Chapter 3—Our house—

When I arrived in the reception hall, I looked around and saw that Francesca wasn't here yet… I got out of the way before I started to wait. Luckily, it wasn't too long before she arrived! "Francesca!" I said before she looked at me before she said: "Oh… hello, brother." And then she approached me before I said: "It looks like you're done now. You must have been hitting it off with the students." And Francesca grinned a little before she said: "It was fun talking to them, although not all of them were necessarily… easy to deal with." And I could only imagine what she was referring to as she went on: "Have you met them all yourself, brother?" "Of course! There were some wonderful ones in that bunch." I said.

Francesca grinned a little before she said: "So who did you like, brother?" "I thought Raphael, Ashe, Ingrid, Annette, Mercedes and Petra all looked like they had potential. What about you, Francesca?" I asked. "I liked Lysithea, Ashe, Ingrid, Mercedes, Caspar, Petra and Dorothea the best. I didn't like Felix, Leonie or especially Sylvain… he started hitting on me almost as soon as he saw me." She replied.

And then I frowned before I clenched my fist with my other hand… it was bad enough knowing this outcome was coming and now to finally hear it had happened… "Oh he did, did he? Well I ought to give him a piece of my—" I began before Francesca put her hand on my shoulder and said: "Brother… we have to work with these people." And I let my hands fall to my sides as I sighed disappointedly before I went on: "I know what you mean about Leonie, though—I never thought we'd see her again…" And Francesca looked down before she said: "Yes… I thought her and her selfishness and mistreatment were going to remain a thing of the past…" And then she shook her head as she looked up and went on: "But I never expected this would be completely easy. Even if it wouldn't have been her, it would have been someone else."

And I nodded before she continued: "Well it looks like we finished our assignment of meeting the house leaders and the students, but… I don't think we should go up to the audience chamber now." And I smiled and nodded before I said: "I get what you're saying. You want to decide what house we should pick before we leave so we'll be prepared to give an answer when we have to talk to Manuela and Hanneman about it. I have to say, I agree it would help if we had this all sorted out in advance."

"Right. I think I could teach any of them, although I'd rather not teach the Blue Lions when Sylvain and Felix are there…" Francesca replied before I said: "I agree. I don't want to be raging all year just because he's hitting on my sister." And then I went on: "Okay, so the Blue Lions are out and all that leaves are the Black Eagles and the Golden Deer… but the that's not exactly an easy choice… on one hand, the Golden Deer have Leonie… but on the other hand, the Black Eagles look like they have several students who would be difficult to work with… Edelgard, Hubert, Linhardt and Bernadetta… they all look like they'll be difficult to some degree or another." And then I continued: "But there's a difference between being difficult and Leonie, Sylvain or Felix and given that the Black Eagles are the only class that have no students that we have strong feelings about, I don't see what the Black Eagles are but the most logical step." And then Francesca nodded and said: "I agree. Even if some of them may have their quirks, they'll definitely be the easiest to work with and I see a lot of potential in them to grow too… they're definitely the right house for us." And then I smiled and nodded before I said: "It looks like we've got our house then! And I suppose all that leaves is going to the audience chamber… before we're late." "Right. I hope we haven't missed Manuela and Hanneman in all the time we've taken…" Francesca said.

And then we headed off to the audience chamber. When we arrived, we didn't see Hanneman or Manuela there… there weren't that many people around even… Francesca and I turned to each other before we went over to the room where Rhea had said she could be found and I knocked on the wall and backed up as we waited. Nothing happened at first, but eventually we saw Rhea step out before she looked to her left… and then at us. When she saw us, she said: "Oh Byleth, Francesca… welcome. Did you knock on the wall, by chance?" "Yes I did, Lady Rhea. I didn't want to disturb you, so I thought I'd make ourselves known that way." I replied.

"Is that so? Well feel free to come right in next time and greet me—I am actually used to my staff coming in and getting my attention by speaking to me. When I heard you knock, it was so out of the ordinary that I was feeling confused, but… that was why I had a feeling it was you." Rhea said. "Er… sorry." Francesca said before Rhea smiled and said: "No need for apologies. I appreciate how considerate you are." And then she went on: "Well since you've returned, I'm assuming you have met with the three house leaders… and the students, judging by the time. You're still here a little earlier than I expected, though… were you rushing?" Francesca and I smiled before I said: "Not at all. And here we thought we might have arrived too late!" and Rhea smiled and nodded before she said: "I see you're very conscious of your time. That's certainly a good quality for our professors. Well since you've come close enough to the time I was expecting you, I suppose I could call Manuela and Hanneman early. Wait here… I'll send a messenger to round them up."

And then Rhea went nearby before she found a monk and she gave him some instructions before he went off. Rhea then came back to us before she said: "That monk is on his way to let Manuela, Hanneman and Seteth know. They should be here soon. Until then, please be patient." And we nodded before we waited. It felt like a little while, but eventually Hanneman arrived, then Manuela… and then Seteth arrived. When we were all here, Rhea said: "Welcome, Professor Manuela and Professor Hanneman. I appreciate you being willing to come at this time." "Yes, it was a little ahead of schedule, not that that's a problem." Manuela said before Hanneman said: "But seeing as how all of the academy's professors are present, I'm assuming this is the time for us to work out who's teaching which house, correct?" "Exactly right. This is an important faculty meeting, with that being said—it will have a direct effect on how the students are taught. So go on amongst yourselves and decide." Seteth said. And Manuela and Hanneman turned to us before Hanneman said: "Since you both are new to the academy, Manuela and I have decided to give you both the first pick. We'll decide who we're teaching after you make your choice." "Really? How kind of you both! Thank you!" Francesca said. "They are all houses with many promising youths in them, all of whom will be of great importance in Fodlan's future. Don't forget that. Now who will you be teaching?" Seteth asked.

Francesca and I looked at each other before we turned to Rhea and I said: "We wanted to teach the Black Eagle house." Rhea looked a little surprised before she said: "That was certainly a quick decision… you must have worked this out in advance." "We did. We wanted to come to this meeting prepared." Francesca said. Rhea once again smiled before she said: "How excellent. I am pleased to see so much responsibility from you two." And then she went on: "Very well, then the care of the Black Eagles will be entrusted to you." "These students are of great importance to Fodlan. I hope you both appreciate what an honor it is to lead them." Seteth said.

Francesca and I nodded before Hanneman and Manuela started talking amongst themselves. While they were doing so, Seteth turned to Francesca and said: "By the way, I have heard you calling Professor Byleth 'brother' numerous times while I have been around the academy. That has to stop—you both are professors now and you will have to carry yourselves with a certain level of authority and dignity. I will be expecting you to refer to him as 'Professor' or 'Professor Byleth' henceforth." And Francesca closed her eyes disappointedly before she said: "…Yes, Seteth." It made me a little disgusted to see, seeing him bossing my sister around like this… soon Manuela and Hanneman had worked out their houses—Hanneman would be teaching the Blue Lion house and Manuela would be teaching the Golden Deer house. When everything had been sorted out, Seteth said: "Now that you have all determined which houses are under whose supervision, you'd best steel yourselves—another academic year is at hand. Make sure you care for your students and take none of them for granted. Also, make sure to make note of the mock battle that is coming up near the end of this moon." And then he turned to Francesca and I and said: "Since you both are in a unique position of being assigned to teach the same house, I have something else to say to you as well; in the mock battle, each professor is allowed to take part…" And then he looked at Francesca before he went on: "Since Francesca is technically an aide, she will not be allowed to participate." And then he looked at me before he said: "Only you may lead your students, Byleth. So do so well." And I nodded before he went on: "And other than that—"

But then we heard a: "Excuse me brother, do you happen to have a moment?" And then we all turned our heads to see… a young girl, likely one who had just started her teens, from the look of it… she wore a black and gold long-sleeve dress that went down to her knees, blue knee socks and long black boots that went up to her knees, as well. She had long green hair that was curled into ringlets in the front that went down to her chest and had green eyes. Seteth then replied: "Almost, Flayn. Please be patient." "Ah, my apologies, brother. I will be on my way—" the girl began before she eyed Francesca and me and said: "Oh! And who are these two?" "These are our new professors. They have been entrusted with teaching the Black Eagle house this year." Seteth replied. "Oh my! It is a pleasure to meet you both!" the girl said before she went on: "I am Flayn. I am Seteth's younger sister." "His… younger sister?" I asked before Seteth sternly looked at me and said: "Yes. Is that a problem?" "Not at all, I just wanted to be sure I heard that correctly…" I said before I turned to Flayn and said: "Well my name is Byleth. It's a pleasure to meet you Flayn." "And I'm Francesca. It's nice to meet you too." Francesca said. "Byleth and Francesca… wonderful! I am afraid I must take my leave for now, but I hope to see you again!" Flayn said before she left. Seteth then turned to us and said: "…And as I was saying, your students are waiting for each of you in their classrooms, so do not neglect to visit them at your earliest convenience. And that is all. All of you are dismissed."

And then he and Rhea left (as did Manuela) and Hanneman started to as well… but when he passed by us, he stopped and said: "By the way, Professor Byleth, Professor Francesca…" And we turned to him before he went on: "I also was wondering if you might permit me to check to see if you bear crests yourselves later this month. I am interested to see if you have one. Would you mind stopping by my office later to verify this? As commoners yourselves, I'm sure this must be a topic of great interest to you as well, yes?" "Well… what would it entail?" Francesca asked before he said: "Don't worry, all I'm asking you to do is to hold your arms over a device I designed. It won't hurt a bit, either." "That's all? Well sure, I can do that." I said back." "I can too. Did you have a time that you wanted us to do this, Hanneman?" Francesca asked. "No, not in particular. Stop by whenever you have time—I understand how being a professor limits one's availability." Hanneman said. "Alright then. We'll see you, Hanneman." I said. And Hanneman smiled before he said: "Excellent. See you later, Professor Byleth, Professor Francesca."

And he walked off as Francesca and I turned to each other and we smiled before I said: "Well it looks like that's it! We're both professors starting right now!" "Exactly! Ooh, this is so exciting!" Francesca said before she went on: "Well I suppose there's still the matter of what to do next… but I want to see our students! I can't wait to start getting to know them!" And I smiled before I said: "You read my mind, Francesca! I'd like nothing more!"

And then we smiled as we headed off to the Black Eagle classroom. When we arrived, we saw Edelgard, Hubert, Ferdinand, Caspar, Linhardt, Dorothea, Bernadetta and Petra there, although as we approached, Bernadetta stepped away a little… and yet as we did, Caspar looked surprised and said: "Wait… so now we have two professors… and they're the two of you? I didn't see that one coming…" "Hmm… we were told one class was going to have two professors. I suppose that makes that class ours!" Ferdinand said. "Well we will both be educating you, but technically one of us is a professor and the other is an aide. As you all know, I am Byleth and I will be your professor." I said. "And as I told you when we spoke before, I am Francesca. I'm the aide." Francesca said.

"A professor and an aide, hm? Well as long as you know what you're teaching, we'll be fine." Hubert said before Dorothea turned to him and said: "Hey now Hubert, that was uncalled for. They're our new educators and we should be a little more respectful than that." "Well I don't mind. I for one am looking forward to hearing their lectures. Especially on crests." Linhardt said before he turned to us and said: "It will be a pleasure to learn from you, Byleth and Francesca." And we smiled back, but before we could so much as say anything, he headed towards the door and said: "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a nap."

I was stunned when I saw this… I frowned, but before I could say anything, Edelgard firmly said: "LINHARDT! These are our new educators! Show them some respect!" And Linhardt said: "Oh, very well…" as he came back to the group… and then Caspar said: "But this'll be an experience to remember, not just for us, but the whole academy… I've never heard of students being taught by professors about as old as them!" And Dorothea sighed before she looked at us and said: "I'm so sorry about this, Byleth, Francesca…" and I smiled before I said: "I don't mind. When I was still a mercenary, I saw worse among new trainees." And then I looked up and said: "And what are you doing back there in the shadows, Bernadetta? Come on and join in!" and then she panicked and said: "Ah! P-please don't yell like that!" I didn't think I had spoken loud enough for it to qualify as yelling, but I laughed and said: "Alright, but there's no reason to be isolating yourself all the way back there. Come." And Bernadetta crept forward before Ferdinand said: "It is an accurate observation that we appear almost identical in age, though… that being said, there is something I would like to propose to you, Byleth, Francesca…" And we turned to him and he said: "We have already committed to treating each other as equals, regardless of age or status. With that said, I would hope that we could include you in that custom."

Since Francesca and I were both 20, I didn't doubt what he said to be true. Some of them looked like they could even be the same age as us… but hearing this, I couldn't help but hesitate for a moment… normally I would love to accept this, but some of the Black Eagles already were showing a lack of respect for authority and to take such a permissive approach with them… I had a feeling it wouldn't do them any favors in the long run. Finally, I said: "If you want to see us as friends you can trust and come to for support or help, I won't stop you… we do want to create a welcoming environment for all of you. But other than that, I'm afraid that just won't do. We ARE your educators, after all and it only goes to follow that you should show us due respect." And then I went on: "That being said, I will be expecting you all to show proper respect to us and to address us as 'Professor', rather than by our first names."

And then Ferdinand looked disappointed before Petra smiled and said: "I agree with you, Professor. We should be showing respect to our elderly!" and then Dorothea turned to Petra before she said: "Petra, I believe you mean to say we should respect our elders. That's what it means to respect someone who is older or more experienced than you at something. Calling them elderly means they are… well, old. And they are much to young to be called old!" And then Petra looked embarrassed as she said: "Oh? Uh… I have sorrow, Professor Byleth, Professor Francesca. I have not yet mastered this language."

And then Edelgard turned to us and said: "I understand and respect your decision, Professor Byleth, Professor Francesca. And even though you are not included in this custom, I want you to know that it applies equally among all of us—myself included. Even though I am the Imperial princess, that means nothing in our class and it's fine to treat me as you would any of the others." And I smiled as I said: "That's very honorable of you, Edelgard. I will respect your wishes, then." And then Caspar said: "Alright! Then let's break the ice with a little training! I want to see our professors in action!"

And then Petra said: "Break the ice? But it is too warm for there to be ice in spring… where is the ice to break?" And then Caspar said: "Wha—no! Not literally! It's an expression that means we should do something to become more familiar with one another." And yet Bernadetta looked frightened and then said: "T-training? Ah! I don't want to fight a bunch of people I just met! Let's… um… read a book instead." "How about we have a cup of tea? That would be lovely, wouldn't you agree, Professor Byleth? Professor Francesca?" Dorothea asked. And then Hubert chuckled and said: "Looks like your first job will be to calm down the herd. I don't envy you." And then Francesca and I turned to each other and she said: "Such a diverse range of interests… and I don't see any reason fit to indulge all of them. Professor?" "I agree! Everyone here has their own tastes, so we'll just take them one-by-one!" I replied.

And then we decided to do something each student wanted to do with each of them, although not everyone was interested… Linhardt said taking a nap was an activity that was best done alone and Hubert refused outright. The rest of them were quite varied though… Edelgard wanted to debate historical perspectives with us, Caspar did some stamina training with us (and he wasn't too bad), Dorothea and Ferdinand wanted to enjoy some tea with us (although Dorothea strangely insisted that they do it separately…), Petra wanted to hunt and Bernadetta wanted to read and discuss a book… but we had to talk her into it and it was only for a few minutes. Nonetheless, it was a fun day and we enjoyed getting to bond with them already.

Within a few days, Francesca and I scrambled to prepare lesson plans and Seteth informed us of the mock battle that he had mentioned was at the end of the moon—he said that it was going to be a mock battle between the three houses and that the house that is the last standing is the winner. Of course, since a few days of this week remained (and there were only two weeks left after that), we knew we'd have to pull something good together, fast! We also were entrusted with deciding when our classes started and ended—contrary to what we were expecting, we were free to structure our class schedule ourselves, although our plan still had to be approved by Seteth. Francesca and I chose to have our classes start at 8 in the morning and end at 3 in the afternoon, which Seteth approved without argument. As it turned out, our class started the earliest out of the three, but also got out the earliest too. When the students were all settled in by the weekend, the academic year started—at the beginning of the following week to be exact—and Francesca and I started teaching them. In combat studies, we focused on training them on what they could do well, which seemed to be only the right approach to take for now—they'd get further using disciplines they could already use well than by trying to master something new in the mock battle. Plus that would give us a way to assess how good they were at their current strengths.

We did all we could as the first few days went by, until one day one of our classes concluded. When that happened, everyone prepared to clear out, as did I and Francesca… but as I got up to leave, I saw Petra walking up to me. When I saw her, I said: "Ah, hello Petra. Is there something you needed?" "Yes, Professor. I was hoping to be asking for your help with something… it is an unclear phrase." She replied. By now, Francesca had come up next to me and I turned to her and said: "I'll handle this. Go on ahead, Francesca." "Understood. I'll see you later, Professor." Francesca said as she left. I turned back to Petra and said: "So what's the phrase, Petra?" "Hot-blooded… I have heard of warm-blooded creatures and cold-blooded creatures, but never hot-blooded creatures… or are they not similar?" Petra asked.

I found her innocence rather charming. I smiled (trying to avoid laughing) before I said: "Not exactly… hot-blooded means someone who has a strong temper and is prone to getting mad or emotional. It's not like being warm-blooded or cold-blooded." And then Petra nodded and said: "Thank you, Professor. I have understanding now. But… do you mind if I ask you about another word? One in one of my textbooks?" "Not at all! Go for it." I said before Petra asked me similar questions and I answered them as well. When we finished up, Petra smiled and said: "Thank you, Professor. Now I have much more understanding than I did before. I… am sorry I took so much of your time, though." And I smiled and said: "Don't worry about that, Petra. I didn't mind at all. It was actually a really nice trip back down memory lane…" "Memory… lane? I have never heard of this location before…" Petra said before I laughed and said: "I wasn't talking about an actual place… 'memory lane' is an expression that means something out of your memories." "Oh… so you have given teachings to someone else before?" Petra asked.

"Yes. It reminds me of how I taught Francesca to read… those were special times." I said back. When I said this, Petra looked surprised and said: "You… have known Professor Francesca before?" "Yes. She's actually my sister." I said back. And then Petra nodded before she said: "I have understanding. You both look like relatives. But… you taught her how to read? Did she not have your parents or a tutor?" "No… my father was very busy growing up and the other mercenaries around the camp were too." I said back. "And… your mother?" Petra asked before I said: "She's gone. We never knew her." And then Petra looked downcast before she said: "I see… I have sorrow to hear of such sadness. But if you were teaching Professor Francesca… how old were you at that time?"

"Truth be told, Francesca and I are the same age. We were born at the same time into the world." I said. "You and Professor Francesca are the same age…? But then you must have been teaching her when you were very young…" Petra said before I said: "Yes… I was about 7 or 8 when we started." And Petra looked stunned before I said: "But then, Francesca did the same thing for me with math. It was always like that… we didn't have many people to help us when we were growing up, so we had to rely on each other." And then Petra smiled and said: "That is very admirable… inspirational, even. You are very strong, Professor." And I chuckled before I said: "Thank you, Petra. But I'm sure you can see how fun this is for me now. So don't feel shy about asking for more help if there's something you don't understand in the future. I am happy to help." "I will remember that, Professor. You have my gratitude. And… thank you for telling me about your story as well." Petra said. "Of course. See you next time, Petra." I said and she nodded before she left.

(Meanwhile…)

Francesca had already gone off by the training grounds… but when she got there, she saw Caspar preparing to enter too! "Ah, Caspar. Are you off to train?" Francesca asked. Caspar turned to her and said: "Oh… hey, Professor. Yup, I always do!" And then he went on: "And you, Professor? Is that why you're here too?" "Not exactly… I have more work to do, but I'll be coming back to train tonight." Francesca said. And Caspar chuckled before he said: "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Being a professor must keep you busy. But if you go that late, you'll miss the chance to learn from Professor Jeritza." "Professor… Jeritza?" Francesca said before Caspar said: "Oh, do you not know him? He's the teacher at the training grounds. He teaches students how to use weapons, martial arts, to fight in unarmed combat and all kinds of things. He may be rather stoic, but he's amazingly strong! I actually thought he was going to be our professor at first. It surprised me when you and Professor Byleth were appointed our educators instead."

And then he went on: "I don't think I could stand up to Jeritza in a duel—he's so experienced and powerful. I could probably take you, though." And when Francesca heard this, she burst into laughter before she said: "Ooh boy, if I had a gold coin for every cocky guy like you I've ever destroyed, I could donate my salary. Still though, you shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm a girl… or show disrespect to your elders. Or would you care to make a wager on what you've said?" "A wager?" Caspar echoed before Francesca went on: "I may not have enough time to train, but I've got enough time to spar once. So how about this: if you can defeat me, I'll let you take my place as Professor Byleth's aide and I'll take your place as a student in the Black Eagles." And then Caspar grinned and said: "Whoa? Really?" "Of course. I wouldn't be qualified to teach you if you can beat me, now would I?" Francesca asked before Caspar said: "Me, a teacher? Ha! I like the sound of that! And if I lose?" "You'll have to agree to train for course credit that will count towards your grade any time I want for the rest of the academic year. You'll also have to call me 'Miss Francesca' or 'ma'am' for the rest of the year." Francesca replied.

And Caspar looked stunned before he said: "Uh, no… as much as I like training, that's not happening…" And then Francesca put her hands on her hips as she said: "Yeah?" and then she approached Caspar as she said: "Then don't disrespect me if you're not willing to put your money where your mouth is. Have fun training, Caspar." "Hm… you're really confident, Professor. I didn't know you were so intimidating, either… but somehow, that makes me feel better that I'm being taught by you. If you're that confident in yourself, it makes it easier for me to believe that what you're teaching will greatly benefit us in the Black Eagles." Caspar said. And Francesca chuckled before she said: "I'm glad I could inspire confidence in you then, and you don't need to worry—I will honor it. You'll have plenty of chances to grow stronger over the course of this year and you'll be much stronger when you graduate than when you started, I can promise you that." "Ha! I like the sound of that. Well, I look forward to seeing this unfold. Goodbye, Professor." Caspar said before he went to the training grounds and Francesca went back to work.

A few days later, Francesca went to the training grounds for her seventh time to practice her routine. After many minutes into her routine, she heard a: "Ah, hello Professor. It looks like you've been training… and rather intensely." It was Edelgard. Francesca looked up and said: "Oh… hello, Edelgard. Yes, I have. I can't let my skills dull just because I'm teaching. Or else I wouldn't be much of a role model." And Edelgard stepped in and said: "An admirable attitude. I wish more people in Fodlan were like you."

And then she went on: "Your sword technique is so fast and graceful too—you clearly are very talented." And Francesca grinned before she said: "Thank you. I still have much to learn, though." And Edelgard chuckled before she said: "And modest too… you really are impressive." And then she continued: "Well if you're looking for a break, may I talk to you a bit? If you need to press on, I will understand too." "Okay. What did you need, Edelgard?" Francesca asked. "Oh, it's nothing urgent. I merely wanted to get to know you better." Edelgard replied.

And then Francesca said: "I see. Well what did you want to know?" "Well for one, how long have you been a mercenary, Professor?" Edelgard asked. "Ten years… I got started early." Francesca answered. Edelgard suddenly looked surprised before she said: "Ten years?! But you still look so young… is that really true?" "It is." Francesca said back. "Hmm… starting from an early age like that must have been difficult. I'm quite impressed you survived if you started from such an early age too…" Edelgard said before Francesca said: "Yes, I suppose it was a miracle unto itself that I survived, starting from such a vulnerable age… but then, my brother started at the same age that I did. I'm just thankful we're still alive… I have the goddess to thank for that."

"Ah, so you're a follower of the Seiros faith as well? I suppose that's easy enough to believe… but to be honest, I never thought you were the type." Edelgard said before Francesca said: "Why would you think that? You barely know me at all." "Well I suppose it was an instinctive guess… I can see now it was wrong, though." Edelgard said before she went on: "Well since you already have an extensive history as a mercenary, did you enjoy working in that profession?" "…No. Once I understood the realities of the job, I never did." Francesca replied. "…Really? That must have been difficult, working in a job you disliked for ten whole years then…" Edelgard replied.

"In many ways, it was. Some people say things like, 'you can always choose your employer as a mercenary', but it's not that simple—mercenaries only have employment when there's war, which fluctuates by time, season and region. That being said, you're starting with what is generally a limited number of employers at any given time, and then there's the matter of choosing based on who you can afford to work for, but truth be told, usually it's just a matter of looking for who can pay the most… that being said, it's a joke to act like you have any choice when you're a mercenary. You can choose your employer, but you have to adapt your values around the client… not yourself. It's actually an unfortunate way to live. Before I came here, I always wanted to be a knight, a cook or in the clergy, but I'm happy working here too." Francesca said. "Huh! I certainly wouldn't have expected most of those… but you would enjoy working as a knight, even though you despise being a mercenary? Why?" Edelgard asked. "Because the relationship between the employer and client is different—if you're a knight, you really can choose an employer who thinks like you and your contract doesn't terminate after one war. You really can find someone who you respect, who you would want to risk everything for and build your relationship and loyalty with over time… if you're a prospective knight, you really are free. It's not like that when you're a mercenary." Francesca replied.

And Edelgard paused before she said: "You're a very good person, Professor. Well if that's so, I'm happy you had the chance to leave that lifestyle you resented so much behind and find freedom. Everyone should be able to do that." And Francesca smiled and said: "I'm glad you think so, Edelgard. I hope someday that will be so and everyone can find their ideal place in the world." And Edelgard nodded and said: "I agree. That is a future that must come to pass." And then she went on: "Well I suppose that's enough for now, but thank you for telling me more about you." "My pleasure. Good luck with your studies, Edelgard." Francesca said and she nodded as she left and Francesca got back to training.

(Meanwhile…)

A couple of days later, I had finished most of my responsibilities and had a chance to go to the cathedral and offer my prayers again. When I arrived, I walked up to the altar… and I actually saw Marianne there. When I arrived, Marianne looked up (as though she was done with her prayers) and then I said: "Hello, Marianne! Fancy meeting you here!" And then she turned to me (in a startled fashion) and when she saw me, she said: "Oh… hello, Professor Byleth."

And then she went on: "Yes, I was here to pray… are you here to pray too?" "That's right! I came to pray for the day." I said before Marianne said: "Oh, you pray every day too? That's impressive." "Thank you, Marianne. I'm impressed to hear you offer your prayers every day too… that level of piety is exceptional and something that should be commended." I said. "Oh no, it's nothing really… I'm just doing what I should." Marianne said. I smiled and said: "You're very noble to be so modest, but there's no need to be shy about such a special thing—Being active and involved in your faith is the best way to develop a strong connection with the faith and the goddess. I always offer my thanks for the day in my prayers, myself." And then Marianne said: "How interesting… I'm quite similar to you, in the sense that I only call upon the goddess to give thanks or ask for protection."

And then I smiled before I said: "That says a lot about your character, Marianne—it says that you don't take your relationship with the goddess for granted. I think that's very admirable." And then Marianne smiled a little before she said: "You do…? Thank you, Professor." And then I nodded and said: "Of course! I think that what a person prays for says a lot about them."

And then I went on: "Well I'd better get on my prayers too, but thank you for talking to me, Marianne. I had fun learning about you." "Oh, sure… no problem. Thank you, Professor." She replied. And then she walked off before I turned around and offered my prayers to the goddess…

(Meanwhile…)

Byleth and Francesca continued to work hard at instructing their students and preparing for the mock battle. The battle was coming up in a week, but at least Francesca had an opportunity to take a gratifying break… seven days before it occurred, she and Byleth had gotten permission to use the kitchen to cook for their house and Francesca took the opportunity to cook a fish meal for everyone else. When she left the kitchen, she left feeling very satisfied and walked out… and then heard a: "Ah! Hello Professor Francesca… did you just come out of the kitchen?" It was Ashe. Francesca turned to him and said: "Oh hi, Ashe. Yes, I did! I just cooked up a fish dish for everyone in the Black Eagles." And Ashe smiled before he said: "How interesting! I didn't know you liked to cook too, Professor Francesca!" And Francesca smiled before she said: "I sure do! Cooking is my favorite thing to do! I had so much fun in there, although I might regret it later… now that fish smell is all over me!"

And they laughed together before Francesca said: "But I note you said 'too' when you said you didn't know I liked to cook before… do you enjoy cooking as well, Ashe?" "Oh yes! My parents used to own a restaurant when I was young, so I got to help out with cooking a lot. I think it's a lot of fun!" Ashe said. Francesca smiled before she said: "Well how about that! I wouldn't have guessed you were the type to enjoy cooking. What kind of dishes do you like to make, Ashe?"

And then they spoke for a little while about their favorite dishes to make and what they could cook before Francesca said: "Oops, it seems I've lost track of time. I'm going to have to go now, unfortunately. I had a lot of fun talking to you though, Ashe! I hope we can do this again." "I do too. That was very fun. I'll see you next time, Professor Francesca." Ashe replied. And then they went off.

(Meanwhile…)

After another day had passed (and the mock battle was in four days) I continued to do my best to prepare our students for the task at hand. After another day of classes ended, I stepped out into the afternoon sun. I had some extra work to do, but also a promise to attend to—Dorothea and I had worked out a time for her to sing for me and show off her talents, and that happened to be in an hour! I got as much done as I could and went off to her quarters—which were on the ground floor—before I knocked on the door and there was a pause before it opened and I saw Dorothea there. When she saw me, she grinned a little and said: "Oh hello, Professor. I see you've come." "Of course. I said I would and I always make good on my promises." I said back before Dorothea said: "Well now that you're here, come in. No time to get started like the present, wouldn't you say?" And I nodded and stepped in as I said: "That's the spirit!" And then Dorothea stood before me before she said: "So do you have any requests?" "Not really. I'll leave that up to you." I said back before Dorothea chuckled and said: "You're rather flexible, I see… alright, then I'll sing for you one of the last songs I sang at the Mittelfrank Opera. Here we go…"

And then she began to sing an opera song for me. Dorothea projected her voice so it sounded very authentic and she sang beautifully. I felt very privileged to hear it… I never had the chance to go to a real opera, but here Dorothea was, singing a song from one for me for free… this was quite an opportunity! When she finished, I applauded and said: "Bravo, Dorothea! You really do have a lot of talent! Thank you for sharing your gift with me and giving me a glimpse into the world of opera music. I'm glad I had this opportunity." And then Dorothea chuckled before she said: "Oh stop, you'll make me blush with all of your praise. But I'm glad you're happy. You really seem to appreciate music, for someone who hasn't had any formal exposure to it." "Of course! I really do believe song is a precious thing." I said back. And then I went on: "That's why it was so kind of you to let me hear a song done professionally when I hadn't had the chance to enjoy that yet. I'm grateful for that, Dorothea." And Dorothea chuckled before she said: "Well, you're welcome then. But you mentioned that you like to sing, right Professor? What songs do you sing?" "Mostly hymns… I don't have the chance to keep up with what's currently trendy in the world of music." I said back. "Is that so? Well if you like singing hymns, you might want to talk to some of the people at the cathedral—rumor has it that there's someone there who's thinking of starting a choir training program, where anyone living at the monastery can come to sing every Sunday. It sounds like it'd be a good fit for you." Dorothea said.

I felt excited when I heard this and said: "A choir training program? Ah, that's perfect! I'll have to ask about that—that's an opportunity that would be foolish of me to miss! Thanks for the tip, Dorothea!" And Dorothea chuckled before she said: "Sure. Although I must say, I'm impressed by your courage. Most people shy away from singing if they lack experience, but you… you're not afraid at all—" And then I said: "Well of course! I'd never get any better if I was too afraid to sing with anyone else! Besides, nothing in life that's worth having can be obtained without taking risks." "Hmm… 'nothing in life that's worth having can be obtained without taking risks'… that's insightful, Professor. I'll have to think on that." Dorothea said before I said: "I would recommend that you do. You may be glad you did." And then I went on: "Well I'm afraid I have to get back to work, but thank you for sharing your gift with me, Dorothea. I'll see you next time." "Alright then. See you next time, Professor." Dorothea said.

Our lessons continued throughout the rest of this moon—Great Tree Moon—but Francesca and I hadn't forgotten our promise to Hanneman, either. Not too long before the mock battle, we stopped by his office in the afternoon and saw he was there, although there was a strange stone device in the center of the room… nonetheless, I said: "Good afternoon, Hanneman." And he turned around and said: "Ah, Byleth, Francesca… have you finally come to see if you have a crest?"

"That's correct, Hanneman. Um… what did you want us to do?" Francesca asked. Hanneman then stood by the device as he said: "Just hold your arm over this enchanted device here—if it detects the presence of a crest within you, it will display the crest's pattern on the screen and we will be able to see what it is. But if it does not display a pattern, then that means you have no crest. Simple enough, right? Now go on—somebody hold your arm out."

And then Francesca and I looked at each other before I stepped forward (and I saw it had a pinkish-purple surface on the top) and held my arm over the device for a while, but nothing happened… finally, Hanneman said: "Hmm… it seems you have no crest at all, Byleth. Not that that's out of the ordinary for a commoner by any means." And then he turned to Francesca and said: "Well now it's your turn, Francesca. Let's see if you have one, or if you are also crestless, like your brother. Go on and put your arm over the device."

And Francesca nodded before she held her arm out over the device and soon a black pattern emerged on the surface… yet when Hanneman saw it, he looked dumbfounded and said: "The major crest of Seiros?! That's truly incredible!" Yet Francesca looked stunned and said: "I'm… related to Saint Seiros…?" before Hanneman said: "Yes, there's no mistaking it! You are one of her descendants! But that's not even the most surprising part…" And we both looked at him as he went on: "That crest is confined to House Hresvelg—the Imperial family. For the crest of Seiros to spread outside of the Imperial family… is something that has never happened before! How fascinating!"

And then we saw the pattern disappear and a new black pattern start to replace it… when Hanneman saw it, he looked shocked and said: "Hm?! Another pattern is emerging?! You have a second crest? How fascinating!" And then we saw it… and Hanneman looked even more shocked as he said: "Wh-what is this?!" and Francesca looked at him and said: "What? What crest is it?" "I… I have no idea! I've never seen this crest before!" Hanneman said before he smiled and said: "To think that even to this day, there are still crests that I could be unaware of… how exciting! I look forward to finding out what it is!"

And then he ran over to his desk before he grabbed a piece of parchment paper and dipped a quill into an ink pot on his desk before he tried to sketch the pattern, going back and forth… finally, it vanished from the device and Hanneman said: "Whew… I managed to get a basic pattern down for reference. I look forward to figuring out what your second crest is, Francesca!" And then he went on: "A human being who has two crests, where one of them is a crest I've never seen before… how exciting! This will keep me so very, very busy!" And then he continued: "If you wish to leave now, feel free. But thank you both for giving me so many interesting discoveries today!" And then he hurried over to his desk and started engrossing himself in his research.

Francesca and I left his office before we walked out and she said: "To see someone so energized and motivated by their work like that… that's nice. I hope I'll get to be in a position to do that someday." "Well you already know how you're going to get there—you've always loved cooking so much. It'll only be a matter of time before you'll raise enough money to pursue your dream of being a master chef in the Alliance." I said.

And Francesca smiled and said: "True. I know exactly what I want to do… I just need to save enough money to afford it…" And then she went on: "Still, to think I have a crest that not even a professional scholar has ever seen… it seems I'm full of surprises." And then I said: "I suppose that's so… but to think that you have two crests—and when you aren't even a noble, no less—that's almost equally surprising. And to think you have the honor of being a descendant of Seiros…" "That's true, but don't go depriving yourself, Byleth—you're my brother, which means you're related to Saint Seiros too. Just because you didn't bear a crest doesn't mean it's not true—you're from the same blood." Francesca said. And I chuckled before I said: "Yes, that's true… still, that's something we can truly be proud of."

By now, we were approaching the stairs to the reception hall, so Francesca and I switched topics. We continued working with our students until the day of the mock battle finally came… when it did, Edelgard, Francesca and I all met in the classroom, per the tradition of the professor (or in this case, professors) meeting with the house leader. When we arrived, Edelgard nodded and said: "I see you're ahead of schedule, Professor Byleth, Professor Francesca. Good job. I'm glad the Black Eagles have good role models for professors." And I nodded and said: "Of course. We are the professors, after all." "You can expect that of us, Edelgard. That's the way we've always been. Now we'd better plan for the mock battle." Francesca said.

"Yes, I agree. As I hear, we're going to be fighting on the monastery outskirts for this battle. As for our opponents, they will be the Blue Lion house and the Golden Deer house. The Blue Lion House will be led by Professor Hanneman and Dimitri, while the Golden Deer will be led by Professor Manuela and Claude." Edelgard said before she went on: "I wouldn't worry too much about the Blue Lions—Dimitri's always been a reckless tactician and Hanneman doesn't seem to be as sharp on the subject of battle as he is on crests. As for the Golden Deer… well, Manuela frankly seems a little sloppy, but I would urge you to exercise caution around Claude. He's highly competitive and good sportsmanship… is not exactly his forte."

"WHAT? What do you mean?" I asked before Edelgard went on: "Well there was one time shortly before his turn on cooking duty before he told me that he was going to slip a disease-inducing solution into our house's food—as well as the Blue Lions'—so our students wouldn't be able to participate and they'd win by default. Thankfully, that was just his idea of a joke… and not a very funny one." I was shocked when I heard this… and then Francesca frowned and said: "That's a really disgusting thing to do, even if it is a rather boorish joke… but thank you for telling us, Edelgard. You can always tell us things like this in advance of monthly missions too—we can report them to Seteth just like that." "Of course. I will bear that in mind." Edelgard said before she went on: "But even without the threat of disease, we're still going to have to contend with the terrain and our enemies' formations." And then she turned to me and said: "Can I count on you to guide us through, Professor Byleth?" "You bet you can. Leave it to me, Edelgard." I said back. And then she smiled a little and said: "A promising answer. It pleases me to see such confidence from our Professor. In that case, let's go and seize victory at once! Victory belongs to the Black Eagles!" And I nodded before we rounded up the other students and went to the outskirts.

When we arrived, we saw the faculty at the north of the grassland (which included Francesca) and they assigned us to our positions; the Golden Deer house was assigned to the upper left corner, which was directly in front of forest terrain… and was therefore very advantageous positioning. The Blue Lion House was assigned to the upper right corner, which was in front of the route that was not forested and a crossroads between the top and bottom of the area… it was the route that was the least safe, but on the other hand, both our house and the Golden Deer were easily accessible by them and they didn't have to break through the forest… our house was assigned to the bottom right corner… there was forest to our right and the forest that was in between us and the Golden Deer was there too. It was also advantageous positioning.

As we were situated at our end of the grassland, Edelgard said: "Well it looks like the appointed time is upon us. There is no need to fear anyone—victory will be ours!" And then she turned to me and said: "Professor, we are only permitted to take five people, and you and I must participate… who are we taking with us?" And I thought on it for a moment before I said: "Dorothea, Linhardt and Petra—you're with us." And then they came up as Dorothea said: "Leave it to me, Professor. I'll show 'em what a mage can do!" and Linhardt yawned and said: "Oh what a bother… well as long as I'm up, I'll do my best to help us win." And Petra smiled and said: "You are choosing me? Thank you, Professor! I will do my best!"

Caspar—on the other hand—looked rather disappointed as he said: "Aww, I was hoping to get to participate… well, go get 'em, everyone!" And Ferdinand also looked disappointed as he said: "I am most surprised you did not choose me, but… good luck out there, everyone. Victory will be ours!" And Hubert scoffed and said: "You'd better watch Lady Edelgard out there, Professor." But Bernadetta looked profoundly relieved before she said: "Whew! I was so worried about having to fight… thanks, Professor!"

When our team was formed, we waited a bit before some of the staff sounded a horn that meant to bring our members forward. Edelgard, Dorothea, Linhardt, Petra and I all went up to the front lines… but it seemed some of our opponents had arrived already… Lorenz and Ignatz (from the Golden Deer) had already slipped in and so had Ashe, from the Blue Lions. I could see Claude and Hilda hiding in the forest up ahead and Dedue and Dimitri were firmly holding their ground at the crossroad to the top of the area… Mercedes was also stationed behind them… and Hanneman too. I couldn't even see Manuela though (suggesting she must be behind the forest altogether)…

At the beginning, Lorenz charged at us immediately with his lance, while I overpowered him quickly, backed by Dorothea's thunder magic. I sent Edelgard and Petra to defeat Ashe and then Edelgard, Petra and I all closed in on Ignatz and took him down. Linhardt healed us up before we advanced directly towards the Blue Lions—I knew how dangerous it was to engage enemies in the forest, especially archers like Claude.

When we arrived, Dimitri and Dedue rushed out to ambush us. Dedue looked especially stalwart, so I guessed that Dorothea and Linhardt might be the better attackers to stop him… I sent Petra in to distract him until Dorothea and Linhardt could use their magic to finish him off while Edelgard and I took on Dimitri. I attacked Dimitri before he retaliated with a swing of his lance… and I got hit by an arrow! I looked and saw Mercedes had shot it from further away… Edelgard ran in and struck Dimitri down before I heard a: "Ngh! I have to keep going…" it was Dedue. It looked like my plan worked! I kept fighting Dimitri and I saw Petra come up before I said: "No, Petra! Go north!" And she turned her head… and it seemed she saw what I was talking about, because she ran in after Mercedes. And then I felt my strength returning… it seemed Linhardt had lent me a hand with a heal spell! I felt nervous about sending Petra up there alone though, so I turned to Edelgard and said: "You take it from here! I've got to go!" And then I said: "Dorothea!" And I ran off as I heard a crack of thunder before I heard a: "Argh! I guess that's it for now…" it was Dimitri… it sounded like her magic had really done the job!

I hurried up to where Petra was and saw her attacking Mercedes… she had already closed in! As long as Mercedes was tied up with Petra, I ran in and joined in with Petra to finish her off! At that moment I turned to Petra and said: "Great work! Now let's return to the others!" And she nodded before we ran off. When we caught up with Edelgard, Dorothea and Linhardt, I said: "Excellent job! Is everyone alright?" "Yes, we're fine for now. The enemy numbers have been almost decimated. All it's going to take is a little—" Edelgard began before Petra said: "Oof!" And I saw she had been shot with an arrow… I healed her before I turned to Edelgard and Petra and said: "Let's move!" And we ran up to the forest (where I saw Claude, Hilda and Manuela were hiding) and Petra and I ganged up on Claude to take him down, while Edelgard closed in on Hilda (she was using smaller, less powerful throwing axes) and Dorothea zapped Hilda after Edelgard got in a hit to finish her off! Manuela used nosferatu—a white magic attack spell—to attack Linhardt (who was barely affected) before he retaliated with his own nosferatu spell and we ganged up on her before she was out too!

We stopped before I said: "Claude, Hilda, Ignatz, Lorenz and Manuela… that's all of the Golden Deer. And with Dimitri, Dedue, Ashe and Mercedes down, that means the only enemy left for us to defeat is Hanneman!" "That's right! Only one more enemy to go, Black Eagles! We can do it!" Edelgard said before I said: "Let's go win! Move out!" and we rushed to where Hanneman was and took him down! And then we were announced the winners…

The staff applauded (including Francesca, who looked so pleased) and I was feeling no shortage of excitement myself, as well as pride in my students who had accompanied me! I turned to them and said: "Great work, everyone! You really proved how strong you are today… and did me proud. That was a spectacular win and I hope you all take pride in this victory." And they smiled as I went on: "Now come on—let's head back!" And then we met up with our benched teammates (and Francesca) and we headed back to the monastery. When we arrived, we met up in the Black Eagles' classroom and all got together before I said: "Great job, everyone! You all did a great job out there and now the Black Eagles have made an impression on the faculty in the first moon alone! This is something to be proud of!" And Edelgard chuckled and said: "I agree. Now we've had the chance to demonstrate our excellence, fittingly enough." And then she looked at me and said: "And good job, Professor. I was expecting you to lead us to victory and you have met my expectations soundly." And Dorothea smiled and nodded before she said: "You did. We all did our best out there, but I don't think we would ever have performed as well without you. Even if we could have won otherwise, it wouldn't have been as decisive." "And I am greatly impressioned… uh… impressed by how quickly you could fight our enemies, process information and reassign us into new groups in such quick success… ugh… succession, all without making any errors. Your command was amazing, Professor!" Petra said. I smiled before Linhardt said: "I must admit, it felt good to have a successful outcome after all of that effort. Thank you for making that possible, Professor."

"Well yeah, especially since it was a landslide victory! I mean, come on—our class had no losses, while both of the other classes were handed a total loss!" Caspar said before he went on: "Argh, I still wish I could have been a part of that! Take me on the mission next time, Professor! You've got to!" And before I could respond, Bernadetta said: "Um… on that note, could I stay behind on the next mission too, Professor? I liked not having to fight anyone." "Don't get used to this, Bernadetta—everyone's going to have to participate in our missions eventually. It wouldn't be very good training if only some people got to participate, now would it?" I asked before Bernadetta looked downcast (and Caspar looked fired up) and then Hubert said: "Hmph… I believe our victory was due in part to Lady Edelgard." And then Ferdinand turned to him and said: "Edelgard did perform well. But as a team, everyone performed better. Had they not all worked together to overcome their opponents, our victory would have been nowhere near as decisive… or impressive."

And then Edelgard turned to him and said: "It seems we agree on something for once, Ferdinand! Yes, our victory was so impressive only because we worked as a team—in reality, none of us could have achieved victory alone. We only managed to win because we worked together!" "Well said, Edelgard! People working together is a natural part of accomplishing great things and is a wonderful thing unto itself—there's no reason why anyone should have to go it alone. Even though I couldn't be a part of the mock battle either, I'm happy I could watch you all do so well together." Francesca said.

And then Edelgard turned to us and said: "I hope you don't mind me suggesting this, Professor Byleth, Professor Francesca, but I think we should celebrate our victory tonight in the dining hall once the time comes." And Francesca and I smiled as she said: "I think that's a wonderful idea, Edelgard. I'm all for it." "That will be something to look forward to, indeed." Ferdinand said before he turned to us and said: "So what will we be doing in the meantime, Professor Byleth? Professor Francesca?" "Well since we won, you all have demonstrated that you clearly are ahead of the other classes and that you know what you're doing, so just this once, I'll leave that up to you—I'll give you the rest of the day off. You're dismissed." I said. "Ah, excellent! Thank you, Professor. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a nap." Linhardt said before he went off and Hubert smirked and said: "It seems history is repeating itself once again…"

And we all laughed together before everyone else cleared out and Edelgard said to Francesca and I: "Thank you both, Professor Byleth, Professor Francesca. You both are very kind. I'm looking forward to seeing how this year goes under your leadership." And we smiled and nodded before she left. Once she was gone, Francesca turned to me and said: "Great job leading them to victory. I knew you could do it." And I smiled and said: "Thank you, Francesca. I'm looking forward to the day when we're doing something where we can both lead them… together." "I'm sure a time will come. Until then, let's keep doing our best for them." Francesca said. And I nodded as we got back to work.

Of course, our work continued the next day. Francesca and I continued our instruction and it wasn't long until the Great Tree Moon's last day passed and we moved into the next moon—Harpstring Moon.