Original Archive of Our Own Posting Date: October 9, 2020
Orginal A/n: So, in hindsight, I probably should have just kept this in Chapter Twenty-Seven. Oh well, lesson learned lol. Hope you enjoy this brief chapter, and just consider it less it's own chapter and an add-on for the last chapter.
Mordred watched with a raised eyebrow as Ritsuka was sent skidding backwards by another kick. Jacob certainly wasn't holding back, it seemed. At least his training seemed far kinder than hers. Mordred's lip instinctively curled upwards in a sneer for the briefest of moments as Morgan's face appeared in her mind.
Most of her fellow Servants had left after an hour or so has passed by, as did most of the human onlookers. Jeanne and Mash stood a few feet away, but remained silent, watching the two Masters sparring. Unfortunately, it was the other group of people still in attendance that were starting to become a source of annoyance.
The way that some of the young female staff members were giggling at the two reminded her of Camelot. Seeing the Knights of the Round Table sparring against one another had almost always turned into a spectacle, especially for the ladies of the court. Mordred had found them to be vapid airheads at the best of times. Thankfully, only once did one of those pests try to court the blonde knight, having been under the impression like everyone else that she was a man.
After a rather brusque dismissal, no one tried to court the knight. In all honesty, it was still worth the mild rebuke she was given by the king the next day.
Another round of giggles and hushed voices from the bunch of brats had Mordred rolling her eyes before concentrating at seeing her Master demonstrating some kicking techniques.
"He's quite invested in this," Jeanne suddenly remarked softly. Mordred grunted in agreement.
"He's a big fan of teamwork and all that stuff, after all," Mordred replied, still watching Chaldea's two Masters as she spoke. It certainly didn't hurt that Jacob had continued to show many similarities with Kairi. In all honesty, if the guy began dressing in a black leather jacket, wore shaded sunglasses even at night, and began smoking, she would begin wondering if her former Master had somehow been reincarnated.
"You seem protective of him," Jeanne suddenly said, causing Mordred to snap her head to the side, staring intensely at the calm Ruler.
"Yeah? Shouldn't we all be? If they both die, humanity is gone. If humanity is gone, we're gone. I've already died once, technically twice. I'm not exactly interested in living up to the saying of 'third time's the charm'," Mordred snapped defensively.
"Be that as it may, I was just commenting on how you seem to be more focused on protecting your Master, and not just both of them," Jeanne replied unflinchingly. Mordred scoffed and shook her head, looking away from the now-smiling Ruler. Instead of answering, Mordred refused to respond to that comment, having grown both bored and disinterested in it. She noticed that Ritsuka had managed to dodge a kick her Master had sent at him, and managed to tackle Jacob to the ground, though her Master quickly recovered with a laugh and a wide, pleased smile as he congratulated his 'student'.
What nonsense was she implying? Jacob was a friend, and a damn good one at that! She wasn't exactly in a hurry to have to see the end of his company, so of course she would protect him! The fact that he was willing to look past her actions in life certainly did help.
So just what was Ruler trying to say, then?
The thought bothered Mordred as she continued to watch the two sparring, left alone in her thoughts until the session finally ended.
Apparently, the kitchen staff of Chaldea, which turns out to have been the only department to have been unaffected by Lev's sabotage, had decided to make a celebratory dinner for the efforts of Ritsuka, myself, and our Servants.
With much gusto did I devour a medium-rare ribeye, the center of the beef a cool red, and I savored every bite. Mordred had gotten two steaks, while Mash and Ritsuka had settled on hibachi-cooked rice and beef, and the two seemed to enjoy it.
Just as much as the desire to save and reunite with our families bolstered the spirits of Ritsuka and myself, the sight of such pleasant scenes further helped reinforce our moral. Despite a number of minor bruises, the unenviable result of training to fight, Ritsuka seemed extra energetic. No doubt that was because the feeling of being less useful than everyone else was being counteracted. By the time I had called today's round of training over, the Japanese Master had learnt how to block blows with his forearms and to throw fists properly. A very good start, especially considering how he had tried to punch me when we started. He was a good lad, his heart in the right place, and I am proud to call him friend.
Sadly, I couldn't stay for too long, and after I had finished eating, I politely made my excuses before heading out for my meeting with Doctor Roman.
I rapped my fist against the closed door of Doctor Roman's office a bit nervously. The reason why was not so much for any particular reason, but rather just my nerves playing up. I could hear the muffled sound of movement, and took a half-step back from the door as it slide open, revealing a smiling Roman.
"Ah, right on time, Jacob! Come in, come in," he said cheerfully, gesturing at me, and I stepped inside, taking a quick look at his working station.
It looked like a chaotic mess in a way, and yet it felt organized at the same time. Stacks of papers covered the desk that was pushed against the wall, and I could see a mixture of clear and somewhat messy handwriting. Mission reports, perhaps?
Doctor Roman gestured at a pair of chairs in another corner, sitting down in one, and I sat in the other, looking intently at my boss.
"Okay, so, first thing's first, Jacob. This conversation will be kept between us, and only us. Second, right now, I am not the acting-director of Chaldea, but a doctor, so feel free to share as much or as little as you want. Does that sound agreeable to you?" I shrugged but nodded, curious to hear what kinds of questions the man had for me.
"Great! So first, let's start with some simple questions. How are you doing? I don't mean at this moment," Roman added hurriedly as I titled my head in slight confusion. "I mean, how are you doing overall? Are you finding yourself adjusting well to Chaldea, stuff like that," he explained, resolving that brief bout of confusion.
"Ah, ok. I think I am doing well under the circumstances," I said slowly, and the doctor nodded and wrote something down on his clipboard, having angled it slightly so as to prevent any temptations or attempts to read whatever it was that he would be writing. "Honestly, if it wasn't for Mordred's insistence on confronting me after Singularity F, I don't think I would have been as much help as I suppose I have been."
"So, would you say that you and Mordred are close?" Roman asked. I nodded once.
"Yeah. At least, I would like to think so."
"I do, too. The two of you seem to have a good work chemistry, just as Mash and Ritsuka have between them. A Servant and a Master who work very well together is a most formidable pair," Roman commented.
The conversation continued along these lines for the next five or so minutes. I had a feeling that, in addition to being the standard procedure for this kind of thing, Doctor Roman was trying to ease me into this, before he began asking more serious and heavy questions. Sure enough, it appeared that was the case.
"How are you coping with witnessing Olga Marie's death?" Roman asked rather kindly. I sighed and bit the corner of my lip. A part of me instinctively wanted to say that I was fine, and that I wasn't letting it affect me. Considering how I lost my composure at Caster Gilles, however, that would be a lie.
"With difficulty," I finally admitted, sighing once more. "My parents always told me that I had a bit of a protective streak. No one can argue that what that bastard did to her was beyond cruel, but it was horrible to see it first-hand and do nothing."
"I see. Do you think it has impacted your decisions while in France?" Roman asked without judgment, writing another thing down on his clipboard. I hesitantly shook my head.
"No, I don't think so. Or at least, not seriously," I admitted. "I didn't want to lose any of our teammates. That doesn't mean that I am convinced that we can win without loss," I admitted, reflecting on the loss of Marie only a few days ago.
Even though she was back with us, the memory still hurts. Roman hummed softly, saying nothing for a minute or two before finally breaking the silence. "What do you intend to do if you come across Lev?" I felt my face harden, as a cold fury gripped my chest tightly
"What would I do, Doctor Roman? I will make him pay," I vowed solemnly, unwilling to waver from this goal, short of allowing it to distract myself from aiding in our efforts to save humanity. "What else would I do?"
Far away from Chaldea, in a place outside of time and space, seventy-two shadowy figures stood in a circle, deep in discussion.
"The defeat of Demon-Lord Gilles was unexpected."
"You made a mistake in not truly finishing the job."
"This is of no consequence. I will be going to the Second Singularity, and deal with matters there personally. This is not a setback, only a delay," the first voice responded in a mixture of what humans might call confidence and arrogance. They were not humans, though, and so the ideas of human terms mattered not.
All voices fell silent as a new voice spoke up. It sounded like it had a reverberation, speaking not as a single voice but as if of many.
"Ensure that you do, Flauros. In the meantime, we will continue moving forward. You will leave now, however. Understood?"
"Crystal."
"Good. The plan is proceeding as intended. That will continue to be the case. These two 'Masters' are nothing more than lucky insects, who will be crushed by the next Singularity. They can only delay us, and soon they shall not be able to do even that."
Original A/N: And done. Not much to say really since I consider this a combination of the two. Only real questions I got are whose ready for Nero, and what did y'all think of Mordred's thoughts in this chapter?
As always, thanks for the love and support, and see you guys and gals in Chapter Twenty-Nine (which will be a full-length chapter like mine normally are)