Chapter 95: Feeling the morning green.

His return to the Hanneman estate later in the day was coupled with only a singular goal, he had been away too long but he would have been alerted if there were any concerns, thus he was not as alert as he otherwise would have been. Between keeping it within the regular world and in a pocket dimension, he opted for the former of the two if only to avoid stress on the fragile mind of the animal.

Stepping forwards, he gripped the handle and pulled the door open, stepping to the side and turning his head towards Dorothea expectantly.

Her apparent surprise at the gesture lasted for only a moment before offering him a grateful smile and then stepping past him and into the house, speaking her thanks in addition as she passed him by. The surprise she showed was rather puzzling to him, he did not believe he had come across as discourteous throughout their entire day, despite the fact it had not been his initial intention to even be there.

"Well then, I for one, shall speak first and say this has been a rather enjoyable day." Dorothea spoke, twirling around and facing him, clasping her hands together. "I would like to thank you for making this day so interesting…and for trusting me enough to speak of some of your more private moments."

Private?

Oh, she meant with his revelation of his existence under the rule of Solomon. That was only private because Fodlan lacked the same manner of understanding as his original world. There, it was common knowledge by even the ordinary human that Solomon contracted seventy-two demons, though the exact manner of that existence was admittedly known only to Solomon and a few others, that was the extent of it.

Still…he supposed she was the first person he had actively told about his purpose, not even Sothis or Byleth knew that much about him. What a strange thing it was, he spent more time with the two of them and yet it was Dorothea that was the first to know what his observation entailed. Even then, she did not know the full extent.

Really…what was he even doing?

"It is not something you should be thanking me for, and I would prefer you did not alter the way in which you treated me simply because you know more of my past." He dismissed the stray thoughts from his mind, focusing on the brunette in front of him. "I…suppose I can offer you some praise for your choice in locations, they were adequate and the time we spent together today was fruitful in some way."

It was an experience, one he would value.

If only because it was something he had never done before and it was something humans did.

The face of the young woman softened. "That is probably as close as I am ever going to get for you saying that you have a lovely time as well, but I appreciate you feeling that way. Really, I do…now then, I shall return to my room and then change myself into something easier to move around in." a low bow of the head towards him. "I shall see you later, Gotie, and I really hope that you keep those places I showed you in mind for when you find that special someone to take around yourself."

A frown came upon his lips.

"Your obsession with my personal life is bordering on intrusive." He turned his eyes from her and towards the house, letting out a breath of exasperation as he did so. "Refrain from pushing your luck so far for a single day, I have already offered your courtesy enough in agreeing to this."

"You say that, but you were the one who practically flung himself towards the clothes before I even had a chance to make any real suggestions."

"...I did not fling myself at the clothes. I merely judged what would be appropriate for myself to wear in conjunction with-"

Her roll of the eyes cut him off, his lip curled into a deeper frown as she gave him some manner of look that was almost incredulous. Perhaps she was getting braver because of his lack of a reaction. He could never imagine receiving these manner of doubts and comments from any of his own component Demon Gods.

…Well, it wasn't as though he was required to give them serious thought, so long as she did not cross the realms from a jest to an insult then he would grant her some leniency in what he would allow her to get away with.

"Whatever you say, Gotie." She waved her hand, turning around and then offering a slow wink at him. "Whatever you say.~"

With that done, she moved out of the main hall, just as the door clicked open behind him and someone passed through. He turned around, the new entrant catching his line of sight almost immediately and the two of them engaging in a brief staring contest with the other.

Linhardt paused the moment he caught sight of him, freezing in the doorway with his fingers still upon the handle, raising a lone eyebrow and shifting his focus up and down him in a slow and deliberate manner, then turning his attention away from him and presumably towards the retreating form of Dorothea.

A short noise of understanding rippled from his throat before he returned to his own actions. Unslinging the bag from his shoulder and resting it on one of the side tables. "I see that Dorothea was able to abscond with you for the majority of the day."

There was something apathetic about the tone of voice from the boy that was rather an odd detail to him. He was aware Linhardt was far from the stereotype of a noble, there was still value in one's appearance, at least within the circle of high society. To hear him speak in such a way was rather…interesting. "Do you disapprove?"

"I've never placed much value on fashion." The boy remarked with a shake of the head. "While you might look nice for a time, if someone doesn't like who you are personally, some strips of cloth aren't going to change their opinion of you for the better. Fashion works only for a first impression and not much else after that…" a sigh followed the sentence, opening up the bag and unveiling the contents. "But nobles have to keep up with appearances, I suppose…"

His lethargic comment made his views on that rather apparent, Goetia merely hummed in response. He agreed with them for the most part, but it devolved to personal opinion. He did not have the luxury of Linhardt when it came to his appearance and the thought of being viewed as a vagrant was now rather impressed upon his mind. Regardless of whether he cared or not, he would prefer to avoid being thought of as less.

His gaze swept towards the contents of the bag, a series of books being pulled forth and laid flat against the table. Stepping around the side of the boy, his eyes fell upon the names and authors of each of them. All having a single shared goal, a link with crests and their study. "Making use of your time to retrieve information from the grand archives?"

A shrug of the shoulders. "I figured that if I was going to step out into the capital, I could at least go somewhere that would actually interest me…but I doubt the librarians would appreciate me falling asleep so I was loaned the books with the promise of returning them in short order."

Bringing his head up, Linhardt curled his lips down. "...I examined for further notes upon the 'Mother of Stars' because the library in the monastery was rather limited for information on that subject, more of the same…I had hoped that Enbarr would have been more inclusive on the matter but it seemed I had overestimated the reach of the library."

The creator of the Golems employed by the Church to guard the Chalice, that had been some time ago. "You are still searching on information regarding that topic?"

Linhardt paused, then raised his brows at him as though he had said something odd. "Quite so, this is something which isn't actively discussed or even made mention of. I would say that it was something of an interest of mine at this point…" his expression fell, lips pulled down into a frown as his focus returned to the books. "But there was nothing at all. Though there was something about the language the Golems used which was odd to me…it is incredibly old, much older than the current languages and I had wondered why it was so familiar to me."

He turned over the books, then found the one of a red tone, flipping it open and sweeping through the pages until he landed on it. "Here we are, it dates back to the first recorded words of the Prophet Seiros, right before the onset of the War of Heroes…information back then is difficult to come by purely because no one was smart enough to start writing it down in bulk…then some of the only libraries at the time were burned down."

Goetia felt his own lip curl in displeasure, now stepping to be side by side with Linhardt, his gaze focused on the page and tracking the finger of the teenager before he stopped. Some of the words utilised were indeed of the old Greek language. Holding up his hand, Linhardt stopped and said nothing as he moved his hand towards the page and tapped upon the writing. "There, she speaks of the blessings of the Goddess. Directly from the Goddess as well, for those who carry out her messages…"

"Ah, yes. That was why it struck me." Linhardt hummed, then read the passage aloud, albeit rather clunkily. "Proséchete ta lógia mou, chaménes psychés, férno mazí mou tin evlogía tis Theás."

"Attend to my words, lost souls, I bring with me the blessing of the Goddess." Goetia repeated the words in the more common tongue, his eyes focused on the 'blessing' as she so described. His eyes remained on it, then moved his hand to his chin as he turned his focus onto the green haired boy. "The implication would be that the 'Evlogia' spoken of by the Golems which increased their power were part of this blessing that Seiros spoke of."

A nod of the head. "The Mother of Stars, not to mention the crest the Golems bore and their proximity to the Church…but the fact they barely exist anymore is rather more puzzling, I would say it is an art lost to time but…" he frowned, shaking his head from side to side. "I'm not entirely sure why anyone would even wish to lose such a thing? Though there are few mentions of them in the history books…none at all, actually."

Yes, that was rather curious.

"You suppose the 'Crests' are further examples of the Blessings?" He knew the origin of the crests, those taken from the deceased members of Seiros people, but the similarities in language were becoming rather puzzling to him. There was something odd about this situation that he could not quite discern. Something was alluding to him. "An interesting theory…"

A nod from Linhardt. "Yes, but it feels rather…simplistic. Much as I would enjoy that to be the case, I would say it is much too easy and from the books found within Abyss, there is further mention of something else…apparently, there was an eleventh elite, but their name has been expunged from all public documents. I am unsure whether they are even real or merely a product of an enthusiastic writer."

The boy cut himself short, his eyes closed and he moved a hand in front of his mouth as a yawn erupted from him, lasting several seconds before he closed his mouth and gave a tired blink, rubbing his eyes. "Though I've spent a great deal of time away and would much prefer to think on this when I have had a decent rest…I'm not going to trouble my mind through problems while I fight to keep my eyes open."

A low grunt was his response, turning from the boy and then stopping short for only a brief second. "I intend to re-open my lessons on magecraft when I return. I shall finalise the details at a later date. If you maintain an interest in the topic, then it is open for you to return."

Linhardt offered a nod of the head towards him, a tired blink soon following. "Well, I'll be sure to attend, though I'm curious. Will you hold the lessons in Abyss or in the Monastery?" he tilted his head. "I ask because it is rather common knowledge that you have spent much of your time there as of late, I assumed you were taking over from Aelfric."

"That was my intention, yes." It was the only conclusion that one could truly make. "As for where the lessons will take place, that shall be determined at a later date."

A shrug. "I shall leave that to you then…I shall retire to my room and then go for a nap. Please, tell anyone that if they need me…they, in fact, do not." with that comment, the teen bundled the books into his arms and walked away without offering another word, moving towards the stairs and disappearing up them and further into the house.

Goetia spared him barely a thought, beyond the curious developments he had made with the Crests. Something of which might have been of note, perhaps he should consult with Harold as well when he returned. Yes, they would have continued to read the book he gifted them and with luck, they would have more information to yield upon this subject. The 'blessings' of the golems were far in advance of what the blessings of crests were, but that was for another time.

He had something far more important to worry about.

"Report on progress of-"

"Yeeee!"

A shape dived into the bed at rather impressive speeds, the yell of surprise cut off his sentences and curbed whatever else he might have thought in the time as his mind ground to a halt. Merely watching silently as the purple haired girl vanished into the bedsheets and with a rather impressive display of speed, wrapped herself up in the blankets and was out of sight all within the span of a few seconds.

He kept his gaze on the human sized lump now resting on top of the bed, held so perfectly still that he would have assumed there was nothing beneath it if he was anyone else. Though he was not anyone else and as fast as she was, he had seen her in the first place and he knew she was still there.

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath before he exhaled out of his nose, opening his eyes once more and calming his nerves from his instinctive reaction which would not have helped. "Bernadetta. I am only here to check on the progress of the Finch. After I have done that, I shall depart and you may return to your solitude without concern of me returning once more."

The lump on the bed barely so much as twitched, but he dismissed it almost immediately. Instead he turned his focus onto one of the pulled out drawers near the bed, stepping towards it and glancing down inside, surrounded by a small collection of torn cloth from some old clothes, the little finch stared up at him and then opened its mouth wide, already begging for food within the split second it caught sight of him.

Humming quietly to himself, his jaw rolled to the side as he examined the conditions it was in. The temperature was within acceptable levels and there was enough lighting in here - courtesy of the chandelier - that it was not unnatural for the bird. Though he would have preferred a room with a window, he had to manage his expectations with Bernadetta accordingly. Nonetheless, she had performed her role to the letter.

"...I am satisfied with your work here." He announced, moving his hand inside and placing it underneath the makeshift nest of scraps of cloth. Cupping his palm around it as he held it up at eye height. Turning it left and right to examine it more thoroughly, the finch tracked his movements as well, turning itself to follow him all the while begging for food with a faint chirping noise.

With a simple thought, he drew his hand away while the bird and its nest remained suspended in the air. Reaching out with his finger and piercing through space, returning a moment later with more of the bug mush on the end of it. Twisting it around into a thin point and then moving it towards the bird, it caught sight of the food and then turned its focus onto that, still beak open as it rather greedily consumed its latest provision.

"..."

"Hmph?" He turned to the muffled noise within the bed, his gaze briefly parting from the finch as he stared at the bedsheets with a raised brow. He had not been so alert, her words had been lost to him. Which meant he would likely need to wait for her to repeat what she had said.

Slowly but surely, the front of the bedsheets parted, just enough that he could make out the eye of Bernadetta poking through. Her anxious voice came out next. "D-did you think of a name for them?"

A name?

For what reason would he give them a name?

Bernadetta let out another squeak and then retreated back into the depths of her hideaway, moving before he could ask her why she believed he needed to name the bird. It was going to serve as a familiar, it was not as though it required a unit designation to complete its functions. It would offer no benefits to him to give the bird a name in the least. It existed purely so he could cut down on the need for scrying, or so that he could observe the world more covertly than a scrying spell would allow.

Furthermore, it had been on nothing more than a mere whim that he even kept this thing alive in the first place. It was a tool for his use and little else, only spared because he happened to feel charitable at the time and nothing more. His focus turned back onto the finch. The chick made a series of beeping noises as it opened its mouth once more, clearly begging for yet more food despite the fact he had given it ample.

His lip pulled down.

"...Why a name?"

Silence for a few seconds, he imagined that Bernadetta might let his words go without an answer, then something shuffled and he heard her quiet voice once more. "B-because you're going to keep it, aren't you? S-so it needs a name…b-but you don't have to name it if you don't want to!"

She hastily added on, soon followed by more paranoid and rather disturbing mutterings under her breath, he was more in tune so he caught each and every single one of them. Some of which were rather puzzling to say the least. He was certainly not going to inflcit some manner of unspeakable torture upon her for the crime of asking him why he hadn't named the bird yet.

"...It is not a pet, the bird does not exist for my comfort or for any emotional connection I might forge with it." He clarified, turning and looking down at Bernadetta. "I am doing this for the express purpose of making use of the bird's capabilities for communication and flight. It will serve me in the future and that is the extent of this relationship. I would no more grant it a name than you would bestow an identity to a strand of hair or a fingernail."

"That seems a bit sad, right?"

"The bird does not have the emotional capacity to feel something in relation to joy and sadness. Nothing more than having its physical needs met will ensure it is satisfied." He dismissed quickly, looking the animal in question up and down one final time. Then paused for a moment, it would probably be simpler if he provided it with something for ease of communication rather than just 'The bird' but an addressal of the name was rather pointless.

No, he would be satisfied with calling it the bird. There was little other need for an identity.

"This topic aside, you have done acceptable work in regards to this." He declared, moving the finch closer to him and then reaching across, pulling the mantle cape open just enough to float the finch into the cap beneath the shoulder brace, then allowed the cape to flow back down and cover it completely. A faint bounded field around it would conceal the noise and he had enough senses to prevent it from being noticed, the perception filter would work to keep focus away from it.

"If there should ever be a time where I am otherwise unable to keep my focus upon its care, I shall leave the matter of its survival with you, now that you have proven yourself capable of such a task." He turned around, moving towards the door and pulling it open with a twitch of the mind and stepping outside. He ignored the nervous whimper from Bernadetta, the fact she could even interpret his otherwise complimentary words as somehow threatening was a bewildering notion to him, as well as being marginally annoying.

Stepping into the hallway, he stopped as he sensed something approaching the front of the house, raising a lone brow for a moment as he turned his gaze towards the direction of it. He would not have expected her to return here of all places, not until she was finished with her visit, but perhaps it had been much swifter to end than he had anticipated. Well, he doubted they would leave immediately.

Closing the door behind him, he left Bernadetta in peace and strolled along the hallway. It would be simpler if he teleported across the house but that would be utterly petty of him to do. They were bound to meet one another again in the future, avoiding her now would be both childish and beneath him. He would not be accused of hiding from her, besides, he had his own minor grievances with her sudden decision to arrive.

He suspected, of course, but he would rather confirm than speculate.

He strode across the hallway, moving at a steady pace and only stopping at the faint sound of footsteps before glancing to the side and raising his brow. He detected this one quickly, but was somewhat surprised that they would have been here in the first place. They had other homes within the Capital and the holding of Hanneman was only for those who would have been unable to find accommodation elsewhere.

The two of them rounded the corner and then stopped when they caught sight of him.

"Ferdinand." He greeted the ginger evenly, a short nod of the head towards them. "I'm puzzled to find you here."

Ferdinand, to his credit, recovered quickly and offered a polite smile in response. "You might call it something of an epiphany but I have been giving Dorothea's words thought as of late and have decided to change my approach…thus, I shall not call upon the privileges that I normally could have decided to rest with my fellow classmates." he announced, speaking as though he was proud of it. Well, if that was what he concluded, then there was nothing to be said.

Bringing his hands up, he gestured towards him. "But nevermind that, I see that Dorothea has indeed taken you out clothes shopping and I shall compliment you upon it." he moved his hand, cupping his chin and letting out a low and thoughtful him. "It is not something that I would consider common…but given your exotic background, I believe it is a choice of fashion that befits you…and I hope you do not take offence when I say this, but you do look far more respectable now."

He raised a single eyebrow at the boy.

The implication being that he did not look respectable before…though he was aware of human bias, so it wasn't as though the young man was incorrect. Just misinformed.

"Shall I assume then, that Dorothea currently has no idea that you are within the house?"

Ferdinand winced. "No…I do not believe she does."

"Hmm. Her reaction will likely be unwelcoming." He got no argument, though he expected none. "...Preserve." was all he offered him, then strode past him without another word shared, only briefly pausing when he got a few words from the ginger.

"I shall see you later then, Goetia. That is, if you intend to join us all for dinner?"

"...That depends on whether I have other matters to attend to."

"Ah, of course." Ferdinand replied, not sounding all that saddened by his vague answer but there was a note of disappointment within his words. "Well, if you should change your mind beforehand, know that I shall voice my support for leaving a space open to you. I'm sure that Professor Hanneman will be obliged to agree with me."

He turned around and faced the boy. "I am marginally intrigued, what have you spent the day doing? I would assume you would have taken the chance to break from the others…but I notice the dirt beneath your fingernails, the patches of peeling skin on your palms and the trace amounts of sweat on your brow. Slightly dishevelled and uneven breathing…Physical activity inconsistent with training."

Silence, the young man just stared at him with a rather baffled expression, opening and closing his mouth before clearing his throat. Then straightened himself out "Those are…rather impressive deductions you have made…" he briefly glanced down at his hands as he brought them out, squinting ever so slightly and focusing on the third nail of his left hand. "Incredible…I had assumed that I had washed them rather thoroughly as well, are you often so observant with your surroundings?"

A grunt. "Only when I choose to be."

"I see…well, I did not want to brag about it but I suppose if you ask, then I shall oblige and answer you." He lowered his hands, moving them to his hips. "I moved to the farms on the edge of the capital for the day, working to assist in the fields where I was allowed to take some of the produce as payment for my services…which I have dropped off in the kitchens."

Goetia did not even fight the blink of surprise, it was something he had concluded as a possible situation, but there were a half dozen which took priority above that. He did not think that the young noble would have gone out of his way to collect the vegetables from the actual fields through his own work. He raised his brows ever so slightly before they fell down, scrunching together. "Far be it from me to speak of how you spend your time, but for what reason would you subject yourself to such…menial labour?"

Ferdinand thinned his lips, then brought his shoulders up and down. "As I said earlier, I was considering Dorothea's words and I have been…putting them into perspective. But I cannot help but consider that perhaps they are poetic, meant to elicit some manner of imagery. Thus, I am expanding my duties to be more at level with those of a common background, taking on the role of a 'worker bee' so to speak, doing the physical activities they would normally do."

"You have…put a great deal more thought and effort into this than I would have assumed." That would have been a mild description of it, this was bordering a priority. The fact that Ferdinand had done this on nothing more than a speculation was both impressive and incredibly time wasting, especially when there was much else he could have done.

"Perhaps." They did not deny it, shaking their head from side to side. "But I am going to try the role of the bumble bee and see if it is something which I am…becoming a hard working individual for the good of the Hive, perhaps that will give me some clarity…" he paused for a moment, then pursed his lips, waving his hands helplessly "But thus far, I have managed to find nothing more than sore fingers and a newfound respect for those who till those fields every single day…though I shall say that the latter is rather welcome to me."

Now he was becoming more confused as to why Dorothea actively disliked him, this was turning into a true mystery even to him. No, he would not ask her though. Much as he might desire the answer, it did not relate to him and there was something that was…appealing about being ignorant to the personal life of a human and their past. He did not know the reason and he wished to see if Ferdinand would uncover it.

"Hmm. If you have found something of value, then there is nothing for me to comment upon." Turning back around, he resumed his walk but not before calling back over his shoulder towards the young man. "I shall make efforts to attend the dinner tonight."

"That is wonderful!"

If Ferdinand had gone out of his way to do that, then the very least he could do was at least attend and see the fruits of his labour…or the vegetables of his labour, if he was to be literal.

The time taken with the conversation was long enough that the pair approaching the house would enter shortly. Something that he moved into the main entrance just in time for, ceasing his walk and turning towards the door the second he heard the latch go and the first of the figures enter, only briefly stopping when they caught sight of him.

A blank stare, then they spoke in a curt manner. "Tired of robes?"

"No." He responded. "Merely that its condition was becoming below acceptable parameters…and I have recently been alerted to the notion that I was looked upon as some manner of vagrant simpleton."

Shamir offered him a bemused stare as she resumed her movement into the house, folding her arms over her chest as she did so. "Do you actually care?"

"Not in the way that you would have assumed." The admittance came slowly. "Merely that it is simpler for them to view me as some manner of foreigner than it is for them to view me as an uneducated fool. That way they would at least be accurate in their analysis of my person, it saves me the effort of dissuading them of their stupidity or their humiliation when I inevitably prove to them that I am better than they are."

"Don't you mean smarter?"

"Did I stutter?"

The lip of the woman twitched upwards for a brief second before she shrugged her shoulders up and down. "Well, your money, your choice. Suppose you look more like the noble you act like…probably has to amount to something in the end."

His lips pulled down. "I would prefer to think that my actions are far and above what would be standard for some common highborn. I am a greater individual in both mind and ability than a great deal of the population of this entire continent…" he cut himself short of the tirade, he doubted that Shamir would appreciate or even register his words on any level. He was doing nothing more than speaking for the sake of speaking. "...I am not like the nobles of Fodlan in the least."

"Well, you sound as though you like hearing yourself talk a lot."

…What?

"Is that how it appears to you?"

"Yes."

"...I see." Was that how it appeared to others? That he was merely pontificating for his own pleasure? "That aside, I am surprised your charge has returned."

"Not me?" She didn't even sound surprised that he knew Rhea was back, that was good. He didn't want to have to waste time explaining it either.

"Rhea is well defended within the capital of the Adrestian Empire, especially given her importance." He retorted. "This is not the monastery and it is not as though her presence here is well known, there are few assassins who would have time enough to prepare and operation on her life without information from any of those who were present for the escort and there is no mage on this continent skilled enough to scry on her location without my knowledge."

A pause, he realised he had not answered her question. "As for the matter of your presence here, you do not have the personality of being amicable with those of the zealous protection of the Archbishop or the worshippers of the Church. You are surrounded with them at the Monastery only because they employ you…perhaps with the exception of Catherine."

"...Hmm. Not bad." Shamir responded with slowly, nodding her head up and down and then striding away from him. Seemingly putting an end to the conversation. "Well, I didn't ask and she didn't tell. If you're so curious, you can ask why she isn't in the Imperial palace."

That implied that he actually cared enough to even ask in the first place, he watched her depart before turning his eyes onto the door, opening wider once more as the next figure walked in, then paused the second they caught sight of him. Their eyes widened in clear surprise of his appearance, tracing up and down before soon vanishing, replaced by a polite smile as she stepped fully into the house and closed the door behind her.

"I wasn't expecting to find you here when I returned." Seiros began, keeping her tone measured as she brought her focus onto him, interlocking her fingers as she did so. "Nor was I expecting to see you so formally dressed, I'm beginning to wonder if there is some occasion I might well have missed in my absence or otherwise been ignorant of."

Did she think that he needed a reason to change his clothes?

"There is no reason, nothing more than a whim brought this about…and the begrudging need to pay back a debt I owed to another, whether they realised it not, my accompanying them for this affair was the return of this debt." He explained, dismissing the idea completely as he narrowed his eyes. "For that matter, I had not expected your return for some time, at least within the next day or so. Your being here is sudden…but given what prompted this trip in the first place, I would say that it is within expected behaviour for you at this point?"

Seiros didn't respond to his words, rather she just brought her shoulders up and down. "I was offered residence within the Imperial Palace for the duration of my visit, the Bishop of the event offered me a room at his mansion, insisting that it would be a great personal honour for him."

"And yet you are here. Shall I assume, then, that this is an honour he shall go without?"

A raised eyebrow and a touch of a frown. "Some might consider your words to be rather vindictive towards him, he was being rather earnest and otherwise courteous for what had been a surprise visit upon him. I rejected his offer only because I believed I had caused him enough stress for a single day." bringing up a hand, she gestured around them slowly, the frown starting to fade away. "Besides, I already have accommodation and one bed is much the same as another."

"That says more about your expectations than it does about the quality of the bedding…and I doubt you would be so quick to make that comment about a bed of thatch and rock."

"You speak as though I have never slept on a bed of thatch and stick." Seiros replied back, almost looking as though she was amused with the twinkle in her eye. "You do recall who I am, yes? I did not spend my long nights camped in a clean tent and with the finest of luxuries to surround me…" the smile tapered away, replaced with a thin expression. "Those were…long years."

Yes, he supposed they would have been. "Hmmm. Given the speed at which you accepted sitting upon a chair made of dirt, I shall refrain from commenting upon your personal comfort in the future."

"It was a comfortable dirt chair."

"..."

Seiros lips twitched upwards for a brief second, then she took in a short breath. "But I shall say that I am surprised and rather impressed to see you dressed in such a way…I shall say that it is an improvement upon your regular attire. I had half a mind - even when I had a stronger dislike of you - to offer you charity, if only so that you did not look as though you put holes through a potato sack and wrapped it around yourself."

His face scrunched up. "...I would have likely rejected your charity and been content with my 'potato sack' as you so eloquently described…and I still very much own the robe in question. Whether or not I wear it in the future is an entirely different matter."

The chances of him wearing it again were admittedly rather slim, in the short time that he had adorned himself in this outfit he had realised that he no longer needed to use spells to make it itch less with his skin. Given where he found the robe in the first place, perhaps it was telling that this was of a greater quality.

Seiros slowly nodded her head up and down, not at all looking surprised by his answer and neither did she look offended either. "I thought you might have responded like that, and I was less focused on making you appear welcome. You might call it spiteful of me and you would not be entirely incorrect, I suppose."

He raised an eyebrow at the blunt declaration of her intentions.

"...Why are you here?"

"Aren't you always boasting of your intellect, Goetia?" She prodded him verbally, giving a look that he found rather irritating. "Should you not have already deduced my presence here within moments of even catching a glimpse of-"

"Do not attempt to be clever. It does not suit you."

Seiros flattened her features and shrugged her shoulders. "It has been a long day for me, I believe I might be entitled to gain some manner of amusement. Though my point remains true, I am certain you already know why I am here, unless you mean in Enbarr specifically?" a tilt of the head and she let out a short hum. "I suppose you might call it a personal preference to begin somewhere that is very close to my heart. I remember when it was much smaller and I have rarely had the chance to return over the years."

"If you wish for amusement, find a street jester. I am not here to bring a smile to your face." He responded to her first point, then exhaled with a shake of the head, turning his focus away from her. "As for the latter part of your explanation, I am aware of the cultural importance of Seiros within the Adrestian Empire…what I wish to know is why you moved with such speed? It would have taken barely a week to relay messages to and from the capital to make ready for an official visit."

He swept his hand to the side. "This manner of visit borders on an ambush for all the warning any received, clear to me that even Seteth was not prepared for it-" the mention of the man's name brought a flash of guilt through the eyes of Seiros and suddenly many things started to fall into place for him. Cutting himself short and lowering his arm back to his side. "...I shall stop myself from speaking on the matter further, if you are to be so troubled with it-"

"That is not-" She stepped forwards, raising a hand and opening her mouth, then closing it and lowering her hand back down. Pursing her lips, she took in a short breath before she spoke in a quieter tone of voice. "It is not entirely because of problems with Seteth, his frustration towards me is earned and I will not deny that, both he and Flayn have reason to hold a grudge…but that does not make it any simpler for me to stand there and watch them."

Curling his lip down, he narrowed his eyes. "Is this what it has come to? Fleeing the monastery like a coward?"

Her soft look turned hard, she glared at him sharply. "And you responded so well when your own turned on you?"

…

His chest itched, right above his heart.

Seiros expression shifted into guilt the second she finished the comment, a grimace fell upon her face "That was not what I-"

"It was." His words were curt. "...But no…I did not respond logically after the encounter within Abyss either. So my own criticisms would be…" he trailed off, pulling his lips down and swallowing to clear his dry throat. He disliked the uncomfortable sensation in his eyes.

Silence fell between the two of them for a few short moments, at least he believed them short, but they could well have been longer. "...It is not a method you can continue forever. Not with so few of you left, but you are already aware of that so it does not bear repeating. All I shall ask is whether or not this sudden trip of yours has any other motive behind it beyond a…tactical retreat to reconsolidate your emotional defences."

Seiros smothered a chortle, bringing her hand up and covering her mouth as her eyes turned from his direction and downcast. He levelled her with a blank stare as she continued her short laugh, only pulling her hand away to give a very brief point towards him. "Tactical retreat? Yes, I believe I shall be using that as my reasoning in the future…"

An almost gentle breath escaped from between her lips, signalling the end of the laughter. "And as for your question itself, there are other reasons for my being here than just avoiding several awkward days and my own troubled past…You made a point. My efforts have ultimately failed and all that remains is myself and the Church…" she brought her shoulders up and down. "You may consider this me merely doing what I should have done many years ago…taking a more proactive role than I have been doing in recent years."

That was what he initially suspected it was but to hear of it being a factor of the two was something he could empathise with. Again, the thought of empathising with Seiros of all people still vexed him, but not as greatly as it used to. Perhaps it was because she was finally doing something that he could at least tolerate.

"Hmmm. So long as your future endeavours are not sprung upon those who work beneath you, then perhaps there is some small amount of praise you might earn from me."

"Ah, truly, that single kind comment you might toss my way shall make all my struggles worthwhile."

"You jest because you do not understand the value of my praise."

Her lips curled into a faint smile, she leaned back ever so slightly and placed her hands atop one another. A pointed look crossed her face. "Yes, perhaps I am being unappreciative of your praise, more the fool am I to not accept this gracious-"

Rolling his eyes, he clicked his tongue and turned his head away from her. If she was just going to make snide comments then he could just leave, that was what he should have done in the first place, but he supposed there was more to ask. His focus drifted back to the woman after a moment of silence. "And? What new plan has been inspired through your visit to the bishops of Enbarr? Unless you were merely-"

"Food for the homeless."

"...A soup kitchen."

He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to laugh or not.

Seiros, meanwhile, just furrowed her brows. "Not necessarily soup, but I have been speaking with some of the other chapels leaders within the city to see if we might spare some rations to those less fortunate, though it will likely be a costly endeavour…"

He refused to believe this was something she just came up with on the spot, there was no plausible chance in his mind that the Church of Seiros did not at least give out bread to the destitute. "...Do you mean expanding your operations or is this truly the start of an entirely new scheme?"

Seiros made a face of understanding. "An expansion, previously we only did a single day at the end of a two week period where the poor and the homeless could arrive at their nearest chapel for free provisions. I made the suggestion of re-allocating funds so that it would become a weekly occurrence, though that naturally means to expand the cost of it as well." a sigh came from her as she shook her head. "That came with it the arguments that it would only encourage those to remain in poverty under the pretence that the Church would see to their every need."

Goetia scoffed loudly. "A single free meal every week is not going to act as the marker for having ones needs met. I doubt you would find a single homeless individual in the streets of Enbarr who did not wish to have a better life than the one they currently had." shaking his head, he continued on. "Either they will better their lives or they will not."

"Is this your experience as a King speaking?"

He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, stopping himself from replying just before he could. "This is not a matter of whether I have my own opinion on the working conditions for the people of Fodlan and their quality of life."

"Then could I ask for an unofficial suggestion?"

"...Community schemes." He replied slowly, then opted to make only a casual comment. "Some of those roads which connect the towns and villages remain dirt. Many of them are the only secure way of getting transport and supplies across and winter brings boggy terrain. An independent observer would argue for the merits of cobblestone to connect the outer towns and villages together, as an improvement for the current conditions."

Pausing for a moment, he continued on.

"Though, naturally such an operation would require a great deal of manpower and the timeline would be extensive, even without accounting for the cost of materials, naturally those who partook would be paid for their efforts at a reasonable rate for the work they were putting in…" he trailed off, then shrugged his shoulders. "But that is neither here nor there."

Seiros looked at him strangely for a moment, then continued onwards. "You speak as though you do not believe we have attempted similar schemes in the past, there are numerous examples of the other Kingdoms-"

"Internal politics that did not receive the open support of the Church." He cut her off, gesturing to her. "You are the Archbishop, your words hold sway over the entire continent. Not to mention the scale of the jobs can be seen as only a benefit. The outlying towns and villages are now more connected with the rest of Fodlan through more accessible transports and the unified effort to create links and assemble materials for the project will take years perhaps even decades. Relatively low skilled jobs are created enmasse and there are many in poverty who would have little choice but to accept."

Now she was giving him a more discerning gaze. "Is that your unofficial opinion? Unify the three nations under the banner of connecting them more intimately via transport?"

"It is one possible solution to unemployment and homelessness." He replied with a faint shrug of the shoulders, he was neither advocating it nor condemning it. Merely stating a method, nothing more and nothing less. "With the open and public support of the Church for such an operation, those who objected would have to find other fronts and those can be more easily dealt with. Both economic and logistical which the Church can cover if one Kingdom is found lacking."

Silence, Seiros gave a slow blink and then raised her brows ever so slightly. "Did you truly just think of this idea on the spot, or have you been spending your free time considering such suggestions?"

"Does it matter?"

"...I suppose it does not." A teeter of the head to the side. "Though I must ask, what of the Demonic Beasts? Those have been a frequent scourge when we were attempting to build the main roads. Opening so many fronts at once…"

"I'm not giving you all the answers." He replied with a frown and a shake of the head, fully turning himself away from Seiros and moving back across the room. "Letting them become such a problem in the first place was a mistake. Work it out with the others…" he slowed himself only for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder. "...There will be a meal provided later on, I would suggest you speak with Hanneman and inquire as to whether or not you might be allowed to join."

"Will you be attending?"

"...Perhaps."

She only hummed after that, the peculiar woman that she was.

He'd never tried this dish before, likely because he had never gotten around to bothering with it in the first place nor did he ever branch away from the tomato soup once he had gotten a taste for it. Yet here he was, trying it.

…Where did the concept of Pasta come from in the first place? There was no Italy in Fodlan and nor was there anything even related to the country in the culture anywhere. Unless it came from across the seas? Perhaps, but he suspected there would have been more to it than that.

An exceedingly odd situation.

He forked at the food for a moment before taking another bite of it, dismissing the odd thought from his mind and focusing more on the silence that was consuming the room, broken only by the sound of cutlery glancing against the plates and the quiet chewing of the guests seated around the small table.

Raising an eyebrow, he hummed quietly to himself before he turned his focus back onto his plate and spoke up, breaking the silence. "It is my understanding that such gatherings during meals are conducted with more conversation, or is that limited solely towards the middle of the day?"

"Do you have anything you wish to converse about?" The question from Seiros gave him pause, only briefly glancing at the woman. His silence was clearly an answer she was expecting if the faint smile was any indication, though the look she gave him was almost as though she was trying to reassure him. "Forcing a conversation during dinner does not end well, it must flow naturally, as with any other conversation. You do not need to force yourself, Goetia."

"I am not forcing myself." He defended. "I am making an observation, all other times I have eaten when in the company of others, I have noted discussions that occurred related to a variety of topics."

"Hehe." Hanneman broke a chuckle out as she took another bite of his own dinner, pausing only to gesture towards him. "I'm afraid there would be little for me to discuss that I suspect many would find interesting, I suppose you would consider it a topic better fit for a more scholarly audience."

Hmm. Yes, that would prove a conundrum.

He turned on Seiros. "Have there been further developments in regards to the repairs being conducted at the Monastery?"

The green haired woman paused, then sent him a surprised look before swallowing. "I did not realise you had an interest in the repairs of the Monastery, Goetia." a brief pause, then she continued onwards. "But before I departed, Seteth informed me that they were proceeding at a very rapid pace. He believed that it would be the end of the next month where everything would be close to as it was…though he did inform me that there might also be room for some improvements."

She frowned in a rather puzzled manner. "I believe there was talk of a sauna being built near accommodation."

"A sauna?" Ferdinand blinked twice, then raised his brows. "That is not something that I would imagine Seteth allowing, especially given how serious he is in regards to his work…but I suppose it might be allowed in order to relieve the stress of the students?"

"I don't get it." Caspar shrugged his shoulders, pausing to stop the food from spilling out of his mouth and glancing around the room with wide eyes. The lack of basic manners conflicting with the company he was keeping and clearly something he finally realised, he pushed the food back and took a rather loud gulp before he continued on as though nothing happened, using his fork as some manner of pointer. "How would locking yourself in a really hot room be considered relaxing? Because I've been near ovens when they're opened and I like to avoid that."

A slow blink from Linhardt "I could explain the science of it to you in regards to keeping one's skin fresh, but just think of the steam as being good for your muscles. That should earn your approval for that alone."

"It does?" Caspar looked as though someone had shared the secrets of creation with him. Clearly the blue haired imbecile was-

It truly wasn't worth getting annoyed about.

He glanced briefly to the right and then narrowed his eye ever so slightly, the food of Bernadetta had barely been touched. She had poked and prodded at it, taken a couple of bites, but other than that she was doing nothing more than merely stared at it and bunched her shoulders tight enough that it looked as though she was attempting to shrink. His lips curled a touch, perhaps the food just was not to her liking and she was too anxious to alert the others.

Dropping his voice into a low whisper, he directed his words towards the young teen. "Is the food not to your liking?"

"H-huh?" She gave a jerked response, glancing at him briefly and then shaking her head rapidly. "N-no. The food's fine, it's just that I don't…I don't eat with others that often and th-the Archbishop is over there…what if I embarrass myself in front of her?"

She sounded positively mortified about the mere thought of doing something.

"Ignore her then." He remarked rather simply, then paused and closed his eyes, tapping his fingers on his fork for a moment before he shook his head from side to side ever so slightly. Opening his eyes once again, he turned to her. "You need to eat if you are to keep your strength up, you cannot starve yourself simply out of fear of being mocked…though if it is such a concern, I can ensure the food remains warm and then deliver some to your room at a later point."

"N-no, it's fine." As if to further prove the point, she returned to eating her food with more gusto than before, going so far as to send a glance in his direction with a look in her eyes that he wasn't sure what the intention behind it was. If it was supposed to be reassuring, then it had failed miserably.

"Don't force yourself." He muttered to her, turning his head and eating his own food. "Eat at your own pace."

He could tell her to put less thought into the opinions of Seiros but regardless of his own thoughts relating to her, she was still a cultural icon.

Somehow.

"What do you think, Gotie?"

He looked up, having missed the entire question. "In regards to what?"

Dorothea gave him a slightly amused look before she repeated herself. "About the Monastery getting a sauna built in the academy."

A slow blink. "How the Monastery chooses to spend its own finances is none of my concern. Whether they build it or not, I doubt I shall make use of it regardless."

"Exactly!" Caspar rather loudly proclaimed, though he very much doubted that he and the oaf were objecting for the same reason.

"If they want us to get stronger muscles, then they should expand the training grounds for all of us. Maybe do some more house combat practice as well."

Case in point.

"You are free to train in your own time, Caspar, and I have found the allocated areas to be more than sufficient for the task." Hanneman said. "I believe your problem might be overworking yourself to the point of exhaustion."

Caspar made a small noise. "W-well, that just means I'm hitting my limits, right? I should push through those."

Goetia scoffed. "That is how one ends up dying. Gilgamesh made a similar blunder, the fool died on his own Throne after days of working without rest." a sigh escaped him. "All of which started a campaign into the depths of Kur to retrieve his soul and restore him to life. I might have disliked him and his allies, but his stupidity was tragic."

He forked at his dinner once more, pausing only when he noticed the silence and glanced around the table. The assembled guests were giving him rather odd looks, save for Shamir who continued to eat in silence.

"What?"