The out burts of the kid who used to be so quiet and hardly gave any emotion, was an unexpected start. Jeralt had his words stuck in his throat as he was very persistent on have him leave, not allowing him to stay here as well. While it wasn't the goal to really come back to the monestary, he also didn't want to leave his child behind. Though he supposed he was old enough to make decisions by himself...

The light brown haired man stood in an unsure position, a hand rubbing the back of his neck, eyes casting away from his child. Face turned to the side as if trying to hide the unsure feelings the boiled into his body. While thoughts ran in his mind about what to do, another became the most prominent out of them all.

"Why do you not want me to stay here?" He asked, voice laced with uncertainty and need of clarity as to why he was so insistent. Why was he so eager to keep him out of here?

Byleth stared at him, teeth biting down on his bottom lip. Hues casted downward from his father. Should he be allowed to tell him? Will he even believe him? Turning his head a few degrees to the side, he caught a glips of Sothis staring at him, floating in the air. A frown upon her lips.

'It's probably best not to tell him that he will meet his end by the end of the year...'

The ghostly goddess said, giving no help to the struggling boy.

With thoughts clouding his mind, he kept thinking the best tactic to go at this problem that ensued. Without telling him he dies, without slipping up about the future. He brought his hand to his chin thinking, the iconic thinking stance.

But, it was cut short when Rhea and Seteth came in the area they were in, giving the Professor some panic as to what to say to his father and not letting Rhea let him stay.

"Hello, and welcome to the monestary." The soft spoken and kind voiced archbishop said, giving a slight bow to them. Her hues turned to Jeralt, her smile never leaving her lips.

"Jeralt, it's been to long."

"It has indeed, I'm sorry for not saying anything these past years." With a hand over his chest he gave an apologetic bow to her, though it really didn't seem sincere as Byleth noted through the times he's seen it.

"I have a proposal for you-" She started, but Byleth had moved forward standing a little bit closer to the green haired adults and further from his father.

"Please, I'd would like it if you didn't ask him to stay." The words slipped out on its own as he stared at them. Seteth looked about ready to beat him with the glare he gave for interrupting Rhea

"I will work at the monestary, but please allow my father to do as he please and not be bound to this place." The blue haired male gave a bow to the female, one hand in front of his stomach and the other behind his back. Silence ensued, causing much discomfort to Byleth.

--

Byleth followed behind Jeralt as they walked to the exit of the large place, he felt uneasy. His father didn't say a word to him, and-

The male stopped abruptly almost running into the other, staring slightly up at him, wanting to hide in a hole but resisting the urge to. "Father..?" He started out softly, almost failing him to speak them out.

"Are you sure you'll be okay kid? Being here around all these new things... without me?" Worry and concern hinted throughout his words, he was still on the fence, not wanting to leave him alone with this.

A gentle smile formed on Byleth's lips as he grabbed his father's hand squeezing it with reassurance. The smile and touch had caught Jeralt off guard, having never seen him show so much emotion. Staring at the kid for a moment but smiled back.

"I see, well I'll be on my way, if you need anything don't hesitate to reatched out."

The father's hand was placed on blue hair, ruffling it gently. Byleth gave a small laugh. "I will, now don't worry about me. Just don't die out there." He gave a look at him.

"Ah, you know me, I'm not one to go die so easily." He waved and started leaving.

With his hand falling back to his side he frowned at the words, before shaking his head and went off to go to Rhea just as the monestary gave off a ring.

--

The normal task was given, to talk to the three house leaders and their members. Blue Lions, their leader Dimitri. Black Eagles, their leader Edelgard. Golden Deer, their leader Claude.

Byleth was lost in thought as he walked around the few places he could go, the class rooms and the other large room. He could see the students all taking to eachother. They were all so happy and go lucky, well at least a majority of them. Then there is Felix the grouch, he might as well fill in for each house as that.

The Professor stood in the yard outside the classrooms. Claude was standing outside his classroom and Dimitri was on the others next to the trees.

Claude had his hands behind his head as he watched the male standing there lost in thought, what in the world was he doing? It didn't seem like he's talk to any of them yet. Welp, if the professor wasn't gunna come to him, he was gunna go over first. Well, at least that's his thought, but soon relized that Dimitri had the same idea.

"Heyyy your princeliness!" The yellow cape leader said, slinging his arm around the blue leader. "Guess great minds think alike huh? The Professor seems kinda weird, he's just standing there.."

Claude waved his hand infront the the very droned out male who hasn't given any indication that they were now standing in front of him. Claude rose an eyebrow at this, geezus, how in the world is he that out of it.

"Claude, please, don't be rude to the new Professor, it's probably a lot to take in, being a mercenary then suddenly turned into a teacher." The blonde said, looking to the tan leader, not seeming to do anything about the arm around him.

"Ah you say that, but he seemed to be very aware of the situation from earlier, with the bandits, we didn't even get to explain and there he went off to get rid of them." Claude has always been on to be acutely aware of people always watching them and knowing something is not right.

"Well, you do have a point there..." Dimitri stated, placing his fingers around his chin, thinking abouabout what had transpired. "He did seem to know what was going on, as well as when the leader had gotten back up before anyone relize he would..."

The two were caught up in talking to eachother about the teacher in front of them, they didn't realize he was staring at them. Byleth had a smile formed on his lip, small and subtle. Them talking to eachother made his non beating heart swell with happiness. Tears wanted to claw their way out, but he shook his head slightly, not allowing them too.

He can cry in happiness some other time. But now he had to think of what to do about the houses... He wanted to try to tell Rhea if he could teach all three of the houses, with the help of Hennaman and Manuela, but then there is the mock battles. This is hard to think of.

"Claude, Dimitri." Byleth suddenly spoke, surprising the two boys still thinking he was still lost in thought.

"Oh, welcome back to the land of the living Teach." Claude smirked, placing his hands behind his head, leaning back.

"Hello Professor, we noticed you were spacing out so we came to talk to you, but it seems like we ended up talking to eachother then to you.. My apologies." He frowned shaking his head at his lack of focus.

"Did you wanna get to know more of the Golden Deers?" Claude said.

"Or the Blue Lions?" Dimitri added.

"Or what about the Black Eagles?" A new voice came from behind, "You two seemed to been taken by the Professor."

"Ah, hello Edelgard." The clank of the armor gave a sound as he bowed slightly.

"Now we have the princess and the prince. Fun."

Edelgard came to stand near Claude as she faced the new teacher. Her head tilted slightly at his expression, he was surprised for a moment before the expression went back to neutral.

'I wanted to walk with you..'

Edelgards words clung to him as her face shifted to her older one that was covered in dirt, blood and bruises. But hopefully... he can change it, change the war, change this fight all together... Please, he doesn't want to choose anymore.

The four stood around, talking, about their houses, who was who, what they did, what they were good at. Byleth already knew all of this, but he let them talk, smiling gently, letting this new memory sink into his mind. This gave him hope that he can change their future. Hope that this senseless war doesn't have to turn out the way it did. A future where they can all walk together in making the world better.