"... I wish I was surprised, but after meeting Boudica, why wouldn't the Dragon Witch be on the list?" Gudako shrugged it off. After recruiting Fuyuki's Princess Knight (dark version) and London's Sakura (alternate version), it only made sense.
"Er, hello there." A young man was casually conversing with said Dragon Witch, eyeing the warily approaching Chaldeans. Unlike their obviously hostile Orleans encounter though, the massive evil dragon Fafnir and hordes of wyverns were not in evidence. Of course by now Asterios and Euryale had a lot of practice against such airborne targets.
Gudao paused a moment after noticing the new element had the same sort of red eye shading that the two Masters shared. Could he be from another Chaldea like ours?
"Please don't mind me," the visiting Sieg said casually, noticing the looks sent his way over that of his gloomy companion. "Just dropped by from the Other Side; trips are much easier nowadays. You know."
"Sure," Artoria nodded, all business. "Though you weren't on my recipient list, this works out perfectly since I'm not sure Miss Witch there can actually read these." With a flourish, she took out a number of books.
"Are those more works about... that one setting where magical girls turn into witches?" da Vinci wasn't familiar with the particular titles that Santa had brought out.
"No, these are more... romance-themed," Marie whispered to the smaller Rider, recognizing several of the covers.
"I can too read, somewhat," Jeanne d'Arc (Dragon Witch) retorted. "Don't you think it's a bit odd that I would be getting presents from Santa though?"
"Maybe? This wasn't quite so big a thing in my day. Anyway, looking at this Santa, is it worth questioning?" Artoria replied.
"Hmph." She didn't know what to say to that, and while she was processing the situation further -
*fwa* *catch*
The Princess Knight had elegantly thrown one of the books at her counterpart's head, and with equal speed as though expecting it, Sieg deftly snagged it out of the air mid-flight.
"Can you just not randomly start throwing things?" Euryale asked nervously. "Someone might get the wrong impression about the Christmas spirit, such as it is nowadays anyway."
Artoria ignored the Archer while handing over the rest of the small stack of visual literature to Sieg. "Take good care of these, would you?"
"Do I have to sign for delivery or something?"
"Santa usually just leaves the presents on the ground, so I think we're all good on documentation." For that matter, Elizabeth seemed to be taking notes on the books being delivered for some future need.
"... Marie, I'm surprised you just joined the Chaldea group like that," Jeanne Alter spoke abruptly to the Rider who wasn't taking interest in the main dialogue so far, or her former Singularity ruler. Apparently, for her part, the Dragon Witch had been thinking about her former ally in the Wyvern War.
"Don't make it sound like I've somehow became incompatible with humanity," Marie replied after a moment. "Sure there are some other mes, but that's not how it turned out. Besides, the Masters here aren't, uh, humans if that's your big hangup."
"I'm not that shallow. Whatever, just go, you did your job, right?"
"Well, Santa is the most overworked delivery-person ever, so I will indeed do just that," Artoria shrugged off the air of tension. "Enjoy the literary experience, though you might have to speedrun it in the Event's time left."
l
"... we might want to take a break before this last hop," the Princess Knight abruptly interrupted the Masters as they were preparing for their seventh, and probably last, delivery of the seasonal Event.
"What? Oh in that case, should we make camp for a few hours?" Marie suggested in support.
"That feels oddly ominous," Euryale grumbled, but not in dissent.
"Should I get out some of our supplies then?" da Vinci asked, looking around the area. The outskirts of Orleans were quite picturesque but not currently of interest.
"That would be great, thanks." After having a painless resolution to the dark Jeanne delivery, Gudako couldn't help but feel rather relaxed about the whole situation.
*munch*
"It's odd to think that some seasons just have spontaneous Grails," Elizabeth commented idly while the group was eating. To be specific, the two homunculi were eating, while everyone else was just having a bit of a snack, since realistically they lived off magical energy and supplies were limited, though much less so for a shorter Event like the current one.
"One would suspect it's more to do with human history being destroyed, which might have released a great deal of Mystery into Void Space. At least, I think the mastermind is making use of that to generate the Singularities," da Vinci suggested by way of explanation. "Certainly we have not had evidence of multiple Grail Wars occurring year after year, unless it does in branches 'far' from our own where the ambient mana is much higher."
"I think with some of these, the general concept of say," Euryale looked at Elizabeth, "Halloween, or Christmas or even, I don't know... summer or something, is strong enough that it can spontaneously crystallize an Event-level Grail fragment in the current situation."
"Unfortunately I can't speak too much to that, since BB set things up..."
"I wonder who the last delivery is for?" Gudao brought up something that had been on his mind for a while. "Do you have an idea of the 'where' to and 'who' for each delivery?"
"Not enough that I'd ever feel safe suggesting it might be safe," Artoria replied soberly. "But this last trip might be rather energy-intensive to start off with, hence the idea to rest for a bit."
l
(An Unfamiliar Field of Flowers)
"It's you." Artoria did not look very enthusiastic at meeting her historical mentor. Not anymore.
"How are you gentle Chaldeans?" Merlin tried to play up the dramatic effect of his appearance, though it was hardly surprising from the moment the group arrived at his location.
"You're projecting an Illusion aren't you?" da Vinci asked after her companions had treated the Magus of Flowers to some hearty silence. "You should still be trapped in that tower over there, right?"
"That's only half right," Artoria corrected her. "This is a place that only looks like we're at the boundary of Avalon. We couldn't get there with a sleigh that really only works within the Event, after all."
"I see you've learned more about Magecraft from Scathach, the teacher of heroes? Or perhaps grown a small measure of Authority over Christmas events?"
"Enough of that," the Santa frowned, but not for him. "I don't seem to have anything for you, and there's no one else around either."
"Right. Well you've made six deliveries, but it's already been seven individuals, yes?" Merlin quickly regained his stride. "I actually called you here for something of a trade, once my representative reaches here."
"A trade. I'm listening," Gudao felt free to voice his caution.
"I'll need two copies of each of the presents you just gave out, and one more sleigh. In return I have for you... wait a moment, she's not the girl I was expecting." Merlin abruptly stopped mid-thought, looking at da Vinci with some puzzlement. "Well that half is fine, you can have her do the delivery."
"Mhm. And who were you looking for?" Gudako followed the other's line of sight and had a pretty good guess. Merlin opened his mouth but-
"It's that Ruler of yours; you can guess since she also has a uniform and backpack." Everyone turned as the adult Chloe seemly appeared a little to the side, carrying something that had been carefully wrapped up.
"It's my backpack in the first place," the young Rider grumbled.
"She usually appears in Chaldean groups, if they've summoned her," Merlin explained with an upset look for having made a mistake despite his Clairvoyance. "Ahem. Be so good as to pass Pendragon her present, would you?"
Nodding with a bit of a grin for the obvious topic switch, Chloe nevertheless wasted no time in handing her charge over. Unsure what to expect, Artoria began unwrapping the mystery object before abruptly stopping.
"You just had Excalibur with you ?!" The Saber quickly whipped off the rest of the cloth, revealing the Holy Sword for everyone to see.
"Yes," Merlin answered.
"Why?"
"I think you'll find that it will help greatly in the battles to come. Obviously I can't do much with it where I am."
Santa took a moment to consider her present. "Let's say I believe you. What's the catch?"
"Realistic as always. You can't use it as easily as the King of Knights might, because it is only now being added to your Spirit Origin. So it'll be a two-step process - but I've helped arrange for someone who can provide the sort of training that sticks, even for Servants."
"It's quite ok," Chloe added after Merlin finished his explanation. "On the up-and-up. As you can tell, we're using some of the mastermind's tricks to oppose him. Not too bad, eh?"
"It would be hard to get exact copies of those items, you know?" Gudako spoke up. "You're not trying to pull off time-loop shenanigans, of course..."
"That would not make sense," Chloe agreed with her. "Just get something close enough, the reason we want two copies is that two is after one, and this will help us handle the next two Chaldeas, same as someone made the ones you just gave out."
"Who made the first set?" Gudao questioned.
"I did."
"You must work a lot," Euryale noted dryly.
"Ah don't worry. Like all of you, each 'me' manifesting is yet another copy, so the Chloes who will be picking up the two sets will be different ones. For my part, this delivery ends the current job, so I'll be returning back to the 'OG' Heroic Spirit after we're done here. All you need is something close enough except for the sleigh, that one needs to actually function obviously. But I think da Vinci and Santa can get it done, since the item isn't the most complicated Mystic Code to construct."
"I thought it teleports us, though?" da Vinci was surprised by that last statement. Not that she hadn't spent some downtime inspecting the sleigh, curiosity and all that.
"No. It just sends a signal which means that the Event will push you to the next step. But you do need to provide said signal, and of course the sleigh is also a locator beacon."
"I see."
Elizabeth was quietly becoming very excited, already lining up her request to get a headset, since after all if da Vinci would make two, what more a third for an idol of growing popularity?
After the Chaldeans had returned home, Merlin couldn't resist toying with the Holy Sword kept safe in his staff. "You think they bought it?" the magus asked Chloe after a moment.
"If she tries using it, the thing will hit like paper mache - but in any case I think the core concept will stick. It's up to our friend from the other side to help her properly raise it up to the Noble Phantasm one would expect. I don't think they noticed your little bait-and-switch, if you were asking about that."
"Great. Well, as amusing as it would be to see her face when she first manages to smash her new Excalibur, I will have to hear about it from the person herself the next time we meet, I suppose."
"Speaking about that, she left something for you." Handing over a small folded slip of paper, Chloe just shugged and waited to see his response.
"Oho, this couldn't be like a thank-you note, or perhaps a love letter? She is around that age..." Merlin needed no prompting to take a look at what Artoria had written for him.
I know you knew about Camelot. Come up with a good excuse before I ask you about that.
"... she is the person who became the King of Knights, I suppose..."
"No, that's just because you're a jerk and she knows now," a somewhat tardy Archer appeared with a jab for his colleague. "I'll take care of this branch's Event from here."
"I don't mind waiting around if it's too burdensome on your timetable," Merlin grinned slyly as Chloe practically danced up to her husband and handed him the golden card which was to be delivered to Sasaku later on.
"I'm not interested in feeding you," the now-nameless Emiya retorted to the incubus as the latter's Illusion gave way to the setting of some inconsequential field. "I assume you're still more of these cards, so get back to work."
"Hmm, fine. I won't ask why Chloe seems set to delay her return."
"By the way, Merlin?" Chloe cheekily asked him. "How much were the licensing fees for Zelretch?"
l
(Chaldea, da Vinci's Workshop)
The away team was of course unable to bring the sleigh back with them. Even though Artoria did have Excalibur in her Inventory after returning to Chaldea, initial testing revealed it was, as Merlin had warned them, far from the power normally associated with its name. Still, this discovery was much to the Saber's disappointment. By the way, her sack of presents returned, but it was always empty when checked, despite exhibiting an externally 'filled' volume and substantial heft to it.
"I guess it isn't surprising that the sleigh was made of rather standard-for-us base materials," da Vinci commented, looking at the gathered items. Some would conventionally be considered rare if not impossible to obtain - but not to Chaldea, which extracted many Mystery-laden items from the various Free Quests. Functionality aside, the Rider could of course easily replicate, if she wished to anyway, the various aesthetic touches on the exemplar sleigh Mystic Code.
"First BB and now this time Merlin are making use of Grail fragments to deliberately create Events," Gudao mused. "Twice definitely makes for some grist for the Systems researchers; though I'd worry a bit if the humans learn too much about this - in a non-Incineration World, these Events could still be enough to damage the World System, despite being much weaker than a Singularity."
"Definitely not information safe to leave lying about for a magus to find," Shirou agreed. After some thought upon their return, Marie concluded that he was the closest match, in terms of build, to d'Eon. Of course, to the other Servant's non-amusement, the gift which the Rider was trying to replicate with Sasaku's help was actually a dress - apparently just seeing the present box Artoria had delivered immediately brought it to her mind.
Of course, Gudako's sense of humor, and Sakura's at that, was tickled by this need for a model, but the former was soon not only bored by the mundanities of fabricating such an item from the basic cloth supplies Chaldea had, but she also had to go out on the usual Free Quest schedule.