GARREG MACH — Officers Academy professor Byleth expressed frustration today at the continued restrictions on in-person instruction for their Wyvern Riding class.
“I completely understand the need to slow the spread of COVID-19 across the continent, but it’s extremely difficult to keep 20 teenagers engaged in taming giant dragons over Zoom,” Professor Byleth said from their makeshift home office in their first floor dormitory room. “Many of our students are falling behind, several levels below the school’s benchmarks. At this rate, we won’t have any Wyvern Lord promotions until the Horsebow Moon at the earliest.”
Church of Seiros Archbishop Rhea was sympathetic when asked about the instructor’s concerns.
“This is a difficult time for us all. Obviously we want our students back at the Monastery for live instruction as soon as possible,” the Archbishop said while she stood alone in the middle of a cathedral all day. “This is why we need a religious exemption permitting the Church to continue normal operations. It’s religious discrimination not to let us hold services to exalt The Goddess and help Fódlan’s children discover the joy of providing air support to ground based units using their increased mobility across difficult terrain like Wasteland or Pond.”
Professor Byleth remained skeptical after months of remote learning with no end in sight.
“These unprecedented times have really exposed the inequality in Fódlan. Many of our students don’t even have access to these large, temperamental beasts. We need to make sure our children are safe and make sure they’re getting the proper instruction in how to remorselessly kill each other on the battlefield.”
It remains to be seen just how much the Academy’s performance will be affected over time, though one student frantically speaking from behind their dormitory room door expressed hope that it would never end.