Second Night (3)
"You know this is a bad idea, right?"
"Of course it is. But I can't just ignore the first attempt the Clocktower has made at correspondence because it's a bad idea. I'll be lucky if they just decide to pretend I don't exist after the fact, never mind take actual steps to investigate and replace me. You're not a Magus, you're a Servant. Act like one, keep me safe and let me do the thinking."
"You do all the thinking? Now that sounds like an actual bad idea..."
Rin fought down the desire to use another Command Seal to shut her Servant up and instead just grit her teeth and ignored him.
Of all the rotten luck...she had hoped to summon a Saber by using a gemstone infused with enough energy to choke a Dragon but instead ended up with an amnesiac Archer who had apparently made it his life's duty after death to annoy her to tears.
Not the best of starts to the Grail War.
And then there was the communique from the Clocktower itself, instructing her-as the Magus landowner of Fuyuki proper-to meet with three others and then work together with them while under the watch of an Enforcer.
No details, no hints, no listed identities...only a location and a time.
It was causing her nerves to tingle and freeze, even if she'd never admit that out loud to anyone. She knew the work Enforcers ended up in was never clean by any stretch of the imagination.
"Well, here we are. The perfect, exposed killzone that would leave us right where out enemies would prefer us."
"Are you ever not a sarcastic jerk?"
"Sometimes. Now is not sometime, seeing as how you're putting both of us at risk."
Gritting her teeth Rin swallowed her pride in favor of making the Servant seal his mouth, explaining, "The Clocktower has no stake in my survival or death, bringing me into an ambush where both an Enforcer and four additional Magi could take me down would be a deception and expenditure of effort that, quite frankly, they would never bother bringing to bear. Whatever it is they want me to hear, it's legitimate."
To her relief that seemed to shut down the snarkiness of her Servant, the Magus instead smoothing out her coat, fixing minute creases that didn't actually exist-
"Oh hoh hoh, such humble and subdued words! Are the mighty Tohsakas so reduced in pride and stature that they consider themselves beneath the notice of the Mage's Association?"
The rich, confident and feminine tones of a newcomer immediately set Rin's blood boiling as she whirled around, facing the pair of approaching figures with a polite smile that wouldn't have fooled a blind man.
"You would equate having a grounded sense of one's place in the wide world as a sign of weakness? Spoken like one who has an overinflated sense of self-worth and must bark to make up for a lack of bite."
The mystery lady was revealed to be an admittedly attractive young woman with ornately styled blond hair, blue robes and winning smile that had only turned slightly malicious at Rin's rebuttal, the suit-wearing individual behind them small in stature but clear in pose.
"Oh I wouldn't worry your pretty little head, Tohsaka. This is a war and this partnership of ours won't last forever. We shall be able to settle the matter of who the louder mutt is soon enough."
Rin immediately decided she didn't like this new girl, scowling as her opposite merely smiled gracefully, simpering and turning her attention away from the Japanese Magus as Rin returned the gesture with a quiet 'hmph'!
"Well this is different..."
Rin blinked, caught off guard by Archer's mutter and was about to ask if maybe he'd remembered something when a new voice sounded out.
"I suppose I should just be grateful that you two didn't begin fighting right off the bat...wonderful, they give me two little girls to work with..."
Rin felt her eye twitch as yet another dismissive and outright rude individual made their presence known, trying very hard not to tell Archer to start attacking people.
At least this one was somewhat professional looking, with a sharp tuxedo and cropped hairline, concealing gym bag thrown over her shoulder while she strode with purpose in her steps.
"Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the heart of the matter. First, introductions. I'm an Enforcer, Bazett Fraga Mcremitz and Master of Lancer."
Her Servant manifested in a muted haze of blue light, a striking man with blue bodysuit and crimson spear, feral grin adorning his lips.
"You, the one with blonde hair, you're nex-"
"Ah that's no fun! C'mon, Bazett...we're all friends here right? None of this secrecy crap."
Turning to the group at large as the Enforcer covered her face with a gloved palm the Lancer stated, "Cú Chulainn at your service, ladies!"
Rin blinked at the giveaway of the Servant's true name, gawking at the fact that he would so easily give it up.
…
More importantly, what was she supposed to do?! Her Servant professed to not even knowing who he was!
Hiding her inward panic she kept a stoic demeanor as the blonde bimbo proudly stepped forward, announcing, "I am Luviagelita Edelfelt and this is my Servant, Saber. Saber, darling? Since we are evidently doing so why not introduce yourself?"
Nodding in acceptance the smaller woman stepped forth, Rin only paying half-attention as she recognized the name instantly.
Edelfelt...another practitioner of gem Magecraft.
"My true name is King Arthur, I look forward to our alliance."
…
Rin resisted the urge to tear her hair out.
Not only was the Edelfelt a direct competitor to her line of magecraft she also had summoned Saber! And not just any Saber, apparently she had gotten one of the most famous heroes the world over!
DAMMIT!
The young woman resisted the urge to flinch as all eyes rested on her, Archer silently manifesting alongside her with a smug smile that she dearly wished she had the strength to punch upside down.
"I am Rin Tohsaka, landowner of Fuyuki City...and this is my Servant Archer. Archer, go ahead and tell them your true name."
Silence.
"Archer? Name."
"I cannot provide what I don't possess, Master."
Fighting down the urge to scream the Enforcer frowned, asking, "What do you mean? All Servants have a true name."
"They do. I just can't seem to remember mine. All I have are my fighting skills and that's it."
More silence reigned...and then Luviagelita began to laugh, condescension clear in her tone.
"Oh hoh hoh! Why, Tohsaka, in order to summon a Servant of the knight class you had to perform the summon in such a manner that left the poor dear with no knowledge of his true self? A rather dismal showing for the heir of one of the founding families, oh hoh hoh!"
…
Rin wasn't sure who she wanted to stab more. Her Servant, the blonde gorilla or herself.
And the Servants didn't seem too keen on this turn of events either, the two glaring at her Archer with varying levels of suspicion...even a bit of dislike for the Lancer.
"You know what? I don't think you and I are going to get along very well."
"And that just breaks my heart. Truly, it does."
Archer's sardonic retort caused Cú Chulainn to spit in clear distaste while King Arthur merely arched an eyebrow, Rin fighting back tears at how quickly everything-mainly her first impression-had gone wrong.
"Enough, we're meant to be working on this assignment together. Miss Tohsaka, do we have your permission to use your home as the base of our operations? It's an already established residence with no shortage of bounded fields, correct?"
Rin frowned, replying, "Yes, it is...but-"
"While I can't speak for Miss Edelfelt, if it's the safety of your workshop you're concerned about I'll gladly sign a Geas Contract of your design to not set foot in it under any circumstances for the duration of the war."
Blinking at the correct interpretation of her anxieties Rin glanced at the blonde gorilla-
"Hmph! I am not so low as to use the cover of war to raid another's private property. Besides, if her performance thus far is an indicator of things examining Tohsaka's workshop would be a waste of time."
-and felt the uncontrollable urge to throttle her within an inch of her life.
Huffing out an exasperated breath Rin asked, "While I would be amenable to such an agreement...may I ask why you seem to be in such a rush?"
"Because time is of the essence. This assignment was handed down by both the Wizard Marshall and Director themselves, to be completed by any means necessary."
Rin felt her throat dry and even Edelfelt sobered somewhat...oddly, Archer as well seemed to narrow his gaze.
"A number of strange events have already cropped up around this war. The Einzbern and Matou masters were unable to be reached and when news of this assignment was sent to the Church overseer of the fifth war...he was discovered to be dead."
Bazett's expression tightened as Rin's jaw dropped, caught off guard by the news she hadn't even been aware of. That lousy priest...was dead?
"That man was something of a mentor to me and he wouldn't have gone down easy...more to the point, it wasn't any of the Masters who did the deed."
Rin's eyes flickered back-and-forth, quickly asking, "When, when did this happen? I just spoke to Kotomine not more than a few hours ago and he was fine, announcing the start of the war and everything!"
Unleashing a sigh of frustration the Enforcer ran a hand through her hair, replying, "Yes, well...the new Overseer is said to be arriving either tonight or tomorrow, we'll have to contact them at that time and not a moment later."
Rin bit her lip, asking, "As interesting as this is, Miss McRemitz...this hardly seems something that would draw the attention of the Wizard Marshall and Director."
"And you'd be right, little lady. Get a load of this."
Cú Chulainn's joking tone caused Rin to frown, Bazett neutrally stating, "We figured out the identity of the last Master to join the war. It's the 26th Dead Apostle Ancestor, Cato Flavius. The Mystic Eye Collector."
…
Rin was really considering her involvement in this, to put it bluntly, absolute CLUSTERFUCK of a war.
Something something 26th assumed locked away by Church yeah I know something something.
Gonna need Unlimited Garlic Works for this one.
