Chapter 49: One step closer to Heaven
"Tear this library apart." Goetia virtually ordered as he barged into the room, already moving towards one of the bookcases "Find anything relating to religious doctrine and rituals around the Four Apostles or the Saint herself, it matters not how insignificant it might be-"
"Slow down Sparkles!" Claude blurted out as he stumbled into the room after him, one of the first to actually catch up with the man "What's got you in such a rush? Don't tell me you actually believe in-"
"Whether I do or do not believe in their ability to touch upon the Third Magic is irrelevant." Goetia turned towards the boy and frowned at him "What concerns me is the level of damage that might be done on the path towards reaching this objective. Even if they failed to resurrect the body, it does not change the fact that the level of magical energy required would be enormous."
Claude blinked at him "Those…were words that went over my head."
Goetia scowled at him briefly before turning back to the books "It matters not whether you understand the words. All you need do is find them, I will deal with the rest and then we might put an end to this tale before it can cause further issues."
"Alright then." Claude clapped his hands, turning to the others as they only just got into the library "Sparkles says we've got to look through all the books and find anything relating to the erm, Rite of Rising." he paused, looking at the back of the man in question "He also says it might be bad but he wasn't that clear on it."
Dimitri instead frowned, turning to Goetia and stepping towards him "You believe there to be a danger beyond simple robbers?"
"If simple robbers were all that you faced, I would ignore this situation entirely and leave it in your hands." Goetia bluntly replied, earning a click of the tongue from Hapi.
"Thanks for your support." She dryly replied.
"At least I am honest in how little this matters to me." Goetia countered her "The alternative would have been to lie and wait until your guard was down and use you." he barely spared her a glance before he started to float books off the shelves and towards him "It would have barely taken an effort on my part."
"That's very appreciat-"
"Hapi." Yuri stopped her, staring at Goetia's back with an intrigued look "You sound like you're speaking from experience here?"
Goetia stopped "...True Magics are often attempted to be realised, however they never are outside of their original wielders."
"I thought it was Magecraft." Byleth tilted her head in slight confusion "Isn't it?"
"There is a difference between Magecraft and Magic in much the same way there is a difference between a puddle of water and the ocean." Goetia turned to her "A True Magic is better described as a miracle itself. In the realms that are not accessible to even the strongest of mages without some level of exception. There are only five True Magics that exist and the materialization of the Soul is the third."
He nodded to Aelfric, the man gave a hum of acknowledgement "Which the Rite of Rising attempted to do with a resurrection." the man realised "They were trying to wield the power of a Miracle?"
"Tired and evidently failed." Goetia bluntly replied "However, their efforts - clumsy as they were - do not change the fact they created a Holy Grail in order to facilitate this poorly conceived plan." he scowled "And without the proper knowledge to even allow the Ritual to succeed." shaking his head, he turned towards the books "Regardless, it is imperative we discover the location of the Chalice and what transpired in the aftermath of the Ritual."
Edelgard blinked, frowning slightly "I thought you said that it failed?" placing a single hand on her hips, she tilted her head "What have we to fear from a spell which did not succeed?"
"It failed to resurrect the soul." Goetia countered with a frown, turning to the girl "That does not make it any less dangerous. A container of such raw magical energy could be used for alternative spells and I do not trust a single one of the mages in this continent to wield such power even for a moment."
"Thanks." Claude gave the man a thumbs up "Really appreciate that."
"It is no different to the magi from my own lands." Goetia snapped at him "The handling of a Holy Grail requires a level of planning, care and precision that - if in the hands of a incompetent - could very easily wipe out a small hold."
That managed to sober up the thoughts of everyone present, Constance doing a double take "S-surely you je-"
"Do I look like I am joking?" Goetia scowled at her "The level of magical energy that it would take to restore a soul to the world of the living without any degradation to and in perfect health is beyond anything you can truly comprehend. However, the Grail is still naught but a fuel source and one that is handled with care. Magical energy is shaped according to the will of its wielder and with the sheer quantity of magical energy within the Chalice, even at a tenth of its capacity would still dwarf any other mage you have available in the monastery. Far exceeding the Monstrous Beasts and even the lower end of phantasmals."
Linhardt frowned heavily "You suggest someone could use it as a weapon?"
"You think they wouldn't?" Goetia raised a lone eyebrow "The one caveat is that it does not matter how much magical energy the user has available, they cannot utilise more than their body can handle at any one time."
"A tap will never exceed how much it can handle." Linhardt nodded his head in understanding, then looked at Goetia "But if they were someone like yourself-"
"There are none like me but you would be correct. It would matter very little given the harm they can do."
Dimitri nodded his head, turning to the blue haired boy next to him "Ashe, let us get to work." then turned to the others "Even if we ignore the possibility of raising the dead, if what Goetia says is true then we cannot allow the Chalice of Beginnings to fall into the hands of those who would misuse its power."
"Then why not leave it where it is?" Hapi bluntly asked, raising an eyebrow "Like Elfie said, its been sealed away by the Apostles or whatever since Saint Serios."
"And yet, it is being searched for." Edelgard realised, cupping her chin "Those who search for it as we speak must also know as much of this as we do, which means they are no doubt aware of the sealing behind the Chalice and determined they have a way of unlocking them." she shook her head "I agree with Dimitri, we cannot allow such a relic to fall into the hands of thugs such as these."
Her eyes then fell upon Goetia "Although I cannot wonder what you might do with it."
"Dispel the magical energy back into the Leylines." Goetia bluntly replied "Provided there is any left to begin with." he paused "Alternatively, place it in a much more secured location."
"But it is the Chalice of Beginnings!" Constance exclaimed, aghast "The legendary relic forged by the hands of the Prophet Seiros herself! We cannot simply discover such a rare artifact and then simply lock it away again!"
Yuri raised his hand "We can decide what to do with it after we find it." the man gave each of them a nod then turned to Aelfric "Think we'll find anything in here?"
"I cannot say for certain." The man shook his head "I will try above ground but I suspect you will have more luck than I in this endeavour." he nodded to them "Thus, I wish you good luck and urge you to speak to me should you make any discoveries."
The students, Teacher, Part-time librarian and Knight nodded to him in response before they each darted off to separate corners of the library and immediately started to scan the shelves.
The man gave the room a final look, his eyes briefly lingering on Goetia and his smile vanishing from his face before he turned around and walked from the library.
It had been nearly half an hour by Claude's reckoning and they had yet to find anything related to the Rite of Rising. Although he was now aware that there used to be a time during the month where they would celebrate the Goddess through the act of fasting in memory for she is the one who allows the crops to grow.
He wasn't surprised to see this was abandoned during a small famine in the year six-three-one of the Imperial calendar.
"Turns out they never re-introduced it." Claude finished up the summary, lowering the book and turning to Hilda.
Who had her chin flat against the table in a move reminiscent of a cat as she stared at him through half-lidded eyes.
"Come on." Claude gave a mock whine "I thought that was at least a little interesting." he waved the book, earning a slightly raised eyebrow from the girl "No?"
"We haven't found anything." Hilda groaned, adjusting her head so it was now lying sideways on the table "We've been at this forever…"
"You were assigned this task approximately twenty-seven minutes and thirty-seven seconds ago." Goetia's voice echoed through the library as if hearing the girl "Now forty-two seconds."
"How the heck can you hear that?" Claude asked, turning in his seat towards the man who was at the opposite end of the room. Goetia didn't so much as look at him as he replied.
"I can hear many things." He vaguely responded "And I can see you have not made much progress."
"Not yet." Claude waved the book in his hand for reference "In fairness, I thought 'The History of Goddess Holidays' might have been a good place to start but it turns out not so much." he looked down "Did you know that they once tried to introduce the fourth day of the Horsebow moon as the Day of the Goddess?"
Byleth looked up from the book she was reading "Huh." she blinked "That's my birthday."
"I'm sure Sparkles will make a note of that." Claude snickered, which managed to earn an amused chuckle from Hilda next to him.
"I remember everyone's birthday." Goetia blandly responded as he continued to read through the book he was on "I cannot forget that which I have learned."
"Sounds useful."
"...That depends upon what I learn." Goetia replied, his voice distant before he shook his head and resumed his task.
Claude merely shared a look with Hilda before he slid one of the closed books over to her with a winning smile. The girl groaned in response before she blinked multiple times and flashed Claude a dazzling smile that would have caused the heart of a lesser man to stop beating.
"Say Claude~"
"I'm not reading the book to you, Hilda." Claude dryly replied before he smirked at her "Aren't you also a little old for bedtime stories?"
The girl clicked her tongue, the smile vanished from her face as she sat up and pulled the book towards her, staring down at the cover. "Rituals, curses and dark spells from the time of the Gods?" she raised her eyebrow, looking up "Gods?"
"There are many Pantheons of Gods." Goetia remarked from across the room, still not looking up and sounding as though he had recounted the words a hundred times before "Just because your Goddess is the chief deity of Fodlan does not mean her will extends to all corners of the land." he paused as he flicked over a page "To my knowledge, the people of Duscur had a pantheon of Gods did they not?"
"They did." Dimitri gave a solemn nod of the head, his voice tinged with something dark "Although…worship of them has been forbidden since the Kingdom annexed the land and scattered the people."
"Unfortunate." Was all Goetia said in response, in spite of that, Dimitri gave him a smile considering it was much better than the alternative he had heard many times before.
"Hey Sparkles?" Claude asked, looking towards the man "When is your birthday anyway? Considering we now know Teach's."
"...Why do you want to know?" Goetia asked, looking up and tilting his head in curiosity.
Claude shrugged "Just feels like one of those things, I guess."
"Seventeenth Day of the Lone Moon." Goetia blandly replied as he looked down "Year 1155."
Dead silence spread across the library, Goetia looked up to find himself staring at the students' surprised expressions.
"What?"
"Nothing." Claude shook his head "Just…you're younger than I thought you'd be." he admitted with a shrug "Although Flayn does sometimes talk like she's older than us so it's probably not all that surprising."
Byleth stared at him before she looked down, Goetia merely shook his head before he resumed reading.
Claude leaned towards Hilda, whispering to her "He looks good for his age, doesn't he?"
He got a hum of affirmation from the girl.
Goetia did his best to ignore the dubious look he was receiving from Sothis as she floated next to him with her arms crossed.
"You are not twenty six years old." She accused "I refuse to believe you are but a few years older than this one." she gestured at Byleth before pointing back at him "I refuse to believe it."
He remained silent before the girl rolled her eyes. "Fine then, I suppose that much is hardly important to ask and I doubt many would believe your true age anyway." she waved a finger at him "But I still think you're older."
Which he was, although he failed to see the need to actually inform anyone about it.
He looked around the room once again, he frowned ever so slightly as he noticed the people in the room were making rather poor progress and he couldn't blame them. Many of the records here were only half completed or so obviously misinformed that it was difficult to discern fact from fiction.
Beyond this, he needed someone he could reliably say was competent enough.
He rose from his seat, chair scraping against the flooring as he turned to Harold "I will be back soon." he paused for a moment before he clarified "I am simply returning to the Monastery to gather something I deem useful."
Harold blinked "Huh?"
He vanished before the knight could inquire further, disappearing in a flash of light. Harold looked around before he wet his lips and gestured to the spot where Goetia had been "He's definitely coming back, right?"
"Oh, yeah." Claude nodded his head, then shrugged "As for how long that will take, I can't exactly say." he waved his hand "If Sparkles thinks it's important enough, then its important enough."
He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to be looking at here as he stared down at the young girl in her bed. His eyes turned towards the window to see that it was still dark outside before he pursed his lips and returned his attention to her.
With a subtle whisper and a brief flex of his power, he established a muted field around the room in the event she decided to scream. Given the girl's fear of ghosts, he was absolutely certain that his sudden appearance would alert her and the subsequent scream would wake everyone in the general vicinity.
He took a single step forwards and crouched down by the bed, staring at her sleeping face with a thin expression. He hadn't had the chance to speak with her as much as he used to in the last few weeks. The barring of his lessons had seen to that.
Although the one thing that puzzled him was that the girl seemed to have some issue with being seen as an individual of her age and yet she had no issue in sharing her bed with some stuffed animal. He squinted at it.
A stuffed bear.
He leaned back, thinking of how best to approach this situation.
"Lysithea." He merely stated her name at a slightly louder tone than usual, the girl groaned in response, seemingly clutching herself into her bedsheets tighter and scrunching her face up. "Lysithea."
"Mmmmmh." Her eyes started to flicker open before they travelled along the room before eventually finding themselves staring at the large dark shadow in the centre of the room. She froze, eyes widening before they slowly rose up.
Unfortunately for Goetia, Lysithea wasn't granted the same level of night vision he had from natural adjustment. Meaning all the poor girl could see was a large shadowy figure barely illuminated by glitter golden flashes of light behind them and brilliant red eyes.
Therefore, it was hardly a surprise when the girl rolled back in her bed and screamed as loudly as possible, Goetia's face scrunched up in discomfort at the sudden volume.
"G-g-g-g-ghost!" She wailed out loud before she raised her right hand, Goetia furrowed his brows as he watched the magic circle form in her hands before the ball of fire rocketed across the length of the room towards him.
The crashed into an invisible barrier barely an inch from his body and washed over him without doing any harm.
This only prompted the girl to scream louder in alarm before she started to cry ever so slightly.
Goetia opted at this point to flash an orb of light next to his head, the blue source illuminating the room and revealing his features. The girl's crying wail died down soon after, instead her face shifting through a litany of emotions as she stared at the man.
"W-w-what?" She blurted out, sniffling and rubbing her eyes "Teacher? W-what?"
"Have you calmed down?" Goetia bluntly asked, tilting his head before he paused at his tone. Giving a slight twitch before adjusting his voice "I have startled you." he stated in a gentler tone than before "Given your previous reaction to me, I should have expected a more volatile reaction if I woke you in the middle of the night suddenly."
"What are-wait-why-?"
"You are no doubt wondering why I am in your room." Goetia went on, staring at her as she vigorously nodded her head in response "There has been a situation that has emerged and I would be more…" he paused, searching for the correct word "...at ease, if you were also present to ensure some manner of success." he paused again "You have already proven your competence therefore it is logical more me to request your assistance in this-"
"W-wait!" The girl exclaimed, cutting him off "Can I…" she looked down, pulling her blankets closer to her "...You want my help?" she realised, staring back at him with wide eyes.
"Yes."
"...Can I get dressed first?"
Goetia gave a single nod of the head and walked towards the door before he pushed it open and stepped out into the hallway, closing it behind him.
Lysithea sat in her bed, shivering ever so slightly.
She wished he had at least knocked first.
Goetia was still staring at the door as it opened, Lysithea poked her head out before she beckoned him back, Goetia moved forwards and re-entered the room. The girl closed the door behind him and moved around to the front, now dressed in her uniform.
"Now then, Teacher." She stared at him dead in the eyes "I would prefer that - in the future - you knock, that way we can avoid…" she paused and fidgeted slightly "...Accidents."
"I see your training has paid off." He pointed out "The casting of that fire spell was much faster than the last time I saw you attempt it. It is expected that repeated effort in a task would improve the outcome, however."
"Naturally." Lysithea nodded in affirmation "I returned to the original spells when it comes to casting speed." she elaborated "That way I have a better understanding of manipulating the magical energy when related to the spells."
"Hmm." Goetia nodded his head "Good, when lessons resume I will endeavour to perform a consecration ritual to determine your element and origin. From there I will be able to better determine a branch of Magecraft which suits you. However, given your natural affinity for Dark Spells, I believe you would be naturally suited for black magic or curses."
Lysithea tilted her head "What about the Runes?"
"The Runes were to determine you would at least be capable of understanding the basic principles of Magecraft and applying them." He shook his head "We have gotten off-topic, your aid is required."
"Might I ask with what?"
"So they think he might have been worshipping some manner of Demon." Hilda continued on "They found a bunch of circles in his private study though…"
"Sounds…" Claude blinked "Disturbing."
"I know, right?" Hilda muttered "Still, I didn't know you could actually get this sort of-"
A flash of light brought Goetia back into the room with a single tag-a-long. Claude took one look at the new arrival before promptly bursting into a fit of laughter and leaning back.
Goetia stared at him blandly for a few moments before he turned to the white haired girl at his side "Inform me if you experience any side-effects such as nausea or blurred vision. Sudden teleportation for the unaccustomed can lead to adverse effects."
"I-I'm fine." Lysithea argued back as she swayed on her feet before scowling at the direction of the still laughing boy "Although I want to know what's so funny, Von Riegan!"
"S-sorry!" Claude wiped a tear out of his eye "I-it's just that Sparkles said he had to go and get something important a-and then he comes back with you." his laughter dissipated into a fit of giggles "S-so congratulations Sprinkles."
Lysithea glared at the boy and opened her mouth to respond before Goetia cut her off "It is simply that she has proven to be a constant in terms of reliability." he stated "And she at least shows far more willingness to do what I asked than either yourself or Hilda." he nodded to the pink haired girl who looked indignant.
"Hey!" She whined "I actually did read up on the book!" she waved it around "It turns out that the third Lord of the Rowe household might have been a demon worshipper!"
Goetia blinked, tilting his head "I see." he turned back to Lysithea "Search this library for any and all information pertaining to the Four Apostles, the Rite of Rising or the Chalice of Beginnings."
Lysithea nodded her head in response before she swiftly charged towards the shelves "I won't let you down, Teacher!"
Goetia hummed in acknowledgement as he turned to see the others staring at him. "We have little time." he waved his hand "Return to your original tasks."
Claude leaned towards Hilda "It's a little weird how easily he gives orders, isn't it?" he whispered while still staring at the man "And he talks really formal. Think he might have been a Noble before he came here?"
Hilda blinked "That…makes sense, doesn't it?" she frowned "But then why would he come here?"
"Disowned maybe?" Claude frowned, "Guess Sparkles gets more and more mysterious." a faint smirk came to his face as he turned back to the books on the table in front of him. "I'm not sure which mystery I am more invested in at this point, I feel a little spoiled for choice."
"I appear to have found something." Linhardt called out, bringing the attention of everyone in the room towards him "It relates to the Chalice although the text itself is rather regarded in quality." he sighed "Unfortunate."
"It matters not." Goetia bluntly replied "What have you learned?"
"It says the Chalice itself - after the Ritual - was bound by the Four Apostles with wards to ensure it was never to be harmed again." He squinted "It also says that and I quote 'Those who seek what is forbidden, shall find themselves the guardians of that which is hidden.' which I am…not entirely sure what is meant."
Goetia hummed in response "We were already aware of the spells, however this does bring about a greater level of clarity." he cupped his chin with his only hand "However, the second part brings about some level of interpretation."
Dimitri tilted his head "Does this mean that those who seek the Chalice are somehow bound to protect it from others like themselves?" a frown came to his face "How would that work?"
"Some manner of Geis." Goetia replied "A contract which compels those to adhere to the conditions laid out. Not impossible and certainly a useful warding, however it would mean that the presence of defenders is to be expected."
"But that would have been over a thousand years ago." Balthus scratched the back of his neck "Right? How would they even still be there?"
"It would depend upon the Geis." Goetia's eyes darkened "Or the spellcraft in general. Much work went into keeping this safe and we can assume that even the throes of death might not keep the defenders from fulfilling their task. In which case we would be dealing with Wraiths."
"...Ghosts?" Lysithea squeaked "T-they're r-r-real?"
"Yes." Goetia nodded his head "Weak to Holy Magecraft and sacraments however." he added on "A simple exorcism would dispel them without issue." he looked about the room "However, they are beings comprised of magical energy thus it is safer to have the mages of the group deal with them. Physical attacks would prove ineffective against a purely spiritual body."
"I'm sorry, ghost are real?" Claude raised his hand "Can we just go back to that part quickly?"
"Told you." Byleth seemingly whispered to herself with only her and Goetia being able to see the heavy scowl the Goddess aimed at her.
"If you believe you might somehow communicate with the dead in any meaningful fashion then you should dissuade yourself of this notion." Goetia stated "Wraiths might be the lingering spirits of those who perished but they are naught but lingering grudges left behind in the world. An element of what they were but reduced to little more than a creature demanding vengeance. Some wraiths are more powerful than others however but it represents the basic principle. A soul cannot endure outside a body forever, they will inevitably break down and dissipate because it is impossible to materialise a soul without repercussions."
"Without the Third Magic!" Lysithea blurted out, pointing at him "I remember from when you told me!"
"Hm, so you do." Goetia muttered "But yes, outside of a vessel a soul will be unable to sustain its existence and gradually fade away and only those with lingering attachments to this plane of existence remain."
No one noticed the way Dimitri's attitude had shifted the longer Goetia had spoken about ghosts, his expression shifting into an utterly blank one while his eyes became cloudy and distant.
"But you can get rid of them?" Byleth inquired, leaning forwards "With Magecraft?"
"Yes." Goetia nodded his head "Magecraft or weapons enhanced with Magecraft." he looked around the room "Given the majority of you have a Crest of some variety you should be able to harm them via your link to the Goddess being an aspect of Mystery but I will deal with those who approach." he paused "Unless we deal with apparitions."
"And those are?" Yuri asked, now looking morbidly curious at the topic of ghosts.
"Lingering thoughts and emotions of a being human who has already departed the world." He explained "They cannot be perceived to those without the sight to view them and they are typically harmless as a result. They can attempt possession but if their targets willpower is too strong they will be ousted."
"To think we might have to face the dead." Edelgard frowned "And you believe this might be a purposefully designed spell?"
"Why would it not be?" Goetia asked with a raised eyebrow "Utilising your enemies into resources is a sound strategy and it prevents the likelihood of the Chalice falling into the hands of a common thief."
"Then how would we be protected?" Constance asked, placing her hands on her hips as she slot the book she had been reading back into the bookshelf.
"It is dependent on the manner in which the spell operates." Goetia replied "Either it is broken when the Chalice is recovered and the seals are unlocked or it is only activated upon the death of an invader."
"To which I assume your advice is 'don't die'?" Claude asked with an amused smile.
"Yes."
"Well, there we have it." Claude chuckled "All we need to do is find a way to actually get there, right?"
"The presence of potential wraiths only go to prove how much protection has gone into the seals around the Chalice." Goetia reminded him "It would seem I have underestimated the level of advancement or perhaps it was a lost art."
"Or maybe turning the dead into slaves was seen as abhorrent and rightly abandoned." Dimitri gave an uncharacteristic growl as he tightened his hands into fists. He paused when he noticed the looks of concern from his schoolmates "I'm sorry…I lost myself for a moment there."
"There is no need for an apology." Edelgard reassured him with an equally disturbed expression "The thought of a spell purposefully denying someone death and having them waste away in protection of a relic is indeed a cruel fate to imagine and one undeserving of even the worst criminals."
"Your moral implications aside-" Goetia interrupted with an utterly blank tone "-it does not change the fact that there might be other defences we can take account of." he looked around "The Ashen Wolves know the location of this place better than us, they can focus on finding a route to this Chasm of the Bound."
"Alright, makes sense." Yuri gave a nod of the head, then turned to Balthus "You make notes of your exploration through the tunnels?"
"A couple." Balthus admitted with a shrug "I can go and get them if you want?"
"Do it." Yuri nodded his head then turned to Constance and Hapi "See if you can find any maps of this place, want to avoid getting lost if possible."
Hapi gave a shrug "Alright then." she said after a moment's hesitation.
"Indeed!" Constance boomed instead "I shall find us a path through the danger and towards the grand prize and once it has been recovered I, Constance Von Nuvelle, shall present it to the Church to restore my-"
"Just find the maps." Yuri gave her a strained smile.
"The rest of you." Goetia continued on as the Ashen wolves went about their new task "Search for any further mentions of defences. Anything at all, bounded fields, familiars, poison or curses."
"This is suddenly becoming very horrible." Linhardt bluntly stated as he stared back at his book "But I suppose there isn't much choice now, is there?"
Goetia didn't bother to answer the question as he turned towards Harold and moved towards him, leaning closer and whispering to the man "Not you. Continue reading the book. The students can handle the search for traps."
Harold frowned before he whispered back "Are you sure?"
"This is more valuable to me in the long run." Goetia replied to the man "And it is hardly necessary for me to be aware of such traps, I can easily deal with the effects but it is simply a matter of preparation to avoid delays."
"Ah, okay." Harold nodded his head before he looked to the left of the table Goetia had been sitting at "Should I?"
"Yes."
Harold gave a wordless nod before he sat down in the chair, flipping open the book with the illusion still active and resumed his reading.
Goetia returned to the numerous books he had pulled out, sitting back at his desk and flipping through them once again as he continued to search for answers. He hadn't been expecting the possibility of a spell to trap the souls of the dead to fight as protectors but it was something easily dealt with.
The question remained as to what exactly he was going to do with the Holy Grail once he had it in his possession. Provided it even worked, from what he had heard they had failed to achieve even the basics of touching the third magic. As for the 'Rite of Rising' he was curious as to what a prophet of Sothis would need with the ability to return the dead to life.
Such things were certainly possible for Gods of the Underworld and especially in Fodlan which was still in the Age of Gods. A possibility was that the Goddess Sothis had already established herself as the sole Divine in Fodlan or alternatively, Seiros found it heretical to seek the aid of another God. Both of which were plausible.
The Holy Grail itself was nothing special. He could make one easily enough with the right amount of time and resources. He looked down at his hand, he could also use it to restore his strength. He would never truly be anywhere close to what he had once been but he could - at the very least - restore some of his minor functions beyond this feeble form.
No, first and foremost he had to ensure that none of the Church fanatics had even an inkling of the level of power they wielded. Perhaps he was biased against them but the idea of the discovery that they could utilise the Grail as a wish-granting device was troubling indeed. Although the level of magical energy required to fuel that particular function was far in advanced of what they had available.
Unless…
He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. All that was required was magical energy. Heroic Spirits were used because they represented the greatest source that could be conveniently gathered within a short period of time, but he was under no such time constraints.
There was nothing to suggest that the magical weight of a mystic existence couldn't be used, such as the copious amounts of monstrous beasts that apparently wandered the countryside in-between the odd phantasmal.
His eyes darted over to the tanned redhaired girl.
And there was one such individual who could conveniently summon such beasts with ease.
He shook his head, dismissing the idea from his mind for the time being. The first thing that needed to be done was figuring out how to obtain it. What happened to the Grail after was an entirely different affair.
"You're thinking about something." Sothis voice echoed out through his mind, earning a brief twitch of his eye before they darted over to the girl "Not reading, you've been staring at that one page for the last minute." she pointed down at the book for reference "I haven't seen you so invested in something before and your calling the Chalice of Beginnings a Holy Grail instead implies you are familiar with it."
She paused, tilting her head and humming "Perhaps not this particular item but with concept in general then? You even had a name for it."
"Naturally. As long as it is impossible you will find someone attempting to claim it." Goetia's voice echoed back through Byleth's mind, startling the girl and causing Sothis to widen her eyes in response.
"How did-"
"You think mental communication is somehow beyond my ability? It is but a triviality."
"Then why did-"
"I simply had no interest in expending the energy it would take to establish a link." He responded, turning back to the book and flicking to the next page "Despite what you might believe, you occupy a very small portion of my attention even when you are in the room."
Sothis scowled, crossing her arms at him and turning to share a look with Byleth before her attention fell back onto Goetia "I suppose I should have expected that sort of response." she sighed, shaking her head and dropping the scowl "But to my original question, you are familiar with the ritual in question?"
"The resurrection of the soul without degradation is just a single possibility of the Heaven's Feel magic." He replied disinterestedly "But like I said, the magical requirements are far beyond anything that humans can generate without extenuating circumstances."
"So it's never been done?" Byleth asked back through the link, Goetia paused.
"...I am only aware of one instance." He replied after a moment's silence "But the act itself rendered the district of a city a burning ruin. Or the preparations did."
Sothis frowned "That seems disproportionate for the life that was gained, no? Or were they returned?"
"Only one man was returned to life." Goetia replied "And it was not proportionate. No."
Sothis shook her head "In that case, I can see why you might be troubled if such a thing exists here. But from the sounds of it, they were unable to raise someone from the dead."
"Any number of reasons can explain that." He dismissed as he skimmed through the next page "A miscalculation in the formula, a lack of magical energy or general incompetence. Whatever else, they had the sense to hide away the Grail and ward it to prevent others from finding it."
"Considering what we are doing. I don't think it worked." Byleth replied from her own seat.
"Hmph. Evidently not." The man admitted "Quite why they decided to document a failed ritual is beyond my understanding but the stupidity of humans is something I have long since learned to expect."
Sothis pursed her lips "...What else can the Holy Grail do?" she paused "And is it limited to just humans?"
Goetia stilled "...It cannot return you to life. Not without great sacrifice." he looked up at her "The Holy Grail's I am familiar with utilised the purest sources of magical energy as a fuel. There is only one source that is so pure. Souls. To restore a normal human to life would require the sacrifice of perhaps a thousand humans. Maybe a hundred if they had major crests. To bring a Divine Spirit back to life and grant her a body that they could dwell within?"
Sothis gave an ugly grimace at the thought "Would require a sacrifice far in advance of that…" she shook her head "I will not demand such levels of sacrifice for me. Not for something like that."
It could be used to create a body for her to inhabit, however that would potentially spell the death of Byleth. For all he knew, Sothis Divine Core was the only thing keeping her alive and as much as Sothis might have greater value to Fodlan, Byleth had greater value to him.
He was not one to waste human lives pointlessly and to sacrifice a relatively young woman for an amnesiac Goddess who was already conscious to some degree was hardly a fair trade.
"The best case scenario for a Goddess like yourself would be the situation you have with Byleth." He explained "The manifestation of yourself within a host body."
Sothis sighed "I suppose it was worth an ask." shaking her head she paused "So the Chalice or Grail is indeed something to be concerned of, if only for the potential danger it poses if someone was indeed willing to make such large sacrifices."
"Yes." Goetia nodded, then paused when he saw the faint smile on Sothis face "What?"
"Nothing." She quickly answered, instead looking at her fingernails as if trying to spot a piece of dirt which didn't exist.
Goetia dismissed her and returned to his readings.
"Aha!" Constance shouted out, standing up and grinning widely "I have found something that I believe is most serendipitous to our hunt for the Chalice!"
"..."
"..."
"...So…are you gonna tell us?" Claude asked slowly, staring at the girl.
She frowned, "I was waiting for the congratulations you would give me."
"O-oh, right." Harold put down the book and started to clap "Well done, Lady Nuvelle-"
"Harold." Goetia interrupted the man, staring at him blandly "Don't applaud her for doing the task."
"W-well…she still found it?" He offered with a shrug "That's worth something, right?"
"At least someone has a sense of appreciation." She gave Harold an approving nod before she gesturing to the book in her hand "This tome makes reference to several tunnels in Abyss, one of which I believe leads to the Chasm of the Bound."
"Really?" Ashe blinked "It shows a map?"
"No."
"...Eh?"
"It's just a detailed account of where certain passages are." Constance explained "But, using my superior instinct I have in fact determined where the correct passage leads!"
Lysithea stared at her with a dumbfounded expression before she levelled an accusatory finger at the girl "That's the exact same as saying 'I have a hunch'!" she exclaimed "There is no difference between that and leading us to the tunnel in question and simply saying 'I have a good feeling about this one'."
"W-wha-!" Constance sputtered "I shall have you know that the instincts of the Nuvelle family are second to none!"
"I-instinct?! You just made a guess!"
"It is not!"
"Yes it is!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Enough!" Goetia voice echoed out, the man scowling heavily as he rose to his feet "Argue amongst yourselves when we are not in the midst of a discussion." he looked at Lysithea with a frown, causing the young girl to flinch in shame and look away "...Do not lower yourself to such juvenile displays."
"...Sorry Teacher."
"And you." He whirled on Constance and narrowed his eyes "...How certain are you?"
Constance blinked, clearly expecting to have to defend herself further "I am certain." she nodded her head "Completely. This particular passage is said to be one of the oldest in all of Abyss and if the Chalice dates back to the time of Seiros-"
"Then it is a process of elimination that the oldest route would be the correct path." He surmised "Not a guarantee but the best process we have." he looked around "What other information have we uncovered about the defences?"
"I have something." Lysithea held up her book "Although the language is…it's not one I recognise." she paused. "At all."
Waved his hand, beckoning it over. Lysithea held the book in front of him, prompting a raised eyebrow from the man.
"...It is a dialect similar to one I am familiar with." He replied after a few moments "The Mother of the Stars watches all and her soldiers of the forged soil fight in her name. Despair, yee who enter the sanctum of the Star Mother and her children of the skies."
"...Well that doesn't sound ominous." Claude replied "Any ideas?"
"Some manner of old Goddess perhaps." Goetia dismissed, frowning "Children of forged soil…golems of some type." he waved his hand, turning to the others "We have some manner of idea now, beware of golems."
"What are they?"
"Simple constructs forged from stone." Goetia dismissed "Or metal…" he paused "Did you not mention them to me during our preparation for the attempted assassination?"
Claude blinked, then snapped his fingers "Ah! That was when I first saw 'Abyss' to begin with!"
Yuri blinked "Huh?"
"One of the old maps we were using still had Abyss on it." Claude explained "Although I didn't think much of it at the time, aside from the rumors of metal men." he pointed at Goetia "Which are apparently Golems or something."
"In any event, that they have not been seen in over a thousand years aside from rumour tells me they are determined to guard the spot they were assigned to." He frowned "That said, maintain caution when dealing with them." his eyes fell upon Constance "Lead us to this tunnel you spoke of."
Harold was meanwhile frowning in thought at what Goetia had said, his attention turning back to the book as he stared at it.
"Mother of the Stars…" He muttered to himself, flipping it open and flicking through the pages until he found the one he was looking for "The God descends from the deep dark of the void, I say they are a God, for they can be nothing but as one who crossed the sea of stars." he let out a small hum in response.
It probably wasn't that important anyway, at least at the moment.
AN: Golems, Ghosts and a Grail stuffed with blood.
We're onto the midway part of the story now folks and Goetia just couldn't do it without his faithful assistant.
Sprinkles.
That aside, onto the next Omake.
Omake: Acting 101
"According to what the mages could ascertain, that ray of light was what incinerated all of Faerghus." Edelgard stated as she narrowed her eyes at the figure at the top of the stairs "It was the weapon he used to declare war on Fodlan."
"Of course not." The figure rumbled from their throne, red eyes gleaming with amusement, their voice tinged with a mocking tone "Do not tell me that your clerics could be so blind." the man's lips thinned "It is true that the Band of Light could have incinerated all of humanity, but what could I gain from that? You have it utterly backwards, Empress." their lips twitched into a sneer "A source of energy able to exceed the Band of Light does not exist on Fodlan?" their jaw split open as rows of sharpened teeth exposed themselves as the man let out a cruel laugh "Hehehehahahaha! You fool! That is precisely the point!"
A tanned hand rose up and gestured to the sky "It is made from humanity! I crafted the Singularities, fractured the flow of history, and reaching from present to past I was able to wring out near limitless energy!" red eyes fell upon the Empress once again "That is what the Band of Light is! The heat you looked upon was this planet's very passion! It is the vestiges of the people in each era, the consolidation of everything, the very crystallization of human history!"
Dimitri opened his mouth to respond before he paused, looking troubled for a few moments before he sighed "I forgot my line."
"Stop!" Manuela called out, striding into the stage area with a frown on her face as groans echoed out from across the room "Really?" she sighed at the young man, shaking her head "I thought you told me you memorised your lines?"
"I did." Dimitri replied "But then he started speaking and…" he gestured to Goetia "I don't know…I got caught up in the flow."
"He does have a certain way about him like that, doesn't he?" Manuela admitted, turning towards the man atop the throne "Did you ever consider acting?"
Goetia frowned at her "The thought never occurred to me." he paused "That said, I do consider my rendition of the King of Mages to be accurate and would challenge anyone who said otherwise."
Claude blinked "I mean…no one was going to?" he shrugged then looked to his left "Did you have to be so mean to be though?" he whined with a hurt expression.
Lysithea scoffed, "It was merely the script I was given." she pointed her cane at him "Besides, we both know you spent more time laughing at me than anything else."
"I can't help it!" Claude blurted out as he pointed at her "What even is that?"
Lysithea frowned, crossing her arms and turning to Goetia "Why am I Flauros?" she asked, dressed in a full green suit with a similarly coloured tophat.
"Because that was the only role available." Goetia sighed "And despite his utter incompetence, you are suited for the role of spewing insults."
"Heh!" Claude snickered "You got the role because you were mean!"
"Shut up, trash!" Lysithea pointed at him, dropping back into the stage persona "You vex me from the bottom of my heart!"
"I'm still a little sad you won't allow my alterations." Manuela lamented, earning a scowl from Goetia.
"I am not going to explain the plan for paradise through the medium of song and dance." He swiftly denied "Aside from the utter stupidity of the act itself."
Manuela huffed "I'm trying to make this engaging for the audience."
"We are presenting them with an epic across time as an ordinary young man does the impossible against a being of impossible power." Goetia scowled "How are they not going to be engaged?"
"For one thing some of those 'Singularities' are quite boring and predictable." Ingrid commented from where she was standing, her skin painted a paler colour and her hair tied back in a bun as she was adorned in dark plate armour. The girl looked down at herself as she rested both hands on the pommel of her sword, the weapon being implanted in the ground in front of her "That being said, I do find this suit rather…intimidating."
"I think that is the point." Ashe replied to her, his own armour was radically different with a predominantly silver scheme to it with a large white cloak draped over his left side and his right arm fully covered in a dark metal gauntlet. "...I do like mine though." he muttered to himself.
Hubert stood to his left in menacing black armour with a blue cloak draped over his left side. "Hmmm."
"...Does anyone else think that Hubie's armour suits him?" Dorothea asked with no small sense of amusement as she paraded around in her own colourful outfit. Having been selected for the role of 'Leonardo Da Vinci'.
"Loath as I am to agree with you…" Hubert trailed off as he stared at himself "There is something rather…fitting about this attire. Perhaps it is because the character of Sir Agravain is one I empathise with…"
"That aside." Manuela interrupted the room "We do have to do this again." she announced "And we'll keep doing it until we get it right!" she turned to Goetia "Can we at least have a musical in some of the other sections?"
The man sighed in response "...Fine." he grunted "But not when I am present."
Byleth stepped out into the open "Does this mean we're going again?" she asked, looking around "Also do I have to give the armour back?"
"...I mean, if you want to keep it you can." Manuela replied "Do you want to keep the wig too?"
"No." Byleth shook her head.
"Do you find it strange how well accustomed you are to the role of an individual who has been possessed by a Goddess?" Sothis asked, staring at Byleth with thinly veiled amusement. The girl merely offered a shrug in response. Looking down at herself once again.
Playing the 'Lion King' was strangely fun.
"Alright everyone!" Manuela called out "We're starting the scene again! From 'I did not grant an audience'."