This was so cuuute. I love it. A bit dragged out on the fights, but the romance compensates it

It’s just so damn cute. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these types of stories honestly. This was easily one of the better stories I’ve read on here, and you executed it flawlessly. 9.8/10 because there isn’t more to this story

A minor inconsistency here is that Hanneman does have a Crest, a minor Crest of Indech like Bernadetta, so him trying to use a Crest stone to transform would've been impossible regardless, unless the "method" you had him try to use it was due to creative liberty, in which case, I rescind my comment.

Every time you update the story I’m loving it more and more my friend. This chapter certainly fits and you delivered it on a silver platter. Kudos

You know what's kinda funny? Lysithea is so fixated on her own mortality, so convinced that her days are pretty much numbered and resigned to the thought that she'll die soon that I don't think I've ever seen her wonder, what if she was put in a reverse situation? What if she was the one who had someone close to her about to meet their end?

That would certainly be interesting. Like, what if say, Byleth were to suffer a mortal attack/wound in the final moments, and now he was the one on death's doorstep? How would she react to that?

Does Byleth realize that he's being kinda selfish and naive here? I mean, he pretty much said that he'd rather the Alliance surrenders it's freedom to the Empire solely so that no one gets killed. It just goes back to what Sothis told him before the ball, he needs to think of what the others want as well. Why didn't he think that maybe his students do want to fight? That maybe they're not okay with getting their land (which has always prided itself on being a "free" neutral country) absorbed by a government that started a war?

Not to mention he does this being so (naively) convinced that it'd just be a matter of putting Edelgard's rule instead of what they currently have, but how does he know that Edelgard's rule is any better? She's the one who started this whole mess and is using demonic beasts to her advantage. Hell, why does he even care so much about her when she wasn't even his student? He may know Claude's a bit of a trickster, but he should realize that there's a reason why Claude and all his other students are opposing her.

This chapter broke my heart man. I’m afraid to read the next chapter tomorrow lol

Interesting story, can't wait for the next chapter.

That’s another good one, though my only complain is the minor depiction of Hanneman being threatening in any way, I get that he is quite obsess with Crests but for all the right reasons. It sure if this was intentional but Lysithea made it sound more bad than it actually is.

Damn, Byleth is brutal. Totally understandable given his lack of emotions and the fact that the whole point of the first mission is to kill the bandits infesting Zanado, Sothis herself wished for their removal and preparing the students like that makes sense. Their terror of his methods are justified but better emphasizes their ignorance and inexperience. Really wish this one wasn’t so short, though.

Wow, this was one of the best representations of the Mock Battle I’ve seen this far. Not sure how I feel about Edelgard being able to hold her so well against Byleth this early in the Academy Phase but it was fun all the same. I confess that I too once thought of the Golden Deer was weak “characters” at first glance but after a while they became my second favorite cast in Three Houses, Blue Lions number 1, so I can relate to Byleth in his poor judgement.