'Having fun Caspar?'

Linhardt was on his way to the library when he decided to poke his head into the classroom. His old friend turned, and he could tell from the way the boy glared at him that he'd said the wrong thing.

'Ha, ha, ha, Linhardt. Very funny. I still have to write another fifty lines, and then I have to help out at the stables. Can you believe that?'

Linhardt gazed up at the writing on the chalkboard. 'Assault in the training… "grunds" is…un…applicable?'

'Shut up Linhardt, you know it says assault in the training grounds is unacceptable.'

'Well, when I'm in the library Caspar, I can bring a dictionary down for you. That way you can make productive use of this time and learn how to spell big words.'

Linhardt saw the look on Caspar's face and sighed.

'I'm sorry, that joke came out wrong. I was just trying to help you feel better.'

'I'm sorry as well, I'm just… it's not fair that I'm not allowed to take part in the mock battle… the professor is clearly not capable of taking care of us and I showed everyone that in the training ground! If not for me, how could we have known he wasn't good enough? He could've got us killed!'

'You're the lucky one Caspar. I'm exacerbated because I have to take part in the mock battle, and it's not all bad, you don't have to worry about Edelgard interrupting your work to "go to a lecture". In fact, you get to avoid her completely right now.'

Caspar chuckled. 'Yeah avoiding her is probably a good thing right now until she cools down, and hey, maybe something good will come of this. Maybe we'll finally get Jeritza as our professor!'

'That is quite clearly wrong.'

'Nu-uh.'

'It is, Raphael, just admit it.'

'Nu-uh'

'Yes,'

'No.'

'Yes'

'No.'

'Yes, Raphael.'

'Nu-uh.'

Hey c'mon guys knock it off already,' Claude said.

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester spun around and glared at Claude.

'Do you honestly believe Raphael when he says that having muscle is better than having a crest? I dare you to say yes and prove to me just how incompetent of a leader you would be of the Alliance.'

'Muscles are better!' Raphael said, rolling up his shirt and tensing his thick biceps. 'Nothing beats being able to lift heavy things!'

Claude met Lorenz's gaze. It was just the three of them in that part of the training ground. The others were with Manuela on the other side where Lysithea had just placed down a large wooden target.

In other words, Manuela wasn't around to tell him off.

'Dunno, Raphael might be right,' he said, grinning. He lifted his own sleave and looked at Raphael. 'Although I think I have a bit to go before I can match you.'

'Yes Claude!' Raphael boomed. Lorenz rolled his eyes.

'You honestly believe that? I am not surprised by your poor lack of judgement. You did want Byleth as our professor after all.'

'I wouldn't write Byleth off too soon,' Claude said, 'but enough about him, I'm pulling tails. Muscles and crests both have their advantages. It's the skilful combination of both that's important.'

There was a loud crackling explosion and they jumped. Hilda screamed. They spun and saw a ball thick black and purple smoke emanating from where Lysithea had placed down the wooden target. Lysithea stood close by, her hands were still glowing purple.

'Okay… maybe crests and magic do help… a bit,' Raphael said, scratching his head.

'I've never seen such a powerful strike before,' Ignatz breathed, picking up his glasses which had fallen to the ground, 'so strong yet… so controlled.'

'What a wonderful strike, Lysithea,' Manuela said, clapping her hands together. 'Your magic skills are without a doubt the best I've seen from a student in years, perhaps ever.'

Lysithea turned and bowed. 'Thank you, it has taken a lot of training.'

'No kidding,' Hilda breathed, wide-eyed. 'Like, you could totally take everyone on in the mock battle by yourself.'

'You're amazing,' Leonie said. 'With you on our side there's no way we'll lose next week.'

Manuela grinned.

A magic prodigy in my class? This mock battle will be the easiest one yet.

By the time the church bells rang to signal lunchtime, Byleth couldn't wait any longer.

He needed to use the restroom again.

He lay in his bed, staring at the room across the infirmary. He wondered whether he'd manage to get there this time, but also whether he'd be able to get back in one piece as well. He'd thought about it for most of the morning, as much to avoid any potential pain as it was to take his mind away from other thoughts. He rose from his bed with a plan formulated in his head. He shuffled not towards the restroom but to a chair that sat beside the small coffee table in the centre of the room. He grabbed it and scraped it across the floor (feeling his arms prickle as he did so) and shifted it towards the restroom. When the sensations started to "boil", he stopped and lowered himself onto the chair until they faded once again. He repeated this process of walking and then sitting down for a few minutes, twice on the way to the restroom and four times back to his bed. He sighed gratefully when he got there, relieved that his plan had worked.

Yet, he felt cold thinking about how he was going to manage tomorrow.

Because the water is boiling, even when I stay still now. Each day, the water will boil at a higher point, even if I don't move until eventually….

He froze.

Until eventually it will overflow… even when I don't move. The pain will be as bad as it is when I awake… all the time.