"I, Ernest Schmidt, the illegitimate son of Volkhard von Arundel, known only to some as Thales, swear allegiance to you now and in the future to achieve your goals and objectives. Now and always, you have my word," Ernest said to Byleth. She was in a strange situation: never received such a sign of loyalty. Nor would she have expected it. That boy was simply a rival. A very strong one, of course. But she didn't expect that level of 'respect.'
"Ehem ..." Byleth couldn't gather the words to speak.
"I'm listening, Byleth...." Ernest's cold, hard gaze had turned tender.
"I, Byleth Eisner, swear you will be my trusted ally in this endless struggle for peace. Together we will bring a future of prosperity and harmony to this land and defend it against those who seek to destroy it. With the Goddess as a witness, I wish these promises unite us until the end."
"What... We've been formal," Ernest said, then laughed a little. "Excuse me... My attitude. I brought out my "killer" side with you. I needed to convince myself so I could face you with everything."
"Don't worry, Ernest," Byleth replied with a slight smile. "You have shown that you are a formidable opponent, and I know your skill will be a great asset for the fight ahead." She rubbed her head a little, searching for how to continue. "But I'd rather see that "killer" side of you only when necessary. Understand?"
"It's true, professor." The boy stared at the floor as he got up. "I got carried away in several ways today. Let's say... I need some clarification. My personality today is not what I try to show daily... I hope I haven't offended Hilda too much. I didn't have to offend her."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Byleth said with his typical calm expression. "Despite how lazy she may appear outside; Hilda is very good at standing her ground."
"I got that impression, too," Ernest replied. "That's why I used his brother's."
"Well... It's important to think before you speak. If you fall back into that, you can consult me. I will always be...."
"Happy to advise my students, right?" the boy replied, smiling. "I'll take you at your word... It's not like I'm very tactful with women."
"You're funny... I must give you that," the teacher replied, putting away her sword. "Women are people, too, as obvious as it may seem. You must be respectful and kind, like with anyone else. And well, if you need help with how to do something, I repeat: I can advise you. I am not an example in that area, but it will become easier as we learn."
"Together? Ehmm ... Yes, it's okay to learn how to treat people; Yeah."
That answer from Byleth took Ernest by surprise. He didn't know, but he had started thinking about her as a woman until then. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous. It was not for lowerly; Byleth was, in addition to being a great warrior and teacher, a beautiful woman. Her blue-toned hair, her fine-featured face, her smooth skin despite her combat wounds, and her attractive figure were something that no one was indifferent to.
Meanwhile, Byleth was overseeing Ernest. She didn't understand the boy's calm and even somewhat shy attitude now. "Is he really that dissociated or fragmented? How traumatic would your childhood have ended up being to fall into that condition? she thought as she stared at the young man. However, she should stop looking at him so much. It was his teacher, after all.
"I was wondering, Ernest...." Byleth spoke to try to break the ice. "When was the last time you used these killer 'arts'?"
"Um..." Ernest had a hard time answering that question. "About four years ago, Byleth. I still have horrible memories of those last days as an assassin."
Byleth watched Ernest for a moment. Every time she noticed more crestfallen. She did not know very well what to do. The professor could only approach him and put her hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Together, we will find answers... And ways to find solutions for your grief. You can tell me about what you have experienced, lived... and suffered. But all in due time."
"It's true...." Ernest replied, looking up at the sky. "It's late, I guess."
"It's true." Byleth stood facing the man, holding out his hand. "One last thing: you have my word, Ernest. I will allow you to show all your skills, including your magic sword skill. And I promise not to be considerate of you in class."
"I expected no less of you, Professor," Ernest replied with a laugh. "I don't want leniency from you."
"Now, let's get ready. We have a long journey ahead of us and many tough fights. But we will pull through and bring peace to this world."
-Well said!" The man replied, squeezing and shaking Byleth's hand hard. "I think I overreacted with my emotion... We better walk."
Byleth was somewhat stunned by Ernest's changeable and unpredictable attitude. He would go from harshness of character to sadness, anger, and then to excessive euphoria or laughter. "I don't understand; it should be flat, finished, or be... Like me," Byleth thought as they walked together through the corridors. Something was bothering her. Something on her... Chest?
"Well, this is where we say goodbye," Ernest said, looking fondly at Byleth. "That little cellar will be my room... It's what they could give me for a while, ha."
"I see... But the home is dignified by each one. Ernest."
"I suppose it too. You always have a phrase for everything, you know?" Ernest replied, trying to provoke his teacher.
"I suppose... As you say," Byleth smiled subtly before saying goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Ernest... I'll wait for you on time in class."
"Likewise, Professor... See you."
Byleth walked without keeping her eyes on Ernest, who was entering his 'room.' She continued walking to her bedroom. Once she arrived, the woman put down her sword and went straight to change out of her sweaty clothes into the pajamas. Suddenly, she saw how Sothis appeared to her.
"That was a tough battle, friend," Sothis said with a laugh.
"Absolutely," Byleth replied, pulling on her pajama top. "I didn't expect such skill, strength, and tenacity from a student to tell the truth."
"Oh, and because of the emotions it produced in you, right?" The little girl added, trying to annoy Byleth.
"I don't quite know what you mean... The battle indeed produced many emotions in me. But the most important thing was to verify what my will was."
"Yes, I know that," the apparition replied. "But I want to be more direct: do you feel your heart beating?"
"Yeah, I guess," the woman replied curiously. "What's with that? It must be because of the intensity of the battle."
"'The intensity of the battle'..." Sothis replied, pissed off. "Surely it would be that... Or it will be that the new student is attracting your "curiosity" in other ways."
"I couldn't tell you that," Byleth replied, understanding now what Sothis meant. "Wouldn't it be too soon to decide that?"
"Such things are not decided, from what I've seen among humans. But if you want to see it from your point of view, you must indeed give time to time and see what happens between...."
"Nothing can happen," the teacher added, settling into her bed. "He is a student, and I am his teacher. It was good that you told me about this. So, I can clarify how to proceed and what to do with these emotions."
"Erm... Good luck with that," Sothis replied, beginning to pace the room. "You are not aware of all the things that start to awaken in you to the extent that I have awakened within you, don't you think so?"
"The truth... It's hard to get used to everything that having you inside me implies, Sothis."
"Well... Wait and see," said the little girl, sitting on the bed. "I do not know too. But heed my warning: It won't be that easy to dismiss the reaction you've had today. Believe me."
"Okay," Byleth replied, yawning. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must sleep."
"Good night, woman," Sothis finished, then disappeared.
Ernest had already gone to bed. He was staring at the ceiling, still unable to sleep. There were a thousand ideas in his head spinning around. It occurred to him that the best way to stop overthinking was to spit out some sentences that happened to him first.
"I came here to use Byleth Eisner's power to my advantage. Now it turns out that in a single day, I fell in love with her. How pathetic you are, Schmidt."
Ernest came to class the next day. Byleth saw him, and they greeted each other formally. The boy waited in his seat until Hilda arrived. He got up and approached her with a bow. Then, he gave the woman a gift to apologize for his attitude the day before.
"Oh...I wasn't expecting this, Ernest," Hilda said, her eyes bright. "They are truffles! I love them!"
"Wha... good that you liked them, Hilda," Ernest replied, rubbing his head.
"Mmh, they're delicious," said the pink-haired woman. "Where did you get this?"
"The truth is that.... I prepared them. I woke up early to prepare them."
"No... Now we have a pastry teacher in our class!" Hilda replied, more excited than ever. "You will have to apologize many more times to me. This would be great with a good tea.... Don't you think?"
"I prefer coffee... But yeah, I guess that's what they're made for."
"It's a deal then, Ernest...." Hilda declared, winking at the boy. "I get tea and coffee, and you make the sweets; done deal?"
"I don't see why not.... When possible, of course. I have a lot to review and study to catch up."
"Relax, I'm patient." Hilda moved away from the boy to go to her seat. "We'll talk later, Schmidt."
Byleth appreciated the new student's attitude toward Hilda. It was just what they had talked about. But at the same time, she felt discomfort in her chest. One she had never felt. The professor tried to shake off the feeling as she watched the two students start class.
Byleth walked to the front of the class with that calm but flat look she always had. However, underlying that behavior was some uneasiness. She had felt it since the duel with Ernest and then with her conversation with Sothis. It didn't change one iota when it was time to shower and get ready to start the day, and it only worsened when she saw how the boy and Hilda talked. Something was wrong. She couldn't explain it, but Byleth was sure.
"Very well, attention, everyone," Byleth roared. "Today, we will discuss the history of the Church of Seiros and its links to Fódlan. We will follow the development of the Church through the centuries and its growing influence in this world. It will be a collaborative activity in which we will contribute with our knowledge. After that, we will make an outline and a timeline to summarize everything reviewed today."
Ernest seemed quite motivated listening to the class, despite their sleepiness. Although he fell asleep after making his statement on air, he had to wake up at dawn to prepare the truffles for Hilda. As Byleth reviewed more current events from the Church and the Continent, Ernest wanted to know his teacher's opinion. He raised his hand to speak."
"Yes, Ernst; feel free to ask whatever you want," Byleth said.
"What has been the role the Church has attributed to itself when participating in recent conflicts? Has there been an end to mediation or to maintain a political hegemony over the continent?"
More than one partner repeated how direct Ernest was when asking questions. Although this time, his form had softened quite a bit. Likewise, Claude looked at the new one with laughter. "You like to put Byleth on the ropes, Ernest," thought the class representative.
"That's a good question," Byleth said before working out his answer. "It is true that, at times, the Church has had a political agenda in its participation in certain conflicts. For example, there have been cases where the Church could take control of land or territory previously held by another nation. However, it would be a mistake to generalize the Church's involvement in conflicts solely to gain power and influence. The Church has often sought to uphold peace and has played a role in negotiating peace treaties and agreements between warring factions. Therefore, their conflict participation has had many motivations and multiple results."
"I imagine there is no modus operandi, but it depends on the conflict and territory. I guess that trying to mediate during the rebellion of the seven would not have been the same as during the Tragedy of Duscur."
"Every conflict is different, and the Church is a multifaceted entity in its own right," the professor moved closer to the hallway so she could answer. "Regarding their involvement in conflicts, the Church has sought to preserve peace where possible and maintain a delicate balance of power between the different nations of Fódlan. This has sometimes meant taking sides in certain conflicts; other times, it has meant playing a more neutral role. It isn't easy to generalize a single approach to all their actions, but the purpose they wish to achieve is always, ultimately, to promote stability."
"And what would be the stability standard now?" Asked Ernest pointedly.
"Stability now would mean preventing new conflicts. Fódlan has been caught up in wars and bloodshed for too long, and people are tired of it. As a Church, we must do what we can to end the fighting and achieve peace. We want the people of Fódlan to live in a world where they can be safe and free from the threat of violence or persecution. We hope to achieve this in cooperation with the leaders of each nation."
The young man looked calm, but Byleth looked at his face and supposed that what he meant by his face was that "all that bunch of damned nobles and rulers along with the Church have fueled the war all this time." But beyond the substance, Byleth was genuinely grateful that Ernest dropped his confrontational, taunting tone. In truth, yesterday's student and today's student seemed like two different people.
"Thank you... I don't monopolize it anymore, Professor. Maybe someone else wants to ask."
She continued with the lecture, discussing more details of the growth of the Church's influence and its involvement in wars and conflicts throughout the centuries. Byleth was so passionate about teaching today that she forgot about the first break. Leonie, Hilda, and Raphael were already falling asleep. The Professor also saw how Ernest's eyelids were getting too heavy. Byleth chuckled at the effect of the new student on her mood.
"Perhaps we should resume the lesson tomorrow," the teacher said, then sighed. We'll do the outline and timeline first thing tomorrow morning. You guys can go, and I'll see you in an hour in the practice yard.
They all left the classroom at full speed, Ernest included. Byleth had only to laugh. The boy had said he liked it. She thought it was a good idea to go for a coffee too.
Once he reached the dining room, Byleth saw Ernest drinking from a cup alone in the corner. She felt relieved since she thought she would be together with Hilda during the break. The woman took advantage of the instance and approached him.
"You look sleepy, Ernest," Byleth said, sitting up, cup in hand. It looks like you got little sleep.
" Yaawn," the man yawned before answering. "Well, yes, the truth is that added to the lack of sleep... Turning on the "switch" of that assassin's capacity is very tiring. I push the limits of what my body should do. Despite being 19 years old, I don't have any more strength in that mode than when I was 15."
"Uhm... It's a particular situation." Byleth took a sip from his cup.
"How do you like your coffee, Byleth?"
"Oh." The woman's eyes widened more than usual at the question. I like... With three sugar cubes. With three rooms of hot water and the rest with cold water."
"How detailed your description," Ernest replied, laughing. "I like it bitter and as concentrated as possible. And hot enough, though not scalding hot either."
"I thought you'd like it that way, to tell you the truth," the woman replied, a giggly smile on her face.
"So Byleth Eisner can smile," the boy commented, staring at Byleth. "What a privilege to be the one to see you smile."
"Um..." The teacher kept her face serious and expressionless. "I guess. Since I got here, I think I've been able to start doing it."
"Uhm... It's strange to tell you the truth," Ernest replied, rubbing his chin as if he were conjecturing. "This change concerns the conditions that allowed you to wield the Sword of the Creator. But I'm only venturing."
"I don't know," Byleth replied, trying not to talk too much. "But... Arriving here changed the perspective I was used to."
"Sounds good to me," added the boy, smiling tenderly at his teacher. "Now, getting back to our thing... I must tell you more about myself. But not here... After the practice, we can meet in another place."
"I agree. Where could it be?"
"Uhm... In my room? It's far enough away from the rest of the rooms that no one will know what we're talking about. But I would have to finish ordering it. It has not been easy to condition her to consider her as such."
"Ha, I guess so," Byleth replied, offering a small smile. "At sunset, then?"
"It's a good idea."
"See ya then, Ernest," the woman said, getting up. "If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties. I was pleased to know that we share a taste for coffee. See you for training."
"See you, Professor."
The recess ended, and all the students gathered for their training. Byleth chose the pairs that would be formed to practice based on their abilities and areas of opportunity to continue improving. However, when it was time to assign someone to practice with Ernest, one of the students offered himself to pair up: it was Lorenz.
"I don't object, Lorenz," Byleth said seriously. "What is your interest?"
"Dear Professor," Lorenz began to say with his typical formality. "This nobleman, like a trained man in the use of Reason and combat arts at the same time, I want to verify if the magic swordsman skills that the new student commented on are such."
"I can satisfy your curiosity if that's what you mean," Ernest said, laughing and defiant. "What weapon will you use, Lorenz?"
"A spear." Lorenz moved away and returned with an iron spear. "I hope you will also take your weapon soon."
Ernest turned around to see the available weapons. To the surprise of those watching, the boy picked up a wooden sword. Lorenz found it a giant dare for his sparring partner to pick up a simple practice weapon.
"You look confident," said the noble Gloucester. "I hope you will not regret it."
"I won't do it. Isn't this a practice?"
"Okay, guys." Byleth entered the conversation to start the practice. "Go to your places and start your training right away."
Both Lorenz and Ernest prepared to start their fight. The noble started the battle. Before attacking his rival, he saw how Ernest's sword glowed slightly. However, instantly said glow went out. Lorenz was determined to attack. Using his spear, Ernest gracefully turned to the side and unbalanced Lorenz, forcing him back.
Byleth watched the engagement out of the corner of her eye, taking note of their positions and tactics. Lorenz seemed to be the better contender regarding basic technique, but Ernest had speed and agility on his side. Both students seemed to have a good grasp of the concepts of using their respective weapons, and she could see them putting their training to use, adjusting as the battle progressed.
Without realizing it, Byleth focused only on the confrontation between the two. Anyone couldn't blame her; the rest was the same. Within a minute, everyone saw how Lorenz began to pant with exhaustion. His hands ached. He thought of Ernest's strength, but there was something else. He didn't understand something and thought it would be some new student trap.
"Could you have some magic to exhaust me?" the nobleman asked, annoyed.
"No... I didn't put any magic on you if that's what you mean," Leonard said, slamming his sword into the ground, leaving a hole. Just increase the weight and forcefulness of my sword. That is why you have exhausted yourself from receiving my blows.
"Very good, that's enough, you two," Byleth commented, moving closer to the sparring couple. "You've both had a good chance to show your skills, and I'm very impressed. Good job, everyone."
Byleth couldn't help but show curiosity about the trick Ernest used. She walked over and stretched out her arm for the boy to hand over his sword. The woman took the weapon, realizing the sword was as heavy as a two-handed axe. She was somewhat puzzled by the strength of her student. Both had similar powers, she concluded.
"Hmm, it's certainly... heavier than I would have expected from a wooden sword. It's due to a spell to increase its weight, but without affecting its rigidity." Byleth slashed at the air with that sword. "Pretty impressive, Ernest. I'll have to talk to you more about this, after class, of course."
"The idea was to see if you could pick up on that trick, Lorenz," Ernest said, turning to his partner. "But you were more aware of your performance in battle."
"Then it's been a lesson for both of you, in that case," Byleth added, keeping Lorenz from feeling exposed by Ernest. "There must be a balance between attending to the environment and our abilities. Well, everyone, you can switch partners or use the training dummies alone."
Byleth felt motivated as she watched the class train more spiritedly after Lorenz vs. Ernest's matchup. The woman continued to tutor the practice session, explaining some specific points of combat technique and battle psychology. She kept an eye on all the students, ensuring that no one overexerted himself and that they all remained vigilant and careful while training.
Ernest stretched and yawned at the end of class for the day. It was going to get dark in a while. All the students ran out of the training ground, but the boy slowed things down, leaving him alone with Byleth.
"Thank you for everything today, Professor Byleth," Ernest said, bowing slightly. "It has been an intense day. You're quite a strict teacher, I must say."
"The pleasure is mine, Ernest," she replied, offering him another smile. "Let us go for now. See you in a while."
Ernest gave Byleth a warm smile and withdrew. He had to put his room in order, which was much less suitable for living in than the other students. It was almost a small deposit. He ran at full speed and, upon arrival, began to order. He managed to do it in record time.
Byleth arrived after a while. She knocked on the door and waited for the boy to receive her. Then, the woman heard a thunderous noise, possibly from a pot falling to the floor. Within seconds Ernest opened the door, using the pot as a hat. The teacher couldn't help but laugh when she saw the ridiculous scene.
"Um... You can come in, Professor."
"Thank you... Young soldier," Byleth replied, beginning to soften the relationship between the two.
Ernest offered the teacher a seat. The boy sat on the edge of his bed. He changed his embarrassed expression with that gloomy face he had shown the day before.
"I'll be direct and clear, Byleth," Ernest said, his voice hard. "The truth is that I know who my father is, and what I will tell you will be a significant event in the development of what is to come on this continent."
"I see... Ernest," she replied, returning to her flat facial expression. "Well, don't leave me in doubt. Tell me without reservation."
"My real father is Volkhard von Arundel, Edelgard's uncle and current Chancellor of the Adrestian Empire," Ernest's words left Byleth confused. "Well, Arundel stopped being himself a long time ago. He is currently none other than Thales, the leader of a group called 'Those Who Slither in the Darkness.'"