Chapter 37: Smashed and Grabbed
Suffice to say that in the immediate aftermath of the Knights rushing towards the Goddess Tower at the alarm produced by the Boundary field, the Black Eagles were swiftly following in their wake.
The rush of armed students as they prepared their swords and spears was followed by Goetia's casual – virtually disinterested – pace. He was following them purely out of curiosity as to who would actually attempt such a brazen attack upon the Archbishop in the middle of the day, curiosity and a strong desire to no longer be present in the same room as the preachers.
His lip curled into a slight grimace. The uncomfortable feelings of being present for that display had begun to vanish already, therefore he could not complain about much. There was also the passing interest into what had triggered Byleth's Divine Core to momentarily activate.
That would likely be something of great interest to at least study.
Still following in the wake of the gathering, the armed assortment of individuals eventually came upon the gangway which led towards the tower. At first Goetia was puzzled as to why they all slid to a halt, his confusion lasted barely a second as he recalled the other protective measure he had put in place to ward off potential assassins.
The Knights and Black Eagles stared down at the half-dozen individuals dressed in common garbs and old tunics reminiscent of the other commoners who had joined in for the Rite, what was peculiar were the arms they had at their disposal. The steel daggers were freshly crafted and gifted only to skilled individuals. Goetia moved towards the front of the gathering and stared down at the nearest individual, a light brown haired man wearing a slightly frayed tunic and baggy trousers. Red eyes stared down at them with a cool gaze before they rose towards the door which the attackers had tried to get entry to.
Goetia's lip curled slightly at the effort.
They had quite literally attempted to brute force their way through the door and instantly triggered the lightning defensive measure.
"What...what is this?" One of the Knights questioned with a tone of genuine surprise "What happened?"
"Assassins who attempted to kill the Archbishop. Or something along these lines." Goetia released a disgusted scoff and looked away "I no longer care, do with them what you will." That said, he turned around and walked back the way he came. The Black Eagles stood to the side to allow him to pass them by without a word.
"Goetia!" He paused at Hanneman's raised voice, the man released a sigh and waved his hand towards the Tower. The blaring alarm instantly cut itself off. "Thank you." Hanneman bowed his head in thanks before gesturing towards the individuals "Are they safe to touch?"
"It should cause no issue to bind them, no." Goetia answered, already moving away again "If you will excuse me."
It was only a few minutes later while tying up the last of the assassins that Ferdinand noticed something peculiar "Did anyone else notice that Goetia did not return in the direction of the Cathedral?"
"Perhaps he had other matters to attend to?" Linhardt offered in way of an excuse, sitting down near a wall and watching as the Knights roughly dragged the assailants to their feet "Or he went for a nap."
"Not everyone is like yourself, Linhardt." Ferdinand frowned before gesturing to the assassins "Not to mention that an attempt was just made on the Archbishops life, that is not the sort of thing that can be ignored so easily."
"Obviously." Linhardt rolled his eyes "But I am not certain what you expect us to do about it ourselves."
"W-well-"
"Exactly." Nodding to himself in affirmation, Linhardt closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall "We cannot actually do much at the moment besides leave it for the Knights to take care of."
"You do realise we will have to go back to the ceremony, don't you Linhardt?" Edelgard remarked as she walked past the boy, giving him a side-eyed look "Just because there was an attempt on the life of the Archbishop does not mean we are no longer required to attend."
A miniscule sigh escaped Linhardt's lips "No...I suppose not."
"This all the stragglers?" Catherine demanded as she looked about the Knights currently rounding up the remaining attackers within the Mausoleum, the students also helping by shoving them towards a circle.
The nearest Knight to her turned and snapped to attention before nodding their head in affirmation "These are the only ones still alive, Dame Catherine." the Knight gestured his head towards the rest of the area "The others are already dead."
"Hmm." Catherine grunted in response "Doesn't look like any of the leaders are dead, so that will at least give us the opportunity to get information out of these heathens." she spat towards the group "Daring to attack a Holy Site on the day of a Rite of Rebirth. I should cut you down right now."
The raiders said nothing, their eyes darting from Catherine towards Byleth.
Catherine didn't exactly blame them for that.
Seeing a Heroes Relic without a crest responding to the newest professor was certainly a surprise to be had and she was certain the Archbishop would want to be made aware of it.
"Let's get these criminals in irons and then come back for the bodies. I want this place cleaned up exactly how it was before it was defiled." She ordered to the remaining Knight before she turned her attention to the Blue Lions "Not bad kids, you made a good call."
"I confess that it was a guess on my part." Dimitri gave a polite smile as he held his hand in front of him "It could just as easily not have paid off."
"Well it did, so accept the praise." Catherine huffed in amusement before her eyes fell on the still glowing sword in Byleth's hand. "...The Archbishop will probably want to see you about that as soon as possible." she levelled a finger in the mercenary's direction "For now, I'd recommend you keep it out of sight. I don't know what it means to wield a Heroes Relic without a Crest Stone and frankly, I don't want others thinking they can do the same thing."
Byleth stared at her in silence for a few moments before she nodded her head, removing her coat and wrapping it around the sword to hide it away from view.
"Alright...well, at least we were able to catch them before they were able to do anything damaging."
"It would seem that Von Riegan was incorrect." Goetia's voice from the entrance to the Mausoleum rang out across the spacious room, the eyes of everyone fell upon him "Or perhaps he may yet be vindicated, given that this is the second attacked location."
"Second?" Catherine parroted with a frown "What do you mean second?"
"The Black Eagles have apprehended the group who attempted to assassinate the Archbishop."
"There was an attempt on Lady's Rhea's life!?" Catherine exclaimed in horror, immediately giving Goetia her full attention "Is she harmed?"
Goetia raised an eyebrow "I say attempt in the loosest possible term. They instantly triggered the bounded field and were caught by its defences. They were quite hapless when the Knights and Black Eagles arrived."
Catherine exhaled in relief "Then Lady Rhea is unharmed…" her brows furrowed "Then what are you doing here?"
Giving her a blank look, Goetia's eyes eventually left her and travelled over to Byleth before they froze. He seemingly scanned her body at a distance before his eyes lowered to stare at the poorly wrapped weapon in her hands.
"Hmph." Abruptly releasing a breath, he turned on his heel and quickly made his exit back the way he came, not even bothering to answer Catherine's question. The Knightesses' features warped into a mild scowl as she watched Goetia depart without making a single scowl.
"Tch." Clicking her tongue, she shook her head "Or you can just not bother answering me. Ass." she grumbled under her breath as she turned her attention back to the surrounding individuals. Noticing how they were all silently staring at her with blank expressions. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get a move on!"
"Damn Catheri-"
"What now?" Catherine loudly sighed, turning back to the entrance once again to see an out of breath knight in plate armour leaning heavily against the frame of the doors and panting. The woman squinted her eyes at the man "Aren't you the Gatekeeper?"
"Haro-"
"What do you need?" She cut him off before he could introduce himself, the man's expression wavered slightly at the blunt dismissal of his identity before quickly ignoring it and composing himself.
"I have news that is imperative for you to hear." He answered loudly, saluting her while still audibly breathing.
Catherine waved her hand dismissively "If it's about the attack on Lady Rhea, I've already been informed."
"Oh? Is that what Goetia was here for?" Harold blinked in surprise before giving an understanding nod "I was wondering what he was doing down here, I thought he might have come to help you but I guess he might also have been curious."
Catherine stared at the man with a dull expression "If that's all-"
"O-oh sorry." He quickly shook his head "That wasn't the news I came to deliver, Dame Catherine. I am here to report there was another attack on the Monastery."
Dead silence spread through the halls of the mausoleum. Catherine blinked several times before her face became tense "What do you mean 'another attack'?"
"Tore right through the steel doors." Jeralt tapped against the remains of the Vault door with a scowl "This is rolled steel too."
Seteth stared at the devastation in silence, he had already been preparing to hold a temporary hiatus on the Rite of Rebirth following the obvious attempt on his and Rhea's life – not to mention Flayn's – so that they could properly interrogate the assailants. Although he himself was still puzzled as to their outfits or how they had managed to get through the guards so easily.
However, the bizarre nature of his assassination aside, it had only gotten worse from there on out with the reveal that someone had attempted to steal from the Holy Mausoleum. That clearly had Rhea furious given the way she looked as though she was going to break something.
And that had been before she learned that the Seiros coffin had been the target.
To make matters even more troubling for Seteth, it appeared that their newest Professor had been able to wield a 'Heroes Relic' without the need for a crest stone implanted within it. The way Rhea hadn't so much as bat an eye at the news was raising concerns in his head already.
And to top it all off – just when he believed that the Monastery had successfully thwarted two attempts at defilement – they learnt that not only was the Vault breached but it was also successfully raided and the thieves making a clean getaway.
None of which could have actually prepared him for the scene in front of him.
The steel door to the vault which was weighing at least a tonne had been ripped clean off its hinges and crumpled as if it were made of paper. What Seteth found more disturbing was that the indentations in the crumpled metal were reminiscent of hand prints. He did not currently want to consider how someone could be strong enough to do this.
A normal person, anyway.
If he were in his younger days and more in-tune with his Draconic side than he could likely achieve a similar result.
However, someone would have certainly noticed it.
"And not a single sound was heard?" Seteth's entire aura was of total disbelief and Jeralt didn't look like he blamed him either.
"Neither the brats nor the guards about thirty metres down the hall heard anything." Jeralt gave a shaky breath as he returned to his feet, slowly walking away from the doors and standing next to the green-haired man. "I've ordered no one go in the vault yet." he whispered down to Seteth, the man's lips pursed. "Just in case there was anything they weren't supposed to see."
"I thank you for your confidentiality." Seteth whispered back as he walked towards the door to the vault, staring down into the halls. "Rhea has been here longer than I, she will know if anything is missing…" the man gave a heavy sigh as he reached up and rubbed his forehead "This has turned into quite the mess."
"I'll say." Jeralt grunted "Didn't think anyone would actually be bold enough to attack three different places of the Monastery at once." he paused, frowning and crossing his arms "Heard about the attackers on the Goddess tower...were they actually dressed like peasants?"
Seteth nodded his head, not turning away from the entrance to the vault. "They were indeed dressed like the common folk." a frown quickly came to his face "What is more surprising – and rather insulting – is that they now claim to have no memory of ever attempting to breach the Goddess tower to begin with."
Jeralt's eyebrows raised up his forehead "Didn't they get caught in the act?"
"The knives were still in their hands when they were recovered." Seteth dryly replied "Indeed, I would accuse it of second-rate theatre if they were not so adamant towards their own innocence, claiming there must be some manner of mistake." his lips thinned "Catherine is not taking their supposed ignorance well."
"Can't imagine she would." Jeralt agreed "Doesn't seem the type."
"Yes...We're currently interrogating the other prisoners for information; however, suffice to say your daughter is soon to become another headache."
He didn't notice the way Jeralt suddenly tensed and stared at the back of Seteth's head with laser focus "...What do you mean?" he asked in a slow voice, devoid of emotion as he uncrossed his arms.
"It seems she wielded a Heroes Relic-" Jeralt coughed loudly "-without the use of a Crest Stone." The coughing devolved into a choking sound soon followed by heavy thumps as the man repeatedly struck his own chest to stop himself choking on nothing. "Given your reaction, I'll assume you were unaware of this possibility?"
"Possibility!?" The man croaked "I didn't even think her Crest was that strong until a few weeks ago!"
"Yes well...Today has been full of surprises."
"That is remarkably disturbing to see." Goetia bluntly stated as he stared at the sword on the desk. Byleth slowly nodded her head in response as Sothis hovered in-between the two of them. "And this is what generated the sudden influx of power?"
"Grasping hold of it provided me with greater clarity." Sothis affirmed while also moving her hand to cradle her head, her voice turning strained "However...I feel a sense of...familiarity with it somehow...but I cannot say why."
Goetia stared at her and then turned his attention back to the sword. It held the appearance of an elongated sword breaker, however Goetia suspected that appearance was purely coincidental given the materials they were obviously working with. One edge of the weapon was sharpened into a point while the other was more segmented, portraying the true origin of its materials.
They were the segments of a spine.
Indeed, the entire weapon was crafted from such materials. The guard being crescent shaped akin to a carved hip bone. However, in the centre of a hilt was a gaping hole, narrowing his eyes, Goetia leaned down to stare at it.
"And something is supposed to fit into this gap?" He surmised, Byleth slowly nodded her head.
"Crest Stone."
"Hmm." Goetia hummed in response, leaning back and cupping his chin "It is made of superior material to the other Heroes Relic I have seen. The one wielded by the fanatic." Sothis managed to avoid looking pained just long enough to give Goetia a bland look at the derogatory term.
She then picked up on something "You're saying this sword is different from the others?"
"I have only one to compare it to." He pointed out "But yes, a cursory glance tells me the ability of this weapon goes beyond its counterpart...however." he trailed off, frowning as he leaned down and placed his hand upon the blade. "It is...strange. The material is superior and yet it is…"
"It is…?" Sothis stared at him expectantly, Goetia gave her a side-eyed view before looking away. "What? Don't ignore me now."
"A coincidence of the materials." He muttered to himself, shaking his head "Regardless, for you to be able to wield the sword without the 'Crest Stone' as you referred to it is obviously tied to you directly." red eyes flickered to Sothis "Likely to your sense of familiarity with the sword itself."
"That…" Sothis paused, biting her lip and scrunching her face up in thought for a few moments before slowly nodding her head "That seems correct and yet I believe there might be more to it than that."
"Possibly." Most definitely "However, they remain speculation for the moment." Facts.
"Very well." Sothis huffed, crossing her arms and floating away from the sword "It seemed to cause quite the stir when they saw you wielding it. Perhaps the presence of these 'Crest Stones' truly are vital."
"Crest Stones act as cores for the weapons themselves." Goetia explained "They draw in magical energy and I suspect the Relic uses this to act as fuel, it is not unusual for weapons such as they to use the mana in the air for power. It is also likely that the Crest Stone needs the corresponding Crest to properly fuel the weapon itself, otherwise you are simply swinging around a more bizarrely designed sword with little conceptual weight behind its physical status."
Byleth stared uncomprehendingly at Goetia for a few moments before she eventually replied in a slow and slightly unsure tone of voice "The Crest Stones...make the swords glow?"
Goetia released a heavy sigh "Yes...The Crest Stones make the swords glow."
"Ah." Byleth nodded in understanding, "So I am special?"
"A unique case, yes." He paused before furrowing his brows "Although whether or not an individual could wield a Heroes Relic with a crest stone implanted within it without they themselves having a Crest is yet to be seen."
Sothis blinked "I was under the impression you required a Crest to wield it?"
"Possible, although that would be to utilise its latent abilities." Goetia explained "To actually wield the sword itself is something different, it is still a Noble Phantasm and would carry the same amount of weight the legend ascribes it to have."
"Noble What?"
"...Nevermind." Goetia sighed, waving his hand dismissively "For now, you may return. I have answered my own curiosities and I suspect that you will be called in for questioning soon enough. I would imagine that given the sudden attack on three different locations within the same period of time has likely halted the 'festivities' of the Rite."
"Not one for communal gatherings?" Sothis quizzed with a raised eyebrow, Goetia gave her a flat look in response.
"Would you have interest in attending a gathering you had no personal relation too or were ever affected by?"
"Not especiall-...I see." Sothis sighed "Very well, but I suppose it might depend upon what the gathering entails." the Goddess pointed out with confident expression "Perhaps if it were something that I had a curiosity about I might."
"Then you clearly have a greater degree of tolerance for the irrelevant than I." Goetia remarked with a slightly curled lip, Sothis raised an eyebrow at the expression long enough for Goetia to seemingly realise his own situation and compose himself. "If there is nothing else." bowing his head slightly, he made for the door.
Opening it just in time to see a guard readying themselves to knock upon it.
"Harold." Goetia nodded at the man in greeting, moving past him.
"Bye Goetia!" Harold waved to him as he departed before turning his attention to Byleth and freezing "I...I didn't disturb anything, did I?"
"No." The girl shook her head blandly.
"That's good." Harold let out a sigh of relief "I was a little afraid I walked in on something awkward...Anyway, I came along to pass you a message that the Archbishop will meet you at the turn of the next hour. She and Attendant Seteth will be awaiting you in her chambers." ducking low into a bow, the man backed away. "That is all." turning on his heel, the guard walked back the way he came.
"It would seem that Goetia was not entirely wrong, but then again, it did not take a great detective to determine that they would wish to speak with you." Sothis mused as she floated alongside the Professor "Still, I cannot help but wonder what else was occurring around this time. There was an attack on two other locations as well."
"Stopped Assassins though." Byleth pointed out, Sothis nodded her head and quirked her lip upwards slightly.
"Yes, however...why is there currently no report on the second location that was attacked?"
Byleth froze, her brows furrowed slightly. If there was no report on the location it would mean they didn't want to cause a panic or were ashamed about the result. However, the only explanation for those two courses of action would be "They succeeded?"
"Perhaps." Sothis slowly nodded her head "Maybe they will tell you or maybe they will not. Either way, there seem to be a growing number of mysteries about this place." her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest "And the frequency they seem to crop up in is quite aggravating."
Byleth didn't give them that much thought.
"That is because you have no sense for discovery." Sothis sniped.
Rhea walked with a great pace about her as she ventured through the narrow corridors in the direction of the Vault, the guards flanking her were in a similar rush. The Archbishop's face was tense, the usual serenity that she held within her was all but gone, only a burning steel was present in her eyes as she closed in on her destination.
When they came upon the next turn, Rhea halted and raised her hand. "Wait here for my return." She all but ordered with an iron tone, none of the guards made to challenge her as she continued on alone. Passing around the corner and finding Seteth stood by the damaged entrance.
Staring at the carnage itself, she could see why it had concerned Seteth. Worse than that, was the fact there had been no report until after the damage had been done.
"How?" Rhea demanded the moment she was close enough to Seteth, the man didn't balk at her tone, turning around to face her with his own troubled expression.
"That much, I cannot say." Seteth slowly shook his head "Reports currently indicate that the break-in occurred within a five minute time period between the arrival of the Golden Deers and the departure of the previous guard patrol."
"Five. Minutes." Rhea coldly replied, looking past Seteth and towards the Vault "Has anyone been inside?"
"Not yet." Seteth shook his head "I told them to wait until you arrived, given you are more intimately familiar with the contents of the Vault."
Rhea didn't deign him with a reply, instead opting to walk past him and into the vault itself. Seteth pursed his lips as he watched her disappear behind the ruins of the vault door, deciding not to follow her.
She remained within the Vault for some time before she emerged again, Seteth could tell something was wrong as the moment she returned, her eyes were glowing bright green with her expression torn between anguish and fury. Breathing heavily, Rhea slowly turned towards Seteth and spoke in an ice cold tone which belayed the sheer fury she felt at the current time.
"I don't care how." She almost snarled "Find out who did this and how they were helped. The prisoners we have are still awaiting judgement, are they not?" she stormed past Seteth, leaving the man standing stock still for a few moments before he turned to face the Archbishop.
"Yes, but they claim to have no knowledge of any other attempts-"
"Lies." She dismissed instantly, tightening her shoulders together "Lies which stream like poison from their treacherous mouths. They must know something regarding this defilement!" her voice dropped into a snarl. "Be it the ones who raided the Mausoleum or those who attacked us-"
"They also claim to have no memory of ever making an attempt-"
"Then perhaps more barbaric methods will jog their memories-"
"Rhea." Seteth cut her off "I am not going to order them tortured before a trail can even begin."
The woman remained silent for a few moments before she spoke again "I will grant you two days. This is not a crime which can be responded to with civility."
"Rhea...what did they take?"
She stopped, briefly looking over her shoulder towards Seteth as her eyes gradually dimmed. Instead revealing pain as her features flattened out. "Something precious and irreplaceable." her breathing evened out "Now...I believe we have to meet the Professor, do we not?"
"Yes." Seteth's eyes narrowed "You were not surprised by her ability to wield the Heroes Relic."
"It is not just a common Relic." Rhea's lip curled upwards into a faint smile "The coffin of Seiros stored only one item I would never allow to be wielded."
"What do you…" Seteth trailed off, his eyes widened "The Sword of the Creator? How?" he hissed in a hushed whisper of shock "Only those of his bloodline could ever have wielded it...Rhea...Is Jeralt-"
"No." Rhea shook her head "Of course not. There was an incident that occurred many years ago...suffice to say that our newest Professor has more in common with either of us than the other students."
"Rhea...what did you do?"
"I healed him the only way I knew how." She hummed, a confident smile present on her face. "It seems the light of the Goddess did indeed shine on us this day, that one act of mercy has provided us with such a gift."
"Gift? Rhea...you and I both know what that sword-"
"Seteth." She cut him off "We should not keep the Professor waiting."
Slowly nodding his head, Seteth made to walk past only for Rhea to hold up her hand in front of him. Giving him a smile. "And one more thing. I know you did not mean it as you did, but I should remind you that I also understand the implications of the sword as much as you do." the smile vanished "Please, do not allow me to risk misunderstanding such a statement."
Seteth silently nodded her head. "Of course, Rhea."
"Good." The smile returned just as quickly as it had vanished, her whole demeanour returning to the persona of Archbishop within a moment "Now then, I believe we have a meeting to attend to. Come Seteth." the manner in which she walked with absolute calm had Seteth shiver.
His eyes briefly glimpsed back to the entrance to the Vault.
He did not know what had been taken, but he had not known Rhea to act like that in centuries. For her to feel strongly enough about it…
It must have been deeply personal.
"He's been gone for how long?" Thales inquired with a shocked expression, frowning to himself as he looked away "When did he leave?"
"An hour ago." The subordinate replied "He made no mention of any departure and left."
"Why?"
"I...do not know." The cloaked figure admitted, then balked when Thales loomed over him "H-he just took one look at one of the screens and just froze over. Said he was leaving and just teleported away!" they hurriedly explained.
Thales frowned and leaned away from the man, scowling heavily. "Fine. I will be meeting with the Heiress shortly, inform him of my departure and tell him I will expect a full report-"
"Expect?" Thales froze at the familiar tone and presence which suddenly appeared behind him "You expect a great many things." composing himself, Thales turned around to see the familiar 'face' staring down at him. "I do not ever recall agreeing to be a subordinate to your whims. If I am to make a sudden departure, it is because I have deemed it necessary. It is not because I have received your permission."
Thales gently exhaled as he stared up at Lemegeton "You misunderstand. I am to meet with the Heiress after the attempt at the Holy Mausoleum. It seems the tomb contained the Sword of the Crea-"
"The Noble Phantasm is meaningless to me." Lemegeton dismissed "I have come to realise the true value of this city which you have remained ignorant of." glowing eyes narrowed "I can only assume you never made to question its origins beyond belonging to your ancestors. Regardless…"
They raised their right hand, revealing the object they held within it "This is far more useful than the corpse of a terminal."
Thales stared at the object with a scrumptious expression before looking back at Lemegeton "A misshapen Crest Stone with metal welded to it?" he scoffed "That is your 'grand prize'?"
Lemegeton features curled in disgust at the Agarthan, lowering their hand. "That you believe this to be on par with those reproductions speaks volumes of your ignorance. Regardless, this will increase the capabilities of this location dramatically."
Thales raised an eyebrow "That will?"
"Considering it was originally a key component, it will." They turned away from him, and quickly began to walk towards their laboratory. "I will be unavailable while I discern the method in which I can utilise this prize effectively. You may continue your schemes as you wish but do not disturb me unless you have news of vital importance."
Thales grunted dismissively, looking away from the thing and back towards his subordinate "Get word to Solon. Tell him to inform the Heiress that Arundel will meet with her shortly."
"Yes, sir." The man bowed his head and scurried away, leaving Thales confused about the entire encounter. That Lemegeton would risk their discovery for such a trivial prize was mindbogglingly stupid.
AN: Huh. Lemegeton went shopping.
Also some of those 'Assassins' were sure dressed funny.
No memory either? Damn...that's convenient.
Oh well! The story builds itself up more and more all the time.
Omake: Matchmaker II
Goetia sipped from his cup of coffee as he stared at the board with a tired expression, Sothis floating next to him with a similarly exhausted look on her face.
"Really?" Sothis pinched the bridge of her nose "Those two?"
Byleth frowned "What?"
"Forget it." Goetia bluntly told her "It's not only a disaster waiting to happen, it is also liable to get someone killed."
Byleth frowned, looking back at the board and then to the two of them "Really?"
"Yes." Sothis sighed "Leonie and Lorenz? Do you want the boy to die that badly?"
"I don't think it's that bad-"
"She attempted to utilise a Rune and incinerate his hair." Goetia revealed, taking another quick slurp of his coffee, "Were it not for Lysithea realising what she was attempted, I'm certain she would have succeeded."
"Oh…" Byleth frowned, slowly nodding her head. "Alright." she wiped that suggestion off the board before writing down another one. "What about this?"
"He'll die."
Byleth and Sothis stared at him and then looked at the names on the board, frowning and turning back to each other. "Is she really that violent?" Sothis wondered aloud "I realise she has a certain temperament, but I did not think she was physically aggressive."
"No. I mean, I'll kill him if he lays a hand on her." Goetia took another sip of his coffee, "Purely because of the manner in which he will obviously impede her progress."
"...Purely." Sothis mockingly smirked at him while Byleth rubbed off 'Lysithea & Sylvain' from the board. "Although it likely would not work out anyway."
Byleth slowly nodded her head and made to put down another set of names. This time, both Goetia and Sothis scrunched their faces up in similar looks of disgust.
"You oaf!" Sothis cursed "Did you actually think this one through or did you just decide to pull names from your head?" she waved at the board "That is completely unacceptable!"
Byleth flinched, looking to Goetia for support.
"The age gap is disconcerting." Goetia pointed out "Also there are the social implications of a younger woman marrying an older man. I believe it is referred to as 'Gold Digging'."
"More like Crest Digging." Sothis huffed "No. Remove that one."
Dorothea and Hanneman was another bust.
"...What of Dedue and Shamir?" Goetia posed the question "They are both diligent and devoted to their work, with little interest in irrelevant and idle chatter. A partnering between those two would bring about a focus based relationship as well as grant Dimitri close ties with a professional Mercenary."
Sothis slowly bobbed her head "I just think they would be cute together."
Byleth gave a single nod and wrote down 'Dedue & Shamir' upon the board.
"Next up-"
"Hey Teach, was wondering if I could borrow Spar…" Claude trailed off as he stared at the display in the room, seeing multiple timetables and names written on the board alongside small notes. Then saw Goetia and Byleth staring at him in total silence.
Furrowing his brows, Claude walked towards the board with an intrigued look on his face before he came to a stop close enough that he could read the board. "Is this...is this a dating chart?" the Golden Deer quizzed as he struggled to avoid laughing "I-is this how you two spend your free time together?"
Neither of them answered.
"...Can I help?"
"No." The pair answered at the same time. The boy shrugged in response.
"Fair enough...I guess me and the other House Leaders will just make our own." He mused as he ventured towards the door "Wonder how they'll take it."
Goetia, Byleth and Sothis stared at the departing boy with marginally amused looks before they turned to each other and shook their heads.
"Next up...Claude and Flayn?" Byleth offered "I like it."
"I heard that!" Claude shouted from the entrance to the classroom. "I'd rather not die just yet, thank you!"