Lilia's Journal Entry: 13th, Red Wolf Moon, 1166

Byleth smiled again today!

He smiled multiple times, actually. He first smiled when he realised that we were going fishing today (Jerat has been desperate to take him ever since he caught the goddess messenger), and he smiled again when he caught a fish! We need to take him fishing as often as we can. I think he also enjoyed the antics of Jeralt and Arthur. They had a fishing competition which the "fishing magician", Arthur, won. His prize turned out to be a swim in the water, courtesy of Jeralt! I had not laughed so hard in so long, and I think Byleth enjoyed the silliness of it all as well. It was a lovely time.

The only thing that bothers me is that Jeralt said that Byleth will need to learn how to defend himself soon. Is he really ready for something like that? To my horror, I then learned he intends to have Alain train him! The man terrifies me. He looks like a beast, huge with horrible tattoos; he always looks as if he wants to kill someone. I have never even heard him speak before! All the other mercenaries avoid him… and there must be a good reason for that. I worry that he will be too hard on Byleth, that he will not understand the boy.

Jeralt is not worried. He reassured me that Alain had once been a battle instructor in the Kingdom of Faerghus for the royal family and that he could be trusted. I was not convinced and Jeralt knew it, so he took my hand and promised me that he would stop the training if it became too much for Byleth.

I felt silly then. I had forgotten that Byleth was his son. He loves Byleth more than anyone and making sure that he learns how to defend himself is undoubtedly his way of loving and protecting the boy.

I just hope that Byleth is ready.

The way to the Officers Academy was marked by different signs and coming from the building Byleth had been in, it should've taken him five minutes to reach it.

And yet, with the pace he walked out, it took him almost fifteen. He limped slowly but never changed direction. Not once did he consider disobeying his orders and leaving. A voice in his mind asked him why he didn't leave the monastery, why he didn't just reject what his father said and go.

The answer came in a single image in his mind. An image of Lady Rhea and all her green hair. Jeralt's voice echoed in his mind.

"…believe me when I say that you can't say no to Lady Rhea…"-

He eventually reached a large open area that marked the Officers Academy. It consisted of a meadow dotted with trees that students sat around. A grand building held up with large, golden-bricked columns stood on one side. Beyond the columns lay three large doors. Each one had two coloured banners on either side. One door had yellow banners, the other blue and the final one red. He didn't need to look at the emblems to know what they meant.

'There you are!'

Byleth looked up and saw Claude approach. His bandages were gone and only a few scratches remained as evidence of the desperate scrap he'd been involved in the day prior.

'Hey Byleth!' he said, grinning. 'Or should I say, teach? You're still looking a bit fragile today but better than yesterday! All you're missing now is a smile.'

Byleth fought the urge to turn in the opposite direction. He nodded and Claude chuckled.

'You're the real quiet type, but you're the real deal when it comes to fighting, I like that. Listen, thanks again for what you did for us yesterday. We pulled you guys into a ton of crap and yet you stuck your neck out for us.'

'You saved my life as well.'

'The least I could do considering what we made you go through. But enough about that, you're the new professor here? You must have really impressed Lady Rhea, how'd you do it?'

'I don't know.'

Claude laughed. 'Well, I'm disappointed that I couldn't snatch you up for House Riegan, but perhaps I can convince you to be the professor of the Golden Deer, which I'm the house leader of. You haven't chosen a house, right? Let me show you the guys in our class.'

Byleth followed him through the doors with the yellow banners and a gnawing sensation grew in his stomach.

'Welcome to our classroom,' Claude said.

The "classroom" was a grand and spacious stone-cobbled room, bigger than most houses he'd ever been in. A huge window at the end illuminated the room. Five grand stone pillars stood on either side and rows of wooden benches filled up the centre. Two fireplaces stood ready to be lit at either side, larger than any Byleth had seen before. He also noticed an old scratched wooden desk near the window, alongside a large green board that had chalk scribbled on it.

But none of that mattered to him at that moment. It was the students scattered around the room that caught his attention.

His chest tightened.

'Right fellas come say hi to the new professor,' Claude said.

Byleth didn't know his age specifically, but he was sure that whatever it was, it was close to the age of the students around him. The first one to approach was a girl, smaller than the others. She had long white hair that reminded him of Edelgard. She stared at him, not quite frowning but close to it and kept a healthy distance from him. 'So you're the skilled mercenary that saved Claude are you? You're so young….'

'That's Lysithea,' Claude said.

'Oh,' the next student said, a boy with round glasses and a thick mop of blonde hair. He also kept his distance, an unsure look on his face. He gave a meek wave. 'N-Nice to meet you, I'm Ignatz.'

'I'm Hilda,' the next girl said. She had long, bright pink hair, something he'd never seen before. She gazed at him with squinted eyes as if she'd never seen someone like him before.

Claude then gestured to a tall girl with long blue hair. 'This is Marianne.'

Marianne's face was pale and to Byleth she looked ready to vomit. She gave a weak wave, also keeping her distance from him. A large lump of a man then approached. He was the one Byleth had seen in the dining hall earlier. He was nearly as tall as Jeralt with thick arms to match. His babyish face and childlike smile was what made him different.

'I'm Raphael, nice to meet ya,' he said in a booming voice. 'I think I saw you in the dining hall earlier. You didn't eat a lot. (He scratched his head.) So… you're our new professor?'

'He's not just our new professor, he's Captain Jeralt's kid.'

A woman with short red hair approached. She walked, but Byleth sensed she was stopping herself from rushing to him.

'Hi,' she said, nearly breathless. She bowed, also not keeping a distance from him like the others. 'I'm Leonie Pinelli, Captain Jeralt's first and greatest apprentice. I'm sure he's told you about me?'

"Captain Jeralt's greatest apprentice's" eyes flashed at Byleth and he found himself grateful when the final student interrupted.

'Ah! You're the mercenary everyone's been talking about!'

The final student was the "noblest" noble Byleth had seen so far. He was tall and had short, purple hair trimmed in a peculiar bowl cut. He walked with his hands on his waist and what looked like a permanent frown on his face. What little existed of his chest puffed outward as he strode forward. He nudged Lysithea to one side as he neared.

'You are the new professor? My name is Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. You will want to remember it.'

'As modest as always, Lorenz,' Claude said, winking. 'Anyway, Byleth here hasn't chosen a house to lead yet, so I was thinking we could snap him up before'-

'Just a minute,' Lorenz said. 'This is hardly just his decision let alone yours. I'm aware that he is a renowned mercenary, but what does he bring to the table that Professor Hanneman and Manuela do not?'

'You just said it,' Claude replied. 'He's a renounced mercenary, that's what makes him different.'

'But is being a mercenary alone enough to qualify for such a prestigious role?' Lorenz asked. 'Does that really equip one to teach the art of warfare sufficiently to those who might one day be responsible for leading thousands into battle?'

He turned to Byleth. 'Have you ever studied the art of warfare? Have you read up on important historical battles and how they were won and lost? The other professors have, I've asked them.'

Byleth shook his head. Lorenz did the same. 'See? He may as well help Jeritza oversee combat training instead. And he looks no older than us, surely that alone signifies that he lacks the experience and wisdom to lead us.'

'He's the son of supposedly the strongest knight alive,' Claude said. 'And he's served in the man's mercenary group his entire life, I'd take that experience over someone who just read books.'

Lorenz frowned. 'I hardly think'-

The two bickered. As they did, Byleth felt the other students continue to watch him.

Their smiles were gone and some of them had stepped further away from him.

He trudged out of the classroom a short while later, still able to hear Claude and Lorenz argue behind him. Before he could so much as catch his breath, however, someone called his name.

He looked up and saw Dimitri waving at him from a nearby tree. Other students were gathered around the Kingdom heir. Dimitri included, there were eight of them, the same number as there'd been in the Golden Deer classroom. Byleth glanced at the second classroom entrance, the one with the blue banners and then back at Dimitri. He forced himself to breathe and then walked over. Dimitri, whose cuts and bruises were nearly gone, met him midway and shook his hand.

'How are you? I've heard that you are to become a professor here, that is delightful news!'

He turned and signalled for the others to join him. 'Come and meet this extraordinary man.'

The Blue Lions approached. There was Sylvain, a red-haired man whose smirk reminded him of Claude. There was a frowning man with a hair bun called Felix, and a woman called Ingrid, who he'd seen eating porridge in the dining hall earlier that morning. Two girls then skipped over, moving in sync. Mercedes, who was the taller of the two, had long brunette whilst Annette's was short and ginger. They bowed at the same time. They were joined by a shy-looking boy with ruffled grey hair called Ashe. The final student was a bulky man taller than Jeralt called Dedue. He had dark skin that made his own grey hair stand out. He marched towards Byleth and bowed.

'Words cannot express my gratitude for your service in saving our future king,' he said. 'Should you ever require my strength, please know that I will hasten to repay this debt.'

'Thank you, thank you!' Annette said, jumping up and down. 'You must be a really strong warrior to have saved his Highness!'

'Really strong!' Mercedes agreed.

'He is strong, the boar prince said so,' Felix said. He turned to Byleth. 'And he doesn't just say things like that. I look forward to sparring with you and beating you.'

Ingrid nudged him and bowed. 'Please ignore his rudeness. Our prince told us of your heroic actions. As citizens of Faerghus, we thank you.'

'It's great to meet you,' Ashe said, bowing. 'Everyone's been talking about you and your heroics.'

'It's an honour to meet you,' Sylvain said. 'Your mercenary group is famous, right? Your dad is known as the Blade Breaker and you're the Ashen Demon, right?'

'Ashen Demon?' Annette breathed, her eyes wide. 'That sounds so…'-

'Scary,' Mercedes finished, hugging herself as if she were cold.

'He's lucky, the ladies will love it,' Sylvain said. Ingrid elbowed him for his troubles.

'Why are you called that?' Ashe asked.

'They call him that because he shows no emotion when killing people,' Felix said.

The group fell silent. Felix fixed his stare on Byleth. 'That's what people say. You don't laugh or cry. You don't smile either. The same expression is always on your face regardless of whether you're sleeping or killing someone. You're famous for your skill and for the fear you put in others.'

The Blue Lions stared at Byleth. Mercedes and Ashe's faces paled and Annette too a subtle step back.

'You are taking the name too literally,' Dimitri said, 'and please show him the utmost respect. He not only saved my life but he is also the new professor.'

There was another pause, it was only for a moment yet it felt like an eternity to Byleth.

'Oh,' Annette said, her enthusiasm gone. 'I-I spoke to you so casually, I'm so sorry, I had no idea.'

'You must be close to our age,' Mercedes said. 'I didn't even consider that you were the new professor.'

'Same here,' Sylvain said. 'I apologise, professor.'

'So, do you know what house how you will be leading?' Dimitri asked.

Byleth shook his head. Dimitri nodded.

'Well, I understand much must have been thrown at you, but please do consider our house. It would be an honour to have someone as skilled as yourself as our teacher.'

The others nodded but Byleth saw no enthusiasm in their expressions. They stared at him, and he knew why.

They were waiting to see if his expression would change.

His day was about to get worse.

There was one last classroom he had to visit, the one with the red banners. He stared at it for a long while, only moving towards it after another image of Rhea entered his head.

He trudged inside. The classroom was identical to the Golden Deer's, the only difference being the students spread around it. He looked around but couldn't see Edelgard.

But there was one person he recognised. He was a tall, sallow-skinned man with black hair and lively green eyes.

Hubert strode towards him, glaring.

'Who are you?' he asked.

'Byleth.'

Hubert eyed him. 'Ah, you are the one who came to Her Highness' aid in Remire, correct? You have my most sincere thanks.'

He bowed and then frowned again... 'But… I have heard we are getting a new professor… that is not you, is it?'

Byleth forced himself to nod. Hubert's eyes narrowed.

'I am Hubert, a humble servant of Lady Edelgard, and as her servant, I must question your appointment over Jeritza. You are a mere mercenary are you not? A young one at that, why, you look no older than me.'

A girl then shuffled over. She met his eyes and her smile wavered slightly. She had rosewood-coloured hair braided into a long ponytail. A marking was tattooed under her eye. Hubert gestured to her.

'This is Petra, she has come all the way from Brigid, an island southwest of Fódlan, to study in the Empire. Back on her archipelago, she is actually a princess, an heir to the island's kingdom.'

Petra bowed. 'Hello. I am called Petra. I am pleased to be meeting with...,' she broke off, frowning. 'No, I am pleased to have met you.'

'As you can see, she doesn't speak our language very well,' Hubert said. He flicked a hand at her and her smile faded. She nodded at Byleth and turned away.

'The fate of her kingdom will in large part be determined by how she performs this year at the Officers Academy,' Hubert said. 'Think about that, an entire kingdom could be made or broken by just one girl. Brigid is just one island, however. Many of the other students here shall have important roles in the grand Empire itself when they're older.'

Hubert's eyes glinted.

'But should they find themselves unable to realise their potential because of, for example, a poor professor, it could damage Adrestia itself, so you shall find my scepticism reasonable in your case. You have my thanks for your actions in Remire but becoming our professor… well that is a different thing altogether. What do you have to offer Lady Edelgard? What could a simple mercenary like you offer the future rulers of the Adrestian Empire?'

Byleth didn't disagree with his logic. He flickered his eyes to the exit, and that's when a boy marched over. He was small with short turquoise hair. His sleeves were rolled up and his eyebrows were etched downward as if ready for a scrap.

'Hey! Caspar's the name, please to meet ya! I heard you helped save Edelgard!'

He extended his hand and Byleth shook it.

'So, what brings you here? Are you a student as well? Maybe we'll be in the same class!'

'He's the new professor,' Hubert said.

'The new'- Caspar broke off. His brow furrowed. 'But I thought Jeritza was going to be'-

'That was the plan, but now Byleth here has been chosen.'

'Oh… okay,' Caspar said, his face deflating. He eyed Byleth up and down. 'Well… you must be a good fighter if you were chosen, right?'

Byleth blinked. He'd never been asked such a question before and before he could conjure a response, Caspar's eyes narrowed.

'Seriously? You should really work on your self-confidence if you're planning on being our professor!'

'He might be lacking confidence, or perhaps he just knows he's out of his depth,' Hubert said. 'Tell me Byleth, your father is the leader of your mercenary group, but have you ever led warriors into battle yourself?'

Byleth shook his head.

'That's disappointing. Have you ever been responsible for teaching combat drills and tactics to another?'

Byleth shook his head again and Hubert scoffed. 'How old are you anyway?'

'I don't know.'

Caspar's eyes widened and Hubert chuckled. Byleth felt his chest tighten again.

'Can you keep it down please? I'm trying to have a nap.'

The soft voice came from a boy slouched over a nearby table, resting his head on his arms. Strands of long green hair covered his face.

'The name's (he yawned) Linhardt. Nice to meet you.'

He closed his eyes and turned his head. Hubert glared at him.

'Fool,' he muttered. He turned back to Byleth. 'So far we've learnt you doubt your combat abilities, that you've never led a group into battle and that you've never taught before. We've even learnt that you don't know your own age. Do you have anything to say that might redeem yourself in our eyes?'

Byleth opened his mouth but no words came out. His mind was blank. When he'd awoken that morning, he hadn't expected to be in the position he was in now. It was also one, that he didn't want. Caspar crinkled his nose and Hubert shook his head.

'If you can't even speak then you don't belong here,' he said.

'It's not a bad thing if you don't feel up to it,' Caspar said. 'Just be honest and don't waste our time. We need someone who'll be able to lead and protect us in battle, to come up with strategies to defeat dangerous groups that get in our way.'

'It seems like you signed up for this position without considering what would be involved,' Hubert continued. 'You do not even seem to have any enthusiasm for it, perhaps you are here thinking it's an easy way to earn some gold. My suggestion to you is that you inform the archbishop that you do not wish to be a professor. It would be best that you leave now than making an embarrassment of yourself later. Thank you again for saving Lady Edelgard, but please do not overstep your place.'

He turned away and Caspar (after giving Byleth a nod) followed. Byleth trudged to the exit.

'Hi!'

Byleth closed his eyes for a moment and then turned again. A woman strolled towards him. She had bright green eyes and long rose-coloured hair. She grinned at him, her cap askew on her head.

'And who are you?' she asked, playing with curls of her hair.

'Byleth,' he forced out. Her grin widened.

'Don't be shy, I'm Dorothea,' she said. 'Are you a student as well?'

He shook his head and her eyes widened.

'Wait, you're the new professor aren't you? Wow, I'd heard Jeritza was going to be our professor, but you're more handsome. Well, I presume you're here to learn more about your students? Let me tell you all about me. I'm from Adrestia and was a member of an opera company in Enbarr. Whilst I also love acting, singing is my true passion. It led me to become known as the "Mystical Songstress". Perhaps you've heard of'-

'Must you grab all the attention my fellow student?'

Dorothea rolled her eyes as a man strode over, bearing the same posture of Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. He was tall with combed ginger hair and a fully buttoned up uniform with a handkerchief hanging from his neck. He bowed.

'Greetings, I am Ferdinand von Aegir, legitimate son of the Aegir family, the Empire's foremost house. I overheard Dorothea say you are the new professor? I must say I am looking forward to getting better acquainted with you.'

'You will need to forgive many of the obnoxious accents you'll hear at this monastery,' Dorothea muttered. 'Especially his.'

Ferdinand turned to her, his eyes wide as if he'd been slapped. 'How can you possibly think my voice is obno'-

Clearly neither of them was intimidated by him, but he wished they were. They bickered and he limped to the exit. He rubbed his heavy eyes as he moved and that's why he was unprepared for what happened next.

As he reached the door, a small girl shuffled into the classroom, rummaging in her bag. She looked up just as Byleth neared and yelped. She flinched and her flailing hand smacked the side of his face.

'Bern!' Dorothea said.

Byleth's head spun and he stood there a moment, rubbing his stinging cheek. He looked up. The girl who'd struck him now trembled against the wall, staring at him with wide eyes.

She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. Her eyes said everything.

Freak!

'Bern! It's okay,' Dorothea said, moving to her. 'It's just'-

'Are you okay, Byleth?' Ferdinand asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

'Yeah,' Byleth mumbled. He limped out of the classroom, ignoring the tingling sensation that rippled down the side of his face.