Chapter 4
'An otome game world?' He sighed, before shaking his head a bit. It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but he did know that he had prior knowledge of certain events. Honestly, Shirou once debated whether or not buying those games for Caren was a good idea, but now, he was glad that he did.
The thing was, while he had a good grasp of the situation, he wondered what the best course of action was. His earlier conjecture of the game being based on this world was the most accurate, considering everything that had happened so far, as well as his own knowledge of the second magic.
The thing was, even though he knew the plot of the game, that didn't help him with all of the things happening in the background. Chances were, this was going to complicate things going forward. His own actions may have already changed things in a big way. Especially when considering he had befriended Olivia.
There was plenty of things that could be different, such as who he was. Then again, the game doesn't capture the whole world. It was only one story within a world full of stories. According to the kaleidoscope, or his knowledge of it, there was an infinite number of worlds for every choice.
Just thinking of it was enough to drive a person crazy if they delved too far. How the second magician was able to use the magic and still function was a mystery to him. Then again, it wasn't exactly something he cared about back then. The church never cared about anything that was going on outside of the world.
Honestly, it didn't matter in the long run. He died in his old world, so he doubted that he'd be able to return home. Either way, it was the knowledge that would be useful. Knowing that would allow him to not grow complacent and think he knew everything about the world simply because he knew one story from the game.
The fact of the matter was that Shirou's existence in the world had likely already changed everything. While the route of the game may still continue, it was the events happening in the background that concerned him. Within the game, there were wars and battles, some of which concerned him. That wasn't mentioning some of the monsters mentioned.
All in all, Shirou had to do his best to gather information and deal with things that may become troublesome. His knowledge on the game itself wasn't as complete as he wished it was. As in, there were multiple of those games and he hadn't seen all of them before his untimely demise.
He hoped he could get by with what knowledge he did have. Caren was somewhat of a completionist when it came to video games, so he did know quite a few things that would be of some help. After all, the world he was in was more like a possible future of his own world. So, he knew where to get something that would help him and his family immensely.
It was something in the second game, but it should still be around. So, he had to put his visit to the island of the elves on hold for now. A part of him knew that Caren would likely ridicule him nonstop for what he was going to get, as she didn't believe in paying money to help her win, however, he was sure she'd understand.
Probably.
As it turned out, attempting to find out more about Arthur and Clarice wasn't actually all that difficult. Though, the information was just more detailed explanations of things that she had already known herself. Even the more personal information was out in the open for everyone. It was almost like there was nothing to hide.
The only thing that was even slightly different was actually Arthur. He went from being someone who rarely attempted to try to do much of anything, to being more like, well, his younger self. Or at least, the version of him that she remembered from when she was younger.
There was always a part of him that tried to help others. No matter what, he went out of his way to be kind and to help others whenever he had the chance to do so. He was also an aspiring swordsman that had the talent to be a great knight, but that all changed one day.
Angelica let out a sigh, deciding not to think back on that. It was great news that he was beginning to show signs of returning to his old self, though she wished it wasn't causing problems like it was now. She did wonder if the change came about because of Clarice, or if the change was what caused Clarice to choose him instead.
There was some good that came from it. The Roseblade family was one of the Feudal houses that controlled a large territory and are one of the more powerful and wealthy houses with their airship fleet being the largest in the kingdom. The engagement between them and the Atlee family was actually better for the kingdom at large.
Still, there was only so much she could learn from reading about the two people in question. Considering she was engaged to the crown prince, she felt like it was her duty to try and gather more allies to strengthen the Prince's standing. Which was why she was currently on her way to speak with Clarice.
Considering Arthur was still said to be on his journey, she figured now was the best time. Thankfully, Clarice was open to the idea, though she was a bit puzzled as to why she was on the island that Arthur was said to have saved. She shook her head, it didn't really matter in the end, but she would admit to being a bit nervous.
Hindsight was always twenty twenty, though Shirou was sure this saying was meant for him. His luck was never one of his strong points, and it seemed that this life wasn't any better. Finding the destination wasn't all that hard, though he failed to imagine how different the mode of travel would be to his destination.
Warp gates were a thing in that world. They worked the same as a teleportation spell when it came to thaumaturgy, but was achieved through technology. It was a device from the old world, but adventurers found them from time to time. Most of the time, they led to ruins and dungeons, and likely meant death for the unprepared.
It was a game mechanic to trigger rare events or secret areas. In real life, said warp gates were old and, while usable, weren't all that stable. Shirou found the warp gate he wanted, but wasn't prepared for said warp gate to damage his ship and throw him and said ship into a building upon entry. Repairing said ship wasn't all that necessary, since the location he was at had a lost item ready for him.
There was actually a few ships from the games he remembered, some being unlockable, others being secrets obtained after beating the main story. It was also possible to buy said ships early, at least, from the game the ship he was getting now was in.
He remembered a ship from the first game, Luxion, or something to that extent. Caren refused to pay for it or even humor the possibility of attaining it, so he only knew the name and function of said ship. He didn't want that one. 'Too large and conspicuous, the nobles will likely make a fuss over it. Then again, it'd be that way for any lost item I suppose.'
He grabbed his more important gear and decided to head out, grabbing a rifle and ammo while he was at it. Using his swords was all well and good, but why fight up close when you could just shoot down your opponent without any cost to magical energy? It was why he was rather enjoying using guns. The rest of the supplies he could come back for after getting his ship.
'Why couldn't I have landed in a tree or something?' He let out a sigh, before making his way through the building he crashed into. He looked at the architecture and noticed how similar it was to his old world's more modern buildings. The fact that there was even vending machines in the halls and what appeared to be the remains of other electronics was a bit disconcerting.
A part of him actually wondered if he was actually just in a future version of his own world, but doubted that to be the case. There were too many inconsistencies. As he thought that, he looked out of a window and noticed that there were robotic sentries wandering about the place. 'Hmm, those don't seem to be powered by magical energy. So, just pure technology?'
'Hmm, if that's the case, then the old world had technology that surpassed even the church.' He thought, knowing how progressive they were in that field. An old friend of his, Hansa Cervantes, was someone who was a product of how advanced they were. 'His body was made up of mostly mystic codes. Almost a cyborg, really.' He couldn't help but let out a small amused huff.
'Best not to draw their attention. I'll leave them be.' He thought, before continuing deeper in the building, noticing how the building seemed to become less damaged the farther down he went. Besides the lining of dust and the occasional debris, it almost appeared as if the deeper levels were untouched. The whole area was silent, save for the sound of his boots against the ground. It felt like he was treading upon a mausoleum only hospitable for the lost souls still within.
He then reached the end, making it to a rather spacious floor that looked like it was a reception area. He saw some skeletal remains, though their position was a bit strange. 'It almost looks like they just gave up and went to sleep where they were. Maybe a biological attack of some kind?' He bowed his head and delivered a small prayer, before turning towards the large doors.
He placed his hands onto the doors. "Trace on." He used analysis on the doors, noting that the mechanisms were still functional. He hummed, before making his way over to a keypad and repeating the process. Using a bit of magical energy, he fried a few of the mechanisms, causing the door to open. 'It seems security it still as simple as having a key card.'
If it was a biological scanner or something else a bit more advanced, he may have had to get creative, but it seemed the old world hadn't thought that far ahead. After the door opened, the smell of stale air hit his nostrils. Clearly, the doors hadn't been opened in quite a long time. He readied his rifle and entered through the door, seeing a large docking area, though the real prize was what was inside of said dock.
Within the game, the lost item he was looking at was supposed to be found within an old research center. It was mostly just flavor text, but it appeared to be the case in his new world. It was rather sleek and had an aesthetic that appeared to be geared to finesse and speed, yet, retained power with some powerful weapons. Still, it was perfect for what he wanted.
He looked around and noticed the ramp to the ship was still up. He wasn't exactly sure how everything worked, but figured if Olivia was able to get it in the game, he should be able to do the same. Deciding to follow his instincts, he boarded the ship. Strangely, the hangar seemed to be in rather good condition. He wondered what he would find inside the ship, hoping there wasn't a boneyard inside.
The inside of the ship was rather immaculate, though hearing only his footsteps echoing in the long hallway was beginning to bother him. The lack of color in the hallways wasn't helping anything. He supposed the stale air smell was gone, so that was a plus. He sighed, wondering if he should have brought someone along to break the monotony.
It was never a problem before, though he supposed he was always with someone. 'I'd even kill to have Caren's caustic remarks right now compared to this.' He then noticed something he wasn't even paying attention to until just now. 'The writing is in Japanese and English?' He'd been following the signs telling him where to go, but hadn't realized.
'So, this is a future version of my world? No, maybe not my world, but a potential version of a world like mine. I doubt the mages association and holy church would allow something like this to happen to them.' He shook his head. It didn't really matter. There wasn't anything he could do about it anyways.
As he walked through the ship, his mind couldn't help but wander towards the world he was in. Rather, his mind wondered about what he would do with the information he now had. He knew of future events that could still take place, though he wondered if they would still go as planned. His meeting with Olivia could have changed everything.
He knew she was supposed to charm some targets, but the girl he met didn't seem like someone who would want to be surrounded by a harem of men. There was also a small part that was worried about what would happen with Angelica, considering what usually happened to her. Ideally, an outcome where no one was hurt was best, but he wondered if such a thing was possible.
From what he could remember of Angelica in the game, well, he figured a confrontation would happen sooner or later. Though, for some reason, he felt torn about that. There were also the memories he had of her that only complicated matters. 'None of that will come to fruition anyway, considering my existence and Clarice's involvement. Angelica will have no reason to target her.'
A part of him wished he knew more about the game and the second magic in general. However, he still had a few years to worry about it. In the meantime, he'd focus on what was important. He wasn't going to compromise on his ideals just because he was in a new world. 'Though, maybe I'll go about it a bit differently.' He thought as he remembered Ciel's face when he died.
He entered someplace that looked to be a cockpit of some kind. 'Interesting.' He walked up to the console, before noticing some sort of scanner that appeared to be still be functional. He removed his gloves and placed his hand onto it, causing everything to boot up. He couldn't help but ready his gun with his free hand.
"System reboot. Running diagnostics. All systems running at optimal speeds. Detection of intruder, error. DNA scanner, re-calibrating. Genetic information, approved. Unknown user, you do not match any records of personnel. Please, identify yourself." A female voice spoke, though Shirou was able to tell it wasn't fully human. 'A.I then?'
"Arthur Fou Roseblade." He answered, deciding to refer to himself as his new name. He supposed it was best that he actually began to do so. Ever since his conversation with Clarice, he realized that trying to separate his identities wouldn't help matters.
"No personnel match that name. Hmm, your DNA is quite different. While you possess old human DNA, your new human DNA seems to be the majority." He couldn't help but raise a brow at that. 'Old human and new human? Suppose that makes sense. So, there is a difference between the two races?' "What year of the calendar is it?"
"Sorry, but I'm afraid that you won't know the current calendar. I suspect you've been deactivated for awhile now." He answered, a bit sorry for the A.I. He looked down and realized the ship seemed to scanning and running through a lot of information.
"I see. It appears that my masters have lost the war if that is the case. However, it appears that there is still some hope. You still contain old human DNA. I would gladly allow you to be registered as my new owner." The voice said to him, a few of the screens showing different schematics and plans.
"You seem to be willing to allow me to take control rather easily. Is there any reason for that, especially if I am part of the race of humans your old masters were at war with?"
"Yes, though it is rather simple. Unlike most other centers and A.I, I, as well as the center, was based on research and development. As an A.I, I am centered towards research, analysis, assistance, and other such utilities. The war was not something my masters were terribly interested in, as such, I myself have no real desire for revenge."
"Actually, I am rather interested in what the world these new humans have created looks like. I didn't have much luck in researching them, though we were able to notice the key differences, such as the use of magic. Though, based on the telemetry, you have an extra means of magic I have never seen before. You are quite interesting in that regard. So, I see no downsides in following you, besides, it would be rather unpleasant to self-destruct." It answered in a rather cheery tone.
"I see, I suppose I can't fault that logic." He replied, glad he didn't get a bloodthirsty A.I. He'd seen a few movies in his past lifetime with that scenario. He wasn't interested in dealing with that. Plus, the A.I seemed to be a good fit for him in regards to its uses. "Do you have a name?" He asked, looking around, trying to familiarize himself with everything.
"I'm afraid I do not. This ship as well, it was an experimental ship, so it was never given a designation." It replied, pausing for a moment. "Would you care to name us?" Shirou hummed, before the image of a certain blonde hero popped into his head. He couldn't help but slightly chuckle to himself.
"I'll call you, Siduri, and the ship will be named Vimana." He couldn't help but name it that, as the ship actually resembled said Noble Phantasm quite a bit. Then there was Siduri, though that was more due to nostalgia and the few times Gilgamesh actually spoke of her.
The A.I seemed to pause, "The names Vimana and Siduri have been registered. I believe the name to be apt, as I believe this ship to be quite a marvel. Those names, do you still have knowledge of the old world, Master?" It asked, causing Shirou to slightly stiffen, before relaxing.
"I do, quite a bit actually. Though, it's mostly based around legends of heroes. I don't know about the war or anything like that." He answered, feeling a bit bad, though the A.I didn't seem all that let down. A part of him thought about revealing everything to her, but held it in. It didn't matter in the long run, besides, explaining the concept of true magic didn't sound appealing in the slightest.
"I see. Well, Master, I must run a few more diagnostics and tests before Vimana is ready for departure. It should only take a few hours. Would you like to tour the ship in the meantime?"
"Okay, so the last of the shipments were delivered. With that, there should be no more problems with future income. To think that such high quality products and ingredients were available here. Arthur's father should be finishing with negotiating with the current lord of the island, so the price should be quite low as long as he doesn't know about what he has here." Clarice thought to herself, before reading another letter.
'Oh, that's good, I'm sure Arthur will appreciate that. Though, I should think about seeing if there are any more available rare ingredients to buy for him.' She thought with a smile. She knew he enjoyed to cook and seemed to be rather interested in different cuisines lately, so she hoped he wouldn't mind her buying some for him.
The fact that the island's towns were doing quite well now would likely also please him. She wouldn't deny enjoying handling all the tasks so far. Considering what she'd likely be doing in the future, it was pretty good practice. A part of her was a bit worried about Arthur, considering how his mother painted a pretty bleak picture regarding his luck.
She let out a sigh, before deciding not to worry too much. She knew that he was rather capable, especially if what Olivia had told her about his fight was true. She was unfamiliar with his magic, but it definitely sounded like something that would allow him to escape most things unharmed.
She looked at the letter sent to her from Angelica Redgrave and frowned. She had accepted the request to meet and have a friendly discussion, but requested for her to come to the island. Honestly, it was mainly pettiness on her part, considering what she knew of Arthur's past and what she learned from his family. Though, that was as far as she would go.
She was still a noble lady after all, and acts of pettiness like that were unbecoming of her station. 'Surely I'll be forgiven in this case though.' Not that she was worried. She was surprised to learn quite a few things after formally accepting the engagement, though she supposed it made some sense.
'The Roseblade's and Redgrave's seem to be polar opposites. Still, it is quite a sad story.' She thought, but smiled when she realized that she was able to meet Arthur because of that. While they hadn't known each other for long, she felt like spending time to getting to know him would be time well spent. Not to mention, she had a feeling that he was going to quite the important person in the future.
She sighed for a moment, before deciding to spend the time before Angelica's arrival with Olivia. She was thankful that the books on magic had arrived earlier than she thought, as Olivia was quite happy with them. She hadn't been too interested in magic herself, but after spending time with Olivia, realized that learning more about it may be beneficial.
'Perhaps, I'll study a bit with Olivia. I'll be attending the academy soon anyways, it wouldn't hurt to get a headstart.' She thought with a smile, deciding to find her new friend.
Traveling to the island didn't take too long, and thanks to Arthur's actions, there weren't any reports of pirates in the area either. So, it resulted in a rather smooth trip all things considered. Upon arrival, Angelica couldn't see too many things that were overly spectacular about the place. Then again, she wasn't looking at anything in depth.
It definitely gave off a more comfortable vibe when compared to the capital. Then again, she supposed that made sense. The townspeople all seemed to be rather friendly, though she noted the lack of experienced or well equipped knights. Those that were, were rather old. Though, she did see that there were soldiers from the Roseblade family here and there, along with some associated with the Atlee's.
It was actually one of them that led her to one of the buildings, where Clarice was waiting with the usual set up for receiving a guest. She had to admit that Clarice was really beautiful and seemed to exude an approachable noble air, as opposed to others who seemed distant.
"It's a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Lady Angelica." She said to her with a small curtsy, her green eyes seeming to sparkle like emeralds in the light. There was even the pleasant aroma of flowers, likely from a perfume. Angelica smiled in response and mirrored the action.
"Likewise, Lady Clarice. I have been wanting to meet you for awhile, but my schedule has kept me rather busy." She responded, taking a seat when Clarice motioned for her to. "Thankfully, I've been able to make time." She said with a smile, before pausing for a moment, then continuing. "Also, I'd like to congratulate you on your engagement."
Clarice actually seemed a bit surprised at her words, before letting out a small giggle. "Oh, well thank you, Lady Angelica." She then took a drink of her tea. "I must admit, your letter came as quite a surprise. I apologize for not meeting you in the capital, I've been rather busy with helping this town and its inhabitants."
"I was going to ask you about that. Is there a reason why you're so interested in this town?" She asked, deciding not to be try and hide anything. Besides, the meeting itself wasn't really that important in the grand scheme of things. It was mainly meant as a way to make an impression, as well as get one from Clarice herself. Having the Roseblade's and Atlee's as allies would be invaluable.
Clarice tilted her head a bit, before humming for a moment. "Well, it was actually my fiancé who showed interest in the town, I am merely taking over the task of looking over it and making sure that it can recover after the pirate attack. This land's lord had no real interest in it and is currently dealing with Earl Roseblade on the matter."
That was rather interesting. It meant that Arthur must have wanted to take care of the villages present on this small island, which sounded like him. If she was judging it based on the Arthur she knew, then he would definitely want to improve things for the commoners and lower nobles currently residing there.
The thing was, she wasn't sure if this was the same Arthur with the same values. Then again, she was just jumping to conclusions. "I see. That does sound like something he'd do." She said softly, taking a drink of the tea prepared, noticing that it was rather high quality. Apparently, her surprise must have shown on her face, as Clarice seemed ready to answer her question before she asked.
"Those were a gift from Arthur. I'm still not sure how he does it, but the leaves used for the tea always make amazing tasting tea. For some reason, he has taken a liking to such things. Not that I'll complain, I rather enjoyed the food he cooks." She said bringing a hand up to her cheek and remembering the food he had made for her.
Once again, something that seemed different about Arthur. She didn't remember him being interested in cooking, or tea ceremonies. "So he has more talents than I remember." She replied with a small laugh, though she realized that it made sense. A part of her wanted to know more about him, but she knew that Clarice hadn't been engaged to him for that long, so she was likely still learning about him herself.
"Oh, definitely. He seems quite knowledgeable in many things. Even if it's only been a short while since I've known him, he's surprised me many times." She replied, seemingly thinking on some of the conversations she's had with him. Then her expression seem to indicate a thought popped into her head, however she seemed to shake her head at the idea.
Angelica though, she wondered what Clarice was going to ask. Honestly, she envied Clarice a bit. She seemed rather happy with her engagement and didn't seem to be going through any of the things she herself was going through. The fact that her engagement was part of the reason why the current situation was even happening was a bit ironic.
Unfortunately, she had a duty to her family and the kingdom. That meant dedicating herself to the crown prince. It was why she was no longer friends with Arthur. However, she realized that she'd have to deal with the past sooner or later. She was mainly just worried about meeting Arthur again, which was why she was meeting with Clarice first.
'No, it's best not to dwell on such things. For now, I should focus on the here and now.' She thought to herself with a mental sigh. However, both girls were surprised when the door to the room was opened. Angelica was surprised to see a pretty, short haired blonde girl in a white and blue dress entering the room. She was pretty sure the girl was a commoner, which was rather surprising, considering how she rushed over towards Clarice.
She seemed to notice her, quickly giving a bow and apologizing before focusing on Clarice. "Um, I didn't want to interrupt, but a strange ship is about to dock. The others are worried and I wasn't sure if you may know who it may be."
Clarice raised a brow, before bringing a hand to her chin. "What did the ship look like? Did it bear any flags?" She quickly asked, standing from her seat.
"Well, no. It was rather large though." The girl said in a worried tone. Angelica was wondering about who it could be as well, though nothing came to mind. There were some families that it could be, but they'd have no reason to visit such a remote place.
"Apologies, Angelica, but I'll have to cut our chat short." She said, though Angelica only shook her head.
"No need to apologize. In fact, I wouldn't mind coming with you to ascertain who the visitor is. It may help to have me with you should you require assistance." She replied, with Clarice thinking on her offer before nodding.
Surprisingly, Clarice, the girl who she came to find out was named Olivia, and herself had managed to reach the port area before the ship managed to actually dock itself. There were some knights and soldiers with them, which definitely helped, but the ship's size was rather intimidating. However, it wasn't hard for the three of them to realize that the ship was definitely not ordinary.
In fact, they could each tell it was likely a lost item, which was disconcerting. The ramp to the ship was lowered and the doors opened, revealing someone that Angelica wasn't expecting to meet again so soon. "Arthur!" Olivia called out happily, causing Angelica to flinch. Indeed, standing there was Arthur Fou Roseblade, his piercing eyes settling on her and making her slightly nervous.
And done. I wanted to get this out to coincide with remaster of Fate Stay Night, but I was too late, unfortunately. Anyways, sorry for not releasing anything. I've been working on them and I'll try and get more chapters out. I'll be releasing the Reaction to Lost Hero of Chaldea tomorrow, that's a promise, so look forward to it. I switched up a few things this chapter, but I wanted to try and get this story moving along. More chapters will be releasing soon, as I've been working on them. I will also be releasing Lost Hero of Chaldea soon as well.
Shirou/Arthur will be beginning to only refer to himself as Arthur, so for those of you who are confused easily, that'll be changing soon. There will also be more backstory in future chapters regarding Shirou. I will also be adding in other POV's and stuff. So, there's that. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading it. I did see that someone released my story "A Sword Amongst the Roses" and hasn't credited me, which pissed me off, but I have seen it. It isn't me and I didn't give okay for it. The dumb thing is, it isn't hard to ask permission for that stuff. Just credit me as the author or something rather than trying to pass it off as your own.
Also, someone mentioned a Sekirei crossover, as well as a few other ideas, they sounded good. The Sekirei one was one I was interested in, because I feel like I could make one that would be fun to read. I also toyed around with making a purely Fate story, which sounded fun. I had a few premises that would be fun to explore. Heck, I could do one and it be a origin for one of the characters. But, you know how it goes. I already have quite a few stories so that'll wait, like a few others like the Rising of the Shield hero story and a few of the other's that sounded fun, unless I get something that really makes me want to write one anyways.
Anyways, thanks again, I appreciate all the support and readers. Thanks for the reviews and feedback, it helps and means alot. Feel free to ask me questions, I normally answer them when I can. Once again, I hope you all enjoyed and, as always, until next time.
