The Ashen Wolves had made good time on their journey to the Leicester Alliance. They decided to keep hidden and travel only at night. Then when dawn broke they'd headed off the dirt road and find either an Inn to spend the day in, or an isolated area in the wild to make camp. So far they have managed to keep a low profile as they journey towards safer lands. Where it hopefully would be easier to travel around and get to work on his war against those behind the atrocities during his tenure as a professor.
Byleth lay in bed wide awake as the orange glow of the sun shining through the Inn's bedroom was setting outside. In times like this his mind wandered back to more peaceful times. Times when he felt like he was starting to truly belong. Times when he would spar with Catherine, Felix and Caspar. Where he would help out students that had questions for him out of class. Where he would sit down to have a peaceful dinner and then suddenly be surrounded by students wanting to eat with him. When he first started as a professor he hated all the attention he was getting. He was used to being alone and getting jobs done. All these students around his age talking to him and trying to get to know him got annoying very quickly for him. But now he missed those times more than anything. One memory, in particular, came to mind.
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Byleth had just gotten a plate of dinner from the dining hall and made his way to find an empty seat. And by empty, he meant an empty table far from the other students. He had been a professor for a week now and the headache he got from trying to teach these students was driving him insane. For an academy to train the next brightest officer, quite a lot of them seemed to be absolutely inept at learning the basics. One of them seemed far more focused on his position as a noble and how he looked than whether he was actually competent in the task at hand. Another would spend most of their time sleeping in his class to then leave and nap somewhere else. Hell one needed to be dragged out of their dorm room to get to class. He was a cold-blooded mercenary. Not a teacher. So why the hell did the Archbishop put all her faith in him to teach a class? More importantly, why hadn't his father ever mentioned the Church of Seiros and his history with them? Also, how had he managed to hide that from him as the Church apparently had influence throughout the entirety of Fódlan?
Then again, did he even bother to learn of topics like that? All Byleth could remember when he was little was his father teaching him how to wield a sword. He never stopped to actually learn of the world of his own volition, only of what the next mission was. Now here he was, sitting in a dining hall of students from all three nations that built up the country. The libraries here also had knowledge of the history of the church, Empire, Kingdom and Alliance. The knowledge that if he bothered to learn could be beneficial in his future as a mercenary. With that thought, Byleth decided that after he ate his dinner he would head to the library and look up the history of Fódlan.
"Hey, professor! Mind if I join you?" Byleth turned to his right to see a behemoth of a young man standing before him. His torso was on the brink of bursting out of his shirt. He had a big wide smile on his squared face and a dinner plate overflowing with meat, meat, and even more meat.
"...Uuh," Byleth wanted to decline, rather eat alone, but was too distracted by the amount of food on his tray.
"Thanks!" the large man sat down next to him with a thud and started stuffing his face with meat. "Nothing beats eating meat after training at the gym right professor?"
"Uh... Raphael was it?" Byleth tried to remember the names of students that always called out their hello's to him as he walked the monastery. Some were harder than others, then some stood out like sore thumbs like this one. Who could miss this walking girth of muscle?
"That's me! You remembered professor!" He turned and smiled at Byleth, who could see some meat stuck in between his teeth. "Hey, it's that all you're eating? How are you going to fill your stomach with just that? You want me to get you more food?"
"No, that won't be necessary," Byleth held up a hand.
"Professor mind if we join you?" He heard another voice on the other side of the table. He turned to see two more students with a normal amount of food on their plates. A girl with short ginger hair and an orange jumper tied around her waist, and a tall young man with quite possibly the WORST haircut he had ever seen in his entire life. He recognised the girl as Leonie, the fan girl of his father and the most annoying girl he had ever met. Everything about her was either training, gushing over Jeralt, or competing against anyone, including him. The other he knew as Lorenz, one of those that stuck out like a sore thumb because... just... that haircut.
"Sure Leonie, Lorenz, back from training too?" Raphael asked as the two sat down opposite Byleth. He didn't get the chance to answer before Raphael wrongfully spoke for him.
"No, I was showing Lorenz the art of oiling a blade," Leonie answered with a grin.
"It was demeaning labour unbecoming of a man of my status. There's oil still under my fingernails, oh it'll take me an hour to get it out," Lorenz lamented as he stared at his nails.
"If you want to show respect to weapons of the finest class as you say, then you need to get your hands dirty tending to them," Leonie explained.
"Look! It's on my finger, I rub and rub and it's still not coming off!" Lorenz showed his finger to all at the table.
"Huh, I can't see it," Raphael leant forward to look as he licked his fingers clean from the meat he just ate.
"Watch where you're dropping your crumbs! How can you eat so sloppily in public?" Lorenz complained further. Byleth stared at this whole scene, the headache making its return. He hadn't had the chance to eat his own food yet due to this loud distraction sitting around him. All he wanted was some peace and quiet while he ate, and the last thing he wanted was more students coming to bother him.
"Hey Teach!"
Goddess damn it.
Claude side down the bench to Byleth's left with that scheming smirk. "I see you are getting acquainted with the Golden Deer House. Dare I ask, is the Black Eagle's too uptight for someone like you?" Byleth felt his eyebrow twitch from irritation.
"I know that he's supposed to be the Professor to the Black Eagles, but that shouldn't mean he can't be friendly with the other houses right?" Raphael asked.
"Saying that though, if people really wanted to they could ask to join his class," Leonie added.
"Are you so quick to abandon our esteemed house? Well, Claude if that isn't enough evidence of your lacking leadership then I don't know what is," Lorenz turned with a frown to the Golden Deer head student.
"Come on Lorenz. I didn't say I was leaving our house," Leonie frowned as she took a bite from the piece of meat at the end of her fork.
"Eh, I wouldn't be opposed to it," Claude nonchalantly answered as she stretched back.
"Excuse me?" Lorenz stared back aghast at Claude's proclamation.
"I mean we're here to learn from the academy right? It wouldn't make sense if we were just learning from one person. To get the most out of our time here I think it would be good to reach out to other teachers for guidance too. That way you could learn different approaches to situations from different perspectives. Someone specialising as a cavalry knight may have a different idea or training and lessons than say a medical officer and former songstress," Claude crossed his arms behind his head as he spoke to his house members. "Do you agree Teach?"
Byleth knew the kind of person Claude was. He could see it in his eyes and in the way he smiled. His outgoing laid back persona was a front. He could tell that the heir to the Dukedom of the Leicester Alliance had a calculative mind behind that facade. Which made him a dangerous man to fight against on the battlefield. As much as his outward attitude annoyed him, he could respect him. "Learning from many can lead you to find your own knowledge in the gaps of others."
"Ooh did Jeralt teach you that?" Leonie smiled as she leaned forward.
"No. I learnt it in the gaps of others," Byleth sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Hmm, I had not thought about it that way. You are indeed a wise man Professor, despite your background I can see why you were appointed as a teacher here," the heir of Gloucester smiled and bowed his head to Byleth.
"That's not all, he's super strong and fast too. I saw him sparring with that Brigid girl the other day, I can't remember her name. The two were so fast as they swung their blades. I even thought I saw sparks coming from their training swords!" Raphael loudly proclaimed as he slammed his hand on Byleth's shoulder and gave him a shake. The mercenary peered at the greasy hand that touched his clothes and armour. Byleth fought the urge to grimace.
"Oh yeah, I saw that. I think Felix was itching to jump in and fight right after that. But Teach took Petra aside and he helped her with Fódlan's language and phrases," Claude crossed his arms on the table, giving a light elbow tap to the professor. Byleth remembered that spar. Out of everyone in Black Eagle House, Petra was the one that surprised him the most. While everyone else's fighting styles were straightforward, Petra's was unpredictable and kept him on his toes. It reminded him of his fights against Almyrans and their unique fighting styles. What was supposed to be a judging of their skills ended in Byleth getting carried away and having... fun. He could also tell from her eyes that Petra was having fun too. Neither held back and gave it their all. While Byleth still came out on top it didn't dampen Petra's spirits. She had great potential in her. He'd go so far as to say that she was almost Edelgard's equal in battle compared to Ferdinand.
"She's very skilled and her fighting style of Brigid is unique. You all could learn a thing or two from her," Byleth nodded and tried to take his first bite of dinner since sitting down.
"Learning from other students? Well then if there is anything you wish to learn from us Professor from our positions of nobility, do not hesitate to ask," Lorenz commented with an air of superiority, his nose in the air and a proud smile on his face. Byleth knew that he shouldn't. That it was very improper for a teacher to ask. But this was his first week as a teacher after all his life being a mercenary and frankly, he didn't care.
"...so was that haircut a personal choice or did someone hurt you when you were younger?"
The table erupted with noise. Claude who was in the middle of drinking from a cup, spluttered it across the table and had a mixture of laughter and choking noises. Raphael also choked on a slice of meat he just tried to swallow. Leonie covered her mouth as she snorted, trying to keep her laughter in.
Lorenz blinked his eyes in confusion, taken by surprise by the question. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I think I misunderstood."
Before Byleth could ask again he heard a voice call out behind him. "My Teacher?"
He turned around to see the short head student of the Black Eagle House. Edelgard had a hand on her hip, which spread the red cloak that hung from her shoulder down her arm. She always looked pristine and regal in appearance. He figured it came with the title of Princess and heir to the Adrestian Empire. She looked down at Byleth with her piercing lavender eyes, which he thought were always trying to read him. To be fair, he did the same back to her.
"There is an urgent matter that I wish to discuss with you. May we speak in private?" Edelgard requested.
"If it's urgent then very well," Byleth sighed and got to his feet.
"Taken away just when things were getting good. I do not envy you Teach. Good luck with her" Claude smirked and gave a wave to Byleth.
"Yeah see you around Professor! Maybe next time I could spar with you!" Raphael exclaimed as he spun around on the bench and gave a wave.
"Yes! I especially wish to train with you and learn what Jeralt has taught you compared to me," Leonie quickly agreed with a fist in the air. Byleth was not looking forward to that as he quickly left with Edelgard outside. They walked down the stairs until they were alone standing beside the large pond.
"What is it?" Byleth asked as he turned to face her with a tired look. But he was confused when Edelgard turned back around with a smirk.
"I apologise my teacher but the matter was your rescue from Claude and the Golden Deer House. I happened to notice you from across the room when I entered with a look that cried for help as you were surrounded," Edelgard admitted. He was a mixture of relieved and suspicious. Relieved that he got a chance to breathe and have some peace and quiet, but suspicious that Edelgard was able to read him.
"A cry for help?" Byleth crossed his arms as he peered down at the future Emperor.
"In the time I have known you, you have kept to yourself unless approached by others. Even then you seem like a person that does not know how to handle social interaction with a large number of people," Edelgard explained as if it was a matter of fact. Her eyes widened and the confident stance and aura about her quickly crumbled as she tried to save herself. "That was too blunt of me, I apologise Professor. I did not mean to overstep my boundaries like that to my teacher."
"...Well, you're not wrong," Byleth admitted as he turned to face the large pond. "My father did all the talking for the company. I did what was needed and got paid. I don't know what the hell I'm doing here teaching you of all things."
"I can only assume that the sudden shift in lifestyle can be very jarring," Edelgard looked out upon the pond also.
"The amount of trust the Archbishop is putting in me doesn't sit right with me either. Son of Jeralt or not, no one in their right mind puts a mercenary they know next to nothing about as a teacher to students. So why am I here?" Byleth turned to face Edelgard, who in turn, turned to face him. There was a look in Edelgard's eye that told him she was trying to read him, but also hold a huge amount of suspicion about the circumstance too. The wind blew by the two of them, blowing their hair to the side. Byleth watched the white-haired girl's hair blow out towards the pond as she stared intensely back at him. And only one word came to his mind. Beautiful.
He turned back to the pond again. "As soon as my father can get the chance to, the two of us are out of here. I don't belong here."
There was a silence in the air between the two. Byleth looked down into the pond and could see a very large fish swim close to the surface. It made him think of the days he and his father would also fish and simply talk. Back when they were on the road going from job to job. He'd be more comfortable doing that than staying here looking after a class of people around his age.
"I must confess that it would be a shame if you did leave," Byleth turned back to her still looking at him. Had she not turned away from him? "I feel like I have plenty to learn from you. Your real-life experience does not compare to the other professors here. And I have seen the improvements of the other house members myself. And it has only been a week."
Edelgard smiled at Byleth and took a step toward him. As she did there was a feeling in his stomach he had not felt before that left him feeling a little nervous. "But if you wish to leave then I won't stop you. But I must offer this invitation to you if you do. I have seen your skills first-hand. You are unlike any mercenary that I have seen before and believe that you would thrive if you joined the Empire."
"Lady Edelgard," the sinister voice called out behind them. They turned to see Hubert standing there with a frown. He gave a nod to Edelgard who in turn sighed in disappointment.
"Well. I hope you will reconsider at least. My Teacher," She gave a nod to Byleth before turning away and leaving. As she passed Hubert he gave a final glare to Byleth before turning and following her like a shadow. Byleth shook his head, not finding Hubert threatening in the slightest. After taking another minute to enjoy the silence and take in the fresh air, he decided to return to the dining hall to finish his food. Upon returning he saw that the Golden Deer house was nowhere to be seen, their empty plates left on the table. Byleth's food remained there but had now gotten cold after barely being touched. He let out a sigh and took up the plates to return them to the kitchen staff and got himself a new plate with hot food. He returned to his empty seat now alone and began to eat his food in peace.
"Ah, Professor! Could we join you?" Dimitri's voice called out as he was flanked by Dedue, Felix, Ingrid and Sylvain.
He could not wait to get the hell out of this Monastery.
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It was strange to believe that by the end of that year, he saw the Monastery as a home. Stranger that that day which he felt was annoying back then is now a cherished memory. He knew how it felt to not know how much you loved something until it was gone. That was true for many things. He missed his old students, every one of them. During the five years, he felt lost. Revenge was the only driving force to keep him going. He was blinded by rage and was willing to cut down anyone standing in his way. The Church, Empire, former students, anyone that blocked his path on killing all that were part of the group making monsters. It wasn't until a year and a half ago that he was nearly killed. He fought against a Giant Crawler that suddenly called another two to its side. Outnumbered and tired from previous battles he would have died, were it not for the Ashen Wolves jumping in to save him. Since then they travelled together doing mercenary work to help those neglected due to the war. It was familiar to him and kept him centred mentally. It was better than him wandering the land like a zombie with bloodlust. He knew that even now he wasn't okay. But he was at least functioning normally, and doing some good in this hellscape Fódlan had become.
"What are you thinking about?" He felt a hand upon his cheek turn his face to the blonde girl in his arms.
"...Better times than now," he answered honestly. Constance smiled and pulled herself up to kiss him.
"We'll make them better. And of course, we will. You have the rightful Lady of Nuvelle here to help you. Fódlan will marvel at my great house and lavish me with praise," Constance rolled on top of him, her bare chest pressed down on his. Byleth circled his arms around her on instinct.
"Hmm. Isn't Nuvelle to the west of the Empire?" Byleth questioned. "Aren't you unhappy we're leaving it so far behind?"
"While I would love to return to my home and snap my fingers to bring it all back into its rightful glory, I can't right now. I've still not mastered some of my spells yet. Besides, there's something else that's important too," Constance crossed her arms under her chin and looked down at Byleth.
"What's that?" Byleth asked with a raised eyebrow. Constance looked away with a blush on her face.
"Come on, don't make me say it..." She snuggled her face into the crook of his neck. He frowned as he looked up at the ceiling. His hand stroked her back as her naked form pressed into his.
"In any case, I'm sorry I'm pulling you further from your home," he apologised. Constance returned her head from his neck, looking into his eyes with a red face.
"You have nothing to apologise for. I want to help you. After everything we've been through together, I'd walk in the sun for you," Constance smiled down, her finger moving some of the re-dyed hair from his face. She leaned down and kissed him again. He returned it in kind, his hands snaking up her back as she moaned in his mouth.
"We don't have to leave immediately do we?" Constance asked with a giggle as she buried her face into his neck again. Before Byleth could answer there was a loud banging at their room door.
"Hey! Get up now! This is urgent!" Yuri's voice called out. Constance quickly rolled off Byleth and pulled the covers up to her chin. Byleth sat up quickly and pulled his legs out of bed. He grabbed onto his trousers that were on the floor, pulling them on quickly. Yuri knocked loudly on the door so Byleth went over and opened it. Yuri quickly shoved something into his hands.
"You're name is Snipes. You don't talk. You don't take that off. Get changed and get down here quick!" Yuri never ordered Byleth in such a way before, which was enough to tell him that whatever this was was indeed an emergency and to not ask questions. Byleth gave a nod and shut the door. He looked down at the item given to him. It was some kind of mask.
"What is going on?" Constance asked as she picked up her sweater dress, her nude back facing Byleth.
"I don't know but whatever it is can't be good," Byleth quickly started getting changed into his mercenary attire.
"Don't wait for me then! Go see what's happening!" She hurried him. Byleth finished getting changed and looked at the mask given to him. It was mostly a black cloth that went over his head, but on the face had a metal plate in the shape of a wolf's face. He quickly pulled the mask over his face. He was able to see out of the eyeholes of the wolf face at least. He had worn helmets with less visibility before. While Constance was still getting dressed he left the bedroom and quickly ran downstairs to the bar room.
"Snipes! There you are!" Yuri called out with Balthus and Hapi next to him, both with frowns on their faces. It was then that he saw the other three people in the room. Covered in plate armour but with a very familiar insignia on their uniform. Yuri quickly walked to Byleth, grabbed him by the shirt collar, and dragged him across the room. "These Knights of Seiros have come from an ambush from the Empire. They were going to retreat back to the Kingdom but their Captain won't make it. He needs your healing now. Hurry!"
As Yuri pushed him towards the table Byleth's eyes widened. There lying on the top of it, with his chest plate broken into, a horrid stab wound in his stomach with bled-through bandages haphazardly wrapped around was a very familiar face. With a pale look on his unconscious face, and sweat on his brow was his old friend Alois.
I forgot to mention the last chapter that I went back through Chapters One and Two and tweaked spelling and grammar errors I missed out on.
Also a fun fact for you all. Even though I am writing a BylethxEdelgard story, my Byleth on my first playthrough married Petra.
And Temporal King as you type your reviews incognito I cannot send a message to you saying that I do not mind your reviews at all. So I'm saying it here instead. I do hope that from now on though the reviews I get from other people are more about the story and less about their views on other reviewers.
On that note, hope everyone is still enjoying the story!