Is It Wrong to be a Grail in search of some Entertainment?

by SpokesOfTime

With the ejection of a Holy Grail to a Universe where it does not belong, Heroic Spirits long since passed, come to life, purely, so the object in question, can enjoy its Vacation. A Dungeon remains to be conquered, and without a war to fight, the Servants will step up to the task, but the question remains, is that all that is happening?

4. Discussions and Restoration

Chapter 4: Discussions and Restorations.

"I AM GANESHA" shouted the muscular man wearing an elephant mask, as he stood in front of the fountain of elephants, before continuing, his arms wide, "I'm so happy that so many of my colleagues were able to be here tonight! I, Ganesha am filled… with THE DEEPEST GRATITUDE!" before continuing to monologue with his speech.

Well, a speech without an audience, seeing as to how all the gods were indeed engrossed in their own conversations, and ignoring their host for the same. Indeed one could spot gods of all sorts, such as beautiful women in lowcut dresses, fat business-men wearing fancy suits, and even a group of gods seated on a couch staring at the god fond of the Far East, Takemikazuchi, happily munching on a chicken leg while holding aloft a plate chock-full with food above his head, while Hermes was egging him on for the same.

Indeed, the same group of gods gave a sigh as they observed Ganesha nuzzle one of his familia member's heads with his fist as he continued to give his speech before their attention was turned to a curious… if small sight, quite literally so.

"Ho?" a small blonde god spoke, swirling his glass of wine, "Is that Hestia at the other food table?" to which the taller, red-head god next to him nodded while repeating, "Seems to be! My… she's done well for herself. Didn't she only descend a couple months ago? That dress seems to be high quality if nothing else. Her familia must be working hard."

The god wearing a labcoat next to them snorted derisively as he spoke, "It's either that or she borrowed the dress from Hephaistos, they've always been close." to which the other two gods nodded, before their attention snapped towards a woman descending down the stairs, followed by two other men, her aides, a special privilege afforded to the head of strongest familia in the city, so to speak, Freya, the goddess of beauty.

Indeed, the aforementioned silver-haired goddess was wearing a low-cut white dress with gold trimmings that left little of her ample bosom to the imagination, accompanied with a gold choker, and a silver necklace, while perched on her hair were a pair of matching flower-style hairpins that she was fond of. She seemed to have caught sight of something, before she strode purposefully towards the food table. It would seem her target was Hestia.

Before she could reach however, a beautiful, dark haired man man wearing a simple yet elegant formal dress, though under keen observation one would consider it to be in less than perfect condition, placed his hands over Hestia's eyes from behind her, to which, the little goddess who had been munching on a dumpling freed herself and turned with a small scowl which quickly turned into a bright smile, as she spoke, "Miach! It's good to see you here!" to which the potion seller God smiled as he responded, "Indeed, Hestia! Oh?" before placing a hand on his chin as he looked at his small friend, "My… your dress looks expensive, though the colour and design suit you well Hestia! Did little Bell come into a windfall?" to which the goddess smiled, blushing slightly at the compliment as she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "Not really, but my other two children earned a great deal of wealth yesterday! They ran into a Juggernaut which had a huge golden crystal!"

As for Freya, she sighed at this interruption for a moment before striking up a conversation with another Goddess, Sif, that she considered her friend at the far end of the table.

Miach seemed shocked, as he too leaned forward as he spoke, "A naturally formed Juggernaut? My, that must be something else. But, two other Familia members apart from little Bell? I suppose Bell will be purchasing fewer potions from me, as a party obviously does not get as hurt as a solo adventurer!" with a saddened expression on his face.

Hestia shook her head, her cheeks puffed as she spoke, "Come now Miach! Is that anything to say to an old friend? Hmmph! Bell keeps telling me about your kindness, so you can obviously expect our continued patronage! I mean, even if we switched, who else could we buy from? Dian Cecht? Ha, right! He'd swindle us out of the valis we'd earned for a low-grade potion!"

The pharmacist god seemed surprised at this, before momentarily flashing Hestia a very bright smile, he then continued, scratching the back of his head, "You know… I heard you'd ended up purchasing Osiris familia's former home! I'd dismissed that as rumour… but seeing your dress?" before giving a pointed stare at the goddess.

To this, she coughed and leaned forward again as she spoke, "Yes! Fine, I'll tell you, I mean, if I can't trust you, Take and Hephaistos who else can I? My two other familia members, Saber and Lancer, are far stronger than even high-level adventurers without the Falna!"

The little goddess schooled her expression as Lancer had taught her upon their shopping trip, before she continued, "It was a total surprise for me, but apparently they come from a large island filled with a few nations, where they've all settled upon a series of several magical leylines! And on top of that, a group of Spirits entered into a Covenant with them, allowing for the magic to naturally bolster their strength and other attributes! It's almost like a Spirit version of the Falna!"

Miach seemed surprised as he responded, his eyebrows threatening to disappear into his hairline, "Ho? That is indeed extraordinary; to think the offshoots of the Gods have chosen such an unorthodox tactic in aiding the mortal races. I wonder though, how come I've never heard of the place?" to which Hestia swallowed another dumpling.

She then raised her hand to the side, palm facing up, "Apparently they only recently came into contact with Poseidon Familia, who you obviously know have been roaming the oceans for who knows how long in their hunt for Sea Monsters. Apparently their island's been isolated all this time! Imagine that! But according to Saber and Lancer, the family members of the oldest noble families already have a natural strength upto Level 3s! And imagine this…"

She leaned in even further, her mouth but a hair's breadth from the god's ear as she spoke, "These two were kings of their nations, elected due to their strength! They told me they're both roughly the same as Level 5s, though weak Level 5s" she finished.

Miach's eyebrows, if previously threatening to join with his hairline, now ascended past it, threatening to go all the way to Tenkai with what he'd heard.

He spoke, "My…. that beggars belief, but that explains how they've earned enough money to purchase such a large home, even if it is dilapidated. I wonder if at Level 2 they would be the equivalent of Level 6s then? I'm very glad you're my friend, Hestia!"

Hestia blushed slightly again before continuing, "Maybe, I don't know about that, we'll have to see when they rank up. They're struggling to gain any points due to the relative weakness of the monsters of the Upper Floors as they're taking care of Bell."

Miach nodded at this, before speaking, "That would make sense…." before trailing off as he saw Freya approach them, having finished her chat with Sif. Freya smiled at two of them as she spoke, "Good Evening! Hestia, Miach. I hope I'm not interrupting? My… that dress suits you well, Hestia." to which Miach lowered his head slightly in greeting, while Hestia puffed her cheeks out before mumbling, "Thanks…"

Freya then placed her hand on her chin as she said, "My… I hope I've not offended you Hestia." to which the small goddess mumbled out, "Not really… I just don't know how… or rather don't like dealing with you." to which Miach tutted in disapproval, to which Hestia turned halfway and stuck her tongue out at her friend.

Freya then began to giggle, "My, you're always so honest. I love that about you, Hestia, after all, one gets tired of false talk after a while."

She then turned to Miach before politely enquiring, "How are you Miach? I seem to recall having heard that your child was injured a while back, how is she doing?" to which the handsome god stiffened momentarily before speaking in a cool tone, "She's doing well Freya, I thank you for your concern. Naaza's long since adapted to her prosthetic. Indeed, I was originally not going to attend this Banquet, but she convinced me to do so."

Freya then nodded, as she spoke, "Ah… Cecht's prosthetics? I remember the dark days of Orario, when several adventurers had to purchase the same. But I'm glad to hear it all the same."

Miach nodded yet again, but Hestia then growled as she looked beyond Freya as she spoke, "Well… if you're fond of my honesty, let me tell you that you're infinitely better than some… other people."

A loud cry came up at the same time, "FREYA! HEY FREYA! AND YOU SHRIMP!" as a certain flat-chested goddess sporting a floor-length low cut dress charged down the stairs at a speed Level 2 adventurers would be proud of.

Hestia groaned, "ugh."

====================XeX====================

Not a few minutes earlier, the aforementioned goddess, Loki, was wandering about the upper floor of the 'I AM GANESHA!' as she spoke; "Now THIS is a party. I don't see chibi around though, did she chicken out?" with her hand rested above her eyes as she searched for the chibi in question, Hestia.

She thought, I mean, if she's earned enough money to open an account with the Guild, she should certainly be present here… not to mention I heard she's went and bought Osiris' old Familia home…unless she chickened out anyway? Besides… that interesting old man was definitely part of her Familia!"

This line of thought was interrupted when a soft male voice spoke, "Oh! If it isn't Loki!" to which Loki turned around to see the purple suit wearing Dionysus and the light dress wearing Demeter waving at her, wine glasses in hand.

She waved back, as she walked towards them, "Heyy! Dionysus, Demeter! Didn't see ya there! I was looking for someone!" to which Demeter giggled softly before saying, "Yes… it's been too long, Loki."

Dionysus then ran a hand through his hair in a refined fashion as he spoke, "This is a banquet of the GODS after all. So how has your Familia been getting on recently? You know, not a day goes by that I do not hear some rumor or another about your children, but that is to be expected of the second strongest Familia in Orario! But… nothing terrible is happening I hope? You did indeed have the most peculiar of expressions on your face right now."

Loki shrugged, as she picked up a glass of wine that was being served by a passing Ganesha Familia waiter, as she responded, "Well… ya know… They're doin' all right. Expeditions this and that. I was thinking about an interesting old adventurer I'd ran into, nothing else. Forget that… how's your's doing?"

Dionysus cocked his head to the left and spoke, "Hmm… an old adventurer you say? I saw an interesting grey haired man escorting Hestia to the party as well… but he was masked… as for my familia… well… we're still so puny! It's all we can do to keep our heads above water."

Loki's eyes had sharpened beneath their eyelids at Dionysus' words about Hestia's old adventurer, but she smiled anyway and scoffed, "As if!" before drinking deeply from the wine, savouring it for a moment and speaking, "Wow, this wine's amazing!"

Demeter smiled as she spoke, "You think so? It was made from the grapes harvested by my Familia." to which Loki responded, a smile on her own face, "Huh, never would have guessed! First-rate stuff… but then again the farming market near Orario is cornered by you, Ninurta, and Akras after all, so I should have known."

She then put her hand on her chin as she spoke, "Where did Freyr go though?" to which Demeter raised an eyebrow before speaking, "Oh? Freya's beloved twin brother? Last I heard, him and his familia were in the Opera Country Meilstora, preparing to mount an expedition to reclaim land in the Kaios Desert with the help of Attis and Kukulkan familias.

Loki nodded, storing away the tidbit of information, when Dionysus spoke, "The food and wine are of the finest quality… I should know… It appears Ganesha's put in quite the effort." before he and Demeter looked downwards.

Near the fountain was the God of the Masses, Ganesha, who was shouting, "Without your cooperation, a smooth, orderly Monsterphilia festival would not be possible!

Loki walked over to besides the wine god as well, and spoke, "Oh right… Guess it's already that time of year, huh?"

The wine god continued, "From the beginning, the purpose of this banquet was to lay the groundwork to ensure that no accidents occur." while Ganesha himself soldiered on, "I beg your assistance! I, Ganesha, ask this of you!"

Dionysus twirled his wine glass before he said, "It doesn't matter if you're the Guild or Ganesha himself… if the other Familias don't agree, something even as whimsical as bringing monsters to the surface for a bit of spectacle just wouldn't be possible."

Loki sighed, as she agreed, "True…" to which Dionysus turned around, "Speaking of which, will you be attending the Monsterphilia, Loki?" to which the Goddess of Trickery sipped from her glass before speaking, "Well… it IS a festival after all…" before something caught her eye, to which she smiled.

She then apologized, "Sorry, Dionysus, Demeter! I've gotta run!" to which the wine-god amicably responded, "Of course. Until next time." while Demeter bid her a farewell with, "See you, Loki."

Loki then began to jog, depositing her glass on the nearby table, as she then began to run down the stairs at full speed.

Demeter then looked at her retreating back, before nonchalantly speaking, "You have another wicked scheme up your sleeve?" to which the Wine God responded in kind, staring at Hestia and Loki antagonizing one another in front of a consterned Miach and an amused Freya, "What ever makes you say that?"

Demeter then blinked, "Well… whenever you get that look in your eye, it means something big is going to happen."

Dionysus continued to smile, with no response on hand, before he finally finished, "Perhaps I find something interesting…"

====================XeX====================

Hestia muttered, "Oh Loki…" at the crimson hair goddess that had appeared behind Freya. Loki seemed offended as she spoke, "What's with the depressed greeting, chibi? Didn't that familia member of yours tell you to get a hold when you went back home?" as Loki waved to Miach who responded in kind, though he seemed eager to run away.

Hestia snorted, before speaking, "Saber doesn't understand how troublesome you can be Loki. Besides… what are you doing here?"

Loki then smiled upwards, "What, shrimp? Am I not allowed to come to you without a reason? Not to mention you're wearing a reasonably nice-looking dress, besides… I even heard you bought a new house, small talk is its own reward, chibi."

Hestia seemed offput, what with her mouth widened in a strange expression as she spoke, "It's never small-talk with you… you're the goddess of trickery… who knows what you'll say or do. But I guess your dress isn't half-bad either, though maybe a suit would have looked better on you."

A tick mark of anger appeared on Loki's forehead as she growled out, "Whatever do you mean… Chibi?" to which Hestia proudly flaunted her chest as she spoke, "I'm only saying that a low-cut gown doesn't suit you as much as an actual suit would. It's simply a fact."

At this, another tick mark appeared on Loki's forehead, but Freya intervened as she giggled, "My… you're such good friends." to which Loki attempted to compose herself before growling out, "We're not!"

Miach also spoke, eager to not see a brawl break out between the two goddesses, "I'm sure Hestia only meant well, Loki. Perhaps a well-fitted suit would indeed look good on you." Loki looked up, half blushing, "Miach ya charmer you, maybe if you're saying it as well, it's true… but this loli's tongue is venomous."

To which both goddesses began rubbing their heads against each other in anger, when a soft, voice came out, "My… don't tell me you guys are at it again." To which both goddesses turned their touching head sideways to see a goddess clad in red, Hephaistos, who had a disappointed expression on her face.

Loki spoke, "Hmmph, not really Hephaistos. I was curious at the loli's purchase of Osiris' old fortress when her forked tongue came out again." to which the God of the Forge straightened as she spoke, "My… that was you, Hestia? Well I suppose I should be glad, you'll no longer be asking me for loans I guess."

Hestia pouted, "No… but I did want to see you!" as she jumped up, causing Loki to struggle momentarily to right herself, before shouting, "Shrimp you haven't answered as to how you even afforded the damn place! I've heard how the place used to be in Osiris' heyday before Zeus kicked his ass seven ways, and it sure isn't cheap even if it is in bad condition."

Hestia simply jumped around, her breasts bouncing as she did so, much to Loki's consternation and responded, "Oh? My two new children were former nobility, they're fairly rich, and decided to purchase the fortress."

Loki clearly wanted to ask more, but then Ganesha trundled in like an elephant, shouting, "I am GANESHA! LOKI WE MUST SPEAK!" dragging away Loki to discuss something while she struggled to escape, "Loli-big boobs! Save me!"

Freya giggled at the sight, to the sound of which a gobsmacked Miach finally shook himself out of his stupor and drank down his glass of wine, clearly done with the proceedings.

Freya then looked sideways, and spoke, clearly having seen something, "I'm sorry… Hephaistos, Hestia… Miach, it would seem there is a matter that I must deal with." before walking away while the three other deities nodded at the same.

Hestia spoke, her posture in a deep bow, "Well… Hephaistos… I'd like you to make a weapon for Bell." to which Hephaistos's eye widened.

The Goddess of the Forge responded, "You do realise how much our made-to-order equipment costs right? I'm not bragging here, even if your two new familia members are rich nobility, I'm not convinced that you can afford it. And besides, you would order something for only one familia member?"

Miach was the one who spoke, "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Hephaistos, from what Hestia's told me about her other Familia members… I'm fairly certain that they should rake in enough earnings to purchase something you make."

Hephaistos seemed to consider the idea as she fidgeted with her glass of wine, before speaking, "Even so, while Miach's words reassure me a bit, why don't you simply purchase any old piece of high-quality equipment? to which Hestia spoke, "Bell… he's special… he won't grow with a weapon that is beyond his reach right now. Please… Hephaistos."

Hephaistos was about to deny it outright, before a shadow of an idea crossed her mind, and so she spoke, "If you believe in this so much, I suppose we should discuss the same in my office. Come then." And the two goddesses bid farewell to Miach as they headed to Babel, leaving behind a miffed Loki who had escaped Ganesha only to return to a tired Miach socialising with Takemikazuchi and Hermes.

When they arrived at Hephaistos' office, the first thing the both of them did, was change into their casual dresses , after which Hephaistos poured her own favoured Dwarven Brandy into two small glasses, while Hestia seated herself opposite.

Hephaistos spoke first, "Tell me why you're willing to go this far. What you expect from this weapon is…. something else."

To this, Hestia bowed her head as she sipped from the glass, before shouting out, her voice chock-full of expression, "I want to help Bell! He's going to change, he's found a goal… a peak he wants to climb, and it's going to be a dark, hard path. A… dangerous one. So I want the power to help him. A weapon to cut the obstacles in his path for him."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she got off her chair and continued, "He's… he's always been there for me, and I can't do anything for him. He's done everything for me, even brought the other members of my Familia to me in the first place, and I do nothing in turn. I'm his goddess, but I can't do anything that a god should be able to do. I hate my powerlessness…. and I want to change it."

Hephaistos' sad expression gave way to a tiny smile as she spoke, walking around her desk to the tiny goddess "Trying to change, huh? Fine… I'll make your weapon. For your child's sake."

Hestia raised her face, tears rolling down freely as she ran upto her friend, hugging her friend, who whispered, "Just so we're clear…. you're paying. Even if it takes decades, centuries or more."

Hestia nodded, smiling widely, "Yeah! I know! Don't worry… Saber and Lancer can do it!" to which Hephaistos raised an eyebrow, scoffing as she spoke, "You speak highly of both of these children even though they're Level 1 as well, are you sure you don't want weapons made for the two of them as well?"

Hestia shook her head, as she spoke, "They already have very powerful weapons, Hephaistos… they're something else." Before she paused for a moment before speaking, "Thinking of it…. say… do you forge unbreakable bows, Hephaistos?"

The goddess of the forge extricated herself, her face full of confusion, "You want a high-level weapon for one, while a special weapon for Bell? That too a bow for the former? I thought I explained to you that Archers are rare in Orario due to the problems with ammunition one would face in the Dungeon."

Hephaistos grumbled, "You're not false-ranking are you, Hestia?"

Hestia shook her head, "He's different from Bell…. far different… in fact I'd think that the bow will be the one that has to live upto his own skills and expectations." before she launched into the false explanation of their higher prowess, while finishing, "He has a complimentary pair of skill and magic… called Blessing of Martial Arts, and Mana Burst respectively that basically work together to give him high skill with the bow, and helps with the ammunition problem by launching his own magic in the arrows."

Hephaistos nodded, "I see… so your two new familia members are on the weaker side of Level 5, even with their Falna only freshly contracted. I suppose that explains your confidence in paying for the order. Very well, I suppose I'll have a team of my children work on a Durandal-attribute bow with max draw strength and durability, they should gain some experience in forging bows by the same, can't have them not know how to do so."

She spoke, grabbing a hammer of her wall-mounted set, "What kind of weapon does your Bell use?" to which Hestia opened her mouth in surprise, "You're forging it yourself?"

Hephaistos glanced at her little friend as she spoke, "Of course, I can't get my familia involved in a private matter between you and I."

Hestia smiled, her cheeks rosy, and eyes glistening "Wow! Even in Tenkai you're known as the Divine Smith! And you're gonna make it for me personally!"

Hephaistos looked at her again, "Did you forget? Our Arcanums are sealed upon Genkai." to which the God of the Hearth simply responded, jumping in joy as she was, "I don't care, the thing that makes me the happiest is that you're the one that's gonna forge it."

Hephaistos smiled, as she walked past Hestia to her book-shelf, pulling a book down, causing the shelf to slide aside, revealing an entrance to the goddess' private forge. Hephaistos spoke, "You help me too, you're gonna be my assistant for this."

To which Hestia responded, with a solid nod, "Sure! Leave it to me! I'll be your best assistant, Bestia!"

As they walked in, the goddess of the forge thought, "A first-class weapon, for a new adventurer with only two weeks' experience… something worthy of being called the Divine Smith's creation" before smiling, a glint in her eye, "now then… what to do?"

Hours later, she looked out her window before speaking, "My… it's already early in the morning. But we'll be working on this a while longer." To which the small goddess nodded, shaking off her sleepiness.

====================XeX====================

As soon as he had reached their new home, walking slowly as he was… the tentatively named "Hearth of Bravery." He set about exploring the site in dematerialized form, so as to fully plan out how to construct upon the same, after his sword would restore it to its original, undamaged nature.

"Hmmm, I shall commend Osiris for his taste if nothing else." said the Roman servant as he travelled through the ruins of what must have once been a magnificent bathhouse building present at the edge of the inner wall complex. He spared a moment's assessment of the staff quarters building before looking at the dilapidated walls.

Indeed the only thing between the two walls was a very wide, dried up moat, which Saber mused must have once contained crocodile-type monsters if the quirks of the Egyptians were anything to go by.

Saber believed that he should replace the entirety with a training ground, a stabling area, as well as a blacksmithing section, not that they had any blacksmiths in their Familia, but to allow for future Familia members who might possess such skills to work their craft without interruptions.

He continued to think as he traversed up the length of the central tower complex, and noted that the offices were neatly designed, with what appeared to be a system of magic-stone activated communication traversing through the entirety of the building which also seemed to go into the residential complex via a series of underground tubes to still be in good condition.

He spent a few minutes assessing the state of the armoury building, as he noted that indeed even amidst the rubble of the structure, what appeared to be high quality weapons… if in bad condition could be seen.

Just as he was about to leave, his eye caught a button located behind a cat-statue, which seemed to activate some sort of door on the floor beneath it. He floated through the ground of the armoury, and was unsurprised to see that this was where the tunnel towards what appeared to be the port-city was present.

He floated back upwards, and began to walk through the entrance of the main residential complex, as he thought, "I do not understand why Lancer would say that this structure would accommodate only forty five people… it should be able to bear twice as many even if the rooms were to still be luxurious." before he came to a complete standstill as he observed the gigantic pyramid and statues… of what must be Osiris and his Familia Captain perhaps, haphazardly taking up a massive amount of space in the residential quarters.

He sighed, "No matter their origin… the gods of this world have strange tastes" before flying out to the outside of the complex.

He materialized fully, and in turn, brought out his sword, but before he could begin to activate it, a voice rang out, "Hey! You shouldn't be here… this is abandoned property!" to which the Emperor turned around, and was mildly bemused to see a Ganesha familia guard looking at him.

He spoke out, "This is Hestia familia property… we purchased it today morning." to which the guard seemed mollified as he nodded, before speaking, "Very well, but what are you doing pointing a sword at your new home? Bah never mind, it's your home, do what you will. Might as well head back home myself, Lord Ganesha should be done with our annual embarrassment…. I mean banquet." to which Saber nodded at the man who walked off, clearly tired.

He began to whisper, "Come… restore this abode…. my sword of world restoration…. … It is no shattered empire… but still it shall need your attention." to which the sword in question began to glow brightly, and a low hum and whirr began to fill the air as it gathered the magical energy necessary to restore and then reshape the fortress.

Once it had reached the threshold for the same, the Saber-Class Servant wasted no time, as he spoke of its name, activating the Noble Phantasm, "GLADIUS MUNDO IOBELEUM!" letting loose bright arcs of light which travelled forward at blistering speed, bathing the entire super-structure in light.

Fallen blocks defied gravity as they flew back upwards, to join their brethren in the walls. Their very molecules changed, as they were infused with steel to add to their strength.

The unsightly relics of Osiris Familia disappeared, stripped down to their base molecules, and then transformed to reconnect the residential complexes properly, doubling their capacity as expected.

Beds long destroyed and furniture long since insect-consumed, were restored to their comfortable forms, and the basement, long since collapsed, found itself restored.

The collapsed armoury itself, too, rewound in time, while the ruined weapons themselves were stripped of their rust and decay, and then placed upon the wall in their original state.

Two arcs of light then subsumed themselves through the ground, arcing through the tunnels, reinforcing their structure, and expanding their width and height, so they could serve their purpose more adequately.

Where once was a large ditch that was once a moat, were now present three new open sections, a training ground filled with dolls, quintains, and other moveable targets, a stable that yet waited for any mounts to make their way inside it, and an open forge with a large furnace, bellows, smelters and anvils, grindstones and workbenches too were present.

The central tower complex found itself widened, as a bunch of administrative offices found themselves to come into existence, both above and below ground.

The Roman Adminstrator had brought to bear a war room, an expeditionary command office, a financial records section, an apothecary, an infirmary and other offices that any commander would approve of.

At the top-most floor of the central tower, was the now freshly minted Familia Captain room, though the position itself had not yet been filled by anyone.

A shelf of books Aurelian himself deemed interesting, too came into existence, while upon the main table in the room now existed a neat ream of papers, with a quill and ink bottle present next to them, while in the direct view of the seat was a large map of the Continent in its entirety.

The mess hall adjacent to the staff quarters too now found its capacity expanded upon, while running water pipes long since decayed were repaired, and connected to new taps.

The light itself interacted with a simple anti-dust spell that had been placed on the building long ago, and extended the effect to the entire fortress.

In their penultimate act, the light converged yet again, ironically washing over the bathhouse, as it took on the shape of a Roman thermae, with a storage locker, a warm room, a sauna, and a cold room coming into existence besides the main pool. A hot spring type pool too, was created, alongside the original Osirian pool, while several showerheads too found their way in adjacent stalls, for those in a hurry.

Finally, they came onto the large gates at both the walls, and restored them, before finally jumping back into Saber's sword.

Once satisfied with the event, which had taken the better part of an hour, Aurelian shut off his sword yet again, dispelling it. Having finished so, he headed inside the building, shutting the gates behind him as he went over to the armoury, intent on testing the quality of the equipment that still existed there.

He looked over at the six weapons that were present, before his hands finally clasped the hilt of a particularly large battleaxe. The weapon felt particularly unwieldy, but for only a second, as his Blessing of Martial Arts came into effect, turning him into a prodigy with the axe, not that the weight was an issue in the first place.

And so he smiled as he walked to the newly crafted training grounds, practicing motions and swings with the weapon, switching time to time to a single-hand, using the exceedingly large weapon as if it were little more than a mace.

Though Servants never grew rusty so to speak, he found comfort in practicing all the same, and so for the next six hours he continued doing so. As he swung the axe onto a quintain, with his strength still restrained, he stopped halfway into the swing as he'd heard, "Saberrrr! Open the gate! We've come!" to which the Saber servant chuckled softly, as he went ahead to do exactly the same.

He was greeted with the sight of his fellow Servant as well as his Master holding onto a few bags, no doubt filled with what utensils the familia had, along with clothes while next to them were the sofa and bed from the church.

Bell was the one who looked up at Saber's large axe first, no doubt surprised at the Battleaxe being treated like it were a mace, before he shook his head as he spoke, "Hi Saber! We've got the familia belongings. Sorry it took so long, we had to inform the Guild that they should shut off the water supply to the church, along with Lancer speaking to Lord Goibniu when he ran into us, that renovation was not necessary."

Saber shook his head softly, before speaking, "Indeed external renovation was not necessary, nor was getting the bed and sofa either I suppose. We've plenty of the same." to which the Lancer class Servant responded, "Indeed that might be so, but you and me both know how Lady Hestia is, she probably has a fondness for these items either way, so we retrieved them." Saber chuckled, before beckoning them in, carrying the sofa and bed upon one another as he did so.

Bell's eyes seemed to twinkle as they passed through the first gate, as he looked at the training grounds, and as they passed through the second, the boy's gaze continued to linger on the same.

He then turned, and so, his mouth widened in awe while his expression could only be described as starstruck, "Whoaaaa…. Saber! This place is huge! Moving here after living in our church…. it's kinda overwhelming! But definitely better!"

Lancer chuckled at this, before he raised an eyebrow to his fellow servant as he spoke, "You becoming the elusive Axer class aside, I assume you've got rid of the…. quirky structures of the former inhabitants?" to which Saber chuckled in turn as he responded, "Indeed… the capacity is doubled so to speak, the central complex has a good chunk of offices you'd appreciate, not to mention I strengthened the walls and the tunnels, and re-built the bathhouse."

Bell seemed awed at this as he turned around, "Offices? Wow, it's truly a proper familia home! Though where should I sleep?" to which Aurelian scratched his beard momentarily as he spoke, "Take the Master Suite opposite the Goddess'. We'll take the rooms nearby I suppose, though I don't see myself sleeping for a while as we get our finances and non-familia staff in order. We don't exactly need cleaning maids seeing as to how there's an anti-dust spell on the entire complex, but cooks at least need to be hired."

Bell seemed to think for a moment before speaking, "Say… Saber! I think you should become the Captain… I mean I might have been in the Familia for the longest…. but you're an Emperor! Lancer should be the Vice-Captain, seeing as to how he's a King as well!"

Saber spoke, bemused, "Ho? And what if another Servant from some form of Royalty joins us in the future?" to which Lancer was the one who responded, "I do not honestly mind all the same, an Emperor for a Captain is indeed something I would acquiesce to, and besides… we'll deal with such a Servant appropriately if need be."

Saber sighed as he spoke, "Very well then, so we have a clearly established hierarchy. I believe then, Bell? You should stay around the home today, acquaint yourself with its entirety, and train in the grounds after doing so. The goddess might not return today all the same, and so I'll have to get our files in order."

Bell nodded at these words, and hearing so, ran off in the direction of the residential complex, no doubt eager to explore the structure all the same. Saber then raised an eyebrow towards the Raven King as he spoke, "And you, Familia Vice Captain?" to which the dark haired man simply smiled as he spoke, "I might as well get my Espionage skill to be of some use, though I'll need to purchase civilian clothing for that. Information is essential after all, no matter be it warfare or Orario."

Saber raised an eyebrow, to which Lancer continued, "Don't worry, if I run into a suitable group of workers I'll send them over to you." Saber nodded as he spoke, "Very well then, farewell Lancer" before the older man walked away, in the direction of the central tower, while the spear-wielding servant walked out of the Hearth of Bravery.

====================XeX====================

Matthias walked out of the Market area, now dressed in a normal shirt and pant, while in his backpack was a fine suit he had received after accidentally becoming the particular clothing shop's one hundred thousandth customer. He thought, "No doubt it's Golden Rule yet again, not that I mind, I've always been fond of suits since Fujimaru bought me one." as he continued walking through the area.

Indeed it was still quite early in the morning, and the crowd had not yet thickened to its zenith, before he spotted a sign, "Thoth's Bookstore" to which he raised a hand to his chin, before walking in.

Indeed, at the front of the store was a small man, no… a gnome, who looked upwards towards Lancer with a controlled expression on his face before speaking, "Welcome to Thoth's Bookstore… we sell books… maps… even some grimoires… all for the right price. Lord Thoth is not here right now… but I'm his Familia Captain, Urixif Pebbleboots, I can help you with whatever you need."

Lancer mused the same, before speaking, "Do you purchase grimoires as well?" to which the gnome seemed taken aback before curiously asking, "We place them under this scanner here, if it's of good enough quality, I'll purchase it."

Lancer nodded, as he browsed through the shop, his eyes passing over books and scrolls before it finally rested on a bundle of maps that read, "Dungeon Maps: Middle and Deep floors." Lancer picked up a copy as he read it aloud, "This is the definitive mapping out of all floors after Rivira, the town for adventurers till the fifty second floor." to which Lancer turned it around before reading the price tag, of eighty thousand valis.

The gnome spoke up, "The guild doesn't sell maps half as good as those, the author had these cross-referenced with self-created maps made by fifteen different level five adventurers. Though if you're looking at Deep Floor maps, I assume you're a high-rank adventurer of some sort?"

Lancer replied nonchalantly, as his guise was no doubt eliminating his combat intent, "Something like that, exploration is not exactly my primary focus, though perhaps that's slated to change."

He then spoke, "I'll show you a grimoire, tell me how much you'd pay for it." Before the air in front of him distorted to give way to a grey portal, as he reached through, to the collection of books he couldn't use in his current class. The little gnome seemed suspicious of the magical portal but seemed surprised to see Lancer pull out a large book, and placed it in front of the gnome.

Urixif seemed momentarily taken aback, before he went ahead and placed the book on the scanner, at which there came a loud whirr to which the gnome seemed shocked, as his eyes widened. He looked up at Lancer and spoke, "This is no grimoire… what is this?"

It was Lancer's turn to be befuddled as he responded, "Am I missing something? A grimoire is a book of spells or spell in singular, that one can read from to understand and grasp to utilise on their own no?"

The gnome nodded, before blurting out, "I've never heard of multiple spells in a grimoire, but this isn't one!" to which Matthias was taken aback yet again as he responded, "How so? It's a grimoire that contains a lightning affinity spell if I'm not wrong."

The gnome's eye widened as he responded, "This… please wait…" before he shouted, "OI! Tyrom! GET OVER HERE!" to which a groggy Dwarf walked out from deeper in the store and spoke, "What… what is it Urixif?" to which the Gnome barked out an order, "Run to the Familia Home, and get Lord Thoth here immediately! I MEAN IT!"

The Dwarf seemed to grasp the severity of the situation as he shook himself out of his stupor and ran out the back door, no doubt in the direction of the Thoth Familia Home. It was ten minutes later that he returned, a lanky, spectacle wearing god by his side.

The god spoke, clearly annoyed at having been drawn here, "What is it Urixif? Tyrom here says you've something important." to which the gnome simply nodded his head up and down, much to Matthias' amusement, before speaking, "Thoth… please check this book." to which the lanky god sighed as he walked over and placed a hand on the book.

The god's own eyes sharpened instantly as soon as he'd done so, and looked up at Matthias as he spoke, "This… this isn't a grimoire…. it's a spellbook! My god…. I thought the art of making this was extinct." The gnome also widened his eyes, clearly having recognized the term, "An infinite use grimoire?" to which the God nodded as he spoke, "Not exactly… indeed multiple people can use a spellbook to learn the spell stored inside, but it is not near as instant as a Grimoire in its imparting of knowledge, not to mention the spells learnt always differ slightly from one another."

Thoth turned towards Matthias, his eyes widened like a hungry animal's now, "Where did you get this, child?"

Matthias coughed as he spoke, deflecting the question in a fashion "So… would you be willing to purchase it? I have no use for the same, as it was gifted to me by a scholar under my dominion a very long time ago."

The god seemed disappointed that Matthias did not know who'd made the spellbook, but responded, "I see… well I suppose I should have expected that all the same. To find someone who has the Artificer's Mystery Developmental Ability would be something else. Well, I will most definitely purchase it, I can use it for my children before selling it to someone else. There is a very high profit to be had. I'll pay five million outright for this book child."

Lancer was very bemused at this as he spoke, "If there is a high profit to be had even after forking over five million… I'm sure you can add three million to the amount?" Thoth grit his teeth as he responded, "Even so… not many Familias know what a Spellbook is, to find a suitable customer would be very difficult."

Lancer responded, placing his hands on the table as he stared into the god's eyes, "Come now, Lord Thoth… surely Eight Million would be a Pittance for one such as yourself?" Thoth bit his lip as he spoke, "Six and a Half Million."

Lancer spoke, "Ho… so you are willing to negotiate. Seven Million…. and throw in this series of maps and….. information so to speak."

Thoth had a strange look on his face as he spoke, "And what makes you think a god like me would have any information you would find to be worthwhile?" Lancer chuckled, before his own eyes sharpened, "A god of wisdom and judgement should surely know much?" to which the lanky god chuckled in turn, before his eye sharpened as he spoke, "You're smart to realise I deal in more than just books. Very well… you shall have your seven million… the maps…. and information."

And so Lancer would enter a private room with the god, as he interrogated him for much of the city's hidden facts and rumours, while the gnome transferred the appropriate amount to the guild account.

After Lancer indeed had interrogated the Egyptian God of Wisdom for all he knew, and even more, he bid farewell to the three members in the shop, with the bill of transactions in hand, triplicate as no doubt Saber would expect.

He mused to himself as he continued to walk down the Market, "What a useful little god… Evilus… Hera and Zeus' downfall…. Alfia and Zald's assault seven years ago… the three great quests… the current state of Orario… how quaint, but it is indeed the assault that interests me the most."

Lancer was most interested in the two high level adventurers who had assaulted the city seven years ago mainly because Thoth had sketched the both of them from his own photographic memory.

Indeed, while he did not have any great interest in the man named Zald and his consumption of items to bolster his strength, the sorceress Alfia however… bore a great resemblance to Bell, and that was something he considered worthy of investigation, for if she was his mother, then that would draw to question who exactly Bell's grandfather was, if indeed the man was related to Bell by blood.

Not to mention the fact that she was stated to be able to keep up with her Familia Captain, who was an entire two levels higher than her, indicated she was a prodigy…. much like what might be her son, if not relative of some sort.

Still lost in thought, the Lancer class servant continued to walk through the market, effortlessly zigzagging through the pedestrians with extraordinary celerity as he did so. He then stopped suddenly, for he'd spotted another sign of a shop worth visiting, "Cailleach's Caterers" and chuckled as he realised he'd be able to hire a chef after all as he walked in.

====================XeX====================

It was late in the evening when the Lancer-class Servant returned to the Fortress, a chef from the Cailleach Familia accompanying him. He guided the chef to the mess hall, and decided to head to his room to deposit his newly purchased items before going to meet Saber, who he noted was still present in the captain's office, if the light turned on in the room indicated anything.

As he walked down the stairs of the residential building, he continued to cycle the various tidbits of information he'd gained, and wondered if it were necessary to develop a way to find out more of the same without depending on Thoth.

Once he came outside, almost on a whim, he jumped upwards, landing neatly on the top of the inner wall of the Fortress. He breathed in the evening air as he looked at the setting sun, before looking down and noticing that Bell was still repeating the various motions that Saber had no doubt taught him.

He waited for a few minutes, continuing to observe his Master's diligent practice, before suddenly, the young boy turned around and looked up, almost as if he had noticed Lancer. Bell continued to wave in his direction, to which he responded in kind, before shouting, "Don't forget to take a bath, Bell!" before jumping down again, and walking towards the central building.

He mused that it was rather nice to have a child to help grow… for indeed in his first life he only ever had his son John, who had not been accepted as his official heir, and whose rejection for the throne had caused the destruction of the superpower he had painstakingly built.

He also supposed that he still bore resentment for Beatrice poisoning him when he was already suffering from Gout, as he deposited a copy of the transaction in the financial office.

As he walked up the stairs to the Captain's office and opened the door, he placed another copy of the transaction on the table, to which Saber momentarily paused his writing of whatever schedule he'd planned, and perused the contents of the document.

Saber nodded at the same, and placed it in the desk drawer before speaking, "Well? How did your... espionage go?" to which Lancer responded, "Much of interest is happening in this large city… indeed … what with Ishtar running the Entertainment District… and possessing a cadre of adventurers who are… prodigious in a sense; Freya's targeting of adventurers she finds interesting for recruitment and Hermes' questionable loyalties, along with other such… unscrupulous activities, I believe it is safe to say that I have never seen a larger nexus of underlying unrest in what appears to be a happy city."

He then relayed all he had learnt to the Saber-class Servant before bringing up the greatest matter he'd learnt, "Of Alfia and Zald…. here's a portrait of the sorceress." before sliding across the drawing of Thoth across the desk.

Saber's eyebrows threatened to join his father in the sun as he scanned the image, before speaking, "Did you… tell the boy?" as he stood up and looked out the window behind him at the lit mess hall and the young boy walking through it, hair still wet from his shower. As he turned, his gaze lingered momentarily on the Grail which sat daintily below the map oppose his desk before he turned to face Lancer.

Lancer shook his head in the negative, as both Servants walked down the stairs to join their Master for dinner. Saber nodded, "Indeed…. I misliked the idea of keeping a clue to his parentage from him… but to break the news to the hero-fascinated boy that those who were possibly his parents assaulted the city seven years ago does not bode well."

Lancer nodded in agreement, his eyes hard, "Indeed… it is better we keep it a secret between us… and perhaps the goddess, and besides… we do not have a clue as to their intentions no? The one who faced them… the so-called King Ottarl, the strongest adventurer in Orario, if not the world, is the only one who possibly knows anything….and interrogating a Level 7 from a foreign familia… And besides… it is not exactly clear who fought Alfia, though Hermes' captain seemed to have been involved…" he trailed off.

Saber nodded, as they walked through the Mess Hall, "Let's keep it at that for now" before waving with a smile on his face as they spotted the boy chowing down on the food the chef had prepared, while the two of them grabbed plates themselves, and began to eat.

Indeed, as Saber slowly chewed into his thirds, and half-heartedly nodded at the departing Chef, Bell seemed to have noticed his sombre face, and spoke, "Is something wrong?" to which Saber looked up, "Oh? It is nothing, Bell. I suppose I won't be coming with you to the Dungeon tomorrow…. there are still matters I need to deal with. Lancer however should be able to do so" to which the Raven King nodded, as he fed his Raven friend a few almonds, his own dinner long since finished.

He then stood up and ruffled the boy's hair as he spoke, "Don't forget to visit your girlfriend at the bar, Bell" to which the boy turned tomato red again before sputtering out, "She isn't!" to which the Servant chuckled, his new knowledge momentarily forgotten.

There's Chapter 4, and that's probably the last of the rapidly written chapters for a while. I'll be busy this week I suppose. Thank you all for reading!

All constructive criticism is welcome, both on reviews and PM.

As for the reviews about this Servant vs that one in terms of combat, I'd rather not get into a debate about the same, I'll adhere to Nasu's statements most of the time. Remember to recommend Servants if you find anything interesting to put forward, I'd prefer an interesting character over large power in options but anything goes.

Candidates for now:

Archer candidates: Arash, Proto-Gil, both of them, Tristan, Chiron.

Rider: Iskander, Achilles.

Caster: Tamamo-No-Mae, Proto Merlin, EMIYA(S).

Assassin: Regend: Savior of France, Semiramis, Shouten Douji, EMIYA(K)

Berserker: Darius III.