"The icy winds of the Oghma Mountains have begun to scatter, and the verdant fields once again spring to life across Fódlan, heralding the start of a new year. As they celebrate the dawning year, the people pray that they may realize their full potential, just as a tiny sprout hopes to one day grow into a great tree."

"The continent of Fódlan, said to be protected by a revered goddess, has existed since time immemorial. Three ruling powers now control the land. In the south lies a region long held by a more than one-thousand-year-old dynasty–the Adrestian Empire. Beyond its borders, to the frigid north, is the home of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, ruled by the royal family and its knights. To the east, a league of nobles that heeds no king nor emperor rules what is called the Leicester Alliance. Once consumed by a tempest of war and turmoil, Fódlan and these three mighty powers now exist in relative harmony."

[3rd Person POV]

"This will be your first time at the monastery. I'd be happy to show you two around." Dimitri, being the ray of sunshine he was, offered a metaphoric hand to Y/N and Byleth.

Currently, him, them, and the other two students were walking through the forest that was now illuminated by the golden star in the sky. In front of them, Jeralt, Alois, and the Knights of Seiros were having what seemed to be pleasant chat and catching up with one another.

"It really is Fódlan in a nutshell. The good and the bad." Claude remarked.

"Like it or not, we'll be there soon enough." Edelgard remained her steady self.

Byleth silently nodded and quietly watched Y/N closely out of the corner of her eye, both to make sure he wouldn't trip and out of instinct. The gut feeling that led to her believing something was off about him had minimized considerably after hearing his story and learning just what type of person he was, but there was still a lingering sense unease in her chest. It felt like something...else was staring a hole through the side of her head.

Soon, they stepped out of the forest and were able to see Garreg Mach Monastery in all of its glory. The massive white stone buildings almost seemed like they used to be rocks jutting out of the mountains before they were reshaped by the goddess's own hands to create the marvelous architecture standing atop the green plains in front of them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"...I'll take your word for it." Y/N walked ahead, tapping the ground in front of him with his walking cane, when he was suddenly yanked by the arm.

"We're going downhill now. Please be careful and stay right next to me." Byleth urged and pulled him closer.

"...Fine." The white-haired boy nodded and complied with the mercenary's request. 

"We'll leave you two to your own pace." Claude smirked and ushered his fellow lords ahead despite their protests, leaving Y/N and Byleth alone together.

"The Monastery... is it truly beautiful?" asked the blindfolded boy, a hint of curiosity in his question.

"Yes, it's quite amazing to see."

"Can... Can you describe it to me?"

"Um... I'm not that good with words but if you really want me to..." Byleth scanned the land. "Let's see... The outer wall is quite sturdy and imposing, but despite their imposing height, I can see some signs of wear in them. Not to mention, there's a lot of land between it and the monastery, so if anything were to happen outside, it would take some time for the inner sanctum to notice." 

Byleth continued to draw from an impressive wealth of vocabulary in order to describe how Garreg Mach Monastery looked from the outside. The inside, of course, was another thing entirely but that would have to wait until later.

"I see... Thank you, Byleth. Perhaps, you should take up a teaching position. I wouldn't mind being one of your students." Y/N said.

"You... think so?" Byleth discretely pinched herself when she heard Sothis fake gagging in her head, and the little girl yelped when she too felt the sharp pain.

The two didn't speak after that, mainly because Byleth spent that time pondering what she should actually do at the monastery. 

After a few minutes of silence spent carefully walking downhill, Y/N finally broke the quietness. 

"Your hair... It smells like lavender."

"What?" Shocked by the sudden comment, Byleth accidentally let go of Y/N and without her support, he lost his footing and...tumbled down the hill and past the three house leaders, Jeralt, and the Knights of Seiros.

"What the...?!" The hardened mercenary always thought he would be prepared for anything on this trek, but now he wasn't so sure as he heard his daughter shout the man's name and chase downhill after him.

* * * * *

Timeskip Brought To You By:

https://youtu.be/gNcok_3hRR0

* * * * *

"It's been years since I've last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now..." Jeralt wistfully sighed.

"You've been here before?" Byleth asked her father.

"I've never spoken of this to you before, but...many years ago, I was a knight here. I reported to the archbishop...Lady Rhea."

"Rhea?"

"As you know, the majority of folks in Fódlan are devout followers of the teachings of Seiros. The leader of that ridiculously large religious organization is the archbishop, Lady Rhea."

Right on cue, the archbishop entered the audience chamber along with her second-in-command, Seteth.

"Thank you for your patience, Jeralt. My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the archbishop."

"Right. Hello." Jeralt nodded and Byleth couldn't help but note the stiffness in her father's mannerism.

"It has been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder... Was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?" Rhea's tone and voice held an air of benevolence that defused all the tension in Byleth's body.

"Forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke."

"So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. That is your child, is it not?"

"Yes... She was born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to the mother of my child...but I'm afraid we lost her to illness."

"I see. My condolences. As for you..." Rhea glanced at Byleth. "I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What is your name?" 

"My name is Byleth."

"A fine name indeed. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officers Academy." The archbishop returned her gaze to Jeralt. "Jeralt. You already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?"

"You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don't you. I won't say no, but..."

"Your apprehension stings. I had expected that Alois would have already asked this of you. I must step away for now, but I expect they will desire a word with you soon. Please listen carefully to what they have to say. But before I leave..." Rhea's attention shifted to the third person standing next to them whose entire face was stuck in a ball of white bandages. "Who is this child?"

Jeralt awkwardly cheered his throat and nudged Byleth, the latter taking a sudden interest in the floor.

"Greetings, Lady Rhea," The bandaged person clawed the excessive wrappings off their face to reveal Y/N. "I've traveled afar, from the Ordelia territory in the Leicester Alliance to Garreg Mach Monastery as per my father's orders. Has my father Tomas sent for me?"

"You are Tomas's child? Yes, your father has spoke of you before..." Rhea frowned at the sight of his injuries. "But, who has harmed you, child?"

"..." Even with the black piece of cloth covering his eyes, Byleth swore she could still feel a judgmental stare. Strangely, it didn't feel like it came from Y/N, yet it was still from his direction. "...I have no one else to blame but myself for falling down the monastery's stairs, Lady Rhea."

"I see... Seteth, please escort this child to his father and make sure no other accidents fall upon him."

"Of course, archbishop." Seteth bowed and patiently guided Y/N towards the door. "Right this way."

Rhea smiled and nodded at Byleth and Jeralt. "Until tomorrow... Farewell." She bid them farewell and took her leave.

Soon enough, it was only Byleth and Jeralt left in the audience chamber.

"I can't believe it. Forced back into the Knights of Seiros. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while...and I'm afraid your services are requested as well."

"As a servant?"

"Nothing like that. They want you to teach, by the sound of it. You heard those brats earlier talking about the Officers Academy, right? Well, the academy just happens to be short a professor. And apparently that damned Alois went and recommended you to Lady Rhea."

"How strange..."

"Pardon the intrusion!" 

An older gentleman's voice echoed across the chamber as the two mercenaries looked to see a man with gray hair and a monocle approaching, followed by a younger woman who wore an outfit that certainly couldn't be appropriate for both the church and academy.

"So. You must be the new professor. My, how stern and handsome you are!" The woman winked at Jeralt.

"Er, no. I'm not the one you're looking for." The older mercenary turned to his daughter. "You can handle things from here. Good luck." On his way to leave, he whispered, "And...watch out for Lady Rhea. I don't know what she's thinking, making you a professor like this. She may be up to something. Stay on your guard." before finally taking his leave.

"Oh. It's you, then? So young..."

"Competence and age are not necessarily correlated, as you well know. I am Hanneman, a Crest scholar and professor at the Officers Academy. I wonder if you bear a Crest of your own. When next you have a moment to spare, I insist that you pay me a visit so we can delve into the subject further."

"I'm Manuela. I'm a professor, a physician, a songstress, and available. It's nice to meet you."

"You're a songstress?"

"Of course. Before I came here, I belonged to a renowned opera company. Perhaps you've heard of me? The Mittelfrank Opera Company's beautiful, peerless–"

"Spare our colleague the needless chatter, Manuela." Hanneman stopped her from rambling. "Now then, it seems you'll be taking charge of one of the academy's three houses. I expect you haven't yet been briefed on the nature of each, have you?"

"Do you really not know? Fine, I'll do you a favor and explain. The Officers Academy is comprised of three houses of students, each of which is closely affiliated with its region of origin. The Black Eagle House is for students from the Adrestian Empire. Their house leader this year is Edelgard, the Imperial princess, who is in line to be the next emperor."

"The Blue Lions House is for students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Their house leader this year is Prince Dimitri. He is to be the next king of Faerghus."

"Lastly, there is the Golden Deer House, which is for students of the Leicester Alliance. Their house leader is Claude, grandson to Duke Riegan, the leader of the Alliance."

"To think that the next emperor, king and sovereign duke are all here. It certainly is a promising year for the academy."

"I'll say. I just hope none of those little treasures cause any trouble."

"Hm, quite. For now, I suggest taking a stroll around the academy to get your bearings. And when you've a moment, please stop by my research laboratory."

"The old man has a point. Oh, and keep in mind that I've only notified the house leaders that you're our new professor. It's more fun that way. I suggest you try spending time with the students. Some odd ducks in that bunch, but they're good kids. I'm sure Lady Rhea will have more information for you tomorrow, but that should get you going. Good luck. You'll need it~"

Meanwhile, straight down the hall and after taking a right and left from the audience chamber, Y/N and Seteth finally arrived at the monastery's library. By now, the younger of the two had finished freeing himself from the confines of all the white bandages wrapped tightly around his face.

"Here's the library. Your father will be waiting inside."

"Perfect. Thank you, Mr. Seteth."

"Just Seteth will be fine. Before I let you go, however, I must inform you of an opportunity." Y/N tilted his head and Seteth took that as a confirmation to continue. "Rhea believes it would help you in the future if you were to enroll at the Officers Academy as a student. Seeing as Tomas has close ties to House Ordelia, should you choose to accept, you will be enrolled as a student of the Golden Deer House. Naturally, appropriate accommodations will be made to help throughout the school year to aid you on your academic progress. Your father has already been notified of this offer and I hope to receive an answer from you by tomorrow morning."

"I... understand."

After nodding and thanking Seteth, Y/N waited until the man left before entering the library, the fragrance of leather covers and worn-out paper hitting his nose like a kick from a horse. He heard two people talking and recognized one of them.

"Ah, there you are, son. Was that Seteth I heard speaking with you?" Tomas beckoned him over and he did so slowly, tapping the floor with his walking cane.

"Greetings, father. Yes, he was telling me about—"

"—your enrollment at the Officers Academy? He already informed me. What matters to me is what you wish to do."

"I... am not unsure." Y/N began to weight his options until he remembered someone else was still present. "Father, who are you speaking to?"

"Ah, where are my manners? Ms. Lysithea, this is my son, Y/N. Y/N, this is Lysithea, heir to House Ordelia and a student of the Golden Dear House. She's a very hard-working young lady with much potential. Hopefully, you two can be friends for life."

"House Ordelia's heir...?"

"You're Tomas's son?" Y/N heard the voice of a young girl and soon felt her gaze run up and down his body before ultimately settling on his face.

[https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/3605160?q=lysithea_von_ordelia+]

"Your hair... It's..."

At that moment, the monastery's bell rang, signifying the end of lunch and the beginning of afternoon classes.

"Ah, it seems that your conversation will have to wait until later. Afternoon classes will be starting soon, Ms. Lysithea."

"Not like it matters when we're missing a professor... Anyways, here are the books I borrowed, Mr. Tomas." The young girl slid over a large stack of books, about ten high. The topmost book fell from the stack and landed with a loud 'smack!' She hastily raced towards the exit, sneaking one final glance at Y/N on the way out.

"That girl... She's—"

"—the only survivor of the experiments conducted on House Ordelia, yes. Much like you and Edelgard, she too possesses more than one Crest — Gloucester and Charon, to be precise. What nasty business that was. Thales should have been more patient. How unfortunate for her to have her lifespan shortened."

Y/N remained silent. He heard from his father of the horrifying experimentations performed on the children of House Ordelia, resulting in nearly of their deaths. However, if he was disturbed by the mention of the distasteful disaster, his face didn't show it and remained set in stone.

"Lady Hresvelg doesn't seem too pleased to see me, Father."

"That is natural, my boy." Tomas stood up from his seat and began to put away the books Lysithea returned. "Your presence is a reminder that one mistake on her end will cost her everything she's worked towards to for her entire life."

"I do not understand. I am but a tool for you, Lady Hresvelg, and everyone else to use. Why would she be displeased to see me? Have I yet to prove my worth?"

Now, it was Tomas's turn to be silent as he stopped in his tracks, right before putting the last book back in its shelf. He didn't say another word and stared at the book's cover, depicting an old legend of a father and a son, and their attempt to escape their captors by flying away using one of the father's genius invention. Unfortunately for the pair, their escape ultimately ended with the son's death.

"...Y/N, the monastery has given you a room on the first floor of the dorms, on the far left. Make good use of it and take a moment to consider Seteth's offer." Tomas flipped a few pages of the fictional story book.

"Is that an order?"

"It's a request. And...if you choose to accept..." Tomas closed the book and put it away, keeping his back turned to the white-haired boy. "Try to get along with them."

The words spoken to Y/N left him perplexed. It was natural to want to blend in with the people around him — especially when taking into consideration his...affiliation — and making some allies was a given. 

Was there something else his father wanted him to take away?

"Understood, father." He said, in his usual robotic tone.

Y/N stood up and grabbed his cane. He slowly made his way towards the exit and left the library empty, except for its librarian who stayed in place and stared off into the distance, lost in his thoughts.

[Y/N's POV]

There was some merits to it being time for afternoon classes. It meant that there was no need to worry about accidentally bumping into someone or dealing with the sensory overload of hundreds of students talking at once and their red auras meshing together to blind me.

On the other hand, it also meant that the monastery grounds was basically empty without anyone to guide me to my destination. This place was like an endless maze of paths and hallways tailor made to trap people in the seemingly infinite paths.

"Y/N?"

Lavender?

Byleth.

"How may I be of service, Ms. Byleth?"

"Oh, you don't need to call me that. Where are you heading?" Not a moment later, I felt her arm around mine, the one that wasn't holding the wooden cane and something...soft pressing against me.

Was that...?

"The dormitory area will suffice." I tell her.

We walked together in silence, the clicks of our lone footsteps filling the otherwise tranquil atmosphere. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable being linked with Byleth, but there was just one minor...detail that made it awkward.

"Kill her. Rip her limb from limb. Murder her in cold blood."

'No, not now Alduin.'

"Then kill Sothis."

'We have to make sure it's actually her first.'

I heard them growl and back down.

To be fair, I made a good point, and they knew it. 

The archbishop and her second in-command, their auras were also green like Byleth's, except much different. In contrast to Byleth's, Rhea's aura was a similar shade, more stable, and..."bigger and thicker." 

I couldn't tell why. 

Meanwhile, Seteth's aura was a darker shade of green, perhaps to match his more mature and absolutely-no-nonsense personality.

"Were you able to find your dad?" I was pulled back to the present by Byleth. "He's the librarian, right?"

"Correct." I nodded and was content with leaving it at that, but it seemed she had other plans.

"So, do you plan on helping him out in the library? Or..."

"Seteth told me that there are open seats in the Officers Academy. If I chose to, I could join the Golden Deer House as a student since my father has close ties to one of the nobles' houses."

"Oh, that sounds nice. Do you plan on becoming a student?"

"I am unsure..." I answer truthfully. "And, what of you?"

"Well... There's an open position at the Officers Academy and Alois recommended me to become a professor. The archbishop already approved, so there's no backing out now."

A soft chuckle escaped me, surprising Byleth and even myself.

"Strange how fate works... Was it not only this morning when I said you would fit in as a professor?"

"Yeah..." She had a chuckle of her own that soon turned into a silent gasp. "I just remembered, I never apologized for...you know."

"Apologize?" I tilted my head. "If you mean the morning accident, then there is no need to worry. The responsibility falls solely on my shoulders."

"But..." There was a brief pause, forcing us to stop, until she eventually sighed heavily. "If you say so..."

The rest of the walk to the dormitory was spent in silence with neither of us making an attempt to break the stillness looming over us.

"Here we are. Which room is yours?"

"First floor. First one from the left." I told her, and she helped me down a flight of stairs and led me to my room. 

The door opened with a gentle push and, with Byleth's help, I was able to sit down on my brand new bed without bumping into any of the other furniture.

"Your room looks pretty nice." Byleth noted.

"I'll take your word for it." I gently place my walking stick on my bed. "Have you decided on a house yet?"

"I...haven't thought about it. I wasn't properly able to meet every student, except for the house leaders. At least, they gave them me a brief rundown with everyone in their house and how the schedule works." Byleth sat down next to me. Curious, I beckoned her to continue, and she did so without hesitation, relaying every single bit of information to me without taking a moment to catch her breath while I listened closely.

According to Byleth, regardless of which house she chose, she was mainly responsible for eight students, which included the house leaders. The eight students were both commoners and nobles randomly mixed together.

Of course, there was still me to account for if I wanted to enroll here and students were allowed to change houses if requested.

Regardless, to summarize:

—Rosters—

Black Eagles: Edelgard, Hubert, Ferdinand, Linhardt, Caspar, Bernadetta, Dorothea, Petra

Blue Lions: Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, Sylvain, Ingrid, Ashe, Mercedes, Annette

Golden Deer: Claude, Hilda, Lorenz, Raphael, Lysithea, Ignatz, Leonie, Marianne

—Schedule—

(6 AM — 8 AM) = Breakfast [2 Hours]

(8 AM — 11 AM) = Morning Classes [3 Hours]

(11 AM — 1 PM) = Lunch [2 Hours]

(1 PM — 4 PM) = Afternoon Classes [3 Hours]

(4 PM — 6 PM) = Dinner [2 Hours]

(10 PM) = Curfew

—————

And, that was about it.

Right on cue, the chimes of the massive bell stationed above the church echoed throughout the monastery, signaling the end of afternoon classes.

"Well, I gotta get back to Rhea and give my answer now..." Byleth stood up and made her way towards the door.

"Byleth." I heard her footsteps halt. "I meant what I said earlier. If you were to be my teacher, then I would not mind becoming a student. In the end, if you choose the Golden Dear House, then be sure to tell Seteth I wish to enroll at the academy."

"...Alright, I'll think about it." Byleth left my room and I closed the door behind her and fumbled around until I found the lock.

Click!

After ensuring the door was firmly closed and locked, I rested on my bed. It was soft and pleasant, and I silently thanked whoever chose the cushiony material. 

[3rd Person POV]

Reaching up to his face, Y/N gently took off my blindfold and set it to the side.

Sleep didn't take long to find him after he laid his head down on the pillow and whisk him away to his dreams. 

For a brief moment, it felt like he was falling at terminal velocity until he landed on familiar ground. Not too long after, he also felt the same heavy air that always weighed down on him whenever he came face-to-face with them.

The darkness around Y/N began to take shape, forming an intimidating beast with dark scales that could effortlessly shatter steel swords, massive black wings that could push aside armies without trouble, an ebony tail capable of swatting aside even the most armored soldiers as if they were weightless, talons sharp enough to cut through the toughest of armor like paper, and a pair of prideful red orbs that stared deep into his soul.

[https://www.deviantart.com/basket-of-potatoes/art/Alduin-872897816]

Alduin leaned down until the human in front of them could feel the heat from their nostrils, their anger flaring along with the flames building up.

"Meyus sen, druv dreh Sothis tul lahney?" [Foolish boy, why does Sothis still live?]

"As I've said earlier, there is no guarantee that Byleth carries the soul of Sothis within her. Until I can confirm her existence, I will not make a move. I would prefer to not spill any unnecessary blood."

"Duraal kiir, lost hi vodahmin hin vahrot?" [Cursed child, have you forgotten your vow?]

"I have not. I remember my vow clearly: I will slay Sothis and use her powers to reverse the temporal restrictions she placed upon you. When that time comes, I will depart from your Crest stone and leave you alone to reconquer Fódlan. Am I correct?" Y/N asked, unfazed by the spout of steam blown into his face.

"Ful, hi dahmaan. Pruzah, pruzah..." [So, you remember. Good, good...]

"That form of yours... Even a minute takes a lot out of you, does it not?"

The black-scaled dragon tilted their head inquisitively as if debating whether to incinerate the "pathetic human" in front of them or to use their wings to knock them down. Before they could choose, however, their form was engulfed in a bright white light and soon shrunk, growing smaller and smaller.

Y/N waited patiently until the light died down and standing in front of him was a little girl, around 135 cm (roughly 4'5''), wearing a black and white dress a step on the frilly side. She also had two black scaly horns protruding from each side of her head pointing backwards, large (relative to her size) black wings on her back, and a smooth rigid tail, just as black and scaly as her horns, brushing against the floor behind her.

Without a single word, he leaned down to place his hands under her arms and lifted her, much to her protest.

[😭]

[https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/77783892]

"H-Hey! Who gave you permission to do this?!" Alduin angrily flailed in the air, kicking him in the stomach. Her attempts to hurt him were in vain, however. If anything, she was doing more harm to herself as each kick felt like hitting a brick wall for someone of her physique.

"You sounded upset, and whenever I did this, you always cheered up."

"What?! How dare... How stupid do you have to be to actually think you 'cheered me up?' You're an idiot! The mighty and all-powerful Alduin doesn't need anyone to help her!"

"Then, should I stop?" asked Y/N while still tossing her up and down, catching her with ease.

"..."

"..."

"...Not yet."

* * * * *

Timeskip Brought To You By:

https://youtu.be/wOO4oAaOuEM

* * * * *

The early morning rays filtered into Y/N's room through the windows, stirring the white-haired male from his slumber. He could hear the birds outside, resting on his windowsill, chirping amongst themselves, fully rousing him from his drowsy state.

Letting out a small quiet yawn, Y/N pushed himself up and grabbed his blindfold, slipping it back on as he patted around for his walking stick. With his cane in hand, he carefully made his way towards the bathroom and entered it with a fresh set of clothes in his free hand.

About twenty minutes later, Y/N exited, wearing his custom-made academy uniform—courtesy of his father's request—and just in time to hear someone pounding on the door. He shuffled over to it and even before he opened the door for his nose to be hit by the familiar lavender smell, he could see the person on the other side's green aura.

"Byleth? Why are you here? Did you forget something?"

"No, I'm just here to escort you to the classroom before classes start."

"The...classroom? Then, that would mean..."

"That's right." Byleth straightened her posture, a slight glimmer of pride shining behind her cerulean eyes. "Starting today, I'll be the professor in charge of you and the rest of the Golden Deer."

"...Very well," Y/N nodded and locked the door behind him. "Lead the way."

The path they took to the classroom from the dormitories wasn't the most difficult to remember: just go north up two separate flight of stairs, cut through the garden between the Study Hall and Mess Hall, and north again to reach the Golden Deer classroom, which was the first classroom on their left.

A/N — For reference:

The classroom had 4 rows of tables separated by the wide central pathway leading to the professor's table in the back of the room, leaving 8 available seats on each side of the classroom for a total of 16 seats.

Waiting for them were the other 8 Golden Deer students.

"Wait, what?! Are you really our new homeroom professor?" A certainly bubbly, pink-haired girl couldn't hide her surprise and astonishment.

"Is that true? You aren't quite what I pictured. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded." A glasses-wearing boy sheepishly apologized.

"I was sure you'd be roped into joining the knights!" The pink-haired girl said.

"Don't tell me, you chose this class just to get to know me better, right? I'm flattered, really." Claude chuckled. "Whoops. Now that you're our professor, maybe I should choose my words more carefully."

"I don't mind."

"Oh? Well, then. Since we're pretty close in age and all, I suppose formalities aren't all that necessary."

"One must truly marvel at the exceptionality of this appointment. Becoming a teacher to students almost the same age as yourself. How...unusual. I've heard you are a skilled mercenary, but I cannot shake my discomfort at your new position." A pale student with a ridiculously awkward bowl cut didn't hold back in expressing his disdain.

"Are you really as strong as they say? Let's see your biceps! I bet I've packed on more muscle than you!" An overly excited student with an impressive bulky physique shouted...or was that his inside voice?

"I doubt that. Apparently our new professor was personally recommended by Alois, one of the knights." The one with glasses told his friend.

"As far as skill goes, I saw it with my own eyes. What's more, Teach here is the child of the most renowned former captain of the Knights of Seiros." Claude smirked.

While the students continued their conversation with Byleth, Y/N somehow ended up outside of the circle. However, through some miracle, his ears picked up on the sound of light footsteps approaching through the drowning chatter. 

"You're Tomas's son. What are you doing here?" asked the voice that he quickly recognized to belong to Lysithea.

"I'm here to learn."

"Well, I know that much." Lysithea huffed in annoyance.

"Then, what type of answer do you wish to hear?"

"When I heard from other students that your father wanted you to come to Garreg Mach to help him out, I thought I would only see you in the library, but now that's obviously no longer the case. What exactly changed?"

"Hm... That's quite an odd question you've asked me, Ms. Ordelia. Perhaps, leaning towards parasocial in nature."

"Excuse me?"

"—Although, if I were to answer your question... Then, I suppose I am interested in Professor Byleth."

"Tch," Lysithea scoffed. "So, you left your father to do all the manual labor and became a student because the professor is pretty? How shallow."

"I ask that you do not put words in my mouth, Ms. Ordelia. When I say I have an 'interest' in Professor Byleth, I meant I am curious to learn more about her and her origins. Even if she is the child of Jeralt, I find it peculiar that the archbishop would hire an individual that even the Church never knew existed until recently." Y/N explained. He wasn't telling her the entire truth, but he also wasn't lying straight to her face.

"That's... fair." Lysithea didn't try to argue, seeing the logic behind his reasoning. She looked him up and down like she had done yesterday, and just like last time, her gaze wandered to his messy (thanks to his blindfold) (H/L) snow-white locks of hair. "I've been meaning to ask. Your hair... Is it—"

"Yo, friend~! I see you decided to join the best house at the academy." Claude placed a hand on Y/N's shoulder, a cheeky smile on his face. The latter could hear Lysithea muttering something under her breath and turned his attention to the Golden Deer leader as he heard multiple other footsteps grow closer.

"So, you're Tomas's son, right? Heard a lot about you yesterday. My name's Hilda, by the way." The same lively voice he heard earlier say to him and he recalled what Byleth told him the other day—or more accurately, what Claude told her:

"Hilda is the only daughter of Duke Goneril. It seems her father and brother coddle her quite a bit. If you look up "lazy" in the dictionary...her picture won't be there because she never got around to submitting it. Not too unusual for a noble, I guess."

"Y/N." He simply replied.

"Y/N, huh. You're pretty skinny and pretty pale like Marianne. Have you been eating and exercising well?" The same loud student from before laughed. His laughter didn't sound malicious, but rather hearty and good natured.

"Marianne?" Y/N tilted his head.

"H...H-Hello..." A timid and shy voice squeaked to his left.

"Marianne is Margrave Edmund's daughter...and that's pretty much all I know about her. She doesn't interact much with other students, so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of folks here have never even heard her speak."

"Nice to meet you." Y/N offered a small nod.

"Y...You too..."

"Raphael, you can't just ask him that!"

"Why not? I didn't mean anything bad about it."

"That's not..." The boy with glasses sighed. "Sorry about him. My name is Ignatz. It's nice to meet you, Y/N. I hope we can become good friends."

"Raphael comes from a merchant family, but his parents died in an accident. Seems like he's had a rough life. Despite all that, he's just about the most cheerful guy you'll ever meet. His passions are training, eating, and... Actually, that's about it."

"Ignatz is the second son of a merchant family. Since his brother will inherit the business, he's training to become a knight. If you ask me, doesn't seem like he truly wants to be a knight... He's probably just doing it to please his parents..."

"Same to the both of you." Y/N nodded again.

"As if hiring a mercenary to be our professor wasn't discomforting enough. Now, we must welcome another no-name commoner—and a blind one at that. Has the Golden Deer really sunken this low under Claude's leadership? It goes without saying he won't be of much use when it comes to study or battle. Is there a reason why he's here?"

"That's Lorenz. Just put up with him for now and he'll leave you alone...probably." Claude whispered to Y/N.

"Lorenz is the heir of Gloucester territory. If you haven't already picked up on it, he's a bit arrogant and fancies himself a lady's man. That said, deep down he's really devoted and honest... Though I wouldn't mind never hearing him talk about his noble obligations ever again."

"I'd never thought I would ever agree with Lorenz on something in a million years, but..." An unfamiliar voice spoke up and Y/N could only assume it belonged to the last person he hadn't been introduced to yet: Leonie.

"Leonie enrolled because she wants to be a mercenary. I think she said that her father is a hunter. She's pretty blunt and as stingy as they come. A habitual saver, too. I think she's hoping to repay her village for helping to send her here."

"C'mon, you two. It's our first time meeting him. Give him some space." Lysithea finally couldn't bare being on the sidelines any longer and stepped in.

"It's rare for Lizzy to defend someone..." Hilda smirked. "Now that I think about it, she was talking to Y/N by herself earlier, wasn't she~?"

"Just what are you trying to imply?!" Lysithea shouted in protest, a faint blush reaching the tips of her ear when Claude also smirked along with the pink-haired girl. Feeling the pressure of the unfair 2-vs-1, the young girl snapped her head in Y/N's direction, "Don't just sit there. Defend yourself!"

"...Is that an order, Ms. Ordelia?" Y/N tilted his head in wonder, causing Claude and Hilda to nearly burst in laughter while the crimson color of "Ms. Ordelia's" face darkened in response.

"Just call me Lysithea! No more of this 'Ms. Ordelia' nonsense!" She shouted, leaving him to wonder why she sounded so upset.

"Hang on, I thought you wanted people to stop treating you like a kid? Isn't this better?" Claude asked, barely able to contain the wide grin on his lips.

"Of course not, you moron!" Lysithea yelled, and looked like she was only a hair width away from shooting a fireball at him.

Y/N soon felt a hand on his shoulder and looked at the person.

"Sorry for the bickering, friend. As you can see, the Golden Deer is a rowdy bunch. We're not especially unified. You'll find nobles and commoners alike here—those who are dedicated to their studies alongside slackers. But hey, that just makes your life more exciting, right? I really hope you're looking forward to the year ahead as much as I am." Claude smiled and chuckled.

"They're so noisy..." The sleepy voice in Y/N's head muttered, letting out a small yawn.

"Go back to sleep, Alduin. I shall wake you up when it's time to eat."

"Do not treat me like a child!" The dragon child complained like a child.

Y/N turned to Claude and nodded.

"I'm glad you're all getting alone...for the most part. But, let's save that for after class, alright?" Byleth's question hung in the air, but it sounded more like a command and everyone went to their seats while Y/N took a seat in the third row. "As some of you may have already heard, at the end of the month, a mock battle between the three houses will be held. Our goal is to not only win, but also to show your progress to the Officers Academy and Church of Seiros. I need everyone to give it their all this month, okay?"

A round of "Right!"s, "Got it!"s, and "Understood."s reverberated around the room, along with a silent nod from Y/N, before the afternoon classes officially began.

[Chapter End]

—*—*—*—*—*—

[Character Sheet]

Name: Y/N L/N

Gender: Male

Birthday:

—March 31st [Gregorian Calendar]

—Imperial Year 1160, 31st of the Lone Moon [Fódlan Calendar]

Age: 19

Height: 178 cm (about 5'10'')

Crests: [Unknown] and [Unknown]

Description: "The librarian Tomas's son. Not much is known about him other than the fact he was adopted by Tomas sometime during his 7-year long retirement from service. He wears a blindfold where ever he goes and seems to have trouble expressing himself when speaking with others."