the one between Seiros and Nemesis thanks to Sothis's forgotten memories, but personally, I like to think he dreams of the future war that takes place. Could I be wrong? Probably. But, one of the things I want to toy with in this fic is Byleth's god powers. It's not very touched on in the story, so I'd like to expand on that.

Also, if you're worried that Byleth will side with Edelgard simply because he has the hots for her (which isn't the worst of reasons), fear not! This is only the beginning.

See you all next time!