The Dustbin

Day 11: Beginning Course

28th Great Tree Moon, Night

After a whole day of waiting, the Dustbin's demands were answered.

As compensation for the past 48 hours of attempted murder and getting caught in a conspiracy, with the conspirators unfortunately be unable to brought to justice due to the active perpetrators being killed in action and their accomplices/parents going missing from their estates, the Black Eagles Classroom will be loaned out to the Dustbin during evenings, on the condition that the classroom itself not be vandalized or cause any excess noise pollution lest the agreement becomes null and void.

And now, as everyone else were slowly turning themselves in for the evening, the Dustbin and their Professor were now occupying the Black Eagles classroom, the night sky contrasted with the candlelight lit in the classroom itself. The rouge students themselves were accustoming themselves to their new surroundings, albeit with curbed enthusiasm, with some faring better at the "curbing" part than others.

"... Bah, back in the ol' bloody shiteheap that me and sis got shat out of," Sorcha grumbled to herself, her feet kicked up onto the desk, "... at least the ol' one that's dead and buried under rubble didn't stink of Imperial odor."

"Hey, it's not that bad..." Cyrus stammered out as he fidgeted in his seat, "... way more roomy than the basement... and less risk of us getting buried alive."

"I'm just glad the desks aren't infested with termites, unlike last time," Byron remarked as he'd placed a giant book onto the desktop, "so, Professor Yuga? How do we begin our lesson?"

"Okay, first of all," Karna replied, "... does anyone else but Byron have an intact textbook?"

Vidar shook his head, implying "no".

"It was dead weight to begin with," Topaz pointed out matter-of-factly, "scrolls are more lighter to carry, so I had it disposed."

"... I don't even know how to read it," Selene remarked, "I mean, Sorcha and the Princess can, but even after taking in more days to study, me eyes can't see shite."

"Had one," Sorcha pointed out, her feet shifting on the desktop, "but it got covered in blood after I used it to bludgeon a few fools back then."

"I don't even know how read Fodlan language," Cyrus remarked as he scratched his chin in contemplation, "... my Goneril captors forced me to learn their language, but I was so disgusted with them looking down on me like an animal that I instinctively blocked their 'lessons' out of my head."

"... You know, if you want, I'm okay sharing my textbook with the rest of you," Byron suggested, "I practically memorized page-per-page out of boredom, so I won't miss out on much."

"No need for doing that," Karna remarked, "because we're won't be needing them to begin with."

The entirety of the class goes silent upon the professor's remark.

"... Come again?" Byron gawked out.

"That old parchment teaches nothing but the same kind of garbage that you and your countless generations both past and future has devoured without thinking all because the Church deems it as acceptable fact," Karna pointed out with a slight undertone of seething rage beneath his professional veneer, "you want to actually learn something meaningful?" he remarked as he slammed several sheets of paper and an ink bottle onto the desktop, "then first learn about yourselves before you actually start learning things. It can be anything, your beliefs, your experiences, your feelings, get them out first before if gets in the way of future lessons."

He then immediately snatches Byron's old textbook from his desk before placing it onto his own.

"So, who'd like to share first?" asked Karna as he looked around the class, with Vidar of all people raising his hand, "first come, first serve. So, would you like to share what you're thinking?"

Vidar then gets up from his seat and walks towards the chalkboard, grabs a chalk from the stand, and begins drawing out his thoughts.

"Holy shite," Sorcha remarked as Vidar's drawings were surprisingly vivid, with her representation being a figure doing pushups whereas Vidar had multiple copies of himself was standing in random places around the room, each being near the individual of the Dustbin, "... don't tell me!"

"Yep," Byron remarked as Vidar then continues drawing up towards the "surface" where it depicts the two Black Eagle students Hans and Iago planting termites into their junk desks, "once Vidar sees your face, he'll never forget it," he boasted as the next scene drawn shows the collapse of their old basement "classroom", "helped me out a lot during my bounty hunts. Thanks to him, I managed to cut down needlessly wasted time and quicker I brought food into our bellies."

I see, Karna thought as he witnessed Vidar drawing to another scene depicting them all falling into a pit with a giant Iron Maiden-like Golem waiting below, Vidar is a visual learner. He takes in information through observation alone rather than word of mouth. He may not be able to be the most coherent speaker among the students, but maybe, just maybe, I might be able to bring down the barrier of communication between himself and the rest of the monastery to prevent any foreseeable miscommunication.

The next scene then shows them meeting up people at the Abyss, followed up by a massive raid with the fake Death Knight at the center of the picture, and the final scene depicts the whole class and the professor huddled around the torch to dry themselves out.

As soon as he puts down his chalk back onto the stand of the blackboard, the entire board itself was an eight-panel drawing of events that have taken place. Vidar takes his seat before he speaks out, "... the night... was too dark," he muttered out, "... lots of people... some kind... some evil... my head... feels hot..."

"If you wish to stop, you may stop, Mr. Vidar," Karna suggested, to which Vidar nods before withdrawing back into himself, "... alright, anyone else?"

"Professor, why are we learning like this?" asked Topaz as she raised her hand, "personally, I find this endeavor rather pointless."

"Then answer me this," replied Karna, "what do you think of your performance during that battle?"

"Acceptable," Topaz answered without irony, "whether I'm alive or dead-"

"Wrong, and for a few reasons," Karna objected, "first of all, while your hit and run tactics did work out in the end, it doesn't seem to be as effective in long-drawn out scenarios as mentioned prior. Take instance, our fight with the Giant Wolf..." he stated before pausing himself to recollect his bearings. "... Tell me Topaz, what did you expect when you've driven your weapon into the beast?"

"I expected it to drop dead upon administration of the venom," Topaz replied bluntly as she took out her [Bolo], "all living beings die when poisoned, so it didn't make sense why it didn't."

"Allow me to explain," Karna remarked, "the relation between body and poison are rather varied, some creatures requiring more administration of the venom either due to tolerance or body size," he explained as he wrote down what he's saying on the paper, "some prey like that of mongoose from Shangri-La Kingdom East of Almyran borders have developed immunities to snake venom, hence why people there use them to hunt snakes in the grass."

"An animal that is completely immune to snake venom!?" Topaz remarked in surprise, "... inconceivable... then what does my training for the past 15 years amount to then!? Are my own self-immunization trainings flawed if other creatures are applicable of doing the same naturally!?"

"It's not the training that is flawed, Topaz," Karna pointed out, "rather, given enough time, your opposition will familiarize itself with the sneak attacks should they wise up. Fear can blind people, certainly, but fear also gives them the time to take a step back and learn from their own shortcomings," he stated, with Topaz's demeanor being slowly chipped of her prior confidence, "do not always assume that you're enemies are idiots, for everyone living on this world are their own brand of idiots."

"Excuse me?" Byron remarked in an offended tone, "are you insinuating that someone like me as an idiot?"

"Then can you talk to someone without angering them or have them try and shank you during the process?" Karna asked Byron, the latter as much as he wishes to deny such allegation, ultimately agrees with the professor.

"... You were watching me yesterday, haven't you?" asked Byron in an embarrassed tone.

"It is hard to ignore an armed crowd carrying sticks and pitchforks marauding around town," Karna answered, "as long there's something to learn, there's always a possibility that said person counts as an 'idiot'," he pointed out before pointing his thumb to himself, "hell, I still consider myself an idiot and will consider myself a total idiot even if I learned every nook and cranny of this garbage continent, and you know why?"

The cloaked professor then begins writing rapidly on two sheets of paper before handing it to both Vidar and Topaz, the former's being an illustration of the map of Fodlan with all of its landmarks and battles depicted in extreme detail while the latter was an extremely-detail anatomy of the Giant Wolf with a match-to-scale of Topaz's own size next to the image of the monster.

"As long as I and the rest of humanity have the desire to know more, we'll always be idiots," Karna declared, "I don't decry of the basics itself. Rather, I simply abhor the idea of an assumption of guaranteed satisfaction of knowledge just from learning what people have said countless times before, and I consider that conservatism a fate worse than death," he stated as he held up the textbook in his hand before dissolving it completely into a pile of dust with his [Miasma Δ], "take it from me, there's a whole world outside of Fodlan, as two can attest," the professor pointed out as he pointed to Topaz and Cyrus, "and just as they're ignorant of Fodlan, we are ignorant of the outside. That is what education means for me, at least. Now, with that out of the way, do I have any questions from you lot?"

Cyrus raises his hand, with Karna responding by pointing towards him.

"I mean, do people want to learn things that are uncomfortable to them?" Cyrus pointed out meekly, "I mean, I'm from Battu, and I'm already not willing to learn about the country that captured me and made me some war hero's pet servant, so why should I?"

"For your current circumstances, I truly apologize," Karna stated, "but regarding your growth and perspective bias, tell me, is life at Battu just as arduous as your life as a prisoner in Fodlan?"

"... I mean, the fighting part ain't hard. Felt like hunting water buffalo and wild game on horseback back when I was a kid with my two brothers," Cyrus remarked, "but Fodlan's life of buildings, cramped spaces, and buying things with those weird gold-colored things rather than trade fur or metalwork for them, it's weird."

"Then answer me this," Karna replied, "do you think an inhabitant of Fodlan, anyone that you can find wandering in the streets of some random village, how do you think they will fare in your kind of life in Battu?"

"I mean, considering that none of them have horses that can travel as much as compared to Darius, the best of the Battu Steppe Kings, they'll likely die in a week," Cyrus answered bluntly, "either from starvation or wild animals eating them."

"That's the point," Karna pointed out, "no one expects to survive outside of their comfort zones, and yet, here you are, alive, yet semi-miserable," the professor answered, "hell, take it from me, I was kidnapped by your tribe about 15-20 years ago and managed to get some rather interesting notes during my time as their slave. You did say that people from Fodlan wouldn't survive in Battu?"

"Yeah," Cyrus replied, "what gives?"

"Well, I managed to meet someone from Fodlan there," Karna answered as he began writing fervently on a sheet of paper as he continued talking, "formerly from the Adrestian Empire, he ran away from his debtors after his whole family died of starvation, took his chances of crossing the Leicester Alliance's border towards Almyra, almost died from falling directly into Fodlan's Throat upon his attempt of crossing under the bridge, and upon reaching the other side, he ran like a madman, not looking back, almost died again from several heatstrokes while crossing the desert before reaching an oasis before getting kidnapped, and the rest is history," Karna finished off as he handed Cyrus a sheet of paper looking akin to an extremely journal entry with a small illustration of a one-armed man with a [Shamshir] sheathed around his waist and a mask grabbed onto his sole hand beneath the paper.

"Wait a minute, I know him!" Cyrus exclaimed, "'One-Arm Boulder' Goethe, he's a living legend who's ferocity as a warrior rivals that of the infamous 'Khan's Fang' Subotai! Even my mother is but a platoon leader! Subotai leads entire armies! I didn't know he was a foreigner!" he exposited until calming down for a bit, "... then again, he always wore that brass mask over his face, so I didn't know... huh."

"That Goethe?" Topaz remarked with a slight intensity seeping from her voice, "... he murdered countless of my own brothers and sisters in my order. The 'Masqued Demon' is what I call him-"

"Alright, save it for later," Karna cut in, putting the class back in order, "... so, Mr. Iskandar, what did you learn from your past days here, now compounded with this new realization?"

"... I guess," Cyrus remarked, his voice now tempered with humility, "... I really should take this time to learn new things outside of my home rather than simply focus on going back home empty-handed," he realized, "but I'm not going to forget who I am. I am of the Battu, the sky is my father and the earth is my mother. As long as me and Darius continue to ride, I will keep true to myself to achieve spiritual immortality."

"I'm not asking you to forget who you are, even though Fodlan is attempting to do so," Karna pointed out, "I'm just saying, don't close your mind off to anything, understood?"

"... Yeah," Cyrus remarked with a satisfied smile on his face, "... I'll think about it before I do it."

"There we go," Karna remarked before facing Byron, "as for you, Mr. Amadeus Noa, answer me the following," he requested, "what caused you to start learning in the first place?" the professor asked, "clearly, you have a reason to memorize a whole textbook, let alone create a new branch of magic on your own other than boredom."

Byron lets out a small "tch" sound before answered.

"... Bounty Hunting and competition go hand and hand together," he answered, "I just wanted to learn as much as possible so I can have a guaranteed edge over anyone who so much as wants to blindside me. A failed job is a day without pay and a whole week without guaranteed food."

"I guess you've heard of the adage, 'knowledge is power', correct?" asked Karna, "then answer me this, what will you do with that sort of 'power' that you have accumulated with? And no, 'survive' isn't an answer for that is to be your default answer."

"... I... I don't know," Byron stammered, "... I never thought that far ahead. I just lived pay by pay just to not starve to death, and Vidar was the only other person I can trust because out of all the people I've met, he's the most purest and genuine I've ever bore witness to, so I thought just simply surviving day to day for both our sakes would've been enough."

... I guess I was wrong about my initial assessment, Karna thought as he mulled over Byron's testimony, it's not that he's stagnant in his aspirations, he's moving too slowly to mature at a proper pace. He may think that he's better off without without the privileged upbringing that his peers of his former Blue Lions have, thinking that he's more mature in that regard, but in reality... he continues to think it over as Karna further observes Byron's expression, now showing signs of shock and an epiphany of realizing his own immaturity on his face, ... his emotional and social aspects of his brain being hampered by his endless days as a bounty hunter has made him unable to think of anything beyond the present. Not that's a bad thing, but with the caliber of his intellect and drive to learn, he can be aspiring towards something a bit higher.

"... Professor?" asked Byron, his voice now cracking along with his prior confidence, "... what is a future?"

"Something to look forward to," replied Karna.

"What if I don't know what's ahead?" Byron asked again, "what am I supposed to do if I cannot guarantee anything?"

"Will the sun rise tomorrow morning or will it be raining instead?" Karna asked back, to which Byron wasn't able to answer at all, "... are you now more aware of how lacking you are? That your intellect and guile alone will only take you and your friend so far?"

"... What am I missing?" asked Byron, "what am I lacking that makes me unable to comprehend anything beyond the present?"

Karna then hands him a blank sheet of paper along with an inkwell and a quill.

"I want a fully-written essay on how you perceive the idea of 'human' as a 'function'," Karna stated, "write anything you wish and the only way you'll fail is that you don't fill out the paper completely," he remarked, "write everything that comes to your head, and don't hold anything back. Understood?"

Byron nods.

"You may start whenever, and it'll be due by the end of the year," Karna stated, "take all the time you need. Just think of it as a long-term project where the materials are solely coming from you, but constantly changing and you're allowed to be biased."

As he walked back to his desk, Karna then faces the rest of the class, now eyeing towards the McCarthy twins.

"Miss Sorcha McCarthy," Karna called out towards the twin with the claw tattoo, "what did you learn from the past few days?"

"... That I really really consider Fodlan to be a piece of shite land who does nothing but put down people who disagree with what they think?" pointed out Sorcha, "that they make me feel like a hedgehog shoved up to someone's arsehole?"

"Troubling indeed," Karna replied, "other than you and your sister's own experiences, what else have accentuated your thoughts about Fodlan being, in your worlds, a 'piece of shite land'?"

"The bloody Abyss, that's for sure," Sorcha replied, "as soon as I caught the eye of the [Claymore] down there, surrounded by rusted arms and cracked stone, I sort of began to understand the so called... 'bigger picture', as others might put em," she pointed out, "anything that pisses off the majority, they get dumped into that bloody hole. 'The Goddess accepts all'? Me behind. I'm a Brigidian first, and the Goddess can eat me shite. Sure as bloody hell when that twat in the sky's 'children' did nothing but talk down to me and me sis and try to have all of us killed. Giant wolf monsters, skull-headed freaks who kill for fun, cutthroats making gold off of blood? If the people of Fodlan are blessed by the Goddess, then why are there people still out there, blooding others for the hell of it?" asked Sorcha, "why did Dagda have to come and piss on our land after we bloodied their noses for what they tried to to us a generation before!? What is Fodlan, and why are people just going about their day as if everything is fine?"

"You're not the only one who thinks that," Karna pointed out, "hell, people down at the Abyss think of it, and to an extant, I also think of that Fodlan is vastly insufficient, and the only reason why I haven't been jailed for such heresy is that one time when my head was on a chopping block, the executioner slipped on a puddle, his axehead broke off of the handle after it broke off one of the locks around my neck, said axehead flew towards his throat and that was the end of his career," the professor shared his past experiences with the law, "after countless attempts on my life, coupled with numerous amounts of property damage and casualties, both civilian and the assailants, I had my magical researcher license at the Adrestian Empire revoked in exchange for a full pardon of all the property damage I've might've caused along with clemency from the Judicial Branch of the Imperial Administration, and the collective sanity of the Adrestian Empire Nobility. After that, I applied here, mailed my resume, and here I am, all the happenstance in-between notwithstanding."

"Your point being?" Sorcha asked in an ornery tone.

"You may badmouth Fodlan as much as you please," Karna remarked as he began writing on another sheet of paper in blinding speeds, "but my point being, don't use it as an excuse to harm others, otherwise you'll perpetuate the cycle and possibly end up with a body count higher than mine, which in accordance to Fodlan law, is not a good thing," he continued stating as he continued writing on the paper, his quill moving faster and faster with each successive swipe, "I understand that you want what's best for your sister and people back at Brigid, but recklessness will only do more harm than good."

"Peh, only because there're more Adrestian fops than all of Brigid and Dagda combined..." Sorcha grumbled to herself before the written slip of paper was placed before her, depicting a questionnaire with five questions asking the following:

1) Where does your values stem from?

2) What decisions have you made that resonate with your values?

3) When did other outside values connect with your own?

4) Why do you think that values that are not of your own are unappealing to you?

5) How are your values viewed by others outside of your own?

"Just remember," Karna pointed out, "there are no such thing as wrong answers here. If you need help, just ask me anytime after this class," he stated before catching Sorcha trying to rip the paper in half, catching her arm before gently setting it back down onto her desk, "... I'm only doing this to better understand you. I won't talk down to your values rather, I'm trying to find a ground that I can stand on to help. Understood?"

"Whatever," Sorcha grumbled as she looked through the paper.

"Now, Miss Selene McCarthy?" Karna asked the wing-tattooed twin sister, only for her to recoil back upon him coming closer towards him.

At first, Karna was inclined to come closer, assuming that she was just a nervous person who was bad with people, but he then remembered the mention of her being far-sighted.

With that in mind, Karna then steps back, to which Selene's tightened expression of nervousness calmed down significantly.

"Are you able to see me clearly now, Miss Selene McCarthy?" asked Karna.

"... Just a bit further back, please," requested Selene, which then Karna steps a few paces back, "... I think I can see you better now."

"Interesting," Karna remarked, "I've met a lot of people who're myopic, but hyperopic? That's something you don't see in Fodlan that often."

"It's weird, I know, Selene remarked in a semi-ashamed tone, "I'm only good at spotting stars and prey at a distance, but whenever I'm near someone, I can barely see em, let alone, me reflection..." she pointed out, now sulking even further into her own depression, "... I'm flat out useless unless I'm hunting."

"Miss McCarthy, your disability can be cured," Karna pointed out, "have you heard of eyeglasses?"

"... Um, no?" Selene meekly replied, "unless is one of those weird things that old folks in Adrestian court wear over their eyes... which I kinda find dumb since if glass breaks into sharp pieces, so why put em near somewhere so fragile?"

Karna then scribbles something onto the paper before handing it to her. On it was a row of blurry dots that became more and more clear as her eyes glossed downwards, revealing a row of five-pointed shape that gets smaller but more clearer until it reached the bottom of the paper.

"We'll work on your prescription when we have time," Karna remarked, "don't worry, you don't have to wear them during combat, only when you're around at class."

"... Seeing things clear up close?" Selene remarked at the possibility, "... I dunno how I'll get used to it..."

"Well, we'll worry about that when we get there," Karna replied, "for now, I take it that all of you are more or less acquainted with yourselves and each other, here's the following lesson plan I have thought of."

He then turns the blackboard around to the other side and the following was written:

30th of Great Tree Moon: Observe the Mock Battle between the Three Houses

- Which House specializes in what kind of battlefield performance?

- How will the instructors leading each class affect each students' performances?

- And how will I make Professor Byleth Eisner embarrass herself during said Mock Battle?

"... You're really serious about doing that last one?" Byron asked with genuine concern.

"She took the job that I applied for, so I have a right for a reprisal," Karna pointed out, "and who in their right minds would hire a sellsword who is unqualified for a teaching position to my own countless years of academia!?"

Sorcha and Selene then let out a small laughter at hearing that.

"... Ahehehe... guess you're just as bad as us, Professor," Selene remarked.

"Well, point being," Sorcha gaffed out, "we ain't gonna stop ye, but we ain't helpin' either," she remarked, "we just gonna watch and laugh either way. But don't worry, we'll learn something either way."

"Fair enough," Karna remarked as he then erased the blackboard on both of its sides, "and besides, I never planned to get any of you involved in my little petty revenge scheme, for that is a personal matter," the professor pointed out, "I can keep my personal and professional matters separate, although I am going be blunt with her first, tactically idiotic as it may sound."

"Like you said it yourself, professor," Byron chimed in, "as long as people have something to learn, then they aren't exempt from being an idiot."

"Fair enough," Karna replied, "alright, class's over, get ready for another one coming two days later... provided if I get the permission to spectate on the mock battle."

Everyone including Karna himself facepalm at the hole-ridden plan exposed at hindsight. And thus, the Dustbin head back to the stables where they usually slept at, with everyone huddled around the returned Darius.

Karna himself, meanwhile, with all of his remaining belongings on his person, heads to the nearest town and settles for the night at the inn.

"... Damn cheapskates can at least spare me an office of my own..." he muttered to himself as he looked up at the tavern room's ceiling, the shaft of his [Crescent Sickle] landing onto his face, "... at least I'll get some exercise tomorrow on my way back... after a morning pint, of course."

29th of Great Tree Moon, Afternoon

"Are you joking?" Seteth remarked in a barely-held in frustration, "after all you've put us through in a mere few days upon your arrival?"

"Hey, it's not my fault that the bandits found their way in and the smoking meat managed to bring that monstrosity in, the latter of of which being the former's fault and the exact thing that we took care of," Karna pointed out, "besides, we're spectating only, not directly participating in it."

"... I still can't vouch for it," Seteth protested, "I've already done my homework on you, and you're rather infamous for being a public bane."

"Only because ornery noblemen who send their pawns after me couldn't do it themselves-" Karna pointed out before stopping himself upon realizing something else entirely, "... ARE YOU IMPLICATING ME AS ANOTHER TARGET OF THAT CONSPIRACY 2 DAYS AGO!?"

"It's safe to assume that's the case, clemency aside," Seteth remarked, "I'm sorry, but your presence bring literally nothing but trouble."

"Libel!" Karna cried out, "you're accusing me of without concrete proof that I'm solely responsible for what had happened!"

"So you're saying that the executioner dying from his own ax after undoing your locks was pure happenstance?" questioned Seteth.

"Yes!" Karna answered, "they even kept me in a tight security detail to watch for my movements for an entire week!"

As the two realize that they weren't going anywhere with their screaming match, the two let out a defeated sigh.

"... You are impossible to work with," Seteth remarked, "just putting you out there feels like something is going to blow up," he pointed out, "how do you do it? How do you handle the hot mess of your life without breaking?"

"I do break," Karna pointed out, much to Seteth's awe, "I just don't let small things like psychological trauma stop me from doing what I cherish."

"And just what do you cherish so much that it pushes you forward?" asked Seteth.

"... I like the act of living of itself," answered Karna, "to live is to learn, and to learn means to live. That's how I live, and I don't care how many things that the Goddess or the Devil himself has left in their chests to throw at my way, I'll consider that a learning experience, and if you think the mere threat of giant monsters is reason for my class's exclusion, then clearly, this institution is not living up to its high standards that it had shamelessly advertised."

"... That last part," Seteth remarked as he glowered, "just what are you implying to suggest?"

"You have the renowned 'Blade Breaker' and 'Thunderstrike' in your fold, don't you?" pointed out Karna, "they're sure as hell better-equipped to deal with those titanic creatures than a bunch of ragtag students who literally had to fight for their lives for their mere existences alone. Fodlan ain't gonna save the Dustbin, so I might as well advocate for their well-being."

"... I'll see if they're schedules are clear for this week," Seteth answered, reluctantly allowing the Dustbin to spectate the Mock Battle as part of their tuition, "but if I don't hear anything, I'm nulling and voiding your proposal, and you'll have to make do from there. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," replied Karna as he walked out of Seteth's study, walking down the halls of the building, passing by the Captain's Quarters with a certain orange-clad man with a single braided hair running down the back of his head leaning against the quarters's entrance.

Karna then stops right next to the man leaning against the entry.

"You overheard everything, haven't you?" asked Karna.

"Look, the whole scream match between you and that paper-pusher was loud enough to be heard throughout the whole building," the man replied, prompting Karna to groan in embarrassment, "... didn't know you of all people were a fan of mine."

"I assume you're the 'Blade Breaker' that I've heard of," Karna replied, "and for the record, I've become very-well antiquated with 'Thunderstrike' herself, and she and I get along as a porcupine used as an rectal suppository."

"Give me one reason why I should have a hand babysitting your class," the Blade Breaker asked in a cocky tone.

"I beat you in a drinking match about a week back," Karna smugly answered, "same village where the bandits attacked the students that I was supposed to teach that your whore of a daughter took from me after I was rudely blasted off of a ledge."

"... Not bad," the Blade Breaker said, "alright, I have nothing else better to do during my time here, so I'll bite," he remarked before his voice dropped to a threatening low-tone, "but call my daughter anything like you said, I'll gut you like a carp."

"Been threatened with and dealt with much worse," Karna replied without a hint of fear, "... may I ask for your name, just to not forget my place to you, Mr. 'Blade Breaker'?"

"It's Jeralt Eisner," the gruff man said, "and you?"

"Karna," Karna answered as he extended his hand towards Jeralt, "Karna Yuga. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Jeralt grabs onto the hand before squeezing it firmly.

"Likewise."

Karna then squeezes back, matching the 'Blade Breaker' in his grip strength. The two then instinctively acknowledge each other's strengths before they went their separate ways.

"... Now I wonder if 'Thunderstrike' is just as willing to cooperate..." pondered Karna as he continued walking down the halls.

30th of Great Tree Moon, Morning

"Wow, never thought it would be that easy for her of all people to agree to join as out security detail," Karna remarked at Catherine's presence among the group guiding them towards their spectating areas.

"I hate your guts, but my orders directly came from Lady Rhea," Catherine pointed out in a displeased tone, "I'm not doing this for you and your sorry lot. I'm doing this for Lady Rhea and her concern for the legitimate students of Garreg Mach."

"Wow, I feel welcome," deadpanned Byron, him eyeing the rough and serrated blade sheathed behind Catherine's waist, noticing a certain pattern on the blade's gemstone at its pommel. Hm, you don't see that every day, thought the student as his coat fluttered over his shoulders, I guess I reserve her as my potential nest egg should me and Vidar go into hard times.

"So sis," Sorcha asked Selene, the latter now sporting a pair of eyeglasses, "... how're those things treating ye?"

"It's weird, being able to see clearly up close," Selene remarked as she flipped her pair up and down over her eyes, switching from being able to see normally to being only able to see clearly far away, "... I dunno what to make of this... me eyes hurt thinking about it."

"Easy for you to say!" Cyrus cried out as he trembled while he was being walked in adjacent to the security detail, "why can't Darius come with us!?"

"Because according to the guards, he's a security threat," Topaz replied, "so they sent a man and a woman named Alois and Shamir respectively to keep him occupied, as 'horseplay', according to the former."

Vidar booed at the unintentional (or not) pun, with the majority in the detail nodding in agreement.

"Alright, enough chatter," Karna remarked as the detail came to a halt, "we're here."

The group then found themselves situated over a hilltop overlooking the field where the Mock Battle was soon to take place. At the foot of the valley was Byleth, leading a group of four other students. At the upper-left were the Golden Deer, led by Manuela leading four other students, and the was happening at the upper-right of the valley, where Hanneman led four Blue Lion students. All of them were wielding wooden training weapons for the occasion, each group taking themselves into strategic positions as they readied themselves for the coming sparring session.

"And with that..." Karna remarked as he and the rest of his students all sat down and watched as the groups began to move across the valley, "... let the games begin."

To Be Continued...

Author's Notes: Holy crap, I've been on a writer's high lately. Then again, having two birthdays in the same month and having a healthy routine of morning jogs help out a lot.

Got nothing much to say, other than the fact that I initially planned to make this chapter a bit longer, but I need to pace myself before everything moves too fast for my liking.

References:

- Sorcha's 5 Question-Questionnaire is loosely based off of Trailant's "5 Questions Unconscious Bias Training Should Answer" but implementing the "where, what, when, why, and how" into its questions.

- Karna's blackboard at the near end of class is a PG-13 version of Jack Griffin's whiteboard drawings from A.P. Bio.

- Jeralt's threat aimed towards Karna for calling his daughter a "whore" is a line from Malory Archer from Archer, Season 2, Episode 1, "Swiss Miss"