At its core, the story is about a former demon being turned into a human and learning to understand humanity by living among them, it's going to have its share of heartwarming moments.
Per troping policy, all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
Main Chapters:
- In general, Goetia's growing attachment to several characters. While he won't outright admit it, it becomes clear that Goetia has become fond of a few in Fodlan, like Byleth and Lysithea. Although he initially gets along with them well either because they share commonalities or remind him of people from his past (ex.Mash), these attachments grow beyond his stance as an 'observer'— to two being in danger during Lonato's rebellion was enough for Goetia to break his vows and intervene in the battle.
- Special mention goes for Byleth, while Goetia was initially interested in her due to sensing she was the vessel of a Divine Spirit, it's evident that Goetia cares for Byleth as a person and not for her status as a successful Demi-Servant. Even when considering the possibility of the Holy Grail reviving Sothis, Goetia quickly dismisses it, knowing full well it would mean Byleth's death due to Sothis' Crest Stone being the reason Byleth is alive without a heartbeat.
It could be used to create a body for her to inhabit, however that would potentially spell the death of Byleth. For all he knew, Sothis' Divine Core was the only thing keeping her alive and as much as Sothis might have greater value to Fodlan, Byleth had greater value to him. - Chapter 65 has Goetia suffer a breakdown stemming from being forced to kill Sitri which ends with him realizing he's crying for the first time, trying in vain to stop. It is then that Flayn gives Goetia a hug, feeling his distress and confusion over the situation. When Goetia asks her why she would do this:Flayn: Because I don't like seeing people in pain. That is all.
Goetia: ... Sitri tried to kill your father.
Flayn: I know.
Goetia: They were the same race as me.
Flayn: That was inferred, yes.
Goetia: ... They killed people, put them through the very pain you do not like seeing...
Flayn: That is indeed true, yes.
Goetia: ... What are you doing the..? You should hate me...
Flayn: If I hated you for the actions of your race... then I would also hate people for hurting each other. It would not make sense in the least.
Goetia: I am not like people. We were of one mind-
Flayn: If that was true... Then you would not have stopped them. And that it brings you so much pain... That saddens me you were put in that position. Forced to choose between us and your family... it is not a choice I can understand and I am not sure I want to understand. All the same... Thank you.
Goeta: [[freezes]] Tha-
Flayn: For saving my father. For saving my family. Thank you.
Goetia: ...Not for killing Sitri?
Flayn: I won't thank you for that. Never for that. Even if he hurt father, even if he killed so many people…He was your family and I will not thank you for putting yourself through that for us. - By the end of Chapter 77, Jeralt wants nothing to do with Rhea after she reveals everything about Sitri and Byleth, planning to take his daughter with him away from the Monastery. For Byleth though, even after having mixed feelings towards Rhea, she doesn't want to leave the Officer Academy. The reason? She has grown attached to her students that she feels responsible for their wellbeing, especially with the upcoming Lance of Ruin retrieval mission.
- Despite his own misgivings with the Church and Rhea after that he has learned, Jeralt eventually relents and allows Byleth to remain, only staying in the Monastery for Byleth's sake.
- In Chapter 86, Goetia visits Rhea in her quarters, having secluded herself out of shame and despair from the fallout of her plans and the awful truth, in which he proceeds to give his own form of pep-talk regarding her past actions as Seiros leading up to her current state. For the first time in the fic, Rhea genuinely thanks Goetia for his visit, even if the reason for said visit is out of disgust to her current state.
- True to her word, Sothis manages to find the right time to talk to Byleth in Chapter 88 in order to mend the bridge between her and Goetia. While understandable angry at Goetia's inaction towards Lysithea's situation and his seemingly apathetic nature, Sothis was able to gently explain to her that Goetia has views that are different from hers and she can't expect Goetia to think like her. Not to mention she has to take into consideration that Goetia may not be well equipped in dealing with his own emotions nor be able to handle loss. Now with this new perspective, Byleth tries to seek advice from Mercedes for a way to apologize to Goetia for what she said to him.
- After Goetia walks off from the Eagle's camp when accidentally reminded by Caspar of his defeat from Fujimaru, Rhea immediately checks on him out of genuine concern, which is a far-cry from their barely-concealed hostile interactions in the early chapters.
- When Rhea offered Goetia a new position as a lecturer in the Monastery for Magecraft, Goetia was hesitant in accepting the offer. It was only when he learns that Sitri may have influenced things beyond Abyss even after death (in actuality, Lemegeton), that Goetia decides to take up on Rhea's offer. Although it was partially out of guilt for Sitri's actions and his inability to prevent it, the other reason he accepts the new position is because he wants to help the people of Fodlan to better themselves— stepping away from Solomon's shadows as an observer. And despite knowing that his teachings will probably come with their own consequences, he decides he will put his faith in humans for doing more good than bad with his teachings— because Mash did the same thing.
- Seteth admitting that he trusts Goetia despite the secrecy surrounding him stuns the former demon, being this is the first time that someone place their trust in him.
- After their fight that result in Byleth giving Goetia the cold shoulders for several chapters, the two 'demons' finally made up with each other in Chapter 102. To clarify, Goetia believed that after that argument, Byleth probably didn't want anything to do with him again, a belief that was amplified by Byleth obviously avoiding him. In actuality, Byleth was hesitating in her attempts to apologize to him, and it was a push from both Sothis and Mercedes that finally found the courage to apologize to him and offer him the biscuits she made for him. For Goetia, who earlier hated it whenever someone apologizes to him due to his pride, actually accepts her apology and in turn, apologizes to her for his earlier actions; showing how far these two have come since their first meeting.
- Upon learning more of her true nature and past as an Olympian Machine God, along with Fodlan's bloody past, Sothis worries that she was a terrible Goddess because of humanity deciding to rebel against her. Byleth, however, reassures her that she did the best she could and that she can't blame herself for what she doesn't remember since the current Sothis might be different from her past self, which moves the Goddess to tears.Byleth: Sothis... I trust you.
Sothis: (moved to tears) ... Thank you. - Goetia spends the majority of Chapter 107 bonding with some members of the Black Eagle.
- After being spotted by Petra, Goetia helps her in her archery practice while telling her the story of David and Goliath.
- Dorothea praising Goetia's craftsmanship in his woodworks.
- Despite his misgivings with Caspar, Goetia engages in combat training with the boy without magically enhancing himself, just to understand Ritsuka's position.
- Bernedetta is doing all she can to avoid Goetia out of paranoic fear, only to be caught dead at night by the former demon. Turns out Goetia needs her help in encouraging Flauros, the finch, to fly without discomforting it from its comfort zone.
Omakes:
- While small, in "The Truth Behind Everything", Hubert tells Bernedetta that he's going to kill Count Varley after she vents to him about them, which comforts her.
