Fumble Order 02
I look between Olga and Roman, both their faces grim as we sat on opposite sides of a table in a small, out of the way room in the depths of Chaldea.
We've only been back from the Fuyuki singularity for about a hour, but the two of them have decided that interrogating me takes precedence. Honestly, it makes sense that they'd feel the need to grill me, given that I'd all but dropped into Chaldea just a short while before Lev's bombs went off and that I summoned Tiamat and knew who she was while Chaldea's instruments had blanked on her.
I'm as suspicious as could be.
"Alright, we might as well get this over with. Who are you and where did you come from?" Olga asks, her eyes hardening as they bore into me.
I'm tempted to use my real name, but maybe it would be better if I hide it, if true names matter to Servants, who knows if there isn't magecraft that takes advantage of it. "Trent Blackmore, and I'm from Canada."
"You'll have to excuse me for doubting those statements as there isn't a Trent Blackmore in any of Chaldea's records as either a master candidate or as staff. Please, do tell us how you got into Chaldea?" Olga presses on to grill me, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed. Even as Roman looks more pensive than anything, maybe worrying about the injured staff and such.
I shrug, "I don't really know? Earlier today I was headed to the nearest LGS for a tournament when a truck ran a red light while I was crossing the street, and then before it hit me I found myself here in Chaldea."
"That's kind of far-fetched, you know? The timing and circumstances of surrounding your appearance makes things look kind of bad…" Roman murmurs, his head cocked to the side.
I snort, letting my face droop into a more thoughtful expression as I ask, "Like how you appeared from nowhere, around the time of Maris Billy's death, with no prior records? Believe me Doctor Roman, we can both play this game."
"Wha- how dare you! Despite his layabout attitude and general lack of work ethic, Doctor Romani is a trusted member of Chaldea, and wouldn't-" The doctor grumbles even as Olga starts to go into a rant, but I cut her off.
I feel a sardonic grimace crawl up my features as I respond, "I hate to bring it up, but wouldn't you have said something similar about Lev before today?"
Olga stops short, flushing at the implication, she seems ready to erupt but she takes a deep breath, "Even if you're right about Lev, I get the feeling that Romani would be too cowardly to actually betray Chaldea's mission."
"Of course, of course, it was just a hypothetical scenario, seeing as he brought up my own origins as a reason to suspect me," I wave off Olga's reaction, and Roman looks decidedly uncomfortable.
The doctor coughs into his fist, looking more than a bit aggrieved, "Hmm, well, I suppose I'll apologize for that implication, but we do need to know who you are where you came from if we're going to entrust Chaldea's resources to you."
"Y-yes, that's right, we're not here to discuss if Romani is trustworthy, we're deciding on whether or not we'll be able to trust you as we proceed," The white haired director stammers briefly before catching back onto her flow. She takes a moment to clear her throat, and then speaks, "Now then, in exchange for your being frank we are willing to ensure your safety, doubly so if you agree to work with us to return history to its proper state. Is that acceptable to you?"
That's fair. Honestly, they're probably being a lot softer on me then they might usually have been due to the current circumstances of Chaldea. I take a deep breath and wet my lips as I start, "Well, let's put it like this, you know about Zelretch and his shtick? Then consider how other universes might have knowledge of each other."
"Yes, right, Multiverse theory and the Kaleidoscope…" Doctor Roman trails off in thought as he considers my answer, and suddenly blanched. The doctor then spoke, "Still, the various possibilities aside, how can you be sure that the knowledge you have would even match up with events here, nor do I even want to consider the possible platforms that you could have see that portrayed our universe."
I keep as straight a face I can, my lips quirking a bit. "That's completely fair. I probably wouldn't want to know how someone knows the goings on in my universe. As for things being different… well, I don't deny that I've already changed some things, or that there could be things that have changed or that will be different from what I know."
"Well, I'm very curious then, as to how your knowledge will help us if there's apparently a chance that it could be faulty or entirely incorrect?" The director questions, her eyes narrowed.
"Well, beyond just knowledge of possible future Singularities and other such events, I'll also be able to recognize a good number of Servants and other figures on sight. Alongside that, there's the fact that you literally have no other options," I answer, feeling a bit put out over the whole direction that the conversation's gone. But, she isn't wrong. Things change all the time, no plan survives contact with the enemy, and all that. Who's to say that Solomon hadn't lifted knowledge of mine and Tiamat's appearance from Lev and was responding to that?
The director definitely doesn't look satisfied with that response, but she lets it drop in favour of a different line of questioning, "Fine then, what about that Servant you summoned, how do you know that she is Tiamat?"
"She made an appearance, and as you probably realized, she's rather memorable in many ways," I try and explain without going too deep into the truth of the primordial goddess.
Still Roman presses on, his eyes locked onto a clipboard he brought in with him, "The real question is her class, seeing as that would help us map out her capabilities and such. Can you tell us what it was or what it's supposed to be?"
"I only ever saw her as a Beast class, I can only speculate as to what other classes she'd qualify for," It's true, I don't think anyone (outside of Nasu) actually knows what classes Tiamat qualifies for outside of Beast.
"Beast class?" The two ask, both of them clearly intrigued and confused.
Oh boy.
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"So, seven servants of the regular classes are summoned in the receptacle of Grand Servants in order to combat the appearances of these Beasts?" I nod as Olga asks for clarification, having had to carefully weigh my words in regards to the Beasts and Grand Servants. Olga's been the one mostly questioning me, with Roman taking notes and only speaking up for either questions that Olga either overlooked or if he needed further clarification or details.
"And you're saying that the fourth Beast has already been defeated?"
I nod again, thinking of Fou, "Yeah, without a fight even."
"How?" Olga inquires, her eyes narrowed in thought as she considered the implications.
Taking a breath, I steel myself for her response as I answer, "Through understanding, compassion, companionship, and love."
"You're actually serious? That's absurd on so many levels, how would those defeat a supposedly great danger to humanity, especially if it's supposed to be the sort of threat that would need seven Grand Servants to defeat?" The director goes off. Honestly, I can't fault her for that reaction, I would as well if I didn't know the things I do.
I shrug, "It was neutralized as a threat before it could become one, meaning that while it holds the position of a Beast, it shouldn't become one."
"This is all nonsense…" Olga murmurs, palming her face and massaging it in exasperation. Roman and I share an awkward look over Olga's hunched form, unsure of what to do until the director sits back up, a haggard look on her face as she speaks, "Alright Blackmore, I'm done. We're done, for now, and we aren't going to continue this talk until we've had time to get this all straightened out. However, I believe that you are being earnest in your admission of wanting to help Chaldea return the proper Human History, and undo the various singularities. Now please, go."
"Then, thank you for giving me a chance, Director Animusphere," I say as I stand, moving around the table to the door.
As my hand closes around the doorknob, Olga speaks up, "Blackmore… thank you for saving my life."
"I just did what I thought was right, not for any other reason," I smile over my shoulder, holding back a tired laugh, "Like I said in Fuyuki, you didn't deserve what happened to you."
I open the door and step forward, into someone. Looking up, a pair of red orbs stare into my own blue ones, Tiamat has clearly been waiting diligently.
"LAAAAAAAAAA––––––"
"Well excuse me, I didn't know you were there. I figured you would have wandered off somewhere," I argue with the goddess as I step around her. There's a tapping of feet and I see Mash jogging over to us, clad in her casual clothes, and Fou trotting along beside her.
She smiles as she sees me standing chest to chest with Tiamat and calls out, "Ah, Senpai, I'm glad to see that everything worked out."
"Hey Mash, you doing alright?" I ask, waving to the teen.
The Demi-Servant beams at me, "I'm doing well Senpai. How did your meeting with the Director and Doctor Roman go?"
"About as well as I could have hoped for, all things considered," I answer, because honestly, things couldn't have really gone better than they did. Or at least, I'm fairly sure they couldn't have. Shaking my head, I look down at Mash and ask, "So, what brought you down here?"
"Ah, right, I came to see if you needed any help getting around Chaldea?" Even as my recently acquired kouhai makes that inquiry, I'm nodding in agreement. Her face lights up as she continues, "Then I'd be glad to show you around, follow me Senpai."
I can't help my mouth curling a bit as I trail behind Mash while she points out certain locations that I make sure to memorize, like Da Vinci's workshop or the small gym. The tour's fairly mundane and it ends with the lot of us sitting in the cafeteria, Tiamat and I eating some food that had been scrounged up and prepared by what remained of the cafeteria staff.
It honestly wasn't much, but it was enough to sate the hunger gnawing at my stomach. Although I'll admit, it's hard to swallow, the food sticks in my throat when I remember that Tiamat essentially ate two people today.
For a moment, there's the taste of ashes in my mouth and I force myself to swallow. My expression must have given me away from the way Mash speaks up, "Senpai, is everything alright?"
"Just… just a bad memory, you don't need to worry about it," I answer, trying to smile reassuringly to her. She clearly doesn't believe me but decides to let it drop, if the frown that briefly creases her face is any indication.
Eventually, Roman appears with a key to a room that had apparently been assigned to me and bids Mash to guide me there. It's a surprisingly short walk from the cafeteria to the room, and the Demi-Servant leaves shortly after that. My bag, which had been confiscated when we returned from the Fuyuki Singularity, sat on a desk in the corner, against the wall opposite the door is a bed.
I walk over and collapse onto the bed, not even bothering to take of my glasses off as I sink face first into the pillow.
"AAAAAAAAAAAA––––"
I only have time to turn to look at Tiamat, who had apparently followed me in, falling onto the bed atop me. I shift beneath her, trying to escape her pressing weigh as she lays atop me.
In the dark of the room, a single question echoes.
"Why this?"
