OBLIGATORY WARNING: This chapter has an adult serving alcohol to minors. Chill out; they are sixteen, and drinking laws in North America are FUCKED (especially in the USA...). If you are old enough to get a beginner's driver's license and drive something (aka a fucking CAR) that can go 100 km/h and kill someone on impact, you're an adult! You can drink a bottle of beer! I will die on this hill!

HOWEVER, this is technically illegal: DO NOT DO THIS IN REAL LIFE! (The fact I even feel the need to put something like this, I swear...)


That… that hadn't gone anywhere near what I'd expected. The past hour… what was I even doing? All I'd done was just… shuffle about in silence, mostly, looking over all the shit Caster had been in the process of building. Or was it destroying? I wasn't even sure myself now.

It had all been beautiful, of course. I was thrilled to see it all, even if I had no idea what basically anything was. I was certain that, given time, Caster would turn them, from things of beauty, to things of brilliance as well. Yet, just how much time did Caster have now?

"Forty-eight hours, roughly. I'll need a boost from a command spell after that."

…So he had grumbled out when I'd asked how bad it was. He didn't say much of anything; remained hunched over benches, bouncing back and forth between them, seemingly trying tens of ideas all at once. It was clear to see he was in no mood to put up with any questions; he was just trying to keep his existence going. Had been perfectly willing to shove me out of his way too… on more than one account.

He didn't even stop working when I told him about last night, about the massive fight at the school.

"Trust you'd be stupid enough to do something so reckless" he'd huffed when I finished.

"At least we know who Rider and Berserker are now, though" I tried to put a positive spin on my, admittedly, reckless act.

"Does me no good when I fade away before being able to do anything, does it, child" he countered, before returning to his silence.

…He had me there, too. If Caster wasn't able to sustain himself, it didn't matter who our opponents were, or if we knew them.

No… not ours… his. Who his opponents were…

We were supposed to be partners, ultimately, regardless of titles and technical standings. A team. Yet, we couldn't have possibly been more divided, could we? Here he was, trying whatever he could think of to sustain his existence, while also upgrading his workshop to its maximum to provide him the greatest possible number of options. That's why he was being drained of magical energy so quickly, according to himself: the cost to sustain the labyrinth was based on both its size, and the classification of his workshop at the core.

"Started off at a workshop classification, but obviously that isn't going to cut it in this Holy Grail War; priority one was always bringing up its classification to its maximum. The batteries were supposed to have supplied me with the mana to be able to sustain it for a few days, so I could find a more permanent solution…"

I had tried to ask what kind of classification this 'workshop' of his had now, but he just ignored me and kept on tinkering. Reverting it back down was possible; he'd at least answered that question. But he also said he wouldn't do it; refused to work in anything other than his best possible workshop: as it had been at the end of his life.

"…Meaning that in any Holy Grail War he would have done it, not just this one…" I muttered, noting the contradiction only now as I was leaving Glenwood Park.

Not that any of this was the point. Point was Caster had limited time or energy to deal with me, and there I was, running about and throwing myself into danger intentionally, or getting in his way. As his master, he absolutely needed me to live, and I was going out seeking danger. Actively seeking danger.

And it hit me. Why I had been feeling guilty. Why I was still feeling guilty. We were supposed to be a team, but I was doing whatever the hell I wanted, Caster be damned. That wasn't how a team worked. I should have known that! Hell, I did know that!

…Once upon a time…

…When had I stopped moving? I was just… standing there, at the entrance of the park. I looked down at my hands. My fingers were twitching, as if reflexively, all on their own. I hadn't even done anything strenuous with them yet today, so why…?

"…Heh… Ten years removed, and yet you still remember the motions…" I muttered to my twitching fingers as I finally recognized the pattern in their seemingly sporadic movements.

I wanted to go back, but I knew it wasn't a good idea. Not now… not while I had no idea how to help him. So, I moved forward, on towards Johnathan's house; final stop of the day. I wasn't going to stop what I was doing, even though I knew it was stupid. I wanted to see the beauty, so I would. Just as Caster would continue to keep his workshop at its pinnacle, even if it would kill him. In that way, we were the same; selfish.

But of course we are: we're both monsters.

However, I resolved myself to find a way to help him. Especially now that I did have a wish of my own; this was as much my fight as his. Only way I would do that, though, was through learning about this system called the Holy Grail War. Analyzing this game, more thoroughly than anyone else who has ever played. I was never the most technically gifted player, even at my peak all those years ago; my true strength had always been in the mind, not the hands.

"Been so long since I've worked as a part of a team" I found myself laughing slightly. "Hope I still remember how to..."


I turned up at Johnathan's place as the sun was setting. On the way there I realized that, for the plan I was forming, I would need some things. So, after a quick stop at the first grocery store I could find, I hurried the rest of my journey.

"Damn public transit, I swear…" I huffed, walking up towards the front door, plastic bag in hand. "Hope they haven't eaten yet, or have anything planned…"

A shout of 'coming" rang out as soon as I had rung the doorbell. Definitely Sortiara's voice; either she was living here for this war's duration, or she was staying with Johnathan any time they weren't sleeping. Either way, it was good, for more than one reason.

"Oh… it's you" Sortiara sounded half surprised, half suspicious as she opened the door and saw me standing there. "Why are you here?"

"Have questions" I grinned, which was technically true.

"And the bag" she looked down at my hand.

"Figured since we're allies and all, and that I'm trying to get you two to answer some questions for me, I should contribute something" I spoke as Sortiara moved out of the doorway and let me in. "So, voilà: food."

"You're trying to bribe us with food" she raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Not bribe" I sighed. "I'm trying to be nice!"

"You? Nice? …Really?"

"Look, I know I'm not a 'good' person by any conventional standards, but you two are technically my allies and all. Think of this as me trying to contribute what little I can to the alliance. Though I should probably ask first: have you two eaten anything yet?"

"Not recently, no."

"Great, then this wasn't a waste! So, which way to the kitchen?"

"…Follow me" Sortiara sighed before taking off down the hallway.

The kitchen was, just like the rest of the house, really freaking big. Had good quality equipment to work with too, which was nice. Probably wouldn't be as good as whatever my aunt had now, I'd imagine, but visually speaking, it all looked above average. Better than what she had ten plus however many years ago, for sure.

"You even know how to cook" she asked me, sounding skeptical as I placed both my backpack and the plastic bag on the island.

"Sorta have to know; live by myself and all" I nodded. "That, and my mom and aunt both made sure I knew how to cook. Can't say I do it much nowadays, honestly, but it's not really something you forget. Besides, I'm sticking to something I know well and have done plenty of times."

"…Being what, exactly?"

Before I could answer here, Johnathan rounded the corner and took a seat at the island, next to Sortiara.

"Thought I heard the doorbell go off" Johnathan commented as he sat down. "Didn't think you would be coming round here today though, Nathan. Or for the next few days, for that matter. We're not really looking for another fight anytime soon."

"He has questions, apparently" Sortiara sighed. "Between you and now him, I swear…"

"Sounds like you've had a rough day" I grinned cheekily, pointing at Johnathan. "What problem is he causing?"

"He's been sitting on the couch all day, watching his stupid games" she groaned, not really answering the question. "It's all he's been talking about and I just can't deal with it anymore…"

"What sport are we talking about here? Basketball? Football? …Actual football?"

"Does he look like a guy who plays, let alone watches, actual sports" Sortiara gave me a look of ire. "It's his stupid, fucking E-sports thing."

"E-sports huh" I turned my attention back to Johnathan, who had remained silent this whole time since his entrance. "So, which game?"

"Oh, not you too" Sortiara grumbled. "Should have fucking known…"

"War of the Heavens" Johnathan finally speaks, completely ignoring the exasperated Sortiara.

"WotH, huh" I smiled. "Should have known. Take it you play as well?"

"Yeah, but I'm not that good" Johnathan sounded slightly embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head. "Only ranked Gold II. What about you? You play or watch?"

"I used to play, but haven't in a long time" I smiled. "Like, seasons ago, long time. Still watch though. That said… WotH has it's NA circuit play on Tuesdays, not Saturdays. In fact, no region plays their circuit games on Saturdays… What game are you watching?"

"Oh, old ones, from season three" Johnathan laughed. "Not any from this season. Heck, not even pro matches, technically speaking."

"Why are you watching old games like that though" asked, somewhat confused. "Beyond the fact that you're literally in a magical war right now; I get that down time and rest is important. But if you're trying to improve at the game, watching matches from seasons ago isn't going to help; game has changed drastically since season three."

"It's not me trying to improve at the game; I know I'm not going pro or anything" Johnathan laughed. "Don't care about any of that. But I play the strategist role-"

Strategist, huh? Difficult role to play; easily the hardest, in fact. I would- …know…

"And in my opinion, there's no better strategist player than Yaldabaoth, even after all these years. You know of him, right? Surely you do, if you used to play way back then."

"Man, that is a name I haven't heard in a long time" I forced a laugh. "Yaldabaoth, huh? Can certainly think of worse players to watch, yeah. Not so sure about the best strategist player ever bit though."

"It's true" Johnathan protested. "Sure, he… well, technically he never became a pro himself… but he was, like, the single reason the rest of his team was able to! There's a reason why he was called-"

"The God of Control" I let out a wry smile. "Yes, I'm aware of Yaldabaoth and his... infamous title."

More than you could possibly know…

"A title no one else has ever earned! Yaldabaoth was a living legend; a true god of gaming! But, speaking of…" Johnathan's eyes lit up. "What do you think happened?"

"Huh? What do I think about what?"

"About why Yaldabaoth never became a pro!"

"I mean, seemed pretty clear, right? He got tired of playing the game, wanted to move on with his life."

"After just winning the promotional tournament, never playing a single game as a pro" Johnathan raised an eyebrow. "Nah, can't seriously expect me to believe you seriously believe the PR statement the team made."

"I don't believe it either" I laughed. "But what can you do? Yaldabaoth never came out and made a statement himself, and it's been years since. I suppose it's just a mystery we will never have the answers too."

"Sure, but-"

"If you're going to keep talking about this, then I'm going" Sortiara fumed, cutting back into the conversation. "You said you got questions, yeah? Then hurry up and ask them. And get cooking; I want food! Talk about your stupid game later, you two nerds…"

"Alright, alright, noted" I laughed, thankful for her interruption.

"What's in the bag" Johnathan nodded. "Didn't think you can cook?"

"That makes two of you now…" I sighed. "I am an adult, you know?"

"What's in the bag" Sortiara repeated Johnathan's question, sounding just about fed up with all of this… whatever it was.

"Let's see then, shall we" I grinned, reaching into the plastic bag with one hand and unzipping my backpack with the other. "We have beef. We have bacon. And we have-"

I made a pause for dramatic effect as I reached into my backpack with the other hand, grabbing the other two bottles I'd need with it.

"Beer" I announced triumphantly, pulling three green, glass bottle out. "The-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

The shout cut me off and came so suddenly, I jumped a bit into the air. Same with Sortiara and Johnathan alike, actually. All three of us turned out attention to the entrance of the kitchen, where Saber was now standing. Let me just say, the guy did not look happy.

"Master, now is not the time for you to experiment with alcohol" Sabre walked right on over to where I had placed the bottles, snatching them in his hands before any of us humans could even react. "Same goes for you, Lady Levesque. And you-"

Saber turned his attention directly to me, glaring hard. If eyes could shoot lasers, I'd been a dead man, for sure.

"Trying to get our masters drunk? What are you thinking?!"

"Oh, relax Saber" Johnathan protested, sounding disappointed and eyeing the bottles. "One beer isn't going to kill us!"

"Oh no, I've seen what alcohol can do to people, as I'm sure you're aware of as well, master. Besides, you are only a child, and on top of all of that, I'm certain you're not of the age to drink in this country!"

"Of all the things you went and studied today, you studied that" Johnathan asked, actually sounding… slightly amazed, as well as confused.

"…It just happened to come up along with the rest" Saber held an excellent poker face.

Or what would have been; too bad I know a lie when I hear it, Saber. So, from China, dislikes schemers, and is wary of the effects of alcohol… What more will I be able to learn about you by the morrow's dawn?

"Reading up on America, eh, Saber" I grinned at him.

"Yes, alongside other things. As a self-proclaimed adult, I'd have expected more from you; serving alcohol to minors…"

"Oh, then answer me this, Saber: what is the legal drinking age in America?"

"Twenty-one."

"Right. Now answer this: what is the legal age to be shipped halfway across the world to fight in a war, on behalf of America?"

"…"

"I'll fill you in: its less than twenty-one" I grinned as Saber remained silent. "It's a little case of American stupidity called 'old enough to serve, but not old enough to be served'. So ok, Saber, they're children. You're ok with letting children fight in a war?"

"Don't try to-"

"See, I have no problems with children fighting in my wars" I continued. "After all, if a fight needs to be won, a fight needs to be won. All who can fight, if they wish to fight, should fight, if you ask me. Don't care what their age is; they want something, they can fight for it, just like the rest of us. However, I'm not someone who the vast majority of society would consider to be a 'good' person. But what about you, Saber? Are you a 'good' person?"

"…"

"…Nathan, really" Johnathan turned to me, "it's not worth-"

"Are you ok with letting children fight in your wars" I raised a hand to cut Johnathan off, keeping my focus locked on Saber.

"…No, I am not."

"So then tell me, Saber: is your master a child?"

"…No, he is not."

"Will you support the stupidity that is 'old enough to server, but not old enough to be served'? Or do you think that's correct?"

"…"

"Will you keep coddling him, and Lancer's master as well for that matter, as if they were children?"

Saber returned the bottles back where I had placed them. Off to the side, a new voice broke out into laughter.

"I tried to warn you" Lancer continued to laugh as he joined the rest of us. "You weren't going to achieve anything by jumping in there."

"Still had to try" Saber spoke dismissively, keeping his eyes on me.

"Oh, relax a bit" I waved a hand. "I didn't know if they've drank before, and I don't care if they have. They get one each from me, and only the one. It's only five percent alcohol anyways; unless they're super lightweights, this won't get them anywhere near drunk, especially when paired with food."

"…I will hold you to that" Saber spoke with the threat of death in his voice, turning to Johnathan. "I will be on watch duty if you need me, master."

With that, Saber was gone; spirit form was still so cool to see take effect! Lancer cleared his throat to get our attention.

"He's a serious man; far more than I, despite being younger than myself in our current states" Lancer spoke up now that we were looking at him. "But just because I'm more laid back, don't think I'm also not keeping an eye on you. If master, either one for that matter, ends up drunk, I don't care about the alliance: your head will be mine. …After Saber, I suspect."

He spoke all that with a carefree smile on his face. Mostly as a joke, to keep up appearances of being a respectable guardian type. …Probably…

"Duly noted" I laughed. "I brought one each for you two as well, if you want it."

"Sweet, thanks" Lancer reached into my backpack and pulled out the last two bottles. "Never had modern day alcohol before; wonder just how different it is… Anyways, I'll go check on Saber; make sure he isn't being too much of a downer. Don't think he's had any modern-day alcohol either, though perhaps it would be best to wait a minute before handing him this…"

Lancer was speaking more so to himself by the end of it as he left the room.

But why not- Oh, right, he's holding the bottles: can't take them with him into spirit form. Never mind, makes perfect sense!

"Right, so as I was saying" I resumed the conversation before the silence left behind by Lancer became too prominent. "We have beef. We have bacon. We have beer. The foods of my people!"

"And who's your people" Sortiara rolled her eyes as I slid a bottle over to both her and Johnathan.

"Well, who else" I grinned, spreading my arms out wide for dramatic effect. "Witness the greatness that is Canadian cuisine, ladies and gentlemen. Now, lets get down to business, eh?"


"Really, more questions on classes?"

Sortiara seemed a bit surprised when I informed her of the nature of my first question, once I got the food going.

"Yes, more questions on classes" I nodded. "Specifically, I recall you pointing out to Rider last night that he was outnumbered two to one, by two of the knight classes, no less. Which happens to imply that Rider is not one of these so-called knight classes. So, the question is…-"

"What's the difference" Johnathan finished as I got interrupted by my cooking.

"Something like that… Basically, what are the knight classes, and the other classes? Also, what is it exactly that makes them distinct?"

"Well, best way to start would be to point out that the seven classes are generally grouped into two groups" Sortiara took over. "Saber, Lancer and Archer are collectively known as the three knight classes, while Rider, Caster, Assassin and Berserker are collectively known as the four cavalry classes."

"Ok… I see how the knight classes fit in there, and I can get Rider being one of the cavalry classes…" I tried to wrap my mind on the two collectives. "But really? Caster, Assassin and Berserker are cavalry classes? How the hell does that work?"

"It's not as straightforward as you're probably thinking. The knight classes are referred to as such not only because of the weapon types they used, but also because of the characteristics of the classes grouped there."

"…Ok, still lost…"

"Oh, think of it like this" Johnathan perked up, apparently having thought of something. "If this were WotH, the knight classes would be the vanguard and champion characters, while the cavalry classes would be the commander, strategist and wild characters."

"So basically…" I quickly applied what I knew about WotH to what I knew of the Holy Grail War. "Ah, I see: knight class servants are the stat sticks of the war, while the cavalry class servants are the utility and support characters."

"Yeah, basically that" Johnathan seemed please with himself, while Sortiara only sighed in defeated exasperation.

Not happy she can't escape the game talk, is she? Poor girl; this will probably be a great annoyance to her then: I can only see this as a game.

"Bet even within those general archetypes, they would still have their own differences between the classes, right?"

"Yes" Sortiara quickly jumped back in. "Simply put, it follows like this: Saber class servants have the best overall mix of stats, abilities, and some other factors, and is considered to be the best class in the war. Lancer class servants have the best endurance, in general. Archer servants have the range advantage and generally decent agility. Rider servants generally have access to more Noble Phantasms than the other classes. Caster servants can create their own territory to power themselves further, turning them from fairly weak servants to really powerful ones in the correct situations. Assassin servants have the weakest overall stats, but have a far lower mana cost than the others to maintain their existence, and also have the Presence Concealment class skill, rendering them very hard to nigh impossible to detect, even for other servants. Lastly, Berserkers have the highest stats overall, but have a really taxing mana cost. They are also very hard to control due to their class skill of Madness Enhancement, which strips them of their sanity… to varying degrees…"

"I see… so servants do have stats and skills."

"You sound as though you already suspected as much" Johnathan pointed out.

"I did, but it is nice to be able to confirm it" I smiled. "So, the knight classes are better for straight fights, but can't do much else, while the cavalry classes are weaker in a straight fight, but come with more options in their kits to play with and try to take the upper hand?"

"Can you stop talking like this is a video game? Like, seriously…" Sortiara sighed.

"I mean, it is exactly like a video game though" I pointed out. "I was raised on video games too, so it helps to think of these things in such a context, for me at least. On a side note though, isn't Berserker really out of place? Sounds to me like he should be a knight class, not a cavalry class; the entire point of the class is to be the biggest stat stick of them all, no?"

"In that sense, yes…" Johnathan supplied hesitantly. "But the idea of a mindless brute stomping around a battlefield doesn't really come across as knight material, you know?"

"You kidding" I laughed. "There are plenty of monstrous knights in history and legend. Hell, arguably speaking, the greatest knight ever, Lancelot, was one such knight. Depends on your take of his actions with Guinevere and the whole ordeal of busting her out and fleeing to France and the like, but-"

I couldn't help but trail off as I noticed Sortiara's look. Was she… on edge? Definitely looked as though she was on edge. Then could Lancer be…

No way, right? Despite the name, Lancelot used a sword in the stories, didn't he? I mean, he also used a fucking stick at one point, if I'm remembering his stories correctly, that is… but surely that wouldn't count as him using a spear or a lance! …Then, another Knight of the Round Table, maybe…? That's… terrifying to think about facing… but also possible, I suppose… considering Daedalus is a servant. Need to do some digging into the stories of King Arthur, I guess: see if any of them were famous with a lance, or had red armor…

"Yeah, anyways..." I continued, not wanting to give either of the kids any hints as to what I was seeing in their reactions. "That sanity stripping thing you mentioned as well: the Madness Enhancement skill. How does the sanity stripping work?"

"Well, it all depends on the rank of the skill. Which, oh yeah, should probably say this: skills and stats alike are graded on a scale from E- to EX, going E-, E, E+, D-, so on and so forth. Depending on the rank of Madness Enhancement though, the tradeoff varies. So, having Madness Enhancement at, say, a rank of E+ won't give the Berserker all that great of a stat boost compared to that same servant being in another potential class of theirs, but they won't lose much of their sanity either. But, should it be at a rank of A, or even B, well… you get more of like what you saw last night."

"You mean where Berserker basically went and took a suicidal one versus three fight, and yet was still about to take out Lancer were it not for my warning?"

"He was not-" Sortiara immediately began to protest.

"Yeah, that" Johnathan laughed.

"Fuck both of you" Sortiara steamed. "Lancer would have been perfectly fine without his interference!"

"Whatever you say; you would know Lancer best, after all" I grinned. "But ok, that's all good to know; thanks. Next question: skills. You mentioned class skills like Presence Concealment and Madness Enhancement, so I take it all the classes have their own specific class skills?"

"They do."

"Do servants also have their own, unique skills as well then? Or are those all transferred over as Noble Phantasms?"

"…Depends. Things like weapons aren't really skills so much as objects, so they would be Noble Phantasms. But if someone was… let's go with an easy one here. Say they were very charismatic in life; they would most likely have the charismatic skill, regardless of the class they were summoned in. At least to some degree; the rank may vary depending on the class, but its rare for a servant to just lose a skill they would otherwise have due to their class alone. Exception being class skills, obviously."

"Though, some servants naturally have access to some class skills" Johnathan added. "Like, plenty of servants have access to the Magic Resistance class skill, even if they are not summoned as a Saber or Lancer."

"So, what happens in those cases" I asked. "Do they get other skills as compensation, or do the skills stack, or what?"

"Stack" Sortiara raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"More video game talk" Johnathan clarified, to Sortiara's displeasure. "But to answer the question: they stack, somewhat…"

"Meaning…" I lead, wanting a greater explanation than that.

"Meaning that if a servant would have a B rank in Magic Resistance before the class skills are applied, but then also gets summoned as a Saber, which inherently has the class skill of Magic Resistance, it will probably end up at a rank of B+, or A-, or something."

"So, a small boost only?"

"In most cases, I'd say a small boost only" Johnathan confirmed.

"Of course, there is still one other factor to consider" Sortiara added. "Specifically, the master. A capable magus as a master will generally increase the power of their servant; if not the rank of the servant's skills, then at least their stats. The master's personality and way of life can also influence things; someone with bad luck constantly affecting them in life might bring down the rank of their servant's luck stat as well, upon summon."

"That's… really weird" my face twisted in disgust on its own. "And that's decided by what? The grail?"

"Yup... Well, to my understanding, at least."

"Ew, gross… Who designed this game system?"

"This isn't a game though" Sortiara protested.

"Right… mages are summoning copies of historic and mythic heroes and villains, to fight over a fucking magical cup, and they have classes, skills, and stats. Yet you're going to try and sit there with a straight face and tell me this isn't just like a video game?"

"…"

"…"

"…Ok, maybe it is a bit like a video game..." Sortiara admitted with a defeated sigh.

"Exactly" I grinned.

Which is good for me: I grew up on video games. Once I learn about the systems, this should be easy to win.

"And the stats: how are they like" I continued.

"Just like skills."

"…You mean with the whole E- to EX ranking thing?"

"Yes."

"Ugh, no, mega gross…" I moaned in frustration.

"What's the issue with that" Johnathan asked.

"Because that tells you fuck all of anything of importance! If I asked you the difference between a B+ in… lets go with agility, to an A-, could you tell me? What's the difference in reaction speed in close quarters combat, down to the millisecond? What's the difference in movement speed? How far or high can one jump compared to the other?"

"Uh… yeah, I couldn't tell you any of that…"

"Then what the fuck is the point of the stats to begin with! They don't help you at all, being so damn generalized! Gods, I hate it when games pull that shit; make the stats useful to people, or don't bother with them at all! …Well, not like I can see the stats…"

"Wait, you can't-" Sortiara began to say something, before changing track. "Oh, right, you're not a magus. Of course you wouldn't be able to see any of that."

"See any of what?"

"A servant's skills and stats."

"...Wait, you can see that?! Like, actually see that?!"

"Looks like a character page in a video game, to me at least" Johnathan grinned, more so to Sortiara than me. "But yeah, as a master, you should be able to see that stuff for your own servant, as well as any servant you come across. The stats, at least: things like skills, Noble Phantasms and a servant's true name are only revealed when they give it away somehow, typically by using said skill or Noble Phantasm."

Oh my god... I need that!

"…Is there perhaps… any way… either of you two could show me that…" I asked after a shocked moment of pause.

"I… I might have something I can give you to let you see that stuff" Sortiara hesitated. "But it would only show you what you should know, not what Johnathan or I know. That, and it still requires mana to use, so you could only use it with either myself or Johnathan powering it."

"...Would that enable the person supplying the mana to see as well?"

"That I don't know" Sortiara admitted with a shrug. "I don't think so, but my father never really explained how that would work, in all fairness. It was there for me if I should have needed it, but I never did end up needing it, so…"

"Besides, we're a team anyways: shouldn't really matter if we can see as well or not" Johnathan pointed out.

Yeah, until the final three, you moron… My only real teammate in this thing is Caster; like hell I want to share information on Caster with either of you two!

…Even so, it was probably worth the risk… He did say it was like character pages in a game, so as long as I don't look at Caster's page, then…

"Touché" I laughed. "Yeah, that's be great if you could let me borrow that; would really help with trying to figure out the other servants if I could see their skills and stats and stuff."

"…Including our own, I take it" Sortiara raised an eyebrow.

"Well, naturally" I grinned. "Not like I'm not already trying to piece the identity of Saber or Lancer together though; it would only speed up the process, at best, for me. It's not like not being able to see that shit would prevent me from figuring it out altogether."

"…Alright, then yeah, I'll take a look for it" Sortiara nodded. "Should have brought it over here a few weeks ago; just need to find it… After we eat, that is! You done yet?!"

"Almost" I laughed. "Just give it a few more minutes."