-Please, put an end to this insanity!

-I understand your pain and your struggle. But this isn't the answer.

-Professor, you once taught us that family should listen to each other, so please hear me out just one last time.

-Byleth, despite all the evil in the world, there are still people who care deeply for you in their hearts and will stand alongside you in times of despair. Life will find a way, no matter how dark or bleak the future becomes. Isn't that what you've strived for?

-….

-My apologies for disappointing you… but this is my only choice!

25th of the Red Wolf Moon,1178

The dream suddenly ended, causing him to bolt up in a panic while clawing desperately at the air as if to try and bring it back. He struggled to regulate his breathing before taking a moment to survey the area around him. He struggled to comprehend how he had ended up sleeping on the bank of a river in the middle of a forest with nothing but trees and animals for company. With every movement aches from his recent experiences filled him, yet he found himself heading towards the river, hoping that some of the cold water might help him stay focused. As he splashed his face with water, he ran his hands along his body searching for any clues that may help him make sense of everything.

He was relieved to find that he still had his sword; Byleth also discovered that he was wearing some kind of armor belonging to a knight, though no insignias were indicating which noble house it belonged to - something which made him skeptical and hesitant. Finally, in one pocket, he felt something small and circular: a ring. While examining it, exhilaration and joy began to fill him like it had been given by someone special. But then sadness slowly crept over him as he realized he could not remember how he had gotten the ring. Tears started forming in his eyes.

"When the time came, I hoped you would give this to the person you love as I loved your mother."

"My mother? Was the one who said this to me was … my father?"

His heart was screaming for answers, and his head felt like it was going to explode. He'd tried so hard to keep it all together, but the tears streaming down his face had their own will. Questions seemed to flood his mind—what happened to his parents? Why did he get the impression that he wouldn't be talking to them again? But more importantly, who were those people in his dream? The family from his past, or his future?

Three pieces of the puzzle had been revealed to Byleth so far, though he knew that this was merely a fragment of the larger picture. First off, someone had referred to him by name—Byleth—but no surname was given, making it difficult to track his family down and find out whether they were still alive or not. Second, the mysterious figure had called him professor; yet, something about that title did not feel right for a humble school like this one. His outfit suggested sword-fighting and battle-related jobs, as opposed to the scholarly robes of an academic. Lastly, and most concerningly, he wondered what madness he must have committed to be in this current situation.

After fishing all the information that he could from his poor brain, Byleth decided that the best course of next action was getting out of there and getting familiar with the locals. The village would likely have a hub where travelers would stop by from whom he could ask any potential lead about his past. Moreover, he also needed a job because he had nothing but his sword and ring, neither of which he was willing to trade for a mere few coins. Thinking about many problems at the same time started to make his brain overheat again so Byleth returned to the original plan and set for a departure. The job matter could be considered once he found such a village. Until then, there was no need to complicate things more.

"I will have to keep moving forward, no matter what plans destiny has for me."

Byleth murmured as he walked out of the river into the tall grass, each of his footsteps and body language showing his inner determination. After checking where he was going to go, the "professor" slowly walked out toward the dark tree trunks and sparsely growing bushes, deepening his steps while moving in a careful circle through their cover.

Little did he know, fate did have plans for him, and none of them would be easy on him.

A few hours later

"Damn it, I should have waited for the sun to rise ": Byleth groaned while slapping his hand against his face for his stupidity. While the river did give a good enough indication of where he should go, the shadow of the night plus the thick leaf made everywhere dark as a pit hole and he soon found himself lost again. Was he always that stupid or was amnesia also damaging his intelligence? He did not know but lamenting would not land him straight out of this mess, so he'd better focus on continuing searching the way out.

Suddenly, Byleth heard some noises ahead of him and his instincts immediately kicked in. Not knowing what was on the other side, he unsheathed his blade preparing for a fight in case that was beast waiting for moment to strike. However, the voices got clearer indicating that were laughing at some men, so he put his sword back in its position.

"Perfect, looks like fortune is on my side. Let's make an introduction, shall we!"

Or that's what he thought.

"Be quiet or I will cut off your tongues, you little shits!"

Byleth's ears perked the moment he heard those words, trying to process what was happening. His questions got answered when he got a better view from the other side. It was a camp full of men wearing various styles of clothes that looked like rags and each of them carried a weapon. To make matters worse, none of them looked friendly and they were armed too well to be villagers. At this moment, Byleth knew he had just stumbled into a bandit camp. There were around 20 of them, therefore starting a fight now would be suicidal. Nevertheless, his presence soon was noticed, and all eyes were directed toward him.

"Who are you? How dare you enter our domain!", bellowed one of the bandits.

"I'm just an innocent traveler, searching for a way out of this cursed forest. I swear I mean no harm", Byleth replied calmly trying to defuse the situation.

"Hah! We can smell fear from here! If it isn't a gift from the gods themselves!"

"Tonight we feast my brothers! Ready your weapons and seize all his possessions!" The brigand leader yelled while raising his rusty sword above his head.

"If you want to survive you'd best put that sword away and surrender peacefully to us! Now!"

"Shit, this is not good" Byleth cursed in his head and agreed to his mind that this was even worse than facing a beast. Jokes aside, he needed to react quickly, or he would end up in the worst state compared to his current situation.

"Calm down, gentleman! Can we just pretend that I did not see anything so that I will be on my way now?"

"Think again, foolish man! Do you believe that you can simply walk away from this? The law of the powerful is to devour the weaker-just like what we are about to do." The leader's sinister smirk only made Byleth shudder at his apathy. There was no way he could remain neutral any longer.

"Listen here," the leader growled, "you'd better obey or else you'll end up in a slave market, just like them."

Byleth gasped, "S-Sold?!"

He cast a glance at those who were behind the man and what he saw shocked him to the core. The girls looked quite young, around 18s or even less as he speculated but the most disturbing part was the bruises on their bodies and all of them were handcuffed like chained animals. Some of them were crying, which explained the statement the bandit said earlier. After analyzing the details, Byleth immediately understood what was about to happen.

"They captured these poor girls for slave trading.", he did not know whether slavery was a thing in this land or not but the fact these fiends conducted in front of his eyes made him want to vomit. Based on their current states, these innocents seemed to be captives recently due to the shout he heard earlier which he quickly concluded that they were tortured for disobedience. In addition, he also noticed there were various supplies at the camp. Combining all the details he had, the most possible explanation was a group of merchants or villagers being attacked while transporting goods. However, all the captives were young, something did not add up here making Byleth feel irritated by it.

"What happened to their parents?", Byleth asked as if it was out of curiosity, but his eyes said otherwise.

"It's not your business and you should stop asking questions", a lackey snapped back.

"Since you want to join them as well so I will grant you that wish", the leader smirked Byleth just wanted to vomit immediately, but he was still holding back.

But the answer shook Byleth to the core despite the anticipation of the worst.

"Of course, the parents put up a fight, so we killed all of them and took the spoils!"

Byleth's fists clenched as a wave of deep sorrow and intense rage filled his heart. He had dreamt about the loss of his loved ones earlier, and the feeling was still so fresh in his mind that tears started to well up in his eyes. His memories were still hazy, but he could not forget the hollows of pain that filled his chest. He knew starting a fight right now was foolish and it would put him at an obvious disadvantage, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted revenge for what these dogs had done - nothing else mattered.

"You bark about the strong devouring the weak, but all I sense is cowardice radiating from your pitiful form. You cower before the noble and powerful yet have no qualms in tormenting the frail and helpless. Would you rather hide in shame than confront the humiliation that awaits?" Byleth's voice was sharp as broken glass, his face a masque of stoic indifference, yet his eyes blazed with barely restrained fire.

His words cut deep into the bandits' spirit. "What did you say?" they spat. "You think you're so cool, do ya? We've 20 to your one! Think you can handle us?"

The ruffian snarled and charged toward Byleth, nearly rabid in his frenzy. "Let's show this fool what happens when he offends us! Get him!"

Good, Byleth's taunting was working, and the first guy acting recklessly. In a flash, Byleth unsheathed his sword and parried the axe moving toward him which flew away until it landed on the ground. Taking advantage of their shocks, he sent a kick to the bandit's belly sending the guy straight to the cooking pot they were preparing which fueled the shocks on their face even more. It was quite strange that he could still master his fighting experience but that could be questioned later after he was done with these bandits.

"Moments ago, I thought what awaited me was beasts preying on humans as if we were nothing but food to them.", Byleth said calmly.

"But turns out, all of you are just the same thing as them: disgusting, mindless. Nevertheless, comparing predators to you might even be an insult because even animals care for family unlike you coward fiends.", his face was frowning while his eyes were burnt with rage which sent a shiver to everyone. From this moment, the bandits knew this man was not to be messed with, so they started to act more carefully.

"Spare me from your philosophical lessons, young man! I will make sure you beg for our forgiveness once we've dealt with you", the leader replied casually but his veins on his head were visible indicating that he was pissed off now. Noticing this detail, the remaining rooks readied their weapons and prepared for their leader's orders.

"Only if you are still breathing after this night", Byleth answered coldly before raising his sword and changing his stance to prepare for another attack.

He did not know how long it had been since the battle began but this night felt endless to him. First, he woke up after a long sleep in an unknown land with no recollection of the past and then faced bandits even though he was outnumbered 20 to 1 while searching for a way out of the forest. However, Byleth had no regret for his action and was determined to punish these twisted villains that dared to rob someone's family. If they just simply stole supplies, he could let it slide because antagonizing them would bring unnecessary troubles, especially when he needed information. But the moment they were laughing while telling him about the murder showing they had no remorse soon changed his mind.

Dodging another attack, Byleth used his sword to deflect another blade coming with many more that would soon follow. Despite being overwhelmed, the battle was raging on as he cut down many lackeys. With each one down, more blood would spill, and end up landing on his sword and face. With more blood on his body, the bandit's attitudes started to shift as they witnessed what was happening. Under the veil of darkness, moonlight cast on the battlefield highlighting the man in detail; it seemed that not a single drop of sweat had touched him even after slaying so many in such a short time. Blood was dripping from his sword and armor like oiled ink as he was done slaughtering another friend of theirs. When Byleth looked back at them, they swore that it was not human they were facing.

This was the doing of a demon and that entity was thirsty for their blood.

Just minutes earlier, they were laughing and ridiculing him for playing the hero trying to save the day; now their situation had turned so far around that it was almost laughable. Now they had a better chance of seeing the resemblance of the demon: their fear of Death himself grew larger when remembering rumors of a ruthless mercenary under Blade Breaker's command, they saw his blue ocean hair matching eyes, as dark grey armor as night combined with a large cape, draped over a cold body who, despite bathing in blood after cutting down his enemies, showed no emotion whatsoever. There was no doubt; this man was not human. He was the Ashen Demon.

"Ash…Ashen Demon!"

"I heard the Demon was a skilled fighter, but he should not be this good."

"Just look at the corpses! He butchered them as if we were just farm animals!

"Moreover, wasn't Ashen Demon female according to the rumors?"

Ashen Demon-that was quite the most catchy name he ever heard. Whoever this Ashen Demon was, they were mistaking him for her based on what the ruffian had said. Slowly tracing his hand to the armor chest, he wet it with blood and sliced his hair with those fingers making him look more terrifying. A stroke of psychological warfare struck terror into their hearts spreading even more chaos among their ranks.

Swinging the blade to clean the blood from the sword, Byleth pointed toward the remaining enemies and said coldly:

"Demon or not, I'm your worst nightmare that you can never run away from. But don't worry, you will find peace once I free you from your mortal coils."

Moving with all the speed he had, Byleth rushed toward the nearest ruffian who was defending with a shaking axe. At his approach, the frightened man raised his weapon to block Byleth's attack, but he swung too late. He struck him in the wrist, breaking the axe into two pieces and sending it flying from his hands. The force of the blow sent him flying backward as blood poured from severed arteries. He crumpled to the ground before he could scream, dead before anyone knew what happened. Byleth stepped over his body and scanned the battlefield for another foe. The tide of battle was turning in his favor now that their leader's grasp on their minds diminished. But even though they were weakened, they still outnumbered him sixteen-to-one. That's why he decided to cut off the head of the snake to end this once and for all. With a target in mind, Byleth picked up a sword left behind by one of the fallen bandits and closed ranks to protect himself from stray arrows or thrown weapons. He dodged and ducked until he reached their leader standing several yards away, waiting patiently for them to restore order to their ranks and reorganize for another charge.

Then he called out "Fool! Do you honestly believe you can call yourself a warrior when you're surrounded like this? Call your men off or I will…"

Just then an arrow flew through the air and pierced his side, knocking him back several steps before he steadied himself to keep fighting. When he looked around for its origin, no one seemed to be looking at him, but from the looks of things, someone had shot it."

"Arrogance will be your downfall, foolish boy!", the leader smirked.

"All of you! Stop standing there and rounded him now!"

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Byleth realized he had made an error in judgment by not considering the possibility of an archer. With the arrow still lodged in his shoulder, he tried to retreat from the scene as fast as possible, with the bandits hot on his trail. Despite being in such great peril, Byleth kept a cool head and refused to remove the arrow from his shoulder, knowing that it would need treatment. Instead, he broke the body of the arrow and smashed it in half.

"If this is how I die before I can answer all my questions, I'll never forgive whoever put me here!" thought Byleth angrily, cursing fate or any higher power that chose to involve him in such a terrible predicament.

Suddenly, a figure charged through the thugs and came to Byleth's side. He turned round in shock, his brain unable to make sense of what he was seeing. When he got a better look at his rescuer he gasped; her armor was of the same style as his own, just tailored for a woman. Her hair hung past her shoulders in deep oceanic waves that moved with the wind. Their eyes locked, and Byleth felt time stand still as he became lost in her gaze. There was something familiar about her, though this was their first meeting. But the more he looked into her calm face and deep blue eyes, so like his own, the more captivated he became. However, before he could ponder further she snapped him back to reality.

"Pull yourself together! We still have a battle ahead."

"Right, sorry! I was trying to process the event but thanks for your help."

"Before we continue, my name is Bylass Eisner- a mercenary."

"I'm Byleth- a traveler I guess."

She grinned at his presentation, admiring not only his wit but also his strength. His left shoulder had been pierced by an arrow and his body and hair were spattered with blood, though it did not appear to be his as he would have already died from such a loss. They could talk further when the robbers were apprehended and the merchants rescued. For the moment, they must direct their attention to the attackers.

"So, another idiot wants to join his demise? Do you think the two of you can take us on?" The leader of the bandits looked at the newcomers and sneered.

"He surprised us with his skill, but we still have more numbers. So one extra won't make a difference."

"Plus, she looks like she's full of life! We could have some fun with her later."

It's been years since Bylass joined the missions of her father's mercenary band where she encountered all kinds of men who were also twisted like these bandits. But they also would regret it later when she cut off the head of the guy who said that and tonight would be the same. Hours earlier, her father got a report of the convoy of supplies that had not arrived yet from the villagers of Remire. Her father had expected the worst, so he ordered the band to be prepared while she volunteered to be the scout thanks to her skilled information gathering. When she found the trace of the missing people and bandits, Bylass sent an owl to transfer the letter to her father indicating the location of the targets.

She had planned to observe the bandits first, before joining her father's mercenaries in the fight. What shocked her was seeing another man holding his own against an entire battalion. His sword fighting technique was remarkable; each slash puncturing through flesh and spilling blood across the battlefield. They were calling him the Ashen Demon, a title she knew all too well and loathed deeply. Peering closer at the man, she realized why they mistook him for her—they shared similar features, particularly their blue hair. Despite this, she still chose to join the fight and buy as much time as possible until her father arrived.

Before she could utter a single syllable, Byleth already let out a blood-curdling warning that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Touch her and I will remove your heads from your sorry necks as I have done to your dead comrades!" He snarled with an icy glint in his eye.

"You are full of sharp tongues and empty threats", one of the bandits spat out with a mocking smirk. "Though you may be the Ashen Demon, you are still flesh and bones. We can take you down just as easily as we took them down!"

"And yet it was this lady who killed one of your own, speak of cowardice", Bylass added spitefully with a sly grin.

The leader roared with fury, making his henchmen cower in fear at his command.

"Enough of this! Kill the Ashen Demon and the intruder now!"

As the battle started again, it was clear that the bandits were in for a surprise. The man they had assumed to be no match for their numbers, had managed to hold off four of them with some rather brutal techniques. To make matters worse, when the woman joined the fight, he seemed to gain added strength, making it nearly impossible for any of them to get close enough to attack her. Slaughter followed as the two made their way through most of the party until only the leader remained.

This realization sent a chill down his spine; how could a mere human have overpowered their forces? Was this all due to her presence? Both she and the man had the same blue hair and similar armor. He hadn't noticed before but now he was almost certain of their identity. Could they truly be the rumored Ashen Demons who showed no remorse towards those they killed? He knew very well that he wasn't exactly an angel himself but he had never been able to stay so emotionless when taking someone's life. Yet these two seemed not to care about it at all, seeming simply bored by his men's efforts.

"No! This cannot be happening," the leader shrieked as his voice quivered with terror. "This is nothing more than a wretched nightmare from which I must be free!"

"I believe I told you this was your nightmare and you would only wake if you released yourself from your mortal shell," Byleth intoned in an unsettling monotone. "You should have also remembered my warning – those who attempt to cross me will not live to regret it." Her icy reply was laced with hidden contempt.

Realizing he had no chance of beating them both in battle, the leader spun and grabbed one of the captives, pressing his sword against her throat.

"Do not test me! One step closer and she dies," he spat defiantly. "You think you can just do whatever you like? Think again! She lives or dies by my mercy alone."

"You slimy coward! I can't believe you would be so treacherous!"

"Shut your mouth, or else she pays the price. Don't think for one second that I won't carry out my threats if provoked—I've got the upper hand now." His voice was murderous and his eyes burned with a feral intensity.

Bylass was ready to express her opinion, but Byleth cut her off with a stern shake of his head. Their eyes locked, and she immediately knew what he wanted - no sacrifice of innocent lives for their mission. But they had already killed most of the opposing party, and they would be free of interference until they saw him again. It pained them both to accept, but they knew it was the right thing to do.

Byleth and Bylass stood ominously over the girl, swords drawn and ready to strike. The room seemed to freeze as the tension mounted.

"What is your request?" Bylass demanded, her voice harsh with menace.

"Put down your swords and let me take my horse then I will release the girl," came the reply.

The air split with a deafening silence before both of them spoke at once, "Agreed!" Steel clattered on stone as their blades were lowered in agreement, but the danger was still palpable in the air.

Putting their swords away, they made it slowly to follow the leader who was still holding the hostage to make sure everything was still under control. Once the man came close to the horse, they thought this would be the end. Then, in a blink of an eye, the bandit pulled out a sharp knife and brutally slit the woman's throat before jumping onto his horse and galloping away.

Time seemed to stand still as the deed happened with such speed that it almost left him dumbstruck. He ran after the murderer as fast as his feet could carry him, but the evil bandit escaped into the woods leaving him far behind. There was no use in persisting with the chase, so he ran straight toward the fallen victim, desperately trying to save her life.

"Hang on! I'll stop the bleeding, just stay still."

"Okay, you're safe now. It's all over."

Silence filled the room as Byleth stared at Bylass, her eyes swollen with sadness. But he refused to believe it.

"She must be okay," He said desperately. "I'm sure she's just resting after that frightening holdup earlier. We did save her, right?"

Byleth waited for her response but instead saw guilt filling her face and knew the answer before she spoke it out loud. He tried to think of something that would make the truth different, so he put his finger near the girl's nose and wished for some movement or breath from her, but there was nothing. His last hope had left him choked with grief.

When he got his answer, Byleth slowly put down the girl, trying to stand up, and walked away which he failed miserably after a few steps. He did not know whether Bylass was calling out to him, but he was losing his mind now. For a second time, the sorrows had taken over him like the dream earlier and all he could feel now was guilt for not being faster. Why did he choose to play the hero which dooms her fate? If he did not intervene, maybe she would be alive despite losing her freedom. But the deed was done, he could not save everyone.

Then he grabbed his head and doubled over with a cry of pain as if his skull were splitting open. Once again, he thought he heard Bylass call his name, but he could barely hear anything ringing over his ears. He couldn't even hear his voice as he gasped and tightened the hold on his head like it would keep it from breaking apart.

You were too late then as you are too late now.

Byleth felt a light touch against his cheek, and slowly he opened his eyes. He saw Bylass in front of him, her face etched with concern as she bent down to look at him. She asked softly:

"Are you okay?"

Byleth's throat was dry and he found it difficult to speak, but he slightly nodded his head, which seemed to assuage some of the worry on her face. They stayed like that for a while, not saying a word, their hands still connected across their faces; Bylass had never been so physical with anyone before, not even her father. A part of her was unsure why she acted this way towards a near stranger, but she continued to comfort him anyway. Was this what love, at first sight, felt like? Had all the stories she heard from the village children truly come true? Bylass thought back on her childhood and couldn't help but feel conflicted about the situation she was in. But for now, all she knew was that she wanted to comfort him.

"What is going on here?"

Remire Village

Having recounted the journey to her father, they all ventured back to Remire Village with the captives and Byleth in tow. Despite his reluctant agreement to accompany them, she took him to the infirmary to tend to his arrow wound and any other injuries he suffered during their expedition. After confirming that he was being cared for by the apothecary, Bylass stepped outside in search of her father who no doubt had many questions for her. Knocking on the door of his office, she heard his response of "yes" and prepared herself for what was to come.

"I cannot believe you would do such a reckless thing, despite telling me in your letter that you would only spy on them!" Jeralt scolded, his face creased with worry.

"I am sorry Jeralt. That was indeed my aim, but the situation changed and we were able to drive them away.", Bylass replied apologetically yet still maintaining her typical stoic composure. Jeralt had grown accustomed to her behavior since she was young and did not question her integrity.

"What of the man, you said his name was Byleth?"

"He is currently under the care of the local apothecary and it is quite peculiar how he bears such a similar name as I do."

"Furthermore, you both wore the same robes and had the same features too. If I didn't know any better I'd say he was your twin brother which is impossible."

"Believe me, when I first saw him I thought the same thing. That's why I'm going to ask him later once he has regained his senses."

"In addition, after questioning the rescued girls, a rumor was already circulating among us that he is the Shadow of Ashen Demon who delighted in drinking the blood of his victims and terrorized them with no mercy or remorse. Of course, as I wasn't there I hoped you could shed some light on this for me."

That title itself made her blood boil. She was angry about the rumors that surrounded Byleth, and she could not believe how people would make up stories they had no proof of. It was one thing for her to face the judgment, but it was another for him to suffer the same fate as her.

"Jeralt, if he was a Demon like they said he was, then none of us would be standing here right now. He did rush to save those girls even though he was outnumbered."

"You are right, kid. But my next question still stands - if he is so powerful, how come we have never heard from him?"

"I don't know the answer to that yet. I need to ask him about it later. "

"And what is going on between you two?"

She felt taken aback by his question. "What do you mean, Jeralt? We just met a few hours ago!"

"Yes, but I have known you for years and you have never interacted with anyone in such an affectionate way before. Even when comforted me in the past you never showed such emotion. Why him?"

She knew quite well what he meant. Everyone around them was shocked and confused, and even she could not explain her behavior. They had just recently met, yet the instant their eyes met, something deep within her urged her to hold him close — if only for a few seconds so he would remain calm in the presence of the bandits.

It wasn't romantic, this she was sure, but it still felt strange and unfamiliar. Bylass's cheeks flushed at the memory as she also recalled Jeralt's small cough to break the silence between them.

"I see, it's late so you might take a rest now. I will handle the rest."

"Thank you, Jeralt." She wanted to thank him more, but couldn't find the words. Instead, she left the room with a heavy heart and a sense of internal conflict about her actions.

Jeralt watched her leave with an unreadable expression on his face before shaking his head in amusement. "What an odd night! There are many things left unanswered, but I do like this change in her way of expression." He smiled.

Jeralt's heart was at war with itself as he gazed upon Byleth. At first, suspicion coursed through his veins after witnessing the young man's involvement in a bloody scene. But then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, nostalgia gripped him tightly. He couldn't help but wonder if Byleth was truly Bylass' long-lost twin, stolen from them by Rhea herself.

A surge of anger swept over Jeralt at the thought. The mere idea made him want to burn Garreg Mach to the ground, again. As he looked at Byleth and tried to discern whether or not he posed a threat, he prayed that the young man had nothing to do with being their missing child.

"I hope you will not be like I speculated for the sake of us, Byleth," Jeralt muttered under his breath, unsure if he even believed his own words.

When Bylass returned to the infirmary, her heart was heavy with worry when she discovered that Byleth had gone. Fortunately, her worry subsided when the apothecary informed her that he had gone to a nearby river in a village to wash the blood off his clothes. As she arrived at the riverbank, her heart sank as she saw him sitting by the shore, seemingly emotionless and distant. She didn't know if he was still suffering from the trauma earlier, but she decided to come and sit next to him anyway.

"How are you doing now?"

"Oh, it's you! Yes, I'm getting better now. How about you?"

"I'm ok, just finished filling out the reports for my father. By the way, I've been meaning to ask. Where exactly do you come from?"

"Honestly, I can't remember much about me besides my name and a few other things.", Byleth replied in a sad voice.

"You mean you are having amnesia?"

"Yes, my mind is a total mess now and I don't even know how I ended up here in this land. I was just trying to find my way out of that forest which led me into encountering those bandits like you saw earlier."

"It's alright," Bylass said in a strained voice. Though she knew it was pointless to ask him with his amnesia, she couldn't help but do so regardless. She asked questions such as how he had gained experience in sword fighting and where he'd gotten the armor from - all of which he couldn't answer, though he tried hard to recall. Finally, she asked about his parents and realized her mistake in doing so. He had kept his expression neutral while answering each of her questions until he had looked away sheepishly. Now, she could see that he was desperately trying not to let tears run down his face and this alone made her feel guilty for prying.

"If you don't want to answer, I won't force you. I'm sorry for being too intrusive."

"There's nothing to apologize for, my friend. Thanks for understanding my situation."

"By the way, about what occurred..."

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry for my behavior. I didn't understand why I was acting that way. Can you forgive me?"

"No need to apologize. I'm grateful for your help. Thank you for lending a hand in my time of need."

"Plus, it wasn't too bad," Byleth whispered.

Bylass barely heard him, but she still blushed as soon as she made sense of his words. She wanted to change the subject to avoid having further confusing feelings, so she asked, "What are your plans now?"

"I'll try to find any job which requires my sword and hopefully meet someone who can tell me something about my past along the way," he replied.

"How about joining us? ," Bylass suggested.

"Do I qualify?"

"Of course, welcome to the team, my friend!"