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Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun or Fire Emblem. Golden Sun is owned by Nintendo and Camelot, and Fire Emblem is owned by Intelligent System and Nintendo. Please support the official release.

In the frozen lands to the far north of Weyard Angara, sat a certain lighthouse. One of the four elemental lighthouses that needed to be lite in order to restore alchemy to a dying world. In order to do so, eight warriors had band together to accomplish such a task.

Isaac. A blond-haired man around the age of 16 wearing a blue tunic with a red and yellow chest plate over it and blue pants. He also wore a yellow scarf around his neck. In his hands was a powerful sword with a bright yellow blade that resembled the sun. Originally he was sent by the God-like being of Weyard known as The Wise One to stop the lighting of the four elemental lighthouses to prevent the return of Alchemy. However, he eventually learned that lighting them was the only way to stop Wayward from collapsing from Gaia Falls due to the lack of alchemy. That and the Proxian people originally had his father as a hostage.

Along with him was a fire adept Garet. He was a tall 16-year-old with red spiky hair in a brown short sleeved tunic with a green chest plate. He is Isaac's closest childhood friend and grandson of the mayor of Vale who has been with Isaac since the very beginning of his journey.

Ivan was a short young boy around the age of 14. He had blond hair combed down, a purple shirt with a green poncho over it and red pants. He's a wind adept that decided to assist Isaac and Garet after the two helped him with some thieves early in their quest to retrieve an item stolen from his adopted father.

Mia was a beautiful girl around the age of 16 with long blue hair and wearing a blue and purple coat suited for cold temperatures. She joined Isaac to stop her cousin Alex who was trying to light the lighthouses for his own selfish reasons. They were both Mercury adepts and the last of an old clan known as the Mercury Clan.

Felix was a young man around the age of 17 that is another childhood friend to Isaac and Garet. He had long brown hair and green armor over a tan shirt and tan pants. He also wore a green cloak over his shoulder. He was the first of the group to set out and light the beacons. Three years ago, he was thought to have died during the night of a terrible storm along with his parents and Isaac's father. He survived thanks to the people who unintentionally caused the storm; two Proxians named Saturos and Menardi. He decided to assist in lighting the lighthouses and save the world, along with his parents that Saturos had held hostage in Prox to ensure Felix's cooperation. Things didn't go exactly the way he was hoping for, but he was still determined to carry out his mission.

Jenna was Felix's little sister and another childhood friend to Isaac and Garet. She had long magenta hair and a pink shirt under a purple chest plate and a purple skirt. She was originally taken hostage by the brother she thought was dead for three years, but upon hearing his mission and that her parents were still alive, she decided to help him. She held onto fear that Isaac and Felix would attempt to kill each other when Isaac's group was trying to prevent the Lighthouses from being lite, which thankfully didn't end up happening.

Sheba is a 14-year-old girl with white robes on and a purple scarf. She was found in the small town of Lalivero when she fell out of the sky and miraculously didn't even suffer any injuries. The mayor of Lalivero adopted her and raised her as his own daughter. She was kidnapped by a man named Babi from the city of Tolbi to get the people of Lalivero to comply and finish building a Lighthouse for him to help locate a place called Lemuria. When Isaac and his group arrived at Tolbi, Babi turned his attention on them and had Sheba escorted back home. However, during a walk in the Suhalla dessert, a cyclone erupted that separated Sheba from the soldiers. She was soon found by Saturos and Menardi that took her captive due to her being a Jupiter Adept. However, she did befriend Felix, who saved her from falling off the Venus Lighthouse after the beacon was lite. She's been traveling with him ever since.

Piers was a young man who looked around the age of 17. He had long turquoise hair, a blue tunic and blue shorts. Despite his appearance, he is a Lemurian. A secret civilization that has access to a spring that allows life extension through alchemy. His real age is a mystery. He left home to investigate the possible destruction of the world and got into some trouble with a town scapegoating him for the escape of a pirate named Briggs. After Felix helped him out, he decided to help him out.

Lastly there was also Kraden. A roaming scholar in his 70's dressed in a blue shirt, tan pants and a light blue robe that was studying alchemy for the now former ruler of Tolbi Babi. On Babi's command, Kraden traveled to Vale to learn the secret of Alchemy, where he would befriend Kyle and the others in Vale, and even taught Isaac, Garet, and Jenna about things that existed outside of Vale like the Ocean. Sadly, his research into Alchemy caught the attention of Saturos and Menardi, who kidnapped him along with Jenna for his knowledge.

Isaac and the others stood before what was once a three headed dragon, or the Wise One's "Miracle" to prevent the final lighthouse from being lite. Once it was defeated, it was transformed into three adults who were gravely injured. Two men and one woman. Closer evaluation of the three confirmed that they were indeed his missing father Kyle and Jenna's parents Mathis and Noel that were lured out of Prox and transformed into a three-headed dragon by the Wise One to stop them from lighting the final lighthouse. Though the group was victorious in stopping the creature, the three parents were transformed back to normal in critical condition. Mia and Piers were desperately trying to heal the three with their Psynergy, but soon the two stopped trying to heal the parents.

"What's the matter Piers? Why did you stop? Jenna's parents need you…" Sheba asked worried.

"Don't give up Mia. They need you." Ivan encouraged. Mia only had a sad expression on her face.

"It's no use Ivan. I'm tapped." Mia said panting a bit. Their fight against the Doom Dragon was a long and hard battle that pushed all eight Adepts to their limits. Now, the two Mercury Adepts barely had any Psynergy left to heal anyone. Much less three people on death's doorstep.

"Same here. And even if I wasn't, I'm afraid it's too late." Piers said sadly. Mia sadly nodded in agreement.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!" Jenna shouted frantically as tears threatened to spill. "They're not…they can't be…"

"That's not what I'm saying Jenna…I…" Piers tried only for Jenna to cut him off.

"I finally found them…I was going to be with them again for the first time in years…" Jenna muttered tears filling her eyes. To her side, Felix wasn't looking much better. Though Felix was able to prevent tears from falling, one clear look at his face showed the same distress that Jenna was facing. Still, as a leader, he needed to be tough. Especially for Jenna.

"Jenna…" Sheba muttered concerned for her friend.

"Mom…wake up! It's me Jenna! Don't leave me!" Jenna cried shaking her mother lightly.

"Jenna. You must prepare yourself for what comes next." Kraden began getting everyone's attention. "Being transformed into a dragon and fighting in that form required a tremendous amount of power."

"W-What do you mean Kraden?" Jenna asked.

"In fighting you, your parents along with Isaac's father were forced to use every last bit of their energy. Even if they had won the battle, they would not have survived. Don't blame yourselves for their fates." Kraden said hoping to remove some of the guilt they were facing.

Garet just got real anger and headed to the edge of the lighthouse's roof. "YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU MAKE US FIGHT THEM LIKE THAT?" He shouted to the Wise One who was no longer there.

Sheba joined him. "YOU'RE NO GOD! YOU'RE NO PROTECTOR! YOU'RE EVIL!" She shouted

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PAIN YOU HAVE CAUSED WISE ONE!" Piers shouted "You have no idea the damage you have caused to a child that just destroyed their own parents!"

"ENOUGH!" Isaac shouted getting everyone's attention. "I...I knew what I was doing the moment I raised my sword."

"What do you mean Isaac?" Felix asked.

"I had a feeling what was going on, though I wasn't fully sure. But remember that we defied the Wise One to save our planet, not just our parents. Our parents would understand." Isaac said firmly.

"He's…he's right." Felix admitted.

"Yeah…It hurts, but we didn't just do this for ourselves, we did it for all of Weyard." Jenna admitted wiping her tears.

"And there is still Prox." Garet added.

"Right. It may be too late to save them, but there are countless others who still need us." Sheba said.

"We can't let Kyle and the others sacrifice be in vain." Ivan said.

"To think that my actions helped save the world." Piers muttered.

"Our actions will no doubt create wars and strife's, but I regret none of it." Mia admitted remembering the warnings that were once said would happen if the seal was broken.

"There is little time left. Felix, light the beacon." Kraden said as Felix nodded and reached into his bag for the Mars star.

Isaac knelled down to his father as he gripped his hand. "I'm sorry dad." He whispered.

"Isaac…I-I don't know what to say." Garet said sadly. He didn't fully understand what Isaac must be going through, but he did know Isaac well enough to know that despite his bravado earlier, he was hurting like Jenna.

"Alex…I can't believe you helped cause all this grief. Isaac, I am so sorry." Mia apologized to her friend.

"Don't. It's not your fault." Isaac assured.

"I know it's tough Isaac, but remember that you and your mother still have each other." Ivan encouraged. "And...you do have us."

"Don't know how I'm going to break this to her." He sighed sadly as he turned to his friends. "Thanks, you guys. This adventure, it was fun." Isaac said.

"I'll always be there for you pal." Garet said with a smile as he pat Isaac on the back.

"I'm glad I got to travel with you guys as well." Ivan smiled.

"You three are my treasured friends." Mia smiled sadly

Felix had finally grabbed the star out and tossed it into the hole of the lighthouse lighting the beacon.

Much like what happened at the Venus Lighthouse, the lighthouse split in half as a beam of light shot up from the center. Felix's group along with his parents and Kraden were on one side, while Isaac's group along with Kyle was on the other. A large ball of red energy rose up from the center.

"The beacon is lite." Mia muttered.

"And to think that we started this quest to stop this from happening." Ivan said.

"How many lives were taken or even changed just to do this?" Garet asked.

The conversation was cut short when the group began to hear voices in their heads. They were the voices of Mia's apprentices Megan and Justin from back in Imil near the Mercury Lighthouse that was delivering a message from the Wise One to get away from the lighthouses.

"The Wise One…what did he want?" Sheba asked a bit on edge.

"He did say that once the four lighthouses were lite, the Golden Sun will shine. And when that happens, the Lighthouses and Mount Aleph will likely become very dangerous." Kraden pondered.

"So, the Wise One is warning people to take refuge?" Piers asked as Kraden nodded.

"Why would he do that? You saw what he did to us. He's obviously up to no good." Garet asked angry.

"Have you not learned that one's actions to not reflect their intention?" Another familiar voice called out in their heads.

"Hama!" Ivan gasped hearing the voice of his recently discovered lost older sister.

"Master Hama, did you get called to the Jupiter Lighthouse? Isaac asked.

"Yes. I was called in a dream." Hama said. "I see that you completed your quest, but it came at a heavy price. Your pain is unbearable."

"My parents…" Jenna muttered.

"Don't lose hope Jenna. Appearances can be an illusion. The Wise One has a caring heart." Hama encouraged.

"He made us fight Isaac's dad and Jenna's parents. What's so 'caring' about that?" Garet asked in anger.

"I understand that it looks…questionable, but think about it. If the Wise One was truly heartless, would he not warn us to seek refuge?" Hama asked.

"Well…I guess not. But still, why did he make us fight Kyle, Mathis, and Noel?" Garet asked.

"I can't explain right now. You must get away from the lighthouse now. The Golden Sun will soon rise and who knows what could happen? I'm heading away now myself." Hama warned and her voice faded.

"She's right. Let's get out of here now." Kraden agreed.

"But what about my parents? We can't leave them behind." Jenna asked frantically.

"That's right. We should take them with us." Isaac agreed.

"Do we have the time to escape if we are carrying them?" Piers asked.

"We'll do it." Felix assured as he grabbed his father. Isaac grabbed his and Piers grabbed Felix's mother.

However, before they could move, the shaking got worse and the light turned from red to black and yellow.

"What's happening?" Piers shouted trying to keep his balance.

"Alchemy is returning. We have to go, NOW" Kraden shouted in desperation.

"Right. Grab Isaac's dad and Jenna's parents and let's go!" Mia ordered.

"Ah! What just grabbed my arm?" Garet cried out.

"No one grabbed you Garet!" Isaac shouted annoyed.

"I'm serious!" Garet shouted back.

"Crap! We're too late!" Felix shouted.

The light shined even brighter engulfing them all.

Back by the Jupiter Lighthouse:

Hama felt a pain in her chest as she looked off to the north.

"Did they make it out in time?" She asked fearfully. "Ivan…please be safe."

Chapter Text

Groaning, Isaac slowly opened his eyes. When his vision came too, he found himself in a small room with two beds in it. Isaac was still dressed in his clothing, though his armor and scarf was removed leaving only the blue tunic. Isaac turned his head to spot his red breastplate armor was on a nearby table and his scarf was wrapped on the side of the bed post. Isaac also noticed the Sol Blade in its shaft leaning against the wall.

"Am I in an Inn?" Isaac asked himself as he sat up. He had stayed at many Inn's during his travels across Weyard, so he was familiar with the layout of the room, though the place still looked unfamiliar to him.

Looking over himself, he no longer felt the injuries he had sustained from the fight with the Doom Dragon. In fact, he felt better than he had ever felt before for some reason. But it still begged the question of where he was.

"Maybe Puelle sent a group to find us after the beacon was lite and they brought us back to Prox?" Isaac muttered to himself as he got out of the bed and went towards the window. But when he reached it, he realized that he most definitely wasn't in Prox.

Outside, Isaac found himself in a small village. While the sun was already setting, the villagers were still going about their daily business. While Isaac didn't stay in Prox for long, he was aware of a few things that made him realize he wasn't in Prox.

1) It wasn't winter outside. Prox was way too far up north that it was practically winter all year long. Here, the weather was nice like a late spring or early summer maybe? Who knows? All that mattered was that it definitely wasn't winter outside.

2) The people. Isaac may not have known Prox as long as Felix has, but one simple look could tell that these people were not Proxians. The people of Prox had scaly skin to help them adapt to the cold weather of Prox. These people were just normal people.

"Where the heck am I?" Isaac asked out loud.

There was a small knock on the door as Isaac turned to see the door open and a middle-aged man walk in.

He was rather gruff-looking with short blond hair and a matching beard. He wore armor on his arms and legs. He also had an orange shirt and a shield on his back. The moment he saw Isaac awake and standing, he looked quite surprise.

"Oh, you're awake. Are you alright?" The man asked.

"Uh, yeah I'm good. If you don't mind me asking, where am I?" Isaac asked.

"We're in a small village along the border of the Kingdom of Faerghus. My men and I found you by the riverbanks out cold." The man said.

Isaac looked confused. "Faerghus? Where is that?" Isaac asked as the man looked surprised.

"Did you hit your head or something? The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus makes up about half of the northern parts of Fodlan." The man said with an eyebrow raised.

"Fodlan?" Isaac asked even more confused.

"Man, you must have really hit your head hard. Why don't you try and get some rest kid? Don't worry about paying, I've already covered your expenses for the night." The man said.

"Oh, thanks uh…" Isaac began realizing that he didn't know the man's name.

"Jeralt. I'm a mercenary leader." The man known as Jeralt introduced himself.

"My name is Isaac." Isaac greeted.

"I see. Well Isaac, try and get some rest. I have something I need to check on." Jeralt said as he began to exit the room.

"Wait. Was there anyone else with me when you found me?" Isaac asked hopefully.

"Nope. Only you kid." Jeralt said much to Isaac's dismay.

"I-I see. Sorry to keep you up." Isaac apologized as Jeralt nodded and left rather quickly.

Isaac sat down on the bed in shock. Where the heck was he? This Fodlan place didn't sound in anyway familiar to the places he visited during his quest in Weyard, or even sound like any of the places Jenna and Kraden told him about on the boat trip to Prox, after his group joined forces with Felix's group.

'But how did I even get here? Was this because of the Golden Sun? Why did it send me to where ever here is?' Isaac thought as his thoughts drifted to his friends.

Garet, Jenna, Felix… He's known them since he was little. Especially Garet who one could say was almost like a brother to Isaac. Were they okay? And what about Ivan and Mia? The friends he made on his journey across Weyard. Even Sheba and Piers, who granted, Isaac didn't know as well as the others, but none the less was still worried for their safety. Then there was Kraden. A friend of his fathers that would teach Isaac of the many things outside of Vale through his story. Like the Ocean that he and Garet became rather interested in.

"Are they back in Prox? But then why did only I get sent here? If they did get sent here? Where are they? My friends, Kraden, and...DAD!!!" Isaac gasped at the end.

Despite the bravado he showed at the Mars Lighthouse, he was just as devastated as Jenna and Felix were. Just like Jenna and her parents, he first lost his father to that dreaded storm Saturos and Menardi caused, only to eventually learn that he survived. But by the time he got to Prox, he and Jenna were left with the shock that Kyle and Jenna's parents vanished from the village, only to be turned into a three-headed dragon by the Wise One at the top of the Mars Lighthouse.

His dad was near dead when Isaac last saw him. Not even Mia was able to heal him.

"Now I'm in some unknown location all by myself." Isaac muttered sadly as he sat down on the bed he was originally resting in.

"All by yourself? Then what am I? Chop liver?" A small voice asked a bit annoyed.

Isaac looked up in surprise as a small brown creature with a tan stomach and blue eyes appeared before him on the table.

"Flint." Isaac gasped.

"Did you forget that we Djinn have also assisted you on your entire journey?" Flint asked.

"N-No...okay maybe a little bit." Isaac admitted.

"Well do better to remember next time." Flint scolded.

"R-Right." Isaac muttered as he tried to summon his other Djinn.

However, nothing happened.

"Wait, where are the others?" Isaac asked.

"That's a good question. When we were engulfed by that bright light, I lost track of the others." Flint admitted.

'So I'm back down to just one. But it's strange that I didn't feel it.' Isaac thought.

"Well, I'm still with you Isaac. Just as I've always been since we met. And I'm sure we'll find the others." Flint said with confidence.

Isaac nodded. "Thanks Flint. I needed that."

That's right. Aside from Garet, Flint has been by Isaac's side the longest on this journey of his.

"So then, do you know where we are?" Isaac asked.

"Not a clue." Flint admitted. "Maybe we should take a look around?"

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go." Isaac said.

Flint nodded and returned to Isaac's body as Isaac grabbed the Sol Blade and his scarf. He decided to leave his breastplate in the room for the time being as he walked out the door.

Isaac took a walk around the Inn, noticing quite a number of people in armor. The young Adept assumed these people were the mercenaries that Jeralt mentioned.

Three of them were at a nearby table drinking until one noticed Isaac.

"Hey! You're that kid we found. You alright?" The man asked.

"Yeah. My name is Isaac. Thank you for helping me." Isaac said with a bow.

"It's the captain you should thank. My name is Mitch by the way." The man now named Mitch said.

"My name's Dan." The other man at the table said.

"And I'm Sarah." The female at the table said.

"I have to ask. Did you get hit by those purple stones too?" Mitch asked causing Isaac to blink.

"Purple Stones?" Isaac asked. There was one type of purple stone he knew of, but there was no way they were talking about…

"Yeah. Around the time we found you, these purple stones started to rain down from the sky. The Captain's kid was hit by one of them. She went into a high fever as a result." Mitch said.

'No way.' Isaac thought worried.

"It was crazy. They just all fell from the sky out of nowhere. I'll bet they covered all of Fodlan." Dan said.

"So, was that why you were out cold? You didn't have any injuries on you." Sarah asked.

Isaac didn't comment on his lack of injuries. While confusing, it wasn't important at the moment. But purple rocks raining down from the sky? Someone breaking into a fever when hit by it? That did sound familiar.

"You okay kid?" Mitch asked concerned when Isaac didn't speak up.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine. Honestly I don't remember what happened." Isaac lied. Deciding to keep this a secret for now.

"Well, okay then. Anyway, you should probably get some sleep. It's getting late outside." Dan said.

"He's been sleeping already. Come have a seat and have a drink." Mitch said.

"I'm good actually. I think I'll get some shut eye." Isaac said.

"Suit yourself." Sarah shrugged.

"By the way. Do any of you have a map I can barrow?" Isaac asked. Mitch handed him a map that was kept in his bag. "Thanks."

Isaac left the three to continue their business and headed back to his room.

Once he shut the door, he plopped onto his bed with Flint appearing next to him as Isaac opened the map. What he saw was a shock.

"It really is true. I recognize none of these places." Isaac said.

"Adrestian Empire, The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance. These three seem to take over the whole map." Flint said.

"There's no Mount Aleph anywhere on this map so I can't find Vale. We truly aren't in Weyard anymore. But how did we get here?" Isaac asked. Then he remembered what Hama said back at the Lighthouse.

"You must get away from the lighthouse now. The Golden Sun will soon rise and who knows what could happen?" Hama's voice echoed in Isaac's head.

"Did the Golden Sun send us here?" Isaac asked.

"Well like we figured earlier, that bright light was the last thing we saw before awakening here. I think it's safe to guess that the Golden Sun truly sent us here." Flint said. "But, I think we have another problem to deal with."

"Those purple stones…They were Psynergy Crystals, weren't they?" Isaac asked.

"I can feel a lot of Psynergy around us so most likely." Flint said.

"The captain's daughter. She was hit by a Psynergy stone then…I wonder if she will obtain Psynergy?" Isaac pondered.

"Well, it happened to Feizhi and Tret, along with that Eoleo kid Jenna told us about. So it's very likely." Flint said.

"Those guys said that it is likely that they ended up all over Fodlan. I wonder if anyone else was affected by it?" Isaac asked.

"Or anything. Psynergy doesn't affect only humans, don't forget." Flint reminded as Isaac flinched.

"That's right. The plants and wildlife were also affected when Mt. Aleph erupted. Monsters came everywhere, the landscapes changed, and people's way of life were affected as well." Isaac said as he remembered all he saw in his travels across Weyard.

"So, what are we going to do?" Flint asked.

"I need to see the captain's daughter. I have to confirm if she has become an Adept or not. I can decide where to go from there." Isaac said.

"Sounds like a plan but maybe for now, we can get some sleep. It's getting pretty late." Flint said.

Isaac looked out the window and noticed that it was indeed nighttime.

"Good idea. We can speak with that Jeralt guy tomorrow. If his kid really fell ill, then he should be here tomorrow still. For now, it has been a long day and a nap sounds really good right about now." Isaac said as he lied down on the bed.

"Good night Isaac." Flint said.

"Good night Flint…and thanks." Isaac muttered as he drifted into sleep.

"No problem, buddy." Flint said as he went back into Isaac's body.

The next morning came and Isaac was already up. He was usually an early riser; part of it due to his travels as he always wanted to get a move on so he wouldn't lose Felix's trail during his quest.

Putting his armor back on and strapping the Sol Blade to his back, Isaac sat down at the table in his room as he prepared himself for how he would confront this problem.

'I need to speak with that girl those mercenaries mentioned yesterday. I need to see if he has Psynergy. But will her father let me? I may not know the guy, but if his daughter was sick, he probably wouldn't let him see her without reason. I guess there is only one choice to convince him then.' Isaac thought.

Laws of Vale stated that Adepts are not to show their powers to outsiders, but Isaac may not have a choice. Besides. It's not the first time he's done it honestly. He used it in Colloso in Tolbi to give himself a chance against the other warriors and even showed off some Psynergy in Madra when he heard about Piers. Not only that, but if Psynergy really did fall all over Fodlan like those Mercenaries said, then this wasn't going to be an isolated incident.

Isaac was cut out of his train of thoughts when he heard a knock on the door.

"Enter." Isaac said.

The door opened to reveal Jeralt.

"You're up early." Jeralt commented.

"I've usually been one to do so." Isaac said.

"I see. I mainly wanted to give a check on how you were doing." Jeralt said as he started to head back out.

"How's your daughter doing?" Isaac asked causing Jeralt to stop.

"How did you…"

"Some of your men told me about her fever when I stepped out yesterday." Isaac explained.

"Those idiots…" Jeralt muttered. "She's doing a lot better."

"Mind if I ask you something?" Isaac asked.

"And that is?" Jeralt asked with some caution.

"Your men said a purple rock fell from the sky, right?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah, why?" Jeralt asked a bit suspicious.

"Did the rock look something like this?" Isaac asked as he pulled out a Psynergy crystal.

Jeralt's eyes widened. "Yeah it did! Do you know something about this?"

"Before I do, do you mind if I ask you something? Do you know of a place called Weyard?" Isaac asked.

"Weyard? No, I can't say that I have." Jeralt said.

"Weyard is where I am from. It is a giant floating island in the sky." Isaac admitted.

"A floating land? Are you sure you just didn't hit your head hard?" Jeralt asked not buying it for a second.

"Do you see that rock outside?" Isaac asked pointing to a large rock out the window.

"Yeah? What about it?" Jeralt asked.

"Just watch." Isaac said as he put his hand up. "Move."

To Jeralt's shock, a giant ghost hand appeared and pushed the rock to the side a bit.

"Wh-What was that hand?" Jeralt asked shocked.

"You saw the hand?" Isaac asked surprised.

"Of course, I saw it! What was that? Some kind of magic?" Jeralt demanded.

"Sort of. It's called Psynergy or Psychic energy. It is something that exists in every living thing, though there are some that can draw out that power. These people are called Adepts and I am one of them." Isaac said.

Jeralt gave Isaac his full attention as Isaac continued.

"To normal people, the Psynergy is invisible though there are some exceptions it seems." Isaac said as he remembered Kraden seems to be able to see Psynergy despite not being an Adept. "Adepts can wield one of four elements. There are Venus Adepts like myself that control Earth. There are Mars Adepts that control fire. Jupiter Adepts control wind. And finally, Mercury Adepts control water."

Isaac then picked up the crystals that were on the table.

"These are called Psynergy crystals. They are made of pure Psynergy that Adepts use to restore their Psynergy." Isaac said.

"Then why did my daughter break into a fever when one hit her?" Jeralt asked.

"I honestly don't know. I grew up in a hidden village called Vale, where Psynergy was pretty common. But despite that, there was still a lot about Psynergy that we don't know. However, a friend of mine did state that she once met a child that was hit by one of these stones, and apparently broke into a fever. When he recovered he gained the ability to use Psynergy. I even met a girl who also gained Psynergy from coming into contact with one of these stones." Isaac said. 'And a magic tree, but I think I'll save that for another time. He looks like he trying to process enough as is.'

"So, are you saying that my daughter will develop Psynergy as well?" Jeralt asked worried.

"Most likely. But if that is the case, you shouldn't have to worry. That child and girl I mentioned were doing fine once their powers awakened and I've had it my whole life, and I feel fine." Isaac assured.

That did calm Jeralt down, at least a tiny bit.

"Fine. I guess I'll take you to see my daughter so you can tell me how that whatever stone affected her. But if you are trying anything funny…" Jeralt began with his intense glare being all Isaac needed to see where that sentence was going.

"I-I assure I won't try anything!" Isaac said gasping from the scary-looking father.

Jeralt nodded as he got up.

"All right kid, follow me." Jeralt said as he headed out the door with Isaac following suit.

Jeralt lead Isaac to the door where his daughter was resting.

"One quick warning. My daughter is a little…different." Jeralt said.

"Different how?" Isaac asked confused.

"Different…Just see for yourself." Jeralt said opening the door as the two walked inside.

Inside was young woman a bit older than him reading a book in bed. She had dark greenish hair and wore black armor that had an opening on her belly and short black pants. Beneath, she had leggings down to her boots. She also had a cape off to the side of her bed next to her sword. But the thing that Isaac noticed the most, was her eyes when she looked up from her book at the sound of the two of them entering the room.

Her blue eyes seemed like they were mostly devoid of life.

"Hey kiddo. This is the boy we found down by the river banks. Isaac, this is Byleth. My daughter." Jeralt introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Isaac greeted.

Byleth said nothing, but did give a small nod.

'Not much of a talker is she?' Isaac thought.

"Isaac here says he has some information on that rock that hit you yesterday." Jeralt said.

"You mean that purple rock that fell from the sky?" Byleth asked.

"Yeah that." Isaac nodded as he reached into his pocket to pull out the Psynergy crystal he had. "Tell me something. Did that rock look like this?"

Byleth looked at the rock in slight surprise, but nodded.

"I see. This is what is known as a Psynergy Crystal. A crystal that is made from pure concentrated Psynergy." Isaac explained.

"Psynergy?" Byleth asked confused.

"Psynergy is..." Isaac began but was cut off by a loud banging on the door.

Annoyed, Jeralt opened the door to see one of his men behind it with a frantic expression.

"What is it? We're in the middle of something." Jeralt asked annoyed.

"Apologies sir, but a pack of wolves has just stormed the village.

"Wolves?" Jeralt asked confused.

"Yes, but there is something off about them." The mercenary said.

"Off how? You know what, never mind. Let's deal with the wolves first, then wonder on what's going on." Jeralt said.

"Our men are already evacuating the people." The mercenary said.

"Excellent. I'll head right out there to deal with these wolves." Jeralt ordered.

The mercenary nodded and left. Jeralt turned to the other two.

"You two stay here." Jeralt ordered.

"I'm fine father. I can fight." Byleth argued.

"You just got over a fever. Take it easy." Jeralt said.

"I'm fine. In fact, I feel better than ever." Byleth argued.

Jeralt sighed. He didn't have time for this. "Fine. But I want you to stay close to me at all times."

Byleth nodded.

"I'll go as well. I'm not unfamiliar with combat, and I think I know why these wolves are attacking." Isaac said.

"This Psynergy stuff?" Jeralt asked.

Isaac nodded. "Psynergy can affect all living things. Not just people." Isaac said.

"As much as I would love to ask for more information, we have a town full of wolves to deal with. Very well. But once this is done, I expect the full story. Understood?" Jeralt asked.

"Of course." Isaac nodded.

"All right then. Let's go!" Jeralt ordered.

Byleth grabbed her cape and sword and the three ran out of the inn.

Chapter Text

Jeralt, Isaac, and Byleth arrived outside to see the carnage. Just as that mercenary said, a group of wolves were rampaging through the town. Most of Jeralt's mercenaries were getting the villagers somewhere safe, while a few others were fending off the wolves. Jeralt got on his horse and rode up to the other two.

"All right you two. Just stick close to me." Jeralt said as he gripped his lance for battle. Byleth drew her sword as well.

Isaac drew out the Sol Blade from its shaft. The golden blade shined brightly catching Jeralt and Byleth off guard.

'What the heck is that weapon? Is that a Hero's Relic? No it can't be. I don't see a Crest stone on it anywhere.' Jeralt thought before shacking his head. 'Worry about it later. These wolves come first.'

Jeralt jumped onto his horse with his Steel lance in hand as he charged at one of the Wild Wolves impaling it with his lance.

"Piece of cake." Jeralt smirked as he charged at another.

One of the Wild Wolves charged at Isaac with their fangs, ready to take a bite out of the the young Venus adept. But Isaac intercepted the wolf with a swing of the Sol Blade, cleaving the monster in half with ease.

"These wolves look and act like the monsters I fought back in Weyard. I guess they did get influenced by those Psynergy crystals that fell yesterday." Isaac muttered to himself before turning his attention to another wolf.

Byleth was doing well herself as she slashed and killed another Wild Wolf.

"I feel great. It's like I wasn't even sick at all yesterday." Byleth muttered to herself as she took out another wolf.

She glanced towards her father that was facing against three wolves at once. However, these wolves were the blue wolves as opposed to the brown wolves they'd been fighting.

Jeralt raised his shield to block one of the wolves from attacking him. After pushing it back, he thrust his lance forward and killed one of the wolves. However, the second one opened its mouth and released a breath of icy wind at Jeralt.

"What the?" Jeralt began as he was blasted with shards of ice that formed from the icy breath. "GAH!"

Jeralt lost his balance and fell off his horse.

"Father!" Byleth screamed as she ran towards him, but the remaining Dire Wolf jumped to intercept.

"Flint!" Isaac shouted.

Flint appeared right next to Isaac as his body and Isaac's blade glowed with yellow energy. Isaac jumped forward and slashed the Dire Wolf killing it in one blow.

The remaining Dire Wolves took notice and charged at Isaac. But Isaac just raised his hand.

"Gaia!" Isaac shouted.

The ground beneath the wolves opened up and blasted them with a large amount Venus Psynergy destroying them. Isaac looked rather surprised.

'With only Flint, I wasn't expecting that amount of power. What happened?' Isaac thought in surprise.

With all the wolves gone, Byleth went to check on her father.

Jeralt was still alive, but he was badly hurt. Between the ice shards and falling off his horse, he was currently in pain.

Byleth searched her pockets for any type of medicine, but found she didn't have any. Panic setting in she worried what to do.

As if on instinct, her hand reached over the wound as her hand glowed in a blue aura that started to cover Jeralt's shoulder much to his surprise.

Isaac had run up to the father daughter duo and was shocked at what he saw.

"That's Psynergy." Flint said appearing on Isaac's shoulder.

"Yeah. She truly has become an Adept." Isaac said watching Byleth heal her father.

As the light died down, Jeralt's injury had vanished and he slowly gotten up much to Byleth's relief.

"Kid…what was that you just did?" Jeralt asked surprised.

"I…I don't know." Byleth admitted as she looked at her hands. "What was that light?"

"That was Psynergy." Isaac said getting the two's attention.

"Psynergy…you mentioned that back in the hotel room before this mess started." Byleth said.

"Psynergy is a type of magic that some are able to do. While it exists in all of us, only some can bring it forward like what you and I did." Isaac said.

"So that blast you used earlier was also Psynergy?" Byleth asked and Isaac nodded.

"So, she did gain powers from that rock." Jeralt said.

Isaac nodded. "That Psynergy she just used was called Ply. I've seen it used by a good friend of mine a lot before I came here. But by you using that, I'm guessing that you're a Mercury Adept." Isaac said.

"Mercury Adept?" Byleth asked confused.

"Captain Jeralt!" One of the mercenaries shouted. The three turned to see Jeralt's troops and some villagers approach them.

"We can't thank you enough for saving our village." An elderly man said.

"Don't worry about it." Jeralt waved off.

"Um actually…" Isaac began but Jeralt cut him off.

"Now that my daughter is feeling better, we need to get moving soon since we have a mission we were heading towards when those rocks fell." Jeralt said.

"I see. At least stay for lunch as a means of repaying you." The man offered.

"Very well then." Jeralt said before turning to his troops. "I need to speak with my daughter and Isaac here about something. You guys start packing up because once we eat, we leave."

The mercenaries nodded and left to do what they were told. Jeralt turned to Isaac and Byleth.

"Let's talk someplace a bit more private." Jeralt said. The two nodded and headed just outside the village.

"Alright Isaac. Why don't you continue what you were about to tell Byleth back at the Inn." Jeralt said and Isaac nodded.

"Psynergy is broken into four elements. Venus that is Earth, Mars that is Fire, Jupiter that is Wind, and Mercury that is Water. I use Venus." Isaac said.

"And which one did you say I was again?" Byleth asked.

"Mercury. That power you used before was called Ply. It's a healing spell that my friend Mia used to keep us all healthy before. Mercury Adepts have power over water and ice. But they are also said to have amazing healing capabilities." Isaac said.

"Healing capabilities?" Byleth and Jeralt both asked surprised.

"That's what Mia once said. She was even her village's healer before we met" Isaac said. "That stone that hit you was a Psynergy Stone. They're pure Psynergy crystallized that Adepts like me use to restore our Psynergy when it runs out a lot faster. The stone's contact with you unlocked your Psynergy."

"So, I can use this Psynergy…" Byleth asked.

"But humans aren't the only thing that Psynergy can affect. Animals and plants are also prone to be affected by Psynergy. Those wolves were such an example. The reason why they were attacking like that, along with the reason that one was able to fire off ice was all because of their exposure to Psynergy. And I fear that this won't be the only instance of this. Especially if those stones truly ended up landing all over Fodlan." Isaac said.

"Well, if those villagers are planning to feed my whole troops, they'll be a while to get it all ready. So why don't you tell us your story now." Jeralt offered. He was more curious and concerned than ever on what kind of person Isaac was.

Isaac nodded and began telling his story to the father and daughter before him. From his childhood in Vale, the boulder Incident, Felix and those Proxians breaking into the Sol Sanctum, the quest by the Wise One, the Lighthouses, his friends, Felix's real objective of saving Weyard from Gaia Falls, and finally the fight with the Doom Dragon that lead to Isaac being found by Jeralt's Mercenary group.

"Well kid…that's…a hard pill to swallow." Jeralt admitted. The boy was a bit younger than Byleth, but from the sounds of things, he's already been through quite a lot. It would at least explain his skills despite his age. That said, there were parts of Isaac's story that was rather...questionable. Mainly this Wise One being a giant rock with an eyeball that can float and even halt the flow of magma. Still, it's not like Jeralt himself was one to question such absurdity given his age along with his daughter's...unique condition.

"I knew my choice to help light the final beacon would bring problems, but I didn't think those problems would affect more than just Weyard. I am truly deeply sorry for all the trouble I caused you." Isaac said with a bow.

Byleth was silent, but her eyes were filled with curiosity and to Jeralt's surprise, a bit of concern.

Jeralt was left thinking about what to do with Isaac. 'This kid has definitely made my job harder now with more and more monsters running about, but he is pretty skilled for someone his age. Not to mention that he said that Mercury Adepts are great healers. If Byleth could learn that, I won't need to risk visiting one of the Churches to have someone learn faith magic. Byleth also seems to be taking an interest in Isaac as well which is a first. Plus, if I leave Isaac alone, then the church might find out about him leading him to Rhea and Rhea to me…I guess it would be best to keep him close by.'

"Hey kid. How would you like to join my Mercenary group?" Jeralt asked much to Isaac's surprise.

"Are you sure you want me? I mean I also have things to do." Isaac said.

"If everything you said is true and you're not from Fodlan, then trying to find your friends isn't going to be that simple. Fodlan is rather massive and you can easily get lost if you don't know where you're going. But I've been traveling it before you were even born, and my job takes me all over the place. So why don't you stick with us? I'll even help you look for your friends." Jeralt offered.

"I can't argue with that…" Isaac muttered realizing that Jeralt was right.

"Plus, Byleth here seems like she's rather interested in her new powers. But I can't teach her since I know nothing about it." Jeralt said.

"I'm not a master of Mercury Psynergy, but I am familiar with it. I guess I could teach her." Isaac said.

"You don't have an issue with me learning Psynergy?" Byleth asked.

"I can't deny the complaint that we have so little in terms of healers in our group. If this Psynergy power can be used for healing, that can save me the time of finding someone to go train in Faith magic, or try and recruit someone who can use it." Jeralt explained.

Isaac was silent for a moment weighing his options. After a moment, he decided.

"Well, I can't argue with your logic there. If you'll have me, I'll join your mercenary group for now." Isaac said.

"Great. Here's a welcoming present." Jeralt said grabbing the steel sword at his side and tossing it to Isaac.

"A sword?" Isaac asked confused. "But I already have a sword."

"That blade of yours might attract some unwanted attention. Unless you were in an emergency, it's probably not something you should swing around regularly. You did say that Psynergy was sort of a secret right?" Jeralt replied.

"Good point." Isaac admitted accepting the blade.

'Good. The last thing I need is people thinking that it's a Hero's Relic and informing the Church.' Jeralt internally sighed. Even if it wasn't a Hero's relic, it still radiated power just like the Hero's Relics did, and that golden look at first glance does bare some resemblance to one. If Isaac waved that sword around, it would attract the attention of the church that would want to investigate this "unknown relic." "Well, let's head back. We've been out here for a couple of hours. Food should be ready about now and those pigs won't save us any if we don't hurry."

The two nodded and the trio headed back to the village.

Chapter Text

Just as Jeralt had said, the moment that the group was finished eating, they were immediately out of the village. No one really complained, as this was a life they were used to. Not even Isaac.

What was worrying Isaac, was that he had promised Byleth to teach her on how to use Psynergy. When it came to teaching, the most experience Isaac had was assisting Garet and Jenna whenever they were struggling in their lessons. While Kraden has praised him as a natural, teaching was still something new to him. To make maters even more difficult, Isaac had no Mercury Djinn with him. Meaning he couldn't access any Mercury Psynergy on his own. Sure he could still teach her the basics, as he did have some experience with Mercury Psynergy from the combination of watching Mia use it, and even trying some Mercury Djinn himself from time to time, but if Byleth wanted to go even further in her training, Isaac wasn't going to be of much help without the assistance of someone like Mia or Piers.

As Isaac was deep in though, Byleth walked right beside him. "Lost it thought?"

Isaac blinked in surprise, before turning to Byleth who was staring at him with a curious yet neutral face. "Yeah."

"My father usually says that idle thoughts have no place on the battlefield. You get lost in thought, you could end up dead." Byleth said.

"I am well aware that I need to focus in a fight." Isaac assured.

"So, what were you thinking about?" Byleth asked.

"How to handle your Psynergy training." Isaac answered.

"I'd take it I'm the first you trained?" Byleth asked.

Isaac nodded. "I can teach you the basics, but anything too advance with water, I sadly won't be of much help."

"If you can just teach me the basics, that would be fine. My father has always said I was a quick learner." Byleth assured.

Isaac nodded. "Okay then. When we stop for camp, we'll get started."

Byleth nodded.

After a several more hours of walking, Jeralt's mercenary group stopped to set up camp.

"I'm impressed you kept up with the hike. I was half expecting you to complain at some point." Jeralt joked at Isaac.

"Weyard may not be as big as Fodlan, but my journey has made me rather used to long hikes." Isaac assured.

"No kidding. This spot is pretty far out there, so we shouldn't have anyone look in on Psynergy training. Though I will be observing myself." Jeralt said.

Isaac nodded as he went over to where Byleth was hanging around. Time to start training.

"So, as we were talking about before, Psynergy is broken into four elements. Can you recite them?" Isaac asked.

"Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water." Byleth recited.

"Right. And based off the spell you used on your father, you possess water Psynergy." Isaac said.

"And you said you possess the power of Earth. But that does leave me with a question for you. You said you had some experience with water before. Are Adepts able to use more than one element?" Byleth asked.

"In a way yes. As for how, I have these guys to thank for that." Isaac said as Flint appeared on Isaac's shoulder.

"Hi there. I'm Flint." Flint said.

"What the heck is that?" Both Byleth and Jeralt asked shocked at the creature.

"This is my friend Flint. He's a Djinn." Isaac said.

"A Djinn?" Byleth asked confused.

"I'll take it from here." Flint said as he pulled out a small white stick out of nowhere. "A Djinn is an elemental entity that like you adepts come in one of four elements. We are an adept's greatest ally."

"An Adept's greatest ally?" Byleth asked confused.

"Yep. When you equip us, we can provide a boast in your Psynergy allowing you to unleash more powerful attacks than normal. You saw Isaac use that Gaia spell back in the village? Well equip us and that Gaia will get even stronger." Flint said.

"But where did you come from?" Byleth asked.

We Djinn were originally from the Sol Sanctum deep inside of Mt Aleph where we slept. But when the Elemental Stars were stolen, we were awoken and flung all over of Weyard." Flint explained.

"Before I arrived in Fodlan, I had plenty of Djinn at my side, but for some reason I lost all but Flint upon my arrival to Fodlan." Isaac explained.

"There are quite a lot of us. Even more than the ones that Isaac and his friends found before." Flint said.

"Really?" Isaac asked surprised. Between his and Felix's parties, they collected a lot of Djinn, but that wasn't all of them?

"Yep." Flint nodded before turning back to Byleth. "Now, much like Adepts, we come in four different varieties. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury. If you ever find a Djinn, try to befriend it. Some are peaceful, but some may want to test your strength before they accept you. But once you do befriend one, you can call upon our powers at any time."

"Mercury is Water. So, I would need to get my hands on some Mercury Djinn?" Byleth asked.

"Yes and no. I mean, you could look for Mercury Djinn sure. But when you find more, you should try out different elements." Flint said.

"I can do that?" Byleth asked.

"Yep. That's how Isaac was able to get some experience with other types of Psynergy like water. When Isaac equips himself with Mercury Djinn, he can gain use of Water Psynergy." Flint said.

"Are there any negatives we should be concerned about?" Jeralt asked from his spot.

"Sort of but it would be best to show you." Flint said.

As if right no cue, two Rats appeared. They were bigger than a normal Rat and their bodies was orange with green plating on their heads and backs.

"Perfect timing. I'll show you how Djinn work in battle." Isaac said as he drew the Steel Sword Jeralt gave him and Flint went back into Isaac.

"Now, in order to call out your Djinn, you just need to call out its name. Like so. Flint!" Isaac called out. Flint appeared right next to Isaac as his body and his sword glowed yellow. Isaac gave a mighty slash that destroyed the first Rat. When the glow ended, a yellow ball hovered around Isaac.

"When you use a Djinn in battle, it goes into Standby. When a Djinn is like this, you aren't connected to their powers and don't gain any of their power boosts." Isaac said as he effortlessly dodged an attack from the remaining Rat. "However, when they are in Standby, you can unleash a Djinn's most powerful attack. Summon."

Isaac raised his hand into the air. "Summon Venus!"

The yellow ball went up into the air and vanished. A silhouette of a Venus Djinn appeared behind the Rat as a larger version of Gaia unleashed around the creature destroying it.

Isaac put his sword away and faced the duo.

"That was a summon. An Adept's most powerful attack. Based on the number of Djinn you have, you can call upon much more powerful spirits. But be careful. The more powerful the Summon, the more energy it can drain from you and leave you exhausted. The one I did was nothing, but more powerful ones can take a big toll on you if you're not careful. So Summons are kind of a last resort." Isaac said.

"Where's Flint?" Byleth asked.

"Well, Summons consume the power of both Adept and Djinn. Flint needs to recover his strength. He enters a state he calls rest mode. How long he takes to recover depends on the summon. But once he recovers, he immediately goes into his Set mode so you gain his power once again." Isaac said.

Flint then appeared right on Isaac's shoulder. "I'm back!"

"That was quick." Jeralt commented.

"That summon doesn't take much so it doesn't take as long for me to recover as unleashing something like Judgement." Flint said. "But anyway, there are a few rules you must learn about Djinn."

"Rules?" Byleth asked.

"Yep. One of the biggest rules for Djinn is, we don't like favoritism." Flint said. "If you are in a group, you must divide us evenly, or as evenly as you can. We like to be spread out."

"It's kind of a rule of theirs. But they are helping us so it doesn't hurt to follow them." Isaac said.

"That also does make more sense. A group can't function if one person does all the work. They are only as strong as the weakest link. Plus, if that one person with all the power falls, then the rest are in trouble." Byleth pointed out as Isaac and Flint nod.

"I don't know what happens to the Djinn of an Adept that dies, and to be frank, I don't want to know." Isaac added and Byleth nodded.

"So, the Djinn will help me get stronger in Psynergy?" Byleth said.

"Yep. But for now, let's focus on calling out Psynergy. Take this." Isaac said handing Byleth a pair of beads on a string.

"Beads?" Byleth asked.

"There are some items that can unlock certain Psynergy. These Beads are called Catch Beads. They can help you use Catch. We'll work on this first and then work on your own elemental Psynergy." Isaac said.

Byleth took the beads and put it on her wrist.

Isaac looked around, and thankfully found an apple tree not too far away. "I want you to use catch on one of those apples on that tree. I don't care which one." Isaac ordered.

Byleth nodded and held up her hand. Much like Isaac said, Byleth could feel new Psynergy flow inside of her from the beads. "Catch!"

A ghostly hand appeared and grabbed one of the apples. It then brought the apple to Byleth.

"Great job." Isaac smiled.

"I have to ask, does that Psynergy have any use aside from gathering fruit?" Jeralt asked.

"To my knowledge, anything small." Isaac said.

"That could be handy." Jeralt muttered.

"Now I want you to keep practicing with those Catch Beads. What you use it on is up to you. It can be apples, or whatever else you want. I want you to get used to using Psynergy." Isaac ordered.

Byleth nodded and turned her attention back to the apple tree.

Jeralt approached Isaac. "I've been thinking, and I want to make an offer to you."

"An offer?" Isaac asked.

"In exchange for teaching my daughter how to use Psynergy. You have no idea how much that healing powers can benefit my men." Jeralt said. "But what I'm offering is to train you in tactics."

"Tactics?" Isaac asked.

"This mercenary group is going to be a lot different than the traveling with your small group of friends. There may be times that me or Byleth may not be around to lead. Now I've trained quite a good number of my most trusted men to take command should that situation arrive, and now I'm offering that to you. Even if we ever part ways, you may find it rather helpful." Jeralt said.

Isaac took a moment to consider it. Sure, he had some experience in leading his group of four and new his way around a battle, but that's it. Honestly learning more battle tactics would have been helpful at certain points of his journey in Weyard. Particularly the Jupiter Lighthouse.

After some thought, Isaac nodded. "That does sound helpful."

"Excellent. We can start after dinner." Jeralt said as he turned to leave to check on the rest of his group.

Isaac nodded and turned back to Byleth as she was still grabbing ripe apples off of a tree.

Chapter Text

Isaac took a deep breath as he drew his steel sword. Today was his first mission as a member of Jeralt’s mercenaries. And sure enough, it was bandits.

Now bandits weren’t something new to Isaac. In fact, bandits were the first foes Isaac had to deal with back when he started his journey across Weyard. Back in Vault where he and Garet met Ivan, the three ended up facing against some bandits that went on a stealing spree during Mount Aleph's eruption. Now, they took care of those bandits without too much issue, but the thing was that Isaac was fighting to capture the bandits. This time though, he was fighting to kill them. Not hoping to stop them like he at least tried to do with Saturos and Menardi. He was going to have to swing his blade to kill.

“I’m going to warn you now Isaac. In this life, it mostly narrows down to kill or be killed.” Jeralt’s voice echoed in his head as the first bandit charged at his with an axe.

Isaac sidestepped the attack, and slashed with the sword, killing the bandit as another came at him. Isaac lifted his hand up. “Gaia!”

A burst of pure Venus Psynergy erupted from the ground, taking out a few more bandits.

The fight was going pretty well, but then monsters attacked.

The three monsters looked like bears, only their fur was green. Isaac immediately turned his attention on them as Byleth arrived at his side.

“Mind if I lend a hand? Father is wrapping up what’s left of the bandits.” Byleth asked.

“Be my guest.” Isaac said. There was a sense of joy fighting alongside someone else with Psynergy. It kind of reminded him of the time with his friends.

Isaac went in with a swing of the sword as he struck one of the Ravagers with his blade, causing it to recoil back in pain.

Byleth followed suit with a slash that took the bear down.

The second bear raised its claws that started to glow in power as it tried to slash at the two, but they effortlessly dodged it.

“These guys are slow, but they can hit hard if you aren’t careful.” Isaac said. “Try using Psynergy on them.”

Byleth nodded as she raised her hand. “Douse!”

A rainstorm appeared above the Ravager and drenched it with heavy rain. Byleth then went in for the kill, as Isaac killed the last one with a spire spell.

Soon enough, the bandit problem was dealt with and Jeralt was collecting their money from the village.

“Goddess bless you for your help. The man said. “I swear. Things have only gotten more dangerous lately. First there were those stones that fell, then more monsters started to appear, and now Duke Riegan has been killed. I wonder if this is a punishment from the Goddess for something we did.”

“I don’t know about that. Life is always full of surprises. Both the good and the bad.” Jeralt replied.

“I suppose so. Safe travels with you.” The man said as he left.

Jeralt turned and looked at Isaac who had a look of guilt on him. “What’s wrong kid? First kill getting to you?”

“N-No…I mean,kind of, but it’s sadly not the first life I’ve had to take.” Isaac said.

‘I doubt you’re the type of person to finish someone off.’ Alex’s voice rang in his head.

‘That was likely the case back then but now…’ Isaac thought.

“Then I guess you feel guilty with the monsters then.” Jeralt guessed.

“It was supposed to save Weyard from Gaia Falls. How or why did Psynergy end up here?” Isaac asked.

“I don’t know. I’m hoping we can find that out someday, but we don’t know where to start looking.” Byleth said.

“And now this Duke Riegan is dead too.” Isaac said sadly.

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there. I don’t think Psynergy is responsible for Duke Riegan’s death in anyway.” Jeralt said firmly.

“B-but…monsters…” Isaac began.

“Have been in Fodlan long before you showed up. Granted not as common as they are nowadays, but they have existed before. And they are tough ones. Trust me on that.” Jeralt said.

“How can you be so sure though?” Isaac asked.

“I was at a…bar when the news reached us.” Jeralt said as he tried to ignore the glare Byleth was giving him. “Based on what the reports said about the incident, the monsters that killed Godfrey Riegan seemed to be the giant monsters that live within the forests deep with Alliance territories. Why they were at the scene of the crime is another story, but the killers do seem to be monsters that originated from Fodlan. Not Psynergy.”

“So, who was Godfrey Riegan?” Flint asked appearing on Isaac’s shoulder.

“He was the head of the Leicester round-table. The Alliance is ruled by a group of nobles that dictate the land, as opposed to the Empire and Kingdom that are ruled by a single person. House Riegan is probably the closest thing they have to a king as he leads the round-table. Though, given how the Alliance works, calling Lord Riegan a king is a huge stretch.” Jeralt explained.

“So, it could possibly be an assassination?” Byleth guessed.

“Most likely, but there is no evidence to investigate who did it. But it’s not our problem. I’m sure Godfrey’s father is looking into it as we speak.” Jeralt said.

“On another note, what’s this ‘Goddess’ that person spoke of?” Flint asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about. Now let’s get going. There’s a job in Adrestia for us and I want to make it to Myrddin by tomorrow.” Jeralt said firmly as he walked away.

“He was pretty quick to shut that down. I wonder what that was all about?” Flint pondered.

Both Byleth and Isaac shrugged at that.

As the days went on, Isaac traveled to many different places in Fodlan. He was never in one place for too long, as Jeralt liked to keep moving for whatever reason, but Jeralt did stay to give Isaac enough time to ask about his friends. Sadly, when Isaac gave a description of his friends, he mostly got no news. There were a few times where someone stated that they saw one of his friends, but when Isaac would go to the location, he came up empty handed. Still, Isaac was not one to give up so easily

Soon, a year and a half had pasted…

Isaac stood by Byleth’s side as Jeralt stood before the Mercenary group with their next mission.

“Alright everyone listen up. Our mission is to secure a package for the client. I’ll be in charge of receiving it and delivering it. Meanwhile, Byleth will be in charge of defense.” Jeralt said.

“Defense from what?” Isaac asked.

“Probably bandits.” Dan said behind him.

“There's a possibility some bandits will make an attempt on us, but it turns out a rivaling lord has hired their own mercenaries to retrieve the package as well. They’re being led by a woman named Berling.” Jeralt said.

“Berling? I think I’ve heard of her.” Isaac muttered.

“Yes. She leads a Mercenary group that’s made quite a name for themselves within Leicester as of late. From what I’ve heard though, her mercenary group isn’t as big as ours is, but they have a pretty headstrong style of doing things. I have no idea how they intend on going through this mission, but I want to keep all bases covered. So, as I said, I will lead a small group to secure and deliver the package, while Byleth will form a defensive line to protect us against Berling or anyone else that wants their hands on it. Any questions?” Jeralt asked.

Isaac raised his hand. “What about me sir?”

“You will be assisting Byleth.” Jeralt said. Isaac nodded.

“Alright troops. Let’s show the world why we’re the best!” Jeralt shouted as the crowd roared in response.

Jeralt had left to complete the mission as Isaac and Byleth waited on defense.

“So, how’s life as a mercenary going?” Byleth asked.

“It’s not bad. But I don’t know if this life is for me.” Isaac admitted.

“I suppose a mercenary life isn’t for everyone.” Byleth commented.

“What about you?” Isaac asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know if there is another life for me. Mercenary is all I really know.” Byleth admitted. “Plus, with that name I have, I doubt I can find a new life outside of fighting even if I wanted to.”

“The Ashen Demon.” Isaac muttered. He had heard of the nickname that Byleth received. A so-called demon that cuts down anyone in their path with no remorse. As Isaac took a glance at Byleth, he could see a look of sorrow in her eyes. Isaac decided to change the topic.

“So, you’ve grown pretty quickly in Psynergy. I’m impressed.”

“I did say before I was a fast learner. All I needed was some help with understanding Psynergy. The rest was able to come to me.” Byleth said.

Before Isaac could respond, the sounds of fighting erupted not too far from them.

“That doesn’t sound good.” Isaac said as he and Byleth drew their swords.

Just then, Mich ran up to the two.

“What happened?” Byleth asked.

“Berling’s forces are attacking. We’re holding them back so far, but they’re stronger than we thought.” Mich said.

“Then I guess we’d better get out there. I’ll take point. I want you to circle around and provide support to the front.” Byleth ordered.

Isaac nodded and ran off with Mich.

Byleth drew her sword and ran towards where the commander was.

Berling was wearing a full set of silver armor as she sat on her horse. She had a lance in her hand and a bow was strapped to her back with some arrows.

“So, you must be the infamous Ashen Demon. I look forward to tearing you apart.” Berling declared.

Byleth said nothing as she readied for a fight.

Isaac meanwhile followed Mich as they circled around the battlefield to where Dan and Sarah were facing against a guy with an Axe.

“Isaac, you made it!” Dan cheered.

“This guy’s a bit tougher than he looks.” Sarah said.

Isaac nodded and approached the man.

“So, your name is Isaac huh? My name is Getz.” The man introduced.

Isaac nodded and the two clashed weapons with each other.

Byleth panted a bit as she took a step back. Berling was tougher than she originally gave her credit for. The woman had some quick reflexes to pull out her bow and shoot keeping Byleth at a distance. One arrow managed to actually hit her, but it was nothing a Ply couldn’t fix.

Still, despite the troubles before, Byleth was able to pull the fight around. She managed to kill Berling's horse, causing the woman to fall the ground, breaking her bow in the process. Berling managed to get back up, but with how she was limping, she likely broke something upon the fall.

“Nrgh. I can’t believe I’m losing to some damn kid.” She grunted as she readied her lance for another attack.

“I’ll give you one last chance. If you withdraw, I’ll let you live.” Byleth said.

“I…I won’t run away. Not when my dream is in sight. NOW DIE!!!” Berling shouted as she charged at Byleth.

Byleth spun out of the way of the lance, flipped her sword into a reverse grip, and plunged it through Berling chest.

“No…Just when my dream was…finally in sight…you monster…” Berling cursed as she fell to the ground dead.

“CAPTAIN!!!” A voice shouted. Byleth turned to see a young purple haired man around her age running towards her.

Back with Isaac, Isaac managed to slash at Getz, destroying his axe, and causing him to fall to the ground in pain.

“Do you surrender?” Isaac asked. “Your captain is dead, and you have no strength left. Don’t throw your life away.”

“R-Run Shez. These guys are too tough.” Getz grunted as he fell unconscious.

With Getz taken care of, Isaac ran towards Byleth’s location.

“Stand down or die.” Byleth warned.

“We’re going to stand! We’re going to fight! And we’re going to avenge the captain!” Shez declared.

He wore mostly grey armor with red cloth and black underneath. His pants were black and he wore red boots. A red scarf also was flowing around his neck.

Shez tried fighting Byleth in a sword fight, but Byleth was able to read his every move and counter. A fist to the face, caused Shez to stumble back.

‘What is going on here? How is she this strong?’ Shez thought with some fear. ‘I have no choice. I’ll have to use my new magic.’

Shez held up a hand and pointed it at Byleth. “Flare!”

Byleth’s eyes widened as Shez launched a wave of fire at her, causing her to jump out of the way, but barely. Byleth fell to the ground on landing.

“Not bad. I wasn’t expecting you to gain Psynergy as well.” Byleth grunted as she got back up.

“Psynergy? Shez asked confused. Then his eyes widened. “Wait, what do you mean ‘as well?’”

Byleth raised her hand. “Douse!”

Before Shez could react, he was pummeled by heavy rain tat appeared before him. Shez dropped his sword as he fell to the ground. Byleth approached him with sword in hand to finish the job.

Shez’s vision darkened as a voice spoke to him.

“The cycle of this world…I will not allow it to perish with you.”

A burst of power erupted from Shez causing Byleth to jump back. Shez got back up as he picked up his sword in one hand, and another materialized in his other hand. The sword that just appeared looked quite different from a normal sword. It was grey in color, though had a red glow to it. The hilt also had some kind of curve deign on the top and bottom.

Shez’s face was now a light shade of purple with white lines under his eyes and on his nose. His scarf was gone and instead a red circle was in its place.

“Where did you get that power?” Byleth asked.

“No idea.” Shez admitted. “But it’s just what I need to bring you down!”

Shez charged at Byleth with both blades in hand at incredible speed that forced Byleth on the defensive. Before this guy had potential, but wasn’t anything too great. Now he was fighting like a completely different person with an insane burst in strength.

“Byleth!” Isaac called out.

Suddenly the ground bellow Shez burst out pure Venus Psynergy through a Gaia spell, causing Shez to jump away and give Byleth some room to breathe.

“Isaac.” Byleth said as Isaac ran next to her, sword in hand. “This guy is an Adept. He used fire Psynergy earlier.”

“So, he’s a Mars Adept.” Isaac said. “But what’s this power he unleashing?”

“I don’t know. Is this some kind of Psynergy power?” Byleth asked.

“Nothing I’ve seen before.” Isaac admitted. "Do you require some help?"

"No. I've got this. He surprised me at first, but I can handle him." Byleth assured.

Isaac nodded and took a step back as Shez charged at Byleth.

Now more prepared, Byleth was able to keep up with Shez's attacks much better than before. She then jumped back and held up a hand. "Frost!"

Ice appeared and was launched at Shez as he tried to block it with his sword.

Byleth then charged in and continued the onslaught, as Shez was now forced on the defensive.

“No! I won’t lose to you!” Shez growled but wasn’t able to push Byleth back on the defensive.

“That’s enough! We’ve accomplished what we needed to do. Everyone fall back!” Jeralt’s voice called out.

“What the?” Shez asked in shock as the power faded returning him too normal.

“Seems that our mission is done.” Byleth said as she put away her sword. “This fight is over.”

“Hey wait!” Shez grunted.

“Why? We achieved our goal. Your job was to stop us, and you failed.” Byleth said. “And besides. Whatever that power of yours was seems to have run out. Now you barely have enough energy to stand. Like I said, this fight is over. Another time perhaps.”

With that, Isaac and Byleth walked away.

“W-Wait! I…can still…keep…why am I so…tired?” Shez muttered as he fell to the ground unconscious.

Isaac and Byleth met up with Jeralt to discuss the mission.

“Excellent work you two. We retrieved and delivered the package with no issue.” Jeralt said.

“We had…quite a fight on our hands.” Byleth said.

“I heard. I guess Berling decided to focus on wiping us out and then securing the package, but it looks like it ended up being the end for her group.” Jeralt said sadly.

“She was stronger than I was expecting, and I couldn’t hold back against her. But that guy I fought after…” Byleth said.

“I think his name is Shez. This guy named Getz I fought muttered that name.” Isaac guessed.

“Well regardless, our mission is complete. Time to get a move on.” Jeralt said.

Everyone nodded and started to move.

“It is…almost time…for the beginning.” A voice said in a yawn.

Byleth stopped in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Isaac asked as he and Jeralt turned to her.

“Didn’t you guys hear that?” Byleth asked.

“Hear what?” Isaac asked.

“A voice. It sounded like a girl. She said ‘It is almost time for the beginning.’” Byleth said.

Both men turned to each other and shrugged.

“Nether of us heard anything kiddo. Maybe you’re just tired. Come on. There should be a small town up ahead. “We’ll hit the inn and rest for the night.” Jeralt offered.

Byleth nodded and continued to follow.

Meanwhile with Shez:

“Where…Where am I?” Shez asked as he found himself on some floating platform in an empty space with several things floating in the distance.

“Oh good. “You’re awake.” A voice said.

Shez turned to see a being in white robes that kind of looked like scales in design. His entire skin was also white with short white hair. His face though had the same markings on his face that Shez had when he powered up. His eyes and the earrings he wore were red as was an eye like symbol on his chest. He was also floating in the air.

“Not sure if I’d been able to sleep at night with your…heh…blood on my hands.” The being joked.

“Who are you…wait, that was your voice I heard earlier right?” Shez asked.

“That’s right. You can call me Arval. I am a being that exists on the edge of dreams and reality.” The being called Arval said.

“Arval huh?” Shez asked.

“But for now, let me speak plainly. You are slated to die. I am the only thing that is holding your meager body together-and to be blunt, it is starting to tire me.”

“Uh…thank you?” Shez said confused at what Arval just said.

“Oh!” Arval gasped in surprise. “I must say this is the first time anyone has ever shown me gratitude. I must say…I like it very much.”

Shez stayed quite as Arval continued to speak.

“Hear me well! You are a crucial piece of this world’s cyclical…Ugh that will never do. You’re far to groggy to absorb what I am saying. For now, I needn’t tell you how you’ll get back on your feet, I just need to convince you that you will.” Arval said.

“This has to be a dream. I remember collapsing before this…” Shez began.

“Well, you’re half right…which also means you’re half wrong. But full marks for effort.” Arval joked. “Still, the important thing to worry about is what you’ll do after you awaken.”

“And that is?” Shez asked.

“Recall how the Ashen Demon came close to ending your life. If you attempt to fight in the same way again, the same events will happen. And that in turn will force me to step in again, and that would just be annoying. Also, it would be counterproductive as well.” Arval said.

“That won’t happen. I’ll get stronger. And I’ll surpass the Ashen Demon. Mark my words the man you see now will seem like a little kid in comparison.” Shez vowed.

“Indeed.” Arval commented.

“But now that my company’s dead. There’s only one thing I can do right now. Start over.” Shez admitted.

“Huh. I thought you’d be more sentimental. Did they not take you in? Care for you?” Arval asked.

“Gold is the only thing that ever held us together. And death is something we’re all too used to. I never knew my real parents, and the woman who raised me is long since dead, so I guess parting just comes easy to me. The best way to honor my fallen comrades is to get stronger. I will surpass Jeralt’s mercenaries, and the Ashen Demon that is with them.” Shez vowed.

 “Yes. That’s the spirit. I expect no less from my partner in destiny.” Arval said.

“I’m sorry, what?” Shez asked surprised.

“Oops. Sorry. That came too quickly. But I am here to guide you and help you achieve your goals.” Arval assured. “Now I think one thing to do is learn about that magic of yours.”

“My magic? Wasn’t that from you as well?” Shez asked.

“If it was, then how did the Ashen Demon and that blond guy use it too? It was different from yours, but it still felt the same regardless.” Arval pointed out.

“The Ashen Demon and that blond guy seemed to know about it. The Ashen Demon called it Psynergy, and that blond guy said I was a Mars Adept.” Shez said.

“Psynergy? That sounds…familiar.” Arval admitted.

“Do you know something?” Shez asked.

“Sorry but, my memories a bit hazy. For now, rest up. We’ll continue to work on your skills until we can find out more about this Psynergy.” Arval said.

Shez nodded.

Chapter Text

Byleth found herself standing in a rather dark room with some lighting in the center of the room and a throne on the other side. On the throne sat a girl that looked no older than 12. She had long green hair with a crown on her head. She wore a blue and black dress with gold designs around. She also looked like she was sleeping, but soon awoken slowly to the arrival of Byleth.

The girl yawned and rubbed her eyes awake as she noticed Byleth. "Oh my. What could have brought you here?"

"Uh…" Byleth began unsure on how to respond.

"I wonder how you got in here." She yawned "It is most rude to interrupt a moment of repose. Very rude indeed."

"I'm sorry?" Byleth asked.

"Now come closer. I wish to have a better look at you." She requested.

Byleth complied and stepped forward into the light.

"Hmm. I've not seen the likes of you before. Who are you anyway?" The girl asked.

"I'm a mortal." Byleth answered.

"Yet you seem to have this mysterious energy around you." The girl commented. "But do you have a name?"

"Byleth." Byleth said.

"Huh. I shall never grow accustom to the sound of human names." She said "Do you have a day of birth?"

"The 20th of the Horsebow Moon." Byleth said wondering why this girl was asking so many questions.

"Well, wonders never cease. It seems we share the same day of birth. How strange. It all feels so familiar...*Yawn* I think it may be time…for another nap. It is almost…time to…begin…" She yawned as she fell asleep again.

Remire Village:

"Hey kid. Time to wake up." Jeralt said nudging Byleth awake despite it being dark outside.

Byleth yawned as she opened her eyes, sat up, and faced her dad.

"You had that dream again?" Jeralt asked and Byleth nodded. Ever since her battle with Berling’s Mercenaries a year and a half ago, Byleth began to have dreams of ether the girl on the throne room, or some ancient battle between two armies.  

"It was that girl again." Byleth answered.

"I think you've described her to me before, but I don't recall ever meeting a person like that." Jeralt muttered before shaking it off. "In any case, it's best to get those ideas out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts. Risking your life is part of the job for mercenaries like us. Letting your mind wonder is a sure way to get yourself killed."

"Right." Byleth nodded.

"Anyway, our next job is in the Kingdom. It's a long walk so we need to leave at Dawn." Jeralt said.

"Of course." Byleth nodded getting out of bed.

Jeralt just sighed. "Looks like everyone is waiting for us, so we better get a move on."

Just then, Isaac barged into the room. It has been three years since Isaac arrived in Fodlan, but aside from the fact he's been carrying two swords on his person, he hadn't aged a day.

"Sorry to just barge in like this, but we have trouble." Isaac said.

"What happened?" Jeralt asked as Isaac led the two outside.

Outside the Inn there were three people roughly close to Isaac and Byleth's age. Probably a bit younger.

One was a guy with blond hair wearing a black uniform with a blue strap and cape, along with armor gauntlets and boots.

The next was a girl wearing a black dress with a red cape and red leggings. She had long white hair.

The last was a guy that was darker in skin with dark brown hair. He also wore a black uniform, but with a yellow cape and a yellow undershirt.

"Please pardon our intrusion." The boy in blue bowed "We wouldn't bother you if the situation weren't so dire."

"What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?" Jeralt asked.

"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope you would be kind enough to lend us some support." The boy in blue said.

"Bandits? Here?" Jeralt asked a bit surprised.

"It's true. They attacked us when we were at rest at our camp." The girl in red said.

"We've been separated from our companions and outnumbered. They're after our lives…not to mention our gold." The boy in yellow said.

"I'm impressed that you're able to stay calm despite the situation. I…wait those uniforms…" Jeralt said noticing a familiarity to the uniforms the three newcomers were wearing.

Isaac closed his eyes and started to glow, much to the surprise of the three newcomers. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes. “There’s quite a large number of them approaching fast.”

Before the three could ask about what Isaac just did, one of Jeralt's mercenaries approached the group. "The bandits are just outside the village. And there is quite a lot of them." He spoke.

"Damn. They must have followed you. We can't just abandon the village now. Prepare for battle." Jeralt ordered. The mercenary nodded and headed off.

"Hope you two are ready." Jeralt said to Isaac and Byleth, who both nodded.

"We thank you for your assistance. I am Dimitri." The boy in blue greeted.

"My name is Edelgard." The girl in red greeted.

"And I'm Claude. Pleasure." The boy in yellow said with a smirk.

"I'm Isaac and this is Byleth." Isaac introduced himself and Byleth.

"We can give more proper introductions later. Let's go." Jeralt ordered. Everyone nodded and ran off, except Isaac and Byleth who was held back by Jeralt.

"I'd be careful using your powers here. Use them only as a last resort." Jeralt whispered.

"Why is that?" Byleth asked.

"I'll explain later." Jeralt said.

Both nodded and ran after the other three.

The six arrived at the edge of the village. Coming from both the east and the west was quite a large number of bandits.

"I'll take my troops around and intercept them from behind. You two take out the advance party and protect the gate." Jeralt ordered. Both nodded and Jeralt rode off.

Isaac and Byleth both drew their blades.

"Excuse us. But the three of us are capable in combat. Let us assist you." Dimitri offered.

"What are your skills?" Byleth asked.

"I am skilled with a lance." Dimitri said raising his lance.

"I'm a pretty good shot with this baby." Claude said with a bow in one hand and twirling an arrow in the other hand.

"I can fight well with my axe." Edelgard said reading her axe.

"So, we have a lance user, an axe user, a bow user, and two sword users." Isaac said.

"Seems that way." Byleth said as a bandit charged right at her.

"DIE!" The bandit shouted as he brought down his axe, but Byleth was too quick. In one move, she slashed the bandit with her sword and he fell to the ground dead.

"If we break off into two groups, we can take out the advance party before they group up at the village." Byleth offered.

"That sounds like a good idea, but how do you want to split up? There are five of us after all." Edelgard asked.

"I'll take the woods. I can scout the enemies better." Isaac said and Byleth nodded, knowing that Isaac's Venus Psynergy gave him good connection to the earth.

"Alright then. Why don't you take Claude here with you? His skills with a bow would be better suited for fighting in the woods. I'll take these two and deal with the others in the open." Byleth offered as she pointed to Dimitri and Edelgard.

"Understood." Isaac said as he turned to Claude. "No complaints?"

"Not yet anyway." Claude chuckled as the two headed off.

"Are you sure they will be all right?" Dimitri asked concerned.

"Isaac is a pretty skilled warrior. They'll be fine." Byleth assured.

"Very well then. I also should thank you and your friend for coming to our aid. I dread to think what could have happened if you two didn't come along." Dimitri said.

"I think thanks should be saved till after we are out of the woods." Edelgard pointed out.

"She's right." Byleth agreed.

"Right. My apologies." Dimitri said a bit embarrassed.

"Let's go take out those bandits." Byleth ordered.

"Agreed. I am rather curious about you and your friend. You both claim to be simple mercenaries, yet I can feel much more in you two." Edelgard said as the three headed out.

With Isaac and Claude:

The woods just outside of Remire wasn't that big, but it did hide quite a decent number of bandits waiting to ambush. But while their ambush could take some by surprise, Isaac wasn't one of them. Isaac's powers had only grown since arriving in Fodlan. His connections to the Earth was strengthened to the point he could even sort of pinpoint where others were. Granted it wasn't as accurate as he would like, but it still gave him a good idea to what's to come. As a result, the two bandits that charged forward hoping to take Isaac by surprised were met with a quick end from Isaac's blade.

"Man. You seem to be one step ahead of these bandits. It's like you can see the future or something." Claude commented.

"Not really. I just have good hearing and vision. These woods aren't too large after all." Isaac said though Claude wasn't buying it.

"I notice you're carrying two swords with you. That one just a backup or do you duel wield?" Claude asked pointing to the Sol Blade still hidden in its sheath.

"Just a backup in case my sword breaks. I don’t duel wield. That’s pretty tricky to do." Isaac said trying to cover the truth of the blade.

"True." Claude admitted.                       

"Anyway, we need to keep our guard up. There are still a few more nearby." Isaac said and Claude nodded.

From a short distance, the remaining two bandits watched the two took down their comrades.

"Should we run back to the boss? These guys are good." One asked rather frightened.

"No need. Don't forget we still have our little pets." The other smirked as a third bandit approached the two while holding a pair of chains connected to two Dire Wolves.

"Snack time boys." The bandit laughed as he released the wolves into the woods.

Isaac was quick to notice the Dire Wolves charging right at him. He readied his sword to strike and kill one of them, however, the wolf shot some ice out of its mouth forcing Isaac to jump back in order to avoid getting hit.

The second wolf charged at Claude and took a bite out of Claude's shoulder.

Claude screamed in pain as he tried to shack the wolf off of him.

"GET OFF!" Claude shouted as a surge of wind unleashed around him knocking the wolf off.

Isaac had just finished killing the first wolf when he noticed Claude's little wind summoning.

'No way! He was hit by a Psynergy stone as well?' Isaac gasped. Shaking his head, Isaac raised his hand.

"Spire!" Isaac shouted as the remaining Dire wolf was killed from a falling pointy rock.

Isaac turns to the remaining three bandits.

"What the heck? Do these kids have that strange magic?" One asked.

"So can we get the boss now?" Another asked.

Isaac raised his hand again.

"Gaia!" Isaac shouted.

The three bandits were destroyed by a blast of Venus Psynergy from the ground.

Isaac ran back to Claude who was holding his bitten shoulder that was covered in blood.

"Doesn't look too deep. Just hold still." Isaac said as he started to caste cure on Claude's shoulder much to Claude's shock.

"You have that new magic power as well?" Claude asked.

"That's not important right now. Now hold still." Isaac ordered as he continued to heal Claude's wound.

With Byleth, Edelgard, and Dimitri:

Byleth, Edelgard, and Dimitri were faring pretty well against the bandits. While there were more of them than what Isaac and Claude were dealing with, the three were great fighters in their own right and were cutting down the bandits with ease.

"They aren't that strong, but their numbers are great. I'm glad we ran into you when we did." Dimitri said.

"You think this is over?" A voice called out.

The three turned to see a large man with black hair and an axe over his shoulder and three Dire Wolves with him.

"You may have beaten my men, but I'm not going to be as easy." He smirked.

'He must be the boss of these bandits. Damn. I thought he'd be with the others in the back.' Byleth cursed.

"Now my pets. It's lunchtime!" The bandit leader cheered as the wolves charged at their prey.

"Get ready!" Edelgard warned as the three readied their weapons.

"That's far enough!" Jeralt called out as he cut off the wolves by riding in their path.

"What the? You're Jeralt the Blade Breaker! What is a renowned mercenary like you doing here?" The leader asked in shock to the presents of a famous mercenary that appeared before him.

"I'm the one that should be complaining here! You and your men have gotten me caught up in quite a mess. Now how about you stand down? We've routed your men in the back and they fled. All that's left is you." Jeralt warned.

"I will never back down! I am Kostas and I refuse to admit defeat! Now attack!" Kostas roared as the wolves charged at Byleth and the other two again while he charged at Jeralt.

One of the wolves charged at Edelgard. The axe wielding girl swung to intercept it, but the wolf dodged and shot its icy breath at her causing her to fall down to the ground in pain.

"Edelgard!" Dimitri shouted as he ran towards her but the Dire Wolf, he was facing cut him off. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Dimitri shouted as he thrust his hand forward. A ghost hand appeared before him and knocked the Dire Wolf away. With that, he killed the Dire Wolf that was about to attack Edelgard.

Byleth, who had slayed her wolf saw what Dimitri had done.

'That's the same type of Psynergy that I've seen Isaac use. Is he a Venus Adept as well?' Byleth wondered.

"Edelgard are you alright?" Dimitri asked as he offered a hand. Though instead of taking it, she shot a fireball at the Dire Wolf that Dimitri knocked away and was about to charge at him.

"It was still alive Dimitri. You should make sure the enemy is dealt with or you could leave yourself open." Edelgard scolded as she stood up. "Also, we're even now."

"Uh, right. My apologies." Dimitri flustered.

'She's also an Adept.' Byleth thought in shock. Granted, the crystals rained everywhere in Fodlan, so it wasn't that big of a surprise that there were more than her that were exposed to Psynergy, but it was still surprising to see others use it.

However, her thoughts were then drawn towards the Bandit leader Kostas who had been knocked down by her father.

Kostas suddenly jumped back on his feet with his face covered in anger. In his rage, he made a beeline for Dimitri and Edelgard with his axe ready.

The two were able to take notice as Dimitri readied his lance and Edelgard, having dropped her axe when she was attacked, reached for a knife.

Byleth however, ran right in front of the two, pushing Edelgard towards Dimitri as Kostas's axe was about to make contact with her back.

As Byleth braced herself for the inevitable, time suddenly stopped.

When Byleth opened her eyes, she found herself in the room from her dreams with the green haired girl glaring at her.

"Honestly, what were you thinking with that little stunt. It's like you're trying to get me killed you fool!" The girl scolded before sighing in annoyance. "Well, it's fine. If you don't know the value of your own life then you aren't going to protect it very well, aren't you?" She then clasped her hands. "Well then, I guess it's up to me to guide you from here. My name is Sothis. But I am also known as 'The Beginning.'"

"Sothis?" Byleth asked.

"I wasn't able to recall my name until just now, yet it just came to me. How odd. But I wonder who called me 'The Beginning?' How odd." Sothis said as Byleth just stared at her.

"What is with that look? Do you think of me as a child? A mere child that forgot her own name!? Phooey! That 'child' just saved your life. And what does that make you?"

"I am no child!" Byleth retorted rather annoyed.

"Ha! You threw yourself in front of an axe to save just two strangers." Sothis reminded. "Yet all is well, for I have stalled the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened."

"Oh, thank you." Byleth bowed.

"There now. Is gratitude so much to ask? I did deem you worth saving after all. Though it is only temporary. I did manage to stop time…though how did I do that?" Sothis wondered.

"So, what happens now?" Byleth asked.

"Well, when time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh and you will surely meet your end." Sothis explained causing Byleth to gasp.

"How rude of you to drag me into this?" Sothis chided. "Now what to do…"

"Well, if you could stop time, is it possible to turn back time?" Byleth asked hopefully.

Sothis gasped. "Yes, I can turn back the hands. I can do that!" A yellow magic seal appeared before her with a strange crest in the center. "I am not able to turn back time too far, but all is well. Since you know what will happen, I trust you can take better care of yourself next time?" She asked a bit annoyed and Byleth nodded. "Seriously. Use your sword…or that strange form of magic your friend taught you. What was it again?"

"Psynergy?" Byleth asked.

"Yes that! Use that. Both are better than just using your own body to block an axe." Sothis said as she turned back the hands of time.

Byleth found herself back a few seconds before she started to run forward. Taking Sothis's words in, this time, she raised her hand and shouted "Douse!"

A rain cloud appeared above Kostas and slammed him with heavy raindrops that knocked him back on the ground much to Edelgard and Dimitri's shock.

"That magic…so she can use it as well." Edelgard muttered.

"Hey! Over here!" Claude's voice shouted as Claude and Isaac ran up to the three as did Jeralt.

"Kid, did you just…" Jeralt began.

"What happened?" Isaac asked as he felt something strange in the air a moment ago.

One of the bandits arrived to where Kostas was picking himself up rather slowly this time.

"Boss we need to go! The knights are here!" The bandit warned.

"What? The knights? Why are they here too? That's it! We're out of here!" Kostas yelled as he and the remaining bandits fled.

"Knights? Oh no…" Jeralt muttered with a sense of dread inside of him.

Just then a middle-aged man with brown short hair wearing white armor and a long axe in his hand arrived with more knights in white armor behind him.

"The Knights of Seiros are here!" He declared. "We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students and…HEY they're running away! After them!" The knights ran after Kostas and his men who were fleeing the scene as the man ran up to the three students. "Well, I'm glad to see you three are safe. And who is…It can't be!" The man said in shock upon seeing Jeralt.

"Ugh…Why him?" Jeralt complained has he pinched his nose in annoyance.

"You know him?" Isaac asked.

"Captain Jeralt, it is you! Goodness, it has been ages!" The man said happily. "Do you remember me? Alois? Your old right-hand man? Well, I always thought I was your right-hand man." Alois said excited. "It must have been 20 years since you vanished, but I never believed you were dead for one moment!"

"Just as loud as ever Alois. And drop the 'captain' nonsense. I'm not you captain anymore." Jeralt sighed.

'Serios. That's the name of that massive church here in Fodlan. I guess Jeralt does have a history with them.' Isaac thought as he watched the two men talk.

"Look. I'm a mercenary these days with many things to do so I can't stick around. Goodbye old friend." Jeralt said trying to walk away.

"Right. Goodbye captain…WAIT! This can't be how it ends! I insist that you return to the monastery with me!" Alois insisted.

"Garreg Mach Monastery. I guess I have no choice." Jeralt sighed.

"And what of you two? Are you both his children?" Alois asked.

"That is correct. I'm his daughter Byleth." Byleth said introducing herself.

'She looks just like her.' Alois thought as he looked at Byleth and was remembered of a woman that his former captain was head over heels in love with.

"I'm not his son, but he has been very kind to look after me these past three years. I'm Isaac." Isaac said introducing himself.

"I'm glad to hear that. Well regardless, I insist that you two come to the monastery as well. It's not safe with all these monsters running around as of late." Alois laughed.

Jeralt, Isaac, and Byleth were silent at that.

"You will come with us, won't you?" Alois asked Jeralt.

"Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros." Jeralt sighed in defeat.

"Wonderful. Let's get going then." Alois said happily as the two walked off.

While Byleth was seeming to have a mental conversation with herself, the three students approached her and Isaac.

"I appreciate your help back there. Both of your skills are beyond question. Both with that magic and in battle, you're both no doubt incredibly skilled mercenaries." Edelgard complemented. "Also, you're related to the former captain of the Knights of Serios, are you not Byleth?"

"I am Jeralt's daughter, but I didn't know he was a captain to these Knights of Serios. Whatever that is." Byleth admitted.

"You haven't heard of the Knights of Serios? They're the most famous order of knights in all of Fodlan." Edelgard said surprised.

"Regardless, thanks for the help back there. Bandits have been more of an issue as of late since monsters showed up. Apparently, some of them found a way to tame those beasts, and it's made them a lot more bolder since." Claude said.

'Tame them huh?' Isaac thought. Isaac did remember that the thief Dodonpa also did that with a giant frog creature he called Toadonpa.

"Claude. What happened to your arm?" Dimitri asked noticing Claude's shoulder was rather ripped and covered in blood.

"Oh, one of those wolves managed to get a bite on me. Thankfully our friend here is a user of that new magic and patched it up." Claude said pointing to Isaac.

"You should still have it looked at as soon as you can." Isaac reminded.

"I know." Claude groaned. "Anyway, you two are coming back to the monastery, aren't you? Of course, you are. I'll be happy to bend your ear as we travel."

"So, you guys are from the Monastery then?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah. The three of us are students at the Officer's Academy. We were out here doing training exercises when those bandits attacked us. I got the worse of it, it seems." Claude said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"That would be because you ran off." Edelgard scolded annoyed.

"Too true." Claude said with a small laugh. "I was the first to make a strategic retreat. Everything would have worked out if these two didn't follow me and ruin everything. Because of that, all the bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous."

"Ah, so that is what you were up to Claude. And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all." Dimitri said annoyed.

"His intentions were as clear as day. You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words." Edelgard scolded.

"And you will prove to be a lacking ruler yourself if you try and find deceit behind every word and fail to trust those you can rely upon." Dimitri retorted as Edelgard glared at him.

"Hey now, let's not fight." Isaac said as he tried getting in the middle of the two before a bigger argument could start.

"Oh great. A royal debate between their highness's. I wonder how being completely predictable affects one's ability to wield power. Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I'd say your little exchange smacks of naivety." Claude laughed.

"Me? Naïve? Tell me. Are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?" Edelgard asked glaring at Claude.

"In any case, forgive our digression. I must speak with you, if you can spare a moment." Dimitri asked getting Isaac's and Byleth's attention. "The way you two held yourselves in battle was most captivating. You never lost control of yourselves for a moment. It shows just how much I have yet to learn."

"Your skills is precisely why I must ask that you consider to lend your services to the empire." Edelgard cut in. "I might as well properly introduce myself. I am no mere student. I also happen to be the Adrestian Empires-"

"Hold Edelgard." Dimitri spoke up. "Please allow me to finish my proposition first." He then turned to the two. "The holy kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of people with your skills. Please consider returning to the Kingdom with me?"

"Wow, tactless much?" Claude asked. "Recruiting someone you just met? I was going to develop an everlasting friendship with them before asking for favors." He then turned to the two. "But it seems niceties don't exist in this world, so get lets right to it. Where does your allegiance lie? The Adrestian Empire, Kingdom of Faerghus, or the Leicester Alliance?"

'That's quite a massive question to just ask someone' Both Isaac and Byleth both thought simultaneously.

"Uh…Mind if I get back to you on that?" Isaac asked.

"Same here." Byleth added.

The three blinked before Dimitri spoke up. "Yes. I suppose that isn't a question that one should answer so quickly. My apologies for putting you on the spot like that."

"But when you do come up with an answer. Be sure to let us know." Edelgard said and both Isaac and Byleth nodded.

"Well, looks like Alois is getting ready to head back. We should join them." Claude pointed out. The others nodded and were on their way.

Isaac however hovered back behind the group to talk to Flint that appeared on his shoulder.

"I wonder if there will be more people with Psynergy at this officer's academy." Flint wondered.

"We'll find out when we get there." Isaac said.

"Agreed. So, what do you think of those three?" Flint asked gesturing to the three students.

"That Edelgard girl is quite judgmental. I feel whenever she's looking at me, she's judging everything I do." Isaac said.

"Yeah. It feels hard to breath around her." Flint admitted.

"Dimitri seems really nice. He was the one that would apologies for something he felt he did wrong unlike the other two." Isaac began. "But at the same time, there is something off about him."

"Yeah. I don't know what it is, but it feels like there is something inside of him that makes me unsettled." Flint admitted.

"As for Claude, he does feel like he's the easiest to have a conversation with. But at the same time his smile feels rather…forced." Isaac said.

"Kind of wonder what he really feels about things." Flint commented.

"Kind of wonder that about all three of them honestly." Isaac admitted.

"One thing is for sure. Things are about to get even more interesting." Flint said as he vanished inside of Isaac again.

"Great." Isaac groaned as he caught up with the others.

Chapter Text

Alois led the group along a forest path towards Garreg Mach Monastery. With the number of knights along with Jeralt's mercenary troops, no bandit would be sane enough to attack them so things were rather casual. Even Jeralt was casually chatting with Alois. And despite his earlier annoyance, the captain seemed to be enjoying himself.

"You know, since this is your first time at the Monastery, I'd be happy to show you two around." Dimitri offered.

"I might take you up on that." Isaac smiled.

"Is that it up ahead?" Byleth asked pointing forward to what was a massive white building in the distance.

"Yep. We're almost there." Claude said.

"It's big!" Isaac gasped. While there were small churches and sanctums back in Weyard, none of them even came close to the size of this place.

"Yep. It really is Fodlan in a nutshell. The good and the bad." Claude chuckled.

"Good and the bad?" Isaac asked.

"Well like it or not, we're almost there." Edelgard said in a neutral tone as the group continued forward.

The Monastery had several outer walls with guards posted on each one. Once they were through all of them, Isaac and the group went through a gate to a small marketing area right before another door with a man at its guard who saluted with a happy smile on his face as the group approached him.

"Hey, I don't smell smoke anymore." Claude laughed.

"Quiet Claude!" Edelgard growled with some embarrassment in her face.

"Smoke?" Isaac and Byleth asked.

"Nothing to worry about. Just a minor accident that some students caused before we headed out." Dimitri assured.

Isaac and Byleth only looked more confused.

"Anyway, we should probably get back to the others before they start worrying too much about us." Dimitri said to Edelgard and Claude.

"Good point. I better get to Hubert before he does something too drastic." Edelgard sighed.

"And I with Dedue." Dimitri chuckled.

"You should get that shoulder looked at just in case." Isaac said to Claude as he pointed to the ripped shoulder that was covered in dried blood.

"I know. I will." Claude sighed.

"Then it looks like this is where we part for now. But we should see you around soon." Dimitri said.

Isaac and Byleth waved goodbye at the three students. Alois went on ahead as well with his knights.

Jeralt walked up to Isaac and Byleth and took a glance up.

"Rhea's here." Jeralt muttered.

Isaac and Byleth looked up and saw a woman with long green hair wearing a white robe with a blue and gold cloak over it. On her head, she wore a golden head piece with blue tassels on the sides. She was looking down at the three rather curiously from a higher balcony.

"I wonder…did the flow of time bring you here?" Rhea asked herself as she stared at Byleth.

She then took a glance at Isaac and her eyes widened. Though she quickly composed herself and headed back inside.

Jeralt lead the two inside the Monastery and towards the Audience chamber.

Isaac and Byleth noticed there were quite a number of students around their age here. Most of the students wore a black jacket with gold coloring on it, though some wore vests showing the white undershirt and some just wore the white undershirt. The students were doing varies things like chatting and eating.

'So this is like a school or something?' Isaac thought. Back home, Vale was a rather small village, so school mostly contained a small class or two that would be taught by one of the village elders, or Kraden. SO to Isaac, this academy was something else entirely.

Jeralt lead the two up the stairs, to where a place called the Audience Chamber was located.

Inside the Audience Chamber:

Jeralt, Isaac, and Byleth waited in a large room with several chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. In front of them was a podium in front of a large stain glass window.

"It's been years since I last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now." Jeralt mumbled getting Isaac and Byleth's attention.

"You've been here before?" Byleth asked a curiously.

"I've never spoken much of this before, but I used to be a knight here many years ago." Jeralt admitted. "I reported to the Archbishop…Lady Rhea."

"Archbishop?" Isaac asked.

"Many people in Fodlan are devout followers of the teaching of Seiros. The leader of that ridiculously large organization is Archbishop Rhea herself. You actually saw her when we entered." Jeralt explained.

'So, this is the church I would sometimes hear about. But why did Jeralt always change the subject when it was brought up?' Isaac wondered.

"Thank you for your patients Jeralt." A man with green hair and beard said as he entered the room with the woman from before. He wore a blue uniform with a white shirt underneath that was visible through his sleeves. He also wore a blue cape that was gold and white inside.

"My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the Archbishop." The man named Seteth said with a bow.

"Right. Hello." Jeralt said a bit awkwardly.

"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 asked kindly.

"Forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke." Jeralt said with a bow.

"So, I see." Rhea said with a soft chuckle. "I see the miracle of fatherhood has blessed you with a child. That is your child is it not?" Rhea asked looking at Byleth.

"Yes. She was born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to her mother, but we sadly lost her to illness." Jeralt said.

"I see. My condolence." Rhea bowed before turning to Byleth. "As for you, I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What is your name?"

"My name is Byleth." Byleth said with a bow causing Rhea to smile.

"What a fine name." Rhea said before turning to Isaac.

"And this is another ally of yours if I heard correctly?" She asked.

"Yes. He joined my group three years ago, after saving me from some of those monsters that appeared." Jeralt said.

"Ah yes. Those monsters. They also appeared three years ago when those stones fell from the sky, and when some people began to develop that new type of magic." Seteth said a bit suspicious.

"Developing that new type of magic? Like those students we helped?" Isaac asked.

"They aren't the only ones here who has developed them. There are a few students and even one of my knights that has also been exposed to those purple stones that rained down three years ago." Rhea explained.

"And one of them accidentally caused a fire with it not too long ago." Seteth sighed annoyed.

'So that's what Claude was talking about.' Byleth and Isaac both thought dryly.

"So Psynergy caused a fire?" Byleth asked out loud accidentally. Rhea and Seteth perked up at this.

"Psynergy you say?" Rhea asked curiously.

Byleth tensed as she realized her mistake.

"So that magic is Psynergy." Rhea muttered softly with a smile on her face.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly do you know about this Psynergy?" Seteth asked with a glare.

Seeing there was no backing out of this, Isaac explained his situation to Rhea and Seteth. Once he was finished, Rhea and Seteth were silent for a moment.

Jeralt was nervous as to what Rhea was going to do to Isaac. Byleth was no better and had an addition of guilt for accidentally speaking out loud.

"You seemed to have had a rough trip making it here. And you have my condolence for your father." Rhea said with a warm smile.

The three blinked…They were not expecting that.

"Regardless…" Rhea began as she turned to Jeralt. "You already know what I'm about to ask, aren't you Jeralt?"

Snapping out of his surprise Jeralt spoke up. "You want me to rejoin the Knights of Serios, don't you? I won't say no but…"

"Your apprehension stings. I had expected that Alois would already ask this of you." Rhea said. "I must step away for now. But I expect that they will desire a word from you soon. Please listen carefully to what they have to say you two. I shall speak with you again later. Until then, farewell."

With that, Jeralt, Byleth, and Isaac exited the room.

"Seteth. The Jenei have returned to us." Rhea said happily.

Seteth though did not share Rhea's joy.

Outside the room:

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud." Byleth said to Isaac with a bow.

"Don't worry about it. Rhea's pretty sharp. It was only a matter of time before she found out the truth. Though she did take that better than I thought." Jeralt said. 'A bit too better.'

"The way she reacted…I wonder if she might know something about Psynergy." Isaac pondered.

"But how can that be? It only showed up three years ago." Byleth asked. Both looked to Jeralt.

"Don't look at me. This is all news to me just as much as it is to you." Jeralt said. "But I guess we'll have plenty of time to figure that one out."

"Because you're going to be rejoining the knights of Serios?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, but you two will be involved her as well it seems." Jeralt said.

"Are we joining the knights too?" Byleth asked.

Jeralt shook his head. "No. Actually, they want you two to teach here."

"Teach? Teach what?" Byleth asked.

"Battle tactics, fighting, that stuff. Rhea wants you two to teach the brats here at the Officers Academy." Jeralt said.

"WHAT?! How can I teach battle tactics when I'm still learning myself?" Isaac asked shocked.

"You're not that bad. I'm just much better." Byleth said.

"Gee thanks." Isaac said flatly.

"She does have a point though. You aren't that bad and have actually been a quick learner. You do also have plenty of other skills to teach as well." Jeralt said.

"But what about religion? I'm not even a follower of Serios." Isaac asked.

"I don't know anything about it ether." Byleth admitted.

"Unless things have changed since I was here last, then you won't have to worry. The Officers Academy only trains in the art of battle. The teaching of the Goddess is usually handled by Rhea." Jeralt said.

Isaac was left in thought. 'From what I heard on the way here, this place is a center point in all of Fodlan. Maybe instead of wondering around Fodlan like an idiot, I can draw my friends here. Plus, if Rhea does know something about Psynergy, then maybe I should stick around to see if I can find out more. Maybe even a way back home. Man I wish Ivan or Sheba was here. I feel like Mind Reading would really help solve a lot of my problems now.'

"Well, that is how things are ran these days as well." A voice said.

The three turned to see two people walk up to them.

One was a woman in a rather revealing blue outfit under a white robe with orange strings. She had short curled brown hair and had a small teaching stick in her hand that she was twirling around.

The other was a man that was dressed in a way that screamed "I'm a professor." He was a rather elder man with grey hair along with a grey mustache and short beard. He also wore a monocle in his right eye. His clothing was a more tan scholar role. In some ways, this man reminded Isaac a bit of Kraden.

"So, I take it that you two are the new professors here? My name is Hanneman. I am the third professor here at the academy." The man now named Hanneman said. "Please forgive us, but we overheard your conversation with the Archbishop."

"So, you know about me then?" Isaac asked and Hanneman nodded.

"My name is Manuela. I was a former professor here, but recently I decided to retire from that. I now fully work at the infirmary. I'm also a songstress and available." Manuela said with a wink that Isaac and Jeralt flinched at her rather bold advancement.

"Well, I better get going. I'll catch you two later." Jeralt said before leaning in closer to the two. "Keep an eye on Rhea. I don't know what she's planning making you two professors, but there is definitely something rather fishy going on." The two nodded and Jeralt left.

"So, you retired from teaching?" Byleth asked Manuela getting the conversation back on.

"Yes, but it's not because I'm too old or anything." Manuela insisted. "But ever since those stones fell, monsters have made travel more dangerous and we get far more injuries from both travelers and knights because of it. As a result, I decided to step down from teaching and focus more on the infirmary."

"I'm so sorry. You had to give up your job because of me." Isaac said with a bow.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's not like I don't have a job anymore, and at least I came out on top last year." Manuela smirked at Hanneman who glared at her.

"On top?" Byleth asked.

"The two of us have a rivalry with each other. Sadly, my class lost last year." Hanneman sighed before turning to Isaac. "But more importantly, when you have time, I would like for you to come to my office to discuss more about this Psynergy."

"Uh sure." Isaac said.

"So, before we get started, mind telling us your names?" Manuela asked.

"I'm Isaac." Isaac said.

"My name is Byleth." Byleth said.

"Isaac and Byleth. It's a pleasure to meet you. Now let's get onto business. You two are now the new replacement professors here at the academy." Hanneman began.

"So young though." Manuela commented.

"Confidence and age are not necessarily correlated, as you know." Hanneman pointed out. "Plus, these two already prove to at least be more reliable for the safety of the students than the last one did."

"True I guess." Manuela admitted.

"What happened to the third teacher by the way?" Byleth asked since Hanneman said they were both replacements.

"He was scheduled to observe the training with the House Leaders near Remire. But when those bandits attacked, he fled at the first sign of danger." Manuela said rolling her eyes. "Needless to say, if he can't care about the safety of the students, then he won't be having a job here again."

"Now then, the three of us will each be charged with one of the three classes here at Garreg Mach. I trust you both have been explained about this." Hanneman asked.

"No. We kind of just found out we were the new professors." Isaac explained.

"We were told that someone would like a word with us later by Lady Rhea." Byleth added.

"I see. Then allow me to explain it to you." Manuela said. "The Officers Academy is comprised of three houses of students. Each house is closely affiliated with their region of origin. The Black Eagles is for students who come from the Adrestian Empire. Their house leader this year is Edelgard, who also is next in line to be the next emperor."

"The Blue Lions is for students who are from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Their house Leader is Prince Dimitri. He is to be the next king of Faerghus." Hanneman explained

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

"To think that the next emperor, king, and sovereign duke are all here this year. This will definitely be a promising year." Hanneman said as some mutters were heard behind a door Jeralt left in.

"Let's just hope the little treasures don't cause trouble." Manuela added.

"Well, I think eavesdropping doesn't make for a great first impression." Isaac remarked as he turned towards the door.

The others turned as the door opened revealing Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. All had a mix of surprise and sheepish look on their face. Isaac also noticed that Claude was now wearing a new shirt since it no longer had a tear from the bite mark, he got back in Remire.

"You knew we were there?" Claude asked.

"You three weren't exactly being quiet. We could hear you arguing with each other the whole time." Byleth said.

"Fair point." Edelgard relented.

"Our apologies." Dimitri bowed. "We arrived as Captain Jeralt left. We were quite interested in your conversation that we couldn't help ourselves."

"By the way, what is Psynergy? Is it related to that magic the purple stones gave us?" Claude asked.

Isaac nodded. "It's magic is from where I'm from. A place called Weyard."

"Weyard? I've never heard of such a place." Edelgard commented with great interest.

"I don't know where it is ether. Heck, I have no idea how exactly I got here." Isaac admitted. "I promise I'll tell you the story of that later but for now, me and my friends had to do something to prevent our world from dying. We lite these four lighthouses scattered across Weyard and lite the Golden Sun. Somehow that caused not only myself, but Psynergy Crystals to rain down all over Fodlan that changed the wildlife and gave others Psynergy."

"So, the magic is called Psynergy?" Edelgard asked and Isaac nodded.

"It comes in four elements. Venus for Earth, Mars for Fire, Jupiter for Wind, and Mercury for Water." Isaac said.

"I hate to interrupt, but we have a job for you three." Manuela said.

"Isaac and Byleth here are in need of a tour guide of Garreg Mach Monastery. While the two of us could do it, we feel it would be much better if you three were to do so. Especially since these two are the new professors. What better way to get to know the three houses than speaking with the house leaders?" Hanneman asked.

"So, you did score a teacher's gig huh? That is quite impressive. Talk about a great first impression. I guess that means I better introduce myself properly. My name is Claude Von Riegan. I am the next heir to the Leicester Alliance." Claude properly introduced.

"I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. Crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. But here, I am just a student with much to learn." Dimitri said with a bow.

"And I am Edelgard Von Hresvelg. I am the princess and heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire. I was hoping you would lend your strength to the Empire, but I do hope one of you will be charged with the Black Eagles." Edelgard said bowing like Dimitri did.

"Well then, let us get underway with this tour." Dimitri said leading the two new professors out the door.

The talk of Psynergy had far from left their minds, but they would wait for now on asking more questions to Isaac. For now, it was their chance to advertise their classes to the child of the former captain of the Knights of Serios and one who knows a lot of Psynergy and possess amazing skills with it. They weren't going to let this opportunity pass them up.

Back in the Audience Chamber:

"Lady Rhea have you no intention of changing your mind? Appointing two strangers, and children no less as professors at our esteemed academy?" Seteth complained.

"My mind is set Seteth. I know worrying is in your nature but one has the blood of Jeralt and the other is a Jenei. We could use someone like him to teach the students with Psynergy, less we want more incidents like yesterday." Rhea said.

"Then let him teach a Seminar on it. Why a Professor though? As for the other one, need I also remind you that her father was the same captain that vanished 20 years ago? That's not very reassuring. Also, don't forget that Flayn is here too now!" Seteth asked.

"Seteth, they have my trust. Let that be enough for you as well." Rhea said. "More importantly, I have received a report from Shamir. I am increasingly more concerned about the matter regarding our suspicious individual. We cannot ignore those who harbor ill will towards the church, especially if they are frequenting Garreg Mach. It would also be better for them not to get the Jenei."

"Yes, that matter is of great importance as well. I shall continue my investigation." Seteth admitted. "I will place my faith in your trust for now with the upmost care. I pray that nothing occurs that shakes that confidence." Seteth said.

"Besides, Isaac is rather young. I doubt he even knows about what happened all those years ago. The Jenei didn't have our long lives." Rhea pointed out.

"I suppose you're right…but I am not letting my guard down." Seteth said.

Chapter Text

"Now let us begin our 'glorious' tour of this 'lovely' academy." Claude teased leading the group of five downstairs to the Reception Hall. It was a rather large room with multiple tables on the left and right each in a row and each table had a candle on it. There was also quite a number of people ether walking or talking with one another. Some were students, some were monks, and others were knights on guard duty.

"This is the Reception Hall. A lot of people like to use it as a gathering place to chat with each other." Dimitri said as he pointed to the northern door. "Up ahead is the Cathedral. It is currently being cleaned up right now so we can't show it to you at the moment, but that is where we go to worship for the goddess."

"So, Rhea handles stuff like that?" Isaac asked trying not to sound hopeful.

"Ether her or Seteth I believe." Dimitri said much to Isaac's relief.

"Down the right, you can find the Monastery's cemetery and Knights Hall, and to the left is the classrooms." Claude said pointing in the directions that he spoke.

"Those classrooms would be where we would teach; am I right?" Byleth asked.

"That's correct. Why don't we head over there next? You two still need to decide which class's you will teach, correct?" Dimitri offered.

"Not to mention that everyone is there right now checking out the class rooms and claiming their desks and all that." Claude said.

"I guess we should." Isaac agreed.

"Then it's settled. Let us proceed." Edelgard said as the three lead the new professors to the classrooms.

An outside area, showed three classrooms right next to each other. Each classroom had a banner on each side of the door. The one on the far left had a yellow one with a shield design on it. The middle was blue with a design of a man riding a griffon on it, and the one on the far right was red with a twin headed eagle on it.

"Why don't we start with mine." Edelgard offered as she directed the group to the Black Eagles classroom, though Dimitri stopped himself and Claude.

"Actually, why don't you and I stay out here? In fact, how about the other two house leaders stay out of the tour of the other classes. For the sake of fairness." Dimitri offered.

"I can agree to that." Edelgard nodded.

"Fine." Claude sighed.

"Very well then. Claude and I will be waiting out here for you to finish." Dimitri said with a smile.

Isaac and Byleth nodded as Edelgard led the two into the Black Eagles classroom.

"This is the Black Eagles Classroom. We are all students who hail from the Adrestian Empire. You will find a vast majority of us focusing on learning the axe or magic, though some of us have spread our interests to other weapons and skills.

As Edelgard continued on about the Empire and the Black Eagles, Isaac noticed a girl with purple messy hair dropping a book as she was walking. Picking it up, he walked up to her and tapped her shoulder causing the girl to jump with a freaked-out expression.

"Whatever it is you want; I don't have it!" The girl screamed frantically.

"I was just returning the book you dropped." Isaac said handing the girl the book.

The girl quickly took the book and backed away. "Thanks…" She muttered.

"My name is Isaac, what's your name?" Isaac asked kindly.

"Sorry, but I don't talk to strangers." The girl said fearfully.

"Bernadetta, this is no stranger. Our house leader owes this person a great debt. Am I right?" A young man with orange neatly tidy hair asked as he approached the two. "I am Ferdinand Von Aegir, legitimate son of the Aegir family; the Empire's foremost house. I am also Edelgard's rival." Ferdinand bowed.

"Uh, nice to meet. I am Isaac of Vale." Isaac said a bit awkwardly at the introduction he was given.

"Vale? I have never heard of it." Ferdinand said. "Where is it located?"

"It's a pretty isolated village, not part of any country." Isaac said not really lying. "So, your name is…"

Isaac stopped seeing the girl he was talking to before had vanished.

"Where did she go?" Isaac asked confused.

"She's likely running back to her dorm." Edelgard said approaching the two with Byleth and a man with a scary face and black hair. "Her name is Bernadetta Von Varley of House Varley. I was hoping to warn you about her fears, but it seems you beat me to her."

"Sorry. I saw she dropped something, and wanted to return it." Isaac apologized

"Don't worry about it. You did nothing wrong. Bernadetta acts that way with nearly every person in the Academy, including her own classmates. Since the year started, she tends to spend most of her time hiding in her room. But I assure you that I will make sure she makes it to class." Edelgard assured with a smile.

"Ah Edelgard. Are these new students? I'm glad you allowed them to actually meet us instead of doing all the introductions yourself." Ferdinand said.

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you. Don't forget who you are speaking too." The black-haired man warned the orange haired man.

"Isaac, this is Hubert Von Vestra of House Vestra. He has served me since I was a child. While he may be cold, and you wouldn't be wrong to think that; he is quite astute and reasonable." Edelgard said introducing her retainer.

"I heard that you also came to Lady Edelgard's aid. I am thankful for that." Hubert bowed slightly.

"It's nothing. I just did what anyone would do." Isaac said.

"Well, I hope to see you in class then." Ferdinand said as he left.

"He's nice." Isaac commented.

"Who is he?" Byleth asked not being there when Ferdinand introduced himself.

"He is Ferdinand Von Aegir of House Aegir. That house produces the Prime Minister of the Empire, but I think they can be too pleased with their status." Edelgard said with a sigh at the end.

"He also said he was your rival." Isaac pointed out.

"He thinks of me as one for some reason. I'll admit that he is very skilled, but his constant competition is rather annoying." Edelgard sighed.

"I see..." Byleth muttered.

"A fool if anything. Kindly pay no mind to him." Hubert said.

"At any rate Hubert, I must finish the tour. I'll speak with you later." Edelgard said to her vessel who bowed and left.

"Now then, let us continue. There's Dorothea." Edelgard said pointing ahead to a girl with long curly brown hair and a hat. She also had some bandages on her hands. "Very few commoners join the Black Eagles, but Dorothea is an exception. She is a songstress of a famous opera company in the Empire, but why she decided to enroll here, I have no idea."

Dorothea turned to the group at the sound of their approach.

"Well now, here are two unfamiliar faces. What brings you two here?" Dorothea asked with a smile.

"They're new here and I am giving them a tour." Edelgard explained

"Well isn't that nice of you Eddie." Dorothea giggled as she faced the two. "I am Dorothea. I also happen to be a songstress. Perhaps you will both hear me sing sometime?" She asked with a wink.

"Uh, I'm Isaac." Isaac said a bit awkwardly.

"I am Byleth." Byleth introduced normally.

"Isaac and Byleth. It's nice to meet you." Dorothea greeted.

"What happened to your hands there?" Byleth asked noticing the bandages.

"Oh, there was an accident. I'm fine though. Nothing too big and they should be fully healed by tomorrow." Dorothea said a bit red in the face. 'And thankfully no scars.'

"Oh, well that's good." Isaac said.

"Well, I'd love to chat some more, but I have some things to do. I'll see you two later." Dorothea waved as she left.

Once Dorothea was gone, a girl with long purple hair tied in a ponytail and tan skin approached the three. "Edelgard, are you alright? I heard of the attack." She asked.

"I'm fine Petra. I am just giving these two a tour right now." Edelgard assured.

"Did they help you?" Petra asked and Edelgard nodded. "I am called Petra. I am pleased to be meeting with…no, I am pleased to have met you."

"I am pleased to meet you as well." Isaac said with a bow.

"My name is Byleth and this is Isaac." Byleth said.

"Petra comes an archipelago called Brigid that is west of Fodlan. Her grandfather is the current king there. Brigid is a vessel state of the Empire which is how she got to enroll here. She is very smart and studious." Edelgard explained.

"Forgive me. My grasp of this language is still new." Petra said.

"No problem." Isaac assured. 'I'm just glad Fodlan's language is similar to Weyard's.'

"I am hopping we are in the same class." Petra said as she bowed and left.

Entering the room was two boys. One with short light blue hair and one with neatly combed green hair.

"Hey Edelgard, are these the two that helped you?" The blue haired boy asked and Edelgard nodded. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Caspar."

"Linhardt. Goodbye." Linhardt yawned as he left.

"Geeze Linhardt. How'd you get into the academy with that attitude?" Caspar sighed.

"I'm Isaac." Isaac greeted.

"Byleth." Byleth said.

"Nice. So, are you two new students here? And is it true that you also have that new magic?" Caspar asked.

"Do you have it as well?" Isaac asked with interest.

"Yep! I've been moving and blasting boulders like nobody's business." Caspar boasted.

'Is he an earth adept then? Or a fire adept?' Isaac thought since both Fire and Earth adepts were able to use move. 'Though the blasting part sounds more like a Mars power than a Venus power.'

"Bernadetta has magic as well, but I don't know anything else other than she has it." Edelgard said. "At any rate, Caspar here is the second son of Count Bergliez. He has no inheritance for his future which might be why he tries so much to prove himself. He's overly energetic and will rush head first into battle. If you have him, you might want to keep a close eye on him."

"HEY!" Caspar complained.

"As for the other one…" Edelgard began ignoring Caspar's outcry. "Linhardt is actually incredibly smart and talented, but he only applies himself to tasks that interest him. He's quite fond of…well, napping. It's a real shame. If he had any work ethics, he'd be a great official to the Empire."

"Quite an interesting bunch." Byleth commented.

"With that being said, that concludes the Black Eagle tour." Edelgard finished.

"Hope to see you guys here." Caspar said as he left to go find Linhardt.

"Actually, there is one thing left to go over with the Black Eagles." Byleth said.

"Oh? And what is that?" Edelgard asked.

"You." Isaac chuckled.

Edelgard blinked for a second, before chuckling a bit. "Well, that is true, I am a student here as well. Let's see…some people think I'm a bit distant. Arrogant even. But there is little to be done about that. One day I am to rise to be Adrestia's next emperor. What else…" Edelgard then shifted her gaze to Byleth. "I think we might have similar personalities."

With that, the group headed outside to meet Claude and Dimitri.

"I see Edelgard is done with her introductions. In that case, mine is next." Dimitri said as the group headed to the middle classroom. Edelgard and Claude waited outside as Dimitri lead them in.

"Those from the Blue Lions all hail from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. We are well known in Fodlan for our knights, so we have a main focus on horseback riding and the lance; though we do have quite a number of other interests here as well." Dimitri said.

Just as Dimitri finished his explanation, a man with messy red hair approach the group. Or more particularly, Byleth.

"Well, well. it must be my lucky day for such a beauty to walk into our class. I am Sylvain Jose Gautier. How about joining me for a meal?" The man asked as he grabbed Byleth's hand.

"Sylvain! I am here to give them a tour of the Blue Lions! Please behave yourself!" Dimitri scolded. "Or do I need to drag Ingrid into this?"

That caused him to back away with some fear in his eyes. Isaac, and the even more confused Byleth turned to Dimitri.

"I swear he is a good person and he values his friends highly. However, he's a bit of a um…skirt chaser. I've talked to him about it multiple times, but it never seems to sink in." Dimitri sighed.

"So who's Ingrid?" Isaac asked.

"Me." A female voice called out. The group turned to a woman with long blond hair who was glaring at Sylvain before turning to Byleth. "I apologies for any trouble my friend caused you."

"It's fine." Byleth said.

"Nothing happened Ingrid. I was just asking if she would join me for a bite. Nothing more." Sylvain said in defense.

"I've heard that one before." Ingrid said flatly.

"Honest!" Sylvain pleaded.

"Anyway…" Dimitri called out getting everyone's attention before things got worse. "This is Count Galatea's daughter Ingrid. She is also a childhood friend of myself, Sylvain and another student here named Felix. Ingrid, this is Isaac and Byleth. I'm showing them around the monastery."

Isaac perked up at the name Felix, but dismissed it when Dimitri mentioned "Childhood friend." He knew Felix from childhood, and he never met or heard of Dimitri, Ingrid, or Sylvain until now. Heck, he didn't hear of the them from Felix after the two groups joined forces in Contigo. He doubted they were the same person.

"She is diligent, industrious, and principled. In truth, she is more knightly than most knights you will ever meet." Dimitri finished as Ingrid blushed a bit at the praise.

"Oh, my apologies." Ingrid said with a bow. "As Prince Dimitri said, my name is Ingrid. I heard you two came to his aid recently. As a citizen of Faerghus, I thank you both."

"We only did what anyone would have done." Isaac said. "But my name is Isaac."

"And I am Byleth." Byleth said.

"I also heard you are both strong. Dimitri doesn't say that often." A young man with dark blue hair and a scowl look on his face said walking up to them. "I look forward to sparring with you both…and beating you."

"Must you pick a fight with everyone Felix?" Ingrid sighed.

'Yeah, that's definitely not the Felix I know.' Isaac thought now seeing Felix.

"This is Felix. He is the heir to House Fraldarius. He does have a bit of a sharp tongue, but don't let that fool you. Deep down, he's a nice guy." Dimitri said.

"Hmph." Felix said as he left.

Ingrid just sighed. "I hope we see you both again soon." She said as she dragged Sylvain away by the ear much to his protest.

"You certainly have interesting friends." Isaac laughed.

"I'm sorry if that wasn't the best of introductions." Dimitri apologies.

"Don't worry. I had strange friends growing up myself." Isaac said thinking to his own childhood friends of a hotheaded Jenna, a hardheaded Garret and a stubborn Felix.

"Really? I would love to hear about them sometime." Dimitri said and Isaac nodded. "On a side note, Felix also was hit by one of those purple rocks. I believe he has shot fireballs before."

'He's a Mars adapt alright.' Isaac thought.

"Is there anyone else in the Blue Lions that was hit?" Byleth asked

"Yes. My friend and vessel Dedue. Where is he?" Dimitri asked looking for his friend.

"Right here your majesty." Dedue appeared before them. He was a rather large man with darker skin and white hair.

"This is Dedue. He's from Duscur and has been loyally working for me for the past four years. He's rather taciturn, but once you get to know him, you'll see he's as kind and good nature as they come." Dimitri said.

"I heard you came to his highness's aid recently. If you are ever in need of help, let me know." Dedue said with a bow.

"I heard you were hit with a purple stone as well. What magic did it give you?" Isaac asked.

"My magic is similar to Prince Dimitri's with moving rocks and boulders. I also seem to have some power over plants." Dedue said though he had a small smile at that last part.

'Definitely a Venus adapt.' Isaac thought.

"Ah Dedue, there you are." A voice called out. The group turned to see a young man with silver hair run up to them. "You left from our talk about herbs so suddenly."

"Sorry Ashe. I saw the prince with the two that helped him and I wanted to give my thanks." Dedue apologies.

"Oh, so these are the two that everyone is talking about. I'm Ashe. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ashe said with a smile.

"Ashe is the adopted son of Lord Lonato of Castle Gaspard, but I heard he was born a commoner. He has an earnest personality, so I am sure he will approach your lessons with great enthusiasm." Dimitri explained.

"I hope we are in the same class." Ashe bowed.

"If you need anything, I will be here for a while." Dedue said as the two left to return to their discussion from earlier.

"Alright, last is Mercedes and Annette. Where are…there!" Dimitri said spotting the two ladies. One was tall with tan hair, while the other was short with orange hair.

"Oh, hello Dimitri. Who are these two?" The taller girl asked.

"These are Isaac and Byleth. I am giving them a tour of the monastery." Dimitri said.

"I see. My name is Mercedes, and this is my best friend Annette." Mercedes said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you." Annette greeted.

"Are you two enrolling at the officer's academy?" Mercedes asked.

"Maybe." Isaac said.

"Well, if you do, I hope you both join the Blue Lions." Mercedes smiled.

"Yeah. Then we can all be in the same class." Annette added with a cheer.

"Regardless, we'll hopefully see you both later." Mercedes smiled as the two left.

"Annette is Baron Dominic's niece. She is an incredibly talented student who scored extremely high marks at the Royal School of Sorcery. She is quite cheerful and hardworking. Brilliant even, though she can be a bit oblivious at times. I heard she caused an explosion in the kitchen last night." Dimitri said with a small chuckle.

'An explosion?' Isaac and Byleth thought worried.

"Mercedes is the adopted daughter of a merchant. I heard she was born into Imperial nobility, but a twist of fate brought her to the Kingdom instead. She may appear to be carefree on the surface, but deep down, she is a kind soul who cares about everyone around her." Dimitri said.

"Well, that seems to be all of them." Byleth commented looking around. "So what about you?"

"Me? Oh. Um. Please forgive me…It's difficult to open up on the spot, don't you think?" Dimitri asked a bit nervous and both nodded. "I'm afraid my story has not been a pleasant one. I hope that doesn't color your view on me, but I understand if it can't be helped."

"What happened?" Byleth asked.

"It's…rather long…I'm sorry. I'll tell you another day if you're interested. For now, you two should go check out the Golden Deer house, and then we can finish up our tour." Dimitri insisted.

Both nodded slowly. 'What happened to him?' They both couldn't help but think. Still, they decided not to press matters for now and headed out of the classroom.

"So, ready for a tour of the Golden Deer?" Claude asked as the three exited out of the Blue Lions classroom.

"I guess so." Isaac shrugged.

"Lead the way." Byleth said.

"Geeze, don't sound too excited." Claude groaned as he led the two inside while Edelgard and Dimitri stayed outside.

"The Golden Deer house are for those who hail from the Leicester Alliance. We actually have more people of commoner background than the other two houses tend to do. Make of that what you will. Our house also has a favoritism of archery, though it is far from our only favorite." Claude said.

Once inside, two girls broke away from their conversation and walked up to them. One had long pink hair tied into two pig tails. The other who was more hesitant to approach them had blue hair that was tied up and some dark circles under her eyes.

"Hey, are you two the mercenaries that everyone is talking about?" The one with the pink hair asked. "I am Hilda Valentine Goneril. And this is…"

"M-Marianne Von Edmund…" The blue haired girl stuttered.

"So, are you two joining the Knights or something?" Hilda asked.

"Sort of. I'm giving them a tour at the moment." Claude said before turning to Byleth and Isaac.

"Hilda is the only daughter of Duke Goneril. And it seems that her father and brother coddled her quite a bit. If you look up 'lazy' in the dictionary, her picture…will not be there, because she never got around to submitting it. Not too unusual for nobles I guess." Claude said as Hilda stuck her tongue out at Claude much to his amusement.

"Marianne is Margrave Edmund's only daughter…and that is pretty much all I know about her. She usually keeps to herself and doesn't interact much with the other students. I did hear that she was also hit with a purple rock though." Claude said.

"Sorry..." Marianne muttered.

"It's fine. Maybe we can learn more over the school year." Isaac offered.

"P-Probably better if you didn't." Marianne stuttered as she backed away.

"She's rather shy." Hilda said.

'I wonder what type she got, but it doesn't seem like I'll get an answer at this time.' Isaac thought.

With that, Marianne left and Hilda waved goodbye to follow after her.

"Now then, let's see who else we have." Claude said looking around until he spotted two more in the corner. One was a young girl with long white hair like Edelgard and the other was a young man with light green hair and glasses. The three walked over to them.

"Hey there!" Claude called out getting their attention.

"Hey Claude." The girl said as she noticed the two new faces. "Are these the two mercenaries that saved you?"

"Yep. I'm giving them a tour. Introduce yourselves." Claude said.

"I am Lysithea Von Ordelia. Please do not forget it." The girl introduced.

"I am Ignatz Victor. My parents are alliance merchants." The boy greeted.

"Ignatz is the second son of his family. Since his older brother will inherit the business, he's training to become a knight. Though I think he's more doing it to please his parents." Claude said before turning to Lysithea.

"Lysithea is the daughter of Count Ordelia, and is probably the youngest student here. She also got hit in the head by a purple rock three years ago." Claude said.

"Really? What happened as a result?" Isaac asked.

"Since I was hit by that rock, I gained the ability to summon wind. But what's frustrating is that no matter how hard I looked back home or even here, I couldn't find any information on what that rock was, or what this type of magic is. Even the librarian Tomas doesn't know anything. It feels way too different to be normal reason magic." Lysithea explained a bit frustrated at her lack of results in her studying.

'She's a wind adapt.' Isaac thought.

"Anyway, a fair warning is that she hates to be treated like a kid." Claude added.

"A fair warning indeed." Lysithea confirmed.

"I do it on purpose but, you have to find your own fun around here right?" Claude whispered to the two with a smile

"What was that Claude?" Lysithea demanded annoyed.

"Nothing. Well, look at the time, I better continue with the tour." Claude said hastily as he dragged the two new professors away as fast as possible.

"You like playing with fire, don't you?" Byleth commented dryly.

"No, I just like to tease." Claude said as he bumped into someone.

"Wow there Claude, are you okay?" A large man with blond hair asked.

"Oh, sorry Raphael." Claude said.

"Don't worry about it." Raphael said with a smile. "Are these guys new servants or something?"

"No, They're Captain Jeralt's kids." A girl with short orange hair said. "I'm Leonie Pinelli. Captain Jeralt's first and best apprentice. I'm sure he's told you about me, right?"

"I remember him saying that he trained a girl from a village once, but never went into more details than that." Byleth admitted. "I'm Byleth."

"I'm not his son, but he has looked after me for the past three years, so I am grateful to him. I'm Isaac by the way." Isaac said.

"I'm Raphael Kirsten." Raphael said.

"Anyway, I'm giving these two a tour of our lovely house here." Claude said as he pointed at Leonie. "Leonie here wants to be a mercenary. She's a hard worker, but she is a blunt and stingy as they come. I think she's trying to repay the village that paid to send her here." He then gestured to Raphael.

"He comes from a family of merchants, but they died in an accident. Still, he's one of the most cheerful guys here. He loves training, and eating, and…that's it."

"Sorry about your parents." Isaac said as his thoughts drifted to his ill mother and his possibly dead father.

"Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago." Raph said. "Anyway, hope to see you around." He said as he and Leonie left.

Claude just sighed. "One more left and he's…"

"He's what Claude?" A voice demanded.

The three turned to see a man with neat purple hair and a red flower on his uniform.

"He's Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, heir to the Gloucester territory. He's a bit arrogant and fancies himself a lady's man. He is really devoted and honest however. Though I wouldn't mind not hearing him talk about his 'Noble Obligations' again." Claude stated rather bored.

Lorenz rolled his eyes a bit. "Maybe if you would act more like one, I wouldn't have to remind you." He then turned to the two. "My apologies, I am Lorenz Hellman Gloucester as Claude had just said. You two are the mercenaries that helped him are you not?" He asked as the two nodded. "I see. Perhaps you two will join me for a cup of tea some time." Lorenz said as he left.

"As for me, well, What's life without a little mystery. I bet you two have some secrets, so why don't we spend the school year getting to know each other." Claude finished as the three headed for the door.

"Are you serious?" Isaac asked flatly. 'Though I suppose I don't have too much room to talk.'

"So, what do you think of the three houses?" Edelgard asked as the three exited out of the Golden Deer classroom.

"They are definitely all filled with interesting people." Byleth said.

"Well, have you decided which house you will teach?" Claude asked.

"You'll find out later. What's life without a little mystery?" Isaac smirked.

"Cleaver." Claude groaned a bit sarcastic as Edelgard and Dmitri couldn't help but snicker. They both overheard Claude's little "What's life without a little mystery?" speech and it was amusing to see it thrown back at him.

"Regardless, there is still more of the Monastery to explore, so why don't we continue the tour?" Dimitri asked. The two nodded and the group headed south.

The group now arrived at a garden which rose bushes and multiple tables.

"This is the garden. People like to socialize out here when the weather is nice. It's a perfect place for tea parties. Perhaps you will join me sometime." Dimitri offered.

"I never had tea before." Isaac admitted as the others looked at him a bit surprised.

"You haven't? Well I do know some good tea if you're looking for a recommendation." Edelgard offered.

"Sure." Isaac smiled.

Edelgard nodded and turned to the left. "Over there are the dorms. The first floor is usually relegated for commoners while the nobles take the second floor.

"I don't think we have a place yet." Byleth commented.

"To the north is the Training Halls. They should be available soon, but for now, they are still being repaired from that fire." Claude said. "Up ahead is the mess halls, but we can't go in though as they are preparing for dinner and cleaning."

"Seems like a lot of places are off limits at the moment." Isaac commented.

"Yeah, talk about bad timing." Claude said.

"This stuff happens. But the Fishing Pond is opened." Dmitri said.

The fishing pond had a simple booth by a dock where the water stretched outside the Monastery. There was also a garden to the side.

"This is a fishing pond. I heard it's a great way to relax." Edelgard said.

"You have to supply your own bait, but you can keep the fish you catch." Claude said.

"Over there is the Greenhouse. The Monastery has quite a number of plants here. Dedue and Ashe like that place." Dimitri said.

"And with that, we have concluded our tour." Claude said.

"So then, I suppose it's time we talked about Psynergy." Edelgard said as attention was turned to Isaac.

"I had a feeling. So, what do you want to know?" Isaac asked in a sigh.

"Well for starters, since you do seem to know a lot on it, why don't you tell us exactly what Psynergy is? We've called it a new form of magic so far because of how different it feels to normal reason or faith magic." Edelgard stated.

"Though I guess another name for it could be invisible magic since most people can't see it." Claude added.

"Invisible magic isn't a bad name for it actually. It's called Psynergy. And it comes from a place called Weyard, which is where I'm from." Isaac said. "Psynergy is invisible to normal people, though there have been exceptions. A man named Kraden was able to see it without being an Adept, and so can Jeralt."

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. I do remember that Sylvain and Ingrid are able to see it, yet my uncle couldn't." Dimitri said.

"My grandfather wasn't able to see it ether." Claude admitted.

"Nor could my father." Edelgard added. "Though it seems that the rest of the students that weren't hit by those stones can see Psynergy. Speaking of stones, were those truly the thing that gave us our powers?"

Isaac nodded. "Most likely. I remember in my travels in Weyard, there were those that touched the stones and gained Psynergy. They're called Psynergy stones. Pure Psynergy hardened into stones." Isaac explained.

"But Hubert picked up the stone that hit me later, and he never obtained Psynergy." Edelgard pointed out.

"Honestly, I can't fully explain it, as there are things I'm still learning as well. I can only guess but, when the stones fell, they might have been more fresh and not fully hardened yet. So you came into contact with more pure Psynergy. Or maybe there was more inside of you than Hubert. Like I said, I don't fully know. I can only guess." Isaac admitted.

"I see..." Edelgard muttered.

"On that note, I must apologies to all of you for any trouble Psynergy caused." Isaac said as he bowed his head to the three future rulers.

"Well, the monsters definitely weren't something anyone wanted to deal with, but personally, I've been having fun trying to learn this magic." Claude admitted.

"Yes. If you three wish, I can teach you three, and the others who were hit by the stones more about Psynergy." Isaac offered.

"Really? Just like that?" Claude asked surprised.

Isaac nodded. "I feel it's the least I can do for any trouble I caused by allowing Psynergy to fall into Fodlan."

"Well then, if you're willing to offer, then I won't object." Edelgard said.

"Agreed. I know Psynergy is rather mixed in the mind of the people, but I have no issue personally." Dimitri said.

"Same here." Claude said.

'I hope it can help me achieve my goals.' All three thought.

"Plus, Rhea does seem like she wants someone to teach it. And I feel she might know more about it than she lets on." Isaac said much to the others surprise.

'So, the church is keeping more secrets? Big surprise.' Claude thought sarcastically.

'Why would they not say anything? Are they concerned of the response or something?' Dimitri wondered.

'So, Rhea knows about Psynergy. I wonder if uncle does as well.' Edelgard pondered.

"I'd guess they don't want that fire incident to happen again, whatever it was." Byleth said.

"Oh that. Well, apparently Caspar found something particular that Dorothea lost, and she wasn't happy about it. She chased him and he accidentally unleashed his Psynergy on her." Claude laughed.

Edelgard and Dimitri looked rather embarrassed. Especially Edelgard since the problem was caused by those in her house.

"Right well, that won't be happening again." Isaac said a bit off on Claude's vague description.

'That explains the bandages' Byleth thought.

"I'd hope so." Edelgard said. "The two have made up and apologies, and I will assure that it won't happen again."

"Well then, we better head back to the audience chamber and see Lady Rhea." Byleth said and Isaac nodded.

Later in the Audience Chamber:

Isaac and Byleth stood next to Hanneman as the three were before Lady Rhea and Seteth. Manuela and Jeralt were off to the side.

"I trust that the tour was likeable?" Rhea asked.

"Yes. We didn't get to explore some places, but it was really interesting." Isaac said.

"The timing was definitely not the best, but hopefully all of that should clear up in a few days. You should be able to see the monastery in its full soon enough." Manuela pointed out.

"Anyway, now it is time to decide who will teach which house." Seteth said.

"I'm happy anywhere I go, so I will let the new professors pick first." Hanneman said.

"Ladies first." Isaac said to Byleth.

Byleth nodded and was silent for a moment before she decided.

"I will choose the Blue Lions." Byleth said.

"The Blue Lions lead by Prince Dimitri? Rhea asked and Byleth nodded. "Very well. Isaac? Which will you choose?"

Isaac was in deep thought.

'So, I'm left to choose between the Black Eagles and the Golden Deer. According to what Claude and Edelgard said, one focuses on magic, which I assume is Fodlan magic, while the other focuses on archery. Neither of which I'm especially good at. I used archery to hunt, but never in battle. But I guess between the two of them, I would probably feel more comfortable with...'

"I'll teach the Golden Deer!" Isaac decided.

Chapter Text

"I choose the Golden Deer." Isaac said.

"You wish to teach the Golden Deer lead by Claude?" Rhea asked and Isaac nodded.

"Then I suppose that leaves me with teaching the Black Eagles. That's fine. That house does have an affinity for Reason Magic, which I excel at." Hanneman said happily.

"Then it's settled. Byleth will teach the Blue Lions, Isaac will teach the Golden Deer, and Hanneman will teach the Black Eagles. You have all made your choices and all I ask is that you guide these open minds with virtue, care, and sincerity." Rhea said.

"All of them are promising youths that will carry the future of Fodlan on their shoulders. I hope you all appreciate the honor it is to lead them." Seteth said.

"Brother?" A voice called out.

Everyone turned to see a young girl that looked like she might have been around Ivan or Sheba's age to Isaac, walk up to the group. She wore a slight variation of the uniform the other students wore, though this one had a bow tied on her back. Her hair bright green hair like Rhea and Seteth that was worn in twists down the sides of her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The girl apologies.

"I'm in the middle of something Flayn. Is it urgent?" Seteth asked.

"No, no. It's fine. More importantly, who are these two?" Flayn asked curiously to the two former mercenaries.

"These two are the new professors of the academy." Seteth said.

"Oh my! New additions to the Officers Academy? I'm so pleased to me you both. My name is Flayn. Seteth's little sister." Flayn said with a bow.

"My name is Isaac. It's a pleasure to me you." Isaac said with a smile.

"My name is Byleth." Byleth said with a bow.

"Let us get back to the matter at hand." Seteth said getting Isaac and Byleth's attention. "There is something important for you two to know about. In a few days, there will be a mock battle between the three classes. It is used to measure the current processes of the students, but we will also use it as an opportunity to ascertain both of your abilities as well. Please do not disappoint the archbishop. That is all." Seteth explained.

'Great. Only a few days in and I get to be judged on a new job I'm not even sure I'll do well at, by a guy who I feel doesn't like me. Please Wise One? Anything else I need to worry about?' Isaac groaned in his head. Still, there was one more thing to ask.

"So, about me teaching Psynergy." Isaac began.

"To be honest, we are still trying to prepare something for it, as this is the first year we've had students with Psynergy attending here. Classes truly begin after the Mock Battle, so let us wait until then to decide on something." Rhea said.

"Understood." Isaac nodded.

"Psynergy? What is that?" Flayn asked curiously.

"I will tell you later Flayn." Seteth urged and Flayn groaned. Seteth turned to the two new professors. "At any rate, we should have some rooms for you two shortly. I will find you once they are ready.”

"That's perfect. In the meantime, why don't you both come with me to my office while Seteth gets your rooms ready?" Hanneman offered. The two shrugged and followed Hanneman out of the Audience Chamber.

Hanneman's office was to no surprise, filled to the brim with books on the shelves all across the back wall that were mostly about Crests.

"That's a lot of books." Isaac commented.

"Aside from teaching, my job here is to study Crests and unlock their secrets." Hanneman said as he grabbed a purple device from his desk. It was rather round and flat in shape.

"What's that?" Isaac asked.

"This will allow me to view your Crests. I promise it won't hurt you a bit. Just place your hand on this device." Hanneman said. Byleth nodded and did just that.

On the device was a strange symbol that left Hanneman shocked.

"What is this?" Hanneman asked surprised. "I've never seen a crest like this before. To think, a not-yet-discovered crest has been detected? To think that there are still crests out there that I haven't yet seen before. How thrilling."

"You sound pretty excited." Isaac commented with a smile.

Byleth removed her hand from the machine. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is a crest?"

"I would like to know that too." Isaac said.

"You two don't know what Crests are? Well then, take a seat because this will take a while." Hanneman said as Byleth and Isaac sat down in two chairs Hanneman had in his office.

"Crests are a fascinating topic, but before one could dive deeply into said topic, one must understand what Crests are. Crests are power incarnate. They are said to be bestowed by the goddess onto humans countless ages ago. They exist within our flesh and are passed down through the bloodline. Those who carry Crests may excel at magic, display exceptional strength, or any number of magical boons. Each Crest has its own power. The nature of which is beyond our understanding. At least for now." Hanneman explained.

"That's why you thought I had some crest?" Byleth asked.

"Yes. Though Crests are passed through the bloodline, there is no guarantee that the descendant will inherent the crest. Only a scare few descendants of Crest bloodlines end up inheriting the Crest's power. So, one of your ancestors carried this crest and you ended up inheriting it." Hanneman said.

"Why do only a select few inherit these Crests?" Isaac asked.

"A good question Isaac. Many believe that the Goddess herself chooses those who are worthy of her power. However, we are still unsure why that it. That is why I try to study them." Hanneman said.

'How selective. As far as I know, those with Psynergy have always passed it down to their kids.' Isaac thought having grown up in Vale where Psynergy was common among everyone.

"Now then Isaac, let us examine you." Hanneman said holding up the device excited.

Isaac stood up and placed his hand on the device.

However, nothing showed up.

"Nothing? It seems you don't have a Crest. How strange." Hanneman said a bit surprised.

"Honestly I'm not surprised. I'm from Weyard, not Fodlan. We don't have any Crests there to my knowledge." Isaac said.

"Yet you are far more powerful with Psynergy than I am. And especially more than Edelgard, Claude, and Dimitri." Byleth said.

"That's all from practice and experience. I've had Psynergy my whole life while you guys have only had it for about three years. But I never had any crest appear on me like that." Isaac said.

"So, despite all that power you seem to carry you don't have a crest…interesting. So crests truly don't have a connection to Psynergy. Fascinating." Hanneman muttered. "Isaac. If you don't mind, I would like to watch your Psynergy class when it officially starts."

"Uh, sure?" Isaac said confused. "But if I may ask, why?"

"I have several reasons. Some of them I feel will help my research. But there is also the fact that I am the only professor with no knowledge on the matter, and as you learned, there are some students who possess Psynergy. I feel listening in on your lessons can help if my students have any issues in the future." Hanneman said.

"That makes sense. My friend Kraden isn't an adept, yet he still studies Psynergy. I have no problem if that's the case." Isaac said. Granted, Psynergy was supposed to be kept a secret, but with these recent events in the monastery, Psynergy being quite a topic for the last three years, and the fact that three of the most important figures in all of Fodlan also possessed the power made keeping that rule rather pointless at this point. Though that did bring in some new worries to Isaac.

"Thank you very much. For now, I will study Byleth's Crest and call you if I discover anything." Hanneman said happily.

Isaac and Byleth nodded and left.

"Despite all my research, I never seemed to find a solution to my goal on Crests. But maybe the introduction of Psynergy may help find me an alternative." Hanneman said to himself with a smile.

Seteth had guided Byleth and Isaac to their new rooms on the first floor of the dorms.

"These will be your new rooms. Isaac will be the one at the far end, and Byleth will be the one right next door." Seteth said.

"Dimitri and the others showed us these earlier. Commoners are next to us while the nobles are above us?" Byleth asked.

"Yes. As a rule at Garreg Mach Monastery, we try to avoid discrimination based on social status here. But the nobility can be…quite insistent when it comes to matters such as propriety." Seteth said with a small groan at the end. "Anyway, it would be best of you to avoid improper conduct. I expect you to set a good example to the students here."

"Yes sir." Both of the new professors said.

"Very good. You'll find the Syllabus, roaster, and schedule all on your desk in your rooms. I would advise going over them tonight as classes start tomorrow. Lady Rhea has allowed you two early access to the mess hall for breakfast so you can set your classroom up however you need while the students are eating." Seteth said and the two nodded. "If that is all, I will take my leave. I expect you to have class ready by 8:00 tomorrow." With that, Seteth left.

"Man, this has been one crazy day." Isaac sighed.

"Yeah, and tomorrow will be even crazier. To think, just yesterday we were simple mercenaries but now, we are teachers here at the Academy." Byleth said and Isaac nodded. "Well, I'm going to turn in. I'll see you tomorrow, Isaac."

"Goodnight Byleth." Isaac smiled.

Byleth waved as she entered her room and shut the door.

Isaac entered his room and closed the door.

His room was quite spacey for a small room. He had a rather nice-looking bed, a desk, a nightstand, and a bulletin board. On the desk were several sheets of paper.

Isaac set the Sol Blade off to the side of his bed and sat at his desk to look at the papers.

"Seems tomorrow will be basically be introductions. Though I've already met my students earlier. Lessons are on Mondays to Saturdays. Though Saturdays are usually half days meant for revising what was learned that day. Promotion exams are also to be taken on this day, as well as extra Seminars. We'll have to ask Rhea or Seteth more about this later." Isaac said.

"Says Sundays are free days." Flint pointed out.

"Oh yeah. I heard Garreg Mach Monastery has a huge Library. Maybe we can head over there and get some more information on Fodlan." Isaac said.

"Sounds like a plan. But for now, it's getting late. Time to turn in." Isaac said getting up and heading for bed.

"Great Idea. Goodnight Isaac." Flint said as he vanished.

"Goodnight Flint." Isaac said as he headed to sleep.

The next morning came and Isaac was out of bed by 7:00 AM.

Though as he was up, he heard a knock on his door. Opening it revealed Seteth holding a set of clothing.

"I see you're already awake. That's good." Seteth said neutrally.

"I've always been an early riser." Isaac said. "Do you need something?"

"As a professor, we do expect you to dress more professionally. During missions, you can wear anything you want, but during class, this is what you are expected to wear." Seteth said as he handed Isaac the set of clothing that was in his hands.

Isaac took a look at the clothes. It was black jacket with a grey undershirt, black pants, a black cape, and a cap.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave." Seteth said.

"Wait a moment. I was wondering if you could tell me about this Seminar and Promotion test I read about last night." Isaac asked.

"Every Saturday after class, we hold promotional exams for the students and staff. These exams are made for authorization to allow you to be in possession of stronger weapons and other things like heavy armor and mounts. This system is made to ensure that one is capable of handling such things so they don’t hurt themselves or others. However, you can only take the exam once a week." Seteth said.

"And if one fails?" Isaac asks.

"They will have to wait until next week to try again. No exceptions." Seteth said firmly.

‘I don’t see anything too much that I would hold an interest in at the moment, but I’ll definitely keep that in mind for the future.' Isaac thought.

"As for Seminars, they are scheduled throughout the week for students or other faculty members that wish to further expand their knowledge on certain weapons and skills. We don’t expect every faculty member to be a master in every subject, so if you or one of your students wish to expand their knowledge in an area that their professor is unable to help with, then they can apply to a seminar and get lessons from a professional." Seteth said as a thought crossed his mind.

"That reminds me. As a member of the faculty, you too will be tasked with hosting Seminars to students in need of help. After the Mock battle finishes, we will gather on who can teach what. So, until then, do think about what you can teach to the students. Understood?" Seteth asked and Isaac nodded. "Good. Then you'd best get yourself cleaned up and ready for your class." Seteth said as he immediately turned to leave.

"He was sure in a hurry to leave." Flint commented.

"Well, if he's the archbishop's assistant, then he probably has a lot of stuff to do. Just like I have a lot to do now." Isaac said as he closed his door to change and get ready for his first day as a teacher.

Isaac kept his scarf on him. It didn't match the uniform that Seteth gave him, but he didn't care. It was a gift from his mother and it meant a lot to him. He also took the Sol Blade with him as he didn't want it to be out of his sight. Thankfully as long as it was sheathed, it shouldn't grab attention, other than the point of it being rather large for a sword.

Isaac met up with Byleth and grabbed a bite to eat at the mess halls. Like Isaac, she too was given a uniform to wear. It looked a lot like Isaac's, but had a skirt instead of pants. Once they finished, they headed towards the classrooms while the students were eating.

"The students are going to be quite surprised to see who is teaching them." Isaac chuckled.

"Except for Claude and Dimitri. They'll be thrilled." Byleth commented remembering how the three really wanted the two of them to choose their classes.

"Yeah. I do feel sorry for Edelgard though." Isaac said with a frown.

"It can't be helped. There are two of us and three of them and we made our choices yesterday.” Byleth said firmly, though she too felt sorry for the white-haired girl. “Besides. You will be teaching her Psynergy, and I’m willing to bet she’ll likely be taking some of our Seminars.

“True.” Isaac admitted.

"Excuse me." A voice said.

The two turned to see a kid with dark skin like Claude's, wearing a simple white shirt and tan shorts.

"Are you a student here?" Isaac asked.

"No. My name is Cyril and I work for Lady Rhea." Cyril said.

"Oh. Well, my name is Isaac and this is Byleth. Did you need something?" Isaac asked.

"I was just asked to tell you that the training grounds are open again to any student that wants to use them." Cyril said.

"Oh, that's a good thing. That's perfect for testing their combat levels." Byleth said.

“So, what do you mean that you work for Lady Rhea?” Isaac asked.

"It means I do whatever is needed to be done. And I’m also busy so I can’t talk right now." Cyril said as he left.

"Well, I'll talk to you after class I suppose." Isaac said. Byleth nodded and the two headed into the classes they chose to teach.

Isaac entered the Golden Deer classroom and approached the teacher's desk. Taking the Sol Blade off his back, he placed it by his desk next to his chair as he examined the small stack of papers on top of the desk that Cyril likely left. They were all copies of the Syllabus he had looked at last night. One for each student.

"Well, in a few minutes, I begin my new job as a teacher." Isaac sighed.

"You'll do fine Isaac." Flint said appearing on the desk. "But maybe you need a teaching stick." Flint then pulled out a small white stick out of somewhere.

"Uh, I'm good." Isaac said. "Where did you even get that by the way?"

"That is a Djinn secret!” Flint said as a matter of fact.

"Uh...okay then...By the way, do you think the others are okay?" Isaac asked changing the topic.

"I sure hope so. How are we going to look for them though?" Flint asked.

"Searching Fodlan with Jeralt and Byleth sadly didn’t yield any success. But this place is a major important place in all of Fodlan, with people from everywhere visiting. That means we can likely find someone who might have seen them and finally get an actual lead on where to look. Or maybe they'll come to us." Isaac said.

"You think so?" Flint asked.

Isaac nodded. "Not only that, but the way Rhea acted to my story makes me feel that she might know more about Psynergy than she is letting on. Maybe some information on why the Golden Sun sent me here, and possibly a way to get back home. So, sticking around could prove many benefits."

"Sounds like a good plan. I'll support you no matter what Isaac." Flint said as he vanished.

"I wonder what the other would say if they found out I was a teacher now? I wish Kraden was here." Isaac said to himself as he looked at the clock.

It was just about 8:00, and Isaac could hear the sound of the students talking as footsteps approached the door. This was it. No turning back now. The time as a mercenary was done. Now, Isaac was to be their teacher.

Golden Deer:

As soon as the Golden Deer saw Isaac was in the professor's chair, and dressed like a professor, they were understandably surprised. Claude however, immediately grinned when he saw that Isaac picked his class to teach.

"Wait what? YOU'RE our new homeroom teacher? I thought you were going to get roped into joining the knights or something!" Hilda exclaimed in shock.

"To be honest, you're not quite what I pictured for our professor." Ignatz said before his eyes widened in what he just said. "Oh, I didn't mean the way it sounded!"

"It's fine. I don't blame you for thinking that." Isaac assured. Aside from maybe Claude, he doubted that anyone was expecting someone like him to be their teacher.

"Don't tell me, you choose our class to get to know me better, right? I'm flattered." Claude joked.

"You knew of this Claude?" Lorenz asked annoyed.

"Kind of. I knew that he and Byleth were the two new professors that were to replace Manuela and that other guy that ran away back in Remire. But I didn't know which class he would pick to teach. As for the secret thing, that was Manuela's idea." Claude said.

"Knowing you, you'd still do it regardless of what anyone asked." Lorenz sighed.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that." Claude smirk as Lorenz rolled his eyes. Claude then turned his attention back to Isaac. "Still, now that you're our professor, maybe I should choose my words more carefully."

"I'm not that much into formality. Call me whatever you’re all comfortable with. We are all around the same age after all." Isaac said.

"I guess you've got a point." Claude admitted.

"One must marvel at the exceptional of this appointment. Becoming a teacher to students the same age as yourself. How…unusual." Lorenz admitted.

'You have no idea.' Isaac thought.

"I heard that you are quite a skilled fighter, but I can't help but shake my discomfort at your new position." Lorenz added.

"Are you really as strong as they say you are? Let's see your biceps. I bet I've packed more muscles than you!" Raphael challenged.

"I doubt that. Apparently, he along with another were personally recommended by Alois. One of the knights." Ignatz said.

"As far as skills go, I've seen for myself what he's capable of, especially with that new magic. Also, he was trained in tactics by the former captain of the Knights of Serios." Claude said.

"If the captain trained him, then there is no way he isn't worthy." Leonie chimed in.

"The captain? Who are you talking about?" Lysithea asked confused.

"Captain Jeralt of course. The most notable captain of the knights and a renown mercenary." Leonie said in pride.

"I suppose he is." Isaac said with a laugh.

"There is no 'I suppose!'" Leonie shouted causing Isaac to jump in surprise. "He deserves nothing but respect!"

"Well regardless, trained by such a mercenary, and skilled with that new magic, I have to say I have high hopes for our professor." Lysithea admitted.

"I guess so, but how he will be as a teacher is yet to be seen, right Marianne?" Hilda asked.

"Huh? Oh uh, sure." Marianne said not fully paying attention.

"We'll just have to see for ourselves in battle soon enough." Leonie said.

"Battle? Why not a feast? I'll get the meat!" Raphael said.

"How savage." Lorenz sighed. "I purpose we talk over a nice cup of tea. I am more than willing to procure some high-quality leaves."

"If there's no meat, then it isn't a party. Boring." Raphael said.

"Your common sensibilities are grating on my noble ears. Please quiet yourself." Lorenz chided.

"Alright, knock it off you two." Isaac scolded causing the two to stop arguing.

"Sorry Professor." Raphael apologized.

"My apologies professor." Lorenz said with a bow.

"Sorry about that teach. As you can see, the Golden Deer is quite a rowdy bunch. Not the most unified, but you will find both commoners and nobles alike. Those who work hard, and those who slack off." Claude said getting Isaac's attention. "You definitely have your work cut out for you. But hey, that means your life will be exciting, right?"

'More exciting? I doubt that is possible.' Isaac mentally sighed.

"By the way professor, what is with the scarf? It doesn't really go well with the uniform." Hilda asked.

"It means a lot to me, and I refuse to part with it." Isaac said. "Anyway, we better get started, so everyone please take your seats." Everyone complied and sat down.

'I can do this.' Isaac assured himself as he stood in front of the class. Isaac was always devoted to studying and bettering himself. Ever since the boulder incident. This at the end of the day was just a new challenge. And he would meet it straight on.

Blue Lions:

Much like the Golden Deer, the Blue Lions were rather surprised to see who was sitting in the professor's chair. Though Dimitri was rather glad as well as relieved that Byleth chose him.

"Wait…you're that girl from yesterday! You're our new professor? No! I can't believe that I was speaking to you so casually!" Annette cried. "I am so sorry professor! You just look the same age as the rest of us and…oh I'm sorry about that too! I should really watch my tongue."

"Don't worry about it. We’re all the same age. I don't mind you talking more casually." Byleth said kind of amused at the girl's antics.

"You say that but, it doesn't sit well with me." Annette admitted.

"I'll admit that it doesn't sit well with me ether. After all, we wish to show you the proper respect." Dimitri said.

"Sure but, if the professor says it's okay then shouldn't that be enough? That is…if your highness can consent to such a thing." Sylvain said with a smirk at that second part. "After all, we are speaking to our future king that way so we may as well relax with our speech to our new professor, right?"

"Well, we aren't exactly in the Kingdom so we should speak more companionably to each other but…if the professor is okay with it, then we should respect her kindness." Dimitri admitted.

"As for me, I don't think I can manage." Ingrid admitted.

"You don't have to force yourself. If it's too difficult, then don't force yourself. Right Professor?" Mercedes asked and Byleth nodded.

"Do whatever you feel is most comfortable." Byleth said and Ingrid nodded.

"Such benevolence is a sight to behold. I don't suppose you'd like to join me for tea? We can discuss education…and marriage." Sylvain asked only to get greeted with a slap upside the head from Felix.

"Control yourself Sylvain. I have more important matters to discuss with the professor." Felix scolded as he turned to the professor. "Come to the training ground when it opens again. There you will show me what you are made of."

"You don't waste any time do you Felix. Though you can count me in for such a battle." Dimitri smiled but Felix scoffed.

"Oh, pardon me, but I would love to observe that battle to. For future reference." Ashe chimed in from the back.

"That won't do to just watch Ashe. You should partake as well." Dimitri said.

"I was told the training grounds are opened again, but we'll save it for Monday. I'll need to see where all your skills lie for the mock battle after all." Byleth offered. Felix agreed to that with a nod of the head.

"I can patch anyone up if they get hurt." Mercedes offered.

"Try not to go overboard your highness." Dedue advised to Dimitri.

"I'll be fine Dedue. I promise." Dimitri assured.

"My companions! Is there something not inherently wrong with crossing blades as a means of getting to know each other?" Sylvain asked.

"Huh. I never thought of it that way. But if that's how you feel, then I suppose that you'll stay behind while the rest of us are at the training grounds?" Ingrid asked.

"Ingrid, my dearest friend. You really are too harsh on me." Sylvain sighed.

Dimitri chuckled at the antics before turning back to Byleth.

"Well professor? What do you think of the Blue Lions? We are a lively bunch, but you will find no one who is a harder worker than here." Dimitri said. "We will definitely cause our fair share of trouble, but I am very much looking forward to the year ahead."

'This is going to be a year to remember no doubt.' Byleth thought unsure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

Black Eagles:

"Greetings students. I am Professor Hanneman Von Essar. I will be your teacher this year at Garreg Mach Monastery. I hope you are all looking forward to this year as I am." Hanneman said as the Black Eagles took their seats.

Most of the students didn't really have an issue with their new professor, but Edelgard was rather disappointed.

'I knew from the start that one of us wouldn’t get chosen, there was only two of them after all. Still, I was kind of hoping that one wasn't going to be me.' Edelgard thought upset.

"Though before we begin, I would like to make an announcement. Garreg Mach Monastery will be holding a new semester this year with one of our new professors. A class on Psynergy." Hanneman said getting the classes full attention.

"Psynergy? What's that?" Linhardt asked now actually awake and focused.

"That is apparently the name of the new magic that was discovered when those rocks rained down three years ago." Hanneman said.

"So, this power I have is Psynergy?" Caspar asked and Hanneman nodded.

"So, it would seem that Garreg Mach Monastery has managed to find someone to teach it after all. You'd better attend Caspar. I would hate to see you embarrass her highness again." Hubert said sharply.

"Oh, come on! I said I was sorry! Dorothea, you forgive me, right?" Caspar pleaded.

"I do, but you should definitely attend. As well as getting your eyesight checked." Dorothea responded a bit annoyed and embarrassed.

Caspar slumped down in defeat as Linhardt pats his shoulder.

"I was going to attend regardless." Caspar grumbled.

"Um, who is the new Professor?" Bernadetta asked nervously.

"You met him yesterday. He returned the book you dropped, remember?" Edelgard asked.

"Oh…" Bernadetta mumbled as she remembered fleeing first chance she got.

"Anyway, when and where is this class going to be held exactly?" Edelgard asked Hanneman getting back on track.

"The details of that are still being decided on by Seteth and the Archbishop. We should have information once the mock battle is finished." Hanneman said and Edelgard nodded.

“All right then. Are there anymore questions?” Hanneman asked but no one said anything. “Very well. Then let us get started.”

Blue Lions:

"Psynergy?" Felix asked.

"Yes. That is the name of the magic you obtained when those stones fell three years ago." Byleth said.

"Fascinating. I mean, I don't have that power, but it is something of great mystery. Like something out of a storybook." Ashe said.

"So, there will be a class on Psynergy for us to learn?" Dimitri asked.

"That is correct. And I'll be attending it as well. However, the archbishop is waiting till after the Mock Battle to settle on where and when it will take place. So for now, let us begin our lectures." Byleth said.

The Lions nodded and class began.

Golden Deer:

“Okay. So, the first thing we need to do is introductions. While Claude did introduce me to all of you yesterday, I would like to hear where your skills lie. After that, we’ll talk about training now that the training halls are open again.” Isaac said.

"Aw, can't we just have a relaxing day? It's the first day!" Hilda complained.

"If we take a break, we run the risk of getting rusty. You can't waste a single moment" Leonie scolded which caused Hilda to groan.

“I don’t mind relaxing once in a while Hilda, but we don’t have much time before the Mock Battle, and we have a lot to go over.” Isaac said as Hilda groaned again. “But if you all wish, I’ll go first in telling you all about myself.”

No one objected, so Isaac continued.

“There isn’t too much to say about me, that doesn’t involve a long story that right now, we don’t have time for. I promise I’ll tell you all more later if you’re interested, so for now, I’ll keep things short. I grew up in an isolated village called Vale for most of my life, until about four years ago. I usually spend my free time studying and training, but I have engaged in fun activities with my friends from back home. For the last three years, I was traveling with Captain Jeralt’s mercenary group. I’m also in possession of Psynergy, or that new magic as some of you have called it.” Isaac explained.

"Psynergy? Is that what it's called? I've looked through as many books as I could but never even found a name. How did you figure even that out?" Lysithea demanded.

"All will be explained after the mock battle. But I have been chosen to teach a special class on it." Isaac explained.

Lysithea wanted to retort for more answers, but in the end, she figured she would wait until after the mock battle. "What power do you have?"

"Power over the Earth, just like Dimitri." Isaac said and Lysithea nodded. “As for my skills outside of Psynergy, I am skilled in both swords, axes, and tactics with battalions. I’ve also had some experience with a bow, but I’ve never used one outside of hunting. Unfortunately, I have no experience in Fodlan magic, be it reason or faith. I’m also not comfortable with flying ether. Claude, you’re up first.”

"Well, as you already saw back in Remire Village, I'm pretty good with a bow. I'm also pretty good with a sword and I have some skill riding any kind of mount, though between a horse and a wayvern, I prefer a wayvern. i also know quite a bit on Battalion fighting." Claude said standing up. "I'm not that into faith magic or lances. I’ve also had some basic training in axes. As for my Psynergy, I control the wind."

"I'll go next." Lorenz said standing up. "As many nobles have, I clearly focus on lance, reason magic, and horseback riding. I despise using gauntlets however."

"What are you talking about Lorenz? Gauntlets are great!" Raphael said jumping up. "I use them as my main weapon, but I'm also great with an axe. I don't mind carrying some heavy armor, but I don't like bows and reason magic, and I can't stay on a horse to save my life."

"I guess I'll go next." Ignatz said standing up a bit timid. "I'm pretty good with bows and swords, and I've studied pretty well on using battalions. However, I don't like heights."

"I'll go next!" Lysithea said standing up quickly. "I excel at magic. Both Faith and Reason. My knowledge on battalions is very good as well. Though physical weapons aren't my specialty, and there is no way I can lift that heavy armor. I also have power over the wind like Claude"

"I-I guess that means it's my turn?" Marianne asked and Isaac nodded. She stood up. "Faith magic and swords are my strength. I also really enjoy animals." She said that last part with a smile. "I don't think I can lift that heavy armor, and I don't really like Gauntlets that much."

"Claude told me yesterday that you were hit by a stone. What powers did you get?" Isaac asked.

"I control water..." She said quietly as she sat down quickly though Isaac heard it just fine.

'Water? So, she's a mercury adapt. So, the only element I don't have in this class is fire. Though if I had a Mars Djinn, that would be easily taken care of. Still, three out of four elements aren't bad.' Isaac thought.

"I guess that means I'm up next?" Hilda asked standing up. "Well, I guess I can use lances and axes pretty well. Better than faith magic. I also don't care for authority over battalions’ ether. Too much work. Also, I think it would be better if I sit out of the mock battle."

"M-Me too." Marianne added.

"Everyone is participating." Isaac said firmly causing Hilda to groan. Marianne just stayed quiet.

"I guess I'm all that's left." Leonie said standing up. "I'm pretty good with anything you want me to use. Though if I had to say which was my strongest, it would be lances and bows. I also enjoy horseback riding."

Isaac nodded as he wrote down notes based on what he was told.

'Seems like I've got quite a variety of skills here.' Isaac thought. "All right then. Let's get started by discussing this year." Isaac said as he passed out the Syllabus.

Later that evening:

Isaac and Byleth were sitting in the courtyard discussing their day.

"My students are rather rowdy, but I think they will do great." Isaac said.

"Same here. Though Monday, I will get to see their strength first hand." Byleth said.

"I wonder how Jeralt is doing." Isaac commented.

"I don't know. I haven't seen father all day. Guess he must be pretty swamped with his old job back." Byleth said.

"I guess so." Isaac said getting up. "I think I'll take a walk around before going to bed."

"Sounds nice, though I was planning to do that tomorrow morning. You want to join?" Byleth asked.

Isaac shook his head. "No. Tomorrow, I plan on hitting the library to read up Fodlan's history and see if there is anything there on Psynergy." Isaac said.

"Never waste a minute, do you? Well, good night then." Byleth said.

"Later." Isaac waved as Byleth went to her room and Isaac headed off.

At the Docks:

Isaac headed towards the docks with a rather curious look.

"I wonder where the water leads? Maybe the ocean?" Isaac asked himself. Growing up in a landlocked area, Isaac grew fascination with the things Kraden would tell him he experienced on his journey. One in particular was the ocean.

Flint appeared on his shoulder. "Considering that this place is apparently smack in the middle of Fodlan, I doubt that."

"I guess you're right." Isaac said. That's when he noticed a familiar figure at the docks.

"It's that girl from earlier. Flayn I think her name was?" Isaac asked as he took a closer look and Flint vanished.

Flayn was standing out in front of the water on the dock.

"Okay. Let's try again. Douse!" Flayn said putting her hands out.

A rain cloud formed, but vanished instead of producing rain.

"Oh bother." Flayn sighed.

"What are you doing?" Isaac asked approaching her from behind.

"WAH! Oh. You startled me." Flayn sighed turning to see the boy she saw in the Audience Chamber before.

"Sorry about that." Isaac said.

"It's fine. You're one of the new professors, right?" Flayn asked.

"Right. I am Isaac. You're Flayn, right?" Isaac asked.

"That's right. I am Flayn. Seteth's little sister." Flayn smiled.

"So, are you practicing Psynergy?" Isaac asked.

"Oh yes. Ever since those stones fell, these powers just seem to awaken inside of me. I've been trying to work on them, though my brother doesn't seem too keen on them." Flayn said.

"I don't think he's too keen on me ether." Isaac said.

"He can be rather cautious. I apologies if his attitude offended you, but I assure you he isn't a bad person. Just give him some time and he will warm up to you." Flayn assured.

"I guess I can see why he would be cautious of me." Isaac muttered. "Are you a student here?"

"I wish. Sadly, I am not." Flayn said sadly.

"You want to be a student?" Isaac asked.

"In some regards, yes." Flayn said. "Mostly, I want to interact with others and make some friends."

"I see. What about Psynergy class?" Isaac asked.

"I’ve been trying to get his permission, but he refuses. He can be so stubborn sometimes." Flayn sighed. "Though it is strange. Whenever I use this power, I can't help but feel some nostalgia."

"Really?" Isaac asked curiously.

"Yep. Don't know why. But anyway, I have to head back. My brother will start worrying if I stay out too long." Flayn said.

"I see. Well, it was nice speaking with you Flayn." Isaac said.

"And you as well. I hope we can speak again soon." Flayn smiled as she went back to where ever her room is.

"I guess I should head back as well. Long day of studying tomorrow. And I'm not even a student." Isaac said with a chuckle at that last part as he walked back to his room.

Chapter Text

As soon as he grabbed a bite to eat, Isaac headed straight to library of Garreg Mach and started to look through multiple books on the History of Fodlan, to see if there was anything to do with Psynergy. Isaac was at one of the tables with Flint sitting in front of a bunch of books that Isaac was going through.

"So, 41 years before the Empire, a man named Nemesis, that was this 'King of Liberation' led an army to concur all of Fodlan. Saint Seiros appeared and performed miracles to the people giving hope. The Church of Seiros was created in honor of her. In Imperial year 1, The Adrestian Empire was found. Its name was gifted by an oracle, and it's future blessed by the Goddess. The first Emperor Whlhelm Paul Hresvelg led an army to unify Fodlan against Nemesis." Isaac summarized.

"In Imperial year 46, The Battle of Gronder. Nemesis's forces and the Imperial army clashed, resulting in the Empire being victorious. And in Imperial year 91, Nemesis was finally slain by Saint Seiros, ending the War of Heroes, in the Battle of Tailtean." Flint added. "This Nemesis guy was apparently a hero once. I wonder what happened that made him turn out like this?"

"The years of 721 to 731; had the Empire face off against the nations of Dagda and Brigid. This resulted in Brigid relegated to a life of Imperial subjugation. The Empire tried to then invade Dagda, but failed." Isaac summarized from the next part.

"In Imperial Year 747, Loog, a descendant of one of the first houses to quarrel with the Empire, raised an army to demand independence from the Empire. This fierce clash became known as the War of the Eagle and Lion. I guess that's why the calendar makes a big deal about that later." Flint said "Anyway, in the year 751, Loog found the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and his resistance were victorious. The Holy Church of Serios mediated between the two and Faerghus got its independents. But in 801, a rebellion broke out in Leicester, which the Imperial Army could not subdue. The Holy Kingdom took advantage of this to increase its own political sway, occupied the Leicester region as part of Faerghus."

"When King Klaus I passed away, his three sons became the archdukes and split the Holy Kingdom, but when the prince ruling Leicester fell to illness, the people refused his heir and instead plotted to rule as an alliance. This spark the Crescent Moon War until 901, when the Leicester Alliance was formed after the subjugation of hostile nobles, and the removing of all opposing forces in the regions of Faerghus. Duke Riegan was inarguable the heart of the newly formed Alliance." Isaac continued over what he had read.

"In 961, the eastern nation of Almyra crossed through Fodlan's throat and invaded alliance territory. The Empire retaliated, and the attackers were barely held off. In the year 980, the Officers Academy was created to train heirs on the art of Warfare to protect from future invasions. Along with that, Fodlan's Locket was made in 1101 by the combined efforts of the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance to defend against future invasions of Almyra." Isaac finished as he set the books down and leaned back in a sigh of relief. "Man, that was quite a lot of reading."

"Well, now we read up the history of Fodlan. Though with how we crammed it in, I wonder how much of that we'll remember after today?" Flint joked.

"Probably a decent amount of it. But it does look like Lysithea was right. There wasn't any mention of Psynergy in Fodlan's history." Isaac sighed.

"There are still plenty of books left. But I think we've spent long enough in here. Why don't we call it a day and get some sun?" Flint asked.

"That…actually sounds really good right now." Isaac said getting up. Flint vanished back into Isaac as Isaac returned all the books he was looking at to their proper shelves. Once that was done, he headed out.

Today was his first free day and Isaac had spent the entire morning reading up on Fodlan's history while looking for some kind of connection to Psynergy as it was now noon.

"Lunch should be starting in a little while. Might as well take a walk until then." Isaac said heading down to the fishing spot.

At the fishing spot, Isaac spotted Byleth sitting down on the dock with a fishing pole in her hands.

"Catch anything?" Isaac asked walking up to her.

"No, nothing. Flayn gave me some bait to try and catch some fish for the mess hall, but nothing's biting today." Byleth sighed.

Suddenly, the fishing line was moving away.

"Looks like you got a bite." Isaac said pointing to the line.

"Yeah, and it's putting up quite a fight too!" Byleth grunted as she stood up and started to pull on the poll trying to reel in the fish, but to no avail.

"Alright, let me help." Isaac said grabbing the rod with Byleth. "On three. One, two THREE!" With a mighty pull, a blue creature came flying out of the water and landed behind the two. It had a flat looking head with some spikes on both sides of its head and a pincer-like tail.

"That's not a fish." Byleth said looking at the odd creature before her.

"It's a Djinn." Isaac said surprised.

"A Djinn?" Byleth asked surprised. "It looks so different from Flint."

"That's because that is a Mercury Djinn while Flint is a Venus Djinn." Isaac explained.

"And here I was enjoying a nice swim in the water when I was suddenly pulled out. Still, I have to admit you guys are pretty strong to pull me out." The Djinni said. "My name is Claw. You two are Adepts, right?"

"That's right. I'm Isaac, an Earth Adept and Byleth is a Water Adept. She is also the one that fished you." Isaac said.

"Nice to meet you Byleth. I think I'll stick with you for a while." Claw said.

"Uh, okay…" Byleth said unsure of what to think of this. Isaac put her hands up in the air.

The Mercury Djinn jumped into the air and turned into several blue balls that bounced down like water until they went inside of Byleth. Byleth was surprised as she felt slightly stronger from the Djinni.

"Ever since you showed me Flint, I was always wondering when I would meet a Djinn myself, but this wasn't a way I was expecting." Byleth admitted.

"Djinn can be pretty odd sometimes, and as a result, they can be anywhere. Me and my friends met Djinn in pretty strange places from time to time back in Weyard." Isaac said with a chuckle thinking back to the places he and his friends found some Djinn.

"Well, I suppose in the end, I shouldn't really complain. Now you and I are even in our Djinn count." Byleth said.

"At least until I can find the other Djinn, I had with me before I came here." Isaac said.

"On another topic, how was your research?" Byleth asked.

"Not too good. I learned quite a bit on Fodlan's history, but nothing on Psynergy." Isaac sighed.

"Well, don't give up. I'm sure you'll find answers out there somewhere." Byleth assured.

"Thanks. I think I'll head to the mess hall for a bite to eat. I'm starving. You in?" Isaac asked.

"Maybe later. I still haven't caught anything." Byleth said getting her fishing rod ready for another round.

"Alright then. Later Byleth." Isaac waved as he walked away.

"Goodbye." Byleth said as she went back to fishing, though a thought came to her mind.

"Isaac said that Djinni go inside of the body. I wonder if Claw and Sothis met?" Byleth wondered.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THIS THING DOING IN HERE?! GET OUT!!!" Sothis shouted from inside Byleth's head.

"No way, it's spacey in here!" Claw cried out.

"Great…" Byleth groaned. She can already feel the headaches coming from this.

Isaac arrived in the Dinning Hall and grabbed his food. As he looked for a table, he spotted Claude and Hilda waving to single him to join them.

"Hey Teach, where have you been? I was looking all over for you this morning." Claude asked as Isaac sat down.

"Sorry Claude. I was in the library all morning looking through Fodlan's history for any connection to Psynergy. Sadly, my results were negative." Isaac said.

"You spent your day off studying? On a beautiful day like today? I don't think I will ever understand you professor." Hilda gasped.

"Maybe it's a good thing he is here. If we're lucky, some of his hard working might rub off on you." Claude joked as Hilda glared at him.

"Anyway, did you need me for something Claude?" Isaac asked.

"Actually, Seteth was the one looking for you this morning. He told me to tell you that there is a meeting for the Professors in the Audience Chamber tonight to discuss the Mock Battle." Claude said.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to head there." Isaac said.

"So, teach, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Mock Battle? Do you think we have a chance?" Claude asked.

"I don't know. We'll be examining all your skills tomorrow. But as of now, You're the only one I know about Claude, thanks to that fight in Remire." Isaac said.

"Good point." Claude admitted.

"Well, if your wondering about me, I am just a delicate maiden with little to no combat skills. I'll only hold the whole team back if I fight, so it might be best if I sit out of the Mock Battle." Hilda said.

"Everyone has to participate Hilda." Isaac reminded her.

"Aww." Hilda pouted. Then she had another thought in her mind. "By the way professor, I know you said that scarf of you meant a lot to you, but how so exactly? I mean, it's not bad…a little dirty, but it's pretty plain." Hilda asked.

"My mother made it for me when I was little." Isaac said.

"So, it's a memento?" Claude asked.

"Sort of…But to be honest, I have no idea on how my mother is doing." Isaac admitted.

"Really? Why's that?" Hilda asked.

"At some point during my journey, my friend Garet and I payed a visit to our home town. Garet's family was doing well, but my mother had apparently fallen ill not too long after I left." Isaac said.

"Then why didn't you stay with her then?" Hilda demanded.

"Because I made a promise to her that I would see this journey through to the end. She did tell me she was fine, but I don't know if she was saying that so that I wouldn't worry about her. But the end of that adventure put me here for the last three years, so I have no way of knowing how she's doing." Isaac said.

"Oh…I see." Hilda muttered.

"Sorry to hear that Teach." Claude said.

"Thanks." Isaac said as the three ate.

Once the three were finished eating, Claude and Hilda waved goodbye as they both left. Isaac pondered where he would go next when he recalled the Greenhouse that was brought up during his and Byleth's tour. He decided that would be his next destination.

When Isaac arrived at the Greenhouse, he spotted a familiar grey-haired boy tending to some of the flowers.

Ashe, right?" Isaac asked causing Ashe to turn around a bit surprised.

"Oh, yes, that's me. You surprised me professor." Ashe said.

"Sorry about that. You watering the plants?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, I thought I'd give a hand. The plants here are really incredible. There are so many flowers and herbs I never knew even existed." Ashe said.

"You really seem to know your plants Ashe." Isaac said.

"My adoptive father Lord Lanato is a real expert. He taught me everything I know about plants; like telling them apart, and making medicine. What about you Isaac? I heard your powers were similar to Prince Dimitri and Dedue; and Dedue even tried to experiment his powers on some plants he brought here earlier." Ashe asked.

"Well, I have a basic understanding of them. But in terms of knowledge like how to make medicine, that isn't my strong suit. My friend Mia was a healer, so maybe she would know more about that stuff than I would. But maybe you can show me sometime." Isaac said.

"If you wish, I would love to." Ashe smiled.

"Great. I'll catch you later." Isaac said heading out.

"Goodbye professor." Ashe waved as he went back to watering.

"Now then…let's see what else there is to do until that meeting Claude told me about." Isaac muttered as he continued to walk around.

As he passed by the first floor dorms, he spotted a girl with messy purple hair humming to herself.

"Excuse me." Isaac said approaching her.

"WAH!" Bernadetta shouted as she bolted to one of the rooms and slammed the door. A clicking sound was heard right after.

"So much for that." Isaac sighed.

"I told you she is rather shy to others. She's even like that around me." A female voice said.

Isaac turned to see Edelgard and Hubert approaching him.

"Ah hello Edelgard, and Hubert, right?" Isaac asked and Hubert nodded.

"Greetings Professor. I trust you are having a good day?" Edelgard asked.

"More or less. What are you up to?" Isaac asked.

"Nothing special myself. I was just talking with Hubert when we spotted you. By the way, I heard you spent the entire morning in the library. Is that true?" Edelgard asked.

"Yeah. I was trying to find some connection to Psynergy, but nothing was found there. Though I did read up on Fodlan's history…or the basics anyway." Isaac said.

"Such dedication. A pity you aren't leading the Black Eagles." Edelgard said.

"Hey, I did promise that I would still teach you Psynergy and I intend to keep my word after this mock battle is done with." Isaac said.

"And I am grateful for that." Edelgard admitted. "Still, don't expect things to be easy at the Mock Battle. Enjoy it while you can, but the Black Eagles will emerge victorious." Edelgard firmly declared as she walked away with Hubert following her.

"That girl is quite competitive." Isaac said once the two were out of sight.

"Uh, um…Excuse me? Did you say that you are teaching Psynergy?" A meek voice was heard behind the door Bernadetta closed.

"That's right. My name is Isaac. I teach the Golden Deer house, and I am well knowledge in Psynergy. If I may ask, what element did you obtain from those stones?" Isaac asked.

"Uh…I can make some wind appear…" Bernadetta said.

"So you're a Jupiter Adept. You mind coming outside though?" Isaac asked.

"Sorry but, I don't want to talk to strangers too much." Bernadetta said.

Isaac sighed. "Alright then. I guess I'll see you around then."

"Sorry..." Bernadetta muttered as Isaac walked away.

Isaac headed to the training halls. On the door, he saw a sign that said "No Psynergy!"

"Guess they don't want a repeat of whatever happened." Isaac said.

"Man. People are going to be holding that over my head forever." A voice groaned.

Isaac turned to see Caspar walking up to him.

"You were the one that caused it?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah, but it was an accident. I kind of did something that got Dorothea mad and she started chasing me." Caspar said red in the face. "After that, I panicked and shot some fireballs, and things just went crazy from there. I think Jeritza is mad at me as well."

"Jeritza?" Isaac asked.

"He's the one that runs the Training Halls as well as a combat instructor here at the Monastery." Caspar said. "He's out right now, but you'll probably run into him sooner or later."

"I see. Well, hopefully after some lessons, that incident won't happen again." Isaac said.

"I hope so too." Caspar muttered embarrassed.

"That would be nice, but that wasn't the only part of the problem." A female voice said. Isaac and Caspar turned to see Dorothea approach them.

"Oh uh, hi Dorothea." Caspar stuttered nervously.

"Caspar." Dorothea said simply as she turned to Isaac. "So, you are one of the new professors now?"

"Yep. I teach the Golden Deer." Isaac said.

"A shame we won't be in the same class, but hopefully I'll see you around." Dorothea said with a smile.

"Same here. By the way, you weren't too hurt from that incident, where you?" Isaac asked.

"Just some burns that thankfully healed with no issue." Dorothea assured as she showed Isaac her fully healed hands to where she was hit.

"That's good." Isaac sighed in relief.

"Well, I'll just be going now." Caspar said sneaking away.

"Hang on Caspar. I need your help with something." Dorothea said as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.

"Poor guy..." Isaac said as he headed inside the Training Halls.

"The Training halls was rather large. There were multiple rooms in the back that were a bit smaller, but they were all unoccupied at the moment. The walls though were filled with training weapons of multiple variety. Over to the side, Isaac saw Felix practicing with his sword. Though as soon as he spotted Isaac, he stopped and approached him.

"Here for some training?" Felix asked.

"Not at the moment, just walking around." Isaac said.

"I see." Felix said. "By the way. How strong are you?"

"How strong? Well, in a straight up sword fight, I have a good record against Byleth." Isaac said.

"Really? Interesting. I'm looking forward to the Mock Battle even more…and maybe your Psynergy class." Felix said.

"That's great. By the way. Dimitri said that you have the power to shoot fire correct?" Isaac asked.

"That's right. I have some ability over fire. I'd show you, but I can't at the moment." Felix said.

"Yeah, I saw the sign." Isaac chuckled. "But it's not a problem. I'll see it in Psynergy class once that gets set up after the Mock Battle."

"What is your power by the way? I heard it's similar to the Boar." Felix asked.

"Boar?" Isaac asked confused.

"Dimitri." Felix clarified.

"Why did you call him a boar?" Isaac asked.

"Hopefully you'll never find out. But back to the question." Felix said.

"Oh right. Yes, I am an Earth Adept like Dimitri." Isaac said.

"I see. Well then, I'll catch you around Professor Isaac. Between you and Professor Byleth, I'll definitely get a good challenge here." Felix said as he went back to training.

Isaac nodded and headed out of the Training Halls, though on his way out the door, he bumped into Dimitri.

"Oh, my apologies professor, I didn't see you there." Dimitri said.

"It's fine. What are you up to?" Isaac asked.

"I was looking for Professor Byleth. I was hoping she could join me to eat as I get to know her more." Dimitri said.

"Last I saw she was fishing." Isaac said.

"Fishing? Thank you Professor. By the way, I hope you are looking forward to the mock battle. Mark my words though, the Blue Lions will not go down so easily." Dimitri said with a smile.

"I'm sure of it." Isaac smiled back.

Dimitri nodded and headed off with Isaac leaving in a different direction.

There was one last place Isaac really wanted to visit. The Monastery itself.

The Monastery itself looked even bigger up close than it did yesterday where Isaac only was able to look at it from the other side of the bridge. The inside was beautiful. The area was multi colorful with multiple rows of pews. At the front was a massive window that shined the sunlight from outside down in front of the alter. In front of said alter was Marianne praying.

Isaac approached her but didn't say a word as he didn't want to interrupt her. After a moment, she lifted her head and turned around.

"Did you need something professor?" Marianne asked.

"Just looking around. Sorry I interrupted you." Isaac said.

"Oh, it's fine. I was just finishing up. I-I'll see you later." Marianne said as she quickly left.

"She was quite in a hurry to leave." Isaac said.

Flint then appeared on his shoulder.

"Yeah but still, look at this place. We have never seen a church this big in Weyard." Flint said.

"Yeah. The Sanctums to pray for the Wise One don't even compare in size to this place." Isaac said amazed.

Isaac wondered around the monastery until it was time for the meeting. When evening came, Isaac arrived at the Audience Chamber where Rhea, Seteth, Byleth, Hanneman, and Manuela where waiting.

"Ah, professor Isaac. I see that Claude found you. Where were you this morning?" Seteth asked sternly.

"Researching and studying in the library." Isaac said as he took his spot next to Byleth.

"Well I'm glad you are taking your new position seriously." Rhea smiled. "But now that you're here, it is time we discuss the Mock Battle."

"Here are the rules of the Mock Battle. All training weapons will be provided at the start. You are to make a list of what you will need tomorrow that I will collect at the end of the day. If any real weapons are found to be used, then the entire class will be disqualified. Magic spells are only allowed at a basic level of Fire, Miasma, heal, or Nosferatu. Nothing stronger. Combat will end should you fall off your feet. Once you do, you are out. The House Leader and the Professor can be knocked out, but the class will only lose if all their members are knocked out. The last class standing is the winner. Any questions?" Seteth asked.

"No, but I do have a request. I advise that no Psynergy is used for the Mock Battle." Hanneman said as the others looked a bit surprised at him. "Now, I am not saying this because I am the only professor that can't use Psynergy, but until these students have a better grasp on it, it may not be wise for them to use it in a combat scenario. Less we want someone to get seriously hurt."

"I can see your point Hanneman. We definitely don't want another incident like that one from the other day. At least with Reason and Faith magic, the students that use them were taught before coming here on the basics of control. With Psynergy on the other hand, everyone was self-taught with a mixed range of success. I feel it would probably be safe to forbid Psynergy until Professor Isaac has had an opportunity to teach the students better control." Manuela said.

"I guess I can't argue with that." Isaac admitted.

"That's fine." Byleth said.

"Don't worry kids. I'm sure you both can still give this old fossil a run for his money even without Psynergy." Manuela laughed as Hanneman glared at her.

"Very well. For the Mock Battle, there will be no Psynergy." Rhea said.

"Now that that is out of the way, let's move onto the training rooms." Seteth said getting to the next order of business. "Isaac and Byleth. You will be given a training room based on your house. The Black Eagles get training room A, the Blue Lions get training room B, and the Golden Deer get training room C. You will have full access to those rooms during the school year should you see the need to use them. However, if they are out of order, you will have to ether wait or negotiate with another Professor for the use of their training rooms. We also usually do cleaning and maintenance on Sundays during the evening, so the rooms will be unavailable during that time."

Isaac and Byleth nodded.

"Excellent. The Mock Battle is in a few days so get your class well prepared. I expect that you won't disappoint us." Seteth said and for some reason, Isaac felt it was directed more at him than the others.

"Understood." The three Professors said.

The Next day in the Golden Deer Classroom:

"What? We can't use Psynergy during the Mock Battle?!" Lysithea shouted rather upset.

"Sorry but that was a rule Hanneman and the Archbishop set out." Isaac said.

"Sounds to me like he didn't want a disadvantage." Claude chuckled.

"Maybe, but Lady Rhea declared it so there is nothing I can do about it. Plus, he and Manuela did make a good point. I may not have been there for this accident that Caspar did, but you are all rather new to using Psynergy. Unlike Fodlan Magic your control over Psynergy may not be as great and someone could get badly hurt if you're not careful." Isaac said.

"I totally have control over my Psynergy." Lysithea complained.

"I'm sure you do, but that's the rules I was given. You'll have to use Reason magic if you wish to use magic in the Mock Battle." Isaac said.

"Fine." Lysithea groaned in defeat.

"But for now, we are going to the training grounds to test your combat skills. Make sure you inform me of what weapons you want to use in the Mock Battle before the end of the day so I can give it to Seteth." Isaac said as he led the class out of the classroom.

Inside Training Room C:

"Alright so who wants to go first?" Isaac asked as he gripped a training sword in his hand.

"I will. I want to see how a fellow student of Captain Jeralt does against me." Leonie said.

"Alright then. Choose your weapon." Isaac said grabbing a training sword. Leonie nodded grabbing a lance.

"Begin." Isaac said.

Leonie charged forward with her lance as Isaac dodged to the side. He then swung his sword at the orange haired student, but Leonie managed to block the attack…sort of. The force still knocked Leonie back a bit. Leonie recovered and attacked again, but Isaac intercepted every blow.

"Why aren't you using your little Psynergy?" Leonie demanded a bit insulted that Isaac wasn't taking this seriously.

"Several reasons actually. But first…" Isaac gave one final swing of his sword and knocked the lance out of Leonie's hands winning the match. "There is no Psynergy allowed in this training room at the moment, and second, I wanted to show that I have more than just my Psynergy."

"Oh…" Leonie said seeing her professor's point.

"Anyway, you're pretty skilled. Keep practicing and you'll do great." Isaac said before turning to the rest of his class. "Who's next?"

Once training was done, Isaac was sitting at his desk in the Golden Deer classroom making two separate notes. One was the list of weapons his students would require, and the other was his thoughts of each of the students fighting.

Claude: Very skilled with a bow but is pretty poor at close range fighting. Might need him to consider training in a secondary weapon to help with that.

Hilda: I feel she has much more potential than she lets on. Need to do something about that laziness and fast.

Lorenz: Skilled but arrogant. He cockiness might cause trouble in the future to both himself and others.

Lysithea: Incredibly skilled with magic, but there was something off about her during training. Her face kind of indicates that she wasn't thrilled showing it off. Her earlier disappointment to not being able to use Psynergy might relate. Perhaps in Psynergy class I'll see more of her skills.

Ignatz: All around all right with a bow (Still better than me) but his lack of self-confidence will hold him back. Need to work on that.

Raphael: Reminds me a bit of Garet. He's incredibly strong, but he's too straight forward and reckless.

Marianne: Has worse self-esteem than Ignatz. Definitely going to have to work on that if she's going to improve. Seems she can use Faith magic pretty well at least making her a good medic. She also seems to know the basics of sword fighting, but doesn't seem to have much strength to back it up.

Leonie: A pretty good fighter, but still a novice. With some experience, she will definitely be a force to be reckon with.

Seteth entered the classroom and approached him.

"Do you have the list for the Mock Battle?" Seteth asked. Isaac just pointed to a piece of paper that was sitting on the side of the desk. "Thank you very much." With that, Seteth left the room.

Isaac leaned back in his chair as he pondered how the Mock Battle will go.

"I think these guys all have great skills, but how they will perform in battle is yet to be seen." Isaac said as he picked himself up and headed to his room. Tomorrow was a big day. Time to see for sure how well his students perform, and how well he will perform as a teacher.

Chapter Text

Several days had gone by and the day of the Mock Battle was now upon them. Isaac had awakened early that morning to look over a map that Seteth had given him on what would be the field for the Mock Battle. Claude had woken up early to join him. It was then that Isaac learned that Claude was a pretty good tactician, which increased Isaac's hopes of wining this battle.

"We seem to have lucked out here. We get the forest area on the left of the battleground. With the mountains on the right and the gates in the front, we have the best defense against the other houses." Claude said.

"True…But we shouldn't underestimate our opponents. Byleth can be quite competitive." Isaac said.

"So what is Byleth's strengths exactly? I know she's powerful. Daughter of the Blade Breaker and the Ashen Demon and all that." Claude asked.

"Her main weapon of choice is swords. In a straight up sword fight though, I'm stronger. However, she's also amazing at tactics. Definitely better than me. It's part of the reason people call her the Ashen Demon." Isaac said. "Though she did also mention on wanting to work on another weapon the other day, but never told me what she chose."

"Considering which house she chose to lead, I'm guessing the lance." Claude said.

"Not a bad guess, especially with it also being Captain Jeralt's weapon of chose." Isaac admitted. "So what do you know about Professor Hanneman?"

"From what I've heard, he a skilled strategist that is a master at Reason magic, with a bit of bow training." Claude said.

"Reason Magic...That's the main focus of the Black Eagles, right?" Isaac asked.

"Mostly, yes. The Blue Lions on the other hand focus a lot more on physical power in comparison." Claude explained before sighing. "It's a shame we can't use Psynergy in the Mock Battle. If so, we could have dominated them."

"Regardless if we would or wouldn't matters not. It was banned from the mock battle, so we'll just have to make due without it." Isaac said.

"Well then, we should probably get something to eat before we meet up with the rest of the class to explain our strategy." Claude suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Isaac said as the two headed out to the mess hall.

Claude and Isaac arrived at the mess hall as they awaited their turn to go up and get their breakfast. From all around, Isaac could see his students all scattered about. Hilda was chatting with Marianne in a rather one-sided conversation, Raphael was just chowing down a mountain's worth of food as Ignatz just watched. Leonie was nearby also chowing down. Lorenz and Lysithea were over in the corner eating in silence.

"Feeling nervous teach?" Claude asked.

"A little. I'm pretty new to this job and I still feel that Seteth doesn't like me." Isaac admitted.

"I don't think he likes me ether." Claude chuckled.

"Still, I am confident we can pull this off." Isaac said.

"Right. You're are commander in this, so don't screw up." Claude said and Isaac nodded. "And don't worry, I'll do whatever I can to help you out. I mean it's my obligation after all."

Isaac just laughed. "Thanks Claude."

"Like, let's say for example that I add a little something to their meals that upsets their stomachs…" Claude began.

"Claude!" Isaac chided. "Don't even think about doing something like that!"

Claude just laughed. "Yeah, yeah, wink! Wink! I get you. You can't exactly condone that sort of thing, right? But let's just say…Hypothetically, that some students would rush to the infirmary. As far as everyone knows, it was just a little stomach bug going around."

"Claude, even if I did let you pull that stunt, how would you stop Raphael from eating the posion?" Isaac asked as he looked at the table where Raphael was still chowing down on food without a care in the world. He noticed Isaac and Claude staring at him and waved happily before returning to stuffing his face.

"That's a good point." Claude admitted with a chuckle.

"Well, well. What an interesting conversation you two are having. Mind if we join in?" A female voice asked causing Claude to jump a bit. Turning around, the two saw Edelgard, Dimitri, and Byleth approaching them. Edelgard and Dimitri looked rather annoyed, while Byleth's face was still rather neutral. But her sharp gaze indicated that she didn't approve of what she heard Claude say.

"Claude! I can't believe that you would stoop to such crooked schemes to gain the advantage. Don't you have any honor?" Dimitri chided.

"If that was really my scheme, I wouldn't be saying it out in the open." Claude chuckled.

"Regardless, if any of my students gets a 'stomach bug,' then I will be coming after you Claude." Byleth warned firmly.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." Isaac assured getting between his friend and student.

"You guys are no fun. I was only kidding." Claude sighed.

"With you, it's hard to tell when you are kidding or not." Dimitri pointed out flatly.

"Well, instead of questioning me, don't you two have your own strategies to come up with?" Claude asked.

"Dimitri and I just finished going over our own strategies." Byleth said.

"My class is all set as well. But if I can offer you both any advice, it would be to just accept defeat. The Black Eagles will not be losing this battle. At best, prey that you learn something from this." Edelgard said firmly.

"Kind of egotistical, don't you think?" Sothis asked inside of Byleth's head.

Dimitri just chuckled. "There is nothing wrong with a friendly rivalry, but let us not get carried away here. A rash attitude can be your undoing."

"Hmm, perhaps your time would be best spent preparing, instead of worrying about the competition's mindset." Edelgard shot back.

"Hey, if they get all fired up with each other, maybe they can take each other out and we can secure the win." Claude whispered with a chuckle to Isaac who just chuckled in return.

"Nice try Claude, but it will take more than that to make me lose focus." Edelgard chided.

"Is that so? I'll remember that." Claude chuckled ominously.

Edelgard glared at him as she started to leave. "Your schemes won't help you here. Best prepare yourself for defeat."

"That girl has quite a lot of pride." Byleth said to Isaac.

"I guess royalty is a pretty tough life." Isaac commented. 

"Well regardless, I suppose we should be going. We have to meet with the rest of the Blue Lions soon to discuss battle plans. I hope you know Isaac that I won't lose this match. You'd better prepare yourself." Byleth said.

"I would expect no less from you." Isaac chuckled.

Byleth nodded as she and Dimitri headed out. Though she gave Claude one last glare as she passed him.

"Man, I get the feeling that she thinks I'm up to something." Claude commented.

Isaac just looked flatly at Claude causing him to chuckle awkwardly.

"Right, right. I deserved it. Now lets get something to eat teach. I'm starving." Claude said.

Isaac nodded and the two headed to get their food.

In the Golden Deer Classroom:

"Alright everyone, so this is the plan Claude and I came up with." Isaac said as he rolled out a map of the field where the Mock Battle would take place on, while his students gathered around.

"Wait a second…CLAUDE helped you come up with a plan?" Lorenz asked not at all pleased.

"He is your house leader Lorenz." Isaac pointed out but that did nothing to help Lorenz's mood.

"We were lucky to get a fortified area to start with. So Teach and I decided a defensive strategy would be the best way to go about the Mock Battle." Claude explained.

"We'll fortify ourselves in the forest area and remain on the defense. When a house goes to attack us, we can ambush them." Isaac said as he pointed to the map.

"What if they both houses attack us at once?" Ignatz asked.

"It's unlikely they would both decide to do that given the terrine they would have to fight us on. But if they did, we can hide ourselves in the forest and pick them off one by one while they fight each other. It is a battle royal between the three houses after all." Isaac said.

"That does sound solid." Lysithea admitted.

"I'm not a big fan of sneaking around." Lorenz admitted.

"Yeah. Captain Jeralt will be watching." Leonie added.

"Sneaking around isn't my style ether, but we don't have much of a choice. If we get caught in the crossfire between the Eagles and the Lions, then we're screwed." Isaac admitted.

"So, how are we dividing ourselves then?" Lysithea asked.

"Lorenz, Ignatz, Raphael, and Claude will be ready to intercept the Blue Lions, while Lysithea, Hilda, and Leonie will be ready for the Black Eagles by the hills. Marianne and I will be placed in the center, ready to help anyone who needs it." Isaac said.

"You want me in the front? Can't I just be with you and Marianne?" Hilda asked.

Isaac shook his head. "I chose you three because you all have good experience with both long and short ranged combat given your choices in weapons. Plus you'll have some hills for cover if the Black Eagles come at you. So you should be fine if you stay close by."

Hilda groaned but nodded.

"Lorenz and Raphael will be the front line to the Blue Lions. If they all charge at you, Claude and Ignatz will provide cover fire from behind the gates for your withdraw. So don't wonder off too far." Isaac said.

"If one of the classes charge straight at us, signal me and Marianne. If both charge at us, withdraw to us and we'll use this plan..." Isaac began as he pointed to the map and discussed another strategy he and Claude came up with.

Lorenz took a look at Claude and frowned as Isaac continued to talk.

Mock Battle Field:

The Golden Deer got into position like Isaac instructed as Jeralt, who was watching from a nearby hill along with Rhea, Seteth, Manuela, and two other women that Isaac hadn't met yet. One had more casual green clothing with short black hair and a neutral expression on her face, while the other was a blond woman dressed in armor with an excited look on her face.

'Guess that Alois guy is on a mission or something. Or maybe they needed one of them to wait back at the Monastery.' Isaac thought as he noticed the rather excited knight he met in Remire wasn't with the group.

"When the trumpet is blown, you will all begin. We have our eyes on you all so any funny business will be spotted and punished. Rules are simple. Weapons have been provided for you. Any use of actual weapons will be met with a harsh punishment. Magic is relegated to only basic spells and Psynergy is not allowed. When you fall down, you're out and must leave the field. If you leave the field for any reason when the fight starts, you are out. The last house standing will be the winner." Jeralt said.

"Now do keep in mind that this battle is merely a test to see all of our skills in action, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try." Hanneman said.

"Of course. We must obtain victory." Edelgard declared as the Black Eagles got into position.

"Is everybody ready?" Byleth asked her class.

"We are professor." Dimitri said.

"I can't wait to see if Professor Isaac really is strong." Felix said.

"Alright everyone. Let's win this one!" Isaac declared.

"Good luck out there Lorenz!" Claude chuckled as he readied his bow for backup.

Lorenz merely rolled his eyes as he gazed towards the Blue Lions.

The trumpet was blown and the battle began.

Isaac was in deep thought as he went over the possibilities for the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions.

'Okay then. If I know Byleth, she'll probably want to take out the Black Eagles first since they're more out in the open than us. Then she'll likely try to circle for a weak-spot in our defense and attack...That would mean...' Isaac's train of thoughts however were cut off by the shouting of his house leader.

"Lorenz! Where the hell are you going?" Claude shouted.

"I do not like the sound of that. Marianne, stay here in case the Black Eagles attack. I'll be right back." Isaac said. Marianne nodded slowly and Isaac ran off.

Isaac reached the gates, but to his shock, only Claude was there. Not only was Lorenz gone, but Raphael and Ignatz were as well.

"Claude? Where are the others?" Isaac asked worried.

Flashback to a few seconds ago:

"Lorenz! Where the hell are you going?" Claude shouted as Lorenz broke formation and started to dash forward to where the Blue Lions were.

"There will be no need for your shallow tactics Claude. I will take the Blue Lions head on. Come Raphael!" Lorenz declared as he ran forward towards the Blue Lions as Raphael followed.

"Sure, thing Lorenz! Come on Ignatz. Let's go knock some heads!" Raphael cheered.

"W-Wait Raph!" Ignatz shouted as he jumped over the fence and ran after the two Deer.

"Wait no! Raph, Ignatz!" Claude cried out but the three kept on running. Claude could only facepalm. "Make light of the new professor and they will get hurt."

Flashback ends:

"And that's what happened." Claude said. "Lorenz, in his infinite wisdom, decided to take the Blue Lions on himself with Raphael and Ignatz following him."

"Are you kidding me?" Isaac cried out in disbelief.

"I wish I was Teach." Claude sighed.

"Those idiots! They're rushing into the battle without even thinking. Just like…" Isaac trailed off.

Flashback at the Jupiter Lighthouse:

"Isaac, slow down!" Mia called out as the four continued their climb up the Jupiter Lighthouse at a rather quick pace.

"We have to hurry and catch up with Felix's group before they light the third beacon." Isaac said as he and the others of his group ran through the Jupiter Lighthouse.

"I know that! But remember, this is one of the Lighthouses. If it's anything like the previous two Lighthouses were, then there are monsters and traps waiting for us. Not to mention Alex could appear from anywhere. We need to approach with caution." Mia warned.

"I have to agree with Mia on this Isaac. We do understand the confusion that you and Garet are facing given the actions of your childhood friend as of late, but rushing in like this will only spell disaster." Ivan said worried.

"Ugh. I hate that Felix is one step ahead of us! Why is he even lighting those things anyway?" Garet complained.

"We'll get answers out of him when we see him." Isaac declared as they continued forward, until…

"WAHH!" Mia shouted as the floor underneath her opened, causing her to fall.

"MIA!" Garet shouted as he dove after her, only to hit his arm on the platform below, causing him to break it and fall off the platform. Mia was thankfully able to grab his good arm to prevent him from falling even further to his possible death.

"Hang on you guys, we'll help you in just a second." Isaac called out as he and Ivan looked down to their friends with worry.

"I'd be more worried about yourself than them." An unfamiliar voice called out.

Isaac and Ivan turned to see two warriors appear before them. A pink skinned woman holding a scythe in her hands and a green colored man with a rather big build approached the two.

Flashback Ends:

'That recklessness nearly cost me not only my own life, but Garet, Ivan, and Mia's as well.' Isaac thought bitterly. Thankfully, nether Garet, Ivan, nor Mia held any bitter or hatred for Isaac's carelessness, but Isaac himself was another story. In some ways, he was actually glad that Felix took over as leader while he just provided assistance.

"I'm going after them. You wait here." Isaac ordered as he hopped the gate.

"Are you sure? By yourself?" Claude asked.

"While I do hope to retrieve them before they get taken out, There's a very high chance Byleth's class has already beaten them. I won't be long and I need you here to provide cover fire in-case they pursue me." Isaac said.

Claude nodded as Isaac ran up to where the Blue Lions were waiting.

Sadly, as he figured, Lorenz, Ignatz, and Raphael were all knocked to the ground eliminating them from the battle. Isaac did notice that orange-haired girl, (Annette if he recalled correctly) was also on the ground. Seems that they managed to take her out before their little attack failed. Still, it wasn't much of a victory as now the Golden Deer was down by almost half of their class.

Byleth noticed Isaac and shook her head. "I hope this wasn't your strategy."

"It wasn't." Isaac sighed.

Before Byleth could say anything, Felix had charged at the young Adept, but Isaac blocked his sword with his own.

"Now for what I've been waiting for." Felix declared as he went on the offense against Isaac who blocked every attack.

'I have to get back before the others jump in and help.' Isaac thought. With a harder swing, Felix was knocked flat on his back, eliminating him. Isaac took this opportunity to flee back to his students before the others could catch him.

Ingrid and Dimitri were about to give chase but Byleth stopped them.

"Hold on. We should go together." Byleth said.

"That's a good point. I mean, if Professor Isaac was able to beat Felix that easily, then a bigger group would have a better chance of taking him down." Sylvain stated as Felix groaned getting up and leaving the battlefield in frustration with Annette and the three Golden Deer students.

"Not only that, but it would be in our best interest to claim the Golden Deer's spot as our own. We're already down two students at the start so we'll be at a disadvantage against the Black Eagles. Especially since we lost our main source of offensive magic. But with the Golden Deer now down by nearly half their class, it's a perfect time to strike." Byleth explained.

"Then we should probably hurry before the Black Eagles catch wind of this and decide the same thing." Ashe pointed out to which Byleth nodded.

"Very well then. We will follow your lead professor!" Dimitri declared.

Byleth nodded and the Blue Lions started to move out.

Isaac made it back to Claude and leapt over the gate.

"They were all knocked out?" Claude asked despite already knowing the answer.

"Yep. Come on. We better regroup with the others before Byleth gets here." Isaac urged. Claude nodded and the two ran back into the woods.

Claude and Isaac arrived to the spot Isaac originally stationed himself at. Lysithea, Marianne, and Hilda were there, but Leonie was not.

"Do I even want to know where Leonie is?" Isaac asked annoyed.

Lysithea sighed and spoke up. "After you ran towards the gates, Ferdinand decided to attack us. Leonie took him out, but got a rather big head as a result. She kept charging forward and didn't even realize Dorothea was charging a spell until it was too late. Just as she took out Caspar, Dorothea took her out. Hilda and I decided to withdraw after that."

"Great. That's half of our class gone." Isaac groaned as Claude headed towards the hills to take a peek at the enemies.

"Wait. So, are you saying that Lorenz, Raphael, and Ignatz are all gone?" Hilda asked shocked.

"Yeah. Lorenz launched a reckless attack against the Blue Lions and pulled Ignatz and Raphael into it. No doubt the Lions are on their way here as we speak." Isaac said.

"Uh Teach, more bad news. The Eagles are about to make a move as well." Claude said looking over the hills to where the Black Eagles were stationed.

"So, should we just throw in the towel now?" Hilda asked hopeful.

"We can't just give up without trying!" Lysithea stated annoyed.

"Well then what IS the plan?" Hilda asked as everyone turned to Isaac.

With the Black Eagles:

"Great. Why did those two have to charge forward like that?" Edelgard groaned annoyed. Fredinand's recklessness had cost them both himself and Caspar, taking out a fourth of the Black Eagle class.

"Well, it's not all lost. I just saw three members of the Golden Deer do a stupid move of their own." Hubert said approaching the house leader and professor.

"Really now?" Edelgard asked interested.

"Yes. Lorenz, Raphael, and Ignatz are all out." Hubert said.

"And with Leonie out now as well, that severally cripples the Golden Deer's offense." Hanneman said. "If we can take their area, we can still win this."

"The Blue Lions are making a move as we speak. If they claim the Golden Deer's area before us, we'll be at a major disadvantage. We'd best hurry." Hubert advised.

"Right. Black Eagles, let's go!" Hanneman commanded and the remaining Black Eagles headed towards the Golden Deer.

Isaac was thinking as best he could to salvage the situation.

"Claude! You Lysithea and I will prepare to guard against the Blue Lions. Hilda, you and Marianne prepare to guard against the Black Eagles. Use long range weapons to try and keep them at bay." Isaac said and everyone nodded.

Everyone got into position as the gates were destroyed by Dedue and the Blue Lions matched forward with Ingrid and Sylvain taking the lead.

Claude immediately got ready and shot a training arrow at Ingrid, taking her down.

Unfortunately, Ashe appeared out of nowhere and took out Lysithea before she could react with her own training arrows or magic.

"Where did he come from?" Claude asked surprised

"Byleth must have had him sneak around a different angle." Isaac guessed. He then ran up to Ashe and attacked him, taking him out of the fight.

While that was going on, Dimitri ran up to Claude, smacking the arrow away with his lance that was fired at him. Claude jumped back before Dimitri could hit him with his training lance.

"Psst. Hey prince. You have a thing for Edelgard right? Come on fess up! It will make you feel better." Claude said trying to distract Dimitri.

"Claude, please. This is hardly the time for idle banter. Your defenses are wide open" Dimitri scolded as he readied himself for a fight.

"Guess that didn't work. What a shame. I'll find a better way to rile him up next time." Claude said as he readied his bow again. Dedue was close behind Dimitri ready to assist his lord if needed.

Hilda tossed her weapon at Dorothea, taking her down. However, Hubert then lunched a surprise attack of his own against Hilda, knocking her out of the fight. When Hilda went down, so did any confidence that Marianne had to continue fighting.

Isaac took notice that the situation was hopeless as Byleth approached him with Sylvain and Mercedes behind her. It was questionable if Claude would be able to take out Dimitri by himself. Dimitri was already too close for Claude to rely on arrows so the Golden Deer house leader was stuck with just his sword. But given what Isaac heard about Dimitri's apparent insane strength, the chances of Claude winning were very low. Especially with Dedue approaching Claude and Dimitri's position so now it was going to be a two on one.

Then there was Marianne. The girl didn't have much confidence in herself to begin with, and now she was hopelessly outmatched by the Black Eagles who would definitely take her out quickly so she couldn't heal. As for Isaac himself, Byleth alone was already a challenge, but he couldn't beat her, the students, and Hanneman all at once by himself.

"Well Isaac? What's your plan?" Byleth asked as she readied her sword.

"Guess I have no choice." Isaac said as he reached into his pocket.

'What is he up too? Isaac wouldn't break the rules for a victory.' Byleth thought watching Isaac pull out a couple grey circular objects from his pocket.

"It's a good thing I never used these!" Isaac said as he tossed some towards her and Dimitri, and the rest towards the approaching Black Eagles.

Once the objects hit the ground, they exploded releasing smoke that covered the forest and blinding the other houses.

"What the heck is this?" Dimitri asked as he covered his face from the smoke.

"Some kind of smoke?" Edelgard asked doing the same.

"Claude, Marianne, retreat!" Isaac shouted.

Not needed to be told twice, the two remaining Deer fled the battlefield with their professor.

Once the smoke started to die out a bit, the Lions and Eagles were shocked to see the Golden Deer were now standing out of bounce.

"Uh…Isaac, Claude, and Marianne are all out of bounce. The Golden Deer is out." Jeralt called out surprised by Isaac's stunt.

"Um…Was that against the rules?" Manuela asked unsure.

"To be fair, we didn't make it a rule as we never knew about it. Not even I knew he was carrying something like that on him." Jeralt admitted.

"Well, he didn't use it as an attack, so I suppose I'll let it slide." Rhea muttered.

"But it seems our little Adept is a bit of a trickster. Like we needed another one." Seteth groaned.

"Still, that was a smart plan to withdraw from a losing fight. I'm curious on what those things he tossed were. Could be great for avoiding capture." A black-haired woman commented.

"Darn. I was hoping to see more of his supposed strength. What a letdown." A blond-haired woman in armor sighed in disappointment.

"Regardless, let us watch the rest of the battle for now. We can discuss the results later." Rhea said and everyone nodded.

Back on the sidelines, Isaac, Claude, and Marianne went over to join the rest of their class.

"What was that Professor? That wasn't Psynergy was it?" Lysithea asked curiously.

"No. They were just some smoke bombs I've had on me since before I arrived in Fodlan. I never really used them much though." Isaac said.

"Looks like teach is craftier than I thought." Claude smirked.

"Great. Two schemers." Lorenz groaned, but a glare from Isaac shut him up.

As much as Isaac wanted to chew the four idiots out for their recklessness, it could wait a bit. For now, he should watch the rest of the battle, study what the other two houses have up their sleeves, and cheer Byleth on.

'I am not looking forward to meeting with Lady Rhea and Seteth after this.' Isaac thought sadly. This was his chance to show what skills he had at this new teaching job, and now Isaac felt like he blew it.

Chapter Text

With the Golden Deer out of the picture, only the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions remained.

The smoke from Isaac's Smoke Bombs resulted in both classes being forced to evacuate the forest area and back to their original locations as they reevaluated their current status.

The Blue Lions had Byleth, Dimitri, Dedue, Mercedes, and Sylvain left.

The Black Eagles had Hanneman, Edelgard, Hubert, Petra, Bernadetta, and Linhardt.

Currently, the Black Eagles were in the lead.

'Let's see here. We have some solid physical offense and defense, but not much in terms of defense against magic. That makes Hubert extra dangerous.' Byleth thought.

"How shall we proceed Professor?" Dimitri asked.

"Well, the forest is still covered with some smoke from Isaac's little trick, so we don't have much of a choice but to charge forward." Byleth said.

"Is that wise? We are outnumbered." Mercedes asked concerned.

"Not by much. And if we group up, we should be able to win this." Byleth said.

"Okay. How do you want us to group up then? There is five of us so is it three and two, or is one of us by ourselves?" Sylvain asked.

"I want you and Dedue to team up and take out Bernadetta and Petra." Byleth said before turning to Dimitri. "Dimitri, can you handle Edelgard?"

"Of course professor." Dimitri nodded.

"Good. Then you team up with Mercedes then. I have a feeling Linhardt will be close to Edelgard, so this will even things up." Byleth said. The prince and healer nodded.

"So what about you?" Sylvain asked.

"I'll be fine on my own. I'll take out Hubert. I have experience taking on mages. Once you've finished with your selected targets, we'll deal with Hanneman. Any questions?" Byleth asked.

The students shook their heads.

"Good. Then let's get out there and win this fight!" Byleth declared.

The students nodded and charged forward against the Black Eagles.

As Dimitri made a beeline for Edelgard, he accidentally ran into Bernadetta who was unfortunately standing in his way. The poor girl freaked out at the oncoming charging prince that she lost her balance and fall to the ground removing her from the game. She immediately got up and ran off in fear and embarrassment.

"Sorry!" Dimitri stopped and called out to the terrified girl leaving the field. "Well, at least I saved Dedue and Sylvain some trouble."

"Uh Dimitri?" Mercedes pointed out as she stopped right beside Dimitri.

Dimitri looked to see Edelgard and Linhardt approach them.

"Dimitri. I believe this is the perfect time to settle which of us is the strongest." Edelgard declared as she readied her axe.

"Very well then. With you as my opponent, I will hold nothing back." Dimitri declared as he readied his lance.

Meanwhile, Byleth had just dodged a fire spell from Hubert and rushed towards him. Even if it wasn't Fodlan magic, training with Psynergy definitely had perks to her in giving her more training in dealing with long-ranged attacks. With a swing of her sword, Hubert was knocked off his feet, disqualifying him from the fight.

"Well. It seems that our new professor is quite skilled. Looks like I'll have to call it a day for now." Hubert grunted and exited the battlefield.

"Now that he's taken care of, my students should stand a better chance against the remaining Black Eagle students. Now for Hanneman." Byleth said to herself as she headed for the Black Eagles professor that was waiting in the back.

Petra had charged at Sylvain and started to attack him with her sword. Sylvain tried to use his lance to block it, but Petra was able to slip in more and more hits with each strike.

"My. To think I would meet with such a beauty on the battlefield." Sylvain smirked as tried desperately to keep up the defense.

"A fair warning. If you lose focus, it will be pain for you." Petra said as she continued to attack.

Sylvain managed to parley one of her attacks and knock her back. Readying his lance, Sylvain thrust it forward to end the fight, but Petra recovered too fast and slammed the hilt of her sword into Sylvain's gut causing him to collapse in pain.

"I apologies. But I will be claiming victory today." Petra said as she ran towards Dedue.

"Damn. That hurt." Sylvain grunted as he slowly picked himself up and exited the battlefield. Once he arrived with the rest of his defeated classmates, Ashe looked over him with concern.

"Are you okay Sylvain?" He asked.

"I'll live." Sylvain chuckled.

"That was foolish. You left yourself wide open back there." Felix scolded.

"Lasted longer than you." Sylvain chuckled.

Felix grunted.

Back with Dedue and Petra.

Petra unleashed a barrage of slashes against the Duscur giant, but Dedue was able to endure the hits pretty well thanks to his body build.

Dedue tried to attack with his training axe, but much like Sylvain, he wasn't having much luck.

'She's too fast for a direct attack. I'll have to try another means of hitting her.' Dedue thought.

As Petra readied her sword for another attack, Dedue instead of using his weapon, decided to charge with his body at the young princess from Brigid.

Caught off guard, Petra was immediately knocked down from the towering Duscur native.

"My apologies for that." Dedue said offering her a hand up.

"No. A win is a win. Victory is yours for now. But I will not be losing next time." Petra declared taking his hand.

"I will not ether." Dedue said with a small smile.

Petra nodded and left the battlefield, while Dedue headed towards his prince.

With Dimitri and Edelgard:

The two royals clashed weapons with each other as the two healers watched, waiting for the need to heal their House Leader.

"Those two sure are fighting intensely." Mercedes commented.

"Better them than me." Linhardt sighed.

Edelgard swung her axe at Dimitri who blocked it with his lance. Edelgard tried to push him back, but Dimitri pushed her back instead. Dimitri then tried to attack Edelgard by thrusting his training lance. Edelgard was able to dodge it, but did get gazed by the side causing her to stumble a bit from the force of the attack.

'It seems that what uncle said about the Bladdyd's strength was true. This means that if I keep trying to fight in pure strength, I'm going to lose. Guess I'd better try another strategy.' Edelgard thought as she jumped back.

Edelgard held up her hand. "Fire."

A fireball shot from her hand much to Dimitri's surprise. The fireball hit him dead center in his chest, but he was able to prevent himself from falling down. Mercedes got to work to heal.

"What's wrong Dimitri? You didn't forget that Psynergy isn't the only type of magic around here, did you?" Edelgard asked as she charged up another fireball.

"No, I was just surprised you decided to learn reason magic." Dimitri admitted.

"And that will be your mistake." Edelgard said shooting a fireball.

"Your highness!" Dedue shouted as he jumped in to block the fireball with his axe. It knocked him back, but he was still standing.

"Dedue!" Dimitri gasped.

"My apologies for the wait your highness. I was able to defeat Petra, but Sylvain was taken out." Dedue said.

"That's fine. That means when we defeat these two, all that's left is Professor Hanneman." Dimitri said.

"You talk as if you've already won." Edelgard said annoyed.

"Uh Edelgard? Maybe we should surrender? If Petra is out as well, then we are all that's left." Linhardt suggested.

Edelgard gritted her teeth. As much as she hated to admit it, these odds were not in her favor. Dimitri on his own she could potentially handle. But the combine force of him and Dedue wasn't looking as ideal. There was also Mercedes, but it seemed she was focusing on healing at the moment. Still, she had to take into account the possibility that she could jump in at any time. Meanwhile, all she had was Linhardt. She heard he had some training in wind magic, but even taking that into account, Edelgard wasn't liking her chances. Still, she was going to try. This was a perfect moment to see where her current level of strength was at. To see how close or how far she was to achieving her dream.

"Sorry Linhardt, but I refuse to surrender." Edelgard said determined.

Linhardt sighed and castes a heal spell on Edelgard like Mercedes did with Dedue. If Edelgard made up her mind, then there was no way that he was going to be able to change it.

Dimitri charged at Edelgard with his lance that Edelgard blocked with her axe. Jumping back, she prepared another fire spell but was suddenly attacked from the side by Dedue causing her to stumble. Linhardt tried to shoot a wind spell at the prince, but Mercedes countered with a fire spell. Seeing the Imperial princess's guard down, Dimitri attacked with a swing of the lance that knocked Edelgard to the ground.

Linhardt, seeing his chances, just sat on the ground with his hands in the air. "I give up."

"To think that the Black Eagles could lose her so readily." Edelgard grunted.

"That was a good fight Edelgard." Dimitri said before turning to his classmates. "We'd better hurry and check on the Professor."

The other two nodded and the three ran off.

Once they were gone, the two Black Eagle students got back up.

"Do you need some healing Edelgard?" Linhardt asked.

"Sure." Edelgard sighed as Linhardt got to work.

'I knew the odds weren't in my favor, but it does seem that I need more training before I'm ready. I regrettably accept this defeat for now, but when the Battle of the Eagle and Lions arrive, we will emerge victorious.' Edelgard thought. 'And I will be much closer to putting my dreams into fruition.'

With Byleth:

Byleth had dodged a fireball shot by Hanneman as she charged at the senior professor. With a slash of her training sword, Hanneman was taken down.

"My goodness. The leadership of someone with actual battle experience is…well, I'm as good as useless." Hanneman said as the remaining Blue Lions students caught up with Byleth.

"Professor! You've already won." Dimitri said surprised.

"And you did as well it seems." Byleth spoke.

"Ah yes, though I did need some extra help." Dimitri admitted.

"Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you need to rely on others if a task is too much for you alone" Byleth said and Dimitri nodded.

"And that's it. The winner of the Mock Battle is, the Blue Lions." Jeralt declared.

The Blue Lions cheered in their victory. Byleth gave a small smile at her victory as well. Jeralt was rather proud of his daughter and even Isaac clapped for his friend's victory.

Rhea then stepped forward.

"Many of you did very well here. Others still have much to learn. But in the end, I do look forward to seeing how much you all grow for the Battle of the Eagle and Lions during the Wyvern Moon." Rhea said causing some students to flinch at the "Much to learn" part.

Seteth stepped forward. "We will be leaving in about 10 minutes. Take this breather, but don't wander off too far."

All three classes regrouped with their professors in order to speak of their results in the mock battle. Though some students were NOT looking forward for their results.

"WHAT WERE YOU IDIOTS THINKING?!" Isaac shouted.

Lorenz, Leonie, Raphael, and Ignatz all winced as Isaac chewed them out for their recklessness.

"I'm sorry Professor. I got so caught up in the chance to finally showing the captain how much I've improved, that I only ended up embarrassing myself." Leonie admitted with her head held low in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry too professor. I shouldn't have run off with Raphael and Lorenz like that. I should have known better." Ignatz said ashamed.

"Yeah. Sorry professor. I wasn't thinking." Raphael said sadly.

"Running off like that without any kind of plan was just asking for trouble. Not only to yourself but to those around you as well!" Isaac scolded.

"Professor, I do apologies for my rash actions. But…" Lorenz began but was cut off.

"Do I even need to explain to you what would have happened if this were a real battle Lorenz?" Isaac asked.

Lorenz flinched at that.

"You would have been dead! Regardless if you are a leader or a follower, your actions will still affect the overall group. Not only did you rush off in a completely reckless and irresponsible fashion, but you also dragged some of your classmates into it as well. If this were real, you three would have been dead in an instant. Completely outnumbered and overwhelmed by the enemies and no means of receiving help from your allies because you left them behind like that." Isaac continued ignoring the guilt inside of him from what happened at the Jupiter Lighthouse. 

"Y-You're right Professor. I'm sorry." Lorenz sighed.

"The failing is on me as well. I am your professor after all. Honestly, it seems we have a lot of work to do if we are to stand any chance at this Battle of Eagle and Lions event. I'll admit that all of you possess a good variety of skills between each other. But without cooperation, none of that will matter. So aside from...wait a second. Is someone missing?" Isaac suddenly asked as he took count of his students.

Lorenz, Leonie, Ignatz, and Raphael were in front of him, and Lysithea, Hilda, and Marianne were over to the side…

"Where's Claude?" Isaac asked.

Everyone looked around, but the House Leader was nowhere to be seen.

"He was just next to me a moment ago." Hilda said.

"Great. Where is he? We'll be heading back soon." Lorenz said annoyed.

Isaac closed his eyes as his body lit up with Venus Psynergy much to everyone's surprise. After a moment, he opened his eyes as the light faded. "Follow me."

Everyone followed the young Venus Adept confused as Isaac headed to the woods area that was finally cleared of the smoke.

The group found Claude with his bow in his hands, panting with some small injuries on his body.

"Claude!" Hilda gasped.

"Claude, are you…" Isaac stopped as he and the others saw what Claude was fighting.

The opponent was a small purple creature two points on its head, some small wings, and two stubby feet. The creature had a darker purple belly in contrast to the lighter purple of the rest of its body.

"What is that thing?" Lysithea asked surprised.

"It's pretty cute." Hilda muttered with a smile on her face.

"I've never seen an animal like that before." Marianne said in awe.

"A-Are we sure that's an animal?" Ignatz asked worried. "It could be a monster!"

"Doesn't look all that dangerous." Leonie said.

"Claude! Why are you fighting a Djinn?" Isaac asked as the other seven turned to Isaac in surprise.

"A Djinn?" Lysithea asked but Isaac didn't respond.

"I saw something move near the forest when we regrouped and went to check it out. This guy then saw I was an Adept and challenged me." Claude explained.

"What do you mean it challenged you?" Lorenz asked.

"He means, we are in the middle of a fight coconut head! Now keep quite and let us finish!" The Djinn said annoyed much to the other students' shock.

C-Coconut head?!" Lorenz gasped rather offended.

"It can talk?" Raphael gasped.

"Claude, wait!" Isaac warned but then Flint appeared on his shoulder much to everyone's shock, except for Claude who was too focused on the Djinn he was facing.

"Another one? Professor what is that?" Lorenz asked shocked.

"Hang on Isaac. Take a closer look at that Djinn. It's looking rather exhausted itself. Claude may still win this." Flint said.

"I have to admit. You're not too bad." The Jupiter Djinn said panting a bit.

"You're pretty good yourself." Claude said panting.

"How about we end this in this next attack?" The Djinn asked.

"Fine by me." Claude said as he readied his bow.

Leonie and Raphael were about to join in, but Isaac stopped them.

"Let Claude finish this." Isaac said.

"What do you mean Professor, what is that thing?" Leonie asked.

"I'll explain later." Isaac said.

'Man, this thing is starting to wear me down. I'd better put everything I've got into this next attack.' Claude thought as he raised his hand.

"Whirlwind!" Claude called out as the Djinn was engulfed in a mini tornado. Isaac was rather surprised by how well Claude unleashed the attack. Claude grabbed his bow and aimed. "My moment has arrived!" He declared. The arrow was fired and hit the Djinn dead center. The Djinn then fell flat to the ground.

"Okay. I give up. You win." The Djinn groaned.

The Djinn then got up from the ground much to everyone minus Isaac's shock.

"How did it just get up after a hit like that?" Lysithea asked.

"Us Djinn are pretty tough that's why." The Jupiter Djinn chirped before turning to Claude. "Well, you beat me. You must be quite the Adept."

"Uh thanks." Claude said unsure.

"You know what, I think I'll stick with you." The Djinn said.

"Huh?" Claude and the rest of the Golden Deer asked surprised.

"Claude!" Isaac called out getting the house leader's attention. "Agree."

"Uh, if you say so teach." Claude said though unsure. He turned to the Djinn and nodded his head.

"Great! The name's Swift by the way. Now just put your hands in the air." The Djinn now named Swift said. Claude did what the Djinn asked as its body turned into a bunch of purple orbs that swirled around Claude before entering his body.

Claude looked at himself rather surprised.

"What's wrong Claude?" Hilda asked concerned.

"I can't fully explain it but, I feel great." Claude said surprised.

"That creature you befriended was a Djinn. For us Adepts, they can be our greatest allies. We sadly don't have the time right now to fully go over them, but for the short version, Djinn are creatures made out of pure Psynergy. If you befriend them, they can give your Psynergy an extra boast and help you unleash more and different power than you normally couldn't before." Isaac explained.

"Wait, seriously?" Claude gasped. The other Deer were just as shocked by this news. Especially Lysithea and Marianne.

"I have so many questions professor!" Lysithea stated.

"And I will answer them later. But right now, we are about to be heading back soon and we don't want to be left behind." Isaac said.

"Fine." Lysithea relented knowing Isaac was right.

"Anyway Claude, while I am pleased that you found a Djinn so fast, you shouldn't have wondered off on your own like that." Isaac scolded.

"Sorry Teach." Claude said a bit sheepishly.

"Marianne, can you patch Claude up real quick?" Isaac asked. Marianne nodded and castes a heal spell on Claude.

'I'm still surprised that Claude found a Djinn so fast. It doesn't look like one of the ones Ivan had. Not sure about Sheba though. Perhaps there are more Djinn than what we originally thought.' Isaac thought.

Later in the Audience Chamber:

The three professors stood before the Archbishop and Seteth as Jeralt, Manuela, and the other knights watched from the side. Byleth and Hanneman looked rather neutral, while Isaac was trying, and failing to hide his nervousness.

"The Mock Battle today has shown us all our strengths and what we will need to work on. Regardless of your placing, learn from the shortcomings of you and your students and guide them further before the Battle of the Eagle and Lions approach us." Rhea said as she turned to Byleth.

"It seems that Jeralt has taught you well. You lead your team admirably into battle and secured a win. Even taking on opponents that you felt your students would struggle against." Rhea praised.

Byleth nodded. "Yes. While powering through physical attacks were their strong points, enduring magic hits is something else. Thankfully I had enough practice dealing with that, but I'll definitely need to train that into the Blue Lions later."

"As I saw. I look forward to seeing how your student grow as the year goes on." Rhea smiled as she turned to Hanneman.

"It seems that some of your students are a bit out of control, but you did well fighting to the end." Rhea said.

"Yes. It seems that I especially will have to work on young Ferdinand. I was aware that he held a rivalry with Edelgard, but I didn't expect him to act so rash. I'll definitely work on that in the future." Hanneman said and Rhea nodded. She then turned to Isaac.

'Here we go.' Isaac thought worried.

"For your first battle here, and can't say that the results were pleasing. While you weren't the only one who had some out of control students, you lost nearly half your class rather quickly in the battle due to disobedience." Rhea said.

"I know." Isaac sighed.

"And then there are those smoke bombs of yours" Rhea added. "I will allow a pass on them this time, but I won't allow them for the Battle of the Eagle and Lions."

"Understood." Isaac nodded.

"Still, your actions at the end did show that you did show more concern for your students well-beings rather than a victory, and for that, I am glad." Rhea said with a smile.

"If anything, I feel we can trust you with the students safety than that last professor who fled back in Remire." Manuela added trying to cheer Isaac up.

"Well of course. Claude was placed in a position where his chance of victory being nearly nonexistent, and Marianne had no willpower left to continue the fight." Isaac said.

Rhea nodded. "But in the end, you won't always get the chance to flee like that in battle. Your students showed poor teamwork, and that lead to a swift defeat. I hope to see improvement that it doesn't happen again. Understood?"

"Understood." Isaac nodded.

Rhea nodded.

"Still, like we said before, this battle was only a preview to see the skills of the students and teachers. The real battle will be held during the Wyvern Moon. It is a rather momentous event and I do hope that you will not embarrass the Academy." Seteth said eyeing Isaac.

"That is all for now. Classes all start tomorrow. Use the rest of the day to prepare for classes and rest. Though before classes tomorrow, I wish for us to discuss Seminars so report here during breakfast. You will be allowed to eat earlier for this." Rhea said. The three nodded. "Very well. You are all dismissed."

With a nod, the three professors left the office.

With Byleth:

Isaac and Byleth spit off from each other as soon as they left the audience chamber. Isaac simply said he needed some time alone to think. In all honesty, Byleth wanted to check on his friend to see if he was okay, but in the end, she figured he'd probably want some time to himself.

"Professor!" Dimitri called out.

Byleth turned and saw her students run up to her.

"I was hoping you would join us in sharing a meal all together. It can serve as a celebration of our victory and a post battle analysis." Dimitri said.

"Share a meal?" Byleth asked.

"Yeah. You were our star player out there." Sylvain laughed.

"It was thanks to you that we won." Annette cheered.

"Yes. Compared to that boar that only knows frontal attacks, your tactics aren't half bad." Felix said.

"You call the prince out for knowing only frontal attacks, but who was it that charged at Professor Isaac and lost in a matter of seconds?" Ingrid asked as Felix grunted a bit embarrassed. "Also, you really need to stop picking fights with his highness."

"It's fine Ingrid. I agree that the professor's tactics were amazing, and I have a lot to learn." Dimitri said.

"Ether way, we should head to the mess hall. Today was exhausting. I'm so hungry that I can barely stand." Mercedes said.

"To be honest, so am I. We should head over there before all the food is gone." Ashe offered.

Byleth was silent pondering whether or not to join them for a moment.

"What are you waiting for? Say yes already!" Sothis spoke up annoyed from inside Byleth's head.

"Yeah, do it!" Claw added also in Byleth's head.

"Very well then. I'm in." Byleth said with a nod.

The Blue Lions looked rather happy as they headed to the mess hall with their new professor.

With Isaac:

Isaac sat at the deck of the fishing pond with a pole in his hands. His mind drifted back to the Mock Battle and how everything went wrong.

'I guess it was foolish of me to think things would go well. These guys are nothing like Garet, Ivan, and Mia.' Isaac thought before sighing. 'Then again, it probably isn't fair for me to compare them to my friends. Still, I can't believe that they did something like that. At least it was a Mock Battle so there weren't any massive consequences...not like when I made that stupid mistake.'

Isaac winced as he thought back to the incident at the Jupiter Lighthouse. Upon hearing that Felix and Sheba survived falling off the Venus Lighthouse, he began to hear more and more of what Felix has been up to. From saving an entire town from a giant serpent, to facing off with a gang of pirates, it all left Isaac and the others confused. Why was someone who was trying to end the world act like such a hero? And why would he leave him in the dark? Those questions plagued Isaac's mind as the group finally arrived at the third Lighthouse. But because of Isaac's desire to finally get some answers, he ended up accidentally leading his friends into a trap and nearly got them all killed. If it weren't for Felix stepping in, Isaac dread to think of what would have happened.

"Hey Teach!" Claude's voice called out snapping him out of his thoughts.

Isaac reeled in the fishing pole and turned to see the Golden Deer class approach him. Their faces mainly being of concern and regret.

"Hey Professor, we're sorry that we got you in trouble with the Archbishop." Leonie said sadly.

"I got a bit of a scolding, but I wasn't in any trouble." Isaac assured. That did give some relief of the four who acted on their own in the Mock Battle.

"Anyway teach, we were wondering if you wanted to grab a bite with us?" Claude asked.

Isaac nodded. "Sure. I'd love to."

"Great. Let's grab our meals and head to the classroom. I want to hear about these Djinn." Claude said.

"I want to learn about them as well." Lysithea said.

"M-Me too." Marianne said.

"Though I have no Psynergy, I would like to hear about them as well." Lorenz said and the others nodded.

Isaac chuckled. "I suppose so."

"Well come on then! We better get our food before there is none left!" Raphael cheered.

"The Mess Hall will have plenty of food for us. You on the other hand, that's a different story." Hilda laughed causing others to as well. Even Isaac.

"Very well then. Lead the way." Isaac said as the Golden Deer headed towards the Mess Hall. There were some banters here and there from some, but it was clear that there was some tension between the group if the Mock Battle was anything to go by.

'Even though they are different, me, Garet, Ivan, and Mia were able to work together well. I'll find a way to get these guys to do the same...Somehow.' Isaac thought.

Chapter Text

"What is this nonsense?! All I was told was that I had to kill as many noble pipsqueaks as possible. No one said anything about the knights of damn Seiros on our trail!" The bandit Kostas cried out.

"You have proven yourself worthless. Distracted by something so trivial." A figure in black and red robes with red feathers on their shoulders said in a bit of a distorted voice. Their face was covered by a red and white mask. "I had hoped you would complete the mission regardless of the setbacks, but now a child of the former captain is at play. How interesting."

"HEY! This isn't what I agreed to!" Kostas cried out but what ignored.

"Hiring two mercenaries as professors. What was that woman thinking? I can get one of them teaching Psynergy, but also a professor to a house? And what does Rhea know about Psynergy?" The masked figure asked themselves completely ignoring Kostas's complaints.

"Are you even listening to me? How do we finish this?" Kostas asked.

"You die." The figure said simply with no emotion.

"W-What?!" Kostas asked shocked and outraged.

"Underestimating the knights is a costly mistake. One that you will pay dearly for. The road of eternal torment awaits you all. Now I must look for your replacements." The figure said as they vanished.

"WAIT!" Kostas cried out. "YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US HERE?! DAMN YOU!"

Audience Chamber:

It was a bright and early morning as both Isaac and Byleth were called to the Audience Chamber by Rhea. Upon their arrival, the two new professors spotted the archbishop along with her advisor waiting for them along with Professor Hanneman and former Professor Manuela.

"Isaac, Byleth. I'm glad that you could join us." Rhea said smiling softly.

"You need us for something?" Byleth asked.

"Well, we were hoping to let you meet the other members of the faculty, but it seems that might not be possible at the moment." Manuela sighed.

"Unfortunately, with some of the recent events, everyone has been rather busy with other tasks. But we hope for you two to meet and interact with your coworkers soon." Hanneman said.

"But for now, we have other matters to discuss." Seteth said immediately getting things on track. He then took out a sheet of paper and gave it to Isaac and Byleth.

The two looked at the sheet of paper handed to them. On it was a list of names along with skills listed next to them.

Rhea: Sword training, Brawling, Magic lessons.

Seteth: Lance training, Axe training, Arial riding lessons, Battalion strategies.

Alois: Axe training, Brawling, Heavy Armor practice.

Catherine: Sword training, Brawling.

Shamir: Archery, Lance training.

Hanneman: Archery, Reason magic lessons, Horseback riding lessons.

Manuela: Sword training, Faith magic lessons, Aerial Riding lessons.

Jeritza: Any armed weapon training.

Gilbert: Axe training, Lance training, Heavy Armor practice.

Jeralt: Swords, Lances, Horseback riding lessons, Battalion strategies.

"What's all this?" Isaac asked.

"This would be the Seminars you asked me about before. Now that the Mock Battle is done, we need to see what our staff can do to further assist the student’s growth." Seteth explained.

"Seminars can be held whenever you have time to do so outside of classes. You can chose to hold a special class, or have a one on one session with a student that seeks you out for extra lessons." Rhea said.

"Every student has their interests in what they want to learn, and may one day find a fighting style that works wonders for them. However, we can't expect one person to be a master of every means of fighting out there. So these seminars are used to help students continue their training to what suits them best and not be limited by what their professor is capable of." Manuela explained.

"Also keep in mind that this apples to the both of you as well. If there is something that you wish to improve on, you can join a Seminar class as well." Hanneman added.

"Now with you two joining the roaster, we request that you write down what skills you two are comfortable enough to teach students who require assistance." Seteth requested as he pointed to his office off to the corner.

The two walked over to Seteth's office that contained a large desk with a quill for writing on it. Byleth immediately wrote down her best skills to teach, while Isaac thought about his for a moment.

'What do I have to offer based on what's here?' Isaac thought as he looked at all the different training Garreg Mach offers. ''Swords and axes are an obvious choice. Swords are my most preferred weapon, and I know quite a bit on axe fighting. But is there anything else? Well, there is that.' Isaac wrote down his choices and then went back to give the paper to Seteth.

Byleth: Sword training, Brawling, Battalion strategies.

Isaac: Sword training, Axe training, Psynergy lessons.

"Excellent. I will have copies of this made by this afternoon for you to distribute to your students." Seteth said.

"I'm not too fond of the fact that Isaac is the only one who can teach Psynergy. We have quite a number of students that can use, and Isaac is only one man." Manuela said a bit worried. While teaching them all the basics in a class is one thing, if those students ever needed extra lessons, then Isaac was the only one they can go to for extra help. Top that off with his other duties expected of a professor, Manuela was worried if Isaac was putting too much on his plate.

"Sadly, I'm not comfortable enough with my water Psynergy to offer lessons yet." Byleth admitted. While Isaac did teach her the basics, and Byleth picked up on it pretty fast, there was only so much she could learn from him due to his own limited access and knowledge to Mercury Psynergy. Not to mention her new Djinn friend she made a few days ago.

"It is sadly to be expected. This is the first year since those crystals fell that Psynergy became a part of our curriculum." Hanneman said sadly. He also wasn't keen on putting it all on one boy.

"If my friends were here, they could probably help." Isaac said.

"Ah yes. You said you came with others to Fodlan." Manuela mused. "You know, Shamir is pretty good at tracking people down. Maybe you can ask her for assistance?"

"Shamir?" Isaac asked confused.

"One of our knights, and the one I mentioned before that was exposed to Psynergy." Rhea answered.

"Don't forget that my father offered to keep an eye out for them." Byleth offered.

Isaac nodded as he turned to Rhea. "Do you know where Shamir is now?"

"I sent her out on a errand an hour ago, but she should be back this afternoon. She also has the perfect spot for your Psynergy classes to be taught." Rhea said.

Isaac nodded before noticing what Rhea had just said. "Wait. If you have a location set then…"

Rhea nodded. "Your classes will be held on Friday afternoons. It's the best place we can add a new class at the moment."

Isaac nodded.

"Now onto your missions for this month." Rhea said.

"Missions?" Isaac and Byleth asked in union.

"Those affiliated with Garreg Mach have a moral obligation to help those in need regardless of social standings. Students are no exception. Each month before the newly birth moon departs, each house of students will receive a mission they must complete their mission. You will work hand and hand with your students to complete the mission assigned to you and report back to the archbishop before the deadline. Understood?" Seteth asked. The two nodded.

"Very well then. Here are the missions you are to complete." Rhea said as she turned to Hanneman. "For the Black Eagles, they will be tasked with providing back up to guarding one of our forts to the west. There have been some recent sightings of Pysnergy-based monsters lately, and while we are confident that our current guards stationed there will be more than enough, it wouldn't hurt to have a pair of extra hands. Not to mention that it would be a fine opportunity for the Black Eagle students to gain some experience facing enemies like that." Rhea explained.

Hanneman nodded. "I will take care of it. This might be a good opportunity for me as well."

Rhea nodded and then turned to Byleth. "For the Blue Lions, I want you to take care of some bandits that have taken refuge in the Zanato."

"Bandits?" Byleth asked a bit surprised. Her first mission was to fight some bandits?

Rhea nodded. "We believe they may be the same bandits you fought back in Remire. They have made a base in Zanato the Red Canyon located not too far from here. The students have been learning combat through practical experience but this will be a fine opportunity for some real experience. And based on your actions from the Mock Battle, we are confident that the Blue Lions can handle it." Rhea said.

Byleth nodded, still a little unsure. For her, fighting bandits was nothing. She's been doing it for years. But for her students, based on how they fought, Byleth could tell that while some had some experience fighting, others did not. Well, now she knew what she was going to work on until then.

Rhea then turned to Isaac. "For the Golden Deer, I want you to take care of a different group of bandits located somewhere around the Daphnel territory."

Isaac looked more shocked than Byleth.

"Are you sure this is wise? After that Mock Battle, I don't know if my students are ready for a real battle so quickly." Isaac asked.

"While I do agree with you on that, they will be playing support to a group of knights we will be dispatching to deal with the bandits. More so than the Blue Lions. In all honesty, your powers are what we really need for this." Seteth sighed.

"My powers?" Isaac asked.

"The bandits we want you to deal with have been causing trouble in Daphnel territory for a few years now. Both House Gloucester and House Daphnel have sent troops to deal with them, but somehow the bandits keep evading their troops. The Alliance has requested aid from the church to assist in the hunt, but our knights are yielding the same results. We wish for you to go and assist them in finding these bandits and taking them out." Rhea explained.

Isaac calmed down a bit. Back up? Yeah, he believed his class could handle that better. Still, there was concern to be found there.

"Very well. We will notify you when more information is available. Your departure will occur on the final week of this moon. Use that time until then to train and prepare." Seteth ordered.

The three nodded and were dismissed.

Byleth and Isaac split up from each other and headed to their classrooms.

"Bandits they say?" Sothis's voice immediately popped up causing Byleth to jump. "I do hope that you won't make the same mistake you made back in Remire."

"What? Who's there?" Byleth demanded as she gripped her sword's hilt on guard.

"Has my voice shocked you?" Sothis laughed. "Don't forget that you and I are one now. You should learn to not be so shocked from my voice."

"Uh...right. Sorry." Byleth muttered as she released her sword and relaxed.

"One more thing. You don't need to speak out-loud when you speak to me. Thinking the words will work as well. It would not bode well for others to see you talking to yourself." Sothis advised.

'Right.' Byleth said in her mind this time.

"Good. Now you should hurry. It would not look well for a professor to be late on the first day." Sothis teased.

"Yeah Byleth! You should get going!" Claw suddenly chirped from within her head.

"GET OUT OF HERE!!!" Sothis shouted as Byleth heard a kick in her head.

Isaac arrived at the Golden Deer classroom just as class was about to start. Once everyone was in their seats, Isaac wasted no time getting to work.

"Alright class, before we begin, let me tell you all our mission for this month." Isaac said getting everyone's full attention. "Our class has been tasked with assisting the knights in routing some bandits that have been causing problems in Daphnel territory."

The class's reaction was once again mixed, but there was more worry and concern as opposed to excitement like before the Mock Battle.

"B-Bandits? Are you sure we're up to the task?" Ignatz asked nervously.

"We will have the knights with us. Our mission is to simply provide support." Isaac said which calmed the class down a small bit.

"Beg your pardon professor, but you said bandits located in Daphnel territory?" Lorenz asked rather curious.

"That's right…Oh! That's right! Lady Rhea said your house sent troops to find them." Isaac said once he remembered Lorenz's family name.

Lorenz nodded. "That is correct. My father had sent knights out to assist House Daphnel in finding those fiends, but sadly the search was a failure."

"W-Were they killed?" Marianne asked nervously.

Lorenz shook his head. "There was never a battle to start with. No matter how hard they looked, they couldn't find the bandits base. It's like they vanished. They would disappear for a few days, and then they would be back to their thieving antics once the coast was clear." Lorenz growled.

"Sound like we have some pretty crafty bandits here." Claude chuckled before eyeing the professor. "I'm guessing Rhea wants you to use that Psynergy power of yours I saw back in Remire to try and locate them, am I right?"

Isaac nodded. Before turning back to Lorenz. "I don't suppose you have any information on them, do you Lorenz?"

Lorenz shook his head. "Sadly, all I told you is all I know."

"I see." Isaac muttered as he turned his attention back to the entire class. "I don't think I need to repeat myself when I say that we can't afford a repeat of what happened at the Mock Battle. While we are tasked with just being backup to the knights, the battlefield is always unpredictable, no matter how prepared you go in. So we are still going to need to prepare for combat. So, we will be also focusing on some team building exercises in preparation to the upcoming mission. Any questions?"

The class was silent.

"Alright then. Now onto the next announcement that I know some of you were waiting for. Psynergy lessons." Isaac said as Claude, Lysithea and even Marianne perked up at that. "Lessons will begin on Friday after regular classes are over. Lady Rhea has prepared an area for us to have class. Once regular classes are over, the three of you will report to the gates. Understood?"

The three new Adepts nodded.

"Very good. Now then, please take out your text books and open to page 5." Isaac instructed. The class did and lessons began.

Blue Lions Classroom:

"So, we are dealing with those bandits from Remire again, are we?" Dimitri asked.

Byleth nodded. "Remire isn't that far from the Ogma mountains, and according to Alois's report, that was the direction that those bandits fled to."

"Fighting bandits already? Isn't that a bit too excessive?" Sylvain asked a bit concerned.

"Part of the reason the officer's academy was established was to train us for battle." Felix pointed out.

"Well yeah but…" Annette said also worried.

"I've fought those bandits before. Their only advantage last time was that they took us by surprise with a large number. Once the Professor, Professor Isaac, and Captain Jeralt joined in, the bandits weren't that big of a problem." Dimitri pointed out.

"While it is true that they alone weren't so tough, do remember that letting your guard down even once can and will be fatal. Bandits won't fight fair and will use any means to survive. You must keep your guard up at all times." Byleth warned and the class nodded. "And speaking of fights, I'd like to go more over your fights in the Mock Battle."

Byleth turned to Annette first. The first Blue Lions student to be taken out. "While I understand that you were taken by surprise by the Golden Deer's reckless charge, do remember that anything can happen on the battlefield and a fight won't always play fair."

Annette nodded a bit ashamed. Mercedes gave her friend a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Byleth then went to Felix. "You were rather careless to charge in by yourself. I understand you love a good challenge; and trust me, I get that; but do try to keep it under control next time."

Felix grunted but nodded none the less.

Byleth then went to Sylvain. "Never let your guard down. As I said earlier, it just takes one opening to end it all."

Sylvain rather sheepishly chuckled.

"As for the rest of you, I have more to say, but that will be said during training. I now have a good idea where your skills are at. And while not bad, there will definitely need to be some work down between now and the battle of the Eagle and Lions." Byleth said.

The class nodded.

"Now one last announcement before we begin. To Dimitri, Dedue, and Felix. Psynergy classes will be held on Friday after our regular classes. Once we finish up, you three will follow me to the gates where Lady Rhea has prepared a location for Isaac's class to take place." Byleth instructed.

The three nodded.

"Good. Now then, let us open our text books and get started." Byleth said as class started.

The day went on rather smoothly for Isaac and Byleth. Soon enough, lunch time came and Isaac dismissed his students for lunch. He himself however, stayed behind as he tried to think of a way to prepare his students for their first mission.He was so lost in thought that he failed to here someone enter his class room and walk right up to his desk.

"How was class today?" A female voice asked snapping Isaac out of his thoughts. Isaac looked up in surprise to see the Archbishop herself was standing in front of him.

"Lady Rhea." Isaac gasped in mild surprise.

"Lost in thought, were we?" Rhea asked with a slight chuckle.

"Er, sorry." Isaac muttered sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It is fine. Is there something wrong? Was class not going well?" Rhea asked.

"No, class went fine. I'm just nervous about my class's first mission. With how poorly my class cooperated with each other, I fear I may be returning back from that mission with body bags rather than students." Isaac admitted.

Rhea nodded. "The Golden Deer is a class that mixes nobles and commoners most than the other two houses. As such, there is less familiarity within them. But this isn't the first year a class has been rather divided, just ask Hanneman and Manuela for stories on that. Still, if you want some team building, why not check this out."

Rhea then handed Isaac a sheet of paper.

"Community Service teams?" Isaac asked reading the paper.

"Each week, the professors are to group pair their students into groups of two and send them to assist in some choirs around the Monastery. The points to this is to help the students understand discipline, as well as enforce that commoners and nobility will have the same treatment here in Garreg Mach." Rhea explained. "But since students are divided in pairs, perhaps this could give your students more time to connect with each other."

Flint then appeared on Isaac's shoulder. "Huh. I can't believe we missed that."

Rhea blinked at the sudden appearance of Flint. "Oh my. Who is this?"

"This is Flint. My djinn, my partner, and my friend." Isaac said.

Rhea smiled. "Well, it is nice to meet you Flint." Rhea turned back to Isaac. "I understand that this new position may be quite a sudden change for you, but have confidence in yourself and your students. I have faith that your mission will go off well."

"Oh…thank you." Isaac said rather surprised.

"Well, I must go now. It was a pleasure talking to you Isaac. If you do not mind, I would like for us to speak again some time." Rhea smiled.

"Uh, sure." Isaac said a bit unsure.

"If you ever need anything, you know where to find me." Rhea said as she turned and left the room.

Isaac was silent for a moment before speaking. "You know, now that I think of it, how did Lady Rhea know that I can sense people with my Psynergy? I never said anything about it to her."

"Do you think someone told her?" Flint asked.

"There wasn't that many people that saw me do it. Only Claude, Edelgard, and Dimitri saw me do it. I suppose one of them could have mentioned it." Isaac admitted.

"Or she may have saw it after the Mock Battle when you were looking for Claude. Or one of the students mentioned it." Flint pointed out.

"Yeah, that's a good point." Isaac admitted.

"But onto other matters, how do you intend to divide your students?" Flint asked.

"I'm not sure." Isaac admitted. "Any suggestions?"

"Maybe it would be best to do it at random for the moment. Aside from maybe Lorenz and Claude, we know little of how they interact with each other." Flint suggested.

"Not a bad idea." Isaac said as he started to randomly pair up students.

"Well, why don't we get some food now? If we don't hurry, it'll be all gone!" Flint said.

Isaac chuckled but nodded. He packed his things up and left the classroom with Flint.

Mess Hall:

The Golden Deer were currently sitting together at a table eating their lunch as Claude brought out Swift who was sitting in the middle of the table munching on a mango.

"I remember you telling me that you don't need food, yet you sure know how to pack it down." Claude commented with a chuckle.

"We may not need it as much as you humans do, but that doesn't mean it isn't good." Swift said in between bites.

"Can you please not talk with your mouth full? I swear you have worse table manners than Claude." Lorenz sighed.

"Ouch. You wound me Lorenz." Claude joked in a mock hurt voice.

"Uh guys? Is it a good idea to have Swift here on the table in public? It's attracting…attention." Ignatz asked. The rest of the Golden Deer looked around and sure enough, everyone in the mess hall, including the staff was staring at them.

Soon, a pair of knights approached the table.

"Look kids. I know we have a bunch of animals all over the Monastery, but we do make it a rule that animals aren't allowed on the table." One knight spoke.

"HEY! Who are you calling a pet? I'm a Djinn!" Swift shouted a bit offended.

"A what?" One of the knights asked rather surprised that it spoke.

"A djinn! We are partners to Adepts." Swift spoke.

"Adepts? Great. More Psynergy crap." A knight spat.

"Hey come on now. Let's be nice here." Claude spoke up.

"Oh my. What a little cutie." A voice said. Everyone saw Flayn approach the table.

"Oh, hello Flayn. What are you doing here?" Hilda asked.

"I was curious to the creature you have here." Flayn answered.

"It's a Djinn. Professor Isaac said they were allies to Adepts. He even has one himself." Claude said.

"Partners to Adepts you say? Dose that means I could befriend one as well?" Flayn asked rather excited.

"I guess so." Claude shrugged.

"Oh, how wonderful! I hope I can find one soon." Flayn cheered.

"You're not the only one." Lysithea muttered with some envy in her voice. Marianne didn't speak, but the look on her face could tell one that she felt the same.

The two knights went silent at Flayn's arrival. They all knew she was an Adept, and they all knew who here brother was. Regardless of how they felt on Psynergy, none of them had the guts to offend Flayn, less they deal with her overprotective brother.

"We have our eyes on you, creature." One of the knights spat at Swift as the two left the table.

"Well, that was rather rude." Leonie spat at the knight's attitude.

"It's not a surprise. The concept of Psynergy is a mixed topic among Fodlan. While some have started finding new ways to use it for greater needs, others aren't thrilled of the dangers it also brought." Lorenz said.

"That's true. My parents and brother haven't spoken the most fondly of it. These new monsters that appeared from Psynergy has made business more difficult." Ignatz said.

"I don't really have any issue with it. Those monsters were great for training." Leonie said.

"Same here." Raphael agreed.

"I don't ether. I mean, the Alliance in general is more positive on Psynergy, if mainly for my brother..." Hilda began, but was interrupted by Claude.

"Hey teach, over here!" Claude suddenly waved. The class turned to see Isaac approaching with a plate of food.

"Hello everyone." Isaac greeted as Claude patted the seat next to him for Isaac to sit. "Hello Swift, and hello Flayn."

Swift chirped but continued to eat the mango.

"Hello Professor. I was wondering…could I see the Djinn you befriended?" Flayn asked.

"I don't see why not. Besides, Flint wants a bite too." Isaac said as Flint appeared on the table and took an apple off of Isaac's plate.

"Oh my, he's adorable." Flayn gushed.

"Thanks!" Flint chirped.

"But he dose look different from Claude's Djinn." Flayn said looking at both Flint and Swift.

"Claude's Djinn is a Jupiter Djinn, while mine is a Venus Djinn." Isaac said.

"I remember when you were telling us about Djinn after the Mock Battle, that there are a different type of Djinn for each type of Adepts." Lysithea pointed out.

"That's right. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. There's a Djinn for each element." Isaac said. "That will definitely be something we'll go over on Friday."

"Oh, speaking of class, I was actually successful in convincing my brother to let me attend your Psynergy class." Flayn spoke up.

"Really? That's great." Isaac smiled.

"How did you get him to agree to that? Seteth looks like quite the overprotective type. Trust me. I would know." Hilda asked.

"It wasn't easy but, I eventually wore him down. My constant attempts to learn Psynergy by myself may have helped convince him to let me learn from a master, rather than try by myself and possibly get hurt. However, in order for his agreement, he will be watching your Psynergy classes himself. My apologies." Flayn said with a bow at the end.

"Oh no, it's fine." Isaac said with a small smile. 'Great. Now I'm going to be watched and judged by the guy I know hates my guts.'

"Well, I shall let you get back to your meals. I will see you on Friday." Flayn said with a smile.

"Bye Flayn." Isaac and the class waved.

As this was going on, the other two houses watched the scene play out with mixed expressions.

"So, these Djinn are supposed to be an Adept's greatest ally? They don't look like much." Felix snorted.

"I think they look adorable." Annette said and Mercedes nodded in agreement.

"I would like to see one myself to be honest." Ashe admitted.

"I can help with that." Byleth said as Claw appeared on the table much to the Blue Lions shock.

"Professor. When did you find a Djinn?" Dimitri gasped.

"I fished it out of the pond a few days ago." Byleth said.

"Hey there. Names Claw. Nice to meet you all." Claw said.

"Aww! It's so cute!" Annette squealed.

"It looks rather different from the two the Golden Deer have." Ingrid noticed.

"Isaac said this was a Mercury Djinn." Byleth said.

"Mercury. That is the power you possess professor?" Dedue asked and Byleth nodded.

"Still, I wonder where Claude got his?" Dimitri asked.

"We could go ask him." Sylvain pointed out.

"Knowing Claude, he'll likely boast about it to try and get a rise out of us." Dimitri sighed. "Though now I'm tempted to find a Djinn myself."

Meanwhile with the Black Eagles:

"Hey Eddie. You'll show us yours when you find one, won't you?" Dorothea asked.

"Huh? Oh yes. Of course." Edelgard said only half paying attention.

"You okay Edelgard? It's not like you to space out." Ferdinand asked.

"I'm fine Ferdinand." Edelgard assured. "I'm just a bit surprised at these Djinn creatures.

"I know! And now we're behind! The Golden Deer have two and the Blue Lions have one! We don't have any. Unless Bernadetta has one in secret." Caspar stated.

"Huh? No, I don't have one." Bernadetta said. She was originally planning on taking her food back to her room to eat like normal, but when Claude brought Swift out, she got curious and against her better judgement, sat in the mess hall with her classmates.

"Then it's settled! We need to find us some Djinn!" Caspar declared.

"And where would we look for them?" Ferdinand asked.

"For once, I have to agree with Ferdinand. We know little to nothing about Djinn to even start looking." Hubert added.

"Ferdinand and Hubert are right, but I do agree with you as well Caspar. I think the best idea would be to wait for Professor Isaac's Psynergy class on Friday and gain more information on them. He did just say he would talk about them." Edelgard said.

"Say Caspar, if you find a Djinn, you'll let me study it, right?" Linhardt asked his childhood friend.

"Of course, buddy!" Caspar smiled.

"I will do what I can to assist. I am sadly no Adept, but I can help look." Petra offered.

"I will of course offer any assistance you ask of me Lady Edelgard." Hubert said.

"Thank you, Petra, Hubert. Your assistance's would be much helpful." Edelgard smiled.

After lunch, Isaac separated from his students and went looking for Shamir with Flint on his shoulder like normal.

"If you're looking for Shamir, trying asking Cyril. He's usually hanging around her." Claude's voice rang out as Isaac recalled what Claude said to him as they parted ways from the mess hall.

"So, where's Cyril?" Isaac asked.

"Is that him over there?" Flint asked pointing in a direction. Isaac turned to the direction Flint was pointing and sure enough, Cyril was talking to an older woman with short black hair.

"Hey Cyril!" Isaac called out getting the two's attention as he approached them. "I was wondering if you can point me to the direction of a woman named Shamir."

"You're looking at her." The black-haired woman said.

Isaac blinked. "You're Shamir?" The woman nodded. "Oh, I'm sorry. Nice to meet you. My name is…"

"Isaac. New professor to the Golden Deer and new educator on Psynergy." Shamir said.

"Oh, you already know of me?" Isaac asked.

"I am one of those who will be learning from you on Psynergy. Plus, I saw your mock battle." Shamir said.

"Oh…You saw that huh?" Isaac muttered a bit embarrassed.

"Definitely not a great moment, but that's for another time. I suspect you're here to ask me to show you where your Psynergy class will be." Shamir guessed.

"Yes, if it isn't too much trouble." Isaac said.

"That's fine. I was just wrapping up Cyril's training for the day." Shamir said turning to the small boy. "We'll pick up again next week. Remember what I told you about your aim."

"Yes Shamir." Cyril nodded.

"You're learning from Shamir?" Isaac asked.

Cyril nodded. "I need to get stronger so I can protect Lady Rhea."

"Cyril thinks the world of Lady Rhea." Shamir added.

"I have to get going. Have a lot to do. Thank you for lessons Shamir." Cyril said with a bow as he left.

Once he was gone, Shamir turned to Isaac.

"Shall we?" Shamir asked.

"Sure, but before we go, might I ask what kind of powers did you get?" Isaac asked.

"I can manipulate the ground like you can." Shamir said.

Isaac nodded and followed Shamir to the location where he would teach Psynergy to the numerous new Adepts that appeared by the surge of Psynergy crystals that fell from the Golden Sun.

Chapter Text

If Isaac could bang his head on the table, he would. But if he did, it would break the tea set Byleth just got. She wanted to try it out with someone, and Isaac was willing to join in since Jeralt was too busy with work to attend.

Both were talking about how the Golden Deer did with some of the community service idea Rhea gave Isaac, while Flint and Claw were sitting on the table, chowing down on cookies.

"So, it was that bad?" Byleth asked seeing Isaac's annoyed look.

"Mostly." Isaac sighed.

"Well, you can't expect things to go smoothly on the first go." Byleth said.

"I know. But I fear it was worse than I originally thought." Isaac sighed.

"So, what exactly happened?" Byleth asked.

"Well…" Isaac began.

First group: Claude and Lorenz:

Claude and Lorenz were tasked with helping to clean the Cathedral. Claude had just finished sweeping and was deep in thought when Lorenz approached him.

"What are you up to?" Lorenz demanded.

"Oh, hey Lorenz! Wasn't expecting you to pop up." Claude gasped a bit in surprise at Lorenz's sudden approach snapping him out of his thoughts.

"We were scheduled to clean together in case you've forgotten." Lorenz said annoyed.

"I know, I know. I just finished my task." Claude said.

"Right." Lorenz said flatly.

"Hey, you can check if you don't believe me." Claude offered.

"That's not it. I am wondering what you are up to." Lorenz said.

"What I'm up to? Well at the moment, I am talking to you." Claude laughed but Lorenz was not amused.

"I have seen you whimsically wondering the Monastery grounds quite a lot. With that impish look on your face. It does not suggest innocents. What are you up to Claude?" Lorenz demanded.

"Lorenz, let's not start throwing around baseless accusations. It's not proper. This place is packed with a thousand years' worth of history. Well, almost a thousand if you want to get accurate. These pillars, these walls, even the floor has seen more than you could possibly imagine. Our distant ancestors may have walked these same halls. Doesn't that excite you?" Claude asked.

"Perhaps if we were discussing art, I'd agree with you. But I'm sorry to say that floors and walls are not sufficient enough to hold my attention. Nor will they distract me from what is plainly suspicious about you." Lorenz said.

"I'm suspicious, am I?" Claude asked.

"House Riegan was on the brink of collapse until they suddenly revealed you as their legitimate heir only a year ago. Where were you before then? Are you even a true heir to House Riegan?" Lorenz demanded.

"If I wasn't a descendant of House Riegan, then how do you explain how I got my crest?" Claude retorted with a straight face.

"A crest is insufficient. I am referring to your noble disposition- or lack of." Lorenz argued with his voice raising.

"Well, that's what I came here to hone after all. I can only hope that you can ascent to instruct me in the art of snobbery, Professor Lorenz." Claude joked in a bit of a mocking voice.

"I do not think you grasp the significance of the responsibility you bear. Do you even know what it means to lead the Alliance? I take no joy in saying this, but most of the chaos in our ranks right now is due to House Riegan's leadership. I intend to set things right. And once I expose you for the fraud you are and reclaim my rightful place, that is exactly what I'll do." Lorenz declared.

"You think of yourself a better leader, do you? So was your plan of recklessly charging against the Blue Lions a demonstration of your 'excellent' leadership?" Claude asked with a smirk.

Lorenz winced as if he was visibly slapped in the face.

"I'm not saying that my plans were guaranteed to work sadly, but they were better thought out than what you had to offer." Claude pointed out.

"I will admit that it was not my finest moment. But I seek to improve from my short comings while you lazily gallivant with your childish schemes. And that still dose not disprove my suspensions I mentioned before. I will figure out what you are hiding. And when I expose you for the fraud you are, I will take my rightful place as leader of the Alliance." Lorenz said as he began to turn away. "Since we are done with the cleaning, I will take my leave.

Lorenz walked a few steps but then stopped and turned his head back to Claude. "To be blunt, it would have been better if you never showed your face here." Lorenz spat as he left the Cathedral.

"Geeze. That guy just can't be reasoned with." Claude sighed as he headed out himself once Lorenz was out of sight.

"You know, it probably wasn't wise to have them group up first." Byleth pointed out.

"The entire parring was done at random. But I did have Flint keep an eye on them. That's how I know what happened since nether of them wanted to talk about it." Isaac said.

"At least now we have an idea as to why they don't get along." Flint pointed out.

"Now that I think about it, didn't we hear about the previous Duke Riegan being killed by monsters a while back?" Byleth asked.

"Yeah we did! You were even blaming yourself for it since we thought the monsters were a result of Psynergy." Flint pointed out.

"Oh yeah..." Isaac muttered as he recalled the talk he had with Jeralt that day.

"Well, tell me how the other groups went." Byleth encouraged.

"Oh right. Well..." Isaac began.

With Hilda and Leonie:

Leonie and Hilda were tasked with taking in a standard shipment of supplies to the Monastery. Unfortunately, Hilda didn't lift much of a finger and Leonie did about 90% of the work herself. She was not amused.

"Geeze. Can you lend a hand here?" Leonie asked annoyed as she carried a box into the storage room.

"Are you serious? You can't expect a fragile maiden like me to lift heavy boxes like those." Hilda complained.

"They aren't really that heavy." Leonie pointed out.

"Maybe not for you." Hilda argued.

"How do you even know if they are too heavy if you don't even try to lift them? And aren't you training to use axes? One of the heavier weapons to use?" Leonie asked.

"I'm only learning axes because of my family." Hilda said.

Leonie sighed. If she kept arguing, nothing was going to get done. But she was definitely going to inform the professor about this.

'Are all nobles like this?' Leonie groaned in her head.

"So, Leonie ended up doing all of the work?" Byleth asked.

"Most of it. Hilda was talked into finally doing some work, but a vast majority of it was still done by Leonie." Isaac said.

"And Leonie went to you about it?" Byleth asked and Isaac nodded.

"Claude joked about Hilda's laziness when he introduced us to her, but it looks like he wasn't exaggerating. It's odd though. She didn't do all that terrible in the Mock Battle, all things considered." Isaac said.

"You might need to get more strict with her. Remember how my father dealt with the lazy in the troops?" Byleth pointed out.

"He had no tolerance for it. I guess you're right." Isaac admitted.

"He always advised to nip a problem in the bud now before it causes problems later." Byleth advised.

Isaac slowly nodded.

"Okay then. How about the next group?" Byleth asked.

With Marianne and Lysithea:

Both girls were tasked with cleaning the training grounds when an explosion went off. Lysithea immediately ran to check things out and then rushed back to Marianne.

"W-What's going on?" Marianne asked.

"There was an accident. A spell went amok. Come on! We need all the help we can get over there!" Lysithea said quickly.

"Oh no! But I don't know how I…" Marianne stuttered.

We can really use your help before things get out of hand. Come on! Hurry!" Lysithea urged.

"I-I don't think I'll be much help!" Marianne insisted.

"Oh, for the goddess's sake! You won't know until you try, won't you? Don't decide you're of no use without giving it a shot!" Lysithea argued. "You're training to be a healer, aren't you?"

Marianne tried to respond, but words wouldn't come out. Quickly, Lysithea reached the limit of her already shorten patients.

"Fine then-forget it. I'll go help on my own! You can just stand here and stare at the wall!" Lysithea spat.

"I…I'M SORRY! I can't do anything right!" Marianne cried as she ran off.

"…Maybe I took that too far." Lysithea muttered to herself before she turned to help with the spell backfire.

"In the end, the situation wasn't that terrible and Lysithea was able to handle it just fine herself." Isaac said.

"The freak out was probably just due to the sudden surprise of the situation." Byleth pondered.

"Still, she's healer of the Golden Deer, yet between that and the Mock Battle, placing our faith in her hands may be a bit too much." Flint pointed out.

"I plan on asking anyone else if they are interested in Faith Magic tomorrow. Though until then, I know some healing spells through my Venus Psynergy so I think we should be fine for the moment at least." Isaac said.

"Well that's good. What about the last group?" Byleth asked.

With Ignatz and Raphael:

In comparison to the others, there wasn't much trouble here. Though Raphael expressed concern as Ignatz seemed to be avoiding him. The two were tasked with cleaning the stables and whenever Raphael ether tried to invoke some small talk, or offer to assist Ignatz when he was struggling, Ignatz would make an excuse and bail out.

"Hey Ignatz, need a hand lifting that?" Raphael asked as Ignatz was trying to lift a crate of food.

"Oh, no! I've got it." Ignatz stuttered as he struggled to pick up the crate. Raphael just grabbed the crate himself and lift it with ease before Ignatz hurt himself.

"Oh, uh thanks. I'll work over there." Ignatz muttered as he quickly left to a different area.

"What's with him?" Raphael wondered.

"Hmm. Ignatz has strike me as rather shy. Could that be it?" Byleth asked.

"I thought that at first, but according to Raphael, they used to be childhood friends." Isaac said.

"Used to?" Byleth asked.

"That's all I was given so far." Isaac said.

"Hmm. I wonder if Raphael said or did something that Ignatz didn't like then." Byleth wondered.

"That's a possibility." Isaac admitted. "Regardless, aside from Hilda, the group did do a fine job in the tasks, but their cooperation still needs work."

"Maybe a party or a gathering would help? I remember my dad's group always ended up having a good time when they just relaxed and got drunk with each other. Even if some were arguing before that." Byleth offered. "Just don't do the drinking part obviously."

"I can see what you're saying, but I don't know if that would work. I don't think I can just assign a party for no reason." Isaac said as he pulled out a folder with the students information on them. "Oh hey, Raphael has a birthday coming up later this month."

"Now you have a reason. Actually, tomorrow is Annette's birthday now that I think about it. I believe her and Mercedes are planning to celebrate it after classes." Byleth commented. "I should probably get her something then."

Isaac nodded. "Thanks. Though we should probably pack up. The sun is starting to set."

Byleth looked to the distances and saw the sun was indeed setting. "Yeah. And tomorrow is that big day isn't it?"

"Yep. Friday. My first day of Psynergy lessons." Isaac said.

"Anything I need to bring?" Byleth asked.

"Once regular classes are done, grab your adept students and head to the front gates. Also have them bring a training weapon each." Isaac said.

Byleth nodded as she got up and collected the dishes. "Well, I'd better get going. Good luck Isaac."

"Thanks." Isaac smiled.

Byleth grabbed Claw and headed off. Isaac did the same with Flint as he headed back to his room. There were plans to make for the next few weeks, but for now, he had to prepare for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

At last Friday was finally here. Today was the day of Isaac's first class on Psynergy.

Though, this wasn't just the first day of this class in Garreg Mach, this was Isaac's first time teaching people Psynergy in this magnitude. Back in Vale, the Elders were the ones that handled this kind of work. At best, Isaac would help tutor Garret and Jenna when they were struggling once in a while, but that was it. Still, he felt less nervous on this than he ever had with is new job as a professor to the Golden Deer class.

Speaking of class, this class would be different than normal in more ways than just the subject. This was the first class that Isaac would teach, that would contain more than just his students. While Seminars have been open, students haven't signed up for them yet. At least not Isaac's Seminars. Mainly because students were still adjusting their schedules. But that would likely change soon.

Though before Isaac could start that class, he had to finish this class. The clock was ticking to dismissal time, as Claude and Lysithea were rather eager to start. So was Marianne, but she didn't show it as much as the other two. At the very least, they were still focused in class, and that's all that mattered at the moment. Soon the bell rang and class was over.

"All right class, please read chapter 5 and answer the questions at the end of the chapter for next class." Isaac instructed as the students started to pack their things. "Also, those that are joining Psynergy class, please stick around. The rest of you, I'll see you all next time."

The other five students got up and left while the three new Adepts stayed behind like ordered.

"So then, are you three ready ti head out?" Isaac asked.

"Of course. I couldn't practice my skills in the Mock Battle, so I'm eager to show what I can do." Lysithea said.

"I look forward to showing what I can do. Try not to gawk too much." Claude smirked causing Lysithea to roll her eyes at him

Marianne just silently nodded.

"Very well then. Let's head out and meet the others." Isaac said as he lead the three out of the classroom.

Isaac led his students to the gate, where Shamir, Flayn, and even Seteth were already waiting for him.

"Oh, Professor Isaac!" Flayn greeted with a smile. Seteth and Shamir just looked on with a neutral tone, though Seteth did slightly frown more.

"Hello Flayn, Shamir, Seteth." Isaac greeted.

"Professor Isaac." Seteth greeted. "I'm sure Flayn told you before, but I will be observing your class."

Isaac nodded. "I am aware."

"Very good. Now once the others arrive, we can head out." Seteth said.

No sooner did Seteth say that, that the Blue Lions Adepts lead by Byleth approach them.

"Sorry we're a little late." Byleth greeted.

"No, you're on time. You beat Hanneman and the Eagles as well." Isaac said.

"Hey your royal highness. Glad you decided to join us." Claude said with his usual grin.

"But of course. I wish to test my skills with this new power I obtained." Dimitri said.

"For once the boar and I agree on something." Felix snorted.

"Boar?" Isaac asked confused.

"Dimitri." Felix clarified.

"Why do you call him that? Isn't he your prince?" Isaac asked.

"Hopefully you won't find out." Felix said ominously.

Isaac just blinked confused as he took a glance to Dimitri who was still talking with Claude.

Before anything else could be said, Hanneman and the Black Eagle Adepts jogged towards them.

"So sorry we're late. I kind of lost track of the time at the end." Hanneman said panting a bit.

"It's fine. We just got here ourselves." Byleth assured.

"Hey princess. Glad you could join us." Claude said casually.

"Of course, I would. I intend to master every skill at my disposal." Edelgard declared.

"Still, it is pretty rare that the three of us are in a class together. After all, the three of us don't really share a lot of common interests in what we wish to learn." Dimitri said.

"Huh. I suppose you're right. The only other classes we all take together is some sword and battalion leading classes." Edelgard commented.

"Yep. Now both of you can gasp in awe at my skills." Claude joked causing the two other house leaders to roll their eyes at the Golden Deer house leader.

"You know, I can't tell if Claude is cocky, or he's just trying to mess with them." Caspar commented.

"Knowing him, it's probably both." Lysithea said flatly.

"Now that everyone is here, we should head out." Isaac said.

Shamir nodded and lead the group outside as the gates opened.

Garreg Mach Monastery had several outer walls that protected the church from outside harm. In between some of those walls, was a large open field that was surrounded by trees.

"This is the spot. Nice wide-open space for combat training, and far away to avoid damage to the Monastery." Shamir said.

"Indeed. Now then. Let's begin." Isaac said getting everyone's attention. The Adepts stood in front of Isaac all grouped into their classes, except Flayn and Shamir that were on their own. Seteth and Hanneman went off to the side to observe.

"I have to say, I'm looking forward to observing this Psynergy stuff. Are you Seteth?" Hanneman asked.

"I am simply here to make sure that Flayn is safe. Nothing more." Seteth said.

"Okay then. So the first thing I want you all to do, is split into groups." Isaac said.

"Like, our classes?" Edelgard asked and Isaac shook his head.

Isaac shook his head. "By your elements. You are all Adepts in training before you are a deer, eagle, or lion while in this class. As such, you will be partnered with people that aren't in your class depending on how I feel will assist the lesson."

Bernadetta was not thrilled by this. Though she wasn't too knowledge on Psynergy, she did know that her classmates held power of fire, while she held power of wind. This means that she wouldn't be with people she was at least a little familiar with, but rather with others who she knows nothing about.

Marianne wasn't that much better.

"Now, I'm sure you all have a good idea on who else has powers similar to your own, but before we do split into groups, I'll take this moment to give an introduction to the elements of Psynergy. So, will Byleth, Claude, Edelgard, and Dimitri please step forward? Isaac asked.

The four Isaac called did as they were told.

"These four each wield one of the four elements of Psynergy. When I approach one, I'm going to tell a basic description of their element, and then I want those with a similar element to join them. These four will be your group leaders for the time being." Isaac said.

Isaac started with Dimitri.

"Now Dimitri here has the power over the Earth, much like myself. To Adepts, he is known as a Venus Adept. Venus Adepts have control over the rocks and plants. We are also capable healers. Though we may not be as powerful healers as water adepts are, our healing skills should not be underestimated as we do have an affiliation with life and death." Isaac said.

"What do you mean by that?" Dimitri asked confused.

"Some Venus Adepts are able to utilize curses on their foes, but those are more advance techniques so let's not worry about them for now." Isaac said.

Dimitri nodded slowly. 'Looks like Psynergy have more danger than we originally thought. I'd best be careful in the future with it.'

"Anyway, if you have powers similar to Dimitri, please join him." Isaac instructed. Both Dedue and Shamir joined the prince.

Isaac then went over to Edelgard.

"Edelgard here has the power of fire. She is known as a Mars Adept. Mars Adepts have control over fire and heat. Out of the four elements, they are easily the most offensive. That being said, they do possess some skills outside of pure strength. Their control over heat can mess with an opponent, and they do have some small form of healing capability. If you have powers like Edelgard's then please join her." Isaac said. Both Caspar and Felix joined her.

'I can use heat to mess with my opponent huh? Seems like there is quite a lot I will learn from this class.' Edelgard thought.

Isaac then walked over to Claude.

Claude here has the power of wind. He is known as a Jupiter Adept. Jupiter Adepts have power over wind, lightning, and even the mind. They possess a balance of both offense and support skills on the battle field. If you have skills like Claude, please join him." Isaac said. Lysithea joined her house leader, but Bernadetta remained behind.

"Bernadetta. Didn't you once tell me that you have wind-based powers before?" Isaac asked.

Bernadetta weakly nodded her head.

"Well, I need you to join Claude and Lysithea." Isaac said.

"Um…Can't I just be my own group?" Bernadetta asked.

Isaac shook his head. "I'm sorry but I'd prefer if you didn't. You have nothing to fear. Claude and Lysithea won't hurt you. I promise."

Bernadetta was still hesitant.

"Bernadetta." Edelgard called out causing the timid archer to jump. "I need you to please cooperate with Professor Isaac. I understand that you are afraid of new people, but I am not too far away. If anything happens, I promise you that I will step in." Edelgard assured.

Slowly, Bernadetta did nod and inch her way to the two Golden Deer students. Though she still did stop about a foot or two away from them.

'Probably the best I'll get at the moment.' Isaac thought as he gave a small nod to Edelgard as a thank you, and the white-haired princess did the same.

"Say teach. What's this about the mind you mentioned?" Claude spoke up.

"Wind Adepts have some kind of mental abilities. Of what though, I do not know myself." Isaac said.

Claude wasn't buying Isaac's lack of knowledge on the subject, but decided to drop it for the time being.

'Sorry guys, but even if you do have the ability to read minds, I'd rather have Ivan or Sheba explain that to you rather than me.' Isaac thought as he moved onto Byleth.

"As I'm sure you two likely have figured out by now, you both will be with Byleth." Isaac said to Flayn and Marianne. They both nodded, but Marianne looked more hesitant. Isaac took note of this.

"Marianne, you can trust Byleth. I trust her and her father with my life. I assure you that you have nothing to fear." Isaac assured.

Marianne was still hesitant, but she did slowly nod.

"Anyway, let's talk about the last element, water. Byleth here is a Mercury Adept. They have control over water and ice, but they also have amazing healing capabilities. Out of the four elements, Mercury has probably the least amount of offensive utility, but they posses the most support utility out of the four elements. All elements do have their own ways of healing, but they all pale in comparison to what Mercury can offer for healing." Isaac said.

'Water is the best healing…That could be an issue. We're the only house that has no Mercury Adepts.' Edelgard thought.

"Alright then. For the time being, these will be your groups for this class. Later on in the year, we will mix things up more though once you all have more of an understanding of Psynergy." Isaac said as he pulled up a wooden target that is normally used by archers. "But for right now, you are all going to perform some Psynergy on this target."

"A-Already?!" Bernadetta cried out. A few other students like Caspar also looked concerned at this.

"Don't worry. This is just to see where you guys are at the moment. None of this will count against your grades." Isaac assured and some of the students calmed down a bit. "When I call an element, the group of that element will come up one at a time and demonstrate a basic Psynergy spell on this target. Earth will caste Move, Fire will caste Flare, Jupiter will caste Whirlwind, and finally Water will caste Douse. If you are unfamiliar with those skills at all, please raise your hand now." Isaac asked.

No one did.

"Excellent. Now then, why don't we start off with Venus." Isaac offered.

"Venus is Earth, correct?" Dimitri asked and Isaac nodded.

"Then allow me to go first." Shamir said finally speaking up since she got out here.

"By all means." Isaac said as he stepped aside.

Shamir raised her hand in front of her as she faced the target. "Move."

A ghostly hand appeared and started to push the target, moving it quite a bit.

"Not bad." Isaac admitted rather impressed by how well Shamir executed the technique.

Shamir nodded and stepped aside as Dimitri stepped up.

"I shall go next. If that is okay with you Dedue." Dimitri asked his retainer who nodded in response.

"Alright Dimitri. Give it shot." Isaac said moving the target back to its original spot.

Dimitri raised his hand forward. "Move!"

Dimitri's move was much faster than Shamir's and went a bit further. Though the speed caused the target to fall down as well.

'Considering what I saw back in Remire, I shouldn't be all that surprised.' Byleth thought watching her student in action.

"Not too bad Dimitri, but I think you have to work on the restraint of the technique. This amount of force wouldn't mean much in battle, but trying to use it like that outside of battle could be troublesome." Isaac advised.

"Other things? Aren't we learning this for combat?" Caspar asked.

"There are plenty of other uses for Psynergy than just destroying enemies." Isaac advised turning to the young Mars Adept.

"Really? Like what?" Caspar asked curiously.

"Back when I was still living in Vale, my mother and I used Psynergy quite a bit to assist in house work like moving furniture and patching holes in the roof." Isaac said.

"There are quite a lot of uses for Psynergy." Hanneman commented while taking notes. "Stuff like that would be really helpful around the Monastery right Seteth? Seteth?"

Seteth wasn't listening to the Black Eagle's Professor. Instead, he looked like he was lost in thought as he was reminiscing on the past.

"As interesting as that is, do you mind if we can get a move on?" Felix asked impatiently. Dimitri and Byleth gave a light glare at the Mars Adept.

"Right." Isaac chuckled as he turned to the remaining Venus Adept. "You're up Dedue."

Dedue nodded and stepped forward where Dimitri once stood. Isaac picked up the target and placed it back in its original spot. Once he was ready, he took a step back and turned to the man from Duscur. Nodding for him to start.

Dedue held his hand up. "Move."

Dedue moved it a bit, but not as much as Dimitri and Shamir did.

"Not bad Dedue." Isaac said as he moved the target back. Once he was done, he turned to the others. "How about we let Jupiter adepts go next."

Lysithea immediately jumped up and moved forward.

"All right Lysithea, give us a Whirlwind." Isaac said and Lysithea nodded.

"Whirlwind!" Lysithea shouted as she raised her hand in the air.

A gust of wind sent the target flying into the air, and falling back down to the ground.

"Not too bad. You definitely weren't lying when you said you had control, but the strength of the attack could use some work." Isaac said.

Lysithea nodded and moved back.

"You want to go next Bernadetta?" Claude asked.

"Oh uh…No that's fine. Go right ahead." Bernadetta stuttered.

"Come on up Bernadetta." Isaac called out.

"Hey, look at it like this. Just get it down with, and you don't have to worry about it later." Claude said.

Bernadetta sighed. "I guess you're right."

With that she stepped right up.

'Oh man I'm going to crew up so bad! I'm going to embarrass myself and Edelgard. I'm so dead!' Bernadetta muttered in her head.

"Is she going to go, or not?" Lysithea asked annoyed.

Edelgard, Caspar, and Isaac stepped forward to help the timid archer.

"Relax Bernadetta. As Professor Isaac said, it's just to see where your skills are at. You won't get expelled or anything for failing." Edelgard offered.

"AHH! I made Edelgard mad at me!" Bernadetta cried out.

"That is not what I said!" Edelgard argued trying to hide her growing annoyance.

"WAH! I knew you were angry with me!" Bernadetta cried out seeing Edelgard get more annoyed.

"Bernadetta calm down!" Isaac urged gripping her shoulders. "No one is angry at you. We just want you to show us your Psynergy. Okay? No one will get angry at how well you do. Just do it."

Bernadetta slowly calmed down a little.

"Just show us a Whirlwind. Okay?" Isaac asked.

Bernadetta slowly nodded as the three backed away.

Bernadetta raised her hand. "W-Whirlwind!"

A slightly weak wind blew the target down to the ground.

"I'm sorry! It wasn't that good!" Bernadetta cried out.

"It's fine Bernadetta. Everyone starts somewhere. Even me." Isaac assured.

"E-Even you?" Bernadetta asked.

Isaac nodded. "Whether it be weapons, magic, or anything, everyone starts from somewhere. Not everyone is a master right at the start. But you got to keep working at it instead of crying over every failure."

Edelgard nodded. "Professor Isaac is right. You have potential Bernadetta."

Bernadetta slowly nodded with her spirits raising a bit.

"Alright Claude. You're up." Isaac said.

Claude stepped forward as Isaac set up the target again.

Claude simply raised his hand. "Whirlwind!"

A nearly perfect Whirlwind spell was caste which caused the target to go flying. Everyone else's, including Isaac's, jaw just dropped at what they saw.

"C-Claude…that was…" Dimitri muttered in shock.

"No way!" Lysithea gasped at how Claude did better than her.

"How?" Edelgard demanded in shock.

"W-Wow." Byleth gasped.

"Claude…that was incredible. W-Where did you learn how to do that?" Isaac asked in surprise. It wasn't as strong as Ivan's or Sheba's Claude's execution of the attack was still impressive.

Claude just shrugged. "What can I say? I just picked up on it pretty fast."

Edelgard just eyed him suspiciously. Out of every student here at Garreg Mach, Claude was by far the most suspicious with his unknown origins. And this just added to that mystery.

"Uh, well let's move on to the Mars Adepts, shall we?" Isaac asked getting out of his stump.

Edelgard stepped forward. "I would like to go first."

Isaac nodded and set up the target. Edelgard took her position and raised her hand in front of her.

"Flare!" Edelgard called out as a blast of fire erupted from her hand at the target burning it.

"Nice job Edelgard. Felix, you're next." Isaac said.

Felix stepped forward and raised his hand in front of him. "Flare!"

While not as strong as Edelgard's, Felix's Flare wasn't too bad.

"Not bad Felix." Isaac said.

Felix grunted and stepped back as Caspar stepped forward.

"Alright! My turn!" Caspar cheered as he raised his hand in front of his face. "Flare!"

Capsar's flare was much bigger than Edelgard's or Felix's…And more dangerous as the attack exploded upon hitting the target.

The students along with Seteth and Hanneman fell down as a result while Isaac had to jump out of the way.

Caspar's attack completely destroyed the target, leaving a burning circle of fire where it used to be. Caspar only looked nervous as everyone glared at him except for Seteth who immediately jumped back to his feet to check on Flayn.

"I assume this is similar to what happened in the training grounds?" Isaac asked with a frown.

"N-No of course not! My attack back then wasn't that big! And it was an accident!" Caspar cried out.

Isaac sighed as he turned to the blazing fire nearby. 'Should probably do something about that first.'

Isaac turned to Byleth who nodded.

Byleth stepped forward to the fire and raised her hand. "Douse!"

Some small storm clouds appeared above the fire and unleashed some rain below that quickly put out the fire much to everyone's amazement.

'Glad I had the water team go last after the fire team.' Isaac thought with a smile. He then turned to Caspar.

"I understand that you were excited, but what you just did was reckless. You put too much power into the attack that you lost control of it. If this were a real battle, your allies would be in as much danger as your enemies." Isaac scolded.

"It would seem that Psynergy dose carry some similar qualities to our own magic though." Hanneman muttered as he watched the scene in front of him.

"And this is why I wanted to do this outside. And why I wanted to observe." Seteth said as he finished checking Flayn over for any injuries.

"I'm fine brother. Just a little surprised is all." Flayn assured.

"I'm more impressed as to how quickly Professor Byleth put out the fire." Dimitri said.

"There's a reason I saved them for last, and Byleth has had some practice with her Psynergy already." Isaac said.

"Well at least if another accident happens again, we have means of fixing it faster than last time." Hanneman said.

"There will be no more accidents. Right Caspar?" Edelgard demanded as she glared at her fellow student.

Caspar gulped. "Y-Yes Edelgard. I'm sorry."

"Well, while you did succeed in executing the attack, it seems control is what you need work in." Isaac said. 'And at least he's a fire adept, which means I can help him control it much easier on my own.'

"Right." Caspar sighed.

"Well, we might as well move on now. Hanneman will talk with you on this later." Isaac said to Caspar as he turned to Flayn and Marianne. "Since Byleth already showed off her skills, all that's left is you two."

"But the target's destroyed." Flayn pointed out.

"Just use douse on the charred grass." Isaac said.

Flayn nodded and stepped forward. Like Byleth she raised her hand up in the air. "Douse!"

Unlike back at the docks when Isaac saw her use it last time, this time, she did manage to create the cloud and cause rain to fall. Not as good as Byleth, but still a step up from before.

"Not bad. You've been practicing since I last saw you practice a few weeks ago." Isaac said.

"Yep! I was finally able to get the cloud to form and then the rest just came to me." Flayn smiled.

'Great work Flayn.' Seteth smiled.

"Alright Marianne. You're up." Isaac said.

The timid girl of the Golden Deer slowly nodded and stepped forward. "D-Douse."

A rain cloud appeared and caused some rain to appear before the cloud broke apart and vanished.

"Not bad." Isaac smiled before turning to the group. "While some of you need more work than others, you all do seem to have a basic grasp of Psynergy so far. Now then, lets do some control exercises." Isaac said.

For the next few hours, Isaac educated the group on how to control the power of Psynergy when it was unleashed. Isaac soon had the class split into their groups to continue practicing as Isaac went around and offered whatever assistance he could to help those who needed more help. Like Caspar and Marianne. Thankfully the former caused no more explosions.

Soon he was informed by Seteth that class time was approaching the end for the day and called everyone back together.

"All right everyone. Before we end class today, I want to talk to you about something with my very special assistant." Isaac said.

"Assistant?" Everyone asked.

Flint suddenly appeared on Isaac's shoulder holding a small white stick.

"I'm sure all of you saw these little guys in the mess hall earlier this week, but now Flint here will explain what he is and what he means for us Adepts." Isaac said as he placed Flint on the ground and took a step back for his friend to take stage.

"Hi there! My name is Flint and I'm here to tell you all about Djinn." Flint chirped. "You see, we Djinn are beings that are made out of pure Psynergy. We are essentially an Adept's greatest ally."

"I fail to see how something so small can be our greatest ally." Felix scoffs in dismissal.

*WHAM!*

"As you can see, despite my small size, my attacks are really strong." Flint chirped as he sat on Felix's body that was sprawled on the ground with a large bump on his head.

"Y-Yes I can see that." Dimitri said in surprise on how his childhood friend was knocked to the ground in one hit.

"I-I'm going to kill that thing!" Felix growled in pain.

"Well maybe next time you'll wait to let me finish, and I won't use you as my test dummy." Flint said as he got off the Blue Lion student. "Now then. We Djinn can boast the strength of an Adept in battle, and even assist them in battle somewhat like what I just did."

"Djinn come in each of the four elements. Flint here is Venus, while Claude has a Jupiter Djinn and Byleth has a Mercury Djinn. Sadly, we don't have any Mars Djinn to show, but they are usually orange in color." Isaac added.

"You say that you boast an Adept's power, but pray tell how exactly you do that?" Edelgard asked.

"Well, when we agree to come with you, we enter your body. As beings of pure Psynergy, our power will be added to yours." Flint explained.

"So, since I'm a Mars Adept, I need to find me some Mars Djinn, and I can get stronger?" Caspar asked.

"Well, you could, but you can befriend other Djinn as well. Not just Mars." Flint said.

"What do you mean?" Caspar asked confused.

"Well, during my adventure, me and my friends would team up with different types of Djinn, and we found ourselves using powers we didn't know we could use." Isaac said.

"Yep! You can team up with Djinn outside your elements, and when you do, you can even gain access to Psynergy that you normally can't use. It's also how Isaac is familiar with other elements despite being a Venus Adept." Flint explained.

"So, what you're saying is that if I gain lets say a Venus Djinn, I could use Venus Psynergy?" Edelgard asked. Isaac and Flint nodded.

"Yep. Though it won't be as prominent as your own element, teaming up with a Djinn of another element can allow you to use Psynergy of other elements." Flint said.

'So, what he's saying is that by gaining a Venus and Mercury Djinn, the Black Eagles can gain access to the two types of Psynergy we are missing.' Edelgard thought. Taking a glance, she could see others thinking similar things.

"However, there are cons to having more than one element as there are pros, though most of it comes from using them in battle." Isaac advised.

Flint turned back into a ball of yellow energy and went inside Isaac's body.

"Byleth, mind helping me out?" Isaac asked and she nodded standing up with her training sword.

Both fighters stood opposite of each other.

"Okay then. I'll go first, and then you repeat what I do." Isaac instructed and Byleth nodded.

"Okay. To call a Djinn, simply call out their name. Like so. Flint!" Isaac called out. Flint, in a ball of yellow energy came out of Issac's body and went straight into Isaac's sword. Isaac's sword started glowing yellow as a result.

Isaac jumped forward and swung his sword down at Byleth who raised her own sword to block the attack. However, the attack caused her to lose her balance and fall down.

"Professor, are you alright?" Dimitri shouted in concern.

"I'm fine!" Byleth grunted as she stood back up.

The rest of the class was in awe at the strength of Isaac's and Flint's attack that made the Ashen Demon fall down with just one strike.

"Well don't just stand there! Time for this little annoyance to prove its use." Sothis argued.

"Now you go." Isaac said as his sword returned to normal.

"Claw!" Byleth called out. Claw appeared in a blue light, and went into Byleth's sword causing it to glow blue.

Byleth charged at Isaac and delivered a swing that Isaac blocked, but was knocked back by the force.

Byleth smirked satisfied, but that was short lived as she felt something off.

"What's wrong Professor?" Dimitri asked.

"I-I can't feel Claw." Byleth gasped.

"Hey, no complaints from me." Sothis cheered.

"When you use a Djinn, they enter what they call standby mode. While they are like this, you can't use their powers." Isaac explained.

"So, when a Djinn is in this standby mode, they might as well be like they are not in your body?" Shamir asked and Isaac nodded. "I see. You said before that using Djinn of other elements is what can allow you to use other types of Psynergy, but if they aren't in your body, you can't use those elements."

Isaac nodded again. "Correct. Without the right Djinn, your Psynergy goes back down to normal, which can alter your style of fighting. While their abilities are useful, you shouldn't use them so carelessly."

"So, what do I do to get Claw back?" Byleth asked ignoring Sothis's groan in annoyance.

"Simply focus on him for a moment. Like this." Isaac said as he closed his eyes and focused. In a second, his body flashed yellow for a split second.

Byleth did the same thing, and her body flashed blue for a split second.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Claw asked back inside Byleth's head.

'Yeah. It was.' Byleth said in her head.

"Did you miss me Sothis?" Claw asked a bit smug.

"With every kick so far." Sothis groaned.

"Once that's done, the Djinn goes into set mode. Which is what they were in before." Isaac said as Flint appeared on Isaac's shoulder.

"When we're also in Standby mode, we can also be used to summon." Flint said.

"Summon? Summon what?" Claude asked.

"That will be a lesson for another day. Right now, you guys aren't ready for summons." Isaac said.

Swift then appeared on Claude's shoulder.

"I think you'd be able to handle it though, but maybe best to wait till you get use to my powers first." Swift said.

"Fine." Claude sighed. "Hey teach. Mind if I try mine really quick?"

"Sure." Isaac said as Claude grabbed his training bow.

"Aim for that tree." Isaac said pointing to a nearby tree. Claude nodded.

"Swift!" Claude called out. Swift turned into a purple ball that went into Claude's bow, causing it and the arrow to glow purple.

Claude fired the arrow, and to everyone's surprise, it practically zipped to the tree in an instant.

"Wow, that was fast." Claude gasped.

'Amazing. I've never seen an arrow fire at that speed.' Shamir thought.

"But looking at the damage done to the tree, it doesn't look like Claude's Djinn did anything more but make the arrow go faster." Edelgard pointed out as she examined the mark on the tree where the arrow landed.

"Not all Djinn increase your attack power like me and Claw can. Other Djinn can have other types of abilities." Flint said.

Claude then did his focus, allowing Swift to return to him.

"If I may ask Professor, where exactly can one find a Djinn?" Lysithea asked.

"I don't really have a single answer. They can be anywhere. Best I can offer is to keep your eyes open." Isaac said.

Lysithea didn't look thrilled with that answer. And nether did the others, but there was nothing Isaac could do about it. Though Lysithea then remembered something.

"I remember after the Mock Battle, Claude had to fight Swift before he agreed to join him. Do all Djinn do that?" Lysithea asked getting everyone's attention.

"I didn't have to fight Claw." Byleth said.

"It all depends on the Djinn. Some will be happy to just come along, but others will want to test your strength first. I would advise caution when facing a Djinn in combat. They can be really tough." Isaac warned.

"Any other things we should know about Djinn?" Shamir asked.

"Yeah. We do have a rule. When you collect us, don't pile us on one person. We like to be spread out and distributed evenly. No favorites." Flint said sternly.

"May I ask why?" Felix asked.

"It's our code." Flint said.

"That's kind of dumb." Caspar said.

"But it dose make sense. If you pile all that on one person, the others are left defenseless. One person can't do everything for the group, and should that person fall, the rest will be in deep trouble." Hanneman pointed out.

"That does make sense." Dimitri admitted.

"Well, that's all the time we have for today. For Homework, try to keep practicing the basics. Once I feel everyone is at a comfortable level, We'll begin some combat training with Psynergy." Isaac said.

Everyone nodded and packed up to head back to the Monastery. Though for many of the Adepts, they were already planning on places to look in hopes of finding a Djinn for themselves.

As Isaac headed back though, he took a glance at the trees.

"Something wrong Isaac?" Flint asked.

"I don't know why, but I feel like someone was watching us for a second." Isaac muttered. He tried to use his powers to scan the area, but the results came back empty.

"Maybe it was all in your head?" Flint asked.

"Maybe..." Isaac muttered.

Djinni Fact of the Day!

Flint: Hi, I'm Flint! This here is my new segment where I talk about a Djinn and what it can do. So, for my first Djinn, I'm going to do...me!

Name: Flint

Attribute: Earth

Stats: HP +8 / PP +4 / ATK +3

Origin: Golden Sun.

Original Location: Right outside of Vale

Flint: When in battle, I can boast my partner's physical attack with the power of Venus, increasing their power by 60%. I'm also one of Isaac's best friends! Right buddy?

Isaac (Squealing): Like totally! I knew that when we met that we would be BFFs for life!

Flint (Squealing): Like totally!

Isaac and Flint: Are you two jealous?

Garet and Forge (Flatly): As if!

Flint: This has been Flint's Djinni Fact of the Day! Thank you for watching!

Chapter Text

Today was Sunday, meaning that it was a free day for Isaac and Byleth. As such, Hanneman and Manuela invited the two new professors for lunch in the outside gardens.

"So, how are you two holding up as Professors?" Manuela asked.

"All right so far." Byleth shrugged.

"Could be way better." Isaac sighed.

"Care to tell me what's wrong?" Manuela asked.

Isaac sighed again as he explained how his students went with their community service this week.

"Oh dear. Seems you got quite a rowdy bunch there Isaac." Manuela commented.

"It's not that surprising though. From what I've heard, most of the Golden Deer students this year have hardly interacted with each other before enrolling. It isn't too big of a surprise as they tend to get more commoners than the other houses do." Hanneman said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Manuela frowned.

"I'm not. But in comparison to the Black Eagles and Blue Lions, they tend to have more people unfamiliar with each other. The other two houses compose of mainly nobles that are familiar with each other due to previous history, formalities, or family connections. And with the Golden Deer, you also have the problem of Nobles wanting to keep their superiority over the commoners regardless of any rules Seteth passes." Hanneman explained.

"But what am I going to do? After reading and hearing about their little interactions, I fear that I won't have enough time to get them to cooperate before the first mission. And at that rate, I'll be returning to the Monastery with body bags rather than students." Isaac muttered.

"That's…a bit excessive don't you think? I mean I get your concerns, but even still…" Manuela began.

"Are you still thinking about the Jupiter Lighthouse incident?" Byleth asked. During their time together as Mercenaries, Isaac did tell her and her father about his journey.

"I got lucky then, but this time may not be so different." Isaac said.

"Mind filling us in what you're talking about?" Manuela asked.

Isaac gave a brief explanation on what happened with his group at the Jupiter Lighthouse.

"Ah. So, it's not just you're worrying that your students are going to mess up, you're worried that you are going to mess up as well." Hanneman said.

"I was reckless myself. Charging into something that I knew was dangerous. Even if I didn't know those two Proxians were after me, I should have known that the Jupiter Lighthouse was filled with traps, just like the Mercury and Venus Lighthouse's were. There is no excuse for my carelessness." Isaac sighed in defeat.

'I understand your concern of leading. This is my first time leading something like this as well.' Byleth thought looking at Isaac. Back in the past, Jeralt was the one that did a lot of the work for the Blade Breakers. While she had experience leading small groups from time to time, to lead a large group like the Blue Lions, on her own and away from her father was still new for her. The only difference is she had a girl in her head that can slightly control time, and said she will allow her to use her powers during the mission. So at least she had a bit of a crutch. But she highly doubts that Isaac has something like that to help him out.

"Isaac. I understand your concerns. I really do. Honestly I'm baffled that they are sending children on such a dangerous mission this early in the school year." Manuela said.

"This early? Is this not normal?" Byleth asked confused.

"Well, as Seteth said, those affiliated with Garreg Mach have an obligation to help those in need regardless of social standing. Students are no exception. Yes, the houses are tasked with a mission each moon, and yes, sometimes those missions do get dangerous, but normally the types of missions you two have received are missions that tend to be given much later in the year. My house's mission is more inclined to what you would normally expect a first mission of the year to be." Hanneman said.

"I know bandits are nothing new for you two, but roughly half the students at best have never been exposed to combat before this." Manuela said.

"And even though we're used to it, bandits aren't something to take lightly." Byleth added and Isaac nodded.

"Though to be fair, Fodlan has gotten more and more dangerous lately with the inclusion of Psynergy. Perhaps that is why your missions are more dangerous than normal." Hanneman guessed. "Why, even though my mission is rather tame in comparison, the threat of monsters attacking is pretty high. So chances are, the Eagles will be drawn into combat as well."

"I remember Lady Rhea said that my Venus Psynergy was needed to help find the bandits." Isaac pointed out. "That might be why I was given that mission."

"I understand that, but to be honest, you could just tag along with the knights while I or someone else looks after your students while you're gone. You can forbid your students from going on a mission after all." Manuela said.

"Wait, that's an option?" Isaac asked surprised.

"Yes, but there will be consequences to doing that. Not only will your students fail for this month, but it would not look well upon you ether Isaac. To some, you may be seen as a failure that couldn't lead their students into battle." Hanneman warned a bit stern.

"I have a feeling, but I'd rather take that than letting them all get killed." Isaac said.

"I see what you mean Isaac, but I do think you are jumping ahead of yourself here. It was only one battle. And while it did end badly, these students are wise enough to learn from their mistakes. You still have a few weeks left to prepare them." Hanneman advised.

"One battle may be all it takes though." Isaac pointed out.

"For once I have to agree with Hanneman. Tell you what Isaac. If in the next two weeks the students aren't improving enough, come to me and we'll discuss the alternatives. Dose that sound good?" Manuela offered.

Isaac nodded. He felt a bit relief that he had a backup plan now.

"Do keep in mind Isaac that we professors at Garreg Mach do take our work seriously. The failings of the students do reflect the failings of the teacher after all." Hanneman advised.

"I am aware." Isaac said. 'Though it was not my idea to be a professor.'

Hanneman nodded. "I get that you are new here and the job was kind of just thrust onto both you and Byleth; but I do believe that you both have potential and I'd hate to see that wasted. Students can be troublesome when you start out. Manuela and I can tell you many of stories like that."

Manuela nodded. "It's true. Ether from Nobles who think they know everything, or Commoners who get in too deep for themselves. It's nothing new every year."

"Indeed. And this year is no different. Don't forget that Ferdinand did the same thing your students did, but there are more problems than just him. Caspar as you saw yesterday is just as reckless; Linhardt is a brilliant man, but he keeps trying to sleep in my classes; Bernadetta can't go a few minutes without freaking out over something; and then there is Edelgard."

"Edelgard?" Isaac and Byleth asked surprised. While the two of them have only spoken with her so many times in comparison to their own house leaders, they did get a grasp that Edelgard was not a troublemaker like Claude was. What problems could she give to Hanneman?

"While she is a brilliant student and so far has fulfilled her duties as a house leader beautifully, she seems to avoid speaking with me outside of class. Whenever I call for her, she just sends Hubert in her place. If I am being honest, I'm a bit envious that the both of you seem to get along with your house leaders quite well. Both inside and outside of classes." Hanneman said.

"Did something possibly happen between you two that caused her to avoid you?" Byleth wondered.

"Not to my knowledge." Hanneman said while trying to think if he did something to offend her.

"Maybe she didn't want to listen to your talk on crests?" Manuela mocked as Hanneman glared at her and was about to open his mouth to retort.

"Please don't fight right now." Isaac pleaded.

"Sorry." Both senior professors said in union.

"I have some problems as well." Byleth chimed in getting everyone's attention. "Sylvain is probably my biggest problem with the number of complaints I've been given by many women both in and out of the monastery. Not only that but his flirting with me is getting really annoying."

"At least that can be an easy fix by simply telling your dad." Isaac laughed.

Byleth chuckled at that as well. "It would be amusing. But he's not the only one. Felix is uncooperative with everyone in the class, Mercedes has dozed off a few times, and Annette, while she tries her best, has had a tendency of making loads of mistakes on anything outside of her academics."

"Wait, was she the one responsible for that mess in the kitchen yesterday?" Hanneman asked.

Byleth and Manuela nodded. Yesterday during Psynergy classes, Annette tried her skills in the kitchen…and it resulted in making a mess everywhere. Byleth was not amused when she returned from class to find a massive mess.

"The point is Isaac; problem children are a common thing to deal with at the beginning of the school year. But it isn't something that can't be dealt with." Hanneman said.

'I had no idea Hanneman and Byleth had so much problems themselves. Maybe I am overreacting.' Isaac thought before nodding. "Thank you. I apologies for overreacting."

"It's all right Isaac. A new job can be scary for some." Manuela assured.

"Well, what are your plans today?" Hanneman asked.

"I know some of my students are out looking for Djinn, so I'd probably better give them a hand." Byleth said.

"I need to get permission from the archbishop for a party to celebrate Raphael's birthday next weekend." Isaac said.

"A birthday parties? Not a bad idea to build bonds with the students I supposed." Manuela mused.

"I just hope I get the okay." Isaac said.

"I think you should. You are in charge of how you wish to run your class, Isaac. I'd imagine that as long as it doesn't slow down the lesson plans, you should be okay to do so." Manuela said.

Isaac nodded as he got up. "Well, thanks a lot you guys. I'll catch you later."

The three waved goodbye as Isaac left.

Isaac made his way to the audience chamber to find Rhea talking with Seteth about somethings. Isaac stood aside and waited patiently for them to finish when Rhea took notice of him.

"Ah Professor Isaac. Is there something I can help you with?" Rhea asked.

"It's nothing too big. I can wait till you're finished if needed." Isaac said.

"No need. We were just going over some files for the moon. But it is good that you're here Isaac. I have something to tell you." Seteth said.

"Something to tell me?" Isaac asked already bracing himself for something bad.

"Sometime next week, we will be scheduling a mock battle between your class and a fresh group of recruits to the Knights of Serios." Seteth said.

"We wish to get our troops ready to deal with Psynergy that those new monsters all across Fodlan can use. Though we chose your class because we feel that the Golden Deer can use some extra practice before their mission." Rhea said.

"That won't be a problem, right?" Seteth asked.

"Oh no. Not at all. That's great actually." Isaac said.

"Very well. Now then, do you have a preferred time on when you would like this to happen?" Rhea asked.

Isaac opened his lesson plans and looked over them for a minute. "Looks like I don't have too much scheduled on Wednesday so that could work."

"Very well. I will send the word to Captain Mitchel and get back to you on a location." Seteth said.

"Now then. What was it you wanted to ask?" Rhea asked.

"I was asking if it would okay to hold a small birthday party for Raphael next weekend." Isaac asked.

"A birthday party?" Rhea asked.

"Yeah. I want to do something for their birthdays and I feel that it could be helpful to get my students to relax and interact more with each other." Isaac said.

"Well, I don't have a problem with it, so long as it doesn't slow down the students lesson plans." Rhea said.

"It won't." Isaac assured.

"Very well then. You have my permission. You are free to use any leftover food the dinner hall has, but anything extra will have to be funded out of your own money." Rhea said.

"That's fine." Isaac said. "Thank you for your time."

With a bow, Isaac left the Audience Chamber.

"A birthday party…That does bring back some memories." Rhea smiled with a look of nostalgia on her face.

"Hmm." Seteth muttered.

"Oh, don't look like that. Aren't you already planning something special for you and Flayn for her birthday?" Rhea teased.

"I-I have no idea what you are talking about." Seteth stuttered a bit embarrassed.

Back with Isaac:

Isaac was lost in thoughts as he walked around the Monastery.

'Okay. So, the first thing I need to do is figure out exactly what Raphael likes. Maybe I can ask someone…' Isaac thought.

"Oh, hey Teach! How's it going?" Claude asked snapping Isaac out of his thoughts.

"Claude. What are you doing here?" Isaac asked.

"Oh, nothing much. What about you? You look deep in thought." Claude said.

"Well…" Isaac began as he explained his plans for Raphael to Claude.

"A birthday party huh? Well, count me in." Claude said.

"The thing is, I don't know much about Raphael personally, and I'm afraid to ask him and have him find out ahead of time. I kind of want to make it a bit of a surprise for the guy." Isaac said.

"Well, I know he loves training his muscles and eating. But that's about it." Claude muttered before something came to him. "Oh yeah! I think Ignatz is old friends with him. Maybe he might know something."

"Great! Do you know where he is?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah. I saw him a little while ago. Follow me." Claude said as he led Isaac to where Ignatz was.

Claude led Isaac to the church where Ignatz looked like he was praying in front of the large statue at the altar.

Both Isaac and Claude waited quietly as Ignatz finished his prayer. Though when he turned around to leave, he jumped in shock at the sudden sight of both his House Leader and Professor right before him.

"C-Claude, Professor Isaac! Is there something wrong?" Ignatz asked startled.

"No. Sorry to startle you Ignatz. We didn't want to interrupt your prayer." Isaac said.

"Oh. I appreciate the sentiment, but I wasn't actually praying." Ignatz admitted. "I was actually thinking about the Goddess."

"Really now. Fascinating. Please go on." Claude urged.

"Oh! Not here! Please, let's take this discussion somewhere else." Ignatz pleaded.

"Sure. I know a place." Isaac said as he led his two students out of the chapel.

Isaac's Room:

"So, you were pondering the existence of the Goddess then?" Claude asked once Ignatz finished explaining what he was doing.

"Consider this. The archives here have all kinds of texts about the Goddess, right?" Ignatz said.

Isaac and Claude nodded.

"But when people tell stories of the Goddess, it's only myths and legends that glorify her." Ignatz said.

"They probably hope to rank in more followers by glorifying her as much as possible." Claude said. "Which is probably why the Church tends to shove all the more questionable records under some rug somewhere."

"C-Claude, please don't put words in my mouth. That is not what I said." Ignatz said nervously as he looked towards Isaac like he was expecting Isaac to punish him. Isaac just sat quietly on the chair to his desk as he watched the two discuss.

"All I was wondering was what the Goddess really looks like. That's the kind of things I like to think about." Ignatz said.

"What she looks like? Well, if she does exist, then she probably looks a lot like us. In fact, she probably wouldn't look that different from that old woman that helps in the Dining Hall." Claude said.

"Claude, stop that! I think the Goddess would look beautiful!" Ignatz cried out.

"How rude! I'm sure that old lady was quite beautiful herself back in the day." Claude mocked.

"No! I-I didn't mean she wasn't…I…." Ignatz stuttered.

"Enough." Isaac said getting the two's attention. "I'll be honest, I too have been curious what the Goddess of Fodlan looks like myself. But for all we know, she may not even look human."

"What do you mean?" Ignatz asked confused.

"Well, without anything to factually confirm her appearance, she could possibly not be human." Isaac said as he remembered the Wise One.

"Interesting thought there Teach." Claude smirked with approval.

"I-I guess so…" Ignatz muttered but was unsure about the idea himself.

"Well anyway, I do have something to ask you Ignatz." Isaac said.

"What is it?" Ignatz asked.

Isaac then explained his plans to throw a party for Raphael's birthday coming up.

"And sadly, Claude and I don't know him well enough to figure out what kind of party he would like. I'd ask him, but I kind of want it to be a surprise." Isaac said.

"I heard you and he knew each other from childhood, so we figured you would know best." Claude added.

"Oh. Yes, it is true that he and I have known each other for a long time. Our parents knew each other." Ignatz said sadly.

"Did something happen?" Isaac asked.

"…Sorry but, I don't think I should talk about it." Ignatz admitted. "I can assure you that he and I don't hate him or anything." After a moment of silence, Ignatz spoke up again. "I can help you."

"Really? Thanks!" Isaac said happily.

"So, what dose the big guy like?" Claude asked.

"He's a pretty simple guy. He likes exercise, eating, especially meat, and his little sister Maya." Ignatz said.

"Well, can't really do much about his sister, but maybe we can do a buffet?" Isaac asked. "Lady Rhea did permit that we can use any leftover food from the dinning hall."

"That could work. I do know a bit on cooking myself." Claude said before turning to Ignatz. "Now the next question is, I know he likes meat the most, but does he have a particular favorite meat?"

"Favorite?" Ignatz asked.

"Anything will do huh?" Claude chuckled. Ignatz did as well.

"We have a week before Raphael's birthday. After class tomorrow, we'll discuss the plans." Isaac said.

The two nodded.

"And one last thing. Lady Rhea gave me permission, but only on the promise that my students don't fall behind on their studies. I know at this point, you two are doing pretty well to be on top of things with your studies, but if you feel pressured, let me know and I can try and find someone else to assist. I can't allow extra time for this." Isaac warned.

The two nodded.

"Great." Isaac said. Hopefully this idea would work, as the countdown to the week of departure was drawing closer.

Djinn Fact of the Day:

Flint: Hi there! Welcome back to Djinn Fact of the Day. Today, we have Claw!

Name: Claw

Attribute: Water

Stats: HP +8 / PP +3 / ATK +3 / AGL +2

Origin: Dark Dawn

Location: Joins with Amiti.

Flint: So, what is it that you bring to the table?

Claw: Using the power of Mercury, I can increase the power of my partner's attack

Flint: Neat! Sounds like my power.

Claw: Yeah, but mine's cooler! Right Sothis?

Sothis (Aggravated): For the last time...Will you two SHUT UP?! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!!!

Sothis kicks the two Djinn away.

Outside:

Byleth is banging her head against the tree as a concerned Isaac approaches her.

Isaac: Are you okay there By?

Byleth (Groaning): Peachy...

Chapter Text

Blue Lions:

Dimitri had been checking around the training grounds in hopes of finding a Djinn. While he did show probably the best sportsmanship of the House Leaders, he couldn't resist the urge of competition. Claude had his own Djinn, and Dimitri hoped to even the score. As he entered the weapons room, he spotted his childhood friend Felix also looking around behind boxes and racks for something.

"Looking for a Djinn Felix? Quite surprising given how dismissive you were of them at Professor Isaac's Psynergy class." Dimitri said getting the swordsman's attention.

Felix turned to see his childhood friend approach him. His face morphed into a scowl upon seeing him.

"What are you doing here?" Felix asked annoyed.

"Looking for a Djinn. I assume that you are doing the same?" Dimitri asked.

"Well look somewhere else. Just looking at your face is enough to make me sick." Felix spat.

Dimitri gave a slight chuckle. "With that mouth of yours, you become more and more like your brother every day."

"Shut up. And stop walking around on your hind-legs. You're not fooling me." Felix spat.

"Felix, what have I done to upset you so much? Ever since we arrived at Garreg Mach, you look at me with such disdain. What have I done to earn so much hatred from you?" Dimitri asked.

"Because unlike the others, I know what you really are- a beast craving blood." Felix said.

"A beast craving blood, am I?" Dimitri asked as he went in though for a moment before speaking up. "I'm assuming you're talking about that event from two years ago?"

Felix nodded. "I am. The way you surpassed that rebellion…It was ruthless slaughter and you loved every second. I remember the way you killed your victims. How you watched them suffer. And your face...that expression. All the world's evil packed into it. That was our first battle. I remember it vividly"

Dimitri said nothing.

"What's the matter? Are you going to try and deny it? Go ahead and try you wild boar!" Felix taunted with venom in his voice.

"I deny nothing, Felix." Dimitri said sadly.

"Well then, it seems that the Dimitri I once knew died with my brother on that tragic day." Felix said.

"Perhaps he did." Dimitri muttered.

"Then I think we're done here. I'm out of here. I don't want to make a habit of talking to beasts." Felix spat as he walked out of the room.

Dimitri just stood there in silence as his childhood friend walked away.

"So that's why he hates me so much…I can't blame him." Dimitri muttered as he left the room as well.

In the Greenhouse:

"And that should do it." Dedue commented as he wiped some sweat from his forehead while marveling at his work.

"Oh, what pretty flowers." Mercedes said as she approached with Annette.

"I've never seen flowers like those before." Annette added.

"They are from Duscur." Dedue answered as he turned to face them. "I was able to bring some seeds with me when I left and I was able to get permission to plant them in the Greenhouse."

"Do they need any watering?" Annette offered.

Dedue shook his head. "I would insist that you don't/ These flowers require a dry environment to thrive. If you water them, it will rot their roots. That's why I planted them off in the corner so they don't get watered by accident."

"Oh..." Annette muttered in surprise."Sorry."

"It's no issue." Dedue assured.

"By the way Dedue, why aren't you looking for one of those Djinn like the others?" Mercedes asked.

"His highness insisted that he looked by himself today, and I wanted to get these planted as soon as possible." Dedue said.

"I see. Well they are really lovely flowers." Mercedes commented.

The Black Eagles:

*Knock* *Knock*

"Come on out Bernadetta! We need your help!" Edelgard said as she, Caspar, Linhardt, Hubert, and Petra all stood outside of Bernadetta's room.

"Bernie's not here right now, please come back later!" Bernie squeaked.

"If you're not in there, then how can we hear you?" Hubert pointed out with a sigh.

"Bernadetta please. You're an Adept as well. Don't you want to look for a Djinn?" Edelgard asked.

Edelgard and Caspar were pretty adamant on getting a Djinn themselves. Hubert tagged along because he was almost never far from Edelgard's side, Linhardt wanted to study them, and Petra offered to use her hunting skills to help find one.

"Listen, maybe there is a Djinn hiding in my room?" Bernadetta offered.

"I highly doubt that as you normally have your room closed off most of the day." Hubert pointed out.

"To be fair, the chances of a Djinn being in her room aren't that much lower than the rest of the Monastery." Linhardt pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Caspar asked confused.

"Think about it. The Monastery is a heavily guarded place 24-7. If there were Djinn running around, the knights likely would have spotted it, and likely would have chased it off." Linhardt pointed out.

"But the professor fished one out, did she not?" Petra asked.

"True, but given the size of the Djinn, it was likely thought of nothing but a fish from a distant. If we are to find one, we can't just look around regularly, we need to think of places that a guard wouldn't normally look." Linhardt pointed out.

"That's…a good point Linhardt. But where do you purpose, we look?" Edelgard asked.

"I'd imagine the lake would be a good place to start." Linhardt suggested.

"I don't know. That sounds more like a place for water djinn. We're more fire and wind right now." Caspar said.

"Do not forget what Professor Isaac and Flint told us, we are not limited by our element." Edelgard advised. "Not to mention that a Mercury Djinn would give the Black Eagles access to another element. Something that we are technically behind in compared to the other houses."

"That is true. If I recall, both the Golden Deer and the Blue Lions have three different types of Psynergy while the Black Eagles only have two." Hubert said.

"Correct, as Professor Isaac and Professor Byleth are Adepts as well, while Professor Hanneman is not." Edelgard said.

"So should I grab Dorothea and Ferdinand to go fishing with us?" Hubert asked.

"That would be helpful, yes." Edelgard said.

Hubert nodded and walked away.

"Grab some fishing supplies and meet me by the docks. The Black Eagles are going fishing." Edelgard ordered.

"Well, if this doesn't work, we can at least use the fish we catch to have a nice feast tonight." Caspar shrugged as he and Linhardt headed off. Edelgard and Petra left right after.

Bernadetta however, remained in her room, but a thought came to her mind.

"Now that I think about it, I wonder if a Djinn did sneak into my room." Bernadetta muttered both curious and fearful that something could sneak in. She ended up spending the rest of the day searching her room for any intruders.

The Golden Deer:

Lysithea had taken a break from her constant studying to go out and try to find a Djinn. For once, her small body played well for her as she was able to check smaller areas most others couldn't fit in.

Sadly, her search came up empty.

"How is it that Claude just so happens to find a Djinn, but I can't find one anywhere?" Lysithea sighed in annoyance.

Lysithea sighed as she headed to the stables to take a look.

When Lysithea got to the stables, she saw Marianne looking around.

"Are you looking for a Djinn too Marianne?" Lysithea asked.

Marianne jumped at the sudden voice as she turned Lysithea.

"O-Oh yes. Sorry. I'll leave if you want." Marianne offered.

"No, you don't have to…Listen…about last time at the training grounds; I'm sorry about what I said. The situation was so sudden and I'll admit I wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings. I shouldn't have been so callous." Lysithea said.

"No, I should be the one apologizing." Marianne said.

"You? Why?" Lysithea asked confused.

"Y-You would have made it to the training grounds a lot faster if I didn't slow you down." Marianne said as she started to tear up.

"What a second…" Lysithea began but Marianne cut her off.

"It's all my fault. It's always my fault! The training grounds accident was probably my fault too!" Marianne cried.

"Hold on a second. You weren't even there. How is it your fault?" Lysithea asked.

"I can't even help find a Djinn. I'm so sorry!" Marianne cried as she ran off leaving a rather baffled Lysithea.

"That girl is just way too negative. Maybe I should talk to the professor about this." Lysithea muttered to herself.

In the Golden Deer classroom around the same time:

Isaac was sitting at his desk, grading the homework of his students as Claude walks in.

"Hey Teach!" Claude greeted.

"Anything I can help you with Claude?" Isaac asked not looking up.

"I wanted to ask you something about Djinn distribution." Claude said.

"Sure." Isaac said looking up from the papers on his desk.

"So, you and Flint said that Djinn want to be distributed evenly, but how does that work? Like if I'm by myself and I find one, would it just leave me to ether Lysithea or Marianne since I already have Swift?" Claude asked.

"Not in the way you're thinking. The Djinn can see when you are in a group or not. If you're by yourself, then the Djinn will stay with you, but if you're in a group, they will immediately go to anyone who has less. Which in this case would yes, be ether Lysithea or Marianne." Isaac explained.

"These Djinn really like playing fair, huh." Claude commented.

"It's how they are. But like I said, they offer us their aid, so I feel the least we can do is honor their customs. Plus a team shouldn't rely on just one member anyway." Isaac explained.

"No, I get that. I'm just trying to make sense of all this." Claude admitted.

"You seem to be a fast learner there. How did you learn to caste an amazing whirlwind like that?" Isaac asked.

"oh you know. You wake up with new power one day after a terrible fever, so you practice with it as much as possible." Claude chuckled.

"I guess so..." Isaac muttered. Looking back, Ivan was pretty skilled as an Adept, despite his lack of proper training. Isaac and Garet had their training in Vale, and Mia learned from her parents alongside Alex before their unfortunate passing. Ivan was given away to Master Hammet when he was a baby, so he grew up away from anyone to train him in Psynergy. Some people just learn things faster than others...Still, Isaac couldn't help but feel there was more to Claude's story than he was telling him.

"You know teach, you never got around to telling us your story in full." Claude said.

"I guess I didn't. But that's going to have to wait for now. We have a lot of work to do before they ship us off to fight some bandits don't forget." Isaac pointed out.

"True." Claude admitted.

"What about you? I'd like to hear about your story one day." Isaac said.

"Aw you don't want to hear my boring story teach." Claude dismissed.

"Really? Well, I did hear about your father. Sorry about that." Isaac said.

"My father?" Claude asked confused.

"Duke Reigan. He died from some monsters, right?" Isaac asked.

"Oh that. He wasn't my father. He's my uncle. My father's still alive, as healthy as ever. Last I checked." Claude said.

"Your uncle?" Isaac asked.

"Sorry teach. I can't say anymore than that. Let's just say I made a promise." Claude said. "Well, I'll catch you later."

With that, Claude left the room.

"He seems to like digging into others past, but is quick to deflect when others ask about him. I wonder if I can get him to trust me to open up one day." Isaac pondered as he went back to grading papers.

Djinn Fact of the Day:

Flint: What's up everyone! Flint here to bring you our next Djinn, Swift!

Name: Swift

Attribute: Wind

Stats: HP +10 / ATK +3 / DEF +3

Origin: Golden Sun Dark Dawn

Location: Joins with Himi

Flint:So, what do you bring to the table?

Swift: Well, I increase the speed of the attack my partner uses. Try dodging that.

Claude: Tis a pity that's all you can do. Imagine the stuff I can do if you could increase my own speed just as fast.

Isaac (Flatly): Thank the Wise One that isn't the case.

Flint: Well, that's it for today! See you all next time!

Chapter Text

Isaac walked through the Monastery as he headed to his classroom. Today was Wednesday. That means today was the day the Golden Deer would have a Mock Battle with a fresh group of the Knights of Serios. It was also another chance to prove that he and his class would succeed with their upcoming mission. Ever since the Mock Battle of the three houses ended terribly for the Golden Deer, a good chunk of people in the Monastery didn't think highly of Isaac as a teacher. Didn't help the fact that people were starting to become aware of how skilled he was with Psynergy. Something that in of itself was a mixed bag for the people of Fodlan. And here was just one of those moments that Isaac had to deal with.

"So, I heard Seteth got us some people to train with today." One knight said.

"Yeah. The Golden Deer class." The second knight said.

"Wait. The Golden Deer? Why them?" The first asked.

"Probably because they need it. Remember how the Mock Battle went for them?" The second knight asked.

"Yeah. That was pretty terrible. But doesn't that mean we have to spar with that guy that possibly brought that Psynergy crap to us?" The first one asked.

"Seems so. Honestly, I have no idea what the archbishop was thinking letting him into the Monastery. Is she not aware of all the problems he brought to Fodlan with his strange magic?" The second one asked.

"Not much can be done about it. With several upcoming powerful figures in possession of this Psynergy, we can't really complain about it too much." The first one sighed.

"Hey, what are you two slacking around for?" A new voice asked causing the two to jump. The two spotted Captain Jeralt approaching them with an annoyed look on his face.

"C-Captain Jeralt! What can we do for you?" The first guard asked.

"You two are late for your meeting with your commander. I don't know how the last captain was with you, but I have little tolerance for slackers. Get moving!" Jeralt ordered. The two nodded and scrambled to get to their meeting.

"You can come out Isaac." Jeralt suddenly said as Isaac sighed and stepped into view.

"You knew I was there?" Isaac asked.

"I had a hunch. You alright?" Jeralt asked.

"I'll be fine. I already prepared myself for getting talked about like this ever since I revealed Psynergy to Lady Rhea." Isaac said.

"I see...By the way, your class is going to have a mock battle with those guys, right?" Jeralt asked.

"That's right. It will be later this afternoon." Isaac confirmed.

"You think you have a handle on those brats yet?" Jeralt asked.

"I want to hope so, but I don't know. The last thing I need is for half of my students to run off on their own again." Isaac said.

"I did have a talk with Leonie about that. I don't think she'll make that mistake again." Jeralt assured.

"Thank you...That would just leave Lorenz." Isaac said before sighing. "Well, I am due to have a talk with him regardless. I'm getting too many complaints from women on the guy."

"Do be sure to remind him that he tries it with Byleth..." Jeralt began, but didn't need to finish. Isaac got the picture.

"U-Understood." Isaac said. "By the way, I was wondering if you would be willing to help me with Horseback riding."

Jeralt raised an eyebrow at that. "Sure, but any reason why? Back when we were on the road, you never showed any interest in it."

"I feel that having a mount could help me get around the battlefield a lot faster than on foot. Just in case my students get split up or something." Isaac said.

"Fair point. But I think a wayvern would be faster than a horse." Jeralt said.

"No thank you! I'd like to stay on the ground as much as I can." Isaac said.

Jeralt chuckled at that. "Very well then. I'll check my schedule and get back to you on when I have the time. But I don't think you'll be ready to pass the test before your first mission."

"I had a feeling. But it will definitely be helpful in the future." Isaac said.

"Alright then. Good luck kid." Jeralt said.

"Thank you." Isaac said as the two departed.

Isaac arrived early at the Golden Deer classroom. Once there, he saw that Lorenz and Lysithea were the only ones there. Lorenz was trying to talk to the small white-haired girl, but Lysithea was trying to read over some notes.

"As it stands, the bonds between the alliance lords are quite weak. If this state of affairs persists, I'm afraid those bonds may dissolve entirely." Lorenz said.

"I couldn't care less." Lysithea said not even looking at Lorenz.

"House Ordelia may be small, but a small house is fettered by fewer obligations than a larger one." Lorenz continued despite Lysithea dismissal. "Apply yourselves actively in diplomacy, negotiate wisely, and you could do much to help maintain peace among the neighboring lords. The recognition of those lords would benefit your house immensely. To that end, why not start with me, the heir of House Gloucester? It couldn't hurt for us to become friends, could it?"

"Yes, yes of course. When the time comes. But right now, I'm quite busy, Maybe later." Lysithea said. "Right now I'm busy looking over the notes I took from Professor Isaac's class on Psynergy, to see if it can further benefit Fodlan's future, as well as assist myself in the mock battle we have today. So I'd appreciate it if you would leave me be."

"Psynergy...If you don't mind me asking, why have you been so adamant to learning only Psynergy lately?" Lorenz asked.

"That's...none of your business." Lysithea muttered as she rubbed her arm.

"Lorenz." Isaac called out getting both students attention.

"Ah professor. How can I be of service?" Lorenz asked.

"If you don't mind, I want to talk to you about something." Isaac said.

"Very well then. I was just finishing my conversation with Lysithea here." Lorenz said as he turned to the girl. "Please forgive my intrusion. I will take my leave for now. But if there is any way I can be of help to you or your house, I hope you won't hesitate to ask. After all, as I sure you know, the future of Fodlan is my responsibility." Lorenz said with pride and a small laugh at the end.

Lorenz then followed Isaac outside the classroom, as Lysithea sat there in silence for a moment.

"The future he says...as if I have a future..." Lysithea said sadly.

Once Isaac guided Lorenz to a more quite area, he turned to the young noble.

"So, what can I do for you professor? Looking for some insight on how to write your next lecture?" Lorenz asked. "While I do have many ideas, it would be inappropriate to..."

"Uh, that's not it Lorenz. I wanted to talk about you actually." Isaac said cutting him off.

"Me? Well, what can I do for you?" Lorenz asked.

"I've gotten numerous complaints from many women about you." Isaac said.

"The ladies have complained to you about me? Preposterous. There must be a mistake. I am the heir of the noble House Gloucester. It is bred in me to treat all people with respect. Rest assure that you will not find anyone more upstanding than yours truly." Lorenz said as he thought about something for a moment before speaking again. "Perhaps that the issue is that the splendor of my noble presence is so divining that it drives the ladies to distraction! If that is the crime, I do confess. I hope I've not troubled the ladies' hearts unduly."

Flint appeared on Isaac's shoulder and spoke. "It's your advances they find troubling!"

"WHAT?! That is outrageous! Who would dare to allege such slander? Was it Claude?" Lorenz demanded.

"It was the women themselves. Quite a number of them actually." Isaac said.

"Oh all the...Well, I suppose I have offered several of them the honor of dinning with me. It is impossible to tell if even the most well-bred young lady is a suitable companion for me merely by the sight of her. So in order to get to know her properly, it is important that we get to know each other through dinning. But sadly, they have all declined for some reason or another, and they seem to be excersising some form of restraint when speaking to me. I of course have never persist, but on occasion, after a day has passed, issue a repeat invite to them-in the fashion and style of a gentleman."

"That's the problem!" Flint retorted flatly.

"That's the problem? Me offering dinner invites is a problem? Impossible! I am a perfect gentleman. I've the wit like a rapier, and it only takes one glance to see that I am gorgeous. I refuse to believe such a thing. If you ask me, I think this is the result of some scheme." Lorenz declared.

"And you think it could be Claude?" Isaac asked recalling Lorenz bringing him up a few seconds ago.

"It is possible. I implore you professor, do not fall for such rumors." Lorenz said.

"While we are on the subject of Claude, what is your issue with him exactly? Back before the Mock Battle, I noticed your disdain when I said that Claude helped me formulate a plan, and how your group activity wasn't very pleasant." Isaac asked.

Lorenz sighed and spoke. "Let me ask you this first. How well are you familiar with the Alliance leadership system?"

"I know that you guys have a council to determine things as opposed to a king or emperor." Isaac said.

"And you are correct. The Leicester Alliance dose not swear loyalty to one family, but instead, five great noble houses discuss and debate on how to handle things within the Alliance. House Riegan is at the forefront that leads these discussions and helps keep things in check. So, as heir to House Riegan, Claude has a lot of responsibilities that he is not living up to. Unlike Prince Dimitri or Lady Edelgard, Claude does not act like a leader, and instead slacks off or makes up some hair-brain schemes instead. Combine with the fact that he just so happened to appear out of nowhere only a year ago, can you not blame me for mistrusting him?" Lorenz asked.

"I can see where you are coming from, but that is still a stretch that Claude hired all those women to frame you Lorenz. Especially since some of them have come to me personally to complain. Plus, that is still no excuse for disobeying orders in the mock Battle. I don't want that to happen again." Isaac said sternly.

"P-Professor...I will not let it happen again." Lorenz relented.

Isaac nodded. Honestly, he couldn't blame Lorenz for being distrustful of Claude, but Isaac needed to make sure that what happened in the Mock Battle would not happen on the mission. Thankfully, Lorenz seemed to learn from it.

Class went on as normal as Isaac continued to read a lecture on Ballista's.

"Now then. Who can tell me what types of Ballista's there are?" Isaac asked.

Lysithea quickly shot up her hand. "The Bows, The Onagers, and the Fire Orbs."

"Correct. The Bows are the most common ones you see n a battlefield. Archers will man them for cover fire at a long distance. The Onagers are easier to use, but more difficult to aim with. They hurl stones at the enemies, but an be used by anyone with enough arm strength. Lastly the Fire Orbs are magic weapons that shoot fireballs at the enemies over arrows. Mages use them to attack at long range." Isaac explained.

"If what I heard was correct, there is an old ballista stationed at Gronder Field." Claude commented. "An arrow one I believe."

"So, that means that ether you or Ignatz would be able to man it?" Hilda asked.

"W-Well, I don't think my skills with a bow are good enough to use a Ballista properly." Ignatz said.

"There is still plenty of time before the Battle of the Eagle and Lions to hone your skills Ignatz." Lorenz encouraged.

Isaac looked at the clock and noticed it was almost time to head out.

"Okay. Before we head out, I have something to ask. Is anyone else here interested in learning Faith magic?" Isaac asked.

"Why? Isn't that Marianne's job?" Raphael asked confused.

"It's not wise to rely on one healer for a group." Isaac said.

"I-I'm sorry." Marianne muttered with her head down.

"I don't mean to sell you short Marianne. But when on a battlefield, we can't always be grouped together. You are one person. You can't be everywhere at once." Isaac said.

"Sorry Teach. I totally get your reason, but I have no talent with faith magic. Unless there's a Jupiter Psynergy spell you know of that can heal, I don't think I'll be of much help here." Claude said.

"I'm on the same boat as Claude, though minus the Psynergy part." Hilda chimed in.

Isaac nodded. He did recall that they both said they weren't good with Faith magic on the first day. "Unfortunately I don't know any Jupiter Psynergy that heals."

"I suppose I can take a seminar on Faith magic if it is needed." Lorenz said.

"Same. I'm actually pretty good with any kind of magic. I don't mind learning a bit of Faith." Lysithea said.

Isaac nodded. "Thank you both. Thankfully, I do know some healing spells with my Venus Psynergy. So, if Marianne isn't around, then come to me for healing." Isaac said.

The class nodded in response.

"Alright then. I'm dismissing you to go get your stuff. I want you all out by the gates within half an hour." Isaac ordered.

The class nodded again, though some more reluctant than others. Everyone got up, collected their books and headed out.

At the gates:

Lorenz and Lysithea were already there when Isaac arrived. Leonie, Marianne, Ignatz, and Raphael arrived soon after. Finally, Claude and Hilda were last to arrive.

"Alright. Now that we are all here, let's head on out." Isaac said as the Gatekeeper opened the gates for the Golden Deer to head out.

"Good luck in your Mock Battle!" The Gatekeeper called out with a wave.

"Thank you!" Isaac called back.

The Golden Deer made their way to a field that was covered with mostly forest where a group of Knights were waiting for them. As soon as they spotted the deer, one of them stepped forward that Isaac assumed was Captain Mitchel.

"Uh, are you Captain Mitchel?" Isaac asked as he held out a hand. "I'm Isaac. My class is to be your opponent's today."

Captain Mitchel just stared at Isaac's hand for a moment before speaking up. "We will start in ten minutes. Get yourselves into position before then. When the horn goes off, we begin."

With that, he walked away.

"Well, that was rude." Leonie commented.

"Forget about him. Let's get ourselves ready teach." Claude said.

Isaac nodded and the Golden Deer headed to a forest area where they would start the fight.

"So, with the number of trees around us, spreading out might be a bit too risky as we run the risk of being ambushed. I think it would be best if we all stick together. That way I can inform you all of any oncoming attacks." Isaac said.

"Ah. Going to use that trick you used in Remire are you?" Claude asked and Isaac nodded.

"Powers…you and Claude mentioned that back in the classroom before, but what powers are you talking about?" Lysithea asked.

"You'll see." Isaac said as he closed his eyes. His body lite up in a golden energy much to the amazement of the students.

"Wow. It's pretty." Ignatz said in awe.

Isaac then opened his eyes and frowned. "Looks like my concern was right. The knights are positioning themselves all around us for an ambush."

"You can tell from right here?" Hilda gasped.

Isaac nodded. "Sadly, we're surrounded and the knights will be attacking us from all sides. We need to form a defensive position. "Hilda, Leonie, and Raphael will protect the south while Lorenz and I protect the north. Claude, Ignatz, Marianne, and Lysithea will support us from the center. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good. Don't go wondering off this time. There are about twenty of them and only nine of us. Plus, with these woods, they can easily get the jump on us if we aren't careful. I want us all to stick together." Isaac ordered as everyone got into position.

Then the sound of a horn went off and the fight begins.

Just as Isaac said, the knights charged at all directions at the group of students.

The outer group of students met the knight's weapons with their own.

Lorenz, Leonie, Hilda, and Raphael were met first with the knights as they charged forward.

Claude and Lysithea both unleashed whirlwind on the knights that were too preoccupied with the other students to react. About a quarter of them fell down from the strong wind, while the rest took cover behind the two knights that were covered in heavy armor.

"Too bad we don't have a hammer on us." Leonie commented.

"We still have magic." Isaac said as he castes quake on the armor knight.

"Alright! I got this!" Raphael called out as he charged at the knights.

"Careful Raphael!" Isaac warned.

"I've got his back." Claude said as he readied an arrow.

One knight attacked Hilda who was too preoccupied watching Raphael punching some knights with his gauntlets.

"Look out!" Leonie shouted as she rushed with her lance to deflect the attack on the pink-haired girl.

Hilda gasped at this as a second attack from the knight hit Leonie in the shoulder. While the weapons may be training weapons, they did still hurt as Leonie clenched her shoulder.

Hilda gripped her axe and swung it at the knight, taking him out in one swing.

"Wow Hilda. Looks like there is some muscle in you after all." Leonie commented.

"Uh, that was just a fluke. Don't get used to it." Hilda retorted.

"Right..." Leonie said flatly. Not buying it for a second.

Marianne then approached Leonie and tried to use Ply on her shoulder.

"You don't need to worry Marianne. It's just a scratch." Leonie said.

"Maybe, but I do want to get some practice with this." Marianne said.

"Lorenz then fired a fire spell at a knight, while Ignatz shot one with an arrow.

Soon enough, it was just the captain left.

"You want to just surrender now? It's one on nine after all." Claude teased.

"Like I'd just give you a victory." Michael spat as he charged with his sword.

"Whirlwind." Claude simply said summoning a gust of wind that knocked Mitchel on the ground.

"Should have listened." Claude teased. Isaac just approached the captain.

"Looks like this is a victory for us." Isaac said with a smile as he offered a hand to Michael.

Michael however, slapped his hand away as he stood up by himself.

"Your victory was nothing but a fluke. If it weren't for your special magic, we would have won." Michael spat as he walked away with his knights.

"Hey! The rest of us helped too!" Leonie shouted.

"Don't worry about it, Leonie. He's just looking for excuses." Claude chuckled.

"Well regardless, you all did pretty well today." Isaac said with a smile.

"So, does that mean we're done for the day?" Hilda asked hopefully.

Isaac nodded. "Yep. You're all dismissed for the day."

The class cheered as they started to head back to the Monastery. Though Claude stayed behind to talk with Isaac.

"Well teach? Not too bad today, huh?" Claude asked.

"It's definitely an improvement, but cooperation still needs a lot of work. Also, keep in mind that we did have an advantage thanks to our opponents not knowing how to deal with Psynergy." Isaac advised.

"I know, I know. But hey, maybe that party will help out. You seem to have some hopes for it." Claude said.

"True. And now that this is done, we should start preparing for it. It's only four days away." Isaac said as the two headed back to the monastery.

Chapter Text

Today was Friday, and Isaac had two days left before Raphael's birthday arrived. Isaac, Claude, and Ignatz were planning on going to the kitchen this afternoon to secure the food that Rhea was allowing them to use for the party. However, something else would have to come first.

Since it was Friday, that meant that Isaac had a Psynergy class to teach today. As a result, Ignatz agreed to go on ahead once he finished with his homework, while Isaac and Claude would meet up with him once Psynergy class was over. With the end of this month coming closer, Isaac needed get the Golden Deer to cooperate with each other. The Deer did do well in their fight with the Knights a few days ago. Isaac guessed that the failures of the Mock Battle were still on their minds; along with the scolding they got as a result. Hopefully, this mindset would continue through the upcoming mission. Isaac knew his students were strong, he had seen it in their sparring sessions. If they could learn to cooperate better with each other, they could handle anything that came their way.

Though on the topic of cooperation, their chore team-ups were improving a bit.

Flashback:

Hilda was pared with Marianne, and surprisingly, Hilda actually did work. Though the story as to how that happened was quite interesting.

Tomas had asked Isaac for some assistance in organizing the library. The young Adept agreed and dragged both Hilda and Marianne, who were doing anything at the moment to assist.

At first, Hilda pawned it off to Marianne. Flint, who Isaac had asked to keep an eye on them as he helped Tomas on the second floor tried to help the quite new Mercury Adept, but the combination of Marianne having no idea how to sort, and Flint being too small to pick up some of the larger books, only ended up making a big mess when Hilda came back to check on them.

"What on earth happened here? This place looks worse than before…if that is even possible." Hilda gasped.

"Well maybe if someone was here to help, that wouldn't be an issue!" Flint argued.

"S-Sorry Hilda. I just didn't know the best way to organize the books while sorting." Marianne muttered.

Hilda sighed. "Well, no way around this. I guess I'll have to show you how it's done." Hilda said as she grabbed some books. "The first thing we need to do is figure out where we will put each topic. Let's start with the magic books." She said as she placed the books in one pile stacked on top of each other. She then skimmed through the pile, and removed one book.

"This book however, is about Swordsmanship, so we need to place it in a different pile." Hilda said as she turned to Flint. "Can you get a pile started on Swordsmanship?"

"I can't stack it like you did due to the weight of the books, but I can separate them." Flint said.

"That's fine. As long as they are each in their own pile." Hilda said.

Soon enough, all the books were sorted into different piles all neatly stacked for different topics.

"Wow Hilda, that was amazing." Marianne said in awe.

"I know! I'm impressed." Flint added.

"Yeah, yeah. What kind praise. But it looks like I did almost the entire thing on my own." Hilda commented as Marianne watched the entire time. Flint helped make some piles, but Hilda ended up having to stack them to keep it neat.

"S-Sorry. The least I can do is help you put them back on the shelf." Marianne said as the two girls got to work putting the books away.

Flashback Ends:

In the end, it seems that Hilda is able to do work, and she can do it well. Now Isaac just needs to figure out how to get her to do that more often. As for the rest of his students, not much has changed aside from Lysithea apologizing to Marianne for snapping not too long ago.

But that was something to worry about later. Because for now, it was time for a class on Psynergy.

Isaac and the students, along with Seteth and Hanneman met up at the spot where Isaac educated the class the previous week.

"Based on what I saw last week with your practice with Psynergy, most of you do seem to have a pretty good control over your powers, but some of you still need some work." Isaac explained.

Caspar looked away nervously, while Marianne and Bernadetta looked a bit ashamed.

"Soon, we'll be starting some combat training with Psynergy." Isaac said.

This perked up a few members such as Felix, Dimitri, and Edelgard.

"But first, I want to teach you all about Utility Psynergy." Isaac said.

"Utility?" Caspar asked.

"Psynergy that while some of them can be used in battle, is more of use outside of battle." Isaac said.

"Like how so?" Lysithea asked.

Perhaps like how Dedue used his Psynergy in the Greenhouse to help the plants?" Dimitri guessed.

"In a way, yes." Isaac nodded.

"That sounds kind of lame." Caspar commented.

"There is more to Psynergy than just blasting your enemies Caspar. Psynergy has a large variety of uses. And you all will come to understand that through these lessons." Isaac stated as he reached into his pocket.

"So, the Psynergy that we practiced last week can also be considered Psynergy, as each of them can be used in means outside of battle. Move can assist in moving large objects, Whirlwind can blow away leaves and other unwanted objects, Fireball can help make a campfire or even with some practice, make a light in the dark, and Douse can be used to put out fire as Byleth showed last week. But here I will show some Psynergy that don't have as much use in battle." Isaac said as he pulled out some green beads on a sting, and a pink gem.

"While on the subject of Utility Psynergy, there are some items that can bestow new powers when you have them on you. During my adventure, me and my friends found quite a number of them. But sadly, the rest are being held by my friends so I am left with only these two to show you. The Beads are called the Catch Beads, and the gem is called the Lift Gem." Isaac explained.

Hanneman then spoke up. "So, simply wearing these items will grant an Adept new Psynergy?"

Isaac nodded. "That is correct. Though some items can only be used by certain types of Adepts. These aren't one of those. Any type of Adept can use them."

Isaac then placed the Catch Beads around his right wrist. He then turned to a nearby apple tree and raised his hand forward. "Catch!"

A ghostly hand appeared and grabbed an apple and then brought it back to Isaac.

"So what? It's used to grab some fruit off from trees?" Felix asked dismissively.

"It can be used to grab any small objects." Isaac said.

"I can see some uses for that." Shamir commented.

"Agreed." Claude added but with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Well then. If I find some things missing, I know where to go." Seteth said glaring at the Golden Deer house leader who just whistled innocently.

"Back to the matter at hand, the Lift Gem is used for lifting heavy objects." Isaac said. "Now what can I lift?"

"I have another target right here." Hanneman said as he pushed an archery target to Isaac.

"I guess that will do." Isaac said as he raised his hands in front of him. "Lift!"

Two ghost hands grabbed the target and lifted it into the air.

"I will say though that I have usually used it on boulders." Isaac commented.

"I can vouch for that. I saw it myself." Byleth added.

"Really? When was that?" Dimitri asked.

"When we were on our way to Remire, shortly before we ran into you three. We came across a Rock-slide over by the Herving Territory." Byleth began.

Flashback:

Jeralt and his group was resting in an inn by the edge of Herving's territory due to a storm that occurred the previous night. The storm cleared up by the next morning, so Jeralt wanted to get a move on. However, before he could leave, a woman pleaded Jeralt to investigate a rock-slide that occurred not too far away along the edge of the Ogma mountain. Apparently, her husband went out there to collect some minerals.

Once the woman leads Jeralt to where her husband was supposed to be, Jeralt ordered his mercenaries, including Isaac and Byleth to split into teams and search for the missing man.

Isaac and Byleth were on a team with Mitch, Dan, and Sarah.

"You guys see anything?" Sarah asked.

"Nope. What about you Isaac? Do you sense anything?" Dan asked.

Isaac closed his eyes and started to sense the ground around him. After a moment, He opened his eyes.

"I can feel someone is close." Isaac said.

"Okay, but where?" Byleth asked.

'H-Help me…" A voice muttered.

The five turned to the sound of the voice and bolted. When they reached the source, they saw a middle-aged man that fit the description of the missing man.

The man's legs were stuck under a boulder. Quite similar to the situation that Isaac found the Xian martial artist Hsu that he saved during his adventure in Weyard.

"Damn! We have to pull him out." Mitch said.

"How? That boulder looks like it weights a ton!" Sarah argued.

"I should grab the others." Byleth said.

"No need. I can lift the boulder." Isaac said stepping forward as he grabbed a pink gem from his pocket.

"By yourself? Look, I know you're strong kid, but this might be a bit too much." Dan said.

"Once I get the boulder in the air, I want you four to grab the man and drag him to safety." Isaac said as he raised his hands forward. "Lift!"

Two ghost hands appeared and raised the boulder into the air, much to the other's surprise.

"What the? Was that more of this Psynergy stuff?" Mitch asked in awe.

"Questions later! Help the man now!" Isaac ordered.

Byleth nodded as she and the others carefully grabbed the man and carried him to safety. Once the man was out of the way, Isaac let the rock fall.

Flashback ends:

"Wow. You really did that professor?" Caspar asked.

"Wasn't even the first time. Back in my journey in Weyard, I rescued a man caught in a rock slide as well using lift." Isaac said.

"I think Linhardt said he heard about a rock slide happening in his family's territory." Caspar commented.

"Possibly, but based on the time Professor Isaac said it happened, I believe we were settling in here at the academy." Edelgard added.

"Well, that will be enough of reminiscing for now. I'll be passing this around for you all to try it for yourself. The rest of you will be practicing with some more support Psynergy." Isaac instructed as he handed the Catch Beads to Edelgard, and the Lift Gem to Dedue.

Class went on as the Adepts in training practiced using the Catch Beads and the Lift Gem. Outside of that, they practiced on some support attacks with their Psynergy. The Earth and Water Adepts did some practice with their healing spells, the Wind Adepts worked on a spell called Impact, and the Fire Adepts worked on a spell called Guard.

"They are all doing well. I believe we should be able to do some combat practice with Psynergy next week." Isaac said to Hanneman and Seteth while the class practiced.

"It would be good to get some practice in before our mission. The students do have enough skills outside of Psynergy to help them on our missions for the month, but getting in some practice would be beneficial. Though if we do, perhaps we can bring in the non-adept students in for this as well. It would be great practice for them to learn how to deal with an enemy that has Psynergy. Be it for battle, or competitions in Garreg Mach." Hanneman said.

"Like the Battle of the Eagle and Lions?" Isaac asked.

"Well yes, but that won't be the only competition. A few months from now, the training grounds will feature some mini tournaments based on certain weapons. A sword tournament, and lance tournament, you get the picture. You can enter some of your students to participate. The winner will even receive some rewards as well. Perhaps we will have a Psynergy tournament as well." Hanneman said.

"That will be up to Lady Rhea. In the end, she is the one who gives the final approval to events like that." Seteth stated getting the attention of both professors. "However, in terms of combat training, I may have allowed Flayn to participate in this class, but I will not allow her to join in on the class's sparing session."

"Very well then." Isaac sighed. "I guess I can take her place and spar with them instead."

"Perhaps we should continue this discussion later with Professor Byleth. She may be a student in this class, but she still the professor to the Blue Lions. If we are to talk of how to help the students grow, I feel she should be present." Hanneman offered.

"That's a good point." Isaac agreed as he walked back to the students practicing Psynergy.

Once class was finished, Isaac and Claude went straight to the kitchen to get started with Raphael's birthday, only a few days away.

The trio stood before a small pile of food that was laid on the table next to Rhea.

"So, we can use anything on this table?" Isaac asked.

Rhea nodded. "Someone made a mistake on our last order of food, so we ended up with a bit more than we needed and don't have the space to properly store it at the moment, due to some renovations being made, and the menus have already been set for the week. If you need more though, I'm afraid that you will have to fund that out of your own pockets."

"I think that should be enough. The only thing else we would need is a cake, but I can work something out for that." Isaac said.

Rhea nodded as she left the room.

"So, we have quiet an amount of meat here, some fruits and vegetables, and some starch. I think that should be enough to make a small feast for the Golden Deer." Claude said looking over the ingredients. "That said, while I do know how to cook, I haven't cooked a lot of sweets."

"I have a little experience with cooking in general." Ignatz admitted.

"Okay then, how about me and Ignatz take care of this, while you go and make us a cake teach." Claude offered.

"I've never cooked a cake before, but a I guess I can give it a try." Isaac said.

Claude nodded as he and Ignatz turned their attention to the food as Isaac left to look for a cookbook on cakes.

As Isaac approached the kitchen, he heard some voices from inside. Opening the door, he saw Dimitri speaking with some of the chiefs.

"Are you sure it wasn't a rodent or anything like that?" Dimitri asked.

"Rodents don't open lids like whatever is stealing our food does. Also, we almost never have a rodent problem thanks to all the cats living in the monetary." One of the chiefs said.

"Is something wrong in here?" Isaac asked grabbing the attention of Dimitri and the chiefs.

"Ah Professor Isaac. I was helping the chiefs with a small problem." Dimitri said.

"Something has been munching on the food we have. The amount has been rather small, so some of us are thinking that it might have been an animal. But like I just told the prince here, whoever took the food was somehow able to open the containers they were stored in. Animals can't do that." One of the chiefs said.

Flint then appeared on Isaac's shoulder. "It could probably be a Djinn. We do have hands, and don't eat a whole lot due to our small sizes."

"A Djinn?" Dimitri asked perking up.

"It could have been one of the three already accounted for." One chief said as he stared at Flint.

"Flint hasn't left my side since I arrived at the Monastery. I can't say anything about Claw or Swift though." Isaac said.

Suddenly, there was a noise. The two Venus adepts and the chiefs turned to see a barrel of potatoes starting to shack a bit.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded as the slowly and quietly approach the barrel, surrounding it.

Quietly, but swiftly, Dimitri reached his gauntlet covered hand inside the barrel, and quickly pulled it out when he felt he grabbed something.

In Dimitri's hand, was a Venus Djinn. Its body type and color were the same as Flint, however its ears and spikes were pointed downwards unlike Flint's that were pointed upwards. Its tail was also shaped like an arrow head.

"Hey, what's the big idea? I was eating!" The Djinn complained.

Dimitri was in awe. "I-I actually found a Djinn."

"So this is the creature that was eating our food?" The chief asked annoyed.

"Indeed. Dimitri and I will take care of it." Isaac assured.

One of the chiefs sighed in annoyance. "Just make sure it doesn't do it again." With that, the chiefs walked away. One of them mumbled "Fricken Psynergy crap."

"We should take this outside." Isaac advised the prince.

Dimitri nodded as the two walked out of the kitchen with the annoyed Venus Djinn still in Dimitri's grasp.

The two arrived by the railing outside of the Mess Hall in front of the fishing pier.

"Can you put me down now? This is getting annoying!" The Djinn complained.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have stolen all that food." Flint retorted.

"I was hungry!" The Djinn complained.

"I thought you guys don't need food." Dimitri asked.

"Doesn't mean we can't enjoy it." The Djinn retorted.

"Well, regardless, you can't just steal food from the Mess Hall like that." Isaac said.

"Well, where else am I supposed to get it? Everywhere else I go for food, I get called a monster and people ether chase me away, or run away in fear! I mean come on! Do I look like a monster?" The Djinn asked.

"No, but opinions of Psynergy aren't the best in Fodlan. Especially with all the new monsters that arrived in Fodlan because of it." Dimitri said causing Isaac to wince. "But, if you come with me, I can promise to give you some food."

The Djinn thought about it for a moment before speaking up. "You're an adept, right?"

Dimitri nodded.

"I see…I can sense quite a bit of Psynergy inside of you. Not as much as Blondie over there, but still pretty good." The djinn said.

"Blondie? We're both blonds." Isaac pointed out as he gestured to both his and Dimitri's hair color.

"Irrelevant." The Djinn dismissed. "Anyway, the name's Pewter. You got a name?"

"I am Prince Dimitri of Faerghus." Dimitri greeted.

"Nice to meet you Princely. Just let go of me, put your hands in the air, and don't forget that food promise, and we are good." Pewter said.

"Princely? Great. I feel like I got a mini-Claude with me." Dimitri groaned. But regardless, he did as he was told.

Pewter jumped into the air and turned into small yellow orbs that formed a circle in the air, and descended into Dimitri's body. Dimitri felt a new serge of power enter his body once Pewter merged with him.

"Strange feeling huh?" Isaac asked.

"Y-Yeah." Dimitri agreed in awe at the new strength he felt.

"You'll get used to it." Isaac assured.

Dimitri nodded. "I should tell the others. I'll see you later Professor Isaac."

"Later." Isaac waved as Dimitri left to go look for Byleth and the Blue Lions. "Now then, back to the cake."

Isaac returned to the kitchen, and found a recipe book for baking a cake. Considering that Raphael would likely eat anything, Isaac went for a basic chocolate cake.

"Okay then. First, we need some eggs, milk, and butter." Isaac said as he read the instructions.

"I'll get the eggs!" Flint chirped as he flew up to the refrigerator. Opening the door, he grabbed the eggs with his tiny hands.

Flint didn't have a good grip.

The eggs in Flint's hands slipped and fell to the floor.

However, Bernadetta jumped out of nowhere and caught the eggs.

"Wow, nice catch Bernadetta." Flint commented.

"Thanks Bernadetta, but what are you doing here?" Isaac asked as Bernadetta handed Isaac the eggs she caught.

"Uh, I was…hoping to make some sweets." Bernadetta mumbled.

"Now? Isn't Dinner going to be served in a few hours?" Isaac asked.

"It's not for now, it's for later." Bernadetta said. "Wh-what about you?"

"Raphael's birthday is in two days. We have plans for a small birthday party with the Golden Deer and I'm making the cake." Isaac explained.

"O-Oh…Do you need help? I-I'm good at baking." Bernadetta offered.

"Really? That would be great." Isaac said happily.

Sunday finally rolls along, and Isaac had Claude gather the deer to head to the classroom around late noontime.

"Claude, there had better be a good reason to drag us to the classroom on a Sunday." Lorenz groaned.

"Right? This is a time where I can lounge around without getting yelled at!" Hilda complained.

"Yeah. Isn't dinner going to be starting soon?" Raphael asked.

"Oh, there is." Claude said as he opened the door. Everyone but Claude and Ignatz gasped in surprise at what they saw.

The classroom was decorated with some gold-colored paper on the wall with a big banner that said "Happy Birthday!"

The tables were all pushed together with a yellow tablecloth placed on top that had a small feast of food. Most of it was meat such as ribs and chicken, but there were some salad and fruit on the table as well as a decent sized Chocolate cake in the center. To the side, there was some Ginger tea that Ignatz brood.

"Happy Birthday Raphael." Isaac said as his students entered the classroom.

"A-A birthday party?" Lysithea asked in surprise.

"W-Wow professor! I was not expecting this! This is incredible!" Raphael gasped with a big smile on his face.

"Everyone, enjoy." Isaac said as most of the students went straight for the food. Only Lysithea and Lorenz stayed behind.

"Professor, not that I want to sound rude, but are we simply allowed to turn our classroom into a party room? I doubt Seteth would approve of this." Lorenz asked.

"I don't know about him, but I did get permission from the archbishop." Isaac said.

"Really?" Lorenz asked surprised.

"Professor, I feel I should remind you that we have less than two weeks before we are sent out to deal with those bandits." Lysithea reminded.

"I am aware Lysithea. But even the best of warriors needs to rest." Isaac said.

"Glad you finally got around to seeing that." Flint muttered from Isaac's shoulder as Isaac intentionally ignored the djinn.

"Look, I do wish Raphael a happy birthday and all, but I have things I need to get done before then, so I can't stay for long." Lysithea said.

"Hey teach, if she leaves, I can have her slice of cake, right?" Claude asked from the food table.

"Hey! I never said that!" Lysithea cried out as her love of sweets overrode her busy life for the moment as she ran to join the others.

'She really seems to like to work herself. I know she's not only the top student of grades in my class, but of the entire academy; but she's still rather young. I hope she knows to take it easy every now and then.' Isaac thought.

"You know, when my brother went here, he told me that his birthday was just a birthday card and a gift." Hilda said.

"Well, I decided to try something different." Isaac said.

"I see that. Oh, and just so you know, my birthday is on the 3rd of the Pegasus Moon." Hilda added.

"I know. I was given files on all of you when I chose to lead this house." Isaac said.

"Well, thanks professor! This means a lot to me." Raphael smiled.

"You should also thank Claude and Ignatz. They helped me plan this. Oh, and Bernadetta helped me cook the cake."

"Really? Thanks, you guys." Raphael said as he turned to Claude and Ignatz.

"O-Oh, it's nothing." Ignatz said as he looked away.

"No problem big guy." Claude said with a smile. "Hope you enjoy my home cooking."

"Wait, YOU cooked this food, Claude?" Lorenz asked as Claude nodded.

"I did, with some help from Ignatz." Claude said. That calmed down Lorenz a bit. He wouldn't think Ignatz would do something underhanded to the food, or keep it a secret if Claude did. Not to mention, that most of the other students were eating it with nothing going wrong…for now.

Lorenz just grabbed some of the salad and a cup of tea. "Is this Ginger tea?"

"Y-Yeah. It's one of Raphael's favorites." Ignatz admitted. "I-I'm sorry if it's bad."

"Oh no. I'm fine with pretty much any tea. I was just curious." Lorenz assured.

"You know, it does occur to me that if Bernadetta helped, shouldn't she be here with us?" Hilda asked.

"I offered her to join us. I gave her the time and everything." Isaac said.

"No offense, but that girl seems to be afraid of her own shadow. I doubt she's actually going to come." Leonie commented.

While blunt and kind of rude, Leonie did have a point. Nearly every interaction Isaac had or witnessed with the Black Eagle archer, the girl would freak out pretty easily. Even Hanneman commented about her fear before.

"Make sure we save her some cake at least. I'll deliver it to her after the party." Isaac said. The Golden Deer nodded as they continued to eat and chat with each other.

As the party went on, Raphael spotted Ignatz sitting in a corner with a plate in his hands. Raph decided to join him.

"Hey Ignatz. Mind if I pull a chair and join you?" Raphael asked.

"Oh, uh, I just finished." Ignatz said.

"Finished? There's still a lot of food on your plate." Raphael said pointing to Ignatz's plate which, only about a quarter was eaten.

"I-I'm full. Here. You can have the rest." Ignatz said as he handed Raphael the plate of food.

"Uh, thanks?" Raphael said unsure on how Ignatz was acting.

"I-I'd better get going. Happy birthday Raphael." Ignatz said quickly as he left the room just as fast.

"I guess that means he won't help us clean up?" Claude asked having watched the whole scene.

"I guess I can help…so long as I don't have to lift much more than a plate or two." Hilda offered.

"Where would we be without you Hilda?" Claude sighed sarcastically.

After a few hours, the party came to an end. Raphael left first to check and see if he got a birthday card from his grandpa and little sister, thanking Isaac and Claude for setting this up. Ignatz returned soon after to assist with the cleanup.

Once the classroom was put back to normal, the students turned in for the night as the sun was already setting.

Isaac took the leftover cake to the first floor dorm rooms, stopping in front of Bernadetta's door.

*Knock* *Knock*

"W-Who's there?" A voice cried out in panic from the other side.

"It's me, Isaac." Isaac said.

A click was heard as the door slowly opened with Bernadetta peeking her head out.

"S-Sorry I couldn't make the party. I was…busy." Bernadetta muttered.

"It's fine. Here, I saved you some cake." Isaac offered holding out a slice of cake on a plate with a fork on it.

"R-Really?" Bernadetta asked as she opened the door a bit more.

"Sure. Here you go." Isaac said with a smile.

Bernadetta took the cake from Isaac.

"Th-Thanks." She muttered.

"Thank you for helping me make it. Raphael and the rest of the Deer said it was delicious." Isaac said.

"O-Oh...Thanks." Bernadetta said quietly.

"Do you cook a lot?" Isaac asked trying to get a conversation started.

"S-Sort of...Sorry, but I have some things I need to do before tomorrow." Bernadetta said trying to end the conversation.

"Oh, I see. Well good night Bernadetta, and thanks again for your help." Isaac said as he waved goodbye and set off for his own room just down the hall.

Bernadetta watched Isaac leave before staring at the cake for a moment. She really wasn't sure on what to make of Professor Isaac. He didn't seem like a bad guy, but looks could be deceiving. Regardless, she closed the door and returned to her room of solitude.

Later on in the middle of the night, Edelgard met up with Hubert outside the Monastery.

"Were you seen?" Edelgard asked.

"You should know that answer more than anyone else my lady." Hubert said. "I even made sure that Professor Isaac was fast asleep before I left."

"True enough." Edelgard admitted. "Let's be fast. We can get in trouble if we are spotted out here at this time, and we are nowhere near ready to proceed with our goal." Edelgard said.

"Yes. According to the report I received, a Djinn was spotted not too far from here." Hubert said.

Hubert lead the princess to a small clearing in a nearby forest where a Djinn was spotted.

The Djinn was orange with a yellow belly. It had a spiky head and a fan-like tail.

"That's the Djinn? It looks different from the ones we saw before." Edelgard said.

"Didn't you say that Professor Isaac said there were Mars Djinn that he wasn't able to show you?" Hubert asked.

"He did. During his first Psynergy class. He and Dimitri have a Venus one, Professor Byleth has a Mercury one, and Claude has a Jupiter one." Edelgard said as she recalled seeing Dimitri showing the Djinn he found raiding food from the kitchen to the rest of his class.

Edelgard slowly approached the Djinn that was snoozing, but her steps woke it up. In a fit of rage, it attacked.

"Give me a hand Hubert. We need to end this quick before the noise catches a guard's attention." Edelgard said readying her axe.

"Indeed. That Gatekeeper is very observant." Hubert said as he readied a spell.

The Djinn unleashed a blast of fire at the two who dodged the attacked. Hubert shot a blast of Mire at the Djinn which caused it to stutter and Edelgard struck it with her axe, causing the Djinn to fly into a tree.

"Ouch. What did you do that for? I was having a nice dream!" The Djinn complained.

"My apologies, but you attacked us." Edelgard pointed out.

"Well, what would you do if someone approached you while you were sleeping?" The Djinn asked and Edelgard had no retort.

"Fair point. I apologies for my actions, but I was hoping that you would lend me your power." Edelgard asked.

"You're an adept?" The Djinn asked.

Edelgard nodded. "My name is Edelgard Von Hresvelg. I am the princess of the Adrestian Empire and a Mars Adept. May I ask your name?"

"Call me Chili." Chili said.

"Chili. Nice to meet you. I do ask of you to please lend me your strength to fight for a new world." Edelgard asked.

"Milady. Are you sure it is wise to say as much?" Hubert asked rather concerned.

"If my relation with this Djinn is anything like Professor Isaac's relation with Flint is, then Chili here would have learned about our plans regardless. But we will be careful if we ever need to lend him to the others as a result." Edelgard said.

"As you wish my lady." Hubert bowed.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt. Okay I'll go with you." Chili said. "Raise your hands."

"Raise my hands? Like this?" Edelgard asked raising her hands.

"Perfect." Chili said. It busted into multiple red orbs that flew into the sky, and then went into Edelgard. Edelgard stood there in awe.

"That was…interesting." Edelgard said in awe as she felt a small surge in power enter her body.

"I hate to interrupt my lady, but it seems the Djinni's light show caught the attention of some guards, and they are heading this way." Hubert warned.

Edelgard nodded. "Very well then Hubert. Take us out of here." Hubert nodded and teleported the two back into the monastery as the guards appeared.

"Nothing here." One guard said.

"I know I saw some lights. It looked like fire." Another said.

"Probably a monster with that Psynergy stuff nearby. We'll need to discuss this with the Archbishop tomorrow and strengthen defenses just in case." The first guard said. The second guard nodded as they continued to search nearby just in case.

Djinni Fact of the Day:

Flint: Hey there boys and girls. Today, I get to talk about one of my own elements.

Name: Pewter

Attribute: Earth

Stats: HP +10 / PP +3

Origin: Golden Sun Dark Dawn

Original Location: Given to you by Laurel in Kolima Woods

Flint: So, what do you bring to the table?

Pewter: I give the usual boast with the power of Venus, but I can also drop the enemies defenses sometimes. But that's not important. You want to know the most important thing about me?

Flint: What's that?

Pewter: I CAN TALK!

Flint: ?

Pewter: I'm the only one in the franchise that can talk outside of giving adepts tutorials. That alone make me unique among the Djinn.

Flint: Maybe it's your manners...

Chapter Text

Following Raphael's birthday, Isaac had one more week to prep his students for their first mission. In terms of trust, it was still pretty shaky, but the failure of the Mock Battle was still pretty fresh in their minds. Hopefully, it will prevent them from doing something stupid again. At least for now.

It was now lunchtime as Isaac sat at a table with the rest of his students. As they ate, there was commotion coming from the Black Eagles table as Edelgard was showing off her new Djinn partner Chili.

"So, the Black Eagles finally got a Djinn, didn't they?" Claude asked.

"They seem a lot more interested in Edelgard's Djinn than they were with Dimitri's Djinn when he showed it off." Hilda commented.

Isaac nodded. The following day when Isaac and Dimitri found Pewter, Dimitri showed it off at the mess hall. While there were some awes here, (and jealousy from some of the Black Eagles) it wasn't at the same level as when Isaac, Claude, and Byleth showed theirs.

"If I were to take a guess, it's probably because they already saw a Venus Djinn with Flint. Edelgard however has a Mars Djinn, which for a few weeks now was the only type of Djinn not present at the Monastery." Isaac guessed.

"I think you might be right professor. Even I am more interested that I got to finally see what a Mars Djinn looks like." Lysithea admitted.

"I do feel kind of bad for Dimitri though. Him finding a Djinn didn't get as much of a reaction." Ignatz admitted.

"I don't think he's really bothered by it." Leonie commented as she pointed to the prince, who while was observing Edelgard's Djinn, was acting rather fine as he was speaking to Byleth.

"I feel that at this point, now that everyone has gotten to see each type of Djinn, it will be more of a matter of who has what Djinn and how many." Claude said.

"Considering how competitive you guys can get, that might be the case." Isaac said.

"Well of course. If we're going to play, we should at least try to win." Claude said.

"For once I agree with Claude." Lorenz added.

"By the way professor, are you planning on attending Saint Macuil Day this Wednesday?" Hilda asked curiously.

"Saint Macuil Day?" Isaac asked confused.

"Right. I forget you're unaware of a lot of the Church of Serios. Kind of makes me wonder how you got this job." Claude teased.

"I'm guessing mostly my Psynergy." Isaac guessed.

"Probably. But you said you traveled with Captain Jeralt before coming here for a few years. You never heard of it before hand?" Claude asked.

"Anytime I asked about anything of the Church of Serios, Jeralt would dodge my question or shut it down. He also wanted us to stay away from it for some reason." Isaac said.

"He was once the Captain to the Knights of Serios. I wonder why he left, or why he didn't want to stay away from here?" Lysithea wondered.

"Couldn't tell you. He never spoke much of his past beyond raising Byleth, or some mercenary job he took." Isaac said.

'Watch out for Rhea.' Jeralt's words rang in Isaac's mind. Those were the words he whispered to him and Byleth when they were given the teaching position at Garreg Mach. Though honestly, Isaac was still trying to figure out what the captain meant by that. While it was obvious that Rhea seemed to know more about Psynergy than she let on, (to which Isaac needs to get around to asking her about that) the archbishop has been rather kind to him so far. Though if he learned anything from his travels in Weyard, one's actions don't always say their motivations. Isaac was keeping an eye on Rhea when he could, but until the archbishop started to give him a reason, or Jeralt tells him more on what he meant by what he said that day, Isaac had no reason to suspect the archbishop of something malicious.

"Anyway, back to the topic at hand, what is Saint Macuil Day?" Isaac asked.

"You know the Saint Macuil, right?" Claude asked and Isaac nodded.

"Well, Saint Macuil Day is a special day in honor of Saint Macuil. The service will be late morning, and go on until lunchtime." Lysithea explained.

"I also heard there will be some taste treats for lunch that day too!" Raphael chimed in.

"Best part is that classes are off for the day." Hilda added.

Isaac nodded. "I recall reading that part on a notice sheet I received this morning. But I am curious about Fodlan's history, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to attend."

"I don't know if you'd learn much more than whatever you read in the library." Claude commented.

"What about the rest of you? Will you attend, or do you not have a choice?" Isaac asked.

"It's not a requirement, but it is heavily encouraged. Especially for anyone who wants to use Faith Magic." Lysithea said.

"Really?" Isaac asked curiously.

Lysithea nodded. "Faith magic is tied with our devotion to the Goddess. While you still will need to train like with Reason magic, connecting to the Goddess can help you harness the power."

"Speaking of Faith magic, I heard there was a spell that was said to be strong against monsters." Leonie said.

"You must be talking about Seraphim." Lysithea said.

"Yeah, that one. I'm curious. Do you think it would be effective against the monsters that came from Psynergy?" Leonie wondered.

"Actually, I did hear some of the knights mentioned that Seraphim does have some effect on those monsters born from Psynergy. It's part of the reason that they were able to maintain control when those crystals fell." Ignatz said.

"Yes, but unfortunately, Faith magic is rather limiting in how many times one can caste it before they exhaust their magic energy. The monsters of Fodlan were for the most part pretty few in numbers, unless you head off to a place where they normally reside. However, after these new monsters came to be, they've become rather common. There has actually been a higher demand for anyone you can learn that spell as a result." Lorenz stated.

"Really? Maybe I should give Faith magic a shot. My goal is to be a mercenary after all." Leonie said.

"While Seraphim isn't as advanced as something like Abraxas, it's not a simple spell to learn. There have been many Faith users who were never able to learn multiple known Faith spells throughout history. I've actually been looking into the spell myself, and I will warn you, it isn't an easy spell to learn." Lysithea warned.

"I won't know until I try." Leonie said.

"Well, if any of you have interest in learning some Faith magic, just let me know, and I'll do what I can to add it to your training." Isaac said.

Leonie, Ignatz, Raphael, Lorenz, and Lysithea nodded. Claude and Hilda didn't look interested in the idea, and Marianne said nothing since Faith magic was already in her training schedule.

Soon enough Wednesday finally came. As Isaac was finished getting dressed in the professors uniform Seteth gave him, a knock was heard at his door.

Isaac opened the door to see Flayn.

"Ah, Professor Isaac! I was wondering if you were going to attend the Saint Macuil service today?" Flayn asked.

"I was actually about to head there." Isaac responded.

"Oh! Well then, will you accompany me there then?" Flayn asked hopefully.

"Sure." Isaac nodded as he exited his room. Flayn grinned happily as she lead  Isaac to the cathedral.

As Flayn and Isaac approached the church, the bridge leading to the door was filled with a lot of people.

"Wow. Sure, is crowded here." Isaac commented.

"Oh dear. I was hoping to beat the crowd, but it looks like that didn't happen." Flayn sighed before turning to Isaac. "There wouldn't happen to be a Psynergy to get us across the crowd quickly? I was supposed to meet up with my brother before the service."

"Well, there is a Teleport Psynergy spell, but I don't have it on me." Isaac said.

"Is that learned by one of those items you told us about in Psynergy class?" Flayn asked.

Isaac nodded. "Yeah. The Teleport Lapis. But sadly, my friend Ivan had it last."

"Oh. I guess we'd better get moving then." Flayn sighed as the two joined in with the crowd.

"Does it usually get this crowded for services?" Isaac asked.

"Well, yes, but on the Saint days, it gets even more crowded." Flayn said.

"Great." Isaac groaned.

Isaac and Flayn eventually made their way into the chapel along with the crowd. As soon as the two had an opening, Flayn bolted towards the alter where Seteth and Rhea were finishing setting things up for the service.

"There you are Flayn. I told you to come early in order to beat the crowd." Seteth said upon noticing her approach them.

"Sorry brother. I wanted to ask if Professor Isaac would join us for the service." Flayn said.

"Ah. I was meaning t ask you him as well, but sadly I ran short on time. Thank you Flayn." Rhea said with a smile. Flayn nodded with a smile of her own as Rhea turned her attention to Isaac. "If you're here, I assume that means you are interested in joining us for service?"

Isaac nodded. "I did say I wanted to learn more about Fodlan while I was here."

"Well, Professor Byleth saved you a seat it seems." Rhea smiled as she pointed to behind Isaac. The adept turned to see Byleth sitting in the front row waving to him.

Isaac waved back as he went to join Byleth.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up." Byleth said.

"I'm surprised you're here." Isaac admitted as he sat next to Byleth.

"Lady Rhea kind of dragged me here and stuck me in the front row." Byleth said.

"Drag you here?" Isaac asked confused.

"She was really insistent that I attend the service. Apparently, my father always did when he served as the captain." Byleth said.

"Is Captain Jeralt here as well?" Isaac asked.

"I haven't seen him in a few days. Though he's probably busy. Last time I got to speak with him, he was complaining that he's neck deep in work." Byleth said.

"Now that I think about it, it has been a while since I saw him as well. I guess I've been busy with the party and the training to notice. And I even asked for some horse riding lessons." Isaac said.

"Sadly, from the looks of things, you won't be able to get it for this month." Byleth said.

"I see. So, any of your students here?" Isaac asked.

"I know Mercedes and Annette said they would attend, and I believe Dimitri intends to as well, but I haven't seen them. Like I said, Rhea kind of put me here in the front." Byleth said.

"I think some of my students said they'd come. Probably somewhere in this crowd of people." Isaac said as he glanced behind his shoulder to the many people filling the seats behind them.

"Well, looks like the service is about to start, so we'd better pay attention." Byleth pointed out. Isaac nodded and faced forward as Seteth started to speak with Rhea and Flayn stepping aside.

"Greetings to one and all. We come here on this day to remember the bravery of Saint Macuil. One of the four Saints that fought alongside Serios against Nemesis in the War of Heroes." Seteth began.

Seteth continued the service on Saint Macuil. As he did, Isaac did notice a slight sad look that etched on Rhea, Flayn's and even Seteth's faces when Seteth spoke of Saint Macuil. But Isaac shrugged it off. Byleth meanwhile was having a conversation in her head with Sothis.

"Macuil. You know, there is something about that name that does sound familiar." Sothis commented.

"Well, considering how famous the Saints are in Fodlan, maybe you heard about it at one point." Claw commented.

"I don't know about that. I feel like there's…more to it. The same also goes for the other Saints as well. Cichol, Cethleann, Indech, and even Serios. Why do they sound familiar to me?" Sothis wondered.

"I'm more interested on Saint Macuil's gift of strategy. I wonder how he'd fair against me?" Byleth wondered.

"My. Someone has gotten a bit of an ego." Sothis teased.

"N-No. But it's only natural to want to test yourself against others." Byleth said.

"Of course." Sothis teased.

Eventually, the service came to an end and Isaac and Byleth followed the crowd outside. As they crossed the bridge, they began to chat.

"Man, that was long." Flint sighed.

"Well, since there are no classes for the day, what are your plans?" Byleth asked.

"A few students asked for some extra lessons on Psynergy, so after I grab a bite to eat, I'll probably be spending most of my day with that, or training some of the Deer." Isaac said.

"I think Dimitri wanted to spar with me, so I guess I know what I'm doing next." Byleth said.

"Never a dull moment with you two. By the way, what did you think of the service?" Flint asked.

"It was interesting." Byleth admitted and Isaac nodded.

"I suppose that's one way to put it." A voice said.

The two turned to see a familiar green-haired student walk towards them.

"Linhardt? What are you doing here?" Isaac asked.

"I am a Faith Magic user. It was of great importance that I attend. But what I was really interested in was Saint Macuil himself." Linhardt said.

"Why's that?" Byleth asked.

"Because of his crest of course." Linhardt explained.

"His crest?" Isaac asked confused.

"Ah that's right. You are not from Fodlan." Linhardt remembered. "Well then, allow me to explain. You see, many of the noble houses of Fodlan all bare a crest that was passed down from those that fought in the War of Heroes between Saint Serios and the Fell King Nemesis. The crests of the Kingdom and Alliance all bare crests that were passed down from the Ten Elites that fought aside with Nemesis in the War of Heroes. However, the Crests of the Empire are actually crests of the Saints."

"Really?" Isaac asked curiously.

"Indeed. In fact, the very first Emperor of Adrestia, Wilhelm Paul Hresvelg, was blessed by Saint Serios to create the Empire. The Hresvelg line in fact bear the Crest of Saint Serios." Linhardt said.

"So, Edelgard has the Crest of Serios as well?" Isaac asked.

"Indeed, I do." Edelgard said as she approached the three.

"Oh Edelgard. You're here as well?" Byleth asked.

Edelgard nodded. "As a house leader, I should set an example for my classmates. Now what are we talking about here?"

"I was telling Professor Isaac about the Empire baring the crests of the Saints, and why I find Saint Macuil interesting." Linhardt said.

"I see." Edelgard muttered before turning to Isaac and Byleth. "Though that kind of stuff is common knowledge in Fodlan. It's rather surprising to see that nether of you know this, yet were given such a position in the Officers Academy."

"You're not the first to say that." Isaac sighed.

"My apologies. I didn't mean that to be a jab against you, more of a baffle that the archbishop would hire two people without even that knowledge." Edelgard said.

"She says that, yet she wanted one of you to teach her class just as much as the other two did." Sothis commented, but Byleth didn't respond to that.

"But just as Linhardt said, the Empire does indeed bare the Crests of Saint Serios and the four Saints that fought alongside her. My family has possessed the Crest of Serios since then."

"And my family bares the Crest of Saint Cethleann." Linhardt added. "Fredinand's family bares the Crest of Cithol, and Bernadetta's family, along with House Essar bare the crest of Indech."

"And who bares the crest of Saint Macuil?" Byleth asked.

"Currently, no one. In fact, there is very little known on the Crest of Macuil." Linhardt said. "The last known family to possess the Crest of Macuil was House Nuvell, but they are sadly no longer around."

"Why? What happened to them?" Isaac asked.

"House Nuvell was destroyed in the Dagda and Brigid wars five years ago." Edelgard said sadly.

"Brigid and Dagda wars?" Isaac asked confused.

"The countries of Brigid and Dagda launched a joined attack on the Empire. In the end, we were able to stop them, and Brigid was made a vassalage of the Empire as a result. That is why Petra is here." Edelgard explained with some sorrow in her voice. "Unfortunately, House Nuvell was where they attacked from and the entire house was destroyed in the battle."

"That's terrible." Isaac muttered sadly.

"Another house that once possessed the Crest of Macuil, was House Ochs. In fact, Baron Ochs daughter attended here a year ago. Monica Von Ochs. But she suddenly vanished shortly before her graduation." Linhardt added.

"She just vanished?" Byleth asked confused.

"It's unsure as to how or why. I've heard rumors that she was kidnapped, but I heard other rumors that she left on her own volition. Regardless of what happened to her, she hasn't been seen since, and she was the only member of House Ochs to possess the Crest of Saint Macuil in recent years. So, as a result, there isn't anyone around currently who bares the Crest for me to study." Linhardt said.

"So, you really like Crests then, huh?" Byleth asked.

"I am studying to be a Crest Scholar, yes." Linhardt said.

"Like I told you both before, Linhardt is a really smart person, but he almost never applies himself to anything that doesn't interest him." Edelgard sighed.

"But speaking of things that interest me, I have a favor to ask Professor Isaac." Linhardt said.

"What is it?" Isaac asked.

"I would like to observe your Psynergy classes. After all that Caspar has shown and told me about Psynergy, I have found the topic rather interesting." Linhardt said.

"Uh, sure. Actually, it would be helpful for the other non-adept students to attend Psynergy class once in a while. It can help them get used to fighting against Psynergy, as well as fight alongside Psynergy. I did discuss it with Professor Hanneman and he does seem on board with it." Isaac said.

"I am as well." Byleth added.

"Very well. I can see where you are coming from. Even with our mission is supposedly safe, with the number of monsters running around, I have a strong feeling that we will be seeing some fighting regardless. In fact, I think I'll be sure the whole class participates in Psynergy class this Friday, since you said it would be combat training." Edelgard said.

"I should do that as well." Byleth said.

"That may be hard to schedule that only a few days away, especially if those students had other plans." Isaac said.

"True. Actually, now that you mention it, I think Ashe said he was planning on asking for some archery lessons during Psynergy class." Byleth said.

"We can bring it up to our students, and if they want to come, they can come." Isaac said and Byleth nodded.

"Looks like that will be noisier than I thought." Linhardt sighed.

"Well, if you want a quieter session, I am hosting a Seminar on Psynergy today for some students that asked for additional lessons." Isaac offered. "So far, Lysithea, Flayn, Caspar, and Marianne are the only ones attending it."

"You are?" Edelgard perked up and Isaac nodded. "Then do you mind if I attend as well?"

"Be my guest. It will be in an hour. First, I need a bite to eat first." Isaac said.

Edelgard nodded. "I can go for a bite myself. Perhaps you will join me?"

"Sure. Lead the way." Isaac smiled as the two headed to the dining hall.

"I think I'll join them for a bite as well before meeting up with Dimitri. You coming Linhardt?" Byleth asked.

"No, I got some napping to do before the Seminar. I'll see you later Professor Byleth." Linhardt waved as he walked away.

Byleth just shrugged and ran to catch up with Edelgard and Isaac as they headed for the mess hall.

Djinni Fact of the Day:

Flint: Hey guys, next we have a Mars Djinni. Meet Chili.

Name: Chili

Attribute: Fire

Stats: HP +8 / PP +3 / ATK +3

Origin: Golden Sun Dark Dawn

Location: Joins with Eoleo

Flint: So, what are you capable of

Chili: I blast an enemy with the power of Mars so bad that they can be left stunned as a result.

Flint: Wow. With you now, I have covered one of every element at least once.

Chili: Yeah about that...WHY WAS I AFTER PEWTER?! You already did yourself for a Venus Djinn! Why did I have to wait longer for a Mars Djinn segment?

Flint: I don't know? Blame Golden!

Flint runs away with Chili chasing him.

Chapter Text

It was Friday morning, and as Isaac went to grab his breakfast, he was approached by Flayn who came to tell him that Rhea was looking for him.

“You wanted to see me?” Isaac asked as he approached the archbishop.

Rhea nodded. “You are aware of the mission I assigned you, correct?”

“Been mainly on my mind this entire month.” Isaac admitted.

Rhea nodded. “Well, our knights seem to have found a lead to where their base might be. A small village located in western Daphnel territory has reported bandit activity that matches their description has been seen numerous times around. We have reason to believe that their base is located somewhere in that area.”

Isaac nodded as Rhea pulled out a map of Fodlan. She then pointed towards Daphnel’s territory which was located in the north-western area of Alliance territory.

“The path there is pretty straight forward, so long as you follow the path by the side of the Ogma Mountains. It’s still quite a hike though, so I’d recommend leaving early in the morning.” Rhea advised.

“I shall depart after breakfast then. Is that okay?” Isaac asked.

Rhea nodded. “Your day of departure will be on Monday. So, you have today and this weekend to prepare. You will be supplied with a convoy to help carry your equipment.”

Isaac nodded. “Thank you very much.”

Rhea smiled. “Then have a nice day, Isaac.”

Isaac nodded and left the audience chambers.

Golden Deer Classroom:

Isaac started class by reciting what Rhea just told him.

“So, we leave on Monday after breakfast huh?” Claude asked.

Isaac nodded. “We’ll be spending today and tomorrow finishing up on training, and I would recommend that you pack what you need on Sunday. It is a long trip, so bring some camping gear.”

The class looked rather nervous.

“A-Are you sure we’re ready?” Ignatz asked worried.

“We’ll be as ready as we can. But I will do everything in my power to ensure all eight of you come back here alive. I only ask you trust in me as well.” Isaac said.

The class nodded, though uncertainty still rang in their eyes.

“Alright then. Let’s get started with today’s lesson.” Isaac said as he grabbed his text book and began the lecture.

After class:

Class wrapped up and the students started to pack up.

“No homework this weekend. Instead use the time to get yourselves ready. Make sure you pack what you need, but don’t pack too much. We’ll be given a convoy, but they can only carry so much supplies.” Isaac advised. “Lastly, Psynergy class will begin soon. Anyone else is free to attend if you wish to experience some Psynergy in combat.”

“I’m game! I want to see what this Psynergy can really do in battle.” Leonie said.

“I can’t. I have things I need to get done before we leave.” Lorenz said.

“Like I said, it’s up to you if you wish to attend or not. But regardless, class is dismissed.” Isaac said as the students all got up and left the room. Claude however stayed behind.

“You’re nervous. Aren’t you teach?” Claude asked.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve led others into battle…but last time, it didn’t go all too well.” Isaac admitted. “I got lucky that my friend Felix showed up when he did, or me and my friends would have been killed. During my time with Jeralt, he and Byleth usually called the shots, I just helped. Now I’m back into a leader role, and with a no offense, a crazy class.”

“None taken. And I get it. I really do. I may not act like the leader you see in Dimitri or Edelgard, but I don’t want see any of us die on the mission any more than you do.” Claude assured.

“That’s good to hear. But on the topic of this class, can I ask you not antagonize Lorenz every chance you get? The guy can get rather pompous and full of himself, but you seem to like to get under his skin a lot too.” Isaac said.

“Well…” Claude began trying to counter that statement, but alas, he knew Isaac was right. “Alright. I promise to try.”

Isaac sighed as he headed out of the classroom with Claude right behind him.

“By the way teach, are we going to learn about summons today?” Claude asked.

Isaac shook his head. “No. I don’t think you guys will need it for the missions that were assigned. You all are still trying to get a grasp on the true power of Psynergy. I don’t think you’re ready just yet.”

Claude pouted, but said nothing.

“Professor Isaac.” A voice called out.

Isaac and Claude turned to see a young man with long blond hair and a mask covering the top half of his face approaching them.

“Professor Jeritza.” Claude greeted.

You’re professor Jeritza?” Isaac asked.

“I am the combat instructor here at Garreg Mach Monastery. My name is Jeritza von Hrym.” Jeritza said in a monotone voice.

“Oh. Nice to meet you. My name is Isaac.” Isaac greeted.

“I hear that you will be teaching combat with Psynergy today. I wish to assist.” Jeritza said.

“You can use Psynergy?” Claude asked.

“No. But I wish to see its power myself.” Jeritza said.

“I don’t have a problem. I could also use a hand on any weapon instruction for the students.” Isaac said.

Jeritza nodded. “Then lead the way.”

Isaac nodded and the three headed for the gates.

Isaac saw he was the last one to arrive at the gate this time, along with Claude, and Jeritza as everyone else was already there and waiting for him.

But with his usual, there were a few extra faces as well.

Leonie and Linhardt were no surprise. Leonie said she’d be there a little while ago, and Linhardt asked to join after Saint Macuil’s service.

Hubert probably wasn’t that much of a surprise ether. It didn’t take long for Isaac to see how Hubert sticks to Edelgard like glue. In fact, Isaac was ready to expect to see Hubert as a regular, just like Seteth is.

The last new student was Mercedes who was having a chat with Byleth.

Seteth was talking with Flayn, but upon Isaac’s arrival, his attention drew to the young Adept from Vale.

“It’s about time you showed up.” Seteth commented slightly annoyed.

“My apologies.” Isaac bowed.

“Professor Jeritza, you will be joining us too?” Edelgard asked taking notice of the masked professor alongside Isaac and Claude.

Jeritza nodded. “I want to see what Psynergy is capable of in battle first hand.”

Edelgard looked a bit surprised at the masked professor's answer, but nodded none the less as the gates opened and the group headed out to the spot for Psynergy class.

“All right class. Today we are going to begin combat training using Psynergy. I know that some of you have already had practice with this before, but here we are going to go over what an Adept can do while in the midst of combat.” Isaac instructed his class.

Isaac then drew a training sword into his hands.

“An Adept must train in both body and mind. Use both weapon and Psynergy together in battle. So today, we will have sparing matches. You are to use both Psynergy and a training weapon of your choice in combat. Those of you who aren’t Adepts that joined in, I ask that you hold tight for a little while. After a bit of sparing, I will allow you to join in as well. Lastly, I want those of you with Djinn to put them in standby for today. I’ll allow you to use them next time, but for now, let’s focus on your own strength.” Isaac instructed.

“How are you dividing us?” Byleth asked.

“I’ll let you all pick your partners for this.” Isaac said.

“Good.” Byleth nodded and turned to Dimitri. “You’re with me Dimitri.”

“Uh okay. Not that I’m complaining, by why me exactly?” Dimitri asked.

“There’s something I want to work with you on, and I haven’t gotten the opportunity yet to do so with everything else that’s going on.” Byleth explained.

Dimitri just nodded in response.

“Lysithea. Who you like to spar with me?” Edelgard asked.

“Uh sure Edelgard.” Lysithea said a bit surprised the imperial princess chose her of all people.

“I pick you.” Felix spoke pointing a training sword at Claude.

Me?” Claude blinked.

“You seem to be one of the better ones at Psynergy here given your performance two weeks ago. I’m curious to see how you fight.” Felix answered.

Bernadetta and Marianne chose each other…though neither actually spoke.

“Oh yeah! Let’s go Dedue!” Caspar declared!

“Very well then.” Dedue nodded.

“Isaac. If you don’t mind, I’d like a spar with you.” Shamir said.

“Me?” Isaac blinked.

“I’m curious to see your strength.” Shamir said.

Isaac nodded and turned to Flayn. “Why don’t you hang by for the moment. I’ll have a spar with you afterwards. Okay?”

Flayn nodded.

“Awesome! Professor Isaac vs Shamir! This I’ve got to see!” Leonie said as she watched right alongside Flayn.

“I think I’ll go watch the others in case they need healing.” Mercedes said as she headed to where Dedue and Caspar were fighting.

Hubert said nothing. He just went to watch Edelgard and Lysithea.

Isaac readied a training sword in his hands as Shamir readied a training bow against him.

“Ready when you are.” Shamir said.

Isaac nodded and leaped forward and charged at Shamir.

Shamir fired an arrow that Isaac dodged out of the way.

Isaac looked ready to charge again, but instead, raised his hand. “Quake!”

The ground shook beneath Shamir as she tried to keep her balance, but it left her open enough for Isaac to land a direct attack.

“GAH!” Shamir grunted from the hit as she stumbled back. “Not bad. I can see what you mean by utilizing attacks and Psynergy together.”

“Thanks.” Isaac chuckled.

“But don’t get confident. That was just a warm up. This spar is far from over.” Shamir stated as she got into position to attack again.

Isaac nodded. He may have got a clean hit off, but he doubts that would be as easy a second time. This wasn’t a mere student; this was a Knight of Serios. She may be a novice in Psynergy, but she very likely knew how to fight.

Dimitri charged forward at Byleth, who spun around to avoid the lance, and strike from behind, causing Dimitri to stumble forward.

“This was what I wanted to work with you on. You are strong Dimitri. Heck, you’re likely stronger than me physically, but there is more to battle than just pure strength. Your forward charge can win you against an opponent off guard, but a prepared opponent can easily make a fool of you like I did just now.” Byleth said.

“I-I understand professor.” Dimitri said a bit embarrassed.

“But we are here to learn Psynergy as well, so we’d better get to using that.” Byleth smirked as she raised her hand.

Dimitri nodded and did as well.

Claude jumped back again to get some distance from Felix who was swing his blade at him.

“Is all you’re going to do is play tag the entire time?” Felix growled.

“Hey, I’m an archer. Close range combat isn’t exactly my specialty.” Claude said.

Felix said nothing. He just held up his hand and summoned a fireball that launched at Claude.

“Crap!” Claude cried out as he dodged out of the way. Claude then raised his hand. “Impact!”

Claude’s body glowed in a bright light as he readied an arrow and fired.

Felix blocked the arrow, but the force of the attack surprisingly pushed him back.

“What the? I thought there were no Djinn allowed!” Felix cried out.

“I didn’t use Swift!” Claude said as he readied another arrow.

'Then it must of been that spell he used after he dodged my attack. So, it seems he can increase his strength at will. I'd better be careful.' Felix thought as he readied for Claude's next attack.

Caspar had brought some gauntlets to class this time around, instead of the axe he normally used in training. Something Dedue took note of.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you using Gauntlets this time?” Dedue asked.

“Well, it’s kind of a staple in my house to be good at ether axes or gauntlets. I want to be good at both. I’ve got enough axe training for now, so now it’s time to train gauntlets.” Caspar stated.

Dedue nodded as he readied an axe and a shield in his hands.

“Hey Professor Isaac, is a shield allowed?” Caspar called out.

“Yes!” Isaac shouted back as he fought with Shamir.

“Darn. Well then, here goes my Psynergy!” Caspar declared as he readied a fireball.

“I came here to watch and heal, but maybe it would be best to take a few steps back…” Mercedes muttered as she watched the fight unfold.

Lysithea jumped back to avoid a blow from Edelgard’s axe.

“Bolt!” Lysithea called out.

Edelgard barely dodge rolled out of the way of the bolt of lightning that came down from above.

“Fireball!” Edelgard called out as a ball of fire shot at the younger white-haired girl.

“Gah!” Lysithea grunted as she was hit by the attack and stumbled back.

“Are you okay Lysithea?” Edelgard asked in concern.

“I-I’m fine! I can take care of myself!” Lysithea declared.

“I don’t deny that Lysithea.” Edelgard assured.

Lysithea blinked. Maybe it was because she spent way too much time around Claude, but she was half expecting Edelgard to make a joke at her or something.

“Now come on Lysithea. Show me what you can really do.” Edelgard declared.

Bernadetta fired an arrow after launching a whirlwind at Marianne. The blue-haired girl was knocked back by the wind, but the fall made her dodge the arrow.

“Ply.” Marianne called out as her body was covered in a blue light, healing her. Once she was healed, she raised her hand again. “Douse!”

Powerful raindrops fell on the purple haired girl as she stumbled to the ground with a yelp.

Bernadetta groaned as she got back up. “That wasn’t great.”

Isaac and Shamir soon stopped and sheathed their weapons.

“So, did I meet your expectations?” Isaac asked.

Shamir nodded. “You’re definitely no novice. I don’t know if that was from Jeralt or from back in your homeland, but you’re definitely good.”

“You’re pretty tough yourself.” Isaac admitted. “I definitely won’t underestimate the Knights of Serios from here on out.”

Shamir nodded and walked off. Isaac turned to Flayn.

“Want to get started?” Isaac asked.

Flayn nodded. “To be honest, I don’t have a love for violence, but I do wish to learn as much of this power as I can.”

Isaac nodded as Flayn grabbed a lance.

The fight was rather short, as Isaac noticed that Flayn wasn’t a complete novice to fighting. She did seem to know how to wield a lance, but her attacks were rather predictable. Still, her Psynergy wasn’t that bad.

Leonie and Hubert got into some sparing as well, but Linhardt and Mercedes just observed.

Eventually, class time had ended, and Isaac gave his closing thoughts.

“Not bad today. Some of you are adapting to fighting with Psynergy better than others, but you all seem to be able to have some control over it. Keep practicing whenever you could and you’ll get better before you know that. I wish you all luck in your missions coming up.” Isaac said.

And with that, class was dismissed.

As the class headed back to the Monastery, Isaac was deep in thought.

Flint then appeared on Isaac's shoulder. "Something on your mind?"

Isaac just sighed. "Just thinking of the others."

"I'm sure they're fine Isaac. They're all pretty strong. Just like you." Flint assured.

"I know, but I still can't help but worry. And then there's Kraden." Isaac said.

"Kraden...Yeah. I can see why you'd be worried about him." Flint admitted.

Kraden didn't have any Psynergy, and was in his seventies. Fodlan isn't exactly a safe place to be. If Kraden did end up in Fodlan, Isaac could only pray he was somewhere safe, or at least with one of the others.

In a Small Village:

Two men were standing outside of a village that had turned in for the night.

One was a young man with long brown hair tied in a ponytail, and dressed in a green cloak over green armor and tan pants.

The other was an old man dressed in light blue robes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The old man asked.

The younger one nodded. "These villagers can't continue to deal with these bandits. Those knights that were sent by that church aren't having any more luck than then any other soldiers that apparently went out looking for them. But I can use my Psynergy to track them down, Plus, this could be a golden opportunity for me."

"Opportunity?" The old man asked.

"We haven't had any luck finding Jenna or the others with our search. We need to think of a different way to search. Those knights belong to that massive Church of Serios we've constantly been hearing about. Maybe if I can assist here, I could seek an audience with their archbishop." The younger man said.

"You wish to meet their archbishop?" The old man asked confused.

"You saw the way those knights looked at me when I offered to help them. Some looked at me with disgust, while others looked to me in surprise. It felt like it was in a way that they're familiar with my powers. Combine with the rumors we heard about the Church possibly knowing something about this 'new magic' in Fodlan, means it would be wise to investigate it ourselves. We may find an answer as to why we ended up here when the Golden Sun was formed." The younger man explained.

"That is true. I admit that this Church of Serios has peaked my curiosity. Plus, maybe the others had a similar idea." The old man said.

"I wouldn't put it past the likes of Isaac or Garet to do so." The younger man chuckled. Then it turned into a frown.

"Are you still blaming yourself Felix?" The old man asked.

"...They weren't supposed to get involved. None of them. I was hoping to leave them out of this, but they all got involved. Now they're all lost somewhere in this Fodlan place with no idea on how to get home." Felix said.

"We all made our choices in the end. I'm sure the others feel the same. Even Isaac." The old man said.

Felix frowned at that. "I'll start tomorrow. Those bandits like to strike in the morning from what I heard, so I'll lay in wait and trail them back to their base. Can I ask that you look after the others while I'm gone Kraden?" Felix asked.

Kraden nodded."I will Felix. But do be careful. You don't have to shoulder the entire burden yourself."

Felix said nothing as he headed back to the inn. Kraden soon followed.

Chapter Text

Today was Sunday. And while it was a free day, Isaac still called his class that afternoon to do a final review on his students before they set out tomorrow. However, just as he finished, the rain started to come down hard.

"Oh come on! Why did it have to start raining when we were done?" Hilda complained.

Just then, Flayn came running into the Golden Deer classroom, covering her head from the downpour.

"Oh dear. I was hoping to finish this job before it started to rain." Flayn muttered.

"Can I help you Flayn?" Isaac asked as he grabbed a towel from his bag and handed it to her.

"Thank you professor. I'm running an errand for my brother. He asked me to deliver a bag to each of the houses. Yours was my last stop." Flayn said as she took the towel to dry off while handing Isaac a small bag.

Isaac took the bag and looked inside. It was filled with gold coins.

"Money?" Isaac asked.

"A gift from Lady Rhea. Use it to help you prepare for your trip tomorrow." Flayn said.

"Thank you." Isaac smiled as he pocketed the coins.

"I hope this rain doesn't last forever. I was really hoping to grab a bite to eat and then train a bit more." Raphael commented looking outside at the downpour.

"A little rain never hurt anyone." Leonie said

"Maybe so, but it's pretty cold out and I don't want to run the risk of being sick before tomorrow." Ignatz said.

"I think I also heard thunder." Flayn added as some thunder roared in the distance that caused her to jump a bit.

"Why don't we just hang around here until the storm lets up. I don't think it's going to last forever." Claude suggested.

"This storm reminds me of…that night." Isaac muttered.

"That night?" Lorenz asked.

"Hey Teach, since we're stuck in here twiddling our thumbs, why not use this time to tell that story of yours?" Claude suggested.

"I would very much like to hear your story myself." Flayn chimed in.

"I want to hear as well." Lysithea said as everyone else nodded. Even though about half of them weren't adepts, none couldn't help but admit that they were curious to the origins of their new professor.

'Well, it's not like I was really planning to keep it a secret.' Isaac thought. "Alright."

When the class and Flayn got settled, Isaac stood in front of the class like he was about to teach and began his story.

"My tale begins about 7, maybe 8? I can't fully remember right now. Well, let's just say it started 7 and a half years ago. I grew up in a small little town called Vale with my parents Kyle and Dora, and my three best friends Garet, Felix, and Jenna. We normally spent the days ether playing, or studying Psynergy with an old scholar named Kraden who also lived in Vale. He wasn't an Adept, but he was a smart scholar that traveled the world and still knew quite a bit about Psynergy regardless. It was quite a happy time." Isaac smiled, but then his smile fell. "But sadly, all good things come to an end."

That got the class interested in Isaac with the sudden mood change.

"There was a terrible storm. I remember that my mom was frantically trying to get me to wake up. You see, Vale is located at the base of a massive mountain called Mount Aleph. The storm had apparently lodged some rocks lose, and boulders were tumbling down towards our town. Our town has an emergency procedure that has us head toward the entrance of the town for such an occasion. With the large river halfway through the town, it was the safest spot." Isaac said.

"Why didn't you just leave town? Wouldn't it be better to be safe than sorry, just in case the boulders made it past the river?" Ignatz asked.

"A good question Ignatz, but like Fodlan, monsters weren't a fantasy sadly, even before Psynergy was released across the rest of Weyard rather than being condensed in certain locations. If we left the village, we would be easy prey to monsters. Vale did have people that knew how to fight, but with the storm and everyone in a panic, it would have been too risky. Especially since they would have to protect the children and elderly. It was a small town, so there wasn't that many warriors." Isaac explained.

"I see." Ignatz said.

"Either way, smaller boulders were beginning to fall and a massive boulder was on its way, according to one of Vale's sages. My parents ordered me to head to the entrance of Vale while they went to look for stragglers who were caught by the boulders." Isaac said.

"Wait, they just left you alone in a crisis?" Hilda asked shocked.

"I was well aware on how to make it to the entrance by myself. I was 14 at the time after all." Isaac pointed out.

"Even still, you're their kid! Your safety should have been first." Hilda pointed out.

"My house wasn't that far from the river. At first my dad told my mom to take me and go, but she didn't want him to go alone so she went with him, trusting that I can make it. Though, I did make a detour." Isaac said

"A detour. In a storm?" Leonie asked surprised.

"I thought I heard something. Turns out, it was my friend Garet trying to pull a large chest of his stuff down to the entrance. Emphasis on try." Isaac said

"Seriously? Look, I have some belongings that I adore, but they aren't worth my life." Hilda said flatly.

"Garet doesn't always think." Isaac chuckled. "I did convince him to let it go and come with me to the entrance. Still, there was a bigger problem." Isaac's smile vanished. "On our way down to the entrance, a massive boulder fell from Mount Aleph. Some of the sages were using their Psynergy to hold it back, but they could only hold for so long. Our time was limited. And if things couldn't get worse…"

Flashback:

"My brother!" A younger Jenna cried out.

Isaac and Garet ran down the steps and what they saw shocked them.

Isaac's parents along with Jenna and her parents were on the dock outside of Jenna and Felix's house. Felix's father and Isaac's father Kyle were holding a rope out to a young Felix, holding onto a pole in the raging currents for dear life.

Jenna was frantically trying to run to her brother, but thankfully her mother was holding her back.

"The rope won't reach. We need to use Psynergy. Do you have any left?" Kyle asked.

"I've used all of mine up. What about you Kyle?" Jenna's dad asked.

Kyle shook his head. "I'm drained from helping the other villagers."

"We'll have to grab someone from the entrance. Someone is bound to have Psynergy." Dora said.

"Can Felix hold on long enough?" Kyle asked.

"There's nothing else we can do." Dora said sadly.

"Then go get help, but be as quick as possible." Kyle said.

"Jenna, can you go with Dora?" Her father asked and her mother nodded.

"Come on Jenna. Your brother is counting on us." Dora said as she led Jenna outside. Dora ordered Jenna to head south while Dora to head north to find an elder that stayed behind.

Isaac and Garet ran up to Dora.

"Isaac, you saw what happened?" Dora asked Isaac nodded. "Why don't you go help Jenna?" Dora ran off while Isaac and Garet ran off to Kyle and the others.

"Dad!" Isaac called out.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?" Kyle asked.

"We can help! We've trained in Psynergy." Garet said.

"I appreciate your offer, but your Psynergy isn't strong enough to help Felix. Go find help." Kyle said.

Flashback End:

"…your Psynergy isn't strong enough to help Felix. Go find help." Kyle's voice rang out. 'If only I was strong enough…' Isaac thought.

"Your friends fell into the rapid tides? How scary." Marianne muttered.

"It was. Felix was hanging on for dear life. Those tides were crazy." Isaac said.

"Aww, I could swim it." Raphael laughed.

"Unlikely. Tides during a major storm are incredibly dangerous. Even for someone like you Raph." Ignatz advised.

"So, what happened next?" Lysithea asked.

"Garet and I made it to the entrance, where Jenna and Garet's grandfather found someone who just charged himself on the Giant Psynergy stone." Isaac said.

"Giant Psynergy stone?" Leonie asked.

"At the base entrance of Vale, there is this massive Psynergy stone. Unlike the smaller Psynergy stones, this one doesn't break when we use it, though that might be due to its size." Isaac explained. "Anyway, with help in tow, we rushed back to Felix as fast as possible, but then…"

Flashback:

The four ran up to Dora and headed straight for the dock when a large noise was heard approaching. Looking up, the massive boulder from before was hurdling down fast.

For Isaac, time seemed to slow down as the boulder headed straight for his father and Jenna's parents. His legs were frozen in fear but he still called out to him. Kyle did give on final glance at Isaac and Dora before he turned back and braced himself for the inevitable. Isaac closed his eyes as the boulder hit the target.

When he opened his eyes, the deck was in complete shambles. His father and Jenna's parents were gone. Lost to the tides. Even poor Felix was no longer hanging on. The force of the boulder caused him to lose his grip and be lost with the grown-ups.

Isaac was staring in complete shock. His father was gone. Dora wasn't doing much better, being in a similar state as Isaac.

Garet was in shock too. Granted none of them was his parents, but even then, he and Isaac were always close. In a way, Garet lost a bit of family as well.

Jenna though was undoubtedly the worse. Not only did she lose her brother, but her parents were lost too.

"Mom…dad…Felix…Please don't leave me alone…" Jenna whispered on the verge of crying.

The help they got hurt his leg. Possibly trying to reach out to the others when they fell in the river.

Isaac snapped out of it and ran back to the entrance. He needed to get more help. He needed to get a search party.

Flashback ends:

The class was silent with that final piece.

"Wh-What happened next?" Raphael asked in shock which was shared with the rest of the class.

"I can't fully remember the details. Me and Garet ran back to the entrance, but then something attacked us and knocked us out. We awoke the next morning, and joined the serach parties to find my father and the others...sadly, we didn't find any of them." Isaac said sadly.

"So, they were all crushed by the boulder?" Flayn asked slowly.

Isaac shook his head. "I would find out years later that they were rescued by the two people that caused the storm in the first place."

"Caused a storm?" Claude asked skeptical.

"The Sol Sanctum that Vale was tasked with protecting contains many traps. And because of its connection to Psynergy, those traps can even conjure up a storm. From what I was told, they broke into the Sol Sanctum, and triggered a trap that caused the storm in the first place." Isaac explained.

"Psynergy can cause a storm like that?" Lysithea asked in both awe and horror.

"Yes, but not by a mere person. My powers are strong, but I can't make anything like that." Isaac said as the class breathed a sigh of relief.

"But now I have to ask, why did those people who caused the storm, rescue your father?" Ignatz asked

"I don't know. Some believed for a bargaining chip, some believed out of guilt? Maybe both? Those two are dead now, so it's not like I can ask them." Isaac said

"How did that happen?" Claude asked.

"That will be a story for another day. From the looks of things, the storm is letting up." Isaac said pointing outside. Sure enough, the rain was letting up. "I need to do some preparations for tomarrow, and I'd imagine that all of you have to as well."

"Not a really cherry note to end on Teach." Claude noted.

"Well it is only part one of my story. Next chance we get, I will tell more." Isaac promised.

The class nodded and headed out. Though Flayn stayed behind.

"Something you need Flayn?" Isaac asked

"I... well…no, it can wait. Thank you for telling me a part of your story Isaac." Flayn bowed as she left.

"Uh, no problem?" Isaac said confused. Once she left Isaac slumped back down with some guilt and anger on his face.

"You seemed troubled. What's wrong?" Flint asked

"Saturos and Menardi." Isaac said

"Still feeling guilty over what happened?" Flint asked

Isaac nodded. "They wanted to save the world. They were desperate in doing so. I can't help but feel guilty for killing them...But then again, a part of me still hates them for causing that storm and taking my father and friend away."

"You're human Isaac. It's natural to feel like that. But also remember what the Proxians said. Even they don't blame you for what happened. Those two chose their ends. Even if they won, it's unlikely that they wouldn't have survived absorbing all that Psynergy to transform like that." Flint pointed out.

Isaac said nothing as he left the classroom. All of that would have to wait. For now, he had to prepare for his class's first mission and he needed to give it his all.

Chapter Text

Monday was finally here. Isaac and the Golden Deer woke up, ate their breakfast, and were now finishing loading what they needed onto the convoy that they were supplied with.

“Okay. Do we have everything we need?” Isaac asked.

“We have a couple of spare weapons, some vulnerary, food, camping supplies…” Claude listed off.

“Should we stop at the shops for more supplies before we set off?” Lysithea asked.

“I’d like to hang onto some money in case of an emergency.” Isaac said noting that he only had about a handful of gold coins left. “Plus, we might need some money when we make it to the village.”

“I guess so.” Lysithea relented.

“Good. I just looked over the map and trail we'll be taking. If things go smoothly, we should be able to reach the village in about two days.” Isaac ordered.

"Wait, two days? Does that mean we'll have to camp?" Hilda gasped.

Isaac nodded and Hilda groaned.

"It's not that bad. I've had plenty of experience camping out." Leonie said.

"It's been a while, but I've had some experience in camping myself." Claude added.

"As have I. We should be fine." Isaac assured.

“Hang on a second.” A voice called out.

Isaac and the Deer turned to see Jeralt and Byleth approach the class.

“Oh Captain Jeralt! And Byleth? Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave as well?" Isaac asked the former Ashen Demon.

“Some of my students are still getting ready, but I’m all set. The Red Canyon also isn’t that far from here, so I don’t need to leave as fast as you.” Byleth said.

“Besides, we came to wish you luck. This will be your first mission as a leader in what? Three years?” Jeralt asked.

Isaac nodded. After Cognito, Felix took command while Isaac served more or less as a second in command. That also applied in his time with Jeralt’s group where he would ether assisted Jeralt or Byleth.

“Remember what I taught you. Just keep your chin up. Stay on guard, and keep a calm head on your shoulders. You’ll be fine.” Jeralt assured.

Isaac nodded. There were still some doubts inside of him, but he needed to pull through. For his students.

“On another note, I did some research on the group of knights that you're supposed to work with for this mission. The commander Edward is pretty neutral on Psynergy, so he shouldn't give you a lot of grief. But the men under his command have mixed feelings all around. So just try and act natural and you should be fine.” Jeralt advised.

Isaac nodded.

“Alright then. Good luck kid.” Jeralt smiled with a wave. Byleth did the same.

Isaac smiled and returned the wave as the group departed the gates.

“Safe travels out there!” The Gatekeeper called out.

“Thank you!” The entire Golden Deer class responded simultaneously.

The Golden Deer set off on the trail that Lady Rhea gave them. While Isaac was looking over the map again, the Golden Deer started to chat with each other.

"So Claude. Where do you think those bandits are hiding?" Hilda asked Claude who looked like he was in deep thought.

"Who knows." Claude shrugged. "Maybe when we get there I can get an idea, but until then, I have nothing."

"Seriously? That look on your face you had, it's usually the look you have when you're planning something or speculating." Hilda said.

"How perspective." Claude chuckles.

"Okay then, if you aren't thinking about the bandits, then what are you thinking about?" Hilda asked.

"Teach's sword. The big one he carries around everywhere, but never takes out." Claude answered.

"The one with a weird shape?" Hilda asked.

The students had noticed their professor always carried around a rather large sword with him, yet he never used it. Granted, in the monastery they all usually used training weapons, so there was no reason for him to draw it then, but the blade itself was always a stand out. The blade was shaped like a large triangle. Much larger than a normal sword.

"Well, maybe it's a memento of his father, like the scarf is of his mother." Hilda guessed.

"I guess, but for something like that, you'd think it would be better to leave it at the monastery." Claude guessed.

"If you two are finished..." Isaac suddenly said from behind Claude and Hilda causing the two to jump.

"Wow Teach! When did you get behind us?" Claude asked.

"You would have noticed if you payed attention. Like also noticing how far behind you two are falling." Isaac pointed out.

Claude and Hilda looked ahead to see the rest of the deer was a much further distance ahead, looking at them. Lorenz was looking rather annoyed. Or at least more than normal.

"Whoops. Sorry professor." Hilda chuckled.

Isaac sighed. "Monsters and bandits are everywhere. Please try harder to not split from the group?"

"Sorry." Claude and Hilda said simultaneously.

"And no, this sword wasn't a memento from my father. I have my reasons to carry it with me." Isaac explained as he walked towards the rest of the students.

Isaac and the Deer continued to travel alongside the Ogma Mountains until they arrived at a large bridge.

"Halt. Please identify yourselves." One of the Alliance guards said as he approached Isaac.

"I am Isaac. A professor at Garreg Mach." Isaac said as he pulled out a small yellow crest with a deer on it that Rhea had given him.

"Ah yes. A messenger told us that you would arrive. Very well. You may pass." The guard said.

'Once we cross this bridge, we shouldn't have too much further to go.' Isaac thought.

"MONSTERS!!!" A guard suddenly shouted.

The deer turned to see a group of monsters jump out of the water, and onto the bridge.

Most of the monsters were green lizard-like creatures with armor on their arms and shoulders and an axe in each of their hands.

The other few were more fish-like. They didn't have any armor on them, but they did have a seashell that was used like a shield in one hand, and a dagger in the other hand.

"What the heck? Are those monsters wielding weapons now?" One of the guards cried out.

"Just our luck!" Hilda cried out.

"Who knew these monsters could learn how to hold weapons." Claude commented.

"Can you please focus? This isn't the time to be impressed here!" Lysithea called out.

"Get ready for a fight. We need to help the guards!" Isaac ordered.

The guards of the bridge readied their weapons and began to battle the monsters as the Golden Deer joined in.

Isaac drew his steel sword and charged at one of the Mermen, and with a single slash, took it out.

The other two Mermen suddenly summoned several small orbs of water around them and then fired them at the young Venus Adept.

"Really wish I had Granite right now." Isaac muttered as he dodge rolled out of the way.

Claude jumped back as a Lizard man tried to cut him down with its axe as Swift appeared right next to him. "Swift!

With an arrow charged with Jupiter Psynergy, Claude shot an arrow and killed the Lizard man in one hit.

Hilda blocked the axe of another Lizard man with her own. "I can't believe it! They're Lizards! With axes! This is crazy!"

"Stop complaining and keep fighting!" Leonie shouted as she blocked a Lizard Man with her lance. Thankfully, a solider ran up from behind and stabbed the Lizard Man with his lance.

Suddenly another Lizard Man inhaled his breath, and releases a breath of watery gas at Leonie and the solider.

"GAH!" Leonie cried out in pain as she and the solider fell to the ground.

"Leonie!" Lysithea cried out. "Whirlwind!"

The gust of wind sent the Lizard flying into the air.

"Fire!" Lorenz shouted as he blasted the lizard with a ball of fire.

Marianne came running to the two and got to work on healing Leonie as a priest went to aid the solider.

Isaac struck down the last monster and everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the fight was over.

"That wasn't the first time we were attacked, but that was the first time we've seen creatures wield weapons like that." One of the soldiers said.

"I guess these monsters are getting a bit smarter then." Lorenz said.

"To a degree. They may be wielding actual weapons right now, but their tactics wasn't much more than charge straight forward and hope for the best." Claude commented.

"I've faced those monsters before. They can hit hard, but that's about it. They were rather weak in comparison to other foes I've fought." Isaac said.

"So there are stronger ones? Great." Hilda cried out.

"Strange powers aside, I guess we should count our blessings that they aren't as strong as the giant monsters." One of the soldiers commented.

Once everyone was checked and patched up, the Golden Deer crossed the bridge and continued towards their destination.

Several Hours Later:

"Hey teach, I think it's getting late." Claude called out.

Isaac looked up to the sky and just like the house leader said, the sun was starting to set.

"I guess we'd better set up camp before it gets dark out." Isaac said.

"FINALLY! After all that walking and fighting, I need a rest!" Hilda sighed as she slumped onto her knees.

"For once I have to agree with her." Lysithea muttered.

"Yeah. I was starting to get a bit tired myself." Leonie admitted.

"What about you teach? Aren't you getting tired?" Claude asked.

"Me? Uh not too much. I could still keep going." Isaac  admitted.

'What the heck is he?' The Golden Deer all thought.

Isaac just shrugged. "I did a lot of walking and fighting back during my travels on Weyard. In fact, the amount of monsters I've seen in Fodlan both on this trip and my time with Captain Jeralt, is growing, but far less than the amount of monsters back home."

"Well, let's hope that Fodlan doesn't turn into that." Ignatz sighed.

"Anyway, we'd better get things set up, and we'll need to get something to eat." Isaac said.

"I'll handle the hunting." Leonie offered.

"I think I'll join you." Claude said.

"Okay then. Hilda. Can you, Lorenz, and Raphael set up the tents?" Isaac asked.

"No problem professor." Raphael said as Hilda just groaned and Lorenz nodded.

"Marianne, you and Lysithea grab some water." Isaac ordered.

"Of course." Lysithea said as Marianne just nodded.

"I'll go and check the area for anything hostile. Just shout if you need something." Isaac said.

The deer nodded and got to work.

After another hour or so, the Deer was siting before the campfire as the results of Leonie and Claude's hunting was cooked and eaten. Soon enough, most of the deer went to bed, with only Isaac and Leonie awake.

"You can go to bed Leonie. I don't mind taking the first watch." Isaac offered.

"I will in a little bit. But I wanted to ask you something." Leonie said.

"What's up?" Isaac asked.

"You're Captain Jeralt's apprentice, right?" Leonie asked.

"I guess you can say that to a degree. He mainly taught me tactics. But I do appreciate him for taking me in when I arrived in Fodlan. Without him, I'd probably just wonder around like a lost puppy." Isaac said.

"Captain Jeralt was a big inspiration for me. I grew up in a small village called Sauin. And we had a problem with poachers." Leonie said.

"Poachers?" Isaac asked.

"Well bandits actually, but we called them poachers." Leonie explained. "Anyway, no one in the village had the skills or the guts to go up against them. But then Captain Jeralt came and drove them away with such ease. I was in awe at it all. He even taught me a few things during his time at my village. That's when I decided that I would grow to be a great mercenary. Just like him. That's my reason for coming to the officer's academy."

"I see. But you do know that being a mercenary is a pretty dangerous job, right?" Isaac asked.

Leonie nodded. "I'm aware professor."

"Well, I'm no captain Jeralt obviously, but I'll do my best to help you grow." Isaac smiled.

"Actually professor, I want to surpass you. Both you and Professor Byleth. She's the captain's daughter, and you are also an apprentice to Captain Jeralt. So, you two are my rivals." Leonie declared.

"Rivals huh? Well, if it will push you to grow, I guess there's no harm in it. But just don't let it go to your head. I hate to keep bringing this up, but I don't want you repeating what happened at the Mock Battle. Understood?" Isaac asked.

"Don't worry professor. I learned my lesson. I won't be making that mistake again." Leonie assured.

Isaac nodded. "Well then, you'd best get to sleep. Even Captain Jeralt needs his sleep."

Leonie nodded and headed for her tent.

Once the sun had risen, the Golden Deer was awoken. They packed up camp, ate some fish that was caught, and continued towards the destination.

After thankfully more uneventful marching, the Golden Deer arrived at a village.

"Is this the place?" Lysithea asked.

Isaac looked at the map. "Seems to be. This is Boulder Village."

The Golden Deer entered the town and started looking around. The village wasn't all that big, but it wasn't small ether. Still, most of the civilains were ether hiding in their homes, or scurrying to their homes as fast as possible. There were a few Knights of Serois walking around, but for the most part, they didn't pay any mind to the villagers.

"Man. These guys look like they've seen a ghost." Raphael commented.

"Well, with the abundance of bandit attacks these guys have dealt with, who could blame them?" A knight said as he approched the Deer. "My name is Edward. I am the commander of this squad."

"My name is Isaac. I am the professor of the Golden Deer." Isaac introduced.

"Ah Professor Isaac. We've been expecting you." Edward greeted.

"Hey if you don't mind me asking, why aren't you knights calming these people down? They look ready to freak out at the drop of a hat." Lysithea asked.

"We tried, but these people are just too spooked. Those bandits have gotten even worse lately. Apparently there have been kidnappings as well." Edward said much to the shock of the Deer.

"Has there been any luck on capturing them?" Lorenz demanded.

Edward shook his head. "There hasn't even been a sighting of the bandits since we got here. But that's what is feeding into these people's fear even more. They fear the bandits are going to pull a big heist soon."

"They won't. I'll do whatever I can to help you find those bandits." Isaac vowed.

"I hope so, because this is no way to live." Edward said.

"So, any plans at the moment?" Claude asked.

"Right now, most of my men are searching the nearby area for any signs of the bandits. The rest of us were waiting for you." Edward said.

"They strike at night correct?" Isaac asked and Edward nodded. "Then we'll wait till night and begin our search. Besides, my students here might want a rest after that long hike."

"Fair enough. We've got preparations all set for you all at the Inn just up ahead." Edward said.

"Thank you." Isaac smiled.

"My men should be back in a few hours. I'll be by the gate if you need me." Edward said as he left.

"Well, he's nicer than the guy we spared with." Hilda commented.

"Alright Deer. Let's get ourselves to the Inn. I want to head out at nightfall, which based on the sun's position will be in a matter of hours. I want you all to get rested until then. If you want to explore the village, that's fine, but under no condition, are any of you to leave the village without me knowing. Understood?" Isaac asked.

The Deer nodded.

"All right then. Let's..." Isaac began.

"Isaac? Is that really you?" A familiar voice asked.

Isaac halted in shock at the sound of the voice. Slowly he turned to see a man that looked a lot like him, but older and with facial hair. His clothing was more casual to what Isaac wore, and his face matched Isaac's shock expression.

"D-Dad?" Isaac gasped.

Chapter Text

The world around Isaac may have just stopped at that moment when his father appeared before him.

The last time Isaac saw him, he was on death’s doorstep. Forced to fight against him and his friends and allies by the Wise One to stop the lighting of the final lighthouse. Even Mia, with all of her experience and skills in healing was unable to help him.

Isaac immediately ran up and embraced his father in a big hug.

“You’re here, right? I’m not dreaming?” Isaac asked with tears in his eyes.

“Yeah. I’m here. I’m so glad you’re alright.” Kyle said hugging his son back with tears in his eyes as well.

The rest of the Golden Deer just watched on in silent, some of them unsure if they should say something, or let their professor be for a moment longer. Lorenz was about to speak up, but a sharp elbow from Lysithea kept him quiet.

After a few more minutes, Isaac and Kyle released their hug and Isaac turned back to the deer.

“Sorry about that.” Isaac apologies.

“Don’t be. I get it.” Lysithea assured. Raphael nodded as well.

"We don't mind teach, but we would like some introductions." Claude said.

"Teach?" Kyle asked confused.

"Oh yeah...the thing is dad, I kind of ended up being a professor at a place called Garreg Mach Monastery. You heard of it?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah we've heard of it! Isaac, how in the world did you get a job there?" Kyle asked surprised.

"It's a long story. You see...wait a second. Did you say we?" Isaac asked.

Kyle nodded. "We arrived in the town a couple of weeks ago. We've actually been staying at the Inn. Why don't we all head down there and exchange information?" Kyle offered.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. We currently don't have anything to do until the scouting party comes back anyway." Isaac said.

"Then follow me everyone." Kyle said as Isaac and the Deer were led to the town's Inn.

Upon arriving at the Inn, Isaac was greeted with three more familiar faces.

One was a man with short brown hair and a mustache. He wore a green vest with blue pants.

Next to him was a woman with red hair tied in a bun. She was wearing a blue vest and blue pants.

The last one was an elder man in light blue robes.

"Isaac? Is that really you?" The old man asked.

"Kraden, Mathis, Noel! You're all okay!" Isaac gasped.

"Indeed. After that light engulfed us at the Mars Lighthouse, we found ourselves here in this place called Fodlan along with Felix. Though as for why, I'm still trying to figure that out myself." Kraden explained.

"Felix? He's here?" Isaac asked.

"Not here at the moment. He actually just left a little while ago. He wanted to hunt down those terrible bandits that have been running havoc on these poor people." Kraden said.

"He said his plan was to help the knights defeat these bandits, so he could get an audience with this large Monastery called Garreg Mach. It's at the center of this Fodlan place. Felix hopes that going there could help locate you and the others much faster." Mathis explained.

"Wow. What a coincidence, huh teach?" Claude teased.

"Teach? Isaac, who are these kids?" Noel asked curiously as she finally took notice of the Golden Deer students.

“My name is Claude Von Riegan. I'm the house leader of the Golden Deer class at Garreg Mach's Officer's Academy. Isaac here happens to be our professor." Claude greeted.

"Professor?" Kraden, Mathis, and Noel gasped.

"I was just as surprised when he told me a moment ago." Kyle admitted.

"I mean, I'll admit that out of all of you, I can see you taking a job as a teacher Isaac, but are you alright? I've heard some rumors that Garreg Mach isn't too thrilled with...well..." Kraden began trying not to accidentally expose Isaac's powers.

"Psynergy? Yeah. Some of those rumors may have been a bit exaggerated." Claude said casually much to the shock of the adults from Weyard.

"It's a bit of a mixed bag. But the Archbishop herself doesn't seem to mind it. In fact, me being an Adept was what got me hired in the first place. As it turns out, quite a number of students there were affected with Psynergy stones that fell upon our arrival. Including all three of the House Leaders. In fact, three of my students here are now Adepts as well." Isaac explained.

"It was that easy? The reason we never went there was because we were worried about our powers causing a commotion." Mathis admitted.

"Originally, I was hoping to at best just teach a class on Psynergy to those students. The Monastery was in need of it since one new Fire Adept apparently caused a fire in the training grounds by accident." Isaac admitted.

"Makes sense. Stuff like that can happen to young Adepts in training." Noel chuckled awkwardly remembering her own past mistakes when she was training her fire Psynergy.

"Dad's beard never did grow the same after that." Mathis muttered with a chuckle as his wife glared at him for bring that up.

"But back to the matter at hand, one of the professors to the three houses retired from teaching while another fled like a coward during a bandit attack. So me and a new friend of mine named Byleth ended up filling those roles." Isaac explained.

"Your new friend?" Kyle asked.

"When I first arrived, I was found by a mercenary group led by a man named Jeralt..." Isaac began as he began to recite what happened to him so far since he arrived in Fodlan.

"Oh deer. It seems you've had quite an adventure so far." Noel commented.

"No kidding." Isaac muttered.

"By the way, would you mind introducing us to the rest of your uh...students?" Kraden asked still a bit baffled that Isaac was now a teacher himself.

"My name is Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. It is an honor to meet your acquaintance." Lorenz said with a polite bow.

"My name's Hilda Valentine Goneril." Hilda greeted. "And this is Marianne Von Edmund. She's a bit shy."

Marianne just waved shyly.

"My name's Raphael Kristen!" Raphael greeted.

"I'm Ignatz Victor." Ignatz said softly.

"I'm Leonie Pinelli." Leonie greeted.

"And my name is Lysithea Von Ordelia." Lysithea greeted.

"Claude, Lysithea, and Marianne were hit by Psynergy stones. Claude and Lysithea are wind adepts while Marianne is a water Adept." Isaac added.

"Nice to meet you all. My name's Kyle. I'm Isaac's father." Kyle greeted.

"My name is Mathis, and this is my wife Noel." Mathis greeted.

"My name is Kraden. I'm a scholar that has been studying the secrets of Alchemy and Psynergy." Kraden greeted as he turned to Isaac. "Listen Isaac, there's a lot we need to discuss, but first we need to deal with those bandits."

Isaac nodded in agreement.

“So, should we meet up with your friend then Professor?” Leonie asked.

Before Isaac could respond, a scream was heard from outside.

“That sounds like it came from the gates.” Mathis said.

“Let’s go check it out.” Isaac said. Everyone nodded and ran out of the Inn.

A group of people were crowded around the gates as Isaac and the others approached them.

Isaac spotted one of the knights that was stationed at the town and approached them.

“What’s going on?” Isaac asked.

“S-See for yourself.” The knight muttered.

Isaac looked ahead, and gasped in horror at what he saw.

It was the remains of several knights of Serios sprawled about the outside of the gates. Several different body pieces were present and still mostly covered in the remains of the armor which looked warped and melted.

“Th-this is…” Hilda muttered in horror as Ignatz ran off to throw up and Marianne started praying.

“How horrible.” Lysithea muttered.

“Aren’t these the knights that were scouting for the bandits?” Lorenz asked as the knight nodded.

“What could have caused this?” Leonie asked.

“If I had to guess, I’d say some kind of acid with how the armor is melted.” Claude chimed in.

“Bandits have been trying to tame monsters as of late. I wouldn’t be surprised if those bandits have a monster that can shoot acid.” Isaac said.

“Oh no Felix!” Noel cried out.

“Don’t worry. Felix can take care of himself.” Kraden assured.

“Uh Professor?” Raphael spoke up. Isaac turned to him as Raphael handed him a piece of paper. “This was laying off to the side.

Isaac looked at the paper and his eyes widened at what was said.

“You’re next Adepts!”

“How do they know?” Hilda gasped.

“If it’s me they want, then it’s me they’ll get.” Isaac spat as he crumbled the paper.

“Isaac…are you sure?” Kyle asked feeling rather uncertain.

“I’ll be fine dad.” Isaac assured as he turned to the remaining knights. “Stay here and keep the village safe with my students.”

“Are you seriously going by yourself?” Lorenz gasped.

“I won’t be alone. I have Flint by my side. Plus, Felix is out there as well. I’ll try and meet up with him first.” Isaac explained.

“Sorry teach. But if this guy wants Adepts, then me, Lysithea, and Marianne are targets as well.” Claude pointed out.

“And we’re going as well.” Leonie insisted.

Isaac sighed. “Very well. Get ready to head out. I’ll give you ten minutes. If you have any business, then do it fast. But we will be heading out in ten.”

The Deer nodded and ran back into the village to gather their equipment that was left in the Inn.

“Isaac…” Kyle began.

“I’m sorry dad. But I have to go.” Isaac said.

“I know…just please be careful. I know you’ve grown much more powerful since that boulder incident, but I can’t help but worry.” Kyle said.

“Please look after Felix while you’re out there.” Noel pleaded.

“And take care of yourself as well.” Mathis added.

“I will.” Isaac nodded.

“Take these with you.” Kraden said as he handed Isaac some Antidote leaves. “Something tells me you might need them.”

“Thanks, Kraden.” Isaac smiled.

Soon enough, the Deer returned with their equipment.

“We’re all set Teach.” Claude said.

Isaac nodded. “Then let’s go.”

And with that, Isaac and the Golden Deer headed off.

The Golden Deer arrived at the forest area not too far from the village where the knights were last reported to scout before their...untimely death.

“Well, here we are. So where do we start?" Lysithea asked.

"I don't see any signs of a base or anything." Leonie commented.

"Should we split up then?" Ignatz asked.

"That wouldn't be wise. Those bandits could be anywhere. If they get the jump on us, then its our remains that will be delivered back next." Claude said much to he others horror.

"Professor! What do we do?" Hilda cried out to Isaac who hadn't said anything. "Uh professor?"

Isaac’s body lite up for a moment and then he spoke. “The door is right bellow us.”

“Bellow us? How?” Lorenz asked.

“Actually, now that I get a closer look at the ground, I can sense some faint trace of magic. I think they used magic to disguise the entrance from any unwanted guests." Lysithea revealed.

“Cleaver. Now I know why no one was able to find them. I doubt anyone was expecting a fake ground to cover the entrance.” Claude said.

“You can be impressed later Claude. How do we open their lair?” Lorenz demanded.

“Everyone, stay back.” Isaac ordered. The Deer complied and moved behind Isaac as he raised his hand. “Gaia!”

A blast of Venus Psynergy destroyed the door revealing a stairway downwards.

“I guess that works.” Ignatz commented.

“Let’s go.” Isaac ordered as the Golden Deer headed down the stairs.

The Deer arrived in a large open area where there were multiple tunnels around them. However, above them was a ledge that stretched across the whole area. And on that ledge was the thieves that surrounded them. The leader stood at the center, a rather large guy with a wolf pelt around his waste and black torn clothing. His hair was blond and tied into a ponytail. In his hand was a large sword that was hosted over his shoulder. Aside him was roughly thirty other men and women of his group.

“Damn. And here I was hoping to ambush you in the forest, but you found the main entrance faster than expected.” The leader said.

“I take it you’re the leader of this group?” Isaac asked.

“That’s right. Name Kain. The last face you’ll ever see.” The leader greeted.

“Is that supposed to scare us?” Leonie spat.

“Why did you call us out here?” Isaac asked.

“Why should I answer to a dead man?” Kain asked as he raised his sword. On cue, multiple members of the thieves pulled out bombs. Before Isaac or the Deer could react, they were tossed at the ground, causing it to open up and the entire Golden Deer to fall down below.

“Well, that was easy. All right men, spread out and hunt them down before they can regroup. As for the blond Adept, we’ll let our new pet deal with him." Kain ordered.

“Hey boss, what about that other guy that snuck into our base? He’s still down there.” One of the men said.

“He should be dead soon, but report to me his location should you find him. If he's still alive, we'll let our pet finish him off as well.” Kain assured.

“Yes sir!” The thieves shouted.

“Then get going! We’ve got a fortune riding on these Adepts.” Kain said and the thieves headed down the tunnels to carry out the orders.

Hilda groaned as she sat up. she quickly examined that she didn't seem to have any broken bones, but her uniform was now covered in dirt and there were a few rips and tares here and there. "Unbelievable! How could they do that to such a delicate flower? Right Claude? Claude?"

Hilda looked around, but there was no signs of her house leader.

"Hilda!" A voice called out. Hilda turned to see Marianne and Ignatz running towards her.

"You two! Are you okay?" Hilda asked.

"A few bruises and scrapes, but we're fine. You?" Igantz asked.

"I'll live. Do you know where the professor or the others are?" Hilda asked.

"We don't know. You're the only one we found." Marianne said.

"Oh great." Hilda groaned.

"Uh girls? I think I hear footsteps coming towards us." Ignatz warned as he pointed towards a corridor where the sounds could be heard.

"Great..." Hilda mumbled as she gripped her axe. With only Marianne and Ignatz with her, she was their best line of defense. Like it or not, she was going to have to put effort into this one.

Lorenz groaned as she sat up, but then flinched when he felt some pain in his left shoulder.

“Easy there. You landed on your arm funny. Here. Drink this.” A voice spoke.

Lorenz looked up to see Leonie handing him a Vulnerary.

“Thank you.” He muttered as he took the drink and drank it, feeling some of the pain in his arm leave him. Once he was one, he got up. “Where are the others?”

“Don’t know. All I found is you.” Leonie answered.

“Well, we’d better find the other before the bandits do.” Lorenz advised.

Leonie nodded as the two gripped their lances and headed forward.

Lysithea groaned as she opened her eyes. When she did, she saw that Raphael was carrying her piggyback style.

“What the?” Lysithea began.

“Oh, hey there Lysithea. Don’t you worry. I’ve got ya.” Raphael assured with his usual smile on his face.

“Uh, thanks Raphael, but I’m perfectly capable of walking.” She said as she jumped off his back rather flustered. “So, where are the others?”

“No clue. When I came to, it was just you and me.” Raphael said.

“Darn. They must have wanted to separate us so it would be easier to pick us off.” Lysithea growled.

"Well don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.” Raphael assured with his usual smile.

“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself here.” Lysithea grumbled.

Isaac groaned as he sat up.

“Rough fall, huh teach?” Claude asked right next to him.

“Yeah. I wasn’t expecting that.” Isaac groaned.

“Divide and concur. A very simple, but very effective tactic.” Claude said.

“And these thieves likely know their way around. This isn’t good.” Isaac growled. ‘And who knows how the others are? Teamwork between them is still rather…no! I have to have faith in them. At least until I can find them.’

“So which way to you want to go teach?” Claude asked looking around.

Isaac took a look himself. He was about to use his powers to track the others when he spotted something approaching him. Something small and brown.

“Say, isn’t that a Djinn?” Claude asked.

“It looks familiar.” Isaac muttered.

“Isaac? Is that you?” The Djinn asked.

“It knows you?” Claude asked.

“It’s me Echo!” The Djinn said.

“Echo? Wait! You’re one of Felix’s Djinn.” Isaac said.

“Felix needs help! This way!” Echo cried out.

Isaac nodded and followed the Djinn along with Claude.

Echo led the two to a dead end with a pile of sand poured on the ground.

“So, where’s your friend?” Claude asked looking around.

Isaac however, was more focused on the sand before him. “Wait a second…Sand…Felix?”

“Glad you didn’t forget this ability, Isaac.” A voice said weakly.

Some of the sand took shape of a man with brown hair tied in a ponytail.

“Felix!” Isaac gasped.

“Wait, was he just sand?” Claude asked baffled.

Indeed, before them was the Weyard son of Vale, Felix. Though his face looked rather pale.

“Felix, are you okay?” Isaac asked checking over his childhood friend.

“Looks like he’s been poisoned Teach.” Claude commented as he examined the man before him.

“Poisoned? Wait! Kraden gave me some Antidote leaves before I left.” Isaac said as he reached into his pocket for one of the leaves.

“Those leaves can cure poison huh?” Claude muttered eyeing the leaves.

Isaac fed Felix one of the leaves, and rather quickly, Felix was looking a lot better.

"Thank you, Isaac." Felix sighed as he slowly got onto his feet.

"What happened to you?" Isaac asked.

“I tracked those bandits and entered their fortress. I took out a few of them, but then they unleashed their pet on me.” Felix said.

“Is it strong?” Isaac asked.

“It wasn’t weak. Plus I lost all of my Djinn aside from Echo when I arrived here, so I wasn’t at one hundred percent.” Felix said.

“I’m the same way. All I have left is Flint.” Isaac said.

“Their monster can shoot acid and its fangs are poisonous. I got careless and that thing took a bite out of me." Felix said as he gestured to his shoulder. "It wasn't deep, but it was enough for the poison to enter my body. So, I fled here and used my Sand Psynergy to hide while I hoped for some help to arrive."

“We knew some knights were on their way so I went to see if I could spot them. Imagine my luck when I found you though.” Echo said.

“Sadly, the advance group was killed by their monster. The rest are at the village trying to calm down the freaking citizens.” Claude said.

“But the two of us should be enough to take that monster out.” Isaac assured and Felix nodded. “But first I need to find my students.”

“Students?” Felix asked confused.

Chapter Text

Isaac and Felix had their blades drawn as Claude stood right behind them with a bow in hand ready to help from behind. Isaac had his usual steel sword that Jeralt gave him drawn, while Felix had a large sword with a blue blade and a golden hilt. It was the same Excalibur blade he’s had since Isaac last saw him three years ago.

In front of them were six of the bandits that was scouting for the intruders.

“Looks like both the super Adepts are together! One of you go inform the boss so he can bring his little pet here and fast!” One of the bandits said.

Another nodded and ran off as the other five readied their weapons.

“I think I can get a clear shot of the runner. Want me to take him out?” Claude asked.

“No. I’d rather they bring their pet to me and Felix rather than one of you guys.” Isaac said.

“These bandits aren’t too tough on their own. The only reason they’ve survived as long as they have been was because they know really well how to run and hide.” Felix commented.

“Yet this move was pretty bold of them. I guess that new pet of theirs gave them a boast of courage.” Claude said.

“Seems like it. But we should still hurry and regroup with the others.” Isaac said as his body began to glow. After a moment he spoke again. “This way!”

Felix and Claude nodded and followed the blond Adept.

As they ran, Felix moved closer to Isaac and whispered in his ear.

"So what's with that sword? Something wrong with the Sol Blade?" Felix asked.

"No. Jeralt, the mercenary I was traveling with said it would attract too much attention. SO he gave me this sword when I joined him." Isaac replied also whispering.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Felix whispered back.

Hilda groaned as she slowly got up from the ground. Though as she did, she felt some pain throughout her body.

“E-Easy Hilda. Here.” Marianne offered as she castes Ply on her.

“Oh, thanks Marianne!” Hilda smiled as she got to her feet.

“I-It was nothing.” Marianne muttered.

“Nonsense.” Hilda smiled as she looked around. “Where are the others?”

“I don’t know. It’s just us and Ignatz who went to look around the area while I looked after you.” Marianne said.

“We have a problem!” Ignatz cried as he ran towards his two classmates.

“What problem?” Hilda asked.

“Some of the bandits are heading this way!” Ignatz said.

“WHAT? Did you lead them to us?” Hilda demanded.

“No! I didn’t! They were already heading towards us!” Ignatz argued as a couple of bandits approached the three, weapons in hand.

“Here they are! See, I told you they fell here.” One of the bandits said.

“How could they know that we fell here?” Hilda asked.

“I’m guessing that they know these tunnels like the back of their hands.” Ignatz guessed.

“Smart boy. We've been living in these tunnels for years. So of course we know our way around these tunnels.” One of the bandits laughed.

Hilda grabbed her axe and stood in front of her classmates.

“Oh! I see someone wants to be a hero. I’d really hate to hurt that pretty little face of yours, but orders are orders.” One of the bandits said.

Hilda gritted her teeth. Normally, this isn't what she does. But at the moment, she didn't have a choice. She knows Marianne the most of the Deer, and she is aware how little confident she has in herself. Plus her best strength is more in healing than fighting. As for Ignatz, he really only had experience with a bow, and it wasn't at the same level that Claude was at. So, if she wanted them to live through this, she was going to have to fight.

Lorenz groaned as he sat up on the ground. As he looked around, he saw that Leonie, Raphael, and Lysithea were there with him.

“Hey, is everyone okay?” Raphael asked.

“Yes. I’m fine.” Lorenz assured.

“I feel a bit banged up, but I think I’ll live.” Leonie grunted.

“I think I’m more startled than anything.” Lysithea said.

“I don’t blame you. That was a crazy stunt they did.” Leonie said looking up at the hole they all fell through.

“If I had to guess, they likely wanted to separate us so we’d be easy picking. I’m willing to bet that there are bandits already on their way to finish us off.” Lysithea said.

No sooner did she say that, did a couple of bandits arrive.

“I hope you all are ready for a fight.” Leonie frowned as she and Lorenz readied their lances. Raphael had some gauntlets on as Lysithea readied for magic.

Hilda got to work on facing the bandits as Ignatz was tasked with providing support with his arrows. When one bandit would lock weapons with Hilda, Ignatz would take the shot and take out the bandit.

“I-I’m sorry…I didn’t have a choice.” Ignatz muttered after succeeding in his first kill.

“Please forgive us Goddess, and save their soul.” Marianne muttered.

Hilda swung her axe and took out another bandit. Another charged at her, but was halted by Marianne casting douse, summoning a rainstorm over the remaining bandits pushing them to the ground due to the heavy rain.

“I thought these kids would be easy to take out! What the heck?” One of the bandits cried out.

“Where’s the boss’s pet?” Another one cried.

“Pet?” Hilda asked.

“What kind of pet?” Ignatz asked.

“Yeah. Our boss’s pet will melt them like it did those stupid church soldiers.” One of the bandits cheered much to the student’s horror.

“G-Guys! We should get out of here! I don’t want to end up like those soldiers!” Hilda cried out.

“Y-Yeah. I’m with you.” Ignatz muttered in fear.

“And where would you run? These tunnels are built like a maze and I doubt that you kids know where you’re going.” One bandit laughed.

“Hey! Maybe they’ll run into the boss’s little pet and save the poor thing the trouble of hunting them down!” Another laughed.

“You people are sick!” A voice spoke from behind.

The bandits froze in shock as they turned around to see Isaac, Felix, and Claude behind them.

“Professor! Claude!” Hilda cheered.

“How are they regrouping so fast?” One bandit asked.

“Th-They must have gotten lucky!” One bandit stuttered.

“Lucky? Nah Teach knew where he was going the whole time!” Claude laughed much to the bandit’s horror.

“Y-You’re lying!” One accused.

“I can connect to the Earth. I can find my way towards my students. Now, will you surrender, or do you wish to continue this fight?” Isaac asked sword in hand.

The bandits chose to run past Isaac and flee.

“Hilda, Marianne, Ignatz, are you three, okay?” Isaac asked.

“Now that you’re here, I feel much safer professor!” Hilda said.

“Really? Based on your positioning, it looks like you were protecting your friends, and based on the scratches, you did a great job. I’m proud of you Hilda.” Isaac smiled.

“Uh, let’s not get used to this professor! I was just you know…in the moment!” Hilda protested.

Isaac and Felix were just left confused on her response.

“Uh anyway professor, who’s the cute guy next to you and Claude?” Hilda asked trying to change the topic.

“Oh. This is my friend Felix. Felix, these are more of my students.” Isaac greeted.

“Nice to meet you all.” Felix greeted.

“Now, while I’d love to give you all proper full introductions, I’m still missing half my class and there is still a monster on the lose in these tunnels. So, we should get going.” Isaac ordered as everyone nodded.

Isaac and Felix then started to glow as they closed their eyes and tried to scan the area.

“This way!” Isaac ordered as he led everyone down a path.

Meanwhile with the others:

Lorenz, Raphael, Leonie, and Lysithea continued to do battle with the bandits as Raphael and Leonie served as front guards, while Lysithea and Lorenz provide support from behind.

“Whirlwind!” Lysithea shouted as she blasted a few of the bandits with wind Psynergy.

Lorenz shot a fireball at another, though he couldn’t help but cast a glance at Lysithea. There was something he’s been meaning to ask her, but it can wait till they aren’t fighting for their lives.

“Wow! We’re doing pretty well! Professor’s going to be happy with us!” Raphael cheered as he punched a bandit with his gauntlets.

“I’ll admit these guys have been rather underwhelming, but I can’t help but shake this feeling that something bad is about to happen.” Lorenz commented.

“True. We haven’t seen their boss yet, or whatever killed those Church soldiers.” Lysithea pointed out.

“Would you like to find out?” Kain asked as he approached the group. The bandits stopped fighting at the sight of their boss as he stepped up to the four students that remained on guard.

“So, the boss finally decides to stop hiding! Think you can put up a better fight than your men?” Leonie mocked.

“Oh, nothing would please me more. But I’ll have to decline. After all, I promised my pet that he’d get his exercise.” Kain laughed.

“Pet?” Lorenz asked.

Kain snapped his fingers and suddenly the sound of large footsteps could be heard.

The four students gripped their weapons tightly as they watched down the path were the sound was coming from. Soon enough, it came into view.

The creature was a giant frog-like creature that stood on its hind legs and had sharp claws for hands. The creature was mostly yellow in color, but had red and blue on its face around its big eyes. On its back were blue spikes, and all over its body were black lines.

“What the heck is that?” Leonie gasped at the sight of the creature.

“This is my pet! And as its owner, it's my job to make sure it's properly fed. Those soldiers from the church were a nice first course, and now you kids will be the second course.” Kain laughed.

“You’re sick!” Lysithea spat.

“That’s just nature sweetie.” Kain laughed.

The Poison Toad approached the students who were cornered as there were bandits still behind them.

“A-Any ideas?” Raphael asked.

“W-Why are you asking me?” Lysithea stuttered.

“This looks a lot bigger than the monsters we fought on the way here.” Leonie muttered.

“And if this is truly the creature responsible for the death of those church soldiers, then it isn’t a monster to be taken lightly.” Lorenz said in horror.

“Hey, if me and Raphael can hold off this thing, can you two take out those bandits behind us?” Leonie whispered.

“Are you crazy?” Lorenz retorted. “You saw what was left of those church soldiers and you want to fight that thing? You’ll be killed!”

“Then you two will just have to hurry and take those creeps out so we can escape!” Leonie said.

“GAIA!”

A burst of Venus Psynergy suddenly erupted from the ground underneath the bandits, taking them out as Isaac ran up to the students, followed by Claude and the others.

“Are you guys okay?” Isaac asked them.

“Professor!” Lysithea cheered.

“WHAT THE? How the hell did you all regroup so fast?” Kain shouted in shock that his plan failed.

“I can connect to the Earth and use it to locate others. You seemed to know that I’m an Adept, yet you didn’t know that?” Isaac asked.

“No. Those damn bastards never mentioned you had that power.” Kain growled.

“Those?” Isaac asked.

“Er, I said to much. But it matters not! My pet will still kill you all!” Kain shouted.

“So, any advise about this creature?" Claude asked Felix.

"Its fangs contain a dangerous poison that nearly killed me. But it can also breath poison from its mouth." Felix explained.

“Seriously? That’s not good in a closed space like this.” Claude commented.

“Exactly! Now kill them!” Kain shouted as the Poison Toad inhaled.

“We need to get out of here! Retreat!” Isaac shouted as his raised his hand.

“And how exactly do we do…” Claude began to ask as suddenly, he, Isaac, Felix, and the rest of the deer suddenly turned into small colorful orbs and vanished in the blink of an eye.

“WHAT THE?” Kain began as the Poison Toad unleashed a breath of miasma from its mouth.

“Everyone to the surface!” Kain quickly shouted as he and the remaining bandits fled from the miasma.

 Back by the entrance:

“…That?” Claude finished as he and the Deer were just confused as to what happened. Now they were suddenly back in the large room where they were ambushed by the bandits upon their arrival, standing next to the large hole they fell in.

“Questions later! Everyone out!” Isaac ordered.

The group headed through the exit, and back to the outside as the sun was setting.

“We made it!” Hilda breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, the ground exploded nearby as the Poison Toad jumped out along with Kain and the remaining bandits.

“Not over yet.” Leonie growled.

“You kids are going to pay big time for trashing my hideout!” Kain growled.

"You did that to yourself!" Leonie spat.

"Now that we're out of that hideout, we can finally finish things. Claude!" Isaac called out.

"Yeah teach?" Claude asked.

"Can you and the deer take care of the rest of the bandits?" Isaac asked.

"Uh sure but, are you thinking of fighting that monster by yourself?" Claude asked baffled.

"Not alone. He has me by his side." Felix assured.

"This monster is too tough for you guys to take on at your current level. Leave it to us. We'll be fine." Isaac assured.

"If you say so." Lysithea muttered though she felt unsure.

"One last thing. Try not to kill them if you can. I have some questions I need to ask them." Isaac added.

"Understood." Claude nodded as he and the rest of the deer readied to face Kain and the small handful of bandits left in his little group.

Isaac and Felix stood before the Poison Toad. Felix had drawn his sword Excalibur out ready to fight, while Isaac looked at the steel sword that Jeralt gave him.

'Seeing that monster out in the open, there is something...odd about it. If we had the others with us, it wouldn't be an issue, But given this monster's ability to spit out poison, I need to take it out and fast. So, I'll have to use my Sol Blade. Sorry captain. I don't know exactly what attention this will bring, but I need to do this.' Isaac thought as he tossed the steel sword aside.

Isaac reached back and gripped the large sword he's kept with him ever since he came to Fodlan but never used ever since he joined Jeralt's Mercenaries.

The moment the Sol Blade was drawn, it reflected from the light of the sun catching everyone's attention. Everyone gasped in shock as the blade shined with power.

Isaac and Felix readied themselves as they prepared to battle the Poison Toad.

Chapter Text

The glow of Isaac’s sword caught the attention of both the students and the bandits as they looked on in awe at the sword in Isaac’s hands.

“I don’t believe it. Is that…a Hero’s Relic?” Lorenz asked.

“How can it be a Hero’s Relic? Professor Isaac doesn’t have a crest.” Lysithea pointed out.

“It sure looks a lot prettier than the one my father has back home.” Hilda commented.

“Well, it sure looks powerful.” Leonie commented.

As this was going on, the bandits had their own conversation.

“What’s with that sword?” One bandit asked.

“It looks shiny. I wonder if it could fetch a good price.” Another wondered.

“Forget about the sword! Kill those brats!” Kain ordered.

“Looks like we’ll have to hold off on speculating Teach’s fancy sword. Here they come!” Claude advised as the students readied their weapons for battle.

The bandits charged towards the students as Claude raised his hand.

“Whirlwind!” Claude shouted creating a gust of wind that ended up blowing dirt all over the place.

“Great job Claude! I just love having dirt in my face!” Lorenz grumbled sarcastically.

“Then you shouldn’t have any problem.” Claude teased.

“Quite bickering and start fighting!” Leonie scolded as she stabbed a bandit with her lance.

The students got to work fighting the remaining bandits.

“Ray!” Lysithea shouted as purple bolts of lightning rained down on the bandits.

Lorenz then blocked an axe with his lance as he was being pushed back. However, his body suddenly began to glow and Lorenz felt a surge of power as he quickly overpowered the bandit and stabbed him.

“What was that?” Lorenz asked baffled at what just happened.

“It’s called Impact. It’s a Psynergy spell that can temporarily increase the strength of an ally. At least that’s what Swift told me.” Claude spoke from behind.

“I was doing just fine by myself. Thank you.” Lorenz scoffs.

Claude just shrugged and turned to Leonie. “Want a boast?”

“Sure.” Leonie nodded as Claude castes Impact on her.

“Th-This is nuts! These kids are insane, and some of them are Adepts!” One bandit cried.

“Forget this! I’m out of here.” Another said as the remaining bandits minus Kain fled.

“You cowards!” Kain shouted to his retreating men before turning to the students. “If it wasn’t for your dumb Psynergy, you’d be dead by now.”

“Maybe a bit, but I also noticed that your men weren’t the best at fighting. It’s like you guys spent way too much time running and hiding that your fighting skills got dull.” Leonie pointed out.

“SHUT UP AND DIE!!!” Kain shouted as he gripped his axe and charged at the students.

“Swift!” Claude called out as Swift appeared and infused Claude’s arrow with Jupiter Psynergy. Claude fired the arrow at Kain, striking the weapon at high speed, causing it to go flying right out of Kain’s hands. The force also caused Kain to fall on his back.

“Let’s tie him up so Teach can interrogate him later.” Claude said.

“We’re on it, Claude!” Raphael said as he and Leonie grabbed some rope that Leonie carried on her for hunting to tie Kain up.

As this was going on, Isaac and Felix continued to do battle with the Poison Toad.

The monster jumped into the air, and dived towards Felix as its fangs started to glow red.

“Yeah, not falling for that again.” Felix muttered as he jumped out of the way. “Echo!”

Felix’s Djinn Echo appeared and covered Felix’s blade with Venus Psynergy as Felix unleashed two powered up hits on the monster.

Isaac’s Sol Blade let out a howl as he slashed the monster causing a burst of fire to envelop it.

“Did Teach’s sword just produce fire?” Claude asked.

“I’m guessing it’s Psynergy, but that looked like Mars, and Professor said he’s Venus.” Lysithea commented.

“So, that means it’s not a Hero’s Relic?” Hilda asked.

“Well, like we said before, unless Professor Isaac actually does have a crest and has hidden it from everyone, then it would be impossible for him to use a Hero’s relic. Plus, I don’t see a Crest stone on that sword.” Lysithea said.

The Poison Frog then vomited out some kind of multiple colored fluid at the two Venus Adepts, much to the disgust of the students, as Isaac and Felix barely avoided it.

“We need to take this thing out and fast. The last thing we need is for it to get desperate and release a full breath of miasma.” Felix said.

“Yeah. You thinking what I’m thinking?” Isaac asked.

“After you.” Felix smirked.

“Right! Let’s go Flint!” Isaac called out.

Flint appeared and covered Isaac’s sword in Venus Psynergy as Isaac attacked the monster causing it to stumble back.

Felix’s sword let out a howling noise as he jumped into the air and swung his sword causing a blast of Psynergy to be sent out in the shape of a yellow bird to strike the monster, making it go flying back further.

Felix landed next to Isaac as both raised their free hand into the air.

“Summon Ramses!” They both shouted.

Flint and Echo turned into yellow orbs that went flying into the air before dropping into the ground. As they hit the ground, the area suddenly turned into a dessert as a massive pyramid appeared behind Isaac and Felix. The top of the Pyramid burst open to reveal a giant monster that looked like a Pharaoh with two large fists. Ramses reeled back one of his fists and rocketed it forward. The moment the fist made contact with the monster, it exploded.

With the Poison Toad finally destroyed, Ramses, The Pyramid, and the Dessert all vanished.

The students were left jaw dropped at what they saw, but no one was more so than Kain.

‘Wh-What the hell was that? Those creeps never mentioned anything about…whatever the hell that was!’ Kain thought in horror as Isaac turned and approached him.

“Your men are ether dead, or have fled for their lives. Your pet is destroyed, and your base is ruined. Do you give up?” Isaac asked.

“Wh-What the hell are you?” Kain gasped.

“You don’t know? You seemed like you did know about me with that message you left in town.” Isaac pointed out.

“Th-That was just what I was told!” Kain protested.

“You were told? By who?” Isaac asked.

“Were they the ones that gave you that monster?” Claude asked.

“Y-Yeah. They wanted me to take you out.” Kain confessed.

“Who were they?” Isaac asked.

“I-I don’t know their names but…UGH!” Kain began but was interrupted as a small blast of dark energy flew towards him and pierced through his chest killing him instantly much to everyone’s shock.

“Wh-What was that?” Hilda gasped.

Isaac turned and ran towards the direction the blast came from, but he saw nothing. He even tried to feel the Earth, but located no one so he turned around and headed back to his students.

“No one. I even tried to feel the ground, but I could find nothing. I guess their only objective was to kill Kain so he couldn’t talk.” Isaac said.

“Well, maybe if we capture those bandits that fled, one of them might know something.” Ignatz offered.

“That’s sadly not an option.” Claude called out. Everyone turned to see Claude was over by some trees a few feet away.

“What do you mean Claude?” Hilda asked.

“Come see for yourself.” Claude said pointing over his shoulder.

Isaac and the others headed over to the Golden Deer House Leader. What they saw was shocking.

The bandits that fled were all laying on the ground…dead.

“Oh gods! What happened to them?” Ignatz gasped.

"I guess whoever hired these bandits to kill us wanted no trace left behind. These all look fresh too. Likely took them out while we were too busy watching Teach's fight." Claude said.

"Was it the same guy that killed the boss?" Raphael asked.

"I don't think so. The attack on the leader came from the opposite direction. Even taking warp magic into account, it's likely that the assailant wasn't alone." Lysithea said.

"Y-You don't think they're still around, right?" Hilda asked looking around.

"Not if they want to stay hidden. They had a chance to attack us and yet they were more focused on killing the bandit leader before he could speak. I'd imagine that they fled as soon as they finished the job." Claude guessed.

"Sounds likely since I can't sense anyone else nearby." Isaac said.

"Me neither." Felix added.

“So, what do we do now?” Lorenz asked.

“We head back into town and report to the villagers that the bandits are gone. Then we return to the Monastery and inform Lady Rhea what happened. That’s really all we can do at the moment.” Isaac sighed.

“Teach’s right. But I really would have really loved to get some answers right now.” Claude sighed.

“We all would Claude. But there's nothing more we can do now. Regardless how things turned out, we still completed what we were sent out to do. So now, it's time to head back” Isaac said.

"That sounds great. I could use a bath after all of that." Hilda sighed as she looked over her dirty uniform due to the fall earlier.

"We definitely need to get these uniforms repaired. It isn't proper for a noble to walk around in ragged clothes like these." Lorenz said.

Isaac said nothing as the Golden Deer chatted with one another. He just turned to look at Felix who was walking back with his students. When things got settled, they needed to have a talk.

As Golden Deer and Felix left, two figures in black robes watched from afar. One was wiping the blood from his sword.

“I trust you took care of the bandits that fled?” The first one said.

"Yep. All of them are dead. And since you killed their boss and those Jenei from Weyard destroyed our monster, all evidence that was linked to us is gone." The second one said as he finished wiping the blood off his sword.

"Excellent. We need not the Church becoming aware of us just yet. As well as certain other pests from finding out." The first one said.

"I gotcha. Still, I have to admit. I wasn't expecting those bandits to actually win, but those two Adepts from Weyard were stronger than we predicted." The second one said.

"Perhaps. But it has also been many years since we've had a natural born Jenei in our presences." The first one muttered. "But for now, let us return to Shambhala and report our observation to Lord Thales immediately."

"Understood Myson." The second one said.

Myson nodded and teleported the two away.

Chapter Text

Once the Golden Deer returned to the village, and the news was spread of the destruction of the bandits along with their dangerous pet monster, the village erupted in cheers and began to celebrate finally being able to live their lives once again without the fear of bandits or some kind of monster hunting in the dark.

“That’s all we were able to get unfortunately. Whoever hired and supplied them with that monster made sure to leave no room for evidence.” Isaac said to the church soldiers that were left in the village.

“Do you have any idea who could be the supplier to the bandits?” One of the soldiers asked.

Isaac shook his head. “The only thing I learned was that they used dark magic and can possibly warp.”

“That doesn’t limit our search much. Sure dark magic isn't as common as reason or faith magic, but there are still quite a number of mages that are capable of using it.” The solider sighed.

“I want to know how he knew about adepts.” Isaac said.

“Yeah. That is rather sketchy.” The solider commented. “We should report this to Lady Rhea at once.”

“You guys can go on ahead. My students need rest after this long day. We'll depart first thing tomorrow morning.” Isaac said.

“Alright then. We’ll see you at the monastery. And professor Isaac?” The solider asked.

“Yes?” Isaac asked.

“You…did good today.” The solider admitted as he and his men turned and left the village to begin their walk back to Garreg Mach Monastery.

“Well, at the very least they seem to like you a bit more.” Flint said appearing on Isaac's shoulder.

“Yeah…but now…” Isaac began.

“Isaac!” A voice called out.

Isaac turned around to see Felix walking towards him.

“Do you…mind if we talk a bit?” Felix asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Isaac nodded as the two walked out of the village.

The two Venus Adepts looked at each other in silence for a few moments before both opened their mouths and spoke at the same time.

“Look, I just want to say, I’m sorry…wait what?” Both said at the same time.

“Hang on a second! Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who was trying to stop you from saving the world! I’m the one who killed my friends!” Isaac asked.

“Friends? If you’re talking about Karst, I’m just as guilty of that as you are.” Felix said a bit confused.

“No, I meant Saturos and Menardi.” Isaac clarified.

“Those two weren’t my friends. We shared a similar goal and we had to tolerate each other, but that was there was to it.” Felix said.

“Wait, really?” Isaac asked surprised.

“Yes. Listen Isaac. The reason I wanted to apologies, was because I ended up dragging you three into this mess. The original plan was to sneak in, steal the stars and bail. But things got complicated when the Wise One awoken and the plan needed changing. I didn’t want to leave you and Garret for dead, and I didn’t want to take Jenna with me. But Saturos was adamant to keep her with us. I believe his reason was as bait in the case you two survived, but I also think he kept her to ensure I would be kept in line. They weren't happy that they had to take me along. They didn't believe that I was committed to the mission like they were. That I would betray them or just slow them down.” Felix explained.

“But even still, if I succeeded, then I’d be dooming all of Weyard. Those two may have gone extreme, but they were just doing what they had to do.” Isaac said.

“Isaac, you had no reason to believe otherwise. Even the people of Prox have told you that. No one really blamed you for doing what you did. Through your point of view, Saturos and Menardi were two thieves who broke into the sanctum, kidnapped Jenna and Kraden, possibly brainwashed me, and tried to kill you multiple times. And if you remembered the night of the storm all those years ago, then they were the ones that supposedly killed your father and made Jenna an orphan. If our roles were reversed, I’d likely view them as enemies as well. Besides, when you did hear the truth that was going on, you still chose to believe me and you chose to help me. I’ll be honest, I don’t think we would have succeeded in defeating the Wise One’s ‘miracle’ without you, Garet, and your two new friends.” Felix said.

“After hearing you survived the fall from the Venus Lighthouse, I heard more and more about what you guys had been up to, and it made me question things. If you were trying to end the world, then why were you going out of your way to rescue people? Fighting pirates, fighting a sea dragon? It made me start to doubt myself if you were truly the enemy or not. That’s why I had to find you! I needed to hear you explain yourself!” Isaac explained.

“I know. And I am sorry I didn’t tell you sooner Isaac. But I was worried about what would have happened if we did meet. Vale was made as the protector of the Sol Sanctum. It was drilled in our heads since we were little on what this role was. I feared that if we met, we would have fought and that was something nether me, Jenna, or Kraden wanted. I'm sorry Isaac." Felix said sadly.

"N-No. You were right to have that concern. At the Venus Lighthouse, I only saw that you were helping Saturos and Menardi on your own free will and felt that made you my enemy. It was only when I started to hear about what your group was up too afterwards that made me start questioning things." Isaac admitted as he recalled what he said in regards to Felix's desire to light the Lighthouses.

The two stood there in silence for a moment before Isaac finally spoke up.

"We still friends?" Isaac asked.

Felix just smiled. "We never stopped."

With that the two Venus Adepts shook hands with a smile on their faces.

As they did, Kraden approached them alongside Kyle, and Felix’s parents.

“I see you two are all set then?” Kraden asked.

“Yeah.” Isaac and Felix nodded.

“You both have grown so much since we last saw you. We’re so proud of you two. And Dora would be as well.” Kyle smiled.

“Thanks dad.” Isaac smiled. “Well, I’d better get back into town. Last thing I need is one of my students causing trouble while partying.”

“Yeah, about that. How exactly did you become a professor?” Felix asked finally getting a chance to ask that major question.

“Well…” Isaac began as he recapped the basics of what happened since he arrived in Fodlan. From meeting with Captain Jeralt and Byleth to arriving at Garreg Mach Monastery."...And after explaining my situation, the next thing I know, I'm tasked with teaching the students that were hit with Psynergy stones how to use Psynergy, and also I'm placed in charge of one of the three houses of the Officers Academy after one teacher fled like a coward, and the other stepped down."

"Wow...That's quite an adventure you've been on." Felix admitted. "And this Rhea person. What do you think of her?"

"Well, Captain Jeralt told me and Byleth to watch out for her, but she hasn't done anything at the moment that makes me view her as an enemy. Suspicions yes, but just that." Isaac said.

"I still wonder why they sent students to deal with bandits like that." Noel said.

"Technically they sent me to assist with the bandits. The students were supposed to be along as support. But when Kain's bandits killed most of the Church Soldiers, we didn't have much of a choice." Isaac clarified.

"And what are your suspicions of this Rhea person exactly?" Kraden asked.

"Aside from making me a professor, the way she acted when I told her about how I got into Fodlan. I'm sure you've noticed that Psynergy is a bit controversial in Fodlan, right?" Isaac asked and the others nodded. "Well, she was very accepting of it...Too accepting of it. Call it a hunch, but I feel she may know more about Psynergy than she lets on."

"I see. That is rather suspicious if that is true." Felix admitted.

"I figured that I can hopefully learn what I can while taking on this professor role, and while I'm at it, I can get better assistance in locating the others, rather than wondering around aimlessly." Isaac said.

"I was thinking the same way. I heard this Church of Serios has a lot of influence around Fodlan. If I could join in, I could use them to help better locate Jenna and the others." Felix admitted.

"Well, Captain Jeralt was reinstated as the captain of the Knights of Serios. I can put in a good word for you to him." Isaac offered.

"Thanks Isaac." Felix smiled.

"No problem. But we'd better get back now. It's getting late." Isaac said.

The others nodded and the six headed back to the village.

After a party finally finished, the Golden Deer all went straight to bed as Isaac informed them that after an early breakfast, they would all be heading back to Garreg Mach as soon as possible, much to the complaint of Hilda.

The next morning finally came and it was time for the Golden Deer to return to the Monastery. After a quick breakfast, the Golden Deer got themselves ready for the march back to the monastery. Most of the student arrived at the gate on time, with the exception of Claude and Hilda who were a bit sluggish.

"We made it!" Claude sighed.

"Well, you're not as late as last time." Isaac commented.

"Why do we have to leave so early?" Hilda complained.

"The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back Hilda." Leonie said.

"Alright everyone. Let's get going." Isaac said as the Golden Deer, along with Felix, Kraden, Mathis, Noel, and Kyle all headed out.

During the walk, Felix got to learn more about Isaac’s new students.

Hilda was rather lazy and continued to downplay her skills, despite Felix seeing her do pretty well against the bandits. She also would try to charm some of her classmates to take over tasks that Isaac assigns her when they had to set up camp for the night, or stop to eat. It kind of reminded him of Jenna when they were little as she would try to use her sister charm to get Felix to do something for her. Thankfully, Isaac was just as used to it as he was, and thankfully Jenna did grow out of it. Now here's hoping Hilda would as well.

Raphael was a pretty sweet yet simple guy. He questioned Felix how strong he was, as well as asking to compare muscles. He was also quite the glutton. Always the first to ask Isaac when it was time to stop and eat.

Ignatz was rather shy. He didn’t have much to say to Felix, but he was okay as far as Felix was concerned.

Leonie really admired that Captain Jeralt guy Isaac traveled with. She was apparently training to be a mercenary like he was.

Lorenz was quite the colorful character. He was quick to introduce himself and spoke of his title with a lot of pride. He was quite annoying at times, but he didn't seem all that bad.

Then there were the three new Adepts within the class.

Marianne was even more quiet than Ignatz. According to what Isaac said, as well as what he saw during the fight with the bandits, she was a Water Adept. She was also really devout to this Goddess of Fodlan. In fact Felix would catch her muttering a prayer quite a few times. There was also a look on her face that indicated that she was troubled about something, but even Isaac hadn't been able to get her to talk about it. The only person within the group that she would actually talk to is Hilda. And even then it was more of Hilda speaking to her.

Lysithea is a Wind Adept, and she is really interested in learning Psynergy. Currently she was talking with Kraden about his knowledge on the subject. Isaac says that she’s his smartest student, despite also being the youngest. She also had a bit of a short temper when it came to her age and height. Something Felix saw thanks to Claude throwing a tease at her here and there.

Speaking of Claude...The leader of the Golden Deer, and grandson of the current Duke Riegan of the Alliance, was a Wind Adept like Lysithea. He was rather casual despite his noble status, and he showed to be pretty skilled at Jupiter Psynergy during the fight with the bandits despite being rather new at it like the other students. But there was one thing about him that bothered Felix.

His smile.

His smile always felt off. Despite the fact that he smiles a lot, it all feels like an act. In fact, it reminded him of someone…It reminded him of Alex.

Alex. The Mercury clan Adept that Saturos and Menardi recruited prior to setting out on their second attempt at claiming the Elemental Stars, so they could access the Mercury Lighthouse. He was essentially the brains of the group, solving most of the puzzles of the Mercury Lighthouse and even a bit of the Venus Lighthouse, as Saturos and Menardi weren’t…the brightest at it.

However, his goals of helping them wasn’t to save the world like the others were. It was for his own selfish desire for more power. Felix wasn’t sure why he was obsessed with it, but it sure gave the Wise One a reason to not want the Lighthouses lite. He played everyone for a fool. The Proxians, his cousin Mia, even Felix himself. The last he heard of him; he was trying to scale Mount Aleph to gain the power of the Golden Sun. Did he succeed? Was he the reason they all ended up in Fodlan? It was definitely something he needed to talk to Isaac about when they got a chance alone.

But back to Claude, there was just something about him that made Felix feel a bit uneasy. Like he was plotting something. Felix decided that he would keep an eye on Claude, just to be on the safe side, less they deal with another Alex.

But for now, he had other things to worry about Garreg Mach was coming into view. Soon, he would meet this Archbishop Rhea. Soon he would start his own goal of helping Isaac find their friends, and a way back home.

Djinn Fact of the Day:

Flint: Hey guys! I'm back again for another exciting segment of Dinni Fact of the Day. Today, we have Echo joining us!

Name: Echo

Attribute: Earth

Stats: HP +9 / PP +4 / ATK +3

Origin: Golden Sun The Lost Age.

Original Location: Right outside of Daila.

Echo: Hey guys Echo here! I got to be the tutorial Djinn for the Lost Age! My ability in battle is exactly the same as Flint here. We're pretty similar, but I give more stats so I'm better!

Flint: ONE STAT! ONE STAT IN HP!!!

Echo: That's one more stat than you!

Flint: Oh you want to go you knock off?"

Echo: Bring it on!

Flint and Echo get into a tussle as Geode watches from the side.

Geode: They can bicker all they want. Won't change the fact I'm better than both of them.

Flint: This has been Djinn fact of the day! See you guys next time!

Chapter Text

The day after Isaac’s class left:

Byleth was sitting in her room looking over her supplies to ensure that everything was set for her class’s mission. The Blue Lions were tasked to head off to a sacred site of the church called Zanado in order to take out some bandits that were hiding out in there.

“Bandits huh? Can’t say I feel comfortable sending children into combat so quickly.” Sothis commented.

“Apparently these are the bandits we meet in Remire. The knights chased them, and they ended up hiding out in Zanado. We’re being sent to finish them off.” Byleth said.

“Well, just don’t throw yourself in front of an axe again.” Sothis commented.

“That’s why I’m making sure I’m prepared. Those bandits weren’t very tough, but a cornered animal can still leave one nasty bite.” Byleth said.

“Indeed. So, when do you leave? Don’t you also have a dead-line to complete this assignment?” Sothis asked.

“We don’t need to rush as much as Isaac did. Zanado isn’t too far from here.” Byleth said.

“Well, how do you feel for your students? Do you believe they are ready for this?” Sothis asked.

“Actually, some of them already have experience in actual combat. Sure, they still have plenty to learn, but they do know their way around a battle at least.” Byleth said.

“Well, that’s a little better, I guess. Still, I think making these students fight bandits this early in the year is a little too much. I guess I have no choice. I’ll allow you to use my powers.” Sothis said.

“Your powers? You mean the time powers that saved me from death in Remire?” Byleth asked surprised.

“The very same. These powers will allow you to turn back the hands of time at will. However, there are limits.” Sothis said.

“What are the limits?” Byleth asked.

“First of all, I can only go back a couple of minutes at best. A second, this power is not infinite. You can only use this power three times per day. So, you’d better make them count.” Sothis said.

“I will. And thank you Sothis.” Byleth said.

“Don’t worry Byleth! You also have my powers as well!” Claw assured.

“Oh great! Just when things were getting peaceful around here.” Sothis groaned.

“Thank you. Both of you.” Byleth assured.

Byleth then got up and out of her room and headed towards the classroom where her students would be waiting for her.

When Byleth reached the Blue Lions classroom, she saw all of her students were already there and talking with each other. Mainly about the mission that they were doing. Upon spotting her, Dimitri spoke up.

“Ah professor. We are to be heading out soon I believe?” Dimitri asked.

“That is correct. We’ll leave in about an hour.” Byleth said.

“So, from what we’ve heard, the bandits have taken refugee in Zanado, correct?” Ingrid asked.

“That’s what I’ve heard as well.” Byleth nodded.

“Well, we can’t allow those underhanded thieves to get away. Let’s work together to take them down.” Ashe declared.

“No matter the opponent, I will allow no harm to fall upon his highness.” Dedue vowed.

“If this is just some bandits, then this isn’t going to be much of a challenge.” Felix sighed.

“Don’t be such a spoilsport Felix. I’m actually looking forward to it. Who knows? We may run into some cute lady thieves.” Sylvain said with a smirk.

“Sylvain, please focus.” Ingrid sighed in annoyance at her childhood friend.

“At any rate, this will be our first real battle. A great opportunity to show how much we’ve grown.” Annette said.

“True. The Mock Battle was a success. So long as we keep this course, we should be fine.” Mercedes assured.

“We should go get ready. We’d best be prepared on supplies.” Annette said as she and Mercedes left the classroom.

“If it’s okay with both of you, I’d like to get a shield for the mission. I did pass the certifications recently after all.” Dedue said to Dimitri and Byleth.

“That would be a good idea. Here you go.” Byleth said as she handed Dedue some money to get a shield he could carry.

“May I come with you Dedue?” Ashe asked.

“If you wish.” Dedue said as the two left. Ingrid, Sylvain, and Felix left right after.

“Everyone seems to be a little too excited for my taste. They do know this isn't a game, correct?” Byleth asked.

“Perhaps we are a bit overexcited. But we will have the Knights of Serios backing us, so we should be fine.” Dimitri said.

“I guess so. Just make sure they should know to keep their guards up when they’re out there. Bandits can be crafty and these bandits will be desperate for survival.” Byleth said.

“I am aware. As you know, this isn't the first time some of us have faced against bandits. But I will pass on your message to the others before we leave.” Dimitri assured.

“That’s good.” Byleth sighed.

“But speaking of knights, your father Jeralt was reappointed to being their captain again. Will he be joining us?” Dimitri asked.

“No. My father is tasked with a different mission for Lady Rhea.” Byleth said.

“Oh. Well, that’s unfortunate. Hopefully soon we will get to see you two fight side by side.” Dimitri said.

“We’ve fought side by side many times. It’s nothing special.” Byleth said not getting why Dimitri was looking forward to seeing it.

Oh, of course. I apologies for letting my childish whims getting the best of me. In all honesty, I’m a bit jealous of you two.” Dimitri admitted.

“You’re jealous of us?” Byleth asked confused.

“Yes. You see, my parents are…no longer around.” Dimitri confessed.

“Gone?” Byleth asked.

“They both died some time ago. I’m all that’s left of them…Anyway, sorry to bore you with such things. It’s nearly time to depart, correct?” Dimitri asked.

“Right. Make sure your weapons are in good shape. How is your Psynergy coming? Have you learned healing yet” Byleth asked.

“It’s not as great as Professor’s Isaac, but it should do the job if needed.” Dimitri assured.

“Good. Between you and me with our Psynergy, and Mercedes with her Faith magic, we should be good on healing. But we should take some Vulnerary's just in case.” Byleth said.

“I’ll be happy to stock up for you if need be.” Dimitri offered.

“I can handle it. Just make sure your weapons are all set.” Byleth said.

Dimitri nodded and headed out as Byleth followed soon after.

An hour had passed and the Blue Lions gather up by the gates to the Monastery.

Jeralt had arrived to see them off as well.

“I wish I could go with you, but Lady Rhea won’t allow it.” Jeralt said.

“If anything, I’d prefer if you went with Isaac instead of me. He looked like he could use it more.” Byleth admitted.

“True, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about you. I usually handled everything while we were mercenaries. Outside of battle, you never had much contact with anyone. Granted that started to get better when Isaac joined us, but that only did so much. I'm just worried it will be too much for you being thrown into a bunch of noble brats like this.” Jeralt said.

“I’m doing fine for now.” Byleth assured.

“That’s good. I know fighting bandits for you is nothing, but for these kids, it will be their first time. It will be hard to sleep at night if one of those brats end up dying on you.” Jeralt said.

“Actually, according to Dimitri, some of them have experienced this before.” Byleth pointed out.

“Really now? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re teaching kids from the Kingdom. I’ve heard things have been crazy over there in the last few years. Did give us plenty of jobs though.” Jeralt sighed. “Just be careful out there. I’ll try to see what Lady Rhea wants with you two. I don’t mind if you want to settle down a life here, but just don’t drop your guard.”

“I won’t.” Byleth assured.

“All right then. Good luck out there, kiddo.” Jeralt smiled.

Byleth nodded and headed out the gates with the rest of the Blue Lions. Off to Zanado. The Red Canyon.

The walk to the canyon was mostly uneventful. Both Felix and Dedue were keeping their eyes out for any trace of Djinns, but to no luck.

“We should be approaching Zanado soon. Just up these cliffs.” Dimitri said.

“Good. Make sure everyone is prepared for battle.” Byleth said as she reached into her pocket. “By the way, Isaac did leave me with a Psynergy stone before he left.”

As she said that, she pulled out a glowing rock to show the class.

“If I recall, that stone can restore our Psynergy, should we run out?” Dimitri asked.

Correct, but it can only be used once. Once it's used, the stone will shatter, and I only have the one. So try not to go overboard with Psynergy out there. I'm not saying don't use Psynergy, in fact, it would be best to get some experience in battle using it, but don't over-rely on it ether. All of you have been trained in other fields as well as Psynergy, so don't forget it to use them as well." Byleth advised.

“Right.” Dimitri nodded as he turned to his students. “I can’t heal as well as Professor Isaac showed, but I do know some healing if it’s needed.”

“I can as well.” Dedue nodded.

“Healing was one of the first things I learned, so I’ll be here to help as well.” Byleth said.

“I may not have Psynergy, but don’t forget that I do have my Faith magic to keep us all alive and well.” Mercedes assured with a smile.

“I’ll be sure to remember that. Anyway, the knights we should be just up ahead. Let’s meet up with them and survey the situation.” Byleth said.

The Blue Lions nodded and continued their march. Their first real battle was just about to begin.

Byleth and the group arrived at the meet-up spot where a squad of knights was waiting for them. They looked rather exhausted as their armor was covered in dents and marks.

“Ah! You’ve finally arrived. My name is Amelia. I lead this squadron of knights.” One of the knights spoke.

“I’m Byleth.” Byleth greeted.

“What happened to you all? Does anyone need some healing?” Mercedes offered in concern upon seeing the shape of the knights.

“We’ll live. You’d best save that magic for yourselves. We cornered the bandits, but it seemed that they have some pets at their disposal. My men weren’t ready for that odd magic stuff, so they took us by surprise.” Amelia said.

“I thought we got rid of all their pets back in Remire. But I guess they still had some hiding around.” Dimitri commented.

“We took out a good chunk of them. Only a handful remains, including the leader. We’ve got healers of our own. Once we’ve patched up, we’ll join you. But you all better get out there. If we wait too long, they’ll find an opening and flee.” Amelia advised.

“Understood. Leave it to us.” Byleth vowed as she turned to her students. “Looks like the situation is a bit different than we expected. But this kind of stuff is common when fighting bandits. Just remember your training and do what you can to keep yourselves and each other alive. Now let’s get out there.”

The Blue Lions nodded and headed towards the bandits.

The Blue Lions arrived at a platform nearby where the bandits were positioned, connected by a single large bridge.

“There they are. How shall we proceed Professor?” Dimitri asked.

“Everyone, stick together as we fight our way past the bridge. Dedue, I want you and Sylvain to take point.” Byleth ordered.

“Understood.” Dedue nodded.

“Don’t worry ladies, I’ll keep you safe.” Sylvain smiled.

“Just make sure you keep an eye on those enemies, or else they’ll have to keep you safe.” Felix commented dryly.

“Everyone, forward!” Byleth ordered.

As the Blue Lions charged forward, three bandits that were positioned on the bridge charged forward. The two in the front both had some axes while the last one had a bow in his hands as he readied an arrow.

Dedue took out his shield that he purchased and raised it in front of him to block the arrow that was shot at him.

Sylvain quickly grabbed his lance and made a strike at the bandits, with Felix following suit with his sword.

The two men cut the two bandits with axes down in a second, while Annette blasted the bandit with a bow using a wind spell.

With the three bandits that guarded the bridge dead, the Blue Lions crossed to the next set of land, where more bandits were awaiting them.

“Let’s take these guys out!” Byleth ordered as two swordsmen approached her. Byleth simply raised her hand. “Douse!”

A large pour of water appeared above the bandits, slamming them with heavy rain.

“Dimitri, Dedue, Felix! Don’t forget your Psynergy training as well. Use every skill you have to win.” Byleth commanded.

The three nodded.

“Fire!” Felix called out as he summoned a fireball and blasted an archer that was trying to aim his bow at him.

Ingrid parried a strike from another bandit with her lance as Mercedes shot a fireball at the bandits killing him.

Ashe noticed something in the corner and went over to investigate it. As he did, a Bandit came charging at him with a sword in hand. Quickly on instinct, Ashe fired an arrow, wounding the bandit as Dimitri ran up and finished him off with his spear.

“Ashe, are you okay?” Dimitri asked.

“Y-Yeah. Just took me by surprise is all.” Ashe admitted.

“You should really be more careful to not just wonder off. What were you looking at anyway?” Dimitri asked.

“I could have sworn I saw something over here.” Ashe said as he lead Dimitri to a small area that was covered from normal view by rocks. Inside, was a treasure chest.

“I guess this must be where the thieves stored some of their stolen loot.” Dimitri said.

“And we stole it fare and square!” A bandit shouted as he charged at the two Blue Lions. However, Dimitri raised his hand. “Quake!”

The ground beneath the bandit started to shake, causing the bandit to lose his footing as Byleth arrived and killed him.

“What are you two doing over here?” Byleth asked.

“Look what we found Professor.” Ashe said pointing to the chest.

“What’s inside it?” Byleth asked.

“Don’t know. And I’m not sure which of these bandits has the key. But I think I can pick the lock open.” Ashe said.

“We can worry about that after. First, let’s deal with the rest of the bandits.” Byleth said.

Dimitri and Ashe nodded and followed their professor back to the others that had finished off the bandits on the current area.

“All that’s left is the group up ahead.” Sylvain said pointing towards pass the next bridge where the rest of the bandits were scrambling around trying to think of a way out of this mess.

“Not only will their boss be down there, but we have yet to see any of their pets ether.” Dimitri said.

"They're likely being kept close to their boss. Make sure we approach with extra caution from here on out." Byleth advised.

“So, how do you want to proceed? Charge right at them?” Sylvain asked.

“Actually, I noticed that there was another bridge not far from where the thieves were hiding their treasure. Perhaps we could split up and corner them in a pincer attack?” Dimitri offered.

“Will wonders never cease. The boar can actually think outside of frontal assault.” Felix commented dryly.

“That’s enough Felix!” Ingrid scolded.

“How should we proceed professor?” Dimitri asked.

Byleth thought about it for a moment before speaking up. “If we charge at one side, they could use the other side to get away. And while we do have the knights in the back, there are many areas they could hide. A pincer attack would be best. As for how we’ll split, Dimitri, Ingrid, Ashe, and Sylvain will go with me. Dedue, Felix, Annette, and Mercedes will go around the other way and cut off their escape route.”

The Blue Lions nodded and did as they were told.

Chapter Text

“Boss! They’re coming at us from both sides!” One bandit said in fear.

“WHAT?! Damn knights! I thought our wolves would have scared them off.” Kostas growled.

"Actually, it's a bunch of kids pursuing us." The bandit explained.

"Kids?" Kostas asked baffled if he heard that right.

"I think they might be from the Officers Academy with how they're dressed." The bandit said.

"So, instead of coming at us themselves, the knights of Serios instead decide to hide behind a bunch of snot nosed little brats? Do they think so little of us?" Kostas asked in anger.

"Well, it's not just that. The Ashen Demon herself is leading the assault." The bandit added.

“That freak? What is she buddy-buddy with the knights now?” Kostas asked.

“I guess so.” The bandit said.

Kostas was silent for a moment before he spoke up. “Send what wolves we have first and wear them down. Then have the boys follow up with an attack right afterwards. The Ashen Demon is our biggest concern, but if we take out the brats, she'll be all alone for us to overwhelm her."

The bandit nodded and went to do what he was told.

Dedue lead the group that took the bridge to the west with his shield out in front to protect them from any attack.

As they crossed, a couple of bandits charged at them with a couple of blue wolves accompanying them.

“Those wolves look different.” Mercedes commented.

“I remember his highness telling me about them. The bandits used them back in Remire as well. They can apparently use Psynergy as well.” Dedue said.

“Wait. Wolves can use Psynergy as well?” Annette gasped.

“Professor Isaac did say that Psynergy can affect things other than people.” Felix said.

“So, I guess these must be the pets the knights warned us about.” Mercedes guessed.

“Either way, take them out like you would the bandits. Here they come.” Felix said sword in hand.

One of the approaching Dire Wolves let out a breath of icy air at the four that Dedue quickly blocked with his shield, causing ice to build up on it. He quickly dropped it due to the extra weight from the ice.

“Th-That wolf just shot ice out of its mouth. That was Psynergy, correct?” Mercedes asked.

“Correct.” Dedue and Felix answered simultaneously.       

“Fireball!” Felix called out as he summoned a fireball and lunched it at the Dire Wolf, killing it. Dedue unleashed Grow causing vines to impale and immobilize the remaining wolves that made it easy for Dedue to finish with his axe.

“Nice one you two!” Annette praised.

“Bandits coming!” Dedue called out as the bandits charged at them axes and swords in hand.

Dedue blocked the attacks with his shield as Felix slashed some with his sword and Annette blasted the others with a fire spell.

“We did it! See? We’re great fighters!” Annette cheered.

“Bah. These bandits are a joke. Seems like they were banking on their little pets to take some of us out and then they rush in to finish us. I was expecting more.” Felix dismissed.

“I just hope the goddess blesses them to rest in peace.” Mercades said while muttering a prayer.

“We should hurry forward and regroup with his highness.” Dedue advised.

“Let's just hope the professor is able to keep that boar on his leash.” Felix said causing Dedue to glare at him. Still, the four quickly headed forward to where Kostas and the remaining bandits resided.

Byleth’s group made their way down to where the main forces of the bandits awaited them.

Byleth and Dimitri took charge with sword and lance in hand respectively as they charged at the oncoming bandits taking them out with ease.

Several Dire Wolves came out from behind rocks to the side and charged at the group, but were intercepted by Sylvain and Ingrid with lances in their hands.

Sylvain thrust his lance at one of the wolves who barely managed to dodge it before unleashing a breath of ice at the red-haired noble.

“GAH!” Sylvain cried out in pain as he fell down from the blast of ice.

“Sylvain!” Ingrid cried out.

Dimitri quickly turned and rushed towards the wolf that was ready to pounce on his old friend.

With a quick thrust, the Dire Wolf was impaled by Dimitri’s lance.

“Are you okay Sylvain?” Dimitri asked offering his friend a hand.

“Yeah. Thanks Dimitri. I owe you one.” Sylvain sighed as Dimitri helped him up.

Ingrid meanwhile, managed to stab the other wolf and kill it. Once it was dead, she headed over to her two friends.

“Are you okay Sylvain?” Ingrid asked.

“I’ll live.” Sylvain assured.

“Does it hurt? Here.” Dimitri said as he casts cure on Sylvain.

“Wow. That does feel better. Thanks.” Sylvain smiled.

Byleth, who finished off the bandits that charged them quickly ran to her three students.

“Everyone okay?” Byleth asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Sylvain assured.

“Good. The last of the bandits should be just up ahead. Let’s hurry so we can meet up with the others and cut them off.” Byleth said.

The others nodded.

However, an arrow suddenly went flying and hit Ingrid in the chest.

“INGRID!!!” Dimitri and Sylvain shouted as Ingrid fell to the ground.

“Where did that come from?” Byleth asked looking for said Archer.

Claw then appeared on Byleth’s shoulder and pointed to the left. “Over there!”

Byleth and Dimitri turned to see a Bandit with a bow hiding behind some rocks.

“Got one.” He muttered to himself as he readied another arrow.

Dimitri grabbed his lance and charged at the bandit with intent to kill.

Meanwhile, Sylvain was trying to get Ingrid to stay with him.

“Come on Ingrid, wake up! This isn’t funny!” Sylvain pleaded as his voice got more desperate as he spoke. He then turned to Byleth. “Professor, your Psynergy, you can heal her right?”

“I don’t think so. If she’s already dead, Ply isn’t going to be of any use.” Claw admitted much to Byleth and Sylvain’s horror.

“STOP STANDING THERE LIKE AN IDIOT! Use my powers if you want to save her!” Sothis shouted.

Snapping out of it, Byleth nodded and activated the Divine Pulse. The world around them turned purple as time froze.

“Good. Now then, concentrate on the clock and focus on the hands. The more you focus, the further you can turn them back. However, be aware that you can only turn back the clock so far.” Sothis advised.

“That’s fine. Now that I know where the archer is, I don’t need to go back too far.” Byleth assured.

Byleth activated her powers as the hands of time started to reverse.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Sylvain assured once Byleth finished the Divine Pulse.

Byleth nodded as she gripped her sword. In a swift move, Byleth jumped in front of Ingrid and blocked the oncoming arrow that took her student’s life moments ago.

The bandit in hiding was shocked that his sneak attack failed.

“How did she know where that was? I thought I hid myself perfectly.” The bandit questioned. However, he didn’t have time to think it over as Byleth raised her hand.

“Ice!” Ice shout out from the ground, impaling the bandit and killing him.

“P-Professor. How did you do that?” Dimitri asked in shock.

“I-I was lucky and happened to spot the bandit taking aim. We need to keep on guard. There are still bandits about.” Byleth said.

“R-Right. Our apologies professor." Dimitri said with a bow.

“And, thank you for saving me professor. I’m in your debt.” Ingrid said with a bow.

“It’s my job. Now let’s get moving.” Byleth commanded. The three nodded and headed forward to where the leader was waiting.

Both groups arrived where the bandit’s leader Kostas was waiting with three more Dire Wolves.

“Damn it! You made it past my men?” Kostas asked.

“Looks like all you have left is a couple of animals. Not going to help you in the long run though.” Felix commented.

“Grr. I won’t just lay over and die! Get them!” Kostas commanded as the Dire Wolves charged at the Blue Lion students.

Kostas then grabbed his axe and charged at Dimitri who managed to block it with his lance.

“Spoiled like noble! Just die like a good little rich kid!” Kostas growled.

“Unfortunately for you I cannot oblige. But you are going to pay for the crimes you committed.” Dimitri vowed. “Pewter!”

Pewter appeared before Dimitri as his lance was suddenly enchanted with Venus Psynergy causing it to glow yellow. Dimitri charged forward and with a swing of the lance, Kostas’s axe shattered and the bandit was sliced through the chest, causing him to fall to the ground.

"S-Seriously? Killed by some...some kid? Damn...This was a mistake. I never should have...listened to that...idiot...” Kostas muttered as the life faded from his eyes.

Byleth and the others took out the three wolves and then approached Dimitri.

“That’s the last of them it seems.” Byleth said.

“Indeed. We should regroup with the knights and decide what to do next. But thank you professor. You lead us well today.” Dimitri smiled.

By the entrance to Zanado:

“Great work out there. I guess the Ashen Demon really does live up to her name.” Amelia said once Byleth and the Blue Lions reported their success in their mission.

“We all pitched in. Not just me.” Byleth said.

"Indeed. You all were great out there." Amelia praised.

“By the way, I heard some of the bandits managed to escape. Shouldn’t we stop them too?” Dimitri asked.

“They're just some stragglers that got scared and tried to flee when you all started to take them on. We'll take care of them. You kids have done more than enough for us. Head back to the Monastery.” Amelia said.

“Very well. Stay safe out there.” Dimitri said with a bow.

Byleth however, started to wonder off while they were talking.

Byleth looked around Zanado, and as she did, she couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia as she looked around the ruins.

“It’s strange. I remember this place being much more peaceful.” Byleth said.

“Have you been here before?” Claw asked appearing On Byleth's shoulder.

“No…This is my first time here. This is supposed to be a sacred place for the Church.” Byleth said.

“Hmm. I do wonder why it is you remember this place then.” Sothis commented. “But if I’m being honest, I too am rather fascinated by this place. Are you sure this is your first time here Byleth?”

“Remember that for whatever the reason was, my father wanted to avoid the Church of Serios. This place is supposedly a sacred place for the church. I doubt he'd risk coming here.” Byleth said.

“True. And yet I too feel like I’ve been here before. Strange though. This doesn’t look like a place one would forget so easily. But aside from its name and a sense of familiarity, I can’t recall a single memory of this place. Yet I still feel so many emotions by simply being here like joy and sorrow, and pain and love, and everything in-between.” Sothis said.

“Professor?” Dimitri’s voice called out. Byleth snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the approaching prince. “There you are. We’re all set to head back to the Monastery. What were you doing out here?”

“Oh sorry. Just taking in the scene.” Byleth said.

“I don’t blame you. There definitely is a strange feeling about this place, but we should get going and report back to Lady Rhea.” Dimitri said.

“Alright. You go on ahead. I’ll be right there.” Byleth assured.

Dimitri nodded and started to head back.

“So, it seems that our time here is over. It’s a shame though. A part of me was hoping I could get some answers here.” Sothis said.

“Well, maybe we can come back here later and try again another day.” Claw offered.

“That may not be a bad idea. I guess you can be useful for something after all.” Sothis said. “On another note, you have earned my gratitude Byleth for driving away those bandits from here.”

“Why are you grateful?” Byleth asked confused.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. But I am none the less.” Sothis admitted.

“Well, thank you for allowing me to use your power. Otherwise, I would have had to bury one of my students the moment I got back.” Byleth said.

“Of course. But remember what I told you before. My powers are not infinite." Sothis warned.

Byleth nodded and started to follow after Dimitri.

Chapter Text

“Professor, are we there yet?” Hilda whined as the Golden Deer continued their long walk back to Garreg Mach along with Felix, his parents, Isaac’s father, and Kraden.

“Almost Hilda.” Isaac assured.

“We should be able to see the Monastery from here.” Leonie said pointing ahead and sure enough, the Monastery was in view beyond the trees and hill before them.

“By the Wise One.” Kyle muttered in awe.

“It’s so big.” Mathis muttered.

“That’s Garreg Mach Monastery?” Noel asked in shock.

“That’s definitely bigger than any church at home.” Felix said also surprised.

“Indeed. I’ve seen a lot in my travels, but I think it may be bigger than Lord Babi’s palace.” Kraden commented.

“I know. That was my reaction when I fist saw it.” Isaac said.

“All I know, is that I just want to plop myself in my bed and just go to sleep.” Hilda groaned.

"Really? I was hoping to get some extra training in once we got back." Leonie said.

"Well, you're free to do that. I on the other hand need a break." Hilda complained. "I wish the sauna would hurry up and be finished."

"There's a sauna there?" Isaac asked surprised.

"It's still being worked on so it isn't opened yet, but yes there is a sauna near the dorms." Lorenz explained.

"Hey guys! We're almost there!" Claude pointed out.

Once Byleth and the Blue Lions returned to the Monastery, most of the Lions left for different reasons leaving Byleth with Dimitri.

“We’re finally back. I’m to leave the report to Lady Rhea to you professor?” Dimitri asked.

“Yeah. By the way, can you check if Isaac got back yet?” Byleth asked.

“If you’re looking for the Golden Deer, they have not returned yet.” Edelgard spoke as she approached them along with Professor Hanneman.

“Ah Edelgard. Are you back from your mission?” Dimitri asked.

“Yes. We arrived back a few hours ago.” Edelgard said.

“If I recall correctly, your class was tasked with assisting one of the Church’s fortresses to the west.” Byleth said.

“Indeed. And we did have some run ins with some monsters there. But it was nothing my students weren’t able to handle. Still, it did give quite a bit of experience fighting something that uses Psynergy.” Hanneman said.

“That’s good.” Dimitri complemented. “I’m glad things worked out well for you.”

“Do you believe they wouldn’t? If so, I find your lack of insight in our ability rather disappointing.” Edelgard commented.

“That’s…not at all what I mean. If I’ve offended you, I hope you accept my apologies.” Dimitri said.

“Don’t worry about it.” Edelgard said.

“Well, looks like you beat us back. You didn’t miss me, did you?” A voice called out.

Everyone turned to see Claude approach them with Isaac, the Golden Deer, and five other people behind them.

“Not really. In fact, I was enjoying the peace and quite for a change.” Edelgard commented.

“Ouch.” Claude laughed.

“Claude. You’re back. I trust your mission went well?” Dimitri asked.

“Definitely could have gone smoother, but it worked out well in the end.” Claude said.

“If you don’t mind me asking though, who are these five people behind you?” Hanneman asked.

“Some of the people I was looking for. This is my father Kyle, my friends Felix and Kraden, and Felix’s parents Mathis and Noel.” Isaac introduced.

“Felix huh? That’s going to be confusing.” Dimitri commented.

“Why’s that?” Felix asked.

“One of my students is named Felix as well.” Byleth informed.

“Anyway, this is Byleth. She’s the daughter of the mercenary now captain Jeralt I was talking about. She teaches the Blue Lions. The one in the scholar robes is Professor Hanneman. He teaches the Black Eagles. Lastly, the two students are Dimitri and Edelgard. The house leaders of the Blue Lions and Black Eagles respectively.” Isaac said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Dimitri said with a bow.

“Same here.” Edelgard bowed. “By the way, if I may ask, what Element of Psynergy do you have?”

“Venus.” Felix said.

“Ah. I see…” Edelgard muttered.

“You sound disappointed.” Felix commented.

“My apologies. But while Professor Isaac has been most helpful with learning Psynergy, I was hoping I could learn from a Mars Adept at some point.” Edelgard admitted.

“Well, my mom isn’t much of a fighter, but she can teach you a bit more on Mars Psynergy if you’re interested.” Felix said gesturing to his mom who along with his and Isaac’s fathers and Kraden were talking to Hanneman.

“I see. I’ll have to remember that.” Edelgard said. Well, I hope to see you around, but I have other business to attend right now. Good day Professor Isaac, Professor Byleth."

With that, Edelgard turned and walked away.

“I think after all that walking, I could use a bite to eat.” Claude said.

“Now you’re speaking my language, Claude. I’m starving.” Raphael cheered.

“You’re always hungry Raphael. But I do admit that I could use a bite to eat as well.” Lorenz said.

“What say you your princessliness. You want to join us?” Claude asked.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I’m pretty sure half my classmates are already there anyway.” Dimitri said.

“Great. Come join us when you’re done teach. I know you want to get your dad and the others situated, but there’s no point in doing it on an empty stomach.” Claude said.

“Yeah. Sounds good.” Isaac nodded.

With that, Dimitri and the Golden Deer headed for the mess hall while Isaac, Byleth, Hanneman, and Felix’s group headed towards the Audience Chamber.

“I’m am so glad that you all have returned safely. Each of you have done well in guiding your students through their first mission, even with the bumps that came along the way.” Rhea smiled as Isaac, Byleth, and Hanneman stood before her and Seteth giving a report on how their missions went. Felix, Kraden, Kyle, Mathis, and Noel stood to the side as Jeralt and Manuela stood next to them.

“I’m glad things worked out, but I still wish to know how those bandits knew about me like that, and where exactly they got that monster.” Isaac said.

"That, along with why those bandits from Remire were targeting the students to begin with." Rhea added.

"We'll have the knights look into it, but if you come across any information, please inform us at once." Seteth said.

"What I'm more worries about was that giant toad monster that killed those soldiers. What do we do if one of the students run into something like that?" Manuela asked.

"Giant monsters have been around in Fodlan long before Psynergy came. But if these monsters are now more common, then it will be rather troublesome." Hanneman asked.

"During our travels, giant monsters like that were normally found far away from civilization. Kain only had his because someone supplied him with it." Isaac said.

"Which means we just need to find the culprit then?" Manuela asked.

"Seems like it." Isaac said.

"In the meantime, we'll have to make some changes to the curriculum to educate students on what to do when a giant creature confronts them." Hanneman said.

Isaac, Byleth, Rhea, Seteth, and Manuela all nodded to that.

“As for the soldiers, there will be a funeral service held for them tomorrow.” Rhea said and Manuela nodded. “Now then, would you mind introducing your new companions Professor Isaac?”

Isaac nodded as Felix, Kraden, Mathis, Noel, and Kyle stepped forward.

“My name is Felix. I’m from Vale just like Isaac. My Psynergy is Venus.” Felix said.

“I’m his father Mathis. Like my son, I am also a Venus Adept.” Mathis greeted. “This is my wife Noel. She’s a Mars Adept.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Rhea.” Noel said with a bow to which Rhea smiled.

“My name is Kyle. Isaac is my son. I’m also a Venus Adept just like him.” Kyle greeted.

“You sure do bare some similarities. That’s for sure.” Jeralt commented.

“My name is Kraden. I’m not an Adept, but I am a scholar who has been studying Alchemy and Psynergy for many years.” Kraden greeted.

“If it’s no trouble to you Lady Rhea, I wish for them to stay here.” Isaac asked.

“We don’t intend to freeload. We are more than capable in helping out around here if needed.” Kyle added as Mathis, Noel, and Kraden nodded.

“Well, we are a bit short handed in a few areas around here lately. So, your assistance would be rather helpful.” Rhea said. “But we’ll have to act on that tomorrow. Unfortunately Seteth and I have a lot to do today.”

“Until then, you can stay by the knight barracks. There are a couple of empty rooms there.” Seteth said.

“Kraden, I actually have room for another in my room. Would you like to stay with me? There is a lot I wish to discuss with you further on Psynergy.” Hanneman said with a smile.

“That sounds lovely. I’m curious to hear more of this Crest stuff myself.” Kraden said smiling.

“Oh great. There’s two of them.” Manuela sighed.

"By the way professor Byleth, how was your time in Zanado?" Rhea asked as Hanneman and Kraden continued to talk.

"It was...something." Byleth admitted.

"It is said that in ancient times, a Goddess alighted this world in that very canyon. For a Goddess from the heavens, Zanado could only have been a temporary haven." Rhea said.

"I assume this Goddess is the one the Church worships?" Isaac asked.

Rhea nodded. "Long ago, The divine Serios received a revelation from the Goddess. A gift to help guide the lost. The Goddess is always watching from her kingdom above us these days, but in ancient times, she would grace this world with her presences and offer salvation to the people here. She was a mother to all life, and the arbiter of every soul."

"My father never told me of that." Byleth said glancing at her father who was busy talking with Kyle.

"I see." Rhea said with some disappointment in her voice. "Well, during your time here, I pray you both come to devote yourselves to the teaching of Serios."

“Anyway, you are all dismissed. Classes will begin again Monday. As for your mission for next month, we will have it ready for you in the coming week.” Seteth said.

The others nodded and left.

Hanneman took Kraden to his office where the two could eat and chat, and Manuela left to go prepare the remains of the knights for the funeral tomorrow. That left the rest to head on down to the mess hall, while they chatted.

“So, Felix was it? How do you intend to look for your sister and your friends?” Jeralt asked.

“To be honest, I was hoping this Church could help, but now I’m not sure what to do next.” Felix admitted.

“Well then, how about you join me in the knights? Rhea’s been sending me all over Fodlan as of late, so you’ll have plenty of places to look, and I could use a good Adept on my side since Rhea took my last two. Plus, I already promised Isaac to keep an eye out for his friends.” Jeralt offered.

“I can just join you?” Felix asked surprised.

“As captain, I can approve who joins and who doesn’t. Normally there would be a test to see if you’re qualified, but given that you helped take down that frog monster that whipped out a whole squad, I think you’ve already past. What do you say?” Jeralt asked.

“Well, Isaac has spoken well of you on our way back, so I guess I’ll join you.” Felix said.

“Great. I’ll talk with Rhea about it tomorrow then.” Jeralt said as Felix nodded.

Mess Hall:

Isaac and the gang arrived in the mess hall where they grabbed their food and joined the students for a bite to eat. Byleth sat with the Blue Lions, while Isaac, Kyle, Mathis, Noel, and Felix (From Weyard) sat with the Golden Deer.

After some time eating and talking, the Blue Lions approached the table.

“So, this is your father professor Isaac?” Annette asked.

“Yes. My name is Kyle.” Kyle greeted.

“He looks a bit like you.” Dorothea commented as the Black Eagles approached the table except for Edelgard, Hubert, and Bernadetta who weren’t currently in the mess hall.

“I’ve been told a lot back home that I look like my father when he was younger.” Isaac chuckled.

“And it’s true.” Mathis chuckled.

“Much like how Felix looks a lot like you.” Noel laughed.

“Felix?” Ingrid asked surprised as her childhood friend looked at her.

The Felix from Weyard stood up and approached the students. “My name is Felix. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh. So, your name is Felix as well.” Ingrid said with realization.

“Oh yeah. I was told there is a Felix in your class as well.” The Weyard Felix said.

“Yeah me. I’m Felix Hugo Farldarius.” The Felix from Fodlan greeted.

“Wow. This is going to get confusing.” Caspar said.

“Ah it won’t be so bad. We just need to give them nicknames.” Sylvain smiled.

“No, we don’t.” Fodlan Felix said dryly.

“Okay then. You can be Happy Felix.” Sylvain said pointing to the Felix from Weyard.

“And you can be angry Felix.” Sylvain said pointing to his childhood friend.

“Sylvain.” Fodlan Felix said flatly.

“Yes, Angry Felix?” Sylvain asked with a smile.

*POW! *

Sylvain laid sprawled on the floor with a bruise on his head where Fodlan Felix hit him.

“As for you, join me in the training room some time. I want to see how strong you are.” Fodlan Felix said looking at Weyard Felix before leaving the mess hall.

“Should have seen this one coming.” Dimitri sighed as he picked his friend up from off the ground and carried him to Manulea's office.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what Psynergy do you have?” Linhardt asked Felix.

“Venus.” Felix answered.

“AH. So, you’re the same as Professor Isaac then.” Linhardt said.

“Did all the members of your group have Venus?” Caspar asked.

“No actually. Surprisingly we had two of each element by the end.” Felix said.

“Yeah. Felix’s younger sister and our childhood friend Garet had Mars Psynergy.” Isaac started.

“Isaac’s friend Ivan and my friend Sheba had Jupiter Psynergy.” Felix continued.

“And lastly, my friend Mia and Felix’s friend Piers had Mercury Psynergy.” Isaac finished.

“And are those people all that’s left to be found?” Mercedes asked.

“Yeah. They’re all that’s left.” Isaac said. “Unless there were others from Prox that got sent here as well.”

“I don’t think so. Kraden speculates that it was those that were on top the Mars Lighthouse when the Golden Sun was lite that ended up here.” Felix said.

“Who’s Kraden?” Dedue asked.

“A scholar and a friend of ours. Be he’s currently with Professor Hanneman right now.” Isaac said.

“Yeah. Those two got along pretty well when we got back.” Claude commented.

“Anyway, I don’t think we’ve introduced ourselves. My name is Ingrid Galatea and the red-haired boy that Prince Dimitri carried out was Sylvain Jose Gautier.” Ingrid greeted.

“Felix is also a Fire Adept.” Byleth added.

“My name is Mercedes and this is my best friend, Annette.” Mercedes greeted.

“Nice to meet you.” Annette greeted.

“My name is Ashe.” Ashe greeted.

“I am Dedue.” Dedue greeted. “I like his majesty am a Venus Adept.”

“I am Ferdinand Von Agier. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ferdinand greeted.

“I’m Linhardt.” Linhardt greeted.

“Name’s Caspar. I’m a Fire Adept!” Caspar greeted loudly.

‘In some ways, he’s like a mini Garet.’ Felix thought with a chuckle.

“I’m Petra.” Petra greeted.

“And my name is Dorothea. Sadly some of our classmates aren’t here right now.” Dorothea said.

“We met Edelgard when we got here.” Felix said.

“That’s good. The other students would be her retainer Hubert who is likely with Eddie right now. And then there’s Bernadetta who is likely locked up in her room.” Dorothea said.

“Why is she locked up in her room?” Noel asked.

“She’s very shy.” Dorothea said.

“That’s an understatement. I swear the poor girl is afraid of her own shadow.” Linhardt sighed.

“You’ll see her in Psynergy class, which speaking of, if you want to come, I have it on Fridays by the gates.” Isaac said.

“Sure. I’ll be there.” Felix said.

“Great.” Isaac smiled.

And with that, the students continued chatting in the mess hall.

Somewhere on a path:

"We should be arriving in another day or two hopefully. I want to thank you for helping me bring all this stuff with me." A red haired girl said to her companion as they rode a cart carried by a horse down a trail. "Classes at the Officers Academy are ongoing right now. This is the best time of the year to make some good cash."

"It's no problem. I was heading there myself." A blond-haired boy said as he looked forward to their destination. 'I just hope at least one of the others are there.'

Chapter Text

With their first official mission over with, Isaac and the deer were able to have a small amount of breathing space before they would continue their lecture.

Currently, Kyle, Mathis, Noel, and Kraden were talking with Rhea and Seteth on where they could work while Jeralt took Felix off to the training grounds to get a good understanding of his skills.

As for Isaac, he dragged the Golden Deer into their classroom in order to further discuss their results from their recent mission.

“In the end, while the mission went nowhere how we expected, I’m very proud of you all for looking after each other and keeping each other alive until we could regroup.” Isaac said.

“Seriously. That was our first mission though. Why would the church send us on something so dangerous. My brother never mentioned anything about a mission like that when he was here.” Hilda complained.

“Well, that’s how it is on the battlefield. Always expect the unexpected.” Flint said from Isaac’s desk.

“I’m sorry Hilda. You all were dragged on the mission because of me. Lady Rhea wanted to use my powers to help the knights scout out the bandit’s hideout. I’m sorry all of you were dragged into it.” Isaac apologized.

“No, it’s fine Professor. Those bandits needed to be dealt with.” Lorenz assured.

“Beside, I'm more curious about that large golden blade you used. What's the story about that?” Claude asked.

“Yeah, and that monster you summoned!” Raphael added.

“I’ll explain the monster.” Flint spoke up.

“Actually, we’ll save that for Psynergy class. But to make it simple, it’s another power of the combine work of an Adept and a Djinn.” Isaac interrupted causing Flint to pout.

“Wait, would that be the summoning you mentioned before?” Lysithea asked.

“Yes. But I would advise against it if possible. Summoning takes a large amount of energy from both the Djinn and the Adept. If you aren’t careful, you could over-strain yourself in battle. That’s why me and Felix used it together.” Isaac explained.

“Alright. But expect to get more questions about it for the next Psynergy class.” Claude said and Isaac nodded.

“But what about the rest of us Professor? I too would like to know what exactly this power is.” Lorenz spoke up.

“Well then, you’re free to join in on class.” Isaac spoke.

“I can?” Lorenz asked a bit surprised.

“Sure. Linhardt asked to observe class, so there is no reason you can’t.” Isaac said.

“Oh. Very well then. I shall observe your Psynergy class next time.” Lorenz relented.

“Okay, but what about your sword then?” Hilda asked.

“You mean this?” Isaac asked as he grabbed the Sol Blade that was leaning on his desk and unsheathed it.

“Yeah! What is that? It looks like a Hero’s Relic?” Lysithea asked.

“A hero’s relic?” Isaac asked confused.

“You don’t know? I guess that’s understandable, but it’s still odd that you were able to get a job without knowing this stuff.” Claude commented.

‘You and me both.’ Isaac and Flint both thought simultaneously.

“Anyway, the Hero’s Relics are a set of weapons that were bestowed by the Goddess upon Nemesis and the Ten Elites back when they were the Goddess’s champions. Only those with a Crest can ever wield such powerful weapons. Currently, the major noble houses of the Kingdom and the Alliance each hold one of those Hero’s Relics.” Lorenz said.

“What about the Empire?” Isaac asked.

“They hold some of the sacred weapons that were used by Saint Serios and the other saints in the war of Heroes.” Marianne explained.

“At least the ones the Church didn’t keep themselves.” Claude added.

“I see. And you think my sword is a Hero’s Relic?” Isaac asked looking at the Sol Blade.

“It does have a golden design like a Hero’s Relic. But your sword is far prettier than my house’s. I wish we could trade.” Hilda sighed.

“Hilda! How could you say such a think? Your house’s Hero’s Relic was entrusted to you by the Goddess! Show some respect!” Lorenz chided.

“You really shouldn’t say things like that Hilda. Only those with your Crest could even use it.” Marianne advised softly.

‘So, this blade looks like one of those Hero’s Relics to them? Maybe that’s why Jeralt wanted me to avoid using it.’ Isaac thought before he spoke. “Well, I'm unsure on how exactly it was made to be honest. I just found it during my journey in Weyard. But I doubt it's a Hero's Relic. I don't even have a Crest and I can confirm that with Professor Hanneman.”

“So, you got it back home huh? Well then Teach, why not tell us more of your story then. It’s been a while since you left us hanging.” Claude said.

“I guess so if you all want.” Isaac said. The class nodded. “Alright then.”

Isaac sheathed the Sol Blade once more and set it against his desk like it was before. He then turned to the class and spoke.

“So, like I said at the end of our last story time, Garet and I joined the search for my father, Felix, and his parents. We searched for a few weeks, but eventually we were forced to accept the fact that they were among those that lost their lives that night. None of us knew that they were saved and we assumed that they were lost to the raging rivers." Isaac said.

"Among the lost? So there were casualties that night?" Claude asked.

"Yeah. A few villagers did indeed lose their lives in the storm. Vale was never the same after that for the next three years." Isaac said.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you handle it, Isaac?” Raphael asked.

“It was devastating to both myself and my mother. But it was even worse for Jenna. I may have had my mother, but she lost both her parents and her older brother in one night. She looked terrible at the funeral with a rather lifeless look in her eyes.” Isaac said sadly.

“How terrible.” Hilda muttered sadly.

Jenna was sent to live with her aunt and grandparents who lived close by. As time went on, she got a bit better trying to move on from the past, but deep down, we could tell she was still hurting despite her brave face she put on." Isaac said. “As for me, I threw myself into training in trying to hone my skills as a swordsman and as an Adept. Garet joined me as well. He may not have lost anyone in that boulder, but like me, he was also frustrated that he couldn’t do anything to help. The two of us trained together as much as we could with the vow that if something like that were to happen again, we’d be ready for it.”

“Well, I think you’re very strong now Professor.” Ignatz spoke up.

“Thanks, Ignatz.” Isaac smiled. “Anyway, three years later, me, Garet, and Jenna went to meet you with Kraden for our usual studying session. Kraden then came up with the idea for us to explore the Sol Sanctum.”

“Sol Sanctum?” Claude asked.

“Like I mentioned last time, Vale was placed at the bottom of a tall mountain called Mount Aleph. And inside of Mount Aleph was a hidden chamber called the Sol Sanctum. The place that our village of Vale was tasked with guarding as it held the secrets of Alchemy. A long time ago, Weyard’s ancestors sealed away the power of Alchemy to prevent people from misusing its powers. Vale was tasked with the sacred duty of guarding the Sol Sanctum.” Isaac explained.

“And you guys just decided to head on in and explore such a place?” Lysithea asked with an eyebrow raised.

“I’ll admit it probably wasn’t our best idea.” Isaac admitted sheepishly. “But I could see where Kraden was coming from with his desire to see inside. Despite Vale being tasked with guarding it, no one has ever once set foot inside of the Sol Sanctum. So, its true secrets remained a mystery for so many years. I’m sure everyone in Vale was curious about it at some point or another. Myself included.”

“I guess I can understand your curiosity professor, but I have to admit that sounds rather irresponsible.” Lorenz commented.

“Oh, come on Lorenz. Even you have to admit that there’s something interesting in a story like that. What exactly was hidden in there that his ancestors felt the need to lock in under lock and key and tell their descendants to never set foot in there?” Claude asked.

“I’m not saying that I wouldn’t be curious myself, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t irresponsible to disobey because you simply want to.” Lorenz said.

“Settle down you two. Looking back at it, I am well aware that I was careless that day in breaking rules that I knew I was supposed to uphold. However, with everything that happened afterwards, it ended up being for the best.” Isaac said.

“Really? Then please do go on.” Lorenz said politely.

“Thank you. So, the four of us snuck past the guards and headed inside. We made our way past the traps and puzzles that led us to the Sol Sanctum itself. And honestly, what was in there was something else. From what I was told later, it was like an underground lake. At the edges of the room were four statues that held the source of the secrets. The Elemental Stars.” Isaac said.

“Elemental Stars?” Claude asked.

“Four stones that represent the four elements of Psynergy. Kraden described them as such. Venus, the elemental stone of earth; Mars, the glowing red with the fire contained within; Jupiter, bound with the wind’s fury; and lastly Mercury, possessing the power of water’s many forms.” Isaac said.

“An underground lake is usually quite a beautiful sight to see. I wish I could see this Sol Sanctum.” Ignatz said.

“Sadly, that’s no longer an option. The entire room by now is covered in magma.” Isaac said.

“Magma? The Golden Deer asked surprised.

“Yeah. Jenna pushed me and Garret to grab the Elemental Stars so Kraden could study them. We grabbed the Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter star with no issue. However…” Isaac began.

Flashback:

As the two young Adepts grabbed the third star, unease filled them more and more. If these stars were as powerful as Kraden was saying, shouldn’t they be left alone? They turned back towards the scholar and their friend but what they saw, shocked them.

Jenna and Kraden were being held hostage by two people with scales for skin.

“Damn. It looks like we’ve been spotted.” The man Saturos said.

“I’d thought we’d be safe until they’ve gotten the fourth star.” The woman Menardi said.

“You…you both mean to steal the Elemental Stars!” Kraden accused.

“Why Kraden, are you calling us thieves?” Saturos mocked.

“As I recall, aren’t you the one who stole our information?” Menardi asked.

“Wait!” Jenna spoke up getting the three’s attention. “What do you plan to do with us once you have the stars?”

“I’d imagine they’ll do us in once they have no more use for us.” Kraden lamented.

“Relax. You will not be harmed.” A voice spoke up as a familiar looking guy entered the room with a mask covering his face. “That was our agreement, was it not?”

“That all depends on how well they cooperate.” Saturos said as the masked man glared at him.

“As long as they hand over all the elemental stars, they will be safe.” Menardi assured. “Will that be enough Saturos?”

Saturos nodded. “You heard us. Hand over the Elemental Stars if you wish to save your friends.”

“Do you accept our terms?” Menardi asked.

Isaac was hesitant. These two were clearly not friendly, so who knows what they would do with the elemental stars. However, he didn’t want Jenna and Kraden to get hurt.

“Don’t do Isaac!” Kraden called out. “You must not give them the Elemental Stars!”

“Quite you!” Saturos ordered before turning to Isaac and Garet. “Why would you deny us? Do you not care about the safety of your friends?”

“How do we know you’ll even keep your end of the bargain?” Isaac asked.

“That is true. What guarantee do you have that we’ll be set free?” Kraden asked.

“Guarantee you say? Menardi asked as she thought about it for a second. “Ah yes. We do indeed have one.” Menardi then turned to the masked man. “You will have to remove your mask.”

“What?” The masked man gasped.

“Ah yes! That will be a splendid idea. He will be our guarantee.” Saturos praised. “You heard her Felix. Remove your mask. We have little choice in the matter.”

That put a look of shock on Kraden and the three Adepts.

“D-Did he say Felix?” Garet asked.

“Y-Yeah. But how is that possible? That boulder incident…” Isaac gasped.

“How can he be alive? We search for weeks.” Garet asked.

Back with Kraden and Jenna, it wasn’t much better.

“Felix? Wasn’t that the name of your older brother?” Kraden asked.

“B-But that’s impossible…” Jenna muttered tears threatening to spill.

“What’s the matter Felix? Don’t you want them to feel safe?” Saturos asked.

“Fine! I’ll take it off.” Felix said as he reluctantly took his mask off.

“It-It can’t be?” Jenna gasped.

“I know I caused you a lot of grief Jenna. It was a miracle that I survived that day.” Felix said with sorrow in his voice over how his sister was looking at him.

“We were the ones that saved him.” Saturos said.

“We found him floating in the river as we passed by.” Menardi said.

“I’ve been with them ever since…I’ve experienced a lot.” Felix said.

Jenna just ran up to her brother and gripped his shirt. “BUT WHY?! Why did you leave me all alone?”

“Jenna…” Felix muttered.

“I thought you were dead!” Jenna cried.

Saturos yanked Jenna off of Felix. “You can have your teary reunion later. “

“That’s right! The elemental stars come first!” Menardi added.

Saturos and Menardi then turned to Isaac and Garet. “Will this be acceptable? Felix would never allow us to harm you or his sister.”

“Felix will be our guarantee. Now hand over the Elemental stars!” Menardi ordered.

“I guess we have no choice. I’ll take it to them.” Garet offered.

“I guess so.” Isaac lamented as he handed the Mythril bag to Garet who made his way over towards Saturos and Menardi.

However, half way there, a man in a blue coat with long blue hair appeared before Garet.

“Will you permit me to relieve you of those Elemental stars?” The man asked.

“Alex! You’re late!” Saturos scolded.

Garet turned to Saturos and Menardi as if looking for what he should do.

“Alex is one of our companions. Hand the stars to him.” Saturos ordered.

“Great. We do all the work and you guys leech off of us.” Garet growled as he handed the bag to Alex.

“Thank you very much. But I must apologies in advance, but you must bring us the last remaining star as well.” Alex said.

“What? We gave you the stars so let our friends go!” Garet cried out.

“We asked you to bring us ALL the elemental stars! Not stop grumbling and get us the Mars star!” Menardi ordered.

“Fine.” Garet relented.

“Thank you for your cooperation.” Alex smiled as he started to float in the air and headed back towards Saturos and Menardi.

Garet returned back to Isaac and the two headed towards the last star. However, upon taking the Mars Star from the statue, something happened.

The room started to shake violently as the water vanished and cracks in the ground began to form with lava boiling underneath. The pathway that lead to where Isaac and Garet were currently standing was destroyed by the shaking leaving the two stranded on the platform that held the Mars statue.

“Oh no, not again!” Saturos cried out in shock.

“The water’s gone!” Jenna gasped.

“Without the Elemental Stars, this chamber will soon collapse.” Alex guessed.

“This must be the ‘terrible retribution’ the elders warned us about.” Kraden muttered. “No. This must be instead the power of Alchemy.”

Soon enough, the trembling stopped.

“Thank goodness. That’s all over.” Jenna sighed in relief once the shacking stopped.

“Indeed…wait, what is that?” Menardi gasped.

The others turned to see where she was looking at. Floating in the air was a giant rock with an eyeball on it.

“No.” Saturos paled.

“What is that?” Garet gasped.

“A giant rock?” Isaac asked just as surprised.

“I know it’s a rock stupid! But how is it floating like that? Is someone using Psynergy on it?” Garet asked.

“Could this be…The Wise One?” Kraden gasped.

“Such amazing power.” Alex muttered in awe at the sheer amount of energy The Wise One was emanating.

“It must be the guardian of this chamber.” Saturos muttered.

“I think we should get out of here while we can!” Felix advised.

“What? No! We can’t leave without the Mars Star!” Menardi argued.

“I agree with Felix. We’re no match for the guardian. We should escape while we still can.” Alex advised.

“Unfortunately, they’re right Menardi. The Mars Star will have to wait for another day.” Saturos said regrettably. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“What about Isaac and Garet? You can’t just leave them here!” Jenna argued.

Forget about them. They won’t make it out alive!” Saturos dismissed.

“But there is a chance they might.” Menardi spoke.

“I guess it’s possible, but what do you suggest?” Saturos asked.

“How about we take this ‘Jenna’ with us? If they survive, they will be coming after us, and they will be bringing the Mars Star. It’s a gamble, but we don’t have much options.” Alex offered. “As for Kraden, he’s coming with us regardless. He’s tied to all of this.”

“Wait this wasn’t part of the deal Alex!” Felix argued.

“The conditions have changed since we made that deal Felix.” Alex said.

“No! Jenna has nothing to do with this! I won’t let you harm her!” Felix growled.

“Please! Do what you wish with me, but leave Jenna out of this!” Kraden pleaded.

“Your bravery speaks well of you, old man, but you aren’t in any position to help Jenna now.” Saturos said.

“We aren’t taking Jenna with us!” Felix argued.

“We could leave her here if you wish Felix, but then she will die as well if we do.” Menardi pointed out.

“Perhaps we could continue this elsewhere Felix.” Alex asked.

“Felix…” Jenna muttered rather frightened over everything that’s happened recently.

“Can we please go now?” Alex asked impatient.

“Let’s make haste. Get moving!” Menardi ordered as she started to shove Jenna towards the entrance.

“Hey! Don’t shove my sister!” Felix growled.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? You owe us your life!” Menardi growled.

“Enough! Let’s go! Now!” Saturos ordered braking up the fight. “Master Kraden, you will be joining us.

Reluctantly, Kraden nodded and headed into the portal along with Saturos, Menardi, and Felix.

Jenna looked back towards Isaac and Garet who were looking around frantically for a way out as the platform they were standing on was broken off stranding them.

“Isaac, Garet, don’t die!” She leaded as she went through the portal.

“The Mars Star. It’s a pity that we have to leave it behind, but I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing it again soon.” Alex muttered as he went through the portal.

Back with Isaac and Garet:

“Well, this has turned out well.” Garet grumbled.

“Yeah. Jenna, Kraden, Felix. They're gone." Isaac said.

“Say, do you think that Jenna and Kraden will be okay?” Garet asked.

“Felix is with them. He’s always been overprotective of Jenna. I think they’ll be fine. Especially if they want to use them as a bargaining chip for this thing.” Isaac assured while he placed the Mars Star in the last Mythril bag.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right. But we really need to get out of here and fast.” Garet said.

"How do we do that? The path we took was destroyed." Isaac asked.

"We'll have to try and jump it. It's crazy, but it's no better than us just standing here." Garet offered.

"I guess you have a point." Isaac admitted.

"Alright Isaac. On three..." Garet began.

Isaac didn't say anything. His eyes just widened at what was approaching them.

“Isaac? Did you hear me?” Garet asked as he also noticed the giant rock before them.

“Why are you standing here? This place has become rather dangerous. You must leave now!” The Wise One warned.

“You’re the dangerous one around here.” Garet argued.

Suddenly, lava started to erupt from the ground through one of the cracks. The Wise One quickly floated above the crack and used its Psynergy to hold the lava back.

“The volcano will erupt soon. I can’t hold it back for long. You must flee now!” The Wise One warned.

Suddenly, the four statues that held the Elemental Stars started to glow as light shot out of the statues and out of the chamber.

“The Elemental Djinn have returned. You there. Take out the Elemental Star.” The Wise One ordered to Isaac.

Hesitantly, Isaac does so, as the Wise One lights up.

“Return it to the bag.” The Wise One ordered. Isaac did so. “I can sense the others stars moving far away from this chamber. Without the power of the Elemental Stars to contain it, lava will flow freely through this room. This chamber is collapsing and the world will soon be exposed to the power of Alchemy once again. Alchemy is a dangerous power if misused. But as long as the Lighthouses remain unlit, alchemy will continue to be sealed away.”

“Alchemy a threat?” Isaac and Garet asked.

The room suddenly started to shake once more.

“There is no time! The volcano is erupting! You must flee now!” The Wise One urged.

“But how? The path is destroyed!” Garet asked.

“Ah I see. I shall help you them.” The Wise One said.

The Wise One’s eye glowed as Isaac and Garet were enveloped in a flash of light and vanished.

Flashback Ends:

“Wait a second! You’re telling me this floating rock called The Wise One was able to hold back lava with its powers?” Lysithea asked completely baffled.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it did happen. If it didn’t Garet and I would have died in the chamber that day.” Issac said.

“I-I’m sorry professor, but I still find that hard to believe.” Lysithea said.

“Yeah, same here.” Claude added.

“What I want to know is why did Felix allow this to happen? Isn’t he your friend?” Raphael said.

“He really didn’t have much of a choice. As we would find out later, the stars were needed to save Weyard. Plus, Saturos and Menardi were the ones in charge of that whole group. There wasn’t much Felix could do. He didn’t want us or Jenna to get involved, but the situation changed that he wasn’t left with much of a choice.” Isaac explained.

“So, what happened next?” Hilda asked.

“We were teleported outside the chamber, and me and Garet fled the Sol Sanctum. The villagers were waiting outside, drawn to the commotion, so we were forced to explain what happened inside. The Great Healer of Vale said that the fate of retrieving the stars fell on me and Garet alone, since we were partly responsible for the events that happened. Though we were given the choice if we wanted to or not.” Isaac said.

“And you said yes?” Claude asked.

Isaac nodded. “I accepted and Garet decided to come along as well. We were to set out the next day.”

“The burden of the whole world. I don’t think I could ever deal with something like that.” Hilda muttered.

“You can’t even handle the burden of cleaning a room.” Leonie said flatly.

“I could so!” Hilda protested.

“Uh huh.” Leonie said flatly. Not believing the lazy noble.

“Anyway, it looks like it’s getting late. You all are dismissed. Classes begin again tomorrow.” Isaac said.

The students nodded and left the room.

Later that night:

Isaac and Felix were standing in front of each other. Isaac was wearing his professor outfit while Felix was now dressed as a knight of Serios.

“I won’t laugh if you won’t laugh.” Felix said.

“Agreed.” Isaac nodded.

Chapter Text

It was another beautiful morning at Garreg Mach Monastery. Isaac had gulped down his breakfast and was heading towards the Market place with his father Kyle by his side.

“So, you are required to take care of the shopping?” Kyle asked.

“Sort of. I could have the others do it, but I need to do inventory to make sure we have everything we’ll need for this month. Lady Rhea says that we should get our next mission soon and I want to be prepared.” Isaac said.

“I see you haven’t changed that much over the years. Still, I wish I could have been there for that.” Kyle said sadly.

“I wasn’t your fault. And at least we can catch up now on our downtime.” Isaac said with a smile before it vanished. “But I wish mom was here too.”

“Yeah. I miss her too.” Kyle said sadly. “Though she would be proud of you if she saw you like that.”

Isaac sighed as he was currently wearing his professor’s uniform. Hat and all.

“I look kind of silly in this.” Isaac sighed.

“Hey, a girl can like a man in uniform.” Kyle joked.

“Dad.” Isaac groaned as Kyle chuckled.

Isaac and Kyle arrived at the marketplace and started to look around.

“Quite a large variety here.” Kyle commented.

“Garreg Mach is placed at the center of Fodlan. It gets a lot of visitors from all over the place, so it’s an ideal place for one to set up shop.” A voice spoke from behind the two.

Isaac and Kyle turned around to see Claude standing behind them.

“Claude, what are you doing here?” Isaac asked.

“Just figured I’d look around, see what’s in store. The early bird gets the word and all.” Claude said.

“The early bird huh? From what I've seen so far, you're one of the last ones up in the morning. Especially compared to both Edelgard and Dimitri.” Isaac said flatly.

“Hey! I can get up early if I want to.” Claude argued.

“Right, right.” Isaac chuckled.

“I can! I swear, you’re as bad as Ingrid.” Claude complained.

“Who’s Ingrid?” Kyle asked.

“One of Byleth’s students.” Isaac clarified.

“She nagged at me yesterday how sloppy I am as a House Leader. As if I don’t get enough of that from Lorenz.” Claude complained.

"Is that so?" Isaac asked with a chuckle causing Claude to groan.

“Anyway, I heard there was some new merchants coming in today. Let’s see if they have anything good in stock.” Claude offered.

Isaac nodded as he and Kyle followed the Golden Deer House Leader.

Towards the back of the Marketplace, there was a woman with red hair in a ponytail finishing setting up her stand. But once she saw Isaac, Kyle, and Claude approaching her, she stopped what she was doing to greet them.

“Welcome. My name is Anna. I’m still setting somethings up, but I do have a few stuffs up for sale right now. Let me know if you’re interested in purchasing anything.” The merchant Anna said to the three.

“Thank you.” Isaac said with a smile as he turned to look at the merchandise.

For the most part, there wasn’t a whole lot of stuff that wasn’t being sold elsewhere. This Anna lady had some weapons, some medicine, and some tea packs which Isaac considered grabbing a few. Lorenz’s birthday was next and while Isaac wasn’t sure what he was going to do yet, he did know that Lorenz loved his tea, so it was a start.

But the thing that caught Isaac’s attention the most was a box that held many small grey colored spheres.

“Aren’t these…” Isaac muttered picking one up.

“Say teach, don’t those look like that thing you used during the Mock Battle?” Claude asked.

“Yeah. These are smoke bombs.” Isaac said.

“You used them in the Mock Battle?” Kyle asked.

“Yeah. Due to some rather 'wise' ideas from some of my students, I was down half my class only a few minutes into the fight. The other two classes wasted no time closing in on us and we were quickly surrounded. So I used the smoke bombs to allow Claude, and Marianne and myself to flee out of bounce rather than continue a fight we had no chance of winning.” Isaac said.

“Hey, I would have done the same thing in your shoes. No use throwing away lives in a battle you have no hope of winning.” Claude said before noticing a box right next to the one that contained the smoke bombs.

The box contained some round-like object that looked like the smoke bombs, but they were pink in color as opposed to grey.

“Hey teach, what are these?” Claude asked picking one up and showing it to Isaac.

“That’s a sleep bomb. It releases a gas that can cause drowsiness to your targets and cause them to fall asleep.” Isaac explained.

“Really…” Claude muttered with some excitement. Isaac wasn’t sure if he should be worried or not.

“Are you interested? My friend made them himself. He says they come from some foreign land I’ve never heard of. I don’t know if it’s real or not if I’m being honest, but I can guarantee the effectiveness.” Anna said.

“And where is this friend of yours?” Isaac asked.

“You just missed him. He said he was heading towards the Monastery looking for someone.” Anna said.

"Can you describe him?" Isaac asked rather hopeful.

"Short, blond, wears some odd looking robes. He says he comes from a place called Weyard and is looking for his friends." Anna said.

That was all the info Isaac needed as he quickly made a beeline back towards the gates much to the surprise of Kyle and Claude.

Once he arrived at the gate, he saw a familiar young man speaking with the Gatekeeper.

“Ivan?” Isaac asked getting the young man’s attention.

“Isaac? It really is you!” Ivan cheered as he ran up to Isaac. “I almost didn’t recognize you in that getup.”

“Yeah. I know.” Isaac sighed.

“Oh well. I’m just glad I finally found you. I heard there was a new professor at this Monastery that was skilled in what these people keep calling ‘new magic’ so I took a gamble coming here in the hopes it was one of you guys.” Ivan said with a smile. “Is there anyone else here?”

“Felix is, but he’s busy training right now. But other than that, it’s my father Felix’s parents and Kraden. I haven’t seen Garet, Mia, Jenna, or Felix’s friends.” Isaac said.

“Oh, I see. That’s too bad…wait a second, your father? He’s okay?” Ivan asked surprised.

“Yeah. Come on.” Isaac said gesturing Ivan to follow him. The two waved to the Gatekeeper who waved back with his usual friendly smile before heading back to Anna’s stand.

“Hey teach, you find your friend?” Claude asked.

“Yeah. This is Ivan. He was one of my friends I traveled with in my journey. Ivan, this is my father Kyle and one of my students Claude.” Isaac greeted.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Ivan said with a polite bow.

“It’s nice to meet you as well.” Kyle greeted back.

“If I may be so bold to ask, but how did you survive the Mars Lighthouse? Mia, Piers, and Kraden were saying that it was too late for you and Jenna’s parents.” Ivan asked.

“Kraden theorized that it was part of the Golden Sun’s power, but I think we should have this discussion elsewhere.” Isaac said.

“Right of course. Anna, I’ll be going with them.” Ivan said turned towards the red-haired merchant.

“Not a problem Ivan." Anna said with a smile.

Ivan nodded. Isaac then went to purchase a couple packs of tea bags and a few smoke bombs, while Claude bought a few smoke bombs and a few Sleep bombs for himself. Once the purchase was done, the four headed back towards the Monastery.

The Golden Deer Classroom:

“We’ve got a little time before the rest of my students get here from breakfast, so we can talk here for now.” Isaac said as the four of them made themselves comfy in the classroom.

“Good thing I grabbed a quick breakfast before I headed towards the Market place.” Claude commented.

“I’ve got some snacks on me if you’re still hungry.” Ivan said offering some small snacks he had in his bag to the House Leader.

“You are amazing.” Claude happily said grabbing some of the snacks to munch on.

“Alright then. Here’s what we know so far.” Isaac said as he began to recap what he discussed with Kraden before.

“I see. Well, I found myself somewhere in Armid territory where I met up with Anna. Since then, I’ve been traveling with her trying to find you guys.” Ivan said.

“By the way, Anna said you made those smoke bombs and sleep bombs. What’s up with that?” Isaac asked.

“Oh, it was just a hobby I’ve been working on.” Ivan said with a chuckle.

“Quite the hobby.” Kyle commented.

“So have you been working as a merchant?” Claude asked.

“Yep. My adopted father Master Hammet is a pretty famous merchant back home. I've picked up a couple of things from him over the years, so I've been using them to help Anna with her business. I've also gotten into crafting which has been really helpful in stocking up." Ivan said.

“Anna seems nice.” Isaac commented.

“She is, but she is also quite a gold digger.” Ivan said with a chuckle.

“By the way Ivan, what element of Psynergy do you possess?” Claude couldn’t help but ask.

“Uh, I possess the power of wind. Why do you ask?” Ivan asked.

“Probably because my students could use some lessons from a non-Venus Adept. At the moment, the only ones who could teach Psynergy in the Monastery are me and Felix. But since we're both Venus Adepts, we can only teach so much about the other elements without the right Djinn. So it would be really helpful if you'd be willing to assist us.” Isaac said.

“Ah I see. Well, I don't know how much help I can really be, but I'll do whatever I can.” Ivan said.

“Thanks. I could really use the help.” Isaac smiled.

“So, I take it Claude here is also an Adept now?” Ivan asked.

"Yeah. In my class, I have three adepts. Claude here along with Lysithea are wind adepts, while Marianne is a water Adept." Isaac said.

“I see…By the way Isaac, are Claude or this Lysithea person capable of reading minds?” Ivan asked.

“Wait what?” Claude asked surprised.

“You didn’t know?” Ivan asked a bit surprised.

“They along with a Black Eagle student Bernadetta who is also a Jupiter Adept hasn’t shown any signs of mind reading like you and Master Hama told us about. So, I never said anything.” Isaac said.

“Oh I understand.” Ivan said as he turned to Claude. “It is true that some of us have the ability to read minds. However, as I would eventually learn, the ability is rather rare among Jupiter Adepts.”

Claude had a very skeptical look on his face. Ivan just closed his eyes and started to glow for a moment. Once he opened his eyes, he spoke. “You’re currently thinking that I’m playing some kind of prank on you like your brothers consistently did when you were little.”

Claude’s eyes widened in absolute shock.

“Claude, I didn’t know you had a brother.” Isaac commented.

Claude’s face went pale.

“Quite a few older ones from the sound of things." Ivan clarified.

“Okay I believe you. Now please stop reading my mind!” Claude practically pleaded.

“Oh sorry. I was too focused on proving myself right I got carried away. I promise I won’t read your mind again without permission.” Ivan hastily said with a bow.

“Uh yeah…That sounds good.” Claude muttered trying to catch his breath.

“But if you don’t mind me asking, why aren’t any of your brothers here as well? Is it an age thing or something? Why did your grandfather send only you?” Isaac asked curiously.

“It’s complicated and lets just leave it at that.” Claude said. ‘Also, because gramps doesn’t even know about them and none of them are even related to him.’

“Well, alright then.” Isaac nodded.

Claude just blinked. “You’ll drop it? Just like that?”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you. So long as it doesn’t cause us problems for our class or our missions, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Isaac assured.

“Uh, thank you?” Claude asked baffled. Was Isaac really just going to just drop it like that?

“By the way Ivan, do you have all your Djinn with you?” Isaac asked.

Ivan shook his head. “No. Most of them were lost when I arrived here. All I have is Gust with me.” Ivan said as he held out a hand calling forth said Djinn.

A purple Djinn with small wings on its back appeared in Ivan’s hand. “Hi Isaac!”

“Hello Gust.” Isaac greeted with a small chuckle.

“Am I to assume you’re in the same boat?” Ivan asked.

Isaac nodded. “All I have at the moment is Flint, while Felix only has Echo with him. Granite and the others are nowhere to be seen.”

“Alright then. I should head back to the marketplace. I’ve been working well as a merchant along with Anna. But if you need anything, just ask.” Ivan said with a smile.

“Yeah. The students will be arriving in a few moments and I have to get class ready. But let’s meet up for lunch.” Isaac said with a smile.

“I’d like that.” Ivan smiled before turning to Claude. “I’m so sorry for mind reading you again. I hope we can get along through from here on out.”

“Uh yeah. Me too.” Claude said with a false smile trying to hide his nerves.

With a wave, Ivan walked out of the classroom. Claude took his seat as Isaac organized his desk. Soon enough, the rest of the Golden Deer entered into the classroom and lecture soon began. But as it was going on, Claude had other things going on in his mind.

‘I can't believe that Psynergy extends to an ability like reading minds. That's a dangerous one to be sure. Thankfully it seems the only information he got out of me was that I was some older brothers. If that gets out I think I can manage that, but I'd better be careful around him from here on out or my identity will be exposed, and my dreams falling apart will be the least of my concerns. But as for teach, is he really going to just drop it? Just like that? For free? There has to be a catch. I guess I'll have to ask him about it soon.'

Djinn Fact of the Day:

Flint: Hello again there folks! Flint here with another Djinn to show you all.

Gust: Hello. My name is Gust.

Name: Gust

Attribute: Wind

Stats: HP +9/ ATK +2/ AGL +2

First Appearance: Golden Sun

Original Location: Bilibin

Flint: Alright Gust, tell us what you can do.

Gust: Well, I do give a boast of Jupiter Psynergy to my Adept's attack, but I can also mimic an attack allowing my partner to attack twice at once.

Flint: Twice at once? Like a ninja or something?

Gust: Sort of I guess. But it sadly doesn't happen all the time.

Flint: That stinks.

Gust: Tell me about it.

Flint: Well everyone, thanks for joining us today. See you all next time!

Chapter Text

“I’m off Anna.” Ivan said.

“Okay. But make sure you’re back by noon. Our business gets a lot by then, and I need the extra help while I finish getting things settled here." Anna said.

“I will.” Ivan assured as he headed towards the Monastery.

 ‘Tomorrow's Isaac's Psynergy class. I guess I'll use today to have a look around. Didn't get a chance yesterday since I was preoccupied speaking with Isaac.’ Ivan thought until his stomach grumbled. ‘On second thought, let’s get some breakfast.’

Ivan arrived at the Dinning Hall and got in line to grab some food. Once he arrived at the counter, he was surprised to see who was cooking.

“Wait a second, aren’t you two Jenna’s parents?” Ivan asked.

“Oh, you’re one of our kids’ friends?” Noel asked.

“Kind of. I haven’t really known Felix and Jenna that long. I’m more familiar with Isaac and Garet.” Ivan admitted.

“Ah. You were part of Isaac’s group. Regardless, it’s nice to meet you.” Noel smiled.

“And thank you for helping them on their quest.” Mathis added.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Ivan chuckled nervously. ‘It’s not like I did much.’

Mathis then handed Ivan some food.

“So, you two work here as cooks now?” Ivan asked.

Mathis nodded. “When Isaac brought us to Garreg Mach, we wanted to do something as a thank you. Felix ended up working under Captain Jeralt with the knights, Kraden works as an assistant to a Professor Hanneman, and Kyle works as maintenance for the Monastery.”

“I see. Right now, I work as a merchant along with my partner Anna.” Ivan said.

“You kids grow up so fast.” Mathis sighed.

“Well, enjoy your meal, Ivan.” Noel smiled.

“Thank you.” Ivan smiled as he paid and turned to look for a place to sit.

“Hey Ivan, over here!” Isaac called out.

Ivan turned to see his friend waving him down. Ivan smiled and went toward Isaac’s table. Along with him was Felix and the Golden Deer.

“Hello Isaac. Nice to see you today.” Ivan said politely as he sat down.

“Hey Ivan.” Isaac greeted.

“So, this is one of your friends from Weyard correct?” Lysithea asked.

“That’s right. Ivan is a wind Adept from Kaley.” Isaac explained.

“Really?” Lysithea gasped.

“Uh, yeah. I’m a wind Adept.” Ivan said a bit shy.

“You look rather young. How old are you?” Ignatz asked.

“I’m seventeen right now.” Ivan said.

“Really? You’re around the same age as us.” Hilda gasped.

“Yeah. I’m a bit short. I know.” Ivan sighed.

“Sheba was as well.” Felix commented.

“Wasn’t she your other wind adept?” Leonie asked as Felix nodded. “I wonder if it’s a wind Adept thing?”

“And what is that supposed to mean Leonie?” Lysithea demanded.

“Uh nothing.” Leonie muttered nervously.

“I doubt it is. Me and Bernadetta are regular in size.” Claude chimed in causing Lysithea to growl.

“Guys enough.” Isaac scolded.

“Sorry.” Several Deer said.

“You seem to have quite a lively class.” Ivan commented.

“You don’t know the half of it.” Isaac said flatly.

“Anyway, you said you had two more Adepts in your class aside from Claude?” Ivan asked.

“Yes. I’m one of them. My name is Lysithea Von Ordelia and I’m a Wind Adept.” Lysithea greeted.

“The other one is Marianne Von Edmund right here. But she’s rather shy.” Hilda said gesturing to her friend sitting next to her.

“That’s fine. It’s nice to meet you.” Ivan smiled.

“Y-Yeah.” Marianne muttered.

“And my name is Hilda Valentine Goneril by the way.” Hilda said.

“My name is Lorenz Hellman Gloucester.” Lorenz greeted.

“I’m Ignatz Victor.” Ignatz said.

“I’m Leonie Pinelli.” Leonie greeted.

“My name’s Raphael Kristin. Let me know if you want some help building muscles.” Raphael greeted.

Uh, thanks." Ivan muttered as he started to be a bit lost in thought. "Er, anyway, nice to meet you all."

“So, you’ll be at Psynergy class then?” Lysithea asked.

“Isaac did ask for my help, so yes.” Ivan nodded.

“Great! I want to learn more about Jupiter Psynergy, but there’s only so much Professor Isaac knows on it.” Lysithea said.

“I’m not much of a teacher, but I’ll do my best.” Ivan said.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Felix said as he got up. “Anyway, I have to get going. Captain Jeralt has a lot for me to do.”

“Seems like you’ve got your work cut out for you.” Ivan said.

“Eh, it’s better than the training I had to do in Prox.” Felix shrugged as he left.

“We’d better get going to. Class is about to start.” Isaac said as he got up.

“Okay then. I’ll see you later.” Ivan said.

“Later.” Isaac smiled as he and the Golden Deer got up and left as well.

Once the Deer had left, Ivan was left alone with his thoughts as Gust appeared on the table.

"Gold coin for your thought?" Gust asked.

"Just thinking..." Ivan muttered.

"About what?" Gust asked.

"It's uh..." Ivan began.

"Come on talk to me Ivan. We're friends aren't we?" Gust asked.

"Yeah. You're right. Honestly, that comment about muscle building just made me think." Ivan said.

"Are you still thinking about that fight at the Jupiter Lighthouse?" Gust asked.

"Yeah...If Isaac wasn't stuck with me, we wouldn't have been nearly killed." Ivan said.

"Oh come on. That's not true." Gust offered.

"Yes it is! Isaac had to consistently worry about my safety while fighting two dangerous individuals who wanted us dead. I wasn't strong enough to take them on and got beaten. Then Isaac was distracted from my defeat that left him open to being taken down himself. If Garet or Mia was with him in that fight instead of me, he would have won. Garet's a much stronger warrior than me and Mia is an amazing healer." Ivan said.

"Well, how do you want to get stronger then? I don't think a simple muscle building will be enough." Gust said.

"I'm not sure." Ivan said.

"We could always ask Isaac. I'm sure he or even Felix would be more than happy to help." Gust offered.

"No. I don't want to burden them more." Ivan said.

"Well then let's take a look around then. This place has a lot of professors. I wonder if we can hire one to help us." Gust wondered.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Ivan said.

Ivan then finished his breakfast and headed off.

Ivan walked around the monastery grounds looking for someone to help him out.

"Ivan, is that you?" A familiar voice asked.

Ivan turned to see Kraden approaching him along with a man dressed in grey scholar robes and a monocle.

"Kraden! I'm glad to see you're all right." Ivan smiled.

"Same to you. Isaac told me you showed up yesterday. Prey tell. Did you see any of the others out there?" Kraden asked.

"Sadly no. But I heard Garreg Mach got an instructor in Psynergy and I hoped it was one of us. Turns out that I was right." Ivan said.

"So your name is Ivan correct? My name is Professor Hanneman Von Essar. I'm the current Professor of the Black Eagles and a Crest Scholar." Hanneman greeted.

"Crest? Are those that glowing symbol that appear on some people?" Ivan asked.

"I suppose that's one way to put it, but yes." Hanneman nodded.

"Oh yeah. My business partner Anna has one herself. The Crest of Earnst I believe she called it." Ivan said.

"Oh yes. I think I've heard of that Crest. One of the few Crests out there that currently isn't attached to a noble family." Hanneman said.

"Anyway Ivan, what are you up to right now?" Kraden asked.

"Well..." Ivan began as he explained his situation to the two men.

"I see...If you don't mind me asking, what is your usual method of fighting?" Hanneman asked.

"I've mostly relied on my Psynergy in battle. I'm sadly not physically strong." Ivan said.

"I see. You sound like you fight like a mage. Perhaps I might be able to assist in your dilemma." Hanneman offered.

"Are you sure?" Ivan asked.

"Of course. While I may not have Psynergy, I do fight in a similar style as you that focuses more on magic above all else. However, some weapon training could assist you in some variety that you can fall back on." Hanneman said.

"I do have some experience with a bit of sword training." Ivan said.

"Perhaps I can help you find a suitable weapon that works well for you." Hanneman offered.

"That would be great. How much do you want for this?" Ivan asked.

"Oh no money is needed. Lately I've been also studying Psynergy along with Kraden here. Observing your Jupiter Psynergy would be great in my research." Hanneman smiled.

"You can see Psynergy?" Ivan asked.

"Yes. There are quite a few non Adepts in this Monastery that is capable of seeing Psynergy much like myself." Kraden said.

"I see." Ivan said.

"Well, sadly I can't do anything right now. I have to get ready to teach my class. But come by my office on the second floor by the Audience Chamber when you have a chance." Hanneman said.

"That's fine. I'd better get back to the Marketplace anyway." Ivan said.

"Very well. I'll see you then Ivan." Hanneman smiled.

"Best of luck to you." Kraden added.

"And to you both as well." Ivan smiled back.

And with that, the three headed off in different directions.

In an unknown location in the Western Kingdom:

"I thank you for coming all this way. You say you wish to assist in my mission?" An elder man in silver armor asked.

"But of course. Much like you, I too have great hatred for the Central Church and that disgrace of an Archbishop that runs it." A man in black robes and a mask that kind of looked like a beak spoke.

"I see. Did you come from the Western Church as well?" The elder man asked.

"Sort of. But I assure you though, I will do whatever I can to assist you in your mission Lord Lanato." The masked man spoke.

"Well then, if you wish to assist then I thank you greatly for your assistance. With the true blessings of the Goddess on our side, we will finally expose the lies of the Central Church and make that vile woman pay." Lanato vowed.

"My name is Zane. Let us work together to our goals Lord Lanato." The man named Zane said.

"Indeed. Please feel free to help yourself to some food. I imagine that the travel here wasn't smooth." Lanato offered.

"You are too kind Lord Lanato." Zane said as he bowed and left.

Lanato was left alone in his thoughts as he looked to a picture of himself along with a younger man next to him.

"Soon Christoph. Soon vengeance will be ours. That accursed Rhea that sentenced you to death for nothing will pay for her actions. And so will that loyal lapdog of her Cassandra. I promise you my son." Lanato vowed. However, his thoughts drifted to another picture that contained himself along with three younger children. "Ashe. I'm sorry that I have to do this. But this world will be a better place when that devil of an Archbishop finally pays for her crimes. I pray you don't get involved Ashe."

Chapter Text

It was Isaac’s first Psynergy class since he returned from the mission in Daphnel territory. At the moment, Ivan was speaking to the class about his experience with Jupiter Psynergy. (Minus the Mind Reading part.) Then Kraden stepped forward to speak his thoughts on Alchemy. As this was going on, Isaac was talking to his old friend Felix.

“Any idea who was the supplier to those bandits?” Isaac asked.

“Captain Jeralt and I have been looking into it, but we don’t have any lead on who it could possibly be. The clue we have is that they use Dark magic. According to the captain, while dark magic is rather uncommon amongst magic users, it’s nowhere near enough to pinpoint a suspect.” Weyard Felix said.

“I know we’ve made some enemies in our mercenary days. There was quite a number of people who condemned the Ashen Demon.” Isaac said.

“I can’t think of anyone from my end. We kept more to ourselves and stayed out of the spotlight while we were traveling Fodlan looking for you guys.” Weyard Felix said.

“Damn. Who supplied those bandits with that monster, and how do they know about us Adepts?” Isaac asked.

“Good question.” Weyard Felix muttered. “I also wonder if they’ll go after Jenna and the others as well.”

“Oh no…” Isaac muttered with worry.

“They aren’t defenseless. Piers is a skilled fighter like Garet and both Jenna and Sheba grew a lot in our journey to light the lighthouses. I’m sure Mia can take care of herself as well, correct?” Weyard Felix asked.

“Oh yeah she definitely can.” Isaac chuckled.

“Then I’m sure they’ll be fine. Plus, if news of us is spreading, then they should hopefully be on their way.” Weyard Felix assured.

“Well, for now I’d better step in. Looks like some of my class is starting to fall asleep.” Isaac sighed as he noticed that Caspar, Claude, and Flayn were snoozing while most of the others were struggling to stay awake. Only Shamir looked fully awake, but she was quickly losing interest.

Isaac just walked up towards Kraden. “Uh, thank you Kraden for your words of wisdom.”

“Oh? But I’m not done yet.” Kraden spoke.

“Perhaps we’ll save that for another time. Sadly, class is almost over.” Isaac said.

“Oh. Alright then.” Kraden smiled.

“Alright class. Next week, we’ll be doing more combat practice. Class dismissed.” Isaac said.

As the students and faculty went their separate ways, Ivan walked with Isaac.

“Hey Isaac, I’ve been wondering. Would it be wise to tell them of my ability to read minds?” Ivan asked.

“That’s all up to you. From the looks of things, nether Claude, Lysithea, nor Bernadetta seem to possess the ability to read minds.” Isaac said.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so ether. In my brief time with my…sister, I learned more about my people. Mind Read is extremely rare even among Jupiter Adepts. If they had the ability to do so, they would have shown it by now.” Ivan said.

“You okay?” Isaac asked noticing Ivan’s hesitation at mentioning Hama.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Ivan assured. "But I'm just worried about how the others will react when they discover I can read minds. I know you and Felix are used to it, but Claude's been rather uncomfortable around me ever since he found out. I worry the others will be the same. They aren't the first people to feel like that around me."

"If you don't want to tell them, you don't have to. But they will likely find out on their own. I don't think Claude will squeal on you, but some of the others like Edelgard, Byleth, and Lysithea can be rather observant." Isaac advised.

“Yeah. I’ll tell them…but not right now. Just give me some time.” Ivan said.

"Well, if you want to try with someone, we can talk to it with Byleth. She's been a close friend of mine since I arrived in Fodlan." Isaac said.

"I'll consider it." Ivan said. "I'd better get going. I'll catch you later Isaac."

“You too Ivan.” Isaac smiled as Ivan left. Isaac was about to leave but a voice cut him off.

“Ah Professor Isaac. A word?” Seteth suddenly said getting Isaac’s attention.

“Something I can help you with Seteth?” Isaac asked.

“Lady Rhea requests your presents.” Seteth said.

'Probably has something to do with our mission this month.' Isaac thought as he followed Seteth to the Archbishop’s chamber.

Isaac arrived at audience chamber where Lady Rhea awaited him.

“Did you need something Lady Rhea?” Isaac asked.

“Yes. But the other two professors aren’t here yet, so let us wait for them to get here first.” Rhea said with her usual smile.

“Okay then.” Isaac said.

“So, professor, how are things going with the Golden Deer class?” Rhea asked.

“Still quite a number of problems that they need to work out, but I’m glad that at least in a life-or-death situation, they’ll have each other’s backs.” Isaac said.

“Ah yes. Please accept our apologies for that mission. Had I known those bandits got their hands on a monster like that, I would have sent some knights like Alois with you.” Rhea said sadly.

“Don’t worry about it.” Isaac assured. “I didn’t see it coming ether. I know some bandits have tried to tame those monsters for their crimes, but they’ve only ever stuck with smaller and weaker monsters like wolves and slime's. Monsters that they can control. There was no way that a bunch of bandits who’s only skills were running and hiding could have tamed a monster that big and strong.”

“Indeed. But unfortunately, like we’ve said before, we have barely any evidence to even conduct a search. The only thing you’ve managed to give us was that the culprit was capable of using dark magic. Rare, but not enough to investigate. It seems that we’ll sadly have to wait for them to make another move before we can act.” Seteth said with aggravation in his voice over not being able to act on this.

“I see. I guess we’ll have to keep our ears open.” Isaac said.

Just then, the door opened as Hanneman and Byleth entered the room.

“Cyril said you wanted to see us?” Byleth asked.

“Indeed. We have your mission for this month.” Seteth said.

“We can continue our talk sometime later if you wish. There is a lot I wish to talk with you about.” Rhea said to Isaac.

“Uh sure.” Isaac said as Byleth and Hanneman stood next to him.

“Now then. Your missions for this month.” Rhea began as she addressed the three professors.

“We’ve received reports that Lord Lanato has rallied an army against the Holy Church of Serios.” Seteth said.

“He has? Oh dear. I knew his relation with the church wasn’t the best, but I never thought he would go this far. Are you sure this information is accurate?” Hanneman asked concerned.

Seteth nodded. “He attacked a squad we had in the area trying to look for information on the assailants Professor Isaac’s class had a run in with.”

“Who is Lord Lanato?” Byleth asked.

“Lord Lanato is a minor lord in the western kingdom. He’s shown hostility towards the church for some time now.” Rhea explained.

“Hostility?” Isaac asked.

"To sum it up, he's been pretty vocal about his disdain for the central Church for quite some time." Hanneman explained.

“Anyway, a vanguard unit from the knights of Serios is on its way to Castle Gaspard to put an end to this rebellion. Under normal circumstances Lord Lanato’s troops would be no match for the Knights of Serios and this little rebellion would be over with. But given recent events…” Seteth began.

“As you are all aware, last month the Golden Deer was tasked with dealing with some bandits that were causing trouble in Daphnel territory. And during that encounter, it was revealed that the bandits had somehow managed to get their hands on a rather giant and furious monster. Much larger than the monster’s other bandits have managed to tame.” Rhea explained.

“Do you assume that Lord Lanato is in possession of one of those monsters?” Hanneman asked.

“There is a chance. We did receive some reports on suspicious people being in the area before Lanato’s troops attacked our men.” Rhea said.

“So, you want us to go along as backup?” Isaac asked and Rhea nodded.

“The Golden Deer and the Blue Lions will be traveling in the rear guard of the knights to deal with the aftermath or aid if needed. While that’s going on, we want the Black Eagles to assist in an investigation. I’ll discuss more details with you later in your office.” Seteth said while looking at Hanneman for the last part.

Hanneman nodded while Isaac and Byleth were lost in thought.

‘Lanato? Didn’t I hear that name before?’ Isaac wondered.

‘Lanato. Where did I hear that name? Maybe we did a job for him in the past or something?’ Byleth wondered.

“Fool! One of your students was adopted by him.” Sothis scolded.

“Yeah. That kid with the freckles. Ashe, I think his name is.” Claw added.

Byleth’s eyes widened at that. “That…could be a problem.”

“Excuse me. You called for me?” A female voice called out.

Everyone turned towards the door to see a woman around Shamir’s age with blond hair and dressed in full armor similar to Alois.

“Indeed. Isaac, Byleth, I’d like to introduce you to Catherine. She is one of our finest knights and will be leading the squad you will be accompanying.” Rhea greeted.

“It’s nice to finally meet you two. I mean, I saw you both at the Mock Battle, but this is the first time we’ve gotten to meet face to face.” Catherine greeted.

“My name is Byleth. Nice to meet you.” Byleth greeted neutrally.

“Ah. You’re the infamous Ashen Demon I’ve heard so much about.” Catherine said.

“I think some people have called me that.” Byleth said.

“Well, I look forward to seeing you in combat.” Catherine said while turning to Isaac.

“Uh, I’m Isaac. Nice to meet you.” Isaac said a bit nervous.

“You’re the one teaching Shamir and some of the students that new magic stuff, right?” Catherine asked.

“Uh, yeah.” Isaac nodded.

“That friend of yours that recently joined is one hell of a fighter. I sparred with him and we ended in a draw. How do you compare?” Catherine asked.

“Back when we were kids, I was always better at Psynergy than he was while he had a bit more talent with a blade than me. But we haven't sparred since we were little so I have no idea how we stack as of now." Isaac admitted. 'And thankfully we didn't have to find out during the quest for the Lighthouses a few years ago.'

“Nice. Then I look forward to seeing you in action.” Catherine smiled.

“You are all dismissed. Make sure your class is prepared for anything. With any luck, they won’t be a part of the battle, but war is unpredictable. Especially if our worries are correct and Lanato managed to get his hands on a monster similar to the bandits Professor Isaac’s class fought last month.” Seteth said.

“Pointing a sword at the church is no different than pointing a sword to the Goddess herself. As members of the church, we have a sacred duty to dish out punishment appropriate for the crime. I hope you all take to heart what must be done.” Rhea said rather darkly scaring Isaac a bit.

Golden Deer classroom:

“So, our mission this year is to help subjugate a noble starting a rebellion?” Claude asked as Isaac nodded.

“We’ll be providing support from the rear and deal with the aftermath. But if last month has taught us anything, we should be prepared for anything.” Isaac said.

"That's true. If a group of bandits were able to get a big monster like that toad thing, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that a minor kingdom lord could get one as well." Claude said. "Still, between the bandits last month and now a minor lord, I wonder if we'll ever get any missions that don't involve subduing someone."

“I agree. I’m still mentally recovering from last month.” Hilda sighed.

“Those who turn their blade against the Goddess must be punished.” Marianne muttered.

“It may be harsh, but it is necessary. A noble’s duty is to protect its people. What Lord Lanato is doing is an absolute disgrace. He is entering a battle he has no chance of winning. All he’s doing is sending all his men to their deaths.” Lorenz scoffs.

“Unless Isaac and Claude's guess that Lanato has a giant monster in his possession like that Kain guy did. That would be one heck of a secret weapon." Leonie commented.

“Against the entire Knights of Serios? I know that toad monster destroyed an entire squad, but the entire Knights? Would a monster like that even be possible?" Ignatz asked with some fear in his voice.

"I've seen a variety of monsters of different skills and power, but I don't see one big monster alone being able to destroy the Knights of Serios on its own. I'd say several would be needed for that to seem possible." Isaac guessed.

“Please don’t put such an image in my head. I don’t need the nightmares.” Hilda cried.

“I doubt a minor lord could hide hording an army of monsters long enough to tame them without attracting attention.” Lysithea pointed out much to Hilda’s relief. “Still, there is something unsettling about this whole thing. We’d better be prepared.”

“Nothing some good old training can’t handle.” Raphael said happily.

“Our training exercises for the rest of this month will be done with Byleth and the Blue Lions. Since we’re going to be fighting together for this mission, we may as well get used to fighting together. Any questions?”” Isaac asked.

No one said anything.

“Okay then. Let’s just try and get through our lesson today.” Isaac said as he began today’s lecture.

With the Blue Lions:

“This…this can’t be right.” Ashe gasped in horror upon the information he was given.

“I’m afraid it is Ashe. Lord Lanato has mobilized his troops against the central church. He’s already attacked a squad that was searching around his area for anyone sinister and now he sets his sight on the church itself.” Byleth said.

“But why?” Ashe asked.

“Did he ever mention anything to you?” Ingrid asked.

“No, he didn’t.” Ashe admitted.

“He probably didn’t want you to get involved.” Dimitri offered.

“I knew he held disdain for the church, but I didn’t think he’d go this far.” Sylvain muttered.

“I always heard he was such a kind and gentle lord. I wonder why such a man would raise an army?” Mercedes asked sadly.

“By the way professor, which knight will we be assisting us again?” Annette asked.

“I think her name was Catherine.” Byleth said.

“Oh…I see.” Annette muttered sounding disappointed.

“Where you expecting someone else like Alois or Isaac’s friend?” Byleth asked confused at her disappointment.

“Oh no. Pay no mind to me.” Annette said quickly.

“Well anyway, we’ll be cooperating with the Golden Deer this month, so our training exercises this month will be done with Isaac and his class. Any questions?” Byleth asked.

No one answered.

“Then let’s begin.” Byleth said as she began today’s lecture. However, Ashe wasn’t paying attention in the slightest. His mind kept drifting towards his adopted father.

'Why Lanato? Why are you doing this?'

Chapter Text

The news of Lanato’s rebellion spread like wildfire in the monastery. Many people were left rather surprised and a bit confused on the whole ordeal. Why would such a minor lord with such a minor army try and take on the central church and their highly trained knights?

Many followers had dismissed Lanato as a lost cause that turned his back on the Goddess and will soon face the consequences of his choices. Others had a different thought though…

Catherine was currently walking around the Monastery looking for Isaac.

“Where is he?” Catherine muttered to herself.

“Alright. I got a horse for ya kid.” A voice suddenly called out.

Catherine turned towards the stables to see Jeralt help Isaac onto a horse.

“I’d let you use mine, but she’s rather finicky to anyone but me and Byleth riding her.” Jeralt said.

“That’s okay. This horse seems rather nice.” Isaac said.

“I think his name is Dorte.” Jeralt said.

"Dorte? I swear I heard that name before...oh well. It's nice to meet you Dorte." Isaac said with a smile as he got himself comfy on Dorte's back, ready for riding lessons.

“Alright. We're going to start with a simple walk around the stables so you can get used to being on a horse's back before we start anything else." Jeralt instructed.

"You got it." Isaac nodded.

“Is this a bad timing?” Catherine spoke getting both Isaac and Jeralt’s attention.

“Catherine? Do you need something?” Isaac asked.

"I was hoping to talk with you about the upcoming mission. But if you're busy we can talk later." Catherine said.

I'll got some things to do later so I'll only be having him for an hour. He's all yours after that." Jeralt said.

"Sounds good then. Meet me in the mess hall when you're done. Okay?" Catherine asked.

"Sure. No problem." Isaac nodded.

With that, Catherine left and Isaac began his horse riding training with Jeralt.

An hour later, and Isaac's lessons with Jeralt for the day came to an end. Now Isaac was on his way to the dinning hall to meet you with Catherine.

"That wasn't too bad. You didn't fall off as much as you thought you would." Flint offered.

"Yeah but I still fell off way too many times to even think about passing the horse riding exam." Isaac sighed.

"You'll get there. It's like Jeralt said. No one is going to be an expert at everything right at the start." Flint advised.

“True.” Isaac admitted.

“Anyway, what do you think Catherine wants to talk about?” Flint asked as the two entered the mess hall.

“Hey Isaac! Over here!” Catherine waved from a table.

“Be right there!” Isaac called back. He then proceeded to grab some food from Felix’s parents and took a seat across from Catherine.

“How was horse riding?” Catherine asked.

"I did good doing a few laps around the stable...But after that, I was tasting dirt." Isaac sighed.

“Eh don’t sweat it. I fell off quite a few times myself when I was little.” Catherine laughed.

“You ride horses?” Isaac asked.

“Well, I did when I was little. But I haven’t really rode one since I came to the Monastery.” Catherine said with a smile. But then her face changed to serious. “But we can talk about that another time. I need to talk to you about something.”

“What’s that?” Isaac asked.

“Your mission last month. I want to know the details behind the monster you fought.” Catherine said.

“That giant frog monster?” Isaac asked.

“Yeah. I heard it wiped out the entire recon unit we sent to the village ahead of you. Such a monster spells danger and we have rumors that Lanato might be holding a monster like that himself.” Catherine said.

“You think so too?” Isaac asked.

“It would make sense on why he’s so bold to try and attack the Monastery now.” Catherine said.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why is he attacking the Monastery right now?”  Isaac asked.

“Ah right…you know about the Tragedy of Duscur, correct?” Catherine asked.

“Yeah. It happened a year before I showed up, but it was still a huge topic whenever people weren't talking about Psynergy stones.” Isaac said.

“Right. That incident cost Faerghus it’s king along with a number of high ranked individuals. But do you know the aftermath?” Catherine asked.

“You mean aside the complete annihilation of Duscur?” Isaac asked with a frown. Regardless of what happened, Isaac wasn’t happy when he heard what happened to Duscur after the Tragedy. That was too far. Even before he knew the truth of Prox’s actions, he never once wished their complete destruction.

“Yeah…There were speculations of the enemies having inside knowledge in order to carry out their slaughter. After some investigations, it was revealed that Lanato’s son Christoph was involved in the terrible ordeal. As a result, he was handed over to the Church to be executed.” Catherine explained.

“The church executes people?” Isaac asked shocked.

“Speaking from the church's perspective, we simply passed judgement according to our doctrine in place of the Kingdom, which was in complete chaos at the time to do it itself.” Catherine said sadly. “Lanato has hated the church ever since then.”

‘Christoph? Maybe I should ask Ashe about this.’ Isaac pondered.

“But back to the matter at hand, what can you tell me about the frog monster you and your students. What were its powers and weaknesses?” Catherine asked.

“Its powers were poison. It was able to spit out acid, which it likely used to kill those soldiers, and its talons according to Felix were also covered in poison.” Isaac said.

“Interesting. So how can we deal with it?” Catherine asked.

“Felix and I just hit it with everything we had. I didn’t even have the students fight it since it was out of their league.” Isaac admitted.

“Probably was the best plan. When that monster shows up, I want you and Byleth by my side when we take it out.” Catherine said.

“No problem but I should warn you there are plenty of monsters beyond that frog monster. It’s possible Lanato might have a different kind of monster in his arsenal if he truly has one.” Isaac warned.

“Damn. So, there’s no way of knowing ahead of time?” Catherine asked.

“No. Both mine and Felix’s group each fought a large variety of monsters in our adventure. Without some form of information on what Lanato may have.” Isaac admitted.

“Alright. Well thanks for the information.” Catherine said.

“No problem. Sorry I wasn’t much help.” Isaac said.

“It’s fine. I’ll have to see if we can get some more intel before the mission to see if they truly have a monster in their possession and if so, what kind of monster.” Catherine said as she stood up. “I’ll see you later Isaac. I have to admit. I don’t get the big deal with all this Psynergy stuff, and I don’t know why Lady Rhea seems to be so accepting of it.”

‘You and me both.’ Isaac thought flatly.

“But regardless of the reason, Lady Rhea seems to trust you and Byleth a lot, so I’ll be doing the same. But I will warn you. Do anything to hurt her, and I’ll make you regret it.” Catherine said firmly as she left.

Isaac said nothing as he stood up and left the mess hall.

“So, what’s next on the agenda Isaac?” Flint asked.

“Well, we need to get started for joint training with the Blue Lions that start tomorrow, I have to figure out who will be paired against who for the next Psynergy class, Lorenz’s birthday is this week so I need to get things set for him, and…” Isaac began to list off.

“Man. The work of a professor is never easy.” Flint commented.

“There you are Isaac.” Byleth said as she approached him.

“Oh, hey Byleth. What’s up?” Isaac asked.

“I want to go over the training schedule for the joint training between the Golden Deer and the Blue Lions.” Byleth said.

“Sure…By the way, how is Ashe doing?” Isaac asked.

“Ashe? I haven’t seen him today. Why?” Byleth asked confused.

“Well, it’s his father we’re fighting.” Isaac said.

“Oh right…Yeah I’ll talk with him later.” Byleth said.

“Thanks, Byleth. See if you can figure more out about this Christoph guy. According to Catherine, he’s also Lanato’s son. He was apparently executed by the church for apparently taking part in the Tragedy of Duscur. From the sounds of things, that seems to be the motive of Lanato’s attack on the church.” Isaac said.

“I see. So, this is all due to revenge? Thanks for letting me know.” Byleth said.

“No problem. Now, let’s find a nice quiet spot and talk about training.” Isaac said.

“Let’s go to the Blue Lions classroom.” Byleth suggested.

“Lead the way.” Isaac said.

Byleth nodded and the two headed off towards the Blue Lions Classroom.

Chapter Text

“Alright everyone, here we are.” Isaac said as both his and Byleth’s classes arrived at their destination.

“This is the field where we have Psynergy class. If you don’t mind me asking professor, why are we here?” Dimitri asked.

“Well, since this month has both of our classes teaming up, Isaac and I have decided that for this month, training exercise will be joint between our two houses.” Byleth explained.

“You will also be allowed to use Psynergy to those who have it.” Isaac added.

"This that really fair? Those of us without it Barely have an experience in fighting against it." Annette asked.

“And that’s exactly why we’re doing it. Regardless if Lord Lanato has a monster like that toad monster Felix and I fought last month, it’s become apparent that we’re bound to face more and more monsters as well as potentially foes that possess Psynergy. So it’s been agreed upon by the both of us as well as Professor Hanneman that we’ll be prepping you all up to combat foes with Psynergy. Also on a side note, feel free to join in on my Psynergy classes if you’re looking for some more practice as well as knowledge.” Isaac explained.

“Things are going to get harder for us, isn’t it?” Hilda complained.

“Quit complaining.” Felix sighed annoyed. “I for one am looking forward to this joint training. As well as the challenges I can get from it.”

“I’ll take that challenge on.” Leonie spoke up.

“You will?” Felix asked.

“Of course. I heard you’re one of the best from the Kingdom. I want to see how I can compete.” Leonie said.

“I know you’ve been spying on me during training.” Felix commented.

“So you knew?” Leonie asked.

“Of course I did. Is spying one of your hobbies? Hope you got your fill.” Felix said.

“Enough to see how to beat you at least.” Leonie smirked.

“You think you can beat me?” Felix asked amused.

“Correct! See, I was trained by…” Leonie began.

“Jeralt?” Everyone else including Byleth and Isaac asked.

“Y-You know?” Leonie blinked surprised.

"Who in the Monastery doesn't know about it?" Lysithea asked sarcastically.

“You aren’t exactly…quiet about it.” Annette chuckled.

“O-Oh…right.” Leonie muttered with a small blush of embarrassment.

“Fine then. I accept your challenge. Are you okay with this professor?” Felix asked Byleth and Isaac.

“Uh, sure. You two can go first.” Isaac said.

“Go ahead.” Byleth nodded.

“All right then. Let’s go.” Leonie said as she grabbed her lance while Felix grabbed his sword.

“When I give the signal, you both begin.” Isaac said. Felix and Leonie nodded as Leonie moved herself towards the left. “Begin!”

Felix charged forward at Leonie…

Only to fall into a pitfall trap much to the shock of everyone minus Leonie.

“WHAT THE HECK?!” Felix shouted from the bottom of the pit.

“Wh-Where did that come from?” Lorenz gasped.

“Me! I dug that trap.” Leonie admitted with pride.

“COWARD!!!” Felix shouted from inside the hole.

“LEONIE?! HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING?!” Lorenz screamed.

“Impressive.” Claude commented with a smile.

“NO, NOT IMPRESSIVE!!!” Lorenz shouted. “Part of the reason for the Officer’s Academy is help build trust and relationships between our countries. And you just dropped the son of the second most prominent house of Faerghus in a pit hole!”

“Can someone just help me out of here?” Felix cried out from inside the hole.

“I’ve got you Felix.” Dimitri assured as he reached down the pit and grabbed his childhood friend by the arm, pulling him up with ease.

“Are you okay Felix?” Byleth asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Felix assured.

“Professor, surely you can’t condone this.” Lorenz spoke leaving Byleth and Isaac to ponder Leonie's actions.

“Well, on one hand in a real battle, you do what you need to in order to survive.” Byleth began.

“But on the other hand, this is a school, and I feel that Seteth and Rhea would not accept this.” Isaac continued.

“Enough.” Felix spoke now finally out of the hole and pushing away from Dimitri. “I lost. That’s all there is to it.”

“Wow. You’re taking a cheep trick like that well.” Sylvain commented.

“In battle, all that matters is who wins. Losing normally means death.” Felix said.

“Felix is correct, so I suppose I’ll give that win to Leonie. However, while that trick has been helpful for even me in the past, it’s not a great trick to always rely on. One of its biggest weaknesses is obviously that you need to be able to set it up ahead of time. Plus, it’s not what I would call a Jeralt original. I’ve fought mercenaries in the past that have tried to use tricks similar to that. Tricks and traps can be helpful, but you shouldn’t over rely on them.” Byleth said.

“I know. And you have nothing to worry about Professor. I’ve never been one to slack off on my training.” Leonie assured.

“This is nice and all, but can we please get a move on?” Lysithea demanded annoyed as she moved to the side…Only to fall into another pit trap. “LEONIE!!!”

“Second advise. Don’t rely on just one trap.” Leonie spoke.

Isaac and Byleth stared at Leonie in an annoyed expression.

“Fill in the pits?” Leonie asked.

“Fill in the pits.” Isaac confirmed with a nod.

Leonie sighed as she reached into a nearby bush to pull out the shovel she used to dig her traps. Leonie got to work filling the holes back up as Raphael pulled Lysithea out of the second hole.

“Okay then. Let’s get started on the next match. Lorenz vs Sylvain.” Isaac ordered. Both nobles nodded as they grabbed their lances and faced against each other.

As the two fought, Isaac noticed Ashe standing further off to the side.

Isaac slipped away from Byleth who was watching the fight between Lorenz and Sylvain intensely and approached Ashe. "You okay there Ashe?"

“Oh, Professor Isaac! Sorry I-I’m a bit out of it right now.” Ashe muttered.

“Because of the mission?” Isaac asked.

Ashe nodded. “I don’t know what I should do! How can I just stand by and let Lonato die?”

“If I may ask, I heard about a guy named Christoph was executed by the church. If you don’t mind, can you tell me about it?” Isaac asked.

“I see you’ve heard of that.” Ashe commented. “Yeah. Lonato’s biological son Christoph was captured and executed by the Church under the pretense he was involved in the Tragedy of Duscur.”

“Did you know him well?” Isaac asked.

Ashe nodded again. “For the first three years after me and my siblings were adopted by Lord Lonato, Christoph treated us like family. He was a great older brother. When he was executed, it hit us all hard. But I swear I never knew Lord Lonato was planning something like this!”

“It’s okay. I believe you. If I could guess, he probably didn’t want you to get involved. But it does make me question why he allowed you to come to the Officer’s Academy if he was planning this.” Isaac said.

“Could be possible he planned this after Ashe left.” Flint said appearing on Isaac’s shoulder.

“Maybe.” Isaac pondered.

“What should I do professor?” Ashe asked.

“I'll talk with Byleth and see if we can think of something, but I won't be able to guarantee anything. In the meantime, I would advise you to try and look natural right now. The last thing you need is some of the Church staff assuming you’ll assassinate the archbishop on behalf of your adopted father.” Isaac advised.

“I-I’ll try.” Ashe muttered.

“Also, if you ever need to, don’t be afraid to talk to your professor. I know she come off as rather cold and emotionless…a lot, but she is a good listener and is very loyal to those around her. You can feel free to confide to her with anything and she won’t tell anyone. Not even me if you ask.” Isaac advised.

“Th-Thank you professor Isaac.” Ashe said.

“Now let’s head back. I’m sure Lorenz and Sylvain are finishing up their spar.” Isaac smiled.

“Right.” Ashe nodded as the two headed back.

Ashe rejoined his fellow Blue Lions as Dimitri gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder that made Ashe smile slightly.

Isaac walked back to Byleth and continued to watch Lorenz and Sylvain’s fight.

“You talked to him?” Byleth asked.

“Yeah. I assured him that he could confide to you in anything. I know it’s difficult for you, but you should try and be a bit more open with your students. That’s how they’ll see there’s more to you.” Isaac offered.

“You should listen to him. That’s pretty sound advice.” Sothis added.

“Thank you…” Byleth muttered.

Soon enough, Sylvain manages to knock Lorenz down winning the match.

“See guys, I do train!” Sylvain smiled towards his childhood friends.

“Could have fooled us.” Ingrid muttered.

“All right then. Next up will be Lysithea vs Annette.” Byleth spoke.

Meanwhile nearby Merddin territory:

The sighting of monsters attacking merchants en-route towards Garreg Mach called the Knights of Serios into action. Jeralt himself lead the charge taking his two right-hands Alois and Weyard Felix. Shamir also joined them in hopes of getting some more practice with her Psynergy in combat.

The monsters they were facing were ape-like creatures that had brown fur and blue skin.

The Knights got right to work in slaying them. The Chestbeaters weren't very strong, but there was a large number of them.

Shamir shot down one Chestbeater but was then grabbed by her by her quiver and carried her into the air, making her drop her bow in surprise.Looking up, she saw a humanoid bird creature carrying her. Grabbing one of her arrows, she stabbed the creature in the side with it causing it to drop her back into the ground.

Once Shamir landed, she quickly looked for her bow, only to find it stomped on by one of the Chestbeaters.

"Great." Shamir growled as Felix ran up to her.

"Are you okay Shamir?" Felix asked.

"I'm fine, but my bow isn't." Shamir growled.

"Don't have any spares, do we?" Felix asked.

"No they were sold out." Shamir sighed. "Guess I'll have to stick with a lance for this one."

"Not going to be much help against those Harpies. They're too high for our weapons and Venus Psynergy." Felix said.

Shamir was about to speak, but was cut off by a new voice.

"You two look like you're in a jam. Do you need any assistance?" The voice spoke.

The two turned to see a Jupiter Djinn floating before them. This one had two large swirls on the sides of its head that looked like ears.

"A Jupiter Djinn?" Felix asked. "Why are you here?"

"I was looking for a quite place to nap when all this fighting started. If you want, I can help you deal with these monsters?" The Djinn offered.

"What's the catch?" Shamir asked.

"A quite spot to nap." The Jupiter Djinn said.

"I can handle that. I know a few places I like to go for a quite place away from everything." Shamir said.

"Then it's a deal! Name's Vortex by the way." Vortex said.

"Shamir." Shamir said.

"Great. Hold out your hands." Vortex asked.

Shamir nodded and did as she was told. Vortex then turned into multiple purple orbs and swirled around her before entering her body. Once it was done, Shamir gasped at what she felt.

"You okay?" Felix asked.

"Yeah." Shamir nodded. "Isaac did tell us we could gain Djinn outside our element but something just felt...strange."

"It happens when you try it the first time. But with that Djinn, you should be able to use Jupiter Psynergy. Try it on those Harpies." Felix offered.

Shamir nodded as she raised her hand towards the flying Harpy that was ready to attack. With new knowledge courtesy of Vortex in her mind, she spoke. "Astral Blast!"

Several purple five-point stars shot from Shamir's hand and struck the Harpy killing it instantly.

"Not bad." Shamir smirked.

"Great. You mind talking out the rest of those Harpys while I help Captain Jeralt and Alois deal with the rest of those apes?" Felix asked.

Shamir nodded. "Consider it done."

With that, Felix ran off with Excalibur in hand to strike down another Chestbeater as Shamir got to work taking out the rest of the Harpies.

Djinn Fact of the day:

Flint: Hey everyone! Flint here! Today we have another Jupiter Djinn for you. Say hello to Vortex!

Vortex: Greetings!

Name: Vortex

Attribute: Wind

Stats: HP +10/ ATK +3/ Luck +2

Origin: Dark Dawn

Original Location: Ouroboros

Flint: So, what is it you do?"

Vortex: I can increase the strength of my partner's attack by a really large amount.My attacks can also cause them to get delusion. Want to see?

Flint: Uh, I'm good.

Vortex: Too late!

*Vortex attacks Flint.*

Flint: (Vision covered in haze) Well, thanks for joining us today. See you guys next time...Isaac? Where are you?

Chapter Text

Days had gone by since the announcement of the joint mission between the Golden Deer and the Blue Lions. Since then, Isaac and Byleth have had most of their class training done together to prepare for the mission.

But today was not going to be that. For today was the thirteenth of the Garland moon. In other words, it was Lorenz’s birthday.

Much like with Raphael, Isaac began thinking on how he would throw Lorenz a party. However, that all changed when Lorenz approached him about it.

“While I do understand the charm and effort you went into throwing a party for Raphael, that kind of party isn't really my thing. And my ideal of a party is something I don't think you can get together. How about instead, we celebrate with you joining me in the tea gardens?" Lorenz offered.

“If that’s what you want then that’s what I’ll do.” Isaac said with a smile.

“Thank you, professor. I’m looking forward to it.” Lorenz said with a smile.

Now today was that day and Isaac headed towards the tea gardens. There he found Lorenz and Ferdinand sitting at a table. Upon seeing him, Lorenz waved to the professor gesturing him to come to their table.

“Hello Lorenz. Happy Birthday.” Isaac greeted with a smile.

“Thank you, professor.” Lorenz responded.

“And Ferdinand. Are you joining us too?” Isaac asked the orange-haired noble.

“Indeed professor.” Ferdinand said with a smile.

“Come have a cup professor. This is one of my favorite teas. It’s called Rose Petal Blends.” Lorenz said offering Isaac a cup.

“Thank you.” Isaac smiled as he took the cup and took a sip. “It’s…definitely an interesting taste.”

“If I recall correctly, you’ve never drank tea before coming here.” Lorenz asked.

“Yeah. I’ve never even considered drinking tea before coming to the Monastery.” Isaac admitted.

“It’s fine Professor. I’m sure with enough time you’ll find a flavor you like.” Ferdinand assured.

“Uh, thanks I guess…” Isaac muttered as he drank more of the tea.

"Despite never having tea before, your table manners aren't too bad." Ferdinand admitted.

"My mother was a little strict on table manners when I was growing up." Isaac chuckled.

“You know professor, when you were assigned to lead our class, I have to admit that I had some reservations. But seeing you lead us in the fight against those bandits has made me see that you’ve learned quite a lot from Captain Jeralt. I still have some reservations if I’m being honest, but I have grown to trust you a bit more as our professor.” Lorenz said.

“Thank you. I hope I can live up to the expectations.” Isaac said.

“I’m sure you will…And I promise I’ll not recklessly charge the enemy like I did in the Mock Battle.” Lorenz admitted a bit sheepishly.

“If I may ask, what possessed you do something like that?” Isaac asked. “Is it because of Claude? I notice that you two don’t get along all that well.”

“Of course we don’t. He acts nothing like a noble should act like. He’s far too laid back and doesn’t seem to understand what his position as the heir to House Reigan entails. Everything seems like a joke to him. Didn’t you see how he came into class the other day? Not only was he late, but he was covered in dish water!” Lorenz ranted.

“Oh yeah. Apparently, he tried to fill in for the student that was scheduled to help wash dishes that day but ended up making a mess.” Isaac chuckled.

Lorenz sighed. “Even if his personality wasn’t an issue, there is way too much mystery surrounding him to trust him. Tell me, do you know about the incident involving the previous Duke Reigan?”

“He was killed in an incident, correct?” Isaac asked.

“Yes. Sadly, Duke Godfrey lost his life to some monsters. Following that, House Reigan was left without an heir. Currently, Duke Godfrey’s father Duke Oswald runs the territory, but he isn’t exactly young. He’s well past the age of retirement. But with his son gone, house Riegan’s line was going to end. That was until last year when Claude mysteriously showed up and was named the new heir of House Reigan. Where was he before that? He never answers.” Lorenz explained.

“I see…” Isaac muttered.

“But enough about that. What about you Isaac? What was your hometown like?” Lorenz asked.

“My hometown?” Isaac asked.

“I’m curious on how things are run in Vale.” Lorenz said.

“Oh, I see. Well, to be honest, we didn’t have a noble or anything looking after us. Our town was governing by the elders and the mayor.” Isaac said.

“So, it’s the older ones that govern things?” Ferdinand asked.

“Pretty much. They have the deepest connection to Psynergy due to years of training. The mayor is chosen by the citizens, while the rest of the elders are selected by their connection to Psynergy. Currently, my friend Garet’s grandfather is the mayor. Or he was when I was last in Vale. It’s been a few years and who knows how much can change between then and now.” Issac explained.

“Very true.” Lorenz nodded. “So, are there any nobles in Weyard in general?”

“There’s a few I can recall that would fit the description of nobility like Lord Mycroy or Ivan’s adopted father Master Hammet.” Isaac said.

“Ivan’s adopted father?” Lorenz asked curiously.

“That’s something you’ll have to talk to Ivan about.” Issac said.

“I think he’s busy helping that merchant Anna with her shop in the marketplace today.” Ferdinand commented.

“Then I suppose I’ll ask him about it another day.” Lorenz said.

“While this has been fun Lorenz, I sadly must be on my way. I managed to schedule a training session with Professor Jeritza and I don’t wish this opportunity to pass by.” Ferdinand said as he stood up.

“Of course. I’m thankful for you to have joined me for this.” Lorenz said with a smile.

“Indeed. Happy birthday Lorenz. I hope this year will be a joyous one for you. And for you professor Isaac, it was nice speaking with you. We should do this again more often.” Ferdinand said.

“If you wish, you only need to ask.” Isaac said with a smile.

Ferdinand nodded as he walked off leaving Isaac and Lorenz alone at the tea table.

“I suppose we should start wrapping things up here. I imagine class tomorrow won’t be a breeze.” Lorenz said.

“No. We’ve got quite a bit of lectures to get through and loads of training with the Blue Lions before we get deployed for our mission this year. I mean, I know Lady Rhea and Seteth says we likely won't see any action, if last month taught us anything, it's that we should expect the worst.” Isaac sighed thinking of all the work he would have to get through.

“It’s unbelievable that Lord Lanato is doing something so insanely reckless. Lord Lanato hardly has an army of his own. According to rumors, he roped in citizens from his domain to assist in his rebellion. He is throwing untrained commoners into a battle he has no hopes of winning! It’s disgusting.” Lorenz spat.

“I’m more worried about Ashe in this.” Isaac admitted.

“So am I professor. Now he’s going to be left with dealing with the aftermath to Lanato’s choice.” Lorenz said solemnly. “Well, I’ll see you later Professor. I thank you for agreeing to join me today. I feel I got to know you a bit better now.”

“Same to you Lorenz.” Isaac smiled.

With that, Lorenz gathered his tea supplies and left the table as Flint came out.

“So, what are you thinking now?” Flint asked.

“I think, we need to take a new approach to helping the Golden Deer become closer. And that plan is Claude.” Isaac said.

“Claude huh?” Flint asked.

“There are still other problems to deal with others like Lorenz, but Claude is supposed to be the leader of the Golden Deer. We need to make sure the group can trust him as much as they can trust me. After all, if anything were to happen to me, then it would be up to Claude to lead them.” Isaac said.

“From what it sounds like, Claude hasn’t known the other students long.” Flint said.

“Yeah. Back when we were planning Raphael's birthday last month, Claude did say that aside from a few exceptions, most of the Golden Deer aren’t familiar with each other all that well. But that can be worked on throughout the year. I didn’t know half the people I traveled with prior to leaving Vale, yet despite all that, we all worked incredibly well when we scaled the Mars Lighthouse.” Isaac said.

“That’s because everyone had such faith in you and or Felix.” Flint said.

“Indeed. A good leader is always needed. That’s how Jeralt’s Mercenaries worked so well as well. We need to make the Golden Deer have faith in Claude. And for that, we need to help Claude be more open with people. He doesn’t need to give us his backstory. And based on how he reacted when Ivan found out he had brothers, I doubt he will. But we need to mold him into a leader that everyone will respect and trust.” Isaac said.

“So, what’s the plan then?” Flint asked.

“I think first we should see what the others think of him. I think we’ve got Lorenz down, so let’s see what the other’s have to say.” Isaac said as the two left.

Later that Evening:

“Okay then. Let’s see what we’ve got.” Isaac muttered as he sat down at the desk in his room with Flint sitting on the table right next to him.

After the tea party with Lorenz and Ferdinand, Isaac went around the Monastery asking the rest of the Golden Deer students about Claude. It felt weird talking about Claude behind his back, but it was done and there was no going back now. As for what they said...

Hilda: Claude? I like him. He's pretty nice to be around, even though I'm never able to get him to...Uh, forget that! I'm doing my work! He does tell some fun stories. You should listen to them.

"Claude tends to hang around Hilda the most out of the Golden Deer. I guess it's no surprise she's fine around him. Don't know how much that will translate to trust on the battlefield though." Isaac said.

"Given Hilda's lazy attitude, I wouldn't hold my breath on trust." Flint said.

"True. It's a shame too. She has a lot of potential." Isaac said.

Lysithea: UGH! He is so infuriating! He keeps treating me like I’m some kind of child with all his teases! I would like to point out that my grades in nearly every subject are higher than his! Yet for some reason he’s much better at Psynergy than me!

"Claude did admit he likes to tease her. This is no surprise. I should probably tell him to tone it down. I don't have anything against teasing, but if you take it too far, it could spell trouble in the future." Isaac said.

"It is interesting though how much Claude adapted to Psynergy rather quickly though." Flint commented.

"True. Maybe he's a prodigy at it or something?" Isaac guessed.

"I guess." Flint shrugged.

Ignatz: Claude? Uh, he’s fine, I guess…

Marianne: I guess he’s okay.

"How much you want to guess these two were worried to tell us everything they thought?" Flint asked.

"Ignatz probably. But Marianne keeps to herself just as if not worse than Claude. It's possible she may not even know what to say. While this would affect Claude more than her due to Claude's position, he's not the only one we need to get to open up a bit and be more comfortable. around others." Isaac said.

"It always looks like something's bothering her. I'm worried." Flint said.

"Same." Isaac said.

Raphael: I like Claude! He’s fun to be around.

"I don't think there's anyone in this Monastery that Raphael hates." Flint chuckled.

"Possibly. I wonder if he'd be a good  starting point for Claude to befriend?" Isaac wondered.

"That's partly up to Claude as well." Flint noted.

"True." Isaac admitted.

Leonie: I like the guy. He doesn’t look down on commoners like some nobles do. Heck, he even filled in for someone who had dishes duty. He failed at it, but I can appreciate effort.

"Glad to see someone liked Claude's attempt at dish duty." Flint chuckled.

"I just wish the kitchen lady did." Isaac sighed as he recalled being called in by her to complain about Claude's dish breaking. Thank the Wise One Mathis and Noel stepped in to defend them.

"Well, that's everyone. And it seems like there are only two that have issues with Claude." Flint noted.

"True. But at the same time, there are other problems that are concerning." Isaac said.

"That's true. But it's getting late right now, and we have another busy day tomorrow. We should get some sleep." Flint offered.

“Yeah…Why do I feel like things are only going to get worse from here?” Isaac wondered as he walked towards his bed.

Chapter Text

After a knock on the door and the permission to enter, Ivan made his way into Hanneman’s office.

“Ah Ivan. Is there something I can help you with?” Hanneman asked with a smile.

“I was hoping to discuss weapons with you.” Ivan said.

“Ah yes. I remember. I told you to consider a weapon as a backup.” Hanneman nodded. “Well, unfortunately I have to start class in a little while, but I can spare a bit of time right now to help you get started.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to be a bother.” Ivan said.

“It is no bother at all. At the end of the day, I am a professor and my job is to help those in need. Regardless if you’re one of my students or not.” Hanneman said with a smile. “Now then. Based on what I’ve seen and heard from Isaac, you’ve clearly had experience with holding some weapons, correct?”

Ivan nodded. “I’ve mainly only used staffs and light swords.”

“Hmm…here at Garreg Mach, we use swords, axes, lances, bows, and gauntlets. I know you have some knowledge with swords at least.” Hanneman said.

“I knew the basics of sword play for defense back in Weyard. Though Anna did teach me a bit more with swords while I was traveling with her, I’m nowhere near Isaac or Felix in terms of sword skills.” Ivan admitted.

“Hmm…well, while you decide on what weapon you’d like to learn about, I would suggest training your body a bit. Each of these weapons require some form of muscle. Perhaps some simple workouts would help you out. You don’t need to be as bulky as some like Raphael mind you, but gaining a bit more physical strength would be helpful in the long run.” Hanneman offered.

“Very well then.” Ivan said with a nod.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a class to teach. Think over what I said and let me know when you decide on a weapon.” Hanneman said as he got up from his desk.

“Things have been getting busier lately.” Ivan noted.

“Our troops are scheduled to be deployed in two weeks to stop Lord Lanato’s rebellion. Though that is also subject to change depending on what Lord Lanato decides to do himself. As such, we need to make sure our students are ready for anything. And even though the Black Eagles have a different mission, that too may always change.” Hanneman said.

“Is it really normal to be sending students to missions like this?” Ivan asked.

“It’s not impossible but it is odd it’s happening this early in the year.” Hanneman said. “Well, I’ll see you later Ivan.”

“Good day.” Ivan waved as Hanneman left his office.

After leaving Hanneman’s office, Ivan wondered around the Monastery Grounds. Anna gave him the day off as a thank you for covering the store nearly all by himself while she was negotiating for some more products to sell.

Heading to the training grounds, Ivan saw a sparing match going on. It was a three-on-three battle between Claude and Dimitri. Claude had Sylvain and Leonie on his side while Dimitri had Raphael and Ingrid on his. The rest of the Golden Deer and the Blue Lions were watching as was Isaac and Byleth.

Isaac then noticed Ivan and called him over.

“What’s going on here?” Ivan asked.

“With our mission this month being a joint mission between our two houses, Byleth and I have been doing a lot of our training classes together.” Isaac said.

“This is a recent idea we had to mix some students around and get everyone to get more comfortable with each other on the battle field. Plus, different sparring opponents outside their houses can so other weaknesses they have in their fighting.” Byleth explained.

“I see…” Ivan said as he watched the fight go on. Raphael swung a training axe towards Leonie who dodged out of the way as Sylvain followed with a strike from his training lance knocking the bulky boy back.

“So what brings you here today Ivan?” Isaac asked.

“Oh well, I’m trying to find a weapon for me.” Ivan said.

“A new weapon?” Byleth asked.

“Something to fall back on when my Psynergy isn’t enough.” Ivan explained.

“What about your sword training?” Isaac asked.

“I only know the bare basics, but I want to know if it’s the best course for me to go with or should I try something else.” Ivan said.

“That makes sense. You shouldn’t rely on one trick. I also have experience in hand-to-hand combat and recently have picked up a lance.” Byleth said.

“I have axe training to fall back on and recently have been learning more about the bow.” Isaac said.

“Yeah. All I have though is some rather basic sword training. I need something to fall back on. So, I went to Hanneman and asked for advice, but it seems that I might need to build some extra upper arm strength before I chose a weapon.” Ivan said.

“Makes sense. You rarely ever used a weapon in our travels. You were mostly using Psynergy. I think at best, you just used a weapon to try and block when an enemy got too close to you.” Isaac said.

“Yeah. I’ve learned how to maintain my Psynergy really well so I can use it a lot more than most. So yeah. I only really used staffs to try and block enemy attacks that came my way.” Ivan admitted. “So, what do you guys think would be best for me?”

“Well let’s see…swords aren’t too bad for you. You know the basics and the ones they sell here are more like the shorter swords that are more about swift strikes which is pretty good for someone like you.” Isaac said.

“Although lances would be better suited for your smaller size. Their longer reach can allow you to strike from a distance compared to a sword.” Byleth added.

“Axes would be difficult for you to use. They’re kind of heavy and while they strike hard, they’re a little slow compared to a sword and lance.” Isaac said.

“Annette’s is more of a hammer than an axe. The only reason she’s even using them is because of the Hero’s Relic from her house that she is to one day inherit from her uncle. She had it more custom made to not be as heavy, but I agree it probably won’t be a great choice. I’d also so no to gauntlets. You need to learn hand to hand combat to use them effectively and from what I’ve heard about you, you never learned that.” Byleth said.

“No. I haven’t.” Ivan admitted.

“That just leaves bows and honestly, they aren’t bad. You’re already used to fighting at a distance which is where you would use a bow. The only down side is that it would leave you open to close range fighters. That’s why I’m having Claude and Ignatz pick up a second weapon to help them with that.” Isaac said.

“So it seems my best options would be swords, lances, or bows.” Ivan said.  

“It’s up to you at the end of the day but that’s our suggestions.” Isaac said.

“Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.” Ivan said as he left the two. As he walked away though, he noticed one of the Blue Lions standing much further away from the others with a sad and worried look on his face.

“Hey there. You doing okay?” Ivan asked getting the boy’s attention.

“Oh! Sorry. I’m fine it’s just…” Ashe began.

“Just what?” Ivan asked.

“This mission we’re training for. I-I don’t want to kill Lord Lanato!” Ashe admitted.

“Oh yeah. Isaac told me about that. He’s your step father correct?” Ivan asked.

“Yes. He gave me and my siblings a home when we didn’t have one. He’s a kind and caring man. Why would he do this? I know Christoph’s death hurt him badly, but I never thought he’d do this! Castle Gaspard’s military is nowhere near strong enough to even consider this so why is he doing it?” Ashe asked.

“I really couldn’t answer you.” Ivan admitted.

“I tried to send a letter, but the Professor stopped me. She said sending him a letter could be taken by the church as proof that I’m a spy.” Ashe said.

“I can see why she said that. In the market place, we were all told not to sell or trade with Gaspard territory until Lord Lanato was dealt with.” Ivan admitted.

“I-I don’t know what to do…” Ashe said tears in his eyes.

“I can understand. If that were to happen to Master Hammet, I don’t know what I’d do.” Ivan said thinking back to his adopted father. As well as recalling his desire to save him when he was in the clutches of Dodonpa who tried to use Hammet to exploit Vault of all their money.

“I’m sorry. In all my sorrows I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ashe.” Ashe greeted.

“Hey don’t worry about. I also come from an adopted home and I totally understand how you feel. I’m Ivan by the way.” Ivan said with a smile. “And if I know Isaac, he’s going to think of something.”

“I hope so…I really do.” Ashe muttered.

Chapter Text

“It was another busy day at the Monastery as Ashe entered the chapel and began to pray.

‘Dear Goddess. Please find it in your heart to spare Lanato’s life. He’s a good man. He would never do something like this! Please I beg of you. Don’t let him die!’ Ashe pleaded.

Though as Ashe prayed, he could hear other monks in the church talking about Lanato, despite his best attempts to drown them out with his prayers.

“I can’t believe Lord Lanato would turn his back on the Goddess like this.” One spoke.

“I guess it’s no surprise. His son was involved in that horrible tragedy a few years ago.” Another said.

“Well, it matters not. The judgement of the Goddess is upon him. Soon he’ll pay the price for turning his back on the Goddess.” One of the monks spoke.

Ashe couldn’t hear anymore. He finished his prayer and left as soon as he could.

Recently, Catherine revealed to Isaac and Byleth that she wanted to leave within a week. One week and then he’s forced to join a march to go and kill his adopted father…

It felt like each passing day was even more painful than the last one.

Once again, Isaac faced his new greatest challenge. Horse-back riding.

“That’s it kid, you’re almost there!” Jeralt urged.

“I got this, I got thisssss!!!!!!!!!!!” Isaac suddenly cried out as he lost his balance at the last turn and fell off Dorte again.

“Almost had it.” Jeralt sighed.

“So, it seems even the mighty professor of the Golden Deer is still learning things.” A voice joked.

Isaac looked up to see Edelgard approaching him.

“Hey, you’re never too old to learn new things.” Isaac shrugged as he got off the ground.

“Very true. So, you wish to learn how to ride a horse?” Edelgard asked.

“I feel like learning how to ride a mount would be a lot more helpful on the battlefield.” Isaac said.

“True. Though personally, I feel a flying mount would be a lot more viable if mobility is the issue.” Edelgard said.

“Claude’s told me the same thing. But personally, I prefer staying on the ground.” Isaac said.

“Fair enough.” Edelgard relented.

“So, is there something you need?” Isaac asked.

“I was wondering if you would join me for some tea.” Edelgard offered.

“Uh sure. I could use a break anyway.” Isaac said.

“Works for me too. I’ve got some stuff I need to get done anyway. I’ll take Dorte back for you. You’re getting better Isaac, but you need to learn to maintain that balance while on a stead.” Jeralt said as he gently grabbed Dorte’s reins and guided him back to the stables as Edelgard guided Isaac away.

Edelgard led Isaac to the tea garden where his childhood friend Felix along with Byleth and Hubert waited for him at a table. Isaac and Edelgard took a seat and Hubert poured everyone some tea.

“This type of tea is Bergamot. It happens to be Lady Edelgard’s favorite flavor.” Hubert said.

“Thank you, Hubert.” Edelgard spoke as her retainer poured her some tea.

Isaac took a quick glance around him. Edelgard invited him, Felix, and Byleth. With him and Byleth here, one would think Edelgard was inviting the professors here, but it seems Hanneman wasn’t coming. Yet Felix being here made Isaac wonder if this was just about the new people at the Monastery? Or maybe something about Psynergy perhaps. It was hard to tell.

“So, not that I’m complaining about getting an invite or anything, but what’s the occasion for calling us here?” Felix asked.

“It’s…my birthday today.” Edelgard revealed.

“Happy birthday!” Isaac smiled.

“Thank you.” Edelgard smiled back.

“If it’s your birthday, why aren’t the rest of the Black Eagles here?” Felix asked.

“I have plans with them later. Dorothea doesn’t know that I know, but I know they’re planning something for me today. Seems they took inspiration from what Professor Isaac did for Raphael's birthday.” Edelgard said.

“You seem to like to be on top of things.” Byleth commented.

“I am to be the Emperor of Adrestia one day. I have to be.” Edelgard said.

“Seems like a tough job. Are the other two like that?” Felix asked Isaac and Byleth.

Byleth just took a sip of tea while Isaac gave a light chuckle.

“Regardless, I’m curious on what you two think of Fodlan so far.” Edelgard asked Isaac and Felix.

“Well, I can’t really say I paid too much mind towards it. Between training Byleth in Psynergy, training Captain Jeralt and his men on how to deal with monsters that use Psynergy, trying to find Felix and the others, and the mercenary work on top of that, I wasn’t able to really interact with Fodlan outside of work or whatever gossips that came from the bars.” Isaac said.

“Bar? When did you start drinking?” Felix asked confused.

“I don’t…I, well…” Isaac began trying to find the words.

“He went with me trying to ether grab the drunks in our group or try and negotiate my father’s bar tabs.” Byleth said bluntly.

“Yeah, that.” Isaac chuckled.

“I see…how, fascinating.” Edelgard commented a bit baffled at that tidbit of information.

“Well, I wasn’t busy with dragging drunks out of bars, but I was busy trying to find Isaac and the others. I did pick up a bit of Fodlan though, but I don’t have much of an opinion of it honestly.” Felix said.

“I just did my job and moved on.” Byleth said.

“You three seem to have a rather passive opinion on Fodlan. And yet despite that, you three are given high ranked jobs at Garreg Mach Monastery. Be it a professor, or given an instant job as a Knight of Serios working directly under the captain himself." Edelgard commented.

“So, it seems.” Felix shrugged. “But I’m only doing this to find my sister and the others.”

“You should be careful with what you say. Garreg Mach is the centerfold of the main religion in Fodlan. Some may not take kindly to hearing you are using them for your own gains.” Hubert advised with a small smirk.

“I’m aware. Jeralt warned me of that as well.” Felix said firmly.

“Well anyway, how’s your Psynergy training coming?” Isaac asked.

“It’s preforming well. But I still feel there’s more for me to learn.” Edelgard said. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but while I’m grateful to your mother for helping me further understand Mars Psynergy, she’s unfortunately not much of a fighter so I can’t learn much of combat from her.”

“I heard she and my dad used to get into fights quite a bit when they were my age, but that all stopped after I was born. At least that's what they told me.” Felix said.

“Regardless, I need someone who's been in combat to better learn combat with Psynergy.” Edelgard said.

“Well, for the time being, Felix and I can still help you with that. We may not be Mars Adepts ourselves, but Venus and Mars share a close relation that it's easy for us to jump in and assist you. But if it's a natural Mars Adept you need, the only people that would have that kind of experience and potentially be somewhere around here would be Garet and Jenna." Isaac said.

“Those are your friends, correct?” Edelgard asked.

“Yeah. Garet’s my best friend. I’ve him the longest. Even a bit longer than Felix here.” Isaac said pointing to the older Venus Adept.

“Jenna is my little sister.” Felix added. “The four of us all came from the same village of Vale. The other four we met during our adventures."

“You know, speaking of Adepts, there is that one adept that’s still on my mind.” Byleth said.

“You mean that one from Berling’s group?” Isaac asked.

“Yeah him.” Byleth nodded. “That transformation he went through during our fight. You said that wasn’t Psynergy, right?”

“Not any I’ve seen before.” Isaac said.

“Care to fill us in?” Felix asked as Edelgard and Hubert nodded.

“Right. So, at one point in our travels together, we ended up facing against some mercenary group lead by a woman named Berling. Some minor nobles were against each other to retrieve some goods. One of them hired us to get them, while the other hired Berling’s troops to get it.” Isaac explained.

“But Berling seemed more focused on taking me and father out over of completing the mission, so they charged at us instead.” Byleth said.

“Why’s that?” Felix asked.

“Jeralt obtained a famous reputation amongst the mercenaries. They were considered some of the best Fodlan had to offer. That of course would make him a target since the one who could take down the Blade Breaker and the Ashen Demon would surely gain fame for such an accomplishment.” Hubert explained.

“Yeah, I think I heard about those two in my travels. Still surprising we didn’t hear about you given you were traveling with them.” Felix said to Isaac.

“He was a bit new with us and kind of kept out of the spotlight for most of the first year. In fact, I think he started to get more known shortly before the meeting in Remire. If we stuck as Mercenaries longer, he likely would have gained a title.” Byleth explained.

Isaac just chuckled.

“But back to the story, while my father went to complete the mission, Berling’s forces made a charge at us with Berling aiming for me specifically.” Byleth explained.

“I was fighting some guy called Getz.” Isaac chimed in.

“Berling had some skills, but it was nothing I couldn’t deal with and I ended up striking her down. The person I fought right after though…” Byleth began. “When the fight started, the guy had some skills, but wasn’t anything noteworthy aside from the fact he was a Mars Adept. But during the fight, a surge of power erupted and he…changed.”

“I didn’t see the fight prior to his transformation, but he looked a bit like a demon.” Isaac said. “His skin was pale with a purple glow and had a dark aura around him. I think his name might have been Shez. At least I heard that name mutter from some of the others in the group.”

“Can’t say I’ve heard of Mars Psynergy like that before.” Felix commented.

Edelgard and Hubert were silent.

“Is something wrong?” Byleth asked noticing the silence from the two Adrestian.

“N-No. Sorry. Just lost in thoughts.” Edelgard assured. "So what happened to this Shez character?"

"Our fight was interrupted by the arrival of my father telling us that the mission was a success so we took our leave. I don't know what happened to him after that." Byleth explained.

With that, the four continued to talk for a while. After some time, Isaac, Felix, and Byleth left having other things they need to get done. Once they were gone, Hubert spoke.

“So, what do you think?” He asked.

“They aren’t as devoted to the Church as I originally feared.” Edelgard said.

“True, but that doesn’t mean they will devote themselves to our cause. We still know so little about them.” Hubert said.

“True, but it’s not like we’re ready to make our move just yet. That mock battle showed me that there is still so much for me to learn before I’m ready. We still have time to befriend them and convince them to help us.” Edelgard said.

“I still express my concerns to this. We don’t even know why the archbishop has such a fascination with them. Especially Professor Byleth.” Hubert said.

“Indeed. That’s something I hope to figure out as well.” Edelgard agreed.

“Regardless, I shall assist you in any way I can. How shall we start?” Hubert asked.

“Isaac and Felix’s missing comrades. Helping them find their friends could come a long way in earning their trusts.” Edelgard said.

“Understood lady Edelgard. I’ll have our spies look into finding them.” Hubert assured.

“Also, while you’re at it, see if there’s anything you can find on this Shez person. The way they described him…” Edelgard began.

“Agreed. I’ll look into this Berling person as best we can. But given her death was apparently a few years ago, I doubt how much I’ll be able to get on the group. Still, if this Shez character is still alive, then the trail isn’t completely cold.” Hubert said. “And happy birthday milady.”

“Thank you, Hubert.” Edelgard said with a smile.

Chapter Text

Isaac sat by as he watched Ivan educate the three new Jupiter Adepts. With Ivan’s arrival, Lysithea was quick to ask for some extra lessons. While Isaac and his friend Felix were no doubt well knowledge in Psynergy, Venus and Jupiter were opposite elements. Both their experience with Jupiter Psynergy was rather limited as a result. So, when a Jupiter Adept showed up at Garreg Mach, of course the new Jupiter Adepts were going to jump at the chance to learn more.

Well, technically one of them was excited. Bernadetta was…Bernadetta. While Ivan didn’t look scary in the slightest, Poor Bernie was still nervous around new people. She was more or less dragged to the lesson by Edelgard who was watching nearby along with Dimitri, Hubert, Linhardt, Caspar, Lorenz, Dedue, Flayn, Leonie, and Hilda. All of them were watching ether out of curiosity or boredom.

Claude didn’t look the most enthusiastic no matter how hard he tried to fake it and Isaac knew why. It was Ivan’s Mind Reading powers and Isaac couldn’t fully blame him. As insanely useful as Ivan’s Mind Reading has been in the past, there was still a level of uncomfortable knowing that someone can enter your mind with no issue. Even himself and Garet were a bit concerned about it when they first met as was Mia when she joined their group. Even Ivan himself views the power as a curse. And though Ivan showed to the three of them that he was a man of his word and never mind read them without permission, Isaac doubts that others would be as trusting as they were.

Though on the subject of Mind Reading, Ivan was still working up the courage to tell the others his mind reading powers so at the moment, Claude was the only one outside of those from Weyard that knows he can read minds.

“So, what exactly is this technique you said you’d teach us when our Psynergy is strong enough?” Lysithea asked.

“It’s a technique called Reveal. It allows one to see what can’t be seen by normal eyes.” Ivan explained.

“Can’t be seen by normal eyes?” Lysithea asked confused.

“That’s right. From something like a desert mirage or maybe something sealed off by magic. All can be seen once you learn this technique.” Ivan said.

“Y-You mean, I can see past my door so I know when not to open it?” Bernadetta asked.

“I’ve…never used it for something like that, so I wouldn’t know.” Ivan admitted a bit baffled at what Bernadetta asked.

“Why does that matter? You don’t open the door for anyone.” Lysithea sighed.

“Not unless they tell you they have cake.” Claude joked.

“I-It’s not funny!” Bernadetta cried out flustered.

“Well back to the matter at hand, I can’t teach you three yet since your mental powers with Jupiter aren’t strong enough. But if you keep training, this technique will be of great help to you in the future.” Ivan assured.

“It helped us a lot too.” Isaac commented.

“Say, speaking of which, how did you two meet?” Hilda suddenly asked.

“How we met?” Ivan asked.

“So, you want to hear the next part of the story?” Isaac asked.

“Of course.” Hilda said.

“I’ve been telling them our journey that led us here.” Isaac explained to Ivan who nodded in understanding.

The three Jupiter Adepts joined the rest of the students as Ivan walked to Isaac’s side.

“Well, like I said last time, we were given the night to rest. The next morning, we would set out. The entire village was there to see us off and wish us well.” Isaac said. ‘Well, most of the village.’

Isaac’s mother was the only one that didn’t show up to see him and Garet off. She just gave Garet’s little brother Aaron the Catch Beads to give to Isaac. He still recalls their last dinner together before he set out. Not a word was spoken as Dora was using all her strength not to break down in tears. After his father’s “death” it had only been just the two of them. But just like that, he had chosen to embark on a dangerous journey that may very well end in his death. (and at some points, almost did) Isaac could understand why his mother didn’t come to see him off. To be honest, if he saw her, he probably would have lost some of his determination. When he would see her again when his group stopped by Vale for a visit, her worry and stress had made her ill and as much as she tried to assure him that she was okay, the reports Isaac heard from the inn keepers how they were delivering her meals to her on a regular basis since she wasn’t well enough to cook for herself tells her otherwise. His entire time in Fodlan, not one day passes where he worries for his mother. After telling his father about it, he assured Isaac that Dora is a fighter and she’ll be just fine. Despite the obvious worry Kyle had for his wife, Isaac knew Kyle was right. Still, until he saw her again, he would worry.

“It was actually right outside of Vale that Garet and I met Flint.” Isaac added with a chuckle.

“Yeah. Some people get all the luck.” Lysithea pouted. She had been looking all over the place for the chance to run into a Djinn. She wanted to study one and how exactly it affects her Psynergy and it seemed like asking Claude to barrow his was out of the question.

“The first step of the journey was…rocky to say the least. Psynergy stones rained all over Weyard and monsters were everywhere.” Isaac said.

“Must have been one heck of a first step, hey teach?” Claude asked.

“Well, Garet and I trained ourselves crazy since the boulder incident so, we were pretty prepared for it. But our first true challenge came when we arrived in a small town called Vault. It was there that we met Ivan.” Isaac said.

“When I was a baby, I was adopted by a merchant named Hammet and his wife Layana. Master Hammet searched far and wide for some kind of item he was told about when he got me. Eventually it led him to a key to that item called a Shaman’s Rod that he was very protective of.” Ivan explained. “Which was sadly stolen by bandits during a crisis.”

“Crisis?” Edelgard asked curiously.

“The Wise One was able to hold off the eruption of Mount Aleph until Garet and I were safe, but the Wise One couldn’t stop it from erupting entirely. The mountain still erupted and unleashed Psynergy all over Weyard.” Isaac explained.

“Regardless if it’s Psynergy or lava. Try to imagine what it would be like to be nearby an eruption, even if your home wasn’t in danger of being hit.” Ivan asked.

“That…would be terrifying.” Hilda admitted.

“Y-Yeah. It would.” Flayn muttered.

Dedue simply nodded.

“Right. Well, when Mount Aleph erupted, Vault was thrown into a state of panic. Which may a perfect moment for some thieves to swoop in and make off with loads of goods. Including the Shaman’s Rod.” Ivan said.

“To steal from a village in the middle of a crisis, I’d expect no better from scoundrels. Prey tell what did the village do catch these scoundrels?” Lorenz asked.

“The guards put a strict watch over the exit, checking all cargo of anyone who was leaving. As a result, the thieves stashed their ill-gotten goods in the attic of the town’s inn and camped out until they could find the opening to flee. My guess was that they were waiting for nightfall.” Isaac said.

“Because it was on my watch the Shaman’s Rod was stolen, I was tasked to stay behind and get the rod back while Master Hammet went on ahead back home. Thankfully I got help from the mayor since he felt bad for me, but also because our goals were aligned as we both speculated the Shaman’s rods was stolen by the same thieves that stole his family’s urn. It was then that I met Isaac and Garet.” Ivan explained.

“Upon our arrival in Vault, we started chatting with the townspeople hoping that someone saw where Felix’s party went off to, but the thing we heard the most was the recent thieving. Not only that, but there was talk about Ivan and his strange powers. Our curiosity got the best of us and we sought him out. After talking a bit, we agreed to help him look for the thieves.” Isaac explained.

“Something I was very thankful for. Despite my powers in Psynergy, I wasn’t the toughest in a fight. Even if I found the thieves, I feared I wouldn’t be able to do much by myself.” Ivan explained.

“Really? I’ve seen you in Psynergy training, and your powers are incredible.” Lysithea asked.

“My powers have grown since then, but at that time, they were not at the level they are today. Plus, just because you have Psynergy, doesn’t make you all powerful.” Ivan advised.

“Anyway, the three of us got together and begun to investigate. Thankfully we had primary suspects. Many of the villagers were suspicious of three men that had been staying at the Inn being the thieves.” Isaac said.

“What made these three men suspicious?” Edelgard asked.

“They arrived in town shortly before the eruption happened. Plus, Vault is a pretty small town after all so many of the villagers are familiar with each other.” Isaac explained.

“That’s not really enough to warrant someone being the thief. In fact, their arrival could have been seen by someone seeing a perfect opportunity to steal something when they saw they had the perfect scapegoat to take the fall.” Claude said.

“As much as it pains me to say this, I have to agree with Claude. Besides. What about you and your friend professor? You two were also outsiders. Weren’t there any suspisons on you?” Lysithea asked.

“Garet and I definitely got some glares from some of the townspeople.” Isaac admitted.

“As for evidence, apparently during the crisis, one of the inn keepers stated that the three were not in their rooms at the time of the eruption as well by extent when the theft took place. Their room was searched, but nothing was found as a result. After that, the innkeepers played defense for the three men. Though many suspected it was because they were paying big for their rooms.” Ivan stated.

“So, were they the thieves or not?” Dimitri asked.

“Oh yeah. They were.” Isaac and Ivan said in union.

“Turns out, they stashed the stuff they stole in the attic of the inn that was easy to get to since a rock hit the roof of the inn, leaving a large hole. There was plenty of space to stash the stuff they stole away from them to avoid suspicion, but close enough that they could grab it and flee when the time was right. But then we stumbled upon their little secret so they tried to silence us. It didn’t work. We beat them and the three were arrested.” Isaac explained.

“I found the Shaman’s Rod, the stolen goods were returned to their rightful owners, and the thieves were placed behind bars. But I had other issues to worry about. As it turns out, Master Hammet couldn’t return to Kalay since the bridge to the south was out so he instead went north to Lunpa. The worst place he could have gone.” Ivan said sadly.

“Lunpa?” Hubert asked.

“A town of thieves. Master Hammet was captured and held ransom for Kaley. I tried to sneak in to rescue him, but I was unsuccessful. So instead, I decided to travel with Isaac and Garet, hoping I could get strong enough to help.” Ivan said.

“Was it really wise to leave him like that?” Caspar asked.

“If they were using him for a ransom, then they wouldn’t kill him. He would be of more use alive than dead.” Linhardt pointed out.

“We would eventually break into Lunpa to rescue him, but that is a story for another day. It’s getting late right now.” Ivan said.

Many of the students wanted to hear more, but did relent that it was late and tomorrow was going to be a long day. So, they said their goodbyes and headed off.

“Oh, and don’t worry Hilda! I left you plenty of time to finish your assignment that’s due tomorrow!” Isaac called out with a laugh.

Isaac could hear Hilda groan and the other Golden Deer laugh. He had a feeling Hilda was looking for some excuse to get out of work, or at least get an extension.

But with the students gone, that only left Isaac and Ivan.

“Say Isaac, do you think the others are doing okay?” Ivan asked.

“I hope so. I mean, I know they can all take care of themselves but, I hope we see them again soon.” Isaac said.

“Me too.” Ivan said. Ivan didn’t really have a lot of friends growing up. So, Isaac, Garet, and Mia were very special to him. Felix, Jenna, Sheba, and Piers he didn’t know as well, but they were still considered friends as well. So, Ivan hoped they would all be okay.