Chapter 60: Questions, questions and yet more questions.
A loud clanging rang out across the hallway, moving up and down while accompanied by a loud voice.
"Rise and shine Deers!" Claude's amused voice echoed out as he continually struck a pan with a ladle, producing a high powered clanging that would have raised the dead. In conjunction with his shout, it served to motivate his classmates into high gear.
If only to get their hands on the tanned boy to wring his neck.
"Claude!" Leonie's voice came out as a venomous hiss, her door was flung open as she practically threw herself out and into the hallway, whirling around and facing the boy with an irritable snarl on her face and still wearing a thin tunic as her bed cloth.
The boy in question halted, looking her up and down before he raised an eyebrow. "That was fast." he remarked before he pointed the ladle at her "But you lose marks for being improperly dressed. Gonna have to be a five out of-oh shit!" His eyes flew wide and he scrambled backwards as the ginger haired girl charged down the hallway towards him at rather incredible speeds that would have been unexpected for someone to have just woken up.
Unfortunately for Claude, he had overlooked one key factor.
Leonie was not a noble. While the likes of Lorenz were still dragging themselves out of bed to look presentable, Leonie had no such compunctions. Even the fatigue that gripped her body from rising so early in the morning was easily overcome due to years of experience as a farm hand and training she had conducted herself.
The ginger haired girl was convinced that battle alertness meant being prepared at any time.
Which included the crack of dawn, that did not mean she appreciated it.
Both Claude and Leonie were sent to the ground in a tangle of limbs, crashing onto the wooden floor with a dull thud as the pair wrestled with each other. Leonie's many, many years of manual labour made her the physical superior of the two of them, with the added benefit that she preferred close quarters combat.
Claude liked to wield a bow.
There was little debate on who was quickly proving the victor.
"-in the heck is going on so-" The door next to them opened up, Ingrid poked her head out and squinted at the situation of Leonie mounted on Claude's back with his arm tightly pressed against his back and a ladle threateningly looming over his head. The blonde looked between the two of them in pure confusion as more heads poked out of their doors, some having more than one occupant due to the limited space at the inn.
"Well…" Claude managed to get out in a strained tone of voice, wincing as Leonie tightened her hold on his arm "Not quite the reaction I was expecting but it works…"
Another door opened up, Sylvain strode out while still ruffling his prickly red hair. The boy was wearing nothing but small cloth around his waist and exposing his upper torso to the world. The frowned as he stared at the scene before he shrugged once, then turned around and walked back into his room.
"What manner of foolery is going on outside?" Felix's voice came from within the room, sounding very irate and mildly tired.
"Just the usual." Sylvain replied back as the door was shut "Get dressed, Dimitri is probably going to be up soon."
"I expect he's already awake, wild animals react swiftly to loud noises." Their muffled conversation continued, already dying down in volume.
"What the heck could be so important that you wake us up like this!?" Hilda's voice echoed through the hallway as her own door was flung open, her hair was an absolute mess and her expression promised nothing but unending agony on whomever it fell upon. "I need my beauty sleep!"
Claude shuffled in his position so he could look behind him to Leonie, giving her a half smile "Can I get up now?"
Leonie growled at him before she stood up, releasing his arm and stepping back but still brandishing the ladle in her hand like a weapon.
"Thank you." Claude responded in a relieved voice as he pushed himself back to his feet, it was only then that the others started to notice he wasn't wearing his usual officer attire but was instead dressed in the garb of the common man. A simple brown tunic with the sleeves missing and dull brown trousers.
"What in the…?" Leonie looked him up and down as if seeing him for the first time, her annoyance gradually giving way to mystification "What are you wearing?"
"This?" Claude pointed to himself before he smiled "Well, the Academy is still being repaired so I figured we could do our noble duty of aiding the common folk and aid them." he spread his arms wide "Namely, assisting the people of Hillfar!" he grinned before adding on, almost as an afterthought "Also they really do need help around here."
Several people squinted at him.
"You…want us to help the common folk?" Ingrid repeated slowly, tilting her head "Do you mean for us to till fields and clean stables?"
"We've already done the latter at the Monastery." Claude pointed out, Ingrid conceded the point with a half nod "And is it really so much of a stretch? I think it would be an eye opening experience for some of us."
"You mean how Lorenz would rant about how its beneath him?" Leonie raised a dubious eyebrow, resting her hands on her hips and tilting her head slightly "That sort of experience?"
"I…didn't consider that until just now." Claude realised, his arms lowered to his side and his face becoming more amused "I'm not just imagining his head exploding with righteous fury when I even think of suggesting it. You saw how he was when he was digging those holes." he nodded to Leonie, the girl's lip curled downwards.
"I remember getting pissed off that he was whining so loudly." She grumbled before closing her eyes and shaking her head "But you…are you seriously suggesting that you're going to help people with manual labour?"
"I mean, they're in a bad situation because of…" He trailed off, nodding his head upwards "You know." he mumbled before looking back up "And I'm not exactly saying you have to. It's just helping out a little where we can, makes us seem less…" he paused, searching for the right words.
"Like pompous spoiled assholes?" Leonie bluntly remarked with a raised eyebrow.
Claude snorted "Not how I would have worded it but yeah, like that." there was a pause before he turned towards Ingrid "What do you think?"
"Tending to the stables and aiding the knights around the town seems like an adequate enough task." She begrudgingly admitted, pursing her lips "I am not against it, but I would need to confirm it with his highness as well as Professors Hanneman and Manuela."
The tanned boy frowned "Still no word on Teach?"
Ingrid shook her head "There has been little word at all from the monastery, neither of Professor Eisner nor of the creature that battled Goetia and the Archbishop." there was a pause "It is dead now but…" she shivered, leaning back "...It was…"
"Something unreal, yeah." Claude muttered with a nod of the head, crossing his arms before dismissing the thought from his mind for the moment "Anyway, so that's my idea I was going to pitch in…what do we all think?"
"Meh, more reasonable than I was expecting." Leonie admitted with a shrug of her shoulders before the glare returned "So help me, if you ever try to wake me up like that again, I will shove that bow sideways so far up your-"
"Hey!" Hilda exclaimed with a look of horror on her face as she gestured to herself "What about me? Am I going to be doing this as well?"
Claude stared at her in silence.
Hilda stared back.
Claude grinned.
Hilda failed to withhold her growl.
The knight sergeant looked around the gathered students with thinly veiled surprise, in fact by the way he had all but jumped out of his skin at their sudden appearance it could very easily be said that he wasn't expecting to see them here at all.
Their request was met with dead silence for a few seconds as the man clearly struggled to comprehend it before he tilted his head to the side and repeated their words back to them at a slow pace.
"You…want to help?" The man then pointed down to the ground "Around here with all the manual labour?" He raised an eyebrow behind his helmet as he looked at all the faces before they fell on the three house leaders, scanning each one in puzzlement before his arms fell to his side. "W-well…um…I don't…" he pursed his lips "Are you sure?"
"I understand this might come as a shock given our usual tasks." Dimitri conceded as he stepped forwards, gesturing to himself with an understanding smile "But given the current situation and the damage to the Academy, it would feel wrong if we were to not life a finger to aid our future subjects in their time of need." he made a brief sweeping motion to the town around them "Given that protecting them is one of our highest responsibilities."
"No, no…I understand that part of it." The man replied, waving his hands in front of himself before he paused. "It's just that…" he made a face "Not all of you are really…built for it."
"I am sure that some of us will struggle with manual labour, yes." Dimitri nodded along "However, the trials that will be put forth are little compared to-"
"He means we'll assign ourselves where we feel we can do the most good." Lysithea cut him off, crossing her arms and giving the knight sergeant an exasperated sigh before she paused and squinted at the man "On another note…you seem vaguely familiar, have we met?"
"...I came with you all to Abyss…" He paused for a moment before shaking his head, Harold had merely grown resigned to having his name forgotten at this point by everyone except Goetia, even some of his new subordinates were forgetting what to call him and just saying 'sir' when they countered him.
Embarrassed winces were the responses.
"Oh…" Claude made a face "...Sorry."
Harold smiled at them and waved his hand "Don't worry about it, I'm not that important." placing his hands on his hips, he exhaled "Well, I don't want to put you in a place where you-"
"Do not think of us as nobles for the time being." Edelgard offered "Think of us as mere subordinates to command." she stepped forwards, resting a hand on her chest "For however long we remain here - or until we are ordered otherwise - the Black Eagles shall lend their aid however they can."
"The same is true of the Blue Lions." Dimitri continued on with a confident smile.
"We'll clean up the mess these two make." Claude joked as he threw a thumb in the direction of the other two houses.
Lysithea looked ready to smack him on the upside of the head.
"...Well, alright." Harold sucked in air between his teeth "In that case…Happy to have you aboard!" the man exclaimed in the next breath, positively overflowing from his entire figure and all traces of nervousness banished from him "I'll need to know who has experience with what." he paused and looked around "Raise your hand if you know your way around horses?"
Several arms went up in quick succession.
"Alright, you guys are on stable duty. We need to make sure the horses have enough food, water and are cleaned out." He explained quickly "We're also trying to keep the knights' horses and the horses of the travelling merchants separate." a pause "On that topic, with most of the merchants moved down here while the market place is being repaired, we'll need someone to liaison with the merchants guild, just to make sure we have enough supplies."
"I have experience with merchants." Mercedes spoke up from the back as she raised her hand, a faint smile on her face as she stepped towards the front. "My adoptive father was one, I am aware of some aspects of it…but not a lot."
"Don't worry." Ignatz stepped up with an understanding expression "I can clear up any holes, my family is full of merchants so I know enough about the logistics of it."
"Good." Harold nodded his head and pointed to them "You two will be helping with the merchant side of things, try and keep the town stocked up on supplies, with most of the knights down here it's probably going to get a little hectic."
The pair nodded at him.
"I suppose…anyone skilled with healing magic can head over to the tents?" Harold went on with a shrug of his shoulders "We've still got a few wounded in there and the vulnerary's have their limits." another pause "I suppose everyone else can try and help out in the physical side of things if they want."
"That should be more than acceptable." Dimitri nodded his head once before he turned around to face the Blue Lions "You have your orders. Felix, I want you and Sylvain to aid the knights around the town, try to keep the peace or maintain the equipment alongside them. Alternatively, they may also ask for aid in the rebuilding, aid them as best you can in that endeavour as well should it come up." the blond boy then moved on "Ashe, I wish for you and Dedue to make your way over to the tent for rations." he smiled ever so slightly "I am sure that the two of you will be more than skilled enough to get some decent food served."
"As you command, your highness." Dedue nodded once while Ashe gave an affirmation.
"Annette?" He turned to the ginger girl and gave her a smile, gesturing to Harold "I believe you might be of some help in the tent aiding the wounded, I believe that Professor Manuela is currently in charge there so it would be best to report to her."
Both the Golden Deers and Black Eagles similarly divided up their classes amongst the differing tasks, leaving only the house leaders behind.
"Well, your Princeliness." Claude turned to Dimitri, crossing his arms and sporting an intrigued smile "Where exactly are you going to be helping out?"
"With the removal of debris." Dimitri answered as he crossed his arms "You both know that the Blaiddyd Crest grants me impressive strength, placing me elsewhere would make for little sense." he averted his eyes upwards towards the Monastery "And I suspect there is much debris to be moved."
"Hang around for a moment, your majesty." Harold raised a hand and looked around "I'll write you up a message from me in case any of the guards try to stop you, they're still keeping the Monastery tightly guarded and only allowing entry and exit under special permission." he hummed continued on before he raised his hand and called out to one of the passing knights "Bertram!"
The man jolted, turning in their direction and then saluting "Yes…Sir." he responded after a moment's hesitation, clearly trying to recall the name of the superior and failing miserably. If Harold was bothered at all by the slip, he didn't make an effort to showcase it.
"Find me a parchment and something to write with." Bertram wasted no time in nodding his head and darting off. Harold turned back to Dimitri and gave him a faint smile "It shouldn't take too long."
"You need not rush on my account." Dimitri raised a hand and shook his head "I understand this is a challenging time and I can understand some delays."
"Delays aside, I'm sure you heading up to the Monastery has nothing to do with the fact that's where Teach is." Claude teased with an amused smile.
Dimitri didn't even make an effort to deny the accusation "That is indeed a factor in my reason." he admitted, noticing Claude blink in surprise "Does that shock you that I would be concerned for the Professor? It has been two days since she has been seen and I would only wish to ask of her wellbeing."
"Huh…fair enough." The tanned boy leaned back and nodded his head once "While you're up there, can you ask about Sparkles too? Sprinkles has been damn near close to tearing her hair out with worry." he chuckled for a moment before shaking his head "She's good at hiding it but the lack of word on him has got her a little distracted."
"I will ask about his wellbeing." Dimitri acquiesced with a nod of the head "If it helps bring peace of mind, we would have been informed if he were dead, would we not?"
Edelgard hummed "That is true." she admitted "They were swift to announce that the Professor was injured and receiving treatment, however there was no such statement in regards to Goetia. However, I feel as though the Archbishop would have announced his death if it were so."
"Must be pretty bad then." Claude grunted as he nodded his head towards the structure at the top of the hill "Or he's fine…or gone."
"Why would he be gone?" Dimitri asked with furrowed brows, Claude raised an eyebrow at him.
"You heard the banter with you-know-who." He muttered "They definitely knew each other, they even mentioned Solomon."
"And some other name that is…" Edelgard rolled her jaw "I have never heard of it before, likely a foreign name but it sounds as though it comes from a different dialect. Beyond the fact it had a first and last name to it."
"Fuugee?" Claude repeated with a strained expression "Fuugee-maroo Ritsueca?"
"I believe so." Dimitri nodded along before he sighed and shook his head "I suppose there is little point in speculating on a subject that we have little information on, whether Goetia knew the enemy or was as ignorant as the rest of us he still did battle with them to ensure our escape." he thumped a fist against his chest "For me, that is enough."
"I suppose so." Claude nodded his head after a moment before he nodded to him "Suddenly him beating you with his bare hands makes a lot of sense."
Dimitri rolled his eyes "I fear if he had done that to me, I would most assuredly be dead."
"He's got antlers, you know?" Claude pointed upwards and snickered "Guess he's one of us already."
He got a flat look in response.
"Jokes aside, what shall you be doing Claude?" Edelgard cut back into the conversation, regarding the boy with a raised eyebrow.
"Me?" Claude pointed to himself "I am going to be doing…something." he replied ominously "I joke." he saw their expressions and chuckled lightly "I'm already set to help out with a couple of patrols around the forest, a lot of worry about Demonic Beasts showing up and I know a thing or two about tracking."
Edelgard raised an eyebrow "Truly?"
"Yes. Literally, a thing or two." He repeated once and smiled widely "But that is why we are in an academy! To learn new things!"
"I was under the impression we were at an academy to learn how to be officers." Edelgard replied with a dull look aimed at him "How does learning how to hunt game factor into this?"
"For when I step away from my duties and go on a long hunt." Claude replied with a shrug of the shoulders before he paused and pursed his lips "That is what Nobles are meant to do for fun, right?"
Dimitri released a huff of amusement and turned back to see Harold taking the writing utensils and parchment from Bertram, already moving away to find a table to write on.
"What of yourself, Edelgard?" He asked, turning back to the conversation and regarding the pale haired girl with an intrigued look "Will you not also be lending your aid?"
"I shall do what I can but it would be best if I assisted Hubert." She waved her hand "He would be especially vexed if I were to vanish from his sight, so much so that he would likely ignore his own duties." there was a pause "Alternatively, I could find myself aiding Ferdinand, that would at least ensure he would do a majority of the work under the guise of a competition."
The other two blinked at her.
"That's an actual thing?" Claude couldn't help but blurt out "I thought it was just a rumour but he actually makes everything a competition with you?"
"Unfortunately so." Edelgard sighed to herself, raising a hand to her head and pressing her palm against her face "He has this notion that everything he does must be compared to me."
"How does he compare?" Dimitri found himself asking with a hint of curiosity.
Edelgard slowly lowered the hand and regarded the blond boy with a raised eyebrow "It never once factored into my mind it was a competition. I was assigned a task and I wanted it done correctly, however quickly it took or however stylish I was made little difference. Ferdinand's competition keeps him motivated…However, I suspect he shall soon realise that it is a childish notion he needs to outgrow." her expression darkened "Nobles who so often compete with one another have a poor tendency to forget about those they govern."
The other two gave grim nods of understanding at her words before Claude sighed to himself, turning his eyes skywards and gazing up at the clouds.
"...This really is a mess, isn't it?"
"...I would say so, yes." Dimitri nodded along, placing his hands on his hips and giving an equally exhausted sigh "Certainly not what I was expecting from the Officer's academy, battling Demons and other foul creatures…" he released a half chuckle "It feels as though it has been torn straight from the pages of history. Battling such beasts…"
"Demonic Beasts are a thing but…" Claude trailed off, shaking his head and furrowing his brows as he lowered his eyes back towards the others "...That thing just hates the sight of us." he frowned "Hmmm…I wonder." he hummed to himself in thought, cupping his chin and narrowing his eyes.
Dimitri squinted at the boy "Claude…I know that look, what are you thinking of now."
"Am I really so predictable?" The boy responded with an amused smirk, Dimitri's frown only grew.
"Claude, it would not do for you to start trouble-"
"Here you are, Prince Dimitri." Harold cut in, moving towards the trio with the rolled up parchment in his hands and a simple smile on his face "Just show this to the guards and they'll let you through." he stated as he handed the paper to the Prince before he paused "Or they might come down and shout at me…" he chuckled nervously, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck "This whole…um…commanding thing is new to me."
"Do not stress yourself out too greatly." Edelgard reassured him with a respectful nod of the head "You appear to be doing an adequate job."
Harold blinked behind his helmet before his smile grew ever so slightly "Thank you for your kind words, your highness." he nodded back to her before he paused and looked between the three of them "On another note, did any of you have a message you wished to pass along to the people of Abyss?"
"Abyss?" Dimitri blinked, tilting his head "Why do you ask?"
Harold's head swayed from side to side "I've been talking with Yuri and the others, with the rebuilding going on in the Monastery, we've been able to secure some more assistance from them to avoid pulling in more knights from around the continent." he waved his hand "Just the able bodied members, in return we've promised them some fresh supplies and sleeping materials." he frowned "Having seen what it was like down there, I could tell they seriously needed it."
Claude gave the man a curious look "When you say 'we' do you mean the Church…or you?"
The man remained silent for a moment before he gave a minute shrug of the shoulders "...I asked for help, then answered." he replied in a quiet voice "...Do you think I'll get in trouble?"
Dimitri stepped forwards and clapped the man on the shoulder "If any were to criticise what you have done here, I would have strong words with them." he smiled "Having seen the conditions those in Abyss live in for myself, I believe this to be a more than fair agreement on both sides." he retracted his hand "Now then, I will bid you all farewell and begin my trek to the Monastery." he turned around and started to walk before pausing and calling over his shoulder "And please, do give my regards to Yuri and the others!"
His words departed, the Prince resumed his walk in the direction of the path leading to the Monastery.
Harold's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly as he turned to the remaining two "What of you two? Have you any messages for them?"
Claude snorted "Tell Balthus that Hilda says hello."
"Pass along my well wishes for Constance." Edelgard remarked in a cordial tone as she then thinned her lips "Whether or not she truly wishes for them, I suspect they are still reeling from the loss of Cardinal Aelfric."
Harold gave a grim nod "They're trying though, a lot of them are loyal to the ideal that Cardinal Aelfric had so are still following through with it." he smiled again "I will be sure to pass along your well wishes to Lady Nuvelle."
Edelgard nodded once, Harold gave a final salute before he turned around and walked back the way he came, whistling to himself as he went.
Claude waited until the man was out of earshot before he spoke.
"That guy is totally smitten with her." He stated in a casual tone.
Edelgard rolled her eyes but didn't bother to argue against it, whether or not it was actual love there was certainly something about it. Especially considering he still called her Lady Nuvelle despite the fact she had long since lost her status as a noble."
"Oops." Claude suddenly spoke in a tone of mock fear as he looked at something over her shoulder "Looks like I better make myself scarce before tall, dark and spooky decides I'm plotting something." he grinned and offered a final nod "Your Highness." he chuckled as he retreated away from her and off to some other part of the town.
Edelgard sighed and turned around to face the individual "Hubert." she nodded to him as he approached "What is it that you need to speak with me about?"
His expression was tense, some might almost consider it nervous and there was often only one reason why he would get this look.
She stared at him before her eyes widened slightly "...Now?" she asked in a low whisper as she closed the distance with him, looking up with an expression of disbelief "Surely…do they not know that it is impossible for me to-"
Hubert shook his head, raising up a single note and handing it to her.
Edelgard took it in her hands and flipped it open and read through it before snapping it shut and handing it back to Hubert as her jaw clenched. "Destroy that." She ordered before letting out a shaky breath "For now, continue as though nothing has occurred."
"...As you say, your Majesty." Hubert responded after a moment, his lips tightly drawn together "Should I-"
"I doubt it will help much." She shook her head, closing her eyes and recalling the writing on the note itself. She doubted it would fade from her mind any time soon.
'I am arriving shortly. Explain the situation upon my arrival.'
There were few who would do such things and she suspected that whatever her dear Uncle wanted, it was hardly going to be something good. He already had the death knight, there was little else she could expect them to discuss with her.
She paused and opened her eyes again. Unless they wanted to discuss the recent events at the Monastery, although that would be a greater surprise for her. Surely they would have been aware of it already and even if they weren't, they never asked for her opinion before.
Whatever the case, they left a purposefully ominous letter for her to read and then expect them to arrive at some point. The manner of their arrival was also one that she would have to expect, however it would depend heavily on who they wished to speak with.
The Flame Emperor, or Edelgard.
Lysithea was not one to worry easily, that being said what she most certainly did not appreciate was a complete lack of engagement. It had been nearly two days and while they had been provided with regular updates on Professor Eisner, there was still very little that was being said on the topic of Goetia.
Would it truly have been such an issue to pass along an announcement that he was at the very least alive?
It was simply a case of her feeling…
Useless right now.
She had always prided herself on her mind, being able to work through solutions to problems with great ease and not with the power of her crests but through pure skill. Something she had put work into developing.
That now came with apparent drawbacks.
She couldn't perform healing magic to save a life, quite literally in this case, and was therefore useless in the tents that required healing. She wasn't physically strong enough to help out with the work that required manual labour nor was she skilled enough with animals that she could be added onto the list to tend to the horses and wyverns.
She didn't know the first thing about cooking or dealing with merchants, so she would be worthless at those two.
There was simply nothing that she could do.
And that bothered her greatly, long had she chided others when she saw them not doing anything. There was no such thing as having too much free time in her own mind, there was simply a case of being unwilling to use it efficiently, one could spend that time honing their mind or…training if that was their preference, she much preferred the former.
However, as things stood she was left with virtually nothing to do as her classmates continued making themselves busy while she was forced to stay behind due to her own inadequacy. An ugly frown worked its way onto her face as she dropped her head into her hands. What good was she actually going to be with her dark magic or ability to cast flames?
The only thing she could sit and do was nothing, all the books were back in the library and no one was going back there for the time being, beyond that there wasn't really a spot where she could train her own spellcraft without causing a commotion.
For the first time in her life, that which she had prided herself on being was hampering her ability to be useful in any capacity.
She knew that Von Riegan would probably be laughing if he could see her now, that thought alone made her blood boil. Worse was that she wouldn't be able to depend on herself if he were to make a joke about it.
Looking up, she stared out of the small cafe she was sat in and continually tapped her fingers against the table, scowling heavily as she watched columns of knights move past the windows while performing various tasks.
Clicking her tongue, she looked away only to dart her eye to the door when it chimed. A knight stepped into the room, rolling his shoulders and looking around for a few moments and seemingly overlooking her before he retreated to the corner of the room. She squinted at him, vaguely recalling him from earlier.
The knight who had entered Abyss as Teacher's personal warden. Her lip curled in annoyance as she recalled that before it straightened out as she remembered that the two of them were on seemingly amicable terms. It didn't explain what he was doing here when he could be doing something else.
She watched as he pulled up a small kapsack and tucked himself away in one of the corner booths but still within her field of vision. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at him, watching as he withdrew…
She squinted at the title.
"A…cookbook for beef?" She muttered out in confusion, tilting her head to the side slightly before shaking her head and looking back down to her table. It was like she was being mocked, even the knights were learning how to help out where she couldn't.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself to her feet. She wasn't going to sit here and wallow in her own pity, that sort of thing was beneath her and she could just imagine Goetia's chiding words for her if he could see the state she was in.
"You believe yourself limited to one simple path in life? How disappointing." He would probably say something like that. More than that, she had overcome every obstacle that had been set before her and she wasn't about to stop now. This was a matter of personal pride, if she wasn't useful right now then she would simply make herself useful.
She would learn how to aid the knights and her classmates, the idea that she was behind even Lorenz of all people wasn't something she could tolerate. He actively disliked the work of commoners and thought it beneath him, despite that he was still willing to try his best due to his pride.
She had her own pride and she wouldn't let it be the end here.
With her newfound resolve, she turned towards the exit of the cafe and marched towards the door before throwing it open and stepping outside. She internally thanked the Knight for providing her with the slap in the face she needed, if only she could remember his name.
Harold looked up from the book with a sudden jolt as the door slammed in the distance, he felt the tension leave his body as he noticed that it was just someone leaving as opposed to walking in on him. He sighed before he returned to the book and resumed reading.
When Goetia woke up, he'd be sure to have a complete list of notable things to inform him of, not least of all the latest discoveries he had made while reading through the book, he'd gotten a little bit more free time since he was promoted and received fewer odd looks when he was seen reading. Although those that could read were still puzzled as to why he was reading a book on cooking beef.
He would probably need to learn how to cook beef at this rate just to keep up the illusion.
Ignoring that, he returned his mind to the pages.
The blood of the Mother of Stars provides eternity to all those who walk the land, the silver water flows through the veins of her chosen subjects and grants them powers beyond the common man.
That is the way.
Even the children of Andar, Lord of the Sun, have not the blessings the Mother of Stars gifts. Her heralds bestow wisdom and tools beyond the wildest dreams of even the most daring of scholars.
Is this not the power of a true God?
Is it not further proof of her Divinity that she can elevate our people to such a height?
Even the body of the Mother of Stars is above the likes of other Gods, her skin of forged earth and her body that towers over the tallest of towers. She is beyond the Gods of our lands, she chose our people to receive her magnificence.
She who crossed the Sea of Stars to descend upon our home of Agartha.
Harold lowered the book and thinned his lips, this had been a recurring theme within the book. They made frequent references to the 'Mother of Stars' but had yet to give her a true name, beyond that he had been introduced to an entire pantheon of other Gods who represented different things.
However, there were still many passages that were damaged or otherwise illegible.
It was rather unfortunate because he was truly invested in it now, there was an element of mystery about the whole thing that seemed to wedge itself further and further in his mind, almost as if guiding him to find the answers.
He looked down at the notes he had made thus far, he was certain to keep those close to him and referenced everything that he had discovered. All of which he would hand to Goetia when the man returned.
There was something about this that just called to him. It was like something deep inside him responded to the name 'Mother of Stars' but there was nothing he could confidently put his finger on. It was said that the Goddess watched from the heavens but that didn't feel like it was the same thing.
He paused, slowly closing the book he started to tap on the table.
They said the Heavens resided in the sky and that the Goddess was mother to all those in Fodlan.
It seemed much too simple and yet it was one of the few answers he came up with.
He looked back to the book and frowned, peeling it open once again and staring quietly at the pages.
Was the 'Mother of Stars' and the Goddess of Fodlan one in the same?
But all the things they wrote in the book, Harold imagined that someone would have recalled them further than simply this dusty old book found in the library. Goetia would probably know but it wasn't like he could ask him. The best he could do is continue to just make notes and wait for the man to return from wherever he was.
Edelgard exhaled as she returned to her room, night was already starting to fall and there had been little in the way of contact between herself and anyone from her Uncle's side of things. At this rate, she was half expecting it to be a case of them just picking the worst time tomorrow to address her.
As for the day itself, it hadn't been eventful but it had been marginally fruitful. Word was likely beginning to spread across Fodlan as to the attack on the Church from the Demonic Beasts, or at least that was what the Church was officially saying. This was one instance where she could hardly say that misinformation or lying wasn't an unwise choice. Especially considering the panic that would form if people were suspecting their close friends and family of being Demons in disguise without ever knowing.
That didn't make it right, it just made the Church look foolish that someone could rise to the position of Cardinal and be easily supplanted by a fake without anyone being any the wiser. Considering the Church was still reeling from the issue with the rebellion in the Western Church, this was hardly the time for them to be sowing more rumours they were affiliated with Demons.
However, the notion worked to her advantage.
Such topics would provide her with suitable propaganda in the future and they contained more than enough truth to them, the Church was run by beings that hid well in the skin of humans while secretly carrying out their own agenda.
However, such thoughts could wait for another time. Preferably when she wasn't about to turn in for the night.
Her eyes swept around the accommodation she had been put in, it could have been much worse now that she considered it and bunking with Dorothea was hardly something she could call an issue. The two of them were reasonably close friends, or rather Dorothea provided much perspective on her own position as well as what she hoped to achieve in the future.
From the looks of things, she was already fast asleep which meant Edelgard would have to move silently if she didn't want to-
"I was wondering how much longer you would take to arrive."
She stilled, her hands freezing in place as she started to unbutton her shirt. Her eyes slowly started to creep to the side, hearing the door click behind her before a sudden chill washed over her.
"That should prevent us from being disturbed." The voice continued on, the shadows in the corner of the room shifted and a mass revealed itself. An absolute mountain of a man emerged from the corner, his dark cloak seemingly blending into the poor lighting offered by the single candle on the desk.
The hood of the figure looked towards her, two gleaming ruby coloured orbs peered at her without a trace of emotion before they moved away and slowly fell upon the form of Dorothea "Your companion is very much alive, merely resting in such a way that she will not awaken." they explained as if it was an afterthought "It would not do to have her eavesdrop on what is to be a private conversation."
Edelgard's tongue felt like lead in her mouth, her ability to speak hadn't yet returned and she couldn't find the strength to move her arms in any capacity. The overbearing nature of the figure and the way they had seemingly just crept into the room without anyone noticing lent credence to the very real danger they posed.
And those eyes that lurked behind the hood.
She had seen them before, that cross shaped pupil and dull red glow.
The creature that called itself Sitri had dozens of those same eyes lining its body.
Slowly, the hood moved away from Dorothea and back onto her. A large arm emerged from underneath the robe, pointing towards the simple wooden stool sitting just a few feet from her "You may sit if you wish, my presence might be offsetting to most humans, especially after your previous encounter with another of my kind."
That shook Edelgard out of her funk, regarding the being with newfound wariness and shuffling back "You're…"
"Lemegeton." They replied simply before they added on "Or rather, that is the name that I have chosen for myself…or rather, ourselves." they mused with a hint of amusement "My original name would mean nothing to you, unless there is another stolen theme of my race lingering somewhere?"
Edelgard didn't reply for a few moments, trying her best to restore her composure and succeeding at face value of steeling her expression "...Why are you here?"
"To talk." Lemegeton responded as they lowered the arm back under their cloak but didn't move from their spot "I understand that I have neglected direct involvement until this point. Placing faith in others abilities to oversee simple tasks is what has led us to this blunder." they continued on, a hint of irritation "Suffice to say that I shall be dealing with you directly from now on, rather than working through emissaries."
"...I have always worked with Von Arundel-"
"He is indisposed." Lemegeton cut her off before she could finish her sentence "The moment I learned of what had transpired here I demanded he inform me of the last few months." Edelgard heard a creaking noise which could only be the figure clenching their hands into fists with enough force to crack bone "...I was less than pleased to learn of what had transpired, perhaps I took out much of my own fury on him."
Edelgard blinked once "He is-"
"Still alive, although he will not be in a position to appear before you." Lemegeton continued on "Will you not sit? I understand that humans find standing for a considerable length of time rather tiring and you have been doing a full day of manual labour."
"I would prefer to stand." Edelgard responded back to them as confidently as she could manage before her ears picked upon another thing of note in that sentence "And you know of that?"
"You believe I have just arrived?" The figure chuckled back to her as if amused by her question "But that is not the subject of my being here." their voice shifted back into a toneless one "I understand that Sitri surfaced and engaged Rhea in battle?"
Edelgard nodded once, thinning her lips "They did. They were also slain by-"
"I know who killed them." Lemegeton responded "Fortunately they did, else I would have come to personally end Sitri's life, having that revenge crazed fool charging around Fodlan and murdering every human in sight would have been a catastrophic waste."
A sigh escaped their throat "My only regret was that I was unable to salvage some of their essence, the knowledge of Sitri would have proven useful…but it is no great loss in the grand scheme." they raised their hand "And yes, I did know them."
"You are…one of-"
"I am of the same race, yes." Lemegeton responded without much in the way of showmanship, a far cry from Sitri's declaration "My goals and their goals are entirely different so you need not be concerned about my own brutal sprees of murder."
Edelgard didn't believe that for a second, given who they were affiliated with.
"However, we are not here to speak of Sitri…" Lemegeton's eyes narrowed slightly "...Tell me of Goetia."
Edelgard clenched her jaw "...Would you not know of them yourself?"
"Perhaps…but while it has been only a few months since we last spoke, for some that can be an entire lifetime." Lemegeton replied in a vague tone of voice "And I am curious as to what has become of him."
"Why not just approach him?"
Lemegeton merely stared at her in silence "We are not discussing my own plans, we are discussing your encounters." they repeated in a firm tone of voice "I am asking for your own personal opinion, I can just as easily rip the information from your mind but that is merely information untouched by personal perspective." their eyes narrowed "Now."
Edelgard swallowed ever so slightly "...He's distant, there's clear signs of intellect but he fails to make true connections." she frowned. "He has this consistent look in his eye where he stares at you as though you are lesser to him…I believe that is why he treats all who approach him equally at first, in much the same way a person will still view a dog as a mere dog regardless of pedigree."
"...Go on."
Edelgard furrowed her brows "He seems…directionless as well. I have yet to see any sort of true goal or perhaps he has not chosen to inform us of one. It is vexing as I have no idea what he truly wants out of his time at the monastery, he speaks mostly with Professor Esiner but outside of their arrival at the Monastery at the same time I cannot see what draws them together. Not in the same way he connects with Lysithea."
The girl blinked once as she finished.
That…that had just slipped out, there was no warning and suddenly she was just spilling forth information.
"Directionless…" Lemegeton hummed to themselves "...I am disappointed but unsurprised, given what occurred I suppose that is to be expected. Even the greatest of creations can be humbled in the face of defeat, perhaps even more so when your own loss cannot be comprehended to begin with."
Shaking their head, they looked back at the heiress "This has been enlightening, perhaps we will speak again in the future." there was an intrigued gleam in their eyes "I wonder…you are indeed different from the others but I am not sure how. I suppose it is of little consequence."
Lemegeton stepped back towards the shadows, their body blending into the dull lighting "Until we meet again, Edelgard."
The candle whipped out, leaving the heiress alone in the dark.
It hurts.
That's what he feels as the fist strikes against the side of his face, his eyes however remain locked onto his attacker despite all of it. Despite all that pain he feels and all that rage, humiliation and sheer hopelessness at his situation, his eyes remain steadfast and locked onto his attacker.
His bare feet catch against the ground, stopping him from falling over. He can feel skin bruise at the uncomfortable sensation of stone beneath him. He pays it no mind, it will hardly be an issue for much longer anyway.
He swings his body back forwards, his left hand arcs through the air in an overhead punch. His style is clumsy, he's just using his weight - or what little remains - and nothing else.
There must be dozens of spells he could unleash even now that would end this battle in a heartbeat. Less than that, he could simply flick his fingers and erase his enemy from existence and that would be that.
No.
No, he won't do that. Because that isn't rewarding. He wants - he needs - to beat them here and now. With his might as a human in a fair fight. Perhaps its pride or perhaps it's sadism or maybe he just enjoys the battle itself. Whatever it is, he can't tell but he knows it is pushing him forwards.
They raise their right arm up and brace it with their left, his fist crashes into their guard and staggers them. They are in almost as bad a shape as he is. Cuts across their body, their Mystic code has been ripped open around their knees and shin to expose ugly purple bruises.
He's actually surprised they're even standing at all.
His awe at their resilience leaves him open, his head snaps back as a quick jab strikes him in the nose. It's an involuntary reflex that he releases a hiss and his eyes water slightly. It hurt.
That was just another thing, this pain he felt. It didn't matter just how much it grated him when he thought that less than an hour ago the mere thought that he could be wounded like this was impossible.
No…
This pain that he feels, he lets it fuel him. Drive him further onwards.
They stumble towards him in a clumsy charge, he hunches his body forwards and catches their shoulder within his grasp to stop them from tackling him. Their right hand clenched around his wrist and too late does he realise a tackle wasn't their intention.
Their eyes snap up, burning into his own before their left hand begins to strike at his side, punch after punch lands upon the smoking wound on the side of his body. He gasps each time as pain unlike anything he's ever experienced assaults him. He can't get back as they hold firm onto his only limb.
He releases their shoulder, their hand still tightly grasping the limb before it rises up slightly - another punch almost causes him to double over, he bites his tongue hard enough to draw blood to avoid screaming in pain, he won't scream in front of them - before moving towards their head.
His fingers dig in and tightly lock around the hair in his head. They hold firm and yank upwards. The next punch goes slightly wide as a result and just skims past his body, his attacker hisses and tries to pull his arm free of their hair. Drawing his head backwards as far as he can - even going so far as to take a step in retreat - he prepares himself before he throws his body forwards.
He can just barely glimpse their eyes widen in surprise - something about the sight sends a deep wave of satisfaction coursing through his body - before his forehead smashes into their face, he feels something warm run down his forehead accompanying a crunch.
A knee swings up and catches him in the gut, the air is knocked from his body in a gasp as he feels his strength vanish, he staggers back and coughs repeatedly as he tries to flood his body with strength to move.
He watches as Fujimaru clasps at their face, he can see droplets of blood leaking out from between their fingers as they clutch at their nose. Their eyes lock onto him as they continue to stumble back before they halt. His cornea is blood red, he can see tears already streaming down his cheek from the pain. His hands come away and reveal the damage.
Goetia allows himself a slight smirk at the image, the memory of Ritsuka glaring at him with his nose crooked and split will be one he treasures for however long he has left.
They both slowly raise their bodies up, Goetia can already feel his protesting at the movement. He can feel a numbness spreading across him now. He didn't have long left and he knew it.
He'll throw everything behind this next attack.
His final attack. Something must have passed through his eyes as he watched Fujimaru, seemingly still their own body. Resolution passed through their eyes as well.
He's going to put everything into this next punch.
He realises with some mild form of amusement. Fitting that they both throw all the strength they have left into this utterly pointless fight. That is fine though, even if it means nothing he's going to do everything he can to kill Fujimaru with this next attack.
All he needs to do is knock him down, that's it. The Temple will collapse and take him with it and he'll have won. He'll have won this stupid, pointless battle right at the end of everything.
He takes in a deep breath, a sense of clarity flows through him. His next actions are all that matter. He takes a step forward at the same time as Fujimaru, he pulls his single arm back and tightens his hand into a fist. It's tense enough that he can feel his nails digging into his skin. He doesn't care, a roar slips out from between his lips as the fist approaches his enemy.
Fujimaru seemingly falls forwards before the blow can land, He is left dumbfounded as to what exactly happened before he watches as his fist just slides over the top of Fujimaru's hair. He can feel the strands of the dark mop just touch upon the underside of his fist as he watches the Master hunch their body down and glare up.
He sees them tense their left hand back in anticipation.
Despite himself, he can't help but smile as he watches Fujimaru throw himself upwards towards him. Failing at just the last hurdle. That is somehow a fitting end if ever there was one.
Fujimaru's fist connects with his jaw, his vision whites out as the impact rocks his brain and he feels his legs give out from underneath him as he drops down to his knees. His left hand reaches out to try and catch himself. The moment it makes contact with the ground, his vision returns just in time to see it seemingly break away into sand.
He stares at the fragments of his remaining limb as they seemingly explode across the stone floor, the moment they come to a halt they start to glow a brilliant gold.
It's the most beautiful colour he's ever seen in his life.
He blinks slowly, exhaling as he does as he feels that numbness spread across his whole body. He leans back, still on his knees, and finds himself staring up at Fujimaru. The blank haired boy is no longer glaring, his eyes are now steeled but triumphant. He knows he's won this battle of wills.
"...Hehehe…" The genuine chuckle slips from his lips as he stares up at his enemy "Huh, who would have known?" he asks no one but himself, although Fujimaru does him the courtesy of remaining around for his final words. His eyes lock onto the Masters own, they stare at each other for what feels like a lifetime.
For him, it is.
"Tragically short…" He breathes out before his lip twitches upwards "And yet, strangely fascinating…so this is what human life is…" he realises, closing his eyes.
Feeling below his neck has virtually vanished at this point, he doesn't need to look down to know he's dead already.
"O'Lord…may you bless this life." The final words of prayer escape him as little more than a mutter, and yet they are perhaps the loudest noise to be heard in the entire temple. That creeping cold sensation passes over his eyes as he feels the numbness consume him entirely.
Crimson eyes snapped open.
They stared up as far as they could, towards the ceiling which seemed to stretch on for eternity and the chandeliers that hung down from it.
The room was in near enough darkness that it was difficult to see much of anything, despite that he could still sense what was around him.
He slowly shifted his attention to the right side of him, staring unblinkingly at the form of Rhea slumped in a chair next to him with her eyes closed and what looked like water stains running down her cheeks.
"...I'm alive then." He mumbled to himself, shifting his attention away from her and back towards the ceiling.
His hollow voice rang out, his whispers flooding the otherwise silent hall.
"How unfortunate…"
AN: Goetia hit with the big nightmares and Leme decides to drop in.
What a nice guy, I'm sure he's very reasonable…
Also Harold is making a little more progress in food preparation *Wink* *Wink*
Anyway!
A little something different from an Omake this time.
A little series called 'Excerpt from an unknown library' in which I will be adding little tidbits of my own lore to expand the world a little bit. Depending on how well it's received, I'll probably do more in the future.
Excerpt from an unknown library: I
Passage taken from 'The Mark of Godhood' By Chilon of Themis. 500 years pre-arrival of the Mother of Stars
To be considered a God, one must obey three certain principles.
They must excel beyond what any mortal can hope to achieve.
They must be beyond a level that mortals can understand.
They must remain that way even as mankind advances.
The moment that any one of these are breached, can they truly be considered a God? Therefore we must ask the question as to whether a God remains a God forever? Is there a point where a God can no longer be considered a God and merely a higher form of life in the same way to which a man is superior to an animal?
Is that then, what Gods are?
Lifeforms superior to man?
If this is the case, then is there a point where man might grow beyond the reach of Gods? Evolution is a process that is forever ongoing, it shall not slow and shall not cease. However, Gods - from all we can tell - remain static.
For all his powers, Andar of the Sun shall forever remain attached to the Sun. He is an existence that does not evolve, he ruled the sun a thousand years ago during the time of our early ancestors and he rules the sun now. In all texts, he remains unchanged while we have advanced.
We have abandoned the limits of bronze and moved to the strength of steel.
It should be noted that we still remain behind the power of Andar, he can reduce a fertile land to naught but ash in but a second and is therefore a being whose power should be respected for that simple fact alone.
However, should respect mean that we should worship them?
Will there come a point where man might gaze to the sky and command the power of the sun?
What is the sun if not a circle of fire?
Have we not mastered fire already? Can we not birth flames with ease and snuff them just as simply?
Is power truly the only difference between that of man and that of God?
Are we to respect Gods for their power alone?
We do, however does this mean we should worship them?
Is a bear not stronger than a man, and yet the notion that one would worship a mere animal is laughable. So then why do we worship beings that are nothing more than power exaggerated to extreme degrees?
If power was all that was needed for worship, then those with the greatest power should have the highest followers but then we must ask ourselves.
What is power and what form does it take?
Is it the ability to slaughter your enemies or sway them to your side?
This brings me back to the mark of Godhood.
To be a true God, a being must exemplify the three principles I have outlined perfectly.
They must be wise beyond man to govern with absolute certainty, they must command power beyond what anyone can ever claim to hold and they must remain this way for all time.
If there was ever such a being, they would be a God truly deserving of worship.
As I look to our own Gods, I find myself increasingly troubled by how few of them even meet a single one of these principles.
As man evolves, are we leaving our Gods behind?
And if we do surpass them, then are we not Gods?
The rest of the document is burned, leaving it illegible to readers.
There is a small addendum on the end in faint writing.
Chilon of Themis, executed for heresy.