All This Time

Running on Revenge

"Professor! It's so good to see you up and about again."

Lysithea was the first one to greet Byleth. Claude walked beside his professor, helping her to readjust to the bright monastery life.

"Yes, well..." Byleth's voice trailed off. She really wasn't sure on how to respond.

"I promise you that we'll tear the people apart that killed Captain Jeralt," Leonie approached her with the rest of the Deer. Byleth felt a twinge of regret; she hoped that Leonie had been grieving correctly.

"Yeah!" Raphael forced a smile on his face for his classmates sake. Byleth thought about how her father rarely smiled. Was he ever really happy? He wasn't too fond of her students, Claude in particular. Maybe his fatherly instinct was telling him just how much Byleth would end up caring for him.

Everything and everyone reminded her of her father, and it was too much.

"Okay, while we're all here," Byleth interrupted Lorenz mid-speech, but he only turned and looked at her respectfully. "Can we please...stop bringing my father up? Sorry, it's just hard to move on when everyone talks about him..."

"No problem, Teach," Claude told her, and everyone nodded. "Just know that we're all here for you."

Byleth wished she could smile at that, but her chest still felt hollow. Of course it did; she was missing her father. Nevertheless, she was grateful for her students.

"Thank you."

———

As soon as Byleth heard from Claude about the whereabouts of those who had killed her father, Byleth resolved to find and kill them.

"Professor, I must urge you to remain cautious and vigilant," Rhea had an urgent look on her face, worried that Byleth would do something dangerous. "This is almost certainly a trap. I cannot allow to go on such a mission."

"You can't stop me," Byleth shook her head, a determined and enraged look on her face. "The murderer of my father will not get away."

"They know you want revenge," Seteth tried to reason with Byleth, although he didn't get very far. "They likely exposed their location on purpose."

"She will die."

"I forbid you from going," Rhea argued. "To disobey would be going against the Church of Seiros."

"...well, then who is going to go after them?" Claude tried for look at the situation in a light that would paint going as a reasonable option. "Seteth and the knights can't leave the monastery, not while we're low on protection here. It just so happens that our best commander happens to be Teach. It's a tactical move for us to go."

"...Professor, does that sound like a reasonable course of action?" Rhea questioned, a pleading look in her eyes.

Byleth nodded, a determined look in her features.

"They will not get away."

"Please, be careful," Rhea urged. "Do not let revenge overtake you."

"We'll be there to watch over her," Claude reassured her. "Come on, Teach. Let's make our battle preparations."

———

"Stay safe, Teach. I can't blame you for being reckless, but try to remember our promise, okay?"

Byleth didn't respond. She didn't want to lie and promise something she knew she couldn't follow. They were on the way towards the Sealed Forest, and Claude had finally voiced his own concerns.

"...Teach..."

"I don't care if I go down," Byleth growled. "As long as Monica dies, I'll be happy."

You fool! Sothis exclaimed, and Byleth could picture her enraged expression. Your life matters! Just because I was asleep when you tried to end your life doesn't mean I'm going to stop nagging you now! You know the boy is right, so don't risk your life!

"You might be happy about that," Claude shook his head in disagreement, twirling an arrow in his fingers nervously. "But I already told you that I need you. More than just your sword, I need you. With me."

"...Once I kill her, I'll abide by our promise," Byleth told him. "But only after that. My father will be avenged."

He sighed.

"There's nothing I can do to change your mind, is there?"

"No."

She could see the dismayed look on his face, but Byleth wouldn't change her mind. As they approached the location, Claude only had a couple of warning words for her.

"Just...Please, be careful."