25th of Great Tree Moon, 1180

Byleth slowly woke up, put his favorite armor on, and prepared for the day. He knocked on the door next to his room which soon opened, revealing a yawning Bylass. This was new to him given how energetic she had been since they met each other. He guessed that she was serious about her responsibilities after all.

"Did you end up reading those books the whole night?"

"Not really, I managed to finish them as soon as possible but it still shortens my sleep time. Don't worry, I will be fine.", she stretched her shoulders and took some books on the table.

"Let's go now, shall we?"

"There are … two of them? Are we going to have two professors?", the blue hair boy asked hesitantly.

"Of course not, Caspar. We've already been informed that there will be a new professor and a student."

"She is right. I'm Bylass Eisner- your new professor."

"I'm Byleth- a fellow student. It's a pleasure to meet you all", Byleth bowed respectfully.

"Looks like fate was blessing me for making our paths cross again. It's nice to see you again, Byleth.", Edelgard smiled at him.

"As I said, life is unexpected Edelgard.", Byleth left a small wave at her.

"What a handsome man! Edie, I did not know you had that in you.", a green-eyed woman teased the princess, earning a sigh from the tall sinister man next to her while Edelgard was blushing.

"Dorothea, please spare our guests from your childish teasing. Where are my manners? My name is Hubert von Vestra. I hope we will get along well."

"Could you guys please be quieter? Someone is taking a nap here. I'm Linhardt, nice to meet you.", Then he fell asleep.

"Hubert, could you …", Edelgard sighed.

"Of course, my lady.", Hubert put his hands on Lindhardt's shoulders, forcefully pulling him up which seemed effective.

While the duo was still trying to process what happened, their eyes soon caught sight of a little girl who shyly hid behind Dorothea and panicked when she realized she was spotted.

"Don't try to kill me, agents of death. Please, I've always been a good girl. Don't take me to hell and present me to your Lord!"

Knowing who pulled the string behind this, Byleth looked at Bylass searching for confirmation, to which she nodded and gave him the answer. Neither said anything as if they understood what the other was thinking until Bylass spoke out:

"Edelgard, is it allowed for professors to have private sparring with students from other Houses?"

"From what I recalled, there is no rule against it. May I ask who caught your eyes?", she pinched her chin.

"You know him very well, Edelgard. Looks like a spoiled kid like him wants to be disciplined that much. Don't you agree, Byleth?", Bylass laughed sarcastically.

"I bet he will claim that is worth it even if we kick him in the ass together. But I look forward to seeing him lamenting in the aftermath.", Byleth replied casually but there was amusement in his voice.

"Are they going to kick someone's ass? I thought that was not a nice thing to do even for Fodlan's standard.", the girl with a tattoo on her face asked.

"They meant that they were going to give him some intense sparring lessons, Petra. A professor can't kick a student, nor a fellow student can do so."

"Ok guys, it's my turn now. My name is Ferdinand von Aegir, son of the Prime Minister of …", his spirit was peaking until he got interrupted by Hubert.

"I'm sorry for this commotion, professor. The class somehow is … rowdy today.", Edelgard shook her head.

"Don't worry, I do find it entertaining. Anyway, before we start, does anyone have any questions?"

Bylass's last words suddenly caught their attention as their eyes scanned the professor and new student, gazing at each other to signal someone to do the honor. Knowing what was going to happen, Bylass explained the relationship between her and Byleth which surprised everyone in the class except Edelgard and Hubert for some unknown reason.

"And that's what happened. Any further question?", seeing no one said anything. Bylass went to the podium and started the first lecture.

"Dear Byleth, could you please sit down, or do you need me to accompany you?", she smiled teasingly at him.

"If any new rumors are circulating about us, you will be the bait for our next hunting expedition."

"You love me too much to do so, Byleth. Besides, you are always volunteering to take the position alone.", she faked grasping, hands over her chest.

"Because things always went south when you were messing around. I forgot to count how many times you fell to our traps and became the prey instead which I had to be the hero saving the day. Therefore, you are fired from that position.", Byleth stopped rambling, realizing that he played into her own game, so he chose to keep quiet.

"Anyway, let the lecture begin now."

"Alright, we have less than one week until the mock battle so let's skim crucial points for our upcoming fight.", Bylass drew the podium with white chalk.

"As you know, the winner is the house that triumphs over the others. Therefore, many of you may think our best course of action will be taking it slowly until the other houses exhaust their strength over each other.", Some of the students nodded their heads.

"However, why should we wait instead of attacking 2 fronts at once?"

"Wait, isn't it illogical to fight multiple fronts while being outnumbered?", Ferdinand raised his hand.

"That will be true if we rush in without any plan, but I'm not finished yet."

"As you can see here, I assume that they will likely send a vanguard not to fight but to lure us inside their ambush. Especially, Claude so I suggest we take care of his fronts as soon as possible.", Bylass pointed to the positions on her chart.

"And how about the Blue Lions, professor?", Edelgard asked.

"Blue Lions might execute the same strategy so we will do the same thing. However, based on the positions for each house I got here, they don't have trees compared to Golden Deers. Which is why we can clear them first without fear of being ambushed."

"Allow me to be blunt. How are we going to take care of the vanguards quickly?", Hubert's voice was skeptical.

"We will take care of them so don't worry."

"We?", everyone asked simultaneously.

"She meant that I and she would do the job.", Byleth replied casually.

"I thought you were insane when you said the same thing a few days ago but after that demonstration at Remire, I put my trust in your insights.", Edelgard smiled genuinely.

"And yet, she disagreed with my plan back then at Remire Village," Byleth murmured.

"What do you want to say, Byleth", Bylass smiled at him, but he could feel the warnings in her voice.

"Nothing, professor."

"So …", her speech was soon interrupted by the school bell.

"Looks like our time has come then. Alright, since tomorrow is our practical exercise, meet me at the Training Grounds."

"Understood, see you tomorrow, professor."

As Bylass packed her belongings, Byleth followed suit and stood up once he was done packing until a voice suddenly spoke up.

"I believe we didn't have the chance to speak yet. I'm Ferdinand von Aegir, I hope you will have a great time studying with us this year.", Ferdinand offered his hand politely which Byleth accepted and shook their hands.

"The pleasure is mine."

"Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Currently not but I guess I will need to have dinner now."

"Great. Do you mind if I can join you?"

Even though Byleth's stoicism was visible on his face, he was caught off guard by the question, given how he was treated for 2 years. Unsure about the offer, Byleth scratched his head and lost in thought. Noticing his hesitation, Ferdinand took the hints and said:

"I know it might have been new for you to study in an environment where most students here are nobles and influential families alike. Nevertheless, in Black Eagle House we try to treat each other as equals despite differences in our origins. Moreover, you and the professor look close to our age so we would love to include you in our inner circle. Is that right, everyone?", Ferdinand finished his inspirational speech, earning agreement from everyone even the gloomy Hubert.

"If you say so, I guess I will take the offer then.", Byleth nodded.

"Perfect, then I shall accompany you to the Dining Hall. Would you also join us as well?", Ferdinand looked at the rest of the class, most of which nodded their heads except Bernadetta and Linhardt.

"I'm off to sleep now so you guys can have fun.", he was about to leave before getting stopped by Caspar.

"It had been a while since the whole class had time together, Linhardt. Besides, you already slept during the lecture."

While Caspar was busy convincing Linhardt to join the class, Bernadetta took her position behind Dorothea and hid away once Byleth gazed at her.

"Bernie, come on. You should greet our new classmate and professor too.", Dorothea gently brushed her hair.

"I just want to go back to my room now.", panic was still in her voice which made Byleth unsure how to calm her down. An idea hit his mind as he recalled the encounter with Jeritza.

"Bernadetta … was it? It's OK if you can't join but I heard they got some fancy cakes tonight.", her ears immediately perked at the word "cakes".

"Maybe… I can join today.", she reluctantly answered but Byleth swore her eyes were gleaming.

"Alright, shall we go now?"

If anyone asked Byleth what he would expect from being a student, having dinner with the whole class would be preposterous. For some reason, everyone was willing to spend the night welcoming him and Bylass despite barely knowing each other but it wasn't like he hated the idea. Based on his observations, he already got some interesting insights from each member of the Black Eagle house.

Caspar was no doubt one of the most energetic students in this class besides Ferdinand except for the elegance of the Prime Minister's son. The blue-haired boy had already been asking Bylass for a duel despite having practice tomorrow. Byleth silently wished her the best of luck tomorrow and ate his steak.

Speaking of Ferdinand, the boy, no, his actions were a bit … "mature" as if he had already embraced his future role in the Empire. Even though Byleth was a bit uncomfortable with his speeches about the elegance of nobility; he could not grow to hate the boy since Ferdinand was the opposite of most nobles he heard. Despite being born into privilege, their upbringing did not seem to make Ferdinand a spoiled kid who liked to draw distance between commoners and nobles. Byleth was not a seer, but he could already foresee that the Empire would flourish under the new Prime Minister.

Sitting next to Ferdinand was Dorothea who gave Byleth the same vibe as Manuela. If it weren't for the fact that he was used to Bylass's cheeky teasing for 2 years, he would think that Dorothea was flirting with him earlier. Moreover, for some reason, Bylass was shooting glares at the green-eyed girl and then dragged him away from her. "Women are strange", Byleth thought.

Petra on the other hand seemed composed and she did not talk much since Fodland was not her native tongue. She looked at how she misunderstood some of the slang, making him resist the urge to giggle since he was caught off by her cuteness. Other than that, she was an exemplary student.

Lindhart… well, Byleth did not know what made of the green-haired student who was sleeping soundly in front of a cooked steak. However, Byleth had a feeling the boy was not some kind of lazy and irresponsible student despite his sleeping behaviors. It was just a gut feeling so Byleth would see what the future awaited.

The one that left him quite an impression was undoubtedly Bernadetta – the shy girl whom Byleth somehow found a connection with after seeing how freaked out she was when talking to other students. Byleth did not know what happened to her, but it might be something similar to him that traumatized her. Prying into someone's business when they got to know each other for 1 day was rude so Byleth decided to take some time to get to know the girl before figuring out how to help her socialize at least with Black Eagle students. On the other hand, he confirmed that cakes could make her a bit open up.

Suddenly, his back felt cold and he quickly caught sight of the perpetrator. Hubert didn't even try to cover his tracks by bluntly scrutinizing Byleth. Those menacing eyes stared into Byleth's blue eyes as if playing with the prey before finishing the hunt irritating Byleth a little bit; therefore, he pulled himself and frowned back to intimidate the gloomy student which surprised him and thus he smirked politely to avoid escalation. Byleth mentally noted to himself to be aware of Hubert from now on due to the dark aura around his intimidating classmate.

Last but not least, the house leader Edelgard herself remained a mystery to him. Based on what he observed, Edelgard was indeed a born leader due to her fearlessness in battles and discipline in the academy. However, there was one thing that had been baffling him for today – she was constantly observing him. Since the start of the lecture, her violet eyes never gazed at others but him. Naturally, he simply looked back at her whose expression was unreadable until he shifted his attention back to Bylass. Although he was trying to clear his thoughts about Edelgard, Byleth could still feel her gaze was still directed at him, giving him more confusion.

"So, what are your impressions so far on the academy?", Ferdinand spoke, breaking Byleth away from his thoughts.

"I must say the environment here was far from what I imagined. The facility was well maintained and students here were social enough.", Bylass replied.

"On that, I agreed with her. Although these new roles were different compared to our mercenary life, I'm happy to be here.", Byleth muttered, "alongside you."

"From what I've seen, you two look rather close. May I ask how long you have known each other?", Edelgard asked.

"If I remember correctly, it was around 2 years ago when we first met each other.", Bylass replied as she finished sipping the cup.

"I can vividly recall the image of a helpless traveler, surrounded by waves of bandits; until a knight in shining armor came to his rescue. As their eyes met, he could not help but be captivated by her beauty and he was lost in his world despite being in a messy situation.", Bylass finished her story with a sing-song voice, earning the attention of the Black Eagles; especially Byleth who looked displeased.

"And somehow according to my memory, I was able to take down some of them and even the leader if it weren't for the fact that the arrow got me unexpectedly. Therefore, your "helpless traveler" was irrelevant.", Byleth said in a monotone but some of the students could not help but giggle as they found their playful bickering entertaining.

"There is no need to act tough in front of your classmates, my student. But admit it, we made a good duo quite quickly."

"That cheeky behavior of yours …. However, I'm happy our paths crossed that day, Bylass.", Byleth left a heartwarming smile to everyone's surprise.

"Me too, Byleth.", she smiled joyfully as her hand instinctively reached his.

"Oh my… I sense there is something deep around here. Professor, you should be careful in front of your students or there might be gossip." Dorothea laughed teasingly, preventing Bylass from reaching his hand as she regained her cool.

"Anyway, I could not help but be amazed by your swordsmanship. How did you two get so skilled?", Edelgard coughed awkwardly.

"I've joined missions with Jeralt since I was twelve so I would say it came from my experience which I help you get experienced with by the end of your graduation."

"I see. How about you, Byleth?"

Suddenly, there was an uneasy feeling among them as Byleth's face darkened. Fortunately, he managed to put the thoughts away and replied subtly.

"I can't remember where I got this experience from since the past is unknown to me. But if any of you wish to spar, I will gladly share some of the pointers."

"Then I can't wait to fight with you, my friend", Caspar said excitedly.

"You also mentioned that you have some experience with hunting as well. Could you give me your hand sometimes?", Petra stuttered.

"Petra, I believe you mean to say give a hand with hunting. That's different from asking someone to give you a hand."

"It's alright, I'm looking forward to our new friendships.", Byleth raised his cup.

"May our friendships flourish and the Black Eagles triumph in victory.", Edelgard followed suit with a smile on her face which soon was picked up by the rest of the class.

"Let's make this year the most meaningful time, shall we?", Bylass eyed everyone, earning a nod from them.

"Cheers!"

26th of Great Tree Moon, 1180

"How could this happen?"

"I'm not done yet … Ferdinand von Aegir won't…"

"Be quiet, Ferdinand. I'm having a good nap now."

"Bernie was right. I should have stayed in my room instead."

"I must admit you are indeed skilled enough, professor."

Byleth remained stoic as his classmates were lying on the training field due to the exercise today. Just half an hour ago, Bylass nonchalantly suggested that she would duel on one with every class member without taking a rest, shocking each one of them. Surprisingly, she somehow managed to stand firm and waited for the next opponent while most of the class was lying dead and Edelgard was gasping; the sweat was all over her face as her hands were shaking, trying to hold the wooden axe. Eventually, the house leader decided to yield and cleared the path for the next one.

"You are truly a force to be reckoned with, professor. I'm impressed you can triumph over us despite having no break for a long time.", Edelgard complimented.

"It seems my calculation was wrong as well. Professor, you are indeed worthy of leading the Black Eagles.", Hubert quietly added, "for now."

"And now it's time for the main dish. Are you ready, Byleth?", Bylass raised her wooden sword, the excitement undoubtedly could be heard in her voice.

"I've already figured out your plan from the beginning, professor. If that is what you desire, then I shall grant your wish."

"Hold on there, Byleth. Since we've been sparring for a very long time, why don't we stick with our usual method?"

"You mean … you want to use silver swords?", Byleth asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry. Besides, it will help me demonstrate real-life combat to some of our students here as well and you are the best candidate for this."

"Then I have no problem with it.", Byleth was about to go back to his room to get his sword, but Bylass had beaten him to it and handed him the silver blade.

"You've never changed, professor.", he left a small smile at her.

"Thanks for your compliment."

"Are you sure this will be alright?", Ferdinand raised her hand; his voice was filled with uncertainty.

"It's not a big deal, Ferdinand.", Bylass waived casually and changed her stance, indicating the duel was about to begin.

Pushing off with his foot, Byleth sprang forward and raised his sword. The silver blade glinted in the light and hummed as it sliced through the air. Toppling backward, Bylass fell onto her back and scrambled to stand up. As she leaped toward Byleth, he twisted around and sidestepped her attack. Raising her blade to her side, she charged at him with binding speed and swung. The duel was raging as their blades kept clashing; the sounds of the swords ringing across the training field intensified the environment of their duel. As Bylass sprang into the air, she descended to strike the spot Byleth had been defending. Although he was in a tough position due to her heavy slash accompanied by gravity, Byleth intensely held his sword against her blade until he found a blind spot and sent a kick at her. She stumbled backward.

"It's rude to kick a girl, you know.", Bylass knocked off the dust from her stomach and repositioned her stance.

"All is fair in love and war, professor. Last time I recall, you also enjoyed my tactic as well."

"Then let's not hold back, shall we!", Bylass dashed toward him.

As the duel resumed, the professor and the student brought out everything they had until neither could toy with the other anymore. With each thrust pointed at him, Byleth smoothly maneuvered himself around her strike and stumbled backward in a zig-zag. Knowing he needed to end this fast, Byleth suddenly levitated into the air; his hands were tightening the silver blade, and flew at her. However, Bylass managed to maneuver herself to the left and dodged the heavy slash; but that would not be the end since Byleth suddenly stopped the flow of the early attack and performed another slash from the downside.

To his surprise, Bylass instantly relaxed her stance and performed a backflip- the technique that undoubtedly came from him. Rolling herself backward, she used her left hand to stabilize her body and instantly thrust back at him. Exhausted due to executing multiple attacks in a short time, Byleth could not catch up with her speed and her blade was already centimeters away from his neck.

"Looks like we have a winner after all this time.", Bylass smiled joyfully.

"Honestly, I'm surprised that you could turn my technique against me. Congratulations, professor.", Byleth tossed the blade away and raised both his hands up.

"That was impressive, professor.", Caspar shouted.

"The fight was truly epic. This duel, no… this is a dance of blades which is beyond my imagination.", Ferdinand commented exaggeratedly.

"Such power … what kind of Crests do you have, professor, Byleth?", Linhardt suddenly awakened.

"By the way, professor. I think you and Byleth have become the center of the attention.", Hubert grinned.

Byleth and Bylass looked around and noticed that there were more students compared to earlier. Apart from the Black Eagles, the others were strangers to them except Dimitri and Claude who waved back with a polite smile. Moreover, Jeralt and Seteth were also here as well. The latter did not look pleased, but Jeralt was grinning in satisfaction.

"So, this is what you two have been doing for all these years. You do have a strange way of courting, kid.", Bylass shot him a warning glare, but her face was red in embarrassment.

"Professor, even though I'm amazed by your swordsmanship, I would recommend you refrain from doing this again since it might be a bit extreme for students.", Seteth said calmly.

"My bad, Seteth. Byleth and I had been doing this for years so nothing will go wrong."

"At least sparring would not go south compared to our hunting expeditions. Jeralt, are you sure you were not cheeky like her … ouch.", Byleth lamented until she stomped his foot "gently".

"I must admit that I'm fascinated by the techniques you both performed without any difficulty. Therefore, I look forward to our mock battle ahead.", Dimitri clapped his hands.

"And don't forget how easily they leap into the air and descend to the ground. You are indeed angels, teach, Byleth."

"Speaking of the devil, we've been looking for you, Claude.", Bylass got heated.

"I'm honored. What have I done to owe you this pleasure?", Claude smirked mischievously until he felt something was off.

"Since we are angels of death, it's time for your judgment, Your Highness.", Byleth slowly approached Claude and caught his shoulder then dragged him to the training ground.

"Wait, I'm not from the Black Eagles so I will pass this.", Claude tried to sneak away from Byleth but he was soon caught by Bylass on the other side.

"Is it alright for me to include Claude in this exercise, Seteth?"

"Normally it's only allowed in the joint section but I will let it slide this time only. Everyone returns to your positions; this training room is reserved for the Black Eagles today."

"Hey guys, help me please!", Claude pleaded with his classmates who nonchalantly shook their heads and gave him good luck smiles.

Unbeknownst to everybody, Edelgard had a small giggle as she was fascinated by the transition. Even though everyone was caught off by the professor's victory, she was more interested in her navy-haired classmate whose potential was not fully revealed. For the rest of the day, her gazes never left Byleth until the school bell rang, accompanied by laments of Claude who was lying on the ground.

"I did warn you, Your Highness. You'd better watch out or judgment will be passed on to you.", said Byleth with his stoicism.

"Life would be boring without some unharmed jokes, don't you think?"

"Spoiled kid needs to be disciplined so I hope you've learned your lesson today.", Bylass laughed sarcastically.

"Yes, Mom."

"Everyone can go rest now except Yellow Cape!", her teasing grin now got replaced by a scary smile.

"Hey, pops. Save me from her wrath, please!", Claude hid behind Byleth who was frowning.

"You'd better run before she catches you again. I will let you off the mark for now.", Claude nodded and ran immediately.

"You two are truly acting as if you are his parents. I've never seen the Riegan heir so terrified before.", Hubert grinned.

"Mister Vestra, do you want to have special tutoring?", Bylass's glares shot at him.

"Nothing, professor."

"So, what is your verdict today, professor?", Ferdinand steered away the topic.

"You will die a few times."

"That hurts."

"And you as well, Caspar. Unless you are Byleth, don't shout before attacking your opponent."

"Why do I feel being insulted here?", Byleth tilted his head.

"Just take it as a compliment, don't you think? Anyway, Bernadetta. I believe we need to discuss a little bit."

"What have I done wrong?', Bernadetta was panicking.

"Your arrow is undoubtedly the deadliest in our class but if only you are not panicking due to my intimidation."

"But … you are too scary, professor."

"I know this might have been hard for you but it's my responsibility to teach all of you the necessary skills to protect yourself in the future."

"And I promise you that no matter how dangerous our future missions might be, I will keep you safe, Bernadetta.", Bylass finished her speech with determination. Bernadetta did not seem to be fully convinced but her panic was deteriorating.

"Anyway, all of you have shown me a good start today. Tomorrow is your day off so you can enjoy some free time. We will resume the training for the next two days before the mock battle."

The Black Eagles started to leave one by one, except Byleth who had been waiting for her. However, for some reason, Edelgard and Hubert had decided to stay as well.

"The duel was quite a show, professor. I have no doubt with you on our side, the victory will be ours."

"Don't forget our classmate, Hubert. You might be a good professor if you wish to."

"Maybe", Byleth shrugged, trying not to think about the topic.

"You two were doing well too, Edelgard, and Hubert."

"By the way, may I ask what type of crests you possess?"

"We should be the ones to ask. What are those?", Bylass shot a curious look.

"Crests grant special power to those holding them such as high aptitude for magic or enhanced strengths like you two. In most cases, they are inherited through blood thus making the concept of family trait."

"Interesting, I will check this tomorrow with Hanneman. How about you, Byleth?"

"Since I have no plan for tomorrow I will join you."

"What about you, Edelgard? Do you have a crest?", suddenly Edelgard's face became uneased and Hubert was frowning.

"Yes, professor. I do have a minor crest of Seiros."

"Seiros?"

"Allow me to fill you in. I'm no expert in the Church teachings but Seiros was one of the Saints that founded the Church which was named after her.", Hubert explained casually.

"Seiros …", Byleth muttered.

Seiros, there is no running now. We will finish this right here.

"What's wrong, Byleth."

"I'm alright, just feel a bit tired from the practice.", Byleth shook his head.

"So let me guess, this society values those Crests significantly, right?", Bylass continued the topic.

"That's right, many nobles believe they are gifts from the Goddess herself who grants these privileges to them.", Edelgard said in a low tone.

"Is there any discrimination against people who were born crestless?", Byleth suddenly asked.

"Someone is learning fast, I see. But yes, a noble house can fall from grace due to a single line born without any crest.", Hubert commented.

"And the Church allows this?", Byleth sounded conflicted.

"I think we should stop our conversation. It will not be ideal to be branded a heretic when your academic life just started."

"Then you two should have some rest now. Byleth and I have something to discuss."

"See you tomorrow, professor, Byleth.", Edelgard bowed and left with Hubert.

"Today was quite eventful, professor. I must say you did a good job."

"Drop the professor, please. There are only two of us now.", Bylass grinned smugly.

"So, Bylass. How do enjoy teaching so far?"

"Aside from the paperwork, this is enjoyable. Especially how friendly our students are. What about you, Byleth?"

"I feel the same as you; except Hubert who constantly was glaring at me. If my body ends up floating on the fishing lake tomorrow, the perpetrator will undoubtedly be our gloomy student.", Byleth half-joked, earning a small laugh from Bylass.

"Intimidating he can be, but I don't think he is a bad one. Do you have any plans for tomorrow aside from going to Hanneman's office?"

"Not yet, I might have checked the library for some readings. And you?"

"I think I will take some time to get to know more about the students and staff of the academy."

"I must say this is quite a huge transition for us given how things were a few weeks ago.", The mood suddenly changed as Byleth recalled the harsh memory.

"I know. Except for the little tension with Lady Rhea and Seteth, I believe coming here was a positive start for both of us. Annoying our Eagles can be, but they are good kids.", Bylass held his hand gently, comforting his uneased mind which he returned with a soft smile.

"I'm grateful to have you by my side, Bylass."

"We still have a long year academy ahead so let's make the most of it, shall we?"

"Of course, professor.", Byleth nodded.

"You will be free tomorrow night, right?"

"I think so. What plan are you scheming again?"

"Ever since we went to the Monastery, we have not had the chance to go to the town outside the academy yet. How about joining me in the exploration?", her face was flushed with excitement.

"Let me guess. It's not allowed according to the rules, right?", Byleth left a heavy sigh.

"We deserve to have some break, don't we? I put my trust on you- partner-in-crime."

"If we get caught, I will blame you entirely for this "operation". I don't know what you did but even Jeralt once asked me about that title. Let's hope he will never find out about that messy incident."

"Relax, my lips are sealed so no need to dramatize. Regardless, see you tomorrow."

"Guess I have no choice then. Goodnight, Bylass.