Edelgard and Byleth had trained that morning again—although not as early as usual, since Edelgard didn't actually come until Manuela insisted she spend her morning doing something else other than paperwork. Due to her professor being in the classroom, Edelgard couldn't look over her own growing pile of papers, thus decided to go to the training area instead.
Byleth was still there from her morning session, and she lingered when Edelgard came. The two ended up doing what they had been—conversation eventually fell to Edelgard's dagger, and on their way to breakfast Byleth offered to show her different ways to use it other than a defensive stab.
She knew that, logically, she should avoid training with a Knight of Seiros—especially one whose alliance held conditions and couldn't be guaranteed—but she still looked forward to it. Edelgard initially decided she could justify it to Huber if he ever asked.
Seeing Rhea in the dining hall ultimately just encouraged her to keep the arrangement to herself. She didn't like that Rhea specifically spoke to Byleth, but somehow convinced herself over the course of the day that it could be an early explanation of the month's mission options, or Rhea trying to encourage conversation. Idle discussion helped Edelgard understand that Byleth didn't speak to Rhea much, at least, so they weren't particularly close.
The day went by quickly enough, and as promised Edelgard returned to the training area after all the classes had ended. Only Byleth was there, oddly enough—but Edelgard stopped at the door as soon as she saw what sword Byleth had.
Byleth initially began a greeting, then tried to question why Edelgard hadn't moved before she seemed to remember the Sword of the Creator.
"…Rhea gave it to me," Byleth explained, glancing at something else and sounding slightly sheepish. "Long story short, she had me check for a Crest. She saw what it was, immediately tried to give me the sword. It glowed, just like last time, so she told me to keep it."
It still took her a second to manage anything, and it wasn't anything helpful.
"That's surprising." She let out a chuckle after she realized just how useless the comment was to actual conversation. Somehow, after speaking with Byleth during the ball, she lost some level of caution when she was close. It was inconvenient at best and worrying at worst.
Edelgard managed something productive after another moment. "I assumed half the monastery would be talking about it, if this happened in the morning."
"I've been hiding," Byleth replied. "By the time Rhea and I were done, all the students were in class—I found a little nook to stay in until I could come here."
"Have you tried training with it yet?" Edelgard asked, finally going further in the training area.
"I did, but it moves a lot differently than what I'm used to. I'll have to practice more later, but first—your dagger. Still want me to show you a few things?"
"If you're still willing."
Byleth nodded and offered some instruction. She had her own dagger to help demonstrate; they started with pulling it out more efficiently, then how to quickly strike with it. Byleth helped with basic motions, as well—how to make her stabs more effective, for example.
It wasn't Byleth's expertise, as she admitted early on—even then, her instruction was clear and easy to understand. After all of Byleth's advice had been handed out, Edelgard nodded her thanks and put her dagger away.
"There's still some time before dinner," Edelgard noted. "Could you humor me with a request?"
Byleth nodded, and Edelgard gestured towards the Sword of the Creator. "I just want to see you use that sword a little—witness the strength it gives you."
Knowing for sure what the Relic could do would justify the meeting if Hubert asked, as well as tell her how concerned she needed to be if Byleth stayed with Rhea.
Fortunately, Byleth offered no protests. She did a few demonstrations and Edelgard watched in silence. She realized as she observed the mercenary—she never told Thales that someone who could wield the Sword of the Creator was found. He would be frustrated that she withheld information; then again, he did the same to her. It was only fair that she could keep her own secrets.
Still, it worried her. Byleth would become an object of fascination to his people—someone who could use a Relic without a Crest Stone. Or, perhaps, Byleth somehow possessed something similar to a Crest Stone, or had something stronger than one, which would make things worse.
Edelgard remembered Remire, and her memory quickly turned to the darkness—to those cells, those cries for help, that desperation to get out. Once Thales hears about the sword, she had no doubt he would try to do the same to Byleth.
For a second, the worry from that possibility overwhelmed the fact that if Byleth wasn't there, Edelgard would have one less opponent. It wasn't worth avoiding a battle if it could come at the cost of the other's sanity, even if Thales's people would find the cause quickly just so they could figure out what acted as a Crest Stone. Just so someone they knew they could control was the one holding that sword.
Byleth didn't seem to notice that Edelgard's thoughts wandered, nor the path they went down. Edelgard thanked her for showing her the sword—although it sounded a little distant—and they separated for dinner.
