Chapter 4 - Education

-Weiss Schnee-

'It's simply not possible, completely inconceivable!' my mind burned furiously, searching for some rhyme or reason to explain the scene before me. Jaune, a bumbling second rate magus that made even some of the worst students seem successes, the boy who could barely understand the basic concepts of magical theory or practice was sitting in what remained of the estate's best sitting room across from me in a plush armchair with a Servant 'AN ACTUAL HEROIC SPIRIT!' leaning against the hearth of the fireplace next to him, chatting with her as if it were the most normal thing in the world, his left arm bound in a tight cast. 'Arc is a Master, Jaune Arc is a Master in the Holy Grail War, Command Seals and all!?' Even the very thought seemed ludicrous and sent a scowl twisting across my face that I had to bury in my tea cup.

"S-So Lancer, you're one of those Heroic Spirit things right?" the blonde asked awkwardly, scratching at the back of his head when the Servant, a red haired woman dressed in crimson and bronze armor nodded back at him. "Wait not a thing! Sorry this is just all…: he flustered, pausing with a blush when the redhead smiled at him.

'Who is she? Something about her seems so familiar...' Her style of dress and demeanor clearly screamed Mistralan in origin but that was hardly any real help in narrowing down her identity, that Kingdom's history filled with glorified tales of great heroes and their deeds that I'd researched over the years, a fair share of which being female and any could apply to this girl. Archer sat cross legged beside me on the floor, crimson cloak puddled around her, not having taken her silver eyes off of the new arrival for more than a few seconds, something the other servant returned in kind if somewhat more subtly.

I'd heard that it happened at times, Command Seals binding themselves to unexpected individuals living near or within Vale, drawing the hapless mage or even petty dabbler into the war by happenstance. 'Such people never lasted long unfortunately, the other Masters or their own servants catching up to them eventually.'

Determining which Servant a Master would summon was, hands down, the most important decision one made during the War and often meant the difference between success or failure. Two methods of choosing which Heroic Spirit one summoned existed to my family's knowledge, both with their own advantages and drawbacks. One could do as I had done and use a catalyst, a relic belonging or related to some specific figure, to summon said hero. Tactically this method provided the best chance of obtaining the strongest possible Servant though there was the chance, in the case of Archer and I, for personalities to clash.

The other method was almost the exact opposite, Masters forgoing the use of a catalyst and instead calling upon the Grail to select a servant for them that most closely reflected their own personality, easier to work with but impossible to know how powerful said familiar would be.

'She's a complete unknown, if I just had a catalyst for reference...'

"I am indeed Master." the servant replied in a respectful tone that obviously seemed to be throwing the poor boy off guard, 'How a servant should act around their Master.' I thought angrily, thoughts turning towards my "partner" as the small girl had put it. "I am your servant in this Holy Grail war, sworn to…"

"Y-Yes you told me that!" Jaune cut her off, muttering a quick apology under his breath before carrying on, "It's just hard to wrap my head around you know? Not to mention a bit surprising." Oh he was surprised was he? It took all my poise and grace not to laugh at the irony of the situation. Not only had I risked my own life and had my base of operations practically demolished in the course of trying to protect the fool only hours before, damages which would take up a great deal of time and resources to deal with. And then if that wasn't injury enough, the very boy I had been guarding then turns out to be one of my competitors, one now wielding the power of the Lancer which was considered as one of the more powerful classes available to Servants next to Saber and Archer!

"It was a shock for me to learn as well Master, to have been able to summon me without prior knowledge or intent…" the warrior replied, staring at Arc appraisingly, "It speaks of the power you possess within and the strength of your conviction."

"But I didn't...I just remember trying to stand up to Saber, I couldn't have done anything too…" he babbled weakly, making excuse after excuse when the proof he had was literally talking to him face to face, "Look I didn't ask for any of this. And can you please stop calling me Master? its sorta weirding me out."

Was this idiot actually trying to deny his participation? Men and women had spent years preparing for this chance and even then most fell along the wayside and he was looking for a way out. I honestly couldn't tell whether I was impressed by his sense or insulted by his blatant disregard for something my life had revolved around since I was six.

"I'm sorry." Lancer apologized quickly, a flush creeping on her cheeks as she slapped a fist to her heart and took a knee, "I apologize for any discomfort I might have caused though I regret I don't know how to address you otherwise." she looked around the room taking in the surroundings, "We are in...Vytal correct? Then in that case is "My Lord" sufficient? I'm not very familiar with the customs of nobility in this land..."

"No no!?" Jaune said quickly, waving his arms wildly, "Jaune's fine, just Jaune! Weiss help me out here?" I looked up with a start as I realized he was addressing me, a desperate look on his face. "How did this..." he brought up the red seals engraved on the back of his hand and pointed to them gravely, "happen? I thought you told me there was some sort of ritual involved, you had to be chosen?"

The servant in question looked towards me as well and not for the first time I was glad to have Archer, however defiant she might be, by my side. "Well you already must've been by the Grail." I started, doing my best to keep the nervous tension from my voice and adopt the authoritative tone father used when addressing his associates, "The ritual also requires certain alchemical components, all of which were present in the study from my own summoning. Beyond that it's similar to any other magical incantation, the feelings and intentions behind it more important than the words themselves which only act as a focus for the mage's mana."

I'd just dumbed an extremely complex and intricate ritual down to almost the bare minimum but the dolt still looked confused.

"At some point during your encounter with Saber you called out for power, and your proximity to a charged circle and the connection to the grail you already formed resulted in…oh why do I even bother trying!? What really matters is that you are now part of this war and bound to the Grail, meaning you need to consider your next move very carefully."

The fool just stared at me blankly, mouth agape, "What are you talking about? You said if I got to Beacon I could…!"

"That was when you were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, a mere witness." I reminded him sharply, resting the porcelain cup in my lap with a sigh for all my wasted effort. "The very second those Seals appeared on your skin you became a target for every other Master and their Servant, including Saber and his own. You became a combatant"

Jaune paled visibly, head drooping as his eyes fell to the seals on his hand. "W-Wait, I can't even go back to the academy?"

"I didn't say that." I told him quickly, his world was already crashing down around him, no need for him to misunderstand. "You still need to meet with Headmaster Ozpin to register yourself, common courtesy though you could use a note I guess, and can still attend classes I suppose without fear of attack. The academy stands as neutral ground after all, though that only extends to daylight hours. Whatever you decide to do you won't be allowed to live on the premises for the duration of the conflict."

"Great!" Jaune threw up his arms, wincing as his injured wrist smacked against the side of arm of the chair, "So I just have to wait until nightfall for Saber to come back and finish me off, if one of the others doesn't beat him too it." he said weakly, slumping further into the chair, face paling. "I'm screwed, I'm so screwed."

"Mast...Jaune you must have hope, all is not lost!" the Mistralan servant said vehemently, drawing her Master out of his stupor to stare at her, "You say this is a mistake but that does not diminish the contract we formed, on my honor I will protect you from any that seek to do you harm, I WILL keep you safe no matter what comes."

Even I was taken in by her words, the mere sound bringing relief to muscles I'd not even realized were strained, rejuvenating me in ways that the scant few hours of sleep I'd had after the attack could never have accomplished. The connection with the Grail I held allowed me insight into the attributes of a Heroic Spirit, their qualities, abilities, all at a glance. Without knowing her identity however I could only glean a little in regards the redhead, "Inspiration" was the only ability prominent in my mind. 'Whoever she was she must've been quite the warrior to instill such confidence with words alone, a perfect partner for someone with Arc's defeatist attitude, seems the ritual chose well.'

The change in the blonde, her focus, was immediate and extraordinary, color flooding into his face and his head perking upright. "Thank you Lancer." he said earnestly, tremor in his voice still somewhat present though vastly diminished from what it had been before, though I did notice him frowning slightly. "Lancer...that's not your real name right?" I looked up at that, catching sight of the Servant's sudden discomfort, her stance suddenly on the defensive.

"N-No it isn't." she admitted, shaking her head slowly, eyes twitching towards Archer and I warily. Of course she wouldn't wish to reveal her identity in another Master's presence, doing so could reveal much from her fighting style and possible abilities to weaknesses she may have held in life. "Lancer is merely a title used to represent me in the war."

"Well I think it only fair to know the name of the person saying they're going to risk their own life to protect my own don't you?" Jaune carried on, completely oblivious to his partner's dilemma.

I opened my mouth to reprimand him but Archer beat me to it, "Sorry I didn't get to introduce myself properly earlier, my name's Ruby Rose, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ruby Rose?" Jaune muttered, looking at the small familiar as if in a new light, "As in Ruby Rose the Grimm Slayer, The Rose and the Beowolf, The Tales of the Two Sisters? I used to read those books to my little sisters every night! That was you!?"

Archer scratched at her hair, face almost as red as her cloak from the young man's attention, "Wow...this is a bit more embarrassing than I thought it'd be."

"Archer!?" I spun on the girl, shock freeing me to the core at the ease with which the child had just revealed herself. "What are you doing!? You can't just...I didn't order...why would you…!?"

Words failed me, the cup's contents sloshing dangerously as my hand shook with anger, and fear...I couldn't even tell. From the lessons of past wars I knew that the Archer class possessed a fair amount of independence in comparison to the others, able to act on their own for scouting purposes without much direct intervention from their Master. Though of course such servants as a result were somewhat harder to keep a handle on, 'But this is way too far!'

And all Rose did was shrug, SHRUG, as if this wasn't perhaps the most catastrophic loss tonight, even including Saber along with Jaune and his servant knowing where our base was. "What's the problem? It would've been rude to make her have to give her name without doing the same in return, plus I hated that stupid parameter anyway." she turned back to the Mistralan, who by this point was merely looking at her with shock and no small amount of respect on her face, nodding for her to continue. "If I'm supposed fight someone the least I can do is let them know my name."

"Y-You're honor does me credit Lady Rose…" the woman replied shakily, clapping a fist to her breastplate, bowing her head deeply, "it is good to know such values live on in the later ages." she straightened up right, glancing towards Jaune who nodded though likely unsure of what it was he was agreeing to and still blown away by Ruby. "In life I was Pyrrha Nikos, warrior of the Mistralan Empire, general of its armies, and captain of the King's personal guard." she declared to the room at large with a note of pride.

I dropped the cup from shaking hands, porcelain shattering on the floor with a loud clatter that spooked Jaune out of his seat with a yelp and sent Archer scrambling to collect her cloak before it stained, glaring at me reproachfully. Not that I cared much, my eyes glued on the living legend standing in my estate. 'Of all the people the Grail could've chosen...' I thought blankly, a shiver running down my spine and settling near my stomach 'they all fit, the crimson hair, the red and gold spear, I never would've thought it possible...'

There were a great deal of famous Mistralan legends and heroes, more so than in most kingdom's histories, but none so widely revered as the "Goddess of War" herself, "The Maiden of the Spear", "Pyrrha the Invincible"...names well-earned if the tales were true, almost all placing her in impossible dangers only to come out unscathed and victorious. Historians had stated that without her efforts ancient Mistral would likely have fallen to the Grimm hordes or civil infighting centuries ago, just another culture swallowed in the chaos. 'And he manages to summon her in a preferred class without even meaning too!' Even with an inexperienced Master like Jaune she would prove a challenging foe, disastrous even.

"Pyrrha, that's a nice name." Jaune spoke up, sending a flush of color in his servants cheeks and irking me to no end, 'Of all the...he doesn't even know her does he!?' The man likely had no idea the kind of target he'd just painted on his back, the kind of threat he represented, the power he held without control. 'Like giving a teenager the keys to an airship and expecting him not to crash it!' The only reason the Schnee family or anyone else had never tried to summon the maiden ourselves had been an inability to obtain a suitable catalyst for the ritual that wasn't tied to at least a dozen other possible sources, all traces of the woman herself closely held under lock and key, spell and binding, by the Mistralan people and council. In my opinion it was quite the show of respect if even prominent mage families couldn't even get close to remains or heirlooms.

"An honor to meet you General Nikos." I said firmly, doing by best to maintain my composure as I held out a hand, "My name is Weiss Schnee, the bearer of Archer's contract..."

-Jaune Arc-

"She kicked us out...she actually kicked us out!" I fumed, glancing over my shoulder at Pyrrha, the red head gawking open mouthed at the city moving around us. 'Of course she's curious.' I sighed wearily, itching at the cast Archer had put on my arm. I would've healed it with magic myself but I still felt drained from last night despite the few hours of sleep I'd picked up, if anything it was worse. 'Positive, need to think positive.' "After all the things she said about wanting to help me and then she turns around and…!" I let out an exasperated sigh somewhere between a growl and a moan.

"It does make sense Mas..Jaune." Lancer corrected herself quickly in an attempt to hide the slip, still having a bit of trouble with being what she viewed as informal. I could understand the feeling, apparently I was supposed to address her as Lancer while in public just in case. "One cannot house a viper in their midst and expect to sleep comfortably? The Lady Schnee fights for the Grail, thus she must view every opposing Master as a potential enemy." she said sagely though I could still make out a shadow of discomfort on her face.

I shook my head, trying to work out some sort of plan of action, something to go on. 'Weiss said I needed to register myself at Beacon but I that it would be more important to find a new place to lay low, someplace discreet and defendable would be ideal.' I had an idea on that front but the real problem was my lack of information overall regarding the situation. 'I am supposed to be the master of a powerful familiar, whom I know nothing about, and I'm supposed to fight in a deathmatch with five other mages and their own Servants. No wait six, Weiss and Archer are another pair too...' That was the scariest thing was, just as Pyrrha had said, that Weiss would almost certainly be our enemy from here on out. Just the thought had me staring down mournfully at the bandages that obscured the Command Seals from view, the things still itching somewhat.

"Must be pretty weird…" I said to the familiar in an attempt to break the ice, indicating the shopfronts, the cars, an airship flying in overhead, "seeing all this crazy stuff. You said you were born in Mistral?"

"Indeed, in the city of Sanctum or at least my legend was, centuries ago." she looked down at her clothes which were thankfully less conspicuous than her original outfit, a pair of worn jeans and a simple tight fitting red blouse. The heiress had shown her a few examples of modern day styles though I'd had no idea at the time how they were supposed to fit the taller woman. So of course it had been a bit of a shock to see the clothes she had now just replace her armor in seconds. "It's strange." she motioned towards a parked car across the street, "My connection to the Grail provides me with information regarding such devices and standards of this time period, I could likely explain the inner workings of this "car" and even operate it should the need arise."

"Seriously? That's amazing." I found it amusing that even after all of the craziness the last few hours had put me through I could still afford to be shocked by something. 'Don't know why I'm so surprised, these spirits move faster than the eye can see, appear out of thin air at will, and probably have a ton of other crazy powers I'll never understand.' If anything it was just another reminder just how outclassed I was in this situation, that and remembering how Saber had taken Weiss' magical attacks without even flinching.

Pyrrha must've been able to pick up on my mood pretty easily, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder with a warm smile on her face. "You're stronger than you know Jaune, and you have a good heart. Not just anyone could have earned my allegiance." I put on a determined face for her sake, grateful I had at least some support through all this, even if the source was a bit baffling and half the time it sounded as if she spoke of someone else.

"Thanks Lancer, it means a lot." I said truthfully, turning down the street and finally catching sight of our destination. Junior's Club wasn't as discrete a location as I would've liked but I could think of no alternative, not having the money for a decent hotel room or any other friends outside of Beacon except for maybe Weiss, 'Friends, is that what we are? Probably not after all this.' I checked to make sure Lancer was still with me, a bead of sweat running down my brow when I noticed the Servant glaring at the rooftops with her muscles tensed, "What's up?" I did my best to keep the tremor out of my voice though I didn't think I did a very good job of it.

Either way she seemed to snap out of whatever trance she'd been in, shaking her head before moving to join me again, "Nothing Jaune, just my imagination playing tricks on me. I chose to accept the explanation and led on, missing the red haired maiden shift her eyes back at the spot for a few more seconds before following after me.

The club itself was just how I'd left it last night, the only thing out of place being a black car parked out in front of the building rather than in the lot round back. 'Probably one of Junior's "business partners", better not to ask questions then...' I ran to catch up with a large crowd going in, likely just looking for a quick drink or bite to eat judging by the hour, dragging Pyrrha by the hand with me as she eyed the place suspiciously.

"What is this place?" she asked from beside me as examined the architecture, comparing it to the other buildings around it, "Some sort of palace or temple?"

I couldn't help but think Junnior might've laughed at that, "Not really, it's just a club where I work…" I began, pausing when I saw the blank look on her face, "I guess you would call it a tavern but bigger." I ventured, relieved to see her relax if only slightly as we neared the door, the sound of chatter all around us from the other customers. "People come here to hang out, dance, have fun." I greeted the guy manning the door, most everyone knew my face at this point even though I only really ever worked evenings.

"Why do I sense an air of disrepute about this establishment?"

I froze mid wave, the bouncer looking at the girl strangely from behind the red shades but let it go with a shake of the head, ushering us in quickly before anyone could hear her speak any further.

"Probably just the neighborhood, bit rough around here and I suppose the atmosphere rubs off." she nodded her head in acceptance but I still noticed her scanning the large space for any potential dangers. I would've said something more to reassure her, something witty or clever, but a strange stirring at the back of my head overrode whatever excuses I could come up with, seeming to tug at me from all sides. 'What the?' Junior himself was at the bar flanked by the Malachite twins, easily visible due to the lack of dancers, all three conversing with a young man who must've been near or around my age in a worn suit and tie sporting black hair with a pink streak down one side. 'Must be the guy who owns the car out front.' Moving closer I began to make out bits and pieces of their conversation, the feeling also growing more intense as I drew closer.

"...and relay any information you obtain regarding strange or unusual events to this number…" the stranger pulled a card from his pocket, a pink lotus stamped across the back, and handed it to the broker, "I can afford to pay handsomely for anything useful you send me." he tensed, suddenly alert as if on the look out for something, eyes moving in my direction and that of the crowds. 'Weird...'

"I would hope so." Junior replied in a businesslike tone, stowing the card in his vest. "Though I confess I'm not sure what qualifies as unusual in your case, we do have a school of magic just outside the city after all. Unusual is a bit commonplace around these parts." he noticed me, eyes narrowing when he saw my cast but he said nothing.

"Anything you can provide would be most welcome Mr. Xiong." The man gave a deep bow that Junior returned with a respectful nod of the head, turning on his heels and moving past me with a strange sort of grace, his eyes, bright pink. scanning me along with the rest of the customers. I noticed his gaze lingered just a bit longer on Pyrrha before he was out the door.

"Who was that guy?" I asked the assembled trio, exhaling a breath I wasn't even aware I'd been holding. The twins deigned to see me just long enough to walk away noses in the air while Junior crossed his arms.

"Business partner from out of town, nothing you need to be concerned about." That ended the conversation in his eyes and judging by the stare he fixed me with it better be over for me as well, "Mind explaining the arm Arc?" I raised the arm, giving him what I hoped was a rueful smile.

"Classic me, got distracted on the way to the airship station and stumbled onto some trouble. Not a big deal though, give me a nights rest and I can heal it up good as new." That is if I could draw enough strength to manage it, my mana still showed no signs of recovering even after hours of little to no use.

The club owner let out a derisive snort "It's a big deal for me if you can't work Jaune." he cocked his head towards the red head beside me, "Who's the girl? Friend of yours?"

"This is Pyrrha, she's actually why I'm here…" I said carefully, feeling a bit guilty at the flash of frustration crossing the warriors face at the name drop while simultaneously wondering just how much I could tell my boss, "the trouble I mentioned sorta involves her."

"Go on."

"W-Well Junior the thing is…" Might as well just come out and say it, the man could sniff out lies so the only way to make this work was to stick to the truth, or a good deal of it anyway. "some people might be after us, we don't know who they are but I can't go back to Beacon, or at least live there anyway."

"So you come to me." the large man leaned back against the bar, eyeing us both up and down, "You want a place to lie low."

"At least until we can deal with this." I pleaded, clasping my hands together as hard as I could without irritating the arm. Weiss had said the war usually lasted a few days, weeks at most while the Masters...thinned the numbers. 'Best not to think of that right now.' "We can work, do anything you need us to do. Please Junior you're my only hope here."

I stared him full in the face, legs trembling under the pressure until he finally let out an annoyed sigh, smacking his hand against the side of his head. "Fine, you two can use one of the rooms upstairs for the time being." I almost hugged the man, only reason I didn't was probably that that was the best way to end up through the bar head first, Pyrrha was the more level headed, saying a respectful thank you, clapping her hand over her chest in that odd salute. "But I'm warning you now Jaune, you work for me and that makes you one of my boys, my responsibility..." I felt a little warm and fuzzy at that, knowing the man actually cared this much, "but make trouble or bring trouble back here and you better start hoping you can magic a roof over your head. Understood?"

"Got it sir, I won't let you down!"

"Good, you've got work in five and I expect to see you and your friend tonight."

-Lie Ren-

"...and I scouted out the location of the disturbance last night!" Rider called out over the roar of the engine, pushing the car into a tight turn at a speed that according to physics probably should've sent us rolling, my hands digging into the seat as I struggled to hang on. "Looks like you were right Master, Archer and Saber clashed again, wrecked half the place!"

"A-And the other job!" I knew I was probably safer than anyone could be in a vehicle with Rider at the helm but I still couldn't completely suppress the pit in my stomach as we weaved through traffic like a serpent, "The seventh Servant, Lancer, you found them?"

"From a distance…" the orange haired deviant replied, one hand on the wheel while the other fiddled with the tie she wore loosely around her neck, her clothes almost a reflection of mine if a bit nice and well fitted, "she's skilled, I'm not Assassin but I still did my best to hide my presence as you instructed and she still almost caught me. An impressive foe I think." High praise given this was one of her more dignified tones, the girl seemed to switch between a child running on too much caffeine and the battleworn commander I knew her to be at leisure and without warning. "I wasn't able to get a good look at her Master though."

"No need, I may have already found him." I waved it off, remembering the blonde boy who had done his best to blend in with that incoming throng. It didn't take the Grail's prodding to mark him out from the crowd, his mana reserves shining like a bonfire to my sixth sense. 'Factor in the injuries and the obviously covered uninjured hand and there was no one else it could've been, but then why wouldn't he have attacked.' Perhaps he couldn't sense my intentions, or maybe the witnesses...I'd been fully prepared to defend myself in either case, any move on the boy's fault would most assuredly have ended with a bullet through his skull. "He doesn't seem much of a threat and at the very least we know where he's stationed."

"As expected of Master Ren, always thinking ahead." Nora said happily, bringing the car to a sudden halt outside the building my family had procured for my use. "I'll bring the car around." I stepped from the vehicle, more than a bit relieved to have both feet on solid ground, "Will we be making the declaration tonight?"

I paused, hand on the car door as the spirit watched me, voice tinged with barely held excitement. I had to think for a moment before I could answer, the hope being we'd at least be able to determine the identity of Assassin and Saber's Masters before we'd reached this phase but that had proven surprisingly difficult, even with the head start my agents had had.

"Do it, hopefully if all goes well the other Servants and Masters will reveal themselves and save us the trouble of tracking them down." I had to cover my ears at the cheer, car speeding around the corner leaving me standing out front with a grin that quickly faded into a sober frown. "If all goes well..." I repeated to myself, thinking of the veritable armory I had stored inside the building behind me, defended not just by magical barriers and hexes but a decent number of gadgets and mundane traps as well. Mages never expected such things, always thinking they were just invulnerable enough that anything short of a curse or summoned hell beast could kill them even though a well-placed bullet or knife would do the job just as well as a fireball, even a spoon I supposed but that was just the one time. "If all goes well, my purpose will be clear."

By the end of the night I'd know just what purpose I'd fight for in this war, and who I might need to kill to see it fulfilled.

-END

A/N: Hey everyone I know this chapter was one of those "get the characters to where they need to be" ones without much action, I definitely hope to remedy that next chapter. Speaking of which I will do my best to have that out as soon as I can, family stuff is coming up in the next few weeks that might keep me busy so I hope to finish at least one more chapter for the stories I'm working on in the meantime before that all goes down. Thanks for all your support and I hope you enjoyed the read.

Also I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what exactly to make Nora's steed exactly, she road an Ursa so a gigantic bear isn't completely out of the question or I can go more stereotypical Valkyrie and look into that. If any of you have any suggestions I'd be glad to hear them. And I know Weiss might come off as a bit mean towards Jaune this chapter I know but you've got to think about her situation, the guy (who she already rates as barely even a mage at all) who she saves out of kindness is now pretty much her scariest rival in her eyes so I thought a little animosity in character was fitting.