It was the 3rd of the Wyvern Moon. Presea opened her eyes with a faint whimper and stared up at the ceiling. Slowly, she sat up in the bed and looked around the room. She recognized it as the infirmary. She saw the empty bed beside hers, noticing the sheets were astray. Combing her fingers through her snowy locks, she felt the tips were wet. Confused, she looked to the table located beside her bed and saw a once white cloth now red soaking in a bowl containing water tainted with blood.

Presea was startled when she heard a groan. Looking at the foot of the bed, she saw Claude bent over in a chair. His head rested on his arms, which were folded on top of the bed. His eyes were closed, signaling to Presea the boy was asleep. She smiled and reached toward him. Her fingers tangled in his brown tresses as she stroked the top of his head. When he mumbled in his sleep, she thought her ministrations woke him up, but that wasn't the case. Claude's eyes remained shut as a peaceful smile found its way onto his face as he slept.

Wishing to walk around for a short while, Presea unraveled herself from the sheets and gradually got to her feet without disturbing Claude. As she was checking over her body, she noticed her tattered uniform was traded for an intact one. The wounds under the long sleeves were healed entirely, but there were a few deeper ones on her legs that had yet to heal. She lifted her arm and examined her face, feeling the cuts that were once scattered across her skin, were vanishing. She sighed in relief and stretched carefully, feeling a small tug in her lower back and legs from stiffness. After sliding her shoes on, Presea glances one last time at Claude before leaving the infirmary.

The sun was just rising. Presea walked down to the first level of the monastery and headed to the greenhouse. Knowing the students of the Officer's Academy were still sleeping, she made sure to remain quiet as she approached the dormitory. She remembered how Claude was sleeping at the foot of the bed and wondered how long he'd been sleeping in the infirmary. Regardless of how eager she was to learn the answer, she shook her head and decided to wait to hear it from the boy himself once he woke up.

Once at her destination, Presea went to tend to the dahlias, but she realized someone had been taking care of them in her stead. She mentally shuffled through a list of people who she was close with and only three people knew about her dahlias—Marianne, Byleth, and Claude. Out of the three, she was unsure who was the one to take care of the flowers during her unwilling absence. She wanted to know who so she could properly thank them. With the dahlias needing no attention for the time being, Presea decided to tend to the other flowers, fruits, and vegetables currently being grown in the greenhouse.

Minutes turned into hours. The sun had risen into the sky and the once quiet monastery was quickly becoming lively as the students and professors woke from their slumber. Eventually, she was joined by the greenhouse keeper and a couple of students. Once she was finished tending to the vegetation, she left the greenhouse and headed for the reception hall.

Presea arrived at her destination and encountered a breathless Claude. He was hunched over, hands placed on his knees as he caught his breath. The young girl smiled as she clasped her hands behind her back. "Never seen you run so fast, Claude."

He pushed himself to his full height, a bead of sweat cascading down his cheek. "Oh, y'know, just looking for someone who escaped the infirmary. You wouldn't happen to know them, would you?"

"Hmm..." Presea hummed with a playful smirk. "Nope. Sorry."

"A shame, really," Claude chuckled lightly. "You two would get along. You're both very similar."

"I'll have to meet them sometime."

"All joking aside..." Claude sighed. "You need to return to the infirmary. What if you reopen your wounds?"

"Claude, I'm fine," she replies. "I've been bedridden for the past three days, and my wounds are nearly healed."

"You truly are stubborn..."

Presea's grin widened. "I learned from the best."

After their short chat, they were joined by Byleth and Hilda. Claude couldn't hide his excitement for this month's mission, which Presea has yet to be filled in on. "It's finally time! The Battle of the Eagle and Lion at Gronder Field is this month. Don't tell me you forgot, Teach?"

"I know little about it," Byleth replied.

"Wait," Presea interrupted. "What battle?"

"Oh," Claude said, remembering she'd only awaken today. "That's right. You haven't been informed on what's happening this month. The Battle of the Eagle and Lion is one of the academy's annual traditions. It's a huge mock battle between the three rival houses."

"I hear the Battle of the Eagle and Lion will be held in Gronder Field, far away from Garreg Mach," Hilda said.

"The house that defeats the most opponents wins. It's a three-way battle that relies heavily on strategy. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?" Claude asked, glancing between Byleth and Presea.

"Yes, it does," Presea smiled. "I can't wait!"

"Glad to see you're excited about it," the house leader said. "This time, I've got tons of schemes I want to try and you're a part of each one."

"You just want to use my magic, don't you?" She sighed with an eye-roll.

"Yes and no," Claude stated. "After seeing that spell use used to trap the Death Knight, I've formulated quite a few new ideas."

Hilda interrupted the duo's conversation. "Hey, Claude, what about Professor Manuela? Do you think she'll be able to join us despite her injuries? And what about Presea's wounds? Shouldn't she still be resting?"

"I know Presea'll be joining us. Just look at her," Claude said with a chuckle, gesturing to said girl. "Pterolykoses apparently heal much quicker than us so she'll be able to join the battle, but I'm afraid Professor Manuela is sitting this one out, as is Professor Hanneman." Claude then mimicked Hanneman's voice. "As my persistent rival will not be present, it only goes to follow that I must also sit out this year's battle. Now leave me be, Claude!"

"Even though Professor Manuela is still recovering from her injuries, she still has dedicated her time to healing Flayn and Presea," Hilda replies.

After hearing about Manuela and Hanneman, Byleth made a decision. "In that case, I must sit out, too."

Unexpectedly, the trio was joined by the two people they were chatting about. "Oh, don't worry about us. You know you wanna see the kids in action," Manuela said.

"If it isn't our own Professor Manuela!" Claude jubilated. "All things considered, you're looking well."

"Thanks to all of you. But I'd only be a burden out there. My students don't need to see me collapsed. Well, not on the battlefield, anyway." Manuela then smiled at Presea. "It's a shame I do not share the same healing attributes as you, Presea."

"Does that mean you really won't be joining us for the battle?" Hilda inquired.

Hanneman nodded. "Correct, we will not be participating. Regardless, do not expect victory to come easily. Or at all."

"Well put," Manuela responded. "We've spent the past few months pushing our students to their limits. You can see me in the infirmary after they destroy you."

Byleth shook his head in disfavor. "This doesn't seem fair..."

Manuela giggled. "Oh my, look at you. If you're as confident as all that, my students will walk all over you."

"We have taught our students well. There is no need to hold back. Challenge them with everything you have!" Hanneman proclaimed.

The two professors walk away, leaving the trio to themselves. Hilda watched as they retreated from the reception hall in the direction of the cathedral. "I feel like we're cheating all because Pressy's on our side. And now that we have the professor, it's like we're cheating twice as much."

Claude slung an arm over Presea's shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Presea's been our trump card since the beginning. But now we have two thanks to Teach. We'll win the battle by a landslide."

<—————<<<<

On the 19th, Presea was able to return to her normal schedule. She had healed completely two weeks ago, but Manuela wouldn't let her return to her normal life until she was positive all her wounds were healed. Now, she stood by the fishing pond and watched the students enjoy the fishing tournament. Flayn, out of everyone, was enjoying it the most. She was happy to see the emerald-eyed girl enjoying her time, especially after what happened to her last month.

Ever since waking up, Presea's head was filled of the horrible memories from her time being kidnapped. She couldn't piece together why the Death Knight would capture her, too, but she knew she wouldn't get that answer until coming face to face with the man again.

"Hey," a voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She turned her head, noticing her best friend standing beside her. "Do you plan on entering the fishing tournament, Claude?"

"Nah, I'm not good at fishing," he admits. "What about you?"

"In this form, no."

This grabbed the brunette's full attention. "Does that mean you can catch fish in your second form?"

Her smile morphed into a grin. "Wanna see?"

"You know I do."

Her smirk festering, Presea put some distance between her and Claude. She transformed, swishing her plush tail back and forth. Turning her gaze to the pond, she stared down into the water. She could feel multiple sets of eyes on her as she howled before plunging headfirst into the refreshing liquid.

Claude searched the pond and saw Presea's silhouette underneath. She swam toward a large fish, securing it between her teeth before resurfacing. She climbed out of the pond, forcing Claude to take a few steps back. The brunette hastily covered his face when the wolf shook the water from her fur. He lowered his hands and gasped at seeing the large fish Presea caught. "That's a pretty big fish."

Closing the distance between them, Presea nudged her wet nose against Claude's hand with a faint whimper. Confused, the boy placed his hand on the top of her head. "What's wrong?" The winged wolf sat on her hind legs and stared up at him with glistening, pleading eyes. He squatted down in front of her, stroking her fur. "Don't tell me you—"

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Claude and Presea turned their gazes to their left after hearing two pairs of footsteps. Standing a few feet away were Catherine and Shamir.

"Are you entering the fishing tournament, Claude?" Shamir questioned, gesturing to the fish in Presea's mouth.

"Oh, no, that's—" Claude was interrupted by the wolf beside him.

Presea whimpered, silencing the boy. She walked over to Shamir and placed the fish in the basket that the woman was carrying. Catherine watched the Pterolykos closely. "You want to use this fish as your entry?"

The canine turned back around to Claude, gripped the hem of his shirt, and tugged him toward the two women. Shamir was able to understand what she was trying to convey and nodded. "Understood. This fish will be Claude's entry."

"Whoa, wait a second," Claude said, but Catherine and Shamir ignore him and walk away. He sighed in exasperation, glancing downward at Presea, who was still hanging on to the hem of his shirt. "You're just unpredictable, you know that?"

Presea released Claude's shirt, howling in response. He chuckled, smiling down at her. "Guess we'll see who caught the biggest fish." The house leader sat down on the edge of the pond, stretching out one of his legs while propping up the other. Presea laid down next to him, her long and plush tail winding around his back.

Unconsciously, Claude rested a hand on Presea's tail and enjoyed its softness as they waited to hear the results of the fishing tournament. After an hour, the winner was announced. When Claude heard his name, he nearly fell into the pond as he quickly climbed to his feet in order to accept the prize. Once he did, he left the fishing pond with Presea by his side.

<—————<<<<

The 27th of the month rolled around quicker than anyone thought. Now, it was time for the battle between the three houses. Byleth has prepared his students as best as he could, confident they would be victorious. Presea, at the command of the professor, had worked beside Flayn the past week. She was overjoyed after learning the emerald-haired girl had joined the Golden Deer. She was more than grateful to have another healer and magic wielder on their side.

The three houses departed from the monastery, their destination being Gronder Field. The students were excited for the upcoming battle and began last-minute preparations.

Claude glances around as the Golden Deer separates from the Blue Lions and Black Eagles. "So this is Gronder Field..." Then, he eyes Byleth. "Hey, Teach. Not a bad place to wage war, is it?"

"How so?" Byleth asked.

"Plenty of places to hide, and our pick of paths to advance through. It's the perfect battlefield for our tactics. I have my eye on that low hill over there. See it? It's the ideal spot to lure our enemies to, and then surround them with fire."

The professor shook his head with a scowl. "Fire is unacceptable."

Claude chuckled. "Gotcha, Teach! I know, I know. We want all students to make it back to the monastery. With you in command, we can't lose. The Imperial princess and the crown prince don't stand a chance." His eyes trailed over to Presea, who was standing next to him. He leant closer to her, whispering in her ear. "But you're still planning on using that new spell of yours to wipe out the other classes, right?"

"Only if the professor approves," Presea stated.

"Approve of what?" Byleth asked after overhearing.

"During this last month, I learned a new spell. Claude has insisted I use it during the battle."

The professor was intrigued by the news. "How does this spell work?"

"It will take some time to cast, but if I can get to a high vantage point, I will be able to take out as many students as possible. I assure you, the spell won't harm the students. It'll paralyze them for a short while," she informed Byleth.

"C'mon, Teach," Claude begged. "It's a pretty good scheme, and it doesn't involve fire."

The professor thought for a while before deciding. "All right. We'll create a path toward the hill. I'll send a few students ahead to intercept the other houses while the rest of us remain behind on protective detail."

"I can smell victory already," Claude grinned.

The rest of the Golden Deer join the trio after scouting the battlefield. "Professor! Claude! Presea! What are you three talking about?" Hilda asked.

"What do you expect?" Lorenz retorts. "It's Claude. I expect he was foisting more of his ill-advised schemes on our poor professor and classmate."

"Oh, you have me all figured out, Lorenz. You know me better than I know myself," Claude rebuttals sarcastically.

"Win or lose, it's an honor just to participate in the legendary Battle of the Eagle and Lion!" Ignatz proclaimed excitedly.

"We've got to win so we can show Captain Jeralt what we're made of!" Leonie cheered.

"Yes! I'm ready! Let's go!" Raphael chanted beside his classmates.

"Haha," Flayn giggled. "I shall give it my all!"

"I'll just...stay quiet and follow along so I don't get in anyone's way," Marianne meekly mumbled.

Lysithea shook her head, glancing at the girl. "That will not be acceptable, Marianne. The whole point of this exercise is for each house to act as one."

"Do your best!" Hilda spurred on her companions. "I can't wait to see how well everyone does."

Claude nodded with a wide grin. "All right, sounds like Hilda will be taking control of a central hill and watching the battle from there." Hilda gasped with a horrified expression. Before she could respond, the house leader continued. "It's almost time. Come on, Teach! The battle starts now!"

<—————<<<<<

Above the vast field, Rhea and Seteth stand on a cliff as trumpets begin to play. Peering down at the battlefield, they watch the student face-off against one another.

Dimitri advances from between soldiers cladded in armor and lifts his lance to point toward the other classes. "You all should know... I am not about to go easy on you today."

Claude walks forward from among soldiers in yellow, resting his bow on his shoulder. "As long as we can pull off the win, it doesn't matter how."

Edelgard stands before soldiers dressed in red armor, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she speaks. "Our victory must be absolute...no matter what it may take." Her soldiers draw their swords.

Byleth raises the Sword of the Creator and looks up towards the cliff. Seteth stands beside a soldier. "It is time." The man beside him raises a flag.

Edelgard lifts her hand and gestures toward the other houses as she speaks. "Forward! Now!" The Black Eagles surge forward, yelling.

Dimitri's lance is lifted into the air. He lowers and points it forward. "For honor!" The Blue Lions run toward the enemy with their own battle cry.

Claude, remaining silent, lifts his arm and his soldiers advance.

Rhea and Seteth stand in silence and watch as the students begin the battle.

<—————<<<<

"So, we just gotta get Pressy to the central hill, right?" Hilda asked. "Sounds easy enough."

"I wouldn't take the other houses lightly, Hilda," Ignatz warned.

"It'd be best to exceed caution," Lysithea added.

"Let's win this!" Raphael cheered.

The Golden Deer rush into battle. Leonie, Lysithea, Marianne, Raphael, and Ignatz push forward as they reach the central hill. The five students were on the frontlines while Byleth, Claude, Lorenz, Flayn, and Hilda protected Presea once they reached their destination.

The cerulean-eyed girl stood on top of the hill and began preparing her incantation. A magical circle encompasses the ground underneath her as it radiates a golden light. Claude remained the closest to her, protecting her from the other students. As he pushed back one of the Black Eagles, he couldn't help but ask, "So, Princess, how long do you think this is gonna take?"

"The spell will only take a few minutes to prime," Presea responded, a golden spear forming between her palms. "Just keep the other houses occupied."

Claude winked at her. "We've got you covered." A smile appeared on her face, but her focus remained on the spell.

Byleth dealt a crushing blow to the Black Eagles by taking down Hubert and Dorothea alongside Lorenz. Flayn and Hilda teamed up, knocking out Felix and Sylvain from the Blue Lions. While those four dealt with more students coming from the south and west, Dimitri approached from the east. Wielding his lance, he came face to face with Claude. When he saw the spell Presea was conjuring, he tried to switch targets, but a single arrow embedded in the ground between his feet stopped him.

"I don't think so, Your Royalness," Claude proclaimed. "Your opponent is gonna be me."

"What scheme are you brewing, Claude?" Dimitri asked, looking past the Golden Deer house leader and toward Presea.

"Just one where the Golden Deer come out victorious," the brunette smirks confidently.

"Then I am obligated to intervene." The blonde gripped his lance tightly before charging forward. "I will happily face you, here and now. Do not hold back, Claude!"

Claude ducked, dodging the prince's attack. He grabbed another arrow and fired. He frowned when it bounced off the opposing house leader's weapon and promptly unsheathed another arrow from the quiver slung across his back. Dimitri closed the distance between him and Claude, trying to disarm the brunette.

Seeing his bow was more of a nuisance due to Dimitri engaging him in close combat, Claude switched to a sword. It had been a recommendation of Presea's at the beginning of the month for him to learn how to wield a sword, which he agreed with a little hesitation. Now seeing he was in need of lessons outside of the bow, he was grateful to have beginning to learn the way of the sword. He no longer had to fear an enemy getting too close now he knew how to use a sword.

Dimitri was flabbergasted when Claude unsheathed a sword. "When did you...?"

"Just recently. You can thank Presea for the suggestion." Claude shoves Dimitri back, causing him to stumble backward from the sudden push.

Before the boys could exchange another round of attacks, a chill crept down their spine as they felt an immense power. Turning around, the two house leaders stared at Presea as an immense golden sphere now hovered above her. Dimitri took a few steps back in fear while Claude simply smirked at the sight. "Well now, would you look at that."

From the sphere erupted a barrage of golden spikes. They flew in all directions, targeting everyone except for the Golden Deer. One by one, the students fell to the ground. Dimitri collapses with a groan when one of the golden spikes struck him in the chest. "What sorcery is this?" He couldn't lift a finger as his body was complete paralyzed.

"Not really sure myself, to be honest," Claude shrugged, sheathing his blade. "But it's pretty cool."

The golden sphere shattered. Presea sighed, placing a hand against her chest and feeling her heart race within. "Did we win?" She scanned the battlefield, noticing the Golden Deer were the only ones left standing.

"This is the end of this year's Battle of the Eagle and Lion!" Seteth announced. "And the winners are...the Golden Deer!"

Cheering echoed across Gronder Field as the Golden Deer celebrated their victory. Presea smiled but suddenly yelped in surprise when two arms wrapped around her and hoisted her into the air. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around the person as they spun around with her in their embrace. "C-Claude!" She yelled out.

"Hey, we won!" He clarified. "I can get as excited as I want. This is a victory worthy of a feast! We did so well, there's no way we didn't secure that prize."

"I understand your excitement, but...could you put me down?" Presea asked.

Claude did as she asked without complaint. He placed her back on the ground, grinning in the process. "Sorry. Got caught up in the heat of the moment."

Presea smiled at him before her gaze landed on the students of the other houses. They slowly got to their feet, Edelgard and Dimitri walking over with Byleth close behind.

"Well done, Claude," Edelgard congratulates the house leader. "I see your schemes are not to be underestimated."

Dimitri nodded in agreement. "Yes, I must wholeheartedly agree. As ever, I have proven to be no match for you."

"It is the utmost honor to receive praise from your royal–" Claude chuckled, unable to keep up the formalities. "I'm kidding, of course. Really, though, I was lucky to have Teach and Presea on my side. In all honesty, you two made us work for it. If we had to face you again, there's no telling which way it would go. What do you think, Teach, Pres?" The brunette asked. "How did the other houses fare?"

"The Blue Lion house was very strong," Byleth comments.

Dimitri smiled faintly at the compliment. "I appreciate that. Still, it is clear that I must continue to be rigorous in my training."

"The Black Eagles were also worthy opponents," Presea said.

Now Edelgard was the one smiling. "Not strong enough, clearly. If there's ever a next time, know that I plan to wipe that smile from your face."

"You know where to find me when you're ready for another battle," the ivory-haired girl snickered.

"In any case, I hope the day never comes when we have to put this experience to use," Claude confesses.

"Agreed," the leader of the Blue Lions stated. "I would hate to know a future in which I'm forced to cross swords with you."

"I wouldn't mind. I'll accept a challenge from either of you at any time," Edelgard proclaimed before giggling. "Heh, I'm kidding, of course!"

"Well, now that the three-way battle has ended in an Alliance victory, I daresay it's time for some post-battle reconciliation. The victor has but one request. Hear me out... When we get back to Garreg Mach, let's have a grand feast to bring down the walls between our respective houses. And by a "grand" feast, I mean a fairly regular feast in the dining hall," Claude said.

Presea's eyes glistened in hope. She clasped her hands together, pressing them against her chest with a giddy smile. "Oh, can we have peach cobbler for dessert?"

"Didn't you have that for dessert yesterday?" Claude questioned with a raised brow.

The younger girl looked everywhere but at her best friend. "Maybe..."

Even with a sigh of disbelief, Claude couldn't help but smile. "I'll make sure you get your peach cobbler, Pres."

Said girl grinned triumphantly. "Yes!"

Dimitri thought for a few seconds before coming to a conclusion. "Hmph. I accept your proposition. Please notify me once your preparations are complete."

"It seems I have no choice but to drown my sorrow at losing in overindulgence," Edelgard exhaled. "I'll help you with the preparations."

Claude shook his head, placing a hand on his hip. "It's not a feast if you don't eat too much! Leave it to the Imperial princess to say such wonderful things."

"That's not exactly what I said, but... Ugh, forget it. Laugh all you want."

"Oh, if you insist! Hahahaha!" Claude bursted into laughter, noticing the joy on Byleth's face. "Hey, Teach. Looks like you're having a good time, too. Seeing you smile like that means we've got no choice but to have a great time tonight. Let's get going!"

Byleth nods with a smile before departing alongside the students of the Officer's Academy.

<—————<<<<

After the feast, the Golden Deer found themselves in the classroom without their leader or professor. Hilda shook her head in disapproval after recalling what happened to Claude during the feast. "Ugh, I can't believe our house leader ate so much he passed out. I guess he should just...sleep it off?"

"I'm sure he will come around in a little while," Presea said.

"Or maybe we should—Oh, Professor!" Hilda shouted in surprise, spotting Byleth enter the classroom. "Great work today!"

"As long as we have you, Claude, and Presea, the Golden Deer house is unstoppable!" Ignatz chanted with a wide smile casted in the professor's direction.

"I am sure we did not require Claude for our victory, but it certainly would not have been possible without our professor and Presea," Lorenz retorts.

"Haha!" Lysithea giggled. "I'm so pleased to be in your class, Professor. And it's truly an honor to be a classmate alongside Presea. You both truly bring out the best in us."

"Let's keep fighting! And winning!" Raphael cheered.

"I knew the tactics you learned from the captain would be something else. I better work harder to catch up!" Leonie said jubilantly. "And you helped me with training, Presea. I can't thank you enough!"

"I have had the opportunity to experience much. Please allow me to offer you both my gratitude once more, Professor, Presea," Flayn beamed.

"Because of you both, I managed to get through the fight without feeling like a burden. Thank you," Marianne expressed her gratitude.

"I hear Lady Rhea and Seteth are singing both your praises, too!" Hilda announced.

Byleth glances around at his students. "You all worked hard."

"You're always so modest!"

Presea looked away from her classmates. "Only the professor deserves your praise. I haven't done anything worthy of such kind words."

"You're joking, right?" Hilda asked. "Even though you had just recovered from your injuries, you helped all of us this past month! You even went behind Professor Manuela's back so you could help us! I mean, you even got Claude to pick up a sword! With your lessons and the professor's, we were able to win today's battle!"

Feeling a hand being placed on her shoulder, Presea looked to her left and saw Byleth. "You need to give yourself more credit."

Suddenly, the Golden Deer heard footsteps and turned to the door. Claude entered the room with a slightly dazed expression. "You really showed them, Teach! I would really hate to be on your bad side. And yours," he said, pointing at his best friend. "You get kind of scary when it comes to your spells, Pres. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of your incantations."

"Oh, look. Claude has been revived," Hilda announced.

Claude, ignoring the pink-haired girl, continued. "Teach's tactics were ingenious and has somehow mastered the power of the King of Liberation's Relic." He turned to face Presea. "And then, you whipped up that freaky spell of yours. You both really are incredible. Though you two can be a bit absentminded at times. Your minds are like giant bowls with tiny cracks in them..."

"Is...that an insult or a compliment?" Presea mumbled.

"Claude," Hilda sighed. "Saying that only makes your own mind bowl seem tiny."

"How dare you! My bowl is much bigger than Teach's! But it is kind of smaller than Presea's, I think. Unfortunately, mine doesn't just have a crack. The whole bottom of my bowl is missing."

"In other words, you are the absentminded one, not our professor or Presea," Lysithea remarks.

Ignatz nodded with an amused smile. "That's true. He just admitted it."

Marianne giggled. "Hehe!"

It had been a while since the Golden Deer heard the girl laugh. Ignatz glances at the smiling girl. "It's unusual to hear you laughing, Marianne. Your smile is really cute."

"I agree. You really don't know how beauti—eh... Never mind," Lorenz quickly interrupted himself before he could finish his sentence.

"It feels so great to laugh and joke around like this, doesn't it?" Hilda suddenly turns and spots something outside of the classroom. "Hm? Well, look at that. Someone's having a secret rendezvous in the courtyard..."

Everyone looks away then departs, leaving only Byleth, Claude, and Presea behind.

"All joking aside, I'm having trouble sizing you up, Teach," Claude stated. "The honest truth is that I'd hate to have you as an enemy. If possible, I wish for you to fight by my side. If I could use the Sword of the Creator, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. I bet if I could use it, you would trust me, too... Right? That selflessness may be what I like best about you."

Presea felt a tinge of jealously after listening to her best friend. She knew he only wanted to use the professor in order to achieve his dream, but she still couldn't push away the feeling Byleth would make a better partner since he could wield the Sword of the Creator. Turning on her heels, she walked out of the classroom, ignoring Claude as he called out to her with a confused tone.