"I can't tell if you're stupidly brave or bravely stupid; daring to enter a house of the Lord under such conditions."
Christopher grumbled as he led me down a small corridor. It wasn't any special looking, or sinister, for that matter. Certainly not a place I expected someone like him to make a hideout of. Even Johnathan's place, on the inside especially, screamed high class, important, and mystical, and that was just from the little bit of the place I had seen!
"You give me more credit than most" I laughed. "Most people just drop the brave part altogether and call me stupid."
"Tch! Clearly, you have no idea when you should keep your mouth shut…"
"I mean, if that were up to you, I'd never speak" I pointed out as he opened a door into a side room. "I much prefer my idea, where it's never a good time to keep my mouth shut."
The priest said nothing as he let me into the room, though his glare was very noticeable. The room itself was nothing remarkable either; looked to be a break room of sorts, with a fridge, table, coffee machine… the basics, essentially.
"By your protection, Lord Father above; no others shall disrupt the spread of your will."
As the priest muttered his little chant or whatever, he manifested one of his long blade things and jabbed it into the door to the room. From where it stuck, a web of green light spread out across the entirety of the room, before vanishing. Only the blade thing remained glowing a soft green color as Christopher leaned up against the counter.
A shame I didn't have my camera or phone recording; hadn't expected this outcome. At this point, it would be too obvious to pull out my camera, but my phone was in my pocket… Maybe I could get that recording; at least the audio…
"You know, I would have thought for sure you'd just wait for me to leave the church grounds before killing me" I pointed out, fumbling around with my phone in my pocket.
I hope I remembered my app layout… At least the home button makes it easy to orient myself for the lock…
"As much as I would love to purge your heresy from the Lord's world, I have not forgotten the original duty, even if the overseer position has been removed from the ritual" he grumbled. "That, and this meeting was neither my idea nor desire…"
As if on cue, Rider materialized in the chair opposite me at the table. Like Saber and Lancer, he too had traded his armor for common clothes. Unlike those two, however, Rider's pick of clothing was far more… shall we say, professional? Full on businessman look with the suit… how he could find that comfortable was beyond me. Personally, I hated the things; way too stiff and stuffy. And ties… Ties can go fuck themselves, I say.
Rider's looking confident… Going to need to bring my A-game to this…
"My thanks to you, master" Rider acknowledged, though his focus remained squarely on me. "To you as well, master of an unknown servant. To be honest, I was unsure if you would agree to a meeting under the conditions."
"I would ask why you didn't just ask me yourself, but I take it Father Gallo has no idea you're even here, and by extension has no knowledge of the Holy Grail War?"
…Alright, that should have my phone recording; provided I got my layout in my head right… Hope it works, cause that's the best I'm going to get it…
"An astute observation; one in which there is no point in denying" Rider nodded. "Considering last night, you seem to be quite good at making observations, hence why I believe it to be in our best interest to discuss matters."
"In case that was unclear to you, this doesn't leave these walls" the priest growled. "As misguided as he is, there is no reason Father Gallo has to die, unless you are careless…"
"Master, threats before we have truly even started anything remotely close to negotiations is not civil behavior" Rider chided. "This is to remain civil, and peaceful."
"Tch…"
"I would ask the same of you" Rider continued.
"Don't suppose I really have a choice on the matter" I looked over at the door. "Just a guess, but that's some kind of magical lock, isn't it? Or barrier? Probably prevents sound from entering and exiting as well; no point meeting in here otherwise."
"…For someone who isn't a magus, you understand far more than one would expect of the magical nature."
"I mean, I don't consider either of you two to be stupid or anything; it's only natural that such a conclusion would be the result, then."
"I see. Alas, this is a fault in your conclusion. You do have a choice to simply leave if you desire."
"Uh-huh. As if that's not a way to get stabbed in the back…"
"Your suspicion is understandable, but you have my word on this: on this day, no harm shall befall you from my camp. Should you wish to leave at any point, all you must do is ask, and my master shall let you go immediately. All I ask is that, should you agree to this meeting, that you keep it civil. Do you agree to these terms?"
"Sure, that's works for me" I nodded. "I admit, I am curious: what could you two possibly want from someone like me? It must be obvious that I'm not a magus."
"That reason alone is why I even agreed to this" Christopher spoke up. "As I'm sure you picked up, I mentioned the position of overseer. Do you know what that role entails?"
"Not really."
"In past wars, it was the duty of the Church to oversee each war, and ensure the secrets of magecraft were never exposed. It was also the duty of the Church to clean up any messes the magi made during the war, such as-"
"Such as covering up events, like the ending of the fourth Holy Grail War" I cut in.
"…Yes… I take it you know that from those other heretics?"
"Something like that" I grinned.
Despite looking towards the priest, my focus was mainly on Rider. As I spoke, Rider's brow furrowed a little. It was very slight, but noticeable to someone like me, who has done plenty of observations on different people.
He doesn't seem convinced… You can untangle lies and half-truths, Saladin… Fascinating; this could be fun… I'll have to see; may not be worth it at this point of time...
"Regardless, that was only the… superficial duty of the Church" the priest continued. "On top of that, the specific representative selected to be overseer was to serve as a… protector, of sorts. To anyone who lost their servant, or wished to drop out of the war before it's conclusion, it was the duty of the Church and the overseer to provide the master with protection, until the war was done."
"Yeah, and while I'm sure you Executor types are good in a fight and all, I doubt you could beat a servant."
"The position of overseer also came with its own set of command spells."
"…Oh… Well… that, uh… certainly changes things… But the overseer wasn't a master, correct?"
"They were not supposed to be; the fifth war was an... exception... but outside of that instance, no."
"So then, what good are those command spells?"
"The overseer can hand out command spells as a reward, or incentive, should a master prove to be… trouble. Also, should a master fall while still having command spells, they are automatically transferred over to the overseer."
"…Seems like a lot more power than someone in a neutral position should have. And the Church really has no alternative motive?"
"…Officially, no."
"…And unofficially…?"
"We ensure that a magus seeking to use the grail to reach the root wins the war. Typically, that meant one of the three founding families, as they were the only ones who knew about the true purpose behind the ritual."
"…You do know what the root is, right?"
"Of course. If anyone should be asking that question, it is I, to you."
"And that's not considered to be a miracle?"
"Achieving a knowledge of the world in its entirety is not a miracle in of itself, as it does not change the nature of the world" the priest explained. "Thus, a magus seeking the root using this false grail is… tolerable. Preferable to the alternatives, at any rate. Naturally, I would disagree, but that is not my decision to make…"
"That what does the Church consider to be a miracle, as an example."
"Well, you need not look any further than the fourth Holy Grail War. Before that false grail was destroyed and the disaster occurred, a magus representing the Einzberns did touch the grail, and had the chance to achieve his wish. Do you know what that wish was?"
"Not a clue."
"Nothing short of world peace."
…World peace… really, world peace, of all things? Also, this magus represented the Einzberns? What happened to reaching the root and shit? Considering he said representing, the magus probably wasn't an Einzbern themselves, but still… And beyond that…
"You're telling me that great fire is world peace" I raised an eyebrow. "No way in hell that was his wish."
"I assure you, that was indeed his wish" the priest grinned. "Naïve as it was... However, that fire was the result of the man destroying the grail, not wishing upon it."
"That's even dumber" I protested.
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Why would you fight for this Holy Grail, make it to the end, win the damn thing, and then destroy it? That blatantly doesn't add up!"
"Only because you believe the thing is omnipotent."
…What was that supposed to mean…?
"Ah, that caught your attention, didn't it" the priest continued. "Those other heretics you were with believe it is omnipotent too, don't they? That's what they told you, no?"
"…It is…"
"Then allow me to correct this misconception. This is a false grail, and as such, is incapable of being truly omnipotent. That doesn't mean that the man's wish for world peace is beyond the false grail's capabilities, however; he just didn't have the correct process."
"…The correct process?"
"Put simply, these false grails from the wars are magical devices capable of actualization, not omnipotent manifestation. If one can provide the false grail with a method of achieving world peace, then the false grail can, and will, actualize on it."
"And that's where this man failed? He had no process?"
"Rather, he had the incorrect process. That man lived his whole life cutting away at the minority to save the majority. As such, that was the only process he knew. Now, what do you make of that?"
…Save the majority at the cost of the minority; a utilitarian, in essence. For there to be any semblance of a true world peace, everyone remaining would have to agree on everything. If the only method he could provide the grail was the utilitarian method of saving and sacrificing things for the supposed greater good, then…
"…The grail kept cutting away at everyone, until only he was left standing…" I muttered out loud, though it was to myself. "At the end of his wish, he would have been the only one left standing in the whole world, as no two people have the exact same mentality… So he destroyed the grail, preventing his wish from being acted upon by the grail."
"So, you are capable of understanding" the priest nodded. "Now, I will ask you this question, and I will only ask it this once. I may not be in the position of overseer, but I acknowledge the duty."
"And what question is that?"
"Will you back out of this war now; use up your command spells, cut all ties with other masters, and come under the protection of the Church? Or… will you continue to fight?"
"Oh please, that's an easy answer" I laughed. "Of course, I'm staying in this thing! The grail was never even a priority for me; it being a device for actualization rather than manifestation changes nothing. Besides… actualization is more than enough to get whatever you wish for granted; just can't be stupid about it."
"An answer I was praying for" Christopher smiled.
"Now, with his participation permanently confirmed" Rider cut in, "let our negotiations, so to speak, begin."
"And this is supposed to work how, exactly?"
"I say negotiation, but really, this is more an… exchange of information. Question for question; answer for answer. Ideally, this will all be in good faith, but I'm not unaware of your ease and proficiency with deception. Understand, though, that bad faith shall be repaid in bad faith."
"In other words: keep this civil, and hopefully we'll both be able to prosper."
"Exactly."
"Now, do the questions need to involve you, specifically" I asked. "Or can it involve your master as well, considering he is in your camp."
Rider thought to himself for a moment.
"…Either one is fine" he eventually confirmed.
"Rider! This was-"
"Master, please" Rider raised his hand to silence the priest, but didn't turn his gaze away from me. "You wished to be present; it is only fair, then, that you also participate."
Poor Christopher didn't look pleased in the slightest, but he didn't voice and further dissent.
"As a show of good faith, I shall yet you ask the first question" Rider nodded.
"First question then" I grinned. "Catalyst used to summon Rider: was it the True Cross of Christ?"
"…It was…" Christopher answered after a few seconds.
"Only a fragment of it" Rider elaborated. "Unfortunately, the ancient relic is no longer in one piece."
Now that is one hundred percent confirmation! I know that it was already pretty much confirmed at one hundred percent, but still… always important to check, double check, and check again.
"A very pointed question to start out with though" Rider continued. "You already heavily suspected as much, I see."
…Speaking of which…
"I mean, I don't get how else a member of the Catholic Church is going to summon you, Saladin. No way it was intentional, after all."
So did the theoretical bomb drop and explode. Saying his name aloud had the desired effect. While neither of their reactions were anywhere near the level of egregiousness that was Zachary's reaction to my merely implied deduction of Berserkers true name, it was clear enough to eyes that were experienced in looking for such things.
"Thanks for confirming my deduction though" I smiled.
"So, it seems my true name is hidden no longer" Saladin sighed. "In some regards, you may very well be more dangerous than the actual magi…"
"Forget that" Christopher hissed. "How did you know just from being told the catalyst?"
"You really think that's what gave it away…" I sighed. "Oh, boy… Man, you're a member of the Catholic Church; a zealous one at that. Not many champions of the Islamic faith could reasonably be summoned by someone like you. Saladin's name jumped to the top of my list the moment you revealed yourself as his master. Of course, everything else I had seen to that point still had to fit, but, like, this is Saladin we're talking about here; of course, everything else still fit! Does, like, nobody with knowledge of the magical world brush up on history before entering one of these Holy Grail War things?!"
"Dangerous indeed… I take it you also know the identity of Berserker as well, considering what transpired between him and Lancer last night?"
"Ah, ah, ah" I flashed a sly grin. "Your camp just asked a question, did it not? I believe it is my turn now."
"I did no such thing."
"Not you, yes" I acknowledged. "But your camp did, no? 'How did you know just from being told the catalyst' certainly sounds like a question to me. Remember, I asked if the questions needed to involve you specifically, and you said no. You never specified if that only worked from my camp to yours. Thus, following question for question; answer for answer, I believe I am up."
Saladin's eyes narrowed as he glared across the table at me.
"I ultimately figured I wouldn't be able to spin a web of half-truths and lies here; especially to someone like you" I grinned. "But following the rules to the letter is some-"
"It would seem not, apparently."
Saladin's sudden remark caught me off-guard.
"…Huh?"
"The answer to your last question."
"I didn't-"
"You did. 'Does, like, nobody with knowledge of the magical world brush up on history before entering one of these Holy Grail War things' certainly sounds like a question to me. It also followed after your answer. So, following question for question; answer for answer, I believe it is my turn for a question now."
Hehehe… Hahahahahahah! Yes! Oh, this is what I've been missing for far too long! Competent people do still exist! Even if its only the dead, like Heroic Spirits!
"I, too, can act in bad faith, should you wish to reject civility."
"…Well played" I shrugged and sighed; grin still plastered across my face. "You know what? Let's really keep this civil then; I will clearly only be wasting time otherwise and, fun as it may be, I do have legitimate questions I want answers to. Alright Rider, you're up; what do you want to know?"
