Chapter 6: An Assault on the Moon
Saber spoke, "I see… so that is the circumstances of this child" as he looked over at the girl in question, the fifteen year old pallum, Liliruca Arde. Lancer nodded at his fellow Servant's statements as he leaned against the walls of the Captain's office.
Lily herself however, had just finished eating the pasta that Kruger had whipped up for her, under the eyes of the goddess Hestia and a worried Bell Cranel, and she finished her plate, she looked up at the two men.
Saber scratched his beard as he did so, "So you say Liliruca Arde… that your god Soma only sells the failures of his product to those not part of his Family? Are these failures still capable of… intoxicating one's soul?" to which the young chestnut-haired pallum shook her head in response as she spoke, "No… Lily has not tasted the failures herself… but she has overheard her Familia members talk about how it does not fulfil their cravings. Indeed, even so… these wines sell for upto sixty thousand valis on the market."
Lancer spoke up, "I see… then it is unlikely Soma is… truly a culprit in the matter we are investigating, unless he somehow walked away from the pot of wine you say he feverishly stirs all the time without anyone noticing him. But that brings us back to square one, with no additional leads."
Saber sighed, as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Indeed…. this is most displeasing… but we still have to make good on the promise to the little child about freeing her from her confinement no? Lancer, would you do us the favour of retrieving the child's belongings? I shall in the mean-time consider whether we should assault the building or something else." to which the Lancer class servant nodded, as he confirmed the location of Lily's stashes and hide-outs with the Pallum in question before disappearing in front of her eyes, the gust of wind in-turn nearly knocking her off her feet.
She spoke up, "Lily thinks that with your high levels… an assault should be easily possible upon the Soma Familia." to which Saber chuckled at the statement as if he had heard something very funny. Bell seemed sheepish as he eyed the goddess who spoke, her ponytails quivering "Well… if Lily is going to be joining our Familia… you might as well tell her."
Bell smiled at the confused girl as he spoke, "Well… Lancer and Saber…. errr…. they're both Level 1… I'm sorry I lied about Lancer being Level 3 earlier." to which the little girl stood up in both shock and indignation as she responded, "Huh?! How is that even possible?! Mister Lancer certainly is far faster than any Level 1…. no even any adventurer Lily has seen…. do not make such jokes Mister Bell!"
Saber chuckled as he spoke, releasing his divinity, which caused his silver-glow to yet again shimmer around his body as he spoke, "We… we are not exactly human Liliruca Arde." to which the pallum stood open-mouthed as she tried to make sense of the glow she was seeing right now.
Hestia spoke, "Indeed… the two of them are Spirits… but not the offshoots of gods that you know of…" to which Bell continued, patting her shoulder, "They're from a different… place… the Throne of Heroes as it is called. They are the spirits of long deceased Heroes of a different world…" as he continued to explain their origin to the thoroughly befuddled girl.
After three minutes of silence, Lily finally stammered out, "I see… that explains how Mister Lancer is so strong… and as well as Mister Saber I suppose… if they are deceased Heroic Spirits from a different world."
Saber chuckled, as he demonstrated the dematerialization to the chestnut-haired pallum, which seemed to eliminate all doubt from her as she yelped at the sight.
He reappeared next to Hestia, patting the head of the goddess, who puffed her cheeks up at the action before he spoke, "Indeed… we are both contracted to Master Bell… though you can expect him to summon more Servants once he Levels up… As for our names, I do not mind if you refer to me as Aurelian and Lancer as Matthias in Private, but stick to our class names in public."
Lily nodded, but before she could speak another gust of wind had washed in through the room, to which the little goddess pretended to be blown over by, falling into a very flustered Bell's arms as she did so.
Lily turned around at the sight, clearly mollified by what she was seeing, but as she did so, she peeked at the rapidly reddening Bell through her fingers.
Lancer spoke, "I've retrieved Lily's belongings… and as I did so, I took the opportunity to scout out Soma Familia's home. An assault would be trivial if either of us took the field, let alone both of us. I am of half a mind to pull the entire Familia into my Reality Marble and slaughter the lot, but that is not my decision to make." as he nodded at the Familia Captain, while placing Lily's belongings on the chair besides her.
Lily spoke up, "Not all of Soma Familia deserve to die… some of them Lily supposes… are like her in circumstance…" to which the expression of Saber hardened, as he mused the same, scratching his beard, "I suppose… then… perhaps a thrashing should suffice… but as for the God himself… the idea of physically harming a deity does not exactly sit right with me even if I have no compulsion for the same."
Lancer spoke, "Very well then… anyone we find to be in any state of drunkenness shall taste the butt of my spear all too well, as we pave the way for Lily to request a termination from the God with myself by her side."
Lily nodded, as her lower lip quivered at apprehension of the same but her gaze hardened, for indeed, the idea that she was aided by the spirits of true heroes had given her a mind of steel for the moment.
====================XeX====================
It was a dozen hours later that the Hestia Familia came in front of the small fortress like complex that was the Soma Familia home, with the two Servants flanking Lily's side as Bell and Hestia stood behind them.
Barring their entry was a large wooden gate, and standing in front of it were two sleazy looking men who were clearly drunk, barely clutching onto their spear-shafts as they stood.
One barked, "Oi? Oi! Who do you think you are?! Hic…. this is the Soma Familia home, not a… tourist spot. Go away before we make you."
His partner nodded with his red nose visible under the light of the bright moon, before stammering out, "Fer-ferpectly correct! Thazzit… go…hic away."
Saber, now masked, turned over to the hooded Lancer, before speaking, "Well… Lancer? Shall we?" to which the Spear-wielder nodded, as he went over to the two men and in lightning speed, whacked the two of them with the butt of his spear, sending them crashing into the walls they were guarding, and knocking them out cold.
Saber walked up to the gate, and more for posterity than need, he arced his arm back, and with a resounding punch, tore the large gate from its socket in the wall, sending it flying forward into the courtyard.
At this commotion, a dozen men, half of whom were still drinking from bottles at their hip, came rushing from what seemed to be a guard post of some sort, and being as they were, all level ones, collapsed from the Lancer class Servant striking them in less than a second, like puppets whose strings had been cut.
The main doors of the fortress itself opened, and out came the rest of the Soma Familia members, clearly awakened by the resounding thud the large gate had made upon landing upon the ground. Saber could discern out of all of these men and women, only four people seemed to be in possession of any measure of teamwork, and of these he could discern that one was a large burly man.
A man stood on top of the roofed tiles of the building, clearly having climbed up sometime prior and shouted to all the Familia members below him, as his eyes scanned the attackers of his complex. "Well? Don't just stand there you disgusting idiots… get them!"
But this command did not have much effect, for even in their drunk state the Soma Familia members had realised that the attackers had broken their door down in such a fashion that it had been sent flying.
The man seemed extra-ordinarily displeased by this attitude as he continued to shout expletives and bark commands at those below him, but before the one at the forefront could even take a hesitant step forward, Lancer had already closed the gap in the blink of an eye and in a maelstrom of speed, he continued to non-lethally dispatch of those around him, his fists ringing like a song of steel as they clashed against ineffective steel plate armour.
One particularly smart or cowardly adventurer began to run from the carnage that was happening, right in the direction of Lily and Bell. But the little rabbit-like adventurer took the initiative, using his high agility to close the gap, and kneeing the man in the groin.
The blow connected, and the man fell over, howling in pain as he did so, before he passed out from the same. At seeing the carnage below him, the man on the roof seemed taken aback, but noticed that four adventurers had not been taken out, and so he barked, "CHANDRA! GET THEM, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"
The burly man in question gazed upwards, eyes filled with hate as he did so, and spoke, "Zanis… you bastard… one man took out our entire Familia… even if they were drunk… and even if he didn't just do that… what makes you think I'd follow your orders? You're a self-serving egoistical maniac… and the only reason this Familia stooped so low. Fight your own fights."
And saying so he dropped his sword, clearly uncaring if Lancer would still beat him up, and seeing his actions, his fellow companions too seemed to steel their resolve, as if spiting the so-named Zanis was worth more than any meagre self-defence they could pull off and so they dropped their weapons as well.
Zanis however, seemed to be enraged even further, but before he could take a single step off the roof, a large gust of wind nearly did the job for him, and so he turned slowly, hands on his dagger as he did so.
In front of Zanis was the hooded man who had annihilated his Familia, and so, unwilling to risk his ire, Zanis spoke, a hand still on the hilt of his dagger, his voice now devoid of all the anger that was present earlier "What is it you want? Wealth? or Lord Soma's wine? Whatever it is… surely you did not need to assault us?"
The hooded man growled, "As much as I despise your god for bringing your Familia to where it is with his wine… whether it is out of Apathy or Disappointment… you… you are the leader of this bed of villainy…. the Familia captain."
Zanis might not have been the greatest warrior, but even he knew that his life was in danger, and any more words would bring death unto him, and so he pulled out his dagger and rushed forward with the intent to stab the man, as his spear would be ineffective at close range.
As he swung his knife, his eyes bulged and his mouth twisted in a cruel smile, for he believed he had succeeded in what he had set out to do, however, the knife did not strike the hooded man, and Zanis… confused by this, looked downwards at his hand, and realising what had happened, began to howl in pain.
For his right arm had been severed at the point it connected to his shoulder. As he stared in horror, continuing to howl, the hooded man approached him, speaking softly, "Killing you… perhaps… would be the ultimate justice, but that… would bring unnecessary ire from the Guild. De-limbing you, however? Why… for one who believed his own god danced in his palm… the sensation of never holding anything should suffice."
And finishing his statement, Lancer sliced off the other arm of the fallen Soma Familia Captain, to which the man passed out, from a combination of both blood-loss as well as the intense pain. Saber appeared next to Lancer, before softly whispering, "Go see to Liliruca Arde…. you wished to enact justice on the body of a god did you not? Go… I shall see to it that this creature does not expire from blood loss."
Lancer nodded, dashing away as the golden light of Saber's sword came into being, before it bathed the stumps of the fallen captain. As he climbed down onto the open balcony that led to Soma's room, he saw that the door from the other-side was wide open, and standing behind the god in question was Lili.
The god seemed to take Lancer's presence as a sign to stop stirring the pot, and turned to the little pallum. Lily went ahead, tears in her eyes before speaking, "Lord Soma… please… please let me leave your Familia… the fighting doesn't need to go on."
Lancer did not bother correcting her that the fighting had already ended, and waited for the god's response. The pale god in question spoke softly, his expressions hidden by his long hair, as he spoke, "What meaning…. what meaning is there in the words of a shallow child who would drown herself so easily in my wine?"
Lancer, as a nerve in his forehead ticked at the words thought, "I see, the Hindu God of the Moon is in such a state not because of Apathy…. but because he is disappointed that none of his children could pass his test."
He kept his mouth sealed, despite the hundreds of rebukes that danced at the tip of his tongue, while Soma went forwards to a bottle upon his shelf, and poured it out in a glass, offering it to Lily.
Lily seemed aghast at the prospect, but on her face suddenly came an expression that Lancer had seen only select times, one of absolute resoluteness.
She drank the wine, and once she had drained the cup, it were almost as if lightning had passed through her body, for indeed Lily's mind was lost in a golden-grey haze of absolute pleasure. Her body could not keep up with the thoughts it was having… and so she collapsed to the floor, her mouth twisted in a strange smile, under the eyes of a saddened Lancer and a disappointed Soma.
Lancer walked forward, having pulled his hood down and raising his spear, and then cut the obscuring hair of the god in front of him, bringing his eyes to Lancer's own. The god seemed confused that Lancer had done so… no rather; it was the fact that Lancer could seemingly bypass the compulsion to avoid killing gods.
Indeed, Lancer had taken care not to draw ichor from the God as he cut his hair, before barking, "What meaning is there in the words of a god who forces his children to endure a test without guidance? Are you not the God of the Moon?"
Soma whispered out, "The god of the moon? I have not been called that… in a long time…"
Lancer continued, caring not for the god's statement "Does not the moon change at every turn? But in doing so, does the moon dance between states of full and new? No, it slowly changes, waxing and waning and if you expect your children to pass a test… like a parent you must teach them how to change themselves so as to succeed. "
His voice was full of anger as he spoke, "You gods call your groups as Familias, and those who join you as children, but I wonder, have you ever been a parent? A true leader and guide? No, indeed… if you had brought your children to such a state via derision or apathy, I would skewer you right here and now, to send you back to the plane you belong to."
His gaze hardened even further, while the god himself seemed absolutely shell-shocked, Lancer continued, "But you believed you were testing them, and so… in your flawed idea of a test, another little girl's mind has perished… is this what a parent does?"
Soma however, did not answer… no… he could not, for indeed his mind was wondering… as the moon… perhaps it should have been he who changed, and brought the change to his children… had he stayed too long as wine? Had he been intoxicated by his own existence to not see the common sense that this man's angered words were filled with?
Lily's mind however… was strengthening, the kindness she had experienced from the old couple so many months ago, the protection and chance for freedom that the Heroic Spirits and Bell had offered to her came rushing to the fore-front, cutting through the golden-grey haze of pleasure like it were little more than a shoot of bamboo faced with a katana.
She turned onto her stomach, raising her hand in the air for half a second before she crawled onto all fours, much to the surprise of the pair, interrupting the tirade Lancer had launched into, before her lips moved, "Please…. let Lily leave your Familia…".
The god had broken at this, for indeed… Lily had accompanied the man who stood next to him, the man who spoke so nonchalantly about skewering gods and it was obvious that even despite his statements, his existence as a guide, no matter how momentarily had brought to her the strength to bypass the effects of the Soma.
His head bowed, for truly… he had been a horrible parent…. and slothful in his existence as he had reduced himself to a mere wine-stirrer. He walked forward, stumbling momentarily as he did so, and out of the corner of his eye he could see a little woman who he recognized as Hestia standing next to a white-haired boy.
He helped her sit up, before pulling up her shirt, and with slow movements, near clumsy for the lack of practice; his blood traced the back of Lily removing the vestiges of his Familia from her Falna. Hestia walked forward, having pricked her hand with the aid of Bell's knife, and dropped a single drop of blood onto her back, changing the design of Lily's Falna to a one similar to Bell's.
Lily pulled back her shirt down, her eyes still sleepy as she fumbled while she did so. Lancer kept his silence, for indeed this was a scene he should not interrupt.
Hestia spoke, her voice soft and kind, "Come then Lily…. you did a great job… you deserve to rest." before gently pulling the Pallum girl to her feet, as she offered support to the still befuddled girl.
Lily bowed more out of courtesy than any real positive feelings, in the direction of Soma, before speaking out, "Thank you… for letting me leave." for indeed this was all Lily could truly thank him for, without anger and resentment interfering with her thoughts.
Lily then walked outwards, to a quiet Bell, who offered her support as she came out and walked down the stairs.
Soma spoke, his eyes still distraught, and his voice breaking "Hestia…. can that truly be a child I gave my blessing to?" Indeed the sorrow on his face was clearly visible as a result of Lancer's impromptu haircut.
Hestia nodded, before speaking softly, "Yeah… definitely… one that you were disappointed by and threw out. A little girl brought to her circumstances by her parents before her, yet made strong by what she went through. Think once more about the meaning of her change, and Lancer's words… and then perhaps…perhaps you can call yourself the God of the Moon again…" before she walked off.
Lancer stepped forward, staring at Soma not with hate or spite, but with absolute pity, indeed Soma was broken further, for a mortal to look at him like his state was piteous was truly indicative of the severity of what he had forced generations of Familia members to go through, and so he sank to his knees.
It was then that Saber appeared on the balcony, with both his hands full with the literally de-armed and unconscious Zanis Lustra in one, and a very solemn-faced Chandra Ihit in the other, before dropping the two of them onto the floor.
Glowing as he was in the dark night, Saber walked past the sunken god, before whispering, "Change… change then as the Moon." to which the god looked up, both confused at the man's strange nature as well as shocked at his words before he shook his head, closed eyes and stood up ,walking over to his two Familia members.
====================XeX====================
It had been three weeks since Lily had been freed from the Soma Familia and in this length of time it was that Saber could accurately say that Bell was perhaps more free than he was previously, for indeed being surrounded by a goddess and two spirits of long dead heroes probably stifled his childish nature somewhat.
But accompanied by the little pallum who was only a year older than him, it could be said that his heart was freer, and the lack of any major events for the past week had possibly taken the weight of the boy's shoulder, allowing him to accurately process what he had been feeling.
Indeed, Lancer had been visiting the Dungeon of his own accord, sometimes accompanying the children as their guard, and sometimes venturing into the Lower Floors with the cover of his speed serving to disguise his presence.
Saber however, had been co-ordinating the investigation into who exactly it had been that had bewitched the Silverback into attacking Hestia, as he managed the fledgling network of informants that Lancer had set-up, which was not exactly satisfactory with Lancer being as he was… a Lancer and not an Assassin or even an Archer.
Indeed, Dionysus was no longer a probable suspect for the Roman Servant, though they had found an interesting tidbit that Bacchus was consorting with a poor goddess named Penia in seemingly offloading his Familia members to the goddess, keeping them intoxicated with his wine.
Indeed, the only suspects Saber could still reasonably point a finger at were Ishtar and Freya, though the latter was untouchable due to her strength, and the former due to her advantageous position in the Entertainment District. He sighed, for indeed, the matter could not be further approached without the aid of an Assassin with proper Presence Concealment at the very least.
He shook his head from his thoughts and continued to read the sheets on the desk, detailing the facts that the Loki Familia was planning another expedition soon enough, aiming to reach the 59th floor and had met with an opponent they could not defeat in Rivira.
The expedition itself was a worthy journey that both Lancer and he saw no reason to interrupt, seeing as they no longer suspected Loki of being a threat either; though both still considered actively trying to find the end of the Dungeon for no other reason than ascertain if indeed it had an end, or if it was an endless pit like Tartarus.
But doing so would leave the Hestia Familia under the machinations of whichever malevolent deity had indirectly assaulted them earlier, and so they were stuck on the Surface, atleast until Bell levelled up, indeed this was not far off, for all of the boy's stats were at A rank, which when compared to Liliruca Arde's growth, was an order of magnitude higher.
Some headway into the reason behind this growth could be put forward with the discovery that Bell's possible mother or aunt, Alfia had the name "Incarnation of Talent" given to her by the gods, indicating that being a prodigy was something that was inherent in their blood.
But then again, whenever they brought up the topic of the boy's growth, Vesta began to act in a most suspicious way, with her stammering, her ponytails straightening themselves, and other such minor tics, which Saber supposed he should interrogate her for, though saw no real reason for the same.
Indeed, thinking so he looked over at both Lily's and Lancer's sheets,
Liliruca Arde
Level 1
Strength: H142
Defense: G265
Dexterity: H198
Agility: F324
Magic: E480
Magic: Transformation magic that enables the user to transform into anything around their size, Transformation will fail if visualization is incomplete.
Your scars are mine, my scars are mine
An echo in the midnight
Skills:
Artel Assist: Activates when carrying a weight of a certain level, the amount of assistance is proportional to load carried.
Mind of Steel: Status increase when concentrating on a battle. Greater the Conviction, Greater the boost in status, allows for resistance to mind-altering effects.
Indeed, the latter Skill had only come into existence after Lily had converted to the Hestia Familia, something Saber found to be very intriguing, for indeed a Mind of Steel in a young girl was not something one would consider to be ordinary.
Lancer's sheet however was certainly word-dense, though for a different reason than normal adventurers, for even after his single-handed slaughter of the 27th Floor's Amphisbaena via electrocuting it via his spear, turning its advantageous Aquatic habitat against itself, his only status to reach the three digits was his Agility, something which both the man and his raven bemoaned.
Indeed, Lancer's next objective was to kill the so-called Udaeus, though delving that deep was not a priority on the Hungarian Servant's list.
Mátyás Hunyadi
Level 1
Strength: I89
Defense: I10
Dexterity: I43
Agility: H101
Magic: I52
Magic:
Fekete Sereg: Project's one's inner reality out into the world and brings to bear the idealization of Hungary, with Fortresses, Plains, and Rivers along with all 28,000 of Matthias' Black Army, to fight the opponent.
Minor Portal: Portal spell to access the Bibiliotheca Corviniana.
Skills:
Magic Resistance: The ability to invalidate magic with three verses or less, as well as receive little to no damage against high thaumaturgy or greater rituals.
Golden Rule: He will never have a need for money in his existence as a servant.
Imperial Privilege: Gains access to Skills such as Riding, Swordsmanship, Charisma and Tactics.
Espionage: Invalidates him as a threat if he is wearing civilian clothing, but not to the level of becoming a friend of the opponent.
Saber stood up, stretching for posterity, before walking over to the window behind him, and as he did so he spotted Bell running out of the gates, clearly having forgotten to return Syr Flover's lunch if the small box Saber spied in his hand meant anything.
He chuckled, before walking over to the library shelf, and deciding to read the book that Hestia had added to the collection, "Dungeon Oratoria" before further planning that he would like to duel with Takemikazuchi, the friend of Hestia later on in the day.
Indeed, while the Sword God's true power was sealed, he still had greater skill with the sword than all of his own Familia members and with skill alone could perhaps conquer the first six floors of the Dungeon, an immense achievement for a sealed god.
Saber had run into the god when he had visited the Hearth of Bravery to meet Hestia for some reason. The god had walked into the training grounds and had requested to duel Saber to which Saber had agreed, half surprised.
Indeed the duel had only lasted for ten minutes, mainly because even a restrained Saber was far faster and stronger than Takemikazuchi, but Saber had found great pleasure in their duel, and so the pair continued to duel on and off over the past three weeks, with Saber further restraining himself to the limits of an unblessed man each time.
Indeed, the Sword God had won only once, but the fact that he had won against the skill of Blessing of Martial Arts was a feat worthy of praise, and so Saber continued in duelling the not-quite Japanese god.
He shook his head, and began to focus on the almost story-like book as he muttered out the words, "Albert Waldstein and his friends…" before continuing to read the story.
====================XeX====================
Bell bowed his head in apology, under the mid-noon sun, as Syr giggled in front of him at his actions.
Indeed, Bell further apologized, bowing profusely yet again, before Syr came closer to him, and whispered in his ear, "Well…. then… Bellll?" to which the young boy, already turning red stammered out, "Y-y-yes?" to which the girl said, "Can you do the dishes?"
The boy was absolutely baffled and so unthinkingly he responded, "Sure… wait… what?!" before the waitress giggled as she brought him inside, made him wear an apron, and before he knew it, he was washing an ever-increasing mound of dishes with the aid of a few other waitresses.
He observed that the cook, May, was exceedingly talented, but seemed to find some fault in her cooking, and always fretted about it being not good enough.
As the high-time of the pub ended, and the plates that were returning into the kitchen educed in number, Bell stepped away from the sink and wiped his forehead, mildly tired at the unorthodox workout.
As he stepped back, he felt a strange, wet sensation on his ear, and yelping, the little boy jumped away, careful to avoid Mya and the multiple stoves, before he turned around to see a black haired cat-girl giggling at the sight.
He stammered out, "W-w-why… did you bite my ear, Miss?" to which the waitress giggled as she spoke, "Syr… can't have such a delicious young boy for herself nyano…. come then… let Chloe take care of you, meow." as she raised her hands in front of her face, and tilted her head before saying "nya" in a fashion that Bell thought was oddly cute.
The handsome proprietor would have none of it, as she shouted at Chloe, "CHLOE! Now's not the time to bite rabbit ears! COME UP FRONT, we have customers." to which the black-haired cat-girl's ears drooped as she ran up front.
Bell smiled sheepishly, though he thought that Mama Mia looked very beautiful when she shouted, in an odd fashion, before he shook his head and went up front.
The proprietor grinned at him, before serving him a plate of the pasta he enjoyed, to which he smiled gratefully before beginning to dig in with his fork.
He turned when he saw Syr approaching him and so he spoke, "Oh, hello Syr!" to which the girl smiled right back at him, causing the little boy to turn red yet again, and then back to his normal complexion when the girl bowed her head.
Syr spoke, her voice soft, "I'm sorry Bell! I know you were doing this to apologise for forgetting to return my lunchbox but… it hardly seems fair that you washed so many dishes…"
Bell chuckled nervously as he raised his hand to his head, "No-no, its fine! I love the Hostess' pasta anyhow… so I suppose its fine. Besides… we left the Dungeon early today because Lily didn't feel too well, and Lancer had to leave Orario on some business, so I was really free all along… so in a way… washing dishes helped get rid of my boredom?"
The girl tutted disapprovingly before speaking, "That isn't very interesting Bell… wait I just remembered something!" before she ran off to a corner of the restaurant. Bell continued to munch on his free pasta, as he ordered a burger as well, when Syr returned with a book in hand.
Bell tilted his head in confusion, and at that moment Syr involuntarily cooed for the boy looked very much like a rabbit when he did so, after which she quickly closed her mouth, turning scarlet herself.
Bell took the book before speaking, "Oh… a book? I suppose I could read it, Lancer and Saber's libraries are a bit too complex for my taste, though there are some books I enjoy in them. I'll return it in some days then, I guess Syr."
Syr shook her head and placed her hands on her hip as she spoke, "No! Keep the book, Bell! Mama Mia's fed up with asking every adventurer who stumbles into the bar after a long night of drinking in search of their possessions if this book is theirs. And all of their answers is no! Besides, a book won't disappear, so if an adventurer comes in search of it, I'll make sure to tell you!"
Bell frowned at this, as he bit into his burger, as he thought about the same. Indeed, he had already experienced a similar case, the finding of the Holy Grail, which he had initially thought to possibly be the possession of another adventurer, and so he decided that keeping the book could not possibly do more harm than good, before he smiled at Syr and nodded at her request.
As he continued to eat with the sociable waitress, his hair suddenly experienced a strange feeling, and he looked upwards before screaming in shock at the black-haired cat-girl from earlier massaging his hair, in front of an open-mouthed Syr.
The girl purred as she spoke, "So it's true, nya! Your hair is as soft as rabbit fur! I could sleep on a bed made of this nyano. Prrrrrr, I wonder how that rump of yours would feel nyaaa." before she was kicked to the side in an exceedingly comedic fashion by a mildly irate-looking Ryuu Lion, who bowed before Bell in an apologetic manner before telling Chloe to go help Anya with a delivery of fresh produce.
Ryuu then seemed to think for a moment before she spoke to Bell, "Oh... Mister Cranel, someone was looking for Lancer, who I recall is your Familia member."
Bell was surprised and so he asked, "Oh? Someone asking for Lancer? That's surprising to me, who was it?" to which the elf nonchalantly responded, "Ais Wallenstein." to which Bell stammered, as juice came rushing out from his nostril as he coughed.
He wiped his nose with the tissues in front of him before stammering out, "T-t-the S-sword Princess? What does she want with Lancer?" to which the Elf's ears twitched as she spoke, "I am not entirely sure, but she spoke about having a conversation with Lancer before she left with me a card to give to you or any other member of the Hestia Familia, so as to ensure that Lancer can meet with her if he so desires to." before she pulled out a card from her purse which had the emblem of a smiling jester on it.
Bell nodded, dumbfounded as he pocketed the card, before finishing his meal and paying for it. He then bid farewell to his friends at the Hostess of Fertility before he decided to walk home, wondering what reason the strongest non-amazon Human would want with Lancer.
Bell thought, "Maybe she saw Lancer in the Deep Floors? And thought that he had some secret technique which allowed him to traverse the floors? But then Ryuu said something about having a conversation…. hmmm Miss Eina told me Ais is known for her speed, and Lancer is certainly far faster than even Ais is… so it might be something like that."
Eventually, the young boy made it back to his Familia home, and after depositing the card with Saber and checking in on the condition of the still sick Lily, and Hestia who was mothering the Pallum, he walked upto his room, book in hand, before jumping onto his rather- soft bed and firm pillow, which was the exact combination he adored.
He began to open up the book, and read out aloud, "Mirror, Mirror: The Fairest Witch in the Land is ME: An Autobiography (With Appendix: Awaken Your Magic!)". He chuckled, for he thought that it was rather childish and something that his grandfather might read to him when he was younger.
"Chapter 1: Modern Magic Even Goblins Can Understand!"
Bell did not particularly like the idea of Goblins learning magic, and seeing the flowery style of the chapter names almost wanted to close the book then and there.
But he soldiered on, and found that the content of the chapters was actually quite good, written in Koine, the common language in an easy to understand form, though surrounding the words were some strange equation like symbols while the chapter itself indeed dealt with magic.
He read, "There are two types of Magic: Innate and Acquired; As the term 'innate' suggests, this type of magic can be used by various races based on genetics, the greatest example of which are the Elvish race. From ancient times, these races have had the potential to become magic users within them and are trained in magic at a young age through rituals."
Bell was intrigued by the concept, though he supposed that Elvish rituals might be a particularly taxing and complex event, though in practice Lancer and Saber's magic was innate, though being as they were of an alternate world, the rules did not necessarily apply to them.
He shook his head before continuing on, "The types of innate magic are rather limited, but their strength and scale are often very high. Acquired magic however, refers to the possibility of spells appearing in those who have been given the Falna, and it indeed has no restrictions in what form it can appear, though the effect and efficacy of the Magic depends heavily on the amount of excelia an adventurer has."
Bell continued to read, but he suddenly felt drowsy as the hieroglyphs continued to fill the page, and soon in his head, a voice rang out, "Magic is interest, and interest is a vital factor for magic. What holds your interest? - What do you accept, hate, want, grieve for, worship, swear to, and long for? The trigger is already within you. Your Falna will carve your soul into a blazing sun."
A picture appeared in front of Bell on the page, it was a head, it had eyes, a nose, a mouth, ears, and was indisputably a person's face. A human face with closed eyes is drawn out in black. A picture made from the words of the passage. The next page read "If you desire it, answer. If you desire it, break. If you desire it, focus! A terrible mirror of truth lies before you."
Bell thought, "No. That's my face. My face, with nothing above the forehead…No—it's a mask. It's another face of me. A me that I didn't know… another me.
The eyes of the person opened, and it spoke with Bell's voice, "Let us begin. What is magic to me?" to which Bell thought very much that he did not know, for indeed Magic was something great and mysterious, a power utilized by Heroes like Lancer and Saber to fight threats that could push them to death.
"What kind of a thing is magic to me?"
Strong, Fierce, Merciless, Hot, Burning, and Passionate, a true inferno that could scatter ash, scorch air and burn with such ferocity it would earn the approval of Saber. It was an attack that he could use, no… a heroic power that he could bring to bear to clear the obstacles that blocked his path.
"What do you seek in magic?"
To become like the heroes his grandfather had spoken of, like the heroes Lancer and Saber were, a hero remembered by generations long past, praised and loved by all like those in the tales. A hero who would ascend to the Throne of Heroes, and a hero… he whispered out the last part, a hero worthy enough for true love to find him as the shadowy silhouette of an unknown woman came to the forefront.
Indeed, Bell's own subconscious knew that it was Ais Wallenstein, even if he had only seen her in the bar, it was a true case of love at first sight, but that did not matter right now as the other him looked at Bell, before muttering out, "You're such a child." To which Bell could only think, "Sorry."
The Bell inside the book smiled before saying softly, "But that's me, too." before everything went black.
====================XeX====================
Bell jerked awake when he felt someone tapping his shoulder, and he looked up to see Lancer looking at him from above.
Lancer spoke, "Fell asleep while reading I presume, Master? Well, I suppose the book in your hand wasn't particularly interesting then."
Bell yawned, and stretched his arms as he awoke, before muttering, "Oh… yeah I guess I did… the book was intriguing though so… I don't know how."
The Hungarian Servant raised an eyebrow as he spoke, "Ho?" before he shook his head and spoke, "I dealt with the Bloodsaurus request Miach Familia had given us, and imagine my surprise when I return to Saber telling me a member of Loki Familia wishes to speak to me, before he threw me this card."
Lancer raised the card in question, the joker-face glowing dimly under the light of the magic lamp before he spoke, "Come then, and elaborate on what exactly…." Lancer trailed off, as he seemed to stare at the book more intently.
He whispered quietly, "Bell… that is most definitely a grimoire… where exactly did you find it? And by the looks of things, it's the standard single-use one this world is accustomed to."
Bell yelped at this, all drowsiness gone, as he quickly picked up the book from his side and began to flip through its pages. Indeed, Lancer was correct, there was nothing inside the book, and so he stammered out, "Umm…. L-Lancer… this was s-some adventurer's book that Syr lent to me… she thought it was a regular book… oh no… what do I do..."
Lancer mused this, his eyes having sharpened at Bell's words before he spoke, "Syr Flover you say? Very well, we shall deal with when the time comes, for now, come, we'll get your status updated to see what exactly you've gained."
Bell nodded, still worried what exactly Mama Mia or Syr would say when he told them about the incident, and within a dozen minutes, they were in Saber's office, with Lily still sleeping to wear off the last of her fever.
Hestia murmured, "A grimoire… of all things, Bell-kun… they're worth as much as top-of-the-line equipment from Hephaistos or Goibniu Familia…. but I suppose we have the income to pay off any adventurer who comes for it… still." as her cheeks puffed up.
Hestia spoke, "It's there… but… with it… Bell seems to have gained three Spell Slots… I've never heard of such a thing… Spell Slots are determined as soon as one gets the Falna, and never usually change unless a Grimoire is used, and even then the hard limit is 3…. now he has three other slots like proper mages…"
Lancer, the resident Magic expert of the Familia spoke, "Perhaps it is because the Servant Summoning is so alien a spell to the Falna that it is not recognized as one… and that Bell's use of a grimoire outright changed the amount of spell slots the Falna had allotted to him to accommodate itself as well as two more."
Hestia nodded at the explanation before she spoke, "Well… Bell's new Spell is called Firebolt… but it doesn't have a chant or a description, instead it simply states Swift Strike Magic… I assume that means Bell simply has to say Firebolt to activate the spell."
Lancer considered her words as he read the sheet of Bell's Status
Bell Cranel
Level 1
Strength: A889
Defense: A875
Dexterity: A866
Agility: S952
Magic: S967
Magic:
Servant Summoning: Summon a Heroic Spirit into one of several Servant Containers. Requires upkeep once servant is summoned.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.
Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let red be the colour I pay tribute to
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Come out from the crown.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
– I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your power.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason… then answer!
– An oath shall be sworn here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell! – From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!
Firebolt: Swift-Strike Magic
( )
( )
Skills:
_ -_- s_-_-_
He handed the sheet to Bell before he pulled from his portal a book that Bell could read the title to be, "Magical Arias, and Their Meanings."
Lancer flipped through the pages for a while, before he spoke, "Indeed… while the greater the verses of a spell's chant, the greater it's power… it is not unusual for some spells, especially from those Caster Servants from the Age of the Gods to condense their entire spell-power in a single word of release. This might or might not be the case, but since Bell is a fighter focussed on his agility, having a simple spell to use on demand would be for his benefit."
Saber nodded as he spoke, "Indeed, the more he uses his magic, the greater the skill in question will grow, allowing for both of us to use our powers to our fullest, as well as allowing Bell to summon more servants…. Indeed, I am considering whether we should purchase another grimoire or two to fill Bell's newest slots so that in using it, his magic growth is catapulted even further."
Lancer mused this as he spoke, "No… if Bell wants another magic or magics, I believe it is to his benefit if he uses a grimoire from my Library…, their applications are not as limited as the ones of this world, and as I am not a Caster… they are patently wasted on me."
Bell nodded slowly at their words, for indeed, if there was some massive danger, having Saber and Lancer at full strength would be a great help.
Lancer reached into his library, returning his Guide to Arias, before slowly extricating three middle-sized tomes, similar in size to the one Bell had read, one after the other. Out of the three, one looked several times older than its brethren.
Lancer set them on Saber's table, much to both Hestia and Bell's curiosity before he spoke, "Two of these are Spell-books of the Light and Air Magecraft schools… the third, older one however, is a remnant from the Age of Gods in our world. Its creator was Asclepius, who in his exploration of the genetic aspects of magecraft, created this Spell-book that awakened any magecraft that any-one else of the person's blood had within the person who used this."
Hestia seemed surprised by this as she spoke, "Oh?! Asclepius was a mage in your world? He's a god here, living somewhere in Altena if I'm not wrong, he owns a large factory where he makes healing potions, cures and antidotes as well as runs a distribution center for the poor as well."
Saber spoke, "Indeed, Asclepius did ascend into the seat of a god later on in his life, but initially he was a demi-god, the son of Apollo in our world, while he was regarded as the foremost expert and later god on medicine."
Hestia's face had twisted in revulsion as she spoke, "Heh!? Apollo!? That scumbag is the father of a sweetheart like Asclepius? I can hardly believe it!"
Saber raised his hands to placate Hestia before speaking, "The Apollo of our world is not the same as yours… so please calm down Vesta…"
Saber's face then turned expressionless, but he indeed understood why Lancer was bringing up the effects of the latter book, for the deceased Alfia had been a formidable mage, and if Bell awoke a spell similar to something she was reputed to have, it all but confirmed his heritage.
However, if it did not take, then that simply meant that Alfia was not related to Bell, no matter how similar she looked.
Lancer continued on, "The Air Grimoire's spell is… well… unimaginatively named Air Burst… and as its name implies it is used to either propel oneself forward or propel an enemy off their feet, I'd recommend you take it since it'd help you in your agility as well as distract tougher enemies."
He pointed to the second book before speaking, "That one however… is called Light Whip… if I recall correctly it projects 8 rays of explosive light to assault anywhere from one to eight enemies… I do not think you would need a second offensive spell, but it is really upto you, Master."
Bell gulped, before he seated himself and began to think, before he spoke, his face firm, "I… I think I'd like to try Lord Asclepius' Grimoire as well as the Air Burst one… you're right that Firebolt should be all I need, and a sudden burst of speed is invaluable no matter what the circumstances are. I never knew my parents… and grandfather was not an adventurer… but if I gain something from the book… it'd be something I can remember them by I think…"
Hestia hugged Bell as he finished his words, and Lancer nodded before offering the two books to Bell, who took them and began reading them one after the other.
Indeed, he felt immensely drowsy after finishing the book of Air Dash… but at the thoughts of having something to remember his parents by, he steeled his mind and read Asclepius' book, before once again his eyes faded to black.
Indeed, as he felt around in his thoughts, he turned to see the same… other Bell that had accompanied him earlier, who spoke, "I see…. you are not satisfied with one spell then?"
Bell chuckled sadly as he shook his head in the negative. The other Bell tutted in disapproval before his frown turned into a soft smile before speaking, "When are those who want to be heroes ever satisfied with their strength?"
Bell smiled at his counterpart before he was shook awake, this time by Hestia. Bell turned to look at the clock, and was extremely surprised to see that it had been two hours since he had arrived at the office, and now standing beside Lancer and Saber was a clearly fully recovered Lily.
Hestia motioned for Bell to remove his shirt before doing anything else and so Bell did so, while Lily spoke, in a huff, "Lily is displeased that Mister Bell took on a random adventurer's grimoire and used it…. but Lily thinks it is interesting that Bell now has more spell slots than any other adventurer!"
Hestia spoke softly, "You've gained two spells Bell… looks like Asclepius' grimoire worked…" to which Bell stifled a cry and began to read through the new Status sheet Hestia had offered him.
Bell Cranel
Level 1
Strength: A889
Defense: A875
Dexterity: A866
Agility: S952
Magic: S967
Magic:
Servant Summoning: Summon a Heroic Spirit into one of several Servant Containers. Requires upkeep once servant is summoned.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.
Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let red be the colour I pay tribute to
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Come out from the crown.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
– I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your power.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason… then answer!
– An oath shall be sworn here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell! – From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!
Firebolt: Swift-Strike Magic
Air Dash: Magic that allows for a user to summon a gust of wind to propel them forward as well as use the gust of wind on opponents.
Let the wind in the air guide my path and bolster my steps
May the gale itself push aside all obstacles,
I am the one, who rides with the wind,
Aer Infusa
Silentium Eden: Super Short Chant Magic that covers the user's body in translucent, magic-negating armour.
Ataraxia
Skills:
_ -_- s_-_-_
Bell began to tear up, uncaring that his Familia members were watching, for the third Spell, Silentium Eden, was a remnant of his parents who he had never known, or perhaps other relatives, but all the same, it was the last remnant he had of his family long passed, and so he would cherish it even above his other magics.
Hestia patted the boy before speaking, "Come now Bell, let's all eat dinner! You can test your new magics out tomorrow!" to which the young, white-haired boy rubbed away his tears as he looked upwards, a smile on his face, for indeed Hestia, Lily, Saber and Lancer were his new Family, and as time went on and he grew stronger, so too would the number of those who he could call his family grow.
He said, "Yes, Goddess!" before the entire familia went ahead to the Cafeteria, barring Saber and Lancer who had momentarily stopped to discuss a matter.
Saber spoke, "Silentium Eden… I believe we should ask around if Alfia could summon such armour then… but…Syr Flover… first a magic stone… now a grimoire, she… or her adventurer friend are clearly much invested in Bell."
Lancer spoke, "The owner of the establishment is Freya, and taking her into account, we have her as a suspect for the bewitchment of the Silverback as well, which is three for three in measures to enhance Bell's growth." to which Saber began to glow at these words before sighing, "An elaborate fiction don't you think? Unless you consider the bewitchment of the Silverback to be a twisted way of ensuring his strength further developed by fighting the beast?"
Lancer sighed, "The problem with fiction is that it has to be believable, Reality is not so restricted, and in my opinion this all but confirms that Freya has taken an interest in Bell that most would term unhealthy. "
Saber nodded, "Whatever it may be, it is our duty as his Servants to guard him, and that is what we shall do." before the two jogged to join the rest of the Familia
Later in the night however, an over-eager young adventurer snuck out of his home, running with abandon in the direction of the Dungeon, for he wanted to test out Firebolt even if he could not do so for the other two spells.
However, at the same time, Lancer had walked into Bell's room, before he saw the empty bed and muttered, "That boy… he never stops." before chuckling and dashing out of the building himself in pursuit, so as to ensure the boy did not accidentally bring about a Mind Down on himself.
====================XeX====================
"…?" was the thought that was on the minds of both the adventurers who had just arrived on the fifth floor from below, one was a green-haired elf, Loki Familia's Nine Hells, a member of Elven Royalty, Riveria Ljos Alf, the other was the Sword Princess, the half-spirit, Ais Wallenstein.
For indeed, in front of their eyes, a young white haired boy had dashed forward after chanting some words, with wind dancing at his feet as he did so, before collapsing from what was clearly a mind down.
Riveria went ahead and analysed the boy before speaking, "No visible wounds, so healing and detoxifications is unnecessary… it is a simple Mind Down… though the spell he used right now? Does it not remind you of your own, Ais?"
Ais nodded, before she recognized who exactly it was as she spied his white hair, "This boy…" to which Riveria questioned, "What's that? You know him, Ais?"
Ais shook her head as she spoke, "Not really. We've never spoken directly… he's the boy who nearly… died from the Minotaur….. The one that was our fault."
Riveria nodded, recalling the conversation Loki had had with the little goddess Hestia in the Hostess of Fertility three weeks ago, before Ais continued, "His spell… it's similar to mine… but he uses more words… so not the same."
Ais then looked at Riveria before speaking, "Riveria… I wish to compensate this boy… if he had not been saved… he would have died… my fault."
Riveria gave her a look before she sighed and shook her head before speaking, "...Ais, do this for the boy… do exactly what I'm about to tell you. If you're going to compensate him… then that should be enough."
"What?"
Riveria gave her a look to convey her real message.
"...Is it okay just to do that?"
"I'm not certain. But you will protect this spot. You don't have to do anything above and beyond that. Besides, any man would be happy because it's you."
"I don't...understand." spoke the blonde girl, her head tilted.
"You don't have to understand," Riveria chuckled to herself, before the elf looked down at Ais for a moment, like a mother watching her child grow up, before returning her expression to its usual refined, dignified state.
Her face back to normal, Riveria stood up. "I'm returning to the surface. I'll just get in your way if I stay here. You two have to be alone to understand each other."
"Yes, thank you, Riveria." finished Ais, to which the elf responded with an "Ah" before she walked upstairs, not the least bit worried about monsters attacking them, for the boy had the best guardian on the planet as of now.
As she walked upwards, a man wearing full-plate armour passed her, and she noted the bronze wreath on his head, and was instantly reminded of the man from the bar, and so she spoke up, "Your Familia member… he is further ahead, with my protégé."
The man seemed surprised before he inclined his head in a fashion that indicated that he had clearly been a ruler… or some member of royalty for a large part of his life before speaking, "I recognize you to be Riveria Ljos Alf… and so I, Mátyás Corvinus Hunyadi shall humbly thank you for the knowledge provided."
She inclined her own head, mildly surprised, for she had certainly not expected to have to use her Elven Etiquette after watching her protégé fight Udaeus on her own, before she went on her way, wondering about the strange former royal, and his other royal companion that she had seen at the bar.
It was two minutes later that Matthias had come across the blonde-haired protégé the elf had talked about, Ais Wallenstein, who's damaged armour indicated that she had been fighting in the deep floors if not a Floor Boss, facing a Bell whose face was redder than ever before.
He walked forwards, before inclining his head as he spoke, "I thank you for watching over my Familia member… if there is some form of compensation you desire… I shall see to such matters."
The blonde shook her head in a negative fashion, while Bell himself reddened even further, turning into a veritable tomato, having no doubt assumed that Lancer had observed whatever action had happened to cause the little boy to redden so much.
The blonde then seemed to recognize Lancer before she stood up and spoke, "You… you're faster than I am… but you are a Level One…. I wanted to talk to you about it…. how?"
Lancer stilled, while his eyes gleamed dangerously, for while he knew he was not in a Holy Grail War, the habit of killing witnesses surfaced, before he shoved it back downwards, before he spoke cautiously, keeping an eye on a Bell who had turned white.
He cautiously spoke, for no doubt lies would not suffice him here without being a stain on his own honour, "I would… reveal this in good faith… but it is quite secretive." to which the girl nodded, no doubt agreeing to keep the secret.
He began to process the situation, using his decades of studies in the arts of magecraft to decipher the nature of the one who stood before him, "The flow… of… Mana around her… it is similar to that around a god… but not quite…. and an order of magnitude weaker… what is similar to a god in this word? A spirit? Ah I see…. she is a demi-spirit… half-human… though this is supposedly impossible according to the laws of the world. But her nature… perhaps the truth would be fine?"
Lancer looked at Bell for confirmation to which the boy nodded as well, eyes glistening in a deeper red than they did usually before speaking, "I am… not entirely human." to which the Girl stiffened, placing a hand on her sword, no doubt misinterpreting the statement to which Lancer continued, "I… am a spirit."
The girl had clearly not expected that statement as she collapsed to her knees, before looking upwards, something between hope and sadness etched on her face and asking, "Do you know Aria?"
The Raven King was clearly confused before he recalled the book he had read earlier this week, Dungeon Oratoria, the tale of Albert Waldstein and his Spirit companion Aria. The genius intellect of the servant raced forward again, as he thought, "Waldstein… Wallenstein? I see… a descendant of theirs so their last name corrupted? No… for an ancestor there would not be such an adverse reaction… it is a more direct connection. Then….she has somehow been taken out of her time… or demi-spirits do not age, though the former seems more likely, since a thousand years has passed, and with such a time she could hardly remain a Level 5."
And so the Lancer half-questioned, "Your mother?" to which the girl nodded, hope kindling even further. Lancer took no pleasure in crushing the look as he spoke slowly, "No… I do not… I apologise… but I am a Spirit of a…. different plane, not one of this world."
The girl seemed crestfallen, but she composed herself in a moment before speaking, "I see… I am sorry then… I shall keep your secret… though may I ask you to spar with me sometime?"
Lancer mused how much he should reveal before deciding to trust the girl and speaking, "I am the equivalent of a Level 7 so to speak… I do not mind acquiescing to your request if it is all you demand for your silence…though I would bring to your attention that my Familia Captain might serve your demands better… he is closer to a Level 10 In power."
The girl shook her head, though surprise was evident on her face "It is not a demand… I already owe Bell… it is merely a request… but I would like duelling with either of you… I must grow… no matter what… I must avenge… them…"
Lancer's expression softened, for indeed he could understand the desire of vengeance and so he nodded, while the girl walked away. He then turned to Bell before scowling, "Well then… what do you have to say for yourself?"
Bell gulped as the Lancer gave him an earful, though in his mind the boy was still mortified at the fact that Ais Wallenstein had given him a lap pillow.
Well! That's Chapter Six; I hope you enjoy everything that happened in it, including Lily's freedom as well as Bell's new magics. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.
As for the Archers, yes plural, I've decided that a poll is not entirely a wise decision. Each candidate you put forward, I consider the story-line that they can experience and I've decided that Arash and Proto-Gil would bring plenty of camaraderie, comedy and such to the story, much more-so than Tristan, though Chiron is relegated to a pseudo-Divine Spirit role, because he remains an interesting character.
However this doesn't mean that any candidates you put forward are pointless, for indeed at the start of the story,
I only had Archer and Rider candidates, every other class is something you've given, and they'll definitely be polled as I consider plotlines for them, and in-fact if I find a duo or even trio of Servants to bring great change to the story, I'll add them all, much to poor Bell's tiredness, though Hestia is bearing the burden as well.
Archer candidates: Both Arash and Proto-Gil confirmed.
Rider: Iskander, Ushiwakamaru, Achilles.
Caster: Tamamo-No-Mae, Proto Merlin, EMIYA(S).
Assassin: Regend: Saviour of France, Semiramis, Shouten Douji, EMIYA(K)
Berserker: Darius III, Mysterious Heroine X Alter.
Pseudo-Divine Spirit : Ishtar, Chiron.