Chapter 48: A surprising reveal.

"Morning Goetia." The smiling face of Harold greeted him as he opened up his door, the former Beast frowned at the man, squinting his eyes slightly. Harold blinked at the sudden intensity of the stare, his jolly expression faltering "Is something wrong?"

"I am merely curious as to whether you were able to obtain appropriate hours of rest." Goetia replied, closing the door behind him and locking the door "Although you appear to - at the very least - be in an adequate state of awareness."

"Oh, I got my sleep outside here." Harold replied, his head turning and gesturing to the spot just to the left of the door. Goetia turned in the direction and found himself staring at a wooden chair leaning against the wall next to his door. "Anton was keeping watch until about an hour ago, he woke me up before I left."

"I see." Goetia nodded his head, then frowned "...Am I not supposed to be under the supervision of at least two knights?"

"Ah…yes." Harold nodded once "But this time it's me and Cara." he informed him, staring off down the hallway with furrowed brows "...She was actually supposed to be here by now." he remarked with an odd tone of voice which sounded unsurprised.

"I see…" Goetia frowned, "I will not waste my time awaiting the arrival of my guard." He immediately turned away from Harold and marched down the hallway "If she has any sense, she will assume I am within the Library and meet us there."

"Probably." Harold admitted with a faint sigh, jogging after Goetia and falling into step behind him "Actually, this is pretty much how she normally is. She isn't much of an early morning person." he warned as they proceeded out of the dormitories and into the open, Goetia moving down the staircase "So don't think too harshly of her if she's grouchy."

"If she is irritable I will simply ignore her." Goetia replied casually as he reached the bottom of the stairs "There is little more I could do without causing clear duress." he paused "Or I could simply alter her body process to make her more alert."

"...Huh?" Harold paused, blinking at the man with a dumbfounded expression "I-is that some sort of magic thing again?"

"Yes."

"Ah, okay." The gatekeeper let the matter slide, almost certain he would have been able to understand it anyway. "Are we going to be helping out with erm…" he trailed off, looking left and right conspiratorially before leaning closer to the man and whispering "You know where?"

"I am partially invested at this point." Goetia replied casually "Besides, I would prefer to remain informed of events than find myself surprised by them later on." his eyes narrowed slightly "Overlooking minor details - however insignificant they might be - can have disastrous consequences at a later date."

Harold blinked at the sudden bitter intensity in the man's voice which spoke of nothing but experience, the knight could at least guess that Goetia had experienced something similar to overlooking something not all that important. The knight pursed his lips, he remembered there was some old proverb about a runaway wolf coming back to bite at a shepherd, or something along those lines.

"I suppose you're right there." The knight replied with a shrug, Goetia shaking his head slightly and shifting his expression back to its usual emotionless one. The pair continued on their journey towards the library in relative silence.

Neither one felt the need for conversation and it would have remained that way, right up until Goetia and Harold encountered Flayn near the entrance to the library, the pair came to a halt and stared at the young girl with no small sense of surprise - or as surprised as Goetia could look at any rate - from her sudden appearance.

The green haired girl stared at the pair before giving Goetia a cordial nod and squinting her eyes slightly at Harold. The man sweated ever so slightly under his helmet at the rather scrutinizing gaze the girl gave him.

"G-good morning, Ma'am." He greeted, giving her a slight bow of the head and wincing at how awkward he sounded.

Flayn, meanwhile, raised a lone eyebrow at the knight "Ma'am?" she parroted in a curious tone.

"U-um, I mean-"

"No, no." She interrupted him, shaking her head and puffing out her chest while giving a rather smug expression "I like it. It makes me seem important, does it not?"

"No doubt the influence of your familial relations." Goetia grunted as he walked towards her, aiming for the door "Is there something you required, Flayn?"

"Some books related to the current curriculum would be appreciated." She replied, earning a slow blink from Goetia, her lip twitched slightly "Oh? Is that surprise I see?" she jested while staring at his face.

"Indeed." Goetia admitted, Flayn actually widened her eyes at the man, clearly surprised she had caught him off-guard. She felt a brief flicker of pride bubble within her that she had been able to catch the normally unflappable librarian by sur- "I am surprised it has taken you so long to attempt to educate yourself."

His next words caused her expression to sour slightly.

"I doubt Seteth wished for you to become ignorant and the Library was always open to you." His eyes narrowed "So why have you only just arrived?" he asked, turning his body towards her and leaning forwards slightly.

Flayn crossed her arms, giving a mild huff "I am actually due to begin my own education within this Academy alongside the other youths shortly. I simply felt it best to avoid being caught in a state of bewilderment by the educational materials that are utilised within the lessons themselves." she replied, placing her hands on her hips "While I am confident in my skill with Faith magic-"

"Magecraft."

She narrowed her eyes at the correction. "...While I am confident in my skill with Faith magic, I feel as though I would be rather out of touch with recent events." she paused "Given that both myself and my older brother have been isolated from the wider world for some time."

"Like professor Eisner?" Harold chimed in helpfully, Flayn looking grateful for the example.

"Exactly." She nodded her head "While my brother is not as ignorant as myself, there are still times when I feel…unaware of important events and would prefer to avoid making a fool of myself when my tutelage begins."

Goetia stared at her blankly for a few moments before he walked into the library "Do as you will, I believe Tomas has a series of recommended books for early beginners. They have proven popular with the students who originate from less prestigious backgrounds, and thus were not granted the benefit of a private tutor."

"Thank you." Flayn nodded her head before giving a faint smile "Although it seems we might have something in common with our combined lack of-"

"I have already familiarised myself with the documented evidence of Fodlan's history from the formation of the Imperial calendar up until the present day." He corrected her as he entered the library, the doors swinging wide as he pushed them open "At the very least, I have observed the official version held within this monastery."

Flayn pouted at him, following after the man with a disappointed expression "I suppose it would make sense for you to utilise the materials you are working with." she decided upon, giving a single hum in affirmation to herself before uncrossing her arms "Although if you are so knowledgeable, I suppose I might come to you for-"

"Is this poorly concealed attempt to try and keep my company your end goal?" Goetia stopped, turning around and staring down at the girl with furrowed brows. "Since the moment my…observation by the Church began you have made an effort to commune with me at length for extended periods of time outside of my usual duties." his eyes narrowed "Why?"

Harold's eyebrows rose up behind his helmet before he looked down at his feet, finding the soles of his metal boots suddenly very interesting.

Flayn remained silent before she sighed, shaking her head "I suppose I will not deny there is some element of truth contained within your words." she admitted "I will also confirm your suspicions that I have been trying to keep you company in the wake of your separation from your students."

"For what purpose?"

"I have found that people are very social creatures." The girl replied, pursing her lips "Without regular interactions, loneliness might take hold of them. Even I myself was a victim to this, as much as Seteth enjoyed the isolation in order to keep me safe, I much prefer my situation here where I might interact with others." she stared at him "However, even if you are surrounded by others, I feel as though you might be just as isolated as I was once."

"Your pity is unneeded-"

"I would not call it pity." Flayn shook her head, pressing a single finger on her chin and tilting her head "Perhaps empathy would be a better choice…" she then gave a sad smile as she gestured to the room around her "Another thing would be that this monastery means a great deal to me, Seteth and Rhea…" she sighed "I suppose I would also find it troubling if your time here was nothing but unpleasant."

Goetia stared at her in silence before he turned away from her without saying a word and moved towards the desk of the library. He gave a minute frown as he noticed Tomas had yet to arrive but he was hardly going to complain about that right now. Moving around the desk, he opened up the top draw and pulled out a parchment of paper.

Looking back towards Flayn, he extended the paper towards her "This list contains the basic materials for those learning of the history in Fodlan for the last thousand years." he paused "The official version at least-"

"Why do you say, official?" Flayn asked curiously, tilting her head as she walked towards him.

"History is shaped by those with an agenda." Goetia replied "Rarely is it woven from an unbiased perspective." he unhanded the list as Flayn took it from him "I have little doubt that there are parts of the History the church preaches that do not align with the events as they occur." he gave an uncaring shrug "But that is not my concern. Such things are hardly uncommon."

Staring away from her, he frowned "There was such a case as a musician who was rivaled with another." he spoke "Their rivalry was legendary and it was said that this musician harboured great envy and hatred for his rival." looking back at Flayn, he saw her giving him a curious expression "When his rival died, at the age of thirty five, many believed he was behind the death and they proclaimed him a murderer."

Flayn furrowed her brows "Did he truly kill him?"

"No." Goetia shook his head, lips curling downwards "But the thought that a bitter rival slew his only competition was a far more appealing story to be told as opposed to a coincidental death from natural circumstances."

The girl blinked at him in surprise.

"Does that shock you?" Goetia frowned "That is what History is. It is a narrative told by those who lived through it with an agenda, the entirety of human history is a collection of stories woven together until they form a singular line of progression, all of which hold some agenda." pausing, he turned to the vast collection "Some of them are the same while others are radically different. However, their end result is always the same. They are stories made by humans for other humans to continue."

Flayn watched as his eyes glowed a subtle red and his lips curled into a deep frown.

"An endless cycle of stories that are tales of fear and separation." He turned back to her "I call it the 'official' version of Fodlan's history because that is the story that you have all decided upon telling because it is more appealing. Whether or not it is the whole truth of your land's history is not for me to discern." he shrugged "I am certain a human out there somewhere kept an accurate accounting of events as they transpired but I have little doubt such a tale conformed to the accepted narrative thus it was forgotten."

Flayn stared at him "...That seems cynical." she replied after a few moments before she tilted her head "And yet, I suppose there would be some truth to your words." she replied slowly, staring down at the list "When children are told tales, they will be told how the village did not believe his third warning about the Demonic Beasts and that their entire herd was lost." looking back at him, she gave an understanding smile "Perhaps because it would not suite for a child to hear how the young boy was eaten alongside them."

"Is that how you regard them?" Goetia tilted his head curiously "Children unable to accept the truth?"

Flayn blinked before shaking her head "Not me, but perhaps another." she quickly replied "Besides, it was you yourself who said that humans prefer stories that are more appealing." she gave a wry smile at his singular nod of acceptance "Besides…" she looked around conspiratorially "If I were you, I would just call it the History of Fodlan." she whispered to him "Seteth doesn't like it if someone doubts his filing of the books and it makes you seem like you think the Church is lying."

Goetia gave her a dull look "Hmph." he shook his head "That is for me to concern myself with. The consequences of my own actions are mine to bear." waving his hand at her, he gestured to one of the far off shelves "You can begin your search for the texts on the second shelf. I assume your isolation has not left you ignorant as to how septs are used."

Flayn gave him a flat expression, placing her hands on her hips. "I might be unaccustomed to much of Fodlan…But I am not a common ignorant child, Goetia." she huffed at him as she turned away and walked towards the directed shelf.

Grunting, Goetia shook his head "I am aware." he muttered to himself, turning away from her and moving towards the chair behind the desk. He paused when Flayn called back to him.

"Oh, and Goetia?" He turned towards her, seeing her giving him a beatific smile "Thinking of human stories as tales of fear and separation is rather dour." she called back, shaking her head at him "I would much rather think of them as stories of love and hope."

She wasn't quite prepared for the deer in sight of a bow look that he gave her - for all of the second it lasted - before his face scrunched up into an expression of irritation.

"Utter nonsense." He dismissed "It matters not how much 'joy' exists in the middle of the story. There is always an end to them, no matter what."

"Maybe." Flayn shrugged, "But I think that it's because there is an end that you appreciate that joy all the more."

Goetia stared at her in silence for a few moments before his lip curled downwards "...I doubt you will feel the same way towards the end."

Harold was awkwardly stood a few feet from the man, his hands behind his back as he kept his lips drawn into a straight line. Looking between Goetia and Flayn for a few moments before he decided to speak up "I didn't know that you and Ms Flayn were friends?"

"We aren't." Goetia replied instantly "Speaking with someone at length does not make me friends with them." he went on, pausing for a few moments "I have no need of friends anyway."

"...Oh." Harold let out a disappointed noise in response, the assistant librarian utterly failed to register it as he sat himself down behind the desk. Harold shook his head and looked around the room before frowning "Where is Tomas?"

"Tomas is usually away with errands at length as of late." Goetia replied "Whether they pertain to the collection of tomes or personal business is not for me to know nor care."

"Huh." Harold made a small noise of understanding "Well, I'm sure Tomas is doing something important." he decided on, giving a small smile "He's quite dutiful."

"Hmmm." Goetia merely hummed in response, whether there was any validity to those claims was something he didn't particularly care about. As long as it didn't directly affect him, then Tomas could spend his evenings however he could.

Harold closed in on the desk before he looked left and right, earning a raised eyebrow from Goetia as the man leaned closer "I sneaked a peak at the book you lent me." he whispered to him, Goetia raised a lone eyebrow.

"Oh?" A frown came to his face "Within the prying eyes of the monastery?" Harold gave a nervous shrug "And where is the book now?"

The man gestured to the small kapsack tied to his waist silently, earning a single nod from Goetia. "Hmmm. You invite great risk in doing such things." he raised his hand towards the sack before chanting under his breath "That should solve the issue."

Harold blinked in confusion, opening the sack up and withdrawing the book before staring in surprise at the cover "A…guide to cooking beef?"

"Minor illusionism." Goetia dismissed "And it will only affect the cover, the contents shall remain the same."

"O-oh." He chuckled, nodding his head "That makes things easier, huh?"

"Indeed." Giving a single nod of the head, he then leaned forwards "You have something to inform me then?"

Harold wet his lips "I-it's really strange…" he whispered back "Whoever wrote this talks about the land of Agartha-"

"Agartha?" Goetia parroted with furrowed brows "That is the term they use?"

"Yeah." He nodded, tilting his head "You've heard of it?"

"...Likely not in this context, no." He dismissed "Continue on."

"R-right, apparently Fodlan used to be called Agartha with Thinis being one of the territories within it." He explained further "I didn't get that far but they talked about a bunch of stuff that is…probably heretical to put it mildly."

Goetia narrowed his eyes "How heretical?"

"They…they talk about a pantheon of Gods." He whispered back "They used to hold power in the land, some of these names I've never heard of before…"

"Not unusual." Goetia admitted, drumming his hand on the table "But informative nonetheless." he continued on "If the source is to be trusted, there once were a great deal of other Gods and Goddesses within what is now known as Fodlan…I can only assume something occurred." his eyes narrowed "Is there any mention of So-" he cut himself off "The Goddess?"

"No." Harold shook his head "Not yet…a-actually, the author talks a lot about the God of the Sun." he replied "B-but…erm…" he fidgeted "I can't read the name."

"An old language then?" Goetia muttered in understanding "No fault of your own." he dismissed "And unlikely to be important. Deities related to the sun are some of the most powerful but without worshipers their strength will diminish."

"S-so because no one worships them-"

"They have likely been forced to flee Fodlan." Goetia went on "Or the Goddess held the power to banish them…" he paused "An unlikely scenario but it is easier to kill a God's worshippers than a God themselves." the tanned man stared at the guard "What else?"

"That is about as far as I got." He muttered, scratching the back of his neck "S-sorry."

"Hmph, it is confirming theories I have long since held." Goetia dismissed, leaning back into his chair "This is useful information regardless." moving to cup his chin, his eyes narrowed in thought "There were other Deities present in Fodlan - or Agartha - at one point and have since departed…the question remains is what would cause their exodus."

"I'm only a little bit into the book." Harold admitted wryly as he placed the tome back into his kapsack "I can keep going." pausing, the man frowned slightly "I know its heretical but its…its a little interesting…"

"Forbidden knowledge is often the most appealing." Goetia idly muttered in response, his mind still forming theories of his own. "Continue at your present speed, inform me of any other changes in information."

"Alright." Harold nodded his head, the pair turned towards the door to the library as it opened up.

A woman - slightly shorter than Harold - clad in full body steel armour stumbled into the room, breathing rather heavily before she spied the pair and straightened to attention before marching over to them and halting. "Knightess Ciara, reporting for observation duty." her tone was somewhat youthful with a hint of steel to it.

"...Morning, Ciara." Harold greeted her with a wide smile and a wave, the woman seemingly jolted before she relaxed slightly.

"Oh, Harold." She greeted the man with a faint hint of surprise in her voice "I…wasn't expecting to find you away from the gate."

"I saw they were asking volunteers to watch Goetia, so I decided to offer myself." He admitted with a casual smile, gesturing to the man "We actually speak sometimes."

The woman remained silent "You speak…with the foreigner?" she spoke in a slow tone, her helm moving between Harold and Goetia while her voice contained an odd mixture of surprise and disappointment. "We are to watch and ensure he does not stray from the directions of the Archbishop. Not consort with him."

"Consort?" Harold tilted his head "W-well…erm…we actually just talk about normal stuff?" he muttered "W-we once talked about Anna?"

"The shrewd Merchant?" Ciara's frown was audible. "Her prices are often insulting…or so I would say if her quality of goods was not higher than others in the market." she grunted, shaking her head "However, that does not give her the right to overcharge."

"Considering she is the one who supplies the products, it is within her rights to charge what she wishes." Goetia decided to interject, not looking at the pair with his attention fixed upon the desk in front of him - specifically the register for signing out books - the silence prompting him to continue "The act of procuring and selling your wares is to ensure not a single expenditure is wasted. I believe the expression would be to buy cheap in an area of low demand and then sell high in a location with high consumer demand." He looked up at the pair "This is evidently an area for high consumer demand, considering she has yet to alter her prices. It would not be a profitable endeavour otherwise."

Harold blinked at him behind his helmet "How…do you know so much about being a merchant?"

Goetia remained silent, then looked down "...Someone I knew spent a great deal of time with a travelling caravan and was taught the art of buying and selling by them." he paused "...They felt that knowledge necessary to inform me of." shrugging, he carried on "I am not entirely sure why, but I did not question it….I wonder if she knew an event such as this would occur?" he asked himself with sudden puzzlement.

The Queen of Sheba's Clairvoyance was capable of rivalling Solomons when he was alive so he couldn't rule out the possibility that she was eventually made aware of such a possible timeline. He frowned in thought, that might have explained why she did not heed the summoning call despite Romani Archaman being in Chaldea.

That man had both the Tenth Ring and was Solomon himself, he should have been an ideal catalyst for summoning her.

Unless…she knew and agreed with his plan?

She was the one person he trusted so perhaps…

"Goetia?" He blinked, looking up and seeing Harold and Ciara staring at him "Are you alright? You looked as though your mind was somewhere else."

"I am…I was distracted." He replied casually, his fingers resumed their drumming against his desk as he turned to Ciara "As for yourself, provided you do not disrupt the duties assigned to me, I will see fit to ignore you."

The woman looked as though she wanted to reply, however Flayn coming over to them with a small stack of books managed to cut off whatever she was going to say.

The girl placed them on his desk and stared at him "...I will be reading these." she informed him "Is that acceptable?"

Goetia gave her a single blink "Will you be removing them from the library?"

"No."

"Then you may use one of the tables." He directed her to desks lining the centre of the room "When you are finished with them, return them to the desk and I will file them away accordingly."

"Thank you." Flynn gave a single nod of her head as she picked the books up and waddled over to the desk and sat them down, soon immersing herself in their contents.

The rest of the day progressed much as it would otherwise, however Goetia noted that Flayn only ever left for lunch during that time and even then she had swiftly returned. It would appear she had found her attempts at social charity self-gratifying.

He wasn't sure whether to be insulted that she felt him on the same level as humans…

Yet he found his mind quiet. It had dawned on him how quiet it truly was without the collective Demon Gods to commune with him. That was an odd thought. The destruction of the Temple meant many of the Pillars had shut down and he knew many others had been destroyed by the Heroic Spirits.

He wasn't quite sure at what point during the day that it dawned on him that he might very well be the last of his kind but the thought stayed with him soon after.

"Young Goetia?" The man looked up from his desk to see Tomas' smiling face staring back at him "I was worried you had fallen asleep with your eyes open." the disguised man jested with a quiet chuckle as he moved around the desk, his walking stick tapping against the floor with each step he took. "I apologise for being away for much of the day…"

"I am merely an assistant." Goetia replied "As long as the business you conduct relates to the library, it is not my place to question it."

Tomas gave a pleased smile "I am thankful you are so understanding." he replied "You may leave early, I can handle the remaining clean up." his eyes briefly darted towards the two knights standing near him before they returned to Goetia.

The tanned man gave a single nod of the head in response before turning around and walking away from the elderly man, the two knights swiftly following after him as he did. The trio soon left the room with Tomas being the only one to remain.

The kind smile vanished from the old man's face, his hunched over posture straightening out and his shoulders squaring themselves. "Bothersome creatures." he growled to himself, pacing over to the door and locking it from the inside before he turned around.

Getting anything done with these beasts keeping a close eye on the insect was vexing. His communication with Thales had been hampered greatly as a result which he had no doubt would affect their plans if it continued on.

Tomas paced back towards the desk before he opened up the bottom draw, then flipped open the false cover at the base of the cupboard and removed the disk of communication. He pressed it once and felt a shudder pass over him, confirming the establishment of the bounded field.

"Thales." Tomas spoke through the disk, staring at it "Thales, this is Solon."

"Solon." A face soon appeared in front of him, prompting a frown from the man "You have been infrequent with your information reports-"

"Through no fault of my own, Myson." He growled back in annoyance "The beasts are squabbling amongst themselves and have caught me in the crossfire of their petty arguments. The library is watched as a result-"

"And you risk contacting us?" Myson scowled "Has desperation driven you so far?"

"Unlike you, I am no fool Myson." Solon swiftly countered, lips drawn into a thin line "Now where is Thales?"

"Thales is indisposed right now." Myson replied "He has seen fit to leave the task of managing your reports to myself." he explained "Now, I trust you have something to inform us of?"

Solon clicked his tongue in annoyance at dealing with the upstart "Rumors from the underground, it seems the beasts have discovered something of value in the ancient ruin beneath the Monastery."

"...You message us to inform us that those creatures play in the dirt?" Myson gave an incredulous frown "Or do you know what it is they seek?"

"Obviously not." Solon snapped at him "Else I would have informed you, I will have more information by the time of my next report."

"Hmmm, see what you do." Myson replied back "Thales would be most displeased with such…vague findings."

"And I am most displeased with your tone, boy." Solon hissed, shutting down the communicator and returning it to its original place. Covering it up with the false panel. He had hoped to return it to his own private quarters but the observation but the guards was too close for that and he would not wish to get caught with it in the open now.

What was worse was that he doubted there was anything of real value occurring in that filthy hovel beneath this accursed place.

Byleth rubbed her eyes as she stared at the desk in front of her, the gentle footsteps of someone approaching her caused her eyes to raise towards them, fixing her attention upon Dimitri as he approached.

"Professor." He nodded to her in greeting as he came to a halt at the foot of her desk "I just thought to ask if we were once again descending into Abyss." he asked with a slightly troubled look "However, I would not think to demand-"

"We will." She assured him, her face remaining remarkably blank even as his showed visible relief "...Goetia will probably be joining as well."

"I would have imagined so…" Dimitri replied, trailing off slightly as he gave his teacher an almost troubled look "Professor, I do not wish to overstep my boundaries as a student but I cannot help but notice there was tension when you last spoke." Byleth remained utterly stone faced as he spoke "I realise this might be intrusive of me to inquire, but I was wondering if there was some issue between the two of you."

Byleth continued to remain stone faced before she looked down slightly "...I don't know." she shrugged her shoulders "He didn't appreciate my help."

"Ah, your desire to keep him out of harm's way." Dimitri nodded his head in understanding, the man cupped his chin "Professor, from what little I have spoken with Goetia he seems to have an essence of pride to himself."

"An essence." Sothis snorted behind Byleth "Hmph."

Byleth ignored the Goddess, giving a single nod of the head.

"He is also…" Dimitri scrunched his face up in a slightly strained expression "He is not a student, Professor so perhaps treating him as one might have been seen as…insulting on some level?"

Byleth blinked once "I wasn't making fun of him."

"I am aware of that." Dimitri raised his hands in surrender "But as I have said before, Goetia seems to be a moderately prideful man, therefore perhaps it would be best to treat him as…" he snapped his fingers several times before his eyes widened "A comrade!" he decided "How did you treat your fellow mercenaries?"

Byleth blinked, then looked down "...I told them what they needed to know and nothing else."

"And you would not keep something from them because you were worried about trouble?"

"...I would tell them first." She admitted, Dimitri giving a single nod "But…"

Dimitri paused "But?"

"...That feels wrong with him." She looked up at Dimitri with a slight flicker of something in her eyes "I do not know why."

Dimitri stared at her in silence as his arms fell to his side "...I do not think I can offer you advice for this particular case then, Professor." he gave a regretful smile "It is not something I have experience in but…perhaps for future reference, you should place greater trust in Goetia's decisions and opinion."

"...What if he does the same to me?"

"Keeps information from you?" Dimitri blinked in surprise before he shrugged "I am not a wise man professor, so I cannot place myself in either your position nor in his but…perhaps honesty would be the best approach and if he were to do the same to you then empathy would be possible." he paused "Has…he actually done-"

"Thank you." She nodded her head once, cutting him off and causing him his wince slightly.

"I-I see." Nodding his head, he backed away slightly before his expression returned to a more serene one. "I was just wondering about our plans, now that I know I won't distract you further." bowing his head slightly, he turned around and swiftly left the classroom.

Byleth remained silent, her eyes darting to the side as Sothis floated around to her front.

"He might not be a wise man…" She muttered under her breath, crossing her arms and turning her head towards Byleth "But I cannot call him a foolish boy."

Byleth stared at her in silence before her brows creased slightly and she nodded her head slowly "Both…kept secrets."

Sothis looked more uncomfortable by the declaration than anything else "I would not call the two of them equal." she huffed, "He purposefully kept away information that would reveal myself as a Goddess." pointing at Byleth, her expression curled slightly "You simply left him uninformed so as to avoid him making a brash decision and get him into more trouble with…my own faith." she clicked her tongue "Perhaps it is the principle of the matter…"

Byleth wasn't entirely sure how best to respond to that, opting to lean back into her chair and give a very small frown in thought.

"He makes things difficult and given that we did the same to him, all I can find to argue with him is that his secret was grander and he did it first." She growled, huffing and looking away "Which is hardly mature thoughts for one to hold and if I even thought to make that argument, he would no doubt assume that he has been vindicated by my behaviour that I was not ready to be informed of such a development."

Byleth watched as her rant continued before the Goddess eventually ceased, falling into an annoyed sigh and shaking her head.

"A rather troubling situation either way…" She muttered, cupping her chin and facing Byleth "And it is not a situation whether either party is entirely innocent." her shoulders slumped ever so slightly as she shook her head "...It would be easier if the situation were ignored entirely and yet I feel as though it is difficult to release."

She clenched her fists "Who knows how much he might keep secret from m-us?" she stressed the word "In the name of our best interests at heart and yet the moment we attempt something similar he acts as though he has been personally insulted." she scoffed "Although he has more than an essence of pride to him, that little declaration of things made that rather plain."

Byleth wet her lips "...You think he might be a God?"

"I said it in the heat of the moment." Sothis muttered before shaking her head "However…the possibility is certainly there. We both know he isn't human and yet there is still no true answer as to what exactly he is." she went on "He's admitted to knowing a great deal about other Gods and apparently I am something of an anomaly to him, not to mention his ability to withstand my authority over time and being able to see my person."

Tilting her head, Byleth let out a small hum "A…God?"

"The possibility is bizarre and yet it remains one of the few I can consider." Sothis muttered to herself "I would ask why a God would work in a library…" she paused. "Then I remember that we are technically a Goddess working as a professor." she muttered, shaking her head "So I suppose I cannot dismiss the possibility that he was simply…bored."

"Looking for something?"

"Possibly." Sothis admitted "Either way, there are many other agenda's at work here aside from my own quest for answers." turning her body towards Byleth, she placed her hands on her hips "At the very least, something now has him more committed to the events at hand in a much more hands on approach."

The Goddess gave a curious expression "Although I must wonder what exactly brought about this sudden change, he wasn't forthcoming with that but it would seem to have occurred when he heard your Mothers name."

Byleth's lips thinned. She didn't know anything about her mother, although that was because she had not often asked. Yet now, she could hardly deny the curiosity within her in relation to her parent. With Jeralt away, that left Aelfric as the only source of information although he did say he knew her mother quite well.

"I suppose we are both forced to play a waiting game for the moment." Sothis sighed "I dislike not being informed of events but I suppose there is little we might be able to do about it." turning away from her, she stared at the entrance to the classroom "We should probably make plans to depart with the children later tonight so as to avoid having to explain this, given the Church's apparent dislike of Abyss."

Her lips formed an ugly frown "However…I have yet to see a reason for why they might face persecution in this manner. The criminals I might understand but the others?" shaking her head, she seemingly dismissed the thought "I have much to learn."

"...Fortunately I am a Professor."

Sothis glared at her "Do not try to make a joke at my expense." she huffed, crossing her arms "...It wasn't that funny anyway."

Byleth thought it was pretty funny, even if she didn't show it.

Goetia stared at the window of his room, watching as darkness descended upon the monastery before he turned around. There was soon to be a signal preparing him for departure.

He could hear muffled voices just outside his door, they soon gave way to a knock and the distinct voice of Harold "Goetia? Bishop Aelfric is here to see you."

Moving towards the door, Goetia opened it up and stepped into the hallway, Aelfric stood opposite him with a stone faced expression on his face as he stared at Goetia's features, eventually turning towards Ciara "Thank you, having heard so much of him I could not simply avoid meeting him."

"It is no problem, Bishop Aelfric." Ciara dutifully replied "...However, it is late at night Bishop, perhaps such a visit can wait until the morning." she paused "On another note, I must inform you that Assistant Librarian Goetia is currently under observation by the Monastery and should be treated as a dubious individual until future notice."

"It is quite alright." Aelfric raised his hand "I have faith in the goodness of strangers and that the Archbishop would never allow someone who could cause harm to the Church within the Monastery walls." he turned back to Goetia "I was just…passing along my greetings to him."

"Hmm." Goetia merely hummed in response before turning to Ciara "You are tired and wish to go to sleep earlier than usual. Harold can fulfil your shift."

Ciara stared back at him - her helm hiding her expression - before her posture relaxed and she let out a yawn "I-I'm tired…" she quietly muttered to herself, turning to Harold "Y-you can take care of this from here…" she waddled her way in between the group almost drunkenly as she ventured down the hallway "I-I'll see you tomorrow…"

Harold and Aelfric watched her leave before they both turned to Goetia, the former looking surprised while the latter merely held a blank expression.

"I suppose that was the hypnosis I was told of." Aelfric voiced aloud in a monotone voice "I suppose it is powerful but for the moment, useful. The fewer who are aware of the situation in Abyss, the better."

Harold was still looking inbetween the two of them before he stared at Goetia with wide eyes "Y-you can do that?"

Goetia merely sighed in response.

"Aelfric said he would arrive when he arrives." Yuri rattled off with a roll of his eyes as he leaned against the wall "And he told me to share the news after he arrived, considering it concerns our news friends."

"Friends is hardly the word I would use." Hapi muttered out under her breath, Yuri gave her a dry look before shaking his head.

"Friends, acquaintances, whatever else they are still allies and apparently a professor as well." He chuckled wryly "Which was certainly a surprise to be sure, not sure I can say what Aelfric is doing with that one but I suppose he has his reasons."

"Well…he did say he wanted us educated?" Balthus replied as he scratched the back of his neck "So I guess there is that and its not like we're all that smart-"

"Ha!" Constance gave a bark of laughter "Speak for yourself, Balthus! As a Lady of House Nuvelle, you will find my education to be the pinnacle of what is expected of a Noble-"

The air ripped open directly next to the group, the tear in space widening to the point it was twice the size of the average doorway. The Ashen wolves gave slight jolts of alarm at the sudden spell before they calmed down as Goetia and the others stepped through the portal and into the room alongside them.

Snapping his fingers once the last of them was through the tear, the portal closed shut as they stared at each other.

"A little warning would be nice for future reference." Hapi clicked her tongue at them, Goetia gave her a dull look.

"You knew we would arrive, why would my manner of entrance differ from how I arrived yesterday?"

The woman looked annoyed but didn't opt to respond, instead crossing her arms and looking away.

"A rather fast method of transport." Aelfric wondered aloud, cupping his chin "Although I suppose it is more widespread than a teleportation spell and perhaps just as complicated." shaking his head, he turned towards the Ashen Wolves "Regardless, we have returned as promised."

"Yeah." Claude snickered "Although getting half these guys out of bed was a chore…" he paused as his eyes meaningfully landed on Hilda "Some were less inclined than others."

"Ha!" Balthus barked out a laugh as he placed his hands on his hips "That sounds like Hilda, actually Holst had a couple stories about that-"

"And I have a couple stories from Holst about you." Hilda gave him a sweet smile, promptly shutting Balthus up. "Thank you for understanding a lady's privacy."

"S-sure."

"What did you learn?" Byleth immediately asked Yuri, stepping to the front of the group and staring at him, the others quickly following suit.

"Indeed!" Constance placed her hands on her hips "You said you would share the results of your interrogation when Aelfric and the others arrived, what manner of findings have you uncovered?"

"Nothing." Yuri shrugged "The guy was practically useless, refusing to say anything although I think that has more to do with the fact that they didn't know anything." he then paused at the irritated looks "However, I was able to determine something from them at least. They were definitely hired to come to Abyss in search of something."

"Yeah…" Balthus nodded his head "That's gotta be it! They must have been on a treasure hunt or something."

"A treasure hunt?" Hapi raised an eyebrow "Down here?" shaking her head, her expression turned perplexed "I don't get it, what is to search for in these dingy tunnels?"

Aelfric's expression shifted into a thoughtful one, something Linhardt took notice of.

"Aelfric, was it?" He inquired, attracting the attention of the others "It looks as though this is ringing a bell for you."

Jolting at the mention of his name, Aelfric pursed his lips before speaking "Well, something does come to mind…" shaking his head in dismissal, he continued on "However the notion is preposterous."

"Hey, never discount a wild hunch." Claude argued with a wry smile "Sometimes they're closer than you think."

"Indeed." Dimitri nodded, "Even a minor lead might allow us to determine our next course of action." he gestured towards the Bishop "Please, continue."

Aelfric nodded once "As you wish, it is quite far fetched though." his expression turned serious "You see, there is a longstanding legend here. Not well known within the Monastery for its failure but in Abyss it is better documented." he gestured around them "It is said that deep in the earth, below even Abyss, there is a place known as the Chasm of the Bound-"

"That doesn't sound ominous." Harold whispered to Goetia, earning a flat look from the man.

"-wherein lies the Chalice of Beginnings."

"Chalice of Beginnings?" Edelgard tilted her head, frowning "That is not a name I am familiar with."

"Nor do I expect you to be." Aelfric replied in a gentle and understanding tone "It is not well known above ground, like I have said before. In truth, I myself would not have known of it until I happened upon an old document detailing the Chalice of Beginnings and the ritual it was involved with known as the Rite of Rising."

Waving his hand, he gave a disappointed sound "The document was incomplete, so I cannot give a completely accurate account of everything, nor can I guarantee its authenticity." shaking his head, he continued on "But it is said that the Chalice was a sacred object, crafted under order of Saint Seiros herself."

"Yeesh." Claude's eyes widened "The first prophet of the Goddess?" scratching his chin, he hummed "That is certainly something important then."

"Quite so." Aelfric nodded his head "And the Rite of Rising it was involved with. According to the text, Saint Seiros used the Chalice along with the four Apostles."

"The Four Apostles?" Constance muttered under her breath with a hint of recognition "That is familiar to me…" her eyes then widened "The Chalice of Legend!" she exclaimed "My father mentioned that legend once a long time ago!"

"Truly?" Aelfric blinked in surprise "Then it would seem there might be some authenticity after all." he turned back to the group.

"So don't leave us in suspense." Claude tilted his head "What is the Rite of Rising?"

"Indeed." Dimitri nodded his head "From the sounds of it, there might be some similarity between this Rite of Rising and the Rite of Rebirth."

"That much I cannot say…" Aelfric shook his head "However, it is a ritual that is believed to have the power to resurrect a life that was lost." he quickly carried on at the surprised expressions on the faces around him "However the ritual failed and the Apostles bound the Chalice so that it might never fall into mortal hands."

Goetia stiffened, his eyes going wide as he stared at the man in sudden comprehension.

"A secret spell to resurrect the dead!" Constance exclaimed "Exhilarating, no?"

"Quite…" Dimitri nodded his head "It is no wonder that someone would be after it."

"Even so, we still have very little information to go on." Edelgard interjected with a frown "We must gather more information about this legend at once."

"I wholeheartedly agree." Aelfric replied with a serious tone "Which is why I will do all I can to track down information within the Monastery pertaining to the Rite." he winced "That said the Garreg Mach library is well…curated." his eyes danced over to Goetia "I doubt further information will be discovered."

"I'm sure we can find something here." Linhardt replied "The Shadow Library is more extensive and I am certain our combined efforts might uncover something."

"Then I will leave that to you." Aelfric nodded his head "Please, keep me informed as best you can."

"This is a little exciting, ain't it Sparkles?" Claude joked turning to the man and soon freezing as he noticed the almost paralysed expression on the man's face "Sparkles?" he voiced again, attracting the attention of the others "You good?"

"...No." Goetia replied, rolling his jaw "Because this situation has become far more tenuous than I previously believed." his lips thinned, turning to the boy "These thugs are not simply after the power of resurrecting a life. They are attempting to lay claim to a True Magic."

Claude blinked at him "...A what?"

"To the library." He abruptly span on his heel, marching past Aelfric and into the corridor while leaving everyone else behind him.

Claude stared at his retreating figure before he turned to the others "...Well…that happened."

AN: Poor Goetia, just can't get away from those Holy Grails.

And yeah…The Chalice of Beginnings is a Holy Grail in every sense of the word. The Rite just failed because they didn't use enough magical energy. Ironically, Aelfric ingame had it right.

Although how it will pan out here…

Who knows?

Omake: Staff Chat

Rhea created a Group Chat

Rhea invited Seteth to the Group Chat

Rhea invited Tomas to the Group Chat

Rhea invited Byleth to the Group Chat

Rhea invited Catherine to the Group Chat

Rhea invited Shamir to the Group Chat.

Rhea invited Hanneman to the Group Chat

Rhea invited Manuela to the Group Chat

Rhea renamed Group Chat to Garreg Mach Staff

Rhea: I would like to commission this new method of communication so that we will be able to better coordinate all future endeavours for both our fellow staff members and other Professors.

Seteth: A most sound suggestion, Archbishop. This will allow me to air any grievances swiftly.

Byleth: Where Goetia?

Tomas: Indeed, I feel as though my young assistant would be more suited to this than I.

Rhea: As he is not a fully fledged staff member, I would not consider it appropriate to treat him as such. Therefore - until his position becomes permanent, should that ever occur - he will not be permitted entry to the Staff chat.

Manuela: Awwww, really? :'(

Seteth: What is that odd symbol supposed to mean?

Catherine: I think it's a crying face.

Seteth: Does Goetia not being here trouble you that much?

Hanneman: She is probably troubled that she will be unable to flaunt her body like a piece of meat at a butcher's shop.

Catherine: Damn! I thought Shamir was the only assassin here!

Shamir: I'm not an Assassin. I'm a contracted killer.

Byleth: Is there a difference?

Shamir: My job is more like yours.

Byleth: I see.

Seteth: I must ask, where is Alois?

Rhea: While Alois is indeed our Knight Captain he is also prone to humor, all of which is very poor and I would be displeased to see the chat filled with 'dad jokes'.

Seteth: I find his jokes somewhat amusing.

Rhea: That is unsurprising.

Catherine: Anyone noticed we haven't heard back from Manuela?

Hanneman: She is likely grieving over a failed date.

Hanneman: Excuse me, someone is knocking on my door.

Hanneman is Offline

Shamir: It would seem that we have heard the last of Hanneman.

Seteth: I am confident she will not cause him permanent harm.

Tomas invited Goetia to the Chat.

Tomas left the Chat.

Goetia: Hm.

Rhea: …I suppose my orders are merely suggestions now?

Catherine: I would never disobey any order you gave me. Any. Order.

Rhea: Your loyalty warms my heart.

Byleth: Goetia.

Goetia: Byleth.

Shamir: Goetia.

Goetia: Shamir.

Seteth: What a peculiar greeting.

Manuela: Honestly, you are all quite hopeless.

Rhea: What is the state of Hanneman?

Manuela: He'll live.

Seteth: And there we have it.

Goetia: I must inquire as to the purpose of this chat and why I was summoned for it as well?

Seteth: It makes my task of administering each and every one of your messes much, much easier to control at the very least. Speaking of which, what is the status of your co-workers?

Goetia: The whore has vanished from my sight, I have yet to locate her.

Rhea: The what!?

Catherine: Your coworker is a whore? What a fucking moment here! You're also a Whore!?

Byleth: How much?

Seteth: Professor!

Rhea: Mother!

Seteth: Mother?

Catherine: Mother!?

Shamir: You're a prostitute?

Goetia: I am not a male prostitute. I have not even engaged anyone in sexual intercourse.

Rhea: Autocorrect. I am unused to technology.

Byleth: Ah. Virgin. Same.

Goetia: For what possible reason would I need to know what?

Byleth: Just informing you.

Manuela: Just let me know if you need a more…experienced touch.

Goetia: I would rather follow Zepar into the bosom of a nun with limitless libido.

Catherine: Should you even be in a monastery?

Rhea: I have begun to ask myself that more frequently.

Seteth: Goetia, as much as I realise you might dislike your former coworkers, please be more specific so as to avoid future confusion.

Goetia: That is her title. She is the Whore of Babylon.

Seteth: Goetia…is there an actual prostitute loose in Garreg Mach?

Goetia: There are several. What is the purpose of this chat?

Rhea: It was originally to discuss future plans for the Monastery. Now I am concerned it has become a booth for confession.

Byleth: We can confess things here?

Byleth: I saw Goetia's six pack and can't stop thinking about it.

Seteth: By the Goddess…please do not discuss this here.

Catherine: I call bullshit. No way he has a six pack!

Byleth:

Goetia: Where did you get this photo? Is that me asleep on my bed?

Byleth is Offline

Goetia: I will not be denied answers.

Goetia is Offline.

Manulea: I, for one, welcome this picture with open arms and will be sure to extend my thanks to the Professor the next time we meet.

Catherine: If he's got that then why didn't he want to arm wrestle me?

Rhea: I hate technology.