5,094An Offer of Apprenticeship
Shirou had done it again.
Only months after the Great Purge at the Clocktower had turned the Magus Association on its head, just when things were finally beginning to quiet down, the Moonlit World had been shaken to its very core yet again.
Not because of another purge though, nor because of the sudden emergence of another new Sorcerer or anything like that, but because of something just as incredible, and far more welcome.
Three Dead Apostle Ancestors had been killed in one night.
A feat that boggled thousands of minds and had caused no small number of people to get light-headed enough to faint.
Normally, the demise of even one of the Twenty-Seven was already a cause for a huge celebration, doubly so if the lives spent to attain this victory were low in number, but this time, their ranks had been depleted by almost one-ninth in the span of less than twelve hours, with no casualties whatsoever on the side of humanity.
That was so amazing that even a week of celebrations didn't seem enough, and the night itself had already gone down in the history books as the Night of the Broken Moon.
Impromptu parties had been thrown all over the world, there was serious talk within the Church to make the Night of the Broken Moon into a holy night, and if several lords of the Clocktower and a few high-ranking church-officials had gotten more drunk than was appropriate, no one said anything about it.
The slain Ancestors might not have been the most powerful or the most lethal among the ranks of the Twenty-Seven, and the Elder Ancestors likely wouldn't care all that much about their untimely demise, but it was still an absolutely unprecedented victory for humanity.
Roa's death was undoubtedly the greatest part of that victory. His foul crafts were finally undone. Every curse and mark he'd ever left upon the world had been lifted, thereby releasing thousands upon thousands of innocent victims from their torment and freeing up a considerable number of Executors and Exorcists who until now had been tasked with managing the scars that the Serpent had left upon the world. Scars that were now healing at last.
Never again would they have to worry about that monster rearing his ugly head again, which was a victory all on its own.
The demise of the Spider Queen was of almost similar importance. She'd been one of the oldest Upstarts in the world, an ancient thorn in humanity's side. Her conclave, the Spider-Clan, was the single largest and most active group of Dead Apostles in existence, committing regular atrocities even while the Queen was in hiding, and to top it all off, she'd apparently been hatching an abominable plan that would have brought even the Burial Agency to its knees if it had not been thwarted just in time by the new Sorcerer.
Everyone agreed that her death was long, long overdue.
Compared to those two monsters, Vlov Arkhangel's demise was almost of minor significance, as he'd only been an Ancestor for a few decades and had spent most of that time being relatively idle. No one really hated him personally, for he'd never actually done something big enough to be hated for, so his death was treated more as the demise of a senior Dead Apostle than the downfall of an actual Ancestor.
On the upside however, his Idea Blood, the Crown of the Nineteenth, had not yet reformed, keeping his Throne vacant for now and keeping the number of Ancestors at Twenty-Six. That made it a nice, little victory anyway.
The Idea Blood wasn't destroyed though. Killing an Ancestor alone wasn't enough to achieve that. Just like killing a Magus wouldn't automatically destroy their Crest, so too did vanquishing a Vampire Lord not necessarily destroy his or her Crown. One had to consciously target the Idea Blood in order to terminate it completely, which neither Tohno Shiki, who had killed Vlov Arkhangel, nor Emiya Shirou, who had killed the Spider Queen, had done.
Hence, both Crowns still existed, though again, the Crown of the Nineteenth had failed to reform so far nor showed any sign of reforming any time soon.
But that was not the case for the Idea Blood of the Spider Queen, or in more general terms, the Idea Blood of the Twenty-Sixth Dead Apostle Ancestor. That Crown had already manifested again, and it had manifested itself in the Spider Queen's chosen successor.
As Caren Ortensia had explained to Mitsuzuri Ayako, the more cautious Dead Apostle Ancestors always made sure to have a successor appointed to inherit their Idea Blood in the case of their untimely death, and the Spider Queen had been nothing if not cautious.
She had selected an old, powerful and capable underling of hers, a Dead Apostle who'd been with her for many centuries, to take her place should she ever die. The choice had been made, the necessary Rituals executed, and the preparation was top-notch.
Hence, the chosen successor obtained the Idea Blood of the Twenty-Sixth Dead Apostle Ancestor not five hours after the Spider Queen had perished, therefore ascending to the rank of Ancestor herself. A very quick process, allowing her to take the reins before the Spider Clan could collapse on itself.
The Queen was dead. Long live the Queen.
Of course, the original Spider Queen was mourned by her followers, and her loss was a debilitating blow to the clan, but they were not defeated. With their new Spider Queen leading them, they would rise up again, achieve world dominance at last, and show everyone the beauty and splendour of the humble spider.
Or at least, they might have, had the King of the Dead Apostle Ancestors not decided to intervene.
"N-No…"
The new Spider Queen could only look on in powerless horror as her underlings, her new subjects whom she'd only just come to lead, were slaughtered in droves in front of her.
"NO! Please!"
Clasped in heavy chains and unable to summon even the slightest bit of Magical Energy, she could do naught but wail in dismay as the Spider Apostles who'd come to pay their respects to their new queen were gruesomely butchered by nightmarish creatures and Daemons.
Right in front of her, a mechanical war-puppet, as tall as six men standing on each other's shoulders and as broad as three standing side by side, was using its cruel armaments to reap itself a way through the ranks of the Spider-Apostles, emitting pleasured groans every time blood was spilled.
On its left, a gigantic Whale-Dog was crushing the Spider Queen's forces with every step, making the cavern they were in shake so violently that the ceiling creaked ominously.
On the right, a legion of monstrous dogs, cats, goats, and dozens of other species were feasting upon all the Undead Flesh in their reach, consuming her Apostles while they were still alive, their agonised cries cutting straight to the new Spider Queen's heart.
And all the while, thousands of rats were skittering along the cavern floor, snatching up every piece of meat and gore they could find.
With so many clues at her disposal, the Spider Queen had long since figured out who was attacking her, who was butchering her clan, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why they were doing so.
"Please stop!" She begged the facsimile of a human standing next to her, the one who had ambushed, captured, and restrained her at the start of the massacre. "We are allies! Why are you doing this?!"
"I am terribly sorry, lady Spider Queen." The figure, who had the appearance of a human priest, bowed apologetically, a sincere expression of regret on his face. "These are the king's orders. We merely obey, as we are his loyal subjects."
"We are his loyal subjects too!" The new Spider Queen desperately tried to figure out what they might have done to displease Ortenrosse, why their monarch had suddenly unleashed his butchers upon the Spider-clan, but she came up blank. "Please stop! We have done nothing to anger him!"
"His majesty clearly thinks otherwise." The false priest countered, before he fell silent, ignoring any further pleas and protests as he calmly watched the atrocity unfold.
The headquarters of the Spider Clan was located in the Southernmost tip of the border between France and Spain, in the Pyrenees. More specifically, in a cleft between mountains, one that was always shrouded in shadows, even at midday.
It was hidden from prying eyes, easily defended against outside assaults, and quite cosy and warm, the ideal place for a group of spiders to set up their nest.
But that the cleft could be easily defended also meant that it could easily be turned into a death-trap, and now that the assailants had taken every entrance, there was no hope of escape for the poor Spider-Apostles.
A few brave ones tried to stand up to the attackers, to make a stand and defend their queen and clan, but after having just lost their old leader and being in the middle of a transfer of power, they stood no chance, not against the king's butchers.
Before long, the new Spider Queen was the only one who remained. Everyone else had been slaughtered, leaving the area, previously so full of undead life, nearly vacant.
Dead Apostles could not cry, but she came close, staring ahead blankly in silent horror as every connection with her kin, the pleasant cacophony of kindred spirits who pleasantly chatted with each other at every moment of the day, was cut off and silenced forever.
The Spider-Clan had gathered its every member for the coronation, and as a result, it had been wiped out completely by the cunning ambush. Within but an hour, the largest conclave of Dead Apostles was no more.
Only then did the culprits reveal themselves, now that all the fighting was done.
Two figures appeared at the entrance of the headquarters, walking into the cleft together with a gait and demeanour that suggested they were merely on a stroll, rather than having just finished a massacre.
The Spider Queen already had a very good idea of who they were, as the beasts they'd sent to do their dirty work were nothing if not recognisable, and now that they had revealed themselves, she saw that she was right. She immediately recognised both of them, having met them several times while accompanying her former mistress on diplomatic missions.
The first of them was no one else than Nrvnqsr Chaos, the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor. Tall, muscled, and clad in naught but a black trench coat and heavy boots, he cut an impressive figure, more than worthy of being called Ortenrosse's Executioner.
As the master of a legion of Demonic Beasts, he specialised in butchering armies, mainly armies of Enforcers and Executors, but he was also tasked with eradicating unruly Dead Apostles and bringing difficult Ancestors to heel. As a result, he was hated and reviled by all in the Moonlit World, both humans and his own kind, a fact that he either did not care about or revelled in, depending on his mood.
On Nrvnqsr's back, being given a piggyback ride, was Merem Solomon, the Twentieth Dead Apostle Ancestor, also known as 'Crown', who at the moment seemed to be missing both his arms and his right leg, which was probably why he'd convinced Nrvnqsr to carry him into the cleft.
Nrvnqsr's presence was no surprise, as massacres like this were his bread and butter, but by all accounts, Merem Solomon really shouldn't be here. Unlike the Executioner, he was known for his calm and affable nature, his distaste for gore and death. He preached cooperation and coexistence to anyone who would listen and many who did not. For him to be present at a massacre, to participate in it even, greatly confused the Spider-Queen. Everyone knew the Twentieth hated being on the frontline.
Yes, he would do it if Ortenrosse commanded him to, but the king had no shortage of butchers and killers who would be far more eager and far better choices all around for such tasks. In fact, Chaos himself could have finished the Spider-Clan on his own without the need for Solomon to get involved at all.
It truly made no sense, but here he was anyway, in the flesh, having just helped wipe out the Spider Clan. For a few moments, the queen wondered if this was perhaps an imposter, but the presence of the whale-dog, the huge killer-robot, and the elderly priest disproved that theory completely. They were his famous servants, every bit as distinctive as his boyish face, and they could not be faked in any way.
From Chaos' back, Solomon looked around at the cavern, now covered in blood and gore, and he pursed his lips, going as far as to tut in disapproval.
As if his own beasts hadn't caused most of it.
As if the corpses and body-parts were conscious design choices on the Spider-Queen's part, that spoke of her bad taste, rather than the remnants of his unprovoked attack.
It was infuriating. She had always liked his brazen attitude and his daring sense of humour, especially when he aimed it at Altrouge Brunestud, but it appeared being on the receiving end wasn't anywhere near as pleasant.
"Hello there!" He called out to her, his youthful, prim voice entirely out of place amidst the horrid scenery he had just created. "You are the new Twenty-Sixth Ancestor, right? It's nice to meet you."
"?!"
"I have to say that you look a lot better than your predecessor." Solomon noted, looking her over with a discerning gaze. "I mean, I get that you and your people are going for the spider-motif, but she went way too far with it, like, to the point it just became unsightly, you know? You on the other hand have a much more tasteful appearance. Less an abomination and more a true hybrid of woman and spider. I like it."
"W-What?!"
The Spider Queen couldn't believe her ears.
How could he be so casual after what he had done?! He spoke to her as if they had met by chance on the street, as if they were friendly acquaintances looking to improve their relationship.
He was mocking her. He was definitely mocking her! How else could she explain the kindness and curiosity in his voice after he'd destroyed her entire power base mere moments ago?!
It… It was as if the massacre of her people meant absolutely nothing to him!
White-hot rage coursed through her veins, and she bared her teeth at him in a warning not to make light of the suffering of her people, before she clenched her jaws so hard she nearly broke them when he had the audacity to smile back at her.
Never had she expected to hate Merem Solomon more than Nrvnqsr Chaos, but now she did. At least the latter had the decency to glare at her, showing that he considered her an enemy and took her at least marginally seriously, rather than Solomon's thrice-accursed smile that made her wish she could rip out his throat and make him choke on his own blood.
"It's like I told Nero here." Solomon definitely noticed her rage, he had to, but he ignored it completely in favour of prattling on, gesturing with his head at Nrvnqsr Chaos. "I always like a good animal motif, like that cat-obsessed fellow in our ranks a few centuries ago, or the goat-lover recently, but it's not good to exaggerate. That just makes it ugly. Back me up, Nero."
"He did say that." Chaos confirmed in a flat voice, watching the Spider Queen intently for any sign of physical resistance.
"No, I mean, I want you to say that you agree."
"I agree."
"Thanks!" The ancient boy nodded appreciatively, before he yet again smiled at the Spider Queen. "I do believe that-"
"Don't you dare mock me!"
It was just too much! His contempt and disdain were too much to bear!
With a snarl, the Spider Queen threw herself at the boyish monster, the Elder Ancestor who had dared to mock her so, who casually spat upon the suffering of her people.
She didn't know what she wanted to achieve, how she thought that a fresh-faced Upstart like herself could possibly overcome an Elder, much less two, but that did not matter. She just wanted to hurt him in any way she could. Hurt him like he'd hurt her.
She hadn't even gotten to her feet however before Chaos' heavy boot slammed into her face, sending her sprawling onto the ground again, her skull caved in from the sheer force of the kick.
It should have been nothing. A broken skull had not slowed her down even before she became an Ancestor. It should have been a trifle to heal it, not even a matter of seconds.
With the damned chains inhibiting her use of Magical Energy however, she healed very slowly, feeling how the fragments of bone slid back into place at an excruciatingly slow pace, forcing her to experience the sort of agony that should have been beholden only to humans.
She did not cry out though. She didn't even groan or flinch. She completely ignored the pain in favour of glaring at Solomon, expressing all her hurt through her eyes now that her jaw was smashed to bits.
This time, it seemed to get through to him.
"I was merely trying to keep things civil." He defended himself, looking a bit cross that she was so mad at him, which only made her even more angry. "I was always taught that you shouldn't gloat after a victory. So I'm not gloating."
"You are gloating though." Chaos countered, his voice still entirely toneless and disaffected. "Your indifference to her suffering belies your lack of regard for her feelings. You have insulted her more than if you'd laughed at her."
"R-Really?" Solomon appeared thrown by what he'd just learned, blinking several times as the truth of the matter sunk in, before he huffed in annoyance. "W-Well, I didn't know that. I'm not a meathead brawler like you or Gransurg. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Because it is irrelevant. You are the victor, and to the victor go the spoils. The losers have no right to complain."
"…Harsh." Solomon didn't really seem to know what to make of his ally's words, so he dismissed them, turning back to the Spider Queen and putting an end to the ridiculous farce. "Very well, allow me to dispense with the pleasantries and get to business then. Ortenrosse has ordered that you and your followers are to be put down, and we are here to make that happen. I don't know if you have a god that you pay tribute to, but try to make peace with them now."
"But… Why?"
That was the question that haunted the Spider Queen still. Why would the king have decided that the Spider Clan was to be destroyed? They hadn't harmed him or his interests. They might not have been the most useful or the most eager to serve, but the same went for many other Apostles and even Ancestors, up to and including many Elders.
"Why?" But Solomon seemed to find the question inane, for he gave her an incredulous glare. "You really need to ask 'why'?!"
She had no reply for him, quailing under that glare as she desperately tried to think of a reason why her clan might have been targeted for destruction.
"By the Red Moon, you really don't know." Solomon must have seen her confusion, for he deflated, his glare letting up as he realised she was entirely ignorant.
"We know of your experiments." Chaos decided to explain, though it didn't actually explain all that much.
"E-Experiments?" For the first few seconds, the Spider Queen honestly had no idea what they were talking about, her confusion and shock robbing her of her mental faculties, before she remembered that her predecessor had indeed been fond of research, as befitted one who held the Domain of Alchemy.
But that still didn't explain why the Spider Clan had been targeted for destruction. She couldn't imagine Ortenrosse being wroth because of the former Spider Queen's attempts to make artificial web shooters, or the efforts to create cyborg spiders, or even the plan to genetically alter every spider in the world to give them stronger venom than snakes.
…Looking back, an awful lot of those experiments seemed painfully redundant and rather like vanity projects, but that was even more reason why no one should have taken them seriously, least of all other Dead Apostle Ancestors.
…Unless the former Spider Queen had engaged in other forms of research without informing her underlings first.
The very idea boggled belief, that their ruler would consciously withhold information from her own family, but since Chaos and Solomon kept glaring at her with barely hidden hostility, the new Spider Queen found herself entertaining the notion anyway.
"W-What did she do?"
"She created false Idea Blood, copies of the Crowns worn by other Ancestors." Solomon revealed, and her blood turned to ice in her veins. "With it, she could create Dead Apostles that seemingly came from the bloodlines of others. Once completed, she would have wielded the Authorities of every Ancestor in existence. Diminished Authorities, but our Authorities all the same."
"Which is wholly unacceptable." Chaos added, a twisted smile forming on his face.
As a former Magus, Chaos knew the differences and similarities between Magi and Dead Apostles like no other, and if there was one thing they had in common, it was their hatred for those who intruded upon their Domains and crafts.
The Spider Queen was a thief, plain and simple, and once Ortenrosse's spies within the Burial Agency informed him of the atrocity she'd tried to commit, he had immediately dispatched his killers to vanquish any trace of her.
A technique to copy Idea Blood could not be allowed to exist. Fakers needed to die.
That was the reason why Chaos was there, in the cleft at the border between Spain and France. He was to crush the Spider Clan and burn all their remains, including whatever concoctions they had brewed or structures they might have built.
Not being a fool, he had realised by now that the other Spider-Apostles, including their new ruler, were ignorant of their Queen's crimes, but that changed nothing. Ignorance was not the same as innocence. It should be, by all accounts, but that was not how the world worked.
Besides, there were more reasons for the Spider-Clan's eradication, among them the two very reasons that had prompted Merem Solomon to participate even though he normally tried to keep himself far from massacres.
The first of those reasons was once more related to the former Spider Queen.
"That is not all though. We also heard about the plot to spike medicines and cigarettes with Apostle Blood." Solomon's lips tightened in an expression of clear distaste. "You were planning to create thousands of new thralls, weren't you?"
"Yes." The new Spider Queen freely admitted, not seeing any harm in sharing their scheme and not seeing how the other Ancestors could possibly take a dim view of their masterplan. "Perhaps even millions. We could have taken over the world if the plan had succeeded."
Solomon nodded slowly in understanding, mulling her words over in his mind.
Then he exploded.
"YOU ABSOLUTE FOOL!" He thundered, so loudly that he made the walls of the cavern shake from the noise. "You must have taken complete leave of your senses!"
"W-What?"
"To unleash a tidal wave of Dead Apostles upon the world, to gobble up humanity with your spider-jaws, I can think of no g rea ter here sy!" For a split second, Merem Solomon lost his thin veneer of politeness and affability, revealing the true, inhuman monster underneath, before he hastily composed himself again, coughing gently into his hand. "Ahem, what I mean to say is, had you succeeded in your scheme, humanity would have been wiped out, and that would mean that our lord, the Crimson Moon, has no reason ever to grace us with his presence again. I hope you understand that I will never allow that."
Merem Solomon was many things, from Dead Apostle Ancestor and friend of Gransurg Blackmore to aspiring playwright and tabletop game fanatic, but above all else, he was the loyal servant of the Crimson Moon.
He loved Brunestud like he loved nothing and no one else. Everything he did, everything he was, stood in light of his worship of Type Moon. Hence, he despised schemes like the one from the Spider Clan, to wipe out humanity and make the Crimson Moon redundant. It would eliminate any chance he had of ever meeting his master again.
That was why he was here, in the cleft, wiping out the Spider-Clan. They were a threat to his interests, so he had to deal with them.
"B-But if the goal of our Lord is to destroy humanity, h-he would be satisfied with our efforts!" Realising she'd made a massive mistake by admitting to the scheme, the new Spider Queen desperately tried to argue the point, to convince the Ancestors standing before her that saving Brunestud the effort of having to wipe out humanity himself was a good thing.
Had she been speaking to Gransurg Blackmore or Van-Fem, she might have succeeded, but she wasn't. She was speaking to Merem Solomon, who wanted nothing more than to have the Crimson Moon return to Earth, and to Nrvnqsr Chaos, who didn't care about plots or motives and merely aimed to follow his king's commands.
Ortenrosse had chosen his killers well.
"You become so unreasonable when it concerns your sire, my master." The elderly priest, who was still standing next to the new Spider Queen, sighed deeply, before he moved aside to make room for the massive mechanical doll, who moved in response to her master's anger to obliterate the youngest Ancestor. "Try not to make a mess, Left Arm."
"Be. Quiet. Right. Arm." She replied haltingly, sounding as robotic as robotic could be, aiming her cruel cannons at the quivering form. "I. Shall. Obliterate!"
"No! You will do no such thing, Left Arm." Solomon frowned at the doll's eagerness, before he held out his left stump. "Return. Right Arm is right, you make too much of a mess for delicate procedures such as this."
"Kch." The Deamon made a displeased noise, but she didn't resist as she suddenly started folding on herself, before she fell apart into motes of shining dust that rushed at Solomon's stump and there reformed into a perfectly serviceable arm.
Now Solomon had two limbs instead of one.
The gigantic Whale Dog, which had stayed at a distance for now, made a low, reverberating noise at the sight, and Solomon turned his head towards it, before he nodded.
It too fell apart into dust, which then became the boyish Ancestor's right leg.
With two legs and one arm at his disposal, Solomon no longer needed to be carried by Chaos, and he jumped down, before he approached the new Spider Queen.
"For your crimes of replicating the Idea Blood of your fellow Ancestors and your attempts to wipe out humanity prematurely, you shall be executed." He informed her, giving her a cold look, before he cocked his head to the side. "Though, being honest, you would have been killed even if you hadn't committed any crimes."
"W-What?"
"The king wants your Idea Blood." Solomon explained, shrugging as if it didn't matter.
"Crown!" Chaos let out a warning snarl, narrowing his eyes as his Demonic Beasts shot into action, rapidly patrolling the perimeter in case anyone was near enough to have heard them. "That was a secret!"
It was his most passionate response yet, the most emotion he'd shown since the conversation had begun, but that was only to be expected, now that his compatriot had casually confessed to committing a major taboo.
"T-Taking the Idea Blood of other Ancestors is forbidden!" The Spider Queen protested, scarcely able to believe her ears. "E-Even Ortenrosse can't do such a thing!"
She was right. Touching another Vampire Lord's Crown was absolutely forbidden. It was one of the few iron-clad rules that the Twenty-Seven had made and all tried to abide by, a law that had been made for the purpose of self-protection and to ensure that they would waste as little time as possible on infighting. Some even said that the Crimson Moon himself had put the rule into place to make sure his underlings wouldn't completely self-destruct if he turned his eyes away for a moment.
Even Nrvnqsr Chaos wasn't willing to ignore it, and he was more beast than man at this point. It went without saying that Merem Solomon, the most reasonable, rational, and prudent Ancestor of them all, had always taken that rule very seriously indeed.
Until now apparently.
"Such rules are all well and good while we're just trying to survive without too many squabbles, but these are unusual times." Solomon didn't bat an eye as he came closer, putting on a white glove that had been inscribed with countless symbols and markings, using his teeth to pull it tight, as he still only had the one arm. "The return of our true king is close at hand, and we do not need Ancestors who refuse to pull their weight and only hide in their little holes, like you and your predecessor. Ortenrosse has a replacement in mind for you, someone much better suited for the Domain of Alchemy and much more willing to aid our cause."
He was serious. He was completely, fully serious!
"W-Wait, I can be capable!" While she disliked the idea of begging for her life, preferring to die with some honour at least, the notion of having her Idea Blood ripped from her body and Soul filled the Spider Queen with a terror she'd never felt before, a terror sufficient to make her forget all about her useless pride. "Please! I can do it! I can help you bring back our true king! I can be useful, I swear!"
"There is no need to worry." Solomon ignored her pleas yet again, completely unmoved by them as he approached until within arm's reach. "I am a true professional. You won't even notice anything amiss until it is all over."
"No! Please, I can-!"
"And be honoured, spider. Even in this minor way, you can still contribute to the return of the Crimson Moon. Rejoice!"
Suddenly, Solomon's cold exterior broke ever so slightly, allowing a tiny sliver of his true emotions to shine through, making her freeze in place at what she saw.
Madness.
Complete and pure madness.
Utter fanaticism and insanity. That was everything the Spider Queen could see in those terrible eyes. An insanity that was wholly out of place in an Ancestor many believed to be the most reasonable of his kind.
For several long seconds, the Spider Queen didn't know what she was looking at, her brain refusing to compute that Solomon could ever look like that, but then, with death only seconds away and her vision clearer than ever before, she understood.
She understood the true nature of Merem Solomon.
He was not the mischievous boy he portrayed himself as, nor the voice of reason that he often pretended to be in the heated discussions between Ancestors. He had not retained traces of his humanity, like many thought he had, nor had he any sympathy for humans, animals or even other Dead Apostles.
He was no humour-loving seeker of peace, no uppity advocate for coexistence. Instead, he was a zealot. The worst kind of fanatic imaginable. He was a monster, every bit as horrible as Nrvnqsr Chaos. No, he was even worse, because unlike the Beastmaster, he genuinely thought he was doing the right thing.
He actually thought of himself as reasonable, affable, and pleasant. He truly believed he was completely in the right, even whilst breaking ancient laws. In his view, nothing mattered more than to bring about the return of the Crimson Moon. Everything and everyone else was inconsequential. Whether atrocities he committed, against humanity or even his own kind, they were glorious and heroic deeds in his mind, necessary acts for a greater purpose. To achieve his goals, he'd happily damn them all, humans and Dead Apostles alike, without a shred of guilt.
Looking at him now, with his mask slipping, the Spider Queen couldn't believe she'd ever been fooled by his disguise, that she had ever liked and perhaps even slightly admired him.
He was a true monster, and it filled her with dread, not for herself, but for every other creature in existence.
She opened her mouth again, not to plead for mercy this time, but to warn Nrvnqsr Chaos of the Devil he was associating with, but she couldn't produce a single sound before Solomon brutely rammed his hand into her mouth, before reaching down her throat and into her chest, nearly inserting his whole arm.
"My lord." The elderly priest sighed again, shaking his head at the unnecessary violation of a lady's body. "There is no need for this. There are other options-"
"This is the simplest way, Right Arm." Solomon interrupted him, smiling pleasantly at his most trusted servant, even as his fingers tore themselves a way through soft tissue and bone. "The path of the least resistance. Had I plunged my hand into her chest from the front or back, her ribs would have been in the way, not to mention she might have died before I could complete the procedure."
He wasn't even blinking as he violated her body. He didn't even look at her. Now that he had judged her unnecessary for his great purpose, of no help to bring back his master, her life meant nothing to him whatsoever, nor did her suffering.
Even as the Spider Queen choked and gagged, drool pouring down her chin and onto the ground, and even as the elderly priest looked on in disapproval, Solomon's smile never faltered. He just continued humiliating and torturing her.
The pain was immense, her oesophagus tearing from the force while Solomon ripped through her lungs and her diaphragm, before it became absolutely unbearable when he latched onto something that was almost intangible, a certain organ that was more conceptual than it was physical, surrounding her heart.
Was that her Idea Blood?
For the merest of moments, the Spider Queen forgot about the pain, completely absorbed by the fact she could actually feel her Idea Blood inside of her, before it returned with a vengeance when Solomon wrenched it loose somehow, leaving nothing but utter emptiness.
Immediately, every bit of power she'd gained upon reaching the rank of Ancestor left her. Her Authority, her might, her strength, all of it was sapped away as she was forcefully demoted in rank again.
Solomon retraced his arm at last, taking the Idea Blood with him and leaving her ravaged body in his wake, his eyes shining in admiration as he looked at the Crown, which had taken the form of a red orb, ignoring how the Spider Queen collapsed in a heap in front of him, weakly coughing up blood and slime.
The elderly priest didn't ignore her however, stepping forward and using a healing spell on her, looking with clear disapproval at the results of his master's horrible deeds.
"I believe that concludes our business here." The zealous light left Solomon's eyes, being replaced with his usual calm and reason as he put on his mask back on, before he sealed the Idea Blood into a box, which he then handed over to Chaos. "Right Arm, return."
The elderly priest was forced to cease his efforts to aid the Spider Queen, as he first changed into a large rat, about the size of a German Shepard, before he fell apart into dust and became his master's right arm once more.
Then Chaos stepped forward, still looking as disaffected as ever.
"I'll kill you quickly and leave your remains in the sun." He informed her, clinical as a doctor bringing bad news. "No idea if it will hurt or not. Never happened to me."
"Damn you…" Because of the priest's effort, the Spider Queen had healed enough to be able to speak at least a little. By now, she was far beyond pleading or begging, and she used every last vestige of power she had left to curse the horrid monsters that stood before her, those looking down on her broken form with all the emotion one might show a crushed bug. "Damn you all to hell!"
Then Chaos' boot came down on her head, and everything went black.
The last thing she wished for, with her dying breath, was for Lorelei Barthomeloi to wipe them all out.
"Chii!"
"Bless you." Mirei smiled when her boss suddenly sneezed cutely.
"Thank you." Lorelei nodded minutely, before returning her attention to the reports she'd just been presented with, her brow furrowing ever so slightly once more in a mixture of frustration and impatience.
Administrative work was never something she enjoyed, as it was far too tedious a task for her tastes, but right now, she liked it even less than she normally did, as she very much wanted to be somewhere else.
To be fair, she always wanted to be somewhere else when the paperwork was coming in, but this time, that desire did not just come from her dislike of sitting still all day, but also from the very real need of managing a shocking and volatile situation that had taken everyone by surprise and required immediate handling.
It had all started that very same day, only minutes after sunrise, when rumours had started trickling into the Clocktower, rumours speaking of something called 'the Night of the Broken Moon', an event that could allegedly impact the Moonlit World nearly as much as the Great Purge and the emergence of a new Sorcerer.
For a while, it wasn't entirely clear what exactly had happened, as the stories ranged from the destruction of ORT to the rediscovery of the Primordial Runes, but within the hour, a consensus had been reached.
Three Dead Apostle Ancestors had been slain in one night.
The seeming impossibility of it had sparked a fierce discussion about the validity of those rumours, but Lorelei did not participate in said discussion. She knew the story was true, for she possessed many tools that served to inform her of the state of the Twenty-Seven.
Tools that were not too dissimilar to the infernal devices used by the Burial Agency.
Those tools did not tell her much else however, so it was only after a few hours, and with considerable assistance from Mirei, that Lorelei discovered that the Ancestors had all been slain in Misaki Town, in Japan. A few hours after that, they learned that Shirou Fujimaru had been closely involved with the event, possibly even having slain one or more Ancestors himself.
In other words, he'd taken Lorelei's most famous feat of arms, defeating three Dead Apostle Ancestors on three separate occasions, and topped it in a most spectacular fashion, leaving her far behind.
His sudden prowess had lit a fire in Lorelei's heart, and she was raring to go out and discover, in person, what exactly had taken place in Misaki Town.
That she was fully intent on dragging Shirou along on another hunt for more Ancestors to slay was not said, but it was certainly implied. Another competition between the two was close at hand, and it was one that the brunette looked forward to more than she'd ever looked forward to anything else in her life.
But it was not to be. Her responsibilities kept her tied up in London, much to her chagrin. Mirei had insisted upon it, giving the girl piles upon piles of work to pin her down, and she'd made it clear that she would not accept any attempt on Lorelei's part to leave anyway.
With the last consequences of the Purge and the Return of Mystery to deal with, the last thing they needed was to have the Vice Director storm off to Japan. The brunette was the lynchpin of their efforts to return stability and fend off the coming storm, so she was needed in London, at the Clocktower, at the centre of it all.
If she wanted to speak with Shirou, she would have to wait until he returned at the start of winter.
Fortunately, Lorelei understood that much. She might be a wild sort, by Barthomeloi-standards at least, but she was dutiful too, and her sense of responsibility did not allow her to abandon her tasks when abandonment might lead to more war and more death.
Besides, it wasn't as if she was actually needed in Japan anyway. The Aristocratic Faction, the Barthomeloi-family, and Mirei herself already had their agents and informants in place to collect information, so there was no need for the brunette to involve herself personally. In fact, it could be said that Lorelei getting involved would be actively detrimental to the operation as a whole. There was no such thing as subtle where she was concerned, something Lorelei herself also acknowledged, which was a large part of the reason why she'd agreed to leave the matter in the hands of the professionals.
Fortunately, those professionals didn't disappoint. They managed to uncover the truth about what happened during the Night of the Broken Moon in less than a day, which was fast even for them.
Partially because they were of course highly competent at what they did, but at the same time, also partially because the information they were after had been a matter of public record, at least as far as the local Second Owner, Tohno Akiha, was concerned.
It had only taken a tiny bit of bribing and negotiating for the girl to spill everything she knew, and with the local agents of the Burial Agency being surprisingly forthcoming as well, probably because the major victory had softened their hearts, Mirei's informants had quickly assembled a very decent report of the situation, a report that Mirei currently held in her hands and that was to be presented when, and only when, Lorelei finished her other work.
A useful carrot, so to speak.
The Vice Director might not care much for administration, but that didn't mean she was bad at it, and with such proper motivation, it didn't take her long to complete the last of the reports.
"Done." She announced, placing the pile of paper to the side, before she gave Mirei a hard stare. "Now tell me what you have discovered. Which Ancestors were slain, who was involved, and what influence did Fujimaru have on the proceedings?"
She asked about Shirou last, and used only his last name to boot, implying she was only asking because he happened to be present. Anyone else listening would notice nothing off about it, no relationship between the two aside from the obvious.
Mirei had spent many a year working together with the brunette though, and had seen the way she normally spoke about the boy, so she was able to discern that Lorelei accentuated the last of the three questions ever so slightly. She probably didn't even realise she was doing it, but it was very telling indeed.
It was probably best to open with him.
"Fujimaru was involved in the killing of all three Ancestors, but he only delivered the final blow to one of them."
"Only one? I see." That meant he hadn't yet exceeded her score, which simultaneously disappointed and gladdened Lorelei. "Who slew the other two?"
"The Moon Princess."
"Ah, Arcueid Brunestud." Lorelei's expression tightened a tiny bit at the mention of her old rival, before it quickly straightened out again. "I will… congratulate her, should I ever see her again."
Her tone was perfectly neutral, giving nothing away, as if she didn't care in the slightest about Arcueid Brunestud. It was an impressive performance, and it would have fooled anyone unaware about the dynamic between the Moon Princess and her.
Which was exactly no one.
Any inhabitant of the Moonlit World who hadn't lived under a rock for the past six years knew that Lorelei hated inhuman creatures with a passion that was unusual even in the Barthomeloi-family. Furthermore, everyone knew too that the White Princess was as inhuman as they came. She was an ancient Nature Spirit, a True Ancestor of immense power, sharing some similarities with the gods of old even, and more than that, she was the granddaughter of the Crimson Moon, the progenitor of the Dead Apostles and the greatest enemy that humanity had ever faced.
With all that in mind, it was only natural for them to be archenemies. As far as most people in the Moonlit World knew, Lorelei hated Arcueid with a fiery passion, similar to the loathing she felt for the Dead Apostle Ancestors. If one were to ask the common Magus, the only reason the brunette hadn't yet hunted her down was because the White Princess was a step too high even for the Greatest Magus of the Modern Age.
Surprisingly though, they were wrong.
Not about Arcueid being stronger than Lorelei, that was so obvious that even the brunette herself would doubt the sanity of anyone claiming otherwise.
But they didn't hate each other.
Arcueid wasn't a hateful person to begin with, barring some very specific and rare exceptions, while Lorelei's feelings for the Moon Princess were far more complex than simple hate.
The White Princess never harmed innocent people after all, nor did she ever involve herself needlessly in the affairs of mankind, which were the two biggest reasons for Lorelei's hatred for the inhuman.
Furthermore, the blonde princess often hunted down dangerous inhuman creatures with as much fervour as Lorelei, and in doing so, was actively contributing to the downfall of the Dead Apostle Ancestors. So far, she'd proven to be humanity's faithful ally, and she had never been anything but unfalteringly pleasant towards the brunette on the few occasions that they'd met.
Even their personalities aligned fairly well. There were both women of action, who didn't waste time talking about a problem when they could be solving it as well. They knew what they wanted out of life and weren't afraid to fight to get it, all while not suffering any fools who tried to get in their way.
If it hadn't been for the whole inhuman thing, the White Princess would have been a woman after Lorelei's heart.
It was confusing, and went against everything she knew about inhuman creatures, especially Nature Spirits, who were supposed to be cold, arrogant, and plain uncaring about any life they saw as lesser than their own, but the brunette was not someone who would deny the obvious truth.
Arcueid was too powerful to beat, a useful and deeply appreciated ally of humanity, and just a pleasant person in general. There was no reason whatsoever to fight her, much less kill her. Certainly not until after the Twenty-Seven had been wiped out forever.
As a result, Lorelei had no idea how to handle her supposed archenemy, and had ended up avoiding her altogether, to the point where she even avoided thinking about her.
Like all Magi, the brunette excelled at self-deception, and was generally extremely successful at banning the White Princess from her thoughts, as long as she wasn't brought up in her presence.
Needless to say, the vast majority of Magi had quickly caught on to that, perceptive as they were, and now avoided even just mentioning the Moon Princess when inside or anywhere near the Department of Policies.
Even Mirei decided to quickly bring the subject back to more pleasant matters. Matters that were less likely to put her boss in a foul mood.
"Ahem, Fujimaru killed the Spider Queen, in case you were wondering." She supplied, and her gambit paid off when Lorelei instantly focused again. "And the other Ancestors were Vlov Arkhangel and the Serpent of Akasha, Roa."
"The Nineteenth, the Twenty-Sixth and the false Twenty-Eighth." The brunette recited from memory, having long since learned the whole list by heart. "All of them Upstarts rather than Elders. The latter two were stronger than most of their kind, but they all remain Upstarts all the same."
"Indeed, but you don't have to sound so happy about that." Mirei huffed, hearing perfectly well how pleased Lorelei sounded. "Most people are disappointed that no Elders were slain, you know. Can't you at least pretend to be one of them?"
Upstarts, for those who did not know, were Dead Apostle Ancestors that had come into being in the A.D-era, the modern ones, so to speak, while Elders were the Ancestors who hailed from the B.C-era, with some of them having been turned by the Crimson Moon himself.
Elders were far, far stronger than Upstarts, so it should go without saying that the death of an Elder was a far more momentous occasion than the death of an Upstart, though the latter was still momentous aplenty of course. That the Night of the Broken Moon had seen not a single Elder slain was actually something of a letdown for most Magi and operatives of the Burial Agency.
But not Lorelei. Lorelei seemed perfectly satisfied with those results.
"I do not see the need for pretending. It is well-known that I wish to hunt down the Elders myself." She stated, her tone surprisingly light. "I sincerely doubt anyone would believe any expression of discontent from me."
"Well, I suppose that is true enough." Mirei sighed, before holding up a single finger in warning. "Though mind you, it is not certain that the Elders were not involved with this incident at all. There are rumours, credulous rumours, that Vlov Arkhangel was sent to Misaki Town by Ortenrosse, in order to hunt down the Moon Princess."
Lorelei raised a single incredulous eyebrow in response, and Mirei nodded in agreement. The notion that a single Upstart could defeat Arcueid Brunestud was laughable. More than that, it was unthinkable. Unless she had been severely weakened beforehand somehow, she was stronger than any Dead Apostle, Ancestor or not.
"Vlov Arkhangel…" The young Vice Director thought for a moment, her gaze straying away from Mirei and towards her Mystic Codes, before she focused again. "From what I heard, he appeared to be quite capable and loyal, especially for someone so relatively young. Why would the Elders, or perhaps Ortenrosse alone, send him to his death like this?"
"A very good question, and one that I don't have an answer to." It did really seem like Arkhangel had been sent to Misaki Town to die, and Mirei did not know why. "Of course, it could be that the rumours are mistaken. Perhaps he went there for another reason entirely, separate from Arcueid Brunestud."
"If we cannot be sure one way or the other, there is no more use for speculation." The brunette dismissed the subject. "He is dead, and that concludes the matter. We shall dwell on it no more."
"Speaking of not dwelling, I must ask you why you are taking this so well."
"What do you speak of?"
"The deaths of three Ancestors of course!"
It had already been established that Lorelei saw the Elders as her prey, but as a matter of fact, the Upstarts were her prey too. She'd claimed all the Dead Apostle Ancestors for herself years ago.
When the legendary Executor Ciel had killed an Ancestor a few years before, a mere Upstart, Lorelei had been quite wroth with 'the little thief' who had stolen her prey. That she was so calm this time, when three Upstarts had been killed, did not make much sense in light of that.
Of course, that the Moon Princess got a pass was to be expected, considering Lorelei's… difficult relationship with her, but that the brunette showed not even a hint of rancour towards Shirou either was more surprising.
Mirei had tried to suppress her curiosity, to not pry into private matters, but the situation was too unusual, and the temptation was too strong.
She was a nosy old woman after all
"I had expected you to be far more wroth about others defeating Ancestors without you."
"…" For a moment, it seemed as if she had gone too far with her questioning, as Lorelei levelled a very unimpressed stare at her, one that suggested she was about to be thrown out by her ear, before the brunette chose to reply after all. "There is no use being angry with the Moon Princess. She merely does what she was made to do. One does not get angry at the sun for casting down its rays."
"Aha, and what about Fujimaru?" Mirei dared to press a bit further, and she was rewarded when Lorelei looked away for a split second, a sure sign that something was off.
"…It is only proper that he practises diligently before he partakes in a hunt with me." She ended up saying, her expression completely straight. "Killing an Upstart is a proper exercise."
"And you are completely fine with that?" Mirei asked again, narrowing her eyes at her boss. "Are you truly certain?"
The Vice Director's expression was so perfectly still that the old woman couldn't possibly get a read on her, but that was suspicious all on its own. Lorelei had never hesitated before to make her opinion about Dead Apostle-hunting or about Shirou clear, so it was weird she chose not to this time.
"I…" The brunette began, before hesitating once more, and Mirei knew that if she'd been anyone else, anyone other than the trusted right-hand woman, she would have been killed on the spot for seeing the Vice Director in such a state.
But then Lorelei did something even more outrageous, something that almost knocked Mirei flat on her back.
She pouted.
She actually, well-and-truly pouted.
"Shirou killed a Dead Apostle Ancestor." She said, her voice containing hints of disappointment and hurt as she glanced down at her desk. "He hunted them… without me."
"…Eh?"
"I could have helped him..." Lorelei idly scraped a single nail over the surface of her desk, carving a deep groove in the wood. "Do you think… he doesn't trust me?"
The question was asked in a soft, uncertain voice, and she was still pouting over the fact she hadn't been invited by the man she might fancy to join the greatest Apostle-hunt in recent memory, thereby being excluded from the most magnificent victory over the vampires yet.
Lorelei had always been emotionless and icy, as was appropriate for a Barthomeloi, but the moment her man came into play, all that went out of the window apparently.
What a cliché!
"I-I… I… uh." Mirei was at a loss for words, utterly befuddled by the lack of the expected anger and completely thrown by the hurt that appeared instead. Anger she could handle, anger she was used to, but she had no clue how to deal with a disappointed Lorelei. "I… I imagine that is something you'll have to discuss with him when he returns, not me."
Having no idea what to do, she shamelessly passed the buck on to someone else, not giving a real reply. It might seem cowardly, but she firmly believed that giving bad advice was worse than giving no advice at all. At times when you didn't know what to say, it was better to stay quiet.
This was definitely one of those times. There was nothing Mirei could say to make this better. She could not speak, much less apologise, on Shirou's behalf. In fact, such a thing would be most unwise, as neither Shirou nor Lorelei would stand for it.
In the end, it was Shirou who had caused this, so he'd have to solve it too.
"…Maybe you are right. I should discuss this with Shirou in person." Lorelei nodded slowly in agreement, composing herself again and repairing her mangled desk with a wave of her hand. "Perhaps he has a good reason for his behaviour, irritating as I find it to be."
"He probably does. He's no fool after all." Mirei spoke with a confidence she didn't really feel, and she hoped Shirou would indeed have a good excuse ready for not inviting Lorelei on his Apostle-hunt. He generally had his ducks in a row, but he also seemed like the sort of man who underestimated what effect he could have on women. "The two of you should have a heart-to-heart soon. It might allow you to discuss that other matter as well."
The other matter being Lorelei's search for a half-decent husband and the fact that Shirou had been chosen as her main candidate.
Lorelei's reply was a stiff nod, the reminder of her husband-hunt being rather unwelcome under the circumstances. Still, at least her pout was gone now. That was a considerable relief to poor Mirei.
"Ahem, yes, anyway, let's get back to business. We can wrap up our discussion about the Night of the Broken Moon for now. There's a lot more information in the report I haven't told you about yet, but it would take too long to cover it all. I request that you read it for yourself."
"Of course." Lorelei was nothing if not efficient, and she needed little prompting to move from one topic to the next. "Is there anything else of note that you wish to discuss?"
"Yes, one moment." Mirei glanced subtly at her list of things she had to discuss this meeting, before groaning internally when she saw the next topic, remembering immediately that it was even more of a headache than the Night of the Broken Moon. "It's also about Fujimaru."
"What about him?"
"There are rumours that he has displayed the ability to teleport using rainbow-coloured light."
She said no more after that, both because she had a distaste of unproven rumours that could not be substantiated in any way, and because she didn't need to. Teleportation using rainbow-coloured light was something that every Magus in existence would instantly be able to link with a certain individual, a certain craft.
A certain True Magic.
It was something that had made her look thrice, that had made her first doubt the reliability of the report she'd received and then her own ability to read, before in the end, she had to acknowledge that it really said what it said.
And hadn't that been a massive surprise?
No, more than that, it was a bomb. There was no other way to describe it. A volatile explosive device that needed very careful handling by seasoned experts, lest it blew apart the fragile peace that had been created after the Purge.
"Shirou wielded the Kaleidoscope?" Lorelei's eyes widened ever so slightly, though she wasn't nearly as surprised as Mirei had expected. "Wondrous, if true. And also quite troublesome. The balance of power will shift towards his allies, towards us. The Democratic and Neutral Factions will not stand for it."
"Fujimaru allegedly used the Kaleidoscope." Mirei stressed the uncertain and unreliable nature of the rumours, not about to make plans based on nothing but hear-say. "It is merely a whisper on the wind so far, the first impression of the few people present on the scene, none of whom are my agents and whose reliability cannot be wholly trusted. Still, since the rumours are coming from many different sides and factions, none of whom have any reason to conspire together in order to pull off some kind of trick, I reckon it still deserves some kind of consideration."
They shouldn't take rumours too seriously, but they shouldn't ignore them either. A balanced approach was needed here.
Operatives of the Church weren't easily fooled or hoodwinked, nor were Magi. If they all, independently from one another, declared they saw Fujimaru teleporting using rainbow-coloured light, she would tentatively believe that something akin to that had happened, for now.
Though it seemed the Vice Director did not agree.
"There is no need for you to be concerned. These rumours are false. What they claim is impossible."
"Yes, it's hard to believe, isn't it? I've never heard before of a single person being capable of wielding two True Magics at once."
"Indeed you haven't, because it is impossible." Lorelei repeated, apparently being completely serious in her denial. "That Fujimaru wields both the Heaven's Feel and the Kaleidoscope is utterly unfeasible. Anyone who claims otherwise is simply wrong."
Her voice contained nothing but utter certainty, which normally would have been enough to shut down any debate, but Mirei wasn't so easily cowed, not when it concerned something so important.
"I hear what you say, but with so many rumours abound, it would be irresponsible to dismiss them out of hand." Mirei wanted nothing more than to deem the idea of Shirou wielding two Sorceries at once to be impossible and move on, but she didn't feel she could. Not without the necessary prudence. "Surely, we should collect proof first?"
"I understand your position. If you say that multiple sources all confirmed that Shirou teleported using rainbow-coloured light, I will believe you. Nevertheless, I am completely certain I saw Shirou utilising the Heaven's Feel, right before my very eyes, which means his manner of teleportation could not have been the Kaleidoscope. Wielding two Sorceries is an impossibility for any human in the Modern Age. This has been proven beyond doubt by my family, the Barthomeloi."
"…I see." For Lorelei to invoke her family's name was a very rare occurrence, and one that carried considerable weight. It wasn't something she did lightly, and if she was willing to go that far, Mirei wouldn't contradict her anymore, not without far more evidence. "If that is the position of the Barthomeloi, I shall accept it. Do you know of any Magecraft that would allow someone to teleport? Using rainbow-coloured light no less?"
If Shirou hadn't used the Kaleidoscope, he had to have used something else, but Mirei couldn't for the life of her figure out what that could be. Thaumaturgy didn't allow for outright teleportation after all.
Fortunately, she had a very clever boss, whose Sorcery Trait of the Almighty made her a veritable expert on pretty much every form of Magecraft in existence. A boss who looked very interested already, as befitted a first-rate Magus who'd just discovered a new avenue of research.
That the subject of her research was Shirou Fujimaru probably contributed as well. He had a way of motivating her, even when not actually present.
"I know of no Magecraft that allows for direct teleportation, but there is no guarantee that he did indeed teleport. For all that we are aware, he could have used an illusion, or he used a form of non-logical travel. Perhaps he even managed to travel through Zero Space."
Her last suggestion was made with a twitch of her lips, showing that it was probably a joke rather than a real option.
"Your point about illusions is well-made." Mirei admitted, feeling a bit stupid for not thinking about that sooner. "But you do realise that if what you think is true and he mimicked the Second True Magic with Magecraft, there is every chance he mimicked the effects of the Third as well?"
"The thought had crossed my mind, even back when he first used the Heaven's Feel in my presence, but I consider it unlikely."
"Because you personally witnessed his use of the Third?"
"That, and because mimicking teleportation is a great deal easier than changing a Dead Apostle back into a human."
"Yes, of course." That was undeniably true. There were a myriad of ways to transport yourself quickly through the use of Thaumaturgy, or to pretend you did so, but undoing the curse of the Crimson Moon was a feat that had only been managed once in recorded history.
By Shirou Fujimaru.
"I dare say this matter deserves my personal attention." Lorelei decided, still looking quite eager to get started with her 'research' on Shirou Fujimaru, though she frowned soon after. "And I expect the first step will be yet another meeting with the Aristocratic Faction, and perhaps the Neutral and Democratic Factions as well."
"That would be for the best. Regardless of whether Fujimaru can actually wield the Kaleidoscope or not, the mere whisper that he can will set the political landscape ablaze once more." It would be one thing if he was just some distant Sorcerer who kept himself far from the Clocktower, then his varied talents would be little more than a curiosity, but since he'd openly allied himself with the Barthomeloi and the Archibald, his movements and talents were a cause for great concern among all the Ruling Families, even the ones he'd allied with. "Especially since lord Zelretch is now taking an interest in him too, as we have heard from lord El-Melloi."
They had all expected it, that the Kaleidoscope would eventually become interested in the newest Sorcerer on the block, but even so, the man had still managed to surprise them all, waiting for several weeks and then appearing right when their guards started dropping slightly.
He'd caught them napping, obtaining all the information he was after before they could mount an effective response, and now they could only wait in fearful anticipation for what he intended for Fujimaru.
The man was a menace, the sort who regularly drove his own students to insanity for seemingly no reason, which made Mirei genuinely worried about what he would teach Shirou.
The redhead was already a considerable menace himself after all. The reveal that he possibly wielded the Second True Magic as well as the Third was only the latest incident on a long, long list of them.
He had a certain talent for causing chaos at the Magus Association even when half a world away, much like Zelretch actually, and Mirei could only pray that Zelretch wouldn't be too bad of an influence on him.
The thought of them teaming up…
"Lord Zelretch has been a troublemaker for as long as anyone can remember, but he is no fool, nor does he desire to bring about war or destruction." Lorelei was fond of the old bastard though, appearing much less concerned about the matter than Mirei. "I am confident he will be a worthy teacher to Shirou."
"I hope you are right, for all our sakes." Mirei wasn't so sure, but since neither of them had anything to offer but speculation at this point, she didn't see the need to argue the point. "I suppose we shall see when he returns to the Clocktower in… oh, only a few weeks at this point. Time sure flies when you're having fun."
'Fun' being extremely relative of course.
"Would it not be a good idea for me to travel to Japan at the earliest convenience and question Shirou about these rumours myself?" Lorelei suggested, and her tone made it clear that it was actually a suggestion and not a hidden order, which was sometimes the case with her. "In order to determine the truth of the matter at once?"
"…" Mirei had to think about that for a moment, as the idea had both upsides and downsides that deserved due consideration, carefully considering the matter from every imaginable angle, before she shook her head in the end. "No. That would have been a good idea if it would have been months or years before he returned, but not with mere weeks. Remember, you agreed to contact him as little as possible while he remains at home, thereby certainly implying that visiting is out of the question entirely, and I strongly advise you to keep that promise."
"Indeed." Lorelei accepted the advice graciously, never one to break a promise to begin with, especially not to those she respected. "I expect I'll have my fair share of work here anyway."
"Oh yes!" Mirei nodded emphatically, as there was indeed a mountain of work waiting in good, old London that needed to be taken care of fast. "And our first priority is making sure the other families won't try anything stupid when the rumours reach them too. I shall schedule a meeting with the Aristocratic Faction at once, to relay the information. Would you like to summon lord El-Melloi beforehand, to discuss the recent events and arrange a proper response?"
Waver Velvet had rapidly worked his way up into Lorelei's confidence, with his control over no fewer than three departments and his determination to do right by both his subordinates and his allies. That he was also friendly with Shirou Fujimaru certainly contributed too, especially now.
"No, there is no time. You said that the rumours of Shirou's ability to wield the Second True Magic are already spreading far and wide. It is imperative that we act quickly to make our position clear. I want that meeting scheduled fast, preferably today."
"Of course."
That worked out well for Mirei. The rumours about Shirou being able to wield the Kaleidoscope were already starting to cause quite a stir in the Magus Association, especially among the Ruling Families. It was imperative that Lorelei set them at ease as fast as she could, to prevent any more trouble.
The last thing they needed now was more trouble, as they were frightfully busy already, between the Return of Mystery, the upcoming attacks of Phantasmal Beasts, the potential counterstrike from the Dead Apostle Ancestors, and of course the investigation into Gladstone Pharmsolone, the current spokesperson for the Neutral Faction and one of the ten biggest fishes in the Clocktower right now.
Speaking of the Neutral Faction…
"Would you like me to schedule a meeting with the Neutral Faction and the Democratic Faction as well? To alleviate their worries about Fujimaru?" The elderly woman asked, reasoning she might as well get all the planning over and done with. "And if so, separately or together?"
"Together." Lorelei's reply was swift and decisive, exactly how Mirei liked it. "It will save time, and it will ensure that I am not left alone with that wretch Pharmsolone for even a moment."
A very wise precaution, considering what crime Phamrsolone was being suspected of. A crime so heinous and severe that a summary execution seemed like a perfectly reasonable response, even in Mirei's eyes.
Gladstone Phamrsolone had colluded with the Dead Apostle Ancestors, giving them information in exchange for resources and riches. It was nothing less than outright treason, against the Magus Association and indeed humanity itself.
Any Magus aware of his atrocious deeds would struggle not to kill him on sight, and that went doubly so for a Barthomeloi. It would require a genuine effort on Lorelei's part to stay her hand when faced with him, and while she'd likely be able to control herself, for now, there was no telling what else she might do that would alert him to the fact they were on to her.
Magi were a paranoid lot at the best of times, especially when they'd climbed as high as Phamrsolone had, and at this point, even a misplaced glare could send him running for the hills, which was the last thing they needed.
However, if McDonell Trambellio Elrod and Inorai Valualeta Atroholm, the leaders of the Democratic Faction and two sly, old foxes if there ever were any, were also present, Lorelei would have no choice but to stay on her toes at all times. Phamrsolone would notice nothing amiss.
"I will schedule a shared meeting between the four of you." Mirei nodded, making a mental note of it. "Haste is of the utmost importance, so I will summon them in the name of the Vice Director and give them an explanation in written form beforehand. Both to let them know they cannot refuse the summons, and to not unduly scare that rotten traitor."
"Very good."
Phamrsolone might get nervous if he were suddenly summoned to the Vice Director's office without any warning beforehand, so they had to take away as much of his worry as they could, make it clear this was a political meeting, not a judiciary one.
Being honest, Mirei wished she could just lock him up now and throw away the key already without any need for these games, but since they didn't have the required evidence yet, she had to play it safe.
It was vexing, allowing that traitor free reign for even a second more, but she consoled herself with the prospect of hauling him away in chains in the very near future, to make him suffer like he'd made so many others suffer with his callous behaviour.
Mirei might not share her boss' immense revulsion for the inhuman and those who consorted with them, but she made a clear and definite exception for the Dead Apostle Ancestors and their cronies. Anyone with half a brain hated them, from the warmongers to the pacifists, as they truly were the most wretched, cruel, and odious beings in existence. Any and every Magus knew to avoid them at all costs.
Except Gladstone Pharmsolone apparently. He did not avoid them. More than that, he actively consorted with them, selling out his own species, his own people, even his own family, to those abhorrent monsters in exchange for nothing more than resources for his useless projects.
Lorelei was fully in the right when she said she didn't want to spend time alone with that pathetic wastrel of a man. Even Mirei, not a violent person by any means, wanted to deck him whenever she laid eyes on him. More than that, she wanted to execute him.
And it was finally starting to seem like she would get her chance soon. The official investigation into his horrid crimes was gaining steam as they spoke, and it looked like he hadn't erased his traces as well as he should have.
With some luck, that traitor would hang before the year was out.
With a lot of luck, he'd be dead before Shirou returned.
It had been two days now since Shirou had returned from Misaki Town. Two days since he'd slain the Spider Queen. Two days since he'd witnessed Michael Roa Valdamjong finding his end at the hands of Tohno Shiki, two days since he'd said his goodbyes to everyone he'd met in Misaki Town and two days since he'd gone straight back home, to his own Fuyuki.
And yes, two days since he'd blatantly revealed to his pursuers and the Moonlit World at large that he could teleport using Rainbow-coloured light. Something which he knew would lead every single Magus straight to the conclusion that he wielded the Second True Magic as well as the Third.
He could try to downplay it, claim that there were many forms of simple Magecraft that involved both teleportation and rainbow-coloured light, but he'd only be deluding himself if he did that. Everyone knew he was, supposedly, a Sorcerer, and that meant no one could possibly mistake what he'd done.
One plus one equalled two, and teleportation plus rainbow-coloured light equalled the Kaleidoscope.
It wasn't true at all of course, it was 'only' the Bifrost, but no one knew that but him and his family. To everyone else, it had to seem like he'd managed to learn two True Magics instead of one now.
He'd well and truly put the cat among the pigeons with that one, perhaps even more than when he'd revealed his supposed ability to wield the Third, and he already dreaded the consequences he'd surely face when he returned to the Clocktower in only a few weeks from now.
Nevertheless, he couldn't really bring himself to regret his actions, not even with the benefit of hindsight. If he got the chance to do it all over again, he'd change nothing.
Two days ago, after he'd finished his discussion with Cardinal Laurentis in Misaki Town, Shirou had noticed quickly that he was being followed on his way home by spies and informants. Needless to say, it had annoyed him, angered him even, so instead of just shaking them off, he'd decided to mess with his stalkers and their masters. To punish them, at least in a small way, for their transgressions of trying to uncover his true identity and his home right after he'd fought multiple Dead Apostle Ancestors in a row.
He didn't mind it if they tried to play their political games with him, as he'd signed up for that when he willingly chose to enter the Clocktower, but home was where his girls were, and that made it completely out of bounds.
So he'd showed them the Bifrost in all its glory, to shake them off and spook them into retreating, knowing full well what the large-scale consequences of his boasting would be.
Needless to say, Rin had not been happy with him.
She'd been gracious enough to let him recover from the journey before she made that known, but the scolding she'd given him afterwards had been epic, the stuff of legends even, though Shirou had honestly felt more impressed and in love with her than he'd felt intimidated. He'd had the good sense not to say that out loud though, and had acted remorseful over his actions, doing his best to look contrite.
Naturally, she hadn't bought it for a second, and it had taken many hours of pampering and apologies for her to look at him with anything but frustration and annoyance again.
Not that it had been a chore of course. Spoiling his girlfriends was one of his favourite things in the world, and the smile she had given him at the end had made it all worth it twice over.
Unfortunately, Rin knew that too, she knew it all too well, and to punish him properly, had set him to a much more tedious task instead.
To map out and prepare for every single consequence, big and small, political and societal, that his reckless actions could possibly have on him, and write it all down in a report that he would have to present to her.
In other words, he had to practise politics. One of his least favourite things to do. A true punishment.
She knew him so well!
She truly was an amazing girlfriend.
Ayako and Sakura were fully on Rin's side, and so was Caren, though the nun wasn't actually home at the moment. She had been summoned at the behest of the Burial Agency to an emergency meeting in Tokyo. The reason hadn't been stated in the letter, but Shirou could hazard a good guess that it was about him.
As such, Caren wasn't too pleased with him either right now.
Knowing that he completely deserved the punishment he'd been given, Shirou had gotten to work on the report without complaint, and he steadily trudged on, using his enhanced brain to its utmost capacity to write something Rin would be satisfied with. A report that accounted for everything that might happen now that he had made a big splash in the Moonlit World for the second time in less than a year.
It certainly wasn't easy, but he'd gotten a few decent things on paper nevertheless.
For one, he imagined that Waver and Lorelei would soon be in touch with him, to interrogate him about his newfound abilities. They both had means of contacting him after all, and though they were kind enough to leave him be under normal circumstances, this matter was not something they could ignore. Not when it would surely impact the peace and their own standing in the Magus Association.
So he prepared good, decent, and mostly truthful answers in response, that leaned into the preconception that he could use the Kaleidoscope and left out anything to do with Mjolnir and his nascent godhood, as well as a reassurance of his alliance with them and an explanation as to why he'd kept his supposed ability to wield the Second True Magic a secret from them.
Furthermore, he'd prepared general statements for the rest of the Clocktower and possibly even the Burial Agency as well, in case they were needed, which contained even less information than the one prepared for Waver and Lorelei. He wasn't going to take any risks, not with secrets of this magnitude.
It was also very likely that more Magus-families would try to approach him for an alliance now, or at the very least a non-aggression pact, such as the one he'd made with the Edelfelt. Something he'd have to be very careful about, lest he put Waver and Lorelei in a difficult position after he accidentally made a disadvantageous deal with an enemy of theirs.
In addition, Ayako had also alerted him to the fact that the more enterprising Magi might try to offer their daughters to him as brides, medieval as they could be. Rin had in turn supplemented that with a warning that many of them would probably be completely satisfied with him only impregnating those daughters without necessarily marrying them, as that would give the family in question a very powerful heir and no potentially troublesome husband to go with it.
That was never going to happen though! Even if Shirou hadn't already had his girlfriends, he was not going to sire children he could not raise himself. That was out of the question!
Call him new-fashioned, but a father should always be involved with the upbringing of his own offspring, especially in the Moonlit World, where children were treated badly as a matter of course.
Such problems, and many similar ones, had all been written down in the report, along with the best solutions Shirou could envision. It wasn't a very good report, certainly not up to Rin's standards, let alone Waver's, but as said before, Shirou was terrible at politics. He was too easy-going and too eager to help others out even without a reward.
As such, knowing he couldn't do better, Rin had judged it decent enough, and had let him off the hook, agreeing that he had accounted for just about everything that might realistically happen, even if his proposed solutions weren't always the best.
For now, they felt sufficiently prepared for the consequences of Shirou's reckless actions.
Naturally, they were proven wrong the very next day, when they were suddenly confronted by a surprise they had not seen coming.
A visit from one Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.
The Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.
In hindsight, they shouldn't have been as surprised as they were. Shirou had been expecting a visit from the Kaleidoscope for months now, ever since he'd claimed to wield the Heaven's Feel. Furthermore, Arcueid had promised to inform her grandfather, that being Zelretch, of his existence and his need for training, and to top it all off, he had, just days ago, pretended to wield the Second True Magic as well.
The very True Magic that Zelretch wielded too, making it a personal matter for the oldest Sorcerer in existence.
Though in his case, he actually wielded it and didn't just fake it with Divine Power.
But even though Shirou had known all that, he was still surprised to hear the doorbell ring, his Bounded Fields alerting him to a presence outside, a presence of someone with Mystical abilities. He was even more surprised to find a dapper, old man standing at the door, an old man who promptly invited himself in, introducing himself as no one else than the Zelretch.
Things only spiralled further out of control from there.
"You have my sincere gratitude for the chair." Zelretch professed, sitting down at the dining table with an appreciative groan. "Sure beats sitting on the floor, no disrespect intended."
"None taken."
Since Zelretch was European and an old man besides, he probably wasn't used to sitting on the floor. Hence, Shirou had taken out the high dining table and several chairs instead. He saw no need whatsoever to stick to Japanese traditions in this instance. Not with someone who was older than those traditions, older than the very nation of Japan even.
Currently, Zelretch had taken one side of the dining table, while Shirou had taken the other, allowing them to face each other directly.
Rin was sitting next to Shirou, at his left, on a chair of her own, staring at Zelretch with something akin to worship, though she hadn't said a word yet. She wanted to say something, obviously, though she probably had no idea what to say to a man who'd taught her distant ancestor and wielded the very Magic her family had been searching for since its nascency.
Illya had taken the chair on Shirou's other side, and she was looking at the Kaleidoscope with narrowed eyes, probably remembering how his help with creating the Holy Grail had been the end of her forebear, who had sacrificed herself for the ritual to succeed.
Admittedly, it had been Justeaze's own choice in the end, but even so, that sacrifice had led directly to the string of events that had resulted in her mother having to sacrifice herself and Illya almost having to follow suit.
Something that Zelretch, to his credit, seemed to be aware of, judging by the apologetic glance he'd shot at Illya and the few instances where he'd almost addressed her directly.
"It is good to meet you at last, Emiya Shirou. I apologise for the sudden intrusion." In the end, the old man chose to focus on the redhead though, meeting his eyes directly, which allowed Shirou to see that his irises were also coloured with all the colours of the rainbow.
It seemed to be a theme with the man.
"The honour is all mine, lord Zelretch." Shirou inclined his head, showing the proper respect to an elder. "And please do not worry about the suddenness of your arrival. I have been expecting you for some time."
"You mean to say that I am late? Then I apologise again. Recent events have taken up much of my attention as of late, so much so that I have lost sight of the big picture. News of your ability to wield one of the True Magics only reached my ears scarcely a week ago, and I did not learn of your identity until I visited the Clocktower."
"There is no need to apologise." Shirou assured the Kaleidoscope, though a frown did form between his eyebrows at something that the man said, something rather alarming. "But if I may ask, how did you manage to learn my identity at the Clocktower? I went to great lengths to hide it there."
The only ones who could have given Zelretch the information he needed to discover Shirou's true identity were Lorelei and Waver, and the redhead liked to think that they wouldn't reveal that information lightly, not even to the Kaleidoscope.
But if it wasn't them, someone else had to have discovered who he truly was, and that was even more concerning.
"There's no need to worry." Zelretch waved away his concern however with a lazy wave of his hand. "I worked it out myself. Once I heard that your name is Shirou and that you want to become a Hero of Justice, I knew everything there was to know without the need for further intelligence. My craft is the Operation of Parallel Worlds after all, and your desire to serve righteousness and virtue is a constant among the many dimensions in which I operate."
"It is?" Shirou blinked in surprise, unsure whether to feel relieved or not.
"Certainly. Your exploits are legendary, well-known to me and all my counterparts. Your exact nature might differ per dimension, ranging from a substandard Magus to a being rather similar to me, but your desire to be a saviour almost never varies, barring several very rare exceptions. You are very… dedicated, one might say, to becoming a Hero of Justice."
"Chichichi." That actually made Illya giggle despite her earlier decision that she disliked the old man, and after glancing at her for a moment, Shirou decided that he should be happy with that information too.
That his counterparts wanted to become heroes as well was good news, something to appreciate, even if it gave Mjolnir various, ill-advised ideas about team-ups and cross-over events.
An army of Shirous sounded nice in theory, but he doubted it would work well in practice.
In any case, it was far better than the worst alternative. The redhead wouldn't have known what to do or say if he'd heard instead that most of the other Shirous had become villains. He would have had to do something about it, though it probably wasn't proper form to go out and defeat your own alternative versions over a mere personal grudge.
Even if Thor had done exactly such a thing on several occasions, according to Mjolnir.
"A question." Rin suddenly raised her hand as if she were in class, another sign of the respect she held for the Kaleidoscope, though her gaze had sharpened considerably since the conversation had begun.
"Ask." Zelretch didn't even hesitate, giving her a broad smile.
"You mentioned that there are Shirous out there who are similar to you. Does that mean this is not the only world in which Shirou possesses a True Magic? Or even the Second True Magic specifically for that matter?"
"Sharp and to the point as always, miss Tohsaka." Zelretch grinned at her, his words containing no small amount of approval. "As expected of the descendant of one of my most foolish apprentices."
"…F-Foolish?" Rin winced at the word, taking it as a rebuke.
"It was a compliment." Zelretch hastened to correct the preconception however, to Rin's visible relief. "When selecting apprentices, I usually have the choice between sociopaths, outright villains, and fools. It is the third group that has my definite preference. A preference which you and I seem to share, miss Tohsaka, considering your choice in companionship."
He shot a meaningful glance at Shirou as he said that, eliciting both a smile and an agreeing nod from Rin, which earned them an annoyed glare from the fool in question.
Needless to say, Illya only giggled harder.
"But to get back to your question, miss Tohsaka, yes, there are worlds in which Emiya Shirou is a Sorcerer." Zelretch brought the discussion back on track, cutting off the giggles and ribbings. "Not many though. Emiya Shirou is an individual that we in the business like to refer to as a wild card."
"Oh?" Shirou didn't consider himself particularly wild, so he raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Most people actually remain largely the same across different worlds. Of course, there are worlds in which everyone is different, especially when the very history of said world has diverted from its proper course, but in general, changes in specific individuals are few and far in-between. If I see a particular person in this world, it is very likely that this person will be immensely similar in a randomly chosen other world. Miss Tohsaka for instance will almost always be the daughter of Aoi and Tokiomi, the sister of Sakura, an Average One with considerable talent, and a Tsundere with a particular fondness for redheaded fools."
"O-Oi!" Now it was Rin's turn to be put on the spot, and Shirou's turn to stifle a laugh, though he did follow it up by pressing a loving kiss to her cheek. "E-Eck?! W-What was that for?!"
"I just felt like it. There's something very romantic about hearing that my girlfriend loves me no matter what world we live in, don't you think?"
"…M-Maybe."
"Heh, very smooth." Zelretch grinned in approval, before he turned serious again. "This consistency among worlds is not so for wild cards. Wild cards can differ immensely between every single dimension there is. You, Emiya Shirou, are such a wild card. There are worlds in which you are but an amateur Mage, but also worlds where you are a videogame character, a demon, a Dead Apostle, an heir to a legendary swordsmith, a more talented Mage, literally Satan, or indeed a Sorcerer."
"But there aren't many dimensions in which I am a Sorcerer?" Shirou asked, just to clarify, carefully ignoring the fact that he was apparently the Devil in one or more worlds.
"I can think of only three from the top of my head." Zelretch replied after a moment of thought.
"Including or excluding this dimension?"
"Excluding of course. You are not actually a Sorcerer, are you?"
The Kaleidoscope casually dropped a bomb on the conversation, but it was only a small one, as Shirou had already expected him to know about his deception. Hence, he didn't even flinch, nor did Illya and Rin.
"No." He admitted bluntly, revealing more than he'd ever revealed to anyone aside from his lovers and direct family. "No, I am not. I'm just faking it."
"With Divine Power, if I'm not mistaken." Zelretch deduced. "I sense it everywhere throughout this house."
"You don't seem very bothered by that fact." Rin observed clinically, looking rather displeased by the old man's utter and complete lack of shock, undoubtedly remembering the fact that she had fainted multiple times when she'd learned of the truth of Shirou's abilities.
"I have met several gods in my time, back when I was still a humble apprentice." Zelretch provided by ways of explanation, his eyes becoming cloudy for a moment as he took a small stroll down memory lane, and the confirmation of the fact that he hailed from the tail end of the Age of the Gods, over three thousand years ago, made all three of his interlocutors go wide-eyed. A rumour was one thing, but to have it confirmed was quite another. "And besides, this is hardly the only world in which you underwent apotheosis. It is however the only one in which you do so in your own Modern Age."
"I became a god in other dimensions as well?" It almost sounded too ridiculous for words, but considering his own situation, Shirou had no choice but to believe the claim. "But not in the Modern Age? How is that possible?"
"Time travel." Zelretch replied bluntly. "Or you were placed into a world where the Age of the Gods never ended, or into a world where the Age of the Gods and the Modern Age aren't separate to begin with."
"There are such worlds?" Illya asked, frowning in clear scepticism that places like that could possibly exist.
"Certainly. In such worlds, becoming a god is… well, I won't say 'easy', but at least it is easier. Hence, this world is unique, in that you, Shirou, are becoming a god whilst still remaining in your own Fuyuki, long after the end of the Age of the Gods. It is absolutely fascinating in a thousand different ways, though I'm not really sure what to think about the Return of Mystery that you have caused as a result."
"It does seem to have its downsides, doesn't it?" Shirou huffed with a wry smile, referring, among other things, to the Phantasmal Creatures he'd encountered so far.
"Many downsides indeed. If it comes out that this is your fault, I imagine it will make a lot of people very angry. I can see why you want to keep it a secret."
"Will you keep it a secret?" It was a very important question, so Shirou asked it without compunction or beating around the bush. The Kaleidoscope wasn't known for being loose-lipped, but at the same time, his reputation for reliability wasn't stellar either.
"That goes without saying. I am on your side here." Zelretch defied his expectations though, in a good way, but Shirou wasn't wholly convinced yet.
"Provided I help you in return?" He guessed, rather familiar with how Magi operated. Even the good ones.
"Certainly not." But Zelretch defied his expectations again, in true Sorcerer fashion. "It is true that I'm hoping for your aid with several matters, but even if you refuse all my requests, I will not breathe a word of your true nature to anyone. It is not my place to reveal the secrets of others, especially secrets of such magnitude."
The Kaleidoscope's words were filled with conviction and sincerity, and although the old man had proven himself strangely resistant to Shirou's ability to tell truth from lies, perhaps because of his inhuman nature, it was evident this time that he was telling the truth and nothing but the truth. He really wouldn't tell anyone.
And that was a massive relief.
"Thank you very much, lord Zelretch."
"Don't mention it." The old man didn't seem to consider it a big deal, though he did lean in a bit after, as if confiding something to Shirou. "But I must urge you to please consider being more open about your secrets yourself, perhaps telling a few people here and there other than your inner circle."
"What? Why?!" The suggestion came completely out of the left field, and it left Shirou baffled. The truth of his existence, of his apotheosis, was a matter that would truly make the world shake on its foundations, making it something that should absolutely not be shared lightly with anyone.
Surely the Kaleidoscope, who undoubtedly held many such secrets himself and had even agreed to keep Shirou's secrets without asking anything in return, would see that too?
"I understand your reluctance." Zelretch assured him, but there was steel in his voice, indicating he wasn't going to back down. "But this issue does not just concern you. Bringing back Mystery to the world is no small matter, my boy, it will have massive consequences, and I dare say that there are individuals out there who deserve to know what is happening, and why."
"…"
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, Zelretch directly struck a nerve just now, bringing up something that had long been a point of worry to Shirou, and the redhead had to fight to keep his expression composed.
He'd never really discussed it with anyone else, but the truth was that he had been agonising for a while now about the consequences of his existence, of his rise to Divinity, and about the impact that it would have on the world and everyone in it.
So far, those consequences hadn't been too dire, as every returning Phantasmal Being had been either killed or captured and the slight increase in Magical Energy in the air did nothing but make a lot of Magi very happy, but things wouldn't stay that way forever. Not at the rate they were progressing.
If more Phantasmal Beings were to appear, or if the amount of Magical Energy in the air became toxic to mundane people, it was only a matter of time before the casualties started stacking up, and there was no way Emiya Shirou could possibly accept that.
Killing himself had been very seriously considered as a preventive measure, or at the very least, locking himself away in his Vault until he'd discovered a solution, but Mjolnir had managed to dissuade him of that notion before he'd even shared it with the girls.
Which was most fortunate for him, because they wouldn't have been nearly as compassionate as Mjolnir in discouraging him from doing anything so drastic. Their reaction would have made writing that stupid report look like a walk in the park.
His next best option had been to tell more people about the situation and prepare a good line of defence against both the Phantasmal Species and the toxic amounts of Magical Energy in the air, but that left him with another conundrum.
Quite frankly, the redhead had no idea whom he could trust with the information. Really trust. Aside from his family of course, but that went without saying. Oh, and Issei, but telling him would not help the situation much.
He now had confirmation from Zelretch that telling more people about the situation and then working together with them was his best option, and Shirou would love to defer to the man's millennia of experience, but that didn't solve the problem of who to confide in.
"Yes, it can be hard to decide whom you can trust with your secrets, especially after you've kept them for so long." Zelretch accurately deduced the root of Shirou's problems, seeing right through him despite the redhead's attempts to stay composed. "I was much the same in my younger years, if you can believe it. Wary, distrustful, overly cautious, some might even say paranoid. I discovered though that people can actually be surprisingly reliable if you allow them to be. If you put your trust in others, most will try not to betray that trust."
"I find that hard to believe." Rin was the first to reply, and apparently, she considered the old man's words to be so ridiculous that her voice nearly dripped with scorn and doubt.
Unsurprising. They were after all anathema to everything she knew about the Moonlit World, where trust was something to be broken.
"I don't mean you should tell your secrets to just anyone of course." Zelretch defended himself, though paradoxically, he seemed happy that Rin was pushing back against him. "But if you already have an established relationship with someone, showing them more trust can lead to receiving more trust in turn."
"I suppose I can see that happen." Shirou allowed, though he was still on the fence for now. "But that remains an awful risk. Who would I even tell?"
"Well, for one, I think you can trust Arcueid with the truth." Zelretch's first suggestion was a surprising one, but only until Shirou remembered the strange relationship between him and the Moon Princess. "She's my honorary granddaughter, and I am more than willing to vouch for her excellent character."
"The Ultimate One of the Earth?" Rin asked sceptically. She knew who Arcueid was of course, hardly couldn't after Shirou's extensive report on his adventures in Misaki Town, but knowing who she was and trusting her were two very different things. "Forgive me for saying this, but even if she weren't an inhuman being, I gather from Shirou's stories that she can be quite airheaded, and not someone who you would normally trust with sensitive information."
"That's…! Not entirely untrue, I suppose." Zelretch made to defend his granddaughter, but he soon realised he couldn't deny Rin's words without lying. It was almost comical to see how he deflated, but he didn't give up yet. "Arcueid might be a bit flighty, sometimes, but I assure you she is very good at keeping secrets. She already holds many of them, thousands even, and has never breathed a word about them to anyone, not even to you or that Tohno-boy. Your rise to Divinity would just be one secret among many for her. Furthermore, the upsides of telling her significantly outweigh the downsides."
"Upsides?"
"She can help you. With her connection to the Earth, she can manage the Return of Mystery and make it a more controlled process. If more Phantasmal Species appear, she will be able to locate them instantly and rush over to deal with them, far more effectively than the Magus Association, the Burial Agency, or indeed you, Shirou, fledgling that you are. With her help, you can prevent thousands of casualties with ease."
"I… I see." Those were very good arguments, especially to Shirou, to the point where they even made him reconsider his earlier, negative response to the notion of telling Arcueid the truth.
"Would she be willing to help us though?" Illya spoke up next, asking another important question. "Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't Ultimate Ones on the whole not very benevolent towards humanity? I mean, inhuman creatures in general tend not to be, with certain exceptions of course."
Exceptions such as Zelretch and indeed Shirou himself, both of whom could easily be counted among the inhuman.
"I assure you she will be eager to help you out with this, as Shirou should be able to confirm." Zelretch once more vouched for his granddaughter however, and Shirou could indeed confirm that Arcueid was very benevolent towards humanity, even more so than many humans in fact. "If not for humanity as a species, then at least for her friends among them. I swear it on my life and Soul."
The Kaleidoscope was certain that Arcueid Brunestud could be trusted, and when Shirou did not dispute his claim, Rin and Illya also came around, tentatively agreeing for now that the Moon Princess might make a good ally.
"So will you tell her?"
"I will." Shirou made the final decision. "Once I see her again."
"Oh, don't worry about that. She'll be coming to visit you soon enough."
"Will she now?" Shirou raised an eyebrow at the Kaleidoscope, accompanying it with a wry smile. "And pray tell, how exactly does she know where I live? I didn't tell her."
Technically, it was a superfluous question. He recognised in the old man someone who could not deny his granddaughter anything, so he had little doubt that Arcueid had already managed to extract the location and address of the Emiya-estate from him.
Still, it was worth it to see the old man start in alarm, before hastily averting his eyes.
"Lord Zelretch?"
"…Ah, well, see, you must understand, she was so eager to see you again." The sight of Zelretch actually blushing in embarrassment was astounding, yet also humanising to a degree that Shirou actually found himself liking the man a bit more. "S-So I suppose I did end up telling her…"
"Telling her what exactly?"
"W-Well, ehm, I-I might have… I-It was basically everything I knew about you, kinda." He admitted at last, before hastily holding up his hands. "N-Nothing about your Divinity though! I only learned about that myself just now, so I couldn't have told her!"
He really was the kind of grandfather who let himself be wrapped around the finger of his granddaughter without even a token of resistance. Shirou might have been angrier about it if he wasn't already so familiar with the type.
Old man Raiga was exactly the same after all.
"I suppose it doesn't matter all that much in the end." He let the old man off the hook, for now, though he noticed how both Rin and Illya wore predatory smiles, undoubtedly already envisioning how they could make use of this newfound weakness. "Let's get back to our previous topic. You wanted me to tell more people about my secrets, and I doubt Arcueid was the only one you had in mind."
"Waver is always a good choice." Zelretch indeed had the next name ready, and this time, Shirou agreed with the suggestion from the onset. "He's really reliable, that lad, and competent too. You can count on him when it matters."
"Yes, I know." Shirou smiled. His opinion of Waver was much the same.
"And don't forget about little Lorelei." Now the old man's grin became outright suggestive, setting off all kinds of alarm bells in Shirou's head. "You should tell her as well. Not just because she will be immensely useful in combatting the issues that your apotheosis will cause, perhaps almost as useful as Arcueid even, but also because it is your duty to confide in her."
"Duty?" Illya asked curiously. "Why? Because she is the Queen of the Clocktower?"
"That's a part of it, but I was mainly referring to a certain delicious rumour I picked up on in the halls of the Burial Agency." Now Zelretch's grin had become so wide as to almost split his face in two, and Shirou realised his worst fears had come true. "I suppose I should congratulate you, Shirou, on your recent wedd-"
"ENOUGH!" Shirou slammed his fist down on the table with sufficient strength to break it in two, but no one paid it any mind, as Zelretch was now outright laughing while Rin and Illya had their gazes zeroed in on him.
"Wedding?" Rin asked, her smile positively radiant and filled with immense danger, scaring Shirou more than Vlov Arkhangel had ever managed. "Pray tell, Shirou, what exactly is the lord Kaleidoscope talking about?"
"It's all a misunderstanding!"
"Hold them back! Do not let them pass this point!"
"Yes, lord Carillon!"
Millieune Carillon, the lord and master of the Carillon-Observatory, attempted to rally their men against the oncoming horde of Phantasmal Beasts, which were pouring out of the tunnels that led deeper into the Tomb of Albion, beneath the Clocktower.
They were merely minor Phantasmal Beasts, creatures that only appeared in near-forgotten folklore and had never been very strong to begin with, even in the Age of the Gods, but between their numerical advantage and their inherent abilities, they threatened to overwhelm the defenders nonetheless.
They were strong, fast, agile, cunning, and worst of all, possessed a potent Magic Resistance, which made nearly all Magecraft useless against them. Even Millieune Carillon themselves, one of the greatest Magi of the Clocktower, saw their spells fizzle out uselessly against the skin, fur, and scales of the Phantasmal Creatures. Naturally, their apprentices had even less success.
It was exactly as lord El-Melloi and lady Barthomeloi had predicted. Phantasmal Beasts truly were superior to humans. They more than deserved their reputation and their place at the top of the food chain.
Fortunately, Carillon had had the good sense to listen to the predictions and to prepare suitable countermeasures for all the issues raised.
The first and foremost of those measures were Enforcers who focused on physical combat.
"Leave this to us, lord Carillon!" The captain of those Enforcers shouted, before jumping into the fray with his wooden club, followed closely behind by his enthusiastic underlings.
"Take that one!"
"Don't let it escape!"
"Give that pig a whack on its fat head!"
"Oi, don't go hitting me!"
"Loose! That one's mine!"
They were a right bunch of meatheads, the sort who'd normally never be allowed to enter the Carillon-Observatory, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and over the past few weeks, lord Carillon had started to make more and more exceptions to their stringent entrance-policy.
There was still a rigorous screening first of course, that ensured that all Enforcers hired were absolutely top-notch, with an exemplary record and excellent character, but even with those heavy requirements in place, over a dozen of them were now on permanent guard in the Observatory, making the number of people present nearly twice as high as ever before.
It had been a bit awkward for everyone involved at first, but now that the predictions had come true and the Phantasmal Beasts were at the gates, all differences had quickly been put aside, and Carillon and their apprentices beheld just how effective melee combat could be.
As they watched, several of the Enforcers cornered a large, tiger-like Beast, before crippling it and cutting its throat.
On the other side, a massive deer with horns all over its body was slowly being herded into an ambush, before it was knocked down and had its head crushed.
A gigantic boar was brazenly rampaging through its own ranks and that of the Enforcers, but was swiftly dispatched when it made the mistake of getting too close to the captain and his wooden club.
A lizard-like Phantasmal was harder to deal with, being very quick and slippery, but Carillon proved they were not just dead weight by using a spell to lower the friction-value of the ceiling, thereby causing it to fall down to the ground, where it was easy prey.
Their apprentices deduced immediately that spells affecting the surroundings did still work despite the Phantasmal Beasts' Magic Resistance, and they unleashed a barrage of rock-spikes, falling boulders, and slippery frost upon the creatures.
Between them and the Enforcers, the tide of the battle slowly but certainly turned.
Eventually, when the threat was pretty much contained, lord Carillon joined the fray, utilising Gradation Air to create a sword, using it to slice off every limb that came into reach and to stab at every exposed body-part they could see.
Victory was now close at hand, a far cry from the crushing defeat that it could have been had the Enforcers not been present, and Carillon was once more grateful for the timely warning they had received.
The Lord of the Observatory had been present several weeks ago at the faithful meeting of the Aristocratic Faction, where they, along with the other nobles of the faction, had learned that Mystery was returning to the world and that Phantasmal Beasts were returning with it.
A ridiculous notion at first glance, but the evidence, mainly in the form of one such Phantasmal Beast, did not lie.
Lord El-Melloi had theorised that the Phantasmal Creatures would mainly spawn in areas where the Human Order was weak, such as deep jungles, unclimbable mountain ranges, and vast oceans. Naturally, Magical Areas, such as Stonehenge in England, the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan, and Easter Island were included in that list. Mystery was strong in those places, and was set to become even stronger in the future if the World was indeed reverting its course.
The Tomb of Albion was one of those Magical Areas. More than that, it might be the most Magical of them all, being an outright gate to the Reverse Side of the World, created by the dragon Albion itself.
Long ago, at the end of the Age of the Gods, when humanity had risen to prominence, all remaining Phantasmal Creatures had been banished to the Reverse Side, including all Dragons.
Albion had refused however, and used its strong connection to Britain and its people as an anchor to remain, avoiding banishment with several clever tricks, befitting an age-old dragon with more intellect than a human could ever hope to possess.
After several centuries however, it had come to regret its decision, but when it tried to leave for the Reverse Side after all, Albion found that Mystery had diminished so much that the gate was closed forever.
Not yet discouraged, the dragon had started digging, for Mystery was stronger below ground. It had dug and dug and dug, creating an intricate network of tunnels, a massive tomb, that now carried its name.
Its reckless search for Mystery had endangered the lands above however, and eventually, the Once and Future King had come to put an end to the frantic digging.
Albion had been slain deep below the ground, as much as a dragon of its calibre could be slain anyway, and its gigantic corpse, easily the size of a mountain, had fused with the earth, creating what was now known as the Tomb of Albion.
And the Carillon observatory, the First and Oldest Classroom of the Clocktower, was located right at the place where its head had once been, while the rest of the Clocktower had been built on top of it.
Millieune Carillon would be lying if they said they didn't consider it at least a bit awe-inspiring that their headquarters had been built inside the head of a dragon, though they now understood that being at the lowest point also had its downsides.
Because they weren't actually at the lowest point.
After Albion's demise, the network of tunnels it had left behind had been expanded both in depth and in width. Dark creatures, living deep in the bowels of the earth, had dug upwards from below, while cave-ins and foolish Magi had increased the number of tunnels leading to the surface.
The dark creatures and the Magi had been slain long ago, but whereas the tunnels created by the latter had been either collapsed, claimed, or sealed off, the tunnels created by the former largely still existed.
In fact, the Carillon-Observatory held no fewer than five cave-openings leading deeper into the earth, created after Albion's demise.
It might seem like a promising prospect to explore them, to uncover the hidden secrets and perhaps discover invaluable resources, but it was not to be. Modern humans had a limit to how much Magical Energy they could withstand, and since Mystery became stronger when one went deeper into the earth, that meant there was a limit on how deep they could go as well.
The Carillon Observatory was as deep as modern humans could go. To go even a metre deeper was to court death.
That wasn't a theory, but proven fact. The corpses of the fools who had tried to descend anyway were still there, barely ten steps away from the openings of the tunnels.
Retrieval was impossible and decomposition just didn't seem to happen under such conditions, so the bodies would have to remain there for eternity, serving as a silent warning to all fools who would try something similar.
For the longest time, the Clocktower had ignored those tunnels, save for the occasional idiot who wanted to add to the body count, but now that Phantasmal Creatures were returning, they had been designated a prime point of attack, by both lord El-Melloi and lady Barthomeloi.
And lo and behold, they had been completely correct.
"_GGLLLAABLLL!"
Carillon was roused from their introspection when they found themselves facing the last Phantasmal Beast that was still fighting back, one that seemed like it could very well be the horde's leader.
It was an Ogre. Carillon recognised it instantly. A big, mean thing with drab green skin and a massive log in its hand, one that had been infused with so much Magical Energy it held the offensive capacity of a first-grade Mystic Code.
The other Phantasmal Creatures immediately retreated a bit, looking on as the Ogre approached Carillon, and the lord understood that this was meant to be a duel between leaders, to settle the outcome of the battle for good.
It was very far from the ideal circumstances, as Carillon was no warrior and had little experience with a sword or any other melee weapon, but they did consider accepting the challenge, out of pride if nothing else.
Then common sense took over again, and the lord took a step back, gesturing at the Enforcers to take care of the problem.
"Kill this fool."
They did, quickly and efficiently, using their numerical advantage and ranged options to rapidly whittle it down.
Spells were cast, knives were thrown, and there was even a single bow in use, firing powerful arrows that easily pierced the monster's flesh.
"_GRUUUOOOOGGHGHGH?!"
The Ogre flailed, clearly astounded that its honourable challenge had been refused, and it did not manage to compose itself until it had already been mortally wounded, collapsing backwards from the pain, shock, and blood loss.
Its final act was to glare accusingly at Carillon, deeming them a gutless coward with its eyes, but the lord didn't react. Frankly, they couldn't care less about the opinion of a soon-to-be dead creature.
With the leader so ignobly slain, the other Phantasmal Beasts soon lost their courage. Though possessing an intelligence close to or even beyond that of an average human, they were still ruled by instinct, and that instinct said to retreat once the leader had fallen.
So they fled, the remaining dozen creatures, rushing back to the tunnels from whence they came.
Four were slain as they retreated, not fast enough to avoid the attacks of the Enforcers, who were taking full advantage of the rout, but the other eight made a safe escape.
"Stop!" Carillon didn't think any of the men were stupid enough to rush after the Beasts, into the lethal tunnels, but it never hurt to be cautious. "Those tunnels are out of bounds!"
More than one Enforcer pulled a face at that fact, and despite the fact it wasn't very disciplined nor elegant, the lord understood their reaction. It was galling to have the enemy only a few dozen metres away, yet to be unable to reach them even with the greatest of weapons and the mightiest of spells.
Those tunnels were seemingly open, easily accessible, but to humans, they were like a fortress, completely unassailable, and that rankled fiercely.
But Carillon wouldn't be a first-rate Magus if they couldn't let go of such emotions in the blink of an eye.
"Report." He demanded of the closest Enforcer, rousing the woman from her irritated thoughts.
"No fatalities, my lord, though several have sustained injuries. The Phantasmal Creatures didn't get far enough to cause any damage to the Observatory, and neither did any of them manage to slip past us in order to get to the Clocktower. For now, it seems we have attained a splendid victory."
"Provided we can heal the injuries that were dealt to the men." Carillon had personally selected these Enforcers for their competency and loyalty. They would hate it if several were crippled permanently after only one battle. "Bring the wounded to the Healing Wing. We can take no chances with injuries dealt by creatures of legend."
"At once, my lord." The Enforcer nodded, looking relieved that Carillon had ordered them to the Healing Wing, as that meant the Observatory would pay the bills.
"Those who are not wounded nor escorting the wounded, start gathering materials." Carillon gestured at the many corpses and cadavers left behind, each and every one of them a treasure trove of rare resources and valuables. "We might as well benefit from all our efforts."
The Carillon-Observatory usually didn't engage in research into Phantasmal Creatures, but with such an abundance of materials, they might make an exception. Otherwise, they could sell the spoils, or trade them for favours.
In any case, this first battle had ended on a positive note, provided the wounded could be healed, but Carillon doubted that would remain the case. This was only the first wave, and they were certain more would follow.
And if Mystery kept returning, the Phantasmal Beasts would only grow stronger and more numerous.
…Perhaps they should make an effort to hire a few more Enforcers, or maybe even mercenaries, provided they could be trusted.
Furthermore, Lady Barthomeloi had already promised her aid should the Observatory come close to being overrun, and although her interference was something Carillon had wanted to avoid for as long as possible, they knew declining aid when it was offered was utterly counterproductive.
It was time to cry for help.
"Pffff Bwahahahahaha! The Burial Agency actually thinks you are married to the Vice Director?! That's hilarious!"
"It's really not that funny." Shirou grumbled, pursing his lips when Illya continued laughing at him.
She really was being mean, mocking him so openly. Even Zelretch had the decency to at least try and hide his smile. Ineffectively of course, but he did try, halfway seriously.
"I don't know why you are even surprised. This is what you get when you act so familiarly with high nobles." Rin huffed, giving him a cross look that he didn't deserve at all. "People start making assumptions."
"That sounds like their problem!" Shirou protested, though he knew very well that if these rumours got out and really made the rounds in the Moonlit World, Lorelei would make it his problem too, very quickly. "A-And besides, it's just not true. I'm sure people will understand that it is not true."
"You might be overestimating the average person there, even if they are Magi." Rin mercilessly crushed his hopes however, giving him a pitying look that was worse than any glare she'd ever aimed at him. "And I imagine it won't help either if you're going to add more fuel to the fire when you return to the Clocktower. Or are you willing to stop fraternising with the Vice Director?"
"F-Fraternising?" Shirou had no idea what Rin thought his relationship with Lorelei was like, but he did know that she was completely wrong. That one word was enough to tell him that. "There's nothing like that going on!"
"Are you sure?" Rin narrowed her eyes even further, giving him a studying look, though so far, without any overt signs of anger. "Are you absolutely, completely sure?"
"Yes, I am. Regardless of what the rumours say, Lorelei and I are just good friends."
"No offence, Shirou, but if Sakura and Ayako are to be believed, you are the most unreliable source imaginable when it comes to people who fancy you. The mere fact that you are allowed to call her 'Lorelei' instead of lady Barthomeloi shows that you are missing at least half the picture" Illya pointed out, before she turned to Rin, giving her a half-amused, half-pitying smile. "Second Owner, I highly recommend that you either start a counter-offensive or that you make room for a fourth woman in the schedule you've been devising so far."
She was talking nonsense, absolute nonsense, yet Rin breathed in deep, before she cast her gaze to the ceiling in desperation, clearly agreeing with Illya's every word.
"But that is not-!"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Shirou made to defend himself, again, but he was interrupted by Zelretch's rumbling laughter. The Kaleidoscope was evidently deriving immense amusement from the byplay, having to wipe away a few tears even, and the fact that his love life could make such an ancient being laugh to such an extent filled Shirou with no small amount of despair.
"It is good to see that, despite your immense power and might, you are still cut from the same cloth as your counterparts, Emiya Shirou. You are still the envy of men everywhere!" The Kaleidoscope boomed, before reaching out and briefly touching Shirou's shoulder, as if in support. "Perhaps it is a comfort to know that these kinds of women-troubles are a constant in your life no matter which dimension one looks at."
"It is not." Shirou didn't have to think about that for a second. "It really is not."
"I suppose not." The old man allowed, not looking the slightest bit surprised at his reaction, before making a sharp, dismissive motion with his hand when Illya wanted to speak up again, his demeanour becoming more serious. "But let us not remain stuck on this topic. You won't find out whether Lorelei fancies you or not by sitting here and talking. I advise that you discuss the matter with her in person, to obtain the clarity you seek."
"…Of course." A good conversation was indeed the solution to a great many problems, and Shirou resolved to talk with Lorelei about the exact nature of their relationship as soon as possible.
Were they just allies? Acquaintances? Friends? Or perhaps something more?
He didn't know anymore, having lost all certainty, but he wanted to find out again, for his own peace of mind and to quickly head off any possible misunderstandings.
"Now then, let us get back to the previous subject." Zelretch put a definite end to the matter of his supposed marriage with the Queen of the Clocktower, as he damn well should, considering he was the one who'd brought it up in the first place. "Tell me again, who is on your list of potential confidants so far?"
"I will tell Lorelei and Waver the truth about my nature and abilities." Shirou did include Lorelei in there, not because of some non-existent romantic relationship, but because she was in fact someone he trusted to do the right thing when presented with a difficult situation. "Arcueid too. I can't think of anyone else though."
"I can." The old man stated, his voice filled with utter certainty, but then he suddenly wavered, the certainty disappearing in a flash as he blinked owlishly. "Though I am not sure if… Well, but I do think… Maybe you can… It's rather risky I suppose…"
All of a sudden, Zelretch started mumbling like an actual old man, his eyes glazing over as he directed his attention elsewhere, seemingly forgetting all about the teens in front of him.
"Lord Zelretch?!" Alarmed by his sudden breakdown, Rin shot up from her seat, her hands held out as if she wanted to help, though there seemed to be very little she could do.
"Uhm…" Illya on the other hand leaned away, looking at Zelretch as if he'd gone crazy.
But Shirou saw what was actually happening, his Clairvoyance revealing the miracle that was taking place right in front of their eyes, one that made goosebumps break out across his arms.
"He is talking to his other selves."
It was the Second True Magic in action, the Operation of Parallel Worlds being wielded as it should be.
Rin promptly fixed her stare upon Zelretch, not even blinking anymore as she tried to take in everything she could, while Illya shifted a bit, and a bit more, and a bit more, until she was hiding behind Shirou.
To Rin, the Second True Magic was the pinnacle of everything her family had worked and strived for, while to Illya, True Magic only meant pain and suffering.
Shirou ignored them both for the moment however in favour of looking at Zelretch himself, noticing that the discussion, if one could call it that, didn't seem to be going well.
"Might I remind you that my dimension here is a messy one- Oh, no, of course not, number 75337, I didn't want to suggest that it's worse than yours… But on average… Why are you being so obstructive…?! Hey now, there's no need for spite…"
It continued like that for a surprisingly long while. Shirou couldn't exactly follow it, seeing only one side of an argument that involved thousands of people, or at least, thousands of versions of the same person, but he could tell that his Zelretch wasn't happy once the debate was concluded.
"There's no one else you should tell." He informed Shirou in a terse tone, sounding like he disagreed with his own words but had no choice but to say them. "All others I wanted to suggest are… not quite reliable enough, it would seem."
"So I should tell only Arcueid, Waver and Lorelei?" Shirou asked, just to confirm. "No one else?"
"Those are the ones I recommend. Should you want to tell more people, I'll leave that to your discretion." It was evident Zelretch didn't expect much of him though, passing a hand over his white beard in sombre contemplation. "I can only advise you to try and be more trusting. It's weird to see you of all people being so secretive all the time."
Secretive…
An unpleasant word, but there was no denying that it fit Shirou perfectly right now, and at the rate things were going, it would continue to fit him for a very long time.
Shirou had layers upon layers of secrets, so many that almost no one could hope to delve to the bottom of it all. Even Zelretch, who'd discovered his Divinity and had thus gotten further than anyone except his family and Gilgamesh, had no idea just how much he still didn't know.
Being a divine creature of sorts was one thing. Being the heir to an outerversal alien God-King was quite another. The former was interesting, fascinating and perhaps a little scary. The latter meant that he was equivalent to or worse than ORT.
So no, Shirou couldn't bring himself to tell Zelretch about it now, much less anyone else, no matter how intently the man looked at him. Being open was good in theory, but not if it might cause immense trouble for himself and his family.
"Why don't you try to confide in me now? Just tell me a secret, any secret will do."
It was clear the Kaleidoscope wasn't going to drop the matter though, not until Shirou told him something new, which made it fortunate that the redhead did have other secrets he could share, secrets that weren't his own for once.
"Very well. I will tell you what I learned from the Spider Queen when I spoke with her." Shirou decided, though he was rather sure that Zelretch already knew everything he was about to tell him. "Most importantly, that Primate Murder is not Primate Murder."
"Hm?" Zelretch didn't seem to know that however, blinking once in surprise, though his reaction was far more subdued than was appropriate after learning that one of the most dangerous beings in existence was a fraud. "In what sense? I know that Primate Murder is currently not in his awakened form, but I get the feeling that that is not what you are referring to."
"Hold on! What do you mean 'awakened form'?!" Illya demanded before Shirou could reply, turning even paler than she already was. "What awakened form?!"
"Primate Murder is a being capable of wiping out humanity in its entirety, and is currently in the hands of someone more than willing to use it." Zelretch replied, giving Illya a sympathetic look. "Yet humanity remains remarkably not wiped out. In fact, the number of casualties remains surprisingly low. The only explanation that I can think of is that Primate Murder is currently not in its Beast-form."
"I heard that term before, 'Beast'." Shirou noted, placing a supporting hand on Illya's shoulder when the little sprite sagged in disbelief, though he kept his eyes on Zelretch. "I thought it referred to its bestial nature, but when you say it like that, it sounds more like a title."
"It is. In this context, 'Beast' refers to a very specific class of beings, calamities that threaten human history. They are god-like creatures defined by their toxic love for humanity, a love that will see us all destroyed should their plans come to fruition." Zelretch explained, revealing knowledge that Shirou had never heard of before. "Primate Murder, or to use its proper name, Cath Palug, is Beast IV, the calamity that wields the domain of Comparison."
"Beast IV? Not Beast II?"
"No, certainly not. Beast II is Tiamat, the Sea of Life. Cath Palug is definitely Beast IV."
"I see." So the Spider Queen had gotten that wrong. That didn't exactly bode well for the reliability of the rest of the information she'd provided. Nevertheless, Shirou did plough ahead with the reveal. If it turned out not to be true, then at least he'd corrected a wrong notion before he foolishly went to confront the Beast before he was ready. "The Spider Queen claimed that the wolf that we believe to be Primate Murder is actually a fake. She claims it is a remnant of Fenris that has taken on the guise of Primate Murder to avoid being sent to the Reverse Side of the World."
"What?" Zelretch nearly scoffed at the mere notion. The look in his eyes wasn't as much surprised as it was sceptical, and he gritted his perfect teeth in annoyance, his voice rising slightly. "I have never heard of such a claim before!"
It was a strong reaction, one that increased the tension in the room a fair bit, but Shirou saw that any anger the Kaleidoscope might feel was aimed at himself rather than anyone else.
Whether that was himself or one of his many other versions, he couldn't tell though.
"This claim… If what you say is true, then that changes… Well, not everything, but a lot of things." Zelretch mumbled, outright pulling on his beard in his agitation, before he grit his teeth again. "And it would mean that Altrouge Brunestud pulled one over on me."
"Altrouge?" Shirou had heard the name before, from the Spider Queen, and he knew she was Primate Murder's master, but other than that, he had no clue who she was supposed to be.
Her last name gave her a connection to the Crimson Moon and to Arcueid, but whether that was a distant connection or a close one was impossible to say.
"You might call her Arcueid's elder sister, though that creature wouldn't know familial bonds if they struck her across the face." Zelretch revealed, confirming that the connection was a close one. "She's nowhere near as kind as Arcueid, nor as thoughtful, and has less than one-tenth of the competence. She is very powerful, yes, but also as dumb as a brick. Or at least, I thought so."
"It sounds like she did manage to outfox you in one way at least." Illya pointed out, her voice so perfectly polite that it was clear immediately that she was ribbing him. "Tricking you into thinking her wolf was Primate Murder."
"Yes, well, I suppose that was inevitable." The old man grumbled, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I mean, she's the Ninth Dead Apostle Ancestor and we've known each other for almost three thousand years now. It's only natural that she would eke out at least one victory in all those years, even if only by pure chance."
"She is a Dead Apostle Ancestor?!"
It was a very nasty surprise to hear that. Shirou had presumed she was a True Ancestor, like Arcueid, though one that possessed a demeanour and outlook on life that fit such an inhuman creature. Not friendly to humanity, but not actively hostile either. At most, someone who saw humans as inferior creatures that were to be avoided as much as possible, though she wouldn't have any issues with slaughtering them if necessary either.
But no, she was a Dead Apostle Ancestor. One of humanity's greatest enemies. Possibly the worst sort of creature to give control over Primate Murder to.
"Yes, she is indeed one of the Vampire Kings. She currently holds, as I said, the position of the Ninth." Zelretch confirmed, not looking any happier about it than Shirou. "And it gets worse. She is, at the moment, the most credible rival of Ortenrosse, the King of the Ancestors, in the battle for hegemony over the other Vampire Kings."
"So she's like… the Queen of the Ancestors?" Shirou asked, scarcely able to imagine it.
"Last I heard, she prefers to be called the Vampire Princess of the Dead Apostles, or otherwise the Eclipse Princess of Black Blood." Zelretch corrected him, and despite the seriousness of the situation, everyone at the table either smirked, sighed, or even giggled at the incredibly cheesy titles.
In all honesty, it wasn't as if 'King of the Ancestors' or 'Duke of Predation' were that much better, but Altrouge really seemed to be an expert at thinking up elaborate titles that sounded like she was trying a little too hard.
"Her power is not to be underestimated though." Zelretch warned them, perhaps sensing that they'd relaxed slightly. "She is still one of the mightiest Dead Apostle Ancestors in existence, and she has Beast IV under her command."
"Fenris, you mean." Illya corrected him.
"Yes, perhaps, but that does not matter all that much right now. Both are quite undefeatable for any modern human or creature, including you and me, Shirou."
Rin and Illya both looked surprised that the Kaleidoscope didn't think himself capable of defeating a weakened Divine Beast, but the redhead nodded in agreement. Even when weakened, Fenris was a terrible opponent, wielding a fearsome power that had once allowed it to bring down the King of the Gods single-handedly.
Speaking of…
Shirou hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should reveal another one of his secrets to the Kaleidoscope, before he took a chance and materialised Mjolnir, placing it on the table. The old man already knew he possessed Divinity, so it should be no problem to reveal just whose power he was inheriting.
"…I see." Zelretch immediately understood, recognising the hammer for what it was. "That could certainly change matters, yes. But even so, I still advise against going to confront the Beast for now."
"I know that." Shirou assured him, not having any illusions about his current levels of power. "And I wasn't planning on picking a fight with that… wolf, just yet. All I want is to confirm whether the Spider Queen was right or not."
"I'll make some inquiries. If Altrouge is truly hiding a secret of that magnitude, then someone somewhere has to have some information. Someone is bound to have an inkling that something about her story is not right. No matter how hard you try to bury something, the truth will come out, and that goes for Dead Apostle Ancestors every bit as much as humans."
"Ehm, lord Zelretch?" It was Illya's turn to raise her hand, and she suddenly looked a bit timid again.
"Yes?"
"Forgive me for saying this, but… I am surprised you didn't already know, a-about Fenris. I-I mean, you have a reputation for being all-knowing after all, so we thought that you… that you would already be aware." She spoke haltingly, and the fact she had hidden herself behind Shirou again showed she was very well aware that questioning a Sorcerer's abilities was a rather dangerous undertaking. "N-No disrespect intended."
"Ah, I'm glad you're bringing that up." Far from being angry or even annoyed though, Zelretch looked almost pleased she was questioning his supposed omniscience. "I can be short about this. It isn't true. People who say I know everything are talking complete nonsense. It is true that I know much, mostly because of my ability to communicate with my alternate selves, but that ability does not make me all-knowing, and it can just as easily be a weakness as a strength."
"A weakness?" Rin wasn't certain she should even ask about that, considering that Magi hated making themselves vulnerable in any way, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Though frankly, if she hadn't asked first, Shirou would have.
"It is very convenient to be able to obtain information from my other selves, as every me has different experiences and thus different accrued knowledge, but it also leaves me with immense blind spots." Zelretch proved very forthcoming though, and the redhead got the sense that this was actually a much-needed rant. "For instance, if several of my alternate selves have had a certain experience and gained knowledge from that experience, I tend to incorporate that knowledge without verifying whether it is also correct in my own dimension."
"Huh?" That went too fast for Illya, who now looked so confused it seemed as if literal question marks were hanging over her head.
"An example. Let's say that in eighty different worlds, I entered the third of the Great Pyramids of Mexico to find only minor traps barring my way. Naturally, that knowledge is immediately relayed to my other versions, including the me that now sits before you. Then, it might be so that when I decide to enter that pyramid myself, in this dimension, I easily drop my guard, believing that there are only minor traps ahead, while that might not be the case at all. Can you see the problem here?"
"I do, though that is an awfully specific example to give." Shirou noted.
"…" Zelretch gave him a very empty look in response, which made the redhead gulp nervously. "I haven't been able to watch an Indiana Jones film since. It's too… fresh in my mind."
Those staring eyes, filled with regret and trauma, honestly unnerved Shirou. The dangers of blindly trusting the information given to you by alternate versions of yourself from other dimensions were made perfectly clear from that stare alone.
"I am not omniscient." Zelretch repeated, not wanting to leave any kind of doubt about that. "Even if I could trust everything I hear from my other selves, which I definitely cannot, I would still not be all-knowing. There's just too much out there, too many variations, to learn about them all. To know absolutely everything, all secrets and mysteries, that is the realm of God, the one with the capital G, and I am many things, but none of them is God."
"Of course." Rin agreed quickly. "I-It was not Illya's intention to insult you."
"I'm not insulted." Zelretch assured her, which greatly eased the tension in the room. "I apologise if I unsettled you with my rant. I am merely saying that I'll have to make some inquiries and follow a few leads before I can say with any certainty whether Shirou's theory of Primate Murder being Fenris holds any water."
"Understood." Shirou nodded, relieved that someone else would take care of gathering information, someone with much more experience and many more resources at his disposal. "Perhaps we can continue our discussion after you've investigated?"
"Sounds like a plan." Zelretch agreed, and the tension let up completely, being replaced by a relaxed mood again as they all sipped from their tea. "That leaves just one matter for me to discuss with you, Shirou. The matter of apprenticeship."
"At the moment, I am Waver's apprentice." Shirou said immediately, frowning as he saw where Zelretch was going. "And I am not going to break with him that easily, even if it is you who is offering me a deal."
"Nor did I ever expect or want you to." The old man assured him, not looking the least bit bothered by Shirou's words. "Perish the thought! If I have to be your formal instructor, I'd be dragged into your nonsense. I like excitement, but knowing you, you'll give me so much of it I end up with a permanent headache. I much prefer staying at a safe distance, from where I can laugh without being involved."
"…"
Zelretch was saying a lot of questionable things all of a sudden, and Shirou wondered if he should take offense or not.
"I am here to offer you the same deal as I did Aoko, to guide you in your journey as a True Magician, more as a mentor or uncle than a teacher." The Kaleidoscope explained, before he blinked as he remembered a small issue. "Ah, but then, I suppose you aren't actually a Sorcerer. That might complicate matters. I have known a few gods in my time, but I can't say I ever taught one."
"There is no need to force yourself on my account." Shirou assured him, both because he was loath to bother an already busy, elderly man and because he'd frankly prefer it if Zelretch stayed out of his business. "I wouldn't want to trouble you."
"Hah! No need to be so polite! I am good enough at reading people to tell that you aren't exactly eager to have me looking over your shoulder." Zelretch saw right through him, and Shirou inclined his head in agreement. It was true, so why protest? "That's fine. I expected it. Instead, I'll be offering Rin here an apprenticeship under me instead, so she can be the one relaying information between us."
"M-Me?!" Rin's mouth fell open in shock, as her family's long-held dream suddenly came true in the blink of an eye, seemingly out of nowhere. When her shock passed however, she did not look very happy. Rather, she looked conflicted, and perhaps even a little displeased. "…I can't say that I am happy being second choice. If I am only meant to be a messenger, is there any point in becoming your apprentice?"
"Especially since you also accepted lady Barthomeloi's offer, Rin." Illya pointed out, which was indeed something they absolutely should not forget.
"Little Lorelei took you on as her apprentice?!" Zelretch looked every bit as surprised as when he'd heard that Primate Murder might be Fenris, his eyes wide as saucers as he stared at Rin. "I… I have never seen that before, in any dimension."
"It's nothing official yet." Rin hastened to clarify, wary of making unsubstantiated claims. "But when I go to the Clocktower with Shirou in the winter, I will probably discuss the final details with lady Barthomeloi."
"Well, I suppose I can't compete with that." The Kaleidoscope huffed, his eyes glittering in amusement and approval. "Forget about my offer! Instead, I hope you'll allow me to visit you periodically, you and Shirou both I mean, to share a few nuggets of information?"
"O-Of course!" The prospect of being the apprentice of the Vice Director and getting guidance from the Kaleidoscope was more than Rin had ever dared to hope for, and she didn't know how fast she had to accept.
"Fine by me." As long as Zelretch wouldn't pry too much, Shirou would be glad to have him drop by occasionally. "Also, if you ever need any help, let me know."
"I'll remember that. If you are anything like your counterparts, you have a way of solving difficult situations, something we're going to need in the near future. I'll be in touch."
And with that final, ominous declaration, Zelretch disappeared in a flash of rainbow-coloured light, which, Shirou noticed, didn't even look all that different from the Bifrost.
No wonder people had confused the two.
"Oi! What if there was more to discuss?!" Illya shot up from her chair, staring at Zelretch's empty spot with disbelieving eyes. "Y-You can't leave just like that! We didn't even get to say goodbye!"
"Easy there, Illya." Shirou quickly took her by the shoulder, gently pulling her back into her seat. "That's just how ancient creatures are. The norms of a polite society don't mean much to them."
Or at least, he thought so, though he had to admit his whole theory was founded on Nasu and Zelretch only.
"Tsk." Illya made a disapproving noise, but didn't complain further, recognising the futility of such an action.
Meanwhile, Rin was sitting still, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed, as she smiled so widely it nearly looked painful, before she slammed herself against his side, pressing her face into his shoulder to muffle her screams of ecstasy.
And with one of his arms around his miffed little sister and the other arm around his ecstatic girlfriend, Shirou could only conclude that his first conversation with Zelretch had gone extremely well, all things considered.
Truly, the rumours about his capriciousness and merciless nature were entirely exaggerated.
Inside the halls of the Department of Archaeology, recently claimed back by the Archibald after the Meluastea had taken it from them, a small group of Executors from the Burial Agency were working relentlessly to uncover the true identities of the Magi who were in league with the Dead Apostle Ancestors.
They were undercover in the Clocktower, the headquarters of the Magus Association, having snuck inside while everything was in disarray because of the Purge. There, they had thrown themselves into their investigation, to discover and unmask the Magi who had sold their Souls to the Vampire Lords, all while pretending to be newly-arrived Magi themselves who'd found a place in the Department of Archaeology because lord El-Melloi had been in a generous mood.
Performing an investigation while in the stronghold of your mortal enemies was hard and dangerous work, filled with all kinds of risks that gave little reward, but it was necessary, and eventually, it paid off.
It had taken them a few weeks and a generous helping of external aid, but they had managed to uncover the identity of one of the treacherous Magi. Someone who had turned out to be a very big fish indeed.
Gladstone Phamrsolone, the current chairman of the Neutral Faction.
It was a major breakthrough, one that made all the hard work more than worth it.
Unfortunately however, as momentous as their discovery was, they couldn't really do anything with it.
Though pretending to be fresh-faced Magi was useful in that no one really paid attention to them, it also meant that their words carried no weight whatsoever, especially when compared to the word of an established lord. It could be that their evidence, painstakingly collected bit by bit over the course of a month, might tilt the scales in their favour, but that was no guarantee either. As Chairman of one of three Great Factions, Gladstone could crush them underfoot with ease.
To nail the godless bastard, they needed more help from their benefactor, the one who'd pointed them at Phamrsolone to begin with. Someone with real influence inside the Magus Association.
Fortunately, that benefactor seemed more than willing to help again, sending an agent to hear the Executors out and coordinate the next steps of the process with them. It had taken a bit of back and forth, but in the end, they'd settled on a meeting in one of the Clocktower's cafeteria, during lunchtime, a period when there were so many people around that five or six more wouldn't attract any attention.
When undercover in enemy territory, which the Clocktower definitely was for any operatives of the Burial Agency, the best weapons were stealth and insignificance. If you could manage to fly below everyone's radar, you didn't have to fight, bribe or otherwise brute-force your way to your goal.
Pretending to be one of a crowd was one of the best ways to achieve that. They only needed to act like Magi, and no one would look twice at them.
Alas, it might sound easy enough in theory, but as with so many things, it was slightly harder in practice.
"Just act natural. Just act natural. Just act natural." Jonah muttered, gripping his cutlery so tightly that his knuckles turned white, acutely aware of all the Magi surrounding them right now. "Just act natural."
"We are acting natural." Mira gave him a cross look, unable to enjoy her buttered bun because of his anxious mumbling. "You don't have to keep reminding us."
"Perhaps he's talking to himself." Lily supplied, pausing her own meal for a moment.
"You can leave out the perhaps. He's definitely talking to himself." Kayla huffed, before using a napkin to wipe some grease off Lily's cheeks, left there from all the bacon and eggs she'd been shovelling into her mouth. "And mind your manners, Lily. We don't want to stand out."
"We won't stand out from just that." Sidonus assured them, looking with envy for a moment at Lily's plate full of eggs, bacon, sausages, and fried beans, before gazing back at his own bowl of skinny yoghurt and fruit. "Magi are a weird lot, with a high tolerance for other people's weirdness. The only thing that'll make us stand out right now is looking at them like we have something to hide."
As one, they looked at Jonah, who had the good sense to stop muttering to himself in response.
"Quite right." Their guest, the sixth person at the table and the agent sent by their benefactor, agreed with Sidonus' assessment. "I don't know what you are taught at your institution, but here, individuals in our line of work are told early on that if you don't look at other people, they will not look at you."
"Is that so?" Sidonus wasn't about to discuss the training methods of the Burial Agency with a Magus, recognising the subtle probe for what it was, and instead merely continued eating his yoghurt. "We'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip."
"You are welcome. It is clear that you still have much to learn." Their guest didn't seem surprised that his gentle inquiry was rebuffed, slowly rubbing his chin in contemplation. "Though I must admit that you have managed quite well in infiltrating the Clocktower despite that lack of experience. Alarmingly well. I shall inform my superiors that we must account more for possible intrusions by those who have a small presence and an unremarkable demeanour, like you."
None of the Executors knew if that remark was meant as a subtle dig, but if it was, then that really was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, for the man was the most non-descript and average person any of them had ever met.
Neither handsome nor ugly, with brown hair and brown eyes, clad in a standard suit, and with a demeanour that was best described as 'senior office-worker', he didn't stand out anywhere no matter what he did. No one in the cafeteria had looked twice at him, and most hadn't even looked once.
He was so non-offensive and unremarkable in fact that he made the Executors unremarkable by association, to the point where people actively seemed to avoid looking at them.
It wasn't a spell, or a curse, or some kind of secret technique. This was nothing more than an extraordinary talent at being perfectly ordinary.
A talent that any spy or informant would readily kill for.
It was made even more impressive by the fact that he was actually someone very important within the Magus Association. His words carried weight, and he was a Magus of no small skill on top of that. Someone who normally should have been the centre of attention.
But he wasn't. He wasn't noteworthy or famous. He was an informant and agent, in the employ of the aforementioned benefactor.
"If you are finished eating, miss Marple would like an update on your investigation." He said once their plates were empty, folding his fingers together beneath his chin as he invoked the name of the woman who had recruited the Executors a few weeks ago into her big plan to root out the spies of the Dead Apostle Ancestors in the Clocktower.
"Do we really have to continue calling her miss Marple? We know who she actually is." Jonah complained about the obviously fake name. "Figured it out weeks ago."
It didn't take a great intellect to figure out that miss Marple was actually Mirei Montmorency, the Magus Association's top bureaucrat. She was quite famous in the Moonlit World, even in the parts that were more religious than magical. Not as famous as her boss, obviously, but still enough that the Executors were able to piece together the clues and discover her true identity within minutes at most. After all, there couldn't be many elderly women in the Clocktower who both wielded immense power within the Department of Policies and had a vested interest in rooting out spies to the point where she was willing to work together with the Burial Agency.
"Please continue calling her miss Marple." Their guest was adamant however, giving Jonah a look so disapproving it became outright scathing. "You might have managed to slip beneath the notice of most Clocktower Magi so far, but names have power, especially here. Mentioning them frivolously is a good way to get discovered, and there is only so much I can do to hide you if you take such ill-advised risks. For the same reason, please refer to your suspect only as 'the suspect', especially in public."
"Very well." Sidonus acquiesced, as the reasoning was very sound. For the sake of their anonymity, Mirei Montmorency would remain 'miss Marple', and Gladstone Phamrsolone would become 'the suspect'.
"Thank you. Now, what have you discovered?"
"The suspect is definitely conspiring with individuals outside of the Magus Association." Sidonus was the first to speak up. "We have observed him leaving the Clocktower in secret on numerous occasions, always without companions or guards, to head for a bar of questionable repute. I regret to say however that we have not been able to confirm who he is meeting with. If an Ancestor were present in the bar, approaching them too closely would reveal our presence to them."
"Quite true. Have you observed the bar itself?"
"We have." Kayla confirmed. Having been born with unfortunate looks that were rather in place in seedy establishments, she had been assigned to stake out the bar while Phamrsolone and his paymaster were absent. It had yielded very little however, aside from one potential clue. "The only other person who looked even remotely out of place was a thin, tall man with pale skin, red hair and a very sleazy smile. He looked far too clean to frequent such places, so we suspect he might be a compatriot of the suspect."
"Red hair?" Their guest promptly zeroed in on one of the characteristics mentioned, though his face gave nothing away. "Long hair? A narrow chin? Wide ears?"
"Uhm, yes, I think so." Kayla hadn't memorised it that well, but the description sounded apt enough. "Do you know him?"
"Unfortunately, yes." The expression on the man's face remained perfectly neutral, almost scarily so, but his choice of words strongly hinted at his mood. "He will have to be dealt with. Not by you though. Remain focused on your own suspect. Any more news?"
"Yes. We have also confirmed that the suspect regularly receives packages of unknown origin." Sidonus reported on the next piece of evidence they'd found. "The size and weight of these packages varies greatly, to the point where we have to assume that the contents are different every time. So far, we have only managed to intercept one."
"Intercept?"
"We stole it when the delivery men left it at the Clocktower's main entrance. They were supposed to hand it over to the suspect's own people, for immediate delivery, but because of a miscommunication, they missed each other. The package was unguarded for long enough for us to take a look inside."
"Did you seal it again after looking?"
"Of course. We are not amateurs." Sidonus gestured at Mira, whose skills at forgery and crafts were almost unmatched among the ranks of the Executors. "The package was sealed and delivered on time, without raising any suspicion."
"Good. What was inside?"
"Crystals. Nearly ten kilograms of green crystals, which were shipped in from South America, according to the logs of the delivery company."
"Crystals? From South America?" Marple's agent cocked a single, controlled eyebrow at the mention of the continent. "Are you suggesting that the crystals were from…?"
"We don't know, but it is entirely possible." Sidonus didn't need the man to finish his sentence to know what he was asking. Crystals and ores were generally the same no matter what continent one lived on, but there was one kind of crystal that could only be found in South America.
An otherworldly sort of crystal, harvested only in the vicinity of a certain alien god.
"If they do originate from the Forbidden Region, then ten kilograms is a kingly ransom indeed." The agent's expression still gave nothing away, but since he was a Magus, he probably wouldn't mind receiving such a ransom himself. "Enough to buy any of Europe's greatest cities outright."
"Really?" Jonah seemed impressed by the projected cost, but only distantly so. Though most people considered it lip-service when people of the Church claimed to have no interest in wealth or earthly goods, mainly because of certain televised clergy men begging people for money every day, it was in fact true for many within its ranks, especially those of the Burial Agency. They had no desire for riches, no need for material abundance, so they cared very little about wealth, even when it was enough to buy London. Nor did they care about the Mystical properties of the crystals.
Many Magi would have been tempted to make a run for it when holding the package, or to strike a deal with the suspect and his paymasters to get some crystals for themselves, but not the Executors. It didn't even occur to them.
Miss Marple had made a wise choice when she'd decided to employ them and put them on the trail of Gladstone Phamrsolone.
"Receiving lavish gifts is not proof of a conspiracy though." Mira pointed out. "He could claim it was a present from a business partner, or even that he paid a fitting price for it in a legitimate transaction. We need more evidence if we are to accuse him."
"Which is why we tracked the package back to its source." Lily took over. Since she was the one who'd done most of the tracking, she was eager to share her findings herself. "Someone went to great lengths to hide where the package came from, using all manner of false companies and dead ends, but in the end, I managed to determine that the parcel was sent from a post-box not two kilometres away from the Clocktower."
"Is that so?" Their guest's expression was still perfectly neutral, showing not a trace of emotion, but he sounded interested enough. "Under whose name was the post-box rented?"
"John Smith." Lily smirked at the obviously fake name.
"Since you look triumphant rather than disappointed, I assume your investigation didn't end there?"
"Certainly not. I also tracked the monthly payments and questioned local residents, and eventually, I managed to uncover that the post-box was actually rented by a small company called Hale Foods."
"Hale Foods? We are not familiar with it."
"The Burial Agency is." Sidonus had happened to overhear a conversation between two of his acquaintances several months ago, and while most of it went over his head, he had learned something interesting. "Hale Foods is a company that has strong links to Stanrobe Calhin and Van-Fem."
"Don't mention those names!" Their guest finally showed some emotion, frowning at Sidonus in reproach for speaking out loud the names of two Dead Apostle Ancestors, before his face immediately straightened out again. "But also, good work. With this evidence, we can begin prosecuting the suspect."
"Oh, but there's more." Jonah was next to speak up, rubbing his hands in glee. "I managed to speak with both the suspect's wife and the suspect's daughter. Posing as a beginning Magus with a passing interest in Spiritual Invocation, I got them to talk to me."
"How?" Their guest asked sharply, and with good reason. Magi were not known for their social natures after all, and would rarely allow a stranger to strike up a conversation with them out of nowhere.
"I can be quite charming when I want to be." Jonah winked, giving the man his best smile, which was indeed more than a little charming. "Married ladies who receive too little attention from their husbands cannot resist me, which includes pretty much every married, female Magus."
"I… see."
"I spoke with them for a while, just shooting the breeze, as they say, and I am reasonably confident now that neither the wife nor the daughter are aware of the suspect's dealings. I don't have any hard evidence of that though."
"That is certainly interesting, though ultimately irrelevant."
"Irrelevant?!" Jonah bristled at the notion that his hard work had been for nothing. "They might agree to help us collect information if we tell them of Pha- the suspect's betrayal! Especially the daughter. There's no love lost between her and her parents. I don't think she even likes them!"
"That might be, but here, in the Magus Association, families don't betray each other, no matter how much they might dislike one another. Family is the only certainty you have after all, and furthermore, in cases such as this, involving high-treason, it isn't unusual for entire families to be destroyed in reprisal, even when only one member was actually involved. As a result, Magi almost never work against their families, for it will mean their own destruction as well."
His words were followed by a moment of silence, as the Executors let that sink in.
"Screwed yourselves over on that one, didn't you?" Mira then snarked, and it went to show how right she was that their guest merely inclined his head in response.
"Alright, so using the daughter as an informant is out." Sidonus grumbled, not any happier than Jonah and Mira to see a lead disappear like that, especially not since they'd already put quite a bit of work into it. "Then all we've got is the pub the suspect goes to for his secret meetings, the strange packages he receives, and the origin of those packages, a place that has strong ties to… our opponents."
"Yes, our opponents." Their guest agreed, thinking for a moment, before he nodded. "It is plenty. Far more than was expected of you. You have my sincerest gratitude, and my praises."
"…We'll just take that as a compliment."
"It was intended as one."
Their guest had somehow managed to get through the entire conversation without showing much emotion at all, whether it was approval, dislike, hatred, frustration, or even satisfaction. As such, when he rose from his chair to leave again, none of the Executors knew what to say.
Bidding him a friendly goodbye when he actually hated them would be weird, but if he bore them friendly feelings and they said nothing, it would be rude.
Quite the conundrum, though they were saved from having to make an impromptu decision by the fact he didn't seem to expect anything.
"Continue investigating in a manner of your choosing. It is clear that you know what you are doing, so I do not believe it necessary to micromanage your efforts."
"Does that include our charm-offensive against the wife and daughter?" Jonah asked, still unwilling to drop a line of inquiry after having spent so much time and effort on it already.
"If you want to. I do not believe it will yield any results, but I will leave this to your discretion. Good luck."
And with that, he was gone, suddenly disappearing into thin air, leaving the Executors to draw only one conclusion.
What a weird fellow.
Caren Ortensia was extremely glad to be a member of the Burial Agency. She didn't want there to be any doubt about that.
It was an organisation where even someone as weird as she could be accepted without problem, where she could practise her faith and genuinely protect humanity, and where she could meet all sorts of interesting new people she would never have encountered otherwise.
People like Kayla, like Bazett, lord El-Melloi, Ciel, and especially Shirou.
Her life was fun, interesting, and exciting, in ways that it could never have been had she remained with her grandparents, who had raised her, or in the convent, where she'd been trained. Being recruited by the Exorcists was genuinely the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Yes, there were a few downsides too, there always were, to most good things, but those were minor issues at most.
Things like hard beds, stale food, and a generally sober lifestyle were hardly the worst, especially since she was now living with Shirou, in near-opulence.
Being practically banished to Fuyuki to replace her father wasn't exactly a gesture of kindness from her superiors, but she'd caused that herself with her difficult behaviour towards her colleagues, and again, it had led straight to her moving in with her favourite redhead.
Speaking of her superiors and colleagues, she didn't get along nearly as well with them as she'd hoped or would like, but once more, she was the one most to blame for that. Besides, they hadn't killed her yet, which was a victory as far as she was concerned.
In the end, Caren had very little to complain about when it came to the Burial Agency.
With one single exception. One that had nearly made her quit the organisation on multiple occasions.
The dogmatic and rigid atmosphere.
The Burial Agency was a part of the Christian Church. As such, it was to be expected that its members were faithful, loyal, and a tad uncompromising when it came to the tenets of their religion.
Did she say a tad? She meant extremely uncompromising.
There was just no talking to them when they were convinced they were carrying out God's will. All diplomacy and reason went straight out of the window, no matter how useful tools they could have been. Something that led to a lot more pain and suffering than was necessary.
Caren was not going to claim that all Magi were actually decent people, but there were a considerable number of them who could certainly be reasoned with. She herself had borne witness to over a dozen incidents where negotiating would have yielded the best results, but which had been ruined completely by the dogmatic behaviour of her fellows.
The same went for those with an inhuman bloodline. Most of them were just people, trying to live their lives the best they could, but the Burial Agency, especially its lower-ranked members, still hunted them down without mercy.
It was frustrating, it was heart-breaking, and Caren hated it. It was a large part of the reason why she didn't attend any conferences or large-scales meetings anymore, except when she was forced to, as they were filled with nothing but bloodlust and hatred.
She had wondered, back when she'd just started her training, why the Pope and most Cardinals usually pretended the Burial Agency didn't exist, and now she had her answer.
They were generally awful people. Awful people who then had the nerve to turn around and claim Caren was the anti-social one.
Hypocrites and fanatics, the lot of them.
Something which was confirmed once again at the meeting in Tokyo, which Caren had been ordered to attend from up-high.
"That blasted Sorcerer." She picked up an angry growl from somewhere in the crowd as she tried to make her way to the other side of the hall. "It wasn't enough for him to desecrate the dead, but now he had learned that awful Second True Magic too."
"Undoubtedly, he is in cahoots with the Vampire." Another hissed, referring to Zelretch. "We should have killed him when we had the chance. Both of them."
Caren frowned deeply at the very idea. Not only was it patently impossible, especially for knuckleheads like them, but the thought of Shirou being killed for no good reason whatsoever almost made her feel violent.
"They say the White Princess killed two Ancestors." A woman's voice sounded from elsewhere, but rather than angry, it sounded satisfied. "Haha, that's what I like to see. Inhumans killing each other."
"Working together with her certainly bears fruit." Her companion agreed, sounding rather pleased with the White Princess' recent victory. "After all, the enemy of my enemy…"
"Dies second." The woman finished, and they both broke out in laughter.
"I don't understand why we didn't attack the Clocktower after the Purge was finished." Caren didn't want to listen to these people anymore, but the aggrieved wail was hard to miss. "They were at their weakest point. We're never going to get a chance like that again."
"I hear you. We could have killed a lot of Magi, perhaps even a few lords."
"Your problem, my friend, is that you think too small. We could have killed the Vice Director, and perhaps even that new Sorcerer too."
"Well… Perhaps."
To the second man's credit, he seemed doubtful about his companion's wild claims, but it was clear his issue was only in the practicality and not in the morality of wishing that they could have slaughtered hundreds of people, among them several whom Caren respected deeply.
Cruel, short-sighted, and violent, the same as it had always been.
When she arrived at her destination, the table full of drinks, Caren seriously considered adding laudanum, a sleeping medicine, to all the fruit drinks, which would create powerful laxatives that would surely ruin a lot of people's day. She didn't though, mostly because she didn't actually have any laudanum on her at the moment.
She settled for drinking some apple juice to calm down, ignoring everyone around her with practiced ease, hoping the slog would end soon.
"Caren!?"
Her day was improved slightly however when she heard a familiar voice cry out in shock.
"Ciel!" She beamed, turning to the blue-haired Executor. "Darling! It has been too long!"
She went straight for a hug, before laughing happily when Ciel dodged as if Caren had thrown a punch at her.
"W-What are you doing here?" Ciel asked, quickly retreating to the other side of the table, keeping a sharp eye on the white-haired nun's hands. "T-This is Japan."
"I know. I was sent here to replace one of the Burial Agency's operatives in a more… sensitive mission." Caren decided she shouldn't reveal too much. "I've been here for a month or so. What about you? Oh, though I guess I don't have to ask. I heard about your victory."
It was near impossible not to have heard about Ciel's incredible accomplishment. She had, with some outside help, finally managed to slay Roa in Misaki Town, alongside Vlov Arkhangel and the Spider Queen.
That victory was the whole reason this meeting was being held.
"I'm sorry." Ciel apologised, not looking nearly as proud as she should. "I know you don't like meetings like this."
"Well, neither do you." Caren pointed out, to which Ciel could only agree, before she gave the girl a salacious grin. "What do you say we ditch this joint and go somewhere private together? Have some fun?"
"W-What?!" Once again, the blue-haired Executor started, before she realised Caren was only teasing. "D-Don't joke about that!"
For someone who was decades, if not centuries old, she sure was a prude.
"Come on, it's not like you have anyone you'd be cheating on." Caren pressed jokingly, hoping to elicit more cute reactions, before she gasped when she saw the flush that now spread across the other woman's cheeks. A flush that suggested something absolutely amazing. "Wait! You do have someone?!"
"No!" Ciel shouted, shaking her head wildly, before wilting when Caren kept staring at her. "Y-Yes."
"Congratulations! I hope you'll be very happy together."
"I-It's nothing official yet." The Executor hastened to add. "It's just that we… I wanted to… B-But he was…"
"How many children do you want together?"
"F-Fueehhh…?"
Now a stuttering mess, Ciel was unable to offer any comprehensive retort, and Caren smirked, patting herself on the back for managing to unbalance one of the Burial Agency's greatest warriors like this.
Again.
When Ciel sank to her knees in despair however, Caren decided she'd had enough for now.
"Never mind that." She said, waving the subject of Ciel's new boyfriend aside, having to suppress a peal of mean laughter when that awakened a spark of hope in her eyes. "Tell me more about Roa. He's the reason we're here after all."
"Right! Yes." Ciel shot back up to her feet, all business again. "He is dead. Completely and definitely. As a result, his influence over me has disappeared. Also, his curses have been broken and his research has been destroyed. With some luck, all traces of his influence will have been wiped out soon."
"That is excellent news." Caren beamed, meaning every word. "What about the other two Ancestors?"
"There's been little news so far. Word on the street is that Arkhangel's Idea Blood has yet to reform, though no one knows why or where it has gone. The Spider Queen had a successor in place though. It seems like the Spider-Clan will remain an issue for a while longer."
"Ugh, spiders." Caren generally didn't mind spiders all that much, but if they became human-sized and even more monstrous than they already were, that was where she drew the line. "But if you already know all that, why was this meeting called? It seems like a lot of effort for nothing."
"Mostly for morale. The idea was that we would all celebrate together and reaffirm our loyalties to the Church." Ciel revealed, and Caren nodded in understanding. Bringing people together to sing and celebrate was something the Church did best after all. "Though everyone with potentially useful information is encouraged to step forward and share it, especially on the Ancestors, Arcueid Brunestud, or the new Sorcerer, Fujimaru."
"Hm." Caren made a noise of acknowledgement, but also knew she was going to ignore that. She did have a lot of information about Shirou, but she definitely wasn't going to share it. "I'll keep that in mind. I don't think I have anything useful to share though."
"That's alright. Neither do I."
That was a strange thing to say after Ciel had already provided the superiors with a great victory and a wealth of information, almost hinting at the possibility that the blue-haired Executor was holding something back, but Caren wasn't about to bring that up.
People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
"Want a drink?" She asked instead, offering Ciel an orange juice. "I'd give you some curry if I had it, but there's only drinks here."
"Yes, please." Ciel accepted it gratefully, taking a long swig. "Ah, that hits the spot! Everything tastes so much better since Roa died."
"Does it?"
"Yes! Everything was muted, tasteless, but not anymore. Suddenly, food and drink are so rich, so full of flavour. I love it."
The sight of a vaunted warrior genuinely enjoying her orange juice like that was highly endearing, and Caren decided she wanted more of that.
"I saw a food stand in that direction. I think they had curry there."
"Really? I haven't had curry since the Night of the Broken Moon! I can't wait to see how it will taste!"
The next moment, Caren found herself leading an exuberant Ciel to the stand in question. She got her an extra large curry, put the plate down in front of her, and watched as she dug in…
"Ah! HOT!"
-Before laughing when the blue-haired Executor spluttered in alarm and rushed back towards the drinks, running over everyone in her way.
For as long as Caren had known her, Ciel had always ordered her curry extra spicy, and if she was used to a muted sense of taste, it was only reasonable that that spiciness would be a shock when she was operating at full capacity again.
Though it probably also had something to do with Caren adding extra bits of pepper and hot sauce to the meal.
She was a mean, mean woman after all.
After he'd been forced to flee from Fuyuki lest he be killed or arrested, Kotomine Kirei, the fake priest and sort-of disciple of Angra Mainyu, had had no shortage of options on where to go next. No lack of places to lie low for a while.
Yes, Rin had reported his 'misdeeds' to the Church, which closed a few avenues for him, but he still had many friends left all over the world who didn't bat an eye at hearing such rumours and would gladly offer him shelter until he could find his feet again. A legacy of a good few years spent on excelling at killing every sort of inhuman creature that the world could throw at him, which made the people of the Moonlit World very willing to overlook a few small character-flaws.
So he was doing quite well for himself despite his banishment and looming excommunication. All he had to worry about was avoiding the Magus Association and the Burial Agency, and that was a piece of cake. It wasn't like they were actively looking for him after all. He wasn't nearly important enough to warrant a focused search.
Over the past few months, he'd gone from India, to Greece, to Italy, and finally to England. It might be unwise to hide right under the noses of first the Church and later the Magus Association, but Kirei had to admit it gave him a perverse kick to mock their authority like that.
Not to the point that he lived in London itself though. That was a little too brazen even for him. Instead, he was staying in Bath, a quaint little place not too far away from Bristol and a bit to the North-West of Stonehenge. It was absolutely tiny compared to Fuyuki, but that was fine. It had a proper Church and a large congregation, so Kirei was perfectly happy there.
As happy as he could be at least, without the pleasure of tormenting others.
Out of respect for the Deacon who allowed him to stay at one of the local rectories, Kirei had been on his best behaviour lately, especially with the faithful Church-goers, restraining himself to nothing but a bit of needling and dropping uncomfortable truths at the worst moments possible.
It was vexing to have to restrain himself, but the prospect of the Fifth Holy Grail War starting soon soothed his desire for anguish. The utter hell that it was promising to become would be worth the wait twice over. For that, he could withstand another ten years of this drivel without complaint.
Besides, a little peace every now and then wasn't too bad either. Being 'excused' from his duties gave him time to work on his training and to start investigating which Magi from the Clocktower might be selected for the upcoming Grail War. Something he'd rather neglected in recent times.
Admittedly, without Command Seals or an active Grail, the latter was little more than guesswork, but it was a worthwhile exercise all the same.
In short, he was pretty happy in Bath, as happy as a monster like him could be anyway.
Until his peace was rudely disturbed by an unexpected visitor.
"Your majesty." Kirei bowed deeply when he came home in the evening to find Gilgamesh sitting on his couch, drinking his best wines while clothed in an outfit that resembled that of a tourist, yet was unimaginably more splendid than anything a modern man might hope to wear. "This is an unexpected pleasure."
"I am sure it is." Gilgamesh calmly emptied his glass before he deigned to look at the priest, his expression surprisingly open and, dare Kirei say it, friendly. "It has been a while since the last time we met, my loyal courtier."
"It has. We have not seen each other since you warned me that the Emiya-boy was coming for me and told me to flee Fuyuki at once."
"An order which you followed most admirably, I must say. You travelled half the world before settling down again, though I admit I have not yet decided whether this place is an improvement or not compared to your former residence. It has marginally better wine at least."
"It has its upsides and its downsides." Kirei responded diplomatically. "It is not markedly better or worse than Fuyuki."
"I'll take your word for it." Gilgamesh smirked ever so slightly, before he put aside his empty glass and rose from the couch. "Now come, and show me this city of yours. I want to know what other place than your Fuyuki can appeal to you so."
"I wouldn't say 'appeal'…"
"I would." Gilgamesh shut down his protests, and Kirei bowed once more, resigning himself to the role of tour guide.
He'd probably have to explain to the Deacon tomorrow just why he was seen traversing Bath at night with a stunningly handsome man who wasn't part of his congregation, but since it would hardly be the first time Gilgamesh had pulled something like this, he should be able to handle it.
They stepped outside together, into the cold, the dark, and the rain. It was typical British weather, unpleasant and bone-chilling, but Gilgamesh batted not an eye despite his summer clothes. The golden king had a surprisingly high tolerance for inconvenience, provided said inconvenience wasn't caused by humans.
Clad in a warm cloak himself, Kirei led the golden king past all the major attractions of Bath, few as they were, then past all the minor attractions, and finally past his own favourite spots.
Gilgamesh listened politely to everything he said, surprisingly subdued and quiet for well over an hour, seemingly blind to the more rundown parts of the city and to the women who looked at him and Kirei with less-than-pure thoughts in their heads.
It seemed the king was in a contemplative mood today. Quite a rare occurrence, though not unheard of. Most likely, something really interesting or amusing was going to happen soon, and Gilgamesh was just killing some time until it happened.
Not quite unlike Kirei himself actually.
"I have seen enough." Eventually though, the golden king put a stop to the tour. It was quite abrupt, right in the middle of a park and right in the middle of Kirei's latest story, but the priest was more than used to it, and nothing but flexible besides.
"Have you found what you were looking for, my king?"
"In a way." The reply was vague and accompanied by a dismissive wave of a hand, before the glowing, red eyes sharpened. "Now, we must discuss the Grail War."
A rapid shift in topics, but once more, Kirei had expected something like this. The king always shifted between business and pleasure at the drop of a hat, so he had learned to cope and accommodate. The priest's countenance shifted accordingly, and he did not bother checking their surroundings for eavesdroppers. Gilgamesh had undoubtedly long since done so.
"Have you acquired more information, your majesty?"
"Nine months left, priest, nine months left." Gilgamesh's lips shaped themselves into a minute smile, as if amused by an inside joke. "Like a babe newly conceived. Oh, how appropriate such imagery."
It really was. They were trying to birth a dark god after all, so having it be nine months away was indeed something worth a chuckle at least.
"And have you more details on how unusual it will be?" Gilgamesh had told him often that the Fifth War would be different from the others, but Kirei had never dared press for details. With the king in such a splendid mood however, he felt it was worth a try.
"At the very least, more than seven Servants will be summoned. With the rise of Mystery, the Grail has energy to spare and every reason to spend it freely."
"So it will be a Great Holy Grail War?" Such a thing normally only took place when the vast majority of Masters and Servants flocked to one banner and refused to fight. If that happened, the Grail would hand out seven more sets of Command Seals, making for a total of fourteen Servants, to get the War going again. "But what would be the purpose of such a thing? It will not further Angra Mainyu's goals, merely cause more chaos."
Gilgamesh gave him an amused glance, as if he was overlooking something immensely simple, and Kirei huffed when he realised the answer to his question a moment later.
"More chaos is the goal in itself."
"We are scheming to birth an evil god, priest. Senseless chaos and mayhem will be the order of the day. Exactly as you desire."
"Hm." Kirei's goals indeed aligned perfectly with Angra Mainyu's. Why else would he be working so hard for its sake? "If more Servants are summoned, will there be a Ruler as well?"
Though he had never seen, much less met a Ruler-Servant before, they had the reputation to be sticklers. They would never agree to the birth of Angra Mainyu, and their close connection to the Grail would allow them to learn of the dark god's existence far before anyone else.
Should a Ruler be summoned, they could become a massive problem.
"Possibly." Gilgamesh's reply did not set him at ease one bit. "And I believe it will be far from the only alternative class. It appears we will not be limited to the standard set of seven."
"Will that be an issue?"
"No. Worry not about the Rulers, priest. The dark god had long since accounted for them without the need for your interference."
"Then I shall place my faith in your foresight, your majesty."
"As you should." Gilgamesh nodded, a hand coming up to rub his chin. "Though I must admit I have not seen the full extent of what will happen yet. As I have told you often before, this Grail War will hold surprises even for me."
"A delight, I am sure. You do so love surprises, your majesty."
"Do not presume to know me, priest." Gilgamesh warned him, though his amused smile was at odds with his words. "There is only one who could ever understand me, and that person is not you. That person died long ago."
"Were they famous, my king?"
"Famous? Certainly! Any who know of my myth should know their name. They were a vital part of it."
"Then could they be Summoned during the coming Grail War?"
Kirei didn't really know why he asked the question. He was a curious, nosy man, that was true, but he knew his limits. Prying into the king's personal business was definitely a step too far.
But the words slipped out before he could stop them, and he half-expected to be struck down the next moment.
But that didn't happen.
Judging from the tiniest hint of bewilderment that the king showed for the shortest of moments, he had never once considered the question, never even entertained the notion that it was possible to Summon his old friend.
Several long seconds passed without reply, and Kirei relaxed. If he was going to be struck down, it would have happened already. The king would never execute someone with such delay.
"…Your king is hungry, priest." In the end, Gilgamesh never answered the question. He pretended it had never been asked, that the past few moments had never taken place. "Fetch him something to eat."
"It is close to midnight, your majesty. Most restaurants and shops are closed, especially the ones that might cater to your palette."
The glare he received in response made it clear that that was very much Kirei's problem, and the priest hastened to find something, a place that would be open at this time of day yet would still serve food worthy of a king.
An impossibility, and all that he could find in the end was a stand in the middle of the park that sold fried chips and fried, buttered fish wrapped in a newspaper.
It would have to do.
He ordered two portions, one for the king and one for himself, and glared at the cook just hard enough that the lad did his utmost best.
What he received in the end was a curious dish, not one that Kirei had ever seen or tasted before. It smelled… acceptable at least, and it was the only thing he could get, so he brought it back to Gilgamesh, who had settled himself on a park bench, uncaring about the cold wind and the drizzling rain.
"Your majesty." Kirei offered the fish and the chips to the golden king, who took them with a raised eyebrow. "It is the best that I could procure."
The other eyebrow joined its fellow, and Gilgamesh first tasted a piece of the fish and then one of the chips, chewing slowly as his brow furrowed in thought.
"What is your verdict, my king?" Kirei asked, darkly amused by the sight despite the seriousness of the situation.
"Well, Kirei." The golden king began, nearly causing the priest to drop the food at the shock of being addressed by his actual name. "When it is cold, and dark, and wet, and you are hungry, and there is nothing else, it is almost… palatable."
Then he took another piece of fish, a few more chips, and eventually outright accepted his portion, calmly eating it with a soft smile of approval on his face.
It was a ringing endorsement from the King of Heroes, and Kirei dug in himself as well, before having to admit that the former Servant was right.
It was indeed almost palatable!
Truly shocking.
And so, another chapter concludes. The next one will take place over the course of several weeks, and soon, we'll go to the Clocktower again, where a few more scenes will play out, after which we start moving towards the Grail War at last.
There's not really anything else I want to say about this chapter that hasn't been said already. Things continue to move, and no one seems to be able to stop them.
The new Spider Queen has been killed by Merem and Nero, and her Idea Blood has been taken. The Spider Clan has been destroyed now, and they won't be back. They have been stomped out.
Ortenrosse is hatching a plan, and for that, he doesn't want any Ancestors around that he cannot control. Hence, he sends his butchers to deal with the poor Spider Clan. Don't pity them too much though. They killed more than their fair share of humans before they were put down.
Lorelei and Mirei find themselves playing politics again now that Shirou set off another bomb. On top of that, Lorelei feels left out, and Mirei wants the two of them to get together already. They are also moving in on the traitors, with the help of the Church Executors. I hope you all still remember them despite their lack of appearance over the past four chapters.
Zelretch popping up was, in some ways, long overdue. I know most of you were wondering where he was. Well, now you have him. I hope I portrayed him in a believable way, both his strengths and his weaknesses, and that his personality made sense. I never had him down as the troll that many people try to make him, so you probably saw that in his character.
That he convinced Shirou to confide in Arcueid and Lorelei will make those ladies very happy indeed, but I fear Waver will just end up with more headaches.
Rin is now the official apprentice of Lorelei (or soon will be) and the unofficial one of Zelretch. Safe to say, she is in the Seventh Heaven. It really is a momentous achievement, even if it isn't entirely her own, and if you think she won't be rubbing it into a certain Finnish lady's face, you are sorely mistaken.
The final scene is dedicated to Kirei, to check up on him and show where he's been staying recently. Gilgamesh popping up is just some extra spice.
The part where they eat fish and chips together has been lifted from a similar scene in the stories of Poirot. I thought it would be funny. Keep in mind here that the food has been made by someone who made it their craft to prepare fish and chips, who is dedicated to their customers and has a good few years of experience. Their heart is in it, and that means Gilgamesh finds it palatable at least. Had it been mass-produced, he would have been a fair bit more dismissive.
That is all. See you next time.