'You did very well today,' Sothis said.

Byleth lay on his bed staring upward at the ceiling. He shook his head. 'Doesn't feel like it.'

'You did do well. Today was never going to be easy, but you dealt with the challenges hurled at you quite well, Hubert's threats especially.'

'I don't think I can win the mock battle.'

'Phooey! Be more optimistic. You cannot hope to achieve great things if you do not believe in yourself.'

Byleth sighed and rubbed his face.

'Take things step by step,' Sothis continued. 'You still have another full day to prepare your students before the battle.'

'I don't even know how to spend tomorrow.'

'No?'

'No, the students are…'-

He paused, thinking back first to his time with the students in the classroom that morning, and then his time with them in the training ground later that day.

'They've studied hard and now have a battle strategy, and they've trained hard as well. In a sense, they've done all the work they can, but they're stressed and exhausted and…'-

'They lack belief,' Sothis said.

'Yeah, and they don't seem to get along very well either.'

'Well, that's where you come in, you're going to give them something to believe in by doing well by them.'

'I don't know how to though.'

'First, you're going to spend tomorrow wisely with them. You say you do not know what to do, but I think you do. Think of Jeralt. What would he do if he were facing the same obstacles as you?'

Byleth paused for a long moment. 'He would try to get them to bond… and to relax somehow.'

'Exactly! Do something that helps your students to bond and relax for awhile!

'I can't do that.'

'Why not?'

'Because…,' he trailed off again.

'If you do not believe that more work will help your students, then surely having an easy day is the best course of action. What would your father do in such a situation?'

'He would take them to a pub.'

'Well, I would not advise that, but surely he did other things as well.'

Byleth thought, but at that moment nothing came. His eyes had become heavier and he yawned.

'Do not worry for now. Get some sleep and decide tomorrow morning.'

Byleth nodded and closed his eyes. A while later, just as he was about to fall asleep, Arthur entered his head and his eyes opened wide. Sothis, having clearly read his mind, broke into a fit of giggles.

'Now that is a great idea!'