Chapter 18: Expanding Operations

"Phew," Ashe said, letting out a breath of relief as he lugged a large sack of assorted goods and groceries over his back. Byleth followed suit with a sack of his own, clad in his usual armor as a supply run technically counted as a mission, thus necessitating his usual armaments. The two were a short distance from the entrance to Garreg Mach, taking a side street lined with a few vendors and a forgettable tavern Byleth visited on his tour with Manuela. With nothing of interest in sight, Byleth continued his trek towards the Monastery.

"Shopping took longer than I thought," Ashe continued, the boy seemingly intent on making small talk. "It's a good thing I had your help, Professor! Looks like we've got everything we came for."

Byleth wondered if it could be considered a good thing he was here since he had placed himself in this predicament. Given Ashe's circumstances this month, he had deemed it appropriate to accompany the boy on his trip to keep an eye on his movements outside of the Monastery. The boy had been left to his own devices within the Monastery, and if he had used any of that time to find information he could send to Lord Lonato through a contact in town, his mission would likely be much more perilous.

"I think you're being overly paranoid," Sothis said. "The boy cares for his adoptive father, but he wouldn't betray his friends for them. He doesn't have the stomach for it."

"Time to head back to the Monastery," Byleth said, deciding that the simplest way to resolve the case was to get Ashe back inside as quickly as possible.

"Yep," Ashe said. He chuckled. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure the money the Knights gave us would be enough. We managed to scrape by, though! I'm glad those shopkeepers were willing to strike a few bargains."

"You are quite the shopper," Byleth said, aware that Ashe's bartering had not resulted in them just making enough purchases, but rather that it allowed the boy to pocket the leftovers as his own.

"It's one of the few things I'm really good at," Ashe said with a grin. "I've got a lot of experience living in the city. Money was tight for me too. At least until… a kind noble adopted me into his family."

Byleth paused for a moment, glancing over to Ashe as the boy seemed to draw in a much deeper breath than usual. Once he took another step, however, he continued along as if nothing had happened, the slip only noticeable because Byleth had focused on him. "Come to think of it, you were originally a mercenary, weren't you?" Ashe asked. Byleth nodded. "I'm sure you've travelled all over Fodlan. That must have been a pretty different life from regular folks like me."

"You're probably right," Byleth said, fairly certain he had no idea what was considered normal by most people.

"It sounds a lot more exciting though, travelling the world from conflict to conflict!" Ashe said.

"Also correct," Sothis chimed.

"But a mercenary's whole job is fighting, isn't it?" Ashe asked. Byleth nodded again. "Must be a pretty tough way to live."

"Not really," Byleth said. He still found it more difficult to spend weeks without any action at all.

"Wow, I guess you must get used to it," Ashe said. "That's really incredible though."

Byleth was going to dismiss the praise, but something else distracted Ashe as the boy suddenly jogged towards one of the nearby vendors. "Ah, I had no idea they sold this book around here!" Ashe said. "I haven't seen this one in ages," he continued, picking it up with a smile.

"What's the book?" Byleth asked.

"Loog and the Maiden of Wind," Ashe said excitedly. "It's a well-known tale of chivalry in Faerghus. Loog is the King of Lions. The book is full of exciting adventures!" he continued, flipping the book over to look at the 'List of Tales' on the back. "I've loved this since I was a kid! It was what got me learning to read."

During Ashe's talk, Byleth had noticed the red-haired merchant that looked eerily similar to Anna sizing him up and licking her lips almost as if she were a predator of some sort. The strange resemblance and the woman's stance distracted him from the strange man who had snuck out of the alleyway, covered in a dark hood and loose armor as he rushed at Ashe. "Gimme that book!" the man said as he bumped into Ashe. Letting out a slight gasp, Ashe only managed to catch his footing as the man snatched the book out of his hands and began sprinting away.

"Hey, creep! Don't touch the merch!" the red-haired merchant said, the woman darting out from her waiting position to try and grab the man. She pulled a dagger, sparking Ashe into action as he got intercepted her and caught her by the shoulders. "What the-?!" she said, stunned at the fact Ashe had stopped her, holding her back but not enough to stop her from slamming the two of them against one of the store's display stands, scattering its contents along the ground. Her surprise was only momentary, however, as she snapped back to attention and started shouting. "Somebody catch that thief! Cut him in half, just like my prices!"

"Sounds like our kind of job," Sothis said as Byleth took a step towards the man. He put a hand on his sword, Sothis floating overhead and overlaying her sight with his own to find the fastest route to catch the now fumbling man as he careened down the road, trying to find some alley other than the one he came from to duck into.

"Please, calm down, ma'am," Ashe said, trying to quell the merchant as Byleth took off running, dropping his sack of supplies near Ashe. Before Ashe could say anything to his teacher, the merchant turned her attention to him.

"You calm down, kid!" the merchant yelled. "If he gets away with that valuable merch, it'll be a huge loss for me! Your friend there has the right idea, so what's your deal?!"

"I'll compensate you, so please!" Ashe said, Byleth's heavy footfalls ringing out amidst the small commotion on the street.

"Are you serious, kid?" the merchant asked with a raised eyebrow. Ashe simply nodded, handing the merchant one of the sacks of coins he carried with him before he took off after Byleth. "Huh… well, fine then. Crazy kid."

Hurrying down the road and darting a corner, Ashe arrived just in time to see Byleth slam into the thief with his shoulder, pinning him to a shaded wall and forcing him to drop the book. "Guh, fine! Take the book!" the thief groaned.

"I will," Byleth said, slowly drawing his sword as he was about to back away.

"Professor!" Ashe called, rushing over and grabbing onto Byleth's arm to stop him. "I'll handle this guy! You get that book back to the merchant!"

"That wasn't the job," Byleth said with a glance over to Ashe, hand still on his sword and still holding the thief at bay with his weight.

Ashe gulped. "Sh-she's more interested in getting her product back," he said. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he learns his lesson… besides, one of us has to watch those provisions we bought!"

"Hmph. Are you honestly so concerned with the life of someone who just tried to steal from you?" Sothis asked. She shook her head and sighed. "Let him go. The boy will cry if you hurt him more, I'm sure of it."

Sheathing his sword, Byleth took a step back. "Thank him for your life," Byleth said as the thief turned around, his eyes widening as he saw Byleth's hand still on his sword. "Don't take too long," he continued with a simple nod to Ashe before he retrieved the book and walked away.

Leaving Ashe and the thief alone, Byleth made his way back to the merchant's stall and found the red-haired woman surprisingly keeping an eye on the sacks he and Ashe had dropped. "Oh, so you did get him," the woman said as Byleth returned.

"Here," Byleth said, handing her the book.

"Thanks for that! Clean, too," the merchant said. The moment she took the book, she leaned in and sniffed Byleth, the slight grin on her face vanishing after a brief moment. "Guess the weird kid reached you first."

"He said he'll teach him a lesson," Byleth said.

"Pfft, I bet he won't even slap the bastard on his wrist," the merchant said. "Still, that was a pretty good reaction on your end… say, you seem like the mercenary type. Am I on the money?" she asked. Byleth nodded. "Well, you seem pretty good at chasing people down… and from the looks of ya, I'd say you cut em' down just as well. So, I got a gig. Gold, up-front. You interested?"

"What's the job?" Byleth asked. The merchant gestured towards the inner part of her booth, heading off the street and notably out of earshot of anyone not directly in the booth browsing her wares. Byleth followed her, the odd mishmash of random products in the booth reminding him of the tent he entered back in the Monastery's market area. Glancing around, he quickly found another nametag that simply read 'Anna' on the single desk in the store. The merchant noticed him glancing at that and smirked.

"Oh yeah, we haven't been introduced yet. I'm Anna," she said.

"You're not the one who sells in the Monastery market," Byleth said.

"No, that's one of my sisters, Anna," Anna said. She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it too much. Just think of it like a business trick. Besides, you're here for a job, aren't you?"

"I am," Byleth said, deciding to not worry too much about it. As far as he was concerned, this simply meant he could assume anyone with these women's likeness was probably going by the name Anna.

"That's what I like to hear!" Anna said. "So, here's the deal. I have… a dispute with one of my suppliers. They may or may not have tried to ask for a better deal, but I'm cutting them a bargain as it is. I'm going to earn their good graces with a bit of a show. There'll be getting into trouble with bandits in the Oghma Mountains next week, and I want you and a few other tough looking types to go in and help out. Then, I sweet talk my scared clients, keep my prices, and you get paid."

"Are the bandits also working for you?" Byleth asked.

"They are, but don't worry too much about it. Don't kill any of the ones shouting orders, and it'll be fine. Accidents happen in these kinds of situations, right?" Anna said. "By the way, think you can round up a few more men? You're guaranteed to win, but the more fighting, the bigger the spectacle. Of course, I'll give you a little extra if you can round some people up. But make sure they aren't too ugly looking! They're going to be part of my business's face for this job."

"I'll see what I can do," Byleth said. "When should I meet you next week?"

"Same day of rest, but early in the morning. It's a bit of a trip, and the action's planned for early noon," Anna said. Byleth nodded. "Good. Now, mind leaving? I gotta clean the place up some if and reopen, or I'm losing money!"

"Of course," Byleth said, walking away with that. He scooped up the sack of provisions he was carrying and noticed Ashe's was already gone, suggesting the boy had either taken his and left or that they had been robbed. Not too concerned with which of the two outcomes it was, he continued his route back to the Monastery.

Once he could make out the details of people around the main entrance to Garreg Mach, he noticed Annette and Mercedes running a good distance ahead. "They seem to be enjoying themselves," Sothis noted. Byleth agreed, as he saw nobody pursuing them. Their shopping trip seemed to have gone off without any issue, and he made a note that they would probably be a good choice for any future endeavors.

As he made that decision, a familiar voice drew his attention to the nearest plaza. "You think I'd cheat? On you, baby? Never," Sylvain said, the boy offering his hand to a young blonde girl that seemed to be seething with rage. Based on the clothing she wore, Byleth thought she was likely a merchant's daughter or a merchant herself.

"Come on, you should know better than that," Sylvain said, taking a step towards the girl and clasping one of her hands. "You're the only one for me. I swear."

"… Then why…?" the girl began.

"Hey, if ya don't believe me, well…" Sylvain said. He paused for a moment before he seemed to realize something. "Oh, I get it. If I'm not your type, do you want me to introduce you to other guys who have Crests? They're all nobles, just like me."

The girl's eyes widened, her voice raising almost to a shriek. "What?!" she yelled. "That isn't why I'm – You! – You're worse than I thought!"

"I just want you to be happy," Sylvain said, taking a step back. "You know, get what you're after," he continued with a slight shrug as tears began streaking down the girl's face. His expression changed to one of hurt, though he continued to speak. "I hate seeing a girl cry, especially one as beautiful as you. So you know, maybe we-"

Sylvain was silenced by a resounding slap striking him across the face. Byleth was certain he could have avoided it if he wanted to, but the boy simply took it as the girl stifled a sob and shook off his grasp before storming off. Once the girl had gotten some distance away, Sylvain rubbed his face a little and sighed. "… So, Professor, do you enjoy spying on people?" Sylvain asked, having noticed Byleth watching him from a nearby fountain.

"I'd call him observant, but you do stand out in full armor," Sothis noted.

"Not really, but it can be useful," Byleth said as he approached Sylvain.

"Well? Is that all you have to say?" Sylvain asked.

"Should I say something more?" Byleth asked. Sylvain raised an eyebrow, but then let out a little chuckle.

"Nah, not really. That was between me and her, after all," he said. He sighed. "You know how it is. Most relationships, they end in heartbreak… Anyway, I don't know why she's so upset about me dating other girls. She didn't care before she found out, so why does she care now? I really do hate seeing a girl cry."

"Even if you make them?" Byleth asked.

"I swear, it's the truth! My heart's in a million pieces right now," Sylvain said. "It's just the worst… Still, I figure the best way to mend a broken heart is to head out on the town. Why don't you join me? Maybe you'll find love. I mean, I know I will."

"I have to hand these in," Byleth said, looking over to the sack he was carrying.

"Ah, maybe some other day, then," Sylvain said.

"When you return to the Monastery, come find me," Byleth said. Sylvain looked at him quizzically, so he elaborated. "There's something I'd like your help with, but it isn't urgent."

"Okay… well, sure I guess. I'll ask around for you or something when I get back," Sylvain said. Byleth nodded.

"Good hunting," he said, now intent on returning to the Monastery. Sylvain scoffed at that, turning around to head back into town with a smirk on his face.

"Whaddya know? He does have a sense of humor," Sylvain said.

When he returned, Byleth headed to the Knights of Seiros and turned in his part of the supply run. He thought the knight waiting for him would have some reprimand or complaint for waiting, but they seemingly held their tongue and simply gave a quick thanks. Ignoring the strange change of pace, Byleth headed to the Greenhouse and did his gardening, noticing Petra and Dedue working on their own area and discussing exotic plants. He didn't pay much mind to them, though he did pick up on Petra's interest in carnivorous plants, the one kind Dedue didn't have a good understanding of. She mentioned Bernadetta at one point, though Byleth was already leaving by then, his undisturbed harvest and replanting process taking little time.

Once he had set new flowers in his room and spent a bit of time extracting what he needed from the other plants he grew, he decided that a training session followed by lunch was an efficient use of his time before the monthly faculty review with Seteth. "Ugh, what do we need to see that one for? Doubtless he will find some reason to keep us at this mediocre level of payment," Sothis said. Byleth agreed but knew Seteth would have a reason to pay him less if he didn't attend the meeting.

Once he had reached the training grounds, Byleth noticed Leonie in the midst of a lance routine he recognized as one of his father's warm-ups. She seemed to be putting much more effort into it, adding in flourishes that looked like they were something his father might have done if he were trying to show off but not anything he'd use in a real fight. "You'd better let her know, before she gets herself hurt," Sothis said. Byleth agreed, approaching the girl as she paused her routine.

"Phew… Oh, Professor! Are you training too?" Leonie greeted. Byleth nodded. "I was just about to finish up, but if you want to join in, I can stick around a little while longer."

"I hoped you'd say that," Byleth said. He hefted the training lance he was carrying to his side. "There are a few problems with your routine you should correct."

"Huh… was my form off?" Leonie asked.

"No. You're practicing the wrong moves," Byleth said.

"The wrong… Professor, do you not recognize your own father's training regimen?" Leonie asked.

"That isn't his training regimen," Byleth said, readying the lance and facing away from her. "Watch me or copy me. I'll show you how he fights with a lance."

Looking a little irked, Leonie took on a similar stance next to Byleth, watching him closely as he started a quick routine. Short as it was, Byleth went through all of the motions he knew his father considered essential for fighting with a lance.

There were the basic thrusts, ranged slashes, and stance switching maneuvers that Leonie had replicated almost perfectly. Following those, however, were the disarming strikes, parries, follow-up shaft strikes, and retreating maneuvers Leonie had only partially copied. Following them were the quick finishers, a set of moves intended to end a fight with a single strike. While Leonie knew the moves, she had not grasped that they were made for use against multiple opponents, meaning the most important part of the strike lay in the user's recovery, or rather lack thereof. Leonie found herself straining to hold back from putting everything into certain moves, fighting to keep up with Byleth at the end. He considered her own exhaustion as having played a role in the struggle, but the girl's tenacity made it hard for him to tell she if she was simply out of breath from his increase in pace or if she were out of stamina.

Taking two steps back while striking at his would-be opponent's feet, Byleth popped forwards with an upwards flick of his lance. The point only remained there for a moment as he ripped it away with a sudden shift and let the momentum carry him into an arcing swipe with the weapon. Letting go of the weapon, he twirled it around on his palm before sidestepping, switching his grip around and altering the side his lance was readied at before stopping with the weapon angled downwards for a guard. Next to him, Leonie managed the pull the weapon back in a quick swipe after the pop-up thrust, but she overextended her swing and ended up doing a full spin with her upper body that she quickly adjusted into her own method of swapping stances, ending in a similar posture to Byleth.

Leonie huffed. "… So… is that all?" she asked.

"There are a few more repetitions, but nothing you haven't already been practicing," Byleth said, dropping his posture. "Do you understand what you were doing wrong?"

"I… think so," Leonie said. "I was putting too much into some strikes. Thinking about it… that'd probably leave you open in a real fight," Leonie said.

"Good. Then you know what to fix," Byleth said. "You should rest now. Too much training will hurt your performance in a real fight."

"Yeah… still," Leonie began, "I was… already training when you got here, and I… finished right alongside you. Guess I… outlasted you, huh?"

Byleth paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. He hadn't thought of the exercises as a competition, but if it were then she technically did best him. "You know, maybe feeding her and her ego are in our favor. We do need some recruits, and I doubt your honorable students will be as eager for mercenary work," Sothis suggested.

"You did. Good work," Byleth said with a nod.

"Ha! Guess we're good in our own areas," Leonie said. "You know all the moves and tricks… but I've got all the grit," she said as she straightened up with a proud grin. Byleth might have thought something of the girl's boasting if she wasn't obviously doing everything she could not to wobble on her feet, and instead decided to go ahead with Sothis' idea.

"Let's go eat," Byleth said, walking over and taking Leonie's training lance before she could react.

"Well, I mean if you're feeling hungry after all that work," Leonie said with a shrug. "I could go for a bite."

"I'm surprised she doesn't wear flashier clothing with all that posing," Sothis said. Byleth thought little of it, the two of them simply making their way to the Dining Hall and grabbing lunch without much thought.

Oddly, Byleth found the meal more familiar than most, with all involved parties simply taking a seat and digging in quickly without additional small talk. It was only when they had practically finished their food that Leonie started speaking again.

"Hey, Professor?" she asked. Byleth hummed in response, still focused on his meal. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask… are you really Captain Jeralt's kid?"

"That's what I'm told," Byleth said.

Leonie frowned. "That's a pretty detached tone to take about your own family," she said. "What's your opinion of him, then? You must look up to him, at least?"

Thinking the question over for a few moments, Byleth answered. "He's one of the best at what he does. I respect him," he said.

"Hm… well, it doesn't really sound like you appreciate him all that much," Leonie said. She furrowed her brow. "You didn't even know until he came here that he used to lead the Knights of Seiros, did you?"

"He never mentioned it," Byleth said. "Didn't even mention the Church."

"And you never thought to ask what he did before working as a mercenary?" Leonie asked.

"Not really," Byleth said.

"See? That's what I mean," Leonie said. "If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be half the person you are now. You haven't even thought about how lucky you are!"

"Luck is half skill," Byleth said. Leonie rolled her eyes.

"Ugh! Ok, this really bothers me!" she said. "Listen up! I don't care if you're the teacher and I'm the student. I'm going to outshine you. I know you were some famous mercenary before you came here, but let me tell you something… I'm going to be better than you ever were! I'll surpass you in no time at all, so don't blink. You might miss it."

Byleth was about to say something, but then paused when he noticed Sylvain approaching them. Leonie followed his gaze, and both of them saw the redhead give up his search for alternative seating and simply approach them. "Don't know what's going on, but I can go if this is a bad time," Sylvain said.

"No. This is actually perfect timing," Byleth said, gesturing for Sylvain to sit near him. Sylvain glanced at Leonie, but the girl simply huffed. Unsure of the situation, Sylvain decided he'd work with Byleth given his Professor's lack of judgment in their earlier conversation. Once Sylvain was seated, Byleth spoke again. "Leonie intends to surpass me as a mercenary."

"Darn right I will!" Leonie said.

"To that end, I'd like to take her on a side job I was recently offered," Byleth said. Leonie paused at that. "Part of the request was gathering up a few extra fighters with one restriction."

"Uhh… what's that?" Sylvain asked.

"They have to look good," Byleth said. Neither Sylvain or Leonie said anything for a few moments, both of them processing what Byleth had told them before they had opposite reactions. Sylvain suppressed a smile, surprised at what he thought his Professor was doing, while Leonie suddenly found herself wanting to look at anything except the people in front of her. Byleth took their silence as a lack of understanding, so he continued speaking. "I think Leonie looks pretty good. What's your opinion, Sylvain?"

"Well, if you ask my opinion… Leonie's got a beauty all her own," Sylvain said. Leonie twitched at that, prompting Sylvain to push his luck. "She isn't like the average village maiden or noble lady, no, those are run of the mill. A… spirited and cute girl like her is as rare as lone flower blooming on the battlefield."

"H-hey, what the heck is this all about?" Leonie asked.

"A job. I wanted another person's opinion of you before I made the call," Byleth said. "So, what do you think of Sylvain?"

"Uhh… excuse me, Professor?" Sylvain asked.

"What do I…?" Leonie began.

"Think he looks good?" Byleth asked.

"W-well… he's not bad-looking, yeah," Leonie said, doing her best to avoid making eye contact with Sylvain. "I mean, I could- uhh, girls could do a lot worse!"

"I-is that an offer?" Sylvain asked, trying his best to remain composed and failing as he glanced over to Byleth.

"Then he'll be working with us," Byleth said. He turned his attention back to Leonie. "One of the first things to know about being a mercenary is that you get nowhere working alone. Individual talent does stand out, but nobody hires a one-man army. I was offered a small job, and quickly acquired two allies, who will be joining others already present."

"Wait, wait, Professor, what's going on here?" Sylvain asked.

"On the next day of rest, I'll need you two to prepare for a trip at dawn. We're helping some merchants settle a dispute. I'll tell you the rest the day of," Byleth said. "If you can think of any other good-looking help that wouldn't mind keeping the job quiet, tell them to find me."

"Keeping the job quiet?" Leonie asked.

"They want to settle the affair on their terms," Byleth said. "From what I understand, that means no outside involvement. When you're looking for work, you have to prioritize the client's conditions. Trusting your own judgment is paramount on the job, but you need to follow your client's to get one."

"Huh… yeah, I get it. If the client doesn't think you've got what they need, you aren't getting hired to begin with," Leonie said.

"Hate to cut in, but why am I getting dragged into this?" Sylvain asked.

"You meet the requirements, and I think you're more flexible than most of the other Blue Lions," Byleth said. "The next time you see Felix, ask him if he's interested."

"See, I understand Felix jumping on an opportunity like this," Sylvain said. He sighed. "But then again, he'll also probably try to drag me along too since he thinks I'm slacking all day."

"Aren't you?" Leonie asked. Sylvain chuckled.

"I might not be as driven as someone like you, but I get things done," Sylvain said.

"He does," Byleth said, noting that Sylvain had never once been late to class, never failed to complete any assignment no matter how odd, and also performed well in training whenever he wasn't throwing a match against one of the girls.

"Hm… well, if you say he's good, I guess he can't be too bad," Leonie said. "Although, with how relaxed you are about offering to help me out when I just said I'd surpass you, maybe you just like having another laidback guy around."

"Think of it this way," Byleth said. "The lazier your allies, the more your individual efforts will stand out."

"I like that idea," Sylvain said. "What greater honor is there than making such unique beauty shine even brighter?"

"Hey, don't make it weird again," Leonie said. "Professor, we just need our mornings clear for this one, right?"

"That should be all it takes," Byleth said. "Don't worry too much about it. Just think about who you could bring along and tell them to find me."

With that, Byleth finished his meal and left Sylvain and Leonie to their short meal, excusing himself to attend the mandatory meeting with Seteth. Making his way up to the second floor of the Monastery, he passed by the Audience Chamber and headed opposite the Library. The Knights Lounge seemed a bit busier when he passed by, and he noticed his father going over some plan or the other with a few knights. "Seems even Jeralt is busy these days," Sothis noted. "While I doubt he's enjoying himself, I think he's going to have less trouble than we will."

Byleth agreed as he entered the Meeting Room once again, arriving after Seteth but before Hanneman and Manuela. "Good afternoon, Professor. It seems you're the first to arrive," Seteth greeted.

"Good afternoon, Seteth," Byleth greeted. He took the same seat he used last time, waiting for the other two to arrive as Seteth sorted through his papers.

"We haven't done him any favors this month… perhaps we can try to be nice now?" Sothis suggested.

"Is there anything I can help you with while we wait?" Byleth asked.

Seteth paused his preparations for the evaluation for a moment before turning his attention back to Byleth. "There's nothing of particular importance I can think of. I only ask that you ensure your class is well prepared for this month's assignment," Seteth said.

"Of course," Byleth said.

Seteth nodded, seemingly about to return to his work before something else seemed to come to mind. "… Since we have a moment, there is something else I'd like to discuss with you," he said.

"What is it?" Byleth asked.

"It has been brought to my attention that certain individuals have been making advances towards Flayn," Seteth began. He glared at Byleth. "Have you witnessed any such behavior?"

"What do you mean by advances?" Byleth asked.

"… Efforts to get closer to her and gain her affections," Seteth said, narrowing his eyes at Byleth. "Spending undue time with her, or any other similar acts."

"Nothing comes to mind," Byleth said. Seteth glared at him as he went about taking out the few notes he had regarding his class' progress, so Byleth felt the man already had some sort of suspicion about him. Thus, he attempted to defend himself. "Flayn once asked me to catch her a fish. Another time she asked to speak with me while I was eating lunch with Dimitri."

"You claim she made advances on you?" Seteth asked.

"Were those advances?" Byleth asked.

Seteth inwardly cursed his inability to read Byleth. The new Professor's complete lack of emotion or seemingly focus on the conversation as he went about gathering his own notes made the man's responses hard to gauge. Admittedly, Seteth had a feeling Flayn would have been the one to ask Byleth to catch her a fish, as nobody would think to woo someone by presenting them freshly caught fish. However, the lunch sighting gave him pause, as he didn't put it past the Professor to approach Flayn, though she had also asked him repeatedly about Byleth and he had simply told her to keep her distance from the mysterious man. In hindsight, he should have chosen a better word than 'mysterious' to describe the new Professor and could also see Flayn's own curiosity prompting her to seek Byleth out for conversation.

"… No," Seteth said, deciding he could not determine Byleth's intentions regarding Flayn just yet. Deciding to simply leave an all-encompassing warning, he spoke again. "If you see any… unwarranted advances towards Flayn in the future, please inform the perpetrators of their peril."

"Understood," Byleth said with a nod, still looking over something in the little notebook he carried around. Seteth said nothing as Manuela and Hanneman entered shortly after, prompting him to begin the meeting.

While Byleth attended his evaluation, Sylvain had parted ways with Leonie and decided he could use Byleth's request to his own advantage. The boy made his way over to the Training Grounds and found his query, Felix, adamantly crossing blades with what appeared to be an imaginary opponent. Watching Felix's steps for a few moments, however, Sylvain knew he wasn't battling any ordinary opponent. The usual grounded and full-frontal approach Felix typically used was gone, his steps much lighter and each swing of his sword far more controlled than his usual smash-like strikes. Recognizing the significance of his session, Sylvain hung back and waited for Felix to finish, resting against a nearby pillar and simply letting his friend attempt to finish.

Letting out a deep breath as he stumbled the last few steps, Felix couldn't help but inwardly thank Sylvain for remaining silent throughout. Of course, his gratitude was unspoken, the boy simply turning around with a huff. "If you have time to watch, you might as well join me," Felix said.

"I don't know, you look like you're about done for the day," Sylvain said.

"I might feel a little reinvigorated seeing you actually try for once," Felix said. Sylvain chuckled.

"Then I'm definitely not starting," he said. "It's a day of rest, Felix. Let's go find some girls to chat with."

"Chat with them by yourself. You're interrupting my training," Felix said, not knowing what he was expecting at a time like this.

"Yeah, but I might have heard a little something about a real battle we could take part in," Sylvain said. Felix raised an eyebrow.

"… If you think I'm as soft as Ingrid and will fight to clean up your messes, you're mistaken," Felix said. Sylvain frowned.

"That only happened once, and she didn't actually have to fight anyone," Sylvain said. "No, I mean the Professor reached out to me and told me about a little extra merc work he took on. He's gathering up a few students who don't mind working discretely and want a fight, asked us to think of anyone else who'd like to come along. Being such a good friend and all, I figured I'd extend the invitation to my buddy Felix, who's always itching for a good fight."

Felix glared at Sylvain for a few moments before he furrowed his brow. "I take it you won't invite me unless I head to town with you tonight?" he asked.

Sylvain laughed. "Felix, how could you think so little of me? I'd invite you regardless of what happens tonight," he said. "C'mon, how long have we been friends?"

"Long enough if you ask me," Felix said. "We only knew each other because of our parent's friendship. I didn't have a say in it."

"Is that how it went? Huh," Sylvain said. "I remember it more like you always following me around. Whenever there was something wrong- like when you lost to your brother or you fought with Dimitri- you'd come crying to me. You were so meek and pure back then, cute even… like a baby brother."

"That's enough," Felix said, turning to look away from Sylvain.

"What?" Sylvain asked.

"I said 'That's enough,'", Felix said, this time much louder.

"Hey! Sorry," Sylvain said, a little startled at Felix reacting that harshly. "I just came to tell you about the work and see if you wanted to pick up girls. I didn't mean to get on your nerves."

Felix wanted to snap at Sylvain, but he unfortunately knew his friend well enough that the slightest intonations in his voice gave away how genuine the apology was. Turning around, he let out a sigh as he tempered his retort. "Look. You've been getting on my nerves for years. I've tried to be patient with you, but I'm tired of holding my tongue. You're reckless in your personal affairs and in battle too. And you're always prattling on about women," Felix said.

"Well, if a man sees a pretty girl, he can't just let her pass by without commenting," Sylvain said. "That's just rude."

"You're insatiable," Felix said. "Do you ever stop? Certainly not to practice your sword technique. You always skip training when you can and play around half the times you actually bother to attend. You never consider how your actions hurt others… or how you hold them back."

"That's never my intention," Sylvain said. "C'mon, you know me better than that. I'm not really- Look, if that's the impression I've given you, then I'm sorry."

Felix merely grunted in response, deciding he had said all he needed to. "… Well, I'll let you get back to it. Just make sure you talk to the Professor sometime during the week so he can tell you more about that job he took," Sylvain said as he took his leave.

Felix resumed his practice shortly after but found himself unable to achieve the same level of focus he had previously. After returning to more rudimentary techniques, he finally let out a sigh and realized what he had to do. "… Better make sure that idiot doesn't get into more trouble," Felix muttered as he headed for his dorm.

Back in the Monastery, Byleth left the meeting room somewhat pleased with how his evaluation went. Seteth hinted that he had in fact earned an increase to his salary, leaving him and Sothis in a rather good mood as they left before Hanneman and Manuela, who apparently had a separate portion of their evaluations dedicated to the jobs they performed in addition to teaching.

"I certainly hope if we ever find some other such work, we won't have to be pestered about it like they are," Sothis said. Byleth agreed, passing by the Knights' Lounge once again and noticing Jeralt still stuck in a makeshift briefing to another group of knights. He gave his father a little nod of acknowledgement as he headed for the Library, intent on performing his usual research early due to the supposed arrangement he had with Catherine later.

"Professor," Rhea called as Byleth was passing the Audience Chamber. He noticed her standing closer to the office-like meeting area, tome in hand as she greeted him.

"Lady Rhea," Byleth greeted.

"Do you have a moment? There's something I wish to discuss with you," Rhea said.

"This is rare… perhaps it is an opportunity?" Sothis suggested. Byleth agreed, thinking his library research could be brought into the classroom during the few tests he had to give in the coming week.

"Of course," Byleth said, approaching her. The archbishop smiled slightly and gestured towards the meeting room, allowing him to enter before her. He sized up the room, noting that it appeared closer to a very condensed version of the Cathedral with two rows of pews facing a desk at the front, though shelves and drawers lined the walls around it.

"What do you think of this space, Byleth?" Rhea asked.

"It's reminiscent of the Cathedral," Byleth said.

"Indeed. When Garreg Mach was first constructed, this room originally served as a center of worship for the Goddess' most devout children," Rhea said. "As her followers grew in number, Garreg Mach grew to accommodate them. The Cathedral eventually took the place of this room, and its purpose has changed many times over the years."

"So this is your spare room?" Sothis asked, flying a small circle around Byleth and Rhea to examine the room. "As far as those go, I quite like this one."

"Now it serves as a meeting room?" Byleth asked.

"In a sense," Rhea said. "In truth, this place was supposed to be my Office… yet I could never bring myself to utilize this space effectively. I have found performing the necessary clerical duties that come with being the Archbishop much easier to perform in my own room. If you recall, I have more than enough space to accommodate working in my quarters."

Byleth nodded. "The chair seems more comfortable," he said, sizing up the large wooden chair behind the desk which, while cushioned, probably wasn't as nice as the one Rhea had in her room. Both he and Sothis noted the chair's strange similarity to the throne-like decoration outside in the Audience Chamber but remained silent on the matter.

Rhea hummed in agreement with Byleth's assessment. "After careful consideration, I've decided upon this room's new purpose," she said, getting Byleth's attention. "You were elected as a Professor with such short notice. We were unable to prepare a suitable room and you began teaching with little guidance. Not only that, but you were given no space to call your own."

Rhea took Byleth's hand and led him up the small stairs leading to the desk, the chair already slightly back enough for her to guide him into the seat without issue. "Whether you consider this a gift or reparations for how poorly we've received you as the newest professor at the Officer's Academy, I would like you to accept this place as your own," Rhea said.

"This will be my office?" Byleth asked.

"That's right. You'll find it provides a number of benefits other offices cannot," Rhea said. "After all, we are unable to give you, an esteemed Professor, housing beyond a simple student's dormitory. If we are to be fair in the eyes of the Goddess, the difference must be made up somehow. Let this office serve not only as a place for you to perform your duties as a professor, but also as an extension of your personal space," she continued, placing a large metal key on the desk near him.

"Maybe this Goddess does have some sense in her," Sothis said with a grin. Seeing that Byleth, and by extension, she, would be looking down at all who approached them gave her an odd sense of satisfaction.

"I'll be working near you often," Byleth said, noting that Rhea did spend a large chunk of her time in the Audience Chamber performing either some sort of religious service, giving sermons, or discussing the state of the Monastery with other advisors. "Is that alright?"

"Of course. My greatest wish is that you no longer feel like an outsider here at the Monastery," Rhea said. She chuckled. "Although I must admit, you may find me visiting often if you don't mind. I find a chat with you brightens my day."

"That would be nice," Byleth said.

"I am delighted to hear that," Rhea said. "And I believe this will delight you as well," she continued, placing the gray tome she kept on the desk in front of him. The obvious thumping of the book gave away its weight, and Byleth wondered if Seiros did not think her strength would be enough to cause suspicion. He decided not to comment on it, instead focusing on the tome in front of him. Once he opened it, the first few pages let off a slight scent of age mingled with recent treatment, musk battling with a floral overtone. Ignoring the smell, Byleth read the title aloud.

"A History of Tithe, Taxation, and Tributaries, Volume 5," Byleth read. He glanced back at Rhea, who simply smiled.

"I saw you leave the Library rather late one night, and inquired about your activities," Rhea said. "When I learned you were investigating the regions around Lord Lonato and the activities of the Eastern Church, I was moved. You are going above and beyond the expected duties of a Professor. This tome is a record of all accounts concerning each branch of the Church that goes back almost one hundred years that is still being updated every Moon. I believe it will assist you in determining the potential involvement of the Eastern Church."

"Thank you," Byleth said, quickly flipping through the pages to find the ending so he could work backwards.

"Your fervor in this endeavor is inspiring, Byleth," Rhea said. "In truth, there is another reason I wanted you to have this place as an office."

"What is it?" Byleth asked, still flipping through pages.

"I believe you are well-suited to certain tasks that I cannot entrust to most members of the Church," Rhea said. "Your mission this month, for instance, has two purposes. You know the first, don't you?"

"To show the students what it means to oppose the Church," Byleth said. Rhea nodded.

"In addition to that… I want you to find and eliminate the dissenters in Gaspard territory. Your class will be under the care of Catherine during the establishment and occupation of Castle Gaspard, leaving you to join the Knights occupying the city," Rhea said. "There, you will hunt down those sowing seeds of distrust and deliver their punishment."

Taking a moment to think over Rhea's instructions and having participated in a manhunt through a city once before, one question popped into Byleth's head. "What should we do if the civilians are in chaos?" he asked.

"Those who beg for forgiveness and offer themselves to the Goddess will be spared," Rhea said. "Those who resist will be cut down. You are punishing sinners… Pointing a sword at the Holy Church of Seiros is akin to pointing a sword at the Goddess herself. Meting out appropriate punishments to the sinful is a sacred duty with which we have been entrusted. As a full-fledged member of the Church, I hope that you will take this to heart and perform what is necessary."

"In other words… kill whoever raises a hand to you," Sothis said. Thinking about another way to phrase that, Byleth spoke again.

"Those who defy the Goddess will be punished," Byleth said, stopping to give Rhea a nod of confirmation. Rhea lit up at that, her smile feeling more natural but also more unsettling as she seemed to soak in Byleth's affirmation.

"Excellent. I look forwards to hearing of your success," Rhea said, taking a step back. "Whenever you wish to return that book, my room is always available. For now, I'll let you get settled into your work. It was a pleasure speaking with you."

"Have a pleasant evening," Byleth said. At that, Rhea left his new office and allowed him to get to work. Unknown to her, two different investigations were ongoing the moment she left the room.

Byleth dove headfirst into copying the financial records of each Church branch within the last five years, putting small notes in his personal notebook to emphasize specific shifts in gold which he noticed either seemed out of the norm or had some sort of correction made after the original markings. He then went about comparing what he had found over the course of his research regarding certain territories with the shifts in gold, trying to find any potential links between organizations and individual nobles. While he focused on that, Sothis began considering what exactly the Church stood for given its operating procedure and the potential reasons for why Rhea/Seiros wanted to keep them so close. She considered the Crest Stone being something particularly special to her, Byleth being a lost family member, or even Seiros viewing Byleth as a project that none of them fully understood.

Regardless, both were interrupted when a booming voice came from just outside of his door. "Well, look at all of this! If I didn't know better, I'd say you owned part of the Monastery, Professor!" Alois greeted. Byleth looked up from his work to see him and Catherine entering the Office, both adorned in their usual armor. "So, are we the first ones to visit your new office?"

"You are," Byleth said. Alois let out a short but loud laugh at that.

"Guess the celebratory drinks are in order then!" he said. "Well, Catherine? You don't mind if I float the bill for his celebration, do you?"

"I like him more every time we meet," Sothis said.

"If you insist," Catherine said. "Although, I have to say I'm surprised you got this whole area. It's a lot bigger than the other offices."

"I was told it was compensation for having to live in a dorm," Byleth said.

"What? The dorm rooms aren't that bad," Catherine said. "A little cramped, maybe, but nothing terrible."

"Ah, what does it matter? We've got a cause for celebration and a lot of catching up to do," Alois said. He paused, noticing Byleth closing his notebook and storing the tome Rhea gave him in one of the many drawers in his desk which were notably all empty. "Oh, unless you're working overtime! I wouldn't want to make things difficult for you."

"No, I'm done for the night," Byleth said. "Just let me drop some things off in my room first."

"Sure thing," Alois said. "We'll walk with ya."

Accompanying Byleth back to his room so he could leave his non-essentials behind, Alois took a moment to examine the living space. "Hmm. Interesting," Alois said as he took a few quick looks around.

"What is?" Byleth asked, placing the last of his class notes into his desk. He paused for a moment, realizing he likely could have simply left those in his new office's desk, and made a mental note to move items not explicitly related to himself over there.

"Your room. It's surprisingly homely," Alois said, examining the various flower arrangements placed around the area. "If it weren't for the weapon and armor stands at the back, I'd have thought this was a scholar's room. Books galore, neat and nice smelling, and you've even got snacks ready! The place looks much more put together than your room was, Catherine."

"To be fair, I went into that room knowing I'd only have it for a year," Catherine said. "Given Byleth's current situation as a Professor, he might be stuck here for a while… and now that I think about it, maybe you really do deserve that nice new office."

"It's one of the oldest rooms in the Monastery," Byleth said. "There are signs work was done on it multiple times, but its an old room. This one is probably newer."

"Well, if you're considering actual age, you were just given something pretty special," Catherine said.

"You know what you should do? Get a bunch of nice flowers for your office!" Alois said.

"I was thinking lilies or forget-me-nots," Byleth said. "But I'll think about it more the next time I'm gardening."

Leaving his room to follow Catherine and Alois towards town, Byleth once again felt as if he were being watched. "It's her again," Sothis said, floating a slight distance in front of him and glancing up towards the balcony that overlooked most of the Monastery. Even before he glanced back, Byleth knew Rhea was watching him yet again as he made his way into town. "Unsettling as she may be, it seems like her favor is quite… well, favorable. Though it might be interesting to show her a little sign that we're aware of her presence?"

Thinking about it for a few moments, Byleth moved one of his arms to scratch the side of his head. He concentrated, a dull glow enveloping his fingers and palm before he raised his hand higher and let out a very controlled spurt of fire, forming a little waving hand over his head for a moment before it quickly dissipated. "Was that fire magic?" Catherine asked, turning back to see Byleth drop his hand and the odd light behind him disappear.

"I felt a little chill," Byleth said with a nod.

"Even through all that armor?" Alois asked. "Have you been eating enough? Maybe we should start our night out with a meal rather than drinks."

"I'm fine with either," Byleth said, his focus more on trying to gauge Rhea's response. From this distance, he couldn't make out any details unless he turned around and focused on her, instead relying on Sothis' observations.

"She certainly noticed that, though I don't think she realized what it was," Sothis said. The girl giggled. "If anything, she seems a little confused."

Byleth decided he'd simply tell her about it if it ever came up in conversation, something he was sure they'd have much more of now that his workspace was adjacent to one of hers. Keeping that in the back of his mind, he let Alois take him and Catherine to an establishment more akin to a restaurant than a tavern, though the sign seemed to suggest otherwise. Once they had all settled in, each of them began their meals after a slight congratulatory toast from Alois on Byleth's new position and office.

A bit into their meal, Alois slowed down to speak. "You know, I've heard you're something of a natural at the whole professor thing, Byleth," Alois said.

"How so?" Byleth asked.

"I hear your popular with both the students and faculty," Alois said. "Plus, your class won that mock battle at the start of the year, and you'd only been teaching them for a little over a week when that happened! Do you have experience with this sort of thing? Maybe the Captain had you handling recruits often?"

"I rarely worked with the recruits," Byleth said. "I used to push them too hard. On my first day of teaching, Seteth gave me a warning because one of my students fainted after the training session and others were injured."

"Wait, really?! I don't remember hearing anything about that," Alois said.

"It was a discrete warning," Byleth said. "I've taken extra precautions against similar things happening now. I think I've acquired a better understanding of learning people's limits as well."

"Luckily, most of your class is full of exceptionally hard workers," Sothis said.

"Ah, so you're a quick study," Alois said. He chuckled. "The Captain must have trained you well."

"Not well enough to beat me," Catherine said with a smirk.

"True enough," Byleth said.

"Wait, you two fought? Whatever for?" Alois asked.

"Calm down, you old worry wart. It was a friendly match to see who'd win," Catherine said.

"So, training gear?" Alois asked.

"People like us can't test ourselves with training gear," Byleth said.

"I suppose… well, surely you didn't use Thunderbrand on him, right?" Alois asked.

"If we were going to decide who would win…" Catherine said with a shrug. Alois looked like he was about to say something, but Catherine cut him off. "We were being careful! Besides, I wasn't the only one not pulling any punches. This guy tossed a knife at me the moment the fight started to throw me off!"

"Wha-?!" Alois started, turning to Byleth.

"It wouldn't have hit anything important," Byleth said. He glanced at Alois. "Didn't you train with my father?"

"Ahh… well, I was his squire for a very long time. Fought alongside him for longer," Alois said. "Whenever he trained with our unit or his men, I trained with them. Why do you ask?"

"Didn't you spar with real weapons?" Byleth asked.

"Of course not," Alois said. He narrowed his eyes, as did Catherine. "Wait… don't tell me he did that with you?"

"We did. How else could you get a feeling for the consequences of an injury or knowing the real weight of a weapon striking your own?" Byleth said.

Alois and Catherine both paused at that, taking a moment to process what they just heard. They both blinked, glancing at one another with a look of confusion before turning back to Byleth. From what they could tell, he seemed to consider all of what he had just said completely normal and was simply going through his meal without a care in the world. Noticing the odd stillness, Alois quickly tried to remedy the situation. "Guess that kind of training must have 'steeled' you for the battlefield," he said with a grin.

Catherine's expression dropped at that, the woman immediately turning to the nearest bar maid and flagging her down. "Another round for the table," she said, getting a smile and nod for a response.

"I think it did," Byleth said.

"Err, right," Alois said, noticing his joke was either ignored or fell flat. "Anyways, back to how things are at the Monastery… how are you adjusting to your workload? It isn't too overwhelming or anything, is it? I hear you're going around the Monastery a lot more than most, so if you ever find yourself stuck with too many things to do, I'm happy to help!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Byleth said.

"Great! And don't be shy about asking for my help," Alois said. He chuckled. "We're practically siblings, after all."

"Would that make Leonie our niece?" Byleth asked, getting an odd look from Catherine. Alois let out a hearty laugh at that.

"I guess it would, wouldn't it!" he agreed. "Now that I think about it, we're all cut from the same cloth one way. We were all raised by Jeralt one way or the other, so we should have no trouble getting along!"

"Hold on. You were raised by Jeralt?" Catherine asked.

"Huh? Didn't I mention that before?" he asked.

"Not once since I've known you," Catherine said. "You were always busy calling yourself his right-hand man, but I had no idea the guy raised you."

"How thoughtless! What an embarrassing gaffe!" Alois said, seemingly surprised that Catherine didn't know this about him. "My parents died when I was small, and I came to live in the Monastery. It was an aimless existence. But sometimes, a knight would pass by, wearing magnificent armor. That knight was Jeralt! And the first time he laid his eyes on me, he made me his squire! What was he thinking, eh?"

"Sounds like something he'd do," Byleth said, recalling his father scouting the first person who happened to be available on multiple occasions with varying results.

"Seems like that practice came from finding a diamond in the rough if Alois' popularity is anything to go by," Sothis noted.

"No kidding! I don't think I'll ever fully understand his logic," Alois said. "Later, I heard the squire preceding me had died of a terrible plague. I looked a bit like him, and was about the same age, so Jeralt thought me a suitable replacement."

"Don't know if that makes it less weird or weirder," Catherine said.

"Yep. A little nutty, old Jeralt, there's no doubt about that," Alois said. "Quite a character. All that was more than 30 years ago… How time flies."

"He recruited you young," Byleth said.

"That's right. I wasn't even 15 years old at the time," Alois said. He sighed. "Well, Jeralt hardly seems to have aged a day since then. In fact, over drinks, he once told me… Ah, perhaps that's a story for another day."

"What?! We were just getting to the good stuff!" Catherine said as she finished her drink.

"Maybe, but tonight wasn't supposed to be me prattling on about ol' Jeralt," Alois said. "Though I suppose I did tell you both a lot about me. Byleth, now that you know my story, I hope you understand why I feel a strong sense of attachment to you. If you're ever in a bind, just give me a holler. I'll help however I can."

"Likewise," Byleth said.

"Oh, I doubt I'm ever as busy as you seem to be," Alois said. "Still, the offer is greatly appreciated. But truly, if I can take anything off your plate, don't hesitate to let me know."

"If you're that desperate for work, why not ask for more assignments?" Catherine suggested. "Goddess, how I'd love to get out on the field again. But I'm stuck here until the mission at the end of the month."

"Here's an opportunity for gathering information," Sothis chimed.

"Speaking of the mission," Byleth began, "how was the battlefield, Alois? Did you and Shamir have any trouble?"

Alois seemed to clam up a bit at the mention of the battlefield, but he kept himself composed. "It wasn't much of a battlefield after the first major battle," Alois said. "The majority of the elite Gaspard Knights were wiped out after Jeralt and the bulk of our forces faced them on open terrain. We had numbers and the high ground, so there wasn't much they could do. Still, Lord Lonato remains at large with a guerilla army… militia fighters that vehemently defend him."

"Militia… so he does have commoners fighting on the front lines," Catherine said with a grimace. She furrowed her brow. "Dammit… if I were out there, we could probably draw Lord Lonato out and finish this quickly."

"I… admit that trying something like that has definitely crossed my mind a few times out there," Alois said. "I've never enjoyed killing… and it feels a lot worse when I'm up against people who really think they're doing the right thing. I'm pretty sure my sour mood was why I got called back. Wasn't very good for morale."

"You shouldn't let your emotions get in the way of a job," Byleth said, recalling something Jeralt told a member who had doubter the morality of their actions. "All doubt does is distract you when you need to focus the most."

"… I know that," Alois said, almost in recognition of the saying. "Still, it can be hard sometimes."

"I suppose that's to be expected of someone with such heart," Sothis said. "Strong as he may be, this man could never be a demon… although that's admirable in its own right."

"Byleth has a point… you can cry, scream, beg for forgiveness, whatever lets you sleep at night when you're off the battlefield," Catherine said. "The moment you're out there, though, that has to go… but I guess being a family man yourself makes it a lot more difficult than for people like us."

"… Ah, what am I doing?!" Alois said, running his hands through his hair. "I just got done telling you to count on your big bro and now I'm the one getting consoled! Augh, what a way to start things off."

"People have different strengths," Byleth said.

"True enough… say, Byleth, you spent a really long time as a mercenary," Alois said. "You have any tricks for getting things like this off your mind? Aside from drinking yourself into a stupor, of course. I don't really agree with that method."

Pausing to think for a moment, Byleth shook his head. "I don't," he said.

"Really? Don't tell me… are you afraid of ghosts too?" Alois asked.

"Not at all," Byleth said. Part of him considered saying that his best friend was a ghost, but he had a feeling that wasn't something to tell people casually.

"Afraid of what?" Catherine asked, a bit shocked by Alois' question.

"Then… what do you think of the people you've killed?" Alois asked.

"How much gold they were worth," Byleth said, finishing up the last bit of his meal. Alois and Catherine had fallen silent at that, so after he finished his meal, Byleth continued. "I try to gauge whether or not I'm being underpaid for my services."

"… Damn, and I thought Shamir was ice cold," Catherine muttered.

"Uhh… right. M-maybe I'll speak with the Captain about this… a-after all, he's here to offer that strangely good advice again, ahaha," Alois said, forcing a small laugh.

"Sorry I couldn't help. Father probably has better advice than I do," Byleth said.

"… Hey, can we get another round of drinks over here?" Catherine called, deciding she and Alois needed one after learning that about Byleth. She had a feeling they were going to have a night that called for more drinking than talking.