Chapter 39: Price of Truth
"The Archbishop herself has stated that none bar the knights are to be allowed entry to the cells." The guard spoke in tone which brook no argument "Even if you have a Professor with you, entrance to the prison is strictly-"
"You never saw either of us." Goetia spoke as he looked into the man's eyes, his own glowing a subtle red before they flickered over to guard next to the man "Neither of you did. You stayed at this guard post and did not see myself or anyone else enter or leave."
The man's eyes glazed over, nodding once in reply and stepping aside.
"Where in the prison are the attackers of the Goddess Tower located?"
"Fifth Cell block down at the first turn." The man replied without a hint of hesitation in his voice "The door is blocked and requires a key to open."
Goetia grunted once, his face still warped in an irritated frown as he turned to Byleth and Sothis behind him, jerking his head towards the door, he walked past the guards and into the holding area. Sothis and Byleth followed after him, the Goddess remaining silent for a few moments before she spoke up.
"I assume you-"
"I hypnotised them, yes." Goetia cut her off before she could finish, a noticeable edge in his voice. "In the event that the prisoners are not as innocent as you believe, our entry goes unnoticed and we lose nothing but time."
"And if they are?"
"...Then that shall be an issue to solve when we come upon it." He answered without looking back, waving his hand and generating an orb of light above his shoulder to illuminate the corridors. "If nothing else my admission of hypnotising the guards to grant me entrance will at least serve as credibility for the argument." a heavy sigh soon followed "Along with greater degree of suspicion in my case."
"You truly believe they will treat you so harshly?" Sothis questioned with a soft tone of voice "That your act of goodwill shall backfire upon you?"
"Yes." Goetia replied "Even without Clairvoyance, I can only foresee the outcome unfavourable to me in every possible way...however, I have come to terms that such is my fate for intervention."
Sothis had nothing to offer in rebuttal, Byleth frowned as the trio descended further and further into the dungeons with Goetia occasionally hypnotising guards to allow them entry. For breaking into a prison, it was alarmingly easy to do with the aid of Goetia's magic. At this point, Byleth was starting to see why the Church might view it as a threat.
"They're up ahead." Goetia suddenly announced as they came upon a heavy iron door, waving his hand in the direction of the lock, Byleth heard the clunk of a heavy bolt before the door swung wide open. "Come...Let us put an end to this question of yours."
Nodding firmly, Byleth and Sothis followed him through the door to the cells.
The dungeon was exactly what he was expecting, it was dark, mildly damp and wholly insufficient in keeping captive even the most basic magi. Which surprised him as they were apparently keeping some of the mages captive from the attack on the Mausoleum.
He dismissed it as perhaps them being held captive in a more secure area, although he wasn't in a rush to see what they would refer to as 'secure' considering that already shameful excuse of defences they had presented him so far.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he proceeded down the hallway to the cells, his feet quietly thudding against the stone floor as he advanced with Byleth's heels clacking along the ground behind him.
He knew why he was here, see if the attackers had been hypnotised and then make the case to Seteth that they should be spared by virtue of not having any control over their actions at the time. It wasn't something he wanted to do to begin with, if they weren't hypnotised then he could safely ignore it and continue on the same way he had before.
If they were...That would make things much more difficult for him. Not least of which because it would heighten his threat level considerably within the Church. His clear break-in was obvious enough to warrant some measure of punishment for him. He doubted they would try and execute him – not that he would let them – but it wouldn't stop them from enacting other methods of keeping him in line.
He imagined they would try and confine him to the Monastery, or banish him entirely. Whichever came first.
It was...more challenging to accept the latter outcome than the first, not least because he hadn't finished teaching his lessons to Lysithea and the others.
He came to a stop at the nearest cell, turning his body towards it and looking down at the occupier. He raised a sole eyebrow at the state the man was in. Bruises covered his body from a clear beating with a platter of food at the side. It didn't look appetising.
Scanning the man's features up and down – they hadn't even noticed him yet, still dazedly staring up at the ceiling – he eventually spoke up "Are you one of the attackers of the Goddess Tower?"
The reaction was instant, the man scrambled to the far side of the cell, thrusting his arms up in a feeble defence "I-I already told you! I don't know anything! Please! I-I don't know! I don't know how I got there! I'd never try to hurt the Archbishop! I swear!" the panicked cries of mercy soon descended into a pitiful sob "Please...j-just don't...y-you have to believe me…"
Goetia remained stone faced at the reaction, looking over his shoulder to the left to see Byleth remaining equally blank faced. Sothis was the only one to show a visible reaction, her lips set in a disgusted frown "Have they been torturing this man?"
"Interrogation, most likely." Goetia muttered as a way of an answer before sighing, moving his hand towards the lock on the cell and unlatching it. The man started at the sound and attempted to press himself further into the way.
"Please!" He begged louder, still crying "I didn't do anything! Just don't hurt me anymore! Please Goddess no!"
"Stop snivelling." Goetia ordered, the cries only intensified.
"Your ability to calm the despairing is outstanding." Sothis dryly remarked "How ever will you comfort the wounded? 'Stop bleeding, it's bad for your health'."
Goetia sent her a mild frown before looking down at the man "I'm not here to beat you like some savage. Answer my questions and they will determine whether or not you survive to the end of next week."
"Oh Goddess no!" The man wailed "Oh Goddess! Please! I don't want to die!"
Goetia sighed, crouching down low and clasping the man's shoulder roughly, the man's panicked eyes fell on him before widening. Then confusion flickered through them as he stared at Goetia before moving over to Byleth.
"Y-you…" He sniffled "You aren't the guards."
"Your powers of observation are astute." He looked the dirt blonde man over "It appears they haven't damaged your cornea at least. Mild bruising along the face. I assume they hit you with their fists."
A rapid nod was his answer.
"Hmm." Humming, Goetia released the man's shoulder "You are experiencing a memory gap where you cannot recall the hour in which you attacked the Goddess Tower." he stated, the man nodded his head.
"Please…" He started whimpering again. "I didn't do anything...I-I just remember going to buy something for my wife and then I'm being manhandled by the Knights saying I've attempted to kill the Archbishop."
"I see." Goetia nodded once, raising his left arm and moving it towards the man's head "You might feel slight discomfort, I ask you to avoid resisting as it will make the entire process much more painful for you."
"Wha-" Goetia didn't give the man the opportunity to continue speaking before he placed two fingers on the man's forehead and muttered under his breath.
"Sinne. Kom ihåg. Minne." The man took in a sharp intake of breath as Goetia invaded his brain, seeing flashes of memories as he dismissed the ones of irrelevance. Moving through the relevant images he came upon what he was searching for.
"You always do something like this though." Janet scolds him, he can only hang his head and give a half-hearted shrug in response, she isn't exactly wrong in that regard. Mason can only continue to give an awkward smile in response.
Janet sighs, shaking her head in exasperation "Alright, but remember to at least make it to the Cathedral in time for the Rite, I don't want to have you make a late entrance and embarrass yourself."
"I-I wouldn't do that!" Mason fervently denied, earning only a flat look in return from his wife. The woman placed her hands on her hips while giving him a half-lidded expression before rapidly tapping her foot against the ground.
He can feel sweat slowly build up on his brow the longer her eyes pierce into him, he eventually can't take it anymore and looks away from her. He can still hear her foot tapping however, the sound akin to a war drum.
Sighing heavily, he eventually nods his head "Alright...I might."
"Hmph." Nodding to herself once, Janet takes her hands off her hips and crosses her arms "Exactly. So if you are going to try and buy something for Anthony, try and make sure you don't spend the next hour doing so."
"You make it sound like I'm a child…" Mason pouts, tapping the tips of his fingers together with a hint of embarrassment. Janet raises a single eyebrow at him.
"You're not a child...you're just as airheaded as one." Mason recoils as if struck, the man's face falters before it slumps. "You know I love you all the same."
"I know, I'll be quick." Mason assures her "I promise, I'm just popping down to the market to get him a present. You know how much he wanted to come as well."
"I know." Janet smiles "Be quick about it, he'll feel guilty if he finds out you missed the Rite just because you were shopping for him."
"Go on ahead." He gestures for her to leave "I'll see you soon."
Janet turns away, giving him a parting smile "Be quick dear!" she calls out to him as she ventures towards the Monastery, moving through the crowds as she does so.
Mason gives her parting shape a distant smile as he turns and starts to move towards the market. A large figure in a cloak is barely visible in the corner of his eye, staring at him for a few moments before they begin to move through the crowd towards him.
None seem to notice the figure at all, not even Mason does until they are almost in front of him. The man jolts at the sudden appearance of the large man as the hood locks onto him.
"Hello? Can I he-"
"Listen-"
Goetia removed his finger from the man's forehead, grimacing at the mild headache which shot through his head. The man – Mason – coughed loudly and clasped his head as well, no doubt in response to the shooting pain which was already lurching through his own head.
Standing back up, Goetia stepped away from the man and back through the cell door, closing it behind him and locking it. He could see Byleth and Sothis staring at him expectantly. He remained silent the entire time before eventually turning to the pair of them.
"We're going to Seteth." He immediately walked past them, the pair stared at eachother before Sothis smiled faintly and began following after Goetia.
"So they are innocent?" She inquired with a sure tone, Goetia wasted no time in answering her.
"They are."
"You're going to tell Seteth?"
"I am."
"That was a fast turnaround." She pointed out "I was expecting a little more push for you to decide...so, who hypnotised them."
"I don't know." He replied, Sothis and Byleth blinked at him in surprise "Which is why I am going to Seteth, even if the mastermind remains elusive, it is better to at least alert them to a threat of this nature." he paused, curling his lip "If only because you have forced me to confront it."
"Don't sound too broken up about it." Sothis mumbled to herself before frowning "And what did you do anyway?"
"I examined his memories leading up to the stage at which he was hypnotised." He replied.
"You can do that?"
"Yes."
"...I don't suppose you can do that with me?"
"No." Goetia denied instantly "It doesn't work on those of your kind as you have a potent resistance to Magecraft as it is developed by human hands." he paused "You will simply have to rely on the simple method of reclaiming your memories."
Sothis sighed, shaking her head "I suppose it would have been far too easy for the solution to be that simple, wouldn't it?"
"It would." Passing the guards they had greeted when they entered, Goetia did an abrupt turn and faced the pair. "Your assistance is not necessary for the next stage of this."
"Excuse me?" Sothis raised an eyebrow at him, Byleth's face twitched slightly with her head tilting in confusion.
"In order to explain to Seteth what has occurred, I will have to reveal I broke into the dungeon to examine the prisoners." He paused before continuing on "If you are similarly present, he will naturally assume you assisted me in this endeavour and any punishment that would be inflicted on me would also be shared with you, perhaps to a lesser degree, which is unnecessary."
Byleth stared at him before her brows knit together "You're saying I should leave you to take the blame on yourself?"
"Yes."
"...Why?"
Goetia stilled slightly before his eyes narrowed "Because your own testimony as to my impact will be worthless, all you have seen is me place my hand on a man's forehead and tell you he's been hypnotised. I could just as easily be lying and using you to corroborate my story."
"But...you didn't?"
"Obviously." Goetia scoffed dismissively "However, that is how it will appear from Seteth's point of view. My hypnotising of the guards to grant me access to the prison will already be sufficient proof of the danger it possesses but that much is obvious. Therefore, you are unnecessary."
Sothis stared at him for a few moments in silence before her face softened "After all that...you just don't want anyone else to get in trouble, do you?"
Goetia clenched his jaw "It is simply unnecessary. It is inevitable I shall face consequences in some capacity or another, your presence will only serve to damage your own reputation amongst the staff."
"...No." Byleth shook her head, Goetia's eyes flicked away from Sothis and onto her, his face scrunched up in confusion.
"Excuse me?"
"I said no."
"This is not the time to be foolish." Goetia scolded her with a firm voice "There is no reason for you to risk punishment when saying I acted alone is more than sufficient reasoning. It would be best for you to return to your quarters and enjoy the rest of your evening. I can deal with this stage alone."
"I'm still going."
"You will only hinder yourself and your class." He argued further "They will have to deal with the fact their Professor is a rule breaker, something which will likely transfer poorly onto how their peers view them. To say nothing of how your relationship with me will affect their opinions."
"Still going."
Goetia exhaled loudly "In truth, I do not need your permission. I can just as easily send you away myself."
Byleth stared into his eyes "Do it then."
"You…" Goetia growled, "Am I cursed to be harassed by stubborn humans who refuse to do what I ask of them?" he levelled an annoyed glare at her "You, Solomon, Ritsuka and Mash! You all do the exact opposite of what I want you to do! It's vexing beyond all measure and I cannot comprehend how this stupid, stubborn nature of yours got you this far to begin with!" he stamped his foot into the ground and threw his lone hand up in irritation.
Sothis mouthed the two new names to herself before shaking her head, giving Goetia a smug smile and crossing her arms. "Considering it was the two of us who encouraged you to perform this to begin with, to leave you to face the consequences alone would be wrong." turning to Byleth, she gave her an expectant look "Would it not?"
Byleth nodded her head once "My idea as well, I should also face the consequences for it." pausing, she thinned her expression "That's what Father taught me to do."
Goetia rolled his jaw, eyes darting between the two of them before he released a deep rumbling groan of irritation "Fine." he grit out, turning away from the pair of them "I made the option available to you, do not complain if it ends in an unfortunate manner."
He soon began walking away from the pair of them, proceeding at a steady pace towards the direction of the main building. His teeth were still clenched together, mildly annoyed by the entire affair as well as their incomprehensible stubbornness. Why did this type of illogical behaviour have to follow him everywhere he went?
And why did it make him feel some infinitesimal manner of relief, it should have irked his entire being.
Releasing a deep sigh, he banished the thoughts from his mind and worked on how he was going to present his current findings to Seteth.
Seteth was already hard at work going through another document, reaching up and rubbing the bridge of his nose before he leaned back into his chair. He was due to meet with the Clerical staff in an hour to oust those that had been named as participants for the Western Church.
The thought soured Seteth's mood further, he'd known that the Western Church had been rather aggrieved at the power the Central Church held but he hadn't thought they would have stooped so low to as to orchestrate an uprising in the Kingdom territory of Gaspard – which had now left the region devastated, what little information he'd been able to gather form the Knight's he had stationed there to aid in the reconstruction as well as Duke Fraldarius own testimony was disturbing – and then pillage the Holy Tomb of Seiros.
Not to mention the attempt on Rhea's life and the raid on the Vault with the theft of whatever it was they had stolen. It was enough to have worked Rhea into a frenzy and a small part of him felt pity for those who would suddenly find themselves as the targets of her ire.
A knock at the door of his office jolted him, he frowned and looked towards the window. Was it time for the assembly already?
"Come in." He voiced out, already rising from his seat. The door creaked open as one of the guards poked their head through the door. "Yes?"
"Apologies for the disturbance, Attendant Seteth. However, Assistant Librarian Goetia and Professor Eisner said they wished to speak with you." the guard paused for a brief moment before adding on "Assistant Librarian Goetia insists it is a matter of some urgency."
Seteth released a faint sigh, waving his hand "Very well, you may tell them to enter."
"Yes, Attendant Seteth." Bowing their head, the guard closed the door behind them as they ducked back out of the room. Seteth was already gearing himself up for whatever it was that warranted the arrival of those two together.
Goetia had already proven to be something of a mystery – foreign status aside – but he couldn't say that he disliked the man. He seemed to be reasonable. Professor Eisner was something of a greater mystery, not least because of her ability to wield the Sword of the…
He was never going to get over why Rhea had named it something so morbidly ironic.
At least she had buried the sword, why she had never done the same with the other 'Heroes Relics' was something he was never going to get over.
The door opened once again, he almost started in shock. He'd never seen Goetia display that much emotion. The constipated look on the man's face told him that this wasn't going to be news he was going to enjoy.
"Goetia." He offered a cordial greeting along with a faint nod of the head before turning to the other one "Professor Eisner, to what do I owe this sudden visit?"
Goetia was silent for several moments before he eventually spoke in a tone of forced calm "The prisoners whom attacked the Goddess Tower."
"…"
"…"
"...What about them?"
"They are scheduled for execution, are they not?"
"They are." Seteth nodded his head "One week from today." he sighed, packing away his desk and preparing himself "If that is all you came to ask, I will be going. There is an assembly I must-"
"They're innocent."
Seteth paused, blinking twice he turned his full attention back to Goetia. His posture straightened and his eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"They were hypnotised into attacking the Tower, they had no control over their own actions."
Seteth frowned, his eyes darting towards Eisner to scan her reaction before they returned to Goetia. His lips thinned "...You mean to suggest their claims of not being in control of their own actions are true?" he frowned, then looked to Eisner "I assume you told him of this?"
She nodded once.
Closing his eyes, Seteth exhaled through his nose before they opened again and turned back to Goetia "And how do you know this?"
"Because I examined their memories myself." He answered, Seteth managed to restrain himself from giving an ugly laugh at the rather auspicious claim.
"You examined their memories?" He dryly retorted, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow "And how did you manage to gain access to their memories?"
"I broke into the dungeon and-"
"You what!?" Seteth hissed, eyes darting between Goetia and Eisner rapidly "You broke into-" he clamped his mouth shut, looking away from the duo and giving a shaky breath, desperately attempting to control his own temper before he raised a single finger "I would like you to explain just how-...No, I assume you just teleported in?"
"Hardly." Goetia scoffed as if the notion was offensive to him "I hypnotised the guards in order to gain access to the cells."
"You hypnoti…" Seteth palmed his face, turning away and resting his right hand on his desk for support. "You hypnotised the guards." he spoke in a flat tone, then looked to Eisner "And you saw this as well?"
She nodded once.
"Fine. We shall say I believe you for this one moment." Seteth's eyes locked onto Goetia "I will say that for the next five minutes I even begin to entertain the notion that hypnosis is something that can actually be performed as something other than a scam and that you can – as you claim – read people's memories. Do you have a suspect?"
"No."
"...No?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"The information was burned from their minds." He replied, his lips pulling into a tight frown "Most magi simply lock the information away akin to small scale amnesia. The memories still exist, however the ability to call upon them is no longer directly accessible. That is not to say that they are lost, but that it would take another Magus actively searching for them to discover them."
"And this is not possible?"
"No. The memories themselves have been destroyed entirely." Goetia dismissed, shaking his head, raising his left hand he pressed it against his temple for reference "The parts of the mind which contained the specific memories were either regressed or simply destroyed. They cannot be recovered."
"Which is very convenient isn't it?" Seteth retorted with a hint of sarcasm "What did their memories reveal to you then."
"They were approached and then the memories ended. They resume in the cells." He paused, frowning "I should point out that interrogation via beatings is a poor form of information gathering."
"What? Oh...yes, I suppose some of the more zealous Knights would be more physical." Seteth grimaced "...So what you have to tell me is that commoners were selected at random, hypnotised and armed before being thrown towards the Goddess Tower like rabid dogs and have – in fact – nothing to inform us of in regards to a wider scheme and are also completely innocent."
"Yes."
"Outstanding." Seteth scowled "And how exactly am I supposed to explain to the Knights that they should now watch out for being hypnotised, which – I should point out – you did with ease to break into the dungeon!" he growled out the last part of the sentence while levelling an almost glare at Goetia.
He paused, his lips tightened further "No more of this here." He walked past, throwing the door open and swiftly moving across the room before knocking on the door "Rhea. I realise this is a poor time but we must speak with you."
"...You may enter." The voice called from the other side, Seteth pushed the door open and jerked his head for the other two to follow him in.
"Seteth, what brings you her-" Rhea cut herself off as Byleth and Goetia followed her in. Her features softened slightly at the sight of the Professor. "It has been some time since we spoke child, I apologise for that but recent events have required my full attention."
Her attention turned to Goetia, the smile on her face remained although her eyes lost any trace of kindness "Goetia, I trust you have been keeping my advice at the forefront of your mind."
Goetia blankly stared at her before his lip twitched slightly, "Suffice to say, I am here because of your advice."
"Oh?" She raised a delicate eyebrow and turned to Seteth with a questioning manner as he closed the door behind them. "I trust this is somewhat urgent, Seteth."
The man let out a deep sigh as he turned to Rhea, giving her a tired expression before he looked to Goetia "Tell her what you told me."
By the end of the explanation, Rhea's eyes were cold.
"Hypnosis." Her lips pulled themselves into a tight line "You mean to state that those currently residing in our dungeons – which you admit to entering without permission and with the very magic you accuse others of using – are not heathens but instead loyal followers who have been turned to savagery by an unnamed individual."
Goetia nodded once.
"And your only proof of this is your word and the admission from our dear Professor here, that you used this foreign magic to enter the dungeon." Her eyes narrowed "As you can imagine, this does not portray you in a positive light." the Archbishop rose from her chair, standing slightly taller than Goetia and using her height advantage to stare down at him.
"Be that as it may, that is what occurred." Goetia answered back, utterly unimpressed by the attempt at intimidation.
Rhea's expression soured slightly before it warped into an empty smile "Yes. Be that as it may." stepping away from him, she paced to the other side of the room. "This hypnosis you speak of is not practised in Fodlan. I dare say that there has never been a recorded case of what you speak of in the history of Fodlan…" she trailed off meaningfully "...Until now."
Goetia remained silent. Sothis behind him widened her eyes slightly and looked at the back of Goetia and then to Rhea.
The woman turned around to face Goetia, her expression still icy. "So we at the Monastery now find ourselves the victim of crafts of magic which you alone are so far the only practitioner we have encountered." her hands rested in front of her "And you have already demonstrated a willingness to use them on the Monastery staff, if I'm not mistaken?"
"...I have."
"You have." Her smile returned, as if delighted at the admission "And your honesty in admitting this to me is welcome...however, the implications cannot be ignored." the smile fell from her face "Some of our more devout worshippers might even argue that you orchestrated the attack on the Tower in order to better ingratiate yourself to the Church."
Goetia's lip twitched downwards. "Ingratiate." He spoke the word in a flat tone.
"That is how some might see it." She gave a casual shrug "Although I myself know you have no true interest in the faith of the Goddess...which might make the situation more dire for you."
She stepped closer to him "Indeed, the claim that you can hypnotise even the common man at will to serve you and the more incredulous claim you can 'read' their memories might be dismissed entirely and they could argue that you are simply attempting to spare the lives of your guilty cohorts."
"...And yourself?"
Rhea stared at him in silence before she closed her eyes and gave a smile "I consider myself to be of the more trusting sort and if our dear Professor can vouch for your actions, then I see reason to suspend my disbelief for a period of time…Provided she is not also under your influence."
"Admitting my own skill to you is already an illogical move on my part." Goetia replied with a slight frown "Considering it was Byleth who brought my attention to the possibility to begin with, it is happenstance that I was even made aware of the hypnosis."
"Once again, I have only your word to support your statements." Her tone was soft and understanding. It was fervently mocking and Goetia was actively disgusted by it, hiding his growing irritation behind a mask of calm. "But it would be most foolish for you to perform an action which has thus far damaged the Church and then bring attention of it directly to me."
"...Most foolish."
"So." Rhea stepped backwards "As you see, we find ourselves in a predicament. I can spare the lives of those who you claim to have been wrongfully used by ill-intentioned heretics but also reveal to the knights the possibility of them being hypnotised against their will. Which would undoubtedly provide a suitable excuse for others to hide behind as well as to avoid their just punishments."
She stared at Goetia for a few moments longer, scanning his reaction "And even if you were to offer aid to discern the truth from the sinners, we would still have only your word to go upon as none bar yourself is witness to these memories you speak of. And using the magic of a foreign power as well as from one such as yourself in the official dealings of the Church of Seiros would be most unbecoming."
Pausing, she smiled "However, there is a manner in which this might be avoided."
"...Oh?" Goetia raised a single eyebrow.
"Yes. Suppose I do believe you and those who reside in our dungeons are indeed innocent. It might be possible to save their lives." She replied "The daggers themselves were safely destroyed and have already been confirmed to have been mundane. Although that does not mean we cannot use more...medicinal excuses."
"You want to claim they were drugged into a more susceptible state." Goetia surmised, his eyes darted from her to Seteth "While yourself and Seteth remain aware of the actual danger, the Knight's remain calm under the belief that they need not be worried about any random stranger suddenly turning them against their comrades."
"Quite so, it seems your abilities of deduction remain quite capable." Rhea complimented in a hollow manner "It would not do for panic to spread amongst the Knight's at such a crucial time, especially not with the possibility of a traitor amongst the Church." she scowled, looking away from Goetia "And it also prevents them from hiding their crimes behind a shield as any evidence you can attest to would likely be dismissed as nonsense, especially given its rather outlandish nature."
"Seteth." Rhea turned her head to the other man in the room "Have the attackers released from their cells, healed up and then returned to their families. Tell the guards we have reason to suspect they were drugged and were not in control of their own actions. That should suffice, should it not?"
"I...believe so." Seteth spoke in a slow tone "Are you certain of this, Archbishop?"
"I find myself moved by his honesty." She replied before turning her attention back to Goetia "Although I should think that I am indeed risking much if it should emerge that you have indeed been playing us for fools as it seems that even those of the faith are difficult to trust as of late."
Goetia narrowed his eyes in suspicion "You want something from me?"
"It is merely a show of good faith on your part." She reassured him "That your intentions are genuine. So, for the time being, I believe it best that you remain within the Monastery. To ensure we are better convinced of your goodwill."
"...Remain." Goetia thinned his lips "I assume I shall also be watched as well?"
Rhea gave him an empty smile "As I've said, your deductive skills are quite remarkable. I think it would also be best that, until you prove your goodwill, you keep your interaction with the students limited to your official capacity as Assistant Librarian. So as we are certain they are not in any danger."
Goetia straightened himself, his eyes narrowed "...What?"
"I believe it to be a reasonable assignment." She shrugged "Besides, your role does not encompass the teaching of students. Perhaps it would be best if you left that to those more...qualified for the position." she paused, leaning forwards "Unless I have reason to doubt your goodwill?"
The only audible sound was the slight grinding of Goetia's teeth before he answered "No. You don't."
Rhea gave a beautific smile and leaned back "Then we are in agreement, I am gladdened to see you are indeed of the reasonable sort as I suspected." nodding to Seteth, he departed the room. "If there is nothing else?"
Goetia silently turned away and marched out of the room after Seteth, Byleth watched his retreating figure before looking back to Rhea.
The Archbishop stared at her with a troubled look "I realise that Goetia had also been instructing you, but I think that for the time being – until a sense of calm is restored amongst the Knights – that perhaps it would be best that our minds are not distracted." she gave a half-hearted shrug "As for after...that will depend on him."
Byleth nodded her head once, then turned on her heel and departed the room, following after Goetia.
"Listen...I-"
"Shut up." Goetia cut Sothis off sharply with a hushed whisper as he and Byleth marched through the halls "That was exactly why I didn't wish to interfere. I knew the outcome would be problematic, and it was."
"It's not as bad as you made it sound-"
"No?" Goetia span around to face the floating girl "I am now effectively a prisoner here with my every move watched, and while the actions of these pathetic zealots would mean nothing to me, they have also seen fit to remove the one outlet I had in making my time here even the least part bearable."
Sothis flinched, looking down "I didn't think she'd ban you from meeting with the students."
"I did." Goetia scowled "She had just been waiting for the right excuse, which I gifted her. Ignoring her entirely now would be to make the entire situation worse for myself as well as the others. Regardless...you saved those lives. Make of that what you will."
"No. You saved them." Byleth shook her head "Didn't have to, but you did." giving him a single nod, she stared at him "Good work."
A flash of something flickered through Goetia's eyes before his lip curled slightly "...Tch." clicking his tongue, Goetia looked away from her and paced down the hallway "Be sure to inform Lysithea and the others of the development, I care not what excuse you craft. Simply inform them that our lessons are on an indefinite hiatus."
"...I did not think that she would do something quite like that." Sothis frowned "I was expecting something closer to gratitude for revealing a possible threat...not veiled threats against his life." she sighed, moving her hand to cradle her head "Still...even with the outcome, even he must admit that the action did save lives, so it cannot be wrong."
Byleth didn't know what to think about that, but she had caught a flash of something in Goetia's eyes.
For a split second it looked as though he had been relieved, but she might have been wrong. She still wasn't that good at reading people.
AN: So...Goetia is under house arrest and they've taken Lysithea away from him.
As for the reactions to that...well, that'll be the next chapter.
Now, I know some of you are going to be wondering why Goetia let all this happen to him. There's a very simple reason for it.
He's too frustrated to give a shit. He's still reeling from actually going out of his way to save people and despite the fact it backfired on him, he'll still have to come to terms with the fact he saved random strangers for the first time in his life.
So...Yeah.
Omake: Burdens of common sense.
It was vexing for him, so very vexing indeed. The moment he had encountered these halfwits, pitiful as they were, he understood that from the very core of his being. They were absolutely useless in every sense of the word.
Crazed idiots.
He was surrounded by idiocy.
"I wouldn't phrase it quite like that." Seteth commented as he sipped his beer "But...I admit, I sometimes wonder if I am indeed the only one who truly sees the bigger picture."
He hadn't been expecting to run into the Phantasmal either, he'd only ventured out on a scouting mission to better examine the Monastery that his associates seemed to hate so much. It was pitiful.
"Perhaps idiocy is too strong a word, they are clearly intelligent but prone to simple mistakes." Lemegeton sighed "Incompetence perhaps?"
"Mistakes which could be easily avoided if one utilised common sense." Seteth grumbled, reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose "She just...hired them on the spot. Barely a few sentences after learning her name too."
Lemegeton frowned "She did? That seems as though it is poor management."
"Ha." Seteth gave an empty laugh "I know nothing of her qualifications, I don't even know her age and suddenly I'm being told she is to become a Professor."
"...Of combat?"
"No." Seteth shook his head "If it were a combat Professor, I would understand perfectly." he admitted with a small shrug and a casual expression "She is a mercenary, therefore she would likely teach the students useful survival skills. However, she made her a general Professor who covers all subjects."
"That seems counterproductive." Lemegeton's frown intensified "Would she not also need to learn of the subjects she is going to teach?"
Seteth nodded his head "Exactly! She hadn't even heard of the Church of Seiros before she was practically dragged into the Monastery."
That...Didn't make sense to him in the least. "She was ignorant as to the existence of the only monotheistic religion in the continent which has a devoted following in every significant population centre that can be found?"
"I do not understand it either." Seteth shook his head "I had not thought it possible but...apparently I can still be surprised."
"Hmmm." Slowly nodding their head, Lemegeton leaned back into their chair "In truth, my own associates demonstrate their own rash behaviour. Their tolerance for the girl who seems to enjoy breaking the very simple guidelines they set down for her is most vexing. Moreso when it is myself who faces the consequences of her blunders."
Seteth gave a sage nod "I understand, there are some students like that as well."
"Worse is that whenever they achieve some measure of success, they believe it to be nothing more than the expected result of their own superiority. Despite the fact such success is fleeting and often pyrrhic."
"A single success once in a fortnight and suddenly they believe they are the coming of the next Seiros." Seteth shook his head "Yes, they are like that as well. Believing themselves above the common man and all their success can be attributed to their own superiority rather than skill."
Lemegeton scoffed "Their penchant for actively ignoring key points of information because it is 'beneath them' is going to backfire horrendously."
"Alternatively they become too focused on one such object and leave those around them to attempt to salvage a controllable situation."
"Indeed." They nodded "As if I were not in the midst of my own plans without having to worry about cleaning up after them."
"It is tiring to say the least…" Seteth sighed loudly, shaking his head before looking towards the sky "Dear me, it appears I have let the hours get away from me. I should be going." he rose from his seat, giving Lemegeton a nod of the head "I thank you for the conversation...Mr?"
"...Lem." They responded with a nod of their own "This conversation was also enlightening for me." rising up from their chair, they turned away from Seteth "Perhaps we shall meet again."
"Perhaps." Seteth admitted with a faint smile "It occurs to me, you never did explain what your role was."
"...Organisation." They said after a few moments "I work as a manager at a construction site."
"Ah, builder then." Seteth nodded his head "I am Seteth, by the way."
"Farewell, Seteth. I wish you fortune on your efforts to bring some measure of control to your workplace."
"I wish the same for you Lem." Seteth nodded back "We really could do with more with some sense to work with."
"Quite so...it would make planning much easier."
The pair gave eachother a final wave before they departed in their respective directions.