Allow me to demonstrate

Not that he’d ever made it, though the concept wasn’t alien to him. Time did most of the work during baking, but here it was nothing but pure human effort.

“It’s rice,” he explained as Byleth swung down, reaching in to adjust the lump of clay-like paste before the mallet came down again. “Or, I suppose, it was. And this is just another middle stage before the final product. I don’t know what that’s meant to look like, but…”

Another swing, another swipe. He couldn’t help but huff a little chuckle - Byleth hadn’t been kidding when they said they were strong; the indentations in the paste didn’t regain their shape until he pushed it.

"Rice!" Byleth says in surprise. "But that doesn't look like grains. And even if cooked wouldn't crushing it just turn the rice to a wet mush?"

Grabbing the hammer, they ashen demon raises it above their head before bringing it down with a satisfying THUD. It reminded them of the work they'd undertaken at the blacksmith, learning to repair weapons.

"It's a bit like hammering on the anvil right?" That too was to soften and shape the metal. They wondered if the paste would likewise be heated between beatings. Then Raven mentioned something about fillings, coatings and presentations.

"A whole day out of doing this!" Byleth says in surprise. "Will it take that long, how will we know when it's done?"

The downside is that none of that seems to be a concern to the mercenary professor, who simply goes ahead with it before Mitama can react. Soon enough, she has not only a broken arm to deal with, but a whole unconscious patient as well. Mitama sighs heavily and takes a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose.

Ugh. And what's worse is her role here is as a teacher. That means this is her behavior to correct. "Ideally we do not want our patients passing out." More problems than necessary, but what is done is done. No sense crying over a fallen patient. She sighs again as her hands move for her staff and she steps up. Now that everything is ready it is no trouble at all to cast the actual healing spell. It comes as natural to her as breathing, a soft glow concentrated by the staff that briefly covers the patient's arm before fading.

Keeping their hands on the arm to hold it steady, they shifted their weight to use their knee to prop the man up against the chair back. Mitama's sigh clued the professor into the healer's disappointment. "Sorry" they muttered "I should have waited for your instruction"

In future they would have to remember that most mortals didn't possess their uncanny ability to block out pain.

The momentum of the spin nearly did it in, but it was hardier than he might have expected, and hacked and spluttered even as it continued to bear down on him. Another stoke of his blade, less precise but with no less power to it, cleaved a chunk of its skull away and left it tumbling backward to stumble into the brush. Raven suspected it was going to find a quiet place to die, but couldn't afford it the privacy it longed for - they were hired for a job, and they needed to complete it. 

At the very least, he could give it the dignity of ending its pain before death. 

His footsteps cleared through the brush, no longer as concerned with being quiet as they were before, since they had their quarry in sight, and he simply followed the trail of blood on the dense jungle green to where it lay panting and whimpering. 

"Sorry about this." It was flat, but soft, and the strike was sure and true. 

Out of the corner of their eye they saw Raven putting up a strong fight. Indeed he dealt a damaging blow and the creature ran off into the brush. Spurred on this, Byleth tightened the grip on the hilt of their sword and faced down their own beast.

"You wont get the better of me. And I'm sorry for what's about to occur"

Leaping forward they took the initiative and attacked first. Stabbing at the creature's hind as they turned to attack Byleth again, the blade cut open the flesh, blood beginning to soak into the fur. A howl of pain sounded before dying down to a whimper. The violence previously shown was gone in an instant and it lowered it's head looking up at the professor.

"I'm fine" they called out in response to hearing Raven's voice. "What about the one you were fighting? This one is hurt but could recover"

Taking in the expression and limp, Byleth felt a wave of sympathy. Was it really right to end it's life when they had come in a disturbed it's home.

Almost. Mitama frowns at the call of her name and glances back over her shoulder. The new one, with someone clearly suffering from a break. She lets out a sigh before quickly tying off the bandage she had been wrapping and ordering the patient not to move too much before heading over.

She should not be surprised that they find themselves out of their depth when presented with something like this, but being called away mid-task is still an unpleasant experience. When she arrives, she takes a quiet moment to examine what she has to deal with before sighing again.

"I think he's going into shock" they said by way of greeting to the more experienced healer. There was a bit of guilt at calling her away from her other patient but it was clear this guy needed treatment urgently. Keeping quiet while Mitama examined the injury, Byleth looked around for a blanket or something. They recalled from the basic first aid classes they took at the monastery that for some reason a blanket was good for shock.

They listened carefully to the explanation of what was needed, remembering watching a field medic do that before. It was a painful thing to do and required a strong grip to manoeuvre the bone back into place. Quickly they grabbed a blanket off a nearby chair and draped it over the man's shoulders. He barely registered it but his hand came up to loosely grip its edge.

“I would say it will be appreciated, but I have seen those children’s posture. It’ll be a miracle if their spines ever come near the backing, much less into contact.” Honestly it’s a problem, really, but that is neither here nor there. Poor postures aside, she cannot say it’s a bad idea — far from it! Sothis, for one, does love herself a good chair back to lean upon as she sleeps… though that is perhaps rather counterproductive to the purpose of chairs in a classroom.

Yet still! To be a chair comfortable enough for which students to nap despite their scholarly lives hanging in the balance would be the highest honor one could bestow upon a craftsman, and so she will achieve as such! Even as one chair turns to two, then those two to another ten, her determination never wavers! Even if some of the latter chairs… may or may not have ended up with less legs than the first few iterations once she noticed how deep a dent her attempt of adding armrests had made in her far-more-limited-than-she-realized supply. Nor do they all have exactly consistent backing placement for similar reasons…

…It is fine! It shall simply encourage the students to come to class sooner so that they may get the best seats! As was her plan from the start, of course. 

“And… there! I must say, this ‘glue’ is an invention most useful! Why ever do people not simply use this for everything?” With the final pieces in place, Sothis steps back with a hum to give the final creation space to dry, gazing creations in well-deserved pride. Which is admittedly very boring, so naturally, she has to take to bothering supervising Byleth’s progress by poking her head over their shoulder.

As Sothis set about creating chairs, the professor went over to the pile of lumber to find suitable pieces to make more desks. Now they'd created one, making more was a doddle. Soon they had made enough to match the chairs crafted by the goddess. Some of them had mismatched legs but the professor had tried to ensure that the two diagonals were the same length. Beside, a wobble here or there didn't prevent people writing and arguably more similar to field conditions than a safe, warm classroom.

Finishing the final item, Byleth turned to see Sothis watching them. "I'm almost done, no need to start tapping your feet" they joked, referencing things they'd seen others do to make the point that someone is being slow. Casting their eye over the array of chairs, they noticed a few... variations on what a chair was but they all stood up.

She had plans to give Some To Someone! Yes, Thats how she started this plan. But as she grew closer to the stall she seemed hesitant, pacing around for a while trying to grab any courage she could.

In the end she finally made her way over there, forged courage pushed through the line.

"Yes, there so many things I'd never done before coming to the monastery" Byleth admitted "But there have been plenty of opportunities to learn"

Despite their years of experience with combat and mercenary jobs, the professor had received a plethora of instruction in some of the gentler arts. The kind one would learn from their mother...

"I was thinking of making some for my father. I've always bought them in the past, usually a last minute rush to the nearest town store. But as we have a permanent residence at the moment, I'd like to put a bit more effort in"

As they'd been talking, Byleth had headed towards the door of the shop advertising the workshop. A smiling woman came out to greet them wearing a white apron.

It did not keep her from keeping a tight hold around the professor's waist with every dip and turn, though, fingers digging into her own forearm as though that might give her the reassurance that nothing could go wrong. 

Until, of course, things went wrong. 

She had seen the terrible composure of Erinys, of the other Heavenly Knights of Silesse as they had been shot at by enemy arrows, and Lachesis attempted to emulate that calm even as the surface of the open ocean came up to greet them. 

The waters had been still that day, so there was no strong current or storm to toss them about in the waves, nothing to keep them underwater for too long except for the shock. Lachesis swirled around beneath the water before she kicked, furiously, against the water and found that the impact had given her a deeply rooted and terribly ache at all corners, biting the edge of her anger off wholecloth. 

"Byleth!!" she called, whipping her head around, forcing the weight of her hair from her face as she sought out her companion, but more importantly, shore, a ship, that beautiful mount they had been on. 

'just lean back and relax'

Physics kicked in and soon the professor was the correct way up and felt their head reappear above the surf. Looking round to see where they were, nothing stood out against the swell. Immediate crisis over, Byleth recalled that they hadn't been alone on Midnight. Where was Lachesis?!?

'Lachesis" they called out, praying to Sothis that the fair lady would hear them. Looking up, they could see Midnight circling ahead, a soft neigh drifting down. "Can you see Lachesis girl" Byleth shouted at their pegasus. "We need to find her quickly"

There was no need to fear for looking back, Byleth saw Raven and his mount loop through the air and dive bomb the thief. It was graceful to watch and it took a moment and snort from their own companion to shake the professor into action. "Ok Midnight. Let's go"

Midnight folded her wings in, taking the pair into a tight corkscrew. In a whirlwind of feathers they approached the ladder's location. Byleth reached out an arm and easily grabbed the steps. Not stopping even with the new awkward load, Midnight pulled out of the dive and began beating her wings to return them to a safe height.

Mission accomplished, Byleth was soon joined by Raven. His mount snorted in greeting. "Oh" they said surprised then looked downwards. "Well done girl, that was very impressive flying. We couldn't have done this without you" Praise given, they looked back to Raven, the unspoken question of whether that was sufficient hanging in the air.

He wasn't sure how many more needed to be taken care of, after the gang that he had just taken out, and the thief he had recovered his ladder from, but if there was a persistent problem then he agreed that it would need to be taken care of. Reaching over, he took the second ladder from Byleth's grip, and hooked it to his saddle alongside the other one, nodding at them. 

"We can take the extra weight," he explained, then rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. "If you want to flush out whoever's hiding, whatever's left - " a disdainful snort; "We'll follow your lead." 

The night had stretched on long enough, and the gentle pinks and yellows were starting to appear on the horizon heralding the dawn. Raven knew if they stopped moving forward, the time would start to take its toll – but then, it would affect those thieves, as well. 

Whatever was left of them. 

The intention was for them to take out the ladder thieves from the air rather than landing and hunting them down. It was one thing to dodge projectiles and another to get in close enough to return fire.

"I don't doubt your flying skills" Byleth assured him "I just wished to confirm that you'd be comfortable with the idea of flying and fighting at the same time"

The proposed plan worked for them so they nodded in agreement and spurred Midnight into a sharp dive towards the tree line. The reasoning being that it was a good hiding place while giving a good view of the people trapped on the walls. It's where the professor would hide out if they were in charge of the thieve's plan.

No sooner they'd pierced the trees were the first of the arrows shot towards them. It was child's play for the pair to outmanoeuvre the volley. Narrowing their eyes, Byleth spotted where the shots had come from and aimed towards the foliage sword flashing. Panicked figures burst out and begun making their way towards the open field where Raven was waiting.

They might’ve committed a crime. But going out of your way to not hurt anyone suggested that they weren’t cruel brigands. At that point they deserved to be heard out at the very least. Plus there was also the matter of the reports they received seeming incredibly biased. That was always suspicious.

They hear the tavern before they see it, loud singing drifting up the street from the open windows. "I think we may have found the place" the professor comments wryly. They push open the door to witness the chaos inside. Most tables were already taken despite the early hour. An upright piano stood in a corner, the keys being hammered by the pianist accompanied by a crowd of drinkers.

It was the perfect place to hide in plain sight.

Who knows. Certainly not Mitama, because their newest recruit walks away before she has the chance to even respond to their introduction. She watches them walk away and begin to tend to another nearby patient without any instruction.

Learning on the job is said to be the best education.

But Byleth would definably be filing a report to the church on the need for a healer recruitment drive. Mitama was handling herself well, dishing out clear instructions to both clerics and patients alike. Byleth paused to watch her to gain some tips.

"You there, stop prodding at your injury. It'll just bleed more" they call out sharply seeing a sailor poking a weeping cut on their arm. Marking the sailor as lower priority, they spin around at a loud moan from behind. It was someone with a clearly broken arm. The lower limb hung limp with the bone practically poking out the upper bicep.

The creatures barely reacted to the first couple of bangs but by the third a couple had raised their heads. Light chirps escaped them to alert the others as they swivelled to locate the direction of the disturbance.

Once they’d honed in on the direction a couple set off to investigate. ‘Perfect’ Byleth thought. There was a brief moment of panic where it looked like more would follow but the decreased noise level as the sound moved further away was enough to dissuade a large party investigating.

He comforted himself by counting the steps he took, by listening to the crack of branches and estimating the distance behind him as the creatures closed the distance but not quite enough to get within reach. It occurred to him that they might think they were toying with him, and he responded to the thought with another aggressive smack of his scabbard against the tree, and listened to the ensuing chitter. 

Just one, though. It took all his control not to whirl around to seek out the other one - there had been two sets of footsteps behind him, where had - ? 

The shift of light in the lacework of dappled canopy to his left told him enough, and with just enough time – he spun, unsheathed his sword the few inches he needed to catch the claws that descended upon him from his offhand, grunting with the effort to throw the beast off and take a cleaner swipe at its haunches. 

Another rattle of a scabbard striking wood sounded out. The beasts looked up and Byleth saw both heads turn in the direction the noise had come from. The plan was working great.

However, before getting too cocky, one of the beasts peeled off, circling round to where Byleth reckoned Raven was. Concerned, the professor kept following the remaining creature figuring that they were moving in a pincer formation.

Preparing, they unsheathed their sword and crept up to within touching distance of fur. It was just as well that they did, for no sooner were they in position than the beast lurched forwards. Reacting solely on instict, Byleth lunged after them with their sword. It grazed the creature's shoulder but attracted its attention.

A snarling mouth whipped around, teeth flashing towards their face. They struck with the hilt of their sword to bash the jaw away, and quickly had to pivot to block the claws with their blade. Looking for an opening, Byleth spotted Raven engaged with the other creature.

It made complete sense to the former mercenary that living in a dog eats dog world such as the Pearly Shore then one would see robbing as a factor of life. However, they wondered how Rhys would react being a gentler soul from what they could tell. His expression and cry of shock was unsurprising. Byleth is momentarily distracted by the lady trying to escape their grip but it's futile.

"Stealing may be a way of life for you but that doesn't make it right" Byleth says "In some places they'd cut your hand off for stealing to prevent it happening again"

A look of fear briefly flits over the lady's face before she tries to appear nonchalant. "You wouldn't do that. You have no right" She responds calling the Professor's bluff.

"True" Byleth admits "But I could still break your arm. Simple accident due to you trying to escape just now" They tighten the grip slightly to prove the threat is possible. Despite playing the tough guy, Byleth wouldn't really hurt the lady. 1. it wouldn't look good for the church, 2. Byleth has been in the thieves position in the past.

"You can't!"

The woman's gaze latches onto Rhys's with a glimmer of hope, but just as it does he wonders if he's read the situation wrong. It's true he doesn't know this person, but something about the shift in conversation makes Rhys pause. Why ask for the stolen goods if they didn't have good intentions? And they'd been the one wanting to stop these crimes in the first place.

"Ah...that is...let me get my staff first!" Rhys pulls out his staff and holds it at the ready.

He has to believe this person has good intentions. Even if he doesn't approve of this method of getting the stolen goods back, surely they weren't really going to hurt this person.

"If you get hurt, I'll heal you, alright?" He speaks to the woman very seriously, but she only looks at him aghast.

"You're crazy! They're gonna break my arm!"

"I'm sure they won't if you just hand over what you stole." He's pretty sure they don't mean any harm anyway but...

"Alright! Alright!" The woman seems to break under the pressure. "Let me go, I'll lead you to my stash."

Thankfully, it didn’t come to that and the woman agreed to show them the stash before violence ensued. Byleth loosened their grip on the arm but didn’t let go.

“No funny business ok” they said seriously “lead on then”

Ignoring the dirty look thrown at them by the thief, the odd trio made their way through the streets to a small hole-in-the-wall kind of tavern.

“Our den is upstairs” the lady said “there’s a few of us who operate out of here. Safety in numbers and all that. Given everyone’s a part time thief in this town”

The professor wilted slightly as they continued to build the furniture. It wasn’t long till it was complete. Though a bit lopsided, the wooded object did resemble a desk.

…She supposes she can make use of that unending kindness in her heart to let them off the hook this time. Just this once. As she says every time.

“Humble, aren’t you?” The girl chuckles to herself, floating over the remaining scattering of odds and ends, whose organization system remains long forgotten. Though, with parts so similar, what does organization really matter? Close enough is good enough. Surely, the end result won’t mind a bit of accidental swapping between sets.

“Expertise is far more than knowing all that there is to know on a subject. It is the sum of many parts,“ The pile of wooden parts shakes and slides as she digs through its contents, lifting each part for inspection one by one in search of the fabled ‘close enough’ parts. “And it is what you do with those parts that is what makes the expert.”

Almost as if timed, just as her mini-speech concludes, the perfect stack of pieces reveals themselves. Sothis beams, letting out a victorious ‘aha!’ before lifting them into her arms. Though rather than laying them out for construction as she had done before, she pivots this time, transferring them to the arms of arms of the professor instead.

“Here’s your sum of parts O chair expert” they tease lightly stacking lumps of wood before the goddess. “I grabbed a couple of extra pieces to give our mini tables some backs. Don’t want people falling off”

The professor wandered back over to the wood, trusting Sothis to start on the chairs. Fun as it could be, the banter back and forth between the two of them, one desk wasn’t going to get them very far refurnishing the classroom. Most classes they taught had more than one pupil.

As if overnight, posters have popped up all over Garreg Mach. They're brightly colored, splashed with pink and red hearts, and often depict sketches of pairs of people engaged in friendly gestures. BUY YOUR CHOCOLATE TODAY AT STEFANELLI'S, the tagline reads, alongside a promotion for a new seminar held by the recently-opened chocolatier. Why buy any pre-made chocolate when you can make your own and give your friend or loved one a personal, one-of-a-kind, and, most importantly, delicious gift? There's a catch though, at least according to Stefanelli: anyone who receives a chocolate this month has to come to the seminar next month to make a chocolate gift in return. [Grants Gauntlet +1]

They looked at the poster intrigued by the image and words crudely painted on it. It depicted a series of wrapped confections and one unwrapped reveals the contents to be chocolate. The professor recalled that it was that time of year again. They’d bought small chocolates to gift before but the poster was promising to help one to make their own.

That would be an enterprising way to gift more chocolates without having to spend their limited funds. (Teachers needed higher salaries)

Byleth took note of the location of the workshop and made their way there. Outside the shop they spotted a few other participants. Sidling up to the nearest, a young lady, Byleth greeted her.

With the sound of her name to her rightmost side, Edelgard shifts focus on the knight pushing its magic against physical force towards Hortensia. She's seen that type of magic before; faith, light filled with dark. She rushes into closer proximity as sweat draws on her brow. "Indeed I did. I'll take care of it."

With a running start, she jabs the axe into his side with enough force to knock him into a nearby wall. When she walks over, she stands above his sunken posture. He groans in pain, then looks up towards her with only what she can suspect to be a tired smile.

"My blade doesn't want you," she states. "If your sights are on the castle, why must you lead the entire city down a trial of unrest?" She points the axe at his head. "Who do you fight for?"

Yellow-green eyes look up towards her in the same strong way her retainer meets her own. Perhaps it is foolish, she's come to realize. These people are so blinded in their plights they never answer her reasonably. She hopes to never walk that path.

She hopes, then, hers won't end like his.

Byleth cringed as another bow user came forth alongside another devout rider. It was as through the battleground had been reset. Clearly not pleased with the professor's attacks on his forces so far, the rebel leader pointed his hand towards them. A great fire ball shot forwards to where they were all standing. The heat was immense and the tips f their teal hair became singed.

Magical flames are nothing new to a girl encased in its fury many moons ago. Regrouping with her professors, she uses her axe to cast away debris flying from the air and pounds it into the ground. Her eyes squint, then reopen, noting the way the armed individuals are never alone. They walk in duos or trios with scowls plastered on their faces. She can't understand what they're saying. Surely it is gossip, kicking the ground and leaving deep footprints with every step they take.

"Hang in there Lincie" They called "I know you said protecting the town was most important but this can be an exception"

After checking that Edelgard and Hortensia were tending to the Queen, Byleth went in search for the aforementioned archer. They spotted him at the base of the fortifications. Bingo.

The ashen demon roared pummelling him with their cloth bound fists. They may have overdone it with the violence and it took a sharp rebuke from Sothis to stop them. Breathing heavily Byleth wiped their fist across their face then looked up, narrowing their eyes at the raiders above.

"your next"

Returning to the safety of the town, Byleth went to check on their friends. "How are you doing Ellie?" they enquired. "There's one fewer archer for you to be concerned with" It was strange though for Hortensia was looking put out. They recalled the knightly figure cast some spell on her.

An older woman tugs Edelgard by the arm, offering her a smile as she signals for her to follow. "Oh, my. You look like quite the fighter. A strong, young woman," she says warmly. "My husband can help you become even stronger. Please, follow me."

"Help? I don't need—"

She is pulled along towards a small hut adorned with shields and weapons. Over her shoulder, the house leader signals a nod to her peers. It's difficult to tell whether the intent is genuine or to simply obtain monetary goods. The answer will become clear soon enough. The tall smith has his back turned to her, hunched over in front of a broken shield. "What do you want.. Oh!"

The moment he turns around, his eyes sparkle with intrigue: "I've never seen an axe like that before..!" He leans forward to inspect Aymr, hovering his index finger over its self-moving spikes before jetting his hand backwards out of sheer surprise. "I'd be surprised if you did," she states plainly. She'd yet still rather not use it on foreign soil, but she would prefer to keep it in her sight nonetheless. It is an unfortunate truth.

"Oh, I'd just love to get a closer look! You don't mind, do you?"

"I do mind. You're wasting my time. While I'm here, I wanted to ask if you knew anything about what's happening outside."

He smirks; a smile to withhold information. "Heh! Well.. Even if I did, it'll cost ya. Sorry!" Her head shakes; a scoff, turning on her heel.

At the very least she is with people she has come to trust on the journey, but still she worries for the civilians.   

So long as they stay together and keep an eye out, she tells herself, everything should be just –

“Lady Edelgard, hold on a sec! Let me come with!”

She waves at Byleth to let them know she plans to be right back, and hurries after Edlegard. While she has no doubt the other princess can handle this kind of thing, Hortensia had always held a high opinion of merchants and their flow of information, and as they said two heads were better than one!

over its self-

“We’ll pay,” Hortensia cuts in, though she had secretly been hoping to hear more about that axe herself. Then again, if it were one of those family relics or whatever Fodlan people got weird about it was probably best to keep out of it.

“Do my tome too. It already is imbued with an ability enhancement so it should be easy peasy for someone like you to add a bit more to it, yeah?

The man grumbled at that but a glance at his wife and a longer one at the bag of coins Hortensia was shaking out had him finally get to work.

“You have such a nice business here,” Hortensia coos, and finding a small buckler shield brings it over to the wife. “I’ll take this too. The craft is just lovely! And if I heard correctly we might be needing it if we go further into the city.”

Seeing Hortensia bring out her coin purse again the woman beams and says, “shall I wrap it for you then? And I wouldn't worry about that. Stay here in the market away from the castle and you’ll all be just fine.”

Ignoring the force as there wasn't much which could be done to some leather wraps. It made more sense for the professor to just punch something. "I'll start on those small fry down there" they said "You focus on the ones up there"

Byleth pointed up to the enemy fortifications which were clearly going to be difficult to attack from the ground. For the battle they put their trust in the orders of Queen Elincia but having Edelgard and Hortensia by their side again was more than welcome.

Byleth had nodded as those two had headed off to the forge. With a small wave to Lincie, Byleth took off running. Once they reached the sword wielder at the base of the wall, they wasted no time in punching him in the face. It was satisfying to jump straight into combat. Two swift hits and they were left sprawled on the ground at the professor's feet.