Hello, everyone. Welcome to the first official chapter of my Silver Snow rewrite. As stated in the author's notes at the end of the Prologue, this chapter will have Garreg Mach, the Black Eagles, and Rhea.
Let me say this first and foremost since this is the chapter the story really starts on. This is going to be a Rhea-positive story, just like my previous works. There's an overwhelmingly lack of those in Three Houses fanfiction. That doesn't mean her flaws are going to be ignored, can't have character development without that. And interacting with other people (besides Byleth).
That leads to Edelgard who I am not a fan of. She will be the villain for part of this story, as I'm sure most of you should know. I'm not going to go out of the way to demonize her, but I'm not going to hold back in writing how a person declares war on an entire continent to solve its problems, and especially how people will react to it. To be honest, that's another thing I've found somewhat lacking in Three Houses fan writing.
If you're not comfortable reading either of those things, then this story isn't for you. If you're only going to read to lead a negative comment, save it. I will delete those kinds of reviews and move on.
I do not own anything.
Chapter 1-Stirring Flames
Claude of the Leicester Alliance.
Dimitri of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.
Edelgard of the Adrestian Empire.
He'd ended up fighting alongside the three supposed future leaders of Fόdlan. Byleth wasn't sure if it was pure luck or if some invisible hand-fate-was guiding him. Either way, he'd acted and now he was on his way to Garreg Mach Monastery, headquarters of the Knights of Seiros. It was also the center of the Church of Seiros faith, a religion that he'd heard numerous times, the predominant religion of the continent. He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting but he was genuinely curious to see the monastery with his own eyes. At most, all he'd heard were whispers and rumors. They'd fostered a yearning inside of him that grew stronger with every step he took toward the Monastery. As excited as he was Byleth maintained an awareness of what was happening around him.
Contrary to his earlier mood his father seemed pretty amicable with the knights who were escorting them back. For as reluctant as he was to go back to the Monastery it seemed that there were people he didn't mind being in the company of. That made Byleth all the more curious as to what the reason for his apprehension was. He supposed that he'd get that answer once he got there, amongst a couple of others. Such as exactly what kind of school the three future leaders attended.
Behind that stoic façade you're quite a mass of curiosity. Rather curious how one could not even pick up a hint of that from an outside view. Chimed the ethereal girl who'd taken up occupancy in his head. You have so many thoughts swirling about in your head, yet you do not express them.
It's…a…feature of mine you could say. I'm not a very expressive person. My head is where you'll find my feelings, or what I believe pass for feelings. Byleth responded. In hours long walk from Remire Village to Garreg Mach he'd realized that he was going to have to get used to the spectral girl's presence. In other words, talking to her without physically speaking in the presence of others. Luckily, he was such a closed off person that such a thing shouldn't be too hard. Growing up I always wondered where fathers' fighting abilities came from. Only a handful of people, people who'd known him for years, could give me so much as a hint.
Your father kept such secrets from you? Perhaps they came from a place that he is not proud of. Or…perhaps they came from a place he did not want you to visit.
Both are options I've considered, though it's looking like the latter might be closer to the truth. Looking back up at his father he saw him cracking a few smiles. Even if the two of them were known for being stoic men he was still the more open one. Not to mention the more approachable Eisner; naturally considering he was the leader of a near two-hundred-man mercenary band. Of those two hundred, only a handful were with them, the rest had been given the order to standby, an order that he knew had caused enough groaning to rattle a mountain. He was quietly thankful that he wasn't in that grouping.
Eventually, the natural landscape of the forest completely gave way to urban territory, the outer reaches of Garreg Mach. Byleth felt the sunlight on his face grow warmer as he drunk in the pristine architecture that was the mountain-top Monastery. Various towers and ramparts rose, standing out in sharp contrast to the rugged mountains that they'd traveled through. The journey had been worth it as from what he was glimpsing the Monastery was quite large, and quite majestic looking. The latter was all but cemented when they finally reached the front gates, and he could see the settlement that rested within the Oghma Mountains.
It looked exactly as the rumors had made it out to be, at least from a distance. Byleth felt his excitement surge even more at the thought of seeing what it was like beyond the stone walls. Part of that excitement also lay in his curiosity as to the knights that were housed within. How many of them were there? What were they like in terms of strength and skill? If they had an armory, then what was it like? Was magic included in any forging techniques? Assuming that the Knights of Seiros lived up to even half of the stories about them then Byleth thought it more than likely.
As they passed through the front gates, he became aware of how all eyes were on their group. That wasn't surprising as he imagined that word about their arrival had spread. There was of course the attention given to the three youths behind him, then there was the focus his father received. Looking around Byleth saw expressions of shock and disbelief, recognition flashing through the eyes of several. It furthered hammered in the fact that his father had a history with this place, and apparently it was a pretty big one given the-
"Rhea's here." Came his voice, tight and quiet like he was opening not to be heard. Byleth recognized the lack of anger in his voice, but in its place was a deep suspicion.
Following his upward glance, he saw someone was watching them from the balcony, a woman. Behind his stoic stare he was quietly surprised by the bright shade of green that was her hair and eyes. He hadn't seen coloration like that…anywhere except in his vision-like dreams. As he looked over her face, he found himself locking eyes with her; she was looking at him just as he was looking straight up at her. Her expression was unreadable from such a far distance, but Byleth had the sense that he was being examined. It wasn't a foreign feeling to him, he'd actually gotten used to it by the time he was fourteen, four years after he set foot on the battlefield for the first time.
Who are you? He found himself wanting to ask as the silent exchange between the two of them continued. There was no hostility in her stare, only a curiosity that perhaps mirrored his own. As quickly as the wind blew that curiosity gave way to something else. It was something brighter. Her pink lips parted and something twinkled in her eyes. Byleth was confused to see what appeared to be a glimmer of hope in her gaze. Why would she have such a thing looking at him?
As if she seemed to realize she'd been staring for too long the woman known as Rhea pulled away, disappearing from his eyesight. His sharp ears could hear the faint clacking of her shoes against the stone balcony. Looking back ahead, he pushed the moment to the back of his mind. Judging by her clothing Byleth was willing to bit she was high up in the Church's hierarchy. He'd see her again, and maybe when he did, he could talk to her. The more they talked the more he could get a read on what had been going through her head.
Potentially after he found out more about his father and his past with the Knights of Seiros.
"It's been years since I've last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her again…"
Byleth knew that he was talking about the green-haired woman he'd seen earlier. In case it wasn't clear before, it sure as hell was now. There was history between them, apparently bad history. Standing beside him as he waited for…something, Byleth quietly wondered how much of that history he'd be able to get out of his father. Then, there was the question of how much he'd be able to get out of Rhea herself. Provided that he would be able to talk to her and she was willing to talk about her relationship with his father. Seeing how his father was acting he was again curious as to how she viewed whatever past relationship they had.
Inhaling through his nose, he decided to take the first step in getting some answers. "By 'her', you mean Rhea? The woman that was watching us from the balcony, right?"
"Yes, her. The Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Lady Rhea." His father answered. When Byleth continued to stare at him he realized that he was waiting for more information. That probably included a last name. In spite of that concentrated stare his father seemed reluctant to give him any more information.
Yep. This is going to be as hard as I expected. The blue-haired man mentally sighed. He couldn't say that he was surprised by this reaction; Byleth had actually been expecting it. Realizing that the topic was likely shelved for the moment he decided to move onto another one, perhaps one more intimidate thus getting his father more willing to talk. "You said Archbishop, so that means that she's in charge of not just his Monastery but the entire church itself, right?"
His father nodded. "Yep. She's the head of the Seiros Faith, practiced by millions across Fόdlan. As the Archbishop, she's also the nominal leader of the Knights of Seiros, the most elite fighting force on the continent. They all answer directly to her. As you know, that means every knight you see around here is ultimately her superior, regardless of who's above them in rank. That also goes for the people living in the surrounding towns. Ultimately, she's the chief authority of the Oghma Mountains, neutral territory as far as Fόdlan is concerned."
He only had a few seconds to sit on the information as they were finally joined by two other individuals, one of them being Rhea herself. The other was a man perhaps in his mid-thirties sporting green hair and eyes, the former of a darker shade than the archbishop herself. Byleth quietly filed that away in the back of his mind as he examined the man. Like the Archbishop he was dressed in blue with gold lining. His hair extended down past his sides to his chin in a well-trimmed beard. His posture spoke of dignity and purpose, and his eyes of suspicion as he looked over Byleth and his father. The Ashen Demon recognized that this man was perhaps some sort of second or assistant to the archbishop. He'd seen enough types to know them when he saw them.
Unlike Rhea, his eyes were sizing the two of them up. He wasn't being rude about it, but Byleth could sense that he was just as confused about their presence here as they were. Something told him that this whole thing really had been a spontaneous string of events that nobody had seen coming.
The only person who seemed happy about it was the Archbishop herself.
"Thank you for your patience." Began the green-haired man. "My name is Seteth, advisor to the Archbishop."
"Right, hello." After the respectful introduction his father turned his attention toward Rhea. He wasn't angry or in fear of her. His expression wasn't entire blank as Byleth could sense something there…he just couldn't figure out what it was. Odds were his father was doing that intentionally as not to come off as rude.
Byleth had seen how that could make life extremely difficult for them all.
"It's been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder…was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this." The Archbishop opened. Byleth looked to his father, wondering what she meant. He saw recognition in his eyes.
After a quick inhalation his father crossed his hand over his chest and bowed. It was a clear show of respect that contrasted to his earlier behavior, which only Byleth had been aware of. "Forgive my silence for all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke."
All eyes went to him indirectly giving Byleth another piece of the puzzle. He was obviously the surprise factor, especially to the Archbishop. Even though they'd seen each other before she was looking him over like it was her first time doing so. In a sense it was given they were now within arms' length of each other. Much easier to get a better look at one another.
"So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. This is your child, is it not?"
"Yes," Meeting his father's eye she saw that usual twinkle of fatherly affection. Given how he'd been behaving for the last couple of hours it was a little nice to see. "Born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to his mother, but…illness took her from us."
It was minor but Byleth saw a hint of recognition in her eyes. The mention of Jeralt's wife, of his mother, had invoked something in the green-haired woman. Did she know her? The time quickly came for him to introduce himself as the Archbishop asked for his name. Standing up straight and giving a slight bow he did exactly that. For the second time in twenty-four-hours he was introducing himself to a green-haired woman. At least this one was being far more polite than the childlike entity in his head.
"Byleth Eisner, it's an honor to meet you, Lady Rhea."
Oh, so she gets such respect whereas I do not? Sothis called.
She actually looks a tad more respectable, not to mention she isn't being as belittling as you were. The swordsman casually fired back in the depths of his mind. He saw Sothis cross her arms and give him a miffed glare. For the record, I do respect you, after all, you can turn back time on a whim, an ability that could come in handy.
"A fine name indeed. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for saving the students of the Officers Academy." The compliment was dismissed by his father, something that sat unwell with Byleth. Rhea noticed it as did Seteth, although neither of them said anything about it. Odds were the response was going to stay between the four of them. "Jeralt, you already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?"
"You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don't you? I won't say no, but…" The look of reluctance returned. Byleth wondered why his father wasn't putting up a serious effort to turn her down. Was he afraid of her response? Would she be willing to let him go after whatever shared history they seemingly had?
"Your apprehension stings. I had expected Alois would have already asked this of you."
He did, father just tiptoed around saying no. Come to think of it he didn't put as much effort as he could have in turning him down. Again, he couldn't help but think of a condemned man being led to an execution's noose. It was inevitable and there was no point in fighting it. Did his father believe this day would come? That's what he decided to ask him when the Archbishop and her assistant momentarily stepped away. The former had said she'd be expecting an answer, which his father had more or less failed to give. Just like with Alois.
"I can't believe it. Forced back into the Knights of Seiros." His spear-wielding father groaned.
"Actually, I think you can. You've been acting like this day would come, if anything it's more like you can't believe that it's come this soon." He finally spoke up. For the moment it seemed the two of them were alone giving them some privacy. Byleth decided now was the time to begin his inquiry. "You never told me you were a member of the Knights of Seiros. How many others know? Ron? Neela? Were you ever planning on telling me?"
He seemed a little taken back by the stream of questions. It wasn't like he'd never done this to him, it was clearly what the questions were over that was causing his father such unease. "Look, I…it's not something I was in a big hurry to talk about. Hell, I was hoping it would never come up again." Byleth's overall expression remained passive, yet his eyes narrowed. His father heaved out another sigh. "Honestly…never. Like I said, I was hoping it'd never come up, but you are right. There's a part of me that knew this day would come. The more we hung around Fόdlan the more likely the chances of us meeting them were. I'm sorry for keeping this from you…and I'm sorry for getting you dragged into this, Byleth. It looks like we're going to be here for a while. Now that we're here, our service is going to be requested."
So, I'm going to be working here? That's…actually not so bad. Given the wagon load of questions he had Byleth didn't mind staying around Garreg Mach Monastery. While he might have felt that way his father seemingly had different ideas. Not to mention there was likely the rest of the band who might dissent at the idea. "What am I going to be working as though? A servant? Another mercenary?"
"That's unlikely. From what I've heard, they may actually want you to teach." His father answered.
Byleth did a slight double-take. "Teach? They…want me to teach? Students?"
"Most likely. You heard those brats talking about the Officers Academy, right? Well, thanks to last night's little incident the academy's now short a professor. Turning tail and running from live battle isn't exactly a good look for a teacher who's supposed to be working at the best military school in the land." His father declared, adding a humorous chuckle at the end. "On top of that all, that damned Alois went and recommended you to Lady Rhea."
Recommended me? Byleth thought seconds before he heard a set of footsteps telling him that he and his father were no longer alone. Any hope for a private conversation ended as two new individuals entered the chamber. It was a man and a woman, the former possessing a monocle and head full of gray hair. He could tell he was the older one, and the more professional one. As for the woman, her short brunette hair curled inwardly and her eyes glistened with curiosity, especially as they fell on him. Based on her rather eye-catching outfit Byleth immediately guessed her to be a somewhat amorous woman who always kept an eye out for a guest to her bedroom.
That hypothesis was confirmed as they stood in front of them, the woman eyeing him up, down, and sideways. It was probably the first time anyone had done so with such naked intentions. "So, you must be the new professor. My, how stern and handsome you are!"
"Er, I'm not the one you're looking for." His father quipped with a bemused expression. At the end of it came another light chuckle. Byleth shot him an aside glance. He never seemed too broken up on the fact almost all romantic compliments went his way. After a while Byleth realized that his father actually preferred it that way.
As for Byleth himself, well, he simply took them and moved on, doing his best to remain courteous. In this case, that was especially important considering that he had a feeling these two people were going to be his coworkers in the coming weeks, perhaps months.
"You can handle things from here. Good luck." Just as he turned to leave, his father leaned in close to whisper into his ear. "And watch out for Lady Rhea. I don't know what she's thinking, making you a professor like this. She may be up to something, so stay on your guard."
That warning didn't surprise him in the slightest. He nodded in confirmation sending his father on his way. He really did have a point considering that he was being given quite a position. Him teaching a class? A class made up of likely the best and brightest the continent had to offer? Byleth had just gotten here, albeit he was confident in his fighting abilities to do that.
A little bit of ego. Quite surprising for a reserved person like you. Remarked the green-haired girl who existed in his head. She'd managed to stay awake throughout most of the exchange, though a yawn came not long after her words.
Like I keep telling you, when it comes to fighting I know I what I'm doing. That said…I've never thought about actually teaching other people how to fight. Such things have usually been left to the more…socially adapt members of the Jeralt Mercenaries. Not to mention what few I have trained have all been adults, not teenagers who've likely only had a day or two of real fighting experience. If I'm going to teach, I'm going to have to learn from these two here, along with the other instructors at the Officers Academy.
Hanneman the Crest Scholar and Manuela, songstress and chief physician of the Officers Academy and Garreg Mach.
Provided the two of them could teach them when they weren't engaging in squabbling. From the first few words and pointed looks Byleth could see that these two also had a history.
The socialite and the scholar, like water and oil. I have this feeling I'm going to be stuck between the two of them if I really go through with this. Byleth inwardly mused while the two ceased their squabbling. They seemed to be conscious enough not to do this in front of him, the new supposed professor.
As Manuela explained the nature of the three houses at the Monastery, he thought back to the three youths that he'd encountered earlier. His intervention in their plight had landed him in this entire situation. As he thought their colored caped signified something special about them; they were all the future leaders of Fόdlan, as well as the leaders of their respective houses. And they were all attended school in the same year. Byleth agreed with Hanneman in that such timing was quite coincidentally. It also put more suspicion on the attack that he'd thwarted. No, the assassination attempt as he was beginning to believe. All the pieces he had were pointing him in that direction.
But he wasn't going to say that aloud, and certainly not until he knew who was who at this place.
That included the Archbishop, who his father told him to be weary of.
From the moment she got word from Alois Rhea knew that this was going to happen. It'd been almost a month since she and Seteth had a discussion like this. Not the longest stretch of time they'd gone without having a heated talk like this, but still somewhat noticeable. Seteth was far more animated than normal, and she knew exactly why.
"Have you no intention of changing your mind, Rhea? Appointing a stranger-a child no less-as a professor to our esteemed academy is-"
"I have made my decision, Seteth." She simply said. Rhea didn't feel the need to raise her voice, and frankly she didn't want to. Contrary to what Seteth may have been thinking she perfectly understood his apprehension. What he didn't understand was that this was what she'd been waiting for, hoping for, for the better part of a millennia. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time for her to explain that to him. "I know worrying comes natural to you, but there is truly no need. That 'stranger' is Jeralt's flesh and blood, after all."
She'd have liked it if the conversation ended there, but it didn't. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best attempted discussion closer. She knew Jeralt on a persona; level, while Seteth did not. It showed in his skeptic eyes as he crossed his arms. "I can't say that's too comforting. How trustworthy is this Jeralt character? Is he not the man who went missing after the great fire twenty-one years ago? I would remind you that Flayn is now here with us as well. I beg of you…please consider whether this is an unnecessary risk."
It pained her to hear the slight pleading nature in his voice. Rhea knew exactly where her kinsman was coming from, and she knew she had to ease his worries. He deserved that much. "Seteth, they have my trust, and in Jeralt's case it has been earned a hundred times over. I do not know what he's been up to in these last years, but from what I can see little about him has changed. He is still a trustworthy and just man. I am all but certain that the same can be said for his son." There was so much that she wanted to say to him to make him understand, but Rhea knew that time was running short. In spite of whirlwind encounters this was still a normal, busy day at the Monastery. Something that Seteth knew just as much as her. "Seteth, I ask of you, let my trust in them be enough. I can assure you that in time they will come to earn yours."
He looked ready to agree to, at least for the moment as she hoped.
In a split second she decided on one last push. "More important, I received a report from Shamir. I am increasingly concerned about a matter regarding our suspicious individual."
"Alois' report about the attack. Do you believe there is…mor to it than that?" He said in a quiet voice as if he were worried the walls of her office had eyes and ears. Not the first time he'd done so, and his suspicions weren't entirely groundless sometimes.
She nodded, showing him that he wasn't alone in his concerns. "We cannot ignore those who harbor ill will against the Church, especially if they are frequenting Garreg Mach."
His arms uncrossed and a look of acceptance overcame him. Rhea made an internal sigh of relief. "Yes, that is a matter of great importance as well. I shall continue my investigation. Rhea…for now, I will have faith in that your decision will be the right one. I pray nothing occurs to shake your confidence."
Rhea had to keep from physically sighing in joy, she had a feeling that Seteth wouldn't exactly be inspired by the move.
"That said, I'm assuming you have some sort of plan about what will be done with the position of Captain-General." As atypical of her brother, her optimism was dashed, practically by a rolling boulder. "I don't believe I need to remind you that the Knights of Seiros already have a rather capable of leader in Capri."
She tried not to let it show that this was the first time that she was giving serious thought to the matter. Capri Alario had been the Captain General of the Knights of Seiros for the last seven years. That position had came about through a tragic and still talked about conflict with his older brother. Even now, years later the incident, and Capri himself, were still talked about in hush whispers. Quite negatively in spite of the accomplishments he'd achieved as leader of the Knights of Seiros. Luckily, he was never the type to let those whispers get to him. Not to mention he was willing to follow whatever order or decree she handed out so long as he thought it within reason.
Stepping down in favor of her previous captain, her favorite? While that was within the bounds Rhea knew it would send a ripple effect through the knights.
And there was no doubt that Levanzo would hear it in his cell.
"I have thought of how to proceed, Seteth. As I said, trust me." It was a half-lie, something she was soberingly used to telling. Her brother seemed to realize that, yet he bowed his head. He reaffirmed his faith in her then departed to take care of the rest of the day's preceding. Rhea didn't exhale until he was out the door leaving her alone.
She all but collapsed into the seat behind her desk. Her hands trembled as she dropped her head into them. It wasn't just her hands though; her entire body was trembling. This was the first time that she'd sat down in hours, though to her it'd felt like days. In the last few hours, she'd like she'd finally came upon an oasis after walking for days in the desert. That's exactly what it had been. She'd been wondering that desolate wasteland for the last one-thousand years, praying that she'd find solace somewhere. After all that time waiting, she finally had.
Once she heard from Alois that they were coming back with Jeralt and a young man, Rhea almost immediately knew who he was. She didn't want to get her hopes up after having those crushed numerous times. Each time she'd felt her ability to hope die and little more until she believed that she didn't have anything left. How ironic it was that as she felt she had nothing else left hope arrived in such an unexpected way. It came bearing a familiar yet at the same time new face.
The moment that she'd laid eyes on him she saw Sitri; she knew she was looking at Sitri's son. The son that she'd saved at the request of his mother, who gave her life for his.
There were many days Rhea had engrained in her memory for the worst reasons. In the past two decades the day that Sitri, her twelfth "creation" had died was one of the worst. She'd lost one of her closest friends, one of the few people that she felt she could talk to and even be herself with. Her Crest Stone heart ached in arrow as she remembered that afternoon that she'd given birth after a seemingly ordinary pregnancy. That pregnancy had ultimately ended in her slow death…and a stillborn baby whose cold body she held in her hands. All it took was one look for her to recognize that the child wasn't going to survive, and neither would his mother. She was going to witness the deaths of a parent and a child.
Instead, through Sitir's choice, she'd saved her child allowing death to claim only her.
Jeralt never knew of this, any of this. In retrospect, the fact that he knew none of this was the reason he took the child and fled. Rhea never blamed him for his decision, knowing that he was acting as a father would to protect their child.
Lifting her head, she looked down at her hands. Rhea saw blood on them, green and red blood, all around her lay the bodies that it'd once flowed in. The field of corpses stretched all around her.
Biting her lip, she clenched her hands, feeling that suffocating sense of grief take a bite out of her. Time after time she'd tried to reverse what happened that day. She'd given up on that hope, but again, hope had came to her in the form of the child she last saw twenty-one years ago.
Hope, it was such a strange concept, one that even a millennia-old being like her still couldn't fully understand. She'd preached how it could be found in strange places and at the most unexpected times, yet here she was experiencing it herself, and still being left in shock of it.
"Mother…I've waited and waited, but you've finally returned." She whispered feeling herself on the verge of tears. The tears did come, even though she tried to fight them. Her hands still trembled as she wiped them away. Her soft sobs of relief were a quiet echo through the office. As usual, there was no way there to hear them or see them. That's how it'd been for the last several decades. Just maybe there was a chance that could chance; Rhea felt a greater chance for that now than she had in half a century.
After several deep breaths she managed to regain her composure. Helping it was her attempt to think logically. As happy as she was, she knew that a shadow was creeping over her home.
As she and Seteth had discussed, there were those who wished ill on the Monastery and the Church as a whole. Rhea had a feeling that the creeping shadow wasn't going to recede.
In addition to that as Seteth had told her, she had to do something about the situation regarding the Captain General position. She wanted Jeralt to reclaim his own position, but it was already filled. If she asked, the current occupant would be willing step aside. Despite knowing that the idea still left an uncomfortable taste in her mouth.
That said, if she had to choose between Capri and Jeralt…her choice was clear.
A knock came at the door.
"J-Just a minute!" She called. All these years it'd became easy for her to slip back on the mask of professionalism that had defined her tenure as the Archbishop. If her hopes and prayers were truly answered…she wouldn't have to maintain it for much longer. How long that was though depended on how long it took for her mother's soul to fully awaken.
"You're a god. You're the god, the goddess of Fόdlan."
So I am. I must say…this is quite a discovery.
"I've got a goddess in my head, the goddess of the very church that I'm more or less staying at. The same church that's practically employing me. Never thought I'd be in this sort of position."
Byleth, you are taking all of this rather well. I thought that even for a stoic person like yourself this revelation would elect a greater response.
"I think that makes us pretty alike. You're taking all of this pretty casually yourself. As we've just learned you're the goddess worshipped by a majority of this continent, including the Archbishop herself."
Sothis looked down at the floor as she crossed her arms in contemplation. Contrary to what the divine girl had said, Byleth was in shock himself. His early thoughts about the girl being some kind of deity was entirely accurate. What he hadn't been expecting was for him to be invited into the heart of said goddess' domain. Byleth was tempted to ask if this whole thing was some sort of cosmic joke. He didn't know if it was worth laughing over; Sothis certainly wasn't laughing as she'd started walking back and forth across his room. The good news was that since she was a ghost, he didn't have to worry about her wearing down the floor.
Learning she was a goddess though left Byleth back with the same question-what the hell was going on?
How in the hell did Sothis end up in his head? Why was it she didn't even know who she was? For that matter, why was her appearance that of a child instead of an adult woman like the depictions he'd seen in books? Unless the scholars had it wrong and the goddess Fόdlan worshipped really was a child.
I am not a child!
He raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst. "Sorry, just…considering all possible options. That includes you not looking exactly how your worshippers envisioned. I've read that some gods can shapeshift, take on any form they wish."
If so, then why am I constrained to this childlike form?! Sothis shouted.
Byleth shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Sothis. I've never meant a god before. You're my first." After a sour stare she went back to pacing across the floor. Her verdant-green hair just barely touched the floor, not enough for him to confirm if it could have passed through the wooden floor. He could at least see her feet could interact with the ground like a normal person, albeit she could still seemingly phase through other objects. Byleth wondered if her intangibility was subjective. "Sothis, what memories do you have?"
She stopped and looked to him with genuine confusion on her face. Something about it felt…off. He'd only known her for barely a day, but he'd already grown accustomed to her. I…I don't know. Byleth, beyond awakening in your mind, I have no such other memories. Whenever I do try to focus, my mind simply feels…jumbled, disoriented. It's so frustrating! I am the apparent goddess of this land, yet I know not one lick of it! My form can be found in works of art and in supposed historical text, yet it is unlike what I am now! I cannot be this…this…childlike! I can at least know that for certain!"
Were he one of those people who enjoyed taking pot shots at people, he'd have suggested that her current form might have been her true one. Byleth had more restraint than that though, not to mention he could tell that Sothis was clearly in the middle of an existential crisis. He could only think of one thing to do. "I'll help you figure it out." Her pacing stopped as she looked directly at him. Byleth stood up, his black-garbed body towering over her. "If you're really the goddess of Fόdlan, then maybe being around here, surrounded by hundreds of worshippers, will jog your memory. Learning the land's history, traveling it. There's a chance that some of it might help you remember what happened to you."
Some of the anxiety that had built up within her had died down, though Byleth could still detect traces of it. For a supposed goddess, she was feeling rather powerless right about now. It wasn't exactly what he thought of when he remembered reading through books to get a feel of the Church's structure and history. He imagined that many would have been disappointed to see their goddess looking like this in multiple ways. For Byleth though, the sense of confusion that had wrapped Sothis made her seem more…approachable.
Do you really believe that, Byleth? She questioned.
He briefly thought about his answer. "Honestly…I don't know, but it's the best I can come up with. It's a shot in the dark, but I'm willing to bet that something should come along to rouse your memory."
Sothis fixed him with a stare that undoubtedly belonged to an older woman, one likely twice his age. Despite her childlike body she possessed a certain aura that spoke of an adult, and that was hammered in with the way she was looking at him. Though he was taller than her by a couple of feet that adult-like aura was seemingly making up for the height difference. Byleth had a feeling that if her memories returned it might grow even bigger to the point she could seem bigger than him. For what they'd learned she was a goddess, her abilities should have outstripped his by a gigantic margin.
And yet here she was, looking ready to accept aid from an ordinary human like him. The whole thing seemed like it'd been torn from the pages of one of his books. He was quietly amused realizing that the silent wishes he possessed that had been created from them were coming to life.
I believed my purpose was to guide you, and I still believe that. And yet…here you are offering assistance to me. Sothis finally
If I told you that even gods could use a little help every now and then, would you believe me? Byleth casually asked. Behind his casual tone he was genuinely curious to what her response would be.
Her thoughtful expression finally gave way to an amused smile. Considering that I am in need of your assistance at the moment, yes. A human such as yourself offering assistance is one thing, but you have proven yourself…somewhat capable, I would be remiss to turn down such aid.
Feeling a slight smile tugging at his lips he outstretched his hand. Sothis chuckled before taking it, or rather attempting to take it. Her hand phased straight through his. Byleth's eyes momentarily rose in shock while Sothis' did as well, then narrowed in frustration. She tried again and again to take hold of his hand to no avail. It made for quite the scene that he could have sworn he started chuckling at.
Ooooh! Blast this specter-like existence! Surely I can interact with some parts of the physical world! She shouted in indignation.
"Well, you can stand and walk on the floor, not to mention I can see you outside of my mind." The Ashen Demon offered with a slight whimsical nature in his voice. Sothis looked at him with irritation, clearly not taking his attempted reassurance well. After another sigh she found herself looking at her hands and feet. "Try it again and focus this time. Focus on my hand and the concept of touching it." Calming herself, Sothis closed her eyes and attempted to do as he asked. Byleth kept his hand outstretched and ready to be grasped. He was honestly hoping he'd feel the touch of Sothis' hand against his. Even if he was the only one she could interact with, he was at least hoping there would be-
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Hey, Byleth! I hope I'm not interrupting but your old man has called for a meeting! It's time for us to discuss what we're going to do!"
Dropping his hand, he let the disappointment show on his face. Only Sothis was there to see it. She was disappointed herself at the moment being ruined. Her green eyes lingered on her hand, while she looked at her palm her lower body began to dissipate into particles of golden light. Seconds later and she was gone from Byleth's sight. He could feel her in his head though, back on her throne and ready to go to sleep.
"I'll be out in a minute, Ron!" He called through the door. Turning his head to the side he looked back at the last book he'd been reading. In the four hours since his meeting with Lady Rhea, he'd surveyed the Monastery and checked out six books. He'd managed to read through two and a half with plans to finish the rest, even if it took him reading into the night to do so. There was still so much he had to learn, and he had another reason to learn fast.
Taking on a goddess as a potential client wasn't something he ever expected to truly happen, and Byleth certainly hadn't been expecting it to not involve fighting someone. He was looking forward to what lay next.
-O-
As Byleth expected, not everyone was so onboard with staying at Garreg Mach Monastery. Some even less so with the thought of his father essentially reclaiming his old position within the Knights of Seiros. Who from what he'd picked up apparently already had a leading commander. Would he be willing to step aside for his father? And without a fight?
One of the most asked questions was the issue of payment. Obviously, they were mercenaries so at the end of the day, a paycheck of some sort was to be expected. He wondered exactly how big the Church's coffers were seeing as they supplied funding for the Monastery and the Officers' academy, albeit the collective nobility and governments of the continent pitched in. Byleth was all but certain that talk of hiring out an entire mercenary company like theirs would make the rounds of the gossip circles. Speaking of gossip circles, he could see that several of them had already developed in regards to their current situation.
Instead of heading for Faerghus they were going to be setting down roots here at Garreg Mach Monastery. Needless to say, no one had seen that coming, and several were still struggling to process the news.
As usual, it fell to his father to hammer it in and smooth out the wrinkles that came with the news. "Alright, alright! Settle down, everyone!" His father shouted to the dozens of occupants in the room. The chamber that they'd been given wasn't anywhere near big enough to contain them all, but the vice-captains and their closest attendants were present, so that meant that the message was getting out to the right people, and if someone had an opinion it was going to be heard. "Now I know that there's a lot of confusion and some dissent, but I have the documentation right here. The Church of Seiros has officially hired us on for the foreseeable future." In his father's right hand was a rather fresh-looking document with a bright red stamp that had no doubt came from the Archbishop herself.
Byleth leaned forward so he could get a better look at it. The document was real alright, and so was the stamp approving everything on it. He'd have liked to read a company of it. Looking away from his father he scoured the audience for reactions. Several looked resigned once they saw the document. Some actually looked excited, and Byleth could understand why. It meant that they now had stable employment for the foreseeable future, not to mention a solid base of operations.
Still, those things were more than likely going to come with drawbacks.
There was one person that he scoured the crowd for, and he found her to his far left. The deep black hair contrasted with the bright green eyes, eyes that filled with sorrow and resignation. Perhaps sensing his gaze, the former nun looked to him and did her best to muster a smile. He could tell that it was forced, and that she was just barely holding it together.
Seeing Gilah, one of the kindest members of the Jeralt Mercenaries uneasy made Byleth worry. She didn't speak of her time in the Church of Seiros, but whenever she did, he noted the mixture of happiness and sadness that intertwined around her, like two serpents. The two seemed to be taking turns biting at her with the latter winning. Thankfully, someone was there for her. Heino may have been a flirt, but he'd shown time and time again how much he cared for everyone in the company. He was demonstrating that again as he gave her solace.
Looking away, his gaze turned to his father's right side, where he saw Ron scouring the audience for reactions like him. The two of them locked eyes and silently nodded, yet another silent understanding passing between them. As his father's second-in-command it was often his job to further smooth out the wrinkles that his decisions left. He was better suited for it as he had the social skills that Byleth lacked. The same social skills that left it a question of if Byleth would one day succeed his father as leader of the Jeralt Mercenaries.
As with many things, that possibility had been further muddled. He looked to his father as he explained that for the time being they would be under the command of the Knights of Seiros, yet they would have degrees of freedom. Even if he could explain the circumstances Byleth doubted he'd be able to do so in a way that was convincing. He doubted he'd be able to answer and ease fears as his father was doing. His place was here, standing by his side and being there in case something went wrong. That included someone made a move on his father or any other member of the company.
To the naked eye it seemed that it was just them, a bunch of mercenaries who happened to find themselves in Fόdlan's religious heart. To Byleth's six sharpened senses, it wasn't just them. He felt someone else, a foreign presence watching them from somewhere. While listening to his father he tried to pinpoint where it was. Even though it didn't feel hostile he wouldn't feel comfortable until he knew who or what it was.
Looking straight up at the ceiling he felt something, a faint trace of magic that would have gone unnoticed if one wasn't looking for it. His blue eyes narrowed as he focused on a particular spot, the place he believed to be where the spy was hiding.
That focus triggered something he hadn't been expecting.
It wasn't like when Sothis activated her power to turn back time. Byleth felt like he was staring through the lens of a mystical telescope, seeing straight through solid objects. He saw through the ceiling to see someone sitting in a crouch on the rooftop. In the center of their hollow-like body was a flickering green light. He blinked and the sight was gone, and his eyes temporarily stung.
"Hey, you alright?" His father whispered. He needed his voice as he felt like he'd had a lantern illuminated right in front of his eyes.
"Fine. Just…I guess I've been studying too hard." The excuse would hopefully be enough to distract his father. Byleth didn't even know where to begin in explaining what was happening to him. Sothis. He whispered. The aforenamed goddess didn't respond, indicating that she was still sleeping.
"Studying, huh? Woah, you're already putting some effort into this teacher gig, aren't you?" His father remarked, giving Byleth a moment of relief.
"You said that we'll be staying here for the foreseeable future." He casually responded while rubbing his eyes. His vision was blurry but gradually clearing up. "If I can't fight, I might as well be doing something constructive."
His father snorted. "You think teaching a couple of noble brats will be constructive?"
"I've never done it before." That was his by-word for something that had caught his interest. Jeralt pulled away, a look of benign acceptance on his face. Across from him Ron was smirking, having clearly overhead their intended father-son discussion. "You have your duty and I've been assigned mine." That was enough for his father to turn his attention back to the audience. For the most part the rancor had quieted down as it'd sunk in that this was the set path for the Jeralt Mercenaries. Looking them over Byleth saw less apprehension and a just a little more acceptance. Learning that they could still take private jobs under certain conditions had likely quelled some of their fears. Apparently, the Church knew they were still dealing with battle-prone mercenaries.
According to some of the murmur Fόdlan could have used some of those. All was not as right as it could be in the land due to a couple of recent events, Especially in Faerghus.
His father went back to speaking, giving his closing words and opening the floor up for questions. Byleth only paid minimal attention as he directed his focus back on the ceiling. He was tempted to try his unique vision-based ability again but decided against. Doing it the first time had given him blurry vision he was just now getting over. Tempting as it was, he figured if he was to try it again it'd be in a more controlled setting. That would also give him the chance to see what it could do.
Garreg Mach and the Knights of Seiros. He was certain that one of the latter had been watching him. His father's warning came to mind, although along with it was the image of the green-haired man known as Seteth. His skepticism had been on full display. Byleth was certain that he wasn't the only one who shared that feeling in the Knights of Seiros.
-O-
It took some time, but Byleth tracked him down. He hadn't been the only one.
"I'm sorry about spying, but…I'm a cautious man. I wanted to see who the Jeralt Mercenaries were."
"And if we posed a threat to the Monastery." Byleth finished. "Can't say that I blame you though. We're anomalies here. I recognize that."
The mysterious knight who'd been eavesdropping turned around to face him, giving Byleth a look at his face. While he knew looks could be deceiving, he seemed young. At best he was maybe in his early to mid-twenties at best. He wasn't wearing the pointy hat that Trickster usually wore, leaving his maroon-red hair exposed. It spiked downward, the spiky ends stopping short above his cobalt blue eyes. They weren't hostile, even as he glanced at the stone wall to Byleth's right. He knew that he wasn't alone.
"That isn't too much of a strange thing around here." The Trickster said. "The truth is the Central Church has quite a diverse population, some would say too much so. I know it's hypocritical, but it takes some time. Once residents get used to you, it'll quiet down."
Byleth was tempted to ask how long that would take, but he held his tongue.
"I take it you're the Ashen Demon? The phenomenally skilled son of the Blade Breaker himself." The redhead said.
"Yes, I am."
"And soon to be teacher of one of the three houses." He continued. "Have you chosen a house to teach yet? I heard that you've been scouting them out so you can give your decision to Lady Rhea tomorrow."
His decision was expected tomorrow, and no latter. Byleth had been thinking about it knowing that his choice would influence how the rest of the year went. Not to mention what his father might do in regards to the Knights of Seiros. "I'm still thinking about it. If you see Lady Rhea, reassure her that I'll have a decision for her by tomorrow."
"I will, and good luck with whoever you choose. This year there's a lot of would-be-heirs attending the Officers Academy this year, including the Adrestian Emperor."
"Is that unusual?" Byleth questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Seeing that he was new to Fόdlan, the mysterious man seemed to realize an explanation was an order. "Over the last century there's been some…tension between the Church of Seiros and the Adrestian Empire. In that time, not one Adrestian Emperor has attended the Officers Academy. Lady Edelgard is the first one, and she's coming on the heels of some political shakeups in the Empire."
"Shakeups?" Byleth repeated.
"There was an insurrection against the current Emperor, one that left the throne not as powerful as it used to be."
I've got more studying to do. He internally noted. "I see. Thank you for the information, though I don't believe I caught your name."
"That's because I didn't give it to you, but now I will." A faint smile formed on his face. It was surprising how his entire aura seemed to change. Seeing he didn't bear any hostility toward him seemed to get him to lower his guard. Byleth could sympathize with the notion. "My name is Rémy Pascal Dynes, a member of the Knights of Seiros. As you can probably guess, I take on more…stealthy assignments."
Turning to his right Byleth silently indicated for unseen third observer to make themselves known. He stepped into the sunlight, his dark cloak sharply contrasting to the brightness of the sunlight above and the dull grays of the buildings around them. They were further contrasted by the sharpness of his silver-colored eyes.
First, he mirrored the bow that seemed customary in Fόdlan, placing a hand over his chest then lowering his upper body. "Iwan Carew. I'm one of the assassins of the Jeralt Mercenaries, and as my captain explained, it seems you and I will be working together in the future for the Church of Seiros."
"So it seems. Well, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you all. I'm sorry for the tension and do hope you all come to like it here at the Monastery. It's something of a crossroads for Fόdlan, and beyond. There's some charm to be had in that, despite what others may tell you."
The redhead vanished in a blur, as expected of a self-proclaimed stealth operative. Byleth looked to Iwan for confirmation that they were truly alone.
At his confirming nod Byleth spoke, "That last part sounded a bit odd, don't you think?"
"One of the tenants of the Church of Seiros is limiting contact with foreigners. It isn't exactly being enforced here as I've noticed quite an assortment of people. A couple of Alymrans, people of Brigid, and a handful of others. I can only imagine not all devout are happy with this. I'll keep an eye out for who those might be…and I'm assuming you'll be keeping an eye out for anything unusual yourself, right, Byleth?"
"I will." He responded in seemingly flat tone. His covert comrade gave a chuckle as he jumped to a nearby rooftop. "Iwan, be careful yourself."
"I always am, Byleth. Oh, and…which house are you going to be teaching?"
He crossed his arms and looked to the veteran killer with vague amusement, or what passed for amusement with a person like him. "What's the current betting pool?"
"Most are thinking you'll pick the Blue Lions. After all, you always had aspirations of knighthood. Second after them is the Black Eagles considering Adrestia's the strongest nation on the continent. Training the Empire's next generation, including its Emperor, could open a lot of doors for you. In dead last is the Golden Deer. There aren't too many combat-savvy students in this year's batch, so they probably wouldn't be able to hold your interest for too long."
"Uh, pretty logical deductions. What about you, Iwan, who'd you bet on?"
"…I put my money on the Lions. Those…wishes you had, I think you might be able to fulfill them if you choose the Blue Lions. That's just my opinion though. Byleth, it's your choice, and whatever choice you make we'll be there to help when we can." Smiling from beneath his hood, the assassin vanished in another blur, at least to the naked eye. Byleth hoped that he wasn't stopped while continuing his recon of the Monastery. He'd likely be doing some himself when he got some free time.
It could be argued he had some of that now as his schedule was in theory free, at least for the remainder of the day. There were at most little over an hour of sunlight left, after that night would come and with it, dinner would arrive in no time. Byleth found it a little hard to believe that the day was almost over with, he felt like he still had more to do.
"Back to the library it is." He whispered to himself, his black coat trailing behind him as he made his way down the stone path.
Morning of the Next Day…
A goodnight's sleep and a good morning's breakfast, people would have pointed to these as signs of a good day. Byleth honestly didn't know how this day was going to turn out, only that it was likely going to be engrained into his memory. It'd be the first day of his teaching career, be it good or bad.
Everyone was awaiting his decision when he arrived at the Archbishop's chamber. He'd quietly realized that he was probably going to be called here a lot. With the Archbishop herself being the one to call him and waiting for him.
Who else would be there might vary, but in this case it was his soon-to-be colleagues, Professors Manuela and Hanneman. They were of course quite eager to hear what his choice would be. Seteth was there as well, still looking as apprehensive as ever.
Byleth didn't blame him for being so. As the Archbishop's right hand he was supposed to double-check every choice she made to ensure it was in the Church's best interest. On top of that, he was supposed to be knowledgeable of where Lady Rhea's thoughts were. Obviously, that hadn't been the case this time. This entire thing had caught him as flat-footed as it had everyone else, and he wasn't happy about it.
"Good morning, everyone." Byleth began in a cordial voice.
"Good morning to you as well, Professor Eisner." Lady Rhea said. She was the first person to address him as such; rather fitting given she'd given him the position. "How are you enjoying your time at the academy thus far? I hope you found our halls brimming with the vitality of well-intention souls."
Rémy's face appeared in his mind. "Somewhat so." He answered. It hadn't exactly been a cold welcome, but Byleth knew they could have had warmer ones.
"Hm, I suppose it is time for you to take charge of one of the three houses of students." Seteth declaring ending the pleasantries. He turned his gaze toward Byleth. "I must note I am personally against entrusting someone as lacking in trackable history as yourself with such a task, but it is as the archbishop desires."
The warm temperature fell several degrees thanks to the green-haired man. Manuela was giving Seteth an openly annoyed expression while Hanneman was remaining neutral, albeit even he seemed a little phased by the blunt confession. Lady Rhea shot her right hand an aside glance that wasn't exactly angry, but it was…miffed if only a little. Byleth observed all of this in the five seconds that followed Seteth's declaration. Though he was the target he wasn't at all angry, in fact, he felt a modicum of respect for the man. He had suspicions about him which were entirely warranted, and he wasn't afraid to let him know that. As far as Byleth was concerned, his only job was proving the man wrong, that he could be trusted.
At least so long as he wanted to be trusted by the Church of Seiros.
"The Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer…all so different." Manuela spoke making it a point to get things back on track, and seemingly reset the mood. "I hope you've gotten to know each of them before you making your pick."
"Since you are new here, we have decided to allow you to have first pick. Manuela and I will take charge of the remaining two houses." Hanneman further explained.
"I've decided…that I will teach the Black Eagles House." He said feeling a strange mixture of anxiety and excitement wash over him. Byleth knew as soon as he made this decision, he'd have to commit to it, and he had every intention of doing so.
"Your heart has made its choice, then. All I ask is that you guide these open minds with virtue, care, and sincerity." The Archbishop affirmed. She didn't seem particularly happy nor sad with his voice. He wondered which house did she think he was going to pick.
"They are all promising youths who bear the weight of Fόdlan's future on their shoulders. I hope you appreciate the honor it is to lead them." Her attendant added.
His eyes flickered to the side with Byleth impulsively following him. To his surprise, he found a seemingly pre-teen or early teen girl approaching them. What caught his attention though was her hair, it was bright green, just perhaps a few shades removed from Lady Rhea's. The same went for her eyes, which were also bright green, just like the Archbishop's. Byleth looked between her, Lady Rhea, and Seteth, wondering if there was some sort of relationship between them.
"Brother?" And that thought was confirmed with that one simple word. "Oh! I'm sincerely sorry! I did not mean to interrupt." She said even while looking at Byleth. She clearly recognized him as being a new addition to the Monastery.
"I am in the middle of something, Flayn. Is it urgent?" The change in his voice couldn't be anymore different from how he addressed Byleth. Though somewhat stern it was much softer, not to mention his eyes twinkled with a little bit of joy in seeing the girl.
"No, it's nothing. More importantly…who is this?"
"This is our newest professor at the academy." Contrary to his earlier disapproval he was still rather respectful in introducing him.
Oh my! A new addition to the Officers Academy! I am so very pleased to meet you, Professor!" It seemed that this girl took after the Archbishop in being openly friendly. Byleth felt that her kindness was more welcoming. "I am Seteth's little sister, Flayn. I am so happy to make your acquaintance."
He wasn't the smiling type, but he could at least try to put on a semi-welcoming face. "I'm Byleth Eisner, it's an honor to meet you as well, Flayn."
"Ahem, let us focus on the topic at hand." Seteth commanded once more ending the pleasantries. "There is something you should be aware of. In a few days' time, there will be a mock battle between the three houses, intended to gauge the current progress of the students. We will be using this battle as an opportunity to ascertain your abilities as well. Please not do disappoint the Archbishop. That is all."
A mock battle? In a few days' time? Byleth hoped that would be three days at least. That was the minimal he believed he needed to shape the Black Eagles into a semi-capable fighting force. Anything less and he didn't like their odds. Then again, this sort of thing was exactly what Seteth and the Church would be evaluating him on. He only had a few days to sharpen the Black Eagles before their first battle. Given what he'd seen of the Blue Lions and Golden Deer…he was going to have some work to do.
In other words, exactly what he'd been hoping for.
Black Eagles Classroom…
Almost all the chatter stopped as soon as he stepped through the door. "Good morning, everyone." He called in a flat voice as they all stood up and crowded around him.
"Wait! So…you're our new professor? I didn't see that coming!" Spoke the short blue-haired boy. Byleth believed him to be Caspar, the son of Adrestia's current military minister.
"Easy, Caspar. Aren't you being a bit rude?" Countered the brunette with the wavy hair and cap.
"You know it's a waste of time to expect politeness from him." Said the boy with long green-hair, the son of Adrestia's domestic affairs minister Byleth believed.
"Hey, I can be polite! And I wasn't trying to be rude!" Caspar defended.
Ignoring him, the boy gave him a slight bow. "It will be a pleasure learning from you, Professor Eisner. I am Linhardt von Hevring. My rather edict-lacking friend is Caspar von Bergliez. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a nap."
I see, the hyperactive one and the lazy one. Couldn't be any different, yet those two are probably close friends. While not problematic, Byleth believed that he was going to have to do something about Linhardt's laziness. Especially if he was going to be of any use on a battlefield. With him gone Byleth found himself looking at the curly and purple-haired girl who'd been beside him. The second his eyes fell on her she jumped like he had an arrow trained on her. Nervous, little self-confidence, and potentially even anti-social. He summed up with that single glance.
"Ah! Don't look at me like that! Oh, and…please don't talk to me much either." Her anxiety-laced voice confirmed every bit of Byleth's analysis, followed by her turning her back to him. It didn't stop her trembling as she felt his eyes on her.
Feeling a twinge of sympathy, he looked away from her.
"I'm sorry for the chaos you walked into…" Spoke the brunette with a sympathetic frown. Obviously, she was aware of how dysfunctional the class was.
Out of respect for all of them, Byleth kept to himself that he already knew that. He'd seen it yesterday when he was surveying the three houses to figure out which one he wanted to teach.
"I hear we are rather close in age, Professor." Came a soft masculine voice from his left. It belonged to who he believed to be Ferdinand von Aegir, the son of the current prime minister of the Empire. Aside from Edelgard, he looked the most dignified, and sounded it as well. "I hope you do not mind if we treat you as one of us. In our class, we try to treat each other as equals, despite our difference in age and status. Personally, I would be inclined to include you in that inner circle."
Byleth was quietly impressed. "I…wouldn't mind that at all." He responded. This was a contrast to the competitive behavior he'd seen earlier, albeit that might have been unique to the Black Eagles' house leader than a general trait.
"You have gut, Professor. I will take great joy from your teachings." Sounded the deep purple-haired girl beside Edelgard. The facial marking and fragmented speech pattern told him who she was, a native of Brigid. In particular, Byleth believed her to be the Brigid princess.
"Petra", the brunette called. "I believe you meant to say that our professor has guts. That's a bit different from having a gut. You can't go around saying someone so slim and attractive has a gut."
"Oh? Please take my apologies. I have not yet mastered this language."
"It's fine, I'll help you learn it throughout the year." It seemed he wasn't just going to be teaching combat. Those linguistic lessons he picked up seemed like they'll be coming in handy. The girl known as Petra smiled in relief at his words. As for the other girl, well, he said nothing in regards to her little stealth compliment. She had rather good looks and was without a doubt the most sociable of the bunch. He also suspected her to be something of a flirt given her words and how she was looking at him.
"Professor," the house leader herself finally spoke up. "I want you to know that it's perfectly acceptable for you to treat me as you do the others. I may be an imperial princess, but here at the academy, I'm just another student."
"I'm happy to hear that, because I didn't plan on giving anyone special treatment based on status."
Just as he was getting ready to continue, Edelgard cut in. "That said, I have high expectations of you. And high hopes. I hope to see more of the warrior that I saw that night from a day ago. If you can continue to show that same ability, I'm sure you will lead the Black Eagles to greatness."
"Sure, sure. Now, let's break the ice with a training session! I want to see our new teacher in action!" Caspar shouted with an eager look in his eyes. Byleth actually felt reassured in seeing it. Adrestian or not, he knew the look, all young and eager fighters had it.
"Why will the ice be broken? Is this some custom I have missed in my studies?" Petra asked sounding quite serious.
"Not real ice, just the ice of…um, well, it just means let's get to know each other." Caspar explained while looking a tad uncomfortable in doing so.
"I don't want to train! Let's stay in the classroom and…learn from a book!" Cried the still turned away Bernadetta.
"Let's all calm down and have a nice cup of tea, how's about that? Doesn't that sound lovely, Professor?" The brunette said again trying to get things back on track.
Byleth felt like he was going to be looking to her to help him do that a lot. His attention was pulled to the right where he spotted Linhardt having actually fallen asleep. He was completely dead to the world. Byleth felt like he had a mind to shake the boy awake so he could start his lesson plan.
"I know I agreed to treat you all as equals, but there is a limit to what I can tolerate." Ferdinand declared. "The esteemed Black Eagles require order."
It was clear from his voice that he thought he was the one to impose that order. Byleth caught the somewhat sharp glare that the black-haired student besides Edelgard shot him. It was one of disdain mixed with annoyance. His words invoked a myriad of responses from the others: Caspar eager to have a live combat lesson, Petra getting confused over his metaphors, the brunette trying to calm them down, Bernadetta's continued whimpering, and finally Linhardt ignoring it all via sleeping. His eyes met the oily-haired student's as he gave a somewhat stiff chuckle.
"Looks like your first job will be to quiet down this racket. I don't envy you."
Edelgard didn't bother hiding her annoyance with her housemates. "Ugh, normally they're not this…rowdy. I do hope you can manage Professor."
"I've committed, so I'll manage." He began. "Everyone!" His shout brought all the conversations to a halt and even roused Linhardt. That wasn't enough though as Byleth walked over and shook him awake. While he didn't want to be too harsh, he still shot the green-haired boy a harsh stare that told him now wasn't the time for sleeping. With an annoyed sigh he walked over to his original spot. With some help from the brunette, Bernadetta turned around to face him like the others. With the students' full attention Byleth made his declaration. "Let me start by saying it's an honor to meet all of you. My name is Byleth Eisner, and I'll be your professor for the rest of the year. As your professor, I will treat you all equally, that means there will be no special privileges or disadvantages based on personal status or origin. Anyone who expects such…I will tell you to give it up, now."
His hard tone made Bernadetta shiver like she was being singled out, even though she wasn't. The somewhat distant and analytical look Edelgard had given him the day before returned, now in greater force.
Determination swirled within him. "How many of you have been in an actual, live battle? That excludes sparring sessions?" Not so surprisingly, very few of them raised their hands. The black-haired one was the first with Petra doing so as well. Byleth was a little surprised that Edelgard didn't raise her hand. Her movements spoke of some degree of live combat training. "Alright, I'll be blunt with all of you, in a couple of days' time we'll be having our first mock battle with the other houses."
"Really? That's awesome!" Caspar predictably shouted pumping his fists up.
Bernadetta's reaction was the exact opposite. "Oh noooo! Please, Professor, let me be exempt! I-I-I-I don't do fighting! I'm terrible at it!"
"That's what I'm here for." Byleth quipped with dead seriousness. "You all have my word that I will to the best of my ability train you all into capable fighters." He waited to see the reactions that declaration induced.
Caspar was obviously the most excited. Learning how to fight was clearly why he came to the Officers Academy. Likewise, Petra had a similar steely look in her eyes. He knew of Brigid's forced servitude to the Empire and wondered how that affected her, and how strong a drive some form of liberation would be. Speaking of drive, he could see a fire burning in the eyes of Ferdinand von Aegir's eyes. Contrary to his last comment, he looked ready to learn from a veteran fighter. Byleth could take a guess as to his motives why. Those were the determined ones. On the opposite side of them was Linhardt, who looked like a resigned prisoner. He clearly had no drive to learn the ways of combat, but he seemed willing to go along with the program since he had no choice. Several steps below that was Bernadetta, who was now a shivering wreck that looked ready to run at the first opportunity. The brunette, Dorothea he believed, was doing her best to comfort her. Her green eyes held no competitive fire, but she wasn't shirking away from the possibility of fighting either.
Finally, that left Edelgard and her retainer, Hubert von Vestra.
The boy reminded him of a snake. He'd caught him observing the Black Eagles a couple of times, and each time Byleth felt like he was being analyzed, just as Edelgard and several others had done. The teenage boy gave off an openly sinister aura along with his appearance, but he didn't know how much of it was genuine. As with the previous three, his eyes held no driving fire in them. He hadn't come to the Officers Academy to learn how to fight. Turning to Edelgard, he suspected that she was the reason he'd came at all. As for Edelgard herself, Byleth still couldn't get an accurate read on her. What he was sure was that there was something…different about her.
She was looking at him like she was going to be the one testing him. He supposed he wasn't surprised by that since regardless of her words, she was an imperial princess. She'd grown up surrounded by high standards and no doubt expected the same from those around her.
Again, a sense of determination swelled within him. "We're going to start off with some in-class bookwork. After that, we're going to have our first combat exorcise." Caspar literally jumped for joy while Bernadetta practically shrieked herself into a ball. "It will be a chance for me to gauge your combat abilities. All of you against me."
"Huh?" Ferdinand stammered. "All of us, Professor Eisner?"
"Against you?" The brunette finished looking equally shocked.
The black-haired one laughed, a sound that was almost entirely devoid of humor. "All of us against you. Now, that does sound like a nice way to start the year. After all, it'd be disappointing if the Ashen Demon turned out to be nothing but a pathetic little imp."
"I can assure you all," Byleth countered. His once calm blood had begun racing now that he'd voiced his lesson plan. "Whatever stories you've heard about me involving combat…you'll find more than a sliver of truth to them."
That's the first chapter of what will be a full-length story, folks. Byleth's initiate as a professor and the start of his time at Garreg Mach. I added a lot of expansion since the game didn't quite touch on too many things, not to mention I had a couple of ideas of my own I wanted to add.
I'm putting a little more focus on the Jeralt Mercenaries since I plan on them playing a supporting role in the story. For all intents and purposes, they helped raise Byleth alongside Jeralt, and in some cases had to step in for certain things when he couldn't, or when Byleth couldn't do it himself. Don't expect too many similarities to the Greil Mercenaries besides…well, ya' know. They're going to integrate with the Knights of Seiros, who I also plan on exploring a little more.
The idea of there being some conflict in the Knights with Jeralt's return is another angle I plan on playing with in White Clouds. Considering Jeralt's been MIA for twenty-one years, it's only likely to assume Rhea had to nominate a replacement captain for the knights. Said replacement will have a part to play soon enough. On the topic of positions, I took some creative liberties in making the official term Captain General/Head Captain since the position puts the owner in charge of thousands of forces across the Central, Western, and Eastern Church. At least in theory.
In favor of moving this story along as quickly as possible and making characters as smart/strong/capable as they're made out to be in-story, some details are coming fast and direct. For starters, Byleth and Sothis learning the latter's the goddess worshipped by the Church of Seiros. All Byleth would have to do is crack up a history book or something for him to see her name pop up, and in this story he's something of a bookworm. Likewise, Byleth learns about the Insurrection of the Seven and the Church's split from Adrestia way earlier. This is going to give him something else to fuel his investigations and build some tension between him and Edelgard.
On the Rhea side of things, I finally got to show how she might have reacted after that first meeting. I'd like to say she's standing at the gates of hope, though also worrying that it's just another mirage. She and Seteth can make for a good emotion vs. reason duo, which is going to be how their earlier interactions involving the Eisners will play out. Also, siblings arguing over what's the best course of action. I'm looking forward to writing those…and more Seteth skeptic scenes. Those are surprisingly fun to write, more so since Byleth takes them in strides. Odds are there will come a "I told you so" moment depending on how I'm feeling in future chapters.
In my original plan, I wanted to include Byleth actually fighting against the entire Black Eagles House this chapter. Afterward or between it, there'd be the meeting with Hanneman in which Byleth's little "vision" would show up. All that was pushed to the next chapter since I felt this one had enough in it already. With the Black Eagles there is a reason why Byleth chose them that will become apparent in time, though I hinted at it with Byleth's analysis in the last quarter of this chapter.
Alright…that's the first chapter. Let me know what you all thought or where you all think things will go from here. The next chapter should come within the next two weeks. I've got a lot of things planned for the first, say, quarter of this story.
Until next time, and take care, everyone!