Chapter 109: Gains are gains
Listening to the laughter of the figure opposite her was something off putting, the multitude of voices overlapping one another combined with the varying pitches and tones was like being stood before a small crowd, yet to hear it all come from the mouth of a lone individual was…
She doubted she would ever grow accustomed to it, nor did she ever wish to.
"Working with your class for the purpose of a training exercise?" When the laughter of Lemegeton finally faded away, the smile in his words remained clear for all to hear, though it was only herself in the room with the tall figure. "I must say, this is a line of thinking that I would not have assumed my King would have taken…To be personally aided by him, even with a handicap, it is a rare privilege that few can boast of."
Edelgard had no intention of boasting about it at all.
Though she did value his aid and the opportunity it made to understand Goetia better.
"You sound pleased."
A nod of the head from the cloaked giant, cross slit pupils danced towards her for a fraction of a second. "I am pleased, or perhaps pleasantly surprised? Yes, a greater word for it. Though I admit myself to being in a far lighter mood than I would usually have been in. Success has been gradual and surprising for me in these last weeks."
She asked nothing in regards to the success, knowing she would not receive an answer.
"Hmm. Setting that aside, you mentioned there was something you required of me?"
Lemegeton paused, then glanced at her for a brief moment before he spoke. "Yes, though it makes use of your status as Empress. Though I could manage the task myself, I have no doubt that the effort would earn the attention of my King and I suspect we would both wish to avoid that for the time being."
She would rather avoid the Church than Goetia, but she understood all the same.
"And what aid of mine do you require?"
"The information of a certain mercenary." Came the response, Edelgard kept her surprise at bay, though raised a single brow at the man and waited for an elaboration. Fortunately, she was not left waiting for long. "This particular mercenary is holding something rather…valuable to me. Their name is Shez, though my own sources have failed to procure anything aside from the fact they were part of a company that was wiped out by the Blade Breaker last year."
The Blade Breaker?
She pinched her brows and folded her arms. "Captain Jeralt's company? If there is no information in regards to them, how do you know they survived? I do not doubt that someone who fought both Jeralt and Professor Eisner and lived to speak of it would be far easier to locate."
Lemegeton exhaled. "Ordinarily, you would be correct. Though it seems as though they have gone quiet since their efforts. Base rumours and little else, but one particular individual spoke of contracting this mercenary some time ago, at least two months, for a simple caravan job. It means that Shez is still alive and mostly operates inside of Imperial territory, though they occasionally venture into Alliance and Kingdom domains."
That was hardly surprising to her. "And would you be so inclined as to explain to me why this mercenary is so valuable?"
"...They relate to a mutual group we are both acquainted with."
Edelgard almost felt her expression sour at the mention of them, but instead hummed quietly in acknowledgement. So this 'Shez' was in some way related to the Agarthans, were they? Perhaps another escaped victim or perhaps something else, either way, it was clear that someone had taken an interest in them. Especially if Lemegeton had come here personally.
"...And is this your interest, or theirs?"
"Does the distinction matter to you?"
She couldn't say.
Lemegeton waved a hand. "But, in the interest of transparency, I shall confirm the interest is mine. Though it is perhaps related to something about their nature I can make use of, but until I can confirm my suspicions, I shall keep them to myself. There is no reason to get hopes up where none exist, is there?"
Edelgard didn't have many hopes to begin with, but she understood what he was getting at.
"Very well, I shall have Hubert look into the matter." Was what she replied with and made a mental note to have him discuss all of his findings with her as well. If this was someone that Lemegeton was interested in finding, then there must have been something special about them that could be used for her own advantage. "Now then, was there anything else?"
Red eyes peered down at her for a moment, then a small noise. "A more personal question."
She blinked at the shift in topic but quickly turned her face to stone once more, waiting for him to say something more. "...Very well."
"Thank you." Edelgard almost believed that was genuine. "How have you found your lessons with my old King thus far? I can make conjecture as to why he is going through with this, but I would much prefer to hear your own assessment of the situation. His efforts to assist the Black Eagles and word of mouth from his role as a lecturer."
Once again, these odd topics.
"You seem to have an aversion to meeting with Goetia."
"...I wish to face him when I have everything in order and not a moment sooner. Our reunion must come at a time when he has fully realised this new self he is pursuing, to introduce myself before that moment would doubtless introduce chaos into his life."
She heard the frown in his words.
"I understand that the death of Sitri affected him, perhaps more so than it would have done me, but I had long since come to terms with the idea of my brethren Pillars turning their backs upon my way of thinking. But that is beside the point, while I am discovering my own journey, my old King is doing much the same, would you not be curious as to what your fellow House Leaders do as well?"
Denying that was impossible.
Because he was right, she would have been curious as to what they were doing.
Taking in a breath, she rolled her lips and spoke. "Goetia has thus far been a rather contributing member of the Black Eagles. Supportive as well, despite his greater familiarity with the Blue Lions and the Golden Deer…He has displayed a great deal of passion in regards to the prospect of victory at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion as well."
Lemegeton made a small noise. "Passion, you say? That is…intriguing to hear. Was this passion something that came about on his own, or was it reflecting the words of another."
Her brows pinched together. "He was in dialogue with Catherine at the time, they both seemed to be rather comfortable in displaying a competitive spirit. I have no doubt they are as invested in a victory in the mock battle than any one of us would be as well. But to hear Goetia speak openly of victory was surprising…though he decried is as merely showing his superiority."
"That much was always a given, but flouting power in such a way was hardly our style." Lemegeton remarked with a shake of the head. "Not as a primary goal, though I shall not deny that our whims did lead us into making quite the performance during our first encounter with Fujimaru Ritsuka…but that is all it was. A performance, there wasn't an ounce of effort within it."
Turning away from her, the giant paced across the room with silent steps.
"Why waste real energy upon someone who isn't even real competition in the first place?"
There was the arrogance, identical to that of Goetia's, but it felt as though there was more life in it. If Goetia's was a cold arrogance like solid stone, something that was unchanging and unmoving, then the arrogance of Lemegeton was like a flame, shooting from being small and barely noticeable to being a bonfire.
Lemegeton turned and raised a finger. "But all the same, I am pleased to hear that he has become invested. Know that I shall also be keeping an eye on the battle in the coming weeks and shall play close attention to your performance."
A frown split her lips. "Were you not the one who claimed it would be risky to move openly with Goetia nearby?"
"True, but if he is handicapping himself as he claimed - and my King does not lie - then he will not notice my presence in the least. From the moment the battle begins to the moment it ends, I shall watch all unfold and express my hopes that you and my King triumph over the forces of the Blue Lions and Golden Deer."
Their words sounded…genuine.
Though being told they wished her all the best was still odd, especially given who they worked hand in hand with.
She still could not shake the uneasy feeling when around Lemegeton, they were so similar to Goetia and yet the differences were just there enough for her to notice and become slightly wary of.
"But the lectures?" He pried further.
"...Dorothea, Linhardt and Hubert speak highly of them. It seems that Goetia has quite the makings of a fine teacher, one who is fair while expecting results as well. The lack of discrimination between noble and commoner students is something that is appreciated by those who benefit from it."
A scoff. "Of course. Humans are humans, the presence of biological modifications does not affect your base value. Though perhaps it would be better to say that myself and my old King have seen first hand what an ordinary human can achieve if they really put their mind to it. While I doubt I shall ever see the likes of their passion and drive again, it will live forever in my heart as something to strive towards."
Admiration, to someone other than his King?
Edelgard pinched her brows, and the way they spoke. Admiration towards a simple commoner as well? It was…interesting.
"But that is a story for another time." The words of Lemegeton brought her back into the present, just as she watched the thing turn away from her and sweep their hand up, tearing open space with practised ease in the same way as Goetia. "Whichever class wins, I am excited to see just what sort of passion they put into their goal, just how deep their drive for victory runs and what tactics they shall employ for that victory."
Turning his head, he glanced over his shoulder towards her.
"But I will confess that I am hopeful that you and my King prove victorious…Watching you triumph over a Divine Spirit would certainly be a welcome sight."
Edelgard thinned her lips and nodded once. "...Since you have granted your blessing, but the victory at the mock battle does not interest me as much as it clearly does you. Ultimately, it stands as a means to an end and nothing more."
Lemegeton made an amused noise. "You claim such a thing now, but I am sure you are eager to test yourself against your peers. If only for the juvenile thrill that would come with lauding victory over them once you win."
She resented the implication that she would taunt both Claude and Dimitri with her victory, but she would not deny that the thought of winning was an appeasing one, or at least fighting to manage a respectable draw. Whatever the case of the mock battle, it was imperative that they upheld the respect of the Empire through their performance.
That was what she was concerned about.
But not just for what her class could prove.
But what those with talent could prove as well, what hard work could achieve.
That was what she wanted to demonstrate, perhaps victory did hold more value than she had led others to believe, but she could hardly announce to them that she wanted to fight for the simple purpose of showing that even those with crests could be felled by commoners who tried their hardest and put in the effort.
It would be shown through actions.
Perhaps not just through her own class, but all the classes as well.
"If you are so determined to watch, then focus on those who would otherwise be overlooked."
"The commoners?" Lemegeton queried, then hummed. "But of course, I told you. All of you are humans to myself and my King, whether you are Noble or Commoner, the distinction does not affect us in the least. We have expectations for all of you and what you shall demonstrate. Good luck, Edelgard."
He stepped through the portal and vanished a moment later, leaving her alone in her room.
The subtle pressure of the bounded field faded away, she felt her breathing become a touch easier as well.
She could not figure Lemegeton out, even with their frequent conversations, but she was not sure what troubled her.
The idea that he put her on edge…or the notion that she was gradually starting to loosen her guard around him the longer they spoke.
Whatever the case was, she now had something to focus on.
His entrance to the library was without fanfare.
He needed nothing from the individuals inside, but was more focused on the knowledge that it contained.
Namely towards dark magic, though he was already familiar with it to a great extent, it was one of the aspects he was still weaker with. Something that he refused to tolerate if he was going to render magical aid in the fight to come.
Marching to the far corner of the room, he recalled his time working here and moved off to the place which held the biggest repository of dark magic tomes. Though it was admittedly far from anything noteworthy. It held very little on the concept of dark magic and most of the knowledge related to it was found as sub-sections in other books.
Between this place and the library in Abyss, he would much rather have preferred finding something here than going off to Anna and then handing over money for her. Especially for the fact that she would doubtless chase him down over that statue of Saint Seiros that he was supposed to start working on at some point.
Flipping open the first book that caught his interest, his eyes swept through it and scanned the entire contents in a matter of seconds. Filtering through that which he deemed useful and then fighting back a scowl when he found nothing. Really, there was no surprise in that.
So there was little reason for him to be disappointed, just a bit annoyed.
The book was returned and another took its place.
The same result was repeated again and again.
Goetia, however, was not so blind that he did not notice the presence coming up on his right.
It would have been impossible to do so, given the fact they were showing their fear as if it was a set of clothes. His eyes continued to scan through the book, giving no indication that he even acknowledged their presence until they were nearly upon him. But still keeping their distance.
"I…I haven't heard anything."
He stopped reading, then turned his eyes and shot a small look towards Kronya. His gaze betrayed nothing, but even looking in her direction was enough to earn a flinch from the disguised Agarthan, she quickly looked away from him and towards the shelves, a slight tremble in her shoulders as she braced herself for something.
"...Why are you telling me what I already know?" He asked with a hint of frustration in his tone, returning to his original state of ignoring her. "The contents of our agreement would have made you come to me if there was something you had learned. That I have not seen you for some time means that you have, thus far, learned nothing of value."
"T-they don't tell me everything-"
"Obviously." Though he did not roll his eyes, there was the temptation to do so. It seemed the correct course of action for that point in time, at least, but he remained content with focusing through the book.
Which showcased itself as another disappointment, snapping shut with a mental command and sliding back onto the shelf.
Was she still there?
"Is there something you need beyond telling me the obvious, or do you intend to gape at me like an-"
He paused, then frowned and looked at her, she froze under the stare and was caught just as she was making to retreat. He watched her for a few seconds, then pinched his brows as a thought occurred to him. One that would have made sense, given the nature of dark magic and the relation that Kronya and Solon seemed to have with it, given their disguises.
"Dark magic originated from your people, did it not? That is why Seiros and the rest of the Church do not publically condone it's practice."
That being said, they did not condemn it either, it was a passive tolerance towards the magic and nothing more. Likely due to the affinity some had with the magical branch, he could not deny that it would not have been surprising to learn that Seiros had - at one point - decried all those who used Black Magic as evil thugs and who deserved purging as heretics or some such nonsense.
Kronya visibly wilted for a moment before giving a trembling shrug of the shoulders, indicating how unsure she was of the answer. "I…I don't know it…I never learned about it before bu-but…I think so. T-they were always talking about how we gifted knowledge s-so that makes sense, right?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
Her jaw clamped shut.
"No matter, it is answer enough and is the one that makes the most sense." Turning his head away from her, he rolled his jaw from side to side in thought.
It meant he would see nothing here, neither in regards to the origins of Dark Magic beyond hearsay nor in regards to how he could learn more than what little he already knew. Nevermind for his sake, what was Lysithea to do given her own affinity for the dark arts? Byleth and the other Professors would need to purchase expensive tomes from merchants just to facilitate education.
He find a brief surge of annoyance, though quickly buried it.
A wave of the hand returned all the books to their rightful places, swiftly turning on his heel and marching away. Only to pause and realise something else, he glanced over his shoulder towards Kronya as she stared back at him with wide eyes, the fear in her was of a different sort to Bernadetta.
This one was earned.
"I would advise you to learn more about the history of your people." He stated, then turned back and walked forwards. Flicking his hand and forming the portal that carried him back into Abyss, there were other topics he needed to deal with there as well.
He felt the stare in the side of his head from the moment it happened.
It was becoming a pattern he held no interest in allowing to continue.
With a sigh, he turned towards the individual and levelled a irritable gaze towards them. "If you are going to merely stand there, then I would advise you to do something other than watch me. I do not doubt there are a great many other tasks you could be doing that would be marginally more fruitful than this."
He turned back around without waiting for an answer.
Footsteps drew closer and then stopped, the stare had not abated.
Closing his eyes, Goetia prepared himself for the conversation and then opened them again, turning slowly to the individual.
"Yes?"
Hapi stared back at him for a second, then spoke up. "I heard something about you fighting the classes."
"And?"
Her face turned flat as she stared at him, then made a gesture with her hand that was rather clear in that she wanted an elaboration on the fact. There was nothing to elaborate on though, she had gotten it correct the first time around. He made it clear with the expression he levelled towards her, something she noticed as the confusion remained.
Her hand dropped down to her hip, putting weight on one side and staring at him for a moment before she spoke. "Why?"
"Because it is for the purpose of training." He replied stoically. "You know how strong Byleth is. Do you truly believe I would leave students to suffer a rather brutal one sided defeat at her hands without the chance to learn anything? Not just her, but the Blue Lions in general."
Hapi did not look convinced. "So you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart?"
"The goodness? No." He frowned at the notion. "It is my role as a lecturer to ensure that the students of the academy actually learn. They will utterly fail to learn any sort of meaningful lesson at the hands of Byleth during the battle of Eagle and Lion, save for that there is nothing to be done against sheer brute strength."
Waving a hand, he continued on. "Though that is not to say it is impossible for them to win, but that is beside the point. It is merely for them to have a chance at victory just as any other class would. Besides, it is not just myself. Catherine has agreed to assist and will be rendering her aid unto the Golden Deer."
"Oh, so you are helping the Black Eagles." Hapi muttered, then made a small noise. "Explains why Coco was acting rather pouty when that guard came round. She usually likes hanging around with that guy but she looked put off…thought he might have done something to her."
"Harold is not like that."
"Is that his name?" Hapi inquired, though Goetia very much doubted she was going to remember it. "Well, I wouldn't have put it past him…and I'm not all that sure about your character either."
"Good, you should not be." He turned away from her. "Everything I do is purely for my own sake, your benefit from it is coincidental. Though that is true of all humans, there is no such thing as a selfless action. Though some choose to believe there is…but I am not going to debate the topic. You have something more to say in regards to my actions?"
Silence from Hapi, then she spoke. "...Is that really why you're helping? Because it's your job?"
"I do not need another reason." Goetia replied as he summoned the next book and flipped through it. Only to pause and return it as he discovered at least half a dozen grammatical errors within the first half-second of scanning the contents.
And those were only the ones that revolved and the same name spelled several different times.
"Does my aid bother you? I do not see why it should."
Hapi rolled her jaw and glanced to the side without saying anything.
"...Oh, you are concerned that I am shifting my focus away from Abyss and towards the Monastery. Yes, I have spent a considerable length of time there and likely will do so in the future. I will not deny that. But I am more than capable of multitasking. Be at ease that I have not forgotten my efforts and, beyond that, your companions are somewhat competent in their assigned roles."
"Thanks for the compliment." Came the sarcastic remark, but it was clear she was not as comforted by his words as he thought she would have been. It was a peculiar thing, nothing he said seemed to please her in the least, even when he said that which was what she likely wanted to hear as well.
It was rather annoying.
Raising a brow, he watched her for further reactions. "...Were you expecting to monopolise all my time into your own personal problems?"
She scowled at him. "Don't talk about it like it's some little thing. I could literally summon Demonic Beasts without even meaning to do so. People could die if I'm careless-"
"And I have already taken steps to prevent that outside of a controlled environment." He dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Your problem, for the time being, has been solved. While we train you to better command your abilities, you have nothing to truly fear. Why then do you continue to remain agitated?"
"Because it's not a-" Hapi cut herself short, then shook her head from side to side. "Forget it. It doesn't matter-"
"No, you have already started so I would prefer you end." Ignoring the books, he stepped away from the shelves and brought his full attention to the girl. "You can speak freely without worry of reprieve. Make clear your thoughts and I shall answer them as honestly as I am able to do so."
Hapi scowled and looked at him. "...You're just using me for my power."
"Yes."
She blinked, then scowled even deeper.
"I am going to teach you to command your power, not just for the benefits that it might entail for me, but for the benefits it will grant you. Not just because of the strength that would come with taming Demonic Beasts, but also the fact it will benefit Abyss in general. I will not deny using you, but do not believe that I am the sole beneficiary in this arrangement."
"And?" She shrugged. "What does it matter? At the end of the day, I'm still just a convenient tool."
"And am I not a convenient tool for you as well? Or would you prefer to remain afraid of your own breath until you perish of old age?"
Her silence was answer enough.
"I told you before. Everyone serves a purpose for everyone else, the difference is whether you consent to it. I am indeed using you for your power, just as you are using me for my knowledge. If you can accept that, then it makes the path forwards less disagreeable…or you can remain vexed with my opinion."
He shrugged. "In truth, it is not something I care for either way. That is for your friends to deal with. Provided you learn and Abyss remains capable of surviving after I depart from it, then that is all I need. Whether you dislike me or not is irrelevant."
A quiet scoff, she glanced away. "...At least you're honest about it."
That hardly sounded as though she was pleased.
"Would you have preferred false platitudes?"
The glare she sent his way informed him of her opinion.
"Then do not complain when I give you the truth simply because you find it unpleasant." Turning his attention back to the books, swept his hand out and dragged the next batch towards himself. A short scan of the contents filtered away those that would have been useless to him.
"...What are you even doing?"
"Examining the contents of the library for teaching on Black Magic." He explained.
"Why?"
"Because finding materials regarding it above ground is impossible without consulting a merchant and I would prefer to avoid handing over finances to Anna…or whatever she would doubtless do if she felt she could extract a favour from me in exchange for an unpaid copy of a dark magic tome."
A few moments of silence, then Hapi shuffled. "Aelfric…used to keep some."
Goetia paused, then turned his head towards the girl and stared. "...Where?"
"His old office."
He nodded his head once, then moved to step past the girl before he paused. "...Harold would not do anything to willingly cause emotional distress to Constance."
She jerked away from him and stared with a rather baffled expression, then squinted. "What?"
"You were clearly concerned about her wellbeing and are on amicable terms with her." He explained, then gestured to himself. "I am on amicable terms with Harold and it should be apparent to the both of us that there is some manner of emotional connection growing between the two of them…whether either of them care to admit it or not. I am merely informing you that Harold does not represent a threat to her."
Hapi folded her arms and raised a brow, her eyes caught between shock and…amusement?
"Wait…are you trying defend your friends honour?"
Goetia frowned. "It has nothing to do with his honour, I am merely informing you of his character. He takes both his role and his emotions seriously and has bent the rules for those he considers himself…close to. Or have you failed to notice he still treats Von Nuvelle as a noble despite the state of her house?"
Hapi remained quiet for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah, I've seen that before with some of the other people around Abyss. They did it just to flatter her up, nothing more than that. She's got looks and a lot of confidence."
"And his treatment for her mental issues?"
Another shrug. "I'm just saying. He could be using her."
Now he was getting a bit annoyed at her language.
"Choose your next words carefully." He thinned his lips. "You are coming close to being disrespectful. If you have some issue with Harold, then let it be formed from your encounters with him, not from whatever bias you have against the Church. I have my own reasons for disliking them, but they do not translate towards individuals."
Silence from Hapi, then her lip twitched slightly. "Huh. Guess you do care."
He blinked, then felt irritation flood through him for a second, though his expression remained blank. "You purposefully goaded me into that manner of response?"
"You can't really fake caring." She replied with a dry tone of voice, then turned around and started to walk off. "So at least you have that going for you…Later, Scowler."
He felt as though he was living up to that name as he watched her retreat.
A huff escaped him.
His hand clenched into a fist before he felt the irritation bleed out from him, it had been his own fault for being emotionally invested in her argument.
Of all the things that he could have been caught out on, why did it have to be something like that?
What a nuisance it was turning out to be.
"There is a disturbing lack of dark magic tomes in the Monastery."
Hubert had few interactions with Goetia - if at all - outside of the classes that the man had started to hold. Certainly not enough that would have justified being approached outside of hours while he was performing his own duties.
Duties which were in the best interest of the future Empress.
Though, given the nature of the topic, he could understand why Goetia might well have come and sought him out. Given that he was one of the few mages in the Monastery who actually showed any proficiency in the art of dark magic, but even he would admit that the girl from the Golden Deer was…disturbingly better at him.
No, a natural affinity.
Peeling his eyes away from his papers, Hubert briefly looked at Goetia now standing in front of his desk, then he shifted his eyes back to his work as he resumed writing. Feeling a twitch on his lips as the comment properly registered with him.
"Yes, unfortunately the Monastery places more importance on the notion of faith magic."
"Your sarcasm is not appreciated."
Evidently the man recognised it.
But that was hardly his concern. "In that case, I shall inquire as to why you would ask a question that could be answered fairly easily. Unless you are coming to stand before me to ask something?"
Goetia was silent for a moment or two, then replied.
"Is knowledge so restricted in the Empire? I would assume it is not, given that you have demonstrated yourself to have a passing knowledge of dark magic. Which implies that you either had a tutor or were self-taught with the correct tomes."
"I did have a tutor, yes, who knew some of the dark arts." He confirmed as he paused in his writing, returning his quill to his inkpot and leaned back in his chair, bringing his arms out and placing them on the table. "But on the topic of your previous question, the Adrestian Empire is not quite so restrictive on knowledge but there is still a great deal of stigma attached to those who consort with such magics. Stigma that is not easily lost."
A frown from Goetia. "A nuisance, then. How unfortunate…how goes your own training in dark magic?"
"Does this relate to the upcoming battle of Eagle and Lion?"
"Yes." Goetia confirmed. "I would prefer to understand the level of your skill in the art before any further plans are made."
He would say Goetia was being productive, but this was common sense.
Especially when facing the likes of 'Thunderbrand Catherine' or the vaunted Professor.
"My knowledge is passing enough."
"Inadequate then."
Hubert gave a single blink as his reply, refusing to deign that with anything even close to an acknowledgment.
"But very well." Goetia moved his hand up and cupped his chin, a brief look of distaste flashed through his red eyes before it vanished just as quickly. Such a swift reaction to something made him feel slightly intrigued, but he remained stone faced towards the man.
Red eyes glanced down to his work, then back towards him. "Come."
"Excuse me?" Hubert remained seated.
"We are travelling to the market so that you can acquire better materials for learning. Though it pains me to search out Anna for something that should have otherwise been a trivial issue…it would appear that my hand is being forced in this matter. Though recent sales have hopefully provided me with enough to cover the cost of the tome."
Hubert raised a brow. "Am I to assume that it is your intention to purchase my learning supplies?"
"Yes."
"I can manage such a task myself."
"Of that I have little doubt." Goetia replied without pause. "But what you lack is the experience that comes with such things. Easily likely to be caught with goods of lesser quality and greater prices. Besides, I have reason enough to secure my own tomes in dark magic, given my lack of time training such such things, it would be in the best interests of all that I were well versed in all magics, regardless of origin."
Hubert paused, then slowly nodded his head up and down, then pushed himself to his feet. "I suppose. Though mastering an entire school of magic takes a great deal of time and effort, while I might be capable of learning a new spell by the time of the battle, I would not expect masterful proficiency in it."
"That is what training is for." Came the response from Goetia as the man made for the doors. "And it is enough that you know the spell, unless you plan on ending your learning after the battle of the Eagle and Lion. I do not need to tell you the value it would have for you to be aware of magic to cover the weakness of Edelgard."
Hubert rather disliked having her efforts called out in that way. "It is not weakness, it is a lack of interest."
"Call it what you will, but it is a disadvantage that many others share. Both mages and melee fighters alike."
Goetia raised his hand and waved it. "Some of the greater fighters I know of were those who had a proficiency in both magic and blade. That way, even with a sword sheathed, they are never unarmed."
Yes, well.
Hubert doubted he was going to pose much of a threat with a sword with only a month of training under his belt if it ever came to that.
And he would prefer not to make a fool out of himself in front of whomever happened to be attacking him, not least of all because it would reflect poorly on Edelgard to watch her Retainer fumble around with a sword and rather sloppily fight and get soundly bested by the likes of Prince Dimitri or any of the others from the Blue Lions of Golden Deer.
He would certainly like to avoid being regarded as the idiot who thought he could fight Thunderbrand Catherine with a sword.
That honour would doubtless go to Caspar.
Speaking of which.
"I have heard you trained with members of the other Black Eagles, namely with Caspar."
"Him, yes." Goetia replied after a moment, his head nodding up and down. "The boy is making decent progress. It takes me progressively longer to knock him out with each bout."
"...So long as he does not suffer from a head injury by the time of the Battle of Eagle and Lion. I would prefer that Lady Edelgard not worry about her own subjects being incapable of performing their duties."
"I will not leave him in permanent damage."
"That will suffice."
Hubert took this as a chance to watch Goetia.
The conclusion that he came to was that Goetia lived a rather bemusing life outside of the Monastery, especially when it came down to the apparent working relationship between himself and the more prominent Merchant in the town.
"Dark magic tomes, huh?" The woman - Anna - let out a chuckle that all but screamed that the woman could think of nothing more than the amount she was going to get out of this transaction between the two of them. "Well now, Spellbook…that's a bit of a different ask than the sort of thing you would normally have."
"You can accommodate it."
"I can." Anna replied smoothly, smiling as she did so. "But with what you asked me to do last time, it will take perhaps a few days for the supplies to come in, not to mention the rarity of such things. It doesn't need to be said that those sorts of books aren't exactly the most popular item in Fodlan."
Goetia grunted in response, a noise of disappointment. "Of that I am becoming painfully aware."
Anna looked surprised for a moment. "Why Spellbook, don't tell me that you tried other sources before you came to me? Didn't you already know me well enough to know I would definitely have been able to get what you asked?"
"What concerns me is not the likelihood you owned the item in question, but the price you would have demanded from them."
An unashamed smile.
Hubert stepped forwards, then folded his hands. "I am prepared to front the cost of the books pertaining to my own personal use."
The eyes of the Merchant whipped towards him at the speed of an arrow, she stepped forwards and clasped her hands together, smiling cordially. He had seen many fake smiles in his time, this woman had one of the best and also one of the most obvious he had seen to date, but perhaps that was natural.
Given her profession.
"Well now, isn't that wonderful?" She sounded rather pleased. "I'm certain that we shall be in a good enough position in a few days for all of us to come to an agreement on who wishes to purchase what. I'll send a message to a supplier of mine and then if you come back here at the end of the week, I'm sure everything will be in order for you."
A week?
That was decent enough time for him.
With a single nod of the head, he stepped back and moved away from the woman.
"Oh, and Spellbook?"
"Hmph?" Goetia grunted.
"Don't forget that statue you owe me."
Statue?
Goetia made a face. "I have not forgotten."
Shifting his stance away, he was already walking in line with Hubert, silence reigned between the two of them before he opted to speak up. "Is there a reason we will not search out other merchants?"
"Because I have already conducted a scan of the environment, none of them had a dark magic tome and - between all of them - Anna has the better variety when it comes to connections in the land of Fodlan. Even if her connections do not rise as high up as others, she is not limited to a single region of the continent."
Fair enough.
Hubert hummed and nodded his head up and down, then he spoke, "Why go to such lengths? This was a matter you could have conducted without my presence."
"I could have, but chose not to."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to spend time with you."
Hubert stopped walking, Goetia did as well, the two of them stared at the other for what felt like hours. Hubert watched the tanned man as if trying to discern some sort of puzzle, it was rather odd that Goetia had gone from emotional recluse to suddenly throwing himself into the business of everyone in such a short span of time.
No, Goetia had been here only a few months.
Though there had been many things which happened in those months, it could not be denied that the speed at which Goetia had gone from a charitable hire in the ranks of the library to being a professor within the Academy was rather startling.
Not least because of his foreign heritage.
His bizarre background and exotic appearance…it would have been better expected for Goetia to have become some sort of exhibit in the halls of a distant noble as a bizarre court mage, rather than what had happened here.
It was…both alarming and impressive.
Then again, given what Goetia was…
"And why, pray-tell, would you want to do something like that?"
Goetia was not long in replying. "I have vowed to make interactions with all those in the Black Eagle house. I told Edelgard as much when I spoke with her regarding the matter of joining your class. This presented the more immediate chance to speak with you in regards to a shared goal of improving oneself. Though our goals for that were different."
Hubert could imagine it quite well, truth be told.
He was not like Caspar.
"I do not see the value of the effort, given that you are unlikely to remain with the Black Eagles after the Battle of the Eagle and Lion."
Goetia remained silent, then let out a low hum. "You would have been right if you had said that at any other time. Though I am attempting something different recently, walking in the footsteps of another. Therefore I intend to remain around you and your peers while learning all that I can."
"Why?"
"...It is something that he would have done."
Hubert did not know who 'he' was, but they were likely important to Goetia in some capacity.
"Hmmm." With a hum, he turned back around and adjusted his sleeves. "You do not need to concern yourself with me. So long as you do not embarrass Lady Edelgard with your performance at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, then I shall consider your presence a fruitful one."
"Is that the sole condition by which you would judge my presence acceptable?"
"Of course." Hubert replied quickly. "As her Retainer, it is important that I ensure everything is in accordance with the needs of Lady Edelgard. If I feel that you are not truly committed to the task, then I will inform her of such."
Goetia watched him for a moment, then grunted. "As is your right."
At least they were agreeable with his terms.
That was another thing.
Goetia was a confusing character, it was difficult to find what they were aiming for with these seemingly random and whimsical actions.
Were they on the side of the Church or were they against the Church?
It would be easier to say Goetia did whatever he wanted to do, but not even that felt like it was the correct answer.
But for the time being…he could watch and wait.