1,215Slim floated above the main archive room, his eyes bright red the energy of space coursed through him. A draconic humanoid stood just below Slim, said figure turned to face the readers as they entered.
"Welcome readers, you are here for the next chapter no doubt. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Ravager of Worlds or R.O.W. Don't wear it out." The now named R.O.W. explained. "I am the editor, if I fix all of Slim's unintelligible writings into something that can be read or at least somewhat read."
He gestures to Slim. "As you can see he is a bit indisposed at the moment so it falls to me to greet you to this next chapter. He gave me a list to go down but that is his thing. To that end we thank you for your continued support in the review section. Those who have questions will find their answers answered the quickest by joining our discord server. If you don't mind waiting for a response then just keep doing what you have been doing and we may or may not get back to you."
The draconic humanoid held up a data pad for a moment before letting it fall to his side again. "Slim wanted to pass along his joy at the response to all the ro-" A red astral hand appeared and placed itself over R.O.W. 's mouth. He was about to yell at it before it pointed to the data pad. R.O.W. lifted it back up to read the section the hand was pointing to. He sighed before looking back to the readers "Alright so I'm not supposed to say that phrase again… turns out saying that caused the sudden loss in our bar's inventory. So for now we are just going to say thanks for playing along with everyone. The last thing on the list is that I am to give a general thanks for making this story the number 1 followed story in the Fate PJ category. To all readers you have our thanks."
"Now as I am a very busy dragon I am going to let you get to the chapter now… get going…"
Marise quickly checked over her makeup in the small passenger mirror. She woke up this morning to a long message from her boss. She threw herself out of bed once she saw that she had to be at the airport in one hour. She quickly took a shower and threw on the cleanest and nicest business suit she had before she grabbed a suitcase and threw in some essentials. Her husband was kind enough to drive her to the airport while she finished her makeup. Arriving at London International Airport, Marise guided her husband to a side parking lot where she got out. The couple shared a goodbye kiss before her husband began to journey back home.
The brown-haired woman walked quickly to the gated entrance where she presented her company ID. The guard raised the gate allowing her to enter the airport where she began her trek to the private hangers. A man in a sleek and well-maintained black business suit stood waiting outside one of the private hangers. The man was around five foot seven with a rather slender build. His hair was black and well maintained with a closely shaved beard. Brown eyes tracked Marise's progress as she neared the hanger.
Just behind him was the ramp leading up to the private jet. Ground crew and pilots were going about their pre-flight checks. Marise walked up to the man and stood at attention. The man looked her up and down, yet his face had no indication as to Marise's dress.
"Thank you for coming here on such short notice Mrs. Grand." Marise's boss began, his tone was kind and appreciative yet well measured. "We'll discuss this more on board."
Her boss turned and began walking up the stairs to board the plane. Marise grabbed her suitcase's handle and followed her boss up the stairs. Once on board one of the attendants took her suitcase allowing Marise to follow her boss to the passenger chairs. The plane was big enough to allow plenty of moving space, even a small bar. Her boss took one of the seats towards the front of the passage area of the plane as Marise sat across from him.
As Marise sat down her boss pushed a file on the table towards her as he began to speak. "You will be the assistant to our lord's daughter today. She will be attending a few meetings with the powers that be in the New World. Your job here is to assist her ladyship with anything she would require."
Marise's heart skipped a beat as she heard that. She knew of her ladyship but never dreamed they would be in the same room let alone directly work for her. There were a lot of rumors about her ladyship. She was very reserved and very kind. None had ever seen her get angry or heated, unlike her father and to some extent her mother. Yet at the same time she was still a being of great power, and everyone knew the difference in power just from being in their presence. It was just one of the effects or their aura that they gave off. Now she would learn that she would be in her presence for the five to six hour flight to New York, in a small pressurized tube, over a great body of water.
She swallowed. "W-will there be anyone else?"
Her boss shook his head. "No, it shall be you and her for the most part. You will however, not be expected to accompany her when she meets with the leading factions of the New World. You may if you like, but you are not required to."
She could feel her heart slow a little before going back to normal.
"I-I understand."
"Very good." Her boss nodded while taking a prescription bottle from his suit pocket and placed it in front of her. "Standing in their presence for an extended period of time can be difficult, these will help take the edge off. Take one before the flight, it should last until you land."
She gratefully took the bottle. "Sir… if I may. Why is our ladyship flying on a plane rather than… flying herself?"
"Courtesy," Her boss replied. "The factions in the New World were notified that she would be arriving in New York just yesterday. The plane flight is just to give them time to prepare." He pointed to the folder. "Review that during the flight, it is a list of meetings and places you will be staying at during your time there. If for whatever reason our ladyship relieves you, call the number on the back of the files and a plane will fly you back."
Her boss' eyes suddenly shot towards the door. Before she could even register why her boss was looking towards the entrance, she felt a massive pressure on her body. It was by no means physical pressure, as it was more of her body was crunching up on itself. Marise quickly popped off the cap on the bottle and downed one of the pills within. The effects were not immediately, yet the pressure began to lessen ever so slightly.
Marise's boss stands from his chair, and she follows suit. The crushing presence began to get stronger as the sound of footsteps got louder. Marise's legs began to tremble as the pressure got stronger. Then the owner of the powerful aura arrived. A beautiful blond woman stepped into the plane. Her hair was pulled back into a bun aside for her bangs and some hair that ran down the side of her temples and rested on her impressive bust. As to be expected her body was slim yet was healthy sized, what her son might call "thicc". She was also quite tall, far taller than most men and women.
Her green eyes fell on Marise, her eyes acted on their own as they darted to the floor. She quickly bowed to the woman as her boss was already bowing himself.
"Lady Artoria." Marise's boss greeted the woman in a respectful tone.
"Martin," The powerful being replied in a pleasant voice. "Thank you for arranging this on such short notice."
"It is my pleasure my lady."
"And who is this," Marise felt the woman's powerful eyes upon her. "Please raise your head. You have nothing to fear from me."
Despite her own body crying out to keep her head down, Martin raised her head. Her eyes met the woman's green. She smiled at her.
"My name is Artoria," The being greeted her as if they were not on different planes of power. "I understand you will be my assistant while in America."
"Y-yes, my name is Marise Grand." Marise managed to get out after a moment. "I am looking forward to serving you."
"No need to flatter me, I am aware I can be rather difficult to be around when my aura is on display." The wo- Artoria replied. "My father requested it be so until I left London for America, rest assured you shall not have to deal with it once we leave the air space."
"My thanks, my lady."
"Shall we be underway then; I am very eager to get to America." Artoria suggested maintaining her smile at the two.
"By your command." Martin bowed before walking towards the exit. Leaving Marise alone with Artoria. Artoria walked over to the seat that her boss had once used and sat down.
Marise sat back down soon after, happy to get off her shaking legs. The plane began to power up and the door to the plane was sealed. Soon enough, the aircraft began to move. Before long they were in queue for use of the runway, a few minutes later they were given clearing and Marise felt the plane lift off the ground.
The plane continued to gain altitude until leveling out about twenty minutes later. The fasten seatbelt sign turned off and the crew began going about their own tasks. As lady Artoria promised her intense aura retreated back into her body. She smiled at Marise, most likely because she visibly relaxed once Artoria's aura was no longer pressing down on her.
"Well, we have quite the long flight ahead of us, why don't you tell me about yourself Mrs. Grand." Lady Artoria began.
"There's not much to say about me, my lady." Lady Artoria's smile turned into a sad smile.
"I value all my people Mrs. Grand," Lady Artoria explained. "I do not see our difference in abilities as sufficient reason to write off your existence. Greatness can rise from the most unlikely of places, be it an average human or the greatest of gods. I am also aware of the fact that your assignment was on very short notice, as such I would like to know of the woman that I have pulled into this trip."
"I-I understand." Marise took a moment to allow herself some time to think of what she would say. "As I said before my name is Marise Grand. I am 49 years old and I have been married for 20 years. We have a son who is 17 years old. He was accepted into our local magical institution after he scored high enough on their tests. I myself have not had my own magic unlocked for very long. I only use it for minor utility."
"Does your husband know of the real world?"
"Yes, but he doesn't have any magical talent." A small smile appeared on her face. "He was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to cast a fireball."
"That is unfortunate."
"But he has been preoccupying himself with learning about all the creatures he once thought were nothing but myth."
"I'm glad that your husband was able to adjust so well from what I am hearing. There are many who go through quite a crisis with their sense of reality."
"Yes, he adapted very well." A question began rising in Marise's mind as she talked about her husband. "My lady, if I might change the subject for a moment… Are we going to be meeting the Greeks council or a proxy?"
"I will be meeting with the Greek council itself, I would invite you to join. However, you will find the Greek gods can be very… unpleasant given the right circumstances." Lady Artoria explained. "During the time when the center of Western civilization was in England they created a great many problems. My father butted heads with more than a few of the Greek pantheon on many occasions. Ares comes to mind the most."
"I never knew that the Greeks fought with his Lordship."
"Have you met my father, Mrs. Grand?" Lady Artoria asked thoughtfully.
"No my lady, you are the first of the royal family that I have met in person."
"I see, despite my father's… intense personality he is not blind to those around him. The people of England are part of his domain and thus he sees value in them. The few times that he fought Ares he was sure to do it away from civilization and made sure not to allow it to get more destructive than necessary."
"To that end, the Greeks themselves can be quite destructive. Zeus is very protective of the skies of their territory, going as far to shoot down planes because a godling was on board. Artemis was solely responsible for the drop in human and hunter population in the countryside. Hera's wrath against Zeus' illegitimate demigod childran has caught more than a few humans in the crossfire."
"Yet to be fair the Greeks have not been a total force of evil to their host country. Hermes' assistance is one of the contributing reasons as to the British ability to handle logistics. Aphrodite has helped the recovery of populations during times of turmoil. Hestia has always gone out of her way to help their host country in her own ways. Hephaestus takes great joy in helping industry and the creative ability of mortals when he has the time. Even Ares, for all his faults, does inspire patriotism in loyalty to a cause. Though I will admit their Roman sides tend to be more pleasant comparatively."
Lady Artoria paused for a moment before returning to the question lingering in Marise's mind.
"I invite you to join me when I speak with the Greek council. I imagine given the nature of the meeting, I will only be meeting Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, and Hermes. I don't imagine the rest of the council will be required to be there. Athena might appear but I am not sure. More than likely the gods will not notice you, if they do, they might question why you are present but do not worry I shall protect you. If you wish to wait outside, then I welcome you to do so."
"I understand, Lady Artoria. What of the Protestant faction?"
"I imagine our meeting will be far less grand than with the Greeks. Given their worldwide influence, we will likely meet with one of their agents. I will explain my reasons for being in New York, which will likely be the end of it. After that you will be released from your duties on this assignment and free to return to your family."
"Are you sure Lady Artoria? I am willing to assist you in anything you wish."
The blond haired woman looked off to her side as she thought about Marise's offer, yet eventually she shook her head.
"I think it would be better for you to return to England after our meeting has finished. My reasons for coming to the New World are rather personal and I will be moving quickly. It will put me at ease if I am the only one I have to worry about."
Marise dipped her head in understanding, though she would be lying if she did not crave a little adventure during this trip.
"If I may Lady Artoria." She nodded for Marise to continue. "What are you looking for in America?"
Lady Artoria's aura returned. Marise instantly feared she overstepped her bounds. Yet, her lady's smile only got brighter, and a soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"I lost something my dear Marise~" Lady Artoria cooed and her aura became stronger, it had a slight heat to it. "And I believe I know now know where to find it~ These meetings are just to make sure that no one gets in my wayyy~"
It was at this moment that Marise was reminded that the woman across from her was very scary…
Garret sat across from Rider. The reborn servant had invited him to join her on her trip to the library in town. Garret expected as he did not have anything better to do. After the lengthy walk into town the two found their way to the local library. Rider quickly found the fiction section of the library and found a few books that caught her eye. Garret on the other hand found himself a book on mythical creatures, if anything he could learn some more about the creatures he would be fighting.
"Why did Brian call you Rider?" Garret suddenly asked.
Rider looked up from her book to the man sitting across from her. "It's a name I use when I don't want to reveal my identity."
Being a reborn servant, classes did not mean much anymore. The only reason she was still using it was because she arrived in this world with her rider form. Besides, Rider came across better than Gorgon or Medusa in conversation.
"But… Why Rider?" Garret asked. "I know that your Medu-"
Rider shot Garret a look putting a little bit of her eyes' abilities behind it to stop him from finishing her name. She did not need anyone knowing who she was and that information ending up in the wrong place. When Garret stopped, she stopped her own eyes' ability.
"A person once put many mythical legends into "classes", I was put into the Rider class because of the Pegasus that was born from my severed neck." Rider explained.
Garret fixed her a bewildered look at her rather relaxed explanation. He looked her up and down. "Yeah, about that… How are you… alive? I mean you did die in your legend after all."
Rider had to use the memories of her other self to answer that. "When Greek monsters die they go to Tartarus and reform, then they often reappear back on the surface once complete, if they do not get stuck in Tartarus." A rather unfair state of existence, to be killed over and over again while the "heroes" still die. A side thought entered Rider's mind, why was the world not overrun with monsters if they respawned, for lack of better word, if they continued to breed the world would have been overrun long ago.
"Hu, I've never run into that problem… well at least I have not come across anyone I've killed before." Garret replied thoughtfully.
"Have you killed any Greek monsters?" Rider asked, thinking about how her other self knew of Greek monster deaths.
"A few I guess, one of them hellhounds when I started out."
"What happened to the body?"
Garret adopted a confused expression as if the answer was obvious. "Uh decomposed I suppose, damn thing took a lot of buckshot before it finally went down, I think I also stabbed it with my silver sword."
"Did the Hellhound turn into a golden dust after it died?" Rider asked to which Garret shook his head in the negative. "When monsters die, Greek monster specific, their bodies turn into golden dust as their souls are dragged back to Tartarus. If what you're saying is true, then you might be permanently killing the monsters. I've never encountered a Grimm before, so I am unaware if being a Grimm comes with other effects."
"Welcome to the club, I am the head." Garret joked before something caught his eye causing him to quickly look back down at his own book.
"Did you see a monster?" Rider asked getting used to some of Garret's actions.
"Yeah, another harmless one. It's almost funny how common they are as to how rare people think they are."
"I am interested though; can you see monsters in their true form all the time?"
"No, it seems that their disguise holds up most of the time. Yet when their emotions get the better of them I can see the cracks in their disguises and I get a peek at the monster hiding behind the human skin." Garret lowered his book slightly to lock eyes with her. "When I saw the monster hiding behind your disguise, well I guess I must admit it was a first."
Rider smiled. "You are looking at my monster form", I just have not given into it fully… yet."
Garret returned the smile. "How very poetic of you."
The Grimm picked up his phone from his pocket and began messing with it. His face fell a little as his eyes ran over the screen. Rider asked him what he was reading.
"I have an app on my phone, one of those news scanners for those who like to read specific types of news or reports. Mine is set to strange, unusual, or supernatural sometimes someone slips up and lets someone go. I've got a few leads from this app in the past, so I just skim it from time to time."
"Anything of interest?"
"Only one, something about a local strip club being surrounded with rumors. People changing when they come out, some people disappear, even a few police investigations yet oddly enough the released reports have nothing but high standards and no connection to the rumors."
"Looking to look into it yourself."
"Thinking about it, yeah, if nothing else happens it will give me a chance to put this training to use." Garret replied as he closed his phone and placed it back in his pocket.
"I suppose I can help you with your investigation," Rider offered. "I enjoy a good mist-"
Both Rider and Garret's conversation stopped dead as a massive "wave" of magical energy washed over them. Yet the strange thing was the wave wasn't coming to them, so to speak, like someone had dropped a large rock in a pond and the created waves were moving outward. No, this "wave" was moving inward as if someone had suddenly removed a bunch of water and now the water was now equalizing.
There was only one magical ability that Rider knew of that could do something like this. Furthermore there was only one person who could use such magecraft that boarded on True Magic.
"Shirou."
Marise was happy to be back on solid ground. After her lady began speaking about her "treasure," the conversation became very one-sided. Marise also noticed the sharp increase in temperature in the plane while her lady spoke. At first she thought her lady referenced some object of some sort – sort of sheath as she used the words "Her sheath" a few times – yet as the descriptions kept coming. Marise realized that the treasure in which her lady referred to was in fact a person, a magically inclined human from the sound of it.
By all means it was none of her business as to who her betters ``saw", far be it for her to critique beings far beyond her. Yet at the same time, it seemed to her that this treasure of her lady's was more of a romanticized lover if she ever heard one. Lady Artoria described her treasure as one might typically assume one would, good looks, personality, knows her so well, ect, ect. But come on, a cook on pair with the gods? Making such claims was a quick way to a bad ending, even if the person in question is not actively shouting out their skill level. At the end of the day, it was better to go unnoticed by being such as gods and the like.
Of course, Marise did not voice any of her thoughts.
Marise assumed that her Lady would want to go to the hotel to get some rest, but she quickly found that her lady was ready to march over to the Empire State and begin her meeting with the Greeks. Marise wanted to wait for an envoy from the Greeks before they met with their council. Her ladyship was still very much champing at the bit to get this meeting started. Though it did seem like Lady Artoria seemed to be having an internal dialogue with herself.
"Lady Artoria and company, I presume." A monotone male voice spoke from behind them.
Both women turned around to find that shorter man had snuck up behind them without either of them noticing. He was about five foot five and rather skinny. His short hair was white and spiky with close shaved sides, practically a standard military haircut. One eye was covered with an eye patch that lacked straps while the other eye had unnatural red iris. For clothes he wore a brown jacket that looked too big for him, under that he wore black pants and a t shirt. In one of his fingerless gloved hands he held a milkshake and he periodically took a sip from.
Recognition seemed to appear on her ladyship's face after she had a moment to study his features.
"I was unaware your skill set included diplomacy, Cain." Artoria replied carefully.
'Cain's' eye narrowed. "I was in the area with my own investigations. I would also ask that you not call me by my enemies' title for me. I rather detest being compared to the First Murderer."
Marise looked at the man who was called Cain by his enemies. He did not seem all too imposing when compared to her ladyship. Yet, when looking at lady Artoria she seemed to have an air of caution. She had never heard of anyone with this man's appearance.
"I see, then I must apologize as to my knowledge I believe it to be your name. If you would share with me your real name then."
"Xio, that is my name." Xio answered after taking a sip from his milkshake. "I understand that you are in the Americas on personal business. On behalf of The Creator, I have witnessed Lady Artoria arrival to the Americas and deem her not a threat to its people or The Creator's missions."
'What?' Marise thought, this was how the biblical faction conducted itself for her Ladyship? 'This is unacceptable! You do not have an official meeting in the street, nor do you treat one such as Lady Artoria in such a manner!'
"That is all?" Her ladyship asked surprised, yet she did not sound insulted.
"That is all." Xio confirmed, then took another sip from his milkshake.
Her Ladyship smiled. "Well, I am happy to have the blessing of Heaven in the Americas. I trust I will not be interfered with."
"So long as no innocents are caught in the crossfire, your business is your own." Xio confirmed.
"I understand, I thank Heaven for its speed in meeting with me." Lady Artoria thanked him, bowing slightly.
"I was in the area when the word came down." Xio shrugged. "Please pass along my greetings to your father as well as my name. I'd rather not have one of the great powers in England think of me as Cain."
Lady Artoria nodded in return. "I will be sure to correct the error with my father."
Xio raised his milkshake in thanks. "Until next time."
The man turns and begins walking away, disappearing into the New York crowd soon after.
"My Lady, who was that?" Marise asked.
"One of Heaven's most powerful agents if the rumors about him are to be believed." Lady Artoria answered, still looking into the crowd as if she could still see Xio. "From my understanding, and from what my father has related, he is capable of fighting with gods and other creatures of similar power level. There is not much known about him as his enemies end up dead by his hand. It is why I mistook his enemies' name for him as his real name."
"I see."
Lady Artoria turned to Marise and smiled. "We will make our way to the Empire State Building. If nothing else, we will declare our arrival to the Greek official. With any luck they will be willing to see us then."
"As you wish Lady Artoria." Marise answered following after her ladyship as she had already begun to walk towards the skyscraper in the distance.
It did not take very long as Artoria used her magic to teleport them from Kennedy International Airport to the Empire State. Entering the building Marise walked up to the front desk man. He greeted her as a tourist but Marise quickly spoke.
"I am here announcing the arrival of Lady Artoria, daughter of his lordship of the Welsh and England as a whole." Marise began. "Her ladyship wishes to speak with the Olympian council as soon as possible."
"L-lady I'm not sure what you're talking about. There is no Olympian council here, nor am I aware of any… British royalty coming here for any sort of meeting." The man explained but Marise did not need a detect lie spell to know that he was lying.
Before Marise could reply Lady Artoria walks up behind her. "I'm sure you were made aware of my arrival given the rather sudden lack of thunder bolts striking the building."
The man's face fell as he saw her ladyship. While the force of her presence was being kept under control, primal instinct filled him in on just what was standing before him. Yet interruptions seemed to be the norm of today. Another man, dressed in a mail man's uniform, approached from the side.
"Greetings lady Artoria." The man bowed slightly. "I am Hermes, I've come to escort you to Olympus."
Her ladyship turned towards the now identified god. "Ah Hermes, I believe this is the first time we have met."
"Indeed, my ladyship, I only heard of you when we were in Britain. I must say your beauty is rival to our own love goddess." Lord Hermes added with a smirk.
Lady Artoria returned the smile out of politeness. "I would be careful, Hermes, such kind words could get you in trouble with such a goddess."
"I think I will risk her wrath for this moment my lady." Lord Hermes took her hand and kissed it while kneeling before her.
"Lord Hermes, I must warn you that some might confuse these kind words for flirting." Lady Artoria reminded the god, while still maintaining her smile. "I would remind you that you are married, and while I am aware that does not mean much to the Greek gods-" Lady Artoria's smile fell and was replaced with a stern visage. "It does mean something to me, and I shall not be an accomplice to adultery."
Hermes backed away, maintaining a shaky smile. "I would never assume such a thing Lady Artoria."
'Even a blind man could see it.' Marise observed, disgusted by the god for thinking that he was worthy of Lady Artoria.
"Shall we be off?" Hermes asked eager to get out of the situation he now found himself in.
"Yes." Artoria turned towards Marise. "You may join me if you wish."
"I would be honored to join you, my lady." Marise answered, after all it was not every day that one could attend a meeting with such powerful beings.
"Very well, if you two would stand near me." Hermes requested, to which the two women did as requested.
In a flash of light, Marise stood in front of a massive door that she assumed led to the throne room. Before Marise had time to make any more observations of her surroundings the massive doors opened. There just beyond the door was a few of the gods of Olympus in their more giant forms sitting upon their own thrones.
"Lady Artoria," A powerful voice called from the head of the U-shaped armament of the thrones. "The Gods of Olympus welcome you to Olympus."
Hermes stood forth into the throne room, as he neared his throne, his size grew, allowing him to sit on his throne. His clothes also changed to a more traditional Greek look. Marise followed after her lady. She was thankful that the eyes of the gathered gods were not on her. Her lady on the other hand seemed to be fully unaffected by the gathered gods staring down at her.
"On behalf of my father, I thank you for meeting me on such short notice. Lord Zeus." Artoria replied bowing slightly to the king of the Greek gods.
"We are most happy to welcome old allies to our home." Lady Hera added.
Marise was not aware that the Olympians and Artoria's father were allies. Looking around the room, Marise noted that only Zeus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, and Athena were present. While she was not expecting all the gods, she was expecting Hades to be here. In fact, out of all the thrones none of them looked like it belonged to Hades.
"We will have to be quick about this Lady Artoria." Zeus declared before the other gods could get a word of greeting in. "We are in the midst of an internal struggle in regards to a thieving bastard son."
And thus they began.
Poseidon's friendly greeting face turned to anger in an instant as he turned on his brother. "My son did not steal your bolt brother! He is risking his life to find and if I hear you use such words about my son again there will be consequences."
Zeus returned quickly. "Be careful, brother, that could be mistaken for a threat."
"Is only a threat if you make me make it one." Poseidon counter.
"Don't think you can run your mouth in my throne room just because my bolt is missing."
"Husband, brother!" Hera called getting both god's attention. "We are in front of a guest right now, let us give the appearance of unity for a moment."
"I am of the same mind, as my reasons for being here in America are a matter of urgency to me." Lady Artoria explained. The gathered gods seemed to latch on to Artoria's words like school girls did to new gossip.
"That would be, if you don't mind us asking," Athena asked, interested in what brought Lady Artoria to the New World.
"Something was taken from me, Lady Athena. I have just recently found where that something is." Lady Artoria explained. "It is of great urgency that I find my treasure. What I ask from the Greek faction is that I be allowed to operate in the Americas without infringement or oversight."
"I understand your desire to regain what has been stolen from you, now more so than ever." Lord Zeus answered in understanding. What is this treasure you are searching for?"
"I'm afraid I am unwilling to say, Lord Zeus. As I have said, my treasure is of extreme importance to me. As such, if someone were to take it away from me before I have the chance to regain it, it shall be most inconvenient for me. I am sure that some may try and acquire it before I so that they might use it against me and by extension my father."
Zeus leaned back in his throne as he thought about Lady Artoria's words. Marise could tell that Zeus was looking for a way to use Lady Artoria's plight to his advantage.
"I shall grant you all you ask for, if you pledge yourself to my cause should my reign be threatened."
The throne room fell quiet, just as the gathered gods were about to explode in an argument. Lady Artoria's elegant voice beat them to it. "I am afraid my father will not approve of such an arrangement. I would like to remind his lordship that my being here, and this meeting, is nothing more than a formality. The treasure which I WILL regain is mine and shall not be used against me. However, I am not above negotiation." Lady Artoria produced something from a pocket and held it up for all the gods to see.
Their eyes went wide.
In Lady Artoria's hand was a fist sized orb that contained unknown black and white energy moving inside.
"Is that-?" Hermes asked, shocked.
"Yes, an Origin Orb, allowing the user to unlock their true potential or even gain authority as if they were a demigod. Rather useless for a god but if you are seeking to raise a "hero" …." She let her words hang.
"And you are willing to give this up in exchange for us leaving this treasure you are looking for to you." Zeus asked his eyes greedily on the orb.
"This treasure must be of great value to you." Athena observed as this orb held quite an numerical value.
"You have no idea."
"Done." Zeus declared before anything else could be said.
Lady Artoria smiled and with a bit of magic the orb fell off her hand and began to float to Zeus who grabbed it as soon as it was in range. Lady Artoria turned and began to leave as she did, Marise quickly followed. The two exited the throne room just as another argument broke out.
"My lady, was such a thing wise? That Orb can give Olympus quite the formidable warrior."
"He or she will be one of many. If anything, the Greeks have been lacking a true hero for some time now. I thought it only fair to give them one, after all it seems like they will be needing it in the coming years." Lady Artoria explained.
"Coming years?" Marise asked, confused.
"Indeed, an old enemy of the Greeks is rising again if the rumors are to be true. Isn't that right Lady Hestia?" Lady Artoria asked, looking behind Marise who turned to see a child in a brown robe standing behind them.
"It would seem that my father's rise has spread to factions outside our own." Hestia commented in a sad yet neutral tone. "I thank you for the orb then, even if it does cause discord between my family."
"For that you have my apologies, but I must have my treasure returned to me." Lady Artoria replied before changing the subject. "I do not believe we have had words together, father was rather protective of me during your family's stay in Britain."
"We have not, though it seems to me you take more after your mother. Your father would have made a declaration rather than bargain."
"There is a time for an iron first and a time for compromise."
"Though, I must say. I am curious as to what this treasure is, that you would trade an Origin Orb for."
Her lady thought whether or not to tell Hestia about the nature of her treasure. Yet just as she opened her mouth, a wave of magic crashed over them, Marise never felt anything like it. It was as if a wave of magic had just rushed past her, as if to fill a sudden vacant void of magic. Before she could say anything, her lady had disappeared and the only thing she heard was a roar.
"RO-!" Rogue yelled out only to be cut off when a massive dark purple colored repetition tail smashed him into the flood. The Eldritch horror pulled himself out of the ground just as the own of the tail pulled it away. Rogue dusted himself off before looking at the dragon in question. "You have no laughter in your soul brother."
"I am simply enforcing the rules." The massive dragon replied.
The horror shook his head before regarding the readers again. "Well, if that wasn't a chapter, I don't know what is. With Medusa and Arty feeling like dear boi Shirou's marble, what will happen? Will best girl get to him in time? What happened to cause Shirou to use his reality marble? Will the Gods keep their word if they learn of her treasure? We will find out next time on Lords of Swords!"
With a deep, unneeded breath, Rogue whipped his pic around, slamming it into the wall as a rift opened up before jumping in.