Corn was on the sofa, supposedly watching some coming-of-age drama with his wife and absentmindedly caressing Maria's hair as she laid her head on his shoulder. Her pregnancy bump was visible and she would soon be off her work for her maternal leave. The doctors have said that there were some complications but Maria was - as ever - optimistic. Corn has gone against his wife's very wise suggestion and confided to his mother that there are some issues and was being squeezed for more information on a daily basis and had to rebuff the various medical advice/warnings his parents dug from the internet again on a daily basis. He had the "you are not doctors and the journalists that put up those stories are not doctors, so don't take them as God's Truth!" argument several times already... to very little effect.

But those were Theodore's problems. The usual problems and issues of a sleeper with a wife expecting their first kid.

Corn the Mystagogue had a different issue that he was trying to solve while watching the movie.
The "Banisher". When alone in his home, Corn would admit to himself that the man was probably not a banisher. They have attacked the fellow first on the first sign of spellcasting. Not that they could take the risk and the guy was clearly having issues. Not Banisher is a low bar to clear; the man was a threat to them and their mission. So far, so good.
But their mission... Corn has gone all 'this artifact belongs to us because we are the Mysterium Order and all artifacts belong with us." There was no way around it - it was Mysterium versus an apostate and while it has not been mentioned to the council, Corn remember he felt... relieved that the mage showing up was an apostate, someone they could malign and wrest the artifact from.
Had Phoenyx or Eulogy walked in, and those were the first people that came to Corn's mind when he felt the magic, things would have been more ...complicated. He would not have relinquished the artifact easily.

But after the artifact's prowess was revealed, an artifact that as Belle said required some "major mojo" to be 'conquered and controlled', Corn wanted to keep it secret. Knowledge of what the Mysterium kept locked up, an artifact from Atlantis when many mages were starving for mana could breed envy. The council may actually demand that artifact. And then, there were the Guardians. Winter or that new shady guy, Rails that Corn has met. Rails didn't say he was a Guardian but he mentioned Winter. What would the Guardians say over an artifact that can make a sleeper see and remember the nature of magic? Magic that literally pulls the Veil away from a sleeper's eyes? Would they trust the Mysterium with it? Probably not.

It would be better for everyone if the 'Banisher' died before speaking. Corn has been painting up the guy as a dangerous, violent lunatic. Perhaps it was true but it would also give them a more reliable excuse to plant a bullet in that guy's head before he revealed the artifact's powers to the Council and the mage community. Or even better, it could help some trigger-happy guy to shoot first and leave questions for later.
It was no coincidence that Corn was desperately looking for Viggo instead of Phoenyx since the appearance of the 'Banisher'; he didn't think Phoenyx would lose her cool and shoot a man simply because she was influenced by Corn's stories. But now Phoenyx was involved.
It would be better to kill that man. Could he ask Belle or Aurora to soil her hands with blood over keeping a secret? Or should he try to take yet another life to protect a secret?

"Hmmmm... just like that honey." Maria purred as Corn gently massaged her shoulders, unaware her loving husband was contemplating the best way to have a person killed as he worked the knots on her back. His pregnant wife.
A flood of shame washed over Corn. Was he becoming like the Mystagogues he despised? Had he seriously considered asking a Neokoros to stain her soul with a murder while tending his pregnant wife? Yes, he was. Slowly but steadily he was becoming what he left San Francisco to avoid.
He knew his mind was trying to rationalize asking (or committing) the murder of a man because his existence was... inconvenient. Sure, that guy was dangerous, probably mad and a butthole. But that was not the main reasons Corn wanted him dead. The 'Would you kill Hitler as a baby?' dilemmas were not that relevant here.
He really wanted that guy dead, because him being alive was convenient. And it was not a good thing. The first time he killed, he did it to protect himself and those close to him from Hunters or retaliation. To protect the mage society. Now? This was different. And yet, here he was, considering it.

What would Dina do? The ghost that never spoke to Corn and he still counted her as a friend. The actual owner of the choker.
Corn sighed. Dina, a ghost anchored to that choker didn't raise a finger to stop them from taking her anchor or moving the artifact from the love-tomb her husband made for her.
Sure, that asshole was an inconvenience. They may have to navigate complicated waters over this. They may have to do a duel arcane with the guardians to keep possession of this and he would certainly need to buff up the security of the Athenaum.
And who knows? Maybe that guy that was after the artifact would prove to be so irrational that he would have to be put down. But Corn will not seek to end that man's life unless he proves to be a threat, a real threat, not an inconvenience.

He leaned in and kissed his wife tenderly. "You are extra sweet tonight baby. What did you do?" Maria asked mischievously.
"I am just glad I have you in my life, that you keep me grounded and you make me a better person." Corn answered completely honestly.
He was not that kind of Mystagogue. Not yet at least.
And by Maria's reactions to his words, massage and kiss, he knew he was a Mystagogue that would get laid tonight...