Edelgard nodded to Byleth once she left the room.

"We'll start here, then down to the right and go around," Edelgard said.

The mercenary didn't protest, so Edelgard walked her around the monastery. They paused every now and then for an introduction of the area, occasionally speaking to others around the monastery as well. Byleth didn't entertain much conversation, although Edelgard couldn't exactly blame her. It was an unfamiliar place to the mercenary, after all.

They paused at the dining hall to get something to eat. They lingered there for a little bit after they both finished, Alois having noticed them and recognizing Byleth as Jeralt's child; not much more than an hour had passed, and most of the monastery could recognize the mercenary based on description.

When Alois left after a student requested his help with a few things, Edelgard prepared to resume the tour. To her slight surprise, however, Byleth glanced at her.

"Back in the Harpstring Moon, when Jeralt's Mercenaries helped the students," Byleth began after another second's pause. "I thanked you for taking care of that mage, right?"

"You did," Edelgard replied.

There was a very slight change in Byleth's expression—Edelgard wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been watching the mercenary so closely. "After that, before that other student came, you looked like you had something you wanted to say. Do you remember what that was?"

She was taken aback by the question; even back then, she never fully intended to say it. Despite that, however, she still responded.

"You seemed…vaguely familiar," Edelgard admitted. Knowing that Byleth can wield the Sword of the Creator, she wondered if it could be attributed to Crests. "I know we didn't meet before then, however."

"You're a bit familiar to me as well," Byleth said, completely turning towards her. The emotion was hidden—not quite suppressed, just not visible—but she could tell it was genuine honesty; regardless of the expressiveness of it, that surprised her. "It must just be a feeling, though."

A moment's pause was given so each could assess it by their own terms. In Edelgard's case, that familiarity had shifted into something…different. She didn't know what it was, but she feared it.

Still, she wanted to keep a close eye on the mercenary. As someone who can wield the Sword of the Creator, Byleth would be an excellent ally to have; it wouldn't hurt to try to determine if such an outcome was plausible.

Edelgard spoke up again when she decided the brief silence had gone on for long enough.

"Shall we continue walking around?"

Byleth still didn't seem to have any protests, and followed her without any further conversation. The last half of the tour, then, was just as quiet as the first portion; only Edelgard spoke to mention the places. They went their separate ways after visiting the cathedral, Edelgard to check on the other Black Eagles and Byleth to wander on her own.

Claude chose that night to gather them all together. Edelgard hadn't seen Byleth since the little tour ended, but it did seem like the excitement wore off after a few hours. The stranger had come, been pestered as one would expect considering recent events, and faded into the background. She assumed the topic would come back again in the morning.

After all three of them sat down with their food, Claude spoke up as per usual.

"Next month is the Battle of the Eagle and Lion," he mused. "Wanna draw bets now? I'd say… Blue Lions defeat a few people, Black Eagles finish them off, then the Golden Deer carry through the win. It'll be a two-year streak."

"It's not fair to try to guess the winner when all of us want our classes to prevail," Dimitri pointed out. "Each one us will vouch for their own house."

"We've all improved since the battle in the Great Tree Moon as well," Edelgard added, glancing at Claude. "You can't expect to win—or even hope to win, really—just on the basis that the class won last year."

"What would you do to stop me? I'm not easy to intimidate, you know."

"Really? I remember you fleeing in almost every battle I've seen you in."

"I wasn't 'fleeing,' I was— Wait. Is that… Are you actually joking?"

Edelgard couldn't help but tease, just a little. She felt compelled to echo his earlier comment towards her. "You are easy to annoy, given the right words."

"Very funny," Claude replied dully. "I honestly didn't think you had it in you to crack a joke."

After a little murmur, they all fell silent and focused on eating. That continued on before Dimitri looked up at Edelgard.

"Do you know when you have to leave for Enbarr yet?" He asked.

Claude looked a bit curious at the unfamiliar piece of information, but she didn't pay him much mind for now.

"Everything's not until after the mock battle," Edelgard replied.

"What would you need to go to Enbarr for this far into the school year?" Claude said, giving her a curious look.

"There are a few things I've been asked to take care of; meetings and the like, and I'm the only person who is available to attend them." It wouldn't hurt to only share some fragment of truth with them. It would be easier than trying to remember every lie she's ever told, at least.

They fell into silence again after the topic lost its interest, going back to eating all the way until they finished. Edelgard opted to leave the dining hall first; Thales would likely want a report considering none of his mages returned.