It was late in the evening when Kratos had finally arrived back to his dorm. He closed the door, locking it behind him and began getting ready for bed when Mimir spoke up from his desk. "Brother, before we turn it in for the night, I think there are some things we need to discuss."

"Hrmm." Kratos nodded as he sat on his bed.

"You've noticed it too, didn't ya?" Mimir spoke in a low voice. "About the Archbishop."

"I have. She seems to possess more knowledge beyond what she reveals."

"I concur. Despite her looks, Lady Rhea appears to have been around far longer than your average man." He thinks for a moment. "Do you think that she knows that we're already aware of her facade? Hers and Seteth's?"

"I would not put it past them if they did."

"Aye, fair enough. At this point, both sides seem to be aware each other's true nature, but that's not the reason I chose to bring that up."

"Then what is it?"

"Well, for starters, I think you and I can both agree that there is something else going on within the monastery that is connected to the Archbishop. You remember that other professor, don't you? The one who led the Golden Deers during the mock battle?"

"The mercenary."

"That's right! The child of the leader of sellswords."

"What of her?"

"You haven't noticed? Lady Rhea seemed to have taken a deep interest in the young woman ever since they'd arrived here around the same time we did. According to what we know so far, her father Jeralt was a famous captain among the Knights of Seiros, but disappeared after a fire broke out at the Grand Chapel some twenty agos, and hadn't been heard from until a couple of weeks ago. Jeralt himself stated that she was born shortly after his disappearance, so I find it odd that the Archbishop would be in such a hurry to hire someone she'd supposedly never met before."

"You think that the mercenary leader had a reason to lie to the Archbishop?" Kratos asked.

"Truthfully, brother, it's a little early for me to jump to conclusions, but I hypothesize that both Jeralt and Lady Rhea are playing some kind of game that nobody else has been clued in on." Mimir pursed his lips. "Basically, what I'm saying, Brother, is that there is another layer to the situation that we've yet to understand."

Kratos nodded. "If that is the case, then it is best that we do not interfere."

"For the meantime, aye. You're right. It's best that we keep our nose clean and refrain from taking any sort of action until we know what we're dealing with." Mimir's tone becomes more serious. "And speaking of which, were you able to confirm your suspicions about His Highness?"

"I have." Said Kratos, who didn't seem at all too happy about the conclusion he'd reached. "It is as I've feared. The darkness in his eyes… He craves vengaence."

The head was silent as he took in Kratos' answer. "Oh dear. That doesn't sound promising at all. Though, that is to be expected. When I looked into his background, there could only be one possible outcome from such a tragic event for someone that young." More silence. "You reckon there is anything we could do about it, Brother?"

Kratos shook his head. "No. Not yet. When an animal is in great pain, it becomes wild; and lash out at anyone and anything it can find when provoked."

"And yet, young Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd appears to be holding it back with every fibre of his being during every waking moment." He sighs heavily. "The poor soul. I can only imagine how he will control himself have when we head out confront those bandits."

"Whatever happens, I will be there." The brigand affirmed. "If my monster can be controlled, then so can his."

Mimir offered him a small smile. "I don't doubt it, Brother. I'm sure he'll be in good hands while you're around. But at the same time, we should also be watching out for the rest of the lads. I'd hate to have to return here knowing we let one of the children perish on our hands; which is why we must do everything we can to-"

He was interrupted when Kratos suddenly raised a hand for silence, "Hush." They both turned their eyes to the dorm door, and a brief silence followed. Then, realizing they'd been caught, pair of feet could be heard scampering away. This in turn caused Mimir to raise a brow. "Well, seems like someone else is interested in hearing what we had to say." He looks back over at Kratos. "Think we should try and see who that was?"

Kratos shook his head. "They are already long gone by now."

This caused a sigh from Mimir. "Aye, but I think it's best we be more careful about when and where to have these discussions in the future."

"Agreed."

x-x-x

Both Byleth and Kratos entered Seteth's office, with each of their House Leaders following closely behind them. The priest crossed his arms as he examined the three professors, as well as Dimitri and Claude, who now stood before and cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for coming." He told them flatly. "As you've already been notified, your mission is to subdue some bandits. Our students have been learning about combat through study, but this is a precious opportunity to provide them with practical experience. This will be a joint effort between both of your classes. The knights will support your mission and are prepared to offer their assistance if necessary." He uncrosses his arms with a deadly serious tone. "In short, this is no mock battle. You must be prepared for anything. You will receive a message from the knights when it is time to depart. Until then, use your time wisely."

"Aye, you can say that again." Mimir said under his breath.

Dimitri looks up at Kratos. "This will be our first true battle together. I am looking forward to fighting alongside you, Sir Kratos."

Claude scoffs, however, looking at his own professor. "More bandits? Not very original, Teach."

"You have dealt with this problem before?" Kratos asked the darker skinned boy.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say we 'dealt' with them, but Teach here actually helped us route some of them out of the village when it was under attack."

"An attack which you brought to them during your 'tactical retreat.'" Dimitri said offhandedly.

"Hold on a second," Mimir chimed in. "You're saying that the bandits were after you lot specifically?"

"Yup, pretty much." Claude answered lackadaisically. "You know how it goes: Nobles are on the road, some groups see it as an opportunity to squeeze a ransom out of you, and the rest of the story becomes self-evident." His gaze bounces between Kratos and Byleth. "But, with you two here with us, at least things won't be boring… In fact, it may make it more interesting."

"Well," Said Mimir, "You seem awfully casual for someone your age when it comes to this sort of… activities."

"It gets easier when you can just shoot them from a distance." Byleth's student shrugged. "With that said, I take my leave to make final preparations. See you later, Teach." He takes a moment to give a short bow and follows Seteth out the way they came from.

Mimir snorts. "Quite the eccentric fellow, isn't he?"

"I should be going as well," said Dimitri politely as he bowed to Kratos. "While we still have time before our departure, I would like to use this opportunity to prepare as best we can."

"Do what you must."

"Of course. Now, if you will excuse me…"

x-x-x

"I must say," Sothis commented as she hovered over Byleth's bed. "That brigand; the one with the red tattoos? He seems oddly… how should I put it?"

"Dangerous?" The Golden Deer professor finished for her. "Scary?"

The younger looking woman shook her head. "No- well, yes, but more in a controlled way. However, 'common' certainly isn't the word I'd use to describe him."

Byleth thought for a moment. "The Archbishop mentioned that he wasn't from this world."

"Correct. And he was absolutely ruthless in his tactics when he led his students against yours. I can only imagine what would have happened if the professors were allowed to actively participate in the mock battle."

"Were you worried?" The woman asked, tilting her head. "I could have at least tested his skills and rewind time just a little bit just to figure out his-"

"That's not what I'm saying! And besides, you shouldn't just go around rewinding events whenever you please. My power isn't limitless, you know." She huffs. "In any case, at least we'll get a chance to see him in action when we join him to take down those bandits. But you need to be careful, because I'm telling you: he is no ordinary man, and there is a stench surrounding him that I can't quite put my finger on. So don't underestimate him, and let's hope that he's on our side."

"And what side is that, exactly?"

"Preferably? The one that doesn't end with a lot of innocent people dead."