"Well now," Francis Drake said, an intrigued look in her eyes, resting her hands on her hips. "You certainly brought me some strange ones, Bombe."
A part of me wondered if I should be shocked by this revelation on the gender front. Then, I remembered Mordred and Nero, and a few other Servants that I've met thus far, and I realized that it's more of an 'eh, okay' moment. First time, with Mordred, it was a complete shock. Second time with Nero, it was more of a surprise. Now? It honestly felt kinda normal.
I opened my mouth, intending to introduce myself, when Bombe hurried over to Drake's side, acting like an utter sycophant as he railroaded over us.
"Oh, yeah, but they've got their good points. Not only did they save our lives," A raised eyebrow, "but they're excited to meet their idol captain!"
"Idol? I'm their idol?" Drake repeated, looking at us, and then Bombe with her own arched eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah!" Bombe said, nodding his head most vigorously. Man, was I really starting to regret not slitting his throat, bloodthirsty though that sounds! "They've been saying how great you are, how Drake can blast away the Spanish Armada in an instant! That Drake is a giant over three meters tall, who downs rum by the barrel. They're really excited!" Bombe said, while Mash had grown progressively paler as her own words were repeated, albeit in a warped manner.
I flinched mentally, expecting for the famous privateer to lash out angrily at that. To my shock, though, she seemed to blink in surprise, leaning back slightly.
"Whaaat? What's up with that? I haven't committed such sins yet!" She didn't sound horrified, at least. I looked to the side where Mash and Ritsuka were standing, both of whom were slack-jawed.
"Um, Senpai," Mash whispered softly. "I'm at a loss of words."
"Met too," Roman chimed in. "Who knew that THE Francis Drake—"
"Yeah, who knew she was a beautiful lady!" Ritsuka said softly. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough. I didn't have to look behind me to know that Nero was staring at her Master with an arched eyebrow, Jing Ke with a lazy shrug, and Mash groaned loudly. while on my end, I could feel Mordred's frustration coming off in waves. I bent over and lightly swat Rits on the back of his head, muttering the words 'hormonal idiot', before gazing back at an unimpressed Drake.
"Forgive my colleague here. He sometimes speaks what's on his mind, even when he shouldn't," I said, glaring subtly at a shame-faced Ritsuka. "My name is Jacob Aronson," I said, looking back at her as I offered an open hand towards her.
"Hmm, you look like a fighter," Drake mused. Which, of course, had Bombe nodding his head frantically. Before I could reply on my own terms, sadly, the one-eyed miscreant launched himself into telling another tall tale.
"Aye, boss! You should have seen him! Cut through fifty foes in a blink of an eye!" I instinctively blushed, shaking my head frantically.
"He exaggerates," I quickly said as Drake hummed, clearly intrigued. She turned to her subordinate.
"Okay, that's enough. Step aside, Bombe. I'll do the talking now," she said in an authoritative tone that had a final edge to it. Bombe nodded sheepishly and took a half-step to the side, as Drake looked back at us, one hand still resting on her hips while the other cupped her chin.
"Looks like you took good care of my boys, so thanks. So? Who on earth are you?"
"We're from Chaldea," I explained, before gesturing towards Mash to take over.
"My name is Mash Kyrielight, and this is my Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru. We're part of the Chaldea Security Organization." I waited for the typical look of confusion in regards to hearing the name of the association we were working for. This time, however, I was the one to suffer a bout of confusion, as Drake gave us a scrutinizing look, humming softly again.
"Chaldea, huh? What do the 'stargazers' want with us? Are they here to sell us some new maps of constellations?"
"What? This drunk actually knows her stuff! Even the origins of Chaldea!" Said an equally-stunned Doctor Roman. Drake frowned in response, removing her hand from her chin to rest on her hip again.
"Something feels really shallow about you, sir. Cowardly, gutless, pessimistic," Drake paused with a scowl on her features. "A good man, but a chicken still. I hate people like you the most." I felt a pang of sympathy for my temporary boss. While there was some truth to her words, I couldn't help but feel that maybe Drake went just a tad bit too far with her assessment. When Roman didn't respond, Drake shook her head with a soft scoff.
"Well, spare me the details. They're just a pain in the ass. So, what does Chaldea want with me, anyway?"
"We were sent to fix all the anomalies in this era," Mash answered dutifully.
"To spare you the details, they are part of a larger issue threatening the existence of humanity," I added. Drake eyed us yet again, before nodding.
"Okay," the pink-haired pirate said nonchalantly.
"Have you noticed anything particularly wrong with this era, this world? The oceans you've spent your days in, and the ocean we see before us, are not the same," Mash said, seeming to have relaxed slightly at Drake's easy-going acceptance. The pirate threw her head back, letting out a bark of laughter.
"Heh, all this talk about the world, the era, they were things I decided to completely ignore. But the ocean? Talk about that is something I can't ignore. You're right, something did feel strange." Mash's eyes lit up, a small smile on her lips.
"I thought so! We can explain why—" Mash began to offer, before Drake interrupted her with a raised hand.
"But when I say 'strange', I don't mean it as a bad thing. Quite the opposite, in fact! There's no other world that's as fun as this one! Isn't that right, you scumbags?" Drake roared cheerfully. The band of pirates that had formed around us broke out into various cheers, their words overlapping with one another.
"Woo-hoo! You bet!"
"You're the best, Boss!"
"Hear, hear, to never-ending rum!"
"Whaaaaat?" Mash whined softly, looking flustered and unsure of herself. Quite frankly, I couldn't blame her either. Drake looked back at us with a crooked and lopsided smile. Her arms were extended slightly to her sides, indicating herself and her crew.
"You see? We pirates long for freedom, even if it entails evil deeds! If you insist on speaking with me, you must pass some tests firsts." Ritsuka gulped nervously, while I sighed softly, pinching the bridge of my nose in irritation.
"Why do I have a feeling that this 'test' of yours isn't of the pen and paper variety?" I groused, causing Drake to chortle loudly. She reached down and unholstered a decorated pair of flintlock pistols, twirling one of them dangerously.
"Ha! Try to defeat me, THE Francis Drake. Then, we can talk! I'm as drunk as they come right now! Let's see if you have what it takes to sober me up!"
"I guess too much freedom is sometimes a bad thing," bemoaned Roman. His observation caused me to flash a grim, humorless smile as a quip popped into my head in response.
"Moderation is divine, Doc," I muttered. I noticed that the decent-sized crowd of onlookers had taken the moment to spread out, allowing for a decent-sized amount of room for us to utilize during the fight.
"So I've heard," Roman responded dryly, startling me for a moment. Huh, didn't expect that kind of response from the rather-timid doctor. Good on him! "Like in France, Mash, please use the back of your blade!"
"O-Of course! I shall respond to Captain Drake's request. Master!" Mash called out, readying her shield. Her posture shifted into a more confidant one, the one I was used to seeing from the Demi-Servant whenever she was in the midst of a fight. For all her reservations about herself, my friend was a fairly good fighter.
"Okay, L—"
"Not so fast, kid!" Drake said, her eyes locked on to Mash. "I want this to be between me and her."
"Very well," Mash said resolutely. I exchanged wary glances with Rits, before looking over at Mash.
"You sure about this?" I asked softly. It wasn't that I thought Mash was the worse choice, but rather, I was unsure of the idea of her fighting completely by herself, especially since we had been working almost constantly as a group.
Still, it looked like we had not other option here, and Mash knew that too. "Yes. Mash Kyrielight, engaging the enemy!"
Mash gritted her teeth instinctively, her sabatons carving two shallow furrows in the soil as she used the friction to halt her movement. This was unexpected. Francis Drake wasn't supposed to be a Servant, or at least, not in this instance.
Why, then, was she capable of such powerful blows?!
'This shouldn't be possible. She's supposed to be flesh and blood. For all of Doctor Roman's faults, if he had detected even a hint of a Servant signature on Drake, he wouldn't have kept it to himself when she challenged us to a fight!'
Something strange was happening, but alas, she couldn't do anything about it. She took rapid, deep breath, calming herself. She had to stay focused. If Mash lost this this fight, then any hope of getting Drake's assistance would be shattered. And if that happened, then the mission was doomed.
The Demi-Servant had managed to get in a few hits, but nothing strong enough to hinder Drake, it seemed. Indeed, for the most part, in the furious exchanges of blows between the two, Mash felt like she might be getting the poorer part of the deal, so to speak. Even the blows she blocked seemed to sap at her strength, again making her wonder if Drake was actually a Servant making her abilities somehow.
Mash flinched instinctively at the two sharp cracks of thunder as Drake fired both of her large-caliber flintlock pistols at her. Without skipping a beat, the Demi-Servant slammed her shield down, leaning against it as she felt two whistling noises as the lead balls ricocheted off of her shield, and a dull ache ran up her arms.
Mash started to shift her position slightly so as allow her to relocate her opponent. She couldn't help but wonder just why Drake had used up her only two shots. Drake must have known that she would have—
Her violet eyes widened as she realized her mistake. That realization was only further reinforced via the medium of a curled fist greeting her face as it popped out to the side of the shield.
Mash recoiled sharply, blinking away stars as a metallic taste entered her mouth. A split lip, most likely. A non-critical injury that wouldn't reduce combat effectiveness, in other words. That same blood that was seeping into her mouth was promptly ejected as the breath was driven out of her as Drake slammed her right boot into Mash's stomach.
If it had been in the previous form, the damage might have been even more significant. However, shortly after completing the mission in Rome, Doctor Roman had pulled her aside to inform her that apparently, she had undergone something called an 'Ascension'. An upgrade, in a way, he called it. While her Master and Jacob Senpai hadn't commented yet on the minor additional armor (especially, thankfully, her no-longer exposed navel region).
Still, it was enough to send her flying off of her feet. Mash gritted her teeth, trying to not cry out in pain as she skipped across the ground, like a stone across a small pond, before finally coming to a halt. Her body ached, and she suspected that in a few hours Mash would be dealing with
"Hmph, is that all you got?" Drake asked, sounding rather disappointed.
"Mash!" Her Master (and crush) cried out at the same time. He sounded pained, no doubt concerned over her well-being. A dull ache flashed in the pit of her stomach, this time unrelated to any physical injuries.
Everyone was depending on her.
'Maybe they shouldn't have…'
No, her Master was counting on her. She couldn't let him down. She WOULDN'T let him down!
Mash slammed her shield into the ground once again, pushing herself onto her feet.
"Yes, that's better!" Drake crowed encouragingly, but Mash ignored the pirate's words. The mission came first. There was no time to indulge in distractions of any sort. "Looks like it's time to finish this!"
'Indeed,' Mash thought to herself, charging forward at the same time as Drake. The pink-haired pirate was holding her empty flintlocks in a reverse grip, perhaps using the tactic she had read about in using the heavy wooden grips as makeshift clubs.
Mash's mind kicked into overdrive, trying to figure out a move to utilize despite lacking true combat experience she might otherwise have had from the Heroic Spirit she was contracted with. Then it came to her.
"Hiyah!" Mash grunted in exertion, pushing herself forward into the air, spinning while doing so, seeking to build up momentum as she swung the heavy shield around her. Everything around her became something of a blur, but she focused only on the one person who mattered at the moment.
Drake yelped in pain as Mash completed her spin, slamming the boss of her shield into the unprotected chest of the pirate. The pink-haired woman went flying through the air, before landing heavily on her back.
Mash almost stumbled when her feet connected with the earth, but she quickly regained her bearings, angling her shield so to be at the ready without obstructing her vision this time. Drake didn't move at first, but then planted her hands on the ground, trying to push herself back up.
Mash braced herself, panting softly as she waited to see if her opponent was about to launch yet another attack. Emitting a low groan, she saw the sprawled-out pirate slapped the ground three times in a sign of submission, before slowly pushing herself up onto her feet.
She did it! She had won!
"Great job, Mash!" Ritsuka shouted energetically, and Mash felt her cheeks heat up as she instinctively at being praised for, well, anything by her Senpai, even as she leaned against her shield. Taking a deep breath, she quietly thanked whoever it was that had lent her their powers once again.
"Great Job, Mash!" Cried out my fellow Master. I grunted in approval, as some of the other Servants also voiced their approval and support for the victorious Demi-Servant. I noticed her stumble slightly and gestured at Ritsuka to hurry over to her side, just in case.
Thankfully, I couldn't see any serious injury, other than a split lip that a little application of magecraft from Medea could heal in a heartbeat. "You okay?" Ritsuka inquired quietly.
"S-So powerful," Mash stated with a wince. "Doctor, this person is flesh and blood, right?"
"W-Well, she should be. Thing is, I'm getting a magical energy reading from her."
"So, she's either a mage, or a hero from birth?" Mash wondered aloud. A hero from birth? I couldn't figure out if I had heard it before, and I took a deep breath, preparing to speak. Before I could inquire as to just what the pink-haired teen was saying, however, we were all silenced by a sincere, hearty bout of laughter from an equally bruised Drake. Her guns were holstered, and her stance relaxed again.
"Ahhhhh! That hits the spot. Rum's got nothing on this, let me tell you!" She stated in satisfaction.
"Hey, boss, you all right?" Bombe asked anxiously. Drake's first reaction was to release another bout of hearty laughter, waving off the words of concern. Apparently, she was taking the phrase 'punch-drunk' quite literally.
"Hahahaha! What are you talking about? Of course I'm all right!" Then, she seemed to have sobered up slightly, staring neutrally at Ritsuka and I. "That aside, though…it seems that I lost. You can boil me, fry me, sleep with me…anything you two want!" She proclaimed brazenly.
"I'm good!" I quickly declined, hearing a soft grunt of approval from a certain rather-possessive blonde knight.
"I'll pass," Ritsuka added, eliciting a sigh from Mash.
"Master, I don't think you need to reply every time…" She said, grimacing slightly while shooting a look of jealousness towards the uninhibited pirate. Drake rubbed her chin thoughtful, returning the look evenly.
"Oh? I see, I see," she muttered softly, before shrugging with another grin. "In that case, I guess it can't be helped. Anyway, a loss is a loss. I'll hear you guys out now. There's one thing I want to ask though."
"Go ahead," I said with a shrug, before suddenly stiffening slightly. "Unless it's about you wanting to give us another 'test', in which case, the answer is no."
"I like your spunk, but no, it's nothing like that. From the looks of it, you lot want a ride, don't you? You're clearly looking for someone or something, but are unfamiliar with these seas. That's why you need to rely on me, pirate or not," Drake commented with an uncanny accuracy. I saw no reason to deny such a transparent fact.
"You being a pirate is irrelevant, especially when it comes to saving humanity," I stated bluntly.
"We need you, Francis Drake."
"I see. Hah, so that's it," she muttered, humming softly with closed eyes. When she opened them, she had a serious expression for once. All hints of lightheartedness that had filled all of Drake's previous words and actions were gone. "So, what exactly do you want from us? As I said, we lost, so short of our lives, we'll give you anything you want."
"First, we must understand the situation. Where are we, exactly?" Mash said, taking over once more. A part of me wondered if she would make for a good diplomat. Something to suggest to the Demi-Servant once we had restored the last of the foundations of humanity. "England, or closer to Spain, perhaps? Or are we in the Caribbean?"
"Your guess is as good as ours," Drake said blithely. Mash blinked in shock.
"So, all that revelry, and you don't even know?!" Mash shouted uncomprehendingly.
"Right, because there's no shortage of food or booze."
"And hopefully fresh water as well," I muttered dryly to Ritsuka. Pirates or not, alcohol wasn't exactly a life-sustaining liquid, even for the most ardent of alcoholics.
"Anyways, there's another matter I wish to address first. Now that we've surrendered to you, that means we're officially part of your crew! How about we start off with a toast!" Drake said with her usual cheer. Was there something about Riders always being cheerful and energetic? It was certainly looking like it, as the English seafarer wrapped one of her arms around Mash, yanking her over and catching the Demi-Servant off-balanced.
"H-Hey, wait a sec," Mash said, trying to wriggle her way out of what appeared to be an iron-tight hold. Her words and actions only made Drake laugh louder.
"C'moooon, it's fine, it's all good."
"It's NOT good!" Mash roared in frustration, her rather strict and uptight aspect of her personality rearing its head once more. "Hey, what are you…No, wait!" She cried out, staring at Ritsuka with panic-filled eyes. "Master, save me!"
"You know what this calls for, lads! Let's show them some of our good old hospitality!" Drake said, eliciting yet another volley of hoots and hollers from the pirates hanging around. Astolfo tugged on my shoulder, the eccentric Rider grinning from ear-to-ear with excitement.
"Oh, boy! A party? This is going to be great!" I think a piece of me just died inside at those words. In the short time that I have been Astolfo's Master, I had learnt that the feminine-looking Rider had no sense of moderation for the most part.
"It's always fun to try new things," Marie asserted supportively, while Nero nodded solemnly.
"Umu! This is something I must see!"
"Well, this is going to be a thing," Mordred muttered pointedly at me. I hide my wince with a nod.
"Let's just hope that nothing bad happens…" Even as I said those words, though, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had just uttered a naïve and empty statement.
It took an hour or two, but finally the little bash Drake was insisting on throwing was ready. Tables of various sorts were thrown up, ranging from a large number of crates and barrels, to a few small tables, to even a few overturned rowboats! Somehow, Drake's crew managed to establish enough seating area for everyone, even Lu Bu. Drake sat at the table Ritsuka, Mash, our Servants, and I were seated, one foot propped up on the barrel she was using as a seat.
The sky was indicating that it was approaching the evening, and while I had no interest in indulging in trying out the rum being passed around, the smell of food was tantalizing.
"Gah, about damn time we can get to eat!" Mordred muttered irritably, and I patted her shoulder gently. I absolutely sympathized with my partner right now, especially since we didn't get a chance to really have lunch. It took virtually all my willpower to not salivate as a roasted chicken was placed in front of me, and two before Mordred. I clutched my mug of water cautiously, having kept an eye out to ensure that Drake or Bombe didn't try to spike it with some rum. Mordred, Jeanne, and the vast majority of our Servants had also abstained from drinking, including (thank god!) Lu Bu.
Ritsuka, however, hadn't displayed such display, especially after being egged on by Nero, Marie, Astolfo, and Jing Ke. The Chinese Assassin seemed particularly lively now that she could indulge in one of her favorite hobbies while on a mission.
We dug into our food, and our 'host' (proper status unknown for the moment) and her companions did the same. After a half-hour or so, I let out a satisfied sigh as I pushed the now-empty plate away from me. It was at that moment that a red-faced Drake stood up and loudly cleared her throat, gaining the attention of everyone.
"Alright, men! To our new comrades!" Drake paused, a befuddled look on the once-again tipsy pirate. To my consternation, the pirate captain had been spending most of the time between calling for this party and now drinking. I didn't know if I should be impressed at how she was only mildly buzzed after the sheer volume of booze I witnessed Drake consuming, or terrified at what it must take to get her utterly plastered. "Huh? That's backwards. To their new comrades, us—bah! Cheers!" Drake finally decided, raising her mug, a golden chalice, high in the air.
"CHEERS!" Her followers bellowed in unison, gesturing towards us before downing their own servings of booze. Ritsuka downed his third serving of rum, and already his cheeks had adopted a ruddy hue to them.
"oh, but we really don't have time for this," Mash politely protested. Ritsuka chuckled a bit goofily and leaned against his kouhai, not noticing the bright blush in response to his action.
"It can't be helped," Ritsuka said. Mash glowered reproachfully at her Master.
"Please don't give in so easily! We have to set sail and check these waters out immediately…"
I opened my mouth, wanting to try to explain to the impatient and mission-focused girl about the beauty of taking some time to live in the present, when Drake chuckled lightly.
"What's with that gloomy look?" Drake said in a tone that bordered on being reproachful. "You'll never find treasure with an attitude like that!"
"That's not what I mean," Mash said instantly, either ignoring or (more likely) missing the meaning behind the pirate's words. "If you're going to help, please consider our situation—"
"The whole issue with these waters being abnormal, right? I mean, I've seen superhumans walking around, who won't even budge from cannon fire."
"Servants," I muttered, my hand instinctively gripping the pommel of my pugio, while Drake continued on with her tangent.
"Being a pirate myself, see, I've been through my share of chaos. I can usually tell when it's something bad and unavoidable." Drake paused, taking another sip from her decorative chalice. I swear to god, there was something familiar about it, but for the life of me, I couldn't put my finger on it. "These waters are abnormal. One moment we're near a jungle, the next we're in a temperate Mediterranean climate. The currents and winds are a mess, too. I mean, even sailing straight out into the sea is tricky. Finally, there's no continents in this ocean."
"So, you already knew that much," Mash observed with a grimace. Drake grunted in acknowledgment, tilting her cup slightly towards the Demi-Servant.
"Hence why we were already planning on a new journey tomorrow. Doesn't make sense for pirates to settle down on land. Gotta find a town to call our home base. I had Bombe take part of the crew and our ship for a little scouting expedition. Tonight was supposed to be a pre-party when they returned, but then you lot showed up."
"I see," Mash said, a conflicted grimace showing.
"Fate doesn't have much in the regard for manners, it seems," I said in an apologetic tone.
"Don't sweat it. You guys are a good omen!" I couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at that. Not that I want to be considered a bringer of ill, but being a good omen? Was there something stronger mixed in with her rum?
"A good omen?" Marie inquired sweetly.
"From what I can tell, you know how to handle a cannon or two. Right?"
"Can't say I have, but I'm willing to try!" A red-cheeked Astolfo said eagerly, bouncing up and down in his seat. Note to self: Add Astolfo to the list of people in Chaldea who shouldn't be given access to any sort of alcohol.
"I've never tried, but probably," Mash said with a typical essence of hesitancy. It seems that Marie's work, whatever it was exactly, was still one in progress. "Um, so, if you already knew that much when we showed up, why did you attack us?" Drake cackled like a madwoman, throwing her head back, some of her rum sloshing down the rim of her cup.
"Well, isn't it obvious? Because it seemed like fun!"
"Such a trivial reason," Mash sighed despondently. On her right side, the one not occupied by Ritsuka, Jeanne gave her a gentle pat on the back with a sympathetic smile on her lips. Truly, she was fast becoming Chaldea's 'Big Sister'.
However, Drake's interest in the Shielder waned for the moment, and she gazed warmly at Ritsuka and I. "So, Jacob and Ritsuka. You guys the captain or something?"
"Something similar, I would say," Mash replied before either of us could. Drake laughed again. If Nero was the ultimate utilizer of the phrase 'umu', then Drake specialized in drunken laughter.
"In that case, drink up! Let's be friends, from one captain to another," Drake said, extending her chalice towards us, and I got my first close-up view of it. My breath got caught in the back of my throat as I felt my eyes widen. It…it was…
"Fou?! Fofou? FOOOOOOOOOU!" Fou screeched from Mash's shoulder, while Mash gasped in surprise before both Drake and Ritsuka downed their servings of rum.
"Now, someone knows how to old their liquor!" Drake roared in approval as Rits copied her mannerism and slammed his empty tankard down on the table.
"U-Ummm….Senpai?" Mash asked, as I tried to speak, but only managing to open and close my mouth.
"What's it, Mash?"
"The H-Holy Grail…"
"I know," Ritsuka said, his speech pattern sounding different.
"Senpai, the Holy Grail!" Mash cried out, now in frustration.
"We'll get it," Ritsuka said cluelessly.
"No, that's not what I mean. The Holy Grail—"
"For everyone who fought with us!"
"Um, okay," Mash said, flustered now. "That's not what I mean, Senpai!"
"Let's do our best, Mash!" Ritsuka roared, perhaps trying to sound like Drake or something, and a new thought popped into my head. I finally managed to wrench my gaze away from the item Drake was holding and looked at my fellow Master.
"Rits?" I asked warily, taking note of his current state. He was swaying slightly, his eyes a bit foggy looking. Oh, no…
"Master, how many fingers am I holding up?" Mash said sternly, holding up four fingers. I watched as Ritz blinked before narrowing his eyes, apparently having difficulty with focusing on Mash's gloved hand.
"I see two Mashes, so…" Ritsuka slurred, lurching to the side slightly. He might have fallen off of his barrel seat, too, if it weren't for me grabbing the back of his collar and hauling him upright.
"No more drinking for you," I growled. While Mash facepalmed.
"Get ahold of yourself! Senpai! Right in front of us! The Holy Grail! It's here!"
Original Endnotes: And cliffhanger! What did you guys and gals think? Especially curious to hear what your thoughts on the fight scene being written from the perspective of Mash, and her though process. Trying to show her as what I call pre-Drake Mash, where she was more focused on achieving the mission goals when deployed and all. At least, that's the impression I got of her from my first playthrough. This is one of my favorite singularities in terms of Mash growing into more of a true person, if you know what I mean? Also, I absolutely love how tispy/drunk Ritsuka/Gudako was written in the game, so I hope you all enjoyed that.
Now, for the question(s) of the day: Which Servant(s) do you think are the ones you should never be around if they're drunk? Next question: What do you think would be a better way to write Artemis and Orion as for an alternative to the way they are portrayed? Finally, for FGO players: what are your thoughts on this week's Learning With Manga commemorative quest?
Once again, thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave any kind of feedback (subscribe, leave a kudo or bookmark, comment, ectera). I hope y'all enjoyed it, and I can't wait to see what your reactions to this chapter is going to be! Have a wonderful weekend, and see you in the next chapter!
Updated endnotes 10/2/21: As always, fully-updated story can be read on Archive of our own, and is updated every four days on there. Hope you enjoyed and see you all around.