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.

AN: Yes, Seteth is still the brains of the Monastery and Claude once again with loose lips.

The butterfly effect keeps on going though, doesn't it?

Anyway…

Also the Romani Omake as it was called is likely going to be a story of its own. In the future when I'm done with this one.

Omake: Matchmaker III

"Which is why, I have gathered you all here!" Claude finished, smiling widely and pointing at the board behind him.

Dimitri and Edelgard stared at him before the former blinked in confusion.

"Claude...you just dragged us into the Golden Deer, cleared out all the other students and then just said 'which is why I've gathered you all here'." Dimitri reached up and scratched the side of his head. "You haven't explained anything."

"I didn't?" Claude blinked "Huh...anyway, I've brought you here so we can make decent and respectable life plans."

Edelgard tilted her head "Oh? Well, this sounds most-"

"For our classmates in the form of deciding their love lives."

"And there it is." She flatly finished "Claude, this is nonsense of the highest orde-"

"So I was thinking Hubert and Dorothea-"

"Absolutely not." Edelgard frowned at him "Hubert would never agree to a marriage proposal with Dorothea, he seems to hold a strong dislike of her."

"...Edelgard, Hubert holds a strong dislike of everyone but you." Dimitri pointed out with a strained expression.

"What?" Edelgard waved her hand "Nonsense. Hubert has people he doesn't hate aside from me."

"Name one." Claude stared at her expectantly.

"Well there's...um…" Edelgard paused, assuming a thoughtful expression "There is…"

The silence dragged on as Dimitri and Claude looked at eachother and then back to Edelgard, the girl now looking slightly more worried than she had done a few moments prior.

"M-my goodness…" She realised "Does Hubert not have friends?" she looked around "Has he been focusing so much on myself he has neglected his own mental well-being?"

"...I have no idea." Claude shrugged "What about you?" he turned to Dimitri, the boy shrugged as well.

"I confess my own lack of an answer as well, Dedue is committed to his role as my Retainer but he also has friends of his own."

"How?" Edelgard asked "He is just as loyal as Hubert?"

"Well-"

"I feel like we've gotten wildly off topic." Claude politely interrupted "So, back to the issue at hand...who goes with who?"

"Claude, do you really think it's appropriate for us to make such assumptions about the romantic interests of our classmat-"

"I think Mercedes and Sylvain look cute together." Claude idly mentioned.

"That is based on nothing more than Sylvain's womanising!" Dimitri exclaimed as he shot to his feet "Besides, he and Ingrid clearly have closer relations...oh...I see." he paused, sitting back down in his chair "...You said that on purpose to elicit a reaction, did you not?"

"Yeah...didn't think I'd get one that strong though." He turned to Edelgard "Well?"

"Well, what?" Edelgard raised an eyebrow "Just because Dimitri fell victim to your ploy-"

"Bernadetta and Caspar."

"Ridiculous!" Edelgard scoffed "He scares her half to death every time he opens his mouth. She would be better off with the likes of Linhardt who enjoys spending time asleep in his room as much as Bernadetta enjoys hiding in it…" she realised what had happened and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"See?" Claude grinned "...I'll say Hilda and Caspar."

Dimitri opened his mouth to reply before he paused, then slowly nodded his head "In truth, I can see it. Caspar appears to be a good man with no hesitation in willing to help while Hilda-"

"Is always trying to get others to do her tasks for her." Edelgard finished "You aren't finding Hilda a husband, you're finding her a manservant."

"...They both use axes?" Claude guessed, then shook his head "Anyway, I'm just thinking that Hilda might be a good pick for him. She's tough when she wants to be."

"How tough?"

"...On a scale from Bernadetta to Dimitri?" Claude mulled it over in his head "I'd say Felix."

"...That is quite tough." Dimitri admitted "And surprising, given how little work I see her do."

"I wasn't aware cross classroom options were available to us." Edelgard pointed out "In that case, I would like to nominate Ashe and Petra."

"That's a low hanging fruit if ever I've seen it." Claude wryly smiled "Although yes." turning around, he wrote out the two names on the board "They are very cute together...do you think they'll invite us to the wedding?"

"I heard Brigid weddings involve commune with their ancestor spirits to ask for their blessings on the Marriage." Edelgard remarked "They're also private affairs usually for close friends and family."

"Ah, so me and Dimitri are definitely going then." Claude nodded his head "Glad we cleared that up...now then." he wrote down another name on the board "Hubert." turning around "What have we-"

"Ferdinand." Edelgard replied immediately.

Dimitri and Claude stared at her in silence.

"You...gonna elaborate on that?"

"No."

"...Alright then." Claude nodded his head, slowly writing Ferdinand on the board "Ferdinand von Aegir."

"Perhaps another from the Golden Deer house?" Dimitri suggested "I understand that Ignatz and Flayn have been speaking frequently-"

"What did Ignatz do to deserve this death sentence?" Claude asked, looking genuinely interested "Do you hate him that much?"

"What?" Dmitri blinked "But I-"

"Seteth would be most displeased about his sister engaging in romantic relationships." Edelgard explained "Suffice to say he is very protective of his family."

"Ah...yes...I see."

"...It was a good suggestion though." Claude admitted "But if I'm being honest...I think Flayn is more Dedue's style."

"...Huh?"

"I mean, she told me she likes to try and cook and that Dedue is a chef so...you know...common interests?"

Dimitri and Edelgard exchanged looks and then shrugged "That is a logical deduction." the former admitted "And Dedue is a kind hearted man once you get to know him."

"And Seteth probably wouldn't try to flay him alive." Claude helpfully supplied "So, what else?"

"...What about Leonie?" Dimitri asked.

"I mean, we'd need a painter to create a small portrait of Jeralt's face to turn into a mask for whoever her lover is to wear-"

"Claude." Edelgard shook her head "Really?"

"Are you going to tell me I'm wrong?"

"No, but it is better not to say it out loud." Edelgard rolled her eyes, "But in all seriousness, is there none she can go with?"

"What about Ignatz?" Dimitri suggested, then sighed "I'm sorry, I am just guessing here-"

"No, no!" Claude shook his head "That's good. I can see it...bit of a role reversal of normal gender stereotypes but that's good."

"...This is quite amusing." Dimitri admitted with a faint smile "How did you come up with this idea Claude?"

"Hm? Oh, I walked in on Teach and Sparkles doing exactly the same thing."

""They were doing what!?""

"Speaking of…" Claude turned around "If Sparkles didn't end up with Teach, who do you think he'd go with?"

"Shamir." Dimitri replied instantly.

"You're just saying that because Shamir is basically Teach but an archer."

"Yes...I feel as though Goetia has a type."

"I can see it too...Or he likes really loud challenging people." Claude went on "The kind who will make him think about his arguments and meet him on an opposing field while also being witty."

"...We don't know anyone like that."

"We don't. Do we?" Claude frowned "Does anyone like that even exist in this Monastery?"

"Achoo!" Sothis sneezed, causing both Byleth and Goetia to turn and stare at her.

"How are you capable of sneezing without a physical body?" Goetia questioned with a puzzled expression.

Sothis shrugged "Perhaps someone was speaking of me?"

"You rely on superstition." Goetia turned away "Regardless...Catherine and Seteth…."