Chapter 37: Smashed and Grabbed
Suffice to say that in the immediate aftermath of the Knights rushing towards the Goddess Tower at the alarm produced by the Boundary field, the Black Eagles were swiftly following in their wake.
The rush of armed students as they prepared their swords and spears was followed by Goetia's casual – virtually disinterested – pace. He was following them purely out of curiosity as to who would actually attempt such a brazen attack upon the Archbishop in the middle of the day, curiosity and a strong desire to no longer be present in the same room as the preachers.
His lip curled into a slight grimace. The uncomfortable feelings of being present for that display had begun to vanish already, therefore he could not complain about much. There was also the passing interest into what had triggered Byleth's Divine Core to momentarily activate.
That would likely be something of great interest to at least study.
Still following in the wake of the gathering, the armed assortment of individuals eventually came upon the gangway which led towards the tower. At first Goetia was puzzled as to why they all slid to a halt, his confusion lasted barely a second as he recalled the other protective measure he had put in place to ward off potential assassins.
The Knights and Black Eagles stared down at the half-dozen individuals dressed in common garbs and old tunics reminiscent of the other commoners who had joined in for the Rite, what was peculiar were the arms they had at their disposal. The steel daggers were freshly crafted and gifted only to skilled individuals. Goetia moved towards the front of the gathering and stared down at the nearest individual, a light brown haired man wearing a slightly frayed tunic and baggy trousers. Red eyes stared down at them with a cool gaze before they rose towards the door which the attackers had tried to get entry to.
Goetia's lip curled slightly at the effort.
They had quite literally attempted to brute force their way through the door and instantly triggered the lightning defensive measure.
"What...what is this?" One of the Knights questioned with a tone of genuine surprise "What happened?"
"Assassins who attempted to kill the Archbishop. Or something along these lines." Goetia released a disgusted scoff and looked away "I no longer care, do with them what you will." That said, he turned around and walked back the way he came. The Black Eagles stood to the side to allow him to pass them by without a word.
"Goetia!" He paused at Hanneman's raised voice, the man released a sigh and waved his hand towards the Tower. The blaring alarm instantly cut itself off. "Thank you." Hanneman bowed his head in thanks before gesturing towards the individuals "Are they safe to touch?"
"It should cause no issue to bind them, no." Goetia answered, already moving away again "If you will excuse me."
It was only a few minutes later while tying up the last of the assassins that Ferdinand noticed something peculiar "Did anyone else notice that Goetia did not return in the direction of the Cathedral?"
"Perhaps he had other matters to attend to?" Linhardt offered in way of an excuse, sitting down near a wall and watching as the Knights roughly dragged the assailants to their feet "Or he went for a nap."
"Not everyone is like yourself, Linhardt." Ferdinand frowned before gesturing to the assassins "Not to mention that an attempt was just made on the Archbishops life, that is not the sort of thing that can be ignored so easily."
"Obviously." Linhardt rolled his eyes "But I am not certain what you expect us to do about it ourselves."
"W-well-"
"Exactly." Nodding to himself in affirmation, Linhardt closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall "We cannot actually do much at the moment besides leave it for the Knights to take care of."
"You do realise we will have to go back to the ceremony, don't you Linhardt?" Edelgard remarked as she walked past the boy, giving him a side-eyed look "Just because there was an attempt on the life of the Archbishop does not mean we are no longer required to attend."
A miniscule sigh escaped Linhardt's lips "No...I suppose not."
"This all the stragglers?" Catherine demanded as she looked about the Knights currently rounding up the remaining attackers within the Mausoleum, the students also helping by shoving them towards a circle.
The nearest Knight to her turned and snapped to attention before nodding their head in affirmation "These are the only ones still alive, Dame Catherine." the Knight gestured his head towards the rest of the area "The others are already dead."
"Hmm." Catherine grunted in response "Doesn't look like any of the leaders are dead, so that will at least give us the opportunity to get information out of these heathens." she spat towards the group "Daring to attack a Holy Site on the day of a Rite of Rebirth. I should cut you down right now."
The raiders said nothing, their eyes darting from Catherine towards Byleth.
Catherine didn't exactly blame them for that.
Seeing a Heroes Relic without a crest responding to the newest professor was certainly a surprise to be had and she was certain the Archbishop would want to be made aware of it.
"Let's get these criminals in irons and then come back for the bodies. I want this place cleaned up exactly how it was before it was defiled." She ordered to the remaining Knight before she turned her attention to the Blue Lions "Not bad kids, you made a good call."
"I confess that it was a guess on my part." Dimitri gave a polite smile as he held his hand in front of him "It could just as easily not have paid off."
"Well it did, so accept the praise." Catherine huffed in amusement before her eyes fell on the still glowing sword in Byleth's hand. "...The Archbishop will probably want to see you about that as soon as possible." she levelled a finger in the mercenary's direction "For now, I'd recommend you keep it out of sight. I don't know what it means to wield a Heroes Relic without a Crest Stone and frankly, I don't want others thinking they can do the same thing."
Byleth stared at her in silence for a few moments before she nodded her head, removing her coat and wrapping it around the sword to hide it away from view.
"Alright...well, at least we were able to catch them before they were able to do anything damaging."
"It would seem that Von Riegan was incorrect." Goetia's voice from the entrance to the Mausoleum rang out across the spacious room, the eyes of everyone fell upon him "Or perhaps he may yet be vindicated, given that this is the second attacked location."
"Second?" Catherine parroted with a frown "What do you mean second?"
"The Black Eagles have apprehended the group who attempted to assassinate the Archbishop."
"There was an attempt on Lady's Rhea's life!?" Catherine exclaimed in horror, immediately giving Goetia her full attention "Is she harmed?"
Goetia raised an eyebrow "I say attempt in the loosest possible term. They instantly triggered the bounded field and were caught by its defences. They were quite hapless when the Knights and Black Eagles arrived."
Catherine exhaled in relief "Then Lady Rhea is unharmed…" her brows furrowed "Then what are you doing here?"
Giving her a blank look, Goetia's eyes eventually left her and travelled over to Byleth before they froze. He seemingly scanned her body at a distance before his eyes lowered to stare at the poorly wrapped weapon in her hands.
"Hmph." Abruptly releasing a breath, he turned on his heel and quickly made his exit back the way he came, not even bothering to answer Catherine's question. The Knightesses' features warped into a mild scowl as she watched Goetia depart without making a single scowl.
"Tch." Clicking her tongue, she shook her head "Or you can just not bother answering me. Ass." she grumbled under her breath as she turned her attention back to the surrounding individuals. Noticing how they were all silently staring at her with blank expressions. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get a move on!"
"Damn Catheri-"
"What now?" Catherine loudly sighed, turning back to the entrance once again to see an out of breath knight in plate armour leaning heavily against the frame of the doors and panting. The woman squinted her eyes at the man "Aren't you the Gatekeeper?"
"Haro-"
"What do you need?" She cut him off before he could introduce himself, the man's expression wavered slightly at the blunt dismissal of his identity before quickly ignoring it and composing himself.
"I have news that is imperative for you to hear." He answered loudly, saluting her while still audibly breathing.
Catherine waved her hand dismissively "If it's about the attack on Lady Rhea, I've already been informed."
"Oh? Is that what Goetia was here for?" Harold blinked in surprise before giving an understanding nod "I was wondering what he was doing down here, I thought he might have come to help you but I guess he might also have been curious."
Catherine stared at the man with a dull expression "If that's all-"
"O-oh sorry." He quickly shook his head "That wasn't the news I came to deliver, Dame Catherine. I am here to report there was another attack on the Monastery."
Dead silence spread through the halls of the mausoleum. Catherine blinked several times before her face became tense "What do you mean 'another attack'?"
"Tore right through the steel doors." Jeralt tapped against the remains of the Vault door with a scowl "This is rolled steel too."
Seteth stared at the devastation in silence, he had already been preparing to hold a temporary hiatus on the Rite of Rebirth following the obvious attempt on his and Rhea's life – not to mention Flayn's – so that they could properly interrogate the assailants. Although he himself was still puzzled as to their outfits or how they had managed to get through the guards so easily.
However, the bizarre nature of his assassination aside, it had only gotten worse from there on out with the reveal that someone had attempted to steal from the Holy Mausoleum. That clearly had Rhea furious given the way she looked as though she was going to break something.
And that had been before she learned that the Seiros coffin had been the target.
To make matters even more troubling for Seteth, it appeared that their newest Professor had been able to wield a 'Heroes Relic' without the need for a crest stone implanted within it. The way Rhea hadn't so much as bat an eye at the news was raising concerns in his head already.
And to top it all off – just when he believed that the Monastery had successfully thwarted two attempts at defilement – they learnt that not only was the Vault breached but it was also successfully raided and the thieves making a clean getaway.
None of which could have actually prepared him for the scene in front of him.
The steel door to the vault which was weighing at least a tonne had been ripped clean off its hinges and crumpled as if it were made of paper. What Seteth found more disturbing was that the indentations in the crumpled metal were reminiscent of hand prints. He did not currently want to consider how someone could be strong enough to do this.
A normal person, anyway.
If he were in his younger days and more in-tune with his Draconic side than he could likely achieve a similar result.
However, someone would have certainly noticed it.
"And not a single sound was heard?" Seteth's entire aura was of total disbelief and Jeralt didn't look like he blamed him either.
"Neither the brats nor the guards about thirty metres down the hall heard anything." Jeralt gave a shaky breath as he returned to his feet, slowly walking away from the doors and standing next to the green-haired man. "I've ordered no one go in the vault yet." he whispered down to Seteth, the man's lips pursed. "Just in case there was anything they weren't supposed to see."
"I thank you for your confidentiality." Seteth whispered back as he walked towards the door to the vault, staring down into the halls. "Rhea has been here longer than I, she will know if anything is missing…" the man gave a heavy sigh as he reached up and rubbed his forehead "This has turned into quite the mess."
"I'll say." Jeralt grunted "Didn't think anyone would actually be bold enough to attack three different places of the Monastery at once." he paused, frowning and crossing his arms "Heard about the attackers on the Goddess tower...were they actually dressed like peasants?"
Seteth nodded his head, not turning away from the entrance to the vault. "They were indeed dressed like the common folk." a frown quickly came to his face "What is more surprising – and rather insulting – is that they now claim to have no memory of ever attempting to breach the Goddess tower to begin with."
Jeralt's eyebrows raised up his forehead "Didn't they get caught in the act?"
"The knives were still in their hands when they were recovered." Seteth dryly replied "Indeed, I would accuse it of second-rate theatre if they were not so adamant towards their own innocence, claiming there must be some manner of mistake." his lips thinned "Catherine is not taking their supposed ignorance well."
"Can't imagine she would." Jeralt agreed "Doesn't seem the type."
"Yes...We're currently interrogating the other prisoners for information; however, suffice to say your daughter is soon to become another headache."
He didn't notice the way Jeralt suddenly tensed and stared at the back of Seteth's head with laser focus "...What do you mean?" he asked in a slow voice, devoid of emotion as he uncrossed his arms.
"It seems she wielded a Heroes Relic-" Jeralt coughed loudly "-without the use of a Crest Stone." The coughing devolved into a choking sound soon followed by heavy thumps as the man repeatedly struck his own chest to stop himself choking on nothing. "Given your reaction, I'll assume you were unaware of this possibility?"
"Possibility!?" The man croaked "I didn't even think her Crest was that strong until a few weeks ago!"
"Yes well...Today has been full of surprises."
"That is remarkably disturbing to see." Goetia bluntly stated as he stared at the sword on the desk. Byleth slowly nodded her head in response as Sothis hovered in-between the two of them. "And this is what generated the sudden influx of power?"
"Grasping hold of it provided me with greater clarity." Sothis affirmed while also moving her hand to cradle her head, her voice turning strained "However...I feel a sense of...familiarity with it somehow...but I cannot say why."
Goetia stared at her and then turned his attention back to the sword. It held the appearance of an elongated sword breaker, however Goetia suspected that appearance was purely coincidental given the materials they were obviously working with. One edge of the weapon was sharpened into a point while the other was more segmented, portraying the true origin of its materials.
They were the segments of a spine.
Indeed, the entire weapon was crafted from such materials. The guard being crescent shaped akin to a carved hip bone. However, in the centre of a hilt was a gaping hole, narrowing his eyes, Goetia leaned down to stare at it.
"And something is supposed to fit into this gap?" He surmised, Byleth slowly nodded her head.
"Crest Stone."
"Hmm." Goetia hummed in response, leaning back and cupping his chin "It is made of superior material to the other Heroes Relic I have seen. The one wielded by the fanatic." Sothis managed to avoid looking pained just long enough to give Goetia a bland look at the derogatory term.
She then picked up on something "You're saying this sword is different from the others?"
"I have only one to compare it to." He pointed out "But yes, a cursory glance tells me the ability of this weapon goes beyond its counterpart...however." he trailed off, frowning as he leaned down and placed his hand upon the blade. "It is...strange. The material is superior and yet it is…"
"It is…?" Sothis stared at him expectantly, Goetia gave her a side-eyed view before looking away. "What? Don't ignore me now."
"A coincidence of the materials." He muttered to himself, shaking his head "Regardless, for you to be able to wield the sword without the 'Crest Stone' as you referred to it is obviously tied to you directly." red eyes flickered to Sothis "Likely to your sense of familiarity with the sword itself."
"That…" Sothis paused, biting her lip and scrunching her face up in thought for a few moments before slowly nodding her head "That seems correct and yet I believe there might be more to it than that."
"Possibly." Most definitely "However, they remain speculation for the moment." Facts.
"Very well." Sothis huffed, crossing her arms and floating away from the sword "It seemed to cause quite the stir when they saw you wielding it. Perhaps the presence of these 'Crest Stones' truly are vital."
"Crest Stones act as cores for the weapons themselves." Goetia explained "They draw in magical energy and I suspect the Relic uses this to act as fuel, it is not unusual for weapons such as they to use the mana in the air for power. It is also likely that the Crest Stone needs the corresponding Crest to properly fuel the weapon itself, otherwise you are simply swinging around a more bizarrely designed sword with little conceptual weight behind its physical status."
Byleth stared uncomprehendingly at Goetia for a few moments before she eventually replied in a slow and slightly unsure tone of voice "The Crest Stones...make the swords glow?"
Goetia released a heavy sigh "Yes...The Crest Stones make the swords glow."
"Ah." Byleth nodded in understanding, "So I am special?"
"A unique case, yes." He paused before furrowing his brows "Although whether or not an individual could wield a Heroes Relic with a crest stone implanted within it without they themselves having a Crest is yet to be seen."
Sothis blinked "I was under the impression you required a Crest to wield it?"
"Possible, although that would be to utilise its latent abilities." Goetia explained "To actually wield the sword itself is something different, it is still a Noble Phantasm and would carry the same amount of weight the legend ascribes it to have."
"Noble What?"
"...Nevermind." Goetia sighed, waving his hand dismissively "For now, you may return. I have answered my own curiosities and I suspect that you will be called in for questioning soon enough. I would imagine that given the sudden attack on three different locations within the same period of time has likely halted the 'festivities' of the Rite."
"Not one for communal gatherings?" Sothis quizzed with a raised eyebrow, Goetia gave her a flat look in response.
"Would you have interest in attending a gathering you had no personal relation too or were ever affected by?"
"Not especiall-...I see." Sothis sighed "Very well, but I suppose it might depend upon what the gathering entails." the Goddess pointed out with confident expression "Perhaps if it were something that I had a curiosity about I might."
"Then you clearly have a greater degree of tolerance for the irrelevant than I." Goetia remarked with a slightly curled lip, Sothis raised an eyebrow at the expression long enough for Goetia to seemingly realise his own situation and compose himself. "If there is nothing else." bowing his head slightly, he made for the door.
Opening it just in time to see a guard readying themselves to knock upon it.
"Harold." Goetia nodded at the man in greeting, moving past him.
"Bye Goetia!" Harold waved to him as he departed before turning his attention to Byleth and freezing "I...I didn't disturb anything, did I?"
"No." The girl shook her head blandly.
"That's good." Harold let out a sigh of relief "I was a little afraid I walked in on something awkward...Anyway, I came along to pass you a message that the Archbishop will meet you at the turn of the next hour. She and Attendant Seteth will be awaiting you in her chambers." ducking low into a bow, the man backed away. "That is all." turning on his heel, the guard walked back the way he came.
"It would seem that Goetia was not entirely wrong, but then again, it did not take a great detective to determine that they would wish to speak with you." Sothis mused as she floated alongside the Professor "Still, I cannot help but wonder what else was occurring around this time. There was an attack on two other locations as well."
"Stopped Assassins though." Byleth pointed out, Sothis nodded her head and quirked her lip upwards slightly.
"Yes, however...why is there currently no report on the second location that was attacked?"
Byleth froze, her brows furrowed slightly. If there was no report on the location it would mean they didn't want to cause a panic or were ashamed about the result. However, the only explanation for those two courses of action would be "They succeeded?"
"Perhaps." Sothis slowly nodded her head "Maybe they will tell you or maybe they will not. Either way, there seem to be a growing number of mysteries about this place." her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest "And the frequency they seem to crop up in is quite aggravating."
Byleth didn't give them that much thought.
"That is because you have no sense for discovery." Sothis sniped.
Rhea walked with a great pace about her as she ventured through the narrow corridors in the direction of the Vault, the guards flanking her were in a similar rush. The Archbishop's face was tense, the usual serenity that she held within her was all but gone, only a burning steel was present in her eyes as she closed in on her destination.
When they came upon the next turn, Rhea halted and raised her hand. "Wait here for my return." She all but ordered with an iron tone, none of the guards made to challenge her as she continued on alone. Passing around the corner and finding Seteth stood by the damaged entrance.
Staring at the carnage itself, she could see why it had concerned Seteth. Worse than that, was the fact there had been no report until after the damage had been done.
"How?" Rhea demanded the moment she was close enough to Seteth, the man didn't balk at her tone, turning around to face her with his own troubled expression.
"That much, I cannot say." Seteth slowly shook his head "Reports currently indicate that the break-in occurred within a five minute time period between the arrival of the Golden Deers and the departure of the previous guard patrol."
"Five. Minutes." Rhea coldly replied, looking past Seteth and towards the Vault "Has anyone been inside?"
"Not yet." Seteth shook his head "I told them to wait until you arrived, given you are more intimately familiar with the contents of the Vault."
Rhea didn't deign him with a reply, instead opting to walk past him and into the vault itself. Seteth pursed his lips as he watched her disappear behind the ruins of the vault door, deciding not to follow her.
She remained within the Vault for some time before she emerged again, Seteth could tell something was wrong as the moment she returned, her eyes were glowing bright green with her expression torn between anguish and fury. Breathing heavily, Rhea slowly turned towards Seteth and spoke in an ice cold tone which belayed the sheer fury she felt at the current time.
"I don't care how." She almost snarled "Find out who did this and how they were helped. The prisoners we have are still awaiting judgement, are they not?" she stormed past Seteth, leaving the man standing stock still for a few moments before he turned to face the Archbishop.
"Yes, but they claim to have no knowledge of any other attempts-"
"Lies." She dismissed instantly, tightening her shoulders together "Lies which stream like poison from their treacherous mouths. They must know something regarding this defilement!" her voice dropped into a snarl. "Be it the ones who raided the Mausoleum or those who attacked us-"
"They also claim to have no memory of ever making an attempt-"
"Then perhaps more barbaric methods will jog their memories-"
"Rhea." Seteth cut her off "I am not going to order them tortured before a trail can even begin."
The woman remained silent for a few moments before she spoke again "I will grant you two days. This is not a crime which can be responded to with civility."
"Rhea...what did they take?"
She stopped, briefly looking over her shoulder towards Seteth as her eyes gradually dimmed. Instead revealing pain as her features flattened out. "Something precious and irreplaceable." her breathing evened out "Now...I believe we have to meet the Professor, do we not?"
"Yes." Seteth's eyes narrowed "You were not surprised by her ability to wield the Heroes Relic."
"It is not just a common Relic." Rhea's lip curled upwards into a faint smile "The coffin of Seiros stored only one item I would never allow to be wielded."
"What do you…" Seteth trailed off, his eyes widened "The Sword of the Creator? How?" he hissed in a hushed whisper of shock "Only those of his bloodline could ever have wielded it...Rhea...Is Jeralt-"
"No." Rhea shook her head "Of course not. There was an incident that occurred many years ago...suffice to say that our newest Professor has more in common with either of us than the other students."
"Rhea...what did you do?"
"I healed him the only way I knew how." She hummed, a confident smile present on her face. "It seems the light of the Goddess did indeed shine on us this day, that one act of mercy has provided us with such a gift."
"Gift? Rhea...you and I both know what that sword-"
"Seteth." She cut him off "We should not keep the Professor waiting."
Slowly nodding his head, Seteth made to walk past only for Rhea to hold up her hand in front of him. Giving him a smile. "And one more thing. I know you did not mean it as you did, but I should remind you that I also understand the implications of the sword as much as you do." the smile vanished "Please, do not allow me to risk misunderstanding such a statement."
Seteth silently nodded her head. "Of course, Rhea."
"Good." The smile returned just as quickly as it had vanished, her whole demeanour returning to the persona of Archbishop within a moment "Now then, I believe we have a meeting to attend to. Come Seteth." the manner in which she walked with absolute calm had Seteth shiver.
His eyes briefly glimpsed back to the entrance to the Vault.
He did not know what had been taken, but he had not known Rhea to act like that in centuries. For her to feel strongly enough about it…
It must have been deeply personal.
"He's been gone for how long?" Thales inquired with a shocked expression, frowning to himself as he looked away "When did he leave?"
"An hour ago." The subordinate replied "He made no mention of any departure and left."
"Why?"
"I...do not know." The cloaked figure admitted, then balked when Thales loomed over him "H-he just took one look at one of the screens and just froze over. Said he was leaving and just teleported away!" they hurriedly explained.
Thales frowned and leaned away from the man, scowling heavily. "Fine. I will be meeting with the Heiress shortly, inform him of my departure and tell him I will expect a full report-"
"Expect?" Thales froze at the familiar tone and presence which suddenly appeared behind him "You expect a great many things." composing himself, Thales turned around to see the familiar 'face' staring down at him. "I do not ever recall agreeing to be a subordinate to your whims. If I am to make a sudden departure, it is because I have deemed it necessary. It is not because I have received your permission."
Thales gently exhaled as he stared up at Lemegeton "You misunderstand. I am to meet with the Heiress after the attempt at the Holy Mausoleum. It seems the tomb contained the Sword of the Crea-"
"The Noble Phantasm is meaningless to me." Lemegeton dismissed "I have come to realise the true value of this city which you have remained ignorant of." glowing eyes narrowed "I can only assume you never made to question its origins beyond belonging to your ancestors. Regardless…"
They raised their right hand, revealing the object they held within it "This is far more useful than the corpse of a terminal."
Thales stared at the object with a scrumptious expression before looking back at Lemegeton "A misshapen Crest Stone with metal welded to it?" he scoffed "That is your 'grand prize'?"
Lemegeton features curled in disgust at the Agarthan, lowering their hand. "That you believe this to be on par with those reproductions speaks volumes of your ignorance. Regardless, this will increase the capabilities of this location dramatically."
Thales raised an eyebrow "That will?"
"Considering it was originally a key component, it will." They turned away from him, and quickly began to walk towards their laboratory. "I will be unavailable while I discern the method in which I can utilise this prize effectively. You may continue your schemes as you wish but do not disturb me unless you have news of vital importance."
Thales grunted dismissively, looking away from the thing and back towards his subordinate "Get word to Solon. Tell him to inform the Heiress that Arundel will meet with her shortly."
"Yes, sir." The man bowed his head and scurried away, leaving Thales confused about the entire encounter. That Lemegeton would risk their discovery for such a trivial prize was mindbogglingly stupid.
Chapter 38: Ugliness of truth
The aftermath of the Rite of Rebirth had been more than a little troublesome in Seteth's opinion, to the extent that he had once again been forced to call a staff meeting. Although this one was far more restrictive in its membership.
"I'm pleased to see you all present in short order." Seteth nodded to the group in greeting as the doors closed behind him "Although it is unfortunate that the contents of the meeting are rather dire." moving through the room, Seteth headed towards the head of the table before seating himself down. "It shall just be me, the Archbishop is still...recuperating from her ordeal."
He raised his hand in the direction of Catherine to cut her off "She is fine, Catherine." the woman relaxed "Now then – as I'm sure you can all imagine – this meeting relates towards the attack on the Monastery which occurred yesterday. We're still currently interrogating those that you-" he nodded towards Byleth "-captured in the Holy Mausoleum. Thus far they have been remarkably quick to point fingers...the contents of which are troubling." he grimly remarked, his face turning troubled before he shook his head and leaned forwards.
"Regardless, the attack on the Holy Mausoleum was thwarted and the defilement of the tombs was prevented, however whether or not you have heard rumours of it until now makes little difference as I shall explain the situation fully." Seteth took in a deep breath "The attack on the Goddess Tower itself still has no named mastermind, indeed many of the perpetrators are still pleading to their innocence."
"Seriously?" Catherine gave a disbelieving scoff "They were caught with the weapons still in their ha-" she paused before frowning "It isn't more of those weird cursed swor-"
"No." Seteth denied the possibility with a single shake of his head "The weapons were handled with care and examined thoroughly to determine if they held the same enchantment as the swords Lonato used during his rebellion. For all intents and purposes...they are simply ordinary steel daggers."
"So they have no excuse then." Catherine growled "Trying to attack the Archbishop and then plead innocence? The nerve." shaking her head, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and scowled "We can already assume their guilt, so I say we just execute them already."
"As much as I wouldn't word it quite so harshly." Alois commented from his spot at the table "Dame Catherine does raise a good point, I assume there is a reason that the attackers are still sitting in a jail cell rather than facing the headsman's axe?" looking around, he was met with similarly befuddled looks.
Seteth slowly nodded in response "Indeed, that would have been the usual punishment for such a crime...however the aftermath of the attacks is what troubles me. The prisoners not only claim to have no memory of ever attacking the Goddess Tower, they have no memory of ever leaving their original families." his expression turned troubled "I had reports of one woman an hour before the attack claiming her husband had gone missing, he turns up later with a knife in hand having tried to get into the Goddess Tower."
Hanneman locked his hands together and gave a thoughtful hum "That does indeed sound rather suspicious. How many of the others went missing before they were apprehended?"
"All of them." Seteth answered "And all within an hour before the attack on the Goddess Tower. I am currently of the opinion that they were perhaps all in communication with the same individual who aided in orchestrating this attack."
"What about their families?" Catherine leaned forwards "Do they know anything?"
"They are either extraordinarily talented actors or are indeed as shocked about their behaviour as their family members are." He sighed "As it stands, thus far only those from the Holy Mausoleum have been of any true aid." He turned to Alois "Speaking of, I believe it would be best if you began to assemble the Knights, it seems this conspiracy had far reaching implications."
"Understood." Alois nodded his head.
"Back to the matter at hand, the crimes of the attackers remain clear and there can only be one such punishment for this." Seteth's features darkened "Their execution is scheduled for one week from now."
"Not soon enough." Catherine muttered quietly to herself, although it was just loud enough for Seteth to overheard with his heightened senses, the man sighed lightly before preparing to deliver the next batch of terrible news.
"Moving on from this, as some of you might have heard there was a third attack upon the Monastery yesterday." He saw Jeralt's expression tighten "...This one was successful."
Dead silence spread across the room, he watched a litany of emotions play upon Catherine's face from shock, anger and finally horror. "I heard about it but it succeeded!?" she blurted out, earning a raised eyebrow from the attendant, she winced and composed herself "I mean, the attack was successful?"
"The Vault was breached without anyone hearing and was pilfered." His lips thinned "While I cannot reveal what was stolen, I can only say that it is of the utmost importance that we discover whomever it was that stole it and ensure its rapid return. Shamir is already investigating possible entrances to the Monastery and the time in which the break-in occurred."
Alois frowned, furrowing his brows before he spoke up "Forgive me if this is a stupid question but...shouldn't someone have heard them?" he fidgeted in his seat "I mean, the Vault has spells around it to prevent someone from teleporting into it, right? So they would have had to have gone through the large door."
"You are correct." Seteth replied "They did take the direct approach, as for how they were able to do so without anyone learning of this...is not something I can confidently give an answer to." sighing, the man reached up and rubbed his face "For the meantime, the Knight's will find themselves somewhat busier than usual, however I would like for the Professors to ensure that the students do not become overly agitated with the increase in the knight's presence. Explain that they are simply running drills until we can provide an official statement."
"If that's what you think is best." Manuela gave a half-hearted shrug, leaning back against her chair and pursing her lips "Although you're not the one who has to deal with Claude Von Riegan."
"I'm certain you will be able to manage, Manuela." Seteth gave her a patient look before shifting his focus to the others at the table "This is all for now, if you will all excuse me. I have an investigation to finish." pushing himself away from the table, Seteth rose to his feet and swiftly moved across the room towards the door.
Byleth remained seated for a few moments, her lips quirked into a faint frown as the voice in her head spoke up.
"How strange, they have no memory of attacking the Tower?" Sothis floated in front of her, tapping a finger upon her chin as she narrowed her eyes "It seems a most peculiar thing to forget doing, more than that to proclaim ignorance after being caught thusly is rather pitiful as far as excuses go."
"Do you think they aren't lying?" Byleth wondered as she stood up from her seat, making her way towards the door to exit the room. "They could be lying."
"That is true but it still feels as though it is a laughable attempt, much like a child caught in the act." Frowning, the girl shook her head "No, something feels to be amiss here."
Byleth hummed to herself in thought, even to her it felt strange. Having been caught she would have expected the assassins to remain silent as to avoid answering questions however, to flat out claim they had no knowledge whatsoever of even making the attempt on the Archbishop's life felt far too outlandish – even for her – to accept.
"Then we are of the same mind." Sothis made a tight face "It seems we might require outside aid...and there is one I suspect might lend assistance." she paused. "Some of his words from your lesson stuck with me. He mentioned hypnosis, did he not?"
Pausing, Byleth's eyebrows slowly crawled up her forehead. "Isn't that too convenient for them?"
"Perhaps." Sothis admitted "But it might at least be worth the attempt to discuss the matter with him." a sly smile came to her face "Besides, dear Seteth told you not to mention it to the students. Goetia has no such position, does he?"
He didn't. Byleth admitted to herself. Her eyes narrowed.
Perhaps Sothis was as impish as her form suggested.
"How rude!"
"And it was quite loud!" Flayn continued to recant her story with her expression turning far more mischievous "Seteth very nearly looked ready to jump out of his skin and au-Archbishop Rhea…" the girl snickered, leaning in closer for a conspiratorial whisper "I've never heard her make such a high pitched 'eep' before!"
Goetia continued to stare blankly at her, tapping a single finger against the desk of the table before raising an eyebrow "I find myself at a loss as to why you immediately sought to inform me of these personally humiliating stories."
Flayn pouted "I simply felt it best to engage in small talk."
"And you are not concerned with the possibility that I might let slip these anecdotes to the student body?" He received an unimpressed look in response before Flayn's lips quirked into a smug smile.
"We both know you're not one for gossip."
"Admittedly true." Goetia begrudgingly agreed "However, my point remains. I fail to see what reason you have to tell me such things."
Flayn's mood took a visual damper as she fidgeted in her seat before letting out a loud sigh "I just couldn't keep quiet about it but I knew if I told Claude then he wouldn't be able to keep silent and then everyone would know and then Seteth and Rhea would know that I told them."
"That is true." Goetia nodded his head "So to satiate your desire to spread triviality, you decided to inform myself with the full knowledge I would not care in the least."
"When you say it like that it sounds so strange." Flayn harrumphed "Well, I cannot also say I didn't want to see if you would have any sort of amused reaction at my brother and Rhea's reaction." her eyes narrowed with a glimmer of hope in them "Did you find it amusing?"
"I found it incredulous." He responded in a bland tone "Although I will admit some surprise that the likes of the Archbishop and Seteth could be caught by surprise by something as simple as an alarm."
"Anyone can be caught by surprise if a loud noise goes off when you are not expecting it." Flayn shrugged "Although I will admit that Seteth and Rhea might seem quite unflappable at times."
Goetia raised an eyebrow "Indeed."
"Nevermind that." Flayn leaned forwards "I heard that something happened in the Holy Mausoleum with Professor Byleth and the Blue Lions!" excitement danced across her face "What happened?"
"Why would I know?"
"Because Professor Byleth was involved." Flayn answered as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, the matter of fact the way she spoke briefly caught Goetia off-guard.
He also couldn't say she was wrong, if it had been any other Class he likely would have ignored the attack on the Mausoleum entirely. Flayn must have seen something she wanted to in his lack of an immediate answer because her smug aura seemed to intensify.
"So you do know…" She leaned back into her chair, still smiling "And I noticed you did not deny my statement."
"Because it is true."
Flayn blinked once before she sighed in disappointment "I feel as though you might not have caught my meaning, but I suppose such is to be expected from young love."
"I believe I am older than you." Flayn froze, her eyes went wide as a strangled gasp left her throat.
"R-right! O-of course you are!" She hurriedly answered, clearing her throat and straightening out her coat "Y-yes...well...Moving on." her expression steeled itself, returning to her unusually serious demeanour "So...what happened?"
"She found a Heroes Relic in the tomb which she can wield without a Crest Stone."
Flayn stilled, staring at Goetia for several seconds before she leaned forwards "Pardon?" grabbing the edge of her seat, she scooted closer to Goetia whilst looking left and right across the library before leaning closer to him, her voice dropping into a low whisper "Did I hear you correctly?"
"Yes."
"She can wield a Heroes Relic without a Crest Stone?" Flayn muttered to herself "But that is-"
"Impossible given the design of the weapons?" Goetia cut her off, giving a half-shrug "Evidently not. Unless there are special circumstances surrounding her." His eyes scanned her reaction to his words for any tells that she might have been aware of the true nature of Byleth.
"That must be it!" Flayn's expression became one of pure shock, Goetia flattened his features. Then again, she might not have any knowledge about it at all. "Perhaps she was blessed by the Goddess?" she paused "Unless...hmm...I'm sure Seteth and Rhea would know more than myself."
"That is likely." Goetia replied immediately, Flayn sent him a flat look.
"I realise I am correct, but you could have at least made an attempt to disagree with me."
"You want me to pander to your delusions that you aren't fallible?"
Rolling her eyes, Flayn scooted away from Goetia "If you wish to be that way, so be it." she then paused, looking around the Library "It is rather quiet today, is it not? I would have thought there would at least be some more of the other Clerics helping you."
"Tomas is away for his own personal errands. As for the others, Seteth has called a general assembly of the Clerical staff to take place within the hour." Goetia shrugged "It might relate to the possibility of an insurgence."
"W-what!?" He cringed at her reaction, giving her a side-eyed look of mild annoyance "How can you possibly believe such a thing? The Church would have a traitor!?"
Given what their actual Librarian was, he wouldn't put it past the Academy to contain more than one traitor or individual with ulterior motives.
"Is it really that great a surprise to you?" Goetia levelled her with an unimpressed look, at her defiant expression he sighed "How disappointingly naive, the attack not only occurred on a day in which the Holy Mausoleum was open to the public but also at a point where the guards would not notice their entrance. Were it not for Byleth's ability to see through the ruse and make sure to guard the entrance, it is very likely the attack would have succeeded."
He turned his full attention to Flayn, resting his elbow on the table and propping up his head with his arm "All of which would require someone with intimate knowledge of the Church with access to guard rotors and points of entry, as well as knowledge of the warding used around the Mausoleum."
Flayn remained silent as she took in the information, biting her lip "That is...To think someone would do such a thing…"
"That is how humans work. They continue to find new ways of disappointing you." He shrugged "Admittedly I am less affected by this than you are, pilfering a Holy site for relics is hardly what I would consider unheard of."
"Well, it is quite unheard of in Fodlan!" Flayn crossed her arms "Something like this has not happened in…" she trailed off, looking away "A long time."
"Then complacency has dulled your senses." He shrugged "Regardless, they failed in their objective to raid the Mausoleum." tapping his cheek, his lips curled into an intrigued frown "And yet the attack on the Goddess Tower itself was nothing short of pathetic." he hummed "Although as a distraction it did serve its purpose."
Before Flayn could offer a reply, the door to the Library opened. Both Goetia and Flayn turned their attention towards the door as Byleth strode in, instantly locking her eyes onto Goetia and swiftly clearing the distance of the room with vigorous strides.
"Have you need of something?" Goetia inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Byleth nodded once "The assassins who targeted the Tower." she replied with her usual bland tone before her lips thinned "They don't remember attacking it."
"Do they not?" Goetia gave a shrug "How odd. I assume the gaps in their memory go from the time before their attack to waking up in a prison cell."
Byleth nodded once while Flayn frowned. "That is most peculiar, I do not see how they could forget such an abhorrent act." turning her attention to Goetia, she continued on with a puzzled expression "Perhaps your defenses hit them harder than you thought?"
Goetia stared at her in silence before looking to Byleth "What is to be done with them?"
"Executed next week."
"How wasteful." Goetia scowled "And killed by ignorance too. I assume the fanatic was quite adamant on their execution and dismissed their attempts at rebuttals?"
Byleth's eyebrows rose slightly higher up her forehead. For her, that might as well have been an open-mouth look of surprise.
"Fanatic?" Flayn blinked in surprise "What do you mean?"
"The Knight with the Noble Phanta-Heroes Relic." Goetia waved his hand, ignoring Flayn's look of surprise at the blunt admission he had insulted Catherine so obviously "So why did you seek me out?"
Byleth shook her head, fixing Goetia with her usual blank expression "Lesson last week. You talked about hypnosis."
Goetia's red eyes seemed to shine slightly brighter after she said that, his lip twitched upwards with his posture shifting to give her more of his attention. "I did. Self-Suggestion was the first step taken along the path to understanding hypnosis as a form of Magecraft."
"Do you think they might have been hypnotised?"
Goetia remained silent, studying Byleth before leaning back into his seat "It is a strong possibility. Although I would need to examine them to be certain." he raised his hand to stop her "But what if they have been hypnotised? It is only my word – and while you might not care – against the word of the dozens of knights and students who saw them. My status as a foreigner would likely be dissuaded and my efforts to make their innocence known ignored."
Flayn frowned "But if what you say is true...I-I could speak on your behalf-"
"Your opinion would be dismissed as a naive child by all by Seteth and Rhea, even if they did believe me that hypnosis was that powerful to begin with."
"What if you demonstrated it-"
"And become a suspect?" Goetia frowned "My position is already tenuous enough as it is without some band of primates believing that I'm sending assassins after the Archbishop." he leaned back into his chair "If my suspicions about there being a traitor or group of traitors who leaked the information about the Mausoleum are correct, that would make me a greater suspect. If the Church cannot even trust its own, what hope do I have?"
"How about saving innocent lives?" Sothis sneered at him as she floated down, her face awash with visible disappointment "Or was your claim that you disliked seeing the suffering of humans as ostentatious as your hair?"
Goetia's eyes locked onto Sothis, glowing bright red before they flickered over to Flayn. The girl let out a slight 'eep' when he made eye contact with her.
Muttering an incantation under his breath at inhuman speeds, Flayn's eyes began to teeter slightly before her eyelids slid shut, her body slumping over with her head making a quiet thud as it hit the table. The girl already fast asleep.
Goetia pursed his lips. He'd been sure to use the most powerful spell he had available for sleeping. It did also confirm that their human forms greatly limited the ability of their draconic nature, he suspected he wouldn't have been able to put a dragon to sleep as easily.
Looking back to Sothis, he exhaled "You assume I have not seen humans persecuted for crimes they were innocent of a thousand times before now?" he scoffed "I see no reason why this particular instance should warrant an intervention."
"A thousand times before now, is it?" Sothis scoffed "And how often did you attempt to help them?"
"...It would have made no difference whether I acted or not."
"I'm sure that is a very comfortable excuse you tell yourself at night." Sothis mocked with a smile which didn't reach her eyes. "It must make it very easy for you to ignore their deaths because 'It wouldn't matter anyway' without even making an effort to try."
Goetia glared.
"Don't get so stroppy with me now." Sothis dismissed, pushing through the irrational fear she had somehow developed. Right now, she was far too incensed to listen to her logical aspect telling her that provoking Goetia was a bad idea. "Throwing a tantrum won't change anything." Her eyes narrowed "You've seen this a thousand times before? And does it ever get easier to watch? Perhaps you get to kick back and relax while saying 'there they go again! Those silly, silly humans but oh well, not like I can do anythin-!'"
Goetia shot to his feet, Byleth flinched and Sothis went silent.
"Don't." His snarl was venomous "Assuming for a moment that I do as you ask, what exactly would be done to stop the rampant paranoia which would no doubt emerge?" he inquired with his expression still set in an angered scowl "Because if some peasant scraped off the side of the road can he hypnotised and thrown at the Archbishop, then who is to say that the same cannot be done for the guards?"
He received no answer.
"Exactly." He growled "You might not like it, and I might not like it but this outcome is more preferable to a horde of frightened paranoid knights roaming the Monastery and conducting drumhead trials for anyone they think might be trying to hypnotise them."
Sothis expression remained blank "And all it takes for a little aspect of false calm are the lives of half a dozen innocents. Quite the small price to pay, isn't it. Especially if you're not the one paying for it."
"Spare me your ethical arguments." Goetia scoffed "Such words spoken in this location of all things are worthless. The fact they dismissed the possibility of the attackers not acting of their own volition is proof enough they aren't interested in-"
"They didn't consider the possibility!"
"Then their narrow-mindedness will cost the lives of innocent people." His lip curled into an ugly smile "Welcome to the History of Humanity, girl. You'll find it won't change that much. Ten years, a hundred, a thousand, it doesn't matter. They'll continue to find new excuses to slaughter each other for the pettiest of reasons and it doesn't matter how much you or I dislike it, that's what they'll do because it's in their nature and leaving the likes of you and me alone to sit back and watch them mindlessly kill themselves for however long we live without an ability to do anything. Because that's how they want to live."
Sothis stared back at Goetia before she gave an ugly snort "Look at these pitiful humans. So ignorant of their own nature which I have clearly seen through. I will lord over their failings as proof of my own superiority and make no attempt to correct them whatsoever because such a thing is beneath me." her lips curled into sneer "I'm sure that's a very comfortable life you lead."
"...Saving their lives won't matter." Goetia replied in a calm tone, his earlier anger seemingly vanished and replaced with an icy persona "Whether they die now or in fifty years, what difference does it make?"
"That argument might have held weight before you intervened to save the young Lysithea."
"A...lapse in judgment." Goetia replied, the hesitance was noticed immediately by Sothis. Her eyes narrowed like a hawk "It was…"
"Oh?" Like a shark smelling blood in the water, she closed in on him "Why should it matter? Whether now or in fifty years, she'd still end up dead wouldn't she?" Sothis shrugged, turning away "So maybe you should have just let her die."
"T-that is not…" Goetia's expression tightened, looking away as that ugly feeling in his gut intensified ten-fold. "It was…"
"Or is it that you just don't care about anyone besides those you personally know?"
"That isn't it." Goetia huffed "They are...it is all of them that I…"
"Really?" Sothis snorted "It doesn't feel like all of them."
"I-it matters not." Goetia affirmed to himself "Even if I aid these ones, it does not change the fact that there are still hundreds, if not thousands out in the world who will not receive the same mercy you ask me to grant now. If I interfere here I will have to interfere elsewhere…"
"And is that so wrong?"
"It isn't…" Goetia looked away from them. "That isn't helping them...not how I want to."
"Maybe." Sothis slowly nodded her head "But it is better than leaving them to die."
Byleth remained stationary, staring at Goetia as he looked away from them, his breathing had quickened slightly with his eyes continuously darting around.
The girl reached out with her left hand, placing it on his shoulder.
Goetia's head turned towards the limb, staring at it for a few seconds then gradually rose up to her.
"Please." She spoke a single word. She didn't need to utter the rest.
Goetia stared into her eyes, the ugly feeling in his gut continued to build until it reached his heart.
It was excruciating.
It was ugly.
So very ugly.
Why did he have to feel this? Why? Why!?
He didn't know these people, they offered no reason to spare their lives from persecution. There was nothing different about millions he had seen die for lesser reasons. It wouldn't hurt any less and he would never be numb to the pain of failure but that's what they wanted.
They didn't want his help.
These people weren't even like Lysithea, she had mild value as an object of study, indeed from the very beginning she was nothing more than a ■■■■■ to him.
So why should he do anything to-
"It pains me to ask, but I must know!"
"Why do you continue to fight!?"
"Why do you refuse to submit to me!?"
"Why do you keep fighting so hard!?"
"Why...?"
"That's obvious…"
"...To live."
Byleth watched the moment Goetia seemed to come to some form of answer, his eyes coloured themselves with something.
Something which troubled him.
She wasn't that good at reading people but even she could tell he was troubled.
Closing his eyes, Goetia exhaled loudly before looking towards her.
He opened his mouth and gave his answer.