"Oh. My. God…"
This… This was…
The room Caster led me to was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Really, describing it as a room wasn't doing it justice. It was a warehouse. It was the size of a fucking warehouse.
And it was full of statues, left in various stages of completion. All different shapes. All different sizes…
…Beautiful…
"Stay focused child" Caster grumbled as he continued walking. "Watch where you step; won't deal with your sniveling if you injure yourself.
"Y-Yeah" I muttered, still somewhat in a daze as I tried to take in everything in front of me.
Caster wasn't wrong though: the floor was littered with debris. Mostly chunks and shards of stone from the multitude of statues, but tools were also strewn all across the floor.
But the statues… I understood the myth surrounding them now. Seeing them up close, like this, they really did seem lifelike. That they would start moving the moment you looked away. The level of detail to them. The craftsmanship. It… it all went beyond anything I'd ever seen, from anywhere in the world.
"This should do" Caster spoke up as he came to a stop at the end of the massive space. "Enough room to test your… theories… So, what is this idea of yours?"
"Um, well… it's all really going to depend" I scratched the back of my head. "I really need to get a good look at a complete statue, see how the mark looks, acts, and reacts to things. All that, you know?"
"No, I don't know, but if you need a complete one, this one should do" Caster sighed, pointed over to a statue of an ordinary looking man. "Brand should be located lower back area, if I recall correctly…"
"Lower back area… Ah, I see" I nodded, spotting the brand engraved into the stone.
The moment I spotted it, the brand began to emit a red glow. Beyond the light though, nothing else seemed to happen.
"I take it it's supposed to glow red like that?"
"Typically, it would be far brighter, but you've already been affected by the brand" Caster waved his hand dismissively. "Can't do anything else to you, so all it can do is highlight itself and inform you I was the creator."
"I see… Take it that doesn't take much magical energy at all on the brand's part?"
"I wouldn't know, child."
"Does the statue have magical circuits?"
"Again, child, how am I supposed to know?! I'm not a mage!"
"...Did you learn nothing from Medea, the brief amount of time she was down here with you?"
"Bah, as if I'd show that witch my greatest works!"
"…Right… Ugh, now I'm wishing I could go and ask the kids, but… Hmm…" I began pacing back and forth. "Way I see it… we can either work off the assumption they do, or work off the assumption they don't. If we work off the assumption they do, and they actually do end up having magical circuits of some kind, then this becomes a lot easier. If they don't, though, we're just wasting time…"
"I find it highly unlikely anything made of stone would have something akin to these magical circuit things."
"Based on all I've seen and heard… I'd inclined to agree" I nodded slowly. "Meaning we should work off the assumption they don't. Unfortunate that it complicates things, but…"
"This is great and all, child" the tinge of sarcasm clearly evident in Caster's voice, "but you still have yet to actually explain anything."
"Well, the idea was that if they do have magical circuits, then all we'd need to do is get a way to stimulate the magical energy dormant within the brand to start flowing through the circuits, and in theory we'd be able to issue multiple commands as they'd be magically active. With them lacking magical circuits… we have to find a way to force enough magical energy to spread throughout the statues, without having them blow up, more or less."
"And it has to be a way which can be repeated consistently."
"…Yeah, something like that" I shrugged. "Meaning we also need to figure out a way to stimulate the magical energy within the brand in the first place. Once we get that working, we then have to figure out how much… power, let's say… we can actually use to get the statue working as intended, but also not have it blow up when a new command is given and we force magical energy through it. Or at least, that's the idea."
"You do realize there's no guarantee I'll figure out how to achieve either of those things with your current idea, yes?"
"…Yep."
"This sounds like a colossal waste of time."
"I mean… it could be, yeah" I admitted, shooting Caster a nervous grin. "But really think about it Caster! It's not like we really have anything better to do with our time in the first place. And what if it does work? Just imagine, Caster, how good it'll feel finally getting your Noble Phantasm working as you want it do! Not just working, but working off the fact you turned Athena's curse against you into your own, personal blessing! That has to be the biggest fuck you anyone could give to that stuck-up goddess! You wouldn't just be avenging yourself either: Medusa, Arachne… think of all the others screwed over by Athena who'll never get a chance quite like this, to turn the tables and tell that goddess to go fuck herself; that there are those who surpass her and all her supposed intellect and wisdom!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Come on, Caster… I don't know how else I can sell this to you… Please, just say-
"…I… suppose it does sound tempting" Caster sighed. "Though I can't say I'm thrilled about it, I can't say it's impossible to achieve either."
Yes!
"This is you we're talking about, Caster" I smirked slightly. "I thought nothing was impossible for the greatest mind humanity has ever seen?"
"…Ha! That may very well just be the first intelligent thing you've said, child!"
"Then I believe the matter is settled."
"Indeed. Back to my workshop" Caster concluded, starting his walk back the way we came. "The first thing will be to find a way to power up and activate the mark, and I believe I have just the idea in mind…"
Experimentation, Day 2
"Blasts it! Another one turned to rubble…"
"Unfortunate, yeah, but at least this one managed to stimulate the mark without immediately turning the statue to a mound of rubble! Progress, Caster: it's progress!"
"I'd hardly consider it lasting ten seconds progress. Especially since I couldn't even give it a second command to test!"
"Think of it this way instead: ten is indefinite progression from zero."
"…I will never understand you, child. Not that I need to in the first place. Power output is still too high, but I believe I know exactly what modifications to make."
Experimentation, Day 3
"Initializing unit. Power output stable…"
"Brand is glowing; we have stimulation. How are we looking on flow?"
"…Mana reaching every part, though it fades rapidly."
"Bah! No need for the mana to cycle or pool. Deactivate the unit, child. Time to give this thing a proper test run."
"Alright… Unit is deactivated. Mana has faded from the statue, outside of the brand itself."
"Excellent. Now then: walk to the far end of the room!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Now, child."
"Initializing unit."
"Grab the sword from the weapon rack!"
"…"
"…"
"Holy shit… it's coming back this way!"
"Patience, child! It's not quite a success-"
"Yes! It grabbed the right weapon!"
"Indeed… Ha… Hahahahahahah! It works! Up yours, Athena! Your magic is mine for the taking!"
"…Might need a bit of fine tuning, though. The movements during the second command seemed slower."
"Fine tuning from this point is a simple matter, child. From this working basis I know exactly what needs adjustment."
"Then we just need to figure out how to scale it for different sized statues."
"That- Hmm… Yes, scaling the power output of the units based on the size of the statues will probably be required…"
"Nothing left to do then but get back to experimenting."
Experimentation, Day 5
"Alright, yeah, I think that does it."
"…Unfortunate, but I'm inclined to agree. Renders bladed weapons useless, however."
"I'd have been surprised if stone statues did have the flexibility within them to wield swords and axes like people could. I think it's fine though, honestly. Arm them with clubs, and the janky movements from the limbs won't really matter."
"Primitive, but I can't deny the effectiveness of the tactic…"
"…Actually, now that I think about, I think we have a control scheme issue…"
"…A what now, child?"
"A control scheme issue."
"Yes, yes, I heard that much! Explain, child!"
"Well, right now the statues work off voiced commands. While that's great and all, now that we know they can be given more than one command without blowing up on us, the issue is that, in combat, we're not necessarily going to be able to give them verbal commands, right?"
"…I suppose there is some truth to that, yes…"
"Then the answer's obvious: we need to change how we give the statues commands."
"…What are you thinking, child?"
"Well, we know that magecraft and technology can be blended together, at least in some limited capacity. I also know that you know how to build a computer, so…"
"Why do I not like the sound of this?"
"Look, just hear me out, Caster! This is what I'm thinking…"
Experimentation, Day 9
"See, Caster! I told you this would work!"
"Yes, yes, revel in your supposed success, child… Never mind the fact that it was I who did all the work in making this possible!"
"Hey, I'm not taking that away from you. I'm just saying… it was my idea."
"A needlessly complex idea…"
"Needless? Look at what this enables, Caster! We can issue commands at will from a distance!"
"Simple, primitive commands, you mean; lose all capability to gives orders with nuance… and that's only in the room where the cameras are set up! How does that help us in any other spot?!"
"It wouldn't, yeah."
"Then as I was saying, this is-"
"But! But… just because the cameras are stationary now, doesn't mean that they have to be stationary always."
"What, you want flying cameras now?"
"Yes, actually. That's exactly what I want. You've seen a drone before, yes, Caster?"
"…"
"…"
"…Perhaps at some point or another as I was looking into modern technology. I can't say the term sounds completely alien…"
"That's more or less what we need now to really get this setup working as intended. If we can get the camera system mobile, then we can set up the mouse tracking program anywhere, no matter where the battlefield ends up being. Thus, we'll always be able to issue commands."
""All well and good until they get shot out of the sky…"
"But unlike the statues, these don't have to be made out of stone. You have access to far more durable materials, yeah?"
"Of course I do!"
"Right, and it's not like we're using the statues to check servants. They're only going to be used to check Rider's army, which we should never have to face at the same time as Archer. So sure, Rider may be able to shoot some down, if he even does have something like a bow, but Archer is never going to be around to take them out, and even if parts of Rider's army take aim at them, it's not like they're servants; if the statues can take the hits while being made out of stone, then surely the cameras can as well."
"…Hmm…"
"…"
"…I… suppose you have a point…"
"Really, it's the power units on the statues I'm concerned about getting destroyed. They stick out like a sore thumb and if they go, we can't send the statue updated orders."
"I have a couple of ideas to increase the durability of the power units, but even then, it won't be perfect. Even non-servants will still be able to destroy them with enough blows landed to the unit itself."
"I suppose that's just the issue with trying to combine magecraft and technology: the magecraft is weak and the technology is obvious and exposed."
"Indeed… So, flying cameras next then…"
"Probably want to make a bunch more than we technically need, just in case they do get shot down, or they bug out, or-"
"Yes, yes, I don't need you to point out the obvious to me, child!"
"Right, yeah… Ok then, you finish making the rest of the hardware, and I'll get to work smoothing out the software components here."
"What?"
"You know, hardware and- …Actually, you might not know. Ok, so, you know how computer programs are made up of and run by computer code?"
"Obviously!"
"See, that's what we call software, while the computer itself would be called hardware."
"I know that, child!"
"Then what was the confusion-"
"What do you mean you'll 'smooth out the software'?!"
"Oh, I mean I'll just go and fix the code up a bit. You see how the cursor on screen stutters in its movements, has funky acceleration, lags behind when I click on statues or try to drag and create a box around a group of them? I suspect that's due to issues in the code of the program itself. See, coding isn't so much math and science as it is a language, and while this is amazing for someone who didn't even have the notion of such a thing being possible while they were alive, I'd be surprised if your code wasn't full of… well, amateur mistakes…"
"Amateur mistakes?!"
""Not that you can really be blamed for it; you're new to it all, so it only makes sense. Like any other language, it takes time to learn all the ins and outs, the tricks, of using it. While I can't engineer anything on the hardware side like you can, I do know my way around code. So, the solution seems obvious: you create the hardware, and I'll tune up the software. That way, it'll all be the absolute best it can be. Makes sense, right?"
"Child, you-"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Ugh… fine. Fine! If you think you can get this running better than I can, I'd like to see you even try!"
"A challenge like that, from you, Caster? Now I absolutely have to deliver!"
"Bah! Do what you want, child, but I'm not expecting much!"
Experimentation, Day 11
"Well, would ya look at that! Caster, I dare say it's all come together!"
"Hmph! I can't say I see the difference in performance…"
"Ok, so maybe you had better code than I expected. I still say I was able to optimize the performance slightly, though."
"Say whatever you want, child… Question now is who's going to actually operate the system?"
"I mean, it has to be me, obviously?"
"Oh? What makes you so sure it just has to be you?"
"Well, for one, this control scheme was my idea, and it's a control scheme I've used in other things before for many years of my life, so I'm naturally going to be more proficient at using it than you."
"…"
"Second, we're facing Rider, and while you know who he really is, and that'll help somewhat, you don't know warfare."
"Neither do you, child."
"Perhaps not in the way you're thinking, but in a way in which this system you've created is applicable, I actually do have quite a bit experience in warfare. I also know Rider beyond just his identity. His military experience. His tactics. His history. It's all been recorded, and I've actually studied it. Thus, if anyone was to be the one to confront Rider, it should naturally fall to me, as I know most about him."
"Right…"
"Finally, though, I'm really only good when it comes to using the software. As I've discovered, you're more or less just as good as me when it comes to the software side of things, at the engineering level. Truly, when it comes to technical engineering of any kind, there's no one better than you, Caster!"
"Naturally."
"Which is why you need to be free to fix any issues that arise during combat. Not to mention that you're the only one who can do anything on the hardware side of things! If the statues need repairs, or we need new ones made and deployed to the battlefield, well… only you can really do that, and you can't do it from here, while also operating all the active units in the field, no?"
"…I… suppose such a thing would be difficult, even for me."
"That's why I'm saying it has to be me. I'm not saying you couldn't do it, Caster. I'm just saying you're needed elsewhere, I already have the experience to use the system fairly proficiently, and I undeniably know our opposition better than you do, considering he wasn't even born till long after you died."
"…"
"…"
"…Fine. Fine. I'll leave the operation of the system to you, should we need it."
"Well, we're absolutely going to need it. I'd say in about… four days from now, in fact."
"And what makes you so sure about that?"
"Because we're taking the fight to Rider."
"What?!"
"Is that really so surprising, Caster?"
"Of course it is, child! What you've suggested is the height of both stupidity and redundancy!"
"I disagree. You see, Caster, the modern saying goes the best offence is a good defense."
"So you plan to just ignore conventional wisdom?!"
"Yes. That's exactly what I plan do to. Conventional wisdom has problems, Caster. For one, it's obvious, and everyone can therefor see it coming. Two, it's formed by majority opinion, and you should know just as well as I do that anything formed by majority opinion is a shitty, shitty idea."
"…Agreed…"
"Finally, those who play the game the best are those who approach it unconventionally; flip conventions on their head. Which only makes sense, as being able to flip conventions on their head, to redefine the metagame, shows a mastery of understanding of the game, of the strengths and weaknesses of the meta, beyond that of the vast majority of it's player base."
"You- …Child, are you seriously trying to tell me that this is nothing more than a- a game to you?!"
"Caster, by definition, a game is anything with stated or implied success and failure conditions. Thus, flowing from said definition-"
"Everything is a game!"
"Yes, exactly! I knew you'd be someone who understands!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…What are you thinking, Caster?"
"I'm thinking that all your previous requests suddenly make a lot more sense! Thinking of this as a game, the childishness… But fine, whatever, this is a game we're playing! Why in the name of the gods would we ever take the fight to Rider regardless?"
"As I said, Caster, take the modern convention, and flip it on it's head; play the game the best."
"…"
"…"
"…If the best offence is a good defense, then the best defense is a-"
"Good offence! Yes, exactly that! Which only makes sense, when you really sit down and think about it. The tempo game is a huge part of the larger game being played-"
"Tempo game?"
"So why just freely hand it over to your opposition by sitting back and doing nothing? That's just stupid; even slower, control-based gameplay benefits from being in control of the tempo!"
"I'm not going to even try to understand the nonsense you've just spouted…"
"Ah, that's fine! Look, it's not like I'm going to march the army though the city either. Way too risky on so many levels. But I do have a battlefield in mind. It's just going to take a bit of setup before it's ready, hence why I'm saying not for four days. Rider likely won't come by his own accord, even if he knows where we are, and we're not ready to bait him over to the battlefield yet. …This is where you come in, naturally."
"As if I could never have figured that out for myself, child! Though do tell me, why should I help you any further with this nonsense?"
"Because don't you want to see what your Noble Phantasm is truly capable of? Really put it through its paces?"
"I-"
"Just think, Caster: if a small-scale army can deal with Rider, then you know you have a good basis to work from when you go to build whatever army you'll undoubtedly need to get your vengeance against Athena, no?"
"…"
"Consider this the test run of taking down the goddess!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Uh, Caster?"
"I'm thinking, child!"
"Um…"
"…"
"…Ugh… ok…"
"…Ok?"
"Ok! What. Is it. You need. Specifically. Child?"
"Well… Here, it'll be easier if I just pull it all up and show you."
"Of course you'd have it all- What in the name of Hades is all of this?!"
"This is a map of the battlefield layout I want. As you can see, the labyrinth is going to need to undergo some changes. As for the labyrinth layout, this was what I was thinking. Of course, this doesn't work if you can't have the entrances be anything but stairs, but I really hope such a thing isn't locked to being stairs; going to make reinforcing harder, to say noting at all about the initial mobilization and ambush. As for army composition, well, total troop count needs to go up. I should be able to control five hundred statues no problem, so ideally that's the target number."
"Five hundred?!"
"In specifically this ratio for the composition, yes."
"And you want all of this done in four days?!"
"Three days, actually; need everything ready to go before the fourth day from today, seeing as I don't want to be dealing with last minute preparations. Way too messy… Oh, also, it's not want, so much as need. All this here needs to be done in three days. As for what I want done in three days…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Well? What are you-"
"Are you out of your mind, child?! I can't do all of this in only three days! That thing alone could take me an entire week to make, if not longer!"
"I didn't think anything was impossible for you, Caster."
"Even I have limits, child! This is insanity beyond even the gods! No! Absolutely not!"
"Come on, Caster! Please!"
"It simply cannot be done, child!"
"You said that about getting your Noble Phantasm working! Look at how that turned out!"
"You realize we're eleven days into that, yes?!"
"Eleven? …Has it really been eleven days?"
"Yes, child!"
"Well damn… time really does fly when you're having fun!"
"Glad you've found some amusement in all of this!"
"But in all seriousness, can you do it, Caster?"
"…"
"Because I sure as hell can't do any of it. Honestly, I don't think anyone but you could do it."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Caster?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Uh, Cas-"
"I hear you, child!"
"…"
"…If... If I repurpose some of the old statues…"
"…"
"Quickly reshape the labyrinth… Shoddy, and the quality of the new statues would be lacking as well…"
"They're not going up against Rider himself, only his army. Don't think we need the statues to be rank A or anything like that."
"It's not about what they need to be to face Rider's army, child!"
"…"
"…But if I consider this a test run of sorts… A private one, away from prying eyes…"
"…"
"…That… Project D… is that even worth considering…? If it was well made, it could maybe actually stand against Rider, so why…"
"…"
"…If…"
"…"
"…"
"…If?"
"…If you stay out of my way, child, then I think… I think what you need can be done within three days… But as for what you want…"
"…Yes?"
"…If you gave me a week, I could make it so that it could actually stand against Rider himself."
"I don't need it for that. If it really has been eleven days, then this war is approaching a month in terms of duration. By the time we're ready to go, it should have been a month, if not just slightly more. Considering Rider has no access to leylines, he should be running low on magical energy. If his army is summoned and subsequently crushed, he shouldn't have the magical energy to continue, and should just fade out on his own."
"…I see… I don't like it, but I see…"
"You don't like it?"
"I don't like the idea of making anything so poorly made! Especially intentionally, just to meet a rushed deadline! But I see the… the logic behind this idea of yours…"
"…"
"…It will be late… Depending on when the fight happens on the fourth day, as well as if everything else goes off without any issues popping up, it might not be serviceable at all. But… if all that's needed is the most basic form and functions, and doesn't need to fight a servant directly, then… it might be ready to go towards the end of the battle… maybe."
"Perfect; can serve as the final reinforcement to shatter Rider's army."
"…No time to waste then. I leave getting Rider in place-"
"I have an idea, as well as a backup idea if the first one doesn't work. Just worry about your end, Caster."
"Hmph, so all the difficult stuff, essentially."
"Would you have it any other way?"
"…"
"…"
"…No. I suppose I wouldn't."
A/N
Man, this took me longer than I wanted. I've actually gotten really bad recently with releases... I'm sorry all; will do my utmost to try to get back to more consistent releases.
Aside form that though... YES! FINALLY! MY BRETHEREN FROM THE FROZEN HELLHOLE THAT IS CANADA HAVE FINALLY TAKEN NOTICE! DON'T THINK I DIDN'T SEE THAT SPIKE, BECAUSE I HAVE, AND FUCK YES!
…Ah, man... that felt so good to get out xD
As for the reviews since last post...
Short answer: no
Long answer: Nnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooo
I find the idea really, really cringe, not gonna lie. So sorry, but no, this will NOT be the pop culture reference statue army.
As always, I'll see all you wonderful readers in the next post o7
