Chapter 53: Story Time
"So to begin with, Abyss was being assaulted weekly by mercenaries. At first it was going well enough, they didn't have enough troops to get too far into it and they didn't have that great a knowledge about the location itself. Most of the time we could pick them off with a few tricks and that would be the end of it." Yuri paused mid story before his frown deepened, looking around towards the other Ashen wolves before continuing on "Then they started to get a bit further. Knew where they were going and approaching the areas of Abyss that actually had people living there."
"We didn't lose anyone in the first couple raids and were able to send them packing easily enough." Balthus carried on, crossing his arms and sporting a frown of his own "Then they started coming back with more men, so we had to lead them off into different parts of Abyss to deal with them. This carried on for maybe…two or three months before you guys showed up?"
"Excuse me?" Seteth raised an eyebrow, frowning openly and looking between each of the Ashen Wolves "You mean to suggest that there have been orchestrated attacks For over a month?"
"It wasn't attacks at first." Hapi cut in, looking put off at even having to speak in the first place "It was just a few mercs trying to break in. The attacks have only been going on for a few weeks now."
"And this is an improvement, how?" Seteth raised an eyebrow and cupped his chin "I was under the impression that Aelfric was in the one responsible for the welfare of Abyss, why did he not attempt to requisition aid from the knights-"
"Ha." Hapi gave an ugly laugh, bringing Seteth's attention to her "Probably because he didn't trust you would even care in the first pla-"
"Hapi." Yuri gently cut her off "Not the time." he reminded her with a stern expression before turning back to Seteth and Rhea in front of him "However the people of Abyss aren't all that trusting of the Knights." he remarked "Aelfric probably knew that inviting all of you down would probably cause a bigger problem than the one we were trying to fix." shaking his head he continued on "These short raids eventually bring us to a couple days ago when we got word of a band of intruders making their way into Abyss." he punctuated the sentence by pointedly looking over to Byleth and the students.
"A band of intruders." Rhea raised a delicate eyebrow then slowly shifted her attention over to the group in question. "I suppose you have an explanation, Professor?"
"This is actually where I come in." Claude offered, raising his hands and stepping forwards, managing to keep up his smile as Rhea's eyes darted over to him "See, I was going for a late night walk when I spotted an individual walking around the monastery. Being the concerned citizen that I was, I naturally followed him and noticed he disappeared down a passage that I had never seen before." he paused for effect "Now I initially wanted to give chase but I was alone, without reinforcements, isolated, no allies in sight-"
"Claude." Seteth sternly cut him off, giving the boy a blank look "Your point has been noted."
"R-right." Claude coughed into his hands "Anyway, so after seeing this mysterious and suspicious individual make their escape, I decided to go to the only people I knew would actually be in the monastery. I didn't want to wake all the Knight's just in case it was a false alarm and with so many of them away dealing with the Western Church right now…" he trailed off meaningfully "Yeah…So I just went to my classmates who were more than happy to lend a hand."
"After you banged on my door in the early hours of the morning." Edelgard countered with a flat look, crossing her arms and causing Claude to wince slightly "Then proceeded to explain nothing about the situation, only that it was of dire importance and had to be investigated immediately."
"And I was right." Claude defended himself with a casual smile "I was of dire importance and we did have to investigate it immediately."
He was rewarded with an eye twitch.
"Anyway." The boy carried on, ignoring the annoyed look he was getting from Edelgard "Now I knew that even if we are students of the officers academy we might run into trouble that we couldn't handle. So I also awoke Teach." he gestured to Byleth "And she agreed to see what I was concerned with."
Rhea looked at Byleth, the woman shrugged in response.
"He said it was important."
"...I see." Rhea's expression betrayed nothing before she turned back to Claude "Continue."
"So we're all getting ready to leave, I've shown everyone the large hole in the ground where our mystery intruder disappeared off into. Then before we could go, our other classmates joined us, having so graciously volunteered."
Seteth raised an incredulous eyebrow, looking behind the boy at the 'volunteers' and seeing all but Ashe give him a shake of the head.
Unaware that his fellow students had all but exposed what really happened behind him, Claude continued on "So we descend into Abyss, an ominous name by the way-" He directed that part of the statement towards the Ashen wolves with a raised eyebrow "-and then we're set upon by these guys."
"Set upon?" Seteth parroted with a concerned look on his face "They attacked you?"
"Well…" Balthus coughed into his hand, suddenly looking very nervous "We had been dealing with intruders for a few weeks…"
"And there were rumours they were related to the Church…" Constance supported with an equally embarrassed look on her face.
"A big misunderstanding." Yuri sighed "Everyone was wound up tight and they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. No one got injured if that's what you're worrying about."
"I did." Balthus called back with a strained tone of voice, prompting Yuri to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose.
"You called yourself the King of Grappling and then rushed into close range with a mercenary who specialises in fighting dirty. What were you expecting to happen?"
"Who punches below the belt?" Balthus muttered with a frown, crossing his arms and looking away.
Seteth's other eyebrow rose up to join its counterpart as his attention fell onto Byleth, the Professor wearing a perfect mask of an expression before she offered a shrug. "He threw a punch. I ducked. Then punched."
"Moving on." Claude coughed into his hand, bringing the attention of the room back onto him "So after the misunderstand got sorted out and he got healed they explained everything to us and asked for some help." he smirked "With all of us being the kindly individuals that we are, we naturally couldn't turn down such a heartfelt plea."
"And tell me?" Rhea began in a slow voice, her eyes drifting over to Goetia "Where does he become involved?"
"...Ah." Claude winced, looking around to see if anyone else was going to explain that part of the story. He saw that no one was willing to step forwards, earning a pained sigh from the boy "Well, initially I wanted to bring Sparkles along but Teach said no-"
"Did she?" Rhea asked with a hint of surprise with something else colouring her voice, turning to the woman in question "And why did you initially reject this request, Professor?"
Byleth stared back at Rhea blankly "...Already in trouble over the prison incident. Didn't want to get him in more trouble."
"And yet here he is." Rhea lamented with a shake of the head, turning to Goetia and giving him an icy smile "Surrounded by those who offer such wise advice and yet you refuse to heed it, I find myself wondering if you are indeed deserving of such council."
"There is time for wisdom and there is time for the heart. It is up to you to determine which of those will guide you forth." Goetia repeated, Rhea's expression freezing for half a second before her eyes widened in recognition, then narrowed dangerously "Is that not one of the tenants of the Prophet Seiros?"
"The words of the Prophet Seiros are for the faithful to prove their love of the Goddess." Rhea replied in a cold tone "Not for you to absolve yourself of sin."
"Fortunate that I am merely providing justification for why I arrived." Goetia replied to her in an equally frozen tone of voice "Following my heart, as it were."
Eyes darted between the two of them with a mixture of surprise and concern, Seteth coughed loudly into his hand to distract everyone from the rising tension in the room. "If we might return to the story at hand."
"...Yes, naturally you are correct, Seteth." Rhea closed her eyes, her polite smile returning to her face as her attention fell back onto the students "You were saying, child."
"H-huh? Oh, right." Claude nodded his head, shaken out of his stupor and looking at Goetia with a hint of surprise before continuing on "I knew that we were still pretty short staffed and having seen Sparkles in action thanks to the battle of the Mountain pass, I knew he'd be a pretty big help." closing his eyes, he scrunched up his face "So I…sent Lindhardt up to the Monastery to collect Sparkles to help us?" he replied, slowly cracking open one eye to see the reaction to his words "...Teach didn't know until he got here."
Rhea stared at him for a few moments before her eyes drifted over to the Harold, the man went stock still and straightened his body fully when she slowly stepped towards him, interlocking her hands and staring down at the man "I was under the impression my orders regarding Goetia were clear."
"...Ye-yes Archbishop." Harold replied with a stiff nod of the head, still staring straight ahead and unwilling to look her in the eyes.
"For my own benefit, please remind me what they were."
"Ar-Archbishop?"
"Humour me." Rhea repeated with a gentle smile, Harold dared to look down at her and almost blanched at the frozen nature of her eyes before they swiftly darted back to staring at the stained glass window at the end of the room.
"A-Assistant Goetia is not to leave the grounds of the Monastery and is to be supervised at all times." Harold repeated with a slight stutter in his voice.
"There is no need to sound so fearful." Rhea chuckled to herself as she stared at the Knight "I am simply curious as to why Goetia was allowed entry into Abyss to begin with, unless he persuaded you?"
"N-not at all, Lady Rhea." Harold replied with a shaky tone, his shoulders relaxing slightly "I was present when Master Lindhardt explained the brief overview of Abyss to Goetia and that it was beneath the Monastery and that entry into it was also found there." the man swallowed "B-because it was still within the grounds of the Monastery, I-I felt as though as long as I was present it would be acceptable."
"...Why?"
Harold's eyes flickered to the woman in confusion "L-Lady Rhea?"
"Why did you feel as though that would be acceptable?" Rhea asked with a tone of honest confusion "Answer me truthfully, why did you allow him?"
"B-because…I-it sounded like the students might be in trouble…" Harold replied slowly, sounding unsure of himself "And I knew from rumours that Goetia could help, s-so I felt as long as it was a quick scouting mission it would be fine."
"...Did you truly?"
"Y-yes."
"And why did you do this for Goetia?"
"...B-because I think of him as my friend."
"...I see." Rhea clasped her hands together, closing her eyes "This was one such instance where wisdom should have guided you forth and alerted someone else." she spoke in a chiding tone before she opened her eyes again "However, you knew no better I suppose. So I cannot fault you for the initial journey." her eyes hardened "However, the repeated journey?"
"Cardinal Aelfric knew of Goetia's situation." Harold replied, a trickle of sweat running down his cheek "H-he told me that I could report any and all breaches to him and then he would report them to you personally."
Rhea remained silent before she nodded her head "I see. In that case, there is little else to be said on that matter. However, I will remind you that the orders of the Church are just that. Orders, not mere suggestions. They exist for the safety of all those within the Monastery, including that of Goetia's. I would ask that you take that lesson to heart, child."
"Y-yes, Lady Rhea."
"Good." The woman nodded to herself, then turned to the others "And I shall assume that after you were informed of the situation in Abyss, you journeyed there?" she directed the question to Goetia, the man offering only a single nod in return. "What then, compelled you to stay?"
"Curiosity." Goetia replied in a blank tone of voice "A slum situated just underneath Garreg Mach was something that piqued my interest. I journeyed there to investigate where I was alerted of the situation and saw little reason to refuse their plea for assistance."
"How magnanimous." Rhea stated.
"Hmmm."
"If I might continue the story." Dimitri stepped forwards "Hearing the plight that the people of Abyss faced was something we could not ignore. So when he heard of another attack we offered our aid to the Ashen Wolf house and Goetia also offered his. Together, we repelled another attack and were able to capture one of the leaders of the raid."
"Did they reveal anything to you?" Seteth asked, then frowned when Dimitri shook his head.
"I am afraid not. Whether it was due to ignorance or will, they would not reveal a single iota of information to us. Therefore we were forced to make suppositions of our own as to why Abyss would be targeted."
"Elfie brought up the Chalice of Beginnings." Hapi remarked, leaning back and crossing her arms "Said it was some old cup that was within Abyss with the power to revive the dead."
"This Chalice?" Seteth raised the golden goblet in his hands with a stern frown "The power to raise the dead you say?"
"Apparently some legend involving the four Apostles and Saint Seiros." Hapi explained with a disinterested expression "It didn't work so they sealed it away."
"...Is that so?" Seteth spoke in an odd tone, looking at Rhea out of the corner of his eye. The woman remained stone-faced, giving the Chalice a single glance before returning her attention to the group. "...And this led you to the notion that these mercenaries were after the Chalice?"
"It was the only conclusion we could reach." Edelgard supplied with a shake of the head "There was precious little else of value within Abyss and from what we had been told, the raiders had been searching for something. We determined that finding the Chalice first was our best course of action."
"That's when Sparkles decided to stick around." Claude chimed in with a shake of the head and a half smile "The second he heard about the Chalice it was like someone flipped a switch. Goes charging off into the library and muttering about Holy Grails or something."
Rhea noted how Goetia's expression twitched with clear irritation and his eyes briefly darted over to Claude as if trying to silence him with his gaze.
"...Goetia showed an interest in the Chalice?" Seteth asked with a stern visage.
"Not at first." Claude admitted with a shrug "He did become a lot more interested when he heard it could bring back the dead."
Seteth wordlessly looked over to Goetia, the man stared back at him with a blank expression "For what purpose?"
"Said it was too dangerous in the wrong hands." Claude replied, placing his hands on his hips with a casual face "He was worried the amount of damage someone could do with it."
"...I am inclined to agree." Seteth remarked as he stared down at the Chalice "Such a thing provides a great deal of temptation if it truly holds the power to resurrect the dead. However, I suspect it does not. Given that it was sealed away."
"Moving on." Claude continued "After we went through a rather long winded library session, we worked out where the Chalice was and how it was guarded. So we ventured through Abyss, braving terrible monsters and creatures from beyond the-"
"What he means to say is that we sat back and allowed Goetia to do all the work." Linhardt blandly interrupted, earning a betrayed look from Claude "Although he had warned us beforehand on how best to deal with the ghosts-"
"Ghosts?" Seteth parroted with a raised eyebrow "You speak of spirits of the deceased?"
"Indeed." Linhardt nodded "Goetia believed they were the souls of those who had attempted to steal the Chalice in the past and had died because of it. Whether or not that is true is of little importance anymore, given that the spell that kept them in place was destroyed."
"...I should most certainly hope so." Seteth replied in a grave tone "Necromancy is nothing shy of heresy and any and all attempts to dabble in it should be wiped from the land. You suggest that such a thing was within the Monastery?"
"Along with the Golems." Lysithea replied before she puffed out her chest and gave a smug look "Until Teacher dealt with them easily enough."
Seteth rubbed the bridge of his nose, finding it difficult to keep up with the recent string of statements "...Very well…you defeated the defences around the Chalice and then claimed it?"
"We did." Byleth nodded her head "...Stones glowed and then opened up a passage."
"The stones glowed?"
"Shape of Crests."
"The crests of the four Apostles, I presume." Seteth sighed to himself, the energy leaving his body "Very well. At this point you retrieved the Chalice and journeyed back to Abyss?"
"Where we then learned that Aelfric had been kidnapped." Ashe offered up, frowning to himself "I only wish we had been faster."
"Speed would have changed nothing it seems." Seteth shook his head "They targeted Aelfric specifically and from what you all know, they revealed his true identity without concern."
"We suspected escapee's from the Western Church." Dimitri offered up "Those who would use the Chalice to solidify their position as a legitimate religion and alienate support from the Church."
Seteth stared at him before nodding his head "There is reason enough to suppose that." he admitted "My own thoughts on the Chalice aside, if it is indeed an Artefact made my the Prophet Seiros, then showcasing it with the argument that the Central Church is nothing more than thugs out to steal from them could widen divisions that already exist. They would also be aware of Aelfric's status as a Cardinal and his management of Abyss."
"So…" Yuri closed his eyes, exhaling before opening them again "...Lay it on us. What's our punishment? We raided a holy site and stole a relic of the Prophet and a Cardinal has now been kidnapped."
Rhea's eyes drifted over to him before her lip quirked into a faint frown "You speak truly. In raiding a site touched by the Prophet Seiros and stealing something crafted with her own hands, you have committed a grave sin. However, the kidnapping of Cardinal Aelfric is not something that can be purely laid at your feet." she paused before continuing on "However, you have also uncovered an artefact once thought lost to the Church and in light of this good deed, I will offer absolution for you."
The woman walked to the other end of the line, stopping in front of Goetia "...For most of you, I should say. With how often trouble seems to flare in the steps you have taken Goetia, I wonder if there is somehow a link between the two."
"Correlation does not equate to causation."
"You speak truly." Rhea admitted with a nod of the head "However, I made myself very clear and we are both aware that your justification was nothing more than a ruse. What interest do you hold in the Chalice of Beginnings, I wonder?" her eyes narrowed "Beyond that, I expressly made it clear that you were only to interact with the students in your official capacity."
"Am I not an employee of the Monastery?" Goetia countered with a raised eyebrow "Is it not my place to ensure the wellbeing of the students?"
Rhea closed her eyes and smiled at him "Was it not you who suggested to me it would be strange to find a librarian in a combat situation? I myself am puzzled by this change of heart and yet find myself wondering what brought it about."
Goetia's eyes narrowed ever so slightly "Perhaps you would prefer I merely ignored their plight and left them to their own devices? Stumbling through a field of wraiths and constructs."
"Was it not your own interest in the Chalice that precipitated their journey?" Rhea countered with a tilt of the head "I believe they merely speculated it to be a theory before you became invested in the idea. Without you, would they have even searched the Chalice to begin with?"
"My interest in the Chalice was secondary and there were few other conclusions to be reached." Goetia replied "With or without my presence there, they would have sought out the Chalice. Whether they returned alive would be another matter."
"I believe that you underestimate the strength of our teaching staff and the students." Rhea scolded with a frown "Unless you somehow feel yourself better than them?"
"Would you prefer an honest answer or a falsehood?"
"I am curious as to which you are more skilled at giving." Rhea replied "Given that our previous encounter was one where you assured me there would be no further problems. I provided you with goodwill despite the nature of what had occurred and now we find ourselves in a similar situation once again. For what reason does one with so little respect for the Church's authority have for the Monastery?"
"The Church's authority?" Goetia asked, his eyes twinkling. The question of 'or your authority?' went unasked, however for all intents and purposes he may as well have spoken it.
Rhea gave a cold smile "The Church's authority, by which I have a responsibility to uphold."
"I have witnessed."
"Is that irritation I detect within your voice?"
"Resignation perhaps."
"Does it provide you with some manner of joy in challenging the rules of the Church, or do you find it difficult to be given instructions?" Rhea asked, tilting her head and her smile softening slightly "If it is the latter of the two, then I could understand if you were merely impulsive. Acting recklessly without understanding the full weight of the consequences of your decision. I suppose the son of a King has had few restrictions."
There was a sharp intake of breath, Goetia felt the eyes of everyone in the room snap onto him.
"Ah…Were they not aware?" Rhea sighed to herself and leaned back "Forgive me, Seteth told me you spoke candidly in his questioning when you first arrived."
"...It is of no relevance, thus I saw no need to inform them." Goetia replied with a flare of his eyes.
"I understand, you wished to go somewhere your title did not affect you yet. However, you must understand there is a natural order to things." Rhea spoke down to him as if he were a child, Goetia could feel his emotions starting to boil under his skin while his face remained a mask "Perhaps it is my own fault for not being clearer upon our first meeting. Within this Monastery, you are but a single individual amidst a sea of hundreds more."
She stepped back "You must understand that while you may hold some authority where you are from, you have none here. Rather, you are much like all others, unless you are here in an official capacity?" she asked, although they both knew the answer.
"...No."
"I see. If you do have trouble with the authority of the Church, you are free to leave at any point and none will stop you. However, if you are to remain…you must learn to accept that there is someone superior to you."
"...I suppose that would be you."
Rhea gave a light chuckle "I am merely a messenger for the words of the Goddess, I think of myself as no better than anyone else in this room. Merely that my position comes with a greater degree of responsibility that I must adhere to. It is not something I relish but for the Monastery to be maintained, everyone must understand their place within it."
Rhea turned to the others "To that end, I would like some time to speak with Goetia alone." she nodded to Seteth "Please leave us, I will collect you when our talk is completed."
"Rhea-"
"It is fine." She assured the man with a placating smile before she gestured to the guards still in the room "You might all leave as well, I suspect we will require privacy and I would not wish Goetia to feel pressured." The knights looked around for a few moments before they nodded their heads and turned towards the door.
One by one, the group filtered their way out of the room, shooting glances over their shoulder at the pair who remained behind.
"And Seteth?" Rhea called out, then extended her hand "Might you hand me the Chalice of Beginnings?" The man looked dubious before he walked over to the Archbishop and laid the golden goblet in her hands, staring into her eyes with a stern look "We will speak of it later." she replied quietly, the man gave a stiff nod before turning away and walking out of the room, shutting the doors behind him with a heavy clang.
Silence purveyed through the room as Rhea stared down at the Chalice in her hands with an indiscernible expression.
"I shall assume this is an invitation for us to forgo polite formalities and speak candidly?" Goetia asked with a frown on his face, rolling his jaw as he stared at Rhea, the woman showing no sign she had even listened to him before looking up.
"What a strange thing to say?" She replied with a hint of puzzlement "We have no reason to ignore basic civilities and speak to one another in a dignified manner." her lip curled "Unless of course, you are incapable of showing even the most basic levels of respect."
Goetia did a sharp intake of breath "...Presumptuous." he scoffed at her "You would need to perform a feat far in excess of anything you can muster to even consider earning a silver of respect from me. I praised your ability to maintain order in Fodlan upon our second meeting and I stand by that statement. You managed to keep this continent tightly grounded underneath the Church of Seiros."
"I believe the phrase you should be searching for is in reverence of the teachings of the Goddess." Rhea reminded him with a frown "And have a care how you speak, this is still a Holy place. Whether or not you adhere to the teaching of the Goddess is irrelevant, I overlook your heathen nature because you made no effort to showcase it, do not break this trend now."
"I admit to the existence of your Goddess." Goetia rebuked her with an open scowl "If you expect me to get down on my knees and pray to her then you will be left disappointed by the result."
"I'm certain you would make no effort to, even if you didn't believe in the Goddess." Rhea countered, thinning her lips "You clearly hold no respect for anything that this Church represents or the systems of Fodlan."
"Do not mistake my apathy for disrespect." Goetia sharply replied "You speak to me of being within the bounds of being ordinary? You think the Church of Seiros special? That you and you alone have unlocked the mystery of the world in reverence of the Goddess? Don't be so conceited. I have seen thousands of societal structures like this, the establishmentarianism you uphold is as common a system as they come."
Rhea stared at him blankly "...And you believe yourself somehow above the rules you have seen? That you and you alone are afforded some manner of freedom purely because you witness patterns in them?" her eyes narrowed "I think not. The laws of Fodlan are absolute. While within this continent you will adhere to them or you will leave."
"Then why not simply banish me, if I am such a thorn in your side?"
"...Because I suspect it would be difficult." Rhea replied, earning a raised eyebrow from Goetia at the blunt admission "We are speaking candidly, are we not? You have already proven yourself to be a powerful sorcerer and if you were to fight the Monastery I have reason to believe it would not be a battle easily won." her eyes narrowed "You are here for something and I suspect we both know what it is."
"Do we know?" Goetia's lips returned to their usual line "Why do you not tell me what we both find interesting enough in this Monastery?"
"I thought we were speaking candidly?"
"So you know of it then as well."
"As do you, it seems." Rhea scowled "Unfortunate and yet you have made no effort to do anything with this information, why?" her eyes glowed a subtle green "...Unless you merely seek to…turn her against the Church?"
Goetia scoffed dismissively "Do not push your petty suspicions onto me. Your religion means nothing to me, do as you will with Fodlan as you and your predecessors have done for a thousand years. Keep it technologically stagnant, see how long it will last."
"...Oh?"
"Were we not speaking truthfully?" Goetia sneered at her "How reliant this country is on magic? How slow progress is? How the research of Crests is centuries behind what it should be? How long has the Church been keeping Fodlan stagnant? Since the time of Seiros?"
"...Those are rather dangerous and heretical accusations you are slinging forth, Goetia." Rhea spoke in a slow tone "The Church has always seen to the best interests of the people of Fodlan, whether or not they understand them. Rapid change is dangerous and chaotic, unless you point to the separation of the Kingdom from the Empire as a beacon of change and the bloody war it produced."
"That is not change. They merely altered the ruler and kept the laws the same. All of which is adherence to the Church of Seiros." Goetia grunted "But I care not. Whether the people of Fodlan ever do anything about that is not my concern. I am not here to lead peoples on a crusade of cultural growth, that is beneath me."
Rhea raised a lone eyebrow "...So what interest does the good professor hold for you then?"
"Mere observation…nothing more." Goetia replied after a few moments "Fodlan itself is merely something I intended to observe. To gaze at the world and witness ordinary lives. A site of cultural importance like the Church provided an excellent opportunity."
"And yet you proclaim nothing but apathy." Rhea countered with narrowed eyes "Your words do not match your actions. If Fodlan is truly as uninteresting as you proclaim it to be, then why do you yet remain? Surely you have seen all you wished to see? Why not depart?"
Goetia narrowed his eyes "Because I do not wish to."
"Then adhere to the rules of Fodlan that we are all servants too." Rhea responded coldly before raising the Chalice in her hands "...And what is this?"
Goetia raised an eyebrow "The Chalice of Beginnings."
Rhea stared at him blankly before clenching her fist, crushing the chalice in her hand, her face betraying not even a hint of effort in crumpling metal as if it were nothing more than tissue before she dropped the mangled cup to the floor with a quiet clatter. Goetia watched the piece of metal roll across the ground before coming to a halt, raising a lone eyebrow and then looking back up at Rhea with a raised eyebrow.
"And after all you said in regards to the Chalice being a Holy Relic?" Goetia tilted his head "How curious."
Rhea gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look "A mere fake." she replied with a dull look in her eyes "It matches the descriptions of the Chalice of Beginnings perfectly. However it lacks the certain sense that a Holy Relic of Seiros would hold." she dusted her hand with sigh "So how did you construct it so quickly?" she paused "Alchemy perhaps?"
Goetia's eyes narrowed slightly "You know of the art?"
"I am not as ignorant as you would believe." Rhea merely answered "The basics of Alchemy are known to me as well as the complexities." she looked up at him "As they are likely known to you as well. I shall assume that the true Chalice lies with you somewhere. No doubt another magic that Fodlan knows nothing of."
"...Perceptive."
"Hmmm." Rhea merely hummed in response as she lowered her hands to her side "And what interest do you have in the Chalice that you would conceal it so clearly?"
"It is useless to you and all others, that does not take away the danger it represents."
"...I suppose it does not." Rhea admitted with a slight nod of the head "So you intend to hide it from prying eyes who would fall victim to its temptation do you? Acting as guardian from dangers? How then, are you so different to me?"
"The difference between you and me is akin to night and day. Dare not even think that the two of us are similar."
"Of that I am all too aware." Rhea coldly responded "So, now then. Will you return the Chalice?"
"After explaining the danger it represents?" Goetia's eyes narrowed "None know of the intricacies surrounding the ritual, considering it failed I doubt even Seiros knew the full calculations behind such work." he paused "Although I offer some small praise for crafting it to begin with, incomplete as it is."
Rhea's lip twitched as if finding some hidden victory in Goetia's words before her expression steeled itself. "I will make you this simple ultimatum. Either you fall in line with the rules of Fodlan or you become an enemy of the Church. They are not there for you to decide when and where you can intervene or how best you can bend them to your will. You are not afforded that level of trust."
Goetia merely stared at her in silence.
"I will take your silence as an answer and let that be the end of it." Rhea merely replied in a quiet tone "And you should pray to whichever God you believe in that this is the final conversation we will ever have on the matter. Furthermore, I will expect the Chalice returned to the Monastery when this ordeal is over. It will be taken to the vaults and forgotten about, sealed behind many incantations and spells to ensure it is not disturbed again. Failure to do so will mark you as an enemy of the Church."
She was again met with silence.
The woman showed no reaction to his lack of a response, merely giving him her own disinterested look "Very well then. I-"
"I want my lessons back." Goetia cut her off, the woman blinking before her eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"My magecraft lessons. I want them back." Goetia repeated in a curt tone "I will adhere to this charade of yours and afford you this illusion of control you have built around yourself. In return you will afford me this basic request and return my students to me. Do that and I will be content for the time being."
Rhea stared at him long and hard "Why do you want them?"
"That is for me to concern myself with and for you to overlook. My interest is purely academic in nature."
"And I am to take your word for this?"
"We speak truthfully to one another here, do we not?" Goetia raised a lone eyebrow in response "I am telling you I will accept these terms of yours provided you accept mine."
"The guards will watch over you for one further month." Rhea replied to him with a frown "And you will be forbidden from venturing beyond the Monastery without permission for that period of time. After which, you will return to your previous state of affairs."
"Hmph." Goetia grunted at her before nodding once "...Fine."
"Then we have an accord with one another for the time being." Rhea curtly replied to him, placing her hands together in front of her "And we need not pretend to enjoy one anothers company." her eyes turned to the remains of the false Chalice "...Remove that to keep up appearances, I am certain you are capable of such things."
She watched as the Chalice vanished through a shadow on the ground and into nothing, merely giving it a blank look before her expression returned to its usual serene tone as she looked past him, raising her voice "You may enter!"
The doors opened up once again, the group poured back into the room with mixed looks of concern. Rhea smiled at them "Goetia is now fully aware of the responsibilities of the Church, is that not right?"
Goetia stared at her before grunting in response. Rhea's serene smile twitched ever so slightly before turning back to those present "For the time being I feel it best to keep the Chalice hidden while the Church handles the situation with Aelfric." she raised her hand "Rest assured, I think of Aelfric as if he was one of my children. I will do all in my power to see him returned without harm falling to him."
"Lady Rhea." Constance stepped forwards "If I might interject, we cannot give up our endeavour. The enemy stated most clearly that if the knights became involved then they would kill Aelfric." she pleaded with the woman, placing her hands on her chest "Please, we have come this far. Allow us to deal with the situation."
Hapi gave a begrudging nod "The Knights are strong and all, but they are liable to get him killed. We can take care of it." she paused "With Chatterbox and Scowlers help."
Rhea merely darted her eyes to Goetia for a brief second before returning her attention to the students.
"Lady Rhea." Dimitri stepped forwards "We have already promised our aid to the people of Abyss and we gave Aelfric our word we would help them. I cannot turn a blind eye to this situation and beg that you allow us to put an end to this menace."
"...Yeah." Claude nodded "What they said." he then threw a thumb over his shoulder "Besides, these guys will be there to help us."
Linhardt, Ashe and Hilda stared at the back of the boy with sudden surprise, Hilda in particular giving him a rather annoyed look.
"I'll take responsibility." Byleth stepped forwards, staring Rhea in the eye with a determinant look. The Archbishop remained silent for a few moments before she closed her eyes "...Seteth? Make ready the horses for them. They will need them."
"Rhea-"
"Seteth." The woman gently cut him off "I have faith in the strength of the students and our dear Professor." her eyes moved away from Byleth and to Goetia "Not you."
Goetia raised an eyebrow at her.
"I have faith in the Professor's abilities, however trusting you without being watched by the Church is not something I am willing to do for the time being. Therefore you will remain behind until the situation has been resolved." She nodded in the direction of Byleth "Give her the Chalice and she can watch over it."
Goetia's eyes narrowed ever so slightly before they moved over to Byleth, the woman looked between Goetia and Rhea for a few moments before her brows furrowed ever so slightly.
"I'll protect it." She assured him through her mind, unsure if he was even listening "Then return it to you once we're done. Sounds too dangerous to leave be."
"...Very well." Goetia moved his hand into space, pulling forth the Chalice once again. Rhea watched it with a critical eye before giving a subtle nod, indicating it was the genuine Chalice this time. He moved towards Byleth and held the Chalice towards her "Be careful. In the wrong hands-"
"Dangerous. I know."
Goetia pursed his lips "...As you say." he replied after a few moments before he stepped backwards "I doubt I will be required anymore anyway. What little interest there was in this has passed and all you need to do is clear up the mess."
"How droll." Sothis commented from the side, the Goddess staring at him with an indiscernible expression. Having never left the room for the entire conversation.
"Guess it's just us then." Claude sighed to himself before nodding toward Harold "I suppose he would stick out like a sore thumb though."
Harold gave a nervous laugh before his shoulders slumped slightly.
"Okay, guess we're just using Chatterbox's help then." Hapi grunted, pinching the bridge of her nose "Makes me so tired I could almost sigh-"
"Do not make jokes like that." Rhea sternly reminded her with narrowed eyes "Be assured I am not wholly unaware as to who you are and what you are capable of. Refrain from such acts in the future." Hapi shut her mouth with an audible click.
"Now that it has been decided, you are free to remain within the Monastery until the allotted time that has been handed to you. Where you will proceed to the meeting point and then rescue Aelfric from the hands of those who would wish him harm."
Byleth nodded once before she stepped back, Seteth still looked rather put off by the decision but finally nodded his head.
Rhea turned to Goetia, walking towards him before stopping next to him "I am merely fulfilling your request and returning you to your duties from before your unfortunate situation. That and the students do require teaching." she whispered to him.
"Do not cloak your actions under the guise of good will." Goetia harshly whispered back "However it is the life of your Cardinal. I care not."
"And that is why I trust the Professor more." That said, Rhea strode past him.
Goetia remained stationary for a few moments before his lips pulled into a frown.
"She does speak truly in a twisted sense." Sothis supported with a frown "You do not truly care for the man's life, do you?"
Goetia's silence was all the answer she needed.
"That aside, we shall keep the situation under control." Sothis assured him, sending a glance towards Byleth and the youngsters "Especially with your student." she chuckled to herself "Having you show up again and cutting through everyone wouldn't be healthy."
Silence.
"...At least we know she is now aware of something regarding me." Sothis added on, looking for some manner of reaction from Goetia. "...You're angry, aren't you?"
"Hey…Sparkles." Claude called out as he approached, stopping just next to him "...So…Prince, huh?"
Goetia slowly turned his head to stare at him.
"...Solomon?"
"...Yes." Goetia's tone was clipped, indicating he did not want to be questioned further on the topic.
"The guy you hate?"
"Yes." His answer came out as a growl this time.
"...That why you're here?"
His emotions boiled over. The mixture of Rhea's patronising tone, the simple fact he had been forced to make an agreement with her and the mention of Solomon being why he was in Fodlan finally broke what little patience he had.
Goetia whirled on him, his eyes flashing red "Is that why I'm here!? Yes! That is why I'm here! I'm here because of Solomon! I'm here because he ruined everything! I'm here because he's dead! I'm here because they're all dead!" his voice grew louder and louder and echoing through the halls as he stomped towards Claude, the boy back pedalling away from the man "Because everything we built is dead and turned to dust. Do you understand? Can you grasp that simple concept? I'm not here because Fodlan intrigued me, or because it's special or because any one of you is interesting. I'm here because they're dead. They're all dead. My race is dead. All that remains is me and I'm condemned to wander the world like this for the rest of my days."
He was looming over the boy "So yes. Claude Von Riegan." he hissed out the name "That is why I'm here entertaining these insipid questions of yours." Claude stared back at him with wide eyes before Goetia turned away from him and stomped out of the room, ignoring the looks of bafflement he was receiving.
He vaguely heard an "Oh shit." from Claude but ignored the boy entirely.
As he made for the doors, he briefly caught sight of Rhea staring at him with wide eyes. He responded with a scowl before disappearing down the corridor. His emotions having finally hit boiling point.
Rage wasn't a new one for him.
But right now, it was the one he was most comfortable with.
He was growing increasingly tired of Fodlan.
AN: Goetia naturally snaps and storms off. Inevitable really, he's approaching the realisation that 'Hey, I'm not as powerful as I once was and I can't make people I don't like disappear in a puff of smoke anymore' but don't worry.
His role is not entirely done yet, as one can imagine.
Really though, you think he'd give them the Holy Grail? Laughable.
Also as for Rhea knowing about Alchemy, the woman made Homunculi. I think she knows what Alchemy is. Probably not a lot, but still more than enough.
Anyway…Omake once again.
Omake: Hallway ramblings (Non-canon)
The doors closed behind them, leaving the makeshift group standing just outside the chambers as Goetia and Rhea began their private discussion.
Claude whistled before looking around "Yikes, did anyone else feel that tension or was it just me?" rubbing his neck, he gave a wry smile "It was so thick I was afraid of suffocating for a moment."
"Is that normal?" Hapi asked as she looked around "He said he didn't get along with her but I thought they were about to trade blows for a moment."
"News to me as well." Claude chuckled, shaking his head and looking back at the door "...They've both got strong personalities and both seem to like being in control of the situation. I suppose it's only natural."
"Claude, I would hardly call the Archbishop someone who seems to enjoy being in control." Dimitri chided the boy with a gentle frown and a shake of the head "...Still, Goetia being a prince as well? Hardly something I expected."
"Well…actually, now that I think about it, is it really so surprising?" Hilda asked, placing a finger on her chin and tilting her head "He's smart, talks really sternly and seems really good at being in control."
Claude opened his mouth to reply before he closed it again "...Actually yeah, now that you mention it…"
"...So what do you think they're talking about in there?" Yuri asked as he looked at the door.
"Perhaps we should stand here in silence and not try to discuss a private conversation." Seteth reminded the group with a stern tone of voice before closing his eyes.
"Talk?" Claude blinked at them, then gestured at the door "I thought they chucked us out so they could have hate sex?"
"Bwha!?" Seteth choked and then whirled on the boy with wide eyes "I-I beg your pardon!?"
"What?" Claude looked around "Could no one else pick up on the tension?"
"Yeah, violent tension! Not sexual tension!" Dimitri reminded the boy with a shocked expression "Why would you even suggest that!?"
"I can see it." Hilda shrugged, placing a hand on her hip and pursing her lips "They both seem to have issues and normally a rough night of passion will sort it out."
"How in the name of the Goddess did you come to this conclusion!?" Seteth stared at her with a shocked look "That is completely untrue!"
"I don't know." Claude shook his head "With the way those two were looking at each other…"
"You mean how they looked like they were one veiled comment away from ripping each other's throats out?" Edelgard raised a dubious eyebrow at him "Did you not see Goetia's expression when she insinuated that he was a child?"
"Honestly that could also be some kind of weird foreplay." Claude raised his hands "I don't judge."
"Claude!" Lysithea gaped at him "Teacher is not trying to-to-to-" the girl went red in the face, unwilling even to say the word.
"Engage in intercourse." Dimitri supplied.
"That." Lysithea nodded "He is not going to do that!"
"How do you know?" Claude asked, smirking at her and crossing his arms "They sent all of the guards and us outside and then had us close the doors behind them. I'm just saying."
"They are not having hate sex Claude." Dimitri sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose "How is that even a thing?"
"Sometimes you just feel so strongly about a person that the only thing left to do is hate sex."
"They aren't doing it!"
"Alright, fine. What do you think they're doing in there?" Claude relented, turning to the others and pointing at the door "Bearing in mind this apparently requires absolute privacy." he added on with a smirk.
Byleth stared at him in silence before looking past "...Hate sex." she growled with a hint of envy, Claude blinked at her before smirking in victory.
Yuri stared at the group with furrowed brows and a hint of incredulity before he turned to his fellow Ashen wolves "Why were we worried about the Church again?"
"For the final time." Seteth exhaled, pointedly looking at all of them and raising his finger "They are not having intercouse in there."
Goetia and Rhea stared at each other with blank expressions, both their heads turned towards the door and then raised their individual eyebrows.
"Do you believe they are aware we can hear them?" Goetia asked with a hint of irritation.
"I would assume they do not. Else Seteth would not be quite so vocal."
"A disturbing suggestion."
"Quite so." Rhea remarked with a frown "The notion I would take someone like you as a lover. Despicable."
"The notion I would lower myself to bed you. Filthy." The pair replied at the same time with their differing answers before they narrowed their eyes at each other.
"What do you mean 'lower yourself?'"
"What do you mean 'someone like me?'"
