Chapter 110: New opinions
Her fingers continued to drum on the upper parts of her bicep as she watched the students jog past her.
Basic fitness was expected of all of them, which was why they were spending an hour running around before they even began training. Such was expected when it came to conflict and the fights she had been in before were rarely the sort you encountered when you were fresh.
If it happened, then it was good fortune.
But more often than not, they came after hours of walking around.
So having them used to fighting tired would be for the best, if they were not already accustomed to it. It was less for those who had experience with it and more for those who needed to reach the bare minimum.
Like Mercedes and Annette.
"You seem to be taking this a bit more seriously."
'It's my job.' She replied into her head, watching as the students passed her by once more and keeping her attention split between them and Sothis. 'I have always taken it seriously.'
A hum sounded out from behind her, she heard Sothis adjust herself and made a slight correction. "Yes, that was the wrong choice of words. What I mean to say is that you are far more invested in this than would be expected for your station…unless you have been hiding this competitive streak of yours?"
Byleth said nothing to Sothis, instead she called out to the group as they passed her by. "Ashe, pace yourself. You'll run out of breath like that."
There was a chuckle from behind her, the eyes of Sothis felt as though they were fixed to the back of her head. "I'm certain this has nothing to do with the fact that a certain someone has elected to lend their aid to the Black Eagle houses and has, therefore, committed himself to fighting you…and that he apparently issued a declaration of victory against the class of the Golden Deer?"
Byleth remained silent.
Her class was the strongest on paper.
If she knew Goetia as well as she believed she did, then it would have made more sense for him to issue that declaration to the Blue Lion class. They had already received one from Catherine who announced she would help crush her class.
Though that appeared to have been mostly Catherine and mostly aimed at her.
Throughout the entire confrontation, Claude had looked as though he was seconds away from bursting into a nervous laughter. Something that only got worse when Dimitri announced he would use his full power to defeat the Golden Deer, as his way of respecting their announcement to claim victory.
In all honesty, she never cared much for that sort of boasting.
But to her, it would have made more sense that she got some sort of message from the Black Eagles…if not from Goetia, then at least from one of them.
Yet…nothing.
"Don't tell me that you're jealous."
She twitched ever so slightly, turning her head just enough that she could aim a small look towards Sothis out of the corner of her eye. Meeting the gaze of the Goddess and staring at the raised eyebrow from them for a second or two. She made no sound as she turned back around and resumed her observation of her class.
Jealous? Her?
Nonsense.
She wasn't jealous, she was just surprised.
Did Goetia not believe that he stood a chance or something?
…Surely they did not think so highly of the Blue Lions that victory would have been impossible, did they?
If Catherine could manage to come up to her and make the announcement, then surely someone from the Black Eagles could have done the same.
The blue haired boy, Caspar, seemed to be one of the sort.
Or maybe even Edelgard herself?
Was that not a thing they did?
"Dimitri."
Her voice carried over the field, the boy in question turned his head questioningly towards her. All she needed to do was beckon him over with a single finger and then he broke away from the group without argument. Despite having held the lead for the longest time of the run, he did not even look so much as winded.
"Yes, Professor?"
He asked as he came to a stop in front of us.
"The Golden Deer issued an announcement against us."
The boy blinked, then raised a brow. "They did, yes."
"...Is that a custom?"
Dimitri blinked, then put on a thoughtful face. "I would not call it a custom, but it is mostly expected between us…it has been a little secret that when it comes to class activities, we have always been in friendly rivalry with one another. Though I will admit that I was surprised Claude was so upfront with his declaration."
He added on, smiling good naturedly before a faint laugh escaped him. "Though I suspect that might be the influence of Catherine. She has always had a way of whipping people up into the spirit of things, so I would hardly be shocked if Claude was dragged along with her…but he would have made such an announcement sooner or later."
Byleth bobbed her head up and down.
"...What about the Black Eagles?"
Dimitri looked a bit surprised for a moment, then quickly shifted his expression and dropped his hands to his hips. "That…I admit I am surprised at the fact we have not yet seen Edelgard standing before us to declare her intention for victory, though usually such a thing would go without saying."
No one aimed for second place in a fight.
She knew that.
"But she still made the announcements."
Dimitri nodded. "That she did…but given that she has not…I would assume that is because she might wish to make them on the day? That is the only reason I can honestly come up with, Professor. Considering who her class has backing them at the moment…There has been much talk about Goetia practising with the different Black Eagles."
She had heard about such rumours as well.
"Practising." Came the rather disapproving sound from Sothis, because the Goddess had heard about the sessions with Caspar as well. Especially with how decidedly one sided they apparently were, though Byleth had yet to see one.
It was rather bemusing to hear of the fact that Goetia - with one hand and without his magical backing - was still able to fight and win against a boy armed with an axe. Then again, he did once claim that he had some level of fighting experience. She just didn't know how good it was.
He claimed he wasn't an expert.
She would need to see him fight for herself before she came to any conclusions, but the rumours were proof enough that even if he limited himself to his purely physical attributes, he could still pose a threat to those who could be caught by surprise. That was excluding the fact that he was using the Fodlan magic system as well.
Byleth had no doubt that he was already proficient in that.
Even still, closing the distance with Goetia and then catching him unawares was the solution for dealing with him, but that was not where her focus truly was right now.
"Would that really stop her?"
"Well…I can't claim to be sure if it would or not." Dimitri replied after a brief hesitation, the boy now looked a touch more unsure of himself. "I can't really say much about it beyond the fact she has always been singularly determined. She is a strong person who fights to prove something, either to herself or others…I'm sure that sooner or later, she will come to us to issue a declaration."
Sooner or later, was it?
Byleth held the words inside her for a good few seconds.
Then she looked Dimitri in the eye.
"Or we can go and declare victory against them first."
Because if Goetia wasn't going to come to her, then she was going to go to him.
The blonde blinked several times, then pulled a faint smile. "Well, yes. I suppose we could certainly do that rather than wait."
"Good. Let's go."
"Wait, you meant now?"
Goetia beheld the sight in front of him without much he could comment on.
At least at first.
It had only really caught his eye by a few of the mutters of some of the guards that prompted further investigation, but once he had heard enough of them, he decided to look further into the matter beyond levying a few questions to the guards who had been responsible for the initial utterance.
Which led him to this.
It was the side of the hall where he and Sitri had been thrown through, repairs underway as new brick was laid to harden. It had taken some time but they had eventually gotten around to this point. But with word circulating that Seteth was going to build a sauna of all things, he supposed it would have been about time for them to repair the damages.
His eyes lingered on the back of the smallest of the bricklayers.
Cyril being there did not surprise him in the least, the boy went out of his way to aid the Monastery in whatever way he could. Rather, it would have been a greater shock to him if he had learned that the boy had done nothing throughout the restoration.
Watching the small boy lug bricks to and fro the wall was a sight.
He was slower than the others, but he at least matched them in determination and was not making sloppy efforts either. Though Goetia knew little for the simple trade beyond what he had seen in the lives of so many others who performed the work for a living.
But the greater shock was the ginger haired boy in a simple white tunic, dirt on his arms and marks on his shirt where he had been wiping his hands clean rather frequently as well. Goetia glanced at the teenager and felt himself slowly raise a brow. They had been the reason that he had come here in the first place.
Advancing forwards, he made for the wall without being initially noticed, but a few heads of the workers did turn towards him with some of the stares lingering longer than others.
Some had been plucked from the town, it seemed, and they would not have really had much of a chance to see the exotic foreigner, he supposed.
Or the last time they had seen him would have been after he initially woke from the battle with Sitri.
"Ferdinand."
"Hmph?" The boy turned to the sound of his voice, then offered a bright - but slightly exhausted - smile towards Goetia as he moved to collect the next batch of bricks for the wall. "Ah, Goetia. Enjoying the morning breeze? I admit…it's been most welcome with all this hard labour."
"I would imagine so." Goetia replied slowly, watching Ferdinand for a moment. "Though I am more curious as to why I have found you working in such an…unusual position. A move that befits Cyril more than it does you."
The boy in question briefly looked to Goetia and raised an eyebrow before shrugging and going back to work.
Ferdinand let out a light chuckle as he collected the bricks. "I suppose it would be rather shocking. If my father were to set eyes upon me now in this state, I can assume he would have some very choice words for me…but this is my choice. I have seen that the Monastery is in need of greater help and I have offered my services to them. I am, after all, able bodied."
"Evidently." He replied, nodding his head to the noble. "But…hmmm. Could this also relate to the words of Dorothea?"
The reaction was immediate.
Ferdinand froze as he set the bricks down, then snapped his eyes onto Goetia before a slightly embarrassed look washed over him. The boy brought his hand up and rubbed the side of his head, quickly averting his eyes. "Ah…was it truly that obvious?"
"To me, yes."
"Hah, I suppose that would be true." The boy muttered, then started to hand the bricks up towards those on the scaffolding one at a time. "But I will not deny it. The words of Dorothea did resonate with me and I have taken them to heart. As I did in the capital of Enbarr, so too shall I work here as well. There is something gratifying about this level of work…a simplicity to it that is almost appealing."
"Hah!"
The two of them turned to the grizzled looking man, a rough cut beard and a hardened look in his eyes as he loomed over the scaffolding to look down at them. "The appeal loses itself during the winter months. Or the pissin' wet. Or the burnin' summers. Hours of toiling at this sobers you up from the initial love."
Ferdinand looked rather surprised, but Goetia nodded his head.
That was more the reaction he had been expecting.
He gestured up towards the speaker while looking to the ginger haired boy. "As I was saying, it was a surprise to find you here. I can only assume that it has been a recent endeavour for you…but I will not comment upon it. Your diligence is to be commended."
It reminded him of…well…himself.
Or rather, his current task.
Speaking of which, there was a memory that assailed him in this one moment as he watched Ferdinand and Cyril continue to lay bricks upon the wall. His eyes danced between the two of them before a memory surfaced from long ago.
There was an opportunity here to kill two birds with one stone…so to speak.
Bringing up his left arm, he snapped his fingers and allowed a spell to take over.
His clothes changed, shifting from his Enbarr robes and into a simple set of trousers and nothing else.
Flauros was dispatched to the current location of Bernadetta, he knew her to be in her room.
It was almost impossible to ignore the feeling of his scars being exposed to the world once more, the way they started to itch clawed on his mind. Though he quickly stamped down as roughly as he could on such feelings.
His head turned, meeting the gaze of Ferindand and noting the way the ginger haired boy shifted his gaze towards Goetia's left side. Lingering on the marks on his arm with a faint flicker of concern before they travelled to his right side and his features visibly shifted.
It was hardly an attractive sight, he supposed.
Given the state of his right side and the shambled recovery he had managed, the affliction akin to terrible burns. Not inaccurate, given his body has been tearing itself asunder in those final few minutes. But he could ignore the sensation of being gawked at so long as he focused on the task at hand.
Bare chested, he advanced towards the group and then turned his eyes towards the older man who looked down at him with some furrowed brows but no initial words, grunting, the man stepped back and straightened himself up.
"You want to help, aye? Then pick up a brick…you know how to lay, boy?"
Goetia almost snorted at being called 'boy' by this one, but kept himself civil. Nodding his head once.
"You fuck it up, and it'll be on your head." The man announced, then turned around. "Start layin' then."
He expected more of an argument.
"He said much the same to me as well." The words of Ferdinand dragged his eyes back down to the boy as the teenager smiled at him, then glanced at him up and down with slightly raised brows. "Though I did not expect you to so readily assist me…Not that I am not grateful, don't misunderstand."
Goetia grunted. "Given that I am the cause of some of this damage, then it would only be right that I work to repair it…and utilising my magic to fix the damaged wall would no doubt ruin the income of some of these men."
His words came out as a whisper as he glanced around at the builders who surrounded him.
Ferdinand slowly nodded his head up and down. "Yes, I suppose that much is true…will you be fine with one arm?"
"...I am sufficient as I am."
Rolling his good shoulder, he marched for the bricks and grabbed the topmost one, then slung it over his shoulder and turned back, marching towards the wall without even so much as a blink before walking through the gap and briefly stopping as Ferdinand moved past him with the mortar, dumping the bucket down and quickly sliding the tool over the next brick.
Goetia went to work not long after that.
He would not deny the work was different compared to what he was accustomed to.
Though…there was something rewarding about it.
The simple labour was…different.
He recalled Fujimaru did something similar to this in the wake of the Gorgon's attack on Uruk.
The boy helped rebuild the wall by hand.
If Fujimaru could rebuild a castle wall, then for Goetia, this would be a trivial task.
Perhaps it was his own desire, but he would not allow himself to be overshadowed by the efforts of Fujimaru.
And he had made an oath to Seteth that he would aid with the rebuilding efforts.
"You appear to have some practice with this."
He idly noted the comment of Ferdinand as the pair continued their work. Goetia grunted in acknowledgement. "This is my first attempt."
Ferdinand sent him a surprised look. "Surely not! You move as though you have done this for months longer than I!"
"My movements are nothing more than a mimicry of those I have watched do similar tasks." He replied, then paused for a moment as he set down the next brick atop the mortar and pushed it into place. Ferdinand slipped the excess off the brick and shot him a surprised look at the admission.
"Through simply watching people?" Ferdinand muttered in a hint of awe, then smiled. "That is certainly a talent…I am ashamed to admit that while I do pride myself on being a quick study, tasks like this did humble me quite a bit. I never truly realised how much effort went into them…It has given me a new appreciation for the labour that goes into them."
"Perhaps a little more labour and a little less talking."
Cyril huffed as he came up beside the pair of them, shooting them a disapproving look.
Ferdinand looked almost bashful. "Ah, yes, quite right."
"I can multitask." Goetia argued with only a small look sent to the young boy. "And it would do you both well to practise in the effort. In terms of skills, there are few others that can be as useful as that. Come then, speak as we work and all your muscles to focus on the task instead of your mind."
The boy looked confused while the teen nodded, clearly understanding his sage words. "I see. You wish for us to commit these actions to memory within our bodies. Like the skills of a swordsman that never rust, even after years of not touching a blade?"
"...That was not the comparison I had considered, but it remains an apt one all the same."
He was more thinking of the proverb of humans never forgetting how to ride a bicycle.
…He also realised that without the invention of said bicycle, it would make little sense to either of them.
Cyril let out a small grunt. "I'd personally rather just focus on the task and make sure it's getting done right."
Goetia only shrugged. "As is your right. I will not force you and if you wish to concentrate on the objective, then that is all that can be said. Myself and Ferdinand will avoid distracting you with our conversation."
He briefly paused. "...Would you be agreeable for a filter to prevent you from hearing our words?"
"What?" Cyril looked a bit puzzled, then blinked. "Oh, that's one of those magic things, it's fine. I'm used to just not listening to people as I work anyway."
He envied that.
Unfortunately, he lacked that type of talent.
Though if the boy claimed as much, then he would believe him. Turning instead to Ferdinand and speaking further. "Returning to the original point at hand, you were making further progress in regards to your efforts with understanding the common man and in relation to your own privilege. Beyond tilling fields and working as a brick layer, what other efforts have you endeavoured upon?"
The boy paused for a moment and frowned. "I believe you have covered them for the most part…but now that you speak about them openly, I find myself to be rather…ashamed that I have done so little. At the time, it felt as though I had done great strides but now I find myself looking back on my work with-"
"Should you say shame, I would demand you to hold your tongue." Ferdinand looked surprised at his sudden interruption. "You have endeavoured. To ask you to upend your entire way of life instantly would throw you into chaos. Spoken from experience, altering yourself to suit that way of life is…an arduous process."
Ferdinand grimaced a moment later. "Ah, yes…I suppose you would be the authority on it. Though if I might ask a personal question, what would you say was the most challenging aspect of everything?"
Goetia paused.
His movements stopped for a brief moment before they resumed, moving back to the pile of bricks and grabbing the other.
"...The greatest challenge? The independence it offered."
"Really?"
"Hmmm." Goetia hummed as he walked back, waiting for the mortar to be applied. "There was never a single moment in my life when I was alone. Every waking moment was spent in the presence of my peers, talking of the Kingdom and of the people…scarcely a single moment of silence and then suddenly…it was all so quiet. So empty."
Ferdinand hummed. "There are some days I would wish for that silence, meaning no offence, but the work of court - even as I only work to inherit my fathers role - is one that requires my utmost attention. To say nothing of my work standing with Edelgard."
Goetia noted the hint of edge in Ferdinand's voice.
It was not one of frustration, but rather one more…challenging.
"Standing with her?" He raised a brow in questioning, laying the brick down and thudding his fist against the top of it once. "You wish to be recognised then?"
Ferdinand nodded his head, then paused and rolled his jaw. "No, that sounds rather conceited, does it not? I mean to be seen as someone who can be relied upon just as the Empress can be. Just as Edelgard works tirelessly, I must work twice as hard to convince the people - to convince my peers - that I am just as exceptional."
He raised a brow. "Then it is the actions of Edelgard that spur you onwards and not your own bid for praise?"
"Praise? I would rather be praised for doing my role well, as befits the heir of House Aeir and future Primeminister." The boy remarked as he peeled off the excess mortar. "I've seen the effort that Edelgard puts into her work in the Monastery and I cannot allow myself to fall behind."
"...Have you ever engaged in conversation with Leonie Pinelli before?"
"The girl from the Golden Deer? No, I cannot say that I have."
Goetia hummed. "I would recommend it. Both you and her have a singular drive…though I find yours to be more palatable."
"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it, but a touch confused."
"Leonie seeks to follow in the footsteps of Jeralt, or thus I would assume, and has endeavoured herself to compete against Byleth."
He grabbed the next brick and approached, Ferdinand listened to him with a nodding head.
"Everything she does is purely for the purpose of surpassing Byleth, but you…" Goetia narrowed his eyes as he stared at Ferdinand.
What was so different about this one?
Why was it that when he looked at Ferdinand and saw the same desire for competition, he found himself less vexed by it?
Was it the purpose behind the ambition? Was it his own bias altering his feelings?
"...Hmmm." With a hum, he glanced back to the wall and raised the brick up. "In truth, I cannot say what it is. Perhaps the end goals are more appealing. Though whatever the case is, you are alike in that regard."
Ferdinand furrowed his brows in thought, slowly nodding his head up and down. "Leonie Pinelli…She is the common girl, yes? Perhaps I will speak with her as well to get the measure of her. Even if her opinion of me is similar to Dorothea, I am certain that it will be an enlightening conversation."
Ah, perhaps that was the reason.
The self-evaluation.
Ferdinand sought improvement where Leonie only sought gratification.
If there was more to the girl, he had yet to see it.
"But aside from that, it has always been the role of the Primeminister to support the Emperor." Ferdinand continued onwards. "And I shall prove myself to be a prime minister that can be relied upon for the people, the bridge between them and the Emperor. Only that way can the people feel understood by the nobility."
Goetia paused, then raised a brow. "Oh? You speak as though you have noticed a difference between them."
Ferdinand closed his eyes and let out a mirthless chuckle. "It would be a challenge not to. I've started to notice we have long since come to view the commoners as an almost different breed…I think it is often easy to forget that it is our duty as nobles to ensure the commoners live comfortable lives. Else we have long since failed in our assigned roles."
He shrugged. "What right can a person have to rule over another if they cannot understand their perspective? How can you claim to speak for a people you know nothing about? These are the questions I want answered before I become Primeminister…and perhaps my quest for understanding with Dorothea is key to that."
Goetia stared.
Then he blinked.
"...Hmph." Then he returned to his work. "If nothing else, your determination is worthy of note. I will claim nothing of your opinion. I have seen many fail with it and many fail without it. All that ultimately matters are the actions…Because I have found that you can have the best intentions of your subjects and they will still reject them for reasons you cannot expect. Despite everything…you are not a commoner. Thus you will never truly understand them."
Ferdinand gave a knowing look. "That is something I have long since come to terms with…but I would rather be ignorant on some matters, then ignorant of them all."
"...A tolerable outlook, I suppose." Goetia remarked as he returned to work. "One can only hope that you will carry it long into the future."
"That is something I hope as well." There was an odd note in the voice of Ferdinand with those words, though he quickly shook his head and resumed smiling. Banishing it from his face and appearing as though nothing was amiss. "But the great talks of the future aside, I am curious…how does a mage become as physically impressive as you?"
Goetia almost dropped his brick.
He lowered his eyes and gazed at his body for a second, then raised his eyes back up and stared at the boy for a moment. "...My appearance is of Solomon, save for my hair. If you wish to ask that question, you would need to speak of him…but in recent months, I have been doing more physical activity than I would expect."
Ferdinand gave a look of understanding. "Strength from your father, then? I understand. Caspar would be much the same, Count Bergliez is much the same. A man with quite the reputation for being a strong warrior and Caspar appears to be every bit of that…though it might be my bias for him speaking."
"He has a warrior's pride, at least." He found himself replying, though he himself could also understand that same pride. It had nothing to do with being a warrior and merely to do with defeating the person who had beat you. The desire to claim a single victory if nothing else. He did not doubt Caspar would not stop until he had won against him. "Despite his numerous losses against me."
A slight twitch of the lips from the fiery haired boy. "Yes, Caspar has mentioned your tutelage. A great many remarks about how he is starting to see through your abilities and will one day defeat you…or so he says. Am I to understand that you have a different account of it?"
"A different account?" Goetia rolled his jaw. "The limbs of Jacob were used specifically against Servants of God. A martial art against those with the blessing of Divinity, which Crests hold."
Ferdinand stared, brows furrowed. "That…excuse me?"
"The tale would be heretical, though whether it is believed or not is irrelevant." Goetia went on further. "It is a line of martial arts passed down through generations. The founding of which came from a man by the name of Jacob who wrestled and an Angel - Servants of Yahweh - until the morning rose. It is specifically employed against those with an ounce of divine blessings."
Ferdinand remained silent for a moment, then replied. "That does indeed sound quite heretical, but if that is the origin of this…martial art, then I cannot deny you that. Merely that you avoid speaking of the origins so openly…most would not be as agreeable."
"You assume I care about their agreement." He stated with a scoff. "Their acceptance is optional. Their opinions of the tale do not change anything about whether it existed or not. They are rooted in reality and no matter what anyone claims, that is where they shall remain…Though returning to the matter of my bouts with Caspar, I have an undeniable edge."
The boy just raised a brow at him as though he had said something completely obvious.
Goetia knew he had done so, but he was given slight pause with the affirmation he received.
"Well, you do have experience with this sort of thing, much like with Professor Eisner." Ferdinand explained after a brief moment of silence between the two of them. "It would only be natural that you would be better than Caspar, but I feel obligated to defend my friend and ally. I would say that there shall soon be a day when he does defeat you in hand to hand combat."
A scoff escaped him. "Defeating me at my lowest? No, this is hardly even that but…I suppose there is some token achievement to be found in defeating me at all, regardless of the circumstances."
The teenager chuckled light heartedly. "I am certain that much would be true, in the same way that one could also boast of defeating the likes of Thunderstrike Catherine in an arm wrestle."
"She challenged me to one of those."
"Did you accept?" The brows of the boy shot up, clear interest dancing in his eyes.
"No, why would I do such a thing?" Goetia frowned. "I had nothing to prove by defeating her. I knew I would win and that made the entire ordeal pointless from the very beginning. Would you race against an infant as a means of boasting of your speed?"
Ferdinand sent him a strained look. "I would say those two are hardly comparable. Besides, Catherine is a renowned knight who many claim to be equal to Jeralt himself. Which is not small praise, given the reputation of the former knight captain…Though I would personally be more interested in a duel between Catherine and Professor Eisner."
"Byleth would win."
He did not even need time to debate that question.
Ferdinand sputtered for a moment. "P-perhaps, but it would be close-"
"No it wouldn't."
"...I feel as though you might be speaking through personal bias-"
"I am not."
"That is not the impression I am getting."
"Then your reading of my words is mistaken." Goetia dismissed with a shake of the head as he went for the next brick. "Whether Byleth is more skilled than Catherine is irrelevant. There is a power imbalance between the two of them and I have noted that sheer brute strength has it's uses-"
"Then what of Prince Dimitri?"
Goetia stopped, then furrowed his brows.
Ferdinand raised a good point.
"...Hmmm." A faint frown crossed his face. "A single duel in the training yard, removal of environmental hazards which Byleth could use to her advantage and without the aid of their relics."
The two of them fell into a short silence.
Then Goetia turned his eyes onto Cyril who had been working alongside them in silence. "Cyril, how skilled would you say that Catherine is?"
The boy jolted, then turned his name to the two of them and pinched his brow together. "Excuse me?"
"Catherine, how skilled?" Goetia repeated the question, "By my reckoning, she is of decent skill. Consider this high praise from me and think no more of it, but I am curious as to whether I am afflicted with personal bias. If she were to duel Byleth, who do you think would win?"
Cyril opened his mouth, then closed it again and shook his head, leaning down and picking up the next brick with both hands after taking in a short breath. "I don't…know…enough about…fighting…" the boy grunted out as he trudged back to the wall.
"You train with Shamir, do you not?"
"He does?" Ferdinand glanced towards the young boy in surprise before he smiled. "I see, that is rather surprising to hear of. I never assumed Shamir would be one to take a student under her wing."
Cyril shot the boy a sharp look. "Why do you think that?"
If Ferdinand noticed the edge of the question, he did not comment on it and instead answered it without problem.
"It was merely that I have rarely caught Shamir in training with any of the other knights. Even on the few times that I have seen Catherine training. I heard she trained out in the woods, but I never went down to investigate."
Goetia grunted and nodded his head. "Petra mentioned such things to me."
"Did she? Then I shall take her at her word. She would know better than I."
"Returning to the original point, I will not believe that Shamir failed to instruct you into watching the skill of the knights of the Monastery." His eyes returned once more to Cyril, the boy exhaled in response. "So then, whom do you believe would win in a fair duel between Catherine and Byleth?"
"Does it matter?"
"Given that they shall be fighting a decidedly unfair duel in the coming weeks, I would consider it of some interest to hear your thoughts."
The ponderous expression on the face of the boy lasted for a few moments, then he rolled his jaw and scrunched up his features. It lasted for but a few breaths before he let out another sigh, a hand came up to cradle his head as his eyes shut. "I can't really say…I know that Catherine is good but then so is Professor Eisner and she was picked by Lady Rhea personally."
Goetia grunted. "By that metric, you would expect me to be some great warrior."
"..."
"...I know how skilled I am, but I am not skilled because S-Rhea picked me-"
"Lady Rhea." Cyril corrected him with a faint edge in his voice, he similarly caught the warning in the eyes of the boy at what he perceived was disrespect. It was almost amusing to watch them come a few steps short of threatening him, but their eyes told a different tale. "And she clearly saw something in you. Besides, there isn't a person in the Monastery who doesn't know about you by now, so it just proves that her judgement is right when it comes to finding really special people."
Goetia opened his mouth to respond, but found himself cut short by words behind him.
"I must stand with Cyril's point on this, Goetia." He turned to Ferdinand and raised a brow. "Both yourself and Professor Eisner were brought into the monastery with not an ounce of credentials or notable achievements to your name. At least the Professor had studied under her father, but you lacked even that…Who can say that the Archbishop did not sense how great you would be?"
"And I am certain the reports of Alois and the accounts of the students in no way affected this sixth sense of hers, or the decision to allow me to remain in the Monastery with employment into the academy itself."
Ferdinand waved a hand. "I will not deny that, but look at where you now stand and in such a short span of time. Had the Archbishop not granted you permission to remain, then none of this would have come to pass. Perhaps the Heavens aligned to bring you here?"
He did not immediately dismiss the words of the boy.
Because he could not dismiss them.
Goetia could not even convince himself that he was not here by some design, let alone convince another.
With an internal dismissal, he set the point aside. "We have veered off course. I would argue that in terms of fighting skill, both Byleth and Catherine stand as equals, though I would argue that Byleth would claim victory with greater odds than Catherine."
Ferdinand raised a brow.
"The style of fighting." Goetia replied with a grunt. "Catherine is a knight, Byleth is not. The actions of Byleth would allow for her to resort to what would be considered 'underhanded' tactics faster than Catherine. I do not doubt that desperation would eventually force the hand of the woman, but Byleth would have no restraint."
Ferdinand frowned. "So you mean to say that Professor Eisner would not partake in an honourable duel?"
Goetia raised a brow. "Byleth has been trained to fight with the intention of living, Catherine has trained to fight with the intention of winning. There is a slim difference between the two, but the examination is one that needs pointing out. That being said…I will not readily dismiss Catherine's skill. She is, as I have said, decent."
The boy cupped his chin and hummed. "I had not thought of it that way, fighting to live rather than to win…I suppose in a duel, you can yield whereas in the life of a mercenary…"
Ferdinand inclined his head with a grunt. "But either way, I would still argue that Catherine would be able to match the Professor. She has seen her fair share of battles, so I would not so readily hand her the advantage in a style of fighting that she is doubtless to have encountered before."
That gave him pause.
"Hey, that's right!" Cyril chimed in from behind him, Goetia turned his head and looked to the boy as he leaned against the brick he had just set down. "I'm sure that Catherine has fought people like that before, I mean…I'm sure Professor Eisner would be better than most of them but…"
He tried to visualise Byleth losing a duel to Catherine.
He could not.
Yet the points raised by both Ferdinand and Cyril were logical.
"Hmmmm." It was a low noise that escaped his throat, then he turned around and moved back to the bricks silent as he could. Placing his hand atop the next one but not lifting it just yet, rather he found himself enthralled by the sight of it for a few brief moments before a grunt escaped him.
His fingers curled around the brick and pulled it upwards, he turned back to the others and strode towards them. "I would still place my arguments in favour of Byleth's victory, despite such things. Consider that she was trained by Jeralt, one who needs no further introduction. I do not doubt that he taught her how to battle knights."
Ferdinand rubbed his chin. "So then they would both have experience in fighting those with the same - or similar - fighting styles…would the duel then be decided on pure chance over who got in the luckier blow?"
Luck?
He almost laughed at the notion, but stifled it for a moment.
…Did it come down to luck?
"...If they were to fight without additional abilities, then I cannot claim one way or the other whether luck would be a factor."
There was a brief and rather sudden shuffle to his left, Cyril let out a small gasp and he heard the flicker of footsteps. Ferdinand righted himself immediately and inclined his head into a short but polite bow of the head.
Goetia turned towards the direction and raised his brows. "Are you so interested in the work that goes on inside your Monastery, Rhea?"
Seiros returned his comment with a touch of a smile. "And I would wish a good morning to you as well, Goetia. To answer your question, I heard a great many interesting things regarding your work and wished to see how you were faring…"
Striding forwards, she angled her head. "I must say, I was surprised to hear that you had volunteered for the physical work about the Monastery as well. I do hope that you are not forcing yourself into discomfort for the sake of making amendments, I would be rather troubled if you were wounded while trying to lend us your aid."
He grunted. "Your concern is unneeded, Rhea. I am perfectly capable of handling such trivial works, even without the aid of my magic."
Her eyes purposefully flickered up and down, then lingered on his dust covered hand before a small flash of amusement shot across her face. "So I can see. I would apologise for thinking so lowly of your skill."
"I have one arm, Rhea." He flatly responded. "I believe you would be allowed some small semblance of leniency in managing your expectations of the capability of someone with such a physical disability in any other situation."
Seiros raised a brow slowly at him. "In any other situation? Am I to assume that you would be the exception to such things?"
"I am different from others."
"Indeed." She smiled at him. "Your confidence in the face of such limitations is an inspiration to us all."
"As well it should be."
Her eyes closed as a faint laugh bubbled out of her, locking her hands together and pacing towards them, flanked by two guards either side of her. When her eyes opened next, they were coloured with mirth. "Careful now, Goetia. My warning to pace yourself still stands…"
She turned towards the other, her eyes lowering to Cyril and her smile softening. "And I see that your diligence for your work remains as steadfast as ever, young Cyril. To see you ready and able to aid the Monastery in all matters warms my heart."
"Y-you're too kind, Lady Rhea." Cyril stumbled through his words and lowered his head, staring down to his feet. "Just doing my job."
"Do not dismiss your efforts so quickly, young man." Was the quick reply. "You have long since gone above and beyond your assigned duties. There are many who would do well to learn such initiative…and I recall a rumour that you are tutored by Shamir as well? Recall that even the most diligent amongst us require rest."
She turned away from the boy, reaching out and patting him on the head twice as she moved past him without showing any concern for the fact that he had soot in his hair, or that she could stain her cloak.
"Ferdinand von Aeir…I cannot express my relief in seeing that there are still those who wish to dirty their hands in labours others would consider beneath them."
The teen merely chuckled as he raised his head. "I saw it as a chance to aid as best I could. It would be remiss of me to see a chance to aid the common man and to stride past them without a thought."
Seiros smile turned brighter. "And I am truly pleased to see it. So many forget that we are all equal under the eyes of the Goddess, regardless of where we stand in the eyes of our fellow men. I believe that those in the Empire will be fortunate to have one who wishes to work alongside those of the common trade…Though try not to forget your duties."
"Of course, Lady Rhea. My sincerest thanks for your kind words."
"Think nothing of it, my child."
She turned, her eyes landed on him once more. "I wish you well in the upcoming Battle of the Eagle and Lion, Goetia. This year promises to be a dazzling one with the talent and wisdom that surrounds the students."
"I would hardly tolerate them doing worse than previous years when they have my…assistance."
Seiros looked at him for a moment, "Indeed."
Then she turned and walked off once more, leaving them to their work.
It was only when she departed that Goetia noted the fact Cyril was still touching the top of his head where Seiros had placed her hand atop his hair, acting as though he had been blessed by some great divinity.
…Well, from the perspective of the boy, he had been.
Goetia grunted and turned back, pausing when he noticed Ferdinand looking at him oddly.
"Is there some issue?"
"N-no." The boy quickly replied with a rapid shake of the head. "I was just surprised to see how close you were with the Archbishop. You spoke so casually to her…No, I would not call it my place to say anything."
…Odd.
With a hum, he turned to resume his work-
He stopped, the sensation ran down his spine as he straightened himself out again, then slowly turned his head towards the same corner where Seiros had originally come from. He waited for a few moments and then found himself far from disappointed when Byleth came striding around the corner.
She turned and locked eyes with him-
…She wasn't looking at his eyes.
He frowned and looked down at himself for a moment, he initially assumed she was staring at his wounds but she had seen them before. Rather she was staring at his abdomen for a flicker of a second. He brought his head back up and met her blank gaze.
The Goddess loomed behind Byleth, wearing an infuriating smirk on her face.
Byleth stared into his eyes for a full five seconds, then her hand came up and pointed right towards him.
Her voice, ever cold and toneless, spoke out only a single sentence.
"I'm going to beat you up."
Goetia blinked.
Sothis slapped a hand into her face.
Before he could even get out another word, Byleth turned on her heel and marched away without even staying for a response, leaving him left there with a rather bewildered feeling running through him.
Slowly, he turned towards the silent builders, all of them staring at him with a mixture of amusement in their faces.
He felt as though he had missed something rather important.