Chapter 99: Moving forwards

Accepting becoming a lecturer at this place of all things, what madness had spurred him into taking that decision?

It was a question that haunted his steps, even hours after the announcement had been given, one that he still found himself unable to provide an answer for. There could have been any single reason for it - he knew the benefits and drawbacks that came with the position - but he would have assumed that he would deliberate upon it for a longer time.

Yet after he heard the possibility of Sitri's lingering influence still causing problems even after they had already perished…he found that his choice was no longer a choice at all. There was never a possibility of him rejecting it.

Lingering memories of the time before or the damage that had been inflicted, perhaps it was even guilt that he was not able to stop Sitri beforehand or recognise that they were in Fodlan in the first place. Whatever the reason might have been, there was no turning back now.

All he could do was keep moving forwards and face the consequences of the choices he had made.

His steps carried him all the way to the classroom of the Golden Deer, still away on a mission and due to return any day now.

What would they say when they found out that he had accepted a role as a lecturer here of all places and that their lessons would resume in a capacity none of them could have foreseen. He expected that Lysithea would be pleased, as had been brought to his attention she had become rather invested in his tutelage and without it, her progress had stagnated.

That was his fault, it was almost pathetic of him.

It kept escaping him, again and again, even when the chance to resume the lessons was dropped right into his lap he had let his mind wander elsewhere and drag his attention and influence with it, weeks had passed since the lessons could have resumed and it was only because of a casual conversation with Dorothea near a tea shop that he was finally spurred into action to resume them.

His hand twitched, something felt as though it had bitten into his palm, a sharp prick.

Drawing the limb out from under his cloak, he stared down at it and the red marks which started to ooze scarlet liquid, coating the underside of his nails. It did not take someone of his intellectual capacity to realise what had happened, though he did not believe he had felt so strongly about it to remain oblivious to how much strength he was exerting upon himself.

His gaze lingered on the fresh cuts, a sigh escaped him as he lowered the arm once again, vanishing back beneath the cloak. A mere thought and the pain receded, the wounds healed up and the blood retreated back into his body as though it had never escaped in the first place. But he knew it had, that was all that truly counted in the end.

His eyes drifted across the classroom.

He had never taught before, and he knew those small lessons he gave before were nothing like a professional setting. He was more expositing the basics to them and they would comprehend and compare notes with one another, perhaps the same would have been possible with a wider audience but he could hardly make that assumption.

Even though shared memories of his competent selves gave him all the knowledge he needed and yet he knew the information of Flauros on the subject would have been useless. He didn't want students who were ultimately dependent on whatever sliver of false praise he offered them.

What he really wanted was for them to actually use his knowledge and elevate it into something original, something new. If that were even possible, but that was beside the point. They didn't need to know that the chances were slim to non-existent, they just needed to believe there was a single chance of something happening. Just one single chance and then they would take it with both hands.

That's what Fujimaru would have done.

A googol to one chance - less than that - and Fujimaru would have flung one-hundred percent of their being into it, as though that chance was a guarantee.

Maybe his expectations really had been spoiled for humans so greatly.

It almost brought a smirk to his lips, though he kept it hidden beneath.

Even here, in this place, the actions of Fujimaru continued to curse him in the worst possible ways.

That said, it was hardly as though he could do anything about it now and he doubted he would find anything to help him here.

Still, it would likely be best for him not to dwell on the subject further for the time being, there were other places that still required his full attention and the wounded needed their treatment. He doubted any had died in his absence but that did not provide an excuse for him to remain away.

With that single thought in mind, he whisked himself away back to the medical camp.

Though the moment he manifested, hearing several grunts of alarm, he considered the possibility that appearing directly in the middle of the camp, in between all the wounded, might have been a touch overzealous. Even if it was the most expedient route to get here, at the very least.

His eyes swept around, meeting the gazes of several bandaged knights and then paused for a moment, carrying himself towards the closest and leaning down. The man shuffled a little until he brought up a single finger to signal them to halt, fortunately they did not see fit to push the matter further and did as was requested.

"The arm is dislocated and the humerus has been fractured."

The man blinked twice, then opened his mouth to say something, not that he needed to, Goetia could see the question in his eyes. One that he answered in as dull a tone as he could as he considered the methods of going forwards.

"The bone in your upper arm is close to being broken, further stress would cause damage." He explained, the man closed his mouth and nodded his head up and down.

It was clear why they hadn't reset the joint, attempting to realign the arm and the shoulder was a process that could have ended with the arm broken as well. Not that it was difficult for him to manage, though it did bring up the issue of why the man had not yet been treated. Though given some of the more grievously wounded were requiring full attention, it made a great deal more sense, yet the bandage and splint around his leg were fresh.

"Who has been-"

"Are you trying to steal away my patients, Goetia?" His question was answered before it was even posed, he stepped up and moved away from the wounded man, turning to the speaker and finding Flayn standing not far with a collection of bandages and splints in her arms, raising a pointed eyebrow at him and clearly awaiting an answer.

"He was unattended and I had little else to occupy my time with."

The girl made a small sound before she resumed walking, lowering herself down to the side of the man, it was only then that he noticed her usual attire had been replaced with a simple grey robe with dubious stains lining the front of it, small leather gloves covering either one of her hands.

"Well, I appreciate you making an effort." She spoke earnestly, he could sense her smile even if he could not see it, with her back now facing him. "And he is a rather difficult one, with the upper arm being broken and his shoulder out of place. Setting that might do more harm than good, but we can't exactly leave either injury as it is."

A beat, then she turned towards him and raised a brow. "Assuming you didn't already know this?"

"You heard."

The wry smile she sent him told him everything he needed to know.

"I suppose you are a person of many talents, Goetia." She continued on, turning back around and facing the man as she moved her hands up the arm in question, drawing a wince from the soldier and little else as they stifled their pain, only briefly causing Flayn to pause.

Bringing his arm up, he waved in the direction of the man with a small shower of light extending from his fingers and converging on the limb. The man had only a moment to jolt before the light seeped into him and vanished, then his face shifted with discomfort. "Why…why has my arm gone numb?"

"I have-" He paused, thinking about the best way to phrase it. "I have dulled your senses in the limb while Flayn works. I will restore them once the repairs have been completed, to avoid any undue pain."

A brief silence, then the man exhaled and looked visibly relieved, he kept silent as they shot him a thankful smile and nodded their head up and down, leaning their head back and placing a hand flat against the ground to support themselves. "That's…that's a relief, thank the Goddess."

Goetia felt his brow twitch just a little.

He caught Flayn staring at him from the corner of her eye, he could see her silent demand for him to not start anything. His lip curled down at her before he flattened his features, he was entitled to feel aggrieved for his efforts being pawned off to that narcoleptic deity.

"Indeed. It was truly a blessing from her that we could be here to help you." Flayn remarked in a polite tone, moving back to the limb and feeling it over. "I certainly feel much more comfortable that I no longer need to worry about injuring you, that much can be said. Though I will tell you that the healing process will be unpleasant."

A shake of the head from the man. "I'm used to it. Comes with the job."

"I must have missed 'become a chew toy' in orientation when I signed up." A voice from further down the line called out in a wry tone, chuckles went about the room, as though this situation was something to joke about. "You're always reaching far, ain't you Mathias?"

"Shut up, Odile!" The man - Mathias - called back to the woman with a scoff and a shake of the head. "Probably your bad smell that kept them away! I must have been irresistible!"

Goetia felt his brows pinch. "That is not the boast you believe it to be."

Mathias paused for a moment, his expression shifted and then he grimaced rather deeply, an embarrassed flush crossed over his features and his head lowered down. Clearly just realising what he had just prided himself on, the growing laughter around the man did not help him much either, but that was his own fault.

"Alright, that's enough teasing." Flayn called out in a tone that brook little argument, almost an assertive one but not quite hostile. The smile she had on her face was still friendly enough. "You're all under my care now, so no more of this teasing until after you're good and healed." She brought her attention back to Mathias and continued her work. "Still, you're a very lucky man. I do hope you appreciate this."

A shiver went through them. "Do I ever…"

He moved away from them, carrying his feet towards the brunette woman - Odile - where she was likely awaiting treatment as well. Her eyes skimmed to him, a blink and she opened her mouth to say something, but he was down by her side before she had the chance. His eyes lingered on the bandage around her head.

"Hmmm." A hum, he moved his hand up and briefly paused before speaking. "Stay still and focus on the light. Head wounds are often problematic and I would prefer to avoid wasting the magical energy until I know there is something amiss."

She squinted at him. "What."

Bringing up a single finger, the tip started to glow until it was as bright as a lantern, moving it up and directly towards her face. "Keep your attention on the light."

He went through the process, it was simple enough, keeping track of her reactions and all else that truly concerned her.

It was only when Flayn spoke again that he split his attention from the patient.

"When did you learn how to be a healer?"

"The same way I learned all else." He replied. "I watched."

"I suppose you must have had plenty of time on your hands." She continued on, something odd entering her tone of voice. "...How often have you been forced to use your knowledge like this?"

He waited for a moment. "This is the first time I have ever done something in this way. In any other circumstance I would merely use my knowledge of magecraft to heal those wounded and then consider my work done." he paused for a moment, then exhaled and turned away from Odile, briefly making eye contact with Flayn. "But that does not help anyone in the future. You cannot replicate my feats, thus my work will be restrained to what is possible in Fodlan and nothing else…for the time being."

He briefly caught the frown which crossed Flayn's features before his focus was back on Odile.

There was something amiss here, something he was not-

His eyes flickered down.

Her fingers were twitching.

His gaze returned to her, she looked at him as though nothing was amiss, he doubted she even realised she was doing it. All of which was the problem, it meant that she very likely had some manner of brain haemorrhage that was starting to press down on her nerves, or it was a mere twitch and he expected the worst.

His hand came up, light flashed across his palm before soaking into the woman, she jolted for a moment before blinking. "What was-"

"You call it the 'Fortify' spell." He grunted back, ignoring the wide eyes he got from the woman in return. "You had the beginnings of a bleed on your brain, given time this would have proved fatal. Depending on the severity you would have anywhere between a week or a month to live, no more."

She was shaking now, clearly rather panicked.

"You are healed."

"R-right…" A breath escaped the woman, she moved her hand towards her head and then paused, fingers just shy of touching her bandages, glancing between him and the now silent group around them. "A..w-week…" her voice passed out as a mere whisper, eyes unfocused and starting to swell with tears.

He leaned back just a little, rising up from his crouched position. "You are healed. Recovery will be between seven and twelve hours, depending on how much you eat and drink. I would advise excess. There might be slight discomfort in your head for that duration, but I make no guarantees."

All he got was a slightly shaky and rather unfocused nod of the head.

"It's atrocious, by the way."

The single comment from Flayn brought him up short, he found himself unable to comprehend anything that could have been linked towards it. Thus he raised a single eyebrow and turned to the young phantasmal, she met his look and then clearly realised she would need to elaborate.

"Your bedside manner. It is rather terrible."

His eyebrow lowered, his lips pulled down. "I provided the information that was required to the individual that was involved. I gave a diagnosis, giving her the news would not have changed the outcome or the fact I had just solved it without the need for further problems later on down her life…or within the coming weeks."

Despite his sound reasoning, he got a sigh of exasperation from the girl as she brought a hand up to nurse away at her head, as though struck by a sudden migraine. "That is not quite what the issue is, Goetia…while I am certain she deserved to know what you had done for her, the news could have been delivered in a far less…"

A pause, the girl looked him in the eyes, then tilted her head to the side as she made a strained expression and cycled her hand around in a repeating gesture.

"...blunt and unsympathetic fashion."

He withheld a groan. "It was a bleed in her head, in what way could that have been phrased in a kind manner? Perhaps you would have preferred some manner of new and exciting form of poetry to tell her of the haemorrhage in her frontal lobe."

She sent him a blank look, rather unimpressed with his retort. "There is no need to be snappy, Goetia. Surely you could see the impact you had on her with that news…merely that you could have phrased it in such a way that she wasn't terrified…" she paused, tapping away at her chin and then shrugging. "Downplay the issue and then say you've solved it before it becomes anything more serious. Bring up an example of a cut that might get infected if left untreated."

A cut.

She wanted him to compare it with a cut.

"...I suppose you would have greater experience with this topic than myself." He replied slowly, wholly unwilling to be drawn into an argument with her. Perhaps it would be best if he just cured them and then explained nothing, though he believed that would have been equally concerning if he utilised such a powerful spell and then provided no context before departing.

The mystery would have been equally disconcerting to the woman.

"But that can be set aside." Flayn dismissed with a casual wave of the hand, then moved ahead in front of him and then turned around. He found himself momentarily frozen at the look in her eyes, if only because it was far more serious than he had ever seen in her gaze before.

Yet what was this sense of rising disappointment within him? As though the expectation that something foolish was about to occur was growing stronger by the second.

"...How was Enbarr?" She asked with a beaming smile, clasping her hands together and then stepping forwards, pointedly looking him up and down as she did so. "I can see that you certainly made use of your time there and I shall say that, despite its odd sense, you have changed for the better! I'm feeling very impressed with how quickly you can clean up!"

Ah, that was why it felt so disappointing.

The compliment which sounded so incredibly backhanded to him.

A frown soon came upon the face of Flayn, likely noticing his lack of a reaction to her words. "Is something the matter, Goetia?"

"...I was made an offer by Se-" He cut himself off and then slowly corrected himself. "By Rhea, one that would see me elevated from my position of an assistant librarian to that of a lecturer within the monastery for Magecraft, that and that alone, it should go without saying…I had intended to give it more thought and yet I found myself accepting it before I came here. I am still unsure as to why I did so quickly."

Flayn kept her expression devoid of emotion, it had vanished in the instant he brought up Seiros.

"...A lecturer, you say?" She voiced the words back slowly to him, gradually nodding her head up and down. "I see…are you comfortable with working in that capacity? I will not lie and say that I am…ignorant to how you and the Archbishop have been with one another in the past."

"I did not make an effort to conceal it, neither did she." Their disdain for the other had been palpable, even in spite of all she had accomplished.

As for how he viewed her now, it was something that he could not quite place.

At the very least, he understood her motivations, but that left him in a position where he was certain his judgements were biased.

"Yes, I know." A flat remark from Flayn, her eyes closed and she turned her head away from him. "...If you are willing to work with her so closely despite that, then I will not judge you for it. It is your own choice in the matter and at the moment, I doubt I am truly a fair speaker on such things related to the Archbishop."

Seconds passed, she turned her gaze back onto him. "Though the most important question is what do you intend to do about it? You have already accepted her offer and I assume that father will be along at some point in the future to finalise all the details…what is it about your acceptance that bothers you?" she tilted her head. "If it was such a concern, then would it not have been wiser to decline?"

It would have.

It truly would have.

And yet with that being said…

"...I did so after further news came to light, it would seem as though…the legacy of Sitri caused further damage to Fodlan than I anticipated." He purposefully cast his sight across to the direction of the camp they had come from, it took Flayn only a second to understand and when she did, the frown on her face intensified.

"Goetia…if you mean to tell me you accepted the position because you felt guilty-"

"You will do what?" The blunt comment earned a flash of surprise, he pressed on despite that. "It is an undeniable fact. They were my responsibility and I should have accounted for this, they had been here for the same period of time as I and not once did I ever think that their efforts would have extended beyond Abyss…" his hand slowly clenched into a fist.

"Foolishly, I believed that it ended with their death, or perhaps that was my own wishful thinking that I would not be haunted further by it…yet I had not erased every possibility." He saw her open her mouth to get a word in, but he would not allow it. "But this is more than guilt, this is nothing compared to my own actions of the past…no…it is about prevention now. Or…something else."

Bringing his head up, he thinned his lips.

"...Sitri said I was just like Solomon and they were right, my aid was limited and observational at best. Even the assistance provided for Abyss is nothing more than the dissemination of ideas within the populace of the slum. Meagre efforts to grant them the chance to claw back some semblance of quality of living…but this is different."

His eyes turned down to her, she stared back and was now content to let him speak.

"This is something that I will control. I will become the foundation of this entire branch of magecraft in the continent…the origin and I will have the control to decide what is and is not taught, what they can and cannot use it for…"

Bringing up his hand, he found himself staring at his fingers, then pushed them against his chest.

"I am going to copy Solomon…but I will do more than he did. It might well be a petty reasoning behind this change, but it is mine and mine alone. I am going to show these humans how they can use my teachings to better themselves…at the very least, they cannot make this continent worse."

Flayn stayed silent for what felt like years after he finished speaking, then a gentle smile slowly started to spread across her face. "...That sounds as though you are leaving behind something for humanity to use in the future. A tool by which they can truly make the world a better place…"

"Or a worse place, they can just as easily use my knowledge to slaughter one another in new and creative ways." Scoffing, he shook his head from side to side before he paused, glancing down. "It is inevitably what they will do but I do not have to see it this time. I will instead believe they will use it for something valuable…I am going to look at them with the same expectations I have for one other human."

Yes.

Just one.

Who would do incredible things, who would stand tall against everything, rejecting utopia itself.

All for the sake of the one who showed her a simple act of kindness.

"Yes…because I have witnessed unthinkable things done, impossible actions that I cannot comprehend…all for the smallest of reasons, ones that might be utterly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but their implications were far reaching."

Flayn made a small noise. "That was rather profound of you, Goetia, but is that what you want to be? The small force of change in the lives of those who take up after you? Hoping that they will do these wondrous things you've seen?"

"...Perhaps." He muttered under his breath, grunting and shaking his head. "Or perhaps I have considered the idea that standing by with all this knowledge and keeping it hoarded is an act of stupidity…whatever the case, this is a chance to finally shed myself free of the shadow of Solomon."

He was going to make a choice.

A choice with an outcome he could not foresee.

And one that would change countless lives because of it.

Simply because it was a choice that he could make.

What an intriguing sensation.

It almost felt as though he was going to be sick, but at the same time, it was intoxicating.

"Then I look forwards to your class."

He paused, then turned to her, the feeling briefly being buried as his brows pinched together.

The smile on Flayn's face was almost teasing, more so as she feigned innocence. "Oh, did you not hear? Coming next month, I will officially begin my tenure as a student at the officers academy of Garreg Mach and will join a class of my own choosing…I have given it some thought, but I have opted to choose the Blue Lions."

"How inspired."

Her face turned flat. "...Hmmm."

"That being said, your fixation on the Blue Lions demonstrates hypocrisy in your own words, given you chided me for acting out of guilt." She froze at that, pursing her lips and making a show of turning her head from his gaze. If she thought she was being subtle about it then it would seem she was not nearly as observant as he believed her to be.

"...I would hardly say that I scolded you…" It was a weak argument, coupled with an almost abashed look as though trying to downplay her earlier words. It faltered rather quickly when she caught a look at his face and the utter lack of reaction he gave to her words. With a sigh, her shoulders slumped and she started to nod her head up and down. "Very well, I suppose that would make me something of a hypocrite, but that can also be taken as experience."

An exhale shot from his nose. "I am curious what it is you even hope to accomplish with this effort of yours, or is it for your own peace of mind that you intend to follow Byleth even further?"

"Both, I should think." The answer came quickly. "I am concerned for her in much the same way I am concerned for all those who reside in the Monastery…this place is important for me for a very long time, is it truly such a strange thing that I would wish it to be welcoming?"

His eyes were pulled from her and turned skywards, aiming towards the direction of the Monastery at the top of the hill. His expression was kept level, the longer he stared the more his thoughts drifted through his own time spent in that place. His brows crinkled and his lip curled down as a single realisation dawned on him.

"...I wonder when it was that I started to grow comfortable living here." The sudden sentence earned a brief noise of surprise from Flayn. "It was not something I considered, welcoming or otherwise, I have gradually become accustomed to living at that Monastery and no longer need to put conscious effort in retracing my steps to get to specific locations."

"That just means you are becoming familiar with it, that's not a sign of accepting it as your home…I would actually be rather worried if you did start to do that, if I was to speak frankly." He sent a small look her way, causing her to clarify. "With all that has happened and all the rather rampant displays of violence and death, if this has somehow made it a more comfortable place for you to live then I am worried for your expectations of home."

He slowly blinked at her.

She kept her gaze on him.

"That was not what I was implying." He gave a slow response, rather bewildered by the manner in which she was speaking of the monastery. He was never going to accept this world as his 'home' because it was not the one he was summoned in. This place was utterly alien to him. "Merely that I look at the Monastery and have accepted that I live there, formulating it into words would be difficult but…it is my refuge. I no longer put up defensive bounded fields in my room."

Flayn looked rather taken aback by the remarks, leaning away from him with wide eyes and parted lips. The expression of shock lingered on her face for a moment before it faded, replaced now with one of bewildered concern. "When you say defensive bounded fields…do you mean to suggest more of the alarms which shock people with electricity?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "No, that would be beyond necessary and would arouse far greater concern. Especially given that I am currently lodging next to the student body." a moment of silence, then he sent Flayn a raised brow. "Unless you wish to be woken with the news that a student knocked upon my door and was struck down by a magical spell."

A slow blink and then a shake of the head, followed by a twitch of the lips. She might have been under the impression that he was making some manner of elaborate jest with that remark, it would be better if it remained as such.

"I believe that I could do without such news, to say nothing of how father would react to it." A light giggle from the girl, shaking her head from side to side. "But that is beside the point, I believe. I understand what you are referring to and it might simply be that you are feeling safe around the Monastery."

The word pounded through his head like a drum.

"Safe." Parroting back to her, his brows pinched together. "Safe…I would hardly refer to my current location as safe, if recent events have been any indication, but perhaps there is some manner of truth in your words…Or it is just as likely that there is no other place that I am as familiar with, thus I have determined that the Monastery will serve as my own refuge for the time being, despite all the problems that surround it."

"I am glad you can still find it within yourself to be comfortable at the Monastery, despite it's troubled past."

He sighed. "Everywhere has a troubled past if one were to look deep enough into the mysteries and origins of it, I do not doubt that the past of Enbarr is just as troubled if I were to peer into its founding, but that does not mean I am unable to make use of it." letting the words settle in the air, he brought his arm about. "But returning to the original matter at hand, in regards to my own upcoming lessons, I will provide you with the expectation and advisory remark that I will not tolerate the unmotivated and unaware."

Flayn tilted her head. "I can tell you, here and now, that I would have been rather surprised if you did. I have no expectation for preferential treatment and would, actually, rather avoid such a thing to begin with." she continued on, clasping her hands in front of herself and frowning. "If father tries to broker the matter to you-"

"You have a skewed view of his protectiveness towards you, but suffice to say that Seteth would doubtless be more comforted if it came to his attention that I was treating you no differently than any of the other students."

The unconvinced expression Flayn now wore told him all he needed to know about what she actually expected was going to happen. Besides, it was nothing more than a hypothetical at the moment, he would get his confirmation when Seteth found him later to discuss the topic further, he would make the inquiry and then would provide Flayn with the definitive answer to her concerns.

"Oh, I also heard some other rumours."

"Do you regularly pay attention to unsubstantiated claims or is this purely because it is going to relate to me?"

A flat look was aimed at him, but he noted that there was not a denial which meant that he had been correct.

"I'm only telling you this because I wanted to get your opinion on it." Flayn huffed, folding her arms and then raising an eyebrow, giving him a look that was a mixture of amusement and incredulity. "The rumour in question being that you have started to make children toys and sell them? It sounded rather absurd but then I recalled that you were rather close with the merchant woman as of late…so then?"

Oh, was that all she wished to know?

"I have been carving wooden models which can be sold to children, yes." He confirmed, earning a bright smile from the green haired girl, her hands clapping in front of her face and covering her mouth, likely an effort to hide the smile that had formed on her lips. A pointless effort, he had already caught sight of it. "And I do not see what is so concerning or worth discussing about it? From my understanding, it would seem self-explanatory. I was in need of finance and saw an opportunity."

"Yes, but there were any number of things you could have done." Flayn lowered her hands, placing them on her hips and raising a brow. "I believe there was an instance where you created rather simple gems from the dirt at the bottom of the pond? Even if their quality was low, you still made them look convincing enough."

He was rather lost with where she was trying to go with this.

His brows gradually pinched together. "Are you suggesting I make forgeries and sell them?"

Her eyes shot wide, hands scrambling upwards and waving from side to side, looking around while panic flooded over her face. "No! Not at all! Please don't do that! What I meant to say was that you could have probably made real gems if you had better materials!"

So that was what she meant, it was certainly possible for him to do that much. It would have actually been just as simple.

"I could do that, it would have earned me greater finance in the short term…though I…did not have an interest in becoming a jeweller." He replied slowly, turning his head to the side and exhaling. "All I have been doing is making carvings of familiar creatures and species from my own land…at the very least, it will spread awareness that they exist. Even if only in the form of childish games and fictitious stories."

"Oh…I see…yes, proof that they existed." The voice of the girl had shifted, becoming more sombre. Not quite pitying, or it was not directed towards him. That made it less grating to consider, it was nothing more than an effort to ensure he was surrounded by terms he was aware of and could understand. Just so this place was not as far removed from his awareness as it used to be.

"But I would consider it quite a noble cause, to provide something for the children."

He squinted at her. "I did not do it out of a noble desire, it was because I knew the market for children's toys would be extensive and would earn me a far greater amount. The speed and skill with which I can create these models far exceeds anything else that can be made and the treatments on the wood ensure that nothing shy of a sledgehammer swung by the Blaiddyd prince will be able to destroy them."

The smile on Flayn's face vanished, replaced by a black mask. "...Now I can understand why you and the merchant get along so well. You can be rather devious when the moment calls for it, can you not?"

"...I am familiar with espionage tactics, yes." A slow reply and a shrug of the shoulders. "But I am taking advantage of the simple behaviour of humans. It is hardly as though the transaction is one sided. The small children are granted an exotic and long lasting toy that can serve as a source of entertainment for possibly generations…and I am given a few coins which will last me until I have need of them."

Bringing a hand up, he gestured to himself with a frown. "I would argue that, between the two of us, the child is going to end up benefiting from the arrangement far more than I am."

A short stare from the green haired girl, then her eyes closed and a rather long sigh escaped her, a hand coming up and nursing away at her brows once again, as though struck by the same migraine as before. "You place me in a rather bewildering situation where I am unsurprised that you could find a way to explain that making toys for children benefits them more than you and yet you will still do it all the same."

Pulling her hand away, she raised a brow and gave a light smile towards him. "If it was such a problem for you, then surely you would have not considered it in the first place, yet you clearly have and are likely going to be doing so for some time…so now I'm curious as to where your complaints come from."

He frowned. "I may complain about an action while partaking in it."

"So are you going to stop making toys for the children?"

The frown on his face deepened while the smile on hers only seemed to widen, they both knew that she had caught him out. The answer was obvious for the pair of them, he would continue to make the wooden toys despite his grievances towards them, if they could even be called that in the first place, and would ultimately benefit from them in some manner.

"...I am not going to answer such a foolish question."

"You're just upset that I've caught you out."

"Hardly."

"Hmmm."

"Your smug expression is ill suited for your face, I would suggest you remove it at once."

"Hmmmmmmm~"

"If you wish to look like a child then I would prefer you do so when you are not around to draw me into your public acts of embarrassment."

This was ultimately pointless, but he would at least wish to know a single thing. "Why did you even bring the topic up in the first place? It was obvious that I was the one behind the sudden appearance of wooden toys and their purpose should have been apparent. It was merely the creation of a trade, if I truly cared about the children I would have gone out of my way to do this for free."

Flayn shook her head. "An action done in charity does not automatically make it a good deed, nor does the acceptance of reward diminish the action of another. The knights of Seiros keep the masses safe while accepting payment from the Church, but that does not take away from their duty and their actions." gesturing to him, her smile widened further. "Just as your acceptance of monetary gains does not change the fact you have taken it upon yourself to make toys for the children."

"Again, my point remains valid, for what reason would you have brought this subject up to begin with?"

"Does there need to be a reason for it? I was merely curious about it and sought to speak with you directly." She replied with a shrug of the shoulders, the smile fading just a little though losing none of its emotion. "That is, as they say, small talk. Though perhaps I was a little curious if this meant that you would pursue a career in the arts?"

He cringed at the mere thought of it. "I have little interest in artistry and even if I did, I doubt that the people of Fodlan would appreciate my efforts or depictions…my lack of familiarity and link with this continent would sour any piece I created." he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "No, for now I will limit myself to mere toys for children, that way I will suffer no nuisances."

"If you say so…"

"I do."

"..."

"...Are you waiting for something else or-"

"Would you be able to make me a wooden fish?"

His eyes slowly closed, his head started to lean backwards until it was pointed towards the sky. A breath slipped out from between his lips, the words leaving him in a slow and exhausted tone. "That would depend upon whether you are willing to offer me the fee for a personalised piece, and whether you wished for it to be painted."

"...I shall have the money for you as soon as possible, how long would it take to complete?"

"...Not long." Lowering his head back down, he opened his eyes and looked at her, then found himself rather bewildered by the intensity in her gaze, as though she was discussing a subject of the utmost sincerity. "Would you prefer it to be a life-size model or a miniature?"

"I was unaware you were interested in drawing, Goetia."

The words of Seteth drew his eye towards the direction of the approaching man for only a moment, then back towards his table a second later. The repairs to the mess hall had come along to a point where it was possible to once again sit inside it.

He was making the most of it.

That and he knew Seteth would seek him out at some point, it would make the job of finding him much easier if he was actually in a position where he could be found.

"Recent endeavours have led me to the path of amateur woodcraft for children, Flayn made a personal request for a rainbow trout. I agreed, this is not so much art as much as it is drawing up designs for them to be presented, she can decide which one best suits her interests."

The footsteps fell silent, then he heard the minute sigh come from the direction of the man, one that all but bled exasperation. "...I see…perhaps I am due for a conversation as to what is and is not appropriate for her to be spending her allowance on, but then again perhaps letting her make such a choice would be the best path forwards…I suspect she would come to you even without my consent, and you are hardly going to turn down a request, are you?"

Looking away from his food, a simple soup, he cocked his head to the side, the floating pencil continued to scribble down in the notebook without pause.

"I can say that Flayn would react poorly to the news of you barring certain merchants from selling goods to her." He spoke slowly, earning nothing but a nod of the head from the man which showed that he understood just as easily what the consequences of such a thing would be. "But you did not come here to discuss my business."

"No, the Archbishop has informed me of the offer she made to you." Seteth flattened his lips and closed his eyes, the trace twitch of his brows as he spoke was the only evidence he gave of his annoyance on the matter.

Though that was most likely due to it being a rather spontaneous choice by Seiros.

"And…I have fewer grievances about it then I did about your original appointment, I will admit." The tone shifted, turning more cordial as the eyes of the man opened up, the frown was replaced by a thin line. "Given that I have been granted time enough to observe your character, furthermore I…have reason to believe that despite the secrecy that still surrounds you, there is ample evidence to prove you are trustworthy."

That…

He slowly blinked at the words.

"You…trust me?"

Seteth's brows shot up. "Is there a reason for me not to do so? Or is this some manner of segway into where you will list all the reasons why you are not trustworthy?"

"No…I was…"

He just was not expecting to be told something like that.

He had never been told something like that before.

The effect on him was more than he had expected.

"It is not important, you may continue."

Seteth hesitated for a moment, then did so. "You have also proven yourself to be a respectable member of the staff during your tenure thus far and your diligence has been noted on several occasions by Tomas, as well as your willingness to go above and beyond your assigned duties, including your extracurricular activities."

Goetia kept silent, merely staring at Seteth as the man spoke to him with what could only be described as earnest praise.

"Your conduct, while problematic at times, is not at a stage that I would consider a hazard to the students of this academy, thus your appointment to a lecturer is one that I will endorse wholeheartedly. I will finalise the details and we will need to set aside a date to discuss your own curriculum and time table, but for now, I assume you understand that there are other matters that require my full attention."

"...Naturally." His reply came slower than he would have liked, he found himself at a temporary loss when it came to forming words for a reason he could not quite understand. The tightness in his chest was not like the painful sensation of before, it felt…warm. "Your trust in me is…appreciated."

"I hope that you will not betray it in the future, especially as you will become responsible for the future generation of Fodlan." Seteth narrowed his eyes ever so slightly though his tone remained cordial even with the warning, as though it was nothing more than a formality for him. "I will leave you to your business for now, Goetia. Good luck with your future classes, I have reason to believe you will need it."

And like that, the man was gone once again.

He remained sat there, utterly unable to find himself doing anything more than replaying the conversation again and again in his mind.

The silence was deafening, the pencil stopped moving and fell onto the table, remaining ignored.

He…

They trusted him.

They trusted him with the future generations of Fodlan.

This was not what he had expected.

A complete surprise and yet…

…It was not unwelcome with him.