"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Mental link"

"Noble Phantasms"

POV

Chapter 34: Planning for problems.

"Its a jousting spear. Its supposed to be big." Gareth explained to the group, a small frown on her face "It was gifted to me by Merlin! Although he called it 'Gun Lance'."

"Gun Lance?" Verndari tilted his head and looked to Arash "What is a gun?"

"Firearm." Arash explained, then shrugged "Isn't as skilled as using a bow."

Verndari stayed silent, still having no clue what a gun was although was able to discern that it was a projectile weapon of some variety. Perhaps it was like a crossbow, either way "Why was it called that?"

"It explodes." Gareth explained "Whenever I hit someone with it and the recoil stops my momentum."

"So...you are carrying a Ballista on your arm that does not shoot bolts?"

"Well...no...maybe." She frowned "Merlin didn't really explain it to me that well."

"Who was this Merlin? The quartermaster?"

"Oh, no." Gareth shook her head "He was King Arthur's court Mage...although." she frowned "I...wasn't that comfortable around him." Arash snorted, shaking his head.

"Court mage?" Verndari titled his head "King Vendrick had Ser Velstadt, although I doubt he would count as a court mage in the term you would use."

"What was he then?"

"A Cleric."

Arash furrowed his brows "Like a priest? Wouldn't have expected a priest to be granted knighthood." he shrugged "Then again, some priests are actually pretty capable warriors, so I suppose I shouldn't judge."

"No, for his strength alone, Ser Velstadt made the presence of Clerics tolerable." Verndari explained "And one would be foolish to challenge him to combat."

"That good, eh?"

"There was only one other besides King Vendrick himself who could challenge him." Verndari sighed "They fought only once, and it was close…"

"Who?" Gareth asked.

"Ser Raime. The Knight I squired under." Verndari chuckled "Ser Raime was one of the finest knights in the Kings court, his skill with his blade was second to none and he had strength to spare. Ser Velstadt was every bit Ser Raimes equal and that was when he was armed with a talisman for a weapon." he shook his head "A Bell turned warhammer. Intimidation as much as anything else."

"Sounds…" Gareth searched for the right words "Loud."

"It was." Verndari gave a quiet chuckle "It was very loud." he looked over to Gareth "You look young enough, who did you squire under?"

"Ah!" Gareth beamed "Sir Lancelot! He was the strongest knight on the Round table! Well...Big Brother Gawain could match his strength under the sun, but Lancelot didn't have those kind of blessings. So I did my best to support him as a fellow member of the Round table!"

"Round table?" Verndari tilted his head.

"It was the Knights who served under King Arthur." Gareth explained "Although, they are all stronger than me. Ash looks just like Big Brother Gawain too."

"Does he?" Verndari shrugged "How curious...still. You seem to have a great adoration for this 'Sir Lancelot.'"

"Yeah…" Arash nodded, a small frown on his face "Even now?"

Gareth winced, no doubt realising what the Archer was referring to "Y-yeah. He was the one who conferred the title of knight to me." she nodded her head, giving a small smile "In truth...He's the ideal sort of knight I wanted to become."

Arash stared at her for a few moments "Well, I'm sure you'll get there eventually." he smiled at her "You try your hardest kid, I'll be routing for you to become a great knight."

"Yes!" Gareth beamed, then paused, turning back to Verndari "Just out of curiosity, where there any other knights in your kingdom?"

"My predecessor." Verndari replied "Ser Syan...from what I learned. He was neither the strongest knight, the fastest, sturdiest or most skilled. But...Ser Raime had nothing but praise for him. 'Of all the knights, there will never be one more loyal than Ser Syan' he would often say."

"Sounds a bit like Bedivere." Gareth smiled "Did you ever meet him?"

"No...To my regret I did not." Verndari sighed "It was the opening days of the War with the Giants, Ser Syan led the advance party into their lands. He and his men were killed in an ambush while they slept."

"Oh...that's…"

"A dishonourable end for a man who deserved better." He scoffed "I was a common soldier at the time, but the rage of King Vendrick at Ser Syans death was felt far across the kingdom. He led the war himself from that point, crossing the sea and raising the giants kingdom to the ground."

"What was your King like?"

"King Vendrick?" Verndari looked up "He was...He was the strongest warrior in the Kingdom. He and his brother built the Kingdom of Drangelic with their own hands, as my King I would always stand by his side. He would act in the best interests of the Kingdom...although if I had...one grievance. At the very end...his heart led him astray."

"Fell in love, did he?" Arash guessed, Verndari nodded slowly.

"With a witch." The two blinked "I had always suspected her, but she was the Kings beloved. I made no comment...Ser Raime...did." he rubbed the bridge of his helmet "Ser Raime had always told me that true loyalty was to adhere not to your Kings Commands, but his best interests. So, he felt that Nashandra was manipulating the King which...I realise now, she was."

"What did he do?"

"He denounced her as a Witch in front of the Court and demanded her exile." Verndari let out a tired sigh "Ser Velstadt...his loyalty to King Vendrick was without question, as Nashandra was Queen, an insult to her was an insult to the King."

"Oh…" Gareth frowned "They fought, didn't they?"

"For three hours they duelled in the throne room without rest." Verndari rested his head in his hands "By the end, Ser Raime was beaten and exiled. Thus the Kingdom began its descent, the only vocal member of Nashandra's opposition gone. She was free to act as she pleased...and through it all. I remained silent."

"Sir Lancelot fell in love with the Queen." Gareth blurted out "...Sir Agravain set up a trap to expose him and...Sir Lancelot killed him. Then at the Queens mock execution, Sir Lancelot...killed me and my brother Gaheris."

"Still you admire him?" Verndari tilted his head.

"Do you still admire Sir Raime?"

Verndari chuckled "Ser Raime did not fall in love with a Witch...but he was branded a traitor to the throne. 'The Knight of Treachery'. It is a cruel twist of fate that the works of great Kings can be undone by a simple matter of the heart." he muttered.

"Don't know much about love." Arash shrugged his shoulders "But its definitely got its impacts. Good and bad."

"Hm...What was your King like?"

"King Arthur was…" Gareth smiled "They were the greatest King. He worked to build an ideal Kingdom, was the strongest in the Kingdom and worked to save it. They...well…" Gareth beamed "It was a true honour to be a knight in his court."

"Hmm…" Verndari nodded his head slowly "...I would argue that Vendrick was the greater King."

Gareth stilled slowly turning to the taller Knight with a challenging look in her eyes "...King Arthur was better, they were part Dragon."

"King Vendrick slew giants."

"So did King Arthur."

"Ah, but did they lead a War against a Kingdom of Giants?"

"...No."

"Hmmmm."

"They had Excalibur!"

"...What is that?"

"A sword." Arash explained, chuckling as he watched the two knights bicker "Well...A really famous sword."

"Ah." Vendrick nodded "Did it do anything?"

"Wipe out a fortress in a single swing."

"...Eh?" Verndari's shoulders slumped "You...There was a sword that did that?"

"Oh, yeah." Arash nodded his head "A nasty thing to be on the receiving end of to."

Gareth blinked, turning to Arash "You met King Arthur?"

"Previous summon." He explained "Grail war in...Tokyo." he cringed "Little hazy, think something happened to me there...although I don't think I could forget that sword in a hurry." a smile came across his face "Well...there was his Master as well. Young girl with glasses…" he snickered "I think he might have gotten a little friendly with that one."

"...Eh?" Gareth blinked, then gaped like a fish "EH!? K-King Arthur!? You're talking about King Arthur, right!?"

"Well…" Arash paused "Saber from another world or something." he shrugged "Timelines are confusing."

"King Arthur…" Gareth was still mumbling "...Does this mean I'd have to call her Queen if I ever met her…" she blinked "Or...Auntie-in-law."

"Auntie?"

"Oh yeah." Arash blew air through his mouth "Most of the knights of the Round table were related to eachother, well. Half of them were." he shrugged.

"I see." Verndari nodded slowly "Well...I assume they were competent?"

"Yep, wouldn't be a stretch to say that any and all of the Knights of the Round Table is a top class servant."

Verndari slowly turned his head to stare at Gareth, the young knight still mumbling about Arthur and a girl other than the Queen, before he turned his attention back to the Archer "...Any and all?"

"Any and all." Arash confirmed with a grin.

Beatrice and Pontiff Sulyvahn POV

"You make Catalysts...out of twigs and…" Sulyvahn held up the Catalyst to his face, examining it fully "...Is that a copper coin?"

"Yes." Beatrice nodded, then winced when he turned to look at her "...I didn't have a lot of materials in the wilds."

"I see." Sulyvahn looked back over the Catalyst, humming to himself "It is adequate work, far more so than I would have expected. Most Heretic sorcerers originated in Vinheim and still relied on the Catalysts they made in the workshops. I have not seen one crafted from mundane materials."

"Well…" Beatrice shrugged "I went through a lot of them...Tended to get damaged in fights."

"Hm...Where did you say you were from?"

"Lordran."

"Oh...you are quite ancient, aren't you." Sulyvahn chuckled "Although your appearance is now understandable...Big Hat Logan, I believe?"

"W-well...he and Seath did invent Sorcery, so I wanted to...well...pay my respects to him."

"I have no concern with homage to Logan or Seath. Crafting a source of power from Wisdom rather than something as dubious and manipulative as Faith...it earned my respect." He handed the Catalyst back to her "More importantly, I am curious as to why you were a witch in the wilds, as oppose to a reject from Vinheim."

"Mother raised me like that." Beatrice explained "She had...choice words for the scholars there."

"Hm. Perceptive woman." Sulyvahn grunted "Regardless, there was nothing to stop you joining them. The Courts had a tendincy to admit...savages, for the purpose of civilising them."

Beatrice shuffled on the spot "They...wouldn't like what I studied."

"Oh?" Sulyvahn tilted his head "And what did you study."

"The...Abyss."

"Oh...Yes, I can see they would take issue with that." Sulyvahn chuckled "Yes, it was especially frowned upon after the flooding of New Londo and the fall of Oolacile." he leaned in towards her "Tell me...why did you hope to study the Abyss."

"No one knew anything about it!" Beatrice whined "They always spoke about how 'evil' it was and how it would 'corrupt' but they never offered anything even remotely close to actual evidence! Sorcery could just as easily drive one insane. So I wanted to study the abyss myself because no one else would."

Sulyvahn interlocked his fingers, his wooden facial cheeks let out a subtle groan as they moved upwards, giving the impression of a smile "If no one else will see the truth, they you would?"

"Well…" Beatrice fidgeted on the spot, looking away from him "I wanted to...I...um...died on my journey to the Abyss itself."

"Unfortunate." Sulyvahn sighed "Although, there were many who dabbled in the Abyss, perhaps you will encounter one."

"Oh, I already have." Beatrice grinned "And I have so many questions and studies and tests to run! Its exciting, a pity is a pyromancy and not a sorcery, but its good enough!"

"...Abyssal pyromancy? And who would…" Sulyvahn paused, then chuckled quietly "The Unkindled one, I assume."

"Who?" Beatrice blinked, then widened her eyes and made an 'O' expression "Oh, you mean Ash."

"...Yes. Ash, you say? A fitting name." Sulyvahn muttered "And he uses the Abyss? How...interesting."

"Isn't it!" Beatrice cackled "I have the opportunity to see the abyss up close!"

"You encountered the Accursed, did you not?" Sulyvahn asked "The beasts, made from bodies."

"Y-yes." She cringed "That...was a bit closer to the Abyss than I would have liked and isn't...really that controlled."

"On the contrary." The Caster countered "That is a use that requires great skill. Aldrich was smart and skilled enough to craft the beasts and ensure they obeyed his commands. Of course, my own creations could do much the same, but Aldrich was able to have his infused with the Deep." he chuckled "They are called the 'Accursed' for a reason."

"They...curse people?" Beatrice guessed, Sulyvahn stared at her for a few moments before he sighed.

"Indeed." Sulyvahn grumbled "They are-" the clanging of metal had the pair turn their heads to the open window, Sulyvahn sighed, rising from his chair and moving over to the open window and staring out at the courtyard "Mindless brutes." he grunted, Beatrice followed him to the window and looked outside.

Verndari and Gareth were in the middle of a sparring match, Arash sat at the sidelines with an amused smile on his face while Sif lay down on the ground near him, the Wolf stared at the pair with a rather bored look in its eyes.

"Knights remain the same regardless of era, I see." The Caster huffed in annoyance "Still, it would be best I return to my work. I suspect the Unkindled will be here soon, and tempting fate is not something I have planned." with that, he turned on his heel and retreated through the palace corridors.

Verndari, Arash and Gareth POV

The looking glass knight grunted as the Lance slammed into his shield, an explosion of blue light originating from the weapon had him take a step back, Gareth pursued him, only to see he had done so to build up momentum before he slammed his shield forwards.

Gareth raised her own Kite shield to absorb the blow, letting out a small gasp of air as she skipped back with the attack and landed on her feet.

"Impressive." Verndari nodded his head "For one so young, you display some skill."

"Well, I was the Seventh Seat of the Round Table." Gareth smirked "I was also trained by the best knights."

"But did their lessons remain, is the question to be answered." Verndari replied, lowering his body and assuming his stance "It is one think to be skilled at jousting, however when you are bereft of your mount is the true test."

Gareth met his challenge with a wry smile "I passed every test to become a knight." she cocked her own lance back "I can pass this one."

"We shall see." Verndari replied, then advanced on her, Gareth shot forth like a missile, disappearing from her spot and clearing the space between the two of them in an instant, thrusting her Lance forwards towards Verndari's shield.

The Knight slammed his mirror shield into her Lance, then pushed it upwards, parrying the blow before he thrust his sword forwards. Gareth used her agility to avoid the strike before moving again, detonating her Lance and causing Verndari to stumble to the side, slightly off balance.

Verndari grunted, then slammed his shield down, kicking up a small cloud of dirt in Gareth's face, the lancer spit dirt out of her mouth, then looked up as an armoured fist parted the cloud of dirt in front of her, aimed at her face.

She narrowed her eyes and lifted her own shield to block the strike, her feat leaving the ground as she allowed the blow to carry her back a few metres before she landed back down, leaving imprints of her boots in the dirt.

Verndari retracted his fist, then moved to grip the handle of his blade and ripped it from the ground where he had stabbed it.

"You aren't that bad." Gareth chuckled.

"Despite my ranking of being a 'Ser' I was only a captain in the Kings Army." Verndari replied "I could never hope to match Ser Raime or Ser Velstadt." he sighed "And it appears you were trained well."

"I was trained by the best."

"You were trained by the best in your kingdom." Verndari countered "I would withhold the claim of being trained by the most skilled until I see your 'Sir Lancelot' duel Ser Raime."

Gareth pouted, shaking her head "Well...Sir Lancelot would still win!"

"Hmmm…" Verndari absently hummed in response before he advanced on the knight again.

"Pfft." Arash shook his head "Knights...Its like watching children fight." he looked down at Sif "I suppose you would argue that the Knight you served was the best?"

Sif's snout curled into a slight smile, an amused look in his eyes and a curt nod, Arash rolled his eyes at the wolf "Well, if he was good enough to teach a wolf how to swing a sword, I'd probably not want to get close to him."

Sif's smirk seemed to get wider.

"Arash-san?"

"Hm?" He turned his head, smiling at the new arrival "Hey, Mash. You're up early."

"Well…" She looked over at Verndari and Gareth still sparring "I heard a small commotion and thought to investigate."

"Ah, no attacks to worry about so far."

"Lancelot is better!"

"I merely state that Ser Raime is more skilled until I see otherwise!"

"...Well." Arash chuckled as the arguments became slightly louder "No attacks of a physical kind anyway. I think they might be fighting over professional pride in their teachers."

"O-oh." Mash let out a small laugh "Are they going to be alright?"

"They'll be fine." Arash reassured her "Despite everything else, knights know how to hold back...I think." he paused "Well, I assume they do. What with all the squires and spars they used to have."

"Eugh." A scoff drew the attention of the pair to Quelaag as she scuttled over to them with a scowl on her face directed at the two knights "Those two meatheads…" a growl drew her attention over to Sif, the wolf narrowing its eyes at her, Rider rolled her own in response "I'm not planning anything, mutt."

Sif huffed and looked away, laying back down on the ground as Fou jumped on his head again.

"What is that thing anyway?" Quelaag asked with a raised eyebrow, Mash and Arash blinked and stared at eachother, then at Fou.

"Don't know." The Archer shrugged "I thought it was some kind of familiar."

"Fou is...Fou?" Mash explained with a strained look "He...just goes wherever he wants."

"So what brings you here?" Arash asked with a raised eyebrow "You don't really seem the type to look for conversation, so offence."

"Ergh…" Quelaag huffed "I either distract myself with conversation from the two of you, who are tolerable, or I get glared at by the honourable fools, questioned by some hermit witch or mocked by a half tree." she gave Arash a dull look "And that is only for this morning, without having to contend with the scornful gaze of the human populous."

"Are...you alright, Quelaag-san?" Mash asked with a concerned expression, the witch turned to her with an incredulous expression before she let out a mirthless laugh.

"If you looked like me...would you be alright?" Mash didn't give an answer, looking down "Hm. I thought as much." she huffed, shaking her head "Then again, I don't have anyone else to blame for it." she muttered bitterly.

The three fell into a rather awkward silence before Mash spoke up again "Does...does it hurt?"

"Hurt?" Quelaag raised an eyebrow, then cocked her head to the side "Suppose I told you it was agony, that it felt like my skin burned and that every waking moment of my life was nothing but a sensory experience of pain. Would you look at me with pity? More than that, what would you do, what could you do?"

Mash opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it shut, looking away with a small flinch. Arash frowned and turned to Quelaag with a disapproving expression.

"There's not need for that." He chided "The little lady was just expressing her concern for you."

"She shouldn't be concerned." Quelaag huffed "She's got better things to do with her time."

"Why?" Arash asked, tilting his head to the side and raising an eyebrow "There's nothing wrong with showing concern for an ally."

"We're allies of convenience." The Rider scoffed "We aren't exactly friends or comrades."

"Well, if you say so." Arash shrugged "Way I see it, anyone willing to fight by my side deserves a certain amount of respect."

"I think that the metal clad fool over there-" She raised a mocking finger in Verndari's direction "-And that foolish undead who follows you around like a stray dog would disagree."

"Verndari-san is...concerned." Mash replied with a strained expression, knowing full well he had blatantly admitted his dislike of the woman several times "And Ash-san is…" she paused "He hates you?"

"He more likely hates my family." She scoffed "Although he isn't exactly unique in that notion, I have certain members I don't like either."

"Maybe you should give them time." Mash replied "I'm sure they'll warm up to you eventually."

"Warm up?" Quelaag narrowed her eyes at her "Is that some kind of joke? Is it because I'm some fire demon is that it!?"

"N-no!" Mash exclaimed, her eyes wide and frantically shaking her arms around "I-it's an expression! I-I didn't mean to-I wasn't-"

"Pffft!" Quelaag snorted, a mirthful laugh escaping her throat as she gave Mash a mocking grin "Your face…" she shook her head, laugh dying down "You really are a terrible knight, aren't you? Getting flustered and apologising to the likes of me."

"Guess she's warmed up to you already, Mash." Arash gave the shielder a thumbs up "Good work."

"I've not 'warmed up' to her." Quelaag scoffed "She is simply preferable company."

"Uh-huh." Arash gave the Rider a teasing grin, causing the woman to click her tongue and look away with a scowl.

Nero, Ritsuka and Olga POV

"Then they have created a border across Gaul?" Olga asked, a frown on her face "I did not think they could advance that far."

"Unfortunately so." Nero gave a grave nod in response "The Gaulish territories were hit the worst, it originated further North initially. Word of spiders wiping out settlements in the dead of night." she waved her hand "At first it was dismissed as nonsense…" she sighed "Then we lost Colonia Agrippa, after that it was a retreat back to our original territories."

"That fast?" Olga bit her lip, cupping her chin "That doesn't seem possible…"

"If they had the Holy Grail, it would." Romani's screen popped up, his face set in a thoughtful expression "If they were tapping into the leylines to fuel the summoning of the spiders, it would also explain the interference across Europe."

"You are the Mages." Nero shrugged "You would likely understand this more than me, it was only when we started receiving aid from the good knight Solaire and the Pontiff that we were able to create a border. Since then, we have been locked in a stalemate for some weeks."

"We would need to advance to the heart of this, right?" Ritsuka suggested "But…" he frowned "What do they want with the Grail? Summoning spiders doesn't seem to be…" he cringed "Much of an end goal."

"We know little about the enemy servants." Olga crossed her arms "One is an insane knight, one is an unknown and another is regarded as a Saint."

"Saint?" Nero tilted her head "What is that?"

"Ah…" Ritsuka blinked "Um...figure of religious importance?"

"Oh, I see." Nero nodded "Some barbarian title then."

"...Yes." Romani gave a hesitant answer, continuing on from Ritsuka's point "That is exactly what it is." he shook his head "What information we have on Aldrich came from Ash and he only fought him and heard rumours."

"So…" Olga cupped her chin "We need to speak with Sulyvahn."

"Regarding what?" The voice of the Caster echoed through the room as he entered, casting the group a glance "Information, I assume."

"Saint Aldrich." Olga explained "We need information on him, now. His motives, goals and what we might expect when we confront him."

"Demanding, aren't you?" Sulyvahn chuckled "However, I have dedicated myself to aiding you. I shall explain what I know, but I will need specifics." he folded his arms behind his back "Ask."

"What did he want?" Romani asked "We know he's doing something that requires a lot of magical energy, he's virtually draining the Leylines, so what would he hope to achieve?"

"A magical experiment, you say." Sulyvahn mused "Aldrich is a Saint of the Deep. It his where he drew his knowledge from and where he drew his power." he paused "Initially at least. In regards to his goals...He wanted to bring about an era of dark seas, believing he would need to be the ultimate form of life to exist within it."

"...So...what does that actually mean?" Ritsuka asked, Sulyvahn sighed.

"It means, boy, that Aldrich is likely attempting to open up a doorway into the Abyss."

"…"

"None of you have any idea what I refer to, do you?" He made a clicking sound akin to one of annoyance "Typical. He is going to force open the realm of Humanity, at least enough to gorge himself." he shrugged "From there, he will likely supplant himself as a Lord to be worshipped."

"Thats…" Ritsuka blinked "How do you know all that?"

"Despite whatever Aldrich may claim, his motivations are simple to grasp." Sulyvahn replied with a wave of his hands "It also served my purpose when I was in his employ."

"This means nothing!" Olga threw up her hands "Abyss, realm of humanity, you keep using terms that mean absolutely nothing to anyone other than you!"

"Umu!" Nero nodded along "Pale Rose-" Olga cringed at the nickname "-Speaks truly, explain it to us in Latin, please."

Ritsuka and Romani blinked and stared at eachother in equal levels of incredulity at that sentence being uttered.

"The Soul, then." Sulyvahn sighed "You've likely never tapped into it, or rather without the First Flame, it was never found for you." he shrugged "It matters little. Without the first flame to balance the scales, the Soul of man will run rampant unless properly controlled."

"And what does the 'Soul of Man' do, exactly?" Olga asked with narrowed eyes and an irritated tone of voice.

"Grants power." He answered immediately "You've already seen its results. The beasts composed of corpses."

"Those things?" Ritsuka cringed "There's no way that the soul of people could be that."

Sulyvahn chuckled, a low and amused sound "Arguably, those beasts are more human than I. Although they are power alone, attack dogs for Aldrich in the same vein that the Outrider knights were for me."

"Fine." Olga sighed "So, he is attempting to open up a doorway into...another realm?"

"It is the Soul of Primeval man." Olga suddenly tensed, the wording of that particular sentence had her furrowing her brows.

"Would you describe it as an existence outside the world which is a reflection of the caster? And this 'Abyss' you speak of is tied to the Soul?"

"What an apt way of putting it." Sulyvahn mused "You grasped it quickly, you are familiar with it?"

Olga bit her lip, looking away and to Romani "That sounds like…"

"A reality Marble." Romani crossed his arms "But...an independent reality marble perhaps? Or a shared one tied to human souls."

"No." Olga shook her head "That would tie it to Alaya, but if it is apart of the Will of Humanity...This Caster is trying to create a gateway into a form of Alaya then…" she gripped her hair "That's...That's very terrible."

"Well…" Ritsuka gave a nervous chuckle "We've sort of established that, Director."

"Not in his petty quest for Godhood you imbecile." Olga hissed "You don't just go ripping open doors to the Will of Mankind in any capacity!" she sighed "This is the one instance where the incineration of humanity is working to benefit us." she muttered.

Ritsuka blinked at her and furrowed his brows "...How?"

"Because otherwise, we'd be dead." She bluntly put "With mankind gone, the Will of Humanity is weaker than it would be otherwise, meaning they can't deploy any Counter Guardians to kill us all."

"...Oh." Ritsuka nodded his head "I...have no idea what that is."

The Director took in a sharp intake of breath before she let out a long and pained sigh "When we return to Chaldea...you are going to be properly informed. Understood."

"Yes, Director." Ritsuka nodded, somewhat thankful that he was finally going to be able to understand something about the magical world.

"For now." Olga turned back around "Our priority remains finding where the enemy Caster has cemented himself."

"Aldrich will have secured himself in a fortress." Sulyvahn explained "You will need a map of old citadels and descriptions of them."

"So…" Ritsuka turned to Sulyvahn "Not that I'm not grateful...but why are you helping us?" he flinched when Sulyvahn turned his head to face him "N-no offence but...um...you did sort of work with him, so why would you help us now?"

"Aldrich acts in any way that will make him powerful." Sulyvahn replied "If burning away the world and making himself King of the Ashes would make him the strongest being on the planet, he would do so. My goal has always been to progress the world at a natural pace, if it took my own direction, then I would do so without hesitation. I would kill thousands if it meant history would progress, I worked with Aldrich because our goals of bringing about the end of the Age of Fire coincided."

"So...you're assisting us because you don't want History to stagnate?" Olga surmised, Sulyvahn gave her a slow nod.

"I am." He straightened himself "Do not misunderstand. We are allies of shared goals, nothing more. If it was necessary to burn away this continent for the progression of history and to bring about the next age, in whatever form it would take, then I would be the first one to place the kindling."

"Well." Ritsuka coughed into his fist "Thats...nice."

"Hmph." The Caster grunted, looking over at Nero "You have maps of the territories, do you not?"

"We do." Romani spoke up "There are a few, but the interference blankets the whole of Europe, save the current Roman borders." he sighed "We can't tell you whereabouts in Europe Aldrich is working from, you'd need to cover the entire region."

"Umu." Nero nodded, then puffed out her chest "Then that is what we shall do!"

"Eh?" Romani blinked "H-hang on a se-"

"You!" She pointed at Fujimaru "You are now Tribunii!" she grinned "Congratulations on being blessed by the Emperor of Rome!"

"W-wha-" Ritsuka stuttered "Wait a-"

"You can't just-" Olga went to intervene, eyes wide at the sudden promotion of her subordinate when Nero rounded on her with an even wider grin.

"And as his leader, I shall appoint you the rank of Prefect!" Her eyes sparkled "I cannot grant you the title of legate, because you have yet to face combat, but I am certain you shall rise to the challenge!"

"Wh-eh?"

"Wow." Romani blinked, then chuckled "Congratulations Director, or do you want me to call you Prefect now?"

"Romani!" Olga frowned at him "Refer to me as Director." she sighed "And this is too unreal…" she mumbled under her breath.

"Congratulations." Sulyvahn nodded to her "You are now a victim of Nepotism. Now, we should-" he paused, turning his head and staring down at the floor, a symbolic language carved itself into the ground and began glowing "Hm, was not expecting a commune from the Sunlight warrior." he grumbled, then placed his hand on it.

"Oh, so this is how Solaire spoke with you then?" Ritsuka muttered under his breath, watching as the glowing transparent form of Solaire emerged from the writing, turning to face them.

"Ah, my friend." Solaire spoke in a joyful tone of voice as he caught sight of Ritsuka "I see you made it to Rome safely." he nodded "That is good news indeed. The Sun is most kind in its blessings."

"Umu!" Nero grinned "You have news, Prefect Solaire?"

The man's shoulders dropped "I do, I am afraid. Forum Claudii Vallensium has been abandoned, we have been forced into retreat."

"What?" Nero exclaimed in shock "How!? What occurred to warrant this? I dispatched Legate Vespasian and the Sixth Legion to reinforce you."

"They attacked during the night." Solaire explained "Some...creature came with the Spiders. It wielded as sword of glowing moonlight, and was as tall as a house. A monster with horrifying skill. It destroyed the wall with a swing of its sword, the legion was unprepared for the ensuing battle and we were forced into a retreat while I covered the escape."

"The Beast." Sulyvahn spoke up "It wielded a weapon?"

"It did." Solaire nodded "It glowed brightly under the moon, and cast a torrent of light into the sky before bringing it down."

"It sounds like they used a Noble Phantasm." Olga put on a thoughtful expression "Were you able to catch what they said?"

"I did not." Solaire shook his head "Their cry of their skill was as much a scream of pain as anything else. I am not confident I could defeat it under the cover of night. The situation escalated when Vordt arrived to aid the beast."

"How did you get away?" Nero asked "You are spinning quite the dour tale for us."

"A passing friend." Solaire's tone changed to jovial again "He is travelling with us to our next fortification with the remnants of the Sixth Legion. He called himself a passing Hunter by the name of Lucien. A rather stern fellow, not much for smiling, but he's pleasant enough company."

"Is he a servant?"

"Indeed." Solaire nodded "He referred to himself as 'Foreigner' although I confess, I do not understand the term myself."

"Neither do I." Romani cupped his chin "We know about a few of the extra classes, but I've never heard of a foreigner before." he shook his head "Did you recognise the name?"

"Of our good friend, I do not." Solaire shook his head "But we have more news, caught on by the town we are currently residing in."

"News?" Nero titled her "What news?"

"Apparently a Lord is currently residing on one of the islands." Solaire chuckled "They had been residing there when the crisis against the Saint of the Deep had just begun, although all attempts to reach the island have failed, mind you, those have been attempts from the Spiders themselves."

"Why?"

"Apparently the ships are being sunk." Solaire explained with a shrug "I don't know myself, and I'm not certain why a Lord would live alone on an island."

"A Lord?" Nero frowned "Like a Foreign noble?"

"He means a God." Sulyvahn growled out "Although I am not surprised they would hide there, and I suspect Aldrich is soon to be aware of their existence."

"That's bad." Ritsuka blanched "That's...very bad."

"Why?" Nero turned to Ritsuka with a confused expression, the young boy cringed and looked away.

"Aldrich has a penchant for consuming Gods." Sulyvahn dryly explained "He did so with Gwyndolin, and should he get his hands on this Lord, he shall do so with them."

Nero made a face like she sucked a lemon "How disgusting. Repugnant even." she shook her head "Then it is clear what we must do! We shall recruit this God!"

"...What?" Sulyvahn turned to her "I am seeing a jump in logic. I was to suggest we kill them before Aldrich can consume them for their power."

"What!? Kill a God! Are you perhaps a fool! Do you wish to invite curses upon us all!?" Nero looked aghast "No! We shall sail to this God's island and convince them to aid us! Or rather, I shall! I am certain my beauty will entrance them into acting."

"Lords are fickle and arrogant." Sulyvahn bluntly surmised "It would be better to kill them."

"I am of the side of the Emperor." Solaire interrupted "We should recruit this Lord to our aid, surely they would recognise the common threat we all face."

"You overestimate Lords." Sulyvahn retorted "However, I will not waste time arguing over a lost cause, but I shall have no part of this foolishness."

"Can we even afford a detour?" Olga asked "Moving to meet up with a God would take away servants to deal with the current issue." she crossed her arms "If there are more servants here, then if they decide to attack, we will need to be present to repel them."

"We have two groups now, don't we?" Ritsuka suggested "I could go to the God."

"Absolutely not." Olga shut him down "You are far too valuable to allow that to happen." she scoffed.

"Ah, then you shall you then!" Nero beamed at her. Olga sputtered and looked at the Emperor in shock.

"E-eh? B-but I-"

"You have your bodyguard too!" Nero smiled at her widely.

"I can travel and meet up if needs be." Solaire interjected "If young Ritsuka brings his servants to our location, he and Lucien can begin their advance across Rome and the two groups can link up once the aid of the God has been secured."

"Umu!" Nero nodded her head, turning to Ritsuka "And I shall join you!"

"Eh?" Ritsuka blinked at her "That's way too dangerous! You're the Emperor! What if something happens to you?"

"Nonsense!" Nero waved him off "I am the Flower of Rome! I shan't allow my Empire to face danger and do nothing!"

"So...Let me try and understand this." Romani called the groups attention to him "Director is going to and meet up with a Divine Spirit while Fujimaru and the Emperor are going to head into a land filled with spiders and monsters to find a guy who eats Gods for breakfast...right?"

"...Yes, Romani." Olga sighed "You have once again demonstrated why we keep you around."

"Really?" The Doctor blinked "I thought I was just stating the obvi-...oh...I see." the man slumped in his seat.

"And what shall you be doing?" Nero turned to Sulyvahn, the Caster stared down at her.

"I have no desire to remain with the unkindled, nor do I desire to make merry with a Lord." He released a tired sigh "However, it appears I have no alternative." he turned to Olga "I shall travel with you, and withhold judgement of the God until I meet with them." he paused "However, should they refuse to leave, I will strongly recommend killing them to deprive Aldrich of possible power."

"I suspect it shan't come to that." Solaire sternly interrupted him "Nor would I allow you to cut down one who has yet to act dishonourably."

"Hmph."

"Umu!" Nero beamed "The plan is settled then!"

AN: Yep, we're splitting into two groups, one off to the islands and one into Gaul.

But if some could guess earlier, the island of the God does have a guardian to it…

But anyway...We move on! Also, focused a little on some of the other characters this time, felt I was sidelining them, so they'll have their moments to shine in the upcoming chapters.