Disclaimer: I don't own neither the Fate franchise nor Granblue Fantasy. I just write fanfics based on those games.
Chapter 1: Auguste
Baruha Beach. Once renowned for its beautiful white sand and crystalline water, recent events had curbed the usual flow of visitors and now large patches of it were bereft of civilized presence, making them fertile ground for monster infestation.
A colony of War Crabs, twenty or so specimen, floundered leisurely around the beach, the lack of immediate threats and their needs temporarily sated lulling them into a relaxed state. Looking like normal crabs but as large as an adult human, those monsters had shockingly durable armored carapaces that protect them from harm even in situations of grave danger, making them a popular material for equipment crafters due to their combination of flexibility and durability.
A large area of the sky above was littered with red dots before they closed in revealing arrows traveling at breakneck speed. Without being able to acknowledge the attack, all the War Crabs were skewered multiple times by aerodynamic blades, each one piercing a vital point, and wiped out completely.
Eight hundred meters away, standing on top of a rocky outcrop, Archer lowered his bow.
"That was almost insultingly easy," He commented in a neutral tone. "They should lower the reward for this kind of request before someone takes advantage of it."
It had been two months since the Servant of the Bow arrived on Auguste Isles. When Eugen boasted it was the only island in all of the Phantagrande Skydom with an ocean, Archer thought it was merely a figure of speech he couldn't understand due to a lack of context.
When he saw the island's edge for the first time and stared down the expanse of sky, even he, with his enhanced sight, couldn't see the bottom. He almost had a heart attack. As impossible as it sounded, Archer was truly in a world where islands floated in the sky in clear disregard of every known law of gravity. Rather than ending up on the planet Earth outside the Moon Cell, or maybe in an alternate version of it, whatever method Hakuno Kishinami used sent Archer into a completely different universe, one where all of his previous knowledge probably amounted to nothing.
He had to thank his benefactor and current employer, Eugen, for indulging his request to research any information that could be commonly accessed, even if the man probably mistook Archer as being simply a curious person instead of the almost desperate one he truly was. Afterward, it was only proper for him to repay the man's generosity, and that's how Archer ended up helping Eugen in his task of keeping order on Auguste.
Dismissing his bow into motes of magical energy that quickly vanished, he jumped down from the outcrop, only to stop midway and glanced back at where the colony of monsters once stood. With a mental command, the swords still embedded into the sand broke down into residual magical energy just like the bow.
That was one of the most important differences between the Sky Realm and his old world, even if not the most glaring one. On Earth his projections would eventually cease to exist by themselves, eroded by Gaia which saw them as abominations just like all Magecraft. Within the Moon Cell, it was the same, even if there it was simply the supercomputer's effort to simulate the outside world as closely as possible. But within the Sky Realm, it didn't happen. While still weaker than the originals, Archer's projections showed no sign of degrading no matter how long he kept observing them, forcing him to dismiss them himself. It, and other examples of the local magical arts he'd the chance to observe, made him wonder if this new world lacked a Great Will like Earth, or if it was a situation similar to the fabled Age of Gods.
On the way back to Mizarea, Archer stopped to collect medicinal herbs for another request before continuing on his way. Once he reached the beach closer to the city, he started encountering people, the few true enthusiasts that were determined to keep enjoying the sea despite the war and the threat of monsters. Two of those enthusiasts approached when they spotted him, skillfully riding the waves on a surfboard.
"Archer! Coming back already? That was fast," The young man with pale, dirty blond hair commented. He wore only sandals, skin-tight black and blue pants, a blue jacket and gauntlets shaped like a fish's dorsal spine. His name was Joel, a coast guard with a passion for diving.
"It was nothing exceptional, just twenty or so War Crabs," Archer shrugged.
"Twenty War Crabs and he calls them nothing exceptional! That's a good joke!" The girl on the other board merrily laughed. She had auburn hair and wore a blue and gold swimming suit that left her back bare. But the most glaring feature was the pair of furry animal ears on top of her head, identifying her as a member of the Erune race.
It still baffled Archer, that in this world humanity was co-existing peacefully with not one but three other races: the Erune, who had animal ears; the Draph, with horns and cow-like ears; and finally the Harvin, small like children and with long, pointed ears. Given humanity's records on Earth he expected the presence of racial discrimination, and yet he hasn't seen any trace of it. Considering the stories about the Astral War, Archer supposed that fighting against a fifth tyrannical race and winning against overwhelming odds would do wonders to foster good relationships and a tolerating attitude among the survivors.
"Come on Archer!" The girl, Cailana, called out. "If normal monsters are child's game, why don't you search out stronger ones?"
"Because those live far away from people, so I have no reason to go after them." He replied. "Also, you should look where you're going."
"Already saw it!" She cheered before maneuvering around the rock emerging from the water. "See-Oooh! Those are good waves! Let's go, Joel!"
"Coming!" While following after the girl the young man waved back at Archer. "Let's meet again later!"
"Sure." He waved back. Shaking his head at the two youths' carefree attitude Archer reached the end of the beach and climbed up the stairs to one of the city's gates. Walking past the guards, who knew him well, Archer passed through the arc and into the natural harbor where Mizarea was built.
The capital of the Auguste Isles was a marvel of architectural engineering and artistic excellence. Like Venice of Earth, it was built over more than a hundred small islands huddled together and connected by bridges, though many of the residents use boats and the canals to move around. The predominant use of buildings with a circular layout, domes and the color blue gave the impression Mizarea, also called the Aqua City, was a giant huddle of bubbles rising from the sea's surface. Extremely fitting given the land's connection to water. Even Archer, who never was the type to indulge in sight-seeing, had to admire the city's beauty.
Childish shouts of wonder and excitement attracted his attention. Standing before a flowerbed and faced with a small group of children a figure was slowly waving a hand in intricate patterns, flames dancing among the fingers. By height alone, the girl could be mistaken for another child, only the long ears identifying her as a Harvin and the mature expression on her bespectacled face telling otherwise. With long white hair that pooled around her feet, she was dressed in fancy clothes consisting of a red gown with golden decorations, a robe-like white jacket with large sleeves and long black gloves. On her head rested a headpiece with a sun theme and in her left hand she wielded a long staff with a top resembling an astrolabe.
The Harvin finished her show, the flames turning into pure light that bathed the flowerbed, causing the flowers to visibly grow and bloom as a result of that. Archer waited until the children finished cheering and dispersed before approaching the sun-themed girl.
"Now you also perform shows for children?" Asked Archer. "Truly your talents are unlimited, Lady Zahlhamelina."
"Ah, Sir Archer. Good to see you again," Zahlhamelina replied with a kind tone. She arrived on Auguste a few weeks ago during her travels to see the world and immediately became famous for helping anyone in need, from hunting monsters to helping with mundane chores.
Honestly, the similitudes between her and Archer's past self were a bit unnerving, especially after he learned how she gained her epithet of Sun Priestess. At least she didn't seem to suffer from the same issues.
"I merely saw those children being gloomy, and after learning they all had parents on the front they haven't seen for days I decided to cheer them up," She explained as her gaze turned to the distance, where the bulk of Auguste's fighting force was busy holding back the Erste Empire. "The war is a blight on those lands. I wonder when it will end?"
He shrugged, gazing in the same direction while thinking back to his little 'raids'. "When the Empire has concluded whatever business it has here I suppose."
"Eh?" The one-meter-tall girl had to strain her neck to look up at the much taller human. "What do you mean with that Sir Archer?"
"Don't take my word for it, it's just a hunch." This was almost certainly correct, Archer has seen enough wars to understand most of its patterns. "But war broke out when Erste, who was polluting the ocean with their experiments, denied Auguste's request to stop them. It's only later, when hostilities started, that the request to annex Auguste was put forth. Moreover, until now the Empire has been content to hold the current line, never making any major move to break the stalemate. If you ask me, the imperial higher-ups want to divert as much of Auguste's manpower as possible from searching for the pollution source, so that they have the time to finish whatever they're doing."
"That... is even worse than war. To purposely prolong people's sufferings for their own nefarious schemes is simply atrocious," Zahlhamelina frowned, eyes clouded with concern. "You are a friend with Sir Eugen, right? Have you shared those thoughts with him?"
"Yeah, I did. He said it was one more reason to break the Empire's nose and told everyone to double their efforts. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a delivery to complete," He began to walk away before stopping. "You know, you shouldn't be so quick to help everyone you meet with their troubles."
"...I don't understand what you're saying, Sir Archer," Zahlhamelina tilted her head as if astounded at her own inability to decipher the meaning of Archer's words. "Isn't helping those who need it the right thing to do?"
"So it would seem," He wistfully replied without turning back. "However, most people have trouble understanding actions done without self-interest. Rather, it's very rare for someone to take for granted selflessness as a possible motivation for one's behavior. Some would express doubts. Doubts will become rumors, and eventually, they would take those rumors for reality. When that happens-"
"-Good intentions are poisoned. I now understand your warning Sir Archer," She nodded. However, there were no traces of unease in her next words, only conviction. "But you don't need to worry. If my actions cause a misunderstanding, I'll clear it. If people ask why I help them, I will tell them of the events that inspired me. I will not stop following my ideals because of a mere possibility. Doing so would mean betraying everything I stand for."
"Truly you are as radiant as your namesake, Sun Priestess," Archer chuckled while resuming his walk. "I hope you will never come to regret that decision."
"Worry not Sir Archer!" She waved, a smile on her lips. "Thank you for worrying so much! You truly are a good person!"
"Not nearly as much as you think," He muttered under his breath while lazily waving back.
Making a small detour he passed through the market, taking note of the food selection and planning what to make for dinner based on the best choices available.
"Hey there bro!" Until, while passing a certain stand, a piece of roasted squid on a stick was almost shoved into his face. "This here food. It's really tasty ya know! You absolutely gotta eat it! Aaaabsolutely!"
Sighing at his own idiocy, because he really should have seen it coming, Archer accepted the piece of squid and took a bite. "Uhm... the squid is of good quality, the sauce is well done and the flesh was cooked just the right amount."
"So?" The one manning the stand leaned forward in anticipation.
"So?" The two other idiots leaned from behind Archer.
The Servant of the Bow smiled smugly, "So, considering the rate between quality and price, I suppose it ranks high as a snack for those lacking enough time to sit down for a proper meal."
"The Master approves!"
"Wheeey!" All three of them cheered while raising thumb-ups.
And of course, they completely missed the sarcasm. Wondering which one of his past sins warranted this kind of punishment he once more observed the most recent banes of his existence.
Manning the stand was Lowain, a blond Erune with tanned skin - though not as dark as his own - and a goatee. He wore a leather outfit that left his back and his sides bare, the front covered by a simple blue piece of cloth. Next to him were Elsam and Tomoi, two other Erunes in similar clothes that could pass for twins. They were loud, boisterous and for reasons that escaped Archer they talked in a ridiculous slang he had trouble following.
Sadly, Archer made the mistake of proving himself a better cook than Lowain, though he had to give credit where it was due and admit that the blond idiot was good at his job. That coupled with, in their words, his 'totally radical' looks persuaded the trio to declare Archer both their new best friend and teacher in the culinary arts.
Oh, he had no qualms teaching them how to improve their cooking.
He just wished they would actually shut up.
The owner of Lowain's stand came out and began yelling, "Hey! Stop the racket and get back to work! Idiots!"
Taking advantage of it Archer quickly made his departure while the trio was busy laughing off the scolding. Reaching his first destination he entered the shop and held out the bag with the medicinal herbs.
"Miss Karteira," Archer called the shopkeeper. "I have the herbs you asked for."
"Just what ah needed!" The orange-haired Erune with a peculiar accent snatched the bag from Archer's hands and began to make calculations on her big abacus. She was dressed in a green and orange dress with a cape over it, a large circular bag on her back. "Add this... remove that... perfect! The healing potions will be ready fer tomorrow, and that means no delay! Yer a lifesaver, Archer!" She laughed while slapping his side repeatedly.
"I just collected a few herbs. If you want to thanks someone does so with those who actually make the potions." He told her.
"Still up to yer 'modest of the year' act, ain'cha?" She waved her finger with a smirk. "Try to be a little arrogant, gurls find it sexy! Ah guarantee it!"
"I thank you for the advice, but I have no interest in being seen as 'sexy'," He smiled politely. "For the reward, you can give it to Auguste's Fund for Assistance to Victims of War."
"Like always, uh? Yer a real philanthrope Archer," The merchant put the tip of her index finger over her lips. "Don't ye want to save even a little?"
"I do. It's just that my lifestyle doesn't require much money. So why not give the majority to people who have an actual use for it?" He shrugged before leaving the shop. "Goodbye Miss Karteira. If you need my services again you know where to find me."
"Ye can count on it!" She shouted back.
"Honestly, where do the people of this city find so much energy?" He wondered while entering another shop, aptly named 'Knickknack Shack' due to it providing everything, from goods to personnel and even job requests. Not seeing the usual shopkeeper, he addressed the only other person present, a Harvin with fluffy brown hair that was currently giving her back to him. "Excuse me, do you know where the shopkeeper went?"
"Eeeh? Siete, I didn't know you were on Auguste," The Harvin turned around, revealing a parrot perched on her shoulder and bright blue eyes that widened a little when they took in Archer's figure.
"Eeh? Eeh?" She tilted her head left and right, the parrot imitating her. "You're not Siete."
"Sorry, I know of no one called Siete," Archer crossed his arms. "You must have mistaken me for someone else."
"No way! Ahaha!" She clapped her hands in delight. "Sorry, sorry. You're right, I confused you with someone else. Your voice is identical to an acquaintance of mine."
That was a likely possibility, though Archer had to admit it was the first time it happened to him. "No harm done."
"Say, say," She lifted one finger. "Can you do me a little favor? Can you do a very smug smile?"
Archer raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was up to, before complying and producing the smile he perfected for the purpose of taunting his enemies. "Like this?"
"The same! Amazing!" Her eyes sparkled as she spread her arms. "Are you sure you're not the long lost brother of Siete?"
"Yes, I'm sure," His smile dropped. "I can say with absolute certainty that there is not a single person in this world with which I share a link of blood"
"Boss, here's the register you asked for," Just now the shopkeeper came out from the back. "Oh, hey there dude. Everything went well?"
"Yes," He replied. "By the way, you should lower the reward for this kind of request. It was too easy, no way those monsters are worth that much money."
"Ah ha ha! It's not the monsters that are weak. It's you who are just too strong dude!" He laughed.
"So, so!" The Harvin stood on the tip of her feet while raising a hand. "Who is this?"
"Ah, that's the first time you're meeting him, right Boss?" The shopkeeper nodded. "He's Archer, the guy that since two months ago singlehandedly broke all the records for requests successfully completed here on Auguste. There is nothing he can't do. You ask and he can do it."
"You're giving me too much credit. I just have a general knowledge of different topics, any true master of it can easily beat me," Archer scoffed before raising an eyebrow. "Wait, Boss?"
"My name is Sierokarte!" She introduced herself. "Owner of the Knickknack Shack and all of its branches! Nice to meet you, Archer. Let me guess, you're the type of guy who's as straight as an arrow."
Archer stared at the grinning Harvin with a deadpan glare before, in a very flat tone, saying, "If that was an attempt to appear cute, it completely failed."
"So crueeeeel!"
"Wow, this is the first time I see someone say that to the Boss' face," The shopkeeper commented, actually looking impressed. It made Siero tear up even more.
"I'm just saying the truth. She's an adult, correct? Then she can handle it," Archer nonchalantly replied before walking towards the shop's exit. "For the money, the usual, please. I'll come back tomorrow to see if there are new requests. Remember what I said about the excessive reward. Goodbye."
"Sure, sure. See you tomorrow, then, dude!" The shopkeeper lazily waved before facing Siero again and holding out the register he brought with him. "Hope you're not upset Boss. That was just harmless joking, you know? Anyway, here's the register."
Siero shook her head a few times, her usual smiling expression quickly replacing the tears.
"What did he mean with the 'usual'?" She asked instead of taking the register.
"Almost all the money Archer makes is given to Auguste's Fund for Assistance to Victims of War or other charitable organizations. Seriously, he completes so many requests alone the other Agents are complaining they're without a job," He shrugged. "Between you and me, I think he's some kind of a workaholic."
'That happens when someone goes beyond their limits. I know mine, so it's just a good work ethic,' Archer thought while walking down the street, his reinforced hearing able to follow the conversation even when he was not present anymore. Not that he was walking quickly or was interested in what they were talking about. It was just a whim, and once outside range he immediately forgot about the conversation.
Though, he had to agree to one part of it and admit he truly was dedicating every free minute of his waking hours (and even then, he needed to sleep way less than a normal person) to work and assist those in need. It's just his nature as an [Ally of Justice], he would never turn down the chance to help people.
That aside, Archer reflected as he reached the building where Eugen coordinated his operations, he still had no idea what to do besides helping Auguste with the current crisis. The war would eventually end, especially if he had any say in it, and things would return to normal. He could continue what he was currently doing, he had nothing against it, yet in all honesty, such a decision reeked of complacency. There was more he could do. He was sure of it.
The only question was what.
"Young lady, you can use healing magic?" He suddenly heard the eye-patched man's voice as he climbed up the stairs. Reaching the main hall, he saw three of Eugen's men, one of them sitting on the ground with an injured leg. However, a young girl was treating it with a healing spell. She was around ten years old, with slightly tanned skin and dirty blonde hair tied into twin-tails that, curiously, turned orange, green and finally blue towards the end. In her hand she held a staff, his intuitive Structural Analysis revealing it as being a simple amplifier for her spells.
Archer was thankful that the Sky Realm was made of roughly the same elements found on Earth, and that what was foreign he could understand with enough time and effort. In the beginning, he has feared everything would be the same as that cursed pseudo-spiral sword.
"This much is nothing!" She replied with pride as the man stood up, his leg healed. "Are there more hurt people here?"
"I sure hope not. Otherwise, it means my training isn't effective and I need to increase it," He inserted himself into the conversation. He could understand the need to recruit civilians, and that was why he made sure to grill the basics of combat into everyone until he deemed them fit for active duty. The girl gave him a surprised look, but he ignored it in favor of staring disapprovingly at the three men, who were shifting awkwardly.
"Oh, Archer!" Eugen's lone eyes light up. "Just on time. I want to introduce you to some guests."
Shifting his gaze he took a few moments to observe the six people next to Eugen. The first was a thirty-something guy with dark brown hair. He wore a yellow shirt and green pants, light armor covering his torso, arms and legs from the knee and below. Sheathed on his back was a musket, with a smaller gun and a nameless short sword that never saw much use in combat on his sides.
The second was a young woman with long brown hair and fair skin dressed in full armor, save for the lack of helmet, and a cape. On her waist rested a rapier named Rukalsa. Nothing truly exceptional, but it was of exquisite making and it served as a catalyst for her ice magic.
The third was a young man, not even eighteen by Archer's estimate, with messy light brown hair. He wore a blue hoodie and brown pants, his armor over that similar to the first guy. The moment Archer laid his eyes on the sword sheathed on the young man's waist his right eyebrow rose by a minute amount in surprise, only his ironclad discipline preventing a more exaggerated reaction.
It was a double-edged sword colored green and golden, whose center was hollow and the guard shaped like wings spreading out. The reason for Archer's surprise was the sword's name. Almace, the same as one of the Noble Phantasms recorded within Unlimited Blade Works. With his mind's eye, he could see the complete record of the sword appearing inside his inner world next to its namesake from Earth. While the first was a strong magical sword, wielded by a solitary warrior that eventually fell while facing an entire army alone, it still paled in comparison to the Noble Phantasm, its plain appearance of a simple straight sword with a silver guard and a handle wrapped in goat's hide belittling its real power as a tool made to punish the wicked and liberate the oppressed, extremely fitting since its original wielder was an Archbishop.
It wasn't the first time during his sojourn on Auguste that Archer has heard about a name that also existed on Earth. While coincidences like that weren't unlikely to occur, the number of cases made him suspect he wasn't the first individual or object, that traveled from Earth to the Sky Realm. It made sense, since if the method that brought him there was recorded within the Moon Cell then it meant it has been used in the past. It made him wonder, even if he had no use for it if there was a way to do the journey in reverse.
The fourth one was a girl, her apparent age similar to the boy with Almace, with long blue hair who was wearing only a white sundress with a pair of sandals, two golden forearm guards and a chest emblem with a blue gem and two golden wings.
The fifth member of the little group caused Archer's left eyebrow to join its twin. An Erune woman with long blond hair and a single braid going under her left ear, she wore a white jacket under a silver chest plate, an open white skirt around shorts and white boots with black leggings.
Most interesting however was the sword sheathed on her side. Archer needed a few instants to realize that the white and golden sword with a sparkling pink blade and the shield of similar making around the woman's left forearm were part of the same weapon, a sword and shield combination that could combine to form a greatsword. How novel, especially since it could very well become a Noble Phantasm in the future given the right circumstances. It already had a long history of being wielded by members of the same family through many generations, who refined a style-focused around the weapon, Relic of Ditoria's abilities.
Though he questioned the past wielders' naming sense. Seriously, Heavensbane and Starslayer? Those were the kind of names a kid playing make-believe would use to call his attacks with an imaginary sword.
Finally, the sixth-was that a baby dragon?!
An instant later Archer clamped down on his surprise, only a quick blinking of his eyelids giving it away. Despite having never met in person what in his old world was considered the pinnacle of the Phantasmal races, only through records and the history of some of his blades, he was keenly aware of how formidable and dangerous dragons were. In this new world, on the other hand, what he read of dragons painted them as mighty creatures that, while powerful, by his own opinion were not on the same level as those of his own world.
So there was no way the creature in front of him was a real dragon, even a baby one. His own instincts weren't classifying it as a threat, and no one else was surprised at its presence. Still, even if it only looked like a baby dragon it was still a fascinating creature.
The... cub, for a lack of better terms to use, had an orange, still scaleless skin, with the chest, abdomen, muzzle, and paws being a creamy white. Of his paws, the front ones had four claws each while the posterior ones had only three claws each. Curious, but magical creatures rarely follow the standard rules of biology. That was further demonstrated by the eyes. Not reptilian, but unnervingly human-like and possessing an intelligence on the same level. It was no mere beast, and Archer half-expected it to be capable of human speech too. Two small purple wings extended from its back, the lack of flapping despite the cub hovering in the airproof of an instinctual use of magic. The head has fox-like ears and four purple horns: two short, straight ones under the ears and two above them, flat and folded forward like the ears of some types of dog. Finally, around its neck, it had what at first glance looked like a collar, but the four precious gems set on the cross-like locket hanging from it disproved such a ludicrous idea. It was more likely a symbol of some sort, or maybe a gift.
He hoped, dragon or not dragon, that it hadn't the habit of singing. Or at least, that it wasn't as bad as that obnoxious pink-haired girl.
All of the above happened within Archer's mind in the few instants Eugen took to look back at his guests.
"Everyone, this is Archer. He's, literally so, my best man. Without him, myself and my ragtag bunch of recruits wouldn't be nearly as successful as we are."
"I see you're still good at making other people do your work for you," The guy with dark brown hair commented.
Archer raised an eyebrow, "Speaking from personal experience?"
"Sadly, yes," He answered while making a defeated face. Without a doubt, he was an old acquaintance of Eugen. Despite their relatively short time together, Archer had a good grasp of the old Agent's personality, though in the reincarnated Servant's case he would have helped even without the small manipulation.
"That aside, what happened?" Archer gestured with his chin to the three men.
"A monster appeared on the east coast," Eugen explained. "How's the situation on the west coast?"
"Cleared up. Uhm, their numbers are increasing by the day," Archer commented.
He knew that, despite being classified with the general term of 'monster', most of Auguste's animals were, even if hostile to humans, unwilling to leave their personal territories. So he doubted they somehow sensed Mizarea was suffering from a lack of fighting force and was thus less guarded, so they decided to take advantage of it. Mindless machines can keep waiting for years for a weakness to show up, animals tend to avoid unneeded troubles.
So he asked himself. Was there something that attracted them to Mizarea?
"It seems to me you need a hand," The young girl walked past Archer. "Let me help. I'm a mage."
"Oh, that would be a big help," Eugen smiled. "Then, would you take a look at some of our people in the infirmary over there?" He looked at the corridor that leads to the building's infirmary, another of Eugen's men standing on attention and ready to act as a guide.
"Sure! Let's go Vyrn!" Then, to Archer's amusement, she grabbed the cub's tail and proceeded to drag it with her.
"M-Me too?!" It replied in a childish male voice, proving Archer's theory that it could understand and speak human language. His lips turned slightly upward as he saw a being similar to a baby dragon being treated like the team's mascot.
"I also know a thing or two. I would like to help too," The female knight said.
"In that case, beautiful knight-" Archer, despite the current situation made a wry grin at Eugen's subtle-as-a-brick flirting. "Would you help Archer with the troops' training? There are too many for him to handle alone."
"I would also like to extend a helping hand," The Erune woman spoke before looking at the brown-haired guy with Almace. "If you allow it, Boss, I'll teach those guys how to gain some muscle and better protect their turf."
Archer found himself raising once again one eyebrow in surprise. Those words and that way of speaking, it was suspiciously familiar...
"You don't need my permission Yuisis," He waved her off with a smile. "If you want to join Katalina, go for it."
"I don't mind," Deciding to shelve those questions for later, Archer crossed his arms while speaking. "It means I'll have more time to warn them about shameless old men that go for girls clearly too young for them, and how they seem to abound around here."
"Go-Wait what?!" Eugen nodded, only to finally realize Archer's words and gape in shock. The others, minus the brown-haired boy and the blue-haired girl, laughed, with the man with the guns offering Archer a thumb-up of approval. "Oh, you cheeky brat! I saved your life, and that's how you repay me?"
"Of course, how unbecoming of me," Archer bowed and spoke like he was truly sorry. "Clearly, to respect the laws of hospitality one must also be willing to indulge his host's habits. Even if they're reportable and unbecoming of him."
This sparked a new round of laughter, this time with everyone save Eugen and Archer joining in. The old Agent's eyebrow was dangerously twitching. "You know Archer, I hope you had nothing planned for the next week... because you just earned all the guard and scout duties."
Archer kept smiling smugly out of sight. If that was Eugen's idea of punishment, he still had a lot left to learn about the Servant of the Bow.
"Excuse me, Mister... Archer?"
Archer looked back at Katalina, "Is that a question?"
"Ah, that's not what I mean. Sorry," She waved her hand. "I was just wondering what kind of training you're giving Eugen's agents since he admitted most of them were civilians until recently."
"I'm a follower of the School of Hard Knocks," He returned to looking ahead. "That's how I learned myself."
"School of Hard Knocks?" She mused while cupping her chin in thought. "I can't say I am familiar with it. Is it perhaps a training regime that originated here in Auguste?"
Archer snorted, a wry grin forming on his lips.
"Tough love? I approve!" Yuisis, on the other hand, looked enthusiastic. "Nothing let family members bond faster than a trial by fire together. That's how me and the Boss met after all."
"I don't really mind, but didn't Gran say just using his name or 'Captain' is fine?" Katalina reminded the Erune woman. "Wait, do you know about this 'School of Hard Knocks' Yuisis? What do things like 'tough love' and 'trial by fire' have anything to do with it?"
"It's a metaphor to indicate wisdom gained through life experience and not formal education," Archer helpfully supplied. "In this case, it means having inexperienced people fight until they pick by themselves the correct way to do it."
"Y-You're serious?!" Katalina looked back and forth between Archer and Yuisis. "I mean, I can see some of the benefits of such an approach, but wouldn't this result in injuries happening more frequently?"
"Why do you think the infirmary is full most of the time?" Looking at the knight's aghast face he waved a hand. "I jest, I jest. I leave nothing that doesn't get better after a good night of sleep. So please do the same, otherwise, your little friend will have even more work today."
Reaching for a door Archer's hand landed on the doorknob but didn't push it down. "That reminds me. if I may ask, I am correct in saying you're a crew of skyfarers who are acquaintances with Eugen?"
"That's correct. We are a crew, but only Rackam, our helmsman, has met Eugen before today," Katalina answered.
"And the one called Gran is the Captain?"
"Yes. He's young but very talented."
'You don't say. It doesn't change the fact that half of your crew is made up of kids as green as they can get, and that you trust one of the latter to make the important decisions,' Archer thought within his mind. Normally he had no reservations about speaking his impressions out loud, no matter how impolite they were.
That said, those people were strangers to him so it was no business of him how they handled themselves.
Even if they were a rather odd bunch.
With that final thought, Archer opened the door and stepped into the outside area designed as a training ground. Already a good number of Eugen's agents were waiting there, all of them gulping when they caught sight of Archer smiling.
"Good day everyone. I see you're all in good spirits. That's great since you will need it."
Rackam, exhausted after a day of hard work, let himself fall down on the couch. Leaning back until he was facing the ceiling and his arms were hanging behind the couch's top edge, he released a sigh while marveling at the softness of the piece of furniture.
"You people need to take better care of your ships," Rackam complained which Eugen laughed at.
"The thing is, we're suffering from a labor shortage," Taking two glasses he filled them with a strong drink.
"So that was your intention then. Bring us here and put us to work?" Rackam looked up with an offended expression.
The older man held out one of the glasses, "After all the things I did for you, it won't kill you to return the favor."
"I thought I already did it after slaving away on your ship for years," The helmsman's offended expression crumbled as he took the glass. "You're as crafty as ever, old man."
"Can't say the same of you, Rackam. You changed," Eugen sat down on the opposite chair. When Rackam made a confused sound he continued with a serious expression. "Why did you put that kid in charge of the Grandcypher? Entrusting somebody else with that ship, that's not the old Rackam I knew."
"I'm not cut out to be a captain," He replied with a self-deprecating smile.
"That's it?"
Rackam turned to look out of the window with a nostalgic expression. "He said he's always wanted to be a skyfarer... to see the end of the sky with his own eyes. The kid's so straight-laced it's naïve."
He shrugged. "So I guess I can't help but want to give him a hand..."
"Oh?" Eugen leaned back on the chair with an amused smile. "I see, I see."
"What?" Rackam asked, not liking the other man's tone.
"You've joined the ranks of us old men," Eugen replied with an almost proud tone before drinking from his glass.
"Tch," Rackam clicked his tongue. "Don't put me in the same boat as you. I wasn't the one being made fun of by a younger guy."
He took a sip from his drink. "A sharp tongue, that Archer guy. Where did you find him?"
Eugen's lips twitched in irritation before he decided the drink in his hand took precedence, "Floating in the ocean unconscious. Almost missed him, really."
"Is that how you saved his life?" He mused, one hand stroking his chin. "When I was repairing the ships, the people there knew exactly what was wrong, they just lacked the expertise to fix the problems. When I asked how they knew, they told me it was Archer who identified the problems."
"That's how he is. Fighting, repairing things... even cooking. He can perform almost any task, some better than others," Eugen revealed. "And among us, he's also the one who works the hardest. At times I think he is a blessing sent by Lord Leviathan."
"Sound like a handy guy to have around," Rackam took another sip. "Is Archer his real name, or just a nickname he got stuck with?"
"That's the only name he responds to," Eugen's mood turned contemplative. "When I asked about it for the first time he told me, and I quote, 'Names are for people that really matter. Me, I'm just a simple Archer'."
"Hah?" The Grandcypher's helmsmen raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"I had the same reaction," The old Agent chuckled. "It took some time, but he eventually admitted that he had a name, but now it's gone. Along with his past."
"...Amnesia?"
"I thought so at first, but I don't think that's it. Rather..." Eugen looked out of the window. "I have the feeling he was burdened so much from his past weighing down on him that, at one point, he decided it was just better to cut off his ties with everything. Even his own name."
"...You say that, but isn't it a rather extreme thing to do?" Rackam commented in disbelief.
"As I said, it's just a feeling," He took another sip from his drink, deciding to not mention why he felt that way.
Namely, that at times Archer's eyes looked even older than his own.
Io chose that moment to walk into the room, a tired Vyrn following after her, "We're done now!"
"I'm beat..." Vyrn whined.
"Oh, I appreciate the help," Eugen smiled, not feeling like burdening the young girl with the previous somber topic. "Go take a load off now, it's almost time for dinner. We're gonna eat good tonight, so wait a bit."
"Oh? Are you cooking, old man?" Rackam wondered. Going by what he remembered Eugen's food wasn't half bad.
"Nah, Archer's doing it," Eugen grinned. "He elected the kitchen as his own personal realm, but nobody's complaining since we get to eat like nobles every day."
"Sheesh, you weren't kidding when you said he can do it all."
"I can help with the cooking," Io added, still feeling energetic.
"Thanks, but that lady knight and blonde girl already volunteered, so it should be alright."
Rackam, who was finishing his drink, spit out the liquid in his mouth at those words while Io and Vyrn gaped. "You let Katalina into the kitchen?!"
"Are you insane old man?" Rackam accused.
"Uh?" Eugen blinked in confusion. "What's the problem?"
Rackam, Io and Vyrn looked at each other with resigned faces, "This is gonna be a disaster."
Archer scooped up some of the soup with a spoon and brought it to his mouth.
"Well?" Katalina asked in anticipation, Yuisis waiting to the side with some apprehension. All three of them were wearing aprons. "How is it?"
He finished the sample of soup and lowered the spoon, a neutral look on his features. "How to say it... your soup would have huge success if served to a potential customer during a dealing."
"Because it's so good it would put him in a good mood?"
Archer smiled for exactly one second before sneering, "No, because he would agree even to selling his firstborn if it means never tasting this again."
Katalina gaped in shock before making an affronted face, "Come on! It can't be that bad!"
Taking another spoon she scooped up more of the soup and put it in her mouth.
Archer dispassionately watched as the female knight violently retched into the kitchen sink, her back rubbed by a concerned Yuisis, before putting a lid over the pot with the soup.
"Inedibility aside, this isn't too bad. I saw worse."
Both women stared at him.
Archer smiled wryly, "Compared to burning the water, everyone has a serious chance of improving."
Katalina went to sulk in a corner.
"I was praising you, you know," He remarked with a shrug. "When you're done, Miss Katalina, wash your hands again and peel the potatoes. Miss Yuisis, can you cut the-"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The three of them froze at the sound of repeated cannon fire. Then immediately after that, they leaped to the window, Archer arriving first.
There, hovering above the docks, three black airships were firing their main pieces at Mizarea's buildings.
"Those are battleships from the Empire!" Katalina shouted. "Lyria!"
Archer jumped.
All Katalina could see was the flutter of Archer's apron suspended in the air, gravity having yet to get a grasp on it, before a loud cracking sound made her aware the red-clad man was now crouching down atop the rooftop of the opposite building, more than twenty meters away.
Archer was unaware of it as he opened his magic circuits and let prana flow through his muscles and bones to cast a full-body Reinforcement, increasing even more the already superhuman abilities of a Servant's body. During the Holy Grail War, it was the only way for him to stand up to more powerful and skilled enemy Servants until his Master did enough Alterations of the Soul, and even after that, it was too good of an advantage to pass upon.
It was, after all, how he fought even before becoming a Heroic Spirit.
He leaped forward from his crouched position, soaring in the air towards a suspended bridge like a bullet. There only his right foot made contact with the bridge's surface before he jumped to another building and repeated the process a few more times, each step touching a different structure. When he reached a tall enough tower he ran up the wall, using his high moving speed and the available ledges to avoid falling down due to the effects of gravity.
Reaching the top he hoisted himself up with one hand to blow off momentum, balancing himself perfectly on the surface no larger than both of his feet put together and casting his hawk-like gaze at the attacking battleships and the area around them.
'Targets: three battle-class airships. They bear the Erste Empire's flag. Possibility of deception? Low. The main armaments are eighteen cannons on each side. Armor... irrelevant. A blitzkrieg tactic? Absurd, they cannot occupy Mizarea with the personnel of only three ships-oh?"
His gaze moved to the port, where a fourth battleship was docked in front of a building used to host the merchant guild's meetings.
'Additional targets: thirteen members of Erste Army. One of them displays the rank of Captain, the rest are simple soldiers. Sixteen hostages, two injured with no obvious bleeding. The Erste Captain is currently engaged in conversation with the blue-haired girl that is part of Miss Katalina's crew. Body language suggests she is there against her will. Chances of the attack being a smokescreen... high.'
He spread his left arm to the side, fingers cupped as if ready to grasp something.
"Trace, on."
"You'll cooperate with us, for the sake of those people," Pommern commanded with his saccharine voice, completely confident in his control over the situation. He looked from the captured Mizarea citizens to Lyria, waiting for her answer.
The blue-haired girl, despite being obviously scared and concerned for the hostages, nonetheless replied with a firm tone, "I don't want to go with you!"
"Oh?" He drawled, obviously amused at the defiance. "Then, tell me... what do you want to do?"
She stared at him in the eyes, "I want to continue our journey, with Gran, Katalina, and everyone else!"
"A journey, is it? I'm afraid I can neither grant nor allow you that wish."
"Why?!"
"That's because you're-"
A bolt of light came down from the sky and hit the docked battleship, the following explosion drowning out whatever Pommern was about to say.
"What?! This can't be!" He cried when the explosion died down, revealing the battleship's engines were completely destroyed with unnerving accuracy. Looking back at Mizarea, he barely managed to catch three identical bolts of light leaving the top of a distant tower and striking the other airships, making them lose altitude. "This can't be! This-"
One airship, which was falling towards the city instead of the ocean, was then sieged by a barrage of smaller bolts and torn apart by explosions until only smoke and ash remained of it.
"Can't... be..." The gun fell from Pommern's shaky fingers, his eyes wide like saucers as he saw the entirety of his forces were being annihilated in mere seconds. Everyone else present had a similar reaction, though due to different feelings. Incredulity for the Erste soldiers and relief for the hostages.
"Lyria!" That was when Gran rushed into the scene, fighting past the enemy soldiers to reach the blue-haired girl. "Lyria!"
"Gran!" She shouted back.
"You again? It's one annoyance after the other," Pommern grinded his teeth together. "Soldiers! Elimi-"
Two spinning disks came down from the sky and swept through the soldiers that weren't fighting Gran, slicing through armors and weapons alike as if they were made of mere paper. With a mighty leap, someone jumped from the nearby building and landed in front of the hostages, rising up to reveal the figure of Archer.
The spinning disks flew back towards him. He merely spread his arms and caught them, revealing a pair of short swords. They were identical save for the color, with one being black with a red tortoise shell pattern and the other being white.
"I thought the Empire wouldn't sink so low as to attack a city full of civilians," The red-clad man began with a condescending tone as he slowly walked towards Pommern. "I was wrong."
"W-Who are you?" The Erste Captain stammered.
Archer shrugged, his lips curling into a mocking smile, "Nobody of importance."
"You bastard!" The perceived insult filled Pommern with rage. Raising a hand, he signaled to an Imperial Mage to step forward. "Remove those pests from my sight!"
The mage nodded before Kanshou's hilt smashed into his face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious before continuing its path.
"I suggest you stay down," Archer lowered his arm. "Lyria, was it? If you could retreat behind me it would make my work easier."
"Ah! Yes!" She ran to him and deeply bowed. "Thank you!"
Then she continued past him to join Gran.
"Wait!" Pommern moved to stop her, only to recoil when Archer raised Bakuya in a threatening manner. "You bastard, are you aware you're interfering in the official business of the Erste Empire?"
He raised an eyebrow in mock confusion. "Erste now makes its official business endangering civilians and kidnapping girls? Color me... unimpressed."
"A girl? Don't be fooled by her deceiving appearance!" Pommern raged. "That's not a girl, but a tool that belongs to Erste! It's our right to get it back!"
"You're delusional, or maybe deranged. Either way, your words mean nothing to me," Archer coldly replied.
Behind Pommern, the spinning Kanshou made a U-turn, its link with Bakuya calling the sword back.
"Then I will use a more persuasive argument!" Pommern took out from a pouch a glass tube, a purple gem floating inside, and raised it in the air. "Behold! The proof of Erste's superiority!"
Kanshou severed Pommern's hand, the limb and the glass tube falling to the ground while Archer calmly caught the sword.
"YYYYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHH!"
Ignoring the screaming Pommern, Archer knelled down to inspect the glass tube with the purple gem inside. It was not a sword, but what he could gleam was enough to give him a general idea of the tool's purpose.
"Is this what Erste is trying to do? Reclaiming the Astrals' bloody inheritance? You're nothing but fools."
He stood up and put a foot over the tube before crushing it.
Pommern stared aghast at his destroyed Dark Crystal. Forgetting for one moment his bleeding stump he looked up at Archer, only to freeze at the reincarnated Servant's merciless glare.
"Run, little man."
The Erste Captain found himself obeying the order, fear filling his brain so thoroughly he even forgot to pick up his severed hand.
"Clench your teeth," Archer warned.
The young man gave a shaky nod before closing his eyes and following Archer's advice.
"At my three. One-" He pushed, setting back the broken bone into its place. The young man gave a breathless gasp.
"It hurts less when one doesn't expect it," He said as an apology to the young man.
Using wooden sticks and bandages, he made a makeshift cast before leaving his patient to rest. Though, even if he said 'patient' the reality was that all Archer could offer was first-aid. He wasn't a doctor and among the items stored within his Reality Marble those that can heal only worked for him since he traced them.
A sword, after all, was a tool to hurt others, not heal them. Something as convenient as a sword whose blows heal instead of destroying doesn't exist.
As he walked down the corridor his gaze swept among the injured people, resting on makeshift beds while the mages who knew healing spells assisted them to the best of their abilities. Not many of them were left in Mizarea after the start of the war, and by Archer's estimate, they would be barely enough to take care of the injured.
For those that didn't make it, all he could do was offer a short prayer before moving on.
"Sir Archer!" Zahlhamelina's voice came from ahead, followed shortly by the Harvin hastily walking up to the bowman.
"Lady Zahlhamelina," He greeted her. "I'm happy to see you're unharmed."
"I was outside the city when it happened. I ran back as fast as I could," He explained with a sorrowful gaze, likely for not being there to help in time. "I see there are many injured, I would like to offer my assistance."
"You can also heal with your powers, right? That would be very helpful."
"Archer?" One of Eugen's men approached him. "The Boss wants to see you in his room."
"Got it," Leaving the Sun Priestess with the other healers, he walked up the stairs to the building's third floor.
"-Sorry." When he reached the door to Eugen's room he found it half-open, Lyria's voice coming out of it. "The Empire... they attacked the city because of me."
"None of that young lady," Came Eugen's stern but kind voice. "I told you, it's fine. Erste would have attacked sooner or later even without your presence."
'The question is, why is Erste so interested in her?' Archer wondered. There was something fishy going on and his best bet to find out the truth was to stick closer to those who at the center of the mystery.
He knocked on the door before opening it and walking inside. The crew's members and Eugen were gathered around a table, a map of Auguste spread open above it.
"Did you want to see me?" asked Archer.
"That's right. Say, Archer, do you have any idea where the origin of the ocean's pollution is?" Eugen asked. "We're planning to stop it and foil the Empire's plans as payback."
He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "Well, I'm 80% certain I know where the source is."
"Real-Wait what!" Everyone blinked in confusion. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I was planning to do so during dinner. I got the confirmation I needed only today," Reaching the table, he traced with his index finger the profile of a few shores.
"Those are the places where most of the pollution was found. And those-" He gestured to the lines traced within the part of the map that represents the ocean. "Are the sea currents that operate there. In theory, by combining the two sources of data it's possible to calculate the most likely place where the pollution originates from."
"Yes, but only in theory," Eugen frowned. "I had that area scouted more than one time, but nobody ever found anything."
"That's because they were not searching in the right place."
The old Agent's lone eye blinked. "What do you mean with that?"
"They searched for the Empire's presence on the mainland, and never once thought-" The bowman tapped the map. "To look underwater."
"Underwater?" Rackam frowned before his eyes widened. "No way! You mean-"
"Yes," Archer grinned. "The pollution's source is almost certainly located within a sea cave."