Sorry to make you wait so long for this chapter. I had some writer block and grand order came so... Also there probably won't be other chapter until after Christmas since November and December are by busy time.
It was early morning following the day after Caster's fight with Gilles. The sun hadn't risen yet, leaving the stars visible for the time being.
Caster was sitting on top of the roof of the Hashimoto residence. She was keeping guard over her master, even though she didn't need to. She had her familiars wandering around the grounds, along with the Hashimoto's strong barrier over the residence.
It was just that she needed to do something to keep her mind of off Gilles. After her battle with him, she was informed that him and his master were the ones that were kidnapping and killing children from the towns surroundings Fuyuki. Caster wanted to go after them right away, knowing that Gilles was going to use the children as human sacrifices. Yuriko wouldn't allow her to instead she ordered her to recover her mana for the time being. All that Caster could do is wait for Assassin and her butterflies to report back.
One of her butterflies did report back but that was about Lancer. The building that him and his master had been staying in had been blown up, killing anyone who was inside. Though she believed that they were still alive somehow.
Caster's mind wandered back to the Children in Gilles' hold. She knew they were already gone, there was nothing she could do for them now. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt a child for any reason. Children should never been brought into adult's world.
Caster closed her eyes and shook her head, hoping it would stop her thoughts. Her thoughts of Gilles did stop but her mind went somewhere else, to a recent memory.
She was sitting on a rock formation in the Russian wilderness. The forest of evergreens stretched as far as the eyes could see. Once in a while you came across small clearings that were perfect to set up camp.
A small grumble came from Matilda's lap. She looked down at the small black hair child who was srunching up her face. The child was a girl around the age of five with coal black hair tied into two pigtail at the back of her head. Her eyes were a bright jade green, which were normally large waiting for knowledge but at this moment they were narrowed at the sky.
"I can't see him," She whined.
Matilda let out a small laugh before she lent down to the child's eye level. She reach her arm out pointing at the starry sky.
"See those three stars over there that sort of in a diagonal line," Matilda guided the child.
The child squinted at the sky trying to see the alignment of stars. It took her a while to find the stars. The girl abruptly lifted her arm up and pointing at the sky.
"There!" The child exclaimed.
Matilda leveled her eyes with the child's arm. She could see the three stars the child was searching for.
"Well done," She prasied the girl, kissing her cheek.
"Yay!" the girl cheered, throwing her arms up.
The child spinned around throwing her arms around Matilda's neck. She rubbed her cheek against Matilda's cheek. She snuggled into the older woman. Matilda happily accepted the hug.
Matilda held the child close to her body. She spoke softy about the legend of Orion. Matilda could see the girl's eyelids drooping. She gather up the child in her arms and walked to over to their small tent.
Opening and closeing the tent's flap behind her. Matilda knelt down to the single sleepingbag in the tent. The bag was already open, waiting for the two of them to sleep in. Matilda place the child in the sleepingbag first then wrapping her up in a themal blanket her before climbing in next to her. She wrapped her arms around the small life next to her.
"Goodnight Chi," Matilda whispered.
"Goodnight Mama," Chi whispered back.
The memory faded away, letting Caster open her eyes as the sun rose across the horizon. The stars had disappear as the sky became shades of pinks,reds, oranges and yellows.
The sunrise was beautiful as usual.
Caster spend another hour on guard before heading back in side to prepare breakfast for her master. Sae and Yae had helped her prepare the meal, telling her how to make miso soup and how to grill the fish. All together the meal consisted of a bowl of steamed rice, a bowl of miso soup, grilled fish, some pickles, some seaweed and an salad.
Caster took the meal to the dining room. She place the meal at the head of the long low table.
Once Caster was finish in the dining room, she headed to Yuriko's room to wake her up. It was probably around seven by now. Despite being in a war Yuriko still ran her family's business. To the best of Caster's knowledge the business was some kind of alchemy ingredient shipping company.
Caster stopped outside of Yuriko's room.
"Master! It's time to get up!" Caster called to her from beyond the door.
Caster could hear the muffled sound of movement and rustleing of fabric. She slightly pushed opened the door to peer into the room. Yuriko was sitting up in her futon, rubbing her eyes. Caster smiled to herself before opening the door fully. She took a step into the room.
"Good morning Master," Caster greeted.
"Good moring," Yuriko mumbled back.
As Yuriko was still waking up, Caster grabbed her haori from the display-stand from the back of the room.
The haori was short with long sleeves. It was a maple leaf red. Though it looked plain on first glance but on a closer inspection there were small maple leaves embroideried into the haori.
Caster handed it over to Yuriko, who put it on over her white sleeping yukata. Yuriko got up out of her bed and made her way to the dining room with Caster following behind her.
Yuriko sat down at the head of the table and began to eat her breakfast. Caster stood near the wall to the left of Yuriko, she lent against the wall with her hands behind her back.
From the corner of her eye, Yuriko stared at her servant. Caster was dressed in her modern clothes, though Yuriko didn't have a problem with them; they just made her look very young.
Most of the servants that had been summon by the Grail were quite young, mostly rangeing in their early twenties. Yuriko thought that Caster was around twenty-one when she summon her but now dressed in the modern clothing made Caster look much younger, maybe around seventeen or eighteen.
'The life of an heroic spirit was very tragic,' Yuriko though.
Caster notice her master was stareing at her and decided to speak up.
"Master, is there something wrong?" She asked.
"No. There's nothing wrong," Yuriko lied. "Though I was wondering where you got those clothes from?" she asked.
"These?" Caster motioned to her clothes, taking the end of her pinafore. "Reika and Kirie carry spare clothes for me," she explained.
Yuriko nodded. With that breakfast continued in silence, after breakfast Yuriko got dressed and started doing her paperwork.
In the meantime Caster busied herself. Caster was now in her room, readying herself for another clairvoyance session. She yet again found herself sitting on engawa.
She was hoping that she could see what Gilles de Rais was planning for today. And with the temporary truce there should be less events happening.
Caster took a breath then closed her eyes. Darkness filled her vision after a moment the darkness lighten up abit.
Caster looked around at her surroundings. She was in a forest of withered trees. There was mist hanging around in the air, giving the forest that creepy horror movie feeling.
When she turned north, Caster could see a building through the bare branches of the trees.
Caster took a lucky guess by guessing that building was the Einzbern's castle. Gilles de Reis must have taken the fight straight to Saber. Caster looked around the forest looking for any sign of Gilles de Reis or Saber. Caster turned her head to the left to see a young girl running through the trees.
The girl looked around eight years old with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Those eyes were fill with complete and total terror, silently screaming for help. But, her wish wasn't granted as Gilles appear from the shadows grabbing the girl's head and smashing into a near by tree. The sound of the girl's skull crushing from the force that Gilles used, filled the air.
The site of the girl's now bloody body sicken Caster to the core. She quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from being sick.
Gilles dropped the girl's body like she was a broken toy. It filled Caster up with so much anger. This man had no regard for life.
Caster looked away from the girl's body and follow Gilles movement. It was then Caster realise there were more children running around the forest. All desperately trying to escape from the monster chasing them.
Caster stood there helpless to save them but she wouldn't allow this to be their fate.
The image quickly shifted to Saber faceing Gilles, who had a young boy in his cluches.
The boy was shaking more than a chihuahua. His dark brown eyes were filled to the brim with tears, he was beyond terrified.
There was a brief dialogue between Saber and Gilles, though it remain silent for Caster. Not like she cared about what Gilles was talking about.
At the end of their conversation Gilles let the boy go, who ran to Saber, who open her left arm to him. She held him close to her body. Saber spoke softly to the boy but she was interrupted when a large lump appeared on the boy's back, it then moved around before it pierce through his back.
One of Gilles' demon ripped through the boy's body, completely destroying it. The demon used Saber's moment of shock to wrapped itself around her limbs trying to restrain her movement.
As the image began to fade away, Saber used her invisable air to blast the demon of off her.
Once again, at the end of her vision there was a moment of darkness before Caster could open her eyes.
Caster felt something against her cheek. She turned her head to the left to see Kirie beside her, using her sleeve to wipe something off her face.
Kirie's pale face showed that she was slightly worried, though her dark chocolate brown eyes shown she was more worried than she was letting on. Kirie retract her arm revealing the damp end of her sleeve.
"You were crying," She clarified.
Caster reached up to her cheek to feel their wet surface. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hands.
"Was your vision that bad?" Kirie asked.
"Yes," Caster simply replied. "But I won't let it become reality," she vowed. She stood from her seat on the engawa. "I'm goint to tell my master about my vision. You and the others go to the outskirts of Fuyuki, near the Einzbern's Castle and search for the nearest police station," she commanded.
With that both females disappear to their tasks. Caster materialize in Yuriko's office.
Yuriko was looking through a mountain of paperwork. She looked up to meet Caster's face, when she materialize in front of her desk.
"Caster," Yuriko greeted. "What news do you have for me?" She asked.
"I had another clairvoyance session," Caster informed her. "My vision show me that, Gilles de Rais will strike the Einzbern's Castle, late into the night," She answered. "Gilles will use children against Saber,"
Caster noticed the visible flinch from her master when she mention children. Yuriko laced her hands together tightly, her long nails digging into her skin. The idea of what Gilles could do with those children, horrified Yuriko.
"I guess you have a plan?" Yuriko asked.
Caster nodded.
"Do what you need to win the battle," She ordered.
"Yes Master," and with that Caster disappeared.
Caster reappeared in her room to collect some items she needed to complete her preparation for her plan.
"Matilda," one of her familiars called out to her.
"What?" She asked not looking away from what she was doing.
"Someone has enter the ground," She replied.
Caster shot up and spinned around coming face to face with Archer.
"Archer! How may I help you?" She asked.
He stood in his casual clothing with his hand on his hip. His face held a bored look.
"I thought I made it clear to you last night that I was going to make you fall in love with me," Archer reminded her.
"Oh yeah," Caster mumbled.
She had sort of 'forgotten' about Archer's statement from the previous evening. Caster rubbed her neck trying to think about something to say to Archer. She really didn't want to talk to him at moment.
"Well..." Caster hesitated. "I'm heading out so make yourself at home," she said.
Archer raised an eyebrow at her.
"If you're heading out then I'm going with you," Archer announced.
Caster stared at him not knowinng how to reply to him. Archer tilted his head and reached for Caster. He took her chin into his hand, pulling the albion's face closer to his.
"If I am to make you fall in love with me, I must learn what kind of person you are. So, we're be spending a lot of time together," he explained.
Caster removed her head from Archer's hold. She looked away from him.
"I guess I have no choice in this, do I?" Caster mumbled.
"Of course you don't, mongrel. My words are law," Archer clarified.
Caster let out a sigh and turned around to leave the room. At the door she looked back to see if Archer was following, which he was. They made their way to the front door. Waiting at the front door was Ouse, she was holding something in her arms.
Ouse was a beautiful woman with ghostly white skin and her eyes a dark umber. Most of Ouse's dark hair was covered by her white wataboshi, attached to the left side of the wataboshi was two white madorna lillies. Ouse wore a kiki-furisode, the top layer was plain white whilst under the layer was also white but the underside was gold.
Ouse smiled at Caster when she and Archer arrived at the front door. Ouse held out the objects in her hands to Caster.
"It's quite cold outside," Ouse softly spoke.
Caster smiled back at the older woman. She took one of the objects from Ouse, it was a thick woolen cardigan that was light shade of beige. Caster slip into the warm article. Then she took the other item, a tortilla brown gatsby hat. Caster gathered her white hair and twisting it up into a bum then she put it into the hat.
"What are you doing?" Archer demanded.
Caster turned her head to look at Archer, who had a disgruntled look on his face. She also noticed that he had put on a white coat with white fur around the hood. Caster looked away from him, choosing to stare straight in front of her.
"It doesn't matter what era I'm in, being albino has always been a taboo," Caster responded.
Archer noticed that Caster's whole body language change. She seem to become distant. Without another word Caster moved, taking a couple steps forward then opening the front door, letting the morning sunlight into the entrance way.
Caster turned to look at Archer then asked: "Are you ready?" With a fake smiled.
They walk in silence for a brief moment. It was peaceful between them for that brief moment.
Caster glanced at Archer, his face held no expression. Caster looked away from his face to the pavement in front of her.
She still couldn't wrap her brain around why Archer would want her as his wife. She was an average woman, she wasn't beautiful nor was she ugly. The only thing unique about her was her albino hair and nothing else. Plus she was a love-child, which probably wasn't the most suitable choice for a bride, specially for a king.
"What are you thinking about, mongrel?" Archer's voice broke through her thoughts.
Caster looked at the blond hair king by her side. His crimson eyes pierced right through her. She quickly turned to face back to the front of her, casting her eyes to the ground in front of her.
"Nothing much," She lied.
Archer gave her a strange look before he studied her face closer. Caster's face held no emotions, like one of his soldier but her eyes gave it all away. He could see all of her emotions she tried to hide away from the world in her eyes.
"Don't lie to me, mongrel," Archer sneered. "You can not hide anything from me. You're a very easy person to read," he commented.
The two of them stopped walking, which happended to be right in front of the intersection between the traditional houses and the foreigner's houses. Caster was quiet, she lowered her head so her hat was covering her eyes. Archer raised a eyebrow to her. Caster silence was brief.
"I'm not easy to read, you're just good at reading people, I guess," Caster responded. "As for my thoughts..." she trailed off not sure how to word her reply. "I'll would like to keep them private,"
Archer scoffed at Caster's reply then he crossed the road. Caster watched him as he crossed the road, she followed closely behind looking out for cars as she crossed the road. Once she had crossed the other side, Archer stared at her.
"Where to now?" he asked.
"Ummm..." Caster had no idea. None of her familiars had contacted her yet, it would delay her plans for a while but keeping Archer entertain would be even more work. She released a sighed before she answered him."My familiars haven't found what I'm looking for so, I have nothing to do until they find it," Caster explained. "I guess there's nothing else for us to do then walk around the city until they find it," she suggested.
Archer snorted at her suggestion. "In this miserable place," he commented. He looked down the street that led to the shopping district. "There's nothing in this era that could please me," Archer added on.
Caster stayed quiet for a few moments as she thought of a suitable response. "A little bit of looking around wouldn't hurt? And who knows you might find something that interested you,"
"I doubt that," Archer replied. "But, since you want to go then I will company you," he added on.
Archer took Caster's wrist and pulled her down towards the shopping district. They both walked down the street littered with people, browsing through the small shops that occupaied the street. The shopping district reminded Caster of the highstreet in the village she grew up in, with less preying eyes and no harsh words being whispered under the breath. It was pleasant experience for her.
As they walked down the street Caster spotted a food stand selling taiyaki. She had heard about the sweet food from her friend, she had always wondered what it taste like. Caster wondered over to the food stand, forgetting about her company.
The person working at the stand was an man probably in his early thirties. His hair was held back by a white bandanna, his eyes were a dark brown. He wore a plain white apron with gray t-shirt underneath.
"Hello madam. How may I help you?" the man asked.
"Please may I have one chocolate taiyaki," Caster requested.
"Right away," the man said.
Archer walked up behind Caster, watching what she was doing. He continued to watched Caster's action as she payed for the taiyaki. When Caster turned back to return to Archer, only to find him right behind her.
"Oh!" Caster gapsed. "Did you want one?" she asked.
"No," he replied.
The two of them continued down the shopping district. Archer watched Caster as she ate the taiyaki, she looked very happy eating her treat. How could she get so much pleasure from a simple thing.
Caster noticed Archer staring at her. She finished her mouth full of taiyaki before she question Archer.
"Is there something wrong?" Caster asked.
"Yes," Archer comfirmed. "Why do you take so much pleasure in eating such a simple food? There are greater teasting food to be eaten,"
"I like sweet foods, that's all. Specially snacks and cakes," Caster explained. She hesitated for a moment before she continued on. " I was only allowed a few 'pleasures' in my life," she began to explain."So, I tried to make the most of what 'pleasures' I was allow, which happen to be quite simple things,"
Archer took in the information from Caster. A smirk appeared on his face. He lend forwarded to whisper into Caster's ear.
"Once you become my wife, you will know all of the world's pleasures and much more," He purred.
Caster's face went immediately red. Her mind screamed, she couldn't think up a reply for Archer's words. But, it seems like the gods were on her side today as Reika's voice cut through her racing mind.
"Matilda, I've found a police station," Reika informed her. "It's about a block or two away from the shopping district. On the side of the westren style houses," she directed.
'Thanks Reika. I'll be there shortly, I'm just heading out of the shopping district,' Caster told her. Caster turned to Archer to tell about the news she just received. "My familiars have found what I was looking for. Do you wanted to head up there now?" She asked.
Archer scoffed before he replied. "I will company you to where you want to go,"
A small smile appeared on Caster's face as she led the way to Reika. The walk to the location was between fifteen to twenty minutes. The two servents met Reika in front of the police station, it was more like a police box. The building was about five meters across from the fornt.
Caster's eyes turned to Reika, who was dressed in modern clothing to make her stand out less. Her clothing was egyptians blue blazer and pencil skirt with white blouise and pear of black high heels.
"Any allyways near by?" Caster asked.
Reika turned her gaze to the space between the police station and the house that standing next to it. Caster followed Reika's gaze then headed into the allyway.
The allyway was surprisingly clean from Caster's experience. Caster faced the police station's wall and begin to etch a magic circle into the wall. Archer watched as Caster worked from the entrance of the allyway. She drew what look like a summoning circle with variations here and there. It took about seven minutes for Caster finish etching the circle into the wall then she took a step back to study the circle, to make sure she had it right. Once Caster had deem that the circle was fine she walked out of the allyway.
"Was that it?" Archer grimaced.
"That's all I need to do outside. Most of the preparation I need to do is to track Gills movement for tonight," Caster explained.
Archer huffed as he began to walk away, most likely heading back to Hashimoto's house. Caster shook her head at Archer's behaviour, she just hope that he wouldn't annoy her too much. Caster followed behind Archer quitely as she sliently began her plan for evening.