"Hey, you're ahead of schedule !"
*clap*
The two Masters performed a quick high-five as Gudao exited the Rayshift Vault along with the three Servants that he had been working with for the day's expedition - one of whom energetically disappeared down a side corridor while her bigger companion was preoccupied with the large warded box that held their haul of materials.
"She ran away before Scathach showed up to drag her to the practice range," Kojirou told the giant when the latter started looking about himself carefully for a small lost goddess.
"At least she pulls her weight, light as that might be," Gudako joked, remembering her earlier run in with the eldest Gorgon sister. "Anyway, guess I'm up to look for more Italy Singularities for those Proofs of Hero."
"By the way, I think we managed to bring back some French wine after helping a group of monks with their wyvern problem," Gudao remembered, after noticing his fellow had the new Servant in tow. "Why don't you head to the cafeteria, Artoria and Marie are probably about to have tea, and Asterios and I will get this wine logged in time for you all to taste it."
"Hah!" Appearing quietly despite her usual strength of presence, Scathach immediately identified the group's missing member. "Archer ran off pretty quickly. I guess she's gained something from training. Perhaps next time we'll try running while dodging projectiles."
"I'm just glad she can hit a flying broad side of a barn now," Saber grumbled. "Taking down flying enemies is troublesome when your ranged support can't really hit at range."
"It's a rather shameful display for someone using an Archer vessel," Gudako agreed easily. "Granted I don't think she's actually used a bow before being summoned? I mean, that thing is pretty suspicious, now that I've seen Ruby in the, er, flesh."
"Well, there's all types," Sasaku agreed after waiting a moment to see if the wand would show itself. "Though I do wonder a bit why it seems nowadays so many girl-type characters end up with bows. Don't people nowadays know how extreme warbow training is?"
"You still have people thinking that samurai went into battle sans bow, spear or horse," Gudao pointed out. "Though I know you didn't really have those either, come to think of it..."
"Well, a lot of cultures had the idea of single-weapon, unarmored dueling," Kojirou allowed. "But having all that armor and training, then just going onto the battlefield with only your sidearm is ridiculous."
"Come to think of it," Sasaku asked, "You get summoned with only that sword, and not any normal one which is worn?"
"That sort of thing shouldn't be surprising by now," Gudako pointed out. "Chloe is a bit special in having other Noble Phantasm level options. Does Blackbeard have a cutlass, since he's a pirate and all?"
Scathach shook her head. "He pistol-whips, though I wonder if it's just because he thinks it's 'gangsta' sometimes. Anne clubs people with her rifle, unless you count Mary's sword since they're a single Servant. Euryale flails about with her bow, but at least she's stopped trying to stab people with arrows. Stheno isn't an Archer, and I don't exactly get how she does it, but apparently she manages to attack at range and in close quarters by smiling. Marie too, it seems, blows kisses and enemies take damage,"
"One of these days, someone's going to strike a ridiculous pose, causing a massive explosion," Gudao grimaced.
"Ahem. Awaken, my Masters!" Blackbeard abruptly made his presence known while trying to pull off a maneuver like Gudao had just suggested.
"My master definitely took explosive sanity damage," Ruby couldn't resist the chance to show up with a one-liner entrance. "Besides I doubt they would show up to help the Human Order."
"I'm totally fine," Sasaku said while bouncing over to the pirate and imitating him. "Oh wait, if I'm on the right, it should be like this-"
"No, no, stop," Ruby protested. "You can't do that, that isn't a magical girl type. It's not even the right genre."
"Look, half of the legendary heroes gathered together to save the Human Order from a mastermind attacking from outside the World's parallel branches ... are little girls. I don't care anymore."
"Yeah, I guess she ate a ton of SAN loss," Gudako commented to no one in particular. "Granted, that's a fairly accurate assessment, even if I think the ratio is more like a third."
"I'm taking about a proper, legal, basis of thaumaturgy here, you know. Fine, if you won't listen to reason I guess we'll have to do it the pai- er no, embarrassing way. (Transform)!"
The Masters' expression immediately turned serious at that last word, though perhaps not for the reason Ruby might have intended.
... But nothing happened.
"You probably can't do that until you've at least unlocked your first Ascension," Scathach suggested helpfully. "Even then, Chloe unlocked skills but not any different clothes."
"This is the most disappointing contract I've ever made," an unhappy wand responded despondently. "I'm disappointed. We'll talk when you're ready to be serious about it."
"Yeah, I think I've got this bit figured out," Ruby's owner commented after it had returned to her Inventory to sulk. "Thanks for the assist, Blackbeard."
The pirate just grinned toothily, probably because he hadn't been expecting to be taken seriously, or thanked. "Care to share?"
"Hmm, might as well. Ruby isn't the evil mascot type, but she definitely likes when whoever she contracts with ends up in a pinch, as they say. And critically, isn't above trying to set up or even engineer such 'chances'. But, there's a catch when it comes to Servants as characters."
Gudako caught on pretty quickly. "Because Ruby is your Skill, and thus also counts as part of your character?"
"Exactly right. I can't be sure, but it's entirely possible that Ruby can't actually contract with someone else without immediately disappearing, or simply finding it won't take."
"I wonder? Perhaps it is a transferable Skill? Even Noble Phantasms can be transferred sometimes, and I can see that working for a wand. You know, since sometimes the baton, as it were, gets passed to the next season's set of characters." Scathach recalled her own ability to teach Servants, though it was not likely that the original, if they existed on the Throne, would receive either Skill or Noble Phantasm Enhancement.
"That's not entirely out of the question, though I wonder if it would be dangerous for a non-Servant to contract with a Servant's Mystic Code, even if you could. It's likely a big power level jump compared to a not-summoned-with-Servant Kaleidostick."
"This is fascinating, but-" Gudao had to interject. "We should get this stuff stored and you might as well chat with the others. I need to take the usual post-Rayshift shower and then we'll show you around more of Chaldea."
"If you're wondering," Kojirou clarified for him, "Mystic Code protection doesn't stop excess external spiritron contamination, so it needs to be quickly dealt with to avoid harming humans."
"Yes, there are a lot of rules in place to protect everyone from accidentally killing ourselves with all the Rayshift- and Servant-related things about," Gudako eyed Blackbeard, a repeat offender in that area. "For example, we wouldn't eat together because the 'food' that comes back via Rayshift will likely kill non-Servants, despite being very good for you. Imagine someone drinking your coffee by accident and then dying of mana poisoning - definitely would happen at some point if we weren't strict about things like that; see the bronze or silver marks on anything that Servants use - but also please don't carelessly leave things unattended."
"I do wonder why it isn't the mana coming through the Blade Generators that harms the users, but a more conventionally physical backlash," Scathach observed while they made their way towards the cafeteria. "I believe Chloe mentioned that Saber doesn't just have three swords in his technique but seems to be carrying out the swings as well. But it's your technique, maybe you wouldn't be harmed by it."
"Well, it should be straight up impossible to have done it without being a Servant, according to Rin, so there's only so much you can say about that," the swordsman responded. "But I should have, since most records of the technique are quite different, so I don't have it from the fictional Sasaki Kojirou."
"But actual Magicians do exist," Sasaku raised an eyebrow at the implications of what a still-human Kojirou might have achieved. "Supposedly, it's possible to learn such things, though perhaps that would mess you up if you were still human? Are Magicians still human in the first place?"
"That would be like how I ended up becoming, well, a very different existence over time," Caster shrugged.
As the group entered the large hall where everyone was eating, two Servants sitting quietly in the corner drinking tea noticed them immediately, due to being seated at an angle that faced the entrance. Or perhaps they had set up that way? One of them, wearing an elegant but probably rather period-inappropriate small black one-piece paired with a very timely large hat quickly waved the newcomers over to the small table.
"Marie. Marie Antoinette. You've been the talk of the town recently; it's good to finally meet you," she introduced herself with gusto.
"Artoria Pendragon," the dark blue knight with her stood up to quickly shuffle chairs around. Incongruously, her outfit had a full skirt, though it was simply decorated along the hem. Marie's dress was much more delicately embroidered, though in a subtle manner that wasn't visible at a distance. "Quite a following you have."
"I've had some good drink for the day, going to find Euryale and Stheno, and make sure they get in some practice," Scathach muttered before leaving to make good on it. "Blackbeard, why don't you come along, it would be good to have an Archer comment on technique."
"I would be much stronger as a Rider, you know," the pirate commented while the two departed, a group of homunculi at the door quickly making way for them. "I have a ship, but it's only the cannons that count?"
"So, what's your story?" Artoria asked as the homunculus Theia came over with a bottle of wine and three glasses. Kojirou had departed, apparently already aware that the kitchen was out of sake.
"Honestly, I'm wondering the same thing. I thought your color scheme was white-cream?" Ruler asked instead. "Erm, well you'd already know that Gilgamesh was around until the Fifth Grail War, he's how I know."
"We heard from Kojirou and Chloe," Marie volunteered, but didn't have anything else to add.
"That kid is a jerk," Artoria grumbled. "Getting mixed up with him is bad news all around - that's what happened to me. Set things up so that my Master and I would neutralize the Greater Grail, never mind it blew up a big part of town anyway, but at least it was part of some convoluted plan because all of human history would get burned later on."
"Some of what comes out of a tainted Grail isn't very nice, I doubt he was planning for you to take a bath in it," her Rider companion said soothingly. "Not only is it a big risk, I'm sure he liked you plenty as you were."
"No, he was definitely messing with me." The knight was not consoled, the issue having been a bugbear of hers since being re-summoned in her current state. "Gil was waiting for that exact point when I would realize what exactly the World System had predetermined for Camelot, just to prove his point. At least Merlin probably knew but wasn't treating it like some great joke."
"Is he all that bad?" Sasaku asked after a brief lull had taken place. She felt a little out of place in the group, not dressed for the occasion or apparently of drinking age. Though that could be said for the other two, perhaps, at least they weren't in a really obvious school uniform. The wine was pretty good, though.
Artoria frowned, surprisingly being the one who didn't find the wine to her taste. Or perhaps there were other factors at play. "Well, you've encountered him for yourself. Why ask me?"
"Eh?" Sasaku put down her cup. It wasn't a wine glass, because Chaldea didn't have any of those. "He definitely has his own thing going on, if that's what you mean?"
Marie glanced sideways at Artoria while sipping from her cup. "That's a little different from what I was expecting."
"Current situation aside, don't you think the world has enough selfish people without them coming back from the dead with super powers?" Artoria asked, her growing confusion showing.
"Don't all Servants come back specifically because they want the Grail's wish-granting? Even though I have serious doubts that it isn't a really hilarious scam setup, given the War's history." Sasaku either didn't follow Artoria's point or ignored it.
"Rulers don't," Marie observed from the side. "Though plenty of other hero-types might do similarly, there's no point summoning them otherwise."
"The real question is what counts, really. Since, if it was actually a thing, powerful wish-granting has amazing instrumental value. I also keep pulling up mentions of Servants being summoned without necessarily having a particular wish, too. If anything, it's more like convenient smoke and mirrors, but without any idea who is actually directing the show." The Ruler in the conversation toyed with her cup. "What I can't tell if the World System and the Holy Grail have the same objectives or not."
"Being a Hero is terrible," Artoria scoffed, but in agreement. "It's an interesting question: what would have happened had I learned from Emiya (Kiritsugu) rather than Merlin with his (Hero Creation). I hadn't questioned why a Skill for creating a king was called that. Well, probably because I didn't know it was, or would be, named that."
"It isn't like Scathach's (Wisdom of Dun Scaith)?" Marie thought about the Caster for a moment. "She can't teach some of us because we aren't heroic enough, which is ironic, I know. Granted, I'm talking about things on the level of Skills."
"You should take it easy with that," Gudao commented, returning without Asterios but another homunculus instead. "Mundane alcohol won't do it, but that stuff will get Servants drunk."
"I have a status clear Skill," Sasaku replied idly, looking at the empty glass in her hands. "And besides, she, uh-"
"Theia. She's frequently on duty here," Marie helpfully chipped in.
"Theia didn't pour much for me anyway," the girl continued.
The Master glanced at the bottle sitting between the three Servants. "That's fine then. I wanted to introduce someone to you."
Standing up, Artoria took the half-empty bottle before leaving for the kitchen counter. Marie watched her with disinterest. "I hadn't forgotten the rotation schedule, you know. And I stopped the drinking thing, you provided today's bottle."
"Didn't mean to imply anything about that," Gudao shrugged. "Gudako might have mentioned her brother to you, but I think you hadn't a chance to meet Siegfried yet."
"You share the same parents?" Sasaku asked while using her magecraft to quickly pull over another chair since Artoria seemed to not be returning.
"I know what you're thinking, but it takes more than some 'human input' to change us that much; the Masters are quite special," Siegfried replied smoothly, likely having expected this due to looking like most of his fellows. Perhaps his silvery hair had a tad more lustre. "Well, except some of those with Matou."
"Hm. So you're the leader of all homunculi now?" she continued, filing away that bit of information.
"Only in a manner of speaking," he explained matter-of-factly. "I doubt there's an easy human-equivalent system to reference."
Looking at Artoria's cup which the other Servant had left behind, Marie picked it, and the other two still on the table, up and made for the kitchen area.
"Your mother accomplished quite a lot, last fourteen years," Sasaku pointed out in the manner of a compliment, while looking around the hall. It was mostly filled with homunculi, with more apparently having decided to get a meal at that exact time.
Siegfried chuckled upon hearing that. "The human Great Man, or homunculus in this case, Theory doesn't hold here; because Illyasviel was absent for most of it, splitting up her finite lifespan over those years. So, it would be more accurate to say that we, collectively, accomplished it. Which would have been the case even were she more present, but I'd never be able to convince anyone of that if so."
"Fair enough." The Servant didn't seem interested in further explanation.
"And Chaldea isn't under me anyway, it's Four Houses jointly. If you need an individual, his mother," Siegfried indicated his partner. "Rin is the one heading the Organization."
"It's actually Wizard Marshall Zelretch," Gudao corrected him. "Rin was the designated second, which meant that, yeah, she was the one technically actually running it. Or actually technically running it. Take your pick; I meant that Clock Tower people would see the roster and take it as a given she made all the decisions."
"Indeed. But the Masters are the ones running it, because they're actually linked to the System. Clock Tower doesn't even know I exist, obviously, but they wouldn't believe about the Masters even if you brought proof."
"All the better, really." The homunculus Master seemed amused by this.
"Indeed, they would probably lose their marbles if they found out what had happened." Siegfried continued. "But it's worked out pretty well for the Human Order since we're still here."
"Honestly? If they knew you'd saved them, I'm pretty sure magi would be doubly hot to cut you up," Sasaku observed with a frown, remembering some of her conversations with Illyasviel in the last days of their War together.
"They cartainly would be," Gudao looked around before continuing. "But, say, isn't the distance from the Einzbern estate to London shorter than from Camelot to Roma?"
Siegfried gave him a meaningful look. "Indeed, it is."
"Should I be taking away something in particular from that?" the Servant asked her Master.
"Putting aside whatever her intention was, it isn't as though the Butcher of Septem was some long jump ahead of you in capability, right?"
She coughed. "I would hardly expect you to ask without knowing the answer."
Gudao nodded easily. "It was the same method you used at the end of Fuyuki's Fifth War, but larger in scale, clearly. In many ways, Chaldea and the other places with Grand Aria Systems are like that as well. Perhaps even greater, since there are a lot of us, and we have Blade Generators and large-scale capacitors now."
"Seems Illya told you a lot about me?" She left it, as a question, hanging in the air.
Siegfried outright laughed at the ploy, leaning back in his chair. "The Founder told us you were terrifying, she also said you were taller than her, which I think is now... less the case."
"I really should have contracted with her," Ruby commented, showing itself at this point. "But I thought the one in this branch was a bit too old for that."
"I'm far older than her, and even in the previous War looked it too," the wand's current contractor immediately contradicted it. "Face it; Kaleidoscope set you up."
"Fufu, no I don't dislike the feisty energetic type," Ruby continued blithely, adding in a touch of bite. "It'll make a delightful season's worth of material to watch you bre- evolve into a fine magical girl."
"Wow, she has a terrible personality," Gudao said, as though commenting on the weather. "Perhaps spending some time with Artoria would help you even out."
"Did I miss something about Pendragon?" Sasaku asked him. "Oh by the way, Ruby, if you saw her dress, I'd like something like that rather than just pointless frills and ribbons and crap on a palette-swapped school uniform. If you give me some tasteless outfit when I transform, I will endlessly mock you about being an uncultured barbarian whenever I'm forced into it. No pressure."
"Why not ask da Vinci then, she's an artist, isn't she?" Siegfried volunteered helpfully.
"Did you see what she made for herself to wear? Isn't that like I am currently stuck with, which I didn't want a second copy of?"
"Ahem. Artoria has a helpful Skill," Gudao explained, ignoring the side conversation. "(Journey of the Flowers) even works on Servants with traumas as part of their legend, though in such serious cases, they have to regularly meet with her. But it's better than any other help they could get."
"Can you actually use the Second Magic?" Siegfried asked Ruby directly. "You don't seem particularly well-known in the Clock Tower or elsewhere."
"Isn't it obvious that the existence of magical girls is even more hidden than that of magecraft?" the wand said with satisfaction, but also evading the question. "Anime, light novels and manga notwithstanding, no one thinks they actually exist, not even magi, and they are also far rarer than magi."
Gudao nodded, clearly impressed - or at least pretending to be. "That makes a lot of sense. Granted, there's been tons of media content about hidden magical goings-on, but... I guess Mystery and legends work differently, since one is about being hidden, and the other about being well-known."
"Well, a great deal of my abilities are linked to my contractor," Ruby allowed. "Obviously they won't work unless she transforms properly, but a lot also depends on their own capabilities."
"I wonder if you're a lot more powerful now," Sasaku tried rather lazily to catch Ruby, who simply slowly drifted out of reach. "Certainly not going to keep you around for the color commentary."
"Maybe we should drop by the practice area?" Siegfried couldn't help his curiosity. "Not for that, but just to see what you've got out of switching class vessels."
"That's a good idea," Gudao agreed. "da Vinci said you should be good to go, yes?"