That's Business {A Fire Emblem fanfic}

Prologue- A Glimpse into the Past

How long ago was it? Surely it felt like forever.
Her name was Byleth Eisner. A third year at Garreg Mach academy, infamous for her cold exterior. Maybe she got it from her father, Professor Jeralt Eisner, who worked in the PE department. No matter how quiet she was, something about her drew people in like moths to a flame. Principal Rhea certainly took a keen liking to her, while other kids whispered rumours behind her back.

"Is she even human"
"I hear she doesn't have a heart beat."
"She doesn't even talk in class, how does she score so high on tests?"
"You think she's sleeping with vice principal Seteth?"

Each baseless rumour seemed more absurd than the last. But she wasn't the most gossiped about student in the school- far from it. That would be the 'big 3', aka the richest kids in the school. Though they were all first years, their names spread through the hallways like wildfire. Just mention one of them, and herds of people would swarm you practically begging for all the latest intel.

First there was Claude. He was always playing pranks on the teachers, his most infamous scandal being the time he dyed Professor Manuela's favourite white blazer neon pink. Or maybe it was the time he somehow got Hanneman's computer to squirt water every time he tried to type something up. It was a seemingly impossible feat, but his grandfather owned a tech company. Gadgets and gizmos always seemed to be his forte.

Then there was Edelgard. She was an overachiever of sorts, always competing to get the highest mark in every class. She was president of the debate club, known for having radical ideals that some would call absurd. That being said, men and women alike often flooded her DMs, just begging to go out with the heir to the Adrestian Group.

Then there was him. Dimitri. If the Adrestian Group was Xbox, then Faerghus Industries would be PlayStation. Always competing for the top spot on the market. Each group owned everything they could get their hands on. From gas stations, to car companies, and even space stations! Each company did everything in their power to come out on top, their future heirs doing the same.

Dimitri had hair that seemed far more golden than the sun, his pretty boy exterior blinding various students in the hallways. Whenever he was in PE, you could count on a crowd of girls swarming in the stands, cheering him on. They seemed to think of him as the perfect man, but Byleth knew otherwise. She'd only locked eyes with him once, but when those ocean orbs met hers, it felt like time froze. He wasn't all he made himself out to be. Those eyes didn't match the smile plastered upon his face, quite the opposite in fact. They were full of rage, ready to strike whatever obstacles the future held.

That was about 5 years ago. After graduation, the closest the young woman would ever get to the three musketeers would be just a glimpse of their faces on the newspapers. Each one of them fulfilling their destiny as the leader of their franchises, competing in a constant race for first place. That was supposed to be it. No more highschool bullshit. Just a quiet life never having to see any of them ever again. Of course, life had a way of ruining those plans, didn't it? She'd blown the last of the money she'd made before taking a break to mourn her father's passing, and it was time to find new employment. How could she have ever known that a single interview could change her life forever.

Gazing up at the skyscraper in front of her, By clenched her fist- not too hard as to damage her resume of course.

"Faerghus Industries, here I come."

—NOTE: While the prologue is in third person, the rest of the series will take place from Byleth's perspective. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I do!—