Chapter 93: New paint. Same House.
She was unsure of what she was supposed to draw from the journey they had taken here, perhaps she had been expecting something to be revealed to her but at the end of it all, when they were finally in Enbarr, Edelgard found herself rather underwhelmed by the entire ordeal. Or perhaps she was just disappointed, maybe Hubert had seen something more that she had not but her attention had been elsewhere.
The presence of the Archbishop had been something of a surprise for her, Goetia's presence as well although it was likely that the two had been pure coincidence. The man - if he could be called that - had his own links with the Merchant they were in charge of escorting and he was the sort to take matters into his own hands. That was something she felt as though she could empathise with him on some level.
Archbishop Rhea had been a surprise to both of them, and their relationship was a surprise to her.
No, relationship was a poor choice of words.
Whether Rhea was being more amicable with Goetia, it was obvious that Goetia's own opinion of the woman had only partially changed. Perhaps, but it was clear that the two were now on speaking terms. Which was rather problematic moving forwards, but her mind could not help but return to her associate, the one who appeared utterly unconcerned with Goetia being here despite the fact they were related with one another.
The confidence of Lemegeton was singular.
She glanced at Hanneman, the Professor finishing up his conversation with Anna before he made his way back towards them. They had arrived at the city on the eve of dusk, there was little else they could do at this point beyond make themselves at home. She had lodgings within the capital away from home, she had little interest in going to the palace at the moment.
There was only one time in which she would do that and it was not this moment.
"For those of us who do not have a residence within the Imperial Capital." The Professors words echoed out, he cast a glance towards the direction of the expected group, namely their sudden arrivals and that of Petra. "Then I am prepared to offer lodgings within my own small estate for the time being. It is only a short time we will be here, long enough for Miss Anna to complete whatever she needed done and then we shall depart."
The man paused for a moment, then turned to the woman in question, who nodded her head once.
"She assures me that - at most - it will take two days." He informed them. "Which means that it should go without saying that even though you may all be citizens of the Empire, I expect you to conduct yourselves in a manner befitting students of the officers academy. Any reports of slips in behaviour will not be tolerated, regardless of birth. Understood?"
"Understood." She joined in with the agreement, it was something she could respect about Hanneman. He took his role very seriously and did not treat them differently based upon their birth, though that was expected. She would have been infuriated if the man was merely using his position to curry imperial favour, whatever else could be said about Garreg Mach, the academy was certainly an academic installation of value.
A glance to the side at the sound of footsteps, Hubert was beside her and leaning down to whisper. "I would suggest we break away from the group, Lady Edelgard. There is little else to be gained here and much to discuss elsewhere related to the topics of the academy. There is further news of other locations which have since reached my ears."
Politics.
How tiresome.
More so when they often ended the same way.
She nodded her head to him up and down, bringing her focus back towards the direction of Hanneman and stepping towards the Professor, moving around the other students and passing by Goetia as she did so. The golden haired man seemingly glanced at something inside his inner pocket with a frown. Perhaps the lining was just coming away from his clothes, they did look rather old and run down.
"Professor Hanneman." Calling out to him once close enough, the bespectacled man turned on her in a moment. "Myself and Hubert shall retire for the evening, if that is agreeable to you. There are some small matters within the capital that I need to be informed of."
The man watched her only for a moment, then he nodded his head once. "Of course, Edelgard. Just be sure to be in a position where you can be easily contacted should news arise and the students must be gathered. My warning extends to you as well to keep out of trouble…" he folded his arms behind his back, a faint frown playing on his lips as he glanced past her and towards the direction of Hubert. "Though I suspect that you are in good hands if any trouble does arise."
A dark chuckle from Hubert. "I assure you, Professor, that Lady Edelgard would scarcely even notice there was trouble heading her way before I took care of it."
"As you were then." Hanneman nodded to them once more, bringing up his hand and waving them down, pausing for only a moment. "Would you require an escort to your home or do you believe you shall be fine without it? Not that I doubt you could handle any wayward pickpocket yourself, merely that it would be best to keep up appearances."
Perhaps that would be the case, but she did not want to be seen walking the streets of Enbarr while being flanked by guards as though trying to separate the common folk from her. It would be difficult to present herself as an Empress looking out for her citizens if they were worried that even looking at her direction would be considered a crime. That was what many a noble did and she was in no mood to emulate them. An Emperor had no right to fear their own citizens.
"That will be unnecessary." A polite reply with an equally polite smile, she bowed her head just a touch and then turned from him, walking away and with Hubert moving a little behind her, scarcely making even a sound as his boots touched along the cobblestone. She knew these streets well enough, she'd seen them from enough carriage rides across the city.
A hum from Hubert after a couple of moments of silence. "Was that not a touch rash, Lady Edelgard?"
"On which part?"
"Departing so soon from the others." Hubert replied after a moment of silence, she thinned her lips but allowed him to elaborate. "The interactions between Goetia and the Archbishop have been most illuminating thus far, I believe they have found some common ground…or the Archbishop believes they have and is attempting to close the distance between them. Her attempts at being cordial appear much less hollow."
Then it was not just her imagination, but she suspected as much already. "Whether that is true or not, the opinions of Goetia do not conform to the doctrine of the Church of Seiros. Something he has made little secret of to me." she paused, then looked over her shoulder towards the boy with a raised eyebrow. "And is it wise to speak of this in the open where any might overhear?"
"Overhear what?" Hubert offered as innocent a smile as he could possibly manage. "I am merely a student engaging in gossip surrounding the interesting foreigner and his sudden closeness with the Archbishop. I believe that any would be…" his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed, the smile vanishing. "I suspect that even Dorothea has formed some conclusions of her own. Though I suspect they would all be grossly out of proportion to the real truth of it."
Edelgard did not even bother to suppress her smile as she stared at the older boy, turning from him after a moment and keeping her laugh silent. It did indeed sound like the sort of thing that Dorothea would do. "Perhaps you are correct, after that display during the night I have little reason to doubt that she is currently of the belief that the two are engaged in some manner of illicit affair."
Hubert remained silent.
She stopped walking, then turned around, meeting his blank stare with furrowed brows. A moment later, she raised a single eyebrow at him incredulously. "You cannot truly be entertaining that thought, can you? They visibly despised one another not too long ago. I was of the belief that it was only being in the good graces of the Teacher that kept Goetia from severe punishments."
"I did not claim that I believed it." He replied back after a moment. "All I was merely inferring was that perhaps it would be wise to not immediately dismiss it as baseless gossip. But nonetheless, I shall present it as a very unlikely set of circumstances that we can assume is nothing worth pursuing." a moment of silence, then he resumed speaking. "But it would seem as though Goetia and the Professor are at odds at the moment, something occurred recently and now the Professor will not even so much as look in the direction of Goetia."
What?
Her brows furrowed just a touch as she stared at the face of Hubert, this was news that she had not been expecting and had certainly come from nowhere. Everything between the Teacher and Goetia had seemed to be building towards an amicable friendship, to hear of infighting between them now was rather surprising. Then again, perhaps there was something that related to Goetia's approach. He was rather passive when it came to threats towards Fodlan until they involved him.
If there was one thing she disliked, it was that apathetic nature of him…but it would seem his efforts to claim Abyss under the guise of bettering the lives of the citizens there was proof of change. Though whether it was merely a cover or if those were his genuine intentions was something that she would need to keep track of.
"I see…" Rubbing her chin, she nodded her head slowly before she turned away from the man once more. "Come then, there is much to discuss and I would prefer to do it in detail rather than stand in the streets and gossip. We're going to the house near the shopping district. That is one of the smaller properties and not so in the range of either my fathers associates nor my Uncles…allies."
Four hours and seventeen minutes until the sun would set and night would be upon them. That was a great deal of time for him, more than enough.
He stalked through the students as they looked to be making ready to depart to wherever they intended to go, his eyes swept across each and every one of them before they landed on the smaller figure towards the back, the one who had tried to make herself seem small and out of place. Like a cornered animal, perhaps it would have worked if it were anyone else.
He was not anyone else.
Marching towards her, she did not even notice he was upon her until the shadow fell over her. She clearly knew he was there, freezing up the second the light dimmed. An impressive reflex to a change in environment, they could not be mocked, though their origin was puzzling to be certain. The purple haired girl slowly turned her head towards him, eyes wide and full of fear.
"You can cease staring at me as though I mean you harm." He spoke down to her in as monotone a voice he could manage, being looked at with such emotions despite having not even done a single thing was irritating. He actually found this girls personality to be very nearly everything he despised, a walking cocktail of anxiety and terror. That she would show fear over even the most base of situations.
What manner of life had she led which would have brought about this conclusion?
She swallowed thickly, mutely nodding her head up and down and pressing herself a little closer inwards, as though trying to collapse into the ground and escape from him. He kept his expression blank, though he opted to take a half step backwards and grant her some more room. He would need to approach her in the same way he would approach an animal, it was insulting for the both of them.
"You have been to the Imperial Capital before, yes?"
Bernadetta nodded her head up and down slowly, not saying a single word.
"How familiar are you with the layout of the city?"
She wet her lips then glanced around, he saw the flicker of her eyes from point to point, subtle movements accompanied by the twitch of her limbs. Very clearly looking for anything that could allow her to escape from him. Alerting her to the fact he knew what she was attempting would only ensure she fled from him, this was one of the few individuals he would actually call upon for this assigned task.
"N-not very." Her voice trembled, barely above that of a whisper. "I've only been here a couple of times, m-my home is actually in a different territory a-and I didn't go out of my room m-much so-"
"Experience that still superseeds mine. It will suffice." He announced, cutting her off before she could continue her words. Letting her make more excuses to be away from him would do nothing but waste time, he had already made his own decision and he was going to stick with it until. Regardless of whether she had a desire to escape or not. "I am in need of a guide and scrying for the location I need will attract far too much attention. I am selecting you."
Bernadetta squeaked, much like a small rodent, and with wide eyes she pointed to herself. "Me? B-but I wouldn't be very good, I just said I don't know all that much about the capital an-and there are plenty of others around that have been here before!" her voice barely grew in volume, but was far more frantic. Eyes became crazed as they swung around and searched out someone else she could shift him towards. "L-like-"
"I am aware." The curt response silenced her, cutting off the avenue of escape. "And I have still come to you for this, because I am certain that even despite your ignorance as to the layout of the capital when compared to others, you remain the best option for me…" he trailed off, turning and glancing over his shoulder.
Few had noticed his being with the girl and those who had did not put much consideration into-
"Do not try and flee while my head is turned." The girl stopped and then retreated back to the spot she had been in, head pointed straight towards the ground and shuffling about rather nervously. Keeping his temper in control was becoming increasingly more difficult, he closed his eyes and brought his focus back onto the girl, letting out a single sigh before he brought his left hand up and moved it to his inner pocket.
The moment brought a panicked look into the eyes of the girl, it was utterly repulsive to him.
"I'm not threatening you and I would prefer you avoid screaming, it will be far more damaging to you than it will be for me." He cautioned her as he pulled the pocket open, the lack of a wail informed him that she took it seriously. At least she had some sense. He reached his hand in and as delicately as he could, removed the passenger from his inner pocket, stepping closer to the girl and holding it up so that only she would be able to see.
Her expression shifted from terror to bewilderment in a split second.
Staring at the little bird in his hand for a couple of moments, then turning her eyes up towards him.
"I require a library with details on the Imperial Banner Finch species." He explained as he clawed his hand around the bird to keep it steady. "I neglected to examine that part of Fodlan while in the library at the monastery, mainly because their notes on biological diversity in the fauna were lacking, and am in need of further research on the subject if I am to ensure the Finch survives into adulthood and is of further use."
Bernadetta just looked at him, then at the baby bird, and then back to him with a clear lack of understanding in her eyes.
Fighting the urge to click his tongue, he spoke with a bit more urgency. "I need the location of the largest library in the capital and I suspect they will not grant me entry unless I am accompanied by a Noble. I would prefer to keep this within the ranks of one who would not so easily pass this development along which brings me to you."
Silence.
Then the girl raised a single finger. "...Where did you get it?"
"The bird? I found it in the woods when I parted from the camp. It had been blown from a nest and I knew it would be dead within the hour without aid…so I elected to take it into my own custody with the intention of keeping it. There are uses I can gain that this bird will offer in exchange for my saving it's life."
She was still looking at him as though he hadn't even answered the question in the first place, he withheld another groan of annoyance. This was turning into much more work than he was prepared to put up with, but he would prefer to get her used to his presence so at the very least she didn't act like this when she was around him. Exposure therapy.
When she spoke again, it was slow and very confused. "Does…does this mean you want it to be like a messenger pigeon?"
Nothing so utterly base.
Were the limits of human imagination really so low?
Still, if it got her to understand the gravity of his question, then he could grant her that answer. "If you were to simplify it to its most basic component, then yes. This finch will serve me in distributing information of value quickly and efficiently. Do you have further questions in relation to the bird? This is your single chance to ask them, I will offer no more after this point."
Bernadetta clamped her mouth shut, then rapidly shook her head from side to side while making a muffled squealing noise. It was quite possibly one of the most offensive sounds he had ever heard in his life.
How did a person such as this exist?
How was this even allowed to happen?
Who was the utter fool who allowed for the creation of a human and the development of a personality such as this which was so deeply, personally, offensive to him?
His eyes lingered on her for a moment, he was all but certain that fear of him had driven the desire to ask the questions in relation to the bird. A fleeting moment of confidence banished away before it had a chance to flourish. It was a pity, she was rather tolerable for that one instant where she was actually asking him a question. Hopefully this short venture to the library would quell her irrational fears of him.
He hadn't even told her anything about himself, she had no reason to fear him.
It was supposed to have been a simple enough venture for them, they entered the property without incident and made their way towards one of the meeting rooms.
Then they entered.
And it got very complicated.
"You have a very impressive collection of books, Lady Edelgard." The giant that was Lemegeton spoke almost casually, as though his appearance here was nothing out of the ordinary, it had only been the slight rustle of pages in the room that even alerted herself and Hubert to the appearance of the thing, at which point Hubert stood before her with a hand menacingly pointed towards the giant.
"A student of history, examinations of all the old wars and how they were won…a curious subject to be sure, but I can approve of due diligence." When they finally turned, it was as though they didn't even acknowledge the existence of Hubert, their eyes sought her out instantly. "Which has inevitably brought us to this encounter once again. Though I had hoped it would have been sooner, the arrival of the Archbishop and Goetia had caught me off-balance."
She straightened herself out, thinning her lips and keeping her gaze locked onto the figure. "I assumed as much, given that you never attempted to contact me, despite your earlier claims to do so. If you are here now, then am I to assume that your previous claim is going to be validated?"
A nod of the head, they closed the book they had open in their hands, returning it to its rightful place on the shelf in the corner. Their arms moved around behind their body as they stalked forwards, ever silent as usual. "Quite right, yes. I am here for that reason. The Blue Lion Class have already encountered and defeated Miklan and his group of bandits, but neither of us are truly surprised by that. Even the greatest of weapons would be useless in the hands of those who know not how to wield them."
Edelgard folded her arms, keeping silent and allowing them to speak. She was certain they would eventually come to a point, briefly glancing towards Hubert and then reaching towards him, giving a faint tap on the arm with the back of her hand. He relaxed only after a second of hesitation but did not step behind her.
"The infusion of the Evlogía went without issue, for the most part at least." Lemegeton explained, only pausing for the little addendum at the end. "After which he was able to wield the Lance of Ruin as though he had been born with the corresponding Crest." his eyes turned on her and she could tell he was smiling underneath his hood, there was amusement in his red eyes. "Something that we both know would be rather important, no?"
Her lips pursed, there was no proof as she had not seen it with her own eyes and she likely would not know until after the Blue Lions returned. If they were forbidden to speak of what transpired, then it was likely that she was being told the truth, but for the time being she had nothing to support this bold claim beyond the words of this Demon. That being said, they were not wrong that if this was indeed true, then it was a bold leap forwards.
"I suppose you would be accepting of healthy scepticism?" Hubert's voice cut through her thoughts in that instant, voicing aloud what she held in private. Lemegeton switched his focus in the next moment, bringing his eyes onto Hubert but not visibly reacting beyond that. "After all, what you are claiming is rather impossible."
She glanced between the two silent figures for a couple of seconds.
"You are correct, statements without evidence are worthless." Lemegeton nodded their head up and down, turning away from Hubert and approaching the small table once more, reaching towards their cloak, their hand disappearing inside. "I could just as simply have claimed that the Blue Lions were all killed and I had delivered the ultimate weapon, you would have no way of knowing whether I was lying or not…Fortunately for all of us, I can answer such criticisms and put all doubts to rest."
Any question as to how they would manage this was put to rest when their hand returned, held within it was one of the small silvery cubes which she had seen used by her associates time and time again. Some manner of communication which they used to communicate vast distances, she was familiar with it.
"I trust you know what this device is." Lemegeton didn't even bother explaining as he set it flat atop the table, pressing a single button on the top and then drawing his arms back to his side. Taking a single step backwards. "I promised you a demonstration and I intend to live up to my words, Lady Edelgard. I authorised the use of the monitoring system in Agartha for this express purpose, and it was a display which fully demonstrated everything."
The box flashed, light flickered around it and Edelgard thinned her lips as she stared at the transparent diorama come to life. She moved forwards and stalked around, staring at the tower and noticing the blurry movements over the top, the faint crack of rumbling and the light flashes made it clear that it was thunder.
A tall tower, old and decaying, was brought into the focus.
The side of it exploded in the next second, a figure came flying out of it and towards the ground, crashing down with a splash of mud and a shower of debris. She stopped walking and stared, narrowing her eyes as the image moved closer once more, showing the grizzled expression and bright red hair of what could only be Miklan Gautier. Held firmly in his right hand was the Lance of Ruin, with no doubt of what was happening as the spear glowed a brilliant luminescent orange, as she had seen with every other Relic.
The image zoomed out, another blur erupted from the newly formed hole in the tower and rushed towards Miklan, bright green and moving faster than she could see, right up until it froze like a painting, remaining still and allowing her to see what it was. Her lips parted and her eyes widened just a touch, the Teacher was there, a faint green light surrounding her body and the Sword of the Creator swung down with both hands, the two relics frozen in their clash against one another.
Edelgard stared at the image, then looked up towards Lemegeton as they stood a short distance from her.
"...How long ago was this?"
"Not long. You noticed the moments where Goetia flickered around the camp, no?"
Goetia's sudden teleportations? Yes, she had seen those around the camp the night before when that storm passed over their head and headed westward. No one had questioned it but the increasing annoyance of Goetia was surprising, especially when he was quizzed by Linhardt why he was spontaneously teleporting to random locations of the camp without warning and in rapid succession.
"The two times coincide with one another…" Lemegeton gestured towards the image. "Professor Eisner was flickering time in order to survive the ordeal against Miklan, without that ability, she would have claimed a victory…My King and myself, however, are free of such trivial burdens as being constrained to linear time. Miklan's mind was being dragged back though…I suspect that was on account of the ignorance of the Goddess within Professor Eisner at the time-"
She held up her hand. "...Explain."
"You have noticed the physical similarities between Professor Eisner and the Nabeteans, yes?" Lemegeton questioned, to which she nodded her head. "They all come from the same purpose, as with the Sword of the Creator. A simple conclusion, the Relic will not operate without the Crest Stone, and yet the stone is missing from the weapon…though it works all the same."
Edelgard thinned her lips. "The Teacher has the stone within her?"
"A sudden conclusion to draw…but not incorrect. Good."
It explained a great deal, that was to be certain. She was blessed by the Goddess then and yet this thing showed not even a hint of concern. Her eyes returned to the image as it started to move, watching as Miklan flung the Teacher a great distance away from himself with what looked like a casual swing of the spear.
"You said Miklan was dead." Hubert remarked rather suddenly, she glanced as he stepped around and leaned closer to the display, watching it with a clinical gaze as though everything was telling him something. The dark haired man eventually leaned back, then glanced towards the direction of Lemegeton. "As impressive as this display might be, if he is dead then will the chance not be that his body will be returned to the Church…whereupon they will discover what has been done to him?"
Lemegeton inclined his head, slitted eyes narrowed just a touch. Almost as though he had been insulted by the sentence, she tensed by then relaxed as the anger faded. Understanding flickered through his eyes in the next moment, a faint hum rippling from their throat. "You want to know what I have put in place to ensure that this remains a secret for as long as possible then, yes?"
Hubert nodded once.
Lemegeton turned his attention back to the display. "...Incredible how the smell of dead flesh can attract some of the most interesting creatures. A stray Demonic Beast snatching away the corpse of Miklan, brought about by hunger, will do nothing to attract attention and any attention it gains will be dismissed."
"A single Demonic Beast?" Hubert replied, he didn't dismiss it however. "And should the Professor deal with it?"
An almost laugh from Miklan. "Her body is suffering from excessive mana depletion, it will be some time before she is at peak strength once more. She's drawing mana in from the environment but it will be some time before she has recovered completely…not unless she uses other methods to quickly restore her strength, but I suspect she will be prevented from pursuing that path."
Further silence, then they turned once more. "Besides, if the Evlogía could elevate Miklan to be on par with Divine Pseudo-Servant, how much stronger do you suppose a Demonic Beast would be when infused with the same substance? A two pronged offensive…A single demonic beast to make away with the body, while the other distracts the group long enough to be sacrificed. If the Professor has recovered, then she will be unable to divide her focus between the two."
That was a satisfactory answer for her, it kept the topic hidden save for word of mouth but without evidence, they would be unable to determine what had been specifically done to Miklan. It would seem as though Lemegeton was truly covering all his bases to ensure that utmost secrecy.
Her eyes returned to the screen as the battle continued.
It was…illuminating to say the least, provided it was no illusion, but that would be foolish for any number of reasons. He had proved himself capable with the Lonato event, which meant this might have been more of the same.
"...And what now?"
"Now?" Lemegeton hummed. "Now, we look towards other methods, such as a practice, yes? I would suggest you make whatever preparations you need. That being said, the old Crest Stones in the Church of Seiros are ample cores. They would increase the strength of their wielder and an infusion of the Evlogía would prevent the conversion into Demonic Beasts…yes, that is something that can occur, if you were not already aware."
She was, but that was beside the point.
"But…I shall leave you to your evening, I'm certain that I have given you much to deliberate on and it is time away from the greater picture." He reached towards the box, turning it off and ending the picture. Picking it back up and drawing it back into his cloak. "I suggest you enjoy yourself as best you can, leave the wide thinking for another time…Clear your mind, so to speak."
There was one thing she wanted to know.
"Goetia alluded to being defeated before."
Lemegeton froze. "...Ritsuka Fujimaru defeated all of us, yes."
"He claimed they were ordinary."
"They were indeed." They confirmed, nodding their head up and down. "Nothing but an ordinary human, I know not what happened in the final moments of the temple, that is an experience shared only between my King and Fujimaru. Though I know that the boy survived and was able to escape…and something more." remaining silent for a few moments, the creature eventually let out a faint noise. "My King has changed and now…I dare say it is for the better. Focus returns to his life, I'm pleased…but he becomes more dangerous."
Edelgard narrowed her eyes. "To the plan?"
A shrug. "Perhaps, but I do not believe he would intervene in your efforts. Leave my King to me, I will see him when the time is right and explain all that is meant to be. He will either accept it or…" they trailed off, but their intentions were blatant.
"...Why tell me this?"
Lemegeton blinked. "Because I truly do see myself within you, or see ourselves within you. A single devotion to commit to righting the wrongs of the world, even if you alone are the one who sees them. Not relying on others or the passage of time to correct them…" they turned away from her, back facing and started to walk away. "A single desire to see it done before the end. This one life you are given and you shall make the world right with it, I am driven with the same purpose…that is why I am open with you, Edelgard."
They vanished immediately after they finished speaking, offering her no further chances to reply.
She stared at the empty space, then turned her eyes onto Hubert, he met them with the same look. Neither one of them trusted Lemegeton for a single instant, while he might have been more cordial than her other associates, that was hardly a hurdle that could be passed with difficulty.
Being stood here in the street was an odd experience, perhaps it was the words of Dorothea which lingered in his mind from their talk from yesterday, but he had become much more aware of the stares he was receiving from those who walked these streets, where once he would have spared them not even a glance, he could catch the moment where their eyes darted from him.
He would make contact and they would break it first, as though they had been caught doing something wrong.
Not that he truly cared for their opinions, but it was something he was more acutely conscious of. His eyes lingered on them, faint steps upon the cobblestone behind him turned his head from them and back towards the estate, Hanneman being a man of repute was hardly a surprise, but something of this scale was a little beyond his expectations. Though clearly he valued his educational talents beyond remaining in the capital.
Irrelevant.
Dorothea approached him, an entirely new outfit on today, faint red in colouration with low hanging shoulders, white fur around them. Overlaid atop a dull green skirt and black tights, matching coloured gloves moved up the length of her arms right the way to the short puffy sleeves she wore, not even reaching her elbows. She came to a stop right next to him, offering a smile and bowing her head. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting all that long."
Was that truly a concern?
"I adjusted my expectations to match your speed and known interest in fashion." He replied to her after only a single moment, she raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Yet there was still that odd look in her eyes as though he might have said something amusing, yet she did not elaborate. That was fine, he felt no mockery from her, merely another case of curious humour where none existed.
"...Well?" She stepped back, then brought her arms up and gave him an expectant look.
Was she looking for compliments on her attire?
He looked her up and down, only once, then returned his gaze to her eyes. "It is another impressively designed outfit which compliments you well."
Her lips rolled inwards, despite the pleased look in her eye she seemed to be on the verge of laughing once, stepping close and moving to his left side, looping her arm around his single one and then pulling him along as they moved onto the street. "Most would say that I looked beautiful in the dress, but I must compliment you on giving out praise while being so distant about it."
"Distant?" He tasted the word, internally humming to himself. "I have made my opinion clear in the past. You are an objectively attractive young woman who takes great care in her opinion, I suspect that you could make use of even the simplest attire and still catch the eye of whatever human male strode past you, whether they had a spouse or were single."
Dorothea stopped walking, she turned her head and stared at him with an utterly blank look, one that he matched. After a couple of seconds, she opened her mouth and spoke rather slowly. "I believe there is only so much my heart can take, Gotie. Perhaps leave it at one compliment per day, else I fear as though I might end up falling head over heels for you." there was a teasing lit in her tone which made it clear she wasn't being serious.
"...While it is a jest, you should take greater care with home you make those remarks around." He turned his head from her, it was never something he considered and would still never consider. The concept of romance with a human just never even entered his mind. "I would be a poor suitor for any attempt at romance…and there are doubtless better you could find for yourself."
"You don't need to put yourself down like that, Gotie." Dorothea exhaled, shaking her head from side to side as she led him through the streets, smiling all the while. "I suspect there would be many women who would consider you to be something of a prize catch. Polite, honest, quite handsome…" she trailed off, teetering her head from side to side. "There might be a bit of overconfidence and a touch of condescension but other than that…"
"I was under the impression that humans responded negatively to those traits."
"Some do, some don't." She shrugged, then sent him an almost coy smirk. "I met quite a few women in my time at the Opera who would have been this close to throwing themselves at you by the end of the conversation." holding up her hand, she pinched her fingers together and let out a light giggle. "...Though I believe that Professor Manuela might have also been included in that list."
…What a ghastly notion to even consider.
"Talk of Manuela aside." He would prefer to never even allow the topic to be approached ever again. "I shall assume that you have some manner of destination in mind for us to visit upon first? Given your experience in shopping."
Dorothea confirmed with a nod. "I do, though I am a little bit curious as to why you and Bernadetta were so late coming back, you seemed to be rather…busy when you both left." she shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine if you keep secrets, but Bernie isn't really one to head off with strangers after a single conversation…"
"I required her assistance with a matter I would prefer not to speak of." He replied after only a single moment, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "There was nothing else involved, she was merely the only one I could use for the task at hand…It was also an attempt at repeated exposure to my presence so that she would become less anxious when I was around her, it was becoming…tiresome."
"Ah, so you're just trying to get Bernie used to you then, fair enough." A light chuckle. "I will tell you right now that it will take some time, I've been with her for months now and she's still rather ill-at-ease around me. I think it's something to do with the way she was brought up, how at home she is in her own room and away from others…" her expression started to falter for a brief second, her eyes moved away, even he could tell that her thoughts were lingering on the origin of the girl's fear.
She was quite right. It was learned.
"Perhaps a less distressing topic for you would be more appropriate."
"Oh? Are you trying to look out for my mood, Gotie? How considerate."
He hummed. "I would merely prefer that if we are to do this, it be done when your mind is utterly focused on the task at hand and not distracted by topics that neither one of us are particularly pleased with." raising an eyebrow, he met her stare. "Unless you would prefer that we speculate on the mental health of every single one of your peers."
A flat look from the brunette before she rolled her eyes. "I'll just take it as you wanting me to be happy and leave the rest of the sentence to one side. I tend to be a little bit picky like that, wanting the very best…now then, I do have a destination in mind for the two of us to visit first, they have always made some good quality clothing at affordable prices…" she trailed off, then brought her attention back towards him and just past his face, now aimed at the back of his head. "Though if this were to be about more than just clothes-"
"Do not push the subject of my hair."
"Can you blame me for trying?"
He could and he would.
"So then…what would you like to try on first?" Dorothea inquired as she turned back around to face him, waving a hand in front of the collection of hanging clothes. Each of them were rather similar in design and colouration, only minor differences in tone but beyond that, common suits and trousers as befitting of what he would assume was middle class.
None of them looked…he felt nothing as he stared at them.
It must have shown on his face, Dorothea's own expression dropped for a moment before a thoughtful look flashed across it, she brought her hand back around and cupped her chin, stepping towards him and humming quietly to herself. "How about this, what was fashion like where you are from? I'm certain you'd have been able to remember that much?"
"I am familiar with thousands of different articles of clothing from as many different cultures from my own lands, you would need to be-"
"No, no." She waved a hand, then held a single finger in front of his face, just shy of touching his lips before she drew it back. "What I mean is, what was clothing like where you were from. What did the people of your own city wear? What did you wear when you were still…" she trailed off, glancing around and visibly looking as though she was fighting a frown.
He could feel the silent stares of the other patrons but ignored them for the most part.
"I doubt you would find much that would be similar to the fashion of my own land but…" He started, then finished as he allowed a thought to settle. His mind returned to the attire that he was most used to. He turned around, seeking out one of those who was tasked with running the store. Soon his orbs landed on a blonde woman not far from him, they made eye contact. "I require directions."
The woman hesitated for a moment, then applied a smile on her face that could not have looked more false unless she had tried. Approaching the pair of them with the same look, then coming to a halt before them, her hands clasped together. "Is there something I can do for you, Madam?"
The question was directed towards Dorothea instead of him, how unsurprising.
He sent a sharp look in the direction of Dorothea the moment it looked like she was going to say something, she caught it and held herself back. Giving the woman a matching smile which lacked any and all feeling. "I believe that my friend here is in need of some directions around the store, would you be kind enough to help him?"
"...Certainly, madam." The blonde turned to him and offered a slightly dimmer smile. "Is there something that I can help you with?"
"Pleated black skirts." He stated.
A blink from the woman, her earlier look giving way to confusion. "Excuse me?"
"I require knowledge of whether you have pleated black skirts."
A slow nod of the head. "We do but…" her eyes looked back towards Dorothea and then towards him once more. "Forgive me, I thought that…Was it not you who required attire? The mens clothing is-"
"You have them, good." He cut her off, turning side on and giving a single passing glance at the clothing before he hummed quietly to himself. Perhaps he would return to it at another time, there was something that he would require first and foremost before all else. "If you would be capable enough of showing me the directions to them, I would be appreciative."
Dorothea looked just as puzzled, then offered a single shrug and looked at the woman. "Well, you heard him."
The blonde remained visibly bewildered, but finally got around to performing the job she was actually paid for and started to lead them away and further into the shop.
A pleated black skirt.
That was how it had started, that was his first request.
Dorothea wasn't one to judge, but she had been rather surprised by the speed at which he had made the demand. Or rather, perhaps it was the confidence and the specific nature of the demand for that one piece of attire. He hadn't even made an effort to try on any of the suits before he went right into something that was out of left field for her.
The skirt had been his first demand.
Then he looked through all of them, denying each one again and again until he came upon one that was made longer than the others. Long enough that it would have reached the very top of his feet, he was rather specific towards the height and outright rejected efforts to make it shorter. She was initially wondering whether he was just doing this to be petty towards the clerk and she would have been fine with it if he was.
Then she saw the look in his eyes, the look that was telling.
He was being completely serious, approaching it with the same look that he approached anything else he was devoting his time towards. She didn't know if he was enjoying it or not, but he was being absolutely serious in how he was handling the situation. He didn't even try on the skirt when it was done, he just took it and then went towards the shirts, looking through all of them before eventually demanding one without sleeves.
Not just short sleeves, but without sleeves entirely.
Any thought that he had meant a vest went flying out of the window when he specifically made mention to a button up shirt without any sleeves. That was what he wanted and that was what he was determined to get.
Then they said they didn't make shirts like that, so he just offered to pay them to remove the sleeves. The face the clerk made when he actually produced quite a few gold coins just for that one modification without batting an eye was rather hilarious to her.
Then it became less funny when the clerk asked her whether that was alright with her.
She had to explain that it was his own earned money and he wasn't her servant.
Oh, she was polite about everything else and it had been as she expected it to be, but perhaps that was the worst part of it. She knew Goetia looked like he was from either Duscur or Almyra to most people and neither of those two locations were held in high regard anywhere in Fodlan at the moment. He wasn't stupid either, she knew he recognised those stares.
But the shopping went on.
Once again, when Goetia got the shirt back with the modifications he just put it in the same bag as the skirt without even trying it on. Then he actually asked for a black vest after that, Dorothea had to bite the inside of her cheek from laughing at that point, the blonde woman looked rather irritated but did comply, after all Goetia was paying for all of it. Then he got his black vest without complaint, or visible complaint that was.
Then the final thing he asked for was a mantle cape, preferably white and longer than his arms.
That was probably the easiest thing he asked for, it was one of the more common wares she had seen that nobles would adorn themselves with, normally for party or display purposes. Goetia was fine with a plain white one.
Then he stopped.
His eyes moved away from that and he started walking further along until he came to a stop in front of another displayed one.
She didn't blame him for looking towards this one. A bright white in colouration around the points where the arms would have been on sleeves, it transitioned into a deep black of the opposite colour. A block colour around the back of the shoulders and straight down, the interior lined with velvet red. It was more like a mantle than the others in the shop, this one with a silver steel collar moving around the underside to create a pointed effect for the shoulders.
Quite literally, it was the type of cloak that one would just mount on the top of their body.
Certainly a great deal more expensive than the other. She knew this one was of a higher quality, the sort that one of the higher nobles would have worn.
"Are you sure about that one, Gotie?" She whispered to him, stepping at his side and looking up towards it. "It is quite a bit more expensive…I know you haven't been using much money but…"
His dull red eyes turned to her for a brief moment, then back to the cape before he made a small noise somewhere in the back of his throat. "You are correct, cosmetic differences mean nothing against practicality and yet…" he trailed off, she could see the odd look in his eyes and she felt the corners of her lips pull themselves upwards, that was a feeling she knew well enough.
"Caught your eye, has it?" She hummed lowly towards him, glancing between the cloak and then towards him once more. It was certainly an eye catching piece and with the current colour scheme he had going on, she could see it working. Perhaps, but that was just from the outside. He would need to wear it to get a final opinion from her.
"I wonder…" He took a step closer, then made a low humming sound once again, this one sounded more puzzled. "So close and yet to far…I wore something like this long ago, but it was of a much greater quality, much greater and yet looking at this now…So similar and yet so different."
"So you have an eye for mantle cloaks then?"
"It was just something I wore." He replied rather dully, yet there was an odd note in his voice. "Something that merely…was handed down to me. Not something I put true consideration into at any point in time, yet looking upon it now…I wonder…"
Turning away from her, he nodded once towards the clerk. "How much?"
The woman made a face for a moment before she replied. "That is one of our more popular items with a higher clientele…Perhaps one of the other mantles would be more in range of your-"
She cut herself short from the look she received from him, eventually her expression lost all trace of feeling and she replied in a rather toneless voice. "Three thousand gold."
Dorothea pursed her lips, that was about the price range she expected. Nearly five times the price of the most expensive thing they had purchased thus far. She glanced in the direction of Goetia, even if they were in one of the less expensive locations, this still wasn't the sort of place that commoners would have attended and the prices demonstrated that-
"Acceptable."
She stared at Goetia with a rather dumbfounded face, something she was certain she had in common with the clerk at this point in time.
"Gotie…" A low whisper got his attention, she took hold of his arm and pulled him towards her as she lowered her voice enough that only the two of them could hear. "I understand that you like the look of this thing but there's really no need to empty your coffers for it, I'm sure that a regular mantle will work just the same as-"
"I have been working as a partner for one of the most successful merchants in the continent for a little over a month." Goetia replied to her slowly, giving her a peculiar stare as he did so before leaning back, raising a single brow. "Even without that, I believe I mentioned that I have a sum already built up from my time employed with the Church…I assure you, I have sufficient funds to cover the expenses."
She released his sleeve, then nodded her head once. "If you say so…"
With that done, Goetia returned his focus to the woman. "As I said, it is acceptable. This shall be the last item on the agenda for me."
The blonde looked rather bewildered for a couple of seconds, then slowly nodded her head up and down. "W-would you care for access to a fitting room before you make a final purchase?"
"...I believe I shall."
With that, the woman swiftly wandered away from them, casting a look over her shoulder towards them a couple of times before she vanished amidst the clothes. Leaving them alone with one another, but Dorothea was far from convinced about Goetia's earlier statement. He said he had sufficient funds, but that meant any number of things.
"So how much will you have left after this?"
"...This final item will bring my tally to five thousand gold…" He remained silent for a couple of seconds, perhaps he realised he had not answered the question and then saw fit to reply. "...I will be left with one-thousand-nine-hundred and five gold left after this final purchase."
Dorothea fought back the urge to slap her hand over her face, but she did exhale under her breath and then turn on Goetia, raising a single eyebrow at him and placing her hands on her hips. "I would have thought you'd have a better understanding of keeping a tight lid on your purse…"
Goetia didn't even look ashamed of it, instead he just thinned his lips. "I cannot explain why but I saw the cloak and I…I merely decided that it was the one piece that would be right. Even without putting it on, that was all I could think of…How unusual, perhaps it was the similarity with my old attire."
She tilted her head, raising a brow. "I wondered why you were being so specific, is this you trying to recreate an old outfit the best you could?"
"...It was the only clothes I ever knew before this simple robe." He explained to her after a single moment. "It was all I had ever truly worn that could be considered unique. My foundation for what I would consider acceptable clothing. I know that without my own personal intervention, I shall never wear that outfit again but it is…acceptable to create something close enough to it."
A reminder of home.
…Well, she could let his little actions slide then.
"Still, all of this on a single outfit?" She raised a brow at him, he remained silent as she stared. "...I suppose I could get you a couple of nice little suits for other occasions…just so you had more than one item of clothing for you."
"...That is your choice."
She did not even hide the smile, it was very clearly not a no.