Chapter 39: Price of Truth
"The Archbishop herself has stated that none bar the knights are to be allowed entry to the cells." The guard spoke in tone which brook no argument "Even if you have a Professor with you, entrance to the prison is strictly-"
"You never saw either of us." Goetia spoke as he looked into the man's eyes, his own glowing a subtle red before they flickered over to guard next to the man "Neither of you did. You stayed at this guard post and did not see myself or anyone else enter or leave."
The man's eyes glazed over, nodding once in reply and stepping aside.
"Where in the prison are the attackers of the Goddess Tower located?"
"Fifth Cell block down at the first turn." The man replied without a hint of hesitation in his voice "The door is blocked and requires a key to open."
Goetia grunted once, his face still warped in an irritated frown as he turned to Byleth and Sothis behind him, jerking his head towards the door, he walked past the guards and into the holding area. Sothis and Byleth followed after him, the Goddess remaining silent for a few moments before she spoke up.
"I assume you-"
"I hypnotised them, yes." Goetia cut her off before she could finish, a noticeable edge in his voice. "In the event that the prisoners are not as innocent as you believe, our entry goes unnoticed and we lose nothing but time."
"And if they are?"
"...Then that shall be an issue to solve when we come upon it." He answered without looking back, waving his hand and generating an orb of light above his shoulder to illuminate the corridors. "If nothing else my admission of hypnotising the guards to grant me entrance will at least serve as credibility for the argument." a heavy sigh soon followed "Along with greater degree of suspicion in my case."
"You truly believe they will treat you so harshly?" Sothis questioned with a soft tone of voice "That your act of goodwill shall backfire upon you?"
"Yes." Goetia replied "Even without Clairvoyance, I can only foresee the outcome unfavourable to me in every possible way...however, I have come to terms that such is my fate for intervention."
Sothis had nothing to offer in rebuttal, Byleth frowned as the trio descended further and further into the dungeons with Goetia occasionally hypnotising guards to allow them entry. For breaking into a prison, it was alarmingly easy to do with the aid of Goetia's magic. At this point, Byleth was starting to see why the Church might view it as a threat.
"They're up ahead." Goetia suddenly announced as they came upon a heavy iron door, waving his hand in the direction of the lock, Byleth heard the clunk of a heavy bolt before the door swung wide open. "Come...Let us put an end to this question of yours."
Nodding firmly, Byleth and Sothis followed him through the door to the cells.
The dungeon was exactly what he was expecting, it was dark, mildly damp and wholly insufficient in keeping captive even the most basic magi. Which surprised him as they were apparently keeping some of the mages captive from the attack on the Mausoleum.
He dismissed it as perhaps them being held captive in a more secure area, although he wasn't in a rush to see what they would refer to as 'secure' considering that already shameful excuse of defences they had presented him so far.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he proceeded down the hallway to the cells, his feet quietly thudding against the stone floor as he advanced with Byleth's heels clacking along the ground behind him.
He knew why he was here, see if the attackers had been hypnotised and then make the case to Seteth that they should be spared by virtue of not having any control over their actions at the time. It wasn't something he wanted to do to begin with, if they weren't hypnotised then he could safely ignore it and continue on the same way he had before.
If they were...That would make things much more difficult for him. Not least of which because it would heighten his threat level considerably within the Church. His clear break-in was obvious enough to warrant some measure of punishment for him. He doubted they would try and execute him – not that he would let them – but it wouldn't stop them from enacting other methods of keeping him in line.
He imagined they would try and confine him to the Monastery, or banish him entirely. Whichever came first.
It was...more challenging to accept the latter outcome than the first, not least because he hadn't finished teaching his lessons to Lysithea and the others.
He came to a stop at the nearest cell, turning his body towards it and looking down at the occupier. He raised a sole eyebrow at the state the man was in. Bruises covered his body from a clear beating with a platter of food at the side. It didn't look appetising.
Scanning the man's features up and down – they hadn't even noticed him yet, still dazedly staring up at the ceiling – he eventually spoke up "Are you one of the attackers of the Goddess Tower?"
The reaction was instant, the man scrambled to the far side of the cell, thrusting his arms up in a feeble defence "I-I already told you! I don't know anything! Please! I-I don't know! I don't know how I got there! I'd never try to hurt the Archbishop! I swear!" the panicked cries of mercy soon descended into a pitiful sob "Please...j-just don't...y-you have to believe me…"
Goetia remained stone faced at the reaction, looking over his shoulder to the left to see Byleth remaining equally blank faced. Sothis was the only one to show a visible reaction, her lips set in a disgusted frown "Have they been torturing this man?"
"Interrogation, most likely." Goetia muttered as a way of an answer before sighing, moving his hand towards the lock on the cell and unlatching it. The man started at the sound and attempted to press himself further into the way.
"Please!" He begged louder, still crying "I didn't do anything! Just don't hurt me anymore! Please Goddess no!"
"Stop snivelling." Goetia ordered, the cries only intensified.
"Your ability to calm the despairing is outstanding." Sothis dryly remarked "How ever will you comfort the wounded? 'Stop bleeding, it's bad for your health'."
Goetia sent her a mild frown before looking down at the man "I'm not here to beat you like some savage. Answer my questions and they will determine whether or not you survive to the end of next week."
"Oh Goddess no!" The man wailed "Oh Goddess! Please! I don't want to die!"
Goetia sighed, crouching down low and clasping the man's shoulder roughly, the man's panicked eyes fell on him before widening. Then confusion flickered through them as he stared at Goetia before moving over to Byleth.
"Y-you…" He sniffled "You aren't the guards."
"Your powers of observation are astute." He looked the dirt blonde man over "It appears they haven't damaged your cornea at least. Mild bruising along the face. I assume they hit you with their fists."
A rapid nod was his answer.
"Hmm." Humming, Goetia released the man's shoulder "You are experiencing a memory gap where you cannot recall the hour in which you attacked the Goddess Tower." he stated, the man nodded his head.
"Please…" He started whimpering again. "I didn't do anything...I-I just remember going to buy something for my wife and then I'm being manhandled by the Knights saying I've attempted to kill the Archbishop."
"I see." Goetia nodded once, raising his left arm and moving it towards the man's head "You might feel slight discomfort, I ask you to avoid resisting as it will make the entire process much more painful for you."
"Wha-" Goetia didn't give the man the opportunity to continue speaking before he placed two fingers on the man's forehead and muttered under his breath.
"Sinne. Kom ihåg. Minne." The man took in a sharp intake of breath as Goetia invaded his brain, seeing flashes of memories as he dismissed the ones of irrelevance. Moving through the relevant images he came upon what he was searching for.
"You always do something like this though." Janet scolds him, he can only hang his head and give a half-hearted shrug in response, she isn't exactly wrong in that regard. Mason can only continue to give an awkward smile in response.
Janet sighs, shaking her head in exasperation "Alright, but remember to at least make it to the Cathedral in time for the Rite, I don't want to have you make a late entrance and embarrass yourself."
"I-I wouldn't do that!" Mason fervently denied, earning only a flat look in return from his wife. The woman placed her hands on her hips while giving him a half-lidded expression before rapidly tapping her foot against the ground.
He can feel sweat slowly build up on his brow the longer her eyes pierce into him, he eventually can't take it anymore and looks away from her. He can still hear her foot tapping however, the sound akin to a war drum.
Sighing heavily, he eventually nods his head "Alright...I might."
"Hmph." Nodding to herself once, Janet takes her hands off her hips and crosses her arms "Exactly. So if you are going to try and buy something for Anthony, try and make sure you don't spend the next hour doing so."
"You make it sound like I'm a child…" Mason pouts, tapping the tips of his fingers together with a hint of embarrassment. Janet raises a single eyebrow at him.
"You're not a child...you're just as airheaded as one." Mason recoils as if struck, the man's face falters before it slumps. "You know I love you all the same."
"I know, I'll be quick." Mason assures her "I promise, I'm just popping down to the market to get him a present. You know how much he wanted to come as well."
"I know." Janet smiles "Be quick about it, he'll feel guilty if he finds out you missed the Rite just because you were shopping for him."
"Go on ahead." He gestures for her to leave "I'll see you soon."
Janet turns away, giving him a parting smile "Be quick dear!" she calls out to him as she ventures towards the Monastery, moving through the crowds as she does so.
Mason gives her parting shape a distant smile as he turns and starts to move towards the market. A large figure in a cloak is barely visible in the corner of his eye, staring at him for a few moments before they begin to move through the crowd towards him.
None seem to notice the figure at all, not even Mason does until they are almost in front of him. The man jolts at the sudden appearance of the large man as the hood locks onto him.
"Hello? Can I he-"
"Listen-"
Goetia removed his finger from the man's forehead, grimacing at the mild headache which shot through his head. The man – Mason – coughed loudly and clasped his head as well, no doubt in response to the shooting pain which was already lurching through his own head.
Standing back up, Goetia stepped away from the man and back through the cell door, closing it behind him and locking it. He could see Byleth and Sothis staring at him expectantly. He remained silent the entire time before eventually turning to the pair of them.
"We're going to Seteth." He immediately walked past them, the pair stared at eachother before Sothis smiled faintly and began following after Goetia.
"So they are innocent?" She inquired with a sure tone, Goetia wasted no time in answering her.
"They are."
"You're going to tell Seteth?"
"I am."
"That was a fast turnaround." She pointed out "I was expecting a little more push for you to decide...so, who hypnotised them."
"I don't know." He replied, Sothis and Byleth blinked at him in surprise "Which is why I am going to Seteth, even if the mastermind remains elusive, it is better to at least alert them to a threat of this nature." he paused, curling his lip "If only because you have forced me to confront it."
"Don't sound too broken up about it." Sothis mumbled to herself before frowning "And what did you do anyway?"
"I examined his memories leading up to the stage at which he was hypnotised." He replied.
"You can do that?"
"Yes."
"...I don't suppose you can do that with me?"
"No." Goetia denied instantly "It doesn't work on those of your kind as you have a potent resistance to Magecraft as it is developed by human hands." he paused "You will simply have to rely on the simple method of reclaiming your memories."
Sothis sighed, shaking her head "I suppose it would have been far too easy for the solution to be that simple, wouldn't it?"
"It would." Passing the guards they had greeted when they entered, Goetia did an abrupt turn and faced the pair. "Your assistance is not necessary for the next stage of this."
"Excuse me?" Sothis raised an eyebrow at him, Byleth's face twitched slightly with her head tilting in confusion.
"In order to explain to Seteth what has occurred, I will have to reveal I broke into the dungeon to examine the prisoners." He paused before continuing on "If you are similarly present, he will naturally assume you assisted me in this endeavour and any punishment that would be inflicted on me would also be shared with you, perhaps to a lesser degree, which is unnecessary."
Byleth stared at him before her brows knit together "You're saying I should leave you to take the blame on yourself?"
"Yes."
"...Why?"
Goetia stilled slightly before his eyes narrowed "Because your own testimony as to my impact will be worthless, all you have seen is me place my hand on a man's forehead and tell you he's been hypnotised. I could just as easily be lying and using you to corroborate my story."
"But...you didn't?"
"Obviously." Goetia scoffed dismissively "However, that is how it will appear from Seteth's point of view. My hypnotising of the guards to grant me access to the prison will already be sufficient proof of the danger it possesses but that much is obvious. Therefore, you are unnecessary."
Sothis stared at him for a few moments in silence before her face softened "After all that...you just don't want anyone else to get in trouble, do you?"
Goetia clenched his jaw "It is simply unnecessary. It is inevitable I shall face consequences in some capacity or another, your presence will only serve to damage your own reputation amongst the staff."
"...No." Byleth shook her head, Goetia's eyes flicked away from Sothis and onto her, his face scrunched up in confusion.
"Excuse me?"
"I said no."
"This is not the time to be foolish." Goetia scolded her with a firm voice "There is no reason for you to risk punishment when saying I acted alone is more than sufficient reasoning. It would be best for you to return to your quarters and enjoy the rest of your evening. I can deal with this stage alone."
"I'm still going."
"You will only hinder yourself and your class." He argued further "They will have to deal with the fact their Professor is a rule breaker, something which will likely transfer poorly onto how their peers view them. To say nothing of how your relationship with me will affect their opinions."
"Still going."
Goetia exhaled loudly "In truth, I do not need your permission. I can just as easily send you away myself."
Byleth stared into his eyes "Do it then."
"You…" Goetia growled, "Am I cursed to be harassed by stubborn humans who refuse to do what I ask of them?" he levelled an annoyed glare at her "You, Solomon, Ritsuka and Mash! You all do the exact opposite of what I want you to do! It's vexing beyond all measure and I cannot comprehend how this stupid, stubborn nature of yours got you this far to begin with!" he stamped his foot into the ground and threw his lone hand up in irritation.
Sothis mouthed the two new names to herself before shaking her head, giving Goetia a smug smile and crossing her arms. "Considering it was the two of us who encouraged you to perform this to begin with, to leave you to face the consequences alone would be wrong." turning to Byleth, she gave her an expectant look "Would it not?"
Byleth nodded her head once "My idea as well, I should also face the consequences for it." pausing, she thinned her expression "That's what Father taught me to do."
Goetia rolled his jaw, eyes darting between the two of them before he released a deep rumbling groan of irritation "Fine." he grit out, turning away from the pair of them "I made the option available to you, do not complain if it ends in an unfortunate manner."
He soon began walking away from the pair of them, proceeding at a steady pace towards the direction of the main building. His teeth were still clenched together, mildly annoyed by the entire affair as well as their incomprehensible stubbornness. Why did this type of illogical behaviour have to follow him everywhere he went?
And why did it make him feel some infinitesimal manner of relief, it should have irked his entire being.
Releasing a deep sigh, he banished the thoughts from his mind and worked on how he was going to present his current findings to Seteth.
Seteth was already hard at work going through another document, reaching up and rubbing the bridge of his nose before he leaned back into his chair. He was due to meet with the Clerical staff in an hour to oust those that had been named as participants for the Western Church.
The thought soured Seteth's mood further, he'd known that the Western Church had been rather aggrieved at the power the Central Church held but he hadn't thought they would have stooped so low to as to orchestrate an uprising in the Kingdom territory of Gaspard – which had now left the region devastated, what little information he'd been able to gather form the Knight's he had stationed there to aid in the reconstruction as well as Duke Fraldarius own testimony was disturbing – and then pillage the Holy Tomb of Seiros.
Not to mention the attempt on Rhea's life and the raid on the Vault with the theft of whatever it was they had stolen. It was enough to have worked Rhea into a frenzy and a small part of him felt pity for those who would suddenly find themselves as the targets of her ire.
A knock at the door of his office jolted him, he frowned and looked towards the window. Was it time for the assembly already?
"Come in." He voiced out, already rising from his seat. The door creaked open as one of the guards poked their head through the door. "Yes?"
"Apologies for the disturbance, Attendant Seteth. However, Assistant Librarian Goetia and Professor Eisner said they wished to speak with you." the guard paused for a brief moment before adding on "Assistant Librarian Goetia insists it is a matter of some urgency."
Seteth released a faint sigh, waving his hand "Very well, you may tell them to enter."
"Yes, Attendant Seteth." Bowing their head, the guard closed the door behind them as they ducked back out of the room. Seteth was already gearing himself up for whatever it was that warranted the arrival of those two together.
Goetia had already proven to be something of a mystery – foreign status aside – but he couldn't say that he disliked the man. He seemed to be reasonable. Professor Eisner was something of a greater mystery, not least because of her ability to wield the Sword of the…
He was never going to get over why Rhea had named it something so morbidly ironic.
At least she had buried the sword, why she had never done the same with the other 'Heroes Relics' was something he was never going to get over.
The door opened once again, he almost started in shock. He'd never seen Goetia display that much emotion. The constipated look on the man's face told him that this wasn't going to be news he was going to enjoy.
"Goetia." He offered a cordial greeting along with a faint nod of the head before turning to the other one "Professor Eisner, to what do I owe this sudden visit?"
Goetia was silent for several moments before he eventually spoke in a tone of forced calm "The prisoners whom attacked the Goddess Tower."
"…"
"…"
"...What about them?"
"They are scheduled for execution, are they not?"
"They are." Seteth nodded his head "One week from today." he sighed, packing away his desk and preparing himself "If that is all you came to ask, I will be going. There is an assembly I must-"
"They're innocent."
Seteth paused, blinking twice he turned his full attention back to Goetia. His posture straightened and his eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"They were hypnotised into attacking the Tower, they had no control over their own actions."
Seteth frowned, his eyes darting towards Eisner to scan her reaction before they returned to Goetia. His lips thinned "...You mean to suggest their claims of not being in control of their own actions are true?" he frowned, then looked to Eisner "I assume you told him of this?"
She nodded once.
Closing his eyes, Seteth exhaled through his nose before they opened again and turned back to Goetia "And how do you know this?"
"Because I examined their memories myself." He answered, Seteth managed to restrain himself from giving an ugly laugh at the rather auspicious claim.
"You examined their memories?" He dryly retorted, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow "And how did you manage to gain access to their memories?"
"I broke into the dungeon and-"
"You what!?" Seteth hissed, eyes darting between Goetia and Eisner rapidly "You broke into-" he clamped his mouth shut, looking away from the duo and giving a shaky breath, desperately attempting to control his own temper before he raised a single finger "I would like you to explain just how-...No, I assume you just teleported in?"
"Hardly." Goetia scoffed as if the notion was offensive to him "I hypnotised the guards in order to gain access to the cells."
"You hypnoti…" Seteth palmed his face, turning away and resting his right hand on his desk for support. "You hypnotised the guards." he spoke in a flat tone, then looked to Eisner "And you saw this as well?"
She nodded once.
"Fine. We shall say I believe you for this one moment." Seteth's eyes locked onto Goetia "I will say that for the next five minutes I even begin to entertain the notion that hypnosis is something that can actually be performed as something other than a scam and that you can – as you claim – read people's memories. Do you have a suspect?"
"No."
"...No?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"The information was burned from their minds." He replied, his lips pulling into a tight frown "Most magi simply lock the information away akin to small scale amnesia. The memories still exist, however the ability to call upon them is no longer directly accessible. That is not to say that they are lost, but that it would take another Magus actively searching for them to discover them."
"And this is not possible?"
"No. The memories themselves have been destroyed entirely." Goetia dismissed, shaking his head, raising his left hand he pressed it against his temple for reference "The parts of the mind which contained the specific memories were either regressed or simply destroyed. They cannot be recovered."
"Which is very convenient isn't it?" Seteth retorted with a hint of sarcasm "What did their memories reveal to you then."
"They were approached and then the memories ended. They resume in the cells." He paused, frowning "I should point out that interrogation via beatings is a poor form of information gathering."
"What? Oh...yes, I suppose some of the more zealous Knights would be more physical." Seteth grimaced "...So what you have to tell me is that commoners were selected at random, hypnotised and armed before being thrown towards the Goddess Tower like rabid dogs and have – in fact – nothing to inform us of in regards to a wider scheme and are also completely innocent."
"Yes."
"Outstanding." Seteth scowled "And how exactly am I supposed to explain to the Knights that they should now watch out for being hypnotised, which – I should point out – you did with ease to break into the dungeon!" he growled out the last part of the sentence while levelling an almost glare at Goetia.
He paused, his lips tightened further "No more of this here." He walked past, throwing the door open and swiftly moving across the room before knocking on the door "Rhea. I realise this is a poor time but we must speak with you."
"...You may enter." The voice called from the other side, Seteth pushed the door open and jerked his head for the other two to follow him in.
"Seteth, what brings you her-" Rhea cut herself off as Byleth and Goetia followed her in. Her features softened slightly at the sight of the Professor. "It has been some time since we spoke child, I apologise for that but recent events have required my full attention."
Her attention turned to Goetia, the smile on her face remained although her eyes lost any trace of kindness "Goetia, I trust you have been keeping my advice at the forefront of your mind."
Goetia blankly stared at her before his lip twitched slightly, "Suffice to say, I am here because of your advice."
"Oh?" She raised a delicate eyebrow and turned to Seteth with a questioning manner as he closed the door behind them. "I trust this is somewhat urgent, Seteth."
The man let out a deep sigh as he turned to Rhea, giving her a tired expression before he looked to Goetia "Tell her what you told me."
By the end of the explanation, Rhea's eyes were cold.
"Hypnosis." Her lips pulled themselves into a tight line "You mean to state that those currently residing in our dungeons – which you admit to entering without permission and with the very magic you accuse others of using – are not heathens but instead loyal followers who have been turned to savagery by an unnamed individual."
Goetia nodded once.
"And your only proof of this is your word and the admission from our dear Professor here, that you used this foreign magic to enter the dungeon." Her eyes narrowed "As you can imagine, this does not portray you in a positive light." the Archbishop rose from her chair, standing slightly taller than Goetia and using her height advantage to stare down at him.
"Be that as it may, that is what occurred." Goetia answered back, utterly unimpressed by the attempt at intimidation.
Rhea's expression soured slightly before it warped into an empty smile "Yes. Be that as it may." stepping away from him, she paced to the other side of the room. "This hypnosis you speak of is not practised in Fodlan. I dare say that there has never been a recorded case of what you speak of in the history of Fodlan…" she trailed off meaningfully "...Until now."
Goetia remained silent. Sothis behind him widened her eyes slightly and looked at the back of Goetia and then to Rhea.
The woman turned around to face Goetia, her expression still icy. "So we at the Monastery now find ourselves the victim of crafts of magic which you alone are so far the only practitioner we have encountered." her hands rested in front of her "And you have already demonstrated a willingness to use them on the Monastery staff, if I'm not mistaken?"
"...I have."
"You have." Her smile returned, as if delighted at the admission "And your honesty in admitting this to me is welcome...however, the implications cannot be ignored." the smile fell from her face "Some of our more devout worshippers might even argue that you orchestrated the attack on the Tower in order to better ingratiate yourself to the Church."
Goetia's lip twitched downwards. "Ingratiate." He spoke the word in a flat tone.
"That is how some might see it." She gave a casual shrug "Although I myself know you have no true interest in the faith of the Goddess...which might make the situation more dire for you."
She stepped closer to him "Indeed, the claim that you can hypnotise even the common man at will to serve you and the more incredulous claim you can 'read' their memories might be dismissed entirely and they could argue that you are simply attempting to spare the lives of your guilty cohorts."
"...And yourself?"
Rhea stared at him in silence before she closed her eyes and gave a smile "I consider myself to be of the more trusting sort and if our dear Professor can vouch for your actions, then I see reason to suspend my disbelief for a period of time…Provided she is not also under your influence."
"Admitting my own skill to you is already an illogical move on my part." Goetia replied with a slight frown "Considering it was Byleth who brought my attention to the possibility to begin with, it is happenstance that I was even made aware of the hypnosis."
"Once again, I have only your word to support your statements." Her tone was soft and understanding. It was fervently mocking and Goetia was actively disgusted by it, hiding his growing irritation behind a mask of calm. "But it would be most foolish for you to perform an action which has thus far damaged the Church and then bring attention of it directly to me."
"...Most foolish."
"So." Rhea stepped backwards "As you see, we find ourselves in a predicament. I can spare the lives of those who you claim to have been wrongfully used by ill-intentioned heretics but also reveal to the knights the possibility of them being hypnotised against their will. Which would undoubtedly provide a suitable excuse for others to hide behind as well as to avoid their just punishments."
She stared at Goetia for a few moments longer, scanning his reaction "And even if you were to offer aid to discern the truth from the sinners, we would still have only your word to go upon as none bar yourself is witness to these memories you speak of. And using the magic of a foreign power as well as from one such as yourself in the official dealings of the Church of Seiros would be most unbecoming."
Pausing, she smiled "However, there is a manner in which this might be avoided."
"...Oh?" Goetia raised a single eyebrow.
"Yes. Suppose I do believe you and those who reside in our dungeons are indeed innocent. It might be possible to save their lives." She replied "The daggers themselves were safely destroyed and have already been confirmed to have been mundane. Although that does not mean we cannot use more...medicinal excuses."
"You want to claim they were drugged into a more susceptible state." Goetia surmised, his eyes darted from her to Seteth "While yourself and Seteth remain aware of the actual danger, the Knight's remain calm under the belief that they need not be worried about any random stranger suddenly turning them against their comrades."
"Quite so, it seems your abilities of deduction remain quite capable." Rhea complimented in a hollow manner "It would not do for panic to spread amongst the Knight's at such a crucial time, especially not with the possibility of a traitor amongst the Church." she scowled, looking away from Goetia "And it also prevents them from hiding their crimes behind a shield as any evidence you can attest to would likely be dismissed as nonsense, especially given its rather outlandish nature."
"Seteth." Rhea turned her head to the other man in the room "Have the attackers released from their cells, healed up and then returned to their families. Tell the guards we have reason to suspect they were drugged and were not in control of their own actions. That should suffice, should it not?"
"I...believe so." Seteth spoke in a slow tone "Are you certain of this, Archbishop?"
"I find myself moved by his honesty." She replied before turning her attention back to Goetia "Although I should think that I am indeed risking much if it should emerge that you have indeed been playing us for fools as it seems that even those of the faith are difficult to trust as of late."
Goetia narrowed his eyes in suspicion "You want something from me?"
"It is merely a show of good faith on your part." She reassured him "That your intentions are genuine. So, for the time being, I believe it best that you remain within the Monastery. To ensure we are better convinced of your goodwill."
"...Remain." Goetia thinned his lips "I assume I shall also be watched as well?"
Rhea gave him an empty smile "As I've said, your deductive skills are quite remarkable. I think it would also be best that, until you prove your goodwill, you keep your interaction with the students limited to your official capacity as Assistant Librarian. So as we are certain they are not in any danger."
Goetia straightened himself, his eyes narrowed "...What?"
"I believe it to be a reasonable assignment." She shrugged "Besides, your role does not encompass the teaching of students. Perhaps it would be best if you left that to those more...qualified for the position." she paused, leaning forwards "Unless I have reason to doubt your goodwill?"
The only audible sound was the slight grinding of Goetia's teeth before he answered "No. You don't."
Rhea gave a beautific smile and leaned back "Then we are in agreement, I am gladdened to see you are indeed of the reasonable sort as I suspected." nodding to Seteth, he departed the room. "If there is nothing else?"
Goetia silently turned away and marched out of the room after Seteth, Byleth watched his retreating figure before looking back to Rhea.
The Archbishop stared at her with a troubled look "I realise that Goetia had also been instructing you, but I think that for the time being – until a sense of calm is restored amongst the Knights – that perhaps it would be best that our minds are not distracted." she gave a half-hearted shrug "As for after...that will depend on him."
Byleth nodded her head once, then turned on her heel and departed the room, following after Goetia.
"Listen...I-"
"Shut up." Goetia cut Sothis off sharply with a hushed whisper as he and Byleth marched through the halls "That was exactly why I didn't wish to interfere. I knew the outcome would be problematic, and it was."
"It's not as bad as you made it sound-"
"No?" Goetia span around to face the floating girl "I am now effectively a prisoner here with my every move watched, and while the actions of these pathetic zealots would mean nothing to me, they have also seen fit to remove the one outlet I had in making my time here even the least part bearable."
Sothis flinched, looking down "I didn't think she'd ban you from meeting with the students."
"I did." Goetia scowled "She had just been waiting for the right excuse, which I gifted her. Ignoring her entirely now would be to make the entire situation worse for myself as well as the others. Regardless...you saved those lives. Make of that what you will."
"No. You saved them." Byleth shook her head "Didn't have to, but you did." giving him a single nod, she stared at him "Good work."
A flash of something flickered through Goetia's eyes before his lip curled slightly "...Tch." clicking his tongue, Goetia looked away from her and paced down the hallway "Be sure to inform Lysithea and the others of the development, I care not what excuse you craft. Simply inform them that our lessons are on an indefinite hiatus."
"...I did not think that she would do something quite like that." Sothis frowned "I was expecting something closer to gratitude for revealing a possible threat...not veiled threats against his life." she sighed, moving her hand to cradle her head "Still...even with the outcome, even he must admit that the action did save lives, so it cannot be wrong."
Byleth didn't know what to think about that, but she had caught a flash of something in Goetia's eyes.
For a split second it looked as though he had been relieved, but she might have been wrong. She still wasn't that good at reading people.
Chapter 40: Lessons on pause
Silence spread throughout the library. It was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, it was an existence.
He sat behind his desk, completely unmoving as the Clerics moved about the Library. Tomas was present as well, although the man had looked somewhat more stressed as of late. Goetia suspected that it was probably related to the consistent presence of the two knight's standing by the entrance of the Library.
It had been two days since his effective imprisonment within the Monastery and he had yet to be visited by any of the students he actually had a working relation with. That was…
A shame. Not that it affected him too greatly, he was fine before their arrival and he would be fine without their presence either.
All he could do now was just perform the duties assigned to him without any conscious thought of his own to guide him. He had no one to blame but himself, not even Sothis and her poorly concealed attempt to use the lives of the hypnotised attackers to force him into action could be blamed for it. He made the choice and accepted that consequences would be inevitable.
It was his own fault.
But that changed nothing from the simple fact he couldn't ignore.
People were alive because of him, once again he'd turned away from the observational system he was created for and acted to save lives. Those random farmers whose names he'd not even been bothered to recall were alive because of him. They'd live their short pitiful lives as peasants and likely die of influenza or some other rampant disease in ten to twenty years time.
All he'd done was just change the date of their death.
...He should have felt more frustrated about that.
No, he needed to feel more frustrated about it. He wanted that, if he had – with his whole being – regretted the act of saving their lives then he could call it a mistake. He would excuse himself from doing it ever again and accept the punishment as something deserving of his own stupidity at work. Just that self-assurance that it was wrong to save their lives and that he shouldn't have bothered in the first place. So why-
The door at the library opened, the knights seemed to stand slightly taller as a figure passed through the door. Goetia barely noticed them at first, so wrapped up in his own thoughts that their presence didn't even register until they were nearly upon him.
He spied the familiar mop of green hair and the youthful face of Flayn staring at him blankly "Goetia." she greeted him cordially but certainly not as warmly as she had done previously.
"Flayn." He nodded back, she noticed how while he was looking vaguely in her direction, it was if he was seeing through her. She frowned, then quickly scanned her surroundings before her sight rested on a chair, moving daintily over to it. She clasped the seat and dragged it over until it was in front of Goetia's desk, then moved around to sit down in it.
The two remained silent for a few moments before Flayn spoke "You put me to sleep."
"Yes." He replied without missing a beat, if anything Flayn looked more pleased at his admission before it quickly fell back into an expression of scolding.
"Why?"
"Because otherwise you would have attempted to follow myself in the endeavour which has led to this situation." He replied dismissively "Much like Byleth, you are far too stubborn and Seteth would certainly have had words with you after the incident."
"That is my concern." She replied with slightly narrowed eyes "You took the decision from my hands...Goetia, I would have been more than willing to vouch for you." her voice turned slightly softer and dropped into a hushed whisper "They're saying that the attackers were drugged."
"Hmm."
"They weren't, were they?" Her eyes crinkled in melancholy "They were hypnotised against their will. But everyone lied in order to avoid further panic."
Goetia remained silent, neither confirming nor denying her statements. Not that he needed to, they both knew she was correct.
"And naturally suspicion fell upon yourself, like you said it would." She continued on, looking over her shoulder and staring at the two Knight's posted at the door before looking back at Goetia with an anguished expression "...Seteth told me you aren't allowed to leave the Monastery for the time being...and that your lessons with the others have been indefinitely put of hiatus."
"That is the case." Goetia nodded his head "As punishment for my 'brash' nature in breaking into the cells to support my hypothesis."
"You could have asked-"
"Do you truly think they would have believed me?" Goetia looked at her with a searching expression "That what is commonly referred to as a magic of charlatans can be used in such a devastating way but that no one in Fodlan – save myself at present – can utilise it?"
Flayn opened her mouth to speak before closing it, her face changing into a grimace "I...believe you might have been met with some disbelief." she admitted quietly before her expression steeled "But that does not mean you shouldn't have tried, I'm sure I could have convinced Seteth-"
"That you were taken in by wild delusions in the hope that someone wouldn't be truly capable of betraying the faith and were searching for a way to explain their actions because you are extraordinarily optimistic when it comes to discerning motives." Goetia rattled off before he paused, his lips thinning "No...the only method I deduced was to demonstrate first hand the danger it presented itself while providing me with a method by which I could avoid conflict if I was mistaken."
"But you weren't." Flayn insisted "You saved their lives and you're being treated like a criminal because of it."
"I did break into the dungeons." Goetia pointed out "That much would carry consequences."
"Which should have been ignored in light of what you did." Flayn continued on unabated "This isn't right!" she hissed "It's wrong and you don't deserve it."
"There are many things many don't deserve." Goetia hissed back "What humans 'deserve' means nothing. Those hypnotised didn't deserve the fate that would befall them and they certainly didn't deserve to have to rely on outside interference from a more educated source." he leaned back, frowning "Speak to me not of what men deserve."
"Whatever you believe about deserve doesn't matter." Flayn straightened herself out "I don't believe you deserve it in the least."
"That is your own opinion." Goetia straightened himself out as well, staring down into her green eyes "And however noble you might find it to be, it changes nothing. My role was never that of educator and it was not my place to begin teaching the studen-"
"It was not." Flayn agreed "But you did so anyway and you never once stopped, nor did you deny others the ability to do so." she smiled at him "You even agreed to allow the other classes to join in as well and were teaching magic which could be used for healing."
"Magecraft." He corrected before his own face relaxed "It is beyond my power and it comes as a greater shock that I was able to perform the lessons for as long as I was able. Allowing an individual such as myself access to the young and naive minds of the student body was never going to avoid scrutiny."
"...No." Flayn stood up "I won't allow this to last."
Goetia raised an eyebrow at her "You won't?" he frowned "I have no need of your pity nor your charity. These are the consequences I must face for my involvement."
"So you regret it?" She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. Goetia remained silent for a few moments.
"...I do not know." He shrugged, "Actions such as these are not...common...for me." shaking his head, he fixed Flayn with a neutral expression "Regardless, it would only serve to create discord between yourself and the others if you were to argue against my punishment. For now it would be best if you accept these circumstances as I have."
Flayn stared at him in silence, then turned away and marched towards the door. Goetia could already feel a headache coming on from what was likely to occur. Every time he made a request it seemed as though someone was prepared to do the exact opposite, which was more than a little irritating for him at this point.
He pursed his lips and sighed heavily, looking back down at his desk.
…
…
…
"...I wonder if Lysithea has heard of my situation yet." He murmured to himself, he wasn't sure why but it was a passing curiosity. It was unlikely she hadn't.
"Then it appears they have come into conflict." Hubert surmised, nodding his head and cupping his chin in thought. "There have been placements of no more than two guards wherever Goetia has been seen." he turned towards Edelgard "It appears he is under less subtle observation."
"Observation yes, but also imprisonment." Edelgard pointed out "Something occurred during the Rite of Rebirth and I suspect it relates to the individuals released by the Church."
"Yes...They are normally not so lenient with suspected traitors." Hubert agreed "And the excuse they supplied about a drug. It is convenient for them as well as somewhat unheard of-"
"But not outside the realms of possibility." Edelgard finished, her lips tightened into a thin line "It was perhaps destined to happen, considering Goetia has been less than welcoming to the Seiros doctrine, in truth I am surprised it took her this long."
"Perhaps they needed a viable excuse?" Hubert hypothesised, leaning against the wall and narrowing his eyes in thought "Rhea would need less convincing, but Seteth is a reasonable man, he would not assent to this without good reason."
"Which means that he was given reason enough to be suspicious of Goetia's motives." Tapping her hand against her tea cup, Edelgard hummed "The attack on the Goddess tower itself was not a part of the original plan by the Western Church, was it?"
"No." Hubert shook his head "They are as ambitious as they are clumsy, but even they wouldn't perform such a...bold strategy." the boy emphasised the word with a sarcastic smile which quickly faded "As an assassination, it was poor. As a distraction?"
"It took not only us but the entire guard away the moment-" She cut herself off, pausing "...The guards were all attracted to it the moment Goetia's magical alarm activated." she realised "For a distraction, it was perfect."
Hubert frowned "It is convenient that his alarm system would work so well...but from my understanding, he is not proactive in setting up such measures."
"No, he isn't." Edelgard nodded her head, giving a low hum in thought "Information is scarce right now, something has the Church more tightly shut than usual."
"The Golden Deer class was supposed to be guarding the Vault, were they not?" Hubert realised, looking towards the ceiling with his lip twitching slightly "And yet for two days they have been suspiciously silent about their time."
"Claude Von Riegan and 'tight lipped' are not commonly used in the same sentence." Edelgard joked to herself before schooling her expression "It does not take a great deal of presupposition to determine that something occurred at the Vault which the Church felt was grave enough to ensure that information was not spread."
"And properly instructed even Claude to remain silent." Hubert slowly nodded his head, eyes flickering to Edelgard "I understand you have a meeting with Lord Arundel soon. Perhaps he might shed light on the situation?"
Edelgard's expression soured "If Lord Arundel ever finds himself willing to divulge information at any rate." releasing a sigh, she stood up from her desk and moved towards her bedroom door "In any event, whether or not he denies it is irrelevant. The Sword of the Creator is what takes precedence."
"Indeed." Hubert's expression darkened "The Church has most certainly made no attempt to guard that information, or that the Professor was able to bring out the sword's full power."
"Without a Crest Stone." Edelgard commented "...It means she has a compatible Crest."
"She does."
Edelgard took in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly "For now we should remain cautious, there are far too many unknowns and the Church has inadvertently ruined some of our agenda's. Not that we still cannot interact with Goetia while he is in the library, but his role about the Monastery has been hamstrung."
"What do you suggest?" Hubert asked, standing up straight and stepping away from the wall "His lessons provided a clearer method of viewing his personality than his role as Librarian. Considering that the mask one wears when in public is not always the same as the one they wear in private."
"I am aware of that." Edelgard agreed, nodding her head and turning around to face Hubert "We shall simply have to bide our time until a better opportunity presents itself. Or until the Church pushes him too far."
Hubert narrowed his eyes "You...do not mean to suggest-"
"I do. He could very well be a great boon-"
"Or an even greater obstacle." Hubert politely cut her off "I believe I have mentioned it before, your highness but I do not believe that you should be so quick to attempt to bring Goetia to our side. He represents too great an unknown to reliably trust."
"Our associates are much the same." Edelgard's lip thinned "We are surrounded by unknown variables on all sides and if we do not take advantage of this...someone else might."
He was totally going to take advantage of this.
That was the first thought that had run through Claude's head the moment he found out about Goetia's situation, the next thought had been panic at how Lysithea would react.
It was almost funny how predictable she was, he wasn't going to laugh though. Not even as she threw a tantrum like a child.
"Step aside Claude." She virtually ordered him, narrowing her eyes and placing her hands on her hips while scowling heavily "Now."
"Not until you promise me you aren't going to do something foolish-"
"Promise you?" Her lip curled in disgust. "You think I'm some overactive child who will throw my spells around in a fit of rage."
"No." Claude denied instantly "...I think you'll throw Sparkles spells around in a fit of rage. They're much more powerful and a little harder for the Church to clean up after, I should think."
Lysithea's eyes burned "You think this is funny?"
"I'm trying to make light of the situation, but I don't think it's funny in the least." Claude's features thinned "Not in the least but the way I see it, getting down in the dumps isn't going to help anything."
"But-"
"Alright." Claude gently cut her off "We aren't sure what happened or why Sparkles is currently not allowed to teach you, however-" he raised his hand placatingly "-he is still employed at the Monastery and isn't...you know...in a cell. So it can't be that bad."
"…They haven't explained anything though." Lysithea clicked her tongue "All I know is that Teacher has been barred from instructing us and that now the library is guarded."
Claude blinked. He didn't know that.
"The library is what?" He inquired further, staring at the girl with a mildly confused look "What do you mean guarded?"
Lysithea stared at Claude oddly before her lips thinned "Guarded. There are two Knights present at the door...it's...why I haven't been to see Teacher yet." she looked down "What if speaking to us is what got him in trouble to begin with?"
"I doubt that." Claude shook his head "From what I've heard, Seteth has seen you guys training together plenty of times and didn't make a single complaint about it. But if something has happened and the Church isn't going to explain...hmmm." he paused, cupping his chin "I guess the only thing to do is ask."
"H-huh?" Lysithea jolted, staring at Claude with wide eyes "What do you mean 'ask'?"
"I mean ask." Claude shrugged "You know. Go up to Seteth and ask him why Sparkles isn't allowed to teach you at the moment. Makes sense, right?"
Lysithea frowned "What if it's a secret?"
"I mean...If you never wanna find out why Sparkles can't teach you anymore-"
"Fine." She snapped, shutting him up and storming past him "I'll ask."
"Thatta girl." Claude chuckled, jogging after her "Wait for me Sprinkles!"
"I told you not to call me that!"
"It is unacceptable in every definition of the word!" Flayn fumed, stamping her foot down while an exasperated Seteth sighed into his hand. He'd known something was going to happen when she burst into his office looking rather irate, but he didn't think it would relate to Goetia's recent conditions.
For the life of him, he didn't even know the two were on speaking terms.
"Flayn, the situation is rather complicated." He delicately tried to explain, lowering his hand from his face and trying his best to calm her down "It isn't a matter in which you can say what is right or wron-"
"It most certainly is!" She countered "What is next? If I pick up some litter from the Monastery grounds, am I to be punished for the crime?"
"Flayn, that is hardly the similar scenario-"
"Oh? Do I have to bring the litter to your attention first?" She narrowed her eyes at him, placing her hands on the desk and leaning over it "And after I've cleaned up every last speck of litter for the simple crime of discovering it, am I to be locked in my room for the rest of the week?"
Seteth gave a heavy sigh "Flayn, he-"
A knock at the door cut him off, the pair looked towards it before Seteth raised his hand to silence Flayn. Right now he could use a small break "Enter."
The moment Lysithea and Claude entered, he could tell he wasn't going to get one.
"Hey Seteth!" Claude cheerfully greeted as he waltzed into the room, then paused as he noticed Flayn scowling heavily at her older brother, his smile strained slightly "Are we interrupting?"
""No/Yes."" Seteth and Flayn answered at the same time, the latter sent a mild glare towards the former as he gestured for them to continue "I assume this relates to Goetia?"
"Yes." Lysithea stepped forwards, doing her best not to look irritated. "Is there a reason that Teacher's lessons with us have been cancelled?"
Seteth remained silent for a few moments before he nodded his head "Yes. As I'm sure you've heard, those who attacked the Goddess Tower were drugged-" Flayn scoffed loudly, earning a sharp look from the man and a suspicious glance from Claude "-and Goetia did indeed discover that to be the case and we are grateful he saved their lives."
"Strange way of demonstrating it." Flayn muttered under her breath, earning another heavy groan from Seteth.
"However." He continued on, seeing Lysithea making to speak again "In doing so, he did break into the Monastery Prison and bypass the guards and while the end result was beneficial, we cannot overlook the fact that Goetia did so without first bringing our attention to the potential issue. So for the time being he is under...restricted access around the Monastery."
"But-"
"Your lessons with him will not be cancelled permanently." Seteth reassured her "That I can promise you. It is only a temporary measure. It is a punishment for not going through the proper channels while he is employed here."
Lysithea looked visibly relieved at the news "Then, how long-"
"That, I cannot say." He cut her off gently "It will be as long as if felt necessary but it is wholly dependent on him." his eyes darted over to Flayn "Now, if there is nothing else."
"No...I think that's about everything." Claude nodded his head, stepping back towards the door "Come on Sprinkles, we should go visit your dad."
"Natu-" Lysithea stopped, levelling Claude with a heavy glare as he scampered out of the office "Claude Von Riegan!" she hissed, chasing after him "He is not a father figure for me!"
Flayn moved over to the door and gently shut it behind them, turning back to Seteth with a flat look. "Drugged."
"...Ah." Seteth winced "You are aware-"
"I was in the room when the new Professor brought Goetia's attention to the possibility of hypnosis." She explained "Goetia himself seemed dubious, but I imagine he followed through. I was not there for the discovery, however."
"...They were hypnotised."
"You suspect Goetia." She stated coldly, Seteth leaned back against his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Don't you? That is why he's under guard and isolated. You think he's guilty of trying to attack Rhea."
"No, I don't." Seteth shook his head "I suspect if Goetia wanted to attack the Archbishop, he'd have done it in such a way that didn't immediately incriminate himself. Whatever else, he is not a fool."
"Then why-"
"Because Rhea is...very upset right now." Seteth gently explained in a low tone "I have not seen her like this in a long time, Flayn. Her ability to listen to reason is skewered at present and it is better to wait for her to calm down before bringing up the topic of Goetia with her. But I will not allow the punishment to be permanent if he is guilty of nothing." the man rested his arms against his desk and sighed heavily. "It is a complicated issue right now and there is more at work here than I believed."
Flayn frowned "What do you mean?"
"...Suffice to say, the Monastery is not as secure as I once believed and with the growing presence of types of magic I have never seen before...it is difficult to keep track of everything that is happening at present." He looked up at Flayn. "I would truly like to believe that Goetia is innocent but given his personal link with the hypnosis used – which I had not believed to be genuine until recently – we cannot completely rule out his involvement."
The girl crossed her arms "...And the reason for taking away his one outlet where he could enjoy himself?"
Seteth sighed "Like I said. Rhea is currently very stressed as of late and I would also admit that keeping Goetia in close proximity to the students while he is under suspicion, no matter how minute, is not something I am wholly comfortable with. He is still free to interact with them within the confines of his own job."
Flayn gave a heavy sigh "I still do not like this."
Seteth gave a weary chuckle "Yes...I see your optimism and ability to see the good in people has not changed over the years." shaking his head, he gestured towards the door "I will see to it that Goetia's punishment does not stretch on for too long, I suspect Rhea will eventually calm down and listen to reason."
"...Very well." Flayn nodded her head.
"Oh, and Flayn?"
"Yes?"
"No fish for a week."
The girl looked horrified "W-what!? Why!?"
Seteth raised an eyebrow "Why? While I am pleased you are championing yourself for those of a suspect nature, you could have at least done so in a more respectful manner." he paused before adding on "And not in front of the students."
"B-b-but-!"
"Off you go." He waved to the door "Perhaps I might change my mind if you are less disrespectful over the course of the week." he smiled to himself, which just informed her how unlikely that was.
"Tyrant!"
"Yes, but I am your guardian Flayn." Seteth pointed out "It is my role to raise you correctly." she slammed the door behind her, Seteth shook his head in exasperation at the display. "You most certainly have your mother's temper...at least you lack her vocabulary." a nostalgic smile came onto his face.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"...Alright." Sothis huffed, crossing her arms and looking away with a heavy frown "You can stop staring at me like that for a start."
"Like what?"
Sothis gave her a bland look "Really? You truly intend to play the role of an ignorant child?"
"…" Byleth remained stone faced, still staring up at the girl before the floating woman clicked her tongue.
"Alright, fine. I am feeling somewhat responsible for Goetia's current predicament." She raised her hand "But!" her eyes narrowed "I do not regret it in the least. At least no one died."
"He can't teach me." Byleth pointed out "Or anyone else."
"I am aware of that." Sothis grit out "But I very much doubt it will be permanent, it should last no more than a few weeks at most. At least, that would be reasonable." she remained silent for a few moments before exhaling loudly "Fine, I didn't think he would get punished in the least." raising her right hand, she pointed a finger at Byleth "And how did you escape any manner of punishment for that matter? You get a slap on the wrist and Goetia becomes a prisoner in all but name?"
"...It doesn't seem right." Byleth admitted, nodding her head as she sat down in her seat near her desk, the woman rested her elbow on her knee and propped up her chin with her arm "Preferential treatment."
"That is one word for it." Sothis admitted "Another is blatant favouritism. There is no reason why you should not have received some measure of punishment as well, considering you were also party to the breaking and entering of the Monastery Dungeon." she paused, soon frowning "For that matter, why does a Church have a dungeon?"
Byleth shrugged "I don't know." then tilted her head "What about you? You encouraged us to go down there."
"Yes, but there is very little one can do to punish someone that doesn't exist in the material plane." Sothis wryly pointed out "My movements are already constricted to being around you or a few metres away at best. In what way can I be further restricted?"
Byleth blinked twice then shrugged.
"Exactly." Sothis nodded her head "Now, back to my original point. This latest stunt has highlighted something very interesting. The Rhea woman's bias in favour of you. You are grossly underqualified to be a teacher in anything other than combat and they already had one of those, whom I assume had a greater degree of experience than you."
"...the Archbishop does seem to show an unusual level of trust in me." Byleth admitted "Why do you think that is?"
"That, I cannot be sure." Sothis frowned "Your father seemed weary of encountering her again, perhaps you could ask him in private about his reservations towards the Archbishop. At the very least he could offer his own experience with her so that we might at least understand what you have done to earn this show of trust." the girl floated up, cupping her chin in thought "It seemed to surprise even Seteth, and he most certainly seems like the reasonable sort."
"Was dubious about me." Byleth nodded her head "He didn't want me to have the Noble Phantasm."
Sothis opened her mouth to reply, then raised an eyebrow at her "Noble-" she widened her eyes "Ah yes, Goetia once again seemed to have a title for this weapon already. What is it called? 'Sword of the Creator' and gifted to the Fell King Nemesis." her face soured. "Something about that sentence disgusts me greatly, but I cannot be sure what it is."
"Doesn't make sense either." Byleth shook her head "Handing over a treasured artefact to me because I can wield it is strange. Considering who the other wielders are."
"Yes, Noble families and Catherine." Sothis nodded "Whatever else, Goetia is correct when he refers to her as overly loyal. She has served years, I would guess, while you have been here but a few months. It is peculiar."
"...Go speak to my father?"
"Yes." Sothis nodded. "We...I...should also speak with Goetia at some point to express my thanks and apologies."
"But Seteth assured me that it would be temporary." Lysithea finished with a confident smile "So I am certain that it will not be long. I shall make sure to train diligently until our lessons can resume. I am most certain you will be pleased with my progress."
Goetia stared blankly at her "...Ensure you adhere to proper safety guidelines I pointed out in our second lesson." he paused before continuing on "And avoid practising Magecraft beyond your current capabilities. Remind the other students to do much the same, perfect the lessons I have already taught you...or bring them up to a passing standard."
"Of course!" Lysithea nodded her head enthusiastically "I won't let you down Teacher."
"...See that you do not." Goetia hummed, leaning back in his chair and looking over Lysithea's shoulder "And you, Von Riegan? What business have you here?"
"Me?" Claude gave a mischievous smile "I'm just here to see how you're doing." he nodded to Lysithea "Sprinkles was all worked up about you I just figured I'd have to come along as well."
"Hmm." Goetia hummed "If that is everything."
"Yes, come on Claude." Lysithea nodded to the boy, "Lessons will begin soon."
"Yeah, yeah." Claude waved his hand "I'll be there in a moment, just gotta speak with Sparkles first about a book I checked out."
Goetia stared at him in mild suspicion while Lysithea looked downright incredulous.
"You." She scoffed disbelievingly "A book."
"What?" Claude gave an overly affronted look "You think I would neglect my education?"
He got similarly bland looks from Goetia and Lysithea.
"Sprinkles and Sparkles, I swear…" He muttered, shaking his head "But it is about something I checked out."
"...Fine." Lysithea huffed, levelling a finger at Claude "But don't waste Teacher's time!"
"I won't, I won't!" He assured her, raising his hands placatingly as she huffed and made for the door. Claude waited until he saw her exit before he turned around to the desk, leaning over. "Alright, we both know I don't check out books-"
"As an assistant Librarian I am required to inform you that it is highly recommended you change that attitude." Goetia rattled off with a monotone voice.
"I'll manage just fine." Claude chuckled, then dropped his voice into a whisper "Listen, it's about the map you let me have."
"The Vault was breached."
Claude stared blankly at him "...Yes." he nodded once "Deduced that all on your own?"
"Yes."
"Fair enough...did you also know that the Vault looked as though the guy ripped his way in there with his bare hands?" The way in which Goetia titled his head and suddenly looked mildly interested told him that he didn't know that. "Thought not. Saw the door as well."
"Reinforcement upon the body has tremendous effects...but the Vault door was also enchanted as well, was it not?"
"Similar to the Holy Mausoleum, or so I've heard." Claude nodded his head "But...no one heard the door being ripped apart."
"...A bounded field." Goetia realised "Noise cancellation, it would have contained the point of entry to avoid suspicion. The rotor of the guards?"
"Five minutes." Claude replied "In and out before anyone knew what was going on."
"Skilled then." Goetia realised "Full body reinforcement or pure natural strength-"
"Natural?" Claude gaped at him "Those were big steel doors...how much natural strength can someone have to accomplish that?"
"There are numerous…" He trailed off shaking his head "Nevermind. You would not be aware of them anyway. For now, we shall assume it is reinforcement. A bounded field to avoid attracting attention and a distraction via an attack on the Goddess Tower in the event the breach takes longer than expected." Goetia nodded his head, leaning back in his chair "...Intriguing."
"Isn't it?" Claude nodded his head "...Although I technically wasn't supposed to tell you any of this, so it's probably best you don't mention it to anyone...aside from me, of course."
"Given my current situation, discretion would be prudent." Goetia agreed "Given how there has been no news present, I assume that whatever was stolen is currently not being discussed."
"Nope." Claude shook his head "No one knows."
"And why inform me?" Goetia posed the question, raising an eyebrow and waiting expectantly.
"You were the one who helped us, kind of." Claude admitted "Might not have caught the guy-"
"They would have most likely killed you with ease."
"Well...obviously, I'm not as durable as a steel door." Claude gave an amused huff "But anyway, we might not have caught them. But you made us aware of the location to begin with. It has narrowed down our suspects to a skilled mage instead of a crew of thieves, hasn't it?"
Goetia remained silent for a few moments, then slowly nodded his head. "That is true enough. Now-"
"Hey." The pair turned to see one of the guards standing just behind Claude, the man tapping his foot and looking between the two expectantly "A long conversation for a book, isn't it?" he accused.
"I had some questions about the nature of the book." Claude replied "Fodlan history isn't my forte-"
"Obviously." The man rolled his eyes, then looked at Goetia before back to him "But Head Archivist Tomas can provide you with more detailed answers than this one." he nodded at Goetia "Pose your questions to those you actually have the answers."
"I mean...He might have the answer-"
"Ha!" The guard barked a laugh "Right, right…" shaking his head, he waved his hand towards the door "Better get going to class, kid, being late is poor form for a Noble such as yourself."
"...Alright then." Claude nodded his head, his lips thinned before giving Goetia a single nod "Talk later Sparkles." He sent the guard a final look before he turned and made his way towards the entrance to the library.
The guard watched him depart before turning back to Goetia and frowning "Lady Rhea was very clear." he stated "You are to provide whatever help they desire in relation to your employment. Not to distract them from their learning, understood?"
Goetia blankly stared at the man.
Then ignored him completely.
"Hey!" He stepped forwards "I asked if I was understood?"
"This is a library. I have to ask you to lower your voice for the others present." Goetia's eyes never looked towards him as he addressed the man "It would distract them from their learnings."
"...Funny." The man scowled "Really funny, you-"
"Anton." The guard still stood by the door and called out to him "Just leave it. We've already got guard duty without you trying to antagonise him. He's not worth it."
"...Not worth much of anything." Anton mumbled to himself as he stomped away from Goetia and back towards the door to the Library, assuming his position and remaining stationary.
The door opened as Tomas hobbled in, the man frowning heavily as he glanced out of the corner of his eye towards the two guards before making his way towards the desk, nodding once "Young Goetia."
"Tomas." Goetia nodded back.
"Honestly, all these watchers…" Tomas grumbled to himself "It makes our jobs all the more stressful and unnerves the students to be surrounded by armed Knights." shaking his head, the old man walked past him "As if something is going to jump out at any moment...dear me."
"It is usually best to ignore them." Goetia advised "Although I can understand the distracting nature."
Tomas chuckled "Most certainly, I fear it might be difficult to get a moment to myself with them around." his eyes betrayed his obvious irritation.
Goetia grunted in acknowledgement. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel that he wasn't the only one irritated with the current circumstances.