Seated at a dining table, Maverick smiles as Jeanne, seated next to him, glares. Meanwhile, two figures sit opposite them.
One, the Master of Archer, Alaster Diamandis, a well-built young man of Greek descent. The Master wears semi formal clothing and possesses short brown colored hair, and his Servant sits by his side, also dressed in semi formal clothing. With his helmet removed, said Servant's long and also brown hair is revealed, which he ties into a ponytail.
As for the Servant's True Name, it has been revealed to be Heracles, and other than his hairstyle, the supposedly well known Greek hero possesses another difference with his Master. Namely, while the Master's dining etiquette is refined, his Servant's is significantly less so. Additionally, Maverick has heard that Servants usually have no need for food, though his is an exception due to him not being a mage.
What he sees while smiling at the Greek demigod, however, makes him think Jeanne's necessity is the norm. "A benefit of being a Servant is that my appetite is nigh infinite." The Archer says before swallowing more food, "My feasts were not this grand when I was flesh and blood." Letting out a chuckle, Maverick turns to his Servant.
"I don't eat that much!" The Servant shouts, prompting another laugh from her Master.
Just now, before their current meal, due to Archer keeping his word, Maverick wakes up in an ornate room to find Jeanne by his side. He does feel a sting on his right shoulder, however, the cause being something he prefers to not dwell on. Then, with Diamandis' clarification, the Master of Berserker and his Servant learned of him bringing them to his mansion, and now, after the meal, they find themselves in the living room.
"Archer and myself have been going around the area, trying to learn more about the others." Diamandis explains, "After sniping most of them, Archer came to the conclusion that we should ally with someone." "So you chose us?" The other Master asks, and Archer confirms his and his Master's decision.
"Tch!" Jeanne clicks her tongue, glaring to the side and crossing her arms as she does, prompting a question from Archer. "Is something the matter, my lady?" The Berserker does not answer, and her Master, after looking at her for some time, turns to the other Servant. "I have to ask, why?"
"You are a…" Archer pauses slightly, and the sight of him curling his lips prompts Maverick to stare. However, Archer's smile soon returns, him continuing as it does. "You are a kind and brave soul. Few mortals could stand in my way, fewer…" Another pause, though his smile stays this time. "Fewer for others."
After Archer speaks, Jeanne growls as Maverick smiles. Then, while looking away, still angered, Jeanne speaks up. "He's just stupid." Her words cause Maverick to stare, and Archer to continue. "I respect it nonetheless." As Maverick continues staring at his Servant, the other Master speaks up.
"One way or another, we need to make you stronger. As you are, you are a burden to all of us." The non-mage stares at the mage for some time before looking away, his head heavy, his vision blurry. "Stop being a fucking idiot!" The non-mage's Servant shouts, and as he turns over, she looks away from him.
Yet, his gaze focuses on her, and they both take deep breaths. "You!" "Do you-" The duo look at one another, both of them having attempted to talk to Diamandis. With Maverick gesturing for his Servant to go, she exclaims with a "Hmph!" before speaking. "How are you making… him stronger?"
The Berserker's Master stares at her after she speaks, before he then smiles at the young woman. His gaze then moves, and his eyes widen. While Maverick stares at him, with Jeanne glaring at him, Diamandis sighs while rubbing his forehead. Then, his Servant swiftly interjects, smiling as he does.
"We can save that discussion for another time. For now, shall we trade intelligence?"
…
"Saber. We actually find him curious, as there are no records of a fencer using modern day weapons. It is possible he has some fame given his capability, albeit only minimally." Archer says, continuing after Maverick nods.
"Lancer. She was a formidable opponent, a fact elevated by the possibility of her being immortal." "Immortal?" Jeanne asks. "She went on even after receiving attacks normally fatal. Also, when I used my poison on her, she was able to neutralize it with magic."
"Admittedly, even modern day mages can do it." Diamandis adds, "But the fact she can keep fighting with so much vigor afterwards is odd." "So a possibly immortal spearwoman who can use magic?" Maverick asks, and Archer nods before questioning him. "Any ideas?"
"Well, I can sorta imagine Zhu Bajie from Journey to the West, but well, he's obviously not a she." "About the genders of Servants…" Archer adds on, and simply sighs as Maverick stares, "It is a complicated matter." Maverick stares at the Servant, and after the young man nods, the spirit continues.
"Rider. A mounted European knight wielding a sword. How he fights, however, is peculiar. He was not easy to corner, but when I did, he summoned knights to hold me back while he escaped."
"So he's a pussy who can't fight for himself?" Jeanne's words draw Maverick's chuckle, but he stops as the other Master glares. The other Servant, however, looks at the Berserker with his head tilted. "Pussy?" His gesture draws another of Maverick's chuckle, and Jeanne answers. "He's a fucking coward."
"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist." Maverick adds, "Now that I think about it, your English is… kind of weird." "I did live in another time and land. While the Grail allows communication, that fact remains." "I see."
"Nonetheless," Heracles looks away briefly, smiling, before turning back and continuing, "commanders and generals can fight from the backlines. We would be wise to not underestimate Rider because of his lack of personal combat ability. He is definitely an enemy I find difficult, even if he is not as much of a threat as Lancer."
After the Servant speaks, Maverick stares at him. "Yes, Li?" At the Servant's question, Li asks about his pause, prompting him to look away once more, smiling as he did before. "Nothing." The Greek hero answers, "just thinking about an old friend…"
As Jeanne stares at the scene, Diamandis glaring as she does, Maverick smiles at the Greek hero, who turns back and continues. "As for the other two, I have not found Assassin, and Caster…" Maverick proceeds to stare as the Servant frowns while looking down.
"What? Is it your ex-wife or something?" Jeanne says playfully, drawing a 'Jan!' from her Master, a gesture that prompts her ire. "We can talk about Caster another time." Diamandis interjects as his Servant remains silent, "For now…"
As Diamandis pauses, Maverick continues watching Jeanne, who sighs and gives her answer.
"Jeanne D' Arc…" Archer says, he and his Master staring at the saint after learning of her name. Said saint seems uplifted by the attention, and the bowman continues after studying her for some time. "You might very well change the foundation of Servant identification, for you do not resemble what we know about you."
"Hmph!" Jeanne exclaims in a pleased manner, a manner her Master shares as he looks at her, but he then stares. "Jan?" He calls after seeing the woman frown, but she waves dismissively before turning back to the other two.
"All right. That's the other idiots," She then takes a deep breath and points at her Master, "What about him?"
…
Seated in the mansion's garden, Maverick peers at the phone in his hand, a replacement Diamandis got due to his previous one getting fried, by courtesy of Jeanne. After he types a message, he continues looking at the screen, before he then sighs and turns back to the mansion.
What he sees brings a smile to his face.
"What?" Jeanne asks in surprise, the act halting her advancement towards her Master. "Nothing. What's up?" "Urm…" The young woman goes off while looking away, but swiftly turns back to her Master, "Nothing. Just came out for a walk and saw you moping." "Okay." The Master replies while sighing.
Then, after watching her Master for some time, the young woman continues. "So you are quitting your job?"
Diamandis has offered for Maverick to go back to his old life, and if the non-mage chooses not to, thanks to Archer's insistence, another option was brought up.
"Look. I don't give a shit what happens to you, but if you take fancy's offer, things will get dangerous for you, no?" Jeanne continues, prompting her Master's stare before she goes on "What?" "Fancy?" "I don't know!" She says while looking away and scratching her cheek, "Just came up with it!"
Her Master chuckles, and as she glares at him, he smiles at her briefly before looking away, still smiling as he does. "Well?" She asks, and after taking another look at her, he goes back to his phone and taps on the screen.
"What did you do?" The young woman asks in a hurry, and her Master stands up and smiles at her. "Listen, Jan, it's probably dumb for me to ask this after I quit my job, but hey, maybe Diamandis, or well, fancy, can magic it out or something." As Jeanne continues to stare, Maverick sticks his hand out, offering a handshake as he continues.
"I just wanna ask, are you okay with me being your Master?"
At the question, the Berserker sighs. She then turns around, peering at the mansion she came from, before turning back to her Master. She watches him for some time, and then, she takes his hand, both of them smiling as she does.