Double whammy! Didn't expect that, did you? I really don't know how I managed to pop all of this out, my fingers just couldn't stop moving and there were so many things that I had to reveal to you guys. Considering the number of characters, the chapters might not even advance the plot and just show off how the characters are bonding like in this chapter. Many twists in this one! That I really hope you guys enjoy. Anyway, on with the chapter!
"How goes the preparations for the Hanging Gardens, your Highness?" Shirou Kotomine, priest and representative of the Holy Church, questioned his servant with his usual pleasant smile.
"I believe that I had ordered you not to bother me about that anymore." The Queen of Assyria, Semiramis, said as she enjoyed the pleasant sound of music that floated throughout their base.
"I must admit that this Caster is quite an incredible musician, I would have enjoyed it had he been alive in my time." She gave a pleased as the last note of the Symphony No. 40 resounded through her whole body.
Shirou laughed gently, giving a nod of agreement. "I must agree with you on that, that prodigious man's works would have certainly made life more entertaining had they existed in my time." He gave a disappointed sigh and a mock saddened look. "How sad for us to be only a century apart in terms of era."
The sounds of robes rustling told them that the subject of their discussion had decided to join them in their little private talk. "My~ I am pleased to find that there are still those that would be capable of seeing the true genius that hides behind my compositions." A small ghost-like familiar followed Caster and jotted down notes on a piece of paper as the man whispered phrases and intonations to it, the idea of writing a new opera recounting the story of this Grail War striking his fancy. Such was the skill of a prodigious genius of immeasurable talent.
"I am glad to see you join us, Mozart." Shirou said with a small smile, he enjoyed the presence of the man, his dry wit and passion for music were quite entertaining.
"I would say that I am pleased to be in your presence, but that would be a very bold lie." The revealed musical genius of the 18th century smirked slightly as the priest did not even twitch at his rudeness. "But it is quite a pleasure to be in the presence of the Queen of Assyria herself."
Semiramis smirked in amusement at the small banter, it was quite the sight after all. "This queen finds your music to be splendid, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart."
Mozart, taking off his hat, bowed flamboyantly at her majesty. "My thanks, my lady." Mozart turns to look at Shirou with narrowed eyes. "I must ask, why have you persistently tried to keep me away from any source of modern music? I am quite curious to see how music has evolved in this modern era."
Shirou tilted his head in confusion at his words, truthfully perplexed at what he was saying. "Whatever might you mean? I did no such thing to my knowledge." He said with a raised eyebrow.
Caster sighed and nodded, seemingly understanding something. "It seems that it was not you either. Somebody has entered my room and stolen all of those...DVDs? That I had acquired so that I could...analyze modern music." The platinum blond stood up straight and rubbed his temple in annoyance.
"I'm sure that you will find them if you keep searching." Shirou said, a gentle smile still on his face.
"I certainly hope so, I did not compose a Sonata for my master just so that I could lose what I gained from it." He said with a disdainful look on his face. "Very well, I shall return to my search, have a pleasant day, fake priest, Queen of Assyria. Call for me should you need my assistance in a matter of musicality." The musician turned around and exited the throne room, his ghost-like familiar still following behind him.
When the doors were firmly closed behind him, Shirou turned to the Assyrian queen, an amused smile on his face. "You were the one to steal the DVDs he bought, weren't you?" He accused her, no spite or anger in his voice, only amusement.
"I do not see what you are talking about, Priest. I was simply...making sure that a musician of his talent did not have his ears sullied by this common trash that is the modern world's music." She said with a devilish smirk covering her lips.
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"Saber, tell me your true name." The order was said immediately as the door was closed behind them, activating the bounded field that stopped any sound from escaping his room. A precaution against the other masters in the Fortress of Millenia.
"Are you certain of your choice, master? I would advise that you not know my true name in case of any mental attacks that may divulge my identity to the enemy." Saber said, his words cold and tactical.
Gordes slowly sat down in his comfortable recliner and sighed, pondering over his servant's words. He had decided that even if he did see his servant as just a tool, he was an incredibly powerful and knowledgeable tool. As such, he would take his words seriously and listen to his ideas and suggestions.
"I will...reluctantly agree with your words. The risks of the enemy caster peering into my mind would be too great and it would be better for your name to remain unknown, even if there are only two options to who you could be, considering the catalyst I used." Gordes waved at one of his homunculi, telling him to pour them both a glass of wine.
"Sit, Saber." He said, motioning at the chair in front of him. The man complied and sat down, his posture was still straight and ready to react at a moment's notice.
"My name is Gordes Musik Yggdmillenia." He said casually, taking a sip from his glass of wine. "And to tell you the truth, I see you as nothing more than a weapon, a tool to be used so that I can elevate myself further in the hierarchy of the Yggdmillenia family. No...to call it a family would be wrong. It is more of a clan than anything else." He said lightly, revealing the full truth to his servant.
"That is what I had deducted from how you had been looking at me, yes. I see no wrong in such a view. You are the master, I am the servant, there is no room for anything more between us." Saber said, his cold efficiency sending shivers down Gordes' spine.
"Hmph. Good. I had hoped that I would not summon one of those knights in shining armour. It is good to see that I have summoned a pragmatic king instead." Gordes' theory seemed to be correct. He had known the Saber's identity from the beginning due to having studied Siegfried and Sigurd's legends extensively. Siegfried was said to be unable to be able to wear anything that would cover the weak spot in his back, but the man before him was wearing a shirt that completely covered his back.
Furthermore, this man's personality could not be farther from what Siegfried's had been described to be, a selfless knight that was more akin to a walking wish-granting machine, while this man, Sigurd, was a cold and efficient king that had earned through multiple harsh trials the title of King of Warriors.
His thoughts were interrupted by a chuckle. At first, he thought that one of his homunculi had become defective but he was proven wrong when he noticed that it was Saber that was laughing.
"And what is so funny, Saber?" The alchemist asked with narrowed eyes, he did not appreciate being mocked.
"Please, excuse my rudeness, master." Saber apologized as he got his chuckling under control. "I am simply impressed by your deductive skills, master." The light bounced off of his glasses, hiding them from sight.
Gordes chuckled lightly and relaxed once more. "Saber, I have one last question to ask you before I retire for the night."
Saber looked up from his almost empty glass of wine with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"
"What is your wish?"
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"Assassin really has some nice drinks stored up in here, am I right, Archer?" A green-haired man wearing greek-styled armour shouted out with a grin, wrapping his arm around his fellow servant's neck amicably.
"Ah, yes. They're great!" The tan-skinned man said with a sheepish chuckle.
Rider sighed and seemed to calm down, looking at his comrade with narrowed eyes. "You're suspicious too, huh?"
Archer nodded, a sigh escaping his lips as he thought about their situation. "I find it strange that our masters would leave us in the hands of this priest and remain in hiding." He said with a worried tone.
Rider chuckled slightly, patting his new friend on the back. "You're a real hero, ain't ya?"
Archer grinned and gave him a thumbs-up, his usual energy returning to him as he tried to put his worried thoughts behind him. "Heroes are what you call people who get the job done when the time comes, right? It's still pretty confusing to me." He said with a chuckle.
Rider shrugged, not really caring. "I don't know, but that's what people call us so that's what we are...probably." He ended up laughing at his own words, Archer joining in after a moment.
"But still, to think that I would get the chance to fight alongside the great Achilles." Archer said with a huge grin as he took a swig from his mug of beer.
"Imagine my reaction when I learned I would be fighting alongside the great hero of Persia, Arash!" He responded, jabbing his friend in the rib with an amused grin.
Arash laughed boisterously at his words and waved him off dismissive of his own fame. "Bah! And to have Karna of the Mahabharata join us as well!" He yelled out, dragging the Lancer that had been quietly sitting next to them closer, making him drop his drink and look at it with a sad look.
The lion-eared and tailed Berserker sitting further away from them just sighed in discouragement. "Morons." She muttered under her breath.
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Archer was confused. Usually, women he tended to meet did everything in their power to earn his favour. Some of them offering gold, others prestige, and some even offering to bear his children. So he was understandably confused when his master just sat at the table in her room and sipped some tea, her disappointment at the tea quite obvious on her face.
He had nothing against it, of course, he adored being in silence and solitude after all, but this was slightly disconcerting. To have a better chance of winning the war, they would have to be able to communicate. He sighed silently and decided to do his duty as her servant.
"You have yet to tell me your name, master." He stated clearly, his eye narrowing in confusion as he saw his master's victorious smirk.
"Neither have you, Archer." She said, smug smirk still in place in her beautiful visage. He had to admit that she was quite a beautiful young girl. Many men would have fought each other for the right to ask for her hand in his time.
"Very well, Equivalent Exchange is what mages live by, correct?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Then shall we exchange names?"
His master seemed to consider his words for a second, though it was obvious that she was just messing with him.
"Okay then. Let's exchange names, you first." She said finally, leaning back into her seat with a small smirk. This was pretty funny to her.
"Very well. I am Arjuna of the Pandavas, the Endowed Hero." He answered as he bowed to his master. "Please, use me to my fullest capabilities."
His master smirked once more, he couldn't help but wonder if that was the only facial expression she was able to do, and stood up as well.
"I guess, it's my turn then." She said, her twin-tailed hair swinging along to her movement. Powerful blue eyes bore into his with a sheer ferocity that would not be out of place on the face of a Goddess of War.
"My name is Rin Tohsaka and my goal is to kill Darnic Preston Yggdmillenia."
Don't kill me yet, Lore Nazis! I have a reason for this! This is obviously an AU so I'll explain stuff later on. Anyway, please review, favorite and follow! And small precision for the omake stuff: I will choose who will get the omake on the fourth chapter and the omake will be released in the fifth chapter.