FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 16: Mysteries of the Idols

In the Chaldean Servants' cottage, the group congregated in front of a large holographic monitor that had two different displays – one was of Okeanos' map, while the other projected Da Vinci as she analyzed the information she was given.

"Hi!" the inventor beamed. "Gilgamesh has already gotten me up to speed, so let's get straight to the heart of the matter, shall we? Acting Director Archaman has tasked us with resolving an incident that could potentially manifest into a Singularity, which can then further damage to the foundation of human history since the World is still recovering from the Third Singularity. For simplicity's sake, we will dub this the Fomorian Singularity, since that is the enemy we are dealing with this time.

"All of you have been tracking down the Fomorian idols scattered across the islands, yet I am told that there are potentially more lurking out there. I suppose you don't need me to tell you what to do next. In order to facilitate the process though, the teams will be provided with detailed maps showing where the remaining statues are, as well as the mana threads they are producing. Now that the simple part is out of the way, the real headaches will come once Aspidochelone is forced back to the surface. It is too deep underwater for us to perform a thorough analysis at this time, but based on the exorbitant amounts of mana being provided, I'd wager it's about the size of Okeanos' three largest islands combined."

"Meaning, how are we supposed to fight against something like that?" Emiya wondered.

"Right. If we're not careful, we could be allowing the Phantasmal to run rampant. Being contained to Okeanos is fine, but if it were to reach the rest of the world, the damage it causes would be enough to destroy human history for the next 450 years, and that would only serve the King of Mages' ambitions."

"Then we just barge in and beat up the mastermind!" Kintoki exclaimed.

"How would you go about finding our culprit inside such a gigantic creature?" Boudica wondered. "While we're busy searching, Aspidochelone could potentially wreck entire countries."

"Ugh…"

"She's right," Mata Hari frowned. "Speed is of the essence here. There has to be something we could do to at least paralyze the monster so it can't go anywhere. After all, a stationary enemy is easier to defeat than a rampant one."

Da Vinci raised her eyebrows, then murmured to herself, "Paralyze, hm? Perhaps if we do this… and then…"

Gilgamesh glared at her. "What is it, woman? Do not leave your audience in suspense."

"It's just an idea I have. I believe all the tools are already in place, so all that's needed is a coordinated plan."

"How fascinating. As I have no interest in laying eyes upon those hideous Fomorian statues any further, it is imperative that you and I discuss what this epiphany of yours is while the other mongrels are busy with their investigations."

"Sounds good. For it to work though, I'm going to need your help with contacting the child Servants inside Aspidochelone. Having them cripple it from within will inevitably be a massive boon to our strategy."

"So a two-pronged assault from the outside and the inside, hm? Very well. Once we figure out what to do, I will relay those orders to the runt."

Emiya sighed and muttered, "Guess it's back to the hunt. Well, I can't say whether it's fortunate or not that the kids were devoured. If they hadn't, fighting that thing would have been much harder for us."

Cuchulainn Alter became disturbingly silent. He refused to make eye contact with the sardonic Archer, and he stepped out of the cottage to head for the beach, intent on diving back underwater. Emiya likewise couldn't say anything to him as recompense for his harsh comment. All they could do was accept the facts, swallow their worries, and continue performing their tasks.

Connla, Heroine X and Beowulf stared at Lucius for a long moment. None of them were expecting the Roman to outright call them a faction, especially since all of them were Rogue Servants to begin with. For them to be labeled an official team meant that they had to put their individual goals and personal vendettas aside in order to cooperate with each other, and that was quite a shock to the three Servants.

The Grendel Slayer wryly muttered, "Dude, don't make such decisions without consulting with the rest of us first."

Lucius snapped, "As if I need to! My proclamation is that two of us will venture to Uma, while the others head for Zhou! Then, we can coordinate a dual strike against their Fomorian idols, thereby crippling them simultaneously!"

"Hmm…" X murmured. "It is a rather basic stratagem, yet given our limited numbers, I can see the merits behind it. With both statues ruined, the two countries will have no choice but to listen to the truth. Then, we can combine our Servants into one solid force and go after Roma later."

"Exactly! Glad to see someone understands, even if your mere presence causes my blood to boil for some unknown reason!"

Connla anxiously scratched her chin and thought, Uh oh. Now that I think about it, Miss X's true name is Artoria Pendragon, isn't it? She may be an alternate version of King Arthur, but she was still responsible for defying Lucius Tiberius and killing him. Not to mention that Sir Beowulf doesn't get along with him already…

Aloud, she said, "Then I'd be happy to accompany Lord Lucius to whichever faction he wishes to sabotage. Preferably, I would like to go to Zhou so that I can punish Lady Wu for taking advantage of me. If he wants to go to Uma though, then I won't mind."

"Oh ho," Lucius murmured. "At least one of you is willing to exercise a healthy amount of humility. Conquering the weakest of the three factions would normally be beneath my stature, but if Lugh's granddaughter is requesting it, then by the honor of inheriting his name, I am compelled to oblige. Very well then! You and I shall henceforth march for Zhou and ensure that it is brought to shambles!"

Beowulf shrugged and said to X, "Guess that leaves us with Uma."

"No problem. There is a particular Rider that I seek to cross blades with."

"I've heard about their Archer as well. Testing my might against the Mahabharata's one-man army could prove entertaining."

As Beowulf and X headed in the direction of Uma, Connla ran ahead of Lucius and asked, "Shall we get going then?"

"Patience now, young one," the red-haired swordsman urged while following her. "I can sense that you are eager to engage in shameless vandalism, but we are still dealing with a viable country's worth of Torturers and loyalists."

"Well, wrecking the statue is one thing. I'm just more concerned about rescuing Jack somehow. If she really is poisoned, then I need to have a word with Lady Wu about curing her. I'm sure that means I'm going to have to fight her though."

"As if there was any doubt about putting that wench to the blade?"

"Um… Well, the thing is… No, I suppose not," Connla murmured sullenly. She had to remember that the Wu Zetian from her dream and the one here were two different people. The trouble was that she preferred rationalizing with the empress by showing her the truth about the statues. If Wu understood what was going on, then perhaps there wouldn't be any need for violence. She sincerely doubted it was going to be that simple though, so she needed to be ready for anything.

"Elizabeth Bathory…" Jack murmured. "As in, the Hungarian Countess who killed hundreds of people?"

"Bah. That refers to my adult self," the pink-haired dragon girl grumbled. "I'm a Servant who represents the Elizabeth Bathory from before she committed those crimes. Believe me, I'm just your average 14-year old teenage sweetheart who dreams of fame and stardom. Of course, if that woman Carmilla was still around, she'd be going mental about wanting to extract every last ounce of your blood to sustain her beauty, or some other bollocks like that."

"But aren't you and Carmilla the same pers-?"

"No, no, and NO! That woman and I couldn't be any more different if fate tried!"

"Uh…"

Elizabeth sighed and said, "Well, never mind that. Right now, I'm just relegated to being Wu Zetian's scullery maid and personal meat shield. But the rags to riches stories are always the best ones, aren't they? The oh-so tragic heroine, trampled beneath the heels of her benefactors, suddenly rises from her knees and is adorned in a pretty dress, which then gives her the strength to conquer her unfortunate past and inspire generations to come!"

Jack really wasn't sure where Elizabeth was going with this discussion, so she kept quiet and let her ramble on.

"Oh for Pete's sake, don't look so confused!" the excitable teenager barked. "Think about it! I've been waiting a long time for my chance to escape this dreadful place! And now, the stars have aligned in my favor now that I have a fellow comrade in this miserable hellhole called a faction! Come on, now! Don't you want to stick it to the man… erm, woman, and wrestle the antidote from her cold, dead hands!?"

"Of course I'd do anything to be free of that meanie empress. But, I really don't know anything about this place, or how everything works."

"Does this mean it's time for an exposition dump? Well look no further than your loveable partner in crime! I get to exercise my vocal cords, and you get to understand how Zhou's empire has expanded at the expense of so many others! It's a win-win situation!"

"Are you sure? Won't those scary ladies in the purple robes punish you for planning a… um, what was it called again? A coup de grâce?"

"No, a coup d'etat! And it's no big deal, so long as we keep our mouths shut while around other people. This society thrives on snitching, after all. If those lemmings think their neighbor is up to no good, they'll run and tell the Kuli about it. Things like evidence and fair trials have no place here – all that matters is absolute obedience to Wu Zetian and the Manual of Accusation."

Jack became quiet. Uncertainty welled within her, as she didn't know if she should go along with Elizabeth's plan or opt out while she could. Even so, she really had no information about how Zhou operated, and if she wanted to exploit any sort of weakness, she would have to listen to Elizabeth's story.

After a long pause, Jack said, "… Okay. Let's walk around and act like you're showing me the ropes. That shouldn't attract any attention from the snitchers or the scary ladies."

"Good stuff!" the dragon girl beamed, then guided her new companion outside of Zhou Palace. For the next few hours, they explored the city's locales, including various pavilions, viewing towers, small parks, and recreational facilities. Oddly enough, there were no restaurants available, and there seemed to be a distinct lack of farms. Elizabeth prattled on about each location, but nothing particularly stood out for Jack. It wasn't until they returned to the central square that the Assassin started barraging her friend with questions.

"Say, say, about this fountain," Jack uttered, "is it true that bad people are actually sacrificed here all the time?"

Elizabeth visibly frowned. "Ah, you saw that, didn't you? It's not actually the fountain that is accepting the sacrifice, but rather the statue above it. Every faction, past and present, has had a guardian deity that everyone uses for the Ceremony of Bounty. That ritual is exactly what happened to Yan Qing and his cronies… and to…"

The teenager bit her lip, as if almost on the verge of crying. Jack noticed this and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Well… it happened to Uncle Vlad too."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I didn't want to mention this," Elizabeth moaned, "but five years ago, I used to be part of the Romanian nation; the Dracul Faction. Uncle Vlad was the leader, and both myself and Carmilla were his most trusted agents. We really were at the top at one time, and I thought those days would last forever. But then we suffered too many attacks from the other groups, which crippled our soldiers and resources. To make matters worse, Wu Zetian instigated a rebellion consisting of oppressed nobles, and she took this chance to claim Dracul's guardian deity for herself. As if rubbing dirt into the wound, her very first sacrifice was Uncle Vlad – he was given up to the very same deity that he once sacrificed people to."

"…"

"Do you know what that means? Wu Zetian ruined Uncle Vlad's kingdom, then used his miserable death to instill fear into her subjects and enemies. She discarded him, while practically declaring, 'If you dare defy me, this is what will happen to you.' There was literally nothing I could do to save him, since Wu had already poisoned me with that hideous gas to ensure my loyalty."

Jack then asked, "What about Carmilla?"

"She was also poisoned, but nevertheless tried to launch a rebellion two years ago. She thought she had all the pieces in place, yet she seriously underestimated how much people were willing to snitch to get on Wu's good side. Of course, she was executed and used as raw material for the Ceremony of Bounty. I'm literally the last remaining Servant of Uncle Vlad's legacy, and I've kept myself alive by kissing the enemy's feet. He must hate me so much…"

Jack was starting to feel rather sorry for Elizabeth. Even though she listened to her tale, there was something that she absolutely wanted to know. She thought it would cause a lot of trouble for them if she said it out loud though, so she leaned into Elizabeth's ear and asked as quietly as she could.

"EH!?" the dragon girl squeaked, attracting odd glances from passers-by. She sheepishly chuckled and exclaimed, "G-Good afternoon, everyone! I'm just showing your newest guardian Servant around the place! She's a little clueless about how things work here, so don't mind if she says anything weird! Eh heh heh heh…"

The bystanders seemed satisfied with her explanation and continued on their way. Elizabeth grabbed Jack's arm and forced her into an unoccupied alley, then hissed in her face, "Are you out of your mind!? No one would be insane enough to actually destroy the guardian deities! We Servants may not need to eat, but the humans living in this world do! You know what they say – hungry citizens lead to destroyed countries!"

"You mean no one has ever tried?" Jack wondered.

"Of course not! That's practically suicide!"

"Do you know where the deities come from, or who made them?"

"Who knows? That's been a long-lost secret by now. Although, now that I think about it, there is a peculiar property about them that I haven't understood for the longest time."

"What's that?"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, then said, "Legends state that if a Celt or a Christian are sacrificed, the ritual will produce enough resources to sustain a faction for entire decades, rather than a few years."

Jack became astonished. "A Celt or a Christian?"

"Why do you think the Zhou Faction exploded in power after only just five years? That's not possible unless you sacrifice one of those two, and Uncle Vlad was a staunch Christian."

"I see."

The Romanian Lancer leaned her back against the wall and pondered to herself, "I wonder why that is. If only I could understand why it works that way, I could gain an advantage over Wu…"

Jack looked away anxiously. The moment she heard the word 'Celt', she couldn't stop thinking about Connla. It was definitely a stroke of good luck that Wu had no clue the young Saber was a Celt when they met earlier. If she had known, no doubt Connla would have been murdered without a second thought. Jack was glad that Connla had not been captured, but she was likewise afraid of what would happen should Wu or any of the other faction leaders discover that there was a Celtic Servant on the loose.

What could she do to protect her friend from the guardian deities?

In front of the gorgeous lake that surrounded Uma, Nursery stood near Parvati and watched as rows upon rows of men garbed in armored tunics and turbans, wielding spears and shields marched in line and faced their leader with pride in their eyes. Word had reached them about Zhou's failed assassination attempt, and their anger was simply too palpable for Parvati to ignore any longer. They wanted to topple the Chinese nation while it was weakened from Roma's earlier assault, but the goddess insisted that the casualties be restricted to only enemy soldiers. Sometimes the other nations would kill civilians during a raid, which Parvati absolutely would not condone. Her troops agreed on that condition, especially since they didn't want to incite the wrath of a genuine goddess.

Ashwatthama rallied the soldiers and gave each squadron their instructions. Medusa observed the proceedings, then said to Parvati, "Everything is running smoothly. The general wanted me to relay that they will be ready to march within ten minutes."

"Very good," the queen replied. "I trust that you will take care of things in my absence?"

"Do not concern yourself. The city will be safe under my protection."

Parvati then glanced down at Nursery and asked, "Are you sure you want to come with me? I think you would be a lot safer in the city with Medusa."

Nursery became agitated as she exclaimed, "I'm going with you! No matter what happens, I'm going to find Jack and Connla!"

"He he. How silly I was for asking. You'd do anything to reunite with your precious friends. But don't forget what Ling said about Jack's condition. If you want to save her, you will have to convince Empress Wu to give her the antidote and set her free."

"I know that! I may be Nursery Rhyme, but now the kiddie gloves come off! Bad girls like her need to be shown that it's not nice to trick people like that!"

As Ashwatthama approached, he heard her declaration and added, "Ooh, that's quite the fire burning in your soul, little missy! Very nice! That's the kind of passion I can get behind! I'm itching to bust some heads myself!"

"No," Parvati suddenly told him.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"You're staying here to protect the city."

"Seriously!? I need to command the troops and keep you safe from Wu's guardian Servants!"

"I can give commands just fine. I have Nursery with me as well."

"Are you sure? I've already told you that she's not loyal to Uma."

"She is loyal to her friends. Given the circumstances, there's nothing more I need to ask of her than that. My biggest concern is making sure the guardian deity and our citizens are safe. If Roma finds out that we left our gates practically wide open for them, no doubt they will barge straight in and occupy the city for themselves. Even if we manage to overwhelm Zhou, it will be meaningless if our own home was to be lost at the same time."

Ashwatthama frowned hard and asked, "What should happen were you to fall in battle, Lady Parvati? Who would be left to lead Uma?"

"You, of course. I'm sure the citizens would be thrilled to be led by a hero of the Mahabharata."

Medusa looked away and visibly cringed. Ashwatthama seemed equally reluctant as he weakly objected, "Ah… W-With all due respect, I don't think I'm-"

"Well, that's just the absolute worst case scenario. I have faith that I can deliver my divine judgment upon Wu for her transgressions. We'll just get in there, take care of business all swift-like, then hurry on back home with Zhou's refugees in tow," Parvati assured, then added, "Be ready for an influx of new citizens, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am! I will guard Uma with my life, if needed!"

"Very good. Now, my most trusted men, we shall advance upon the Zhou Faction and see to it that their leader is reminded of their folly!"

"Jai Hind!" †

After simultaneously shouting the Uma Faction's motto, the soldiers followed Parvati and Nursery down the winding tunnels in the direction of Zhou. The young Caster fidgeted her hands together numerous times, uncertain of what was about to come once they reached their destination. However, Parvati had something else on her mind as she glanced around at the tunnels they were walking through.

I still can't believe what Nursery told me. Are we truly walking through the bowels of a Phantasmal? Is this place we call a 'world' really just the insides of an unspeakably gigantic sea creature?

Two hours after they left the safety of Aspidochelone's stomach region, Lucius and Connla arrived at the outskirts of Zhou. He already knew how to get there, so the trek didn't take long. Unfortunately for them, the trip was only the easy part of their mission – deciding on how to proceed from here would be especially tricky. They kept themselves hidden on a cliff that hung high over the city and spent some time observing with a pair of binoculars that Connla had brought with her from the island.

"Hmm…" she mumbled while peering around. "Everything looks normal from here. It's just difficult for me to pinpoint any potential traps, other than how obvious it is that the Fomorian statue is just sitting out there in the open."

Lucius grumbled, "Damn that Lilliputian wench. She's practically saying, 'Wanna claim our statue? Go ahead and try, plebeian!'. Even I am not fool enough to ignore the danger of heeding such a blatant taunt! Things would be so much easier if I could use my Noble Phantasm from here!"

"Absolutely not! That'd be like using a nuclear bomb to get rid of a spoiled tree!"

"Heh heh heh, I'm delighted to hear such a compliment!"

"Don't misconstrue my words like that. If you want to create your empire, you're going to need citizens, right? It'd be unbelievably stupid for you to just wipe out your future followers on a violent impulse."

"I know that! Lugh's granddaughter or not, I do not need you to lecture me on proper conduct during a delicate mission such as this! I will stay my sword and concoct a most devious plan to cripple Zhou from the inside! The trouble is that everyone already knows who I am by virtue of my glorious tenure as one of Roma's Triumvirate. Though I am glad to possess such notoriety, it currently serves as a hindrance for me – my visage alone will spark unnecessary panic among the populace."

Connla sighed, then said, "That's what I figured. So the success of this mission will depend on how well I can infiltrate the enemy camp."

"Indeed. Since you are a relatively obscure Heroic Spirit and a complete stranger to this realm, you should have an easier time with gathering information."

"So what sort of intel should I be looking for?"

Lucius grinned. "Simple. Look around for any traps surrounding the statue, and see about recruiting Jack the Ripper to our cause. If we have three Servants, it will make fighting Zhou's Servants that much easier."

"In what way?"

"Wu Zetian's two bodyguards are Li Shuwen and Elizabeth Bathory. Li Shuwen may be a loyal guard, but he's still a hardheaded battle freak at heart. As for Bathory, I am aware of her cooperation being forced the same way that Jack's is. She used to be part of the Dracul Faction for the Romanians, but they were conquered by Zhou five years ago."

Connla paused as she pondered about this new information. A more concrete plan started to form in her mind, and she told him, "That's something I can work with. I'll go in and see what I can do."

Lucius' expression became stern as he warned, "Exercise utmost caution. You are lucky that no one knows you are a Celtic Servant. If anyone finds out though, your head will be put on the proverbial chopping block, and this mission will be a complete failure."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why would being Celtic be such a danger to me?"

"Apparently, there is a legend stating that the statues will produce far more resources if either a Celt or a Christian are sacrificed. Doubly so if that Servant falls under both designations. Of course, now we know that it's because they are the work of a Fomorian god. If a Celt were to recognize its origin, that would spell trouble for our mastermind's plans. That's why there has never been a Celtic faction in all of this world's history."

"Interesting…" she murmured in contemplation. "So, why exactly would it also count if a Christian was sacrificed?"

"That mystery still eludes me. There certainly must be a connection, but I cannot discern it for the life of me. Researching the outside world's history is nigh on impossible in this sequestered hellscape."

"I see. I'll keep that in mind as I proceed. Um, but one thing before I go…"

"Hm?"

Connla raised an eyebrow and anxiously asked, "If you knew I was a Celt when you found that Fomorian statue earlier, why didn't you sacrifice me to it then?"

Lucius was surprised to hear such a question. After a moment, he heartily chuckled, "Keh heh heh heh heh! I suppose the thought never crossed my mind! I was so giddy with delight upon seeing so much treasure that it must have distracted me!"

"Eh!? You're kidding, right!?"

"Hah hah! Well, fear not! Even if it did, I would not be so crass as to sacrifice my favorite god's own flesh and blood! I may have done so for other Celts, but those who are related to Lugh are off the table as far as I'm concerned!"

"Oh…"

"Come now, settle those nerves and penetrate the enemy's lair knowing that you have the greatest Roman Procurator in your corner! Should you encounter any trouble, fire a signal of some kind and I shall come running!"

"Y-Yes, sir," she half-heartedly murmured, then shuffled out of her hiding spot and made her way down the cliff towards Zhou. To be extra cautious, she activated her Identity Concealment skill, enveloping herself in a series of wind Runes that rendered her invisible to ordinary people, although they could still see bizarre gusts or loose objects rustling about if one paid close enough attention. Once she was prepared, she leapt down the cliff and used more wind spells to cushion her landing just outside the city's front gates.

Two Kuli were on patrol, but they didn't see Connla as she walked right past them. She ducked into a vacant alleyway and observed the area around the fountain. There didn't seem to be any visible traps set up, but she wasn't going to be deceived. While she and Lucius were journeying to Zhou, he previously warned her about how the citizens were encouraged to snitch on others in order to keep the peace. Just that very rule was enough for Connla to be wary about approaching the statue without first establishing some sort of rapport with the populace.

I just don't have enough information. If I could find Jack, then she may have some some insider knowledge I could use. Or perhaps there's some way to lure the citizens away from the idol so that Lord Lucius can attack it himself.

Several ideas bounced around in the girl's head as she made her way through the back streets. She passed by impoverished drunkards who sat around on the poorly-paved streets guzzling down bottles of alcohol. Soon, she found herself near the small red light district where men offered money to prostitutes for their services. She immediately retreated and rounded some corners until she was back in the commercial district where the fountain was.

Boy, getting around sure is confusing, Connla thought in annoyance. Maybe I should've thought about getting a map first instead of fumbling around like a total idiot.

As she looked around for a place where she could steal a map, that was when her wristband started beeping profusely. Her heart jolted in alarm as the tinny sound could potentially alert guards or citizens to her spot. Even though she was invisible, it would still warrant plenty of suspicion. She immediately covered up the beeper with her hand and scurried to a quiet spot she found earlier, then silenced the beeper and whispered, "I-I'm here…"

"How long did you plan on dismissing my summons, runt!?"

"Heek!?" the young Saber cringed and hissed, "Shhhhh! I'm in the middle of a sneaking mission, Lord Gilgamesh!"

"Sneaking mission? What ever are you going on about? Are you embroiled in some kind of plot that is more important than heeding my call?"

"It's kind of hard to explain, especially since I failed to update you on my situation for so long."

"Hah! You make quite the understatement! I will see to it that you are duly reprimanded for your prolonged absence. However, if you are currently engaged in an important job, then I will force myself to overlook your transgression in favor of accommodating your work. Now, tell me what your situation is."

Connla spent the next ten minutes going over her mission, although she needed to be as quiet as possible while talking to him. She couldn't give him all the details about what had happened to her over the last few days, but she told him just enough so he would understand.

"I see. So my prediction was correct; you are also on the hunt for those Fomorian idols," Gilgamesh said, clearly sounding pleased with himself. "What an auspicious stroke of serendipity. Coordinating your attacks on the statues that these so-called 'factions' are reliant upon will be most convenient thanks to your training in military tactics."

"I only just got into Zhou, so I need to gather more intel before making my move. I'm hoping I can run into Jack and see what she has to say."

Gilgamesh murmured to himself, then said, "Still, it is rather interesting how you say that Celts and Christians can provide exorbitant amounts of wealth to these piddling clans."

Connla nodded. "That's what my ally told me. I can understand how a Celt could get in the way of this Fomorian god, but I'm absolutely stumped on why a Christian would. I'm afraid I'm not entirely versed in every facet of Celtic mythology. Maybe Father or Brother would know something that I don't."

"How crude you are, runt. Are you suggesting that I would not?"

"Eh? N-Not at all. I just wasn't expecting you to be knowledgeable of Celtic lore. Is there something you're aware of that I'm not?"

"Well now. I could give you all the answers, but where would the fun be in that? Still, given the importance of this mission, I will humor you with a hint. Christians are known for spreading their beliefs through brute force and regulated indoctrination of newer generations. Given that we are dealing with Ireland, how do you think Christianity could have reached a sequestered realm where pagan beliefs were already fully established?"

Connla became silent. That was an angle she hadn't considered before. She wasn't very familiar with Irish history, but she had a feeling there was an extremely important connection that could help her solve this case and confront the mastermind on more even terms. Gilgamesh chuckled, "Since you are clearly struck silent by my wisdom, it would seem I have given you much food for thought. Now then, continue as you see fit. Once you have made significant progress, report to me immediately."

"Yes, sir…"

She ended the transmission and sat there for a moment. He certainly had given her a lot to think about, but she didn't feel particularly overwhelmed. In fact, her path became clearer and clearer as she picked up tidbits like this along the way. Regardless, her job was to scour Zhou, so she left her hiding spot and returned to the main square, still cloaked in her Identity Concealment.

While Connla had been preoccupied with talking to Gilgamesh, someone else had listened in on their conversation while he was out on his own patrol. Although he was a Lancer, he possessed the talent to be summoned as an Assassin, so he could mimic Presence Concealment to a certain degree. So long as he stood perfectly still, he wouldn't risk her discovering his location. He heard every word spoken between the two Chaldean Servants, and his brow raised in curiosity.

Destroying the guardian idols, hm? What a bold and cunning plot. And the child Servant said there is a malevolent god responsible for providing food and resources every time a Ceremony of Bounty is performed? Well, well, well! Given how stagnant things have become with finding worthy opponents, this could be the opportunity I have sought for this entire time. Challenging Servants is one thing, but putting my strength to the test against a genuine god is an experience I simply cannot pass up on.

He chuckled a strange, "Kah kah kah," laugh to himself, then leapt high to traverse some nearby balconies so he could reach the rooftops and watch over Connla in secret. Even though her form was well-hidden with her spells, he possessed such a sharp eye that her cloaking was virtually meaningless to him. In fact, he had been tailing her for the last while ever since he noticed that a Kuli's robe had fluttered unnaturally. He had no idea who she was, but so long as he remained on the prowl, he would find out eventually.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

† - An Indian salute or slogan that can mean "Long Live India" or "Victory to India".

AUTHOR'S NOTE #2: To those who have been waiting for this update, I sincerely apologize for the delay. I got a new computer and moved my desk to another room, so it was a real scramble to get it all set up. Now that I have a better work space though, perhaps the updates will come a little faster now. Let's just wait and see.