Striking the Deal

It was the day after Shirou's impromptu Astromancy lesson at the Fargo-estate, and it should surprise absolutely no one that the redhead was already awake and busy when the clock struck six in the morning.

He'd slept his customary three hours, but since he'd gone to bed at two in the night, that meant he had woken at five, which was already an hour or so ago, meaning he still had to wait at least two hours before he could meet up with Mary and Claire.

Before they'd all gone to bed after Shirou had Hypnotised the three men, they had arranged to meet at eight in the morning again, to further discuss what had happened and what the girls would have to do going forward.

There hadn't really been any opportunity to discuss those things back then. The girls had been too shocked and tired to really think straight.

After his round of Hypnotising, Shirou had returned to the observatory, where Claire and Mary had been waiting for him. Once there, he had informed them that he'd had a good talk with the men, who wouldn't bother them ever again.

He hadn't gone into specifics, but he did make sure to tell them that lord Fargo, Alec Fargo, and Fernando Li were all in good health. They had a different… 'perspective on life', now, but they were physically completely fine.

After a few seconds of disbelief, the girls' relief had been palpable, and while Claire didn't seem like she would have minded it if Shirou had killed her abusers, Mary had been very grateful he had found a bloodless solution.

Mary had embraced him in gratefulness, and while Claire had experienced a spark of jealousy again at the sight, that spark was extinguished immediately when Mary turned back to her and took her into a searing kiss.

At that point, Shirou had politely turned his eyes away.

The exuberant delight hadn't lasted much longer than a few minutes though. Whether it was because they'd had a long day, hadn't slept well in some time, or because they finally had a massive weight lifted from their shoulders, Mary and Claire had been struck with the proverbial hammer of exhaustion, prompting the trio to head to their respective beds for the night.

The girls had first shown him to his room, which he was free to Ward and secure himself, before they headed off to their own room, holding each other up.

The rest, as they say, was history.

That was how Shirou now found himself in the guest room, sitting around doing nothing, with more than ninety minutes left to kill and no idea how to do that.

He wasn't in the mood for reading, nor did he feel that staring at his plans to rescue Illya again would have any use, and it wasn't like he could start doing experiments with Magecraft in someone else's house.

Shirou had almost gotten to the point of taking out Mjolnir just to have someone, or something, to talk to, when he remembered another detail of the happenings of last night.

Fernando Li, and his connection to the Meluastea-family.

From the context of the conversation between Li and Alec Fargo, Shirou had been able to deduce that the Meluastea were apparently big players in the Clocktower's underworld. Big enough that Li had been desperate to curry favour with them, to the point he planned to steal the research of a close ally.

Shirou himself didn't know much about the Meluastea. All he knew was what Grey had shared with him.

They were the heads of the Archaeology Department, and had sold Kayneth El-Melloi the artefacts he had used during the Grail War. Furthermore, they had been the first to carve themselves a piece of the Archibald after Kayneth had died and the Archibald-Crest had been lost. They'd taken not just the Department of Mineralogy, which had formerly belonged to Kayneth, but also most of the Archibald's money and soft power, leaving them a fallen family in every way.

A legendary feat of backstabbing if Shirou had ever seen one.

It was not illegal though. It was cruel, treacherous, and slimy, but none of what the Meluastea had done to the Archibald was forbidden, by Magus law or mundane law. In the end, it was just politics.

If Fernando Li was to be believed however, the Meluastea-family weren't just cold, ruthless politicians and businessmen, but they were also engaged in something that would attract the ire of Lorelei Barthomeloi if she ever found out.

Shirou would be very interested to find out what that something was. He might need to put a stop to it after all.

As such, it might be useful to get some information right away, and Shirou knew just where to get it.

Fernando Li.

Upon opening the door of Li's room, Shirou found the man sitting at a desk in the corner, pouring over papers and files, muttering softly to himself as he shifted through the information.

"Mister Li?" Shirou asked, closing the door again and applying a sound-blocking Bounded Field to the room to keep out any eavesdropping ears. "Do you have a moment?"

"Certainly." Li nodded immediately, dropping everything he held in his hand as he rose from his chair to face Shirou. "Welcome sir, please excuse the mess."

"…You are excused." Shirou sweatdropped. "Thank you for your time."

"It is no problem at all, sir." Li couldn't have stood up straighter if he tried, but try he did nonetheless, and it resulted in him looking as if he was constipated. "Always a pleasure."

Far from the underhanded and withdrawn man from the previous night, it seemed as if Li had become a soldier in Shirou's employ, doing his utmost to make a good impression on his superior.

Shirou's odd form of Hypnosis had struck again. The kind of Hypnosis that didn't turn his targets into mindless drones, but rather into people with entirely different personalities that were nevertheless completely capable of thinking and acting on their own.

The redhead had seen it plenty of times before now, but that still didn't make it any less creepy to see a man who had been cold and calculating before act all helpful and disciplined now.

But he wasn't here to be spooked by his own handiwork.

"I know it has only been a few hours since I… 'recruited' you." He began with some hesitance, only receiving a curious blink in return. "But I was wondering what you could tell me about the Meluastea."

"Mister Fujimaru, I am happy you have come to me with this first." Li began gravely, the sudden tension in his voice taking Shirou aback. "In the future, you must be more careful when asking such questions. The Meluastea are a cruel and callous family, and they have fingers in every pie in the Clocktower. If you start making inquiries too boldly, they might try to get rid of you before you can do any damage to their operations."

"Sounds like most Magus-families, if I'm entirely honest." Shirou huffed with a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but it fell flat when Li just shook his head with a grim expression.

"While no family likes to be investigated, the Meluastea take that to an unprecedented level. Dozens have been murdered in the past months for getting in their way, and only the highest and most powerful of Magi are safe from their wrath."

"Last night, you talked about Lorelei Barthomeloi." Shirou recalled from Li's conversation with Alec Fargo, just before he had Hypnotised the both of them. "I assume she is an example of a Magus who is too powerful to deal with?"

"Of course she is." Li didn't even have to think about that. "Right now, her hands are bound because of the law of proper cause, but if they attack her, all bets are off, and she is free to strike back as hard as she wants."

"The law of proper cause?"

"One of the most important laws of the Clocktower, mister Fujimaru. It states that the ruling families cannot investigate each other or violate each other's privacy without first submitting a proper cause to the Clocktower as a whole. It was a way for the families to protect themselves against the ambitions of the others, and now it is the thing that protects the Meluastea from the consequences of their actions."

Right, Shirou could see how that worked. He would have said it was typical of Magi, but he was pretty sure a lot of mundane governments and alliances had pretty similar clauses and rules. The powerful didn't like to be investigated after all.

"So basically, they are doing illegal stuff, but there's no one who can do something about it?"

"Indeed." Li nodded, not looking any happier than Shirou about it, which was quite the improvement over last night, when he had been close to worshipping the Meluastea. "Barthomeloi might be able to push for an investigation anyway, even without any proper cause, but finding the necessary support for such a move is nigh-impossible. Some of the families are allied to the Meluastea, others don't care, and the third group does want the Meluastea gone but is scared they'll be next if they allow Barthomeloi to break the rules at will."

"So it is a deadlock then, in the favour of the Meluastea?" Shirou asked, receiving a nod in return. "What crimes are they guilty of?"

"There are a great many rumours about what they do in the shadows of their department, but I have very little concrete knowledge. I am not very influential or important, you see." The one-armed man admitted. "There was never a way for me to find out what they do, and even when I tried joining them, I was only able to get a single meeting with Rudolph Meluastea. Naturally, they didn't tell me any of their secrets then."

"Should I know about this Rudolph Meluastea?" Shirou asked, having no idea who that was.

"Uh, no, I don't think he's that famous." Li replied after thinking for a moment. "He's somewhat important, but not the lord or the heir, so I imagine there are many people who don't know about him."

"I see." Shirou nodded, making no mention of the fact he had no idea who the lord or the heir of the Meluastea-family were either. "So you don't know anything concrete about the Meluastea?"

"Only rumours and whatever I could overhear in their chambers and halls, I'm afraid." Li said apologetically, before wincing. "Not that what I heard wasn't bad enough already."

"What did you hear then?"

"A lot." The one-armed man stated, sitting down again at the memory of what he'd heard. "Rudolph made me wait for a long time before receiving me, so I had quite a bit of time to listen in on conversations around me. I heard the Forest of Einnashe being mentioned. I saw old artefacts best left forgotten. They were discussing Demonology, and even Dead Apostle Research. It's insane."

"Do you have any concrete evidence of the crimes you overheard?" Shirou tried, though he had little hope that things would be that easy.

And as he'd expected, Li shook his head.

"Sorry, sir. I was kept under careful watch at all times. All I have is hearsay and some pieces of conversation. Nothing that can give Barthomeloi, or you, the right to overturn the law of proper cause."

"Tsk." That was a pity, and Shirou couldn't keep the disappointment off his face.

"I can tell you however that one of the Meluastea's secret hide-outs is located in the Department of Botany, right behind a fake wall that is covered in Cursed Ivy. That might be useful to know once you've gotten past the law of proper cause."

"It is useful to know, yes." Shirou nodded, though only if they managed to get into the Department of Botany in the first place.

Having Li search for evidence would be a possibility, but it would likely not be sufficient. The Meluastea would be unlikely to trust him with anything of note, and snooping around would just get Li killed.

Shirou would have to obtain the evidence himself then.

"Might I suggest caution in your future endeavours, mister Fujimaru." Li spoke up again, looking imploringly at Shirou, perhaps having guessed where the redhead's thoughts were heading. "The Meluastea are always watchful."

"I will keep it in mind." Shirou nodded, before cocking his head to the side. "How important are they anyway? You make them sound like they rival the Barthomeloi in power."

"They aren't quite that powerful." Li quickly shook his head. "But the Meluastea head the Neutral Faction, they have owned the Department of Archaeology since the founding of the Magus Association, they directly control the Department of Mineralogy, and are closely allied to the Department of Botany. Also, there are many families in other Departments who are also allied to them."

"Noted." Shirou nodded, making a mental note that he may have to investigate the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory to search for families in league with the Meluastea. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I regret to say that there is not." Li was looking apologetic again, his eyes drooping in sadness. "I have no more information for you at the moment, my apologies."

"Keep searching then." Shirou ordered him. "But be careful. Your life is more important than knowledge. Only make a move when it is completely safe."

"Sir, I would gladly give my life for you and the cause. If I just make an appeal to Rudolph-" Li protested, making to rise from his chair, but Shirou pushed him back down, shaking his head.

"No, Li, you must stay alive. That is the most important thing right now. I may have further use for you later."

"But-" Li spluttered, before falling silent when Shirou gave him an imploring glare. "As you wish, sir."

"Just be careful." Shirou repeated.

"I will be." Li promised, steel entering his eyes. "But one way or another, I will find out what Rudolph Meluastea is doing. I swear it."

Rudolph Meluastea wasn't doing much at the moment, which frankly was par for the course for him.

He liked to give the impression of being a busy, hardworking, and very diligent man, but in truth, he was a lazy, slothful individual.

He made sure to select the easy jobs whenever he could –like initiating newcomers– and whenever he got a hard job anyway, he tried finishing up that job as quickly as possible, uncaring whether he did it properly. Rudolph had too many other things to do to worry about quality.

Things like reading his favourite books, or dusting off his knife collection, or smoking a cigar while leaning back into his chair.

The point was that Rudolph just wasn't worth much, which was why his family, well aware of his uselessness, often closed their eyes to his lazy nature. Better that he sat in his room doing nothing than that he made crucial mistakes during important assignments.

It was extremely pathetic, how this forty-one-year-old man lived his life as if he were a troublesome teenager with discipline problems. To almost anyone, it would have been a humiliating situation to be in, but Rudolph had been blessed at birth with an immense amount of self-confidence, and with that came a critical lack of self-reflection.

Rudolph thought himself to be a big, important man, and since his family did everything that they could to make it seem to the outside world that he actually was such a man –as his slothful and odious nature would reflect badly on them as well– no one ever told him otherwise or exposed him to situations that were too much for him to handle. It was very similar to the story of the king's new clothes in that regard.

It would be remiss to pity his family however. They were monsters and criminals committing and abetting atrocities on a daily basis. Merely getting Rudolph as a family member was far too light a penalty for them.

On that particular day however, it could be said that Rudolph became the punishment that the Meluastea-family so rightly deserved. On that day, he made a decision that would surely spell the family's end. On that day, Rudolph finally did something useful for the world at large.

It all started out slowly, very slowly, on a particular morning.

Where most Magi rose from their beds as soon as they could, at seven, six, or even five in the morning, Rudolph only began stirring when the clock struck nine.

That he began stirring did not mean that he would immediately leave his soft, warm bed however. Rather, he just made himself comfortable again and laid his head back down on the pillow, intending to nap for a while longer.

His arm also reached out to the place next to him, on his king-sized bed that was big enough for three, feeling around for the girl he'd hired the evening before.

She had been a pretty, young thing, with long legs, wavy brown hair, soft, smooth skin, excellent curves, and large, dark-blue eyes that seemed permanently set into a wide-eyed look of curiosity.

She was clearly an experienced one, for she knew perfectly what to do to please Rudolph, and she didn't protest to anything he did, not even when he struck her in the face several times.

It was only right that she didn't complain though, he'd paid her a royal sum of money for her services after all.

Rudolph involuntarily let out a disappointed groan when his hand touched the empty spot beside him, discovering the girl had left already. Judging from how cold that spot felt, she'd left quite a while ago.

Making another disappointed noise, Rudolph pulled his arm back to his side, before embracing his large pillow in an effort to hold on to his feeling of warm sleepiness for as long as he could.

Even the realisation that he had a lot of work today did not manage to stir him, and Rudolph simply pulled his blanket further over him to lock out the outside world, trying to deny the existence of the extremely important task that was waiting for him now.

A task that was both important and complex, and had everything to do with the existence of the Meluastea's outposts outside of the Clocktower.

As the family couldn't do all their research in their three Departments –because of a lack of space, resources, or safety– they had founded several bases throughout Europe. It was in those bases, more commonly referred to as 'outposts' by the Meluastea themselves and 'nests' by Mirei Montmorency, that the most dangerous and secret research was done.

Naturally, these outposts were completely hidden from the outside world. They had no contact with the Magus Association or any other institution, group, or individual. Only the Meluastea and their most loyal cronies were allowed to contact these outposts, and even that happened only sporadically, mostly in the form of progress reports.

The Meluastea, in all their 'wisdom', had decided that every outpost had to be briefed regularly on what the rest of the family was doing, so that everyone could operate as efficiently as possible. Good large-scale research required good communication after all.

As such, every member of the family and all their cronies regularly had to send their data and findings to the Head of the Meluastea-family. All that information would then be put together in a single 'central file'. That 'central file' would be copied several times, and those copies would be delivered straight to the outposts by a trusted courier.

Of course, the Meluastea were no fools. They knew that such a file falling into enemy hands would be disastrous for them. So to make sure that those files formed no security risk, they would be worked over meticulously before being sent on their way.

The basic information was retained, but the names of the Meluastea and their accomplices had to be removed, the dates had to be scrambled, any secrets had to be taken out, locations had to be changed, and any mention of illegal activities had to be replaced by more euphemistic terms.

It was long, dull, and tedious work to go over the files and make them safe, but it was absolutely necessary for the safety of the family and its underlings.

This vetting was usually done by the Meluastea themselves, or sometimes by their most trusted underlings, but never by anyone whose loyalty they weren't completely certain of. There was just too much risk involved.

Naturally, members of the family did wonder regularly whether it was even necessary to keep sending those files around if they formed such a massive security risk, but every time it came up, they eventually concluded that it was indeed necessary for the continued efficiency of their operations. Information was key to keep things running smoothly, and the outposts needed that information too.

Besides, it had never gone wrong before. As long as they kept vetting the files, things would be fine.

On that particular day, it was Rudolph's task to thoroughly work over the file that was meant to be sent to the outpost in Germany.

There had been some doubt about letting Rudolph handle such an important and delicate task, but in the end, the rest of the family had been too busy to take care of it themselves before the deadline. Besides, it wasn't as if it was all that difficult either. Long, dull, and tedious, yes, but certainly not hard.

Rudolph had proven before that he was capable of vetting the files, so there was no reason he couldn't do it again.

Still, just to be sure, his father, Torben Meluastea, had impressed upon him the importance of doing it right. Those files, while necessary for efficiency and good productivity, were also the main weak point of the entire operation the family was running.

If they failed to properly vet it and it fell into the wrong hands, the results would be catastrophic. Their enemies would have everything they needed to destroy the family.

Lorelei Barthomeloi in particular would have a field day if she ever got her hands on an unvetted file.

The mere thought of that woman made Rudolph's body freeze up in instinctual fright, and he was shocked awake, the adrenaline pumping through his system making short work of any sleepiness he might have had left.

Grumbling about the rude awakening, but knowing there was no way he could go back to sleep now, Rudolph rose from his bed, stepped into the satin slippers his manservant had prepared for him the day before, and walked to the bathroom.

There was just no helping it. Every time he thought of that insufferable hellion, his entire body just reacted out of itself in an effort to flee. She was just too terrifying, too overbearing.

Too repulsive.

It should have become clear enough by now that Rudolph Meluastea was a horrid worm. A man who had nothing going for him yet thought the world of himself. Who loved to be surrounded by servants and sycophants, yet feared anyone who wasn't afraid of calling him out or confronting him.

A pathetic excuse of a person, who hated it when people were more powerful than he.

And Lorelei Barthomeloi was more powerful than he could even imagine.

Rudolph loathed her. He had no single good word to say about her. Not even her looks could draw a compliment from him. The very fact that she towered above him in everything that mattered in life made her utterly revolting and abhorrent to him.

He didn't want her around. He didn't want to think of her, see her, hear her, or anything else. He just wanted her gone, and he prayed for her death almost every day.

Even the thought of Lorelei Barthomeloi as his obedient little wife, a fantasy so popular among other pathetic Magi, was of no interest to Rudolph.

The only good Barthomeloi was a dead Barthomeloi. That was something he truly believed with all of his heart.

Rudolph smashed his fist down on the bathroom sink, his face red and splotchy in anger, before he took a deep breath to calm himself. He then splashed some water on his face, gargled for a moment, picked a good suit out of the selection his manservant had laid out for him, and then left the bathroom again.

His mood, already ruined by the thought of Barthomeloi, dropped even further when his eyes fell on the massive file on his desk, and he stepped towards the window to look out over the streets of London instead.

He was currently on the third floor of a luxurious private house located in downtown London. It was not inside the Clocktower –he'd never have been able to take a whore into that place without being murdered by one of the female Magi present– but it was good enough to suit Rudolph's tastes.

It had to be, or he would never have bought it as his personal residence, to hide away from the rest of the family whenever their narrowmindedness and idiocy became too much for him to bear.

It had cost a fortune to buy and to have it rebuilt to suit his tastes, but it had been worth every penny now that he could stand here, free and unencumbered by any nonsensical tasks.

Except one of course.

That accursed file.

Rudolph didn't look away from the window, but he could practically feel its presence behind him, lying on his desk, waiting for him to come and start wasting his precious time on it.

Rudolph had worked on such files before, and he could almost taste the despair he felt during such times again. There was just so much in that bundle that had to be meticulously examined.

There were progress reports of every single member of the family, as well as of every crony and underling they had, but also summaries of important events that had taken place, assignments for the people inside the German outpost, and much more.

In total, vetting it represented more than ten hours of boring, tedious work.

Rudolph despaired at the thought alone. He didn't want to spend hours upon hours making the file safe for sending when nothing ever happened anyway. They'd been sending files like that around for years now, and they had never once fallen into enemy hands. All this caution was way overblown and unnecessary in his opinion.

Even if he didn't vet this file, nothing would happen. It would be delivered safely to the outpost, and after the Magi there had taken everything they needed from it, they would destroy the rest. Nice and simple. No need for ten hours of work.

Rudolph nodded firmly to himself, turning to look at the file at last.

The guys in Germany wouldn't mind getting more information than usual –Magi lived for information after all– and he wouldn't mind doing less work, considering his busy schedule and everything.

In the end, everyone would be happy.

So with a contemplative expression and a furtive look around, Rudolph decided to just send the whole file to the German outpost, without a single adjustment.

No one had attacked that place or intercepted their mail before, so why would anyone start now?

Such was Rudolph's reasoning.

And though he would usually be right, he was also tempting fate with this daring move.

Being usually right wasn't of much use, when this time…

…He was wrong.

Dead wrong.

Rudolph didn't know it, but his laziness and idiocy had just doomed his entire family. By not performing the one task that he had to do that day, he had ended the Meluastea-family and everything they had built in one fell swoop.

Not that anyone would mourn them of course.

"Mister Fujimaru, we really are so grateful." Mary beamed at him, holding on tightly to Claire's hand. "After I deceived you and lied to you, you still helped us so much. I can never thank you enough."

"You can." Shirou huffed, not wanting to be rude but slowly getting fed up with the constant proclamations of gratitude. "And you have. Really, miss Mary, it was my pleasure to help you. There is no need to continue thanking me."

They were standing in front of the Fargo-estate, and Shirou was about to get a lift back to the Clocktower from Claire. The redhead had actually wanted to just fly back to save time, but Mary had insisted.

He really was weak against sad puppy dog eyes, and so was Claire apparently. The maid had been all for him returning by himself, but she had been unable to say 'no' to Mary, just like Shirou.

Before following the girls outside however, Shirou had made sure to check up on the two Hypnotised men he hadn't met up with yet, to make sure they were in good health, both physically and mentally, and that the Hypnosis had been properly applied.

He needn't have worried for a second.

"Mister Fujimaru! Ah, I'm so glad I caught you before you left." An exuberant voice cried out.

The exuberant voice belonged to Alec Fargo, who had just appeared through the front door of the estate. He still looked the same as before, with his blonde mohawk-like haircut, his reasonably handsome face, and odd choice of clothing, but unlike the day before, his expression was now open, non-hostile, and relaxed.

There was actual warmth in his gaze as he looked at Mary and Claire, and Shirou had to say it really did wonders for his good looks.

"Mister Fargo." Shirou began with a pleasant smile.

"Please, call me Alec. After what you did for me, there's no need to be so formal."

Yes, that would be Shirou's odd form of Hypnosis again. Alec Fargo had gone from a grasping, cruel coward who gladly hurt those who couldn't fight back, to a relaxed bro-like guy who would fight to the death to protect those weaker than him.

It was very odd. Shirou wasn't going to complain about it of course, but it was odd all the same.

Mary seemed to think along the same lines as he, giving her cousin a cautious and slightly incredulous look, before turning back to Shirou with an expression that spoke of how impressed she was, though there was also a trace of apprehension in her gaze.

"I don't know how you did it, and I won't ask, but thank you very much nonetheless."

Shirou waved off the new onset of gratitude in favour of looking at Claire, who, unlike her mistress, seemed much less impressed and far more wary of whatever he had done to Alec Fargo.

The redhead couldn't blame her one bit. Wariness was indeed the right response to his actions. Clearly, the maid had far more sense than her lady.

Shirou might not be planning on using his Hypnosis on Mary, but she couldn't know that. She was trusting him entirely on assumption, which was ridiculous.

What kind of Magus was she to believe the best of someone she'd only known for a day?

And yes, Shirou was aware he was being hypocritical.

"Just keep an eye on your cousin, your father, and mister Li." Shirou advised the brunette, casting a glance at Alec Fargo, whose smile didn't waver for a second. "If anything seems amiss with them, please contact me immediately. If you cannot find me, ask Lord El-Melloi, he'll know where I am."

"Oh, I am sure that won't be necessary." Mary beamed, waving her hand carelessly, clearly too euphoric to really think straight.

"Absolutely not necessary, old chap." Alec agreed. The idea of falling back to his old ways must have seemed anathema to him now.

"I will keep it in mind, mister Fujimaru." Claire promised, once more showing she had the most sense out of them all. "I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours."

"…Please don't talk as if you're saying goodbye when you still have to drive me back to the Clocktower." Shirou deadpanned, and his opinion of the maid dropped considerably when she seemed genuinely taken aback by his words.

"Of-Of course." She stammered, before bowing deeply. "My sincerest apologies for letting it slip my mind."

"How could you forget that, Claire?" Mary scolded her, pouting at the maid, who visibly wilted under her mistress' disappointed look.

"Haha, Claire was just a little distracted, my man. No need to get too concerned about it. I mean, if she's otherwise preoccupied, I can drive you to the Clocktower as well. No Problemo."

"There is no need, mister Fargo. I assure you I am entirely capable of driving mister Fujimaru to his destination." Claire promptly denied the offer, not about to let the man steal her assignment just because she'd gotten a little distracted.

Alec, taking the refusal in good humour, playfully held up his hands as if to shield himself from Claire's wrath.

"I wish I could have accompanied you as well, mister Fujimaru, but father and I have a lot of work to do." Mary looked back at the estate, her gaze conveying she didn't know how to feel about suddenly working together with her father after fearing him for so long. "He wishes to make me the head of the family already."

"Huh, he said that?" Alec seemed taken aback by the information, though not in a bad way, fortunately.

"I spoke with him before I went to see mister Fujimaru." Mary explained, ponderously scratching the back of her right hand. "He told me he was stepping down, and that I would be the head."

"Huh. Well, if that is so, then you have my support, couz." Alec declared strongly, giving her a thumbs-up. "Just stay cool and stay vibing."

"…Of course." Mary agreed hesitantly, before biting her lip in concern. "I just hope it doesn't mean he is dying."

"Dying?! Oh damn, better make sure the old boy is alright." Alec straightened his back, shot a clandestine look at Shirou that showed he had a better idea of what was going on than the girls, and sped inside. "See you later, Fujimaru."

"Until we meet again, mister Alec." Shirou called back.

"Eh? He left so suddenly." Mary mumbled, looking on as her cousin disappeared into the estate. "I hope he's okay."

"I'm sure he is." Claire stated without a trace of doubt, still looking warily at Shirou. "Mister Fujimaru?"

"Yes?"

"While I won't ask what Magecraft you used to… 'alter' the men in such an extreme way, I do wish to know how you found out a-about my lady's…" Her voice faltered for a moment, before she soldiered on. "About my lady's Cursed mark and my injuries."

"Oh yeah," Mary agreed, giving him a look that was, in her case, more curiosity than wariness. "How did you find out about those? Claire and I talked about it after we showed you to your room, but we couldn't find any point where we had slipped up."

"I have good observation skills." Shirou gave the standard non-answer, expecting that to be the end of it. So far, no one had been willing to push him on what he could do, probably because it was a faux pas in the Moonlit World to ask someone about their Magecraft.

It seemed Claire was not willing to leave it at that however.

"Just good observation skills?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow, her expression extremely unimpressed. "That has to be one of the most useless answers I have ever heard."

"Claire?!" Mary seemed shocked by her maid's words, grabbing her by the sleeve of her outfit. "D-Don't be so rude!"

"I am sorry, my lady, mister Fujimaru." And Claire did seem genuinely sorry, but that wasn't enough apparently to let up on the interrogation, as she kept looking at Shirou in askance. "But for future reference, I would like to know what mistake I made that allowed you to find out something I wanted to stay hidden."

"Claire…" Mary didn't quite seem to know what to say, and she gave Shirou a pleading look as well.

…Well, alright, if they really wanted to know, Shirou would tell them. It wasn't like being able to smell Magecraft was such a big deal anyway. Everyone perceived Magical Energy in some way –Shirou through smell and Rin through touch for instance– and his ability just happened to be quite strong.

Lorelei Barthomeloi and Mirei Montmorency already knew that, and Shirou didn't doubt it would get out soon enough, if not because of the ladies, then at least because he would undoubtedly be using his talent quite a lot over the coming weeks.

"Very well." Shirou thus acquiesced. "I will tell you."

There was complete silence following his words, to the point where Shirou could almost hear crickets chirp.

"You will?" Mary was the first to react to his words, gaping at him in shock.

"Yes, I will." Shirou confirmed, crossing his arms. "If it means this much to you to know the truth, I shall be honest with you."

"I… Thank you." Claire bowed deeply, apparently really surprised he had agreed so easily.

"Let's see, what did you want to know?" Shirou mused, before snapping his fingers in realisation. "Ah yes, how I found out. Well, miss Claire, I found out about your injuries in the simplest way possible. I saw them."

"But I always cover my skin." Claire protested, looking herself over for flaws in her outfit. "Always, so people don't see… them."

"I looked through your clothes when I was looking for hidden weapons." Shirou explained, knowing he was basically admitting to having some kind of Mystic Eyes here but not really caring about it. "That is when I saw the bruises."

"You saw through Claire's…" Mary's voice tapered off, and then she gasped, looking terribly distraught as she placed herself in front of Claire, holding out her hands as if defending her maid from Shirou. "Pervert!"

"Wait! Wha-?!"

"M-Mister Fujimaru, you are a person of wanton lusts?" Claire seemed equally as distraught as her mistress, shrinking in on herself to better hide behind Mary. "How could I have let myself be deceived like that? I thought you were a good man!"

"Eh? W-What are you saying?" Shirou protested, his proper Japanese upbringing coming to the forefront as his very being quailed at the notion of being called a pervert. "I was just looking for weapons! And I only looked through your sleeves! That's the only likely place they would've been!"

"Honestly!" He added when he received two very suspicious glares. "I swear it!"

They weren't convinced, and he ultimately had to spend several minutes assuring the girls that he wasn't after Claire's purity. About halfway through, he realised he was just being made fun of, but by then, he was in so far that he might as well see it through until the end.

"Alright then, mister Fujimaru, we'll believe you, this time." Mary eventually accepted his words, before becoming serious again. "Was it also this lecherous talent that allowed you to see my… my mark?"

"I first suspected something was wrong when you kept rubbing the back of your right hand every time you became nervous." Shirou corrected her, ignoring the unflattering description of his talent. "You are doing it right now."

"…And so I am." Mary mumbled, forcing her hands to remain still at her sides.

"I also possess a talent for smelling Magecraft." Shirou continued his explanation. "Which I used to discern what the mark was for."

"Smelling Magecraft?" Mary cocked her head to the side.

"It's my way of detecting it." The redhead explained. "Every type of Magecraft has its own scent, you see, and depending on the scent, I can make a good guess what kind of Magecraft it is. Your mark for instance smelled of stale bread, rusted chains, and rotting water. A dungeon, in other words."

"And that is when you started to suspect I was being kept in the Fargo-estate against my will." Mary finished his sentence for him, bringing up her right hand to look at it with a forlorn gaze. "What else is a dungeon for, after all?"

"Well, it was that, or it could be that you and Claire just tend to do kinky things together." Shirou nodded, feeling it was time for some payback for the whole pervert-matter just now. "Though in that case, the mark might have smelled more like leather, oil, and candlewax."

"Huh?" Mary seemed confused at his words, but Claire's face exploded in a blush of epic proportions, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Also, if you had the mark, miss Mary, it seems only logical that miss Claire here would be the dominant one in your relationship. In that case though, she should be wearing a dominatrix outfit instead of a maid uniform and a riding crop instead of a serving plate. Also, that theory didn't mesh with the fact Claire was the one with the wounds." Shirou continued mercilessly, and the penny seemed to drop with Mary as well, as she turned bright red too. "So in the end I had to conclude you weren't in some kind of S&M relation, and even if you were-"

"We aren't!" Claire shouted, her face so red that even a tomato would have been jealous. "We are not in such a relationship! I do not lock my lady up in any dungeons and I certainly am not using any kind of whipping implement on her. Never!"

"Never say never." Shirou prodded her some more, feeling vindicated at the sight of the spluttering maid.

"It's never going to happen! NEVER!" The maid practically roared back at him, and Shirou was about to poke some more fun at her when…

"Never?"

Both Shirou and Claire snapped their gazes towards Mary, who'd just spoken up in a very demure voice, and continued speaking quickly after.

"C-Claire, when you say 'never', do you really mean never?" The young woman slowly rubbed her cheeks with her hands, her face as red as Claire's, before looking at the maid through lidded eyes. "Like, never never?"

"M-Mistress?"

"E-Even if I asked you t-to, y-you wouldn't…?" Mary tapered off, though it was crystal clear as to what she was asking.

Not about to pass up such an amazing opportunity, Shirou promptly Projected a riding crop and handed it to Claire, who, still in a daze, accepted it without realising what it was.

Then she realised what she was holding and what it tended to be used for, and Shirou almost felt bad when tears of frustration started to come out of her eyes.

Almost. She did after all just spend several minutes teasing him about him being a pervert.

"C-Claire! N-No, I was joking!" Mary clearly didn't agree with him however, and she quickly stepped up to console her weeping servant, taking her into a gentle embrace. "I won't ask you to do anything you don't feel comfortable with. Honestly, I won't. You don't have to use the riding crop, mister Fujimaru was just being mean."

It took a few minutes of whispering sweet nothings, but Mary managed to calm the poor maid down. By then, Shirou had already disposed of the riding crop.

"Mister Fujimaru, I believe we have kept you here for long enough." Mary said, returning to her role as the proper hostess. "Claire will drive you back to the Clocktower now."

"That is most appreciated." Shirou smiled back.

"If you would follow me then." Claire, who had recovered enough from her ordeal to assume her role as composed and dutiful maid again, gently indicated the estate's garage, before going on ahead.

When Shirou and Claire arrived at the car however, well out of sight of the estate, the maid promptly turned around, pinning Shirou down with her gaze.

"Mister Fujimaru." She intoned, narrowing her eyes at him. "While I am indeed most grateful for your assistance in protecting lady Mary, I must ask for your intentions-"

"I am already in a relationship." Shirou brusquely interrupted her, having already sensed where this was going. "I did what I did because I wanted to help, not for any other reason, least of all because I want a relationship with miss Mary. It seems she is very happy with you, miss Claire, and I have no desire to be a homewrecker."

The maid peered at him for a few seconds more, and then, satisfied by what she'd seen, nodded in acceptance.

"You are an odd man, mister Fujimaru. Kind, but odd."

"Thank you for the compliment. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"

"No. Thank you for indulging me. I shall no longer keep you. Please get in the car."

Not a single word was spoken during the ride back to the Clocktower, but nevertheless, neither person inside the car felt uncomfortable with the silence.

It was a pleasant drive.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Fuyuki-City.

The bees were buzzing, the birds were singing, the sun was working hard to warm the streets, and the shops that had been open for hours already were now seeing the real crowds of visitors come in through their doors.

Among those crowds were Ayako and Sakura, who were out getting groceries, just like they did every Saturday. It was a very relaxed affair, with neither girl in any kind of hurry, which in Sakura's case was quite the contrast with the years past.

In the past, the plum-haired girl had always treated doing groceries as something absolutely vital. Back in those days, when she had still been under Zouken's thrall and it was only Senpai who'd made her happy, every little thing she did with Shirou had been an absolute top-priority for her.

Doing the groceries was one of the ways that she could pretend that she and Senpai were a happy couple, and it wouldn't be exaggerated to say that she'd developed a reputation among shop owners for being laser focused on finding the best products for the lowest price.

Everything to try and be useful to him in some way; that was how she'd lived her life back then.

That was no longer the case.

Ever since Senpai had obliterated the old monster and had freed her from her chains, Sakura had been able to shake a lot of bad habits from her dark days.

Becoming jealous when Senpai interacted with other people, male or female, was something she barely did anymore.

Her fear of abandonment and rejection was largely conquered.

She dared to actually have fun when interacting with other people besides her Senpai.

And, most relevant on this Saturday morning, she no longer obsessed over doing her absolute best while shopping.

Standing there, in the vegetable aisle of the supermarket, Sakura found that she wasn't fanatically reading every price ticket and inspecting every product in sight in search of the best deals. No, certainly not, Sakura was much too busy staring lovingly at her girlfriend.

That was another miraculous recent improvement in her life; Her amazing, loving, wonderful girlfriend, who she wouldn't trade for the world.

If Sakura would ever be asked to list the things about Ayako that she found cute, amusing, endearing, or otherwise attractive, she would tell the person asking the question to get themselves comfortable, for it was a long, long list.

From the general attributes such as her exuberance and fiery spirit, to the small things that were purely Ayako, such as the three laughing lines that appeared next to her eyes when she smiled and the soft hop in her step whenever she was daydreaming about something naughty, Sakura loved it all.

So when she heard the brunette hum softly, a sign that she was supremely content with her current situation, Sakura had to firmly sit on the desire to hug her until the stuffing came out.

It wouldn't be a very appropriate gesture for inside a store after all.

Still, Sakura couldn't keep a stupidly huge smile from her face as she listened to Ayako humming a slow melody as the brunette carefully inspected the available tomatoes. The plum-haired girl knew she probably looked utterly ridiculous with that smile, but that didn't matter. Public opinion was something abstract, something temporary. Ayako's cuteness was now and eternal.

"They really had a good harvest this year." The brunette remarked, stopping her humming in favour of talking with Sakura. "I mean, look at these tomatoes. Don't you think they look amazingly round and firm?"

"They do indeed." Sakura nodded, switching gears to look at the tomatoes, her smile barely getting smaller as she came over to stand next to her girlfriend, inspecting not only the tomatoes but also the other vegetables and fruits. "All of this looks very good. It's quite surprising for a supermarket."

"It is, though I'm not complaining. It'll save us a trip to the market later." Ayako chirped as she added the tomatoes, a few carrots, bell peppers, cauliflowers, and asparagus to her basket. "Ever since the vegetable stall hired that new guy to stand behind the counter on the weekends and on Mondays, I don't like going there anymore."

"Ah, him." Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust, her smile disappearing instantly at the thought of the new hire, with his grasping fingers and lecherous eyes.

"Yes, him. You know, the one who is always staring at our butts. I'm glad we don't have to see him this week." The brunette complained, leaning forward to inspect the apples.

"I completely agree with you. It's very improper of him to stare at our rumps." Sakura nodded, pursing her lips slightly.

The plum-haired girl had never been sure what to think about Kusenai-san, the owner of the vegetable stall, but ever since the man had hired that creep and refused to do anything about his employee's behaviour, her opinion of him had dropped considerably.

It was bad enough when the young man stared at their busts and butts whenever he thought they weren't looking, but then he started flirting with them on top of that.

And she wasn't talking about the innocent flirting that market-people sometimes indulged in, but the weird, smarmy kind of flirting, that was very focused on their bodies and whatever he wanted to do to them.

Sakura had politely refused his advances so far, but it hadn't worked. Rather, it only seemed to spur him on.

Nothing seemed to discourage him. Whether it was politely refusing, outright telling him to stuff it, deflecting the matter, or whatever else, he just saw it as a fun challenge.

Nee-san had told them to just kick him between his legs until he submitted, but Sakura felt she could hardly start doing that in the middle of the market. That would destroy whatever remained of her reputation.

They didn't need more trouble, so the plum-haired girl held herself back from pulverising the creep's family jewels.

Unless that creep started getting physical, then all bets were off. She'd even say yes to Fujimura-Sensei's offer to 'dispose' of the guy.

Though of course, if they didn't need to visit the market in the first place, it was all purely theoretical.

"All right, that's everything we need for the coming days." Ayako confirmed after checking once more, giving Sakura a wide grin. "Seems old Kusenai won't be getting our money today."

"Seems so." Sakura grinned back, before motioning towards the rest of the store. "We only have the vegetables so far though. Don't forget there is more to life than just vegetables."

"I am very glad there is." Ayako huffed, before making for the meat and dairy aisles. "I can't survive on just rabbit food."

"Ahahaha, quite right." Sakura nodded. At the very least, they would need some milk and butter to bake cookies and cakes next week, as Ayako's family would be visiting the Emiya-estate.

That visit had been very out of the blue. Chiaki, Ayako's mother, had suddenly called to the Emiya-estate and informed Sakura that the Mitsuzuri-family would come to visit on Wednesday, without really giving a reason why.

Sakura would just have to see what they wanted. Ayako knew no more than she, as she hadn't been home much the past weeks.

…Maybe it was about that? Ayako had spent a massive amount of time at the Emiya-estate since the summer holiday had started and barely any at home. Perhaps her parents didn't want that anymore?

The plum-haired girl let out a sigh, mentally crossing her fingers and hoping for the best. If it came to a confrontation about where Ayako would spend most of her time, she would follow along with whatever the brunette herself wanted. For good or for ill.

Her mind made up, Sakura followed after her adorable girlfriend, who had already found her way to the candy-aisle.

It was around two hours later that the girls finally left the supermarket. It had taken quite a bit of time and a lot of money, but they had everything they needed.

"We don't have to visit the farmer's market." Ayako pumped her fist, baring her teeth in a triumphant grin. "No more staring at our boobs today, at least not for him."

"A common sentiment among all women who encounter him, I think." Sakura quipped, which elicited a delightful laugh from her lover, who only increased the plum-haired girl's fervent desire to claim her lips in a smothering kiss.

Alas, they were in public, so taking her by the hand was the best she could do.

"Man, if I never have to meet another creep again in my life, I'd be a happy girl- Ugk!"

Ayako choked on air, and Sakura tripped over her own feet, almost falling face first onto the ground if she hadn't been able to catch herself with her free hand.

The bags fell from their hands, smashing onto the ground and scattering their contents all over the street. The eggs cracked, the vegetables and fruits bruised, the bread was deformed, and the bottles were crushed to pieces.

Sakura paid no attention to that however. Her heart started beating wildly, frantically, and she felt Ayako squeeze her hand, her expression showing the same shock and confusion Sakura felt.

But even as the girls fell to the ground, the people around them continued walking, acting like they didn't see anything wrong. To Sakura's dismay, their expressions indicated they indeed saw nothing of what was happening.

The entire world then seemed to shift on its axis, and an immense pressure descended as a presence came their way, filling the air with its power and making the Earth tremble beneath its feet.

The power pressed down on Sakura, pushing her onto her hands and knees again, keeping her head bowed. Ayako suffered the same fate next to her. Both girls were forced to prostrate themselves as the immense presence came ever closer.

Rather than inspiring fear however, this humiliating treatment just filled Sakura with anger.

Rage exploded in her breast, rage at whatever was trying to keep her down, and she squeezed Ayako's hand back, trying to transfer some of that emotion to her girlfriend.

It must have worked, for Ayako shifted on her knees, before she started pushing back, together with Sakura.

And with a mighty heave, the girls rose again to look whatever had approached them straight in the eyes.

Sakura pulled a knife out of her jacket's pocket, holding it aloft threateningly as her other hand went to the Rune-inscribed stones in her other pocket, while Ayako bent her knees and raised her arms in a ready combat pose.

"What do you think you're doing-?!" The brunette raged, before she fell silent, rearing back as she beheld something utterly baffling.

What stood before them was completely unlike anything the girls had expected.

The aura, the pressure, and the trembling of the earth suggested it had to be a terrible monstrosity, the likes of which could send entire armies running in terror. A nightmarish fiend straight from the darkest pits of hell.

What the girls beheld however, was nothing like that.

It seemed to just be a young man, barely into his adolescence, with beautiful blonde hair, striking red eyes, a handsomeness most men would have killed for, and a body that seamlessly combined tough muscle with sexy leanness.

The red eyes were sparkling in amusement, the lips curled into a confident grin, and the stance spoke of an impressed approval of the girls' defiance.

For all the world, this was just a young heartthrob, wandering the streets in search of hearts to break, generally not harming anyone except the girls that fell for him. The kind that would inspire other men to shout expletives at him, to wish he would explode, and to boil in rage at the 'handsome bastard'.

A man worthy of being a harem protagonist of the handsome kind.

Sakura and Ayako however saw much more than that. Neither girl could explain how they could see beyond the exterior, but see beyond it they could, and they beheld the true nature of the thing before them.

It was awful!

The beautiful exterior was nothing but a front, hiding a terrible hideousness within. It was as if a house had been cleaned and painted to perfection on the outside, only to hide a rat-infested, cockroach-filled inside that was so rotten it had become a health-hazard. Something that might once have been a beautiful manor worthy of a king, but now so old and decrepit it was best wrecked and replaced with something new.

The creep in the vegetable store had given Sakura a bad feeling. This guy was a thousand, nay, a million times worse. A cruel despot who took whatever he wanted without any regard for what his actions might do to others.

His current smug smile might have been considered attractive by people who only saw the outside, but to Sakura and Ayako, it was a terrible, nasty thing that indicated someone was about to suffer.

Sakura really hoped it wouldn't be them.

"It is rare to see two mongrels in this day and age who can defy me." The golden monstrosity mused, his smirk widening when Ayako bared her teeth at him. "I might have put no more than a morsel of effort into it, but I am impressed you managed to withstand my aura nonetheless."

"What do you think you're doing, you wacko?!" Ayako raged, her eyes blazing as she stepped forward. Sakura quickly grabbed her shoulder before she could get far however, for this was not someone who would be defeated by martial arts of any kind.

"What am I doing?" Rather than being insulted, the golden figure just seemed to get more amused. "I thought I would come and meet the girl for whom the assassin's spawn decided to take on the worm."

Sakura was not a fool. She realised instantly what, and more importantly who, the man was talking about.

"When I first laid eyes upon you, I thought nothing of you, I shall admit that. A useless girl without a spine. A pathetic insect. Certainly not someone the assassin's spawn would fight for." The monstrosity spoke mockingly to Sakura, before turning to look at Ayako with an utterly dismissive gaze. "Of course, you were still far better than this one, who is worth less than a bug." Sakura had to tighten her grip on Ayako's shoulder when the golden figure spoke those dismissive words, feeling the brunette tense again in preparation for a charge. "But now that you have shown your defiance against my presence and your wisdom in seeing past my exterior, well, I can no longer just dismiss you."

The blood-coloured eyes roamed over their forms, and while Sakura promptly felt like taking a shower, she also realised those eyes were seeing more than just their bodies.

Then she made eye contact, purple eyes staring into red ones, and Sakura realised she had been massively understating it.

Those eyes saw everything. They looked through her and Ayako as if they were made of the clearest of glass. They saw their intentions, hopes, and dreams, seeing through all walls and shields as if they weren't there.

If someone had told her that the gods had possessed that kind of eyes, she would have believed them immediately.

"And even now you see far more than I expected you to." A hand went through the golden locks as the figure cocked his head to the side. "To even see what my eyes are capable of. I am genuinely shocked. Maybe the assassin's spawn did not make such a bad choice in picking his women after all."

"Don't call Shirou a 'spawn'!" Ayako snarled. "In fact, why don't you just leave already?"

"So brazen against your king." The golden figure huffed arrogantly, suddenly claiming a position of royalty, a position Sakura was pretty sure no one had given to him. "But that is not your fault. You are an ignorant one after all, who has only recently learned of the World's true nature. It was your teacher who was negligent, the one who told you about the shadow side of the world. I shall discuss your transgressions with them, and meet out proper punishment."

In less time than it took Sakura to blink, Ayako had placed herself in front of her, squaring off against the golden figure, raising her fists in a martial arts stance.

"Not her." The monster shook his head again. "There is no use in punishing her. I cannot expect women to act wisely by themselves. The fault lies with your lover. It is him I must speak with."

…Alright, that was it. Sakura had enough.

Arrogant to the bone, dismissive of everyone else, casually insulting her loved ones in every other sentence, and now also being sexist?

Sakura stepped forward too, raising her own fists and standing next to her girlfriend. Even if they had no hope of winning, there was no way she was going to let this guy continue talking like he did. Not without trying to knock his teeth out.

"Amusing, but I must refuse." From one second to the next, those red eyes, previously so full of amusement, turned dull, and the man turned around. "I will depart from the city once more soon, so I won't be able to speak with the assassin's spawn on any short notice. Instead, you shall bring him a message from me. Tell him that Gilgamesh wants a word with him once he returns. I have no doubt that he will give that name the respect it deserves."

Then the golden figure was gone. As fast as he had appeared.

And as the pressure in the air dissipated, the Earth relaxed once more, the world seemed to shift itself back to its normal state, and nature seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, Sakura could only marvel at just how whimsical that overbearing figure was.

All that power, and no sense of responsibility at all…

"Fucking hell! What was that?!"

Ayako's enraged shout snapped Sakura out of her contemplation.

"Language." The plum-haired automatically responded, before shaking her head in a daze. "I-I don't know…"

…Except she did, didn't she?

"…That was a Servant."

"Eh?! A Servant?" Ayako's eyes boggled at Sakura. "You mean one of those Grail ghosts? The spirits from the past who are summoned to fight?"

"Yes." Sakura didn't like it any more than Ayako, but it was the best and most likely explanation. "You heard him. He is Gilgamesh."

"…Who the fuck is Gilgamesh?"

"Language! And I think he was some kind of king from long ago."

"Well yeah, he basically told us that just now."

"I know! But I don't know anything else about him." Sakura grumbled, though the name was annoyingly familiar to her, for some reason.

No, wait! It was probably because he had been a Servant during the Fourth War and she'd overheard Zouken or someone else talk about him. Not that she knew any more details than that, but it was a start at least.

"I think he's a Servant from the previous War." She explained to Ayako, who was now in the middle of fixing her hair. "I don't know how he can still be around though. Maybe it has something to do with his legend?"

"We'll just look him up on the internet when we get home." The brunette grumbled, rubbing the abrasions on her hands, wincing whenever she touched a part that was particularly hurt. "Can you believe what he did though? Suddenly ambushing us like that. Insulting us. What a bastard!"

"Language." Sakura scolded her for the third time. "Ayako, I know that it was shocking to be attacked like that, but that is no reason to lose your dignity-"

She fell silent once her eyes fell on the bags of groceries. The bags of groceries that they had dropped once the golden figure appeared. The bags of groceries that were now on the ground, with everything inside it smashed, broken, and bruised.

"That bastard!"

Now it was Ayako who had to calm her girlfriend down as she raged against the golden figure for making them waste perfectly good groceries, threatening to unman him the next time she saw him.

Screaming expletives didn't change the situation however, and the girls ended up having to repeat their shopping trip, and this time, all the good vegetables in the supermarket had been sold already, condemning them to a trip to the market after all.

This time however, when the perverted young man went a step further and tried to grab Ayako's behind, she spun out of the way, tripped him up, and smashed his face right into the tomatoes that were on display on the stall.

It made them feel at least marginally better.

"Mister Fujimaru, I see you have returned." Lord El-Melloi remarked when Shirou entered his office, a few hours after Claire had dropped him off at the Clocktower's garage. "Did you accomplish what you set out to do?"

"I did." Shirou confirmed. "Miss Mary should no longer have any trouble whatsoever with her father and cousin. Also, she'll likely become the head of the Fargo-family soon."

"I… am glad to hear it." Lord El-Melloi clearly didn't know what to make of that ominous statement, and he probably would have interrogated Shirou over it if there hadn't been several other people present in his office.

There were Glascheit, Escardos, Bazett, and a white-haired woman in Church robes whom Shirou didn't know. With Shirou himself, Grey, and Lord El-Melloi included, that made seven people in total inside the lord's office.

It was almost like a team meeting, and Shirou wondered what the subject would be.

"Well, mister Fujimaru. I am most grateful that you were willing to help your fellow students." Lord El-Melloi went on, having recovered from his earlier stumble. "Of course, we shall discuss adequate compensation for your work, though this will have to be at a later date. I have important news for you all."

"…Of course." Shirou nodded, heaving an internal sigh as his reward was delayed again.

"Thank you." Lord El-Melloi nodded, before motioning for Shirou to take a seat. "I'll get to the point immediately. Lorelei Barthomeloi has ordered us to apprehend a group of criminals in Germany."

"…"

The room went completely quiet. If the meeting had taken place outside, one could have heard the crickets chirp and see the tumbleweed come flying by, as everyone was either frozen in shock or busy contemplating the ramifications of the news.

Glascheit looked dumbstruck, and Escardos just as much, which was a bad sign. When Escardos stopped laughing and joking, that was when you knew things had become really serious.

Bazett had frozen for a split second, but, being a professional mercenary, had recovered quickly and had now placed a hand on her chin in thought.

The white-haired woman hadn't moved a muscle at the announcement, and seemed more amused than anything else, if the wide smile was any indication. A smile that only got wider when she saw Shirou looking her way.

Grey did not look surprised at all, probably because she'd been informed already.

Shirou himself was barely surprised either. Exasperated perhaps, but not surprised. After everything that had happened so far, he could hardly be shocked anymore that he was sent on a trip to Germany at the exact time that he wanted to go there.

He had been planning to ask Lord El-Melloi for permission and help to get to Germany, and what was the first thing the lord said? 'We're going to Germany'.

Depending on where in Germany exactly they were heading off to, that was one hell of a coincidence. Or not.

"Where in Germany will we be going exactly?" Shirou decided to ask, and he swore to whatever was up there in the Heavens, if Lord El-Melloi mentioned any place close to the Rhine Gorge, where the Einzbern castle was located, Shirou was going to…

"Lykershausen, a small town in the vicinity of the Rhine Gorge."

…Clench his jaw so tightly he could almost feel it pop.

Lykershausen. That town was almost right next door to the Einzbern's castle. Whatever higher being was responsible for arranging all of this, they had done their homework and they weren't subtle in the slightest.

"Where?! Why are you asking where?!" Glascheit suddenly burst out, holding up his hands in a gesture that begged for them to slow down. "You should be asking why! Why are we doing this?! Why did Lady Barthomeloi send us there?!"

"I myself am more interested in when and how." Escardos shook his head, looking completely serious and not at all like he was joking. "I mean, since the order came from the Vice-Director, we can't exactly say no, can we? So I'd rather know when we will be going and how we're going to fight a bunch of criminals. I mean, are we even remotely strong enough for that?"

"It's not your strength I am worried about." Lord El-Melloi began addressing the questions, taking off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. "None of you are weak, and I'll be taking a team of Enforcers along to provide the dumb muscle. I am more worried about the 'why', like Svin."

"Okay, so why?" Glascheit repeated his question, looking very happy Lord El-Melloi was agreeing with him.

"Because the Vice-Director wants to convince us, and Fujimaru in particular, to join her effort in culling the Meluastea-family." Lord El-Melloi replied calmly, looking straight at Shirou, who froze in place. "Though you don't need to worry. Lady Barthomeloi only wishes to use your sensory abilities. You won't be a combatant. You will be kept safe at all times."

Lord El-Melloi meant his words to be kind and reassuring, and while Shirou appreciated the effort, he hadn't frozen because he was scared or worried. He'd frozen because it was yet another 'coincidence' on the pile.

Had he not heard of the Meluastea-family for the first time just that morning? Hadn't he just gotten himself an informant inside that very family?

This was getting out of hand. Such an incredible series of coincidences couldn't be normal anymore. Whether it was Nasu behind it or something else entirely, this was plain unnatural.

It was something to definitely bring up the next time he met with the Watcher. Shirou couldn't say he liked having his every move planned for him, no matter how much he might benefit. It made him feel like a puppet on a string.

But aside from his worries about being a puppet, there was something else that bothered him about what Lord El-Melloi had just said.

That everyone else in the office were only being involved in all this because Lady Barthomeloi wanted Shirou specifically.

"If the Vice-Director wants me to join her in fighting this Meluastea-family, why didn't she just ask me directly instead of organising this show?" Shirou decided to ask the room at large. "There is no need to involve you all in this matter if she only wants me, right?"

"Lady Barthomeloi believes that if she were to ask you directly, she would leave a chance open for you to refuse." Lord El-Melloi explained. "She believes it necessary for you to see the atrocities that the Meluastea-family regularly commits with your own eyes, so that you will be moved to join forces with her of your own volition. I do not know why the rest of us have to be involved though."

"I'll talk to her then." Shirou offered, already standing up from his chair. "There is no need for all this political manoeuvring. If the Meluastea-family truly is evil and commits the atrocities you claim they commit, I will gladly join her. That way, you all won't be dragged into this. I can handle whatever is waiting in Germany on my own."

"That is a very kind offer, mister Fujimaru, but I must refuse." Lord El-Melloi shook his head, though there was a smile on his face. "As your instructor and sponsor, I would be very remiss to let you take on such a dangerous mission by yourself. I do not doubt you can handle it, but I will not forsake my duties as a teacher. I shall join you on this mission."

"I want to come along too. It sounds pretty interesting, and I want to see Shirou bash in some heads." Escardos raised his hand as if he was in class, eagerly making his case.

"I will accompany Sir wherever he goes." Was Grey's contribution.

"Eh? W-Well, if m-miss G-Grey is going, I'm coming too." Glascheit declared, raising a fist in determination.

"Ditto. Lord El-Melloi's paying me to protect him, so protect him I will." Bazett fell in, though the seriousness of her words was slightly undercut by how she was sprawled in her chair in a very un-womanly way.

"Certainly, you wouldn't think of leaving me behind?" The white-haired woman put her hands together, smiling brightly as she implored them to take her along. "I would like to come too."

"…Fine." Shirou nodded, smiling wryly at the turn of events. There was no escaping this lot apparently. "Nevertheless, I must still speak with lady Barthomeloi to tell her that if she ever needs my help with something else, she can just leave out the manipulation and ask me directly instead."

It was a sensitive point for the redhead. He didn't mind helping people, especially if it was for a good cause, but he hated it if those close to him were manipulated so people could use Shirou to their advantage.

It was like someone trying to get close to Sakura and Ayako, just so they could get Shirou to repair their car. He would have done it anyway if they had asked, but the fact that they had manipulated his girlfriends to get him to do so was what irked him.

He might not know these people very well, but he still wasn't going to let others take advantage of them merely to get to Shirou.

So he would get over his fear of Barthomeloi and tell her that in no uncertain terms.

Not everyone agreed with his planned course of action however.

"Woah, hold on now!" Glascheit cried, grabbing Shirou's shirt before he could leave. "What do you mean you're going to talk to Barthomeloi?! People don't just go talk to the Vice-Director!"

"I don't care." Shirou told him, looking down on the other boy's hand. "Could you let go, please?"

"No way! You'll die! You'll literally die!"

"Let the man go, le chien." Escardos jeered in excitement, though that only made Glascheit hold on to him tighter.

"Mister Glascheit, I appreciate you concern, but I must really-"

"One moment, mister Fujimaru." Lord El-Melloi interrupted him, holding up a hand to motion for calm. "I won't stop you from discussing your grievances with the Vice-Director, but before you go, could you please sit out the meeting? I will present important information here, and it is best if you hear it now."

"…Of course." Shirou acquiesced in the face of the lord's logic, and he sat back down, a relieved looking Glascheit letting go of his shirt again.

"Thank you." Lord El-Melloi nodded, before addressing the room at large. "Now, we shall depart for Germany in two days' time. I have already cancelled my classes, booked the plane tickets, and made reservations for rooms in a hotel in Frankfurt, which is close to Lykershausen. You will pack everything you need before we leave the Clocktower. Everything you forget is something you will have to do without for the rest of our stay in Germany. Also, make sure to have some sort of valid identification papers ready. If you don't know where they are, find them again, and fast."

There was a round of collective nods, and Shirou was almost amused by how much they resembled a family now, listening to the father who was briefing them on the holiday.

"Lykershausen is not a popular destination, but Frankfurt is a very big city, so I was able to book a good hotel there." Lord El-Melloi went on, tapping his finger on the desk, before glaring straight at Escardos. "I am warning you, Flat, that I want you to be on your best behaviour. If you pull any pranks in the hotel, you will sleep in the gutter for the rest of the journey."

"I understand." Escardos nodded rapidly.

"The same goes for you two, though I consider you less of a hazard than Flat." Lord El-Melloi gave Glascheit and Shirou pointed looks. "Now, I was able to book three rooms in total. Grey, Bazett and miss Ortensia are sharing the three-person room, leaving two two-person rooms for the rest of us. I'll leave the precise grouping to you three, boys."

"Le chien and I can stay in a room together." Escardos suggested, gesturing at himself and Glascheit. "If mister Fujimaru doesn't mind sharing a room with Waver?"

"I don't." Shirou shook his head, privately being very glad about it. Sneaking away from Lord El-Melloi to go to the Einzbern-castle would be a lot easier than from the guy who smelled like a dog, or the one who'd broken through his Bounded Fields without even noticing.

"Nor do I." Lord El-Melloi nodded in agreement, before suddenly sitting up straight when his eyes fell on the white-haired woman. "Good gracious, how could I have forgotten this? Mister Fujimaru, please forgive my lateness, but let me introduce Caren Ortensia, Exorcist of the Church. Miss Ortensia, this is Shirou Fujimaru, my most recent apprentice."

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Shirou smiled at her, bowing to a depth that showed he thought of her as a valued equal.

"The pleasure is entirely mine." The white-haired exorcist smiled, giving a perfect bow in return, just as deep as Shirou's.

"Very good." Lord El-Melloi seemed satisfied with their interaction, and got back on topic. "In Frankfurt, I will rent a car to drive us to Lykershausen. Once we're there, we'll start with scouting the town and its surroundings. Further plans will be made on site."

Another round of nods from the people in the room.

"As I have said before, I have also hired a team of Enforcers. It is the same team I hired to go after Balefor several months ago, with a few changes, so you should know most of them, Bazett."

"Yay." Bazett sighed sarcastically, before smiling at Grey and miss Ortensia. "At least I won't be bunking with them this time. Those guys were awful roommates. Gideon and Rit kept snuggling the entire time, and Kyra kept draping herself all over Suladan. A girl like me gets jealous after a while."

"They will stay at another hotel, close to ours." Lord El-Melloi informed them, politely ignoring Bazett's grumbling. "When I told them this was a mission ordered by the Vice-Director, they insisted on keeping their distance from us."

"Gee, I wonder why." Escardos muttered, rolling his eyes.

"That is all." Lord El-Melloi then brought the subject to a close. "You're all dismissed. Try to think of what you'll take with you, and for the love of all that is holy, please don't tell Lehrman that we're going on a trip. She'll want to come along."

Shirou shook his head at the last sentence, unable to suppress a smile. He did pity Lord El-Melloi for having to deal with so many 'interesting' characters, but at times, it really was funny to watch.

…Note to self, if he ever became a pleasure-seeking sociopath like Melvin or Reines, he would have to kill himself.

Right now though, he had a certain Queen he needed to have a word with.

"If you will excuse me then, I have to go and have a talk with the Vice-Director." Shirou said, rising from his chair.

"Very well, mister Fujimaru. The best of luck to you." Lord El-Melloi nodded.

"Good luck, mister Fujimaru." Grey said softly, peering at him from under her hood, speaking for the first time since the meeting had started.

"Be careful. She is dangerous." Glascheit implored him, looking nervous again, though he made no attempt to stop Shirou from going this time.

"Don't get killed out there, kid." Bazett added her two cents.

"I will say a prayer for you." Miss Ortensia said kindly, looking far too amused for the situation.

"She bites, my friend. It's up to you whether that is a good thing or not." Escardos winked at him, and Shirou really didn't like either the smirk on his face or the insinuations of what he'd just said.

Instead of replying though, he just left the office to be on his way.

Eduardo di Stanza was not a fool.

He wasn't the brightest of Magi around, yes, and he often had trouble making connections in his mind, easily forgot important stuff, and even reading and writing weren't his strong suits, but a fool, he was definitely not.

For one, he was keenly aware of his limits, and didn't ever try to deny them. He had accepted long ago that he wasn't that clever, and he had planned out his life accordingly.

He knew he would never become a successful researcher, lacking the creativity and the will to endure throughout failure. As such, he'd set his sights on something else; becoming a teacher. Someone who could lead the next generations to their callings, who had the respect of his peers, and could make a good living at the Clocktower.

It would be a challenge for him, considering his dimmer nature, but he was prepared to put in as much effort as necessary. He just had to prepare his lessons thoroughly and not try to teach subjects that were above his level. Then everything would be fine.

A second reason that he was not a fool was that he knew to accept help when needed. Sure, he'd grumbled about having to ask Fujimaru for aid, and yes, he'd treated the teen rather horribly, but he had approached the tutoring with the utmost sincerity.

He also planned to apologise to the teen later, as his behaviour really had been beastly.

Yet another reason that Eduardo could not be considered a fool was that he knew when to speak his mind, when to shut up, and when to say nothing but meaningless platitudes while keeping his opinions to himself.

And when an Edelfelt was venting to you, it was best to shut up as much as possible and only speak when they gave you permission to.

"They laughed at us, Eduardo, laughed and laughed and laughed." Sofia Edelfelt whined in frustration and powerlessness, pressing her face into her hands as she paced around the room. "It was just a broken car! It was nothing more than an unfortunate accident. Why should we be mocked for it so relentlessly?"

'Probably because you and your family have mocked people for exactly such occurrences in the past. Not to mention the numerous enemies you made over the years who are only too happy to get back at you in whatever way possible.'

Eduardo didn't voice the thought out loud. Of course not, he wasn't tired of life just yet.

"It was supposed to have been a triumph, but it all went wrong at the last possible moment. That bitch Reines, she laughed so much yesterday during the conference, when she recounted the tale!" Sofia continued, taking his hands in her own as she looked up at him with dewy eyes. "And then everyone started laughing. Even the Trambellio!"

Ah yes, Eduardo could see why that had to have hurt. The Trambellio were the leaders of the Democratic Faction, which the Edelfelt had recently joined. That the Trambellio had laughed about the car-incident basically meant that the Edelfelt were now being mocked by their own bosses.

"That must have been painful." He whispered, placing a hand on her cheek, stroking it with his index finger, hoping fervently that it would be enough to not have her explode at him.

He was trying very hard to hide his fear of her, but he wasn't sure he succeeded. Sofia Edelfelt scared him like few other things could, and he constantly walked on eggshells around her, knowing that the slightest misstep would see him tortured and perhaps even murdered.

Now, one could ask themselves the question; if he was so afraid of this woman, Sofia Edelfelt, and clearly didn't want to interact with her at all, why was he even there in the first place, inside a loge in the Department of General Fundamentals, with Sofia as the only other person in the room?

It was her room even. Why had he come there at all? And why didn't he leave at once?

The answer to that was simple.

Sofia Edelfelt was his fiancée, the woman he would marry in less than a year's time. That meant he had certain responsibilities when it came to her, like visiting her every day for at least an hour, and listening to her rants while supporting her. They were responsibilities he hated but had no intentions of slacking on.

The engagement between them had been made in record time, and entirely without Eduardo's consent. One day, not long ago, the Edelfelt had suddenly suggested the marriage at some party both they and the Di Stanzas had attended, and Eduardo's father had accepted in a heartbeat.

Eduardo wasn't the heir of the Di Stanza-family, nor was Sofia the heir of the Edelfelt-family. They were both far down the line of inheritance, and quite unimportant. In other words, perfect to marry off to build useful alliances.

That was how Eduardo now found himself in this unfortunate situation.

He didn't want to suggest he considered himself particularly unlucky though, especially compared to many other children of Magus-families. He wasn't being experimented upon, not tortured or killed, he hadn't been abducted to serve as blackmail material, and even the whole engagement thing wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Sofia was a beautiful woman, and her family brought a lot to the table that could really benefit the Di Stanza-family. Really, he could have done worse than the Edelfelt, much worse.

They were rich, powerful, and influential. They valued class and education, and knew how to work the system to their advantage.

If only they weren't so damn terrifying, Eduardo might have been able to give loving his fiancée an honest shot. Rather, if it could just have been someone nice he was engaged to, he could have made it work, through sheer effort and will if nothing else.

But instead, he was stuck with a woman who only acted nice and was constantly prodding him in an attempt to find a weakness. Endlessly harrying and harassing him, not giving him a moment's respite, constantly demanding his sympathy and affection, basking in his discomfort and humiliation.

She was always touching him, insisting on holding hands, demanding hugs whenever she wanted, and more. Not because she liked him or anything –that was clear enough from how she'd never kissed him– but because she liked how uncomfortable it made him.

She was just waiting for him to slip up, and when he did…

Eduardo had no idea what she had in mind for such occurrences, and that only made it scarier.

He'd tried everything to escape from the harassment. He had tried being a model fiancé, he'd tried keeping his distance from her, he'd tried feigning an illness, he'd even tried escaping the engagement for crying out loud, which, if it had gotten out, would have dishonoured his family, which was the last thing he wanted.

His last option had been to try for the Vice-Director's hand –no one would dare complain if he broke off his existing engagement in favour of marrying the Queen herself– but that was impossible, especially since Fujimaru had confirmed that woman was cold as ice and only interested in those who could best her in battle.

So, ultimately, Eduardo had resigned himself to having a fiancée who passed her time by bullying and humiliating him, all the while acting like she was a sweet young woman in love.

But he had seen through her. He was not a fool after all.

Or at least, that was what he thought.

But he was wrong.

This was a case in which Eduardo's dimmer nature really reared its ugly head. That dimmer nature, combined with his fear and paranoia, made him see things that weren't truly there. It stopped him from making certain connections, and most importantly, prevented him from noticing several social cues that might have pointed out the grave errors in his thinking.

Sofia Edelfelt, the woman whom he saw as his tormentor…

…Actually loved him. Truly, genuinely loved him.

It wasn't just a short infatuation either. Sofia had fallen for Eduardo many years before, and she was actually the instigator of their engagement.

The first time they had met was when they were both twelve years old, at a large party which the Di Stanza and the Edelfelt had both been invited to. On that day, it was Eduardo's decent nature in the middle of a cesspool of sharks that had first made her warm up to him. Standing there, next to the table of drinks, talking the night away with him, Sofia had felt the stirrings of love for the first time in her life.

And as they met more often over the following years, it was his kindness, his lack of the arrogance that Magus-scions normally possessed, and the fact he was always willing to listen to her and comfort her that completely stole her heart.

Was it any wonder at that point that she had pressured her father into arranging the engagement between them, even though the Di Stanza were far below the Edelfelt in wealth, power, and standing?

Sofia wasn't tormenting Eduardo with her whims, she just wanted to air her concerns and her pains to the one she trusted most.

She wanted to be comforted by the man she loved.

Whether it was holding his hand or melting into his strong embrace, Sofia couldn't get enough of it. His presence made her deliriously happy, especially when he whispered sweet nothings to her, stroking her cheek with his strong fingers.

She wanted nothing more than to be a good wife to him, to do her research while he taught his classes, gain fame together, and, eventually, raise a family with him too.

The mere thought made her face explode in a blush, a blush she didn't try to hide, as the only one present was her dearly beloved who she trusted with her life.

This was a woman deeply in love.

Yet Eduardo couldn't see it.

Really, what a fool.

"Even having the Trambellio, the people who should support you the most now, laugh at you, I am astounded and enraged." Eduardo continued, pressing his forehead against hers, a gesture that his books on romance had told him was appropriate between engaged people. "To mock you so relentlessly for a simple accident. Curse them."

Sofia opened her mouth, before she froze suddenly. It took her four seconds to close her mouth again, and then she swallowed heavily.

"Eduardo." She whispered, her eyes flitting around nervously. "If I tell you something I shouldn't be telling you, will you be able to keep it a secret?"

Eduardo was momentarily stumped by the question, but then he realised this was probably a test. If he was told the secret and he revealed it to someone else, the Edelfelt would know he was unreliable and probably kill him. If he didn't tell anyone though, he would prove to be a good little pet for Sofia.

Better a pet than dead, so he nodded.

"It wasn't an accident." Sofia told him, her voice grave enough that Eduardo immediately believed her. "Someone deliberately destroyed the engine of the car."

"…"

Eduardo swallowed heavily. Someone was picking a fight with the Edelfelt? While he was engaged to one and thus was likely in the line of fire?

Oh, that was bad.

"Do you have any idea who it was?" He implored her, more out of self-preservation than out of worry for his in-laws.

To Sofia however, his question and strong tone made it seem as if he was motivated to catch the culprit for her sake, and she went from pressing her forehead against his to snuggling into his chest, warmth filling her to the very tips of her fingers and toes.

"We don't know." She admitted softly. "Our most trusted servants were guarding the car the entire time, and an investigation confirmed no one entered the garage at all while our car was there."

"No one at all?" Now Eduardo was puzzled, and dare he say it, interested.

"Only Lord El-Melloi the Second, his bodyguard, and his new apprentice." Sofia replied tenderly, basking in her fiancé's interest. "But Isabel, Nikolas, and I were standing next to the car when they entered the garage, and we didn't move until they left. I don't see how they could have done anything without us noticing."

Eduardo, now more invested in the matter than he probably should be, pondered for a moment.

"Was there a Bounded Field in your parking spot? One that could have destroyed the engine?"

"We used every spell and ritual we know of to investigate that area. There was nothing there."

"Could someone have used an invisibility spell to sabotage the car unseen?"

"Then they would still need to open the cap to get to the engine, wouldn't they? Besides, the engine was destroyed so thoroughly that it had to have been Magecraft of some kind, and we would have noticed that happening, invisibility spell or not."

"So it's not possible to cast a spell on the car without you noticing?" Eduardo asked, just to verify.

"We would certainly notice the Magical Energy being used. The spell was too close to us and too powerful to miss." Sofia shook her head, before her body tensed, and her voice became even softer. "The only way they could have cast something without us noticing would be if they used another form of Magical Energy entirely, and if that is the case, we have a far greater problem than just a bit of humiliation and a wrecked car."

Eduardo swallowed again, his body tensing up as well as he realised what she meant.

A True Magician.

Those monsters were the only beings currently in existence who would theoretically be able to use something else than the standard Magical Energy to cast their spells, while at the same time being stealthy enough to destroy a car's engine without also obliterating everything around it, like Dead Apostle Ancestors and Demons tended to do.

It was just a theoretical possibility, but the mere notion of a Sorcerer being after the Edelfelt made cold sweat break out everywhere on his body.

To Sofia however, his sudden tensing seemed as if he were strengthening his embrace to comfort her, which she happily accepted.

If she was entirely honest however, she had to admit she was exaggerating the threat, as well as her fear of it.

Sofia didn't believe there was a True Magician after the Edelfelt. Someone like that had no need to stoop to such low, bullying tactics. It was far likelier to have been a timed explosive that had been placed into the engine far before they had gone to the Clocktower.

But if pretending to be scared of a possible True Magician made her fiancé hug her more tightly than he ever had before, then she would turn into the biggest coward of her family.

She loved him so very much.

"There haven't been any other attacks though." She supplied after enjoying their proximity for a few more seconds. "It seemed as if this was just an isolated incident."

"An isolated incident that happened exactly when you were about to consolidate more power." Eduardo pointed out. Even someone as dim as he could see that. "There is absolutely no guarantee the culprit won't return the next time your family tries to make a move."

"…I know." Sofia dislodged herself from her fiancé's embrace, taking several steps back, rubbing her temple in frustration. "I know. Whoever is responsible for this, there is a considerable chance they will return, and if the previous incident is any indication, it is unlikely we can stop them."

The Edelfelt were very skilled mercenaries and excellent warriors, but whoever was attacking them seemed to be even better.

The Edelfelt had already resigned themselves to having to play a defensive game for now, and Nikolas and Isabel were already searching for useful allies to help them with that.

Sofia was actually supposed to do the same, and technically, she could call upon the entire Di Stanza-family to help them, as was agreed upon when the marriage-deal was struck.

She wasn't going to however. She wasn't about to place Eduardo in the line of fire.

Sofia loved Eduardo with all her heart, but she wasn't blind to the fact that when it came to Magecraft, he wasn't the best. In a battle, he'd be easy prey for anyone with a modicum of skill.

She couldn't expose him to that kind of danger.

"Eduardo, my love, I cannot bear the thought of you coming to harm." She proclaimed, turning her back to him with a dramatic flourish. "Perhaps… Perhaps it is best if we d-distance ourselves from e-each other, at least until this matter is over."

Her voice almost broke twice in her last sentence, but she managed to finish strongly. No matter how much it pained her to be separated from him, potentially for months and possibly forever if their opponent was indeed a Sorcerer, she had to be strong, for his sake.

Eduardo however couldn't disagree more.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He thought frantically as his best bet for survival stepped away from him. 'If she leaves, I'm dead!'

Eduardo knew how this worked. If someone wanted to fight and potentially destroy a strong family like the Edelfelt, the first thing they would do was target the minor families that were allied to them.

That took away resources from the strong family and created a sense of fear that would dissuade other possible allies from joining them. It was an isolation tactic that often worked wonders.

Even the Greeks had first destroyed Troy's allies before taking on Troy itself.

And in case it wasn't clear enough yet, Eduardo was currently an ally of the Edelfelt.

In his mind, it was simple. He was going to be targeted either way, and him fighting together with his fiancée provided a much greater chance at survival than him fighting alone.

"Sofia, you mustn't leave." He thus said, speaking out before his mind could catch up. "Please, don't leave. Let us fight this threat together, so we may both live to see our future."

Eduardo's face was tight with worry and his voice fraught with nervousness. In his own mind, he cut a pathetic figure, and he was certain Sofia would refuse his plea.

But, once more, Sofia saw something completely different.

Her fiancé's face was drawn tight with worry for her, though he put on a strong face so as not to unduly scare her. His voice too was filled with concern for her well-being, and his immediate denial of her offer to distance herself from him was a courageous act that showed he wasn't willing to let her fight alone.

In Sofia's eyes, the man before her was the bravest man she had ever met.

Her heart was beating madly, swarms of butterflies were unleashed in her belly, and she could have sworn steam was coming out of her ears.

Unable to control herself, she practically slammed her face into his chest, hugging him for all she was worth.

"Yes!" She squealed happily, though her voice was muffled against him. "Yes, we'll fight together, my love."

And Eduardo heaved a sigh of relief.

It seemed he had passed another test and wouldn't be disposed of just yet.

Shirou reached the office of Lorelei Barthomeloi in record time, despite his lack of appointment. Having been invited there once before, no one in the Department of Policies was willing to get in his way, in case he was expected again. Wasting his time would be the same as wasting the Vice-Director's time in that case, and that was a very dangerous thing to do.

It was of course illegal, not to mention rude, to barge into her office without an appointment, but Shirou didn't care about that right now. He had a purpose, and he wasn't going to be swayed by archaic rules.

There was of course no guarantee that she would be present in her office at that exact time, so Shirou was slightly relieved when he came in range and detected the woman sitting behind her desk.

Also, Mirei Montmorency was with her again.

That was fine. It was probably for the best if he spoke with the both of them to make his demands clear.

Once he reached the office's door, he was almost tempted to kick it in. Common sense and his long-instilled politeness easily crushed that temptation however, so he just knocked on the door and waited before entering.

It remained quiet for several seconds following his knocking, and then a small magic spell allowed Lady Barthomeloi's voice to be heard through the otherwise soundproof door.

"Enter."

Shirou did not have to be told twice, and promptly stepped inside…

Before rearing back in shock.

The first things he saw were Lady Montmorency and Lady Barthomeloi, both in clear combat mode and ready to smite him should he make a wrong move, their eyes blazing as they aimed their Magecraft at him.

Lady Montmorency wasn't the problem. She was clearly doing her best, but the fact that she was leaning on her cane, was panting from the mere effort of getting up quickly from her chair, and that her spell would barely have given Ayako pause meant that she wasn't exactly a credible threat.

Lorelei Barthomeloi on the other hand was poised to lay ruin to Shirou, her office's front wall, and the entire hallway behind it, and that would only be the beginning.

Clad in a neat shirt with a jacket over it that was tied shut with an almost cute ribbon, and tight red pants that could have been painted on her legs, tucked into brown thigh-high boots, she already cut an impressive figure, but when coupled with the immense power she was gathering, it made her seem like an Angel of Death.

She also looked dangerously sexy, and Shirou had to wonder why on Earth he was even thinking about that at such a moment.

It seemed for a second as if visiting the Vice-Director without an appointment was a capital crime, and that the Vice-Director was about to execute the verdict, but then a light of recognition appeared in her eyes, and the situation deescalated almost instantly.

"Mister Fujimaru. This is unexpected, I must admit." Lady Barthomeloi immediately relaxed, the immense pressure disappearing as if it had never been there, her voice holding a note of curiosity in it as she sat back down again.

"Quite a risk, my boy, entering this office so brazenly while having a means to disable identification spells." Lady Montmorency chided him, also sitting down again. "We thought you to be an assailant. Lorelei almost killed you."

Shirou was momentarily stumped on what she meant by disabling identification spells, but then he remembered his Magic Resistance, which would indeed disable all spells cast against him.

"My apologies." He answered them both. "But I am set to leave the Clocktower with Lord El-Melloi in two days and I must urgently discuss something with you beforehand, Lady Barthomeloi."

"And what might that be?"

"If you wish to involve me in a matter, such as the fight against the Meluastea-family, I would prefer it if you could ask me directly in the future instead of trying to manipulate me through others." He stated bluntly.

Both women were taken aback by his statement, and it was Lady Montmorency who recovered first.

"Calm down, boy, that was my idea." She said soothingly. "No need to take it out on little Lorelei here."

"No, it wasn't. You lie." Shirou replied instantly, grateful for his ability to discern lies from truth no matter how skilled the liar was, for Mirei Montmorency was a skilled liar indeed. "And it doesn't matter to me who came up with the idea or who executed it, I just want it to not happen again. Is that clear?"

"I do not like your tone." The warning in Lady Barthomeloi's voice was apparent, and though Shirou was tempted to snap at her in return, he realised that escalating the matter would not help things along.

"My apologies." He repeated, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "What I meant to say is that there is no need to try and get at me through others. If you want me to help with something, especially something like this, you can just ask."

"Told you." Lady Montmorency whispered out of the corner of her mouth, and there was an ever-so-slight twitch of Lady Barthomeloi's eye in response.

"I am not looking to make trouble over it. No one was hurt after all. I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again in the future." Shirou clarified. "There is no need to use others in your schemes when trying to get to me."

It wasn't exactly a grand speech, but Shirou was pretty sure he'd aired his demands perfectly clearly. Lady Montmorency was already nodding in understanding, and after a few seconds, Lady Barthomeloi gave in as well.

"Very well." She nodded regally. "I apologise for this unseemly attempt at manipulation, and for the fact my deputy tried to deceive you about who the culprit was. It shall not happen again."

"That is all I ask." Shirou quickly threw in a bow to ease the situation. Rulers often didn't like having to admit to a wrong, but perhaps a show of respect and deference could improve her mood again.

"Then let us negotiate." Lady Barthomeloi intoned, indeed sounding mollified by his bow, so Shirou rose again, before taking place in the chair she motioned him to. "I wish for your aid in tracking down the Meluastea-family's nests inside the Clocktower. The skill you showed in tracking and identifying Magecraft will be invaluable to the mission."

"I would be glad to help."

"Oh? Glad, is it? Are you even aware why I am after the Meluastea?"

"I heard the rumours as well, Lady Barthomeloi." Shirou nodded, though really, he'd only known of them since that morning, and only because of Fernando Li. "And I have a source who confirmed the Meluastea engage in studying forbidden Curses if nothing else."

"I have sources too, boy, and they say the same and much more." Lady Montmorency nodded, before her face twisted in distaste. "But just hearsay from unidentified sources is not enough. We need something concrete."

"Is that why you want to send me to Germany?"

"Correct." Lady Barthomeloi nodded, before motioning elegantly at her assistant. "Lady Montmorency tracked down three of their nests outside of the Clocktower, where they are not protected by the laws that bind my hands here. My agents shall deal with two of them, and I wished for you to deal with the third one, so you might see in person the crimes of the Meluastea and would decide to join the operation against them. If you have already decided to join us in our mission however, I will send a team of Enforcers to Germany instead."

Now hold on! That wasn't what Shirou wanted! He couldn't scout the Einzbern castle if he wasn't there!

"Lord El-Melloi has already planned the trip." He said quickly, doing his very best to remain calm even as he feared his opportunity to finally go to Germany might slip through his fingers. "So there is no need to call it off now."

His reasoning was flimsy, but perhaps Lady Barthomeloi considered it more trouble than it was worth to convince him otherwise, for she merely nodded her acquiescence.

"When you're there, boy, and you take out the nest, do try to find some evidence linking them to the Meluestea-family." Lady Montmorency added. "We need that in order to present a case against them."

"I will." Shirou promised.

"Please do, it really is very important." The elderly lady stressed. "If we burn down the nests and don't get enough evidence to strike at the main base, they will burrow and we'll never get another opportunity again."

"Yes, I understand." Shirou nodded again. He'd been in a comparable situation with the Sealing Designees in Japan after all. To get the knowledge you needed, you sometimes needed to be proactive, but being proactive also meant your targets would know you were on to them, and then you only had a small window of opportunity before it was too late.

It was a difficult balancing act, and the redhead understood the necessity of doing it correctly the first time around.

"Then there is only the matter of your payment." Lady Barthomeloi took control of the conversation again, leaning forward in her chair, which did wonders for her small bust, which Shirou was definitely not looking at. "You will of course receive the standard payment the Barthomeloi-family grants to those who assist us. As this is a considerable service, you will receive a class four-payment of ten million pounds. Additionally, I am willing to grant two favours."

Ten million pounds.

A considerable sum, though Shirou wasn't that impressed. Ever since he'd opened his Vault and seen the riches inside, money was less of an issue than ever. Also, Kiritsugu's English bank accounts still held millions of pounds as well, and though Shirou would rather not touch them, the money was still technically his.

To Lady Barthomeloi, the money was most likely negligible as well. Undoubtedly she was richer than Shirou could imagine.

As such, both of them were probably more focused on the favours she promised him.

"In exchange for your cooperation, I will allow you to accompany me on my next Dead Apostle hunt." Lady Barthomeloi's lips shaped themselves into a very small smile as she spoke those words. "While I cannot initiate one while the Meluastea are still around, I plan on doing so immediately after the operation ends. During the hunt, I will show you how to deal with foul creatures and Sealing Designees in a quick, efficient way."

That was a reward? Was that normal? Rewarding people by taking them along on life-threatening missions?

His questions must have been obvious, for Lady Montmorency shook her head slowly, telling him that it was by no means normal and probably something Lady Barthomeloi had invented purely for this occasion.

Shirou had half a mind to refuse the favours if this was what he could expect, but he remained quiet, waiting for her to tell him what the other favour was. It was only polite to hear someone out completely before refusing what they were offering.

"For the second favour I am willing to grant, I must question you on a certain matter for a moment." Lady Barthomeloi fixed him in place with a glare, making it clear she wasn't playing around, even less so than normally. "I heard from Lord El-Melloi that you are searching for a sponsor for a 'friend' who wishes to enter the Clocktower."

"That is correct." Shirou did not like how she pronounced the word friend, but he let it go for now.

"May I assume this friend is also from an Asian country?"

"She is also from Japan, yes."

"And you believe she is intelligent and skilled enough to deserve a place here, at the Magus Association?"

"I do. I am certain of it. In many ways, she is smarter than I am, and much more driven in her Magecraft than I'll ever be." Not that it was a high bar to clear to be more interested in researching Magecraft than Shirou. "When it comes to good apprentices, I would definitely place her far above myself."

"A ringing endorsement." Lady Barthomeloi hesitated, and though Shirou did not know her very well, he instinctively knew that that was decidedly not normal. "If what you say is true, then for your second favour, I am willing to give her a chance."

"My lady?" Shirou did not understand what she meant, and he was taken aback when Lady Montmorency's gaze snapped towards her superior, her eyes boggling in shock.

"If she is indeed as intelligent and driven as you say, and shows an appropriate level of power and skill, I shall accept her as my own apprentice." Lady Barthomeloi clarified.

Shirou's mouth fell open, and he was struck completely speechless.

He seriously, really could not get a word out. She couldn't have surprised him more if she'd suddenly hit him with a sledgehammer.

"My standards are very high however." She cautioned him, her glare becoming possibly even more intense. "I expect nothing but her very best at all times, and if that proves not to be enough, I will let her go. If she commits any sort of crime, I will let her go. If she fails to observe proper procedure, I will let her go. Let me say it again, mister Fujimaru, my standards are high."

"I-I understand." Shirou managed to get out, all thoughts of refusing the favours now gone from his mind. "I-I will tell her."

He would absolutely tell her. Rin had requested him to find a sponsor who was as high in rank as possible, and it didn't get much higher than the Vice-Director herself.

"Of course, this is only a possibility provided you are of use in removing the Meluastea." Lady Barthomeloi cautioned him, the corners of her lips curling up ever so slightly now that she had found a way to influence him. "I expect your very best."

"Of course." Shirou agreed breathlessly. If he hadn't been motivated already to give his all in fighting these criminals, then he certainly was now.

"Good." Lady Barthomeloi nodded in approval. "You are dismissed."

And that was that. Another chapter done.

Now, Shirou does some research into the Meluastea, only to be sucked into the big case that had been building up for a while. What a coincidence! Also, he meets Caren, and since he's never really met Kirei, he doesn't know who she is. How exciting.

Eduardo is being miserable, while Sofia has the time of her life. I hope I presented both of them as at least a little believable, though I am aware it sometimes stretches the limits of what is probable.

The point is, the Edelfelt are a very scary family. They didn't become known as the most elegant hyenas above ground by being nice. They have destroyed and terrorised families smaller than theirs for generations, and Eduardo knows this very well.

Sofia on the other hand has no clue that Eduardo is so wary of her, and her desire to be loved has twisted all the signs of fear into signs of love in her mind.

Is this ever going to end well?

Who knows?

And yes, I made preparations for Lorelei to become Rin's sponsor and mentor. Because let's face it, guys, Shirou has no interest in becoming her apprentice at all. He wanted to get into the Clocktower to save Illya, and now that she is within reach, he doesn't give a damn anymore.

Rin on the other hand is going to be blown away. I mean, to be honest, I don't even know if her canon self would accept an offer from the Vice-Director. It would be a cool way of one-upping the Edelfelt though.

Now, next chapter, we end up in Germany, where the group (Waver, Svin, Flat, Grey, Caren, Bazett, and Shirou) will hang out for a bit, before moving on to the mission (which won't take long, don't worry). The chapter after that will finally involve a bit of Illya. We will go straight into the First Attempt at rescuing her.

Ted digs into the ground like a digglet.