Chapter 70: Getting back on track.

The pair of them overlooked the item in front of them, the stall itself had temporarily been closed for business while business was being conducted. While Anna would usually have been rather hesitant to prevent possible business from, literally, walking up to her. This represented a better opportunity for her.

Provided she could get a decent enough deal for herself that was. At the moment, that was just one of the things that she was debating to herself as she looked across towards the man standing opposite her. For such a colourful individual, he was rather elusive to track down. Whether that had been a purposeful move on his part or just a result of recent circumstances was something she wasn't entirely certain of.

Though she was leaning towards the latter argument, especially considering that the actual Church had also been looking for him.

Well, as long as it didn't interfere in their business then she wasn't going to ask questions about it. People didn't like it when you talked about their private business and all of that other stuff.

Best to keep this sort of relationship strictly professional.

As for everything else?

Well…Getting a read on Goetia was working out to be a little more difficult than she had first thought. Not annoyingly difficult but certainly a little stranger than she had first envisaged it being. Then again, she had been expecting that. He certainly knew what he was talking about when he had first approached her but it could have just as easily been a bluff.

Then again, few people actually knew who she was and tried to bluff her.

Back to Goetia himself, past the initial reaction of surprise at her appearance, he had reverted to a more unreadable expression. Appearing perfectly blank as he surveyed her wares without any sort of indication as to what he was feeling or actually thinking about when he examined them.

"Extensive." It took her a moment to realise he had actually commented, adopting a confident grin, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Of course." She boasted "You could hardly expect me to stay on top of the market if I sold the exact same type of merchandise as my competitors, right?"

"True, differentiation would be required." Goetia continued onwards, his voice not shifting in the least. "However, it goes beyond that. There are many items here that I was not aware even existed within Fodlan in the first place." his eyes fell upon something, moving towards one of the books at the back end and tilting his head "A…Grimoire?"

"Oh, that old thing?" She'd almost forgotten she had one of them, then again most people in Fodlan who were interested in magic actually used those. Instead memorising the spells themselves rather than relying upon the tool to do all of the heavy lifting for them. Tome's were more popular in some of the other places she had been. "A little carry over from elsewhere."

"Hmmm." Goetia merely hummed in response, inclining his head to the side as he examined it "I had not expected something quite like this to be present, though it comes with weaknesses on its own." he scoffed "Little more than a crutch for the incapable." he paused, then looked to Anna from the corner of his eye and noticed her raised eyebrow but otherwise blank expression. "This is not entirely relevant."

"No." Anna succulently remarked, her lip twitching upwards "We were going to start a conversation about your little box that managed to keep supplies that would otherwise have gone sour in prime condition." The smile disappeared, replaced with a business-like expression "You said you would discuss them further once I had been assured of their quality."

"And you are now assured of their quality."

"Yes, I am." Anna nodded, not even willing to deny the statement or undersell it. "I am now aware that you aren't a liar." A hum "So there is that. However…" she raised a finger "I'm sure that if you know your stuff, then you also know that supply and demand is quite the guiding factor." her eyes sharpened "So, you can make the goods but could you keep up with the demand?"

Goetia inclined his head "That would depend on how far reaching you intend the demand to be." he responded back "As well as what manner of expectation there is."

"Alright then." Anna drummed her fingers along her upper arm "In that case, the little box you made me for the test. How long did it take you to craft?"

"An hour." Goetia replied back "Most of that time was occupied with finding the box itself, the spellwork amounted to little more than thirty minutes."

"And is it affected by size?"

"Marginally." Goetia admitted "A larger container would need a greater level of power placed into the spellwork. For me, it would be simple to do so but the extension of time cannot be denied. In that instance, it would depend upon the size of the container you yourself had in mind."

"Hmmm." Anna hummed in affirmation, nodding her head up and down before reaching out and pointing behind the tanned man, Goetia followed her fingers' direction until he found himself staring at a rather large crate, around one metre cubed and made of wood. "And how long would it take you for something like that?"

"For the same warding on the smaller box?" Goetia hummed for a moment before he answered "One hour and ten minutes." He paused for a moment "Give or take twenty seconds." he added on, as if a mere afterthought, then turned his attention back to Anna "Though once the spell has been applied, then it will remain present for as long as I wish it to be. As I explained previously."

Anna grunted "Makes sense that you wouldn't just give it to me…" She muttered out, reaching up and rubbing her brow "And you said you could make other magical trinkets, couldn't you? I assume they aren't violent like the Levin swords, right?" she pointed at the weapons in question, hanging up on a small rack near the edge of the tent wall. "Because you need a licence from the Merchants guild to sell those things."

"Fortunately, I have little current interest in the exportation of arms." Goetia stated with a wave of his hand "The citizens of Fodlan can slaughter themselves just as easily without my aid as they can with it. I have no desire to grant them to improve their own methods for self-harm."

Anna just shrugged at him "Well, fair enough. Besides, you tend to get more customers if you're selling more appealing merchandise like food." she then leaned forwards, resting her body against the support of the tent "But the rate at which you can create those boxes is certainly impressive. Larger shipments and the like…Can you do the same with liquids as well?"

That brought a raised eyebrow from Goetia "You refer to milk and water?"

"I hadn't considered water." Anna actually stated after a few moments before waving her hand somewhat dismissively "But people can get their regular water supply from the village well or along those lines. So it was more the focus of milk for places that can't get those sorts of things." she pointed skywards "And moving it in the summer is oftentimes a nightmare."

Goetia hummed "I would presume so. Yes, with appropriate jars I would be able to perform a similar feat with milk." he agreed "Temperature regulation would also be an additional feature to ensure the milk itself remained chilled, that would prolong its life." he added on almost casually. "I assume you have noticed such things during the winter months?"

"Winter in Fodlan is a bit hit or miss." The merchant made a 'so-so' gesture with her hand before she moved it to cup her chin thoughtfully "But it is easier to move milk when it's a lot colder. You can do that with your magic jar then?"

"Yes. Preserving its current state and altering the temperature are two entirely different issues." He explained "For instance, I could preserve milk at this temperature for upwards of a month with no change or I could perform the same feat except the milk is at a lower temperature for greater enjoyment. Though it would only last as long as it would naturally."

"More than enough time." Anna's smile was sharp "Chilled drinks, eh?" she placed the hand on her hip "Any type of drink?"

"Yes." Goetia nodded once, then made a noise of understanding "I see, you would take advantage of festivals to serve chilled alcoholic beverages." Anna nodded in affirmation with a gleam in her eyes that was almost golden, no doubt she could already see the possibilities. "Hmmm. Yes, an apt opportunity. It would be easier to transport alcohol from different regions of the continent as well, moving ale from the Kingdom into Alliance or Empire territory."

"True enough." Anna agreed easily. "That type of thing isn't so strange but keeping it chilled is a little harder." she paused as if to consider something "I suppose you can just get some mage to create some ice cubes for it but at the same time that's dependent on a mage being present at the time. Most of those smaller towns and villages don't really have something like that so it's just warm ale for them."

"It would need to be transferred into a regular barrel for consumption or selling in bulk." Goetia explained "But such things are doable with greater ease." He dismissed "There is also the transportation of fish as well, mainly from the differing regions. I suspect that salmon caught from Alliance Territory would be considered a greater luxury in a place such as the Empire on the opposite side of the continent."

"Fish, eh?" Anna hummed "Yes, I can see it." she beamed, "We're going to have such fun in making all this money." she paused, then gave Goetia a scrutinising gaze "So…How much do you want for it?"

"Thirty percent."

Anna actually did a double take at that "...Really?" her voice was incredulous as she looked him up and down. "Thirty percent of all the profits?"

"Of all the profits that relate to my own creations." Goetia elaborated "It is a steady source of finance and I cannot disrupt them as easily as you can. You yourself have the means, the reputation and the personality to make the sales whereas I do not." he shrugged "All I can contribute is the method of transportation and some of the products. My role amounts to exactly thirty percent of the entire process, therefore thirty percent is what I am demanding to receive."

"I…was expecting something more like fifty-fifty." Anna honestly replied, then rubbed her chin "Still, thirty percent of all profits relating to your own merchandise means that I can still sell my own goods for me…" she muttered, giving Goetia one final glance before she turned to the side and continued her thoughtful expression.

It was more than likely that the selling of premium goods would work out higher than her usual wares but at the same time, she was still getting the wolf share of the profits, so to speak. She retained over two-thirds of the sales and Goetia himself would supply her with wares that at the very least were worth the price.

"Just thirty percent?"

"There is one additional clause."

Ah, there it was. Despite herself, her lip twitched upwards ever so slightly at the mention, turning her head to face him once more, she inclined an eyebrow to encourage him to go onwards.

Goetia opened his mouth "What do you know of Abyss?"

Anna crossed her arms over her chest, stepping away from the support beam and standing up straight. "Well, I would say as much as everyone else does now." she paused for a moment "But I would be lying if I said I hadn't made deals with them in the past, mainly through the Aelfric who approached me for some of my lesser wares to support them." she explained, then gave him a curious look "Why do you ask?"

"For now? Confirming something in my head." He remarked "We will speak on the subject at a later date, however." He shook his head, dismissing the statement entirely and fixing the girl once more with a someone business-like expression. "For the time being, there are still other details for us to work over. However, I suspect it would be better to discuss them at a later date in time, when you are currently not attempting to manage your business."

Anna actually chuckled, "That's awfully considerate of you."

"If we are going to be business partners, it is in my best intentions that your trading thrives as much as possible. That places you in the strongest position to benefit and therefore my through association." Goetia bluntly stated, then inclined his head slightly over her shoulder to stare out over the market once again "I will also need to create more products that could be sold beyond the likes of mystic codes to extend the life of perishable goods."

"Hmmm. Expanding your list of wares is always a good idea." Anna nodded her head in agreement. "Better than selling one single item because the moment someone else can create it, then you're practically bust."

"While I doubt there are any who could currently replicate my work, that does not mean the possibility remains at zero." Goetia admitted with a grunt "It is only common sense to rely on more than one type of product." he moved away from the merchant and towards the exit "I will be in the Monastery for future reference…On another note, I believe it would be wise to bring in more supplies for constructio-"

"Construction." Anna completed his sentence with a touch of amusement "Don't worry, I can smell a good opportunity from miles away."

Goetia's lip twitched upwards for a split second, so quickly that he wasn't even aware of it in the first place. "Good, I would be disturbed if you had overlooked an opportunity such as this." he paused. "In the meantime, I shall leave you to your work."

"We'll speak later." Anna nodded once "I'll let you work on making my future goods." she paused before calling out to him "Don't make them too good though. I'd like to be able to sell to more than just the hyper wealthy, not that it doesn't have its own appeal though. Just that a wider market for the more common man is much more consistent."

Goetia merely grunted in response as he left the tent, moving back onto the market square. He'd opened up the possibility of Abyss as a future point of discussion. All he needed next was ascent from Rhea that he could take command of the location so that he could actually begin his work on revitalising the area.

He was personally doubtful that she would actively allow him to do such things, especially given the quality of characters who resided in Abyss in the first place being in direct contradiction to the types of people that Rhea herself actually preferred. He would need to approach this in another method.

Sothis.

It was the first thought that came to mind and was easily one he could utilise, she had been to Abyss as well and seen first hand what the underground ghetto was actually like through Byleth's eyes. He doubted the Goddess would appreciate it, giving her opinionated views on suffering of humans. His response of making Abyss a more tolerable place to live would likely be a goal she could approve of.

From that point it was a simple matter to use Rhea's subservience to her patron Goddess to allow his goals to come to fruition. A simple enough approach, he supposed. It meant he would have to speak with Byleth and Sothis on the matter as well.

Turning his head, he directed his sight upwards in the direction of the Monastery.

She would be there, most likely.

Goetia grimaced as he realised that he had gotten side-tracked as well. His original plan had been to aid in the clearing of the Monastery debris, while he had been removed to see to the issues in Abyss, that did not change the fact his departure had likely affected the rate at which the clean up was progressing.

Problematic, the more time that was spent on such things the more time that the Church would be in a greater sense of disrepair. In which case, no matter what Sothis thought of it, Rhea would not allow vital supplies to be diverted away to the Monastery repairs and towards the revitalisation of Abyss.

He released an annoyed breath as he directed his attention back down, flicking his left hand he split open a gate in front of him. Peering through the crack hovering just a metre before him, he could see the courtyard that he had been standing on barely an hour earlier. With his goal in sight, he stepped through and sealed the doorway behind him.

His eyes swept over the knights still hard at work, one or two had paused to look towards him due to his sudden appearance but quickly dismissed it and returned to their jobs.

"I see you are once again moving about the Monastery with your magics."

"I was in the town and required a swift return." Goetia replied to Seteth, not even turning towards the man "You have been overseeing the efforts so far?" he gave it another glance "Adequate thus far."

"Hmmm." Seteth hummed in response, stepping up next to Goetia and crossing his arms over his chest "The knights made it known to me that it was some of your earlier efforts that cleared away the most bothersome areas." he paused for a moment, then gave a single nod towards the tanned man "I, and the Church, thank you for your efforts." then tilted his head slightly "I assume you are here to resume such efforts?"

"I am." Goetia stated "I had already set myself this task, I shall not leave until I have completed it." he turned to face Seteth "There is one other subject that I shall need elucidation upon." the green haired man raised a curious eyebrow "Carpentry."

Both eyebrows were raised, then Seteth sent a pointed look towards Goetia's missing limb. "Far be it from me to quell your enthusiasm…" His voice was dry as his eyes remained on the empty sleeve of the cloak, then drifted his attention back to the blank face of Goetia "But I cannot help but comment upon how such an employ would be beyond your abilities."

Goetia frowned "I am more than capable of supplementing the lack of an arm with magecraft." he responded with somewhat sharply. Being repeatedly warned off attempting certain tasks because of his perceived weakness was truly starting to grate on his nerves. "It is not that great a handicap as you seem to believe."

Seteth raised his hand slightly "Peace, if you are that confident in your magical abilities then I will not stop you." he lowered the hand "Though I will say that we already have skilled carpenters and builders within Hillfar already, there is little need for you to trouble yourself with learning a new trade simply to aid us." a raised eyebrow "Especially given the length of time it will take to truly master it will likely extend well beyond the time it takes to repair the damage to the Monastery itself."

"All the same." Goetia pressured, turning his head from Seteth "I would be made aware of the location of any builders so that I might learn the skills necessary to begin repairs. Besides, the speed at which I learn skills is far superior to that of humans."

Seteth gave him an odd look "Why would you phrase it such as that?"

That brought a brief flash of surprise to Goetia "You…Were you not made aware?" he tilted his head "Both Flayn and Rhea know of my difference." he then paused, his lips pulling themselves into a thin line. "However, Rhea did isolate herself within her chambers, during which time you were bed-ridden from illness and Flayn would not likely spread word of my self without prior consent."

There was a lot to unpack from that string of dialogue, Seteth was still staring at Goetia incomprehensibly before it clicked into place. The man looked left and right to ensure that they were not likely to be interrupted before he leaned towards the tanned man "Are you saying that you are not human and that both Flayn and Rhea were aware of this?"

"Yes." Goetia replied, though there was brief hesitation upon his face as he raised his left hand and gazed down at it. Twisting it over and staring at the black marks running up his forearm as his sleeve fell away. "...At the very least, my physical functions appear no different to that of an ordinary human." He corrected.

Seteth frowned at the words, Goetia's confession sounded very much like someone was pulling his teeth out and not for the reason that he didn't want to confess it in the first place. It was almost as if the confession itself was in some way disturbing to him.

The man closed his eyes "Are any others aware?"

"Lysithea and Byleth." He paused for a moment "The Ashen Wolf house as well but they are barely a factor. I have already assured their silence on the matter of both my existence and Rhea's."

Seteth did a double take at that "You mean to say they are aware?" his voice dropped into a stern whisper "How did this come about?"

"Circumstances brought the information into the light." Goetia easily responded as he lowered the arm "Suffice to say that Rhea is similarly aware of the elucidation of the students from Abyss."

Though Seteth still didn't look pleased by the information, he did look somewhat mollified by the fact that Rhea was also aware of it. "And…myself?"

"Neither you nor Flayn were brought up. They are unaware."

"Hmmmm." Seteth nodded once, then opened his eyes again "As for Lysithea and Byleth, I can assume they will not so candidly reveal this information either." he reached up, rubbing his temples "I had thought the worst I would contend with today was repairs, I fear as though a great knot has been tied in my absence that will need to be unravelled. I shall have to discuss this with Rhea when she returns."

As he lowered his hand, he fixed Goetia with an critical stare "On the matter of Flayn…"

"What of her?"

"...What are your intentions in meeting with her in private?"

Goetia frowned, "That is for me and her to discuss."

"As her father, I believe that I am entitled to know why a man such as yourself is meeting with her and why she has recently become somewhat fixated upon you." Seteth countered easily, placing his hands on his hips "She is a young woman and the speed at which you two have gone from barely interacting to meeting in secret is disconcerting to me."

"I am not so willing to speak of my business with those I do not feel concerned about." Goetia rebuked curtly "Suffice to say that I had need of her opinion on a topic and she provided one. That was all that I required of her."

Seteth stared at him for a few moments, then nodded once "...Very well. However, I will speak of one thing." He narrowed his eyes "Flayn has had little interaction with the outside world for some time. As such, she is still…ignorant to some of the workings of the world." the man dropped his voice into a low and threatening tone "I would be greatly troubled if I learned that someone was using this ignorance on her part to their own advantage."

"I have no romantic interest in your child."

"...Hmph." Seteth gave an incredulous grunt as he crossed his arms "If you say so…" he didn't look as though he quite believed Goetia. In fact, he had little reason to. Flayn was a wonderful and beautiful young girl and anyone with a working pair of eyes would be able to see quite how wondrous she was. It was why he had to make sure that she was kept at an arm's length from any unscrupulous young men.

Her being in an academy full of teenagers was something that Seteth had been initially horrified at the prospect of dealing with.

With a slightly irritated look, Goetia turned away from the man and made his way back in the direction of the clearing efforts.

Byleth had her arms crossed in front of her as she sent in the final group to clear out their rooms, from what she had been able to infer, the clearing efforts were proceeding along at an excellent pace. Though she had also heard - and seen - that Goetia had taken it upon himself to participate with it as well.

"That strikes me as unusual." Sothis commented from behind her, the woman glanced over her shoulder to see the Goddess floating slightly above her with her arms crossed over her chest. Staring down at everyone with a look that could almost be described as imperious.

"Goetia helping strikes you as odd?"

"No." Sothis quickly denied "He has already showcased he has a habit of doing the exact opposite of what he claims he shall do. So it would not surprise me in the least if he had declared it was the responsibility of the Church to clear up its own messes." she allowed a slightly amused smile to grace her features "After which he immediately threw himself into doing what he might consider 'grunt work'." the smile vanished, replaced by a more thoughtful expression.

"Then what is wrong?"

"Goetia levitates books." Sothis stressed "He will use his magic to do his actual job for reasons I can only assume to be because he finds the idea of climbing a ladder or moving his body for such a task as 'beneath him'."

Byleth would have liked to rebuke that point, but she couldn't. She could very easily imagine Goetia's reasoning being something along the lines of 'If I can accomplish the same feat with magic, what reason would I have to use my body?'

Sothis sudden chuckle informed her that the Goddess had indeed heard the inner thoughts. "Yes, yes…An explanation like that seems most like him." Sothis mused with mirth, shaking her head before the look of intrigue returned. "Yet when it comes to something like this, where his magic would make the process much easier, he instead resorts to using his physical skills as much as possible…"

"Maybe he's still recovering?"

"That would be a remarkably convenient answer." Sothis allowed before dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "However, given the manner in which the youngsters were dumped in front of us earlier in the day, I would assume Goetia is not that depleted or injured to rob him of his magical powers. Furthermore…" she rubbed her chin "I am unsure of it…"

"Maybe he wants the challenge?" Byleth reasoned back, turning her head to the students and watching as they emerged from the dorms with the few possessions they could salvage from them. The front of the building very quickly looked like the odd section of a market. The Black Eagle girl, Bernadetta, looked as though she wanted to vanish as she made sure all of the stuffed animals were assembled neatly.

"The challenge?"

"Improving physical limits. Training. Muscle improvement." Byleth rattled off point after point. All of which were things she would do, there was an easy way of making sure that even the most mundane tasks could be used to benefit your person.

Sothis snorted aloud, not that anyone else heard her. "You mean to suggest that Goetia is using this as a, what? A training regime?" she sounded deeply amused by the notion "I doubt he would ever admit to being incapable in anything. Or if he was, he would very likely claim that the skill itself is worthless so there is no need for him to learn it in the first place."

Byleth frowned ever so slightly, while that did sound like something Goetia would say, she wasn't entirely sure it was something he would genuinely mean. As Sothis had said, Goetia had a habit of saying one thing and then doing another, this could very easily be the case.

Besides, when she didn't want to think about things she would often find tasks to keep herself busy.

Understanding flashed through her eyes, despite her expression remaining unchanging.

"Maybe he's doing it to keep himself busy." She declared inside her head, that washed the amusement from Sothis face almost instantly. The Goddess turned herself to stare down at the back of Byleth's head with an indiscernible expression, not that the woman herself could see if given that she was no longer facing the Goddess.

Sothis remained silent as she stared at the back of Byleth, the words resounding in her head. Doing physical labour to occupy his attention on the task at hand rather than anything else.

That was certainly a reason she had not considered.

Yet it made a strange amount of sense, all things considered.

"...You say he is doing this to avoid the act of confronting his own feelings on the matter of slaying his own kin?" Sothis suggested in an even tone of voice, frowning ever so slightly.

"Maybe." Byleth responded with a mental shrug "I don't understand that sort of thing."

"I had a feeling you wouldn't." Sothis snorted, the solution of just not thinking about what worried you was indeed a very simple solution. However, it would not erase those feelings and the longer they went on the more they would build up until eventually they could no longer be contained. "If he is doing something such as that, and given his reluctance to admit anything that could be described as a 'weakness' then it would fall in line with his current situation."

"Is that bad?"

"...That would most likely depend upon the person." Sothis responded in a distant tone of voice "Goetia has already had several outbursts of emotion that would have seemingly come from nowhere to those who did not know him. He masks his inner thoughts well behind blunt comments. No, it would be better to say he does not filter his thoughts when he speaks them aloud, however they are not his feelings on the matter." Sothis frowned "Goetia has always been very…" she exhaled "Goetia is very explosive when he lets loose his true emotions."

"Hmmm." Byleth mentally hummed in response, she'd noticed that as well although it wasn't as though it was a well known fact. Only those who had ever been around Goetia had ever really noticed it. Then again, that involved pretty much everyone Goetia interacted with on the regular so she could hardly say that it was a secret.

All the people who knew him were aware of his explosive outbursts and it was only strangers that weren't aware of it.

That aside, it was just one of those things she hadn't really considered.

"So Goetia might get emotional again?"

Sothis didn't respond immediately, though she eventually grunted and shrugged her shoulders ever so slightly before she took notice of the wording and chuckled ever so slightly. "Emotional is what most people get when they encounter things they do not like. Though you are also emotional, just very good at hiding it as well…" She paused for a moment "For the most part at least, I have a unique exception by being within your head."

There was a brief pause before she made a noise "That aside, for what reason does that boy carry so many swords?"

"Hm?" Byleth made a noise, turning in the direction that she could feel Sothis trying to pull her attention to. Soon finding Felix emerge from his room once again, this time holding several training swords of different sizes, a long sword and two short swords.

"Felix?" Byleth called out, the dark haired boy raised an eyebrow at her "Any more swords?"

"No." The boy answered curtly, moving over to his own pile of belongings and placing down the last of the weapons. His pile was somewhat sparse, a complete lack of personal possessions and rather sensible styled clothing. The boy's eyes flickered to her for a moment, then paused as he took notice of something behind her and raised an eyebrow. "I believe there is a visitor for you, Professor."

Byleth blinked, then looked over her shoulder to see what the boy was talking about. Sure enough, she supposed that there was indeed a visitor for her. Watching as Goetia talked towards the grass in her direction, only to pause when Dimitri cut him off and started speaking with him.

"I just want to thank you for speaking with Ashe." Dimitri spoke in a hushed tone of voice, looking towards the tanned man with a sincere expression. Goetia himself looked somewhat surprised at even being approached by the prince at all.

"...For speaking with Ashe." Goetia parroted back at him, looking at the boy with an unreadable expression. "And you intend to thank me for this?"

"I am, yes." Dimitri nodded once, placing his hands on his hips and exhaling "in truth, I have been somewhat worried about him since the affair with Lord Lonato some weeks back." he shook his head "I suppose he has been seen around Petra but I have not quite gotten around to asking him about that…" he muttered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I do not-" Goetia opened his mouth to respond, then closed his mouth with an audible click. He didn't want to even think about that fiasco with the young fool earlier today, constantly feeling a sense of disappointment that the boy had failed to live up to his expectations and reacted as he expected him to. What he certainly didn't want was to be thanked for it in any way. "...For what are you thanking me for?" He inquired instead, if Dimitri was aware of the conversation contents, he doubted he would be in such a rush to thank him.

Dimitri blinked, shaking his head "Well…Ashe did not say as such." he replied somewhat awkwardly "Actually, I don't think he wanted to speak about it at all. However, I noticed that his mood seemed to have improved." he paused, then frowned "No…that is not right, I suppose it would be better to say that he appears to be carrying less on his shoulders?"

"...Unburdened."

"That is the word." The prince nodded at the suggestion, completely missing the hint of annoyance in Goetia's tone of voice as he spoke. "Yes, Ashe said he felt a lot clearer after the talk." he raised his hands "I won't ask what you two spoke of, that is not my place, but all the same…I am thankful that you at least approached him to speak when I was unable to." he grimaced "In truth…I doubt I would be of much aid to him in the first place."

"...Hmph." Goetia grunted once "The boy interpreted my words how he wished to." he stated after a moment, then glanced above the prince "I have someone to speak with at this moment in time-" he paused, frowning and looking back down at "Petra Macneary?"

"Yes."

"The Brigid Princess?"

Dimitri nodded his head.

"At what point would he even have the time for this?" He asked, now slightly befuddled at the reveal. Not only were they in completely different houses, but they had next to nothing in common with one another. From what he had learned - which was admittedly very little - Ashe was the adopted son of Lonato who had been picked off the streets. He was effectively an urchin.

As for Petra, she was the granddaughter of the King and now made heir of the kingdom of Brigid.

For what reason would they ever interact for her to form any sort of connection at all?

"...At what point did this occur?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Dimitri admitted with a hint of surprise "In truth, I might be just as surprised as you are about this." he paused "Then again, I was told that during the small fishing tournament a few weeks ago they apparently worked well together. So I was rather surprised at that but if they are forming a bond, I am in full support of it." he clapped his hands together "And I feel that given the situation, Ashe could do with the company."

"...I see." Goetia shook his head of the distraction, he wasn't even sure why he had asked in the first place. "I have something to discuss with your Professor. If you should happen upon any of your classmates, tell them not to bother her while I am engaged in conversation."

Dimitri blinked "I…I can tell them not to interrupt." he responded after a moment "But I am not sure I can warn them away entirely. Especially if they have some important questions…" he trailed off, giving the man an odd stare "But it sounds as though you are attempting to steal out Professor." he joked, a hint of mirth in his voice.

Goetia regarded him blankly for a moment "If that is how you intend to view it, then very well. However, I do intend to occupy her time without interruption." He moved around the Prince and already resumed his walk towards Byleth, he also spotted Sothis floating just above the woman's head, sporting a strange expression on her face.

"Ah, I see." Dimitri called out to him "In any event, have a good day Goetia!"

Goetia did not respond to him, moving across the path towards the woman who stood near the main hall near enough the dorms but not quite close enough that she could be considered a part of the growing crowd of students.

"Hmmm." Sothis hummed as he approached, fixing him with a raised eyebrow "...I see you're already busy."

"Astute of you to realise." Goetia didn't even hesitate in responding to her "As for my reason being here. There is something that I would speak with you about and actively demand your assistance with."

Byleth blinked slowly at him "Demand."

"Yes."

"Not ask?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I have little reason to suspect you will deny me." Goetia bluntly remarked, one could very easily have called his statement arrogant if they didn't actually know who he was in the first place. "In any event, it also concerns you as well." His eyes flickered to Sothis "Or at least by association it does, Byleth has little reason to deny supporting my claim but in truth it is your voice that remains the deciding factor."

Sothis stared at Goetia blankly for several seconds as the words registered in her mind. Then, slowly but surely, a smug look slowly spread across the Goddesses face as she crossed her arms over her chest. Almost looking as though she was lounging in the very air.

"Well, well, well~" She sang, mirthfully staring down at the one armed man. "So you have finally come to me for help, have you?"

The way Goetia's face twitched in annoyance at her tone was something that the Goddess took great pleasure in witnessing. It quickly became apparent to Goetia that Sothis was most certainly going to derive pleasure from this situation. However, his pride demanded that he not lose step against her.

He would not lose a battle of will against a mere Divine Spirit.

"Before you start to find this situation amusing." Goetia sharply responded to her with a touch of irritation, his expression remaining somewhat blank even as he spoke "Perhaps you would be wise to listen to what I say-"

"Up, up, up!" Sothis raised a single finger, silencing Goetia and closing her eyes. Her expression looked almost peaceful. "I just wish to savour this moment before you inevitably ruin it for me." She explained, silence falling over the three of them for a few seconds. The Goddess then exhaled, her expression shifting back to one of mild interest "Alright, now you can speak once more."

"How magnanimous." Goetia remarked with clear dryness, he returned his attention onto Byleth "I intend to assume control of Abyss."

"...Excuse me?" Byleth asked, raising an eyebrow at him ever so slightly before she raised a hand and pointed downwards. "The Abyss beneath us?"

"Yes, the ghetto."

"For what purpose?" Sothis asked, sounding thoroughly befuddled by the situation and staring down at Goetia with clear interest at this point. Not even bothering to mask it and seemingly forgetting about the prospect of finding amusement in Goetia coming to her for assistance on the matter.

"To better it?" Goetia remarked as if she'd said something foolish "For what other reason would I see to assume a position of authority over a place such as that?" he frowned "I will not preside over such a pitiful location, nor will I turn a blind eye to it now that I am aware." he scowled "The mere fact it exists at all disgusts me."

"Very well…" Sothis raised her hand in a placating fashion "So you intend to become the authority of Abyss." she surmised "With the clear intention of bettering the conditions there?"

"Yes."

"...Just because you don't like the way it is?" Sothis asked with a subtle hint to her voice, she wasn't sure that was the only reason. Despite his rather offensive wording, if one looked past it Goetia made it sound rather altruistic in nature. Looking at a place such as that and instantly seeking to better it in any way they could. That didn't quite sound like something Goetia would do, but then again, Goetia was hardly a consistent individual on his best days.

"That played a factor in my decision, yes." Goetia confirmed with a nod of the head "I have seen such places before and my feelings upon seeing them have not changed. Now that I am fully aware of its existence, I cannot turn a blind eye to it. Even without my greater senses, I am aware of its continued conditions and the state of those who live there day in and day out." his eyes lost their focus somewhat as he got more and more invested in his rant "To even allow it's existence when I reside so close to it is personally offensive to me. My pride will not allow me to-"

"Alright, alright." Sothis raised her hand, cutting him off and rubbing her brows with her other hand. "Yes…I am beginning to see the issue."

"The other reason being that Sitri…" He paused for a moment, looking at Byleth briefly and studying her reaction. "...The Demon God resided there for at least several months posing as Aelfric. During which time he made no attempt to better his own living conditions or do anything that would have made his task easier." he frowned "We were of the same mind once, yet I would never have allowed myself to work in such substandard conditions but choice."

Sothis looked at him oddly "...So you are also doing this because your…kindred, didn't do it?"

"...Yes."

Sothis made a face at him that looked a mixture between annoyance and acceptance.

"I see." Byleth, meanwhile, just nodded her head up and down. "If you are going to do a job, do it properly." she reasoned in her usual stoic manner.

"Yes." Goetia looked to her "He assumed the role of Aelfric and yet did not even fully commit to it. Despite using the man's memories and resources, he did not act in a manner that would have been consistent with the actions of a man who truly cared for Abyss in the least. His later actions notwithstanding, if Si-the Demon God had no inclination to perform the role as suitable as possible, then it would have been better for them to abandon it outright."

"...I cannot say I understand." Sothis spoke in a slow tone of voice as she stared at Goetia "Though, if you are saying that you are committing to this then at the very least I am aware you will not take half measures." she then frowned "However, I am left to wonder why you need control of Abyss in order to enact these. Could you not do so through other methods?"

"Being officially recognised as the governor of Abyss will afford me more advantages than if I were a mere volunteer." Goetia dismissed it easily "Besides, if I am in control of the efforts to renovate the location, then I will be assured of the efficiency of them."

"Hmmm. I see." Sothis muttered, rolling her eyes at the reasoning "So it's also because it's a sting on your pride as well, is it?" Despite that, she didn't seem surprised in the least. Likely because she wasn't. Goetia's feelings on the matter were something she could tell were genuine, whether it was because of his pride or not, he was genuinely disgusted with the state of Abyss and couldn't stand the thought of letting it go on.

Privately, she grinned to herself.

He obviously didn't quite realise how his actions could be perceived, or he did and just didn't care.

Ironic for a man who claimed to barely care at all yet all he ever did was care too much.

Externally, she tilted her head "Very well, but why would you be assigned to the role of governance in regards to Abyss?" she asked, Byleth similarly nodded her head in support of the question. "Especially when the Church could assign someone else to watch over it, recent events as well as the knowledge the children possess would likely make them more willing to keep a closer eye upon that place."

Goetia nodded along with her reasoning "I have accounted for such questions, if we are to look through experience then I am undoubtedly one of the most experienced individuals currently in the continent when it comes to the ruling of a people. Given that I governed alongside Solomon." He pointed to himself "I was just as much a ruling figure over the Kingdom of Judah that he was…" he lip curled downwards "Though I was still subservient to him overall." shaking his head, Goetia dismissed the memory "As such, I was still a King."

Byleth made a small noise "Does that not make you overqualified?" she asked, tilting her head and earning a blink of surprise from both Sothis and Goetia at her wording.

"I would suggest being overqualified for a position - as well as already having experience with those who reside there - is a vast improvement to an underqualified fool whom will likely be dismissed as a Church spy." Goetia bluntly stated, though he did pause for a moment before giving Byleth a begrudging nod of the head "However, your point is…valid. A King governing over a single ghetto would be regarded as a mismanagement of valuable experience."

A pause "However, I will have few other opportunities to fully utilise my knowledge and expertise in the art of statecraft." he countered "Especially residing in the Library."

"Hmmm. I suppose so." Byleth admitted with a grunt "Abyss doesn't like the Church. You aren't really the Church." she surmised, earning a single nod from Goetia.

"There is one flaw, however." Sothis raised a single finger, then she paused and grimaced before raising a second finger. "Two, now that I think more deeply on the matter. The first relates to Rhea herself, the woman had made little effort to hide her disdain of you."

"I have made little effort to hide my disdain for her." Goetia bluntly remarked "We are honest enough that we need not insult one another with false pleasantries. However, she is not so great a fool that she would overlook my experience in this matter, as well as the prospect of Abyss being levied from the hands of the Church. With Aelfric gone, there are none left with an interest in that place, therefore it would fall away or become entirely out of her control. Levying control of it to me would most likely make her…" he paused, curling his lip downwards "...or myself, somewhat reliant on her continued support."

Sothis leaned down, fixing Goetia with a scrutinous gaze as she almost looked as though she was trying to investigate his mouth. The movement brought narrowed eyes to Goetia's face. "What are you doing?" He demanded, Sothis made a small grunt.

"Checking to see you have all your teeth." She remarked in a wry tone "For that sentence you just uttered sounded very like as though it had torn them from your gums."

"Your wit aside." Goetia's tone was sharp "Abyss is still a part of the Church, my role does not truly change from being an affiliate member of the organisation. However, I am one unclouded from bias and would therefore not be accused of working towards an agenda. Rhea avoids the prospect of Abyss growing dissatisfied with the presence of her subordinates and I can finally work towards a meaningful goal."

"You have put quite a bit of thought into this." Sothis muttered in surprise.

"As I said, if I am to do a task-"

"You will do so to the best of your ability." She rattled off with a nod of her head "Yes, that is quite like you. What of the people of Abyss themselves?" Sothis inquired, frowning at the man more openly now "What of their opinions?"

Goetia blinked "Their opinions? I am granting them my support with the aim of turning their filthy hovel into a functioning settlement. A marked improvement from its current condition, for what reason would their opinions differ from mine?"

Sothis looked somewhat hesitant for a moment before she continued on, closing her eyes as she spoke. "For the reason that their last encounter with one of your kindred was mere days ago and they admitted to stealing the body of a man they had known for years, proclaimed would then kill them for his own benefit and then proceeded to go on a rampage that has left many dead." she opened up her eyes "Having been on the receiving end of suspicion for 'body snatching' I very much doubt that the denizens of Abyss, who know of this, will look at you as their saviour."

"...I am not Sitri."

"I am aware of that." Sothis raised her hand, waving to him placatingly and dropping her voice into a soother tone "However, you cannot deny that humans are - at times - ruled by their emotions. Aelfric was someone they loved with all their heart only to discover that he would betray and kill them. Furthermore…Your kindred would have left an impression."

Goetia was silent as he stared at her, then looked to Byleth "...And what is your opinion on this matter? Given you were also present."

Byleth didn't respond immediately, moving to cross her arms over her chest and having her eyes flicker to the side for a moment. The woman let out a thoughtful hum, drumming her fingers along her upper arm. "Hard to say." She remarked in her usual toneless voice. "They are suspicious of all the Church. Likely bad experiences." Her eyes flickered to Goetia "...Bad experience with one of your people."

"Ah…yes…" Goetia muttered back, his voice shifting into a hollow tone "I had completely forgotten the state of the human mind…rejecting my aid because they believed they knew better." a noise almost akin to a wheeze emerged from him "...How foolish."

"Have you asked the people of Abyss yet?" Byleth quickly asked, earning a blink from Goetia "About whether or not they would accept you?"

"...Not as of yet, no." Goetia responded with a frown "I had not believed it necessary-"

"People tend to appreciate it if you warn them of changes such as these beforehand." Sothis pointed out in a strained tone of voice, placing her hands on her hips "It would most certainly go a lot further if you were to gain their permission before you go about trying to upheave their home."

Goetia raised his brows "...Would that truly make a difference?"

"At the very least, you will be aware of their thoughts on the matter before you waste time with all these preparations." Sothis shrugged her shoulders.

"...Yes…yes." The man muttered to himself, then nodded "I can address whatever concerns they have, though why there would be concerns…No, humans always have concerns." he continued to mutter to himself. "Very well." He declared after a moment "I will see to the opinions of the humans in Abyss, then I shall go to Rhea and make my demands." he paused for a moment "I will also require you to accompany me."

Sothis blinked "Why?"

"Because Rhea is fixated on pleasing you, if you were to infer that this act of bettering the peoples of Abyss would please you - and I suspect you are in no desire to leave them to their disease filled pit - then she would likely be more amenable to suggestion."

"Wha-" Sothis gaped at him "Are you-" then she frowned with clear disapproval "Are you suggesting that I manipulate Rhea into agreeing to your demands?"

"Yes." Goetia didn't even hesitate to answer the question.

"I-I cannot believe you!" Sothis growled, pointing at him "You-! That's just you using people for your own ends! How are you different from her?"

"Because they are my goals."

"And that makes it alright?"

"It makes them in the best interests of those who-"

"You!" Sothis snarl cut him off, the Goddess looking as though she was trying to reach out and strangle Goetia, then turned her head away. "You…No. I refuse. I'm not going to dangle false hope in front of that desperate woman, I'm not…I can't be what she wants me to be right now and I am certainly not going to trick her into believing that doing favours for me is going to improve my opinion of her!"

Goetia frowned "Where has this newfound emotion come from? You made little effort to hide your discomfort with her bias towards Byleth-"

"This and that are two entirely different things!" Sothis snapped at him, Byleth twitched at the volume right next to her. "I might not trust the woman completely, but that does not mean I will be made a willing pawn to stoop low enough to your efforts! If you want to get Rhea on your side, do it yourself."

Just like that, the Goddess vanished. Retreating back into the recesses of Byleth's mind.

"...Troublesome Goddess." Goetia grunted, frowning at the space where she had been before he turned to Byleth, noticing her curious stare being aimed towards him. "What?"

"...My father wants you to come with me and him to speak with Rhea."

"...Why?"

"Because you knew about Sothis."

"And?"

"...She said she'd tell us everything about what happened."

"Oh?" Now Goetia looked marginally interested "I see. I suppose I can join you for such a meeting, at the very least it should allow me to understand quite what that woman did and how she was able to somehow stumble her way into creating a successful Divine Demi-Servant."

"...What does that word mean?"

Goetia sighed "It would be an incredibly long explanation utilising terms that you have no true understanding of. Explaining those terms will extend the explanation considerably, during which time I would - quite literally - have to explain to you the existence of separate planes of existence, the concept of humanities metaphysical will for survival and the desire of the world to continue its propagation."

Byleth nodded her head "Ah…So that will be in one of your later lessons?" she paused for a moment "When are you resuming those?"

"...I had not considered that." Goetia admitted after a moment "Then shook his head. Regardless…I do not know."

The knight squinted at the horizon, still focusing his attention on the distant shapes that were coming close and closer. He'd been watching since the party had emerged from the forest along the main road headed for the Monastery.

Even from this distance, he could make out what looked to be a carriage and an assortment of around a hundred or so people. From the way their bodies shone in the afternoon sun, it was clear that they were knights.

"Captain!" A voice snapped behind him, the knight whirled around and saluted as the superior officer approached.

Alois waved to the men to stand down, the posture slackened slightly. "Now then, what's the problem?"

"Approaching band, Sir." The knight stated with a nod of the head "Looks to be a consortium of knights."

Alois frowned, the Monastery wasn't expecting any visitors, at the very least they hadn't received any messages to his knowledge. "Banners?"

The knight frowned for a moment "Difficult to tell at this distance, sir, however we asked knight Alfred." he paused "Best eyes out of all of us, and he swears by the Goddess that he spots blue banners."

"Blue?" Alois raised his brows "That makes them Kingdom…" he murmured, looking out to the distance "Now what brings them to us?" he paused for a moment, then cracked a smirk "Either way, this is going to be a knight to remember."

"..."

"Get it? Night? Knight's?"

"..."

Alois sighed "You know, my daughter always laughs at my jokes."

"Sir…is your daughter not six?"

"Yes? What's your point?" Alois raised an eyebrow "Jokes are jokes, they're supposed to be enjoyed by all ages."

"I think it's a matter of the audience, sir."

"Hmmm. No…I'm sure it's just finding the right joke!"

"...As you say, sir."

AN: Yep, Goetia's about to get sidetracked by spear theft!

So we're back onto the Main story!

Are we all excited?

Also that last Omake…

It's never getting a sequel.

Heh.

Omake: Diplomacy Sucks III

Goetia glared across the table.

Romani ducked his head down, hiding himself behind his arms as best he could.

"Come on…smile, brother." The white haired boy next to Romani spoke in a jolly tone of voice "I bet you smile just like dad does." he paused for a moment as if to consider something "Actually, it does make a lot of sense. I got a lot of my looks from mom, so it fair that you get all your looks from dad, right?"

Goetia's eye twitched up slightly.

"Ah, see!" Morgan pointed at Goetia with a grin "You even do the same eye twitching thing when you get a little annoyed." he paused, lowering the hand "But dad doesn't really scowl all that often." he leaned forwards "It's actually really interesting seeing you…It's like, I'm seeing all the expressions that dad never makes."

"So, Romani does not show his emotions does he?" Goetia spoke in a strained tone of voice "How very much like him." the tanned man leaned forwards slightly "Almost as though he is a King, presiding over his subjects with naught but a thin smile upon his face."

Romani groaned into the desk.

Morgan, meanwhile, just laughed "I wouldn't say it like that. Just a really embarrassed guy who doesn't like to show himself all that much, you know?"

"...No." Goetia remarked after a moment "He was not like that at all when I knew him."

"Really?" Morgan blinked, looking down at his father "Huh, I guess he did change a bit. Maybe…? What was dad like when you knew him?"

Romani froze for a second, then raised his head to look across the table at Goetia.

"...An idiot." Goetia bluntly remarked "Never once giving himself the chance to truly feel, despite how much he cared. Perhaps if he'd vented he would have been a better King, but as it stands he just showed his cold front to all who were close. Though…Hmmm. I suppose when freed of the burden of Kingship, he continued to push himself well past his limits without offering his body a moment of respite. A man who cares too much for others and not enough about himself."

"...Goetia…I-"

"And he consistently acted as little more than a 'simp' to a man who disguised himself as a magical girl and provided advice that would have turned even the hopeful to suicide."

"Damn it!" Romani slammed his hands on the table "Merlin baited me!"

"And you were the fool who fell for it." Goetia curled his lip "Magi*Mari? Truly?"

"Wha-how do you even know about that!?"

"I was clairvoyant, Romani. I knew everything that went on in Chaldea." A pause "I also hold the memories of Flauros. He was aware of your addiction…"

"Everything that went on in Chaldea?"

"...For the most part."

"Even-"

"I am not talking about that." Goetia remarked "In fact, it never happened. I have no memories at all of what occurred on the seventeenth of September at seven-thirty-one in the evening. Nor do I have any knowledge of what Leonardo Da Vinci did-"

"Alright!" Romani coughed out, his face burning bright red "We get it."

"Ooooh!" Morgan clapped his hands together "This is embarrassing stories about dad, right?" he looked to Goetia "Can I tell you the one where he once fell asleep on my mother?"

"Ack-!?"

"...Very well." Goetia nodded once, the only reason he accepted was purely to relish in the anguished faces that Romani was making.

It was cathartic to him.

Chrom drummed his fingers on the table further along, looking down towards the trio sat at the base before he looked to the person next to him "You not gonna join in?"

"No, no." Robin shook her head, a pleased smile on her face "I'm fine with watching for the time being. Besides…I'm enjoying watching Romani's face shift around like that. It's very amusing to me."

Chrom exhaled "You know, you have quite the vicious streak when you truly try."

"Meh." Robin shrugged, "Maybe he would have told me about the thousand or so ex-wives he has."

"I believe only some of them were wives." Claude offered from across the table, snickering the whole time he was speaking "At least a third of them were concubines, right? So it's not as bad as having a thousand wives."

"Ah, yes. Silly me." Robin rolled her eyes amusedly "I was worried for a moment."

"Glad I could help." Claude beamed, only to hiss when a thud went out under the table. Lysithea next to him sent the boy a fierce scowl. "...Did you have to kick me that hard?"

"Did you have to make such an unnecessary comment?"

"...Alright." Claude looked at Robin "...Wanna hear embarrassing stories about Sparkles?"

"Absolutely!" The girl whirled on Claude instantly "Tell me everything!"

Chrom rubbed the bridge of his nose, turning his attention to the man seated opposite him. The blonde prince offered a similarly tired expression. "...First time?"

"No." Dimitri denied "You?"

"Nope." Chrom replied in an exasperated tone of voice "...Strangest peace talks I have ever been to before."

"Same."

"...Wanna hit the training field while they gossip?"

"Only if you agree not to declare war when I beat you."

Chrom barked a laugh "Right back at you!"

The pair shot up from the table, ignored by the gossipers as they ran around in the direction of the tent flat.