AN: Fixed the chapter, thank you for pointing it out.

Chapter 44: The Pale Man

Somewhere in a tall building. Inside of the office lay a carefree man in a formal black suit, fitting for his black heart and ghost white hair. His eyes, there is no shine on them, as if the owner of those eyes id dead, deader than any being and yet such great dissonance against his lively grin. He was chuckling over something no one can ever get it. In his cold, hard hand, he was playing with two pair of domino; grasping and kneading them as if he wanted feel its texture.

Ellen Mira Mathers was beside her in a formal suit, fitting for a secretary. The man was also the owner of DEM Industries. In her arms were various documents for various things. The man, also known as Sir Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott, was getting bored over it.

"Tell me, Ellen. How's the retrieval of the one named Tohka Yahtogami?" He looked at her with those dead eyes and it made Ellen, the self-proclaimed strongest wizard, gulped in fear. Ellen didn't fear for him if he overcome him on the spot but rather she was scared of the capabilities of this man. Many called him a tactician, others a genius, but for Ellen, he is a madman and being bored can make him more dangerous.

Westcott has no ethics to follow up and would gladly slay a man on the spot. The thing that made him human was his admonishing desire to be close to people for he has an alienic mindset.

"It ended in failure, sir." Ellen looked down in shame. "The Arbatel ship was gone and its crews are dead. No wreckage or bodies to be found, as if they just cease to exist."

The man just looked at her twice before minding his own business. "Gone like a wind, huh? That's new. Retrieval of Tohka Yahtogami was also a failure." He concluded with his nonchalant.

Then he just squinted his eyes and was amused. "…Interesting."

"W-What is it, Sir?"

"Ellen, I know that you gave everything you can in order to initiate the kidnapping of Miss Tohka and did you know what that means?"

"A hidden organization was behind in ensuring her safetly and health. This puts a piece in a puzzle. Ratatoskr really existed to undermine our value; we hunt Spirits while they rescue Spirits. Imagine that."

"I-I see."

"The Ratatoskr are always on the move. It seemed my dear old friend loves having a competition."

"Yes, it is." Ellen has no other choice but to reply.

Then Wescott look at her with an amusing smile. "The project that involves Tohka can be set aside or not depending on your move, as long as it doesn't set off my mood."

"Yes, sir." Ellen said abruptly.

Then he took something out of his pocket and took two pictures out of it. Upon seeing it, he just let out a chuckle and sighed softly.

"We have a lot of eccentric individuals lately but my friend, this one takes the cake." He commented as he looked down. Even in a poor lighting inside of his office, the picture clearly showed to be a figure of Ritsuka.

Unpredictability. This is how he interpreted this figure.

"I wonder where you fit though…[Conqueror]."

Ishtar was sipping a tea uncomfortably while closing her eyes, as her mind was rather busy at the moment. It seemed that she needed a moment of peace at this moment, amidst the chaos she or she might not have created. Both Ishtar and Ereshkigal were sitting facing Ritsuka's side while each other side; on their right side were Shidou, Yoshino and the Yamai twins while on their left side was Tohka, Origami, Kotori and Reine.

Origami, Yoshino and Tohka were already in maid uniform. Cute maid uniforms.

"I just want to defend Shidou's decision in honoring the consequences he was getting to out of we losing the game with them." Ishtar said confidently as she pointed out the Yamai twins.

"…and the bet was that Shidou will be serving you in a butler uniform?" Kotori was rather grumpy at that moment.

"…Temporarily. We, the Tohsaka twins and Shidou Itsuka both agree to have him serve me 'till this weekend as it is rather inconvenient to both of us." Ereshkigal supplied the latter.

"Hmm. If that's the case, why didn't he consult about this thing to me?" She glared at Shidou, who immediately, avoided her terror-stricken glare. Even though he just pretended to look away, his hands trembled.

Ishtar just waved her off. "So the little sister is concerned for her big bro, am I right?"

Kotori's stature was immediately disturbed and her face sported a blush redder than a beet. Her words were immediately slurred like a drunk and she now stammered when she talked.

"W-what the hell are you talking about?!" Kotori was now purely defensive. "As her sister, I am concerned that brother might bot be 100% effective to his current job."

Ishtar became suspicious. "Oh, I see." She repeated tap her chin "Shidou has a tsundere sister, eh." She muttered.

"I hear that!" Kotori exclaimed as she pointed Ishtar, who just giggling in scrutiny. Then she just sipped her hot tea.

Eventually, Ritsukastood up from her seat and approached Ishtar quietly, while she the tablet in her hands. At that time, she carried the tablet when going outside her dorm when suddenly Tohka pulled her away. Tohka has a good strength by the way and the rest is history.

Ritsuka was still approaching to Ishtar when the Red Devil of Venus was still sipping her tea. She didn't notice her Master was now near at her when she saw something on the tablet. When Ishtar looked at it, she just blew her tea away and coughed uncontrollably.

"Look Ainu! The headline says that the planet Venus dimmed for the first time of the history! Interesting isn't?" Ritsuka said it all innocently and with a shit eating grin.

"Y-Yeah, Ritsuka-san, t-that's strange…" Ishtar guessed that it something related to her using the Noble Phantasm back when they are on the island. Deep down, she knew that she used a conceptual Venus to fire that deadly bomb. Did the actual Venus affected when she has done it?! Then she just gave her a nervous laugh.

Ishtar didn't expect it. Did her Noble Phantasm really affect the real Planet Venus? On what cost? Can it be recovered slowly or abruptly? Ishtar was immediately thrown to a loop.

The site that Ritsuka has browsed was about the latest astronomical phenomenon that was found out hours ago and that means after what happened on that island.

Ishtar does not know what Ritsuka was trying to say but one thing that seemed to be one thing that Ishtar might have guessed is that using her Noble Phantasm seemed to have some unintended consequences. She doesn't if it applies the same to everyone.

Ishtar then just nodded instinctively and pretended to be amazed. "A-also that's so great." She sweatdropped a lot. Ritsuka showed this to Ishtar at the wrong place and at the wrong time.

She hoped that no one have seen her nervous so she tried to shift the topic so everyone can interact, seeing that Ritsuka now returned to her seat.

"As what I've said earlier, Shidou's work as a butler is somewhat a temporary and is nothing more than the result of taking a bet."

"Then that proved to be more challenging for us." Kotori interjected, having recovered from blushing too much. "What if this interferes with his daily studies?" In truth, Kotori just wanted to remove her big bro away from this woman. Yes, they have concluded that Ainu and Izanami might be a Spirit but for some reason she was hesitating to throw Shidou to them and the reasons were still pretty much unclear for her. It's more of the instinctual feelings.

Ishtar just grinned mischievously. "Then I guess you will not see Shidou one day, dressed as a butler. Serving you a milk with a chocolate cookie dip just for you." Then Ishtar said more with a teasing tone. "You don't want for Shidou to be properly disciplined? Or how he will be more efficient in interacting more fluently with anyone."

Fortunately, Kotori bit the bait, no matter what kind of bullshittry Ishtar has mixed in. Ishtar knew that she was sputtering nonsense but the way Kotori flushed, probably from imagining herself together Shidou in a butler get-up fashion, bought it. Kotori then shook herself out of a thought.

"Y-you… I think you are right; it might be a boon for Shidou." Kotori crossed her arms underneath her chest as she concluded. "Especially in dating." Yes, Kotori thought of Ishtar's offer as an advantage to the Ratatoskr. She thinks that not everytime Shidou needed to play a dating game. Maybe, Shidou needed to be train in a proper etiquette. This way, it might help them a lot.

But when Shidou listened, he was just dreaded from his interlocked fate. He just kept his cool and just wisely quieted. Better not stir the flame between the two women.

Ishtar then stood up and spread her arms wide. "You get a more capable Shidou." Cue, Shidou getting confused. "And I get to have my bet paid off I see this as an absolute win."

The maid from outside then clapped. Ritsuka then clapped too and that's the reason why Ishtar almost dropped her façade. If only her Master was present at the different time, things could have changed in the end. This is all she could offered in front of Kotori, the commander of Ratatoskr while Ritsuka, the Last Master of Chaldea bear witness.

Then the Yamai twins stood up and raised their hands. Ishtar then let them be but she felt that is just something unnecessary.

"What about us? Oh Goddess? Don't you think we are fitted for maid duties?" Kaguya said with glee.

"Appraisal. Oh Goddess, we would like to offer our selves to service you." Yuzuru's voice was as nonchalant as they were.

Before Ishtar could react. Tohka stood again and raised her arm again as quickly as she could. Origami did the same, as if to rival Tohka's speed from arm raising. Yoshino herself look so fragile as she raised her arm too in embarrassment.

"I want to be a maid! I will be a great MAID! I will impress everyone that I am a great maid!" Tohka exclaimed and Ishtar just shut her ears for Tohka was just too loud.

"I will be made to have successful skills in order to impress Shidou and no more." Origami said in a monotone as she raised her arm and almost climb on the table; her knees being on the edge of the table already.

"C-Can I become a maid too." Yoshino said as she made herself smaller. The last one just made Ishtar and Ereshkigal 'aawww' in chorus.

"W-wait, you are all missing the point!" Ishtar was exasperated, arms flailing wildly. "Shidou will do his butler duties as because of a deal! Not all of you are involved!"

Nevertheless, they didn't listen and just kept on berating to each other, especially Tohka and Origami. Head Maid Priscilla was amused at the entirety of the scene, although she's good at maintaining a mild facial expression.

Even with the help of all of the maid within the mansion, it seemed no one can stop them. Even if Shidou was now trying to mediate, they are just so relentless. It took a minute until Ishtar loses her patience.

Ishtar gathered her breath.

"STOOOOOP!!!"

Her voice reverberated throughout the mansion and everyone as if stopped for a moment when they saw Ishtar fuming silently. Ereshkigal tried to pat her back in order to calm her sister since she herself was quite through the entire time.

Her eyes briefly illuminated, just fast enough not be seen by everyone but Ishtar managed to rein her anger for she is a benevolent Goddess.

Then Ishtar just sighed and felt defeated. She was aware she can't just refuse them with no reason. She held her the bridge of her nose, as if suffering from a headache. "It seemed that I have reached into a conclusion and that I have no choice but to let you become a maid for one day."

Cheers erupted on that moment and Ishtar just covered her ears because she's just annoyed. Even though she wanted for Shidou's contract to last at least this weekend, she has no choice but to make it last for one day. These former Spirits will better destroy her mansion in a whim rather than to fix it just to impress Shidou.

She'll have a private talk with Shidou later on.