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When working at an academy that trains warriors, some animals are to be expected. The horses and pegasi in the stables, for example, because what else will the cavalry and the pegasus knights ride on? The fish in the lake, too, because why have a lake if you can’t fish in it? But the sheer number of stray dogs and cats Byleth noticed around the Officer’s Academy didn’t seem to serve much of a purpose other than eating their food and taking up space.
For their first few weeks at the monastery, Byleth ignored the strays as they went about their business (which mostly involved fishing). One day, however, a request appeared on their bulletin board asking for people to feed some of the cats and dogs around the monastery. A young girl made the request, and she even offered payment to whoever was willing to do it. As much as they thought the request was a bit silly, Byleth still accepted it. What kind of mercenary would they be if they turned down a paying job this easy?
Once they arrived at the specified meeting place, a little area at the side of the marketplace, they saw the girl in question, surrounded by many animals.
“Did you see my request?” the girl asked, looking up at Byleth.
“I did,” they replied. “Which one needs feeding?”
“Well, uh, all of them! Every single one of these kitties and doggies like to be fed, and sometimes, when I give them a lot of food, they bring me presents!”
Byleth figured the animals brought her whatever prey they caught, but money was money, and they were going to feed the hell out of these strays. The first one they went to was a white cat with gray spots, the most notable of the spots being a very angular one on their head that resembled Lorenz’s terrible bangs. They grabbed some of the poultry they’d been given as payment for another request, and knelt down to feed it to the cat. It ate it almost as soon as they set it down, and then proceeded to rub against their hand. Byleth fed them the rest of the poultry reward, and the cat rubbed against their hand one last time before it ran off somewhere.
“Aww, don’t worry about that cat,” the girl said as Byleth stood up and dusted their clothes off. “He’s just running off to get you a present!”
“I see,” Byleth frowned. “Now, my payment?”
“Oh, right. Sorry, professor!” The girl handed them some more meat and vegetables, as well as 300 gold. They didn’t have much use for the meat and vegetables at the moment, since the students had already eaten, so they decided to try their luck with a different animal. Byleth had had enough of cats, so they picked a beagle whose fur was incredibly copper, kind of like Ferdinand’s hair. They fed the dog some of the meat they just got, and it nudged it’s head under their hand, begging Byleth to fuss them. They scratched the little beagle’s head as they fed it some of the vegetables with their other hand. Once it had swallowed the last vegetable, it, too, ran off. What was with all of these animals giving their love and affection, and then running away once they were full?
Byleth was about to go fishing, because fish wouldn’t run away from them, when they felt a fluffy presence rub against their leg. It was the Lorenz-banged cat from earlier, with something in its mouth. It was...an Arcane Crystal?
“Ooh! You got a present from him already!” the girl said, excited. “He must really like you!”
“I guess he does,” Byleth said, leaning down to stroke its head. They wondered if the beagle was doing the same thing.
Soon, they got their answer: the Ferdinand-colored dog came back with Wooly Steel in its mouth.
“How kind of you,” Byleth said, scratching the dog with their other hand.
For the rest of the day, the professor stayed in that same spot, feeding all of the food scraps they had on them to the various cats and dogs of the monastery.
On their next free day, Byleth took a seat in a corner of the lakeside area, and continued what they started last week. The first two recipients of food were the Lorenz-banged cat and the Ferdinand-colored dog, their two favorites, and then the various other cats who occupied the area.
Sometime later, Ashe and Caspar stopped by the professor’s lakeside corner.
“Hey, professor!” Caspar greeted. “That’s a lot of cats you’ve got there.”
“Indeed,” Byleth nodded. “I feed them, they bring me a present, then they stick around and I fuss them.”
“Sounds like a pretty sweet deal!”
“May we join you?” Ashe asked.
“Go ahead.”
Ashe and Caspar sat down with the professor, and began playing with some of the cats that lay there. Linhardt stopped by, as well. He initially came by looking for Capsar, but then Caspar convinced him to stay and he fell asleep among the animals. The four of them occupied that spot until curfew, when the knights forced them back to their rooms. Byleth enjoyed their day, but they wished that a few more animals had been at that little corner of the lake.
The next week, Byleth found that their wish had come true, as more cats and dogs, as well as some birds had taken up residence at the lakeside corner.
“I see we have some new friends,” Byleth mused, doling out the week’s rations. They started with the Lorenz-banged cat and the Ferdinand-colored dog (who they’d nicknamed Gloucesterino and Beaglenand, respectively), worked their way to the rest of the cats and dogs, then the birds.
Once they had finished feeding the animals, Ignatz approached them, sketchbook and charcoals in hand.
“Professor!” he said, excited. “Have you seen the swans yet?”
“No, I haven’t,” they shrugged, and it was true. They’d been so focused on their little corner that they hadn’t glanced at the lake, which they now saw had two swans swimming around on it. “They look lovely.”
“They really do! I think I’m going to sketch them...if that’s alright with you.”
“Of course. You won’t bother them.”
Ignatz smiled, and took a seat at the edge of the lake.
“Woah, check it out, Ashe!” Caspar said as he and Ashe came up to Byleth’s spot. “So many birds!”
The pair checked out the birds for a few minutes before returning to the cats.
Later, Lorenz approached the group.
“Hello, Professor,” he greeted. “What are you all doing here?”
“Fussing cute animals,” Byleth deadpanned.
“I can see that. However, may I ask why you are stroking the animals? There are much more important things you could be doing with your time.”
“Teaching is stressful. This is a great way to unwind.”
Just then, a little goose who’d been nestled on top of the wall flapped down and began pecking at Lorenz’s ankles.
“Ow! Hey! What did I-- ow !”
Lorenz ran away, the goose hot on his trail. Caspar and Ashe laughed at his misfortune, while Byleth cracked a small smile.
Throughout the course of the day, more students joined the lakeside corner, including Linhardt, who came by for another nap, Lorenz, who held the previously cantankerous goose in his arms, and Annette and Mercedes, who played with the dogs. Byleth was gathering quite the group at the lake, and they felt it would only get bigger.
The next week, Byleth found bunnies had joined them at their little lakeside spot.
“Our group just keeps on growing,” Byleth mused as they gave out the daily rations (which were shrinking, since they now had so many mouths to feed). After they’d finished and sat down, a jet-black rabbit hopped into their lap, rather than Gloucesterino or Beaglenand.
“You’re very brave,” Byleth said, scratching the spot in-between their ears.
Many people came by throughout the day to see and pet the rabbits, though not all of them stuck around for the day.
“Hello, Professor,” Edelgard greeted sometime later. She was joined by Ferdinand and Hubert, whose eyes were watering. “I have a question to ask you.”
“Of course,” Byleth said, taking their eyes off of the rabbit in their lap. “What is it?”
“What should I be studying for my next certifications test? There are many axe-wielding classes to promote to, and I’m wondering which one you think would be best for me.”
“Focus on your brawling skills. I want you to take the Brigand test, and Brigands must be strong both in not only axe-wielding, but in hand-to-hand combat, as well.”
“Alright. Thank you, professor.”
“That is a cute rabbit on your lap,” Ferdinand said, crouching down. “When did he arrive at the monastery?”
“I don’t know,” Byleth shrugged. “They were here when I came by today.”
“Ah, I see. I quite like him. Does he, perchance, have a name?”
“No. I haven’t thought of one yet.”
“He kind of reminds me of you, Hubert,” Edelgard commented.
“How so, Lady Edelgard?” Hubert asked, his voice scratchy.
“He’s all black, and he’s got those green eyes. That’s a lot like you, wouldn’t you say?”
“I suppose.”
“How about...Lagomorph von Vestra?” Byleth suggested, and Ferdinand and Edelgard began laughing.
“That is a very fitting name,” Edelgard laughed. “I think it suits the rabbit.”
“I quite agree,” Ferdinand smirked at Hubert, who merely glared in return.
“Okay,” Byleth said. “Lagomorph von Vestra it is.”
Ferdinand and Edelgard stayed around for a bit, fussing Lagomorph von Vestra, while Hubert stood off to the side and sneezed periodically.
By the end of the day, nearly all of the student body had stopped by Byleth’s spot at the lake to pet the wonderful animals located there.
Next week, as Byleth prepared to head out and see what more animals would be found at their lakeside corner, someone slipped a piece of paper under their doorway. It was a note from the archbishop.
Dear Byleth, the note read. I see you have taken quite a liking to the animals around our monastery, which I appreciate. It is lovely to see you acclimating to life here, but I must request you stop feeding them. You are attracting more animals than we can handle, and making it tough for our sanitation staff to clean up the monastery with all of the animal waste that is being left by our furry friends. I thank you for your compliance.
Rhea, Archbishop of the Church of Seiros
As much as they didn’t want to, Byleth avoided the lakeside corner, and instructed all of their students to do the same. The animals dispersed as the weeks went on, including Lagomorph von Vestra, but Byleth and the students would fondly remember the time Garreg Mach had its own little animal shelter.