By the Bonfire: The matter of betrayal

Sulyvahn rarely left the library, even when he did it was normally to go to his workshop. There was little within Chaldea that he could actively participate in, the stigma attached to his reputation saw to that.

It was vexing.

There was nothing else to be said on the subject, it irritated him that people could not see all the good that he did and how his actions affected the wider world. Leonardo Da Vinci put it best during one of their earlier talks. The ends justify the means.

If the end in question was the climax of the Age of Fire and prying the hold of the Gods from the land who had kept the world stagnant and locked in place for thousands of years, then surely there was no price too big to pay in order to see it brought about. However, apparently some would have preferred him to be loyal to Gwyndolin and grovel at his feet like some sycophant.

That thought disgusted him severely.

Here they were fighting for the continuation of their very planet and they were fretting over such trivial things like what is right or wrong? It was saddening. When faced with complete annihilation, how can one justifiably say that there is a line not to be crossed? Was there no sense of self-preservation?

Thus, Sulyvahn spent his days in isolation, content to aid from afar as there was very little else he could do.

Courtesy of Gwyndolin's insane crusade against him.

The least that the Master could have done was consult him for his ideas or opinions, as if the boy had forgotten that Sulyvahn was a sorcerer of considerable skill as well as one who led the knights of Anor Londo after he usurped Gwyndolin and managed to use the Church of the Deep to his own advantage.

He knew things of value and was capable of leading, however his reputation made it virtually impossible for him to speak of anything without someone sending him a dirty look.

A chair near him creaked, he mutely turned his head in the direction of the noise and watched as one of the more recent lordkin - the one with long purple hair - sat herself down at a reasonable distance from him and started to read from one of the books. Sulyvahn felt a wave of irritation flow through him at the sight of her, soon followed by the understanding that Gwyndolin would be along soon.

Snapping the book in his hands shut, Sulyvahn released a deep and annoyed growl as he climbed to his feet, resting the tome on the table at his side and then making his way to the entrance of the library. He had no patience to deal with Gwyndolin today, or any day for that matter, and would prefer to leave before the God saw fit to dirty his sight with his presence.

He was a touch too slow, he was barely able to get to the doors before they opened up and Gwyndolin strode in.

The two of them paused, staring at one another in silence.

Gwyndolin's lip parted slightly before it curled into an all too familiar sickening smirk "Ah, come to pay respect to your fallen kin, I presume?"

"Here to chat with a fellow Goddess, are you?" Sulyvahn snarked back and nodded his head in the direction of Medusa, said Servant looked just above the edge of her book and reached up to adjust her glasses. She maintained a flat expression aimed at the pair of Servants before she resumed reading.

Gwyndolin's expression only sharpened "Such fast wit, Sulyvahn. Almost as fast as your rule of Irythill."

"And like my wit, it is more productive than yours."

"Fight elsewhere." Medusa called out from her seated position in a dull tone of voice. It was more for the sake of appearance that she did so, those two would frequently get at each other's throats whenever they saw one another.

Sulyvahn released a grunt as he stepped around Gwyndolin "You need not concern yourself with me, Lordkin. Unlike this creature, I value knowledge."

"How saddening that none value yours." Gwyndolin called out with a cheery voice, Sulyvahn stopped walking for a moment and released a deep and very annoyed growl which all but expressed his desire to turn around and strike Gwyndolin. He managed to retrain himself, stepping through the still open doors and vanishing around the corner.

Gwyndolin released a scoff and turned around, the smile fading from his face as he moved across the library and past Medusa. The purple haired woman idly flicked to the next page as she spoke up "Do you have to antagonise him each time you speak?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, giving him a look from the corner of her eye.

The Darkmoon God paused for a moment before he responded "Could you so easily trade words with your own killer?" he asked, turning to Medusa and thinning his lips "...Especially when you once knew them as a friend?"

Medusa remained silent. She never knew Perseus all that personally and by the time that he arrived, she was nothing but a monster that would kill whatever she wanted to. Some might have said that he was doing the world a service in ending her and indeed, he probably was. That didn't mean she would speak with him casually, she would probably try to avoid him entirely.

She paused for a moment to consider it, lowering her book to her lap and giving a thoughtful hum.

"No." She replied after a moment, then looked up towards Gwyndolin fully. "If I saw my killer, I would most certainly try to end him." Medusa replied before returning to her book "If only because he used my head like a tool after taking it." she growled out in irritation "That…is rather irritating."

Gwyndolin blinked behind his helmet before he turned away and moved to one of the seats near her, placing himself down and reaching out with one of his snake tendrils. Extending its length and clasping the next book he was due to be reading and bringing it back towards him before placing it in his hand.

Medusa glanced at the book out of the corner of her eye before looking towards the God "Enjoying it, are you?"

"...I suppose so." Gwyndolin replied in a disinterested voice, although considering he had binged through the first Lord of the Rings book in an afternoon, he couldn't exactly say that he was uninvested in the plot. Her eyes moved down towards the base of his chair.

Her lip quirked slightly. She doubted he was aware that his snake feet showed visible excitement.

Ritsuka was the first out of the summoning chamber, looking over his shoulder to the new arrival and giving her a welcoming smile. "So, we can give you a tour around Chaldea if you want." he informed the Caster as she walked after him. She was cloaked in a dark robe with a hood covering the top half of her head, exposing her lower face and her purple coloured lips.

The woman turned to face Ritsuka, tilting her head ever so slightly "Yes…" she replied with a faint nod, turning away "It would be prudent for me to be made aware of the locations of importance within Chaldea."

Giving another nod, Ritsuka gestured ahead of himself and led her onwards "Also, would you like me to ask if you can find a spare room for a workshop, or is your own room suitable?" he asked, Caster paused for a split second and looked to his back before she thinned her lips and hummed once.

"No…that will be unnecessary." She replied after a moment's thought "I shall make do with the quarters that have been provided for me. It would be much simpler for me beyond that."

"Alright then." Ritsuka nodded his head, walking side by side with her "We're currently low on Casters at the moment." there was a pause "Well…Casters who make workshops, anyway." he added on.

The woman turned her head to face him, her confusion apparent at the mention that Casters did not make workshops. The boy noticed her confusion and gave her a 'so-so' gesture with his hand "Some of our Casters are a bit…strange?" he replied before nodding to himself "Yeah, strange. Like Mozart."

"...Mozart?"

"Yes."

"The musician?"

"Indeed."

"He is a Caster class Servant?" She asked again before she paused, frowning "No, he is a Servant in the first place?"

"Honestly, I don't know enough about Servants to comment on it." Ritsuka replied honestly before he turned to face her fully "By the way, I never actually asked your name." he chuckled, then extended a hand "Fujimaru Ritsuka. Or Ritsuka Fujimaru."

The woman stared at the outstretched hand for a moment, her lips drawn into thin line before her eyes gradually rose up and stared at the Master blankly.

"...Sorry." Ritsuka lowered the limb back to his side "That probably seemed a little upfront, didn't it?"

"...I was merely surprised, is all." Caster responded honestly before she released an amused chuckle "You are quite a simple boy, aren't you?"

"I'm…probably not a complex person." Ritsuka admitted reaching up and scratching the back of his neck while sporting a childish smile "Sorry."

"No." Caster shook her head at him "It is not something I dislike." she continued on with "Your apparent sincerity is…appreciated." she carried on with after a few moments before her voice took on an accusatory tone "However, first impressions can be easily acted out. Only time will tell if your sincerity is genuine or not."

She expected some measure of reaction from him, instead he gave her an understanding smile and a nod of the head.

"Alright then, I'll live up to your expectations." Ritsuka replied with honestly as he looked away from her, he noticed her surprise and chuckled in response "I've actually had one or two Servants say the same…" he paused for a moment "Also, you're less scary than Havel." he added on with a wry smile.

Caster furrowed her brows at the unfamiliar name, the boy seemingly realised something as he went ashen white.

"Ah…right…a Caster." He muttered to himself and shot her a worried glance "Okay, so for the time being if you see a really tall Servant in armour that looks like it's made from stone, steer clear of him. He hates Casters." Ritsuka made sure to emphasise the 'hate' aspect of the sentence. "As in…really hates them. We've only just managed to get him to tolerate one or two but it's…" he cringed "...Yeah."

"I shall endeavour to keep an eye open for this Servant." Caster responded with a toneless voice, clearly unimpressed by the contents of the sentence. Rituska couldn't really blame her for that "I shall assume we will not be visiting the locations they frequent?"

"Yeah." Ritsuka nodded his head as the pair carried on "Oh, one more thing. What do you know of-"

"There you are."

The pair paused at the voice, both turning their heads towards the speaker. Casters eyes briefly widened behind her hood when she beheld the individual, watching as they walked closer to them. Ritsuka thinned his lips and nodded once before his expression turned casual "Sulyvahn." he greeted cordially. "Did you need something?"

"...I dislike remaining idle." the Fae - Sulyvahn - responded in an irate tone of voice "I have been occupying my time reading books while-" he cut himself off, noticing the other Caster for the first time and inclining his head to look in her direction. "A new Servant? Caster, I presume?"

"...I am." The purple robed Caster nodded her head as she examined the tree spirit up and down. Fae were certainly uncommon and Fae who ascended to the rank of Heroic Spirit were even rarer.

"I trust you are more competent than those who have appeared more recently." He grumbled in response as he turned towards Ritsuka, then paused and shifted his featureless face back in her direction. He stared at her for a few moments, then shifted his posture to lower himself downwards to get a better view of her features under her hood.

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly but didn't say anything, she could tell that the Caster was examining her closely.

"How curious…" Sulyvahn muttered quietly before he leaned back, staring down at her in silence for a moment "...I am Sulyvahn, Pontiff of Irithyll."

Caster raised an eyebrow before she decided to speak again. In truth, this was a make or break moment for her. "Princess Medea of Colchis."

"A Princess?" Sulyvahn sounded amused as he stared her up and down "I see."

Medea stared at Sulyvahn with narrowed eyes for a moment before her gaze shifted to the side to study the expression of Ritsuka. There was little change in his face, an almost perfectly innocent look was on his face. She almost wanted to laugh at his face. He had absolutely no idea who she was-

"Oh shit." Ritsuka cursed, looking at her with recognition before his hand slowly raised itself up and covered his face. Medea felt her lip curl downwards. There went that hope, she could already feel the looks of judgement that she would soon be receiving when news that the 'Witch of Betrayal' was now walking the halls of Chaldea.

"Now you really have to avoid Havel." Ritsuka muttered before he looked at her, then raised an eyebrow "Hang on…" he squinted at her "You're…a bit older than I remember."

This time it was Medea's turn to squint at him "Excuse me?"

"Ah…right…" Ritsuka winced, placing his hands on his hips. "That probably sounds really strange without context, doesn't it?"

Medea stared at him wordlessly.

"How about I explain as we walk?" Ritsuka offered, gesturing down the corridor before he paused and turned to Sulyvahn "Ah, right. You wanted to talk about something didn't you?"

"Yes." Sulyvahn nodded once before he looked towards Medea with a - quite literally - unreadable expression. "However, I shall wait for now." he stated, turning back to Ritsuka "I will accompany you on this…I assume it to be a tour, no?"

Ritsuka nodded once before he raised an eyebrow at Sulyvahn "Alright but…why do you want to?"

Sulyvahn tilted his head ever so slightly to the right "Is there perhaps a reason I should not be willing to accompany you?" he asked with a tinge of accusation "I am merely curious as to the most recent Caster to arrive within Chaldea, and studying the records we have on the version of her encountered in the Third Singularity alongside the Argonauts-"

"Excuse me?" Medea's voice was much firmer this time and bordering on disbelief, her eyes darted between Ritsuka and Sulyvahn with a clear demand for an elaboration on what exactly the two of them meant by that sentence. Not least of all because she could not envisage working alongside any of the Argonauts in an official capacity ever again.

Especially not the captain of the Argonauts.

"Yes…" Ritsuka turned to her with a slight wince. "We should probably bring that up as well." he chuckled nervously as he looked at her from the corner of his eye, then shook his head and straightened himself out "Let's go then, I can explain everything and…well…" he shrugged "I don't know what to tell you after that. You'd find out sooner or later what we're up against anyway."

"As I was saying." Sulyvahn cut in, bringing Ritsuka's attention back towards him "I was merely curious as to the competency of our most recent magic caster. Given the skill that her younger self showed, I am curious as to the skill that her matured self would demonstrate." he explained easily, gesturing towards the Caster in question "Is that not the…teamwork spirit you are trying to build?"

Ritsuka gave him an unamused look as he crossed his arms "...Really?"

Sulyvahn lowered the arm back to his side "Must my motives always be so dubious in nature?" he asked with a tilt of the head, sounding as though he was hurt by the suspicion "Am I truly so untrustworthy?"

Ritsuka raised a lone eyebrow at him but said nothing before his lips thinned. "Alright." he agreed easily enough, shrugging his shoulders and lowering his arms back to his side "You can come along."

Sulyvahn reverted back to his usual posture almost instantly, the tone of pain vanished in an instant "Splendid. We shall begin immediately, shall we not?"

Medea watched the interaction with a raised eyebrow. Every sense she had was telling her that this individual wasn't trustworthy in the least and he clearly knew it as well. In fact, he played very heavily upon it. It wasn't a case of mere banter, she could see that he knew there was a degree of wariness around him and just didn't care.

Or he did care but was skilled at hiding it away.

"Alright then." Nodding his head, Ritsuka sent another fleeting smile towards Medea "Alright so…the third Singularity."

"King Solomon." Medea parroted the name in a blank tone of voice. Quite frankly, she wasn't sure what the most appropriate reaction was supposed to be in the face of that series of reveals she had been exposed to. "The King of Magecraft. Holder of the Ten Rings which govern the entire foundation of it and has Clairvoyance which is effectively perfect."

Ritsuka nodded his head once, not saying a word.

"And this is the foe that you are fighting?"

Another nod of the head.

Medea remained silent for a few moments before she started to chuckle, it wasn't a very amused laugh either and from the cringing expression on Ritsuka, she knew he could tell as well. Sulyvahn didn't say much and without a face she couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking.

"Somehow…" The laughter died down. "The King of Mages being our foe is more believable than myself being an ally of Jason." she hissed the name out in disgust before shaking her head "And that was how I…slew him?"

Ritsuka nodded his head.

"...Tsk." Medea gave a rather unrefined click of the tongue before she shook her head and looked away. After a few moments of silence she released a long exhale of breath "Well, you can regard the version of myself you encountered in the Singularity and my current self as separate. Not least of all because I cannot believe any version of me would…" she trailed off, then noticed Ritsuka giving her a strained look as if wishing to say something "What?"

"Sorry…it's just…" Ritsuka scratched his neck and looked away from her "If it is…you from your younger days. Wouldn't the whole…you know…thing from Aphrodite still be in effect?"

Medea blinked once behind her hood. Oh, so he wasn't an idiot and did genuinely know of her legend. Despite that, he had yet to make any comment about her at all. He was a rather strange one then.

As for what he had said.

Medea slowly nodded her head in response, a thoughtful look flashing across her features "Hmmm. Yes…I suppose that would explain a great deal of it. The version of me convinced by the Gods to fall in love with Jason." she grumbled to herself "...I suppose that version of me could be summoned in some circumstances but it is more known what occurred after."

Ritsuka slowly nodded his head "...Probably." he admitted quietly and in a sombre tone of voice.

"...Your younger selves can be summoned?" Sulyvahn abruptly asked from behind them, earning a look from Ritsuka in surprise at the sudden urgency in his voice. "Is this the same for all Servants?"

"I…don't know?" Ritsuka replied slowly in a strained voice, then turned to Medea and looked expectantly at her "Is it?"

Medea raised an eyebrow behind her hood "You are asking me?"

"Yeah…I don't really-"

"Know anything about magecraft, I was able to discern that rather swiftly." She cut him off and surmised "However, I was expecting you to be aware of the intricacies of Heroic Spirit summoning, given all that you have done thus far." she got a nervous chuckle in response, prompting her to release a sigh "Few servants would have a traditional younger self that would be summoned. However, it is possible to summon another version of yourself in a different class. However, the version that would be summoned is the version of the Heroic Spirit that is best for the class in question."

"Ah, right." Ritsuka nodded, then turned to Sulyvahn "There we have it."

Sulyvahn was still silent mulling over the words in his head before he gave a single grunt of affirmation. If Ritsuka was curious about the man's sudden interest in the topic of younger selves being summoned, he didn't show it. Instead opting to continue moving forwards and pointing out more locations for Medea to observe.

"Up ahead we have Da Vinci's workshop." Ritsuka pointed to the door as they passed it. Medea raised an eyebrow at its appearance being vastly different to others in the hallway, looking as though it was thoroughly reinforced. Even the most basic of analysis spells she could conjure up was enough to determine that the door would hold a moderately powerful Servant for at least a few minutes.

Medea stopped walking and continued to stare at it, then raised a lone eyebrow. Either Leonardo Da Vinci was incredibly paranoid or there was reason to hide away whatever she had within that workshop.

"Ash kicked the door in." Medea turned her head towards the voice, seeing Ritsuka pointing to the door with an expression of veiled amusement "He…isn't that used to modern doors. Da Vinci just put that up in case a repeat incident happens." he explained, then jerked his head further up the hallway before he paused "We can pop in and introduce you, if you'd like. I'm sure she'd like to meet a new Servant-"

"There is no rush." Medea cooly replied, turning away from the door and towards the Master before she resumed walking "I can visit-" she paused as something registered "Her?"

Ritsuka released an honest chuckle at that, shaking his head and placing a hand on his hip "Trust me, that comes up more often than you'd expect." he looked at her and waved his hand "I'm not even joking, the amount of times we've run into a person who is the wrong gender than had been recorded in history is actually quite astounding."

"I suppose - if nothing else - Chaldea will have some accurate history books." Sulyvahn remarked from ahead of them, still facing the corridor "...Has there been anyone making accurate accounts of history from those currently residing within these halls?"

Ritsuka paused to think for a moment, furrowing his brows before he shook his head "I…don't believe so, no." he admitted with a surprised blink "Huh…you'd think that would have come up? Asking some of the Servants where truth and legend split."

Sulyvahn hummed once "...I was a scholar once, obsessed with understanding the truth." he replied after a moment, then turned his head and looked over his shoulder "I wonder if any would give me the time of day?" he remarked in a cynical tone.

The Master frowned "You're only asking about recording their stories accurately, aren't you?"

Sulyvahn chuckled in a low tone of voice "Yes, only that."

"There's no harm in-"

"Ah, yes." Sulyvahn snarked, "The false Pontiff who lied and betrayed his God now decides to record the truth?" he turned fully to Ritsuka and tilted his head "I could see no…issues with such an endeavour, could you?"

Ritsuka stared at him for a few moments before releasing a gentle sigh and shaking his head "Alright then…" he exhaled, then turned to Medea and gave her a faint smile "Come on then. We've still got a few more places to see."

Sulyvahn allowed the pair of them to pass by him again, then resumed following after them at a polite distance, no longer adding in commentary and staring at the back of the pair ahead of him.

As they continued to walk forwards, Medea started to notice the stares of some of the passing Servants aimed in their direction. They were all distrustful, filled with suspicion and some even tensed themselves as the group passed them by. They were stares she had been expecting the moment she had manifested, the looks of suspicion and accusation that all would have after seeing the 'Witch of Betrayal' walking through the hallways of Chaldea. However, what she didn't expect was for none of the stares to be aimed directly at her.

In truth, that was less of a surprise. She had only just been summoned so there was no way in which any of the Servants they passed by would have known her true name and merely thought of her as a new Caster Servant. She saw that every single one of the stares was aimed behind her and Ritsuka. Directly at Sulyvahn.

Even those who made no show still sent a flickering glance in the direction of the 'Pontiff' behind her. Privately, she wondered if this is what it looked like on the outside, to be seen as nothing more than as nothing more than a betrayer. Yet she knew nothing of his legend, the Throne had not yet updated any records on the involvement of a second world and she could only go off what she knew.

Despite that, there was a swell of curiosity that started to bubble within her the longer the tour went on. Only vaguely aware of the locations they were visiting and instead finding herself more and more wondering what it was that Sulyvahn had done to warrant this level of concern aimed towards him.

Sulyvahn creaked his fingers as he stretched them out, then pulled the desk closer to him and slid the inkpot to the right as he grabbed the collection of parchments and dragged them directly in front of him. He looked up towards the collection of books near him before he grabbed the quill and dipped it once in the inkpot before he put the tip to paper.

He did have a few interests that not even Gwyndolin could steal from him. There was something that Da Vinci had inspired within him when he had visited her workshop. A flair of creativity, something new to create even if he would never have the chance to build any of it. At the very least he wanted it written down, something he could point to and say that 'he did this' and that no one could take away from him or usurp for their own ends.

The trouble was thinking of anything he could make. He had gone over dozens of books regarding the history of invention and the developments of mankind and it had been…

It was overwhelming. The sheer scale of the advancement was beyond even his wildest fantasies. What the humanity of this world could do in barely a fraction of the time of the complete history of his world had achieved in their entire existence was…

Both daunting and depressing.

In truth, it made him hate Gwyndolin all the more. The things he had ruined, the things they had all ruined.

He paused at a knock on his door, he turned towards it and furrowed his wooden brows.

A visitor? How unexpected.

Rising from his chair, he placed the quill on the table and then moved towards the door, pressing the button and sliding it open.

"...Unexpected." He grunted as he stared down at Medea, then leaned his head out to stare left and right down either side of the hallways before he looked back at the Caster "To what do I owe this pleasure of a visit, Lady Medea?"

Medea stared at him from behind her hood, raising a dainty eyebrow at him "If you are to refer to me with formal tones, are you not going to invite me in?"

"That would depend upon the nature of your visit." Sulyvahn responded casually with a tilt of the head "Will it be a conversation we can finish swiftly or do you intend to make your visit an extended one?"

Medea stared at him in silence.

"Meaning nothing inappropriate." Sulyvahn added on with an unchanging tone of voice "Besides, I doubt I am compatible with humans…in any way, I am afraid."

"Fae nature, I assume." Medea replied with a knowing tone "Might I enter?"

It was Sulyvahn's turn to stare at her in silence this time before he wordlessly stepped aside, allowing her entry. Medea silently entered the room, idly gazing around it with a blank expression as she did so. The room itself had seen some minor form of decoration, she recognised the designs - courtesy of the Throne - as gothic in nature, a single chandelier hanging down from the ceiling providing ample lighting.

"I made a request of Leonardo." Sulyvahn replied to the unasked question "She was…rather enthusiastic about the design. I assume she just enjoys being kept busy." he muttered as he closed the door. "I confess no small amount of envy in that regard."

"I shall assume it is not also your Workshop?" she inquired, Sulyvahn gave a grunt in response.

"No." He replied as he turned back around to face her "As one of the early Casters, I requisitioned for a Workshop in a separate room, I have been granted use of one of the abandoned rooms for my own use. That is where I conduct…my research."

"Hmmm." It was a vague answer and was suitable enough, Medea would have thought him a fool if he announced what he was actually doing. "...Why the suspicion?"

"Which suspicion?" Sulyvahn inquired "Mine or yours?"

"There's." Medea asked, turning around to face him "I noticed the looks you received during the tour, a great deal were-"

"Accusatory." Sulyvahn rumbled in response as he walked around her and back towards his desk, placing himself down in the chair and grabbing his quill again. "And did this spark some curiosity within me? Are you intrigued by the creature that stalks Chaldea's halls?"

Medea remained silent before she turned towards him and tilted her head "I know nothing of your legend, therefore I will ask you."

"...Of my history." Sulyvahn nodded his head once, then turned towards her and raised a wooden eyebrow "And how do you know I will not attempt to deceive you into viewing me in a positive light, to have myself perceived as the victim of a great conspiracy?"

"Aside from the simple fact it would serve you no purpose?" She replied in a dubious tone with a raised eyebrow behind hood "I can just as easily ask the other Servants within Chaldea to understand your motives."

"So why not ask them?" Sulyvahn asked with a curious tone of voice "Why come to me?" he paused for a moment before he gave a quiet chuckle "Ah…I see. Did you want my side of the story first? To remove any sort of bias? Perhaps Princess Medea of Colchis also knows the problems of being seen as the legend and not the person?"

Medea narrowed her eyes behind her hood at him.

Sulyvahn raised his hand towards her as a form of peace "I meant no true offence, merely idle speculation. Though I do know of your legend as well…I make it a point to examine all those within Chaldea." he paused "Beyond that, your younger self was regarded as quite the sorcerer, so I was curious as to her range of skills. Student of the Queen Witch?" he chuckled, "An…impressive teacher."

"I did not come to discuss my own past."

"I suppose you would not." Sulyvahn responded with a shrug of his shoulders "So…you wish to know of my legend do you? My own history and claim to fame from beginning to end or the moment in which I became the creature all distrust me for?"

"Start wherever you so wish."

"I did serve Gwyndolin." Sulyvahn replied, then paused "No, I first served the Royal Family of Lothric. I was scholar within the royal archives and was selected as personal tutor for the Princes." he bluntly stated "With my newfound position, I educated them on the truth of the world."

"The truth?" Medea asked "Or your own?"

"They are one in the same." Sulyvahn replied with absolute certainty "With the Princes convinced and my role over, I arranged for them to recommend me to the service of Anor Londo. I quickly assumed a minor role as a Knight for the Darkmoon God Gwyndolin. I climbed through the ranks, soon becoming his personal confidant and - as he would no doubt regard me - a close friend. So much so that he would even let me prepare his meals, his trust in me was so great."

"And then?"

"I poisoned him over the course of…years." Sulyvahn revealed in a calm tone "Soon assuming his role as head of the faith and using my newfound influence to cooperate with the Church of the Deep. I destroyed Anor Londo from within in an effort to undo all that Gwyndolin and the Gods had created over the eons they had been in power." he shrugged and leaned back in his chair "Does that answer your question?"

It did. It also made sense why some of the Servants would be concerned about him, quite frankly his blunt admission of betrayal and murder was rather surprising and showcased a complete lack of guilt over the act. Yet one pressing question remained.

"Why?"

"...Why?" Sulyvahn tilted his head "...Most would say power. Ambition as well." he added on as an afterthought "Really, that is all one needs when asking why anyone does anything. There are goals for every action and some are merely grander than others." he gestured to himself "I believed mine to be the grandest of all."

Medea wasn't even sure what she was supposed to say in response. This man sounded absolutely insane. He had all but said he intended to save the world out loud, that was the angle he was heading for and it wasn't even in the metaphorical sense. He admitted to trying to perform an act which only the oldest Heroic Spirit - the King of Heroes - had attempted to do.

Which was why she was puzzled by the suspicion, by all rights Gilgamesh had betrayed the Gods as well and she wasn't sure he would be viewed with such obvious suspicion. Which meant that Sulyvahn had neglected to mention something important. A crucial detail that altered the manner in which everyone viewed him.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

He claimed to be in charge of Anor Londo, yet he introduced himself as the Pontiff of Irithyll. A discrepancy.

"...What else did you do?"

Sulyvahn remained silent, instead staring off into the distance without making a single sound. After a few more moments of the silent treatment, he eventually spoke again. "...Imagine you came from a land that was ruined, a place made nothing short of Hell by the people who lived there…so you leave." he shrugged "You depart from the land and find a new one. Then you see this new land walking towards the same end result…pushed along by the same sorts of people who drove your home into the nightmare it has become." he leaned forwards, resting his arms on his knees "Can you reasonably justify their existence in any capacity? Can you look at these people and say 'they deserve life?'"

Now it was making sense. Medea felt her lips draw themselves into thin lines. "...What became of the people of Anor Londo and Irithyll?"

Sulyvahn tilted his head "I killed them." he paused "Or had them killed. My personal role in their deaths depended heavily on their importance or whether I knew them personally." he interlocked his hands together "Those around Chaldea will say much the same, all the while the God responsible for so much pain and suffering lingers in this very building." he chuckled to himself, it wasn't a very humorous laugh "...He cares nothing for humanity and is now here, helping humanity not because he likes them…but because he hates me for ruining the 'grand legacy' of his delusional family."

Giving a single sigh, Sulyvahn leaned back "You can go and ask whomever else you wish. Ask them the story of Sulyvahn the deceiver and they will tell you the same as I have told you. The monster who betrayed his lord and killed the people he swore to defend." There was another pause before he turned to face her "...Rather than the man who slew a tyrant and destroyed his fanatical cult, set on ruining the world."

Medea tilted her head at him "...You regret nothing?"

"Why should I regret my work?" Sulyvahn asked with a tilt of the head "I regret I did not live long enough to see its completion, but that is the extent of it. Have you other questions, Medea of Colchis, or did you imagine my story to be similar to yours? Portrayed as victimiser rather than victim?"

"I was unsure what to expect." She replied honestly "And unsure what to make of you now."

"You betrayed because you love a man, a love brought about by the Gods." Sulyvahn scoffed, shaking his head "I betrayed because I wanted to save the world. We are not the same."

"...No, we are not." Medea admitted easily, turning away from him and moving back towards the door "That is all I came for."

"I suspect we shall work together in the coming months." Sulyvahn called out after her "So what will you do? Has your opinion of me been coloured by my past?"

"Frankly, it is of little concern. Whether you reveal yourself to be your legend or not is what matters now." She responded with a curt tone of voice as the door opened up "Do as you will and so shall I."

"Hmmm." Sulyvahn gave an amused grunt as he shook his head and looked back down at his parchment. He heard the door close and exhaled. "I'm certain…well." he muttered to himself as he picked up his quill once again and resumed writing. "We shall both do whatever we will."

AN: Slightly shorter chapter today, but these By the Bonfire Chapters are just short pieces of the daily life in Chaldea. They don't need to be all that long.

Also, here is the Current Roster of Servants for all those curious.

Ash - Saber

Astolfo - Rider

Arash - Archer

Andre - Saber

Arkon - Saber

Beatrice - Caster

Boudica - Rider

Cu Chulainn - Lancer

Caffrey - Ruler

Dragon Slayer Armour 'Stahl' - Berserker

d'Eon - Saber

EMIYA - Archer

Elizabeth Bathory - Lancer

Gareth - Lancer

Gwyndolin - Archer

Havel - Berserker

Jeanne - Ruler

Kiyohime - Berserker

Leonidas - Lancer

Lancelot - Berserker

Medusa - Rider

Medea - Caster

Marie - Rider

Mozart - Caster

Nero - Saber

Pharros - Caster

Siegward - Saber

Sasaki - Assassin

Sif - Saber

Sulyvahn - Caster

Scathach - Lancer

Tama Cat - Berserker

Verndari - Shielder