Chapter Thirty-Eight
Supply Run
Once outside I took a look around as I tried to remember my way back towards the mess tents where I hoped I might find Mashu. There was also the matter of requisitioning the supplies we would need for the upcoming mission, which I'm sure Olga and Roman had already overheard Scathach and I.
"Director." I called out to my invisible yet overbearing employer.
"Operative." Olga replied into my ear.
"I'm assuming you heard what we'll need?" I inquired.
"Yes, I've already made the appropriate requisitions to our logistics department, and they're gathering what you'll need as we speak." Olga confirmed my suspicions. "I didn't know how large of an explosive yield you wanted however." Olga added.
"Large enough to provide a show, but not large enough that it'll kill us." I replied.
"I'll be sure to relay that to the armory." Olga said.
"I'm sure Ironheart will figure it out." I said.
"I'm sure he will." Olga murmured with a sigh. "Was there anything else you wanted?" Olga asked next.
"I did wish to ask for your direction." I answered her.
"Oh, on what exactly?" Olga said, and even though I couldn't see her face I was sure that her brow had raised just now.
"I just wanted to get your feedback on our plan of attack." I said.
"You already sought out Lancer's advice on the plan, in doing so caused revisement of the original plan. After the plan you and Saber had devised last night turned out to have too many flaws." Olga said, sounding like she was lecturing me. "Do you still have your doubts? There's only so many options at your disposal, and as Lancer correctly pointed out there is only so much time you have." Olga said.
"I know, I know. I just wanted Command's opinion." I said.
"While I'm more than willing to give you my guidance for the sake of the mission, I think that I have nothing more to add to what Lancer has told you." Olga said. "All I will say is that you must tread carefully here, especially if the reports of the enemy having a mage is true, as they could be the one who is behind everything." Olga lectured sternly.
"What if we do encounter them?" I asked.
"Our goal is unchanged, we must destroy or capture the holy grail of this era and correct this distortion in history." Olga said. "If this mage truly is the one behind the singularities and the attack on Chaldea, then our goal is to defeat him and kill him or capture him if possible, that much should be obvious." Olga answered.
"If he is the one, then I doubt capturing him will be an option." I pointed out.
"I know as much." Olga snapped in response. "I'd prefer if we could capture them alive, but if there's no other choice but to kill them then so be it." Olga said.
"I'm sure that will be easier said than done." I said.
"Yes, I'm sure defeating him will be no easy task." Olga said. "So if you do encounter them, I advise caution when facing them. Despite your combat experience combined with the others, there's no telling how powerful he or she is. So don't go rushing in looking for a fight." Olga lectured me.
"Duly noted Director." I said.
"Was there anything else you wished to speak about?" Olga asked next and I shook my head in response.
"No, that was everything, Director." I replied.
"Very well." Olga said. "Before you go I want to remind you that you'll need Mashu to set up a summoning circle if you want to receive supplies as usual." Olga reminded me.
"I haven't forgotten Director, I just have to find her now." I told her.
"According to our sensors it looks like she's with the other pair of servants." Olga informed me, which I had figured as much. Now it was only a matter of finding my way over to her, the only real identifying terrain around me being the mountain pass's slopy hills and cliff sides encasing us. Which did me little good in navigating around the camp, other than to tell me one way was Italy and the other way was France.
"Thanks Director." I murmured as I set off on my way to go find Mashu, and once I found her we could get the supplies we needed from Chaldea. Then it was off to go find Nero and explain our revised plan to her, and hope she'd agree to it.
I headed inwards away from the walls and fortifications blocking the exit of the pass, and it was after navigating the sea of tents I eventually found my way to the mess tent where I found the young girl with short pink hair. Mashu was accompanied by Spartacus and Boudica, and seeing as how Spartacus wasn't the very sociable type most of the conversation being had was between Mashu and Boudica. Boudica seemed to have taken a keen interest in Mashu and I wasn't quite sure why. It was possible that Boudica knew something about Mashu that she didn't know, but I couldn't be certain that was the case. She could have just been fond of Mashu in general, which I could believe given how adorable Mashu was. Another possibility was that Mashu reminded her of someone in her own life like a daughter or other family member. Whatever the case may be, it warranted looking into. I made my way over towards them and saw Mashu was absorbed in conversation so as I drew closer I reached out and placed my hands over Mashu's eyes. This caused her to jump slightly in response as her hands went up to mine and gripped them tightly.
"Ah!" Mashu squealed and a chuckle escaped my lips.
"Sen-Senpai?!" Mashu exclaimed. I removed my hands from over her eyes and took a step back, and Mashu spun around to face me. "You caught me by surprise!"
"You were so absorbed in your conversation with Boudica, I thought I'd try and catch you off guard. Sorry." I said which caused Mashu to pout a little.
"I could have hurt you, you know!" Mashu exclaimed.
"Well it's a good thing you didn't." I chuckled. Had Mashu wanted too she probably could have thrown me over her shoulder and onto the ground. "Because you probably would have landed me in a hospital bed." I joked.
"Not by intention." Mashu pouted.
"Relax, I'm only teasing." I said reaching out and patting her head affectionately. Mashu's pouting evaporated under my rubbing of her head and turned into an affectionate smile in return.
"Did you sleep well?" Mashu asked.
"Fairly well, more so than I have in the past few days at least." I replied and garnered a chuckle from Mashu, and before she could say anything in response someone else chimed in.
"I'm glad to see such a strong Master-servant relationship." It was Boudica who spoke up, which was unsurprising it had been her to do so. Mashu and I turned to face her and found her standing across from us with Spartacus standing behind her, still wearing that unsettling smile on his face.
"Good afternoon, Boudica." I greeted her. "Spartacus." I nodded my head at him as well, as I found it best not to exclude him as not to sound rude.
"Yes afternoon indeed, you slept a long while." Boudica pointed out. "And after rushing off last night without getting a chance to taste my cuisine I cooked up for you. Mashu will tell you how delicious it was." Boudica beckoned towards Mashu and Mashu eagerly nodded her head. Maybe I was being too harsh on British cuisine, but I didn't exactly have any lasting memories of their food while over there.
"Ah yes my apologies." I said placing my hand on my chest and bowing my head. "I was so completely exhausted so there was little room for an appetite." I explained. Boudica didn't look very convinced, but she had little choice but to accept my answer.
"That's alright." Boudica replied. "You must be famished right now, there's still some leftovers from lunch if you want them." Boudica suggested motioning over towards the mess tent.
"Ah well actually I was looking for Mashu." I said looking over at her.
"Oh I'm sorry, what did you need?" Mashu inquired.
"I needed to borrow you to set down a summon circle." I told her. "We'll need some additional supplies for the upcoming mission." I explained. Before Mashu could respond in affirmative, there was an interjection.
"Has there been a change in plans?" Boudica asked and I turned my attention towards her, she was seemingly giving me a suspicious look.
"There's been a slight change in plans, but it's on our part, not on yours." I replied.
"I see." Boudica murmured.
"It's nothing major, just a slight adjustment in our plan of attack." I clarified.
"When did this occur?" Mashu asked me.
"It happened this morning, Lancer and I had a brief talk about it and we agreed that these changes would improve our chances of being successful." I replied. "I'll tell you more about it on the way to get supplies." I added.
"You and Lancer actually discussed something, wow." Mashu murmured under her breath.
"What was that?" I asked with raised brow.
"Nothing Senpai." Mashu answered.
"Has Nero been informed of these changes?" Boudica asked and I turned to face her. I didn't think Boudica would care whether or not I informed Nero or not, but I suppose it could just be out of concern that our plan may jeopardize things here and for Rome.
"No not yet, but I intend too shortly after Mashu and I get what we need." I replied truthfully. "I'm sure once I explain things to her, she'll agree to the changes. Then I'm sure she'll pass along to you guys the changes, but right now Mashu and I have to get prepared." I added.
"Alright." Boudica ruffled her eyebrows a little in response to my remarks. "Then I suppose we'll see you guys around. I still need to get you to try my cuisine, I promise you won't regret trying it." Boudica said. I still wasn't too keen on the idea, but I suppose it couldn't hurt. I reluctantly nodded my head in response.
"Of course, thank you for looking after Mashu." I said and Boudica nodded her head in response.
"I don't need looking after!" Mashu protested.
"Sure Mashu." I said, patting her shoulder as I spun her around. "Now let's get going, we've got a lot of stuff to do." I said, guiding her along.
As Mashu and I walked along through the camp towards the reyshift location, the inevitable question came up.
"So when are you planning on telling me about these changes?" Mashu inquired and I glanced over at her before returning my eyes forward.
"Soon." I replied.
"Soon?" Mashu brow raised.
"When we get to the reyshift point." I said. "You still need to work on your patience Mashu, have you forgotten what I told you?" I added.
"Sorry." Mashu murmured. "Yes you have, and I guess I still need to work on my patience more." Mashu said.
"That's fine, we all get inpatient from time to time." I said as I reached over and patted her on the head. "And I'm sure it won't take us very long to reach the summoning location." I added and Mashu nodded her head.
"Does Chaldea already know?" Mashu asked next.
"Yup, Chaldea knows." I nodded my head. "The Director overheard our conversation and when I asked her later she told me that she was okay with the changes made, and she was already prepping the supplies we would need." I explained.
"Well if it's okay with the Director, then it can't be all that bad." Mashu said.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." I grunted.
"It's not a matter of confidence, I have all the confidence in your world in your leadership abilities, Senpai." Mashu reassured me. "But I would have more confidence in you if I knew what the plan was." Mashu explained.
"I'm gonna tell you what the plan is, and also didn't I just tell you to be patient." I scolded her.
"Yes, you did." Mashu said. "You could at least tell me what made you decide to change the plan?" Mashu pointed out.
"The changes are not that drastic." I told her.
"If not, then you could surely tell me along the way." Mashu pointed out and I furrowed my brow at her. I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her in close as I whispered into her ear.
"There could be unfriendly ears amongst us listening in on our every word." Mashu paused and looked at me before giving me a nod.
"I hadn't given that any thought, I'm sorry." Mashu said.
"It's alright, just try to keep that in mind from now on. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that there's a reason why we don't use Saber and Lancer true names." I said and Mashu shook her head. "But I apparently do need to remind you for the third time about the importance of being patient." I added.
"S-Sorry." Mashu apologized again, although I was starting to wonder if she really meant it at this point. "Can I at least ask about what prompted these changes, was it something that Lancer suggested?" Mashu inquired.
"Uh no," I said. "It started last night with a conversation I had with Saber." I replied.
"I thought Saber said she was going to sleep." Mashu pointed out. "What was she doing in your tent talking to you? Did she not go to bed like she said she would?" Mashu eyed me suspiciously. I appear to have unwittingly walked into a minefield. I think Mashu was still holding a slight grudge against me after Jeanne and I ran off last night leaving her stuck with Boudica and Spartacus.
"Uh well you see…" I stared off, Mashu's gaze now burning into the side of my skull. "We were on our way back to our tents, when I invited Saber into my tent because I wanted to go over the details of the plan with her and get her opinion." I explained, which had been the truth more or less.
"Uh huh." Mashu said not sounding too convinced. I don't know why I was being put in the hot seat, it's not like the two of us did anything scandalous.
"I thought you said you had confidence in me Mashu." I pointed out.
"I do!" Mashu exclaimed.
"Then believe me when I say that's the truth." I said and Mashu pouted in response.
"Alright…" Mashu murmured.
"Thank you." I said.
"So then it was Saber who convinced you to change the plan?" Mashu followed up with another question.
"No, I actually proposed a newer, more drastic change to her." I replied. "Saber and I discussed it for a while and it seemed like a good idea at first." I explained.
"But then you talked to Lancer." Mashu said and now it was my turn to puff out my cheeks in response.
"Yes I went to Lancer the following morning to seek her opinion on my proposed changes to our plan of attack." I admitted. "After she listened to my changes, she pointed out several flaws in it, and told me that the changes were too drastic and would take too much time to implement." I explained.
"So if your changes were too drastic, what plan are we going with?" Mashu asked next.
"We're going with Lancer's modified plan." I told her.
"You actually listened to Lancer for a change?" Mashu gasped.
"Don't start!" I raised my finger.
"I'm just surprised, that's all." Mashu said and I grumbled in response. I guess that just goes to show how bad our relationship was even if Mashu was surprised when I listened to Lancer.
"Well her logic was sound, and her changes are not hard to implement compared to my own changes." I admitted.
"Admitting when you're wrong. Now you're starting to get me worried." Mashu joked with an amused smile.
"Listen here you…" I said as I reached over and pulled Mashu into me where I put her into a headlock and started rubbing her head teasingly. Mashu laughed as I rubbed her head and the two of us made our way over to our destination.
It was several minutes later before we arrived at the reyshift point where the two of us came to a stop and we found ourselves in a clearing close by the forest and cliff sides a little bit off from the main camp. Mashu proceeded to pull her shield from her back and held it out in front of her.
"This is the place." Mashu told me.
"Alright, set up the summoning circle." I said and Mashu nodded her head in acknowledgement. Mashu knelt down and placed her shield down on the leyline as she prepared the summoning circle. As Mashu prepared the summoning circle she looked around before looking up at me.
"I think we're out of earshot of anyone, and I'm not sensing." Mashu pointed out to me and I glanced around for signs of anyone and didn't see anyone. "So now can you discuss these changes with me while we wait?" Mashu inquired.
"Yeah, sure. I think we're safe." I nodded my head. Just as I said that and was preparing to fill Mashu in on the details I heard footsteps rapidly approaching our position. Who the heck could it be that was coming all the way over here, as I turned I found my answer and saw that it was Jeanne who was running over towards us. How the heck did she find us?
"Chris, Mashu." Jeanne said, coming to a stop in front of us, her breathing ragged.
"Good afternoon Saber." I greeted her.
"Afternoon Saber, how did you sleep?" Mashu asked.
"Afternoon to the both of you as well." Jeanne nodded her head. "And I slept fine, thank you for asking Mashu. Although my back is a little sore." Jeanne added. Yeah well that tends to happen when you sleep hunched over.
"It's good to see you Saber, but I must ask, how did you find us?" I inquired and Jeanne turned to me before replying.
"Well when I came too I looked for you in your tent, but I couldn't find you." Jeanne said, thankfully being vague enough to not leave Mashu any room for suspicion. "And when I couldn't find you, I went over to Lancer's tent to ask her if she had seen you. She told me that you had gone in search of Mashu to get supplies from Chaldea." Jeanne explained. "So I proceeded to use my ability to scan for Mashu's location and that in turn led me to you." Jeanne explained.
"That's right, I forgot you possessed that ability." I said. More importantly, I was surprised that Scathach told you anything. "So did you need something, Saber? Or were you just looking for me?" I asked.
"Oh, no I didn't need anything." Jeanne shook her head in response. "I just wanted to see where you had gone and if you needed help or anything? Did you make up your mind on the plan you discussed with me last night?" Jeanne inquired.
"Yes, I did." I replied. "And I made up my mind, we're not going with the plan I told you about last night, instead we're choosing to go with a modified plan of Lancer's. I talked it over with her this morning, and she made several fair points and arguments in favor of her plan so I've decided to go with hers." I explained.
"You actually agreed with Lancer on something?" Jeanne gasped in surprise, and I furrowed my eyebrows in response.
"Don't. Start." I scolded her. "Yes I did and we're going with her plan, and you're coming with us to attack the enemy base." I told her.
"Saber is coming with us?" Mashu exclaimed.
"I am?" Jeanne exclaimed in unison.
"Yes you are." I affirmed.
"If I'm going with you, then how will Nero know when to attack?" Jeanne followed up immediately with a question.
"Well I was just about to go over the plan with Mashu, but since you're here now that'll save me the trouble of having to explain it again." I said. "Now listen closely and keep your voices down so no one hears us. I'm not gonna repeat it again until we discuss it with Nero." I said, and both Jeanne and Mashu nodded their heads in understanding. I proceeded with explaining Lancer's revised plan with them. Going over how we were launching our attack under the cover of darkness, and proceed to infiltrate the camp, taking out the enemy commanders and setting off several timed explosions to cause maximum chaos. Once the commanders and explosives went off I'd launch a flare to signal Nero's army to launch their attack while we kept them occupied, and how we'd require Jeanne to assist us against such large numbers since she'd no longer be needed by Nero. I also explained to them my previous plan and the holes Lancer pointed out in it, and why we were going with hers.
It didn't take very long for me to explain the revised plan to the two of them, but in that brief period of time the supplies from Chaldea had appeared in the summoning circle, a brown wooden box with Chaldeas black logo on the side. Pulling the lid off the crate I found it filled with several magazines, food provisions, mountain climbing gear, some warmer clothing for the higher climates, and a bag filled with several bricks of explosives. I started rummaging through the box to see if there was anything else. Jeanne and Mashu stood by the other sides of the box and joined me in taking out several of the items we would need for our mission.
"...I find Lancer's plan to be reasonable, but I have a few questions." Jeanne stated after much deliberation inside her head.
"Well go ahead, Saber." I said.
"How does Lancer expect us to infiltrate the Roman camp?" Jeanne asked. "We don't exactly blend in with the age period, and I'm the only person here who can speak a language that people in this period can roughly understand." Jeanne pointed out.
"That's a good question, one you'll ask Lancer." I answered. "Lancer was a little light on details." I grunted as I lifted the bag full of explosives out of the box and opened the bag taking one of the bricks of C4 out to examine it. I turned the brick over in my hand and checked the filling before looking up at Jeanne. "Were there any other concerns you had?" I asked.
"Other than that, no not really." Jeanne replied. "Although I am wondering how Nero's forces will be able to assemble quickly enough to launch an attack, there is also a considerable distance between her fortifications and the URE camp." Jeanne pointed out as well.
"Well that's something we'll need to talk over with Nero once we propose the changes to her, but it'll be up to us to buy her forces as much time as possible." I said. "Now that I think about it I could always just request a two way radio to give to Nero to coordinate with her." I suggested.
"That's assuming Nero could figure out how to use it." Mashu pointed out.
"It's not that hard." I said.
"True, but this is the first century." Mashu replied. "Nero could be like your grandma times twenty who doesn't know how to use technology." Mashu clarified.
"Mashu, you just dial it to the right frequency and tell her to press the button." I said.
"I'm just saying." Mashu shrugged.
"We'll just have to wait and see how it goes with Nero." I said with a wave of my hand. "For now let's just gather the supplies we need and make our way over to her tent." I said and the two nodded their heads. I reached inside the crate and gathered several STANAG mags, shoving them into my mag holsters along. After resupplying ammo I gathered up the climbing gear I would need and put them into a survival bag along with the warmer clothes, thermal sleeping bag, alongside some water and food provisions. I grabbed the flare launcher just in case and shoved that inside the bag. Mashu and Jeanne gathered what supplies they would need as well, and once we had all gathered what we needed I placed the lid back on the crate and pushed down, sealing it back shut again. Having everything we needed and the box sealed shut Mashu sent it back on it's way to Chaldea in present day and picked her shield off the ground.
"We're done here Senpai, supplies sent back successfully." Mashu nodded her head.
"Then let's go request an audience with the Empress shall we?" I said as I pulled my bag over my shoulders and lifted up the bag full of explosives off the ground and hoisting it over my other shoulder. With the supplies we needed the three of us head back into the camp towards our destination.
Hello there lovely readers and Happy New Years Eve, it certainly has been an interesting year. As for me I did not get as many chapters out as I would have liked to, but I do want to thank you for your continued support and I hope you will continue reading my story into the New Year. One of my goals for the new year is to get more chapters out and finish Book 3 so I can move onto Book 4, but we will see how well that resolution goes. If you want to know when the newest chapters come out or what's taking so long then make sure you follow Fated Destiny on Fanfiction to know when its updated and hop on over to my Discord. Anyway, Thank you for reading and for your continued support! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider leaving a favorite/like. Feel free to leave feedback and reviews in the comments below or tell me what you think I need to improve on. I would tell you to check back every two weeks, which you should do, but recently I've been posting a chapter once per month which usually falls on a Sunday or Saturday. So check back every Saturday or Sunday for new chapters.
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