Boyzilla: Thank you for the compliment, your appreciation goes straight to my heart. Caring for the text requires work and obviously getting into the details offers more opportunity to make errors than to stay in the dark. A saying in French state: "Dieu est dans le détail, le Diable aussi" (God is in the detail, the Devil too). And yes, the major demon sent by Slaanesh is interested in Hakuno... fortunately, Gawain watches over her otherwise our little squirrel would have disappeared into the night! I confess I have not yet stopped my phase of work on this demon. I want it will be a unique creature different from the "Guardians of Secrets" (the standard major demon of Slaanesh). But I still hesitate about its appearance and characteristics. Slaanesh demons are often a mixture of hideous and sexy features. You will have noticed however that the demon has very long jelly tentacles, able to sneak into holes too small for their size. You will no doubt have also noticed that Gawain is unable to cut the tentacle because it regenerates too quickly! In any case, the Marienburg's Demon has a stronger version of the powers of an "Agony Devourer" these demons that feed on human emotions and like all the servants of Slaanesh Marienburg's Demon excels at corrupting human hearts. Likewise, you have probably read the passage showing the damage of the plague at Marienburg. Hakuno made other enemies... and yes, the plague that devastates the city is the work of the Skavens (who moreover interfere with the plans of Slaanesh... I love when the forces of Chaos are infighting! This make the situation more... Chaotic! ). I'm already salivating at the thought of writing the sequel, two demonic factions fighting over the city and sabotaging each other's plans, a nest of intrigues... and an overpowering demon. Luckily Hakuno is here! All hail Little Mouse the First!
Equitesque latronum
(Knights and thieves)
"Everything is okay at the Club, no matter what you say. The beer is good and nothing will happen to you as long as you stay in your place and stay out of other people's business."
Riddra resident talking about the Marienburg Gentlemen's Club.
Alone next to Alvarez Carpio, Gawain remaining invisible in astral form, Hakuno Kishinami walked through the streets of Marienburg, her eyes lowered and yielding to one of her guilty pleasure... cutting herself off from the outside world to reflect. When the Tilean Sailor took her by the arm to pull her out of a carriage, she merely shook her head... without realizing that she had almost passed under the wheels of the vehicle (1)!
Hakuno was like that. Her focus on her goals could be an asset when she led combat between Servants because nothing could break her concentration. At other times, it put her in danger and made her seem strange, abnormal.
As they approached the Suiddock district, Hakuno was still following Alvarez in "automatic mode", has still not emerged from her reflections on Marienburg, its government and the intrusion of the demon of Slaanesh. So she did not see a child with bright eyes approach Alvarez to pull a strand from his cape.
The Suiddock boys were skinny and hungry, but they were also sharp and clever. They survived in a world where even the Bretonnians Knight with their shining armor and magic weapons struggled to stay alive. They earned their living by working, stealing, spying on behalf of the "Guild that does not exist" (2)... and delivering messages.
Although he did not know the name of the child in question, Alvarez had already met him several times and was not unaware of whom he was working. He leaned aside so that the little thief might whisper a few words in his ear:
"Lucie is waiting for you tonight at the Marienburg Gentlemen's Club."
Alvarez gave a small coin to the boy who left with a smile on his face. The sailor nodded for himself... Lucie knew that he had returned to Marienburg. He turned to Hakuno Kishinami, the strange "Master" who had been following him for a few days.
He expected to see her always immersed in her thoughts, but was surprised. She was looking at him with her big innocent and interrogative eyes:
"Is something going on?"
The vivacity of the teen girl always surprised him. She seemed to have immediately noticed his change of mind. This combination of penetrating acuity and social awkwardness was uncomfortable. You never really knew what to expect from Hakuno, she was unpredictable. The worst part was she didn't mean to. She did not hide her intellect behind a false gaucherie, nor did she display her impressive abilities. Simply, Kishinami was... different.
As he reflected on the answer to be given, she tilted her head... and Alvarez forgot to breathe. Mymidia, that this girl was cute when she did that! The Tilean sailorman understood that this tic meant that something was surprising or prompting her to ask questions. Also, he hastened to find an explanation for his disorder:
"Ah... uh... yes... the kid... the message... "
Alvarez coughed in his fist to recover:
"A woman is expecting me tonight, so I'll be away for a while."
Hakuno nodded slowly. But her curiosity did not seem satisfied:
"A girlfriend?"
He hesitated to respond... Lucie was very pretty and not the shyest girl in town, then naturally... and on several occasions... so, without lying Alvarez nods:
"Something likes that. I'll walk you to the Doodkanaal."
The slum with the dirty and decrepit facades had not changed. The water of the "dead canal" stank and garbage floated on its surface... sometimes even corpses that were not always those of animals. In the shadows of the nearby alleys, Hakuno spotted forms lurking that would have escaped the senses of a normal person. But she guessed men wrapped up in long dark cloaks, with the hat down on their face. At one point, the Master saw a brief metallic sheen... one of the henchmen had drawn a blade. But his neighbor grabs his arm before whispering something pointing to Alvarez.
Obviously, the Estalian enjoyed a flattering reputation among the "channel rats" as they called the interloper population of this poorly frequented neighborhood.
Hakuno understood Marienburg.
It was a city without morals, without principles, where only money mattered. From the canals to the palace of the Staadtholder, they killed, stole, lied, cheated, denounced, swindled for a bit of gold.
For channel rats, Hakuno was just another commodity. Slavery was officially banned in Marienburg... But in the Marienburger mentality, only one thing was really forbidden... getting caught.
Luckily, she was accompanied by Alvarez Carpio. The Estalian blends perfectly into this creepy environment. His dark clothes, his wide-brimmed hat adorned with a colored feather, the rapier on his belt, and his pair of Wheelock pistols designated him as a member of the underworld. As Hakuno observed, she noted the man way of walking, that of a predator on the hunt. His gaze went from one alley to another. Each time he discerned a canal rat, he greeted him with a brief movement of the chin and the other answered the same.
There was a hierarchy in the underworld.
The purse-cutters and cheap hitmen that haunted the Doodkanaal were just the bottoms of the basket, some lowly rats... Alvarez was a skinny, hungry wolf, the kind of predator who could pull back a whole bunch of fearful rats.
As Alvarez Carpio turned back, leaving Hakuno - apparently alone- in the ruined house where they were hiding, she turned to her invisible Servant:
[Saber, why was Alvarez so anxious? I saw him check three times if his rapier slipped easily into his scabbard. It looked like he was leaving for a fight. He said Lucie was his girlfriend.]
There was a long silence. Gawain hesitated to answer. His Master's remark reminded him of the cruel actions of Queen Guinevere. Nevertheless, there was still a lot of innocence in Hakuno... a precious innocence. And the Knight of the Sun did not want to be the one who would deprive Hakuno of it. He merely answered wisely:
[A man is sometimes more at risk in a woman's arms than facing a bunch of henchmen armed to the teeth.]
Hakuno blinked more than surprised by this strange assertion. However, Gawain had no desire to pursue this discussion and hastened to change the subject:
[Speaking of danger, Master, I fear that your safety can no longer be assured in these places.]
[Saber?]
The Servant materialized in a whirlwind of bluish particles, before bowing one hand to the heart:
"I, Gawain, the Knight of the Sun, though in the service of my king, renew my oath to put my sacred blade in the service of your cause. Protecting damsels in distress is what the Knights of the Round do best. Nevertheless, this city is mostly hostile to you and my head having been put at a price by the Directorate, my presence has become more harmful than useful to you. Remember also the Skavens assassins who tried to kill you at Couronne. Our enemies have shown that they know where to find you if they want to. It would be appropriate to invoke new Servants so that you can always have at least one defender close to you."
Hakuno smiles at the mention of the Skavens assassins. In spite of the real danger represented by these killers, she could not help but find them comical... Just think, rats-ninjas! Just the idea was ridiculous! But in this world, the impossible seemed usual. What was going to attack it next time? Some ninja turtles?
The Moon Cell seemed to follow the course of her thoughts through the Regalia, as a translucent holographic screen appeared above the ring:
"Invoke Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo?"
And below the short sentence, a panel appeared with the signs "Y/N"
Kishinami blinked several times, uncertain as to what she should do and then turned to Gawain. Her Servant had approached to read what was written on the virtual screen and frowned:
"Master, what were you thinking when this screen came up?"
"Ninja turtles?"
The Knight of the Sun had a nervous little laugh, but the expression of his face showed no amusement... rather a kind of shock:
"I think... I think... it would be wiser to refuse and stick to Knights of the Round Table."
Hakuno nodded before touching the blinking cursor below N. She shook her head... there really were ninja turtles among the heroes staying in the Seraph? One day, she would have to take the time to check.
Above Hakuno left hand appeared a virtual screen with the Moon Cell logo on it and below it... an hourglass that turned regularly.
"Invocation of Servants."
"Searching compatible Servants in the Seraph."
"Please wait a minute."
And then the holographic screen disappeared, replaced by several others showing various organizational charts and tables. The most important tool was a loading bar...
On the floor, invisible hands were busy tracing a pair of magical convocation circles... Once again, the Moon Cell had chosen to call two Servants simultaneously. That would make her five Servants... but could she provide enough energy for so many Heroic Spirits?
To ask herself the question was to ask the question to the Moon Cell since the photonic crystals computer was listening to her thoughts.
In front of Hakuno appeared a new window showing maps of the region, a layout of Leys Lines and pages and pages and pages of technical specifications, diagrams, computer programs, and complex calculations. Most of the technical explanations were completely incomprehensible to a teenager with the education level of a high school student from the early twenty-first century... perhaps Einstein, Ramujan (3) and Salomon working together could have understood the magical-scientific theory implemented by the Moon Cell... but Hakuno doubted it. However, it would seem that the Moon Cell was getting the energy needed for the incarnation of the Servants in the Old World by creating a connection between the Servants and the local Leys Lines.
Hakuno Kishinami saw the loading bar reach 100%. The two magic circles were now complete. During the invocation, they had changed color several times. Their color had reached a luminous orange that illuminated the room with fantastic motifs. A human figure seemed to rise slowly from each circle, while a whirl of photonic crystals and violet particles gradually gave it substance and density.
The first servant appeared.
Hakuno immediately noticed that he was missing an arm! His hair and armor were very similar to those of Artoria Pendragon. In fact, if his hair had not been grey and two long braids did not fall down to the middle of his back, his resemblance to King Arthur would have been perfect. His armor did not have the strange skirt of metal blades of the king and was provided with shoulder pads. Nevertheless, the knight who had just appeared wore it also over a blue dress... paler than that of Artoria, closed on the front and without a petticoat, but of identical design.
"Servant Lancer, at your service, Master."
The handsome man with silver hair knelt softly. Next to Hakuno, Gawain bent down to embrace the newcomer:
"Sir Bedivere, how wonderful to see you again."
No line moved on the face of the stoic knight, and he answered with an equal voice:
"Sir Knight, your joy is shared."
Bedivere? Hakuno dug into her memory. The name vaguely said something to her. Oh yes... in some variants of the Arthurian legend, only one Knight of the Round Table survived the Battle of Camlann. Dying Arthur would have given him Excalibur to return to the Lady of the Lake. The survivor in question was called Bedivere.
The identity of the first knight having been determined, Kishinami turned to the second Servant, who was finally materializing. She mechanically stepped back... crushed by an oppressive force...
In the disappearing circle stood... something... but Hakuno could not see him clearly. A black mist hovered around a colossus in armor. It seemed to be distorting... or multiplying. The details were fuzzy... the armor must have been black, or anthracite gray, but Kishinami wasn't sure. A helmet masked the face of the black knight. The helmet seemed coarser than the breastplate. Hakuno saw a panache of blue horsehair and a vision slit similar to a notch created by a sword stroke, which let out a red glow. Four bands of black cloth were attached to the Servant's shoulders and moved gently with each movement.
Bedivere and Gawain mechanically encased their Master, ready to invoke their weapons. But the third Servant was content to stand, crouched. A sort of snoring was then heard:
"RrrrRRRr... RrRR... rrrRr... rrr!"
The sound was low, deep, strangely soothing. It did not emanate the sensitive violence in the aura and in the posture gathered from the cuirassed colossus, as if ready to leap.
Suspecting that the Servant could not speak, Hakuno Kishinami focused on the Regalia to learn more. A virtual window opened... and vacillated, chopped by statics. Only the top of the page containing the class of Servant, his statistics (very high, two reached A, one B, Agility was even A+, only mana stagnated at C) his height, his weight and other secondary characteristics. Of course, the Servant class was Berserker. Except that Hakuno would have suspected it all by herself, what other class would have radiated such a poorly contained violence?
Where the hero's name, his story, and his Noble Phantasm should have appeared one could only see snow of parasites. A second window opened:
"Beware magical interference from the Berserker Class Server. One of the Servant's Noble Phantasms is permanently active and prevents revealing information about his identity."
Hakuno blinked:
"But, Moon Cell, you summoned this servant, you should know who he is."
"Negative. Outside the Seraph, the Servants are invoked according to the presence of catalysts; the Moon Cell only makes the first selection according to the desires of the Sovereign and the parameters of compatibility. Theory: Despair and violence emanating from Doodkanaal served as a catalyst for invocation. Suggestion: keep Servant Berserker in astral form out of combat situation".
The Victor of the Moon sighed. Indeed, it was better not to let this Servant terrorize the neighborhood:
"Berserker, astralize... please."
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
The monster twisted for a moment, flipping his head back to shout as loud as can be... the neighbors had surely appreciated! Then... he disappeared in a shimmer of blue light.
Wiping her moist forehead, Hakuno turned to look at the other two servants... they were pale!
"Do you know who this Servant is?"
Bedivere merely shook his head. Gawain was more prolific:
'No, Master Kishinami. We are also affected by his Noble Phantasm. However, if it is a Hero coming from the Arthurian legend cycle, there are not many possibilities: Meleagan, Mordred, Perceval, the Fisher King, Lancelot du Lac, and the Black Knight are the only ones to have a Noble Phantasm that allow them to hide their identity. Merlin and Morgan could probably do the same, but they would be invoked as Caster."
Bedivere shook his head:
"This is not Perceval. The Noble Phantasm of Perceval only allows him to usurp the appearance of an adversary he has defeated. As for the Noble Phantasm of Mordred, it does not create this black mist"
"Just" agreed Sir Gawain, "So that leaves us Meleagan, the Fisher King, Lancelot du Lac, and the Black Knight."
Hakuno shook her head, Berserker's identity could wait. She smiled at Lancer:
"Bedivere, tell me about yourself."
The immense Servant, he must have been more than one meter eighty (4) remained pensive for a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders:
"I am a Lancer Class Servant and I am not an important person. Without my kinship, I would never have become a Knight of the Round Table."
A modest Knight of the Round was a first! Even Artoria, who was not one to boast, would have said something like" with a sword no one could defeat her" in an identical situation. This intrigued the Sovereign of the Moon Cell. She asked a new question:
"You do have a passion, something that interests you?"
The great knight in silver armor bowed his head in agreement:
"I do have a passion, Master Kishinami, but it is hardly worth mentioning."
Kishinami make a head tilt and Bedivere blinked... the most violent reaction the knight has shown so far:
"Since you insist... I have a passion for boiled vegetables."
"Boiled vegetables?"
"Yes, Master."
Hakuno turned to Gawain, who had a small awkward smile as if apologizing for his brother-in-arms lack of interest:
"Sir Bedivere is a knight who has always been the trusted man of King Arthur. Nevertheless, he was mainly in charge of the paperwork. He never participated in quests. When we went to war, Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere made the battle plans, set up our camps, and took care of the stewardship."
"I had enough adventures in my youth," explained Bedivere. His gaze rested for a moment on the stump of his right arm.
Hakuno kept a sad grim for herself. Indeed, this remark explained a lot.
The free space being counted on the few islands forming Marienburg, the habit was to build on the bridges. The Three-Penny Bridge was located in the Riddra district, which is to say in the Suiddock, party of the city where the modest workers, the poor... and the thug coexisted.
The Marienburg Gentlemen's Club had been built at the southwest end of the bridge, almost on the bank. At first glance, it could be confused with any tavern as there were hundreds in town.
Besides, Riddra's workers sometimes came to drink a pint there because the beer was good... or for the thrill.
Because it was no ordinary tavern.
You know, if you ask a passerby if there's a thief's guild in Marienburg. He will make himself laugh and say that guilds are for honorable professions. Nevertheless, if you are an observer you will see the passerby shivering and taking the first pretext to move away.
There was a guild of thieves in Marienburg.
It was known as the "Honorable Guild of Enterprising Gentlemen"... and yes... the Gentlemen's Club was their guild house. Everyone knew it... and everyone pretended to ignore it, even the Black Hats... especially the Black Hats actually. They were getting comfortable bribes to forget it.
Alvarez Carpio's opinion on "the honorable guild" had been held for a long time. In Marienburg, everyone stole everyone and pretended to be honest. The members of the guild were the only inhabitants to admit to being thieves. In fact, they were the most honest and reliable people in the city!
The world was upside down.
But nothing could really surprise Alvarez when we were talking about Marienburg.
Lucie, a beautiful blonde girl, attracted the eyes of men as surely as the beautiful flowers attracted the bees. Even before arriving at the Marienburg Gentlemen's Club, Alvarez had spotted her distributing smiles around. One of the victims of her charm was a young bourgeois dressed in the latest fashion.
Completely intoxicated by the heady fragrance of the blonde beauty, he allowed himself to be approached and discussed a few moments with Lucie. She left; he remained on the spot to dream and looking after her... without realizing that some coins had disappeared from his purse!
Of all the thieves operating for the "Guild that does not exist", the young woman was the most skillful. Never caught red-handed, rarely suspected, and often forgiven... She was so seductive that her targets seemed almost happy to be stolen.
As she entered the Three-Penny Bridge, Alvarez quietly followed her. Arriving at the Club, Lucie went up the stairs, the Estallan sailor tailing her a few steps behind.
Despite its reputation, the Club was an ordinary and a rather clean-looking tavern. The floor had been washed recently, the tables were in good condition... and there were no corpses on the ground.
At the entrance of Alvarez, a dozen eyes turned towards him. In fact, half of the clients were sentinels of the thieves' guild. These observers were not difficult to spot. They sat there, barely touching their beer, and opened their eyes wide in search of spies of the Directorate.
Nevertheless, the Estalian was a regular. He exchanged a glance with the bartender and then looked for Lucie. The young woman had come to sit at the table of a warrior whose appearance drew a shiver to Alvarez Carpio. His armor was a scale suit partially covered with metal fragments from dozens of other armor... probably taken as trophies from his victims. The man looked barbaric. His hair was shaved with the exception of a long greasy ponytail of linen blond hair. The face was cut with numerous scars that disfigured him.
A Norse!
What did a worshiper of the gods of Chaos do in a tavern in Marienburg?!
The city had fallen very low...
Despite his friendship with Lucie, Alvarez refused to approach her and her new partner, preferring to lean on the counter.
While he was sipping his beer, he leaned forward to whisper a few words to the bartender. He had just asked if it was possible to meet Müser, the head of the guild.
He received a brief reply and nodded.
The bartender was ready to pass on his request to Schieller one of Müser's lieutenants.
On the way back, Alvarez met a traveling merchant. His business was not limited to selling tobacco and a pile of "magical" accessories. Through channels known to him alone, he learned information from which he traded. Against a few coins, the merchant told Alvarez that during the last three days some thirty assassinations had been carried out by a seditious movement. All the people who were murdered were members of the administration.
Of course, the Directorate had reacted, ordering arbitrary arrests and searches, but most of the people taken away by the Black Hats were innocent. Few members of this seditious movement had been captured and none had spoken even under torture. In fact, the organization appeared to be siloed and no "terrorist" knew the other members of other branches. Some said that the Chambre Noire (5) was behind these attacks.
Arriving at the Doodkanaal, Alvarez stopped at the door of the hovel that served as a hiding place for Hakuno. He was surprised to hear a lively conversation. A hand on his rapier, he pushed the door to discover... the young girl sitting at a table that was not there at his departure... no more than the victuals that covered it. With the Master were Gawain and another knight in armor with ... only one arm. It was the latter who spoke:
"... So you can imagine the scene. Merlin ran, entangled in her long dresses, with behind Artoria explaining that she had not done it on purpose, then Kay mad with anger after his sister... and behind the peasants armed with pitchforks chasing us."
Sir Gawain looked at the one-armed man with disbelief:
"King Arthur behaved so stupidly?"
With his only hand, the other knight made a vague gesture:
"Artoria was only fifteen years old. She did not become a great king just because she had drawn the Sword of Selection from the stone. It took her years... and often from personal experience. Merlin was not to be counted on, he was even younger minded than Artoria... and he never grew up! "
Hakuno Kishinami poured a cup of tea and smiled:
"And how did it end?"
"Well, we had to pay for the barn that Artoria had destroyed by her misuse of Caliburn. And we weren't rich at the time... This part of our lives has been particularly eventful. Merlin and Artoria were rushing us from one disaster to another, and I often believed that Sir Kay would end up having a depression. Poor man! He spent all his time fixing up the nonsense of those two. He didn't have a moment's respite."
Invisible to Alvarez, a third knight followed the conversation with interest. Hakuno felt his presence:
[ ArRRRrthurrrRRrr ?]
He too seemed surprised by the story told to them by Bedivere, yet an eyewitness to the disaster caused by the lack of thought in the future King of Britain.
Lancer smiled softly:
"Still, Artoria was exactly as you knew her later. Devoted, seeking to help as many people as possible, she was just very impulsive... and so heartwarming."
His smile disappeared.
"She never forgave herself for breaking up Caliburn. Then she never smiled again. Before she was crowned, as she wandered the roads of England to save the peasants, defeat the monsters, she was happy. We called her 'the Princess Knight' and the 'Lily Knight'."
He would no doubt have continued, but at that moment he saw that someone had quietly opened the door to observe them through the gap. Bedivere got up from his chair; a silver spear appeared in his hand. He swirled it with incredible skill before turning the tip towards Alvarez:
"Hello, trespassers, deigns to step into the light and show yourself if you do not want to be pierced by Naw Rhic (6)."
The Estalian sailor entered the room, hands raised:
"Calm down, Sir Knight, I am a friend. Sir Gawain and Damsel Kishinami will confirm this."
The Knight of the Sun rose in turn:
"I confirm, Sir Bedivere, this is Alvarez Carpio our guide. Without him, Damsel Kishinami and I would not have been able to enter this city."
The man named Bedivere lowered his spear and bowed:
"Please excuse my suspicion, Sir Alvarez."
"Don't worry, I would have reacted like you in the same situation."
The sailor turned to Hakuno:
"However, where does it come from? This... Bedivere?
Hakuno thought for a moment:
"I summoned him."
"And this food, this table, these chairs..."
The sailor turned his head noticing other furniture:
"... these beds... but... where did you get all this?"
The strange "Master" blinked several times as if surprised by the concern of the sailor confronted once again with a situation that exceeded him.
"I asked Moon Cell," she ends up answering as if it explains everything... which is true for those who knew what was the giant photonic crystals computer... except that this was not the case with Alvarez.
The sailor groaned as he rubbed his temples. He thought for a moment to ask some clarifications, but an instinct held him back... He was certain that, after asking his questions, he would understand even less and would have even more headaches.
A small critical voice whispered to him that he should never have accepted to bring this strange magician into Marienburg. After all, it wasn't that bad being a prisoner of the Bretonnians.
(1) One of the main streets leading to the gates of the city of Marienburg passes through the Suiddock and to get to the center of the city one can cut through the Doodkanaal. Since a coach stopped there and saw all its passengers slaughtered, the vehicles have been driving through the neighborhood without slowing down. The streets of Marienburg are very dangerous... whether you are in a coach or on foot!
(2) The Marienburg Guild of Thieves.
(3) Srinivasa Ramujan (1887- 1920) perhaps the most brilliant mathematician of the 20th century. A century after his death, his unfinished work remains incomprehensible to the most brilliant contemporary mathematicians.
(4) 187 cm, exactly.
(5) Secret Service of the Kingdom of Bretonnia.
(6) Bedivere's spear, its name means "Nine Notches"
Author's note: Anyone who has seen Fate/ Zero will have recognized the Berserker invoked... too bad, the F-15 fighter-bomber is rather rare in the Old World.
Bedivere is invoked as Lancer. You only know him as Saber (in Fate Grand Order). Now, if each Servant can appear in several classes, there is always one that corresponds better to him than another. And it is armed with a spear that Bedivere entered the legends. Conversely, imagine Cù Chulainn summoned as Saber... without Gae Bolg! It would be possible, but he would be pathetically weak since Cù was deprived of the crucial element of its legend. And Naw Rhic is a spear almost as impressive as Gae Bolg, worthy of a king's son... what Bedivere is!