Fate: Hammer Time

by TedTheRabbit

Shirou Emiya wanted to become a hero. That was clear to all who truly know him. For a long time though, he lacked the power to actually achieve that goal. No longer. No longer will he lack the power, now that the Hammer of the Odinson has chosen him as new wielder. Prepare for Thunder. ShirouxMultiple, Thor-Shirou.

27. Welcome to the Clocktower

Welcome to the Clocktower.

---

Lord El-Melloi was the head of the Archibald-family, a family that used to be one of the oldest and richest families of the Clocktower, respected by all, but had recently fallen on hard times.

And by hard times, Shirou meant that Kiritsugu, his own father, had killed their Crest-bearer so thoroughly that nothing of the Crest could be salvaged afterwards.

In the Moonlit World, losing one's Crest was an absolute disaster. Even Shirou, who knew little about politics and other facets of Magus Society, knew that much at least. Undoubtedly, the Archibald-family had fallen hard after the Fourth Holy Grail War, losing more than Shirou even dared to imagine, as the Clocktower's vultures swarmed to take a bite out of them when they were down.

He'd known that when he had accepted Lord El-Melloi's offer, and he had expected some degree of poverty, but finding out that Lord El-Melloi's car was a battered, old thing that seemed barely fit for the road truly drove home that his father had absolutely ruined the Archibald.

It was outright pitiable.

Of course, Shirou showed none of his surprise on his face, as it would be extremely bad form to mock a man who was helping him, and on the inside, he profusely apologised to Lord El-Melloi for what his father had done to him.

Not out loud though. He was Shirou Fujimaru here in Europe, a young man with no relations to Emiya Kiritsugu whatsoever. Acknowledging his true identity would bring nothing but trouble after all, and if he wanted to save Illya quickly and efficiently, trouble was the last thing he needed.

As such, he kept his polite smile plastered on his face as they climbed into the car, Bazett in the driver's seat, Lord El-Melloi next to her, and Shirou in the backseat, and said not a word when they drove away, the car spluttering and groaning all the way.

The atmosphere inside the car was more than a little awkward, especially since no one was saying anything, and Shirou was relieved when they reached the Big Ben of London, which he knew to be their destination.

Once there, they turned down a hidden road, obfuscated from the mundane folk by powerful Enchantments, and Shirou soon noticed they were descending underground.

"Where are we going?" He dared to ask.

"The Clocktower's parking garage." Bazett replied shortly, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "The place where the Lords and other nobles can park their expensive cars without having to worry about the plebs touching them with their 'greasy' fingers."

"I… see." Shirou muttered, getting the sense he had touched a nerve somehow.

"Of course, it's hardly a parking garage to begin with." She continued unprompted, her hands tightening around the steering wheel. "It's… Oh, you'll see."

"It is rather posh for a parking garage." Lord El-Melloi explained, though it didn't actually explain much.

But then they entered the parking garage, and Shirou found that 'posh' was an understatement if he'd ever heard one.

The walls, floor and ceiling were made from sparkling marble that shone in the light of countless beautiful, intricate chandeliers. Statues of important-looking people were standing at every corner, one more ornate and artistic than the other, while every parking spot had been decorated with mosaic patterns of all kinds and bordered with rows of precious gems.

The smell in the air was not of petrol, but of flowers, there were no stains or marks anywhere, and it was all so colourful that it put rainbows to shame.

In short, the whole garage was a baffling display of affluence and prosperity, almost like an underground mansion, for cars.

And that wasn't even mentioning the cars themselves! Lord El-Melloi's old rust-bucket fell out of tone here like a feather would at a sword display.

Shirou did not know much about the different species of car, but the immense, gilded, and brightly coloured limousines were so obviously high-class that even he could deduce that they were probably among the most expensive and most coveted cars in the world, together presenting an accumulated wealth that would give any normal man a headache.

All in all, it was an overwhelming sight for sure, quite the first welcome to the Clocktower, though Shirou wasn't sure whether he was actually impressed by the gaudy display of excess or not.

What he definitely wasn't impressed by however were the few other people present in the garage.

There were three of them, a man and two women, all a bit older than Shirou, standing together in front of a ridiculously expensive-looking car, definitely in the top five in the entire garage.

They had an air of richness and decadence about them, partially because of the car, but also because of the four servants flanking them, the ostentatious jewellery they wore, and their magnificent outfits that were probably more expensive a piece than all the clothes Shirou owned put together.

But whereas their appearance was one of affluence and nobility, their behaviour could only be called poor. They were giggling behind their hands, their eyes full of mockery and scorn as they looked at Lord El-Melloi's old car.

It was obvious that they were ridiculing him, looking down on him with disdain, and Shirou found himself irritated by their behaviour.

It was highly likely however that such sights were common at the Clocktower, so it wouldn't do any good if he already lost his patience here. Hence, he reluctantly swallowed his irritation, helped by the fact that Lord El-Melloi didn't seem the least bit bothered by the mockery.

"It really grates on your nerves, doesn't it?" Bazett didn't share her employer's patience however, grumbling to Shirou under her breath. "There are a lot of families that think themselves better than everyone else, but the Edelfelt also have the annoying habit of telling everyone that they are superior."

"…The Edelfelt?" Shirou suppressed a start of surprise with some difficulty, only just managing to keep his voice even. "Those three are Edelfelt?"

"Yeah." Bazett confirmed, pursing their lips. "I don't know any of them personally, but you can always recognise an Edelfelt by their blond hair, their tendency to show off their ill-gained wealth, and their shifty eyes that are always looking for a profit."

The woman's voice became progressively more heated as she spoke, and it wasn't difficult to detect a personal grudge in her words. Still, Shirou committed her words to memory, as this was the family Rin had specifically warned him about.

Also, since they were Rin's enemies, Shirou decided that their behaviour did irritate him enough to take action.

Mocking Lord El-Melloi was one thing, but mocking Lord El-Melloi and being Rin's enemies went too far.

He silently called upon Mjolnir, not quite materialising the hammer but drawing on its power, and cast a powerful electromagnetic field right into the engine of the Edelfelts' car, tearing it apart beyond repair.

It looked like the Edelfelt had been about to leave, but they wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon now.

It was petty of him, he knew that, but damn if it didn't feel good.

He would have liked to see their faces when they found out they were stranded, but Lord El-Melloi led him out of the garage and up the stairs towards the Clocktower proper before the Edelfelt could get into their car.

Better luck next time.

"Pay attention now, kid." Bazett tapped him on the shoulder to break him out of his thoughts, before increasing her pace a bit to get to the staircase's door first. "We're almost at the main hall. Make sure to properly appreciate the sight."

She held open the door for him and Lord El-Melloi, and Shirou stepped through, entering the Clocktower's main hall for the first time in his life.

The first thing he noticed was that the hall was immense, big enough to fit his house into over a dozen times.

Next, he saw the mindboggling number of people walking in all directions, easily matching or even exceeding the number of people at the airport.

Then, he spotted a cafeteria on the left, a number of shops in front of him, a large open space with benches on the right, a square that was lush with trees and plants in the distance, and spread across it all, countless doors and hallways that led to other places within the gigantic conglomeration that was the Clocktower.

The sheer size of it baffled Shirou. Wasn't this place supposed to be hidden in the heart of London? How on Earth did they manage to keep something like this, something so enormous, hidden in one of the most densely populated places in Europe?!

Probably Magecraft.

Had to be Magecraft.

"Welcome to the Clocktower, mister Fujimaru." Lord El-Melloi spoke up, sounding very lordly and proper all of a sudden. "Before you lies the common space, accessible to anyone within the institute. Further ahead, if you follow the larger hallways, you will find the different departments of the Magus Association, which are out of bounds for anyone not a member and without invitation."

"Noted." Shirou nodded.

"The doors and stairs lead towards a variety of other destinations, including but not limited to the dormitories, the chambers of the Lords, the offices, the classrooms, and even the arena."

Shirou almost spoke up at that last one, but decided to hold his tongue for now.

"Unlike what you might hear at other research-and-teaching institutes, I recommend that you do not go out to explore this place." Lord El-Melloi looked very serious now. "Please only go to places that I have cleared as safe. I do not mean to unduly frighten you, but a Magus without allies here should take care at all times to avoid dangerous areas."

"I understand. I will be careful."

"See that you do. Now, since I have a meeting soon, I cannot show you around to your dormitory and the classrooms myself. As such, I'll introduce you to another apprentice of mine, who will give you the information you require for your stay."

The redhead nodded again, wondering who that other apprentice could be. Lord El-Melloi hadn't mentioned anyone during their negotiations in the castle of the Sealing Designees.

He'd have to make sure to get along with them. If they were going to teach him vital knowledge, he would prefer to stay on their good side as much as possible.

It was going to be an immense task to get used to the Clocktower, one for which he'd need all the help he could get.

Though he did find strength in the amusing sight of three Edelfelts coming out of the elevator, red-faced and upset, before they immediately made off again, ignoring the curious look Lord El-Melloi sent them.

Now that was a story to tell Rin about.

---

While Shirou was amusing himself by bullying the Edelfelt at the Clocktower, Ayako and Sakura were busy with something much less fun at home.

Explaining to Rin the precise nature of their relationship with Shirou.

"Both of you?" The black-haired girl whispered, looking entirely lost at the information. "He's… That's… You're…. Really?"

"Yes, Nee-san, really." Sakura nodded for the third time, smiling patiently at her poor, slow sister. "Senpai, Ayako, and I really are in a relationship together."

"R-Really?"

"Really." Sakura nodded for the fourth time, and this time, it seemed to sink in.

"So, you kissed?" Rin finally moved on to another question, and it was a cutely innocent one too.

"Yup, we kissed alright." Ayako grinned, clearly enjoying how Rin blushed slightly. "Every day and as often as we could get away with."

"I've never seen you kiss." Rin protested, apparently unable to believe they had managed to keep something so big hidden from her.

"We were very careful about it, Nee-san." Sakura explained, wondering if she could get away with placing a hand over her sister's. "We always made sure you weren't nearby when we kissed."

"But… But why did you have to keep it a secret from me?" Rin asked, and if her tone became the slightest bit whiny, no one commented on it.

"Because we thought it would be better to tell you after Senpai came back from London, so we could explain it together."

"But then he decided to just reveal it anyway." Ayako grumbled, looking rather cross with their boyfriend. "Right in front of you and Fujimura-Sensei."

"Speaking of, what does she think about this?" Rin asked, looking around, as if the teacher was hiding somewhere in the room.

"She's fine with it. I think she sort of knew already anyway." Sakura smiled, shrugging a bit.

"Fujimaru-Sensei is fine with it?!" Rin's surprise was warranted this time, as mundane Japanese people tended to be highly conservative, teachers even more so.

"Yes. She is very open about things, and she almost never rejects something because of prejudices." Sakura beamed, very happy that her official guardian was such a kind and tolerant person.

"Huh, that's… surprising." Rin still looked fairly lost, but less so than before, as if she was slowly getting grip on the situation again. "How does such a relationship work though?"

"How does any relationship work?" Ayako shrugged, a 'what can I say'-expression on her face. "We love each other, show affection to each other, and generally have a good time together. What else is there?"

"So you really are completely fine with sharing him? Just like that?"

"Well, yeah, sure. Just like that." Sakura nodded, though she wasn't entirely happy about the blasé statement. "We love each other, and we decided to give it a try together. So far, none of us have any complaints."

"So far? How long has this been going on for?"

"Can't be more than two months." Ayako replied, looking at Sakura for confirmation. "Yeah, about two months now, though we intend to make it last much longer of course."

"Of course." Rin pursed her lips, having to think a moment about what to say next, before her gaze hardened. "Have you considered what other people will think if they hear about your… relationship?"

"Well, while we would like to say that we don't care about what other people think, we have indeed. That is why we are keeping it quiet right now, from just about everyone." Sakura explained calmly, before glancing at her girlfriend. "Not even Ayako's parents know."

"But you did decide to tell me?"

"Shirou decided that." Ayako pointed out grumpily. "And I guess he considered it safe enough to do so. Not that I necessarily disagree. It's not like you're going to tell others about it after all."

"Oh? Are you sure about that?" Rin huffed, making an attempt at a mean smile, but Sakura would have none of it.

"You aren't the kind of person who would reveal other people's secrets, Nee-san." She pointed out. "Besides, I don't think the Tohsaka-family's honour would allow for idle gossiping, would it?"

"…No." Rin admitted reluctantly, before letting out another sigh. "In any case, you are taking quite a risk here, not telling Ayako's parents about it."

"We know." Now it was Ayako's turn to purse her lips, the guilt she'd been feeling even since the beginning of the relationship worming its way to the surface again. "But we just didn't think it was a good idea to tell them when Shirou was about to leave on a two-month trip. My family, and I mean my entire family, likely won't react all that well, though my mother has surprised me so far, and it would be better to have Sakura and Shirou with me the entire time when I tell them."

"Right, I suppose I can't argue with that." Rin was a practical person at heart, and the arguments were sound. "Huh, I am surprised. It seems you really did think this through. Can't say I expected that of the three of you, but you seem to have hidden depths."

"I love you too, Nee-san." Sakura beamed.

"So, in light of that, I suppose I can accept this whole… arrangement, for now." Rin continued as if Sakura hadn't said anything, her tone becoming almost business-like. "My lips are sealed. That is a promise."

"What? Really?" Ayako blinked in surprise at the sudden turn, almost unable to believe her ears.

"Yes, really." This time, it was Rin who nodded in confirmation.

"Thanks a bunch, Rin!" Ayako crowed, grinning widely. "You're the best!"

"Indeed I am." Rin agreed, perfectly serious, before raising a stern finger. "I will have words with Emiya-kun about this by the way. You are not off the hook yet-"

"Thank you, Nee-san!"

"Bwah?!"

Rin reared back in shock when Sakura suddenly got up and hugged her tightly, clearly surprised, but Sakura ignored that for now.

With how traditionally-minded the black-haired girl could be, Sakura had feared she'd protest much harder, so to hear that she not only accepted but might even slightly support the relationship filled her with delight and gratitude.

Hence, the hug.

"T-Too much gratitude! Let go!"

But Sakura didn't let go. Not when Rin's protests were half-hearted and didn't go beyond verbal remarks.

"Ahem." It was about a minute later that Rin was freed again, and she tried to regain her composure as she sat down at the table once more. "I believe that concludes our discussion."

"I suppose so." Ayako agreed.

"Right, but then, uhm, there's one other thing."

"Oh?"

"…" Rin licked her lips, suddenly much more hesitant, before she leaned forward over the table, lowering her voice slightly. "What's it like?"

"Like? What do you mean?" Sakura blinked in confusion.

"Your relationship." Rin clarified, a blush appearing high on her cheeks. "K-Kissing Emiya-kun. What… What's it like?"

"Ah!" Now Sakura understood, and she leaned forward too, eager to brag to her big sister. "It's, well, it's amazing of course, and wonderful, and amazing! Senpai is so attentive, and wonderful, and he's just… aaaah!"

"What? He's just what?" Rin pressed, practically demanding that Sakura spill the details.

"You know, Rin." Ayako interrupted them, casually studying her nails as if uninterested in the conversation. "You might find out faster if you joined our relationship yourself."

There was a beat of silence following her declaration.

Then Rin exploded.

"W-What on Earth are you talking about, M-Mitsuzuri!" She spluttered, looking outraged yet not entirely averse. "T-That will never happen!"

"Oh, come on, it's obvious you want it. Besides, think of all the advantages." Ayako grinned, raising her fingers one by one. "For instance, you can experience Shirou's ministrations for yourself instead of having to rely on second-hand information. Oh, and you'll get me too, not to mention it would bring you much closer to Sakura again."

"Too close!" Rin shouted.

"Too close." Sakura agreed.

"Aw, but I was looking forward to some sister-yuri…"

And with that entire tankload of oil that Ayako threw onto the fire, the living room of the Emiya-residence exploded in anger, embarrassment, and perverted laughter.

---

Lord El-Melloi's office turned out to be located in the Eastern part of the Clocktower, inside the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories.

It wasn't a long walk from the main hall to there, but they'd passed through such a maze of halls, alleys, turns, twists, and staircases on the way that even Shirou had almost lost his sense of direction. Apparently, most of the Clocktower had been built in such a confusing way, for reasons long lost to time, and it was something you just learned to deal with.

The office itself was rather nice. It wasn't big, but it wasn't small either, though the size of the office was reduced quite a bit by all the piles of paper lying everywhere across the room.

As Lord El-Melloi looked at the papers with nothing but despair in his eyes however, Shirou wisely decided to not ask about them.

"Well then." Lord El-Melloi said as he sat down behind his desk, placing his elbows on the plateau and linking his fingers together below his chin. "Once more, let me welcome you to the Clocktower, mister Fujimaru, also known as the Magus Association's headquarters, the biggest research institute in the world, the homebase of the Enforcers, and a thousand other things, half of which are top-secret. I hope you'll have a pleasant stay here."

"Thank you, my Lord."

"Of course, having a pleasant stay will be much easier if you kept to the rules. You understand that, right?"

"I do, my Lord."

"Enough with the 'my lord', just call me 'sir'." The Lord waved away his title, before focusing again. "Well then, I'll give you a written list later, but for now, the most important rules are to not go anywhere you have no permission to be, to stay out of the Lords' sight as much as possible, to never interfere with another's research unless they are violating laws or asking you to, and to keep any violence out of sight. Have I forgotten anything, Bazett?"

"There is really only just one rule here, kid, and that is that the strongest make the rules." The redheaded woman huffed, sitting in a chair with her legs spread wide, sharpening a knife. "The current bosses do try their best to enforce the laws, but if they aren't around, anything goes. You'll have to fend for yourself."

"Quite." Lord El-Melloi agreed, apparently cynical enough to acknowledge that the rules were based on nothing but intimidation and threats. "I can't say I like it, but Bazett is right. Rules are only worth something when someone strong enough to enforce them is around. If no such person is near however, you are going to have to fight for yourself, mister Fujimaru."

"I understand." Shirou nodded, the presence of Mjolnir a comforting influence now that it was confirmed that this place was essentially nothing more than a free-for-all fighting pit.

"Good. Now, there's one more thing I need to tell you before I'll send you on your way." The Lord took a cigar from his pocket and lit it, before taking a deep drag. "Are you perhaps aware of who the highest authority of the Clocktower is?"

"I heard that was the president, or the director, both words are used, or headmaster, I suppose." Shirou answered hesitatingly, wondering where this was going. "I don't think I'll be meeting them though."

"You won't be meeting the director." Lord El-Melloi agreed. "The man has been in power for over a thousand years and has received no visitors for the last couple of hundred. Some even doubt he is still alive, though no one is brave enough to check."

For real?! The Clocktower was led by a possibly dead person? How on Earth did that work?!

"But the director is not important right now. He is not the one handling the day-by-day running of the Magus Association."

"He isn't?"

"No. The ones doing most of the actual ruling are the three main families of the Clocktower." Lord El-Melloi stated, holding up a hand and raising one finger. "The Trambellio-family, who are the leaders of the Democratic Faction," another finger went up. "The Valualeta-family, who are loyal followers of the Trambellio," the third finger went up." And lastly, the Barthomeloi-family, the leaders of the Aristocratic Faction and the most powerful and influential family of the entire Clocktower. It is the current head of the Barthomeloi-family, Lorelei Barthomeloi, who is the Vice-Director of the Clocktower, which means she is the representative of the director himself. Most people even refer to her as the Queen of the Clocktower."

"I see." Shirou nodded sharply, committing the names to memory. "What's the difference between the Aristocratic Faction and the Democratic Faction?"

"Good question. The Aristocratic Faction believes that the management of the Clocktower should only be handed to the noble families who have proven to have excellent bloodlines and great pedigree." Lord El-Melloi explained, his lips pursing in distaste. "The Democratic Faction on the other hand believe bloodlines should be disregarded and that those with talent should be in charge. Then there is also the Neutral Faction, and they don't care one way or another."

Those were quite short explanations, though Shirou got the gist of it, and he had to say the Democratic Faction sounded the most sympathetic by far.

"Please don't think that the families of the Democratic Faction are in any way kinder or more reasonable than those of the Aristocratic Faction." Lord El-Melloi warned him sharply however, perhaps having guessed where Shirou's thoughts were headed. "They are as selfish as the Aristocratic Faction and only give their spiel about talent being the deciding factor because that would allow them to increase their rank and standing in the Clocktower, not because they are in favour of equality or honesty."

Well, there went that idea. Shirou inclined his head to the Lord, grateful for the timely warning. He probably wasn't the first fool to have fallen for the idea that the Democratic Faction might be nicer because of their name and goal.

"Keep that in mind." Lord El-Melloi said gravely, before he turned towards a door at the back of his office. "You can take over from here, Grey."

Shirou's ears perked up at the name, and he turned towards the door as well, now knowing Lord El-Melloi's other apprentice was standing there.

They turned out to be a young girl, about Shirou's age, wearing black boots, thigh-high black leggings, and a black jacket over a very short black-and-grey dress. Additionally, she had the hood of the jacket up, mostly obstructing her face in shadows, though Shirou could still see her perfectly well.

Her face… seemed familiar somehow, and for some reason, he could feel Avalon start pulsating softly when he looked at her. The sheath stopped however when Mjolnir gave her a prodding.

"Mister Fujimaru, this is my other apprentice, Grey." Lord El-Melloi introduced her. "Grey, this is my new apprentice, Shirou Fujimaru. I told you about him."

"Yes, Sir." Grey nodded, speaking with a soft and demure voice, before turning towards Shirou and bowing deeply. "It is a pleasure to meet you, mister Fujimaru."

"The pleasure is all mine, miss Grey." Shirou rose from his chair and bowed in return, taking care to precisely match the depth of her bow and then go a bit deeper. She was his Senpai now after all. "As my senior, please take care of me."

"O-Oh, s-sure." Grey whispered, glancing at Lord El-Melloi for a moment, who nodded. "I-If you would please follow me. Sir has an appointment soon."

"Of course." Shirou agreed, though he first took a moment to say goodbye to both Lord El-Melloi and Bazett. "Thank you both for bringing me here, and thank you again for accepting me as your apprentice, sir."

"It was my pleasure."

"Heh, no problem, kid."

Then Grey took his hand and softly but insistently pulled him out of the office, once again stealing a glance at Lord El-Melloi, standing up slightly straighter when the man nodded in approval again.

Once they were about a minute of walking away from Lord El-Melloi's office, going down an ornate hallway, Grey stopped for a moment to look around. Then, she pulled him over to a hidden door, opening it with a key around her neck.

"Please come in." She whispered, going ahead and holding the door open for him.

Accepting her invitation, Shirou entered the hidden room, finding that it was surprisingly cosy, with two sofas and a coffee table standing on a patterned rug, right in front of a small hearth, which at the moment was unlit.

"When I first became Sir's apprentice, I felt… overwhelmed, sometimes." Grey told him, shyly rubbing her hands together. "So Sir gave me this place, f-for when I want some time alone."

"That was kind of him."

"Y-Yes, Sir is very kind." Her face brightened when he praised Lord El-Melloi, and Shirou wondered just how the Lord had managed to win so much loyalty from this girl.

"S-So," Grey began once they were both seated, pressing her fingertips together. "Sir asked me to introduce you to the Clocktower and tell you everything I know, w-which isn't a lot, I only came here myself recently, b-but I will do my best!"

"Well, no matter how little you know, it can't be less than me." Shirou laughed kindly. "A short while at the Clocktower is more than no time at all."

"R-Right!" Grey seemed to find some strength in his words, as her posture became slightly prouder. "Uhm, t-then, what did Sir tell you so far?"

Shirou gave her a quick summary, telling her what he knew so far about the rules, the leadership, and the three factions.

"I see." Grey whispered, placing a finger on her lip. "Then sir already told you most of the really important things. T-There is more of course, but… I'm not sure where to start."

"Why don't we start with introductions then?" Shirou suggested, bowing slightly from his sitting position, reciting a false introduction he'd practised a thousand times in front of a mirror. "My name is Shirou Fujimaru. I am a Magus from Japan."

"…My name is Grey." The girl answered after a few seconds, her hand coming up as if to shake his, before she let it drop at her side again. "I'm Sir's apprentice."

No more information was forthcoming, and when Shirou's eyes met Grey's, he could see that it wouldn't be forthcoming for a long while either.

That was wise of her. The Clocktower was a very harsh place, where wearing your heart on your sleeve would just get it stabbed. Better to say too little than too much in such an environment.

She had secrets, and he knew that. He had secrets, and she knew that. There was no need to think further about it.

"Well met, miss Grey." He thus said, smiling brightly. When she didn't reply though, he continued. "With introductions out of the way, could you perhaps tell me about Lord El-Melloi?"

"About Sir?" Grey's eyes, which had been flitting all over the room, suddenly locked on to his. "Why?"

"Because I would like to know more about my own sponsor." Shirou explained, remaining at ease despite the unblinking stare levelled at him. "More than him being the Lord of the Archibald-family."

And the Master of Rider during the Fourth Holy Grail War under the name of Waver Velvet, but Shirou didn't think it wise to mention that he knew that.

"I can only tell you what Sir would have told you in my place. I will reveal none of his secrets." Grey said immediately, in a voice that brokered no argument. When Shirou nodded, she went on. "Well, uhm… I think… Uuuh, where to begin?"

"What about his name and family?"

"Ah, yes! S-Sir's name is Waver Velvet, a member of the Velvet-family." Grey gratefully accepted the straw he offered her. "He is a third generation Magus without talent, riches, or power. He works really hard though, and that makes him almost as good as the others."

That last bit was clearly her personal opinion on the matter, but Shirou couldn't disagree.

"I am sure Lord El-Melloi is very impressive despite his lack of talent."

Let it never be forgotten that Kiritsugu had been a worthless Magus as well, which hadn't stopped him from becoming a man of international renown who could scare the pants off any Magus who spoke of him with derision.

"Yes, indeed!" Grey seemed very happy with his agreement, her voice rising slightly in excitement. "Sir always says that a good work ethic is a Magus' most important quality, even more important than power or talent. O-Other people say he is wrong, b-but I think he is right!"

"Well, he did become a Lord of a powerful family without talent or power. That's more than most can say about themselves." Shirou smiled, before frowning when Grey flinched slightly. "Is something wrong?"

"…Uhm, well." Grey seemed unsure what to tell him, nervously rubbing her hands together as her previous happiness quickly melted away. "I-It's… W-Well…"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Shirou assured her. "You already told me you won't reveal his secrets."

"It's not a secret." Now the hooded girl looked positively miserable. "Everyone knows, and people always laugh at Sir about it."

"Once more, you don't have to tell me."

"N-No, Sir would want you to know, and he doesn't like talking about it, so it's better if I tell you, b-but… Y-You won't l-laugh, r-right?"

"I promise I won't laugh."

For a few seconds more, Grey seemed to hesitate, peering at his face as if trying to determine his honesty, before she began talking, the words tumbling out.

"The Archibald forced Sir to become their family-head. They abducted him and threatened him so he would take over their debt and would work to restore their Crest and recover their reputation. They say it is his fault the previous head died and the Crest was lost, and they blame their downfall on him too. Lady Reines said he would be their slave for the rest of his life, t-to atone."

"Oh." Shirou's mood darkened as he listened to the pained words. "Oh, now that, I hate."

Typical Magus-arrogance and hypocrisy. 'To be a Magus is to walk with death', but only when it came to killing others apparently.

Blaming Waver Velvet for Kayneth's death… How low could they get?!

No matter how one looked at it, Waver Velvet had had the full right to fight against Kayneth El-Melloi during a Holy Grail War. In fact, he'd had the full right to kill him and take everything the man owned.

And that hadn't even happened! It had been Shirou's father who had put an end to Kayneth's life. All Lord El-Melloi had ever done was steal Kayneth's relic, which wasn't nearly the same as killing him.

No matter how one looked at it, the downfall of the Archibald could be placed only at the feet of Kayneth and Kiritsugu, no one else.

Kiritsugu for actually killing Kayneth of course, but Kayneth himself should have known there was a significant chance he would die in that bloody slaughter and left his Crest behind. And when he took it anyway, his family should have anticipated his death and the subsequent loss of their Crest and made preparations accordingly.

But no, there was no trace of dignity or resourcefulness to be found among them. The moment things didn't go as they wanted, they plucked a boy off the street, a boy who hadn't even killed Kayneth, and saddled him with all their problems because they couldn't handle them themselves.

"I take it Lord El-Melloi isn't happy about that." Shirou stated more than asked, but he was taken aback when Grey shook her head.

"Sir thinks it is his duty to his former master to lead and help his family." She whispered, sounding both confused and proud. "He says he won't leave or die until he manages to repay the debts of himself and the Archibald."

"A noble sentiment, if a little misplaced." Shirou huffed. If it had been him, he would have told them to go take a hike. To be a Magus was to walk with death, and if they were unable to deal with the death of their Lord and loss of their Crest, they shouldn't be a ruling family in the first place.

He was aware it was uncharacteristically harsh of him to have such an opinion, but being a Hero of Justice didn't entail helping a spoiled family get their power and influence back after they lost it fair and square.

Then something Grey had said earlier caught his attention.

"They want Lord El-Melloi to restore their Crest?" Shirou fully turned towards Grey, his expression one of disbelief. "But you said earlier that it was lost."

"Y-Yes, but they want Sir to repair it, somehow."

Shirou blinked, before he sighed deeply as he rubbed his hand over his face in consternation. Kayneth El-Melloi had been struck with one of his father's Origin Bullets. That Crest was gone and never coming back. Lord El-Melloi stood no chance at all.

"Poor man." He muttered.

"Sir also borrowed a lot of money from mister Melvin, to buy Lord Kayneth's class and to pay off the Archibald's debt." Grey added, looking more forlorn with every word. "Sir told me he owes mister Melvin hundreds of millions of pounds."

Shirou choked on air when he heard that number. Hundreds of millions?! Good gracious! Kiritsugu had been pretty rich at the end of his life, with a lot of money stashed in many different bank accounts all over the world, but even all together they only contained about fifty million pounds, not hundreds of millions.

Of course, with the treasures in his Vault, even a billion pounds wasn't all that much for Shirou, but for a man from a three-generation family who apparently had no talent, money, or power? That debt had to be crippling!

"Is this Melvin threatening him about it?" The redhead asked sharply, wondering how much time Lord El-Melloi had to repay the man. "Do you know if he needs to pay anything back soon?"

If the need was dire, Shirou could perhaps pitch in by selling a few Mystic Codes. Those were worth a lot, or at least, so he'd heard.

"O-Oh, n-no, please don't worry." Grey tried to sooth him, looking at him with a strange hint of wonder in her eyes. "Melvin doesn't care when Sir pays him back, he just enjoys seeing Sir squirm whenever he reminds him of the debt. He also gets Sir to do things for him in return."

"…Oh, so this Melvin is one of those types." Shirou muttered distastefully, relaxing in his seat again. "It would seem Lord El-Melloi is a puppet on the strings of an awful lot of people."

"D-Do you regret coming to study under him?" Grey's soft voice was filled with anxiousness, her hands clutching the armrests of her seat. "I-I assure you, his students are always left out of things, so you don't have to worry-"

"I don't." Shirou was quick to set her at ease. "I don't regret accepting his offer. I was merely surprised that a man like him is letting himself be pushed around so much, though, from what you have told me, it might be the only logical path Lord El-Melloi can see."

"Sir's sense of duty is too big." Grey nodded furiously, clasping her hands into fists below her chin. "I tried to talk to him about it, but he only says it is his duty to his king."

Ah yes, Iskandar, or in more modern language, Alexander the Great. King of Macedon, emperor of Greece and Persia, and King of Conquerors. Waver Velvet's Servant during the Fourth War.

Not that Shirou was supposed to know that of course.

"His king?" Shirou asked, injecting an amount of curiosity in his voice that he hoped was just enough to convey that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Ah, um." Grey seemed flustered again, rubbing her head, before looking in the direction of Lord El-Melloi's office, and then back at him. "H-How much do you know about the Holy Grail War?"

Well, let's see. He was supposed to be a young Magus from a lineage no one had ever heard of before, without influence or power, so the correct answer would be-

"Almost nothing."

Far from being daunted at just how much she had to explain to him, which was what Shirou had half-expected, Grey just cleared her throat, gave no sign of being exasperated or bored, and began talking.

"It's all centred around the Heaven's Feel ritual…"

---

Waver was fully and completely aware that he had only made it as far as he did because of Melvin Weins.

If it hadn't been for Melvin, he would never have been able to make it to Fuyuki-City for the Fourth Holy Grail War, with or without the artifact he'd taken from Kayneth. Without Melvin, he couldn't have bought Kayneth's class in a thousand years. Without Melvin, creditors for the debt he'd taken over from the Archibald would have torn him apart years ago.

If it hadn't been for Melvin loaning him the money necessary for all those things, Waver would have been a total nobody until his probably very untimely death. He knew this and acknowledged it and was willing to do a lot to repay the man.

But by the Root, the man was so annoying sometimes. Or most times really.

"Waver!" The white-haired Tuner barged into Waver's office like he owned it, looking both overjoyed and slightly hurt, somehow. "Why didn't you tell me you have a new apprentice!?"

"Well, I-"

"We are friends, aren't we?! Don't we share such information with each other?!"

"I did tell you, Melvin." Waver pointed out, raising his voice a bit too. "I told you several months ago that I agreed to take on a student in exchange for those criminals I had been searching for."

"Oh? OOOOOH! Right!" Melvin seemed confused for a moment, before he brightened up. "Yes, yes, you told me indeed. Silly me, forgetting all about that. My brain isn't what it once was."

Melvin's brain had never been quite impressive, but Waver wisely kept his mouth shut about that.

"Still, you could have told me you were going to pick him up today from the airport. I could have come along! Oh, I so want to meet him, your new apprentice. Is he like that other one of yours, Grey? I would love to have another Grey around, she's nice to me."

"Fujimaru is not like Grey at all." Waver sighed, hoping Melvin wouldn't bother the boy too much. "Again, as I have told you before, he had no problem seeking a confrontation with the Sealing Designees and Bazett and won in both cases. Grey would have never done so on her own."

"So he's strong? Huh, wonder why I never heard of him then." Melvin's brow crinkled, his lips moving without sound for a moment. "Fujimaru, Fujimaru, Fujimaru… Nope, doesn't ring any bells."

"I'd never heard of him or his family before either." Waver admitted. "I suspect he is either a first-generation Magus or from a small, very new family that hasn't dared to contact the Clocktower yet."

"Or he's lying about his name." Melvin pointed out with a lopsided smile.

"Or that." Waver nodded, not needing Melvin to point that out. It was his main theory after all.

"Well, so he's either a total newbie or a liar with ulterior motives. I'm looking forward to what will come of it."

"I'm sure you are."

"I mean it! Seeing newbies get slapped in the face with the cruelty, pettiness, and vitriol that is so widespread here never ceases to amuse me. Even more when they survive it all and become the same in response. I do so like people falling from their pedestal." Melvin's smile remained kind and pleasant as he spoke, and Waver had to suppress a shudder at the unsettling disparity between his jovial tone and the dark contents of his words. "On the other hand, if he is a liar with ulterior motives, then following you as your new criminal student goes around fucking things up sounds like time well-spent too. Oh, Waver, I was so right to lend you money. You always deliver the most amusing- Blerg!"

Melvin's rant was interrupted when blood sprouted out of his mouth as if he'd just been stabbed straight in the chest. He coughed violently, each heave sending more blood splattering around and paling his complexion further.

Far from being panicked about this, Waver just sighed again and took a handkerchief to clean up the blood that had landed on his desk. It was hardly uncommon for Melvin to cough up blood, as he had some sort of unknown disease in his lungs and heart, so there was no use in getting angry about it. The greatest of healers had attempted to heal Melvin to no avail, so the white-haired man could not be blamed for his body's weakness.

"Sorry, got a little too excited there." Melvin apologised bashfully. "But to return to our previous subject, I'm really happy you brought me such an amazing source of amusement. If you continue like this, feel free to ask for more money. In fact, I'll give you a million pounds right now for this wonderful gift of bringing an apprentice from Japan. No need to pay me back!"

"…Why from Japan specifically?" Waver asked after a moment, raising an eyebrow.

"Because of the discrimination!" Melvin exclaimed shamelessly. "The discrimination that the boy's going to face and his reaction to it will be worth every penny!"

…Melvin had no idea how right he was.

Images of the broken bodies of racists flashed through his mind, and Waver resolved to keep Grey with Fujimaru at all times. Otherwise, Melvin might get more amusement than he could ever anticipate from the boy.

"You're staying silent for an awfully long time there, Waver." Melvin pointed out after a few seconds of silence. "Did I hit the nail on the head?"

"That is irrelevant." Waver immediately dismissed the topic. "Rather, tell me why you are really here. And don't say it is because of Fujimaru, we both know that isn't true. A new apprentice alone wouldn't have excited you this much."

"You are correct, again." Melvin admitted easily enough. "I am here because my mother told me something very interesting, and I thought you should hear it too, especially considering… recent developments."

Now Waver was all ears. Melvin Weins was the son of Lillian Weins, one of the top info brokers of the entire Clocktower. She had bits and pieces of information stored away that were worth millions of pounds, which incidentally was also why that family was so obscenely rich.

Well, that, and the fact that the Weins were a branch family of the Trambellio, one of the three leading families and the heads of the Democratic Faction.

Lilian Weins had been born into wealth and power, and she had made the most out of it.

Quite why a woman like that continued loving and supporting her no-good son was anyone's guess, but she did it to this very day.

"You just thought of something very unkind to me." Melvin suddenly complained with a whine. "I know I'm garbage, but you don't have to be so obvious about your opinion of me, Waver. I thought we were friends."

"I apologise. It was not my intention to insult you." Waver's apology was sincere, which put the grin right back on Melvin's face. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"The Edelfelt have joined the Democratic Faction at last." Melvin's grin became wider when Waver pursed his lips in response to the information. "They were on the democratic side for quite a long time already of course, but now it's official. The deal was sealed this afternoon, not long before you arrived. In fact, you might have met their delegation in the parking garage."

"I did." Waver nodded, his mind already furiously going over the information. The Edelfelt joining the democratic faction wasn't good news for him. Yes, it was true that everyone knew they were already as close to the Democratic Faction as a family could be without actually joining it, but it seemed they had passed the point of no return now.

Since the Archibald-family was a staunch member of the Aristocratic Faction, that put them squarely in opposition to the Edelfelt now, which could pose a serious problem. Not because Edelfelt were particularly powerful, but because they were just powerful and influential enough to be able to disturb a very fragile balance between Factions that had already been perilously close to tearing apart.

In fact, it wouldn't surprise Waver one bit if the Archibald-family-council would soon start pushing him to find neutral families to convert to the aristocratic side to balance things out again.

To them, his class was just a recruiting ground and his students nothing but potential recruits. Something that angered him greatly, yet he was entirely powerless against. He could only complain to Reines, and that wouldn't do any good.

His 'little sister' was a sadistic little girl who delighted in his misery after all.

Pretty much just like Melvin actually.

Thank the Root for people like Grey and Bazett, or he would have been surrounded solely by people wishing to see him in pain.

"You saw the Edelfelt in the parking garage?!" Melvin's joyous exclamation pulled Waver back to the present. "Did you see how they were stranded there?!"

"Stranded?"

"You missed it? Oh man, that's a pity! Yes, apparently, the Edelfelt delegation came with their best and most expensive car to make a dramatic exit, but it failed! Their car didn't start at all. It had been completely fucked up, forcing them to go back upstairs to call their family to ask for a replacement."

"Oh?" Waver raised an eyebrow at the story, as he hadn't noticed anything amiss himself.

"I heard the engine was completely torn to pieces, largely melted too. They say it was definitely Magecraft, but no one has any idea how it was done without anyone noticing."

…Hold on a moment.

Waver licked his lips, suddenly finding they were quite dry. If what Melvin said was true, then the engine had broken while he had been passing by.

He hadn't done anything, and he was pretty sure Bazett hadn't either, so that left only one possibility.

It seemed Fujimaru was already making trouble on his first day.

Waver very wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. If he pretended not to see or know anything, perhaps it would all leave him alone.

"I heard people were having great fun at their failed exit, your family most of all." Melvin continued, a sly smile gracing his face. "They should be in excellent spirits now, so if there's anything you need to clear with them, now's the time."

His hidden meaning was clear as day.

'Tell the Archibald about your new apprentice now that they are in a good mood.'

"That shouldn't be difficult. I'll tell Reines during my meeting with her." Waver nodded. "Speaking of, she'll be here any minute now, so kindly make yourself scarce."

"Gladly." Melvin and Reines had never gotten along, so the frail man was only too happy to leave. "I take it little Grey brought Fujimaru to her lounge room?"

"Probably."

"Then I'm off. Good luck with the little hellion, Waver."

With those final words, Melvin left the office.

"Thank you." Waver nevertheless replied. "I'm going to need it."

Reines El-Melloi Archisorte was the de-facto head of the Archibald-family and the one who had forced him to take the position of Lord El-Melloi. She was a sadistic little girl who enjoyed toying and messing with people, and Waver often had to bear the brunt of her moods and whims.

He remembered the first time he'd met her, after her goons had kidnapped him from the street, brought him to some kind of abandoned warehouse, and hung him upside down from the ceiling, to torture him. She'd been only a child back then, not even ten years of age, yet she'd already been a cold-blooded Magus with no compunctions about blackmailing him in retribution for getting Kayneth killed.

That was not to say she was completely evil though. She could be surprisingly kind, sometimes, almost as if she tried to be a proper family-member. She even insisted on calling him her big brother, and wanted him to play along with it.

He never let his guard down around her though. She was a cold creature, one who wouldn't hesitate to kill him should it prove advantageous.

But, she was his boss, and that meant he had to live with her as well as he could.

Even if that meant having regular conversations with her.

---

"And that's how Sir became the Lord of the Archibald-family." Grey finished at last, having spent the past ten minutes talking about the Fourth Holy Grail War, though she didn't tell Shirou anything new. "Because Lord Kayneth was murdered, and the Archibald-family decided it was Sir's fault."

"Shouldn't it be Kiritsugu Emiya's fault?" Shirou wondered, taking extreme care to keep his tone detachedly interested. "Maybe I'm wrong, but shouldn't the one who did the actual killing be blamed for the death of Lord Kayneth?"

"Well, yes, but they cannot find mister Emiya." Grey's voice became a whisper as she told him that, as if she were afraid of being overheard. "They're still really, really mad at him for killing Lord Kayneth though. Mister Rampusa keeps telling everyone that he wishes to kill mister Emiya himself, but miss Gladys says he's just grandstanding, and that mister Emiya would easily kill him."

"They have no idea where he is?"

"I don't think so, or they would have done something by now." Grey nodded, though she sounded a bit unsure. "From what Sir told me, no one has seen mister Emiya for years. Some people think he is dead."

"Hm, scary." Shirou commented dryly, to which Grey nodded rapidly.

"Yes! I'm really scared the Magus Killer will go after Sir again." She admitted, drawing her hood further over her head. "Sir says he has no reason to, but what if he just wants to kill Sir? Everyone always wants to kill Sir."

"Then I suppose we'll have to protect him, don't we?" Shirou supplied, giving her his best grin despite the grief gnawing at his heart. "I'll do my very best."

"O-Oh, m-me too." Grey agreed, in a somewhat louder voice with the faint beginnings of a smile on her face. "We will protect Sir."

"Damn right we will!"

Shirou started when a cold, nasal voice suddenly came from within Grey's jacket. He almost summoned Mjolnir out of reflex to vanquish the threat, before he realised Grey looked more annoyed than scared.

"Please be silent, Ad. I'm talking with mister Fujimaru." She said as she reached into her jacket and… pulled out a birdcage holding a grey cube with a face?

"That's precisely why I am speaking up." The cube refuted. "If it was up to you, you'd never introduce me to him, so I took matters into my own hands. Now, let me see this boy that little Waver was so nervous about-"

The cube shifted in its cage and looked at Shirou. At the same time, Shirou looked at the cube.

Both froze in place.

Shirou's eyes, normally so adept at finding the truth, began itching and pricking when he tried to study the cube. His brain started acting up too, sending flashes of pain through his head while blaring nonsense.

Shirou's eyes insisted it was just a grey cube, nothing more, but his mind swore up and down that the cage contained a beautiful, gigantic lance that shone like a beacon at the edge of a black sea.

In the end, after several seconds of staring, Shirou still didn't know what that thing was, but he did know it wasn't just a cube.

It was a Noble Phantasm, an extremely powerful Noble Phantasm that was way beyond his understanding.

In turn, Ad was faced with someone whom he had never met before, yet seemed more familiar with than anyone else.

The face, hair, and body were entirely foreign to the cube, but the aura that radiated from the boy, the pure, peaceful aura that spoke of a utopia, was intimately familiar, almost like family.

The cube and the boy could have stared at each other for the rest of the day, neither able to make sense of what they saw, but Grey loudly clearing her throat managed to pull their attention away from each other.

"Mister Fujimaru? Ad?"

"My apologies." Shirou managed to get out, carefully looking away from the cube. "You have something quite unusual there."

"Right back at you, lad." The cube huffed, sounding far more serious than before. "You seem familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I know you from."

"Hm."

Both boy and cube pondered for a few seconds longer, before Ad decided that he would think on the matter later. For now, he had to cheer up his king's descendant.

"If anyone tries to strike at little Waver, we'll kick their asses good." He announced bombastically, pretending not to notice how Fujimaru relaxed again at the change in topics. "Just have a little more faith in yourself, girl, and you will be fine. Now, tell the boy the important stuff."

"Heh? But I thought I was doing that? And Sir already told him a lot too."

"That was not what I was talking about! All that stuff about laws and departments and Holy Grail Wars is interesting and all, but you gotta tell him where to get his food, where the books are at, who to speak with and who to avoid, where his classroom is. Lead him around, girl, show him where to go, or he'll be stumbling around like a fool."

"Oh, yes." Grey mumbled, her eyes widening in realisation. "That."

"I would appreciate a tour, if that is at all possible." Shirou agreed.

"I-It should be." Grey nodded rapidly. "T-Then, perhaps we should go now?"

"If you have the time."

"I believe I do-"

"Hey there!"

Grey never got to finish her sentence, as right in the middle of it, the door of their room was thrown open and a white-haired man walked in.

Shirou had sensed the man coming, but since multiple people had already passed by the small room without stopping, he'd ignored him, figuring he was also just a passerby.

Despite being taken by surprise however, he reflexively placed himself between Grey and the potential new threat fast enough that even the swiftest of spells wouldn't have hit her, raising his fists and channelling enough power through his Circuits to obliterate the newcomer.

"EEP! E-Easy there!" The newcomer stumbled backwards, almost tripping over himself in his haste to retreat. "I am harmless! Please don't hurt the chronically ill lung-patient!"

"It's only mister Melvin." Grey said quickly, and Shirou turned his head enough to could keep an eye on both her and the man. "He is indeed harmless, mostly."

Melvin. He remembered the name from Grey's earlier story. This was the man who had loaned Lord El-Melloi hundreds of millions of pounds, and who was annoying.

Well, since Grey knew the man and clearly did not consider him a threat, Shirou relaxed slightly, though he kept his guard up nevertheless. While his instincts told him Grey could be trusted, this man had no such approval from them.

"R-Right, there's no need to be worried, or violent." Melvin nodded rapidly, only relaxing when Shirou lowered his fists, before walking up to him and holding out his hand for a shake. "My name is Melvin Weins. A pleasure to meet Waver's new student."

"Shirou Fujimaru." Shirou introduced himself in turn, accepting the handshake after verifying there were no weapons or Magecraft involved in the gesture. "I am most grateful that Lord El-Melloi saw enough in me to accept me as his apprentice."

"So stiff, so formal." Melvin grinned, letting himself fall backwards onto one of the couches like a doll that had been thrown down by its owner. "There's no need to be. Anyone who's friends with Waver is a friend of mine, especially if they promise to be as interesting as you."

"Interesting?"

"If Waver is willing to practically smuggle you into the Clocktower without informing even his leash-holder Reines, there has to be something fascinating about you, and I want to find out exactly what that is. I love uncovering secrets, you see."

"There are no secrets. I merely prefer to keep a low profile."

"Oh? And why is that?" Melvin asked, leaning forward curiously, his eyes sparkling at the promise of an interesting story and his mouth shaping into a very alarming grin.

The redhead immediately resolved to keep Melvin at arm's length as much as possible. He seemed like a very troublesome person.

"No particular reason. I just like peace and quiet." He lied. Heroes of Justice weren't peaceful or quiet by definition, but it was the best excuse he could come up with at the top of his head.

"I see." Melvin clearly didn't believe it for a second. "But now that you're here, you're going to introduce yourself to everyone, right?"

"I don't know about everyone, but miss Grey was going to show me around." Shirou replied, to which Grey nodded in agreement.

"Oh? Mind if I tag along?" Melvin asked eagerly, his eyes shining even brighter at the promise of more excitement.

"...Sure, I don't mind." Shirou shrugged. He'd have preferred it if Melvin didn't come along of course, but the man was technically their ally, so they could hardly refuse. "Miss Grey?"

"I don't mind either." Grey replied.

"Oh… Thank you." There was a flash of disappointment in the man's eyes when he realised Shirou and Grey weren't going to protest, and Shirou had to suppress a huff of amusement at his put-upon expression.

Melvin rallied quickly though, regaining some of his lustre.

"Let's not just stand around, come! I know some places a newcomer absolutely needs to have seen at least once- URGH!"

Shirou's hand shot out and grabbed the collar of Melvin's coat, before he pulled the man towards Grey and positioned himself between them and the door.

The next moment, two men barged into the small room.

Shirou had sensed them coming, and unlike with Melvin, it had been clear right away that they had come for a fight.

"Shirou Fujimaru?" One of the intruders asked in a serious voice. "You will come with us."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Shirou refused, just as seriously. "Miss Grey and I haven't finished our conversation yet."

"That is not your choice to make." The other man barked, his fists coming up as the scent of Magecraft started to fill the room. "Lady Reines wishes to see Lord El-Melloi's new apprentice at once."

"Uhm." Grey piped up from behind Shirou. "Mister Fujimaru, lady Reines also summoned me when I arrived at the Clocktower. I'm sure she doesn't mean you any harm."

"Lady Reines can wait her turn." Shirou refused to accept such behaviour however. He was not a dog that could be summoned at her leisure. "I have other plans."

"It would be unwise to refuse her summons." The man on the right warned him, taking a step forward threateningly. "We'll take you to her by force if we have to."

"That is obvious from your behaviour." Shirou huffed, giving them both a quick once-over.

From what he could see, these men were combat-Magi. Their stances were quite decent, their suits had been made from Reinforced materials, and they smelled fairly powerful.

If he had to guess, he'd say they were both about half as strong as Bazett.

That wouldn't be enough however. Even if they could equal Bazett together, he'd gotten quite a bit more powerful since his fight with the red-headed Enforcer, enough that he was quite confident he could beat her now should they ever fight again.

These two wouldn't be a problem at all.

"There is no need for this to end in violence." Shirou nevertheless tried to deescalate the situation, not too eager to start his stay at the Clocktower with a needless fight. "You can tell lady Reines that I am open to planning a meeting at another time."

"M-Mister Fujimaru, it would be wiser to accept her invitation." Grey tried once more, but she was ignored again.

Shirou didn't miss how Melvin made no attempt at de-escalation, instead watching with glee as the situation unfolded. That man really was a troublesome one.

"You will answer the summons of lady Reines." The man on the left repeated like a broken record, before launching himself forward in an attack, a fist flying at Shirou's temple, probably aiming to knock him out.

Shirou easily parried the blow, slapping it aside hard enough for the man to lose his balance, before brutally headbutting him, knocking him flat on his back, out like a light.

He was still alive, but he wouldn't be getting up again any time soon.

The other man had half a second to feel surprised at his partner's immediate defeat before Shirou rushed over and gave him a chop to the neck, also sending him to dreamland.

Just like that, it was over, and Shirou had to adjust his initial impression of the men.

No way these two were anywhere close to Bazett. She would have defeated these guys as easily as he had.

"M-Mister Fujimaru!" Grey cried, grabbing her head in her hands as she looked at the downed men. "W-Why did you do that?!"

"To defend myself." Shirou replied shortly, though that was only half true.

Going with the men had probably been the wisest choice when it came to keeping a low profile, like he wanted, but he had to make it clear immediately that he wouldn't be pushed around. He had to make sure he wouldn't give the Archibald an inch, or they would try to take a mile.

Again, he wanted to become a Hero of Justice, which meant he had to be kind as much as he could, but that didn't in any way involve serving an arrogant Magus-family that had lost its riches and standing fair and square.

Though he did feel bad about distressing poor Grey.

"Lady Reines is not going to like this." She whispered nervously, one of her hands reaching into the pocket that Shirou now knew to contain Ad, in a way that reminded the redhead of someone reaching for a weapon. "She is not going to like this at all."

"Meh, don't sweat it." Melvin shrugged his shoulders, a wide grin on his face. "She's not going to try anything; not when mister Fujimaru over here didn't even hurt those goons of hers all that much. No way she's going to bother Waver's student over basically nothing, she wouldn't dare."

"Oh?" That was news for Shirou.

"Waver can take a whole lot of suffering when he needs to, but he has his limits. Someone hurting his students definitely crosses those limits." Melvin explained, before he bared his teeth in an almost feral expression. "If Reines tries to retaliate against you for beating up her goons, I imagine Waver will finally rebel against her."

"There will be no need for Lord El-Melloi to get involved." Shirou shook his head, not about to let someone else take the fall for his actions. "I will deliver these two to lady Reines and work things out with her myself."

Grey seemed relieved at his words, undoubtedly happy Lord El-Melloi wouldn't get even more on his plate, and Melvin, after pondering for a moment, just shrugged in acceptance.

"If you need a hand carrying them, Grey will no doubt be more than willing." Melvin started out kindly, even taking a step forward as if to actually help, before he made a heel-turn and pointed at the white-haired girl next to him. "She is quite strong, you will find. I am pretty weak though."

"There is no need to help me." Shirou declined the offer, holding up a hand to stop Grey, who had actually started to come forward without complaint. "I can carry them myself."

Shirou picked up first the one, throwing him over his shoulder, and then the other, throwing him over his other shoulder. The men, being tall, fit, and muscled, were quite heavy, though to Shirou, they might as well be feathers for all that they encumbered him.

"Pweew, you are indeed quite strong." Melvin remarked as Shirou walked out of the small room, following close behind with Grey. "You aren't even using any Magecraft, are you?"

"No need." Shirou replied shortly. "Do either of you have any idea where lady Reines is?"

"I think she's in Sir's office. She was supposed to have a meeting with him now." Grey supplied, looking at him with eyes full of wonder. A bit too much wonder, it almost made him feel uncomfortable.

"I can confirm this. Waver told me he'd have a meeting with her to discuss 'important business'." Melvin nodded, poking one of the men on Shirou's shoulders in the side. "Knowing her though, she's probably just telling him stuff he already knows, while irritating and annoying him as much as she can."

"Like you, you mean?" Grey mumbled, loud enough to easily be overheard.

"Not at all, miss Grey! Far from it!" Melvin declared strongly, his voice suddenly rising as he clenched his fists. "And to be honest, I resent that comparison."

Grey seemed taken aback at the sudden vehemence, and admittedly, Shirou was as well. Melvin had not made the impression of a man who felt strongly about being compared to others, but it seemed Grey had successfully raised his hackles.

"Reines is like a child, poking and prodding without shame, annoying people purely for the sake of enjoying their embarrassment and sometimes even their pain. She does not care what happens exactly, what the scenario is, as long as someone suffers in some way." Melvin started to rant, shaking his fist as he talked. "I am not like that at all! I am someone who takes enjoyment from interesting things. Yes, I suppose tragedy and pain are part of that, but I also like to see people rise, to see them happy and accomplished, to see justice prevail over evil! I like spectacle and grand tales, not petty bullying. Don't get me wrong, I am still a monster and an evil person, but even at my darkest moments I am not a pest like Reines!"

His rant finished, Melvin unclenched his hands again and smiled brightly at Shirou and Grey.

"Don't tell her I said that."

Shirou snorted and Grey groaned at the last sentence. Nevertheless, it had been quite a speech, and Shirou's opinion of Melvin went up a notch, just like his level of caution against the man.

While he lacked physical and magical power of any kind, he had just shown he had conviction, ambition, and a purpose in life, and that was enough to make him a threat to be reckoned with.

Or a potentially useful ally, depending on the situation and most likely Melvin's mood.

When they arrived at Lord El-Melloi's office and looked through the windows, they found him in conversation with a small, blonde girl, a bit younger than Shirou himself, who was prancing around his office while periodically looking at the lord.

"It seems they are still talking." Grey pointed out quietly, holding out a hand to stop Shirou from walking inside. "We should give them some time."

"Absolutely not." Melvin refuted immediately. "Reines lost any right to good manners and politeness when she sent her thugs after mister Fujimaru. I say we barge right in."

It was clear Melvin was just hoping for the maximum amount of chaos possible, but that didn't mean his suggestion didn't hold merit.

Shirou took a step forward, but before he could reach for the door, Grey placed herself squarely in front of him, holding her arms out to the sides.

"Mister Fujimaru." She hissed, her subdued façade showing cracks as she glared at him. "Please do not disturb Sir when he is having a meeting."

Shirou stopped, before he frowned when he realised he was in a bind.

Reines had it coming to have her meeting disturbed, and from what he'd heard from both Grey and Melvin, Lord El-Melloi would welcome the distraction, but the white-haired girl had been nothing but kind to him so far, so he could hardly just push her aside.

"Tsk, it seems we're stuck here." Melvin seemed to have the same idea as he did, crossing his arms with a frown. "You know, we're going to have to enter at some point, miss Grey. We can't have mister Fujimaru walk around with those two until tomorrow."

"Please wait until their meeting is finished." Grey repeated insistently, remaining in her position like a silent guardian, unmoving in the face of arguments or attempts at persuasion.

No matter what the two men tried, she wouldn't budge, standing firm even against attempts from Melvin to push her aside, and eventually, they resigned themselves to standing around in a hallway for a while.

"You still good with those two?" Melvin asked Shirou, motioning to the unconscious men. "You could put them down, you know?"

"I know, but there's no need. They don't weigh all that much." Shirou replied truthfully, as he could probably last hours more if needed, if not days.

"It is good to see you are so strong." Melvin nodded with an envious smile. "It makes me jealous, honestly. I wish I had but a fraction of that power."

"You are sick, are you not?" Shirou asked rhetorically. "That you aren't strong is not your fault."

"That is kind of you to say." Melvin grinned, patting Shirou on the back. "And yes, I am indeed sick. I have been for my whole life, and I have been a waste of space and a lazy lay-about besides. It is no wonder father abandoned me, though I have to wonder why my mother didn't immediately follow his example."

"Didn't your father speak with you last week?" Grey broke her stoic silence to ask a surprised question to Melvin, who nodded with a very wry smile.

"He came back as soon as it became clear that I was a Magic Circuit-tuner, able to enhance the power of people's Magic Circuits and of their Crests." He told them happily, revealing his abilities without a care. "It's such a valuable ability that my loving father immediately received me back with open arms. Isn't family great?"

"I can't comment on the dynamics of your family." Shirou replied bluntly, giving no words of comfort, knowing that a man like Melvin had no use for sympathy. "But are you sure you should give out all this information so freely?"

"It's nothing that isn't already common knowledge." Melvin shrugged with a grin. "And frankly, I was hoping that my honesty might prompt you to tell me about yourself in return."

"Well, if you must know, I was raised by my father, who taught me everything I know." Shirou began, seeing no harm in sharing that. "He died several years back though, and I have lived on my own since."

"Oh, you have my sympathy."

"That's terrible, mister Fujimaru!"

"Not at all." Shirou replied, more for Grey's sake than Melvin's. "We knew his death was coming for some time, so we said everything we needed to say and parted without regrets. He too was ill, you see."

"What did he suffer from?" Melvin asked, a note of seriousness entering his voice. "Were his symptoms like mine?"

"He suffered from a wasting disease that ate away his flesh." Shirou answered with a half-truth, before giving Melvin's body another close look. "You do not have this disease. You wouldn't look so good if you did."

"…Look so good?" Melvin slowly scratched his head. "It… It almost pains me to hear that."

"My apologies."

"Well, at least it puts things into perspective again. I might be sick, weak, and largely talentless, but at least my flesh isn't being eaten away. At least my mother always loved me. And of course, at least I'm not being held down by my supposed little sister who enjoys tormenting me a little too much."

The last sentence was clearly referring to Lord El-Melloi, whom Melvin gave a sorrowful look. A bit too sorrowful to be genuine.

"You know, I actually feel pretty bad about complaining now." Melvin went on, still looking at Lord El-Melloi through the window. "Poor Waver is the one having the toughest time. He tries his best, but Reines and the elders still mock him, curse him, use him however they please, and will discard him when they are done with him."

Grey twitched once.

"Why, just the other day, I overheard them threatening Waver, saying they would start putting more pressure on him if he didn't deliver adequate results soon. Of course, they mean torturing him."

Grey twitched again.

"Though it seems that recently, this has changed." Melvin leaned closer to Shirou and Grey, who subconsciously leaned towards him as well. "I heard, though this is just a rumour, that Reines actually plans to marry Waver once she becomes of age."

Now there was a visible glint of panic in Grey's eyes.

"She cannot stand to lose such a useful tool, so she's gonna take some measures. Of course, once they are married, there will be children, and we all know what happens to children of ruling families. Heavens, can you imagine how pained Waver would be once the Archibald take away his own children to indoctrinate them?" Melvin placed a hand against his face, as if in grief, but the insincerity was practically dripping off him. "He'll be heartbroken, truly."

That was the last straw for Grey, and her blue eyes suddenly turned yellow.

Without another word, she turned around resolutely and marched towards the door, clearly intend on giving Reines a piece of her mind.

When she placed her hand on the door handle however, she froze, realising just in time that she was being duped.

The realisation came too late however, and with an impish laugh, Melvin came up from behind her and pushed the handle down, opening the door.

"Now's your chance, mister Fujimaru." He shouted over his shoulder, placing his hands over Grey's shoulders to keep her from stopping him.

Giving Grey an apologetic look, Shirou walked straight in.

---

A few minutes earlier

"Waver!" Reines called out happily when she entered his office barely a minute after Melvin had left. "My dearest big brother, how are you today?!"

"I am well, Reines." Waver replied, before sighing when she gave him an imploring look. "I mean, my dear little sister. How about you?"

"Pretty good, pretty good." She grinned, clearly in an excellent mood. "Hehe, I'm doing pretty great actually."

"Really? Did something good happen?" Waver asked her, though he had an inkling already. "Is this about what happened to the Edelfelt?"

"Yes!" Reines laughed, before she blinked in surprise. "Oh, you knew about that already?"

"Melvin told me."

"Hm, whatever. In any case, yes, I am so happy because the Edelfelt got humiliated!"

"A little too happy if you ask me." Waver remarked, watching as she practically danced into his office with what seemed to be far too much glee.

"Certainly not, my level of happiness is entirely appropriate." Reines refuted immediately. "Don't you see, my dear, dumb, big brother? This was an incredible windfall!"

"Was it?" He must have seemed utterly confused, because she let out an exasperated sigh and began explaining.

"The Edelfelt joined the Democratic Faction, you heard about that as well, right?"

"It has reached my ears."

"Well, the Democratic Faction meant for that to be a huge development, and a massive shock to us, the aristocrats, so they kept it a secret right up until the last moment for maximum effect. They succeeded too. The different groups in the Aristocratic Faction immediately organised panicked meetings to discuss the development. The Edelfelt played their role to perfection."

"But?" Waver asked, sensing there was a but coming.

"But then they messed up at the last moment!" Reines shouted triumphantly, followed by another gale of laughter. "All that bombastic behaviour, all that pompousness, all that effort to put on an air of invincibility, and then their car just fails, and they have to go crawling back to arrange alternative transportation. The whole matter of them joining the democrats has amounted to absolutely nothing!"

Right, Waver understood now.

The Clocktower placed an immense amount of importance on appearances and facades when it came to political plays, perhaps even more than on actual substance. As such, it was entirely possible that a car that failed to start could ruin months of preparation and effort.

It might have been funny, if it wasn't so sad that the foremost research-institute of the Moonlit World functioned like a particularly toxic modelling agency.

"It will be quite a while before the Edelfelt are allowed to forget about this." Reines' smile was positively malicious. "And the Democratic Faction has lost face along with them. They shouldn't be much of a problem for a while now."

"I see. Is that what you wanted to meet me about?" Waver asked, hoping against hope that Reines was done now and would leave him be.

"Partially. I also want to hear about that new student that you picked up from the Far-East. You know, the one you didn't tell us about." Reines narrowed her eyes slightly, though the grin remained on her face. "What's the deal with him?"

"I believe I informed you months ago that I had offered a sponsorship to a Japanese Magus in exchange for the Sealing Designees he had captured." Waver pointed out, just like he had with Melvin.

"You didn't tell us he would arrive today though."

"I didn't think it worth mentioning."

"Your new student arriving at the Clocktower is definitely worth mentioning."

"Is that so? I'll remember it for next time."

Reines' grin now had an awful lot of teeth bared as she glared at Waver, who remained entirely cool under it.

Eventually, the blonde girl was the first to break the silence again.

"Well, alright then." She huffed as she let up on her glare, looking away for a moment. "Since I'm in such an excellent mood, I'll let it slide."

"Much appreciated."

"I'll be meeting him later though. I want to know what kind of person you have taken into the family."

He had hardly taken anyone into the family, but alas.

"I'm sure he'll be willing to meet with you."

"Heh, he will."

Waver raised an eyebrow at the strange reply, but Reines continued before he could question her about it.

"What's he like though, your new student? Is he like Grey? I like Grey, she's cute. Although, you said he'd captured several Sealing Designees on his own, and that's not like my sweet Grey at all."

"He is not like Grey." Waver repeated what he'd said to Melvin. "You can see for yourself when you meet him."

"Hm, I suppose I will."

There was that odd undertone again, that smugness that spoke of her knowing something he didn't, but again, she continued before he could ask about it.

"The elders of the family will be having a meeting tonight. I will attend, but you have not been invited. I'll let you know if we have discussed anything concerning you."

"Of course." Waver didn't bat an eye at the news. It was hardly unusual for him to be excluded from such meetings. Aside from the fact most of the Archibald still considered him an intruder and thus untrustworthy, they also took every opportunity possible to slight and insult him. Keeping him in the dark was just one of the ways they tried to bully him.

Well, they could go right ahead. Waver had better things to do than be sneered at for the better part of three hours, which is what usually happened during meetings he was allowed to attend.

"Hm." It seemed his apathetic reaction to not being allowed to attend the meeting vexed Reines, something Waver enjoyed perhaps a little too much. "Well, I suppose that was everything I wanted to tell you."

"Very well. Good evening then, Reines."

"Yeah, good evening."

Waver then turned back to the paperwork that had been accumulating on his desk, but when he hadn't heard the door of the office open after almost a minute of silence, he looked up again to find Reines still standing before his desk, looking oddly contemplative all of a sudden.

"What is it, Reines?" He prompted her, startling her out of those contemplations.

"There was still something I wanted to discuss about the Edelfelt." She said quickly, actually looking behind her to make sure the door was still closed, which made Waver raise an eyebrow. "They… They failed pretty badly today, and I think it can be said that they have become quite the joke in the Clocktower, right?"

"They are, at least for now." Waver nodded. "The Edelfelt are influential and powerful enough however to recover swiftly from this."

"Yes, I thought so as well." Reines nodded distractedly. She didn't actually seem all that interested in the Edelfelt though, and Waver got the sense this particular conversation wasn't about them. "You are a joke at the Clocktower too, aren't you?"

"I am, as you very well know." Waver confirmed, rather redundantly, wondering where this was going.

"But, you have been one for years." Reines continued, a strangely intense look in her eyes. "You have been an object of ridicule since you came to the Clocktower."

"I do not have the necessary influence or power to improve my situation." Waver reminded her. "Neither do the Archibald, not anymore."

Reines didn't react to the dig against her family, which was unusual enough that Waver now really started to pay attention.

"How do you deal with that?" She asked him, and Waver finally felt as if they had arrived at the core of the meeting. "How do you handle being an object of ridicule? How do you always manage to stay so calm even when you're mocked relentlessly?"

That was a surprising question, and not one he'd ever been asked before.

"At first, I didn't 'handle it'." Waver began slowly, unused to Reines giving him her undivided attention like this. "I was angry, bitter, and insulted. I was determined to prove everyone wrong and did some pretty stupid things. Things that included stealing an artifact from my teacher after he publicly tore my thesis paper into pieces in order to head into a conflict that I wasn't remotely ready for, all to prove some kind of point."

He spoke of course of his foolish decision to head into the Fourth Grail War with Kayneth's artifact.

"When I came back however, I came to see that I was wrong before. I had been trying to change people's minds through my efforts when it was clear they were never going to change their minds no matter what I did. At that moment, I decided I would no longer be like that. Instead of worrying about being a pariah, I just did what I needed to do. Instead of worrying about people who will never approve of me anyway, I just did my duty. That was all I could do and is still all I can do now."

"So, your solution is to ignore them?" Reines asked incredulously.

"My solution is to firmly keep in mind what is important and what not. I decided to live my own life, to laugh and cry and celebrate as I want." Waver corrected her too-simple summary. "I spent my life kneeling to the mockery and laughter coming my way, and though I still cannot quite stand up like my king could in his day, I have found that remaining safely on my knees has at least become a little harder now."

"So, ignore them?" Reines repeated, though her half-smile indicated she was just messing with him now. She then flipped her hair and looked away. "Well, I suppose as far as big-brother speeches go, that one was okay."

"How kind of you." Waver smiled thinly, though on the inside, he was a tiny bit relieved she was acting normally again. "Why the sudden interest though?"

"Well, there is a chance I might become a joke myself soon."

That genuinely took him aback.

"Now what could you possibly base that on?"

"The fact that I am failing at one of my core-responsibilities as heir of the Archibald-family."

Reines' sudden frankness was extremely unusual, and Waver was rapidly losing control of the conversation.

"What brought this on all of a sudden?" He asked, more to win time than anything else. "Has anyone treated you with contempt recently?"

"Not in person. So far, it's just been whispers. Whispers and rumours, spread by forked tongues." Reines hissed, clenching her teeth. "They say that I am useless. That we, the Archibald, have been entirely useless since the Fourth Grail War ended, and that the only reason we still matter is because of you and your work. They say it's like Kiritsugu Emiya killed the entire family in one blow."

"I cannot disagree." Waver answered frankly, before quickly continuing when Reines' eyes flashed dangerously. "Have there been any serious attempts from the Archibald-family at regaining power and influence since the loss of your Crest that wasn't pathetically sucking up to families you previously were allies with? More than that, when was the last time one of the Archibald did something noteworthy?"

Reines opened her mouth angrily, no doubt intending to slap an answer in his face, before she closed it again, looking a bit lost.

"Not since Kayneth died." Waver answered for her, and she hung her head in response. "So these whispers only speak the truth, which means I can do very little about them."

"Then help me with my projects!" Reines made the suggestion as if it was the thing she'd been working towards for the entire meeting. "I am close to a break-through with my lightning spell. I only need a bit of help. If I can just do that, if I can prove that I can do research, I won't be considered useless anymore."

Ah!

Now Waver understood what was going on.

Reines wanted his help with her research but didn't want to ask him directly.

He should have seen that sooner, especially since he'd already expected her to come to him at some point. Reines might be an exceptionally talented Magus when it came to using the family spells and Crafts that someone had already developed, but she was rather lousy at creating new things herself.

For the heir and de-facto head of the Archibald-family, that was not a good trait. Doing research and discovering new facets of Magecraft were a Magus' sole purpose, and every head or heir of a family of renown should at least have one discovery to their name, preferably more.

Before the Archibald had lost their Crest, Reines having no discoveries on record would have been cause for malicious whispers in the shadows, but her family's sheer power and influence would have curbed the worst of it.

Now that they had lost almost everything however, those ill-meaning people would have no compunctions about openly showing their contempt.

So, knowing that, Reines had come to him for help.

…He would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to refuse. Even on the best of days, Reines was an annoying girl who took perverse delight in tormenting him. However, even though he disliked her, he was still her sort-of-family-head, and a teacher to booth. He couldn't forsake his duties. Not now, not ever. Not if he ever wanted to face his king again.

As he had little talent for Magecraft himself however, he would have to delegate the task, and luck would have it that he might have someone on hand who was the best person for the job.

Waver never had the chance to give the despondent-looking Reines the good news however. Before he could even open his mouth, the door to his office was thrown open and Fujimaru walked through, carrying two bodies on his shoulders, followed by a concerned looking Grey and a thoroughly amused Melvin.

"Lord El-Melloi, my lady." Fujimaru greeted them, before throwing the men on the ground. "These men ambushed miss Grey and myself. They said they had been sent by lady Reines."

"…"

Waver sighed deeply yet again, before glaring at Reines, who went from staring at the men with wide eyes to looking at him with a guilty expression.

"…I can explain." She tried lamely.

---

"I really can't say I'm surprised." Sir sighed, shaking his head in resignation. "No, rather, I should have expected this. Why did I even think it wouldn't go like this?"

"Ehm, big bro? W-Waver? I really didn't mean anything with it-"

"I should have anticipated that you would send your goons to harass my new student the moment you heard of his existence. That I didn't anticipate this is on me alone."

"H-Hey now! I-I wasn't going to hurt mister…?"

"Fujimaru."

"Fujimaru here. All my men were supposed to do was escort him to me for a chat. I wasn't going to harm him in any way, I swear!"

As Grey beheld the spectacle in front of her, she really didn't know what to feel.

While it was cathartic to finally see Sir lose his patience with lady Reines, it was also making her distinctly uncomfortable, as if she was looking at a family-spat that she didn't have a part in and shouldn't be present for.

Next to her, Melvin was having a great time, while mister Fujimaru looked on with a neutral expression, seemingly unbothered despite being the one who'd caused the mess.

Sir had already warned her that the redhead would probably be trouble, but Grey doubted he had foreseen that Fujimaru would already be causing problems within his first hour at the Clocktower.

Although, to be fair, she could understand why Fujimaru hadn't reacted well to two strange, abrasive men telling him to come along to meet their mistress without giving him any choice or warning beforehand.

Lady Reines had never done something like that with her, but if she had, Grey might have reacted violently too, or at least ran away as fast as she could.

So while she wasn't thrilled with his actions so far, as they had caused trouble for Sir, she withheld judgement, for now.

"Well then, since your curiosity about my student was the root cause of this whole incident, allow me to introduce you." Lord El-Melloi then said, and Grey zoned back in now that the scolding seemed to be over. "Reines, this is Shirou Fujimaru, my new student. Fujimaru, this is Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, my honorary little sister and the de-facto head of the Archibald. I might be the official head, but in the family, she largely calls the shots."

"A pleasure to meet you, mister Fujimaru." Reines gave him a perfect-heiress smile.

"The pleasure is all mine, lady Reines." Fujimaru replied politely with a deep bow. "I am most grateful to Lord El-Melloi for accepting me as his student. It was very generous of him."

"Yes, he is quite generous, isn't he?" Reines agreed, her smile immaculate. "But I have a question for you, if I may?"

"Of course."

"Why did you decide to accept his deal?"

"…I do not understand your question, lady Reines." Fujimaru appeared confused, and Grey closed her eyes in resignation, suspecting Sir was about to be degraded again. "Why would I not accept it?"

"I looked up the names of the Sealing Designees you captured and traded with Waver for his sponsorship." Reines elaborated, her expression becoming much less pleasant than before. "Richard Burgon and Oliver Waudenstad aren't exactly small names, and Vincent Balefor could have gotten you the favour of the Queen of the Clocktower herself. Why did you agree to give them away in exchange for a sponsorship from a talentless lord from a fallen family when you could have gotten so much more?"

Grey opened her eyes again with some surprise. Rather than just degrading Sir, lady Reines had actually asked a valid question she'd been asking herself as well.

"I didn't choose the Archibald-family for any specific reason, if that's what you're wondering." Fujimaru replied with a shrug. "Lord El-Melloi was just the first to offer me a deal, and he seemed trustworthy enough, so I accepted."

"Suggesting you have a purpose here that is unconnected to the person or family you are sponsored by." Reines hummed, placing a finger on her lip. "Now what could that purpose be?"

"Yes, I wonder." Fujimaru smiled innocently.

"Perhaps your own family is so destitute that you are happy with any sponsorship you are offered." Lady Reines speculated idly, before she shook her head. "No no, we already established that the Sealing Designees could have gotten you a much better deal, destitute or not. Perhaps you simply don't wish to attract too much attention?"

"Why would mister Fujimaru want to avoid attention?" Grey found herself asking.

"There are many possible reasons." Lady Reines replied, giving Grey a fond look, though her eyes held a glint that unnerved the white-haired girl for some reason. "Maybe he wants to protect his family, or hide some kind of incredible talent that he fears will get him Sealed. Perhaps he is just up to no good."

"Perhaps." Fujimaru's innocent smile did not waver for a second.

"Speaking of family, I can't say I have ever heard of the Fujimaru before." Melvin interjected, also giving mister Fujimaru a curious look. "Why is that?"

"My family never had any reason to reach out to the Clocktower." The redhead explained patiently. "So we didn't."

"Until now apparently." Sir hummed, stroking his chin in thought.

"Until now." Mister Fujimaru agreed, still with that peaceful smile on his face.

That he was not going to tell them the reason why he had come out of isolation was left unsaid, but everyone heard it loud and clear nevertheless.

"How large is your Crest?" Lady Reines thus changed the subject, rather radically.

"I don't have a Crest."

"Your family hasn't given it to you yet?"

"My family doesn't have a Crest at all."

"What?!" Lady Reines almost started in shock, as did Melvin, and even Grey was a bit surprised. "You don't have a Crest?!"

"No, we don't."

Clearly, Reines wanted to ask more about that, to try and squeeze more information out of him, but then Lord El-Melloi interfered.

"Enough!" He said sharply, striking everyone silent. "Enough now. This is not the time for questions. Grey, have you shown Fujimaru to the dorms already? No? Then you may do so now."

"Yes, Sir." Grey nodded quickly. "P-Please come with me, mister Fujimaru."

"Oi, wait!" Reines stopped them however before they could leave, pointing at her men, who were still unconscious. "What about them? Can't you take them to the Healing Wing at least?"

"The Healing Wing?" Fujimaru blinked, before he made eye-contact with Sir, who waved a dismissive hand for some reason. "There's no need to take them to the Healing Wing."

Having said that, Fujimaru knelt down beside the two unconscious men and placed his hands on their foreheads. The next moment, there was a flash of golden light, bright enough to startle the girls, but before either could do anything, the redhead was already standing again.

"That should do it."

And with those words, the two men woke up again.

A healing spell. It had to be, though Grey could have sworn that he she hadn't heard any Incantation. Had he whispered it?

"You are skilled in the healing arts?" Melvin was also taken aback, but he soon started grinning again. "Goodness gracious, you've found yourself a fine one, Waver. Can he do anything else?"

"Funny that you should ask." Sir suddenly grinned. "Reines, pay careful attention now, and Fujimaru?"

"Sir?"

"Demonstrate a lightning spell, if you would."

The redhead didn't seem to understand the purpose of the request any more than Grey, but he did as he was asked. He raised a hand and ignited a storm of sparks on his palm.

"Urk!" Lady Reines stumbled back.

"Oh my." Melvin's smile became twice as wide.

"Eh?" Even lady Reines' thugs, freshly awakened, blinked in surprise.

Because not only was the spell powerful indeed, but Fujimaru had cast it without an Aria and without any Catalysts or Circles. Something that required more power and control than most Magi could hope to reach in their lifetimes.

"I understand, Waver." Having recovered from the surprise, lady Reines narrowed her eyes. "You want him to assist me."

"Assist you in what, lady Reines?" Fujimaru asked as he closed his fist, ending the spell.

"Why, in completing my newly-developed lightning spell of course." Lady Reines beamed at him, before reaching out and patting him on the back. "Very well, I'll take you on as my tutor. I don't have any time this week, but I'll let you know when you can come and see me. Have a pleasant day."

And before Fujimaru could offer any protest, she was out of the door, hastily followed by her thugs.

"I better leave too." Melvin grinned, before he indeed took his leave.

"Why the sudden hurry?" Fujimaru huffed, appearing a bit non-plussed.

"Because they are on their way to inform the Archibald-family and lady Lillian Weins respectively about your talents as fast as they can." Sir provided the answer. "I'm sorry for making you show them what you are capable of, mister Fujimaru, but I assumed it would get out quickly anyway."

"You assume correctly. I never intended to keep it quiet to begin with."

And with that final exchange, Lord El-Melloi handed Shirou the key to the room he would be staying in during his apprenticeship, and then dismissed both him and Grey from his office.

---

"Well, that was… interesting." Shirou remarked once he and Grey had returned to the private lounge room, politely ignoring the girl's pained grimace at his words.

"Please…" Grey practically begged him, looking wholly miserable. "Please pretend all of that never happened."

"Gladly." Shirou agreed immediately, if only for his own sanity.

Kiritsugu and Rin had told him many stories about the shark pool that was the Clocktower, about the cut-throat atmosphere, the regular back-stabbing, the unending power games, and the absolute cruelty and unethicalness of the Magi attending it, and while learning that it apparently also housed people like Reines and Melvin might not be altogether too bad, it would be sort of a let-down after all that build-up.

In a very abstract kind of way.

"Mister Melvin and lady Archibald are outliers." Grey stressed, apparently not yet mollified. "Other people in the Clocktower won't be so… so…"

"Frivolous?" Shirou offered.

"…Yes." It was clearly not the word Grey had been looking for, but she accepted it. "Y-You shouldn't talk to anyone outside of Sir's department actually, f-for safety."

"That's the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories, right?" Shirou asked, just to confirm one more time.

"E-Everything you need is in there." Grey nodded rapidly. "If you go somewhere else without permission, the Magi there might do h-horrible things to you."

She didn't provide any details, but the shiver that went through her body said more than a thousand words. Clearly, the idea of going somewhere she shouldn't and being caught by an enemy Magus had haunted her dreams more than once.

"I will do my best to avoid anyone from outside the department." Shirou promised. "Lord El-Melloi's enemies especially."

"Also his friends." Grey added, which made the redhead do a double-take.

"His friends too?"

"H-He said that, as his apprentices, our actions carry weight." She explained in a mumble. "I-If we talk or eat with the wrong person, we could send signals that S-Sir doesn't want us to send."

"Right. I suppose that's the political stuff I've been hearing so much about lately." Shirou had heard many things about the relentless games and plots that were hatched every minute at the headquarters of the Magus Association, and none of it was good. "So basically, I cannot talk to anyone?"

"You can talk to Sir and his allies, a-and to people he says you can talk with."

"And if other people try to talk to me themselves?"

"U-Uhm, I'm not sure…"

"Well, how do you usually deal with them yourself then, miss Grey?"

"…I ignore them."

Shirou couldn't help it. He laughed.

He might only have known her for an hour now, but that answer was so typically her that he couldn't hold it back, not even when she pouted at him.

"I'll ask Lord El-Melloi about that then." He grinned, though he could take a good guess already. Most likely, he'd have to keep the conversation short, not make any promises, and bring the matter to Lord El-Melloi as soon as possible.

When he proposed that to Grey, she nodded, so it was likely correct.

It was sensible advice, and Shirou planned on following it. His only target was the Einzbern-family after all. He wasn't here to talk or pick fights with anyone else.

He wasn't naïve enough to believe he would make it through his two months here without fighting anyone, but he could at least try, for Grey and Lord El-Melloi's sake if nothing else.

"Thank you for explaining everything to me, miss Grey." Shirou smiled gratefully at his new senior. "I am in your debt."

"Please don't say things like that." She corrected him sharply, or as sharply as she could while still whispering shyly. "You should never place yourself in someone's debt here. It's dangerous."

"Right, of course. I won't mention debt anymore." Shirou nodded, making a mental note to avoid such statements in the future. "But I would like to say that I really appreciate your help and your teachings nonetheless. Please take care of me, Senpai."

That last line was pretty much an inside joke, as he didn't think Grey would understand, but when she suddenly blushed, pulling her hood further over her head, Shirou realised that she somehow did understand.

"…I promised you a tour." She said after a few moments, still refusing to look at him even as she got up from her sofa. "Let's go."

And with that, she marched away, embarrassment radiating from her.

Had Ayako or Rin been present, they probably would have started teasing her to elicit more cute reactions. Never let it be said though that Emiya Shirou enjoyed messing with people, particularly people who had been so helpful to him, so rather than ribbing her any further, he placed an amicable smile on his face and followed her in silence.

After that, Grey quickly showed him around the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories, though 'quickly' was relative, as it was a massive place with a thousand halls and rooms, a hundred hidden alcoves, and a dozen lecturing halls. The lay-out was complicated, but fairly logical, though some parts were out of bounds, as those were the Workshops of the Magi working at Lord El-Melloi's department. And, as Shirou knew very well, Workshops were private places.

As it was already quite late, the halls of the department were empty and silent. Most people were asleep by now, according to Grey, and the few that were awake were probably busy with their research in either their Workshops or their dorms.

Speaking of dorms, Shirou's own room was located in the student dormitory, just like the other students of the Department.

"Which room is yours, miss Grey? If I may ask, of course." Shirou inquired as he opened the door to his room with the key he'd gotten from Lord El-Melloi.

Grey stood still for several seconds, clearly hesitating on whether to answer or not, before she motioned slightly towards Lord El-Melloi's office.

"I sleep in the room next to Sir's." She said, and Shirou made an understanding noise, before dropping the matter. It was clear this was not a subject she wanted to talk about, and it wasn't any of his business anyway.

"Thank you again for your help, miss Grey." He said instead. "You have been most kind."

"It… I-It was my p-pleasure." She replied, lowering her head even further in another attempt to obfuscate her face. "E-Ehm… G-Good night, mister Fujimaru! C-Classes start at nine tomorrow! Please don't be late!"

"I won't be. Good night to you as well."

And with that last greeting, Grey practically fled the scene, and Shirou entered his room.

The first thing he noticed was that his luggage, which he had left in the trunk of Lord El-Melloi's car, had already been delivered, and a quick check proved all of his possessions were accounted for.

Then, he placed several Wards and Bounded Fields on his door, and a few more on the rest of the room. He had promised Ayako and Sakura he'd be careful after all, and he wasn't about to break that promise.

Approaching and touching his door was still allowed, though he would be notified of any such event, but any attempt to force one's way in would be answered with instant-paralysis spells, blunt force curses, and several other nasty surprises that would make an average intruder's day very unpleasant.

Should the opponent make their way past all that anyway, then he would at least be awake to deal with them himself.

Only when he was finished with that did he turn around to take in the rest of the room.

…It was way too much.

If the massive, incredibly soft-looking bed with its satin coverings and pillows wasn't enough to make him feel like a peasant having entered a king's palace for the first time, then the silken curtains on the windows, the room's immense size, and the mahogany furniture would certainly do the trick.

The floor consisted of tiles placed in mosaic patterns and coloured in various shades of red and black. The carpets were thick, fluffy, and impossibly intricate. The lamp hanging from the ceiling wasn't so much a lamp as it was a chandelier.

A quick check of the bathroom proved that, yes, the taps were indeed gilded, the bath was enormous, and there were so many kinds of soap and shampoo Shirou could have started his own shop with them.

Items worth millions of Yen, equivalent to tens of thousands of pounds, had been scattered all over his room, and Shirou noticed quickly that the artworks on the walls were all over two hundred years old at least.

It was extravagant, it was lavish, it was sublime, and it was entirely, plainly ridiculous.

And also very much necessary.

Shirou fully understood the necessity. The Clocktower and the Ruling Families had to make it clear immediately to their students and followers that they were richer, better connected, and more resourceful than any other family, in order to crush any thoughts of rebellion and dissent before they could take shape.

The sheer disparity of power and wealth would keep them in line without the need for bloodshed, something Shirou actually approved of. He was all for bloodless solutions after all.

Though it make him feel uncomfortable to be staying in such a room himself, especially since he knew Lord El-Melloi had likely gone even further into debt to make building and furnishing this room possible.

Well, indirectly, at least. The room was probably older than the Lord, but the money for it was most likely on his extensive debt-list now.

The life of a lord was surprisingly difficult.

Eventually, Shirou tore his eyes away from the extravagance, and he decided to start unpacking.

Naturally, he had taken a suitcase that had been magically enlarged on the inside, so there was plenty to unpack.

He hung his clothes in the beautiful, wonderfully carved wardrobes on ivory hangers, put his toiletry in the bathroom, placed his research material on the therefore-intended tables, and tried to find a good place for the phone he'd brought.

In the absence of any power sockets however, he ended up placing it on the table too. He would just have to charge it himself, with his lightning-powers.

For a moment, he wondered if he should call the girls, running a quick mental calculation. The time difference between Japan and England was eight hours. Since it was now eleven in the evening in London, it would be seven o'clock in the morning in Fuyuki.

In other words, Sakura and Ayako could be up by now, but if they wanted to sleep in, they wouldn't be.

In light of that, it would be better if he waited for a few hours more. By then, they should be lunching, and Fuji-nee would also be present.

Then he could hit three birds with one stone.

---

"Then we can now move on to the last point in our meeting." The ancient, cracking voice spoke slowly, gnarled fingers turning the page of the report lying on the table. "Young Waver's new apprentice; A boy named 'Shirou Fujimaru'."

Of the seven people present at the table, all of them elders of the Archibald-family, four visibly grimaced at the Asian-sounding name. The only ones who didn't were Reines, the ancient chairman of the meeting, and a middle-aged man with long, black hair and a distinctively handsome face.

"What need is there to discuss that boy?" One of the women present, well over fifty years of age and dressed in the finest of robes, asked with a derisive sneer. "That fool Velvet accepted him as his apprentice, yes, but merely for two months. I do not understand why he should be a point on our agenda when he shall vacate the Clocktower again soon enough."

"Because, Frederique, him being Waver's student does have an influence on the Archibald-family as a whole." A young man with a protruding belly and a double chin proclaimed. "If you remember, Waver is the Lord of the family, which makes all his actions, including the taking of apprentices, politically relevant. We cannot afford to ignore that."

"Ah, Dominic. Cautious as ever." A young, blonde girl smiled affectionately. She could have been Reines' twin, if it hadn't been for the different eye-colour and the much tanner skin. "Will you volunteer then for the duty of chaperoning Fujimaru?"

"Huh, ehm, uh." The bloated face turned red in agitation. "I very well cannot, Gladys, my projects do demand all of my attention currently."

"Is such not the case for us all?" Gladys giggled, before smiling at Reines. "Even Reines is working so hard on that new spell she promised us. I cannot imagine she has the time for anything else, especially something like babysitting."

It was an obvious attempt at needling, but Reines ignored it, staring ahead with a detached gaze. This uncharacteristic behaviour did not go unnoticed by the ancient chairman, who looked at her with a hint of concern.

"R-Rampusa, what is your opinion?" Dominic spluttered, addressing the handsome man who hadn't spoken so far. "S-Surely, we cannot afford to do nothing about Fujimaru?"

"I agree, Dominic." Rampusa nodded, turning to give the portly man a kind smile. "I endeavoured to construct a schedule in my mind in which we take turns 'chaperoning' this new apprentice, but I regrettably must admit that I failed. We are all so frightfully busy."

"Yes, yes, quite." Dominic nodded, happy to have found a clear supporter in the other man. "Perhaps we could hire someone."

"The chance that any hired individual will not immediately inform our rivals about our inability to control our own apprentices is infinitesimal." Frederique snarled acrimoniously. "Or, pray tell, do you have hidden somewhere such a discreet mercenary who is still within our budget to hire?"

"Now now, Frederique, no need to be so hard on poor Dominic." Rampusa chided her, coming to the portly man's defence. "He merely attempted to provide another option, though perhaps, if you so readily dismiss him, you have the perfect solution in mind already?"

"No need for lurid nonsense. We can simply have Velvet control him." Frederique scoffed. "Tell him to keep his apprentice in line."

"Can we trust Waver to follow our instructions though?" Gladys wondered, glancing at Reines, who still didn't respond.

"We have trusted young Waver with many important matters so far." The ancient chairman wheezed. "He has not failed us yet."

"If you say so, chairman."

"I for one would appreciate a safety net though." The seventh and last person in the room decided to speak up at last. "Otherwise, Velvet might be tempted to… slack off a little, or even purposely obfuscate the situation. He has no reason to like us after all."

"He's been nothing but diligent so far." Frederique protested, glaring at the white-haired woman. "Are you sure you are not merely being obtuse, Millicent?"

"Are you sure that you aren't just putting your trust in Waver because you don't want to deal with Fujimaru yourself?" Millicent countered easily, smiling lazily at the older woman. "Normally, you're so quick to tell us that Waver is not worthy of our trust, yet when it is convenient to you, he suddenly is? I don't believe a word of it, dear."

Frederique's nostrils flared at being called out, but she didn't reply.

"Kindly don't get lost in unnecessary quarrels." Gladys scolded them both. "We are all in agreement that we cannot afford to ignore Waver's new apprentice. Let us now decide once and for all who will be responsible for him, whether that be Waver or one of us."

Millicent's smile got wider, and she opened her mouth to respond, when…

"I'll do it."

-All eyes turned towards the heiress of the Archibald-family, arguably the most powerful person at the table.

Reines El-Melloi Archisorte. Having finally broken her apathetic behaviour, she now looked straight at Millicent.

"I'll do it." She repeated offhandedly. "I'll keep an eye on Fujimaru."

That concluded the matter. The other attendees were far too happy not to be saddled with the job to protest, and they quickly left once the chairman declared the meeting to be over.

Only Millicent gave Reines a narrow-eyed glare, before she left as well, leaving Reines and the chairman the only ones in the room, providing an opportunity to the latter to have a private word with the de-facto head of the family, who had been strangely quiet today.

"What bothers you, child?"

"Hm?" Reines frowned in confusion for a moment, before she realised what he meant. "Oh, nothing. I just didn't feel like responding to petty digs and whiny arguments today."

"Ke." The chairman let out a sound that sounded like a mix of a cough and a short burst of laughter. "It seems all we do these days is make digs and whine. So sad we have been reduced to this. I remember when we were still fierce and proud."

"When we still had Kayneth, our Crest, and the respect of the Clocktower, you mean?" Reines replied acerbly. "Ever since losing the three, we have been nothing."

"Nothing?" The chairman couldn't suppress a smile at the girl's fierce words. "We still have you, my dear. You and your ferociousness. For now, that is enough."

"Hmpf." Reines scoffed at his words, but he could see she was pleased nonetheless. "I found someone to help me with my spell by the way."

"You did? Who?"

"Fujimaru, if you must know."

"Waver's new apprentice?" The chairman asked, blinking in surprise. "I see. What was he like?"

"Difficult to say. I only spoke with him for a few minutes." Reines furrowed her brow in thought. "He seemed reasonable enough, and he got Grey to somewhat like him in an hour. Melvin seemed to like him too, and Waver trusts him."

"So he is trustworthy." The ancient elder took a shuddering breath. "That is not a good thing to be around here."

"No." Reines agreed. "But it is useful for us."

"The boy is useful then?"

"He captured those Sealing Designees, did he not?"

"Ah yes. It was quite a windfall for the family when young Waver brought those home with him. We received more respect in the following weeks than we had during the seven years beforehand."

"There's more though. He also has both a healing spell and a lightning spell he can use without an Aria or other catalysts."

The chairman actually turned in his seat to look at her.

"Now that is… interesting."

The people who could cast a single spell without Aria or catalyst were few and far in-between. The people who could cast more than one spell in such a way could be counted on the fingers of two hands with fingers to spare.

"Hm, a lightning spell, you say?"

"Which is why I got him to help me with my own project."

"Huh, no wonder then that you volunteered to watch him, if he is that useful." The ancient chairman guffawed. "Little Millicent wasn't very happy about it though."

"Millicent should keep her mouth shut, racist twit that she is."

"How unkind."

"I must leave now too." Reines huffed, before getting up from her chair and marching out, not sparing a moment to say her goodbyes.

"Have a nice day, child." The chairman mumbled to the empty room, before his gnarled hand went up towards his spotty temples. "Be careful though, with Fujimaru. That one…"

The chairman was a man who was nearly two centuries old, and though he wasn't nearly as powerful as one would expect him to be after all that time, his senses and abilities to discern truth were nearly unmatched.

That was how he could make a definite conclusion about the thing that had just entered the Clocktower. The thing that wore a human face and had taken the name of Shirou Fujimaru.

"…That one is a monster."

---

That concludes the chapter. Next one, we get Shirou's first day at school. I'm rather looking forward to it, I hope you all are too.

A lot happened in this chapter, and I don't have the energy to go over it all again. I just want to say that blowing up the car and attacking Reines' men were signs of Thor's increasing influence on Shirou.

What I want to say with that is, as Shirou has said before, his powers have increased quite a bit since his fight with Alaya. It was a kind of milestone he reached, that opened up his access to the Odin-force far more than before. With that power however also came a few trace-amounts of Asgardian brashness and temperament.

Shirou will still remain Shirou of course, but don't be surprised when he becomes a bit more… impulsive isn't the right word, as he is already plenty impulsive by himself, but perhaps more… boisterous? Enterprising? Whatever words means that you are quicker to act on what you think is the correct course of action, even if it is not entirely proper.

Also, admit it, blowing up the car was mostly Thor's influence, but attacking Reines' men wasn't really out of character for Shirou at all, was it?

Also important! There were three Edelfelt there, a man and two women. None of them were Luvia! Luvia is not present yet.

Also, for all those who have seen or read 'the Casefiles', I am inventing a lot of characters right now. The elders in the meeting are all OC's, but please bear with it, as they will only have roles during those meetings. As they said themselves, they are far too busy to bother with Shirou.

Also, pay close attention to how I portray everyone. Rampusa might seem reasonable enough during the meeting, but earlier, I had Grey mention that he wants to hunt and kill Emiya Kiritsugu personally, which indicates he is a lot more impulsive than you might think.

See you all later.

Ted hops into the grass field together with his big bro Thumper, eating the flowers but also the leaves, because he remembers his bunny-father telling him those are the healthy parts of the plant.

Also, my thanks to my usual betas, and thanks to my newest betas, Cali and LukeSky.