The days passed uneventfully. After meeting with Rhea, Byleth had decided to start mentoring the Blue Lions, with Dimitri eagerly shaking her hand in gratitude. Despite the gap in their ages being less than half a decade, if even that.
Still, she taught the students under her wing as best as she could, as best as she could. She'd taught them all about the tactics that Jeralt had drilled into her.
While they were a handful at times (Felix's insistence of challenging her to a duel came to mind), she found that they were more receptive to her than she thought.
You would think that a group of nobles wouldn't be interested in listening to a now-former-mercenary, but you would be wrong. The Blue Lions eagerly soaked up her directions, following her orders to the letter.
That was something she aimed to dissuade in the future. While following orders was good and all in battle, so was independent thought. Byleth, in the short time she'd been a professor, didn't want any of them to die because they blindly followed her lead.
Now, it was the day of a mock battle between the three houses. Between her mentored students, versus the other two mentored by her fellow professors. The Black Eagles and the Golden Deer.
She was confident in their ability to win it, true. But the nervousness of 'what if' still lingered in her.
While there were no consequences should they lose in the long run, she still wanted them to win, if only to prove to herself that she knew what she was doing.
Regardless, she had faith in her students' abilities, as odd as that would have sounded just a few weeks ago.
The only real thing that worried her was the unknown factor that was Archer. She hadn't seen the man between that last, cryptic meeting between them and now. A man like that was more likely to do something than nothing.
The only issue was that she didn't know what that something was.
Similarly, the rest of the residents of Garreg Mach hadn't said anything about the man. Anyone else would have assumed that he was already long gone. In fact, even when she had inquired with her fellow professors, they didn't think the man was even in the vicinity of the monastery.
Byleth was not one of those.
She knew that he was still waiting around. She didn't know why, where, or how, but she knew he was watching.
And that, beyond everything else, worried her. She worried about the 'what if' of Archer himself. Was he truly some sort of assassin, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike against one of the three highly influential individuals currently studying at Garreg Mach?
If so, the mock battle would be the perfect place to do so.
With those strange weapons of his, he could likely strike at any angle, and that astralization of him, he could be gone with no one the wiser.
"Don't worry." Sothis tried to calm down her thoughts, an act that still startled Byleth whenever she did so, "I'll be sure to help you if that ruffian does anything."
Byleth hoped that that was the truth.
"Professor," A familiar blonde walked up to her, a smile on his face, "A fine day, is it not? Perfect for the upcoming battle! I must admit, I am eager to put my skills to use. What say you, Professor?"
Byleth returned Dimitri's smile, "I'm looking forward to it." And she was. As much as she admittedly enjoyed teaching what she could, there was always something different when it came to fighting with one's own two hands.
"Excellent!" Dimitri stood a bit taller, smile growing when he heard her, "My expectations for your command are nothing to scoff at, but I have no doubt that you'll lead us to victory."
"Well, what's this then?" The both of them turned to the sound of approaching footsteps.
"What, did we miss an invite to this little strategy meeting?" Claude, accompanied by Edelgard, came walking into the training yard, "Oh, no worries, we're here now, aren't we?"
Claude gave a sly look at Dimitri, "So, any hints for your plans, your kingliness?"
The blonde let out a laugh as a look of competitiveness entered his eyes, "Nice try, Claude, but I'm afraid you'll be getting nothing out of me."
The heir shrugged his shoulders as he gave an easy smile, "It was worth a try. I suppose we'll just have to come up with some better tricks, huh, Princess?" He turned to the red-clad woman next to him.
Edelgard gave a small smile, devoid of any nervousness she may have felt, "Of course. I assure you that any strategy you may come up with, we will best you."
Byleth stared at the three students, three of the most important people in the entire monastery, as they bickered with one another. She smiled.
This was something that was missing in her days with her father's mercenary company. A true sense of camaraderie. Sure, the mercenaries she fought with respected her, and Jeralt was always there to support her, but it wasn't the same.
She never really had a friend, in those days.
The mercenaries trusted her to do her job, to be a menace to whatever may come against them. But that respect also came with a hint of fear. Of her abilities, no matter how unfounded she may believe them to be.
The only person that didn't fear her was Jeralt himself.
It was…sad.
Before she had met these three, and by extension, the rest of the students of Garreg Mach, she would never have thought that. She respected the mercenaries that fought with her as she did anyone else. All thoughts of friendship wouldn't have crossed her mind, as she would have thought that that respect was good enough.
Here and now, though? Stuck in between the almost playful banter of these three? The smiles that passed between them? The trust that, despite their words, each of them had in each other?
Byleth would've traded the world if it meant she could have had this earlier.
"I don't think I need to say this," Jeralt called out to the field, "But whoever beats the other two teams will be crowned the winner."
The three factions were lined up in their formations. Claude had snagged the small incline to her left, while Edelgard was behind a small patch of shrubbery that would funnel them through if they tried to go for the front.
Standard battle tactics, as far as Byleth was concerned. It was nothing that couldn't be overcome.
"Shall we, Professor?" Dimitri was next to her, brandishing his spear with a smile of confidence. With them were Dedue, Annette and Mercedes. Five of them, against the ten other combatants, all of which had varying degrees of experience between them.
She nodded to the blonde. There were no words that needed to be said.
"Begin!"
"Dedue, Annette, cover our right flank." Byleth was in her element here. More so than just talking, lecturing about combat, she thrived when she was in the thick of it.
"Understood."
"Yes, Professor!"
"Dimitri, Mercedes, us three will head towards Claude." The archers needed to be dealt with first. If she didn't, and went after Edelgard first, he could just pelt them with arrows from his elevated position.
The five of them moved as a unit, even as several arrows rocketed towards them. Several times, she could hear the clash of blades to her right - either Dedue or Annette intercepting an enemy trying to flank them.
She didn't look at them. She was confident in them to force whoever it was back. Instead, she needed to focus on not getting hit by one of Ignatz and Claude's increasingly more numerous arrows.
They were closer now, and she could see that the man still looked fairly relaxed. Their arrows let up for a moment, but Byleth didn't rush in. She knew why an archer would stop shooting. She was proved right when a shock of pink hair came barreling towards her.
Byleth swerved to the side as an axe almost clipped her arm. A lance came close to catching her as she did, where it was met with a similar spear from Dimitri.
"Professor, are you alright?" Dimitri asked, even as he stared down their opponents. Hilda and Lorenz stood before them, weapons trained on them.
"I'm fine. Mercedes?"
"I'm fine as well, Professor."
Good. Mercedes was their only healer. If they had managed to get her, then the two other factions would have a massive advantage.
"I would question the validity of such tactics. Putting a healer at the front…the height of recklessness."
That wasn't Sothis.
"What the-How are you doing this?!"
That was Sothis. And the girl in her head didn't sound too pleased with Archer. Neither was Byleth. Archer had just spoken in her mind, going by how no one else reacted.
"Truly, I would've left her behind in the back. Safer that way."
"You have no right to judge her tactics!" Sothis shouted, and Byleth could feel the oncoming headache. She blocked the blade of an axe as Hilda swung once more. At any other time, Byleth would have responded to either of these two.
Right now, she was in battle. She couldn't afford any distractions.
"Hmph. Sloppy. You're lucky you didn't lose your footing." She knew that. The ground beneath her was soft earth, any wrong move could cause a massive opening for her opponent.
"Are you ignoring me?!"
'Archer, I'll get answers out of you later,' Byleth promised herself, 'But can you please not agitate Sothis any more? It's getting really distracting.'
"Byleth!" Sothis sounded betrayed, "You're supposed to be on my side!"
"What are you talking about?" It was the first time the blue-haired woman had heard such curiosity in the strange man, "Who the hell is Sothis?"
Dimitri shoved his lance upward, catching Lorenz in the shoulder and throwing him towards Hilda. Both members of the Golden Deer stumbled as they tried to stabilize.
'Can't you hear her?' Byleth pressed forward the advantage, 'Unless you're ignoring her, in which case, I request that you do not.' It was strange trying to be nice to a man like Archer, but if it meant not having two people screaming in her head while she fought, she'd do it in a heartbeat.
"Interesting." The infuriating man hummed as Sothis continued to rant, "I can't hear anyone else in here. And you don't exactly seem like you've gone insane. That being said, looks don't necessarily mean that you're good."
Byleth slashed downwards and finally put down Hilda. Immediately, a barrage of arrows came flying her way. Swerving forward, she lunged towards the top of the hill.
"I swear, just how rude can one man be?!"
This was going to take a while.
Commissioned by: Oliver vasquez
A/N: A bit shorter than normal. Just felt like a good place to end this one, any longer might be a bit too long for this scene.
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