The sweet smell of candy assaulted Byleth's senses. She wasn't sure where it was coming from, but she had to know. She followed it and eventually found herself in the cafeteria, which didn't surprise her. What did surprise her was who was cooking. She found Asugi, seemingly making a new concoction. He was so focused on what he was doing he didn't seem to notice that Byleth had walked in. She walked closer to him, and noticed how efficient he was being. As someone who needed to cook to survive, she respected how he was going about it. He was making sure not to leave things too dirty, not using an excessive amount of ingredients, or anything like that.

"I didn't take you for a chef." Byleth spoke up.

"I dunno if I'm a chef..." He replied. "I just love making sweets."

"Did you know I was here?" Byleth asked, a bit surprised by his lack of reaction.

"Ha, I did. I'm a ninja, I've always gotta be aware of my surroundings!" He said proudly. "Guess I should've acknowledged you though, my bad. I think my Dad said something about that being disrespectful?"

"Don't worry about it." Byleth dismissed. She wasn't too focused on things like that.

Asugi grinned. "Good to hear! I'd hate to have upset you Prof." Asugi turned his head back to what he was making. He looked pretty intense. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

"I smelt whatever it is that you're cooking." She answered as she pointed at his bowl. "Wanted to see what it was."

"Ah, it's just cookie batter!" He explained. "I was craving some so I decided to make 'em. Why? You want some?"

Byleth rubbed her chin in thought. "I suppose it couldn't hurt..." She didn't eat too many sweets, but she didn't mind indulging from time to time. She did exercise enough to where it wasn't really an issue to her, but she didn't want to risk losing her skills thanks to gaining weight.

"Take a seat Prof! I should be done in a jiffy!"

Byleth watched as Asugi passionately continued his work. It was mesmerizing how well he was doing, while throwing around various utensils and even the batter. He seemed to be having a good time, which made Byleth happy. After a bit more cooking, Asugi's cookies were finished. He put them on a plate and passed them over to his teacher. The delicious scent once more assaulted Byleth's senses, but to an even greater degree. She grabbed one and bit into it. Her eyes widened slightly. She was expecting it to be good, but how good it was caught her off guard.

"Someone's having a good time..." Asugi said with a grin.

"They're really good, yeah." Byleth said. "Did someone teach you this recipe?"

Asugi shook his head. "Nah, I'm self taught. I've always loved sweets, so I figured I may as well learn how to make 'em. Doesn't help that Dad didn't really like sweets, and I couldn't keep bothering Mom about it. Not to say she was super into cooking but she was more into it than Dad. She'd even teach me flame tribe recipes."

"Flame tribe?" Byleth repeated.

"Ah right, there's a lot you don't even know about Fodlan, I don't see how you'd know about the flame tribe... no offense. Anyway, it's one of three elemental tribes in Lethe. There's also the ice tribe and the wind tribe. The flame tribe believes in isolation, but I don't really agree with it."

"You are pretty sociable." Byleth noted.

Asugi shrugged. "Guess so. Ninjas aren't actually supposed to do that. A friend of mine convinced me that it's better to form bonds. You see, ninjas walk with death. So we can't make too many bonds, that way people won't miss us when we die."

"Who was that?" Byleth asked.

Asugi smiled fondly. "He doesn't go here, so you don't know him. Just an old friend. Of course before he talked some sense into me, it's not like I didn't have any friends. But I think I became more open to the idea after that."

"He sounds like a good person." Byleth added. "I can kinda relate actually."

"Huh? You can?" Asugi seemed a bit surprised, before he looked like he realized something. "Ah. You didn't really know that many people before you started teaching right? At least besides your Pop. I guess we're your first friends. I know it may be a bit weird since you're our teacher, but you do feel less like someone above us and more like... an equal."

Byleth smiled a bit. "I feel the same."

"Ah, there's that smile again." Asugi teased. "Sorry for getting all mushy, but we all really do rely on you. We're happy that you teach us."

"For someone who loves sweets so much, I'm surprised you don't like being sweet." Byleth teased back.

"Ha! She's got jokes!" Asugi had a pretty wide grin on his face, in spite of his slight embarrassment. He was also blushing a bit. "Looks like you finished your food by the way."

"Got any more?" She asked. Despite her feelings on sweets, she had to admit Asugi knew how to make them.

"Uh, I'd have to make some. Man I know I didn't give you much but you really are a bottomless pit huh..." He shook his head with a slight smile. "Whenever we eat together I swear you never get full. Not to mention I notice you eating with so many different people in the span of like a few hours. I guess that'd mean you'd make a good taste tester... Might have to hit you up next time I try a new recipe!"

"I'm always here to help and support you guys." Byleth said with a nod.

"Thanks Prof. I'll see if I can make you some more food." Asugi turned on his heel and ran away to get back to work, prompting another smile from Byleth. So many of her students showed passion, even if it was for different things. It made her happy to see her students express those passions. She hoped that they'd never lose that spark.

"Hm..." Corrin tapped her chin in thought.

"Oh Boss." Asugi walked up behind her and waved. "What's up?"

"Hi Asugi, I was just wondering why foods are missing." She answered. "It's like someone made a feast."

He put his hands behind his head. "If you count a mountain of sweets as a feast, I guess so."

Corrin turned around to look at him, now noticing that he was covered in grime. He ironically had a bit of a sweet scent to him. "What happened?" She asked, confused.

"Well it started with me making a few treats for me and Prof. Then while I was at it I decided to make some treats for some of the homeless kids near the monastery."

"I see... how kind of you." Corrin replied with a gentle smile. Her classmates were always finding new ways to amaze her.

Asugi shrugged in response. "It's no big deal. I just like helping, especially the people we're supposed to be protecting you know?"

Corrin nodded. "Yes, I agree. We are here to hone our skills after all. But getting physically stronger isn't the only thing that I feel we need to know. We also need to know how to interact with the people we're defending, what kind of protectors would we be otherwise?"

"Exactly. Plus... Well, kids are so innocent. They deserve to be happy, but instead kids like that have to suffer for factors out of their control. Be it due to their parents being taken away from them, or even the parents abandoning them." Asugi laughed sheepishly. "Ah, sorry for going off like that. It's just something I think about sometimes. How unfair the world can be for a little kid. Kids who don't know any better, yet also deserve better. It's just... a frustrating situation."

Corrin smiled reassuringly. "Well again, that's part of why we're here. To help the less fortunate. To protect them while they can't protect themselves."

"Yeah... We gotta protect the weak." Asugi agreed.

"Right!" Corrin enthusiastically added. "I can see what you mean honestly. I love kids too. They're so cute. They deserve to grow up in a peaceful world. Anyway, do you happen to have any food left over?"

Asugi shook his head. "Nah, sorry. I can always make you some more though." He suggested. Despite his words, he did look a bit tired.

"Oh, no it's fine! Another time!" Corrin said while waving her hands. It's not like she was particularly desperate for something to eat. "In the worst case scenario I can just bake something myself."

"That's right, you've been baking for our parties. We should work together one of these days." Asugi said with a grin. "I bet we'd make something incredible!"

Corrin giggled, she had to admit that he had a point. "Sure, I'm looking forward to it. Maybe next birthday."

"Aw man!' Asugi facepalmed. "Isn't that mine? Ugh that's so far away, plus I don't know if I'd be allowed to cook for my own birthday!"

Corrin patted him on his back. "It's not that far Asugi. Maybe we could just cook for some other reason?"

"Of course!" Asugi suddenly sprung back to life. "We can just cook for no reason, good thinking Boss!"

Corrin shook her head affectionately. "You sure do love your sweets."

"Damn straight!" He agreed passionately.

"We've all got our interests I suppose." Corrin said with a shrug. She didn't share his enthusiasm, but she did enjoy sweets herself. It wasn't every day she found someone who liked sweets as much as Asugi though.

"Nice to meet a fellow connoisseur though." Asugi pointed out. "Or at least someone who can bake pretty damn well too. Anything else you can make?"

Corrin blushed. Her kitchen escapades were always a bit embarrassing to admit. "Well... it's really just baking. I'm awful with just about everything else. Can't even make tea..."

Asugi's eyes widened. "How does that work? Baking is way harder than tea."

Corrin blushed even deeper. "I don't know... I don't get it either but, it's so hard for me. Even the baking took a lot of effort from Camilla. I messed up a lot there before I learned how to do it."

Asugi nodded in understanding. "Hey, no need to be so flustered. I think it's pretty cool."

Corrin looked confused. She wasn't entirely sure what her friend was getting at. "What's cool about that?"

"Well, you were bad at something, but you worked to improve it. Not everyone can do that. Sure you may still struggle with a lot of other kitchen tasks, but I still think that's impressive." Asugi explained.

Corrin looked thoughtful, she had to admit he had a point. She never thought of it like that, but she did work pretty hard to get to where she was. Not just as a baker, but as a fighter too. She fought hard to learn how to use a sword or her dragon powers with the efficiency she had now.

"I guess so, I see what you mean."

"Right. And we've all got our talents and stuff. So what if you're not a master chef? You've still got other talents. So, basically, you're good." Asugi reassured.

"Thanks Asugi." Corrin smiled at him. "And sorry if I got a bit weird."

"Not at all." Asugi said. He didn't mind helping out his classmates be it physically or mentally. Both were rather important to being a fighter after all.

"I should make you something as a thank you!" Corrin suggested.

"Well... you don't gotta but... I'm not gonna say no..." Asugi replied. "Actually, let's work together now!" He quickly ran behind the counter not waiting for an answer in spite of being a bit lethargic. Corrin couldn't help but smile as she followed him. The two quickly got started, and ended up having a good time just spitballing ideas with each other and shooting the breeze as they worked on it. Asugi was pretty excited to get to work on a cake with her, as was she. They weren't sure exactly what they were going to do with it, but they figured that was a bridge they could cross when they got there.

Hubert Von Vestra was a man of logic. He knew what he had to do. He knew there was a good chance he'd be the only one walking with Edelgard, and he was okay with that. What was most important to him was making sure she accomplished her goals. Not out of a sense of duty, but because she genuinely believed in Edelgard and her convictions. He'd with no hesitation, destroy anyone who interfered. Whether his Lady approved or not.

While he didn't trust Rhajat, he had to admit he was intrigued. Since she wasn't raised in Fodlan, she didn't particularly care about crests one way or another. That combined with the fact that she didn't seem to be connected to the children of the goddess, as well as the fact she was competent and understood Edelgard's vision, he couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to get her on their side. Her power would be useful in their fight. He also wondered if he could get Rhajat, if she could get the rest of her house. That's not to say he would reveal everything, or anything for that matter. But perhaps he could form some sort of truce with her. He wasn't opposed to manipulating her, but he knew threats were off the table. While he wasn't scared of Rhajat, he wasn't entirely sure of her power. It was best that he didn't go too far with someone he didn't understand.

He managed to find her reading a book in the shade. "Rhajat."

Rhajat noticed him, but didn't look up from her book. "Hubert. What is it?" She said with a bit of venom in her voice.

Hubert wasn't particularly shocked. They hadn't really had a pleasant interaction. "What are you doing?"

"What's it to you?" She replied. "Not to mention, what does it look like?"

"Fair enough." He replied with a fold of his arms. "Tell me, about those hexes of yours." He figured that'd at least get her attention. Plus, he was genuinely interested.

Rhajat paused before lowering her book. She turned her head towards him and stared for a few seconds. "What do you wanna know?"

Hubert was a bit surprised by how quickly she relented. He wondered if it was a trick of some sort, but decided to push further. "What exactly can hexes do?"

"A lot. I wouldn't say anything, there are limitations. However it's a difficult question to answer, as the list of things it can do are near limitless. Something as small as giving someone a drooling mouth for days. Or even hexes that can lead to death." Rhajat explained. Despite the fact that she was trying to hide it, there was a bit of a glint in her eyes.

"I see..." Hubert said. "Next I suppose I have to a-"

"Learning to hex takes years, I've been doing it for such a long time and yet even I make mistakes sometimes. I've practiced and practiced, and I feel I'm rather good at it. It's an enjoyable pastime, one needs at least some sort of magical ability or at the very least magical competence. It's not as easy as books about wizards or whatever make it look. It's not uncommon to need to find ingredients, and said ingredients at times can be odd or hard to find. Therefore you need a lot of dedication to become good at hexing. It's not too different from casting normal magic spells."

"...Are you done?" Hubert asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Rhajat blushed. "I... Sorry... I... enjoy talking about things like this..." It wasn't every day that Rhajat got asked about hexing.

"Hm. We all have our passions." Hubert had to admit, he did respect her dedication to the craft. Her passion for it was nearly infectious. It was a side of her he had never seen before. He didn't expect someone like her to become so chatty out of nowhere.

"Yeah..." She paused a bit, before looking up at him. "What's with the sudden question?" Now that she was done talking, her logical side was rearing its head again. She knew the two didn't particularly get along in their few interactions. "Did you have a hexing request?"

"Nothing like that." Hubert confirmed. "It was simply something I was curious about. Not to mention... learning this talent would be rather useful... I would ask about how I'd go about learning this, but you've already answered that."

Rhajat looked back down at her book. "Would you like to borrow this? There are some beginner hexes here. I won't be happy if you burn it or something." She said with a glare.

"You would trust me with something so important? How do you know I won't mess this up or something?" He asked, the amusement returning.

"You're too methodical and competent to mess up my book by mistake. You'd have to do it intentionally." She complimented. Her glare lessoned as she looked at him softly. "Perhaps I'm just happy to... know another who can hex."

"Hm, so you are also good at assessing. You do pay attention, interesting. Well either way... I suppose there are worse ways to spend my time." He walked forward and grabbed the book. "I will take good care of this. In fact, I won't keep it for too long."

Rhajat nodded and smiled at him. "Let me know if you need any help with hexing. I'd be glad to assist."

"...For what reason are you being so kind? Are you truly so desperate to have another like you?" He didn't think that was it.

"I'll admit that plays a part..." Rhajat began. "But you're not being a jerk for no reason right now. And it's not like you've been particularly annoying. A bit with your excessive defensiveness of your liege, however not enough to make me see you as a... bad person."

"..." Hubert was left speechless, before he broke out into laughter. He really did misjudge her. A part of him felt a bit bad, he was looking at her as an enemy, and here she was ambivalent towards him. Regardless, he felt there were some interesting things he could learn from her. "Well... thank you Rhajat. I don't care for some of your wording... but perhaps you aren't as much of a threat as I initially believed."

Rhajat had to admit, she could feel a kinship forming between him and herself. The two of them weren't too different after all. She was starting to look forward to future encounters with the young man, as opposed to dreading them.

"Best Friend!" Selkie exclaimed.

Velouria sighed but smiled softly as she heard Selkie calling for her. Velouria knew what was coming, so she transformed. Selkie was also transformed, and was charging towards her. She lept into Selkie's arms as Velouria gave her a hug. Selkie snuggled into Velouria's arms. The two sat for a few more moments before Velouria let go, and they both returned to their base forms. She was a bit surprised that they hadn't been shushed yet, but she supposed the library was rather empty at the moment.

"I'm glad you knew what to do!" Selkie complimented.

"It's a bit hard not to. We've been doing this for a while." Velouria said. "I know how much you love your hugs, and it's easier than the wrestling you like to do."

Selkie giggled. "Yeah I getcha. The last time we tried Seteth sure gave us an earful! If we ever wanna try again, we'd have to go to the training grounds!" She suggested.

"I suppose, but I don't really feel like it." Velouria admitted.

"Don't worry I wasn't suggesting that we do it now!" Selkie clarified. While she was always ready to play, or train as Felix called it, she didn't want to push Velouria too hard. She knew her friend needed to be pushed from time to time, but she also knew there was a point where she was pushing too hard.

"Good, I'm a bit busy anyway." Velouria replied despite the fact that before Selkie came, she was staring at the floor.

"Ah, looking for treasure?" Selkie asked.

"Of course." Velouria responded.

There were very few things that could distract Velouria from her treasure hunting. She felt that she had been falling a bit behind on it after all. She was trying to focus on sniffing out something in particular, but she wasn't picking anything up. She sighed before turning around to face her friend. She shook her head solemnly.

"Aw, chin up Velouria! I'm sure there's something around here!" Selkie was as optimistic as ever. "Why don't we go to the training grounds? Maybe someone's dropped something there. It's gotta be better than the library!"

"Yeah, I guess I was hoping there'd at least be a dust bunny, but whoever's cleaning this place has done a horrible job. It's too sparkly." Velouria complained. She just couldn't understand how anyone could enjoy being surrounded by such a neat area.

"Who, Cyril?" Selkie asked. She had seen him around from time to time. "He's really good at that kinda thing! He's practically always working on keeping the monastery as tidy as possible!"

Velouria folded her arms and grimaced. "Hm... Cyril... I see. Who is that?"

"I'm surprised you haven't met him. I guess neither of you are super extroverted..." Selkie pointed out. "Yeah, he's that Almyran kid! You know, that short boy!"

"I think I know who you're talking about." Velouria said. "Hmph. Well, maybe he has something? That should probably be where we start." Velouria had a determined glint in her eyes. "If that's true, no wonder I've been struggling to find treasure! He's taking it all!"

Selkie couldn't help but laugh. "You gotta remember they're human Velouria. They don't really like all that clutter. Or at least most of them." She herself had a better grasp on what humans were like than her companion.

Velouria shrugged. "Not my fault that they don't have taste." Velouria on the other hand did not understand how people couldn't see the appeal of her treasures. Nor did she particularly care. "Besides, I'm human too."

"Half-human!" Selkie reminded her. She knew that she knew and was just being obstinate, but reminded her regardless.

"Details details." She dismissed. "Either way, where can we find this Cyril?"

"He's probably working on something right now!" Selkie pointed out. "So he could be anywhere in the monastery."

"If only I had his scent..." She lamented. "I'd love to give him a piece of my mind... I can't let him get away with this."

Selkie put her hands on her hips. "Don't yell at him or anything. He's just doing his job. Maybe there's some sort of compromise you guys could come to."

"Compromise?" She tilted her head. "How would we do that?"

Selkie folded her arms in thought. She wasn't sure either, but she felt that'd be better than the two getting into a fight. Then a lightbulb went off in her head. "Why not ask him for some of the treasures he picks up? He probably just trashes them. I don't think he'd mind."

"Of course...!" She realized as well. "Hopefully he's not too greedy. I wasn't gonna yell at him either way. Though if he decides to just throw something so valuable away... well I won't be happy."

"Try to keep your passion under control Vel!" She reminded her. She'd hate for this to be blown out of proportion. "We could always roll down a hill or something."

"I see what you mean but I can't get every last treasure of mine from one way or one place. I've gotta explore, find a variety." She explained. "I didn't find bones by looking through beaches."

At this point Selkie was rather used to her friends eccentricities. "I get what you mean, that's fair! Anyways, let's go ahead and find that kiddo! We're not gonna find him around here!"

"Indeed. We've got treasure to hunt."

The two best friends walked off to find Cyril. Velouria was a woman on a mission. She had no intention of stopping until she found her target. Selkie was just happy to be there. She really just wanted to help out her friend. She had faith that she wouldn't steal it or actually hurt Cyril, but he was still a young boy. She was a bit worried that he could get scared of a wolf-like girl who was capable of transforming. She knew she wasn't a monster or anything, but she wasn't sure if Cyril knew that. It helped that she was always just happy to spend time with her good friend. She wouldn't trade it for anything.

While Rhajat was on her way to find some ingredients, she passed by the training ground. She was not surprised in the slightest to find Caeldori there. She had to admit, she respected the girl's work ethic. Caeldori was always trying to improve herself.

"Caeldori."

Caeldori stabbed at the training dummy before lowering her lance. "Rhajat. Did you need something?"

"No. I was just passing by." Rhajat explained. "Hard at work I see."

"Of course. I can't fall behind everyone else." Caeldori reasoned. If there was something she hated more than anything, it was feeling like a burden. She had no intention of being the weak link of the dragons.

Rhajat scoffed. "As if that'd happen." She struggled to imagine a world where Caeldori of all people would hold the class back.

Caeldori spun on her heel and pointed at Rhajat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rhajat sighed. "You're always on the top of your game. You're pretty damn gifted."

It was her turn to sigh as she folded her arms. She looked distant suddenly. "I wasn't 'gifted' anything... I had to work to get where I am! Day in and day out, I have to train if I want to live up to Father's legacy. To Mother's... as a member of the Hoshidan royal family, I can't fail... I've got so much pressure on me to be perfect, I can't be anything less!"

There was a bit of a tense silence. The girls glared at each other, neither one being able to admit defeat. Eventually, Rhajat broke the stare down and looked away. "...Sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. It came out wrong. I shouldn't have said that."

"...No, I didn't mean to lash out like that. I'm sorry too." Caeldori bowed apologetically. She had her fair share of issues with their leader, but even still she felt guilty.

"No, don't worry about it. No need to apologize. I clearly struck a nerve." Rhajat relented. She knew that if Caeldori had said something that had hit too close to home, she would've reacted similarly. "Sorry again."

Caeldori started giggling, much to Rhajat's confusion. She didn't really see the humor in the situation. If anything, she was a bit frustrated with herself for hurting Caeldori. While she did enjoy teasing her and riling her up, she didn't like seeing her genuinely angry. Rhajat raised her eyebrow in confusion, which Caeldori soon picked up on.

"Oh, sorry sorry. It's just... you're not the kinda person who I'd expect to apologize like that." She explained. "If anything I expected you to double down, maybe even drop a hex."

Rhajat started blushing. "I'm not a monster..." She mumbled.

This only made Caeldori laugh more. Rhajat felt there wasn't much she could do or say. She supposed the embarrassment was deserved. Not only had she upset her teammate, but Rhajat did embarrass Caeldori pretty badly before. She supposed it was only fair that she endured this.

"Gods I'm being so rude." Caeldori said between giggles.

"A bit unfitting for a princess." Rhajat replied, but she was smiling in spite of her embarrassment. "I don't see you laugh like that much. You're too uptight."

Caeldori smiled back at Rhajat. "Maybe you're right."

Rhajat soon joined Caeldori in her laughter. Rhajat thought it was nice to just let loose and enjoy someone's company. At the very least, it was better than how they were usually at odds. Since Rhajat had come to the officer's academy, she found herself in situations like this more often. Enjoying time with people, it was something she felt she could get used to.

"I have to say though." Rhajat began. "I didn't expect being a princess would cause you to have so much pressure, especially since Shiro is the one taking the throne. I suppose in hindsight it's pretty obvious though. Especially since we've got Nohrians in our class. Even if the war ended so long ago, there's surely still some who wouldn't mind taking advantage of the remaining tensions."

"Yeah..." Caeldori agreed. "You've really gotta watch what you say. Sure there are a lot of privileges that come with it. I'd still say overall that I have a lot of opportunities that most people don't get. I'm proud to be a member of the Hoshidan royal family. It's just not easy." She sighed, a myriad of thoughts flying through her head. She even felt a bit bad about complaining about her position. She felt it was disrespectful to her parents as well as people who were in more stressful situations.

"I'd hate to be in your shoes." She admitted. At the same time, she wasn't sure how much of the stress Caeldori was putting on herself, and how much of it was pressure from Hoshido and her family. "At the very least, you're not doing half bad. Or rather, you're doing great. Not everyone could do what you do."

Caeldori blushed a bit. "Do you think so? I'm working so hard but it feels like I'm still not perfect..."

"I mean, do you need to be?" Rhajat asked. "Why must you be perfect? Isn't it good enough to be where you are? No one's perfect, it's just not possible."

She looked away. "Tell that to Father..."

Rhajat had already upset Caeldori earlier, so she paused to figure out how to put what she wanted to say more gently than she usually would. She highly doubted Subaki was actually perfect, but she wasn't sure how Caeldori would handle being told that. "I... I'm sure your father has felt similarly. I think most people struggle to live up to their parents. But I'm sure he's plenty proud of you. I think that's more important."

"...Father has said similarly... that he's not perfect. That he's proud of me. But... I guess I just find it hard to be proud of myself..."

"Caeldori..." Rhajat said sympathetically. "I can understand where you're coming from. I... can't talk too much in all honesty. But you are genuinely really impressive. Not because of your parents. Not because of your title. But because of you and how hard you work."

"Hm. I have to admit, I never thought I'd see the day where you're the one consoling me." Caeldori admitted. It was certainly an odd sight to her.

"It's like I told you. I don't dislike you. But... I'm sorry if I've ever gone too far with you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "...It's fine." Caeldori said. She never actually expected an apology for what happened between them.

"Well, I'll leave you to your training. See you."

Rhajat walked away, leaving a speechless Caeldori behind. She never expected to see eye to eye with her house leader, but the year was full of surprises. She resumed her training, with a newfound understanding of the girl in her heart.