Right after the last chapter…
"So you're telling me…" Rin said as she took out her reading glasses to analyse Archer's notes. "That you've finally solidified the locations of the Servants… in just several hours."
"That's a bit of an over exaggeration, Master." Archer said as he let his back rest on the couch. "What you're reading there is the best conclusion I've come up with. And it only applies to 4 Servants. Saber, Rider, Caster, and Lancer. Though Lancer's location is still a bit of a stretch, I have to admit."
"Like hell it is." Rin said as she tossed the notebook towards the bowman looking very crossed. "This is too detailed for it to be just 'assumptions'. Where the heck did you find the time to figure this much out?"
"Reconnaissance isn't that hard with my set of skills." Archer simply answered. He then turned serious and began flipping through the notes. "But let's get back to the topic at hand."
"Right…" Rin said as she took out the book on King Arthur once more. "Oh, and after probably figuring out Assassin's identity, I think we'll be using this more."
Archer could only internally laugh at how right his master is… without ever knowing it herself. He struggled to find the will to be upfront about his theory about everyone being Arturia Pendragon. This reluctance is evident when he erased the notes he made in regard to his theory before going home. There are three reasons as to why he is withholding this information currently. 1.) He is not sure if Rin will receive it well. 2.) He is not sure what Rin will do with the news and 3.) Rin. He could add 4.) The consequences of taking advantage of his memories which never fails to screw him over in the dumbest ways possible. But, his reasoning is mostly because of Rin.
The locations are fair game, though.
He really shouldn't think this way towards the poor girl. But he understands that this is not a normal Grail War anymore. At least, not like the ones that he's lived through. He would rather hold his cards close for now before letting Rin in on the know.
"Alright, start with Saber." Rin demanded with gusto as she crossed her legs. "I'm still sticking to the plan of allying ourselves with Saber."
"Very well." Archer nodded as he started his explanation. "I discovered Saber walking through the old district. But as soon as Saber turned around the bend, they vanished."
"They?" Rin asked with confusion. "You don't know Saber's gender?"
"I don't." He does. "Saber was wearing some sort of yellow coat when I saw them." She wasn't. "So, I couldn't see enough to figure it out. Which is unfortunate because that information is key to figure out who Saber is." Archer finished with a look of contemplation. But in his head, he was thinking something along the lines of Saber being a genderbent version of King Arthur and that Gender wouldn't really help in this case.
"Well, that narrows our search through the traditional district." Rin said with confidence. "We'll have to go there tonight to find Saber and their master."
"As you command, master." Archer said with a slight sense of defeat. He can never escape the constant of Rin always sticking together with the boy, huh?
Before moving on to the topic of Rider's location, Archer saw Rin leave the living room and climb towards the stairs. He was confused at what his master was doing, but after a few seconds of waiting, Rin came back downstairs with a large map and a couple of markers in hand. Archer realised what she was going to do.
"Okay, so I'm circling the traditional district." Rin said as she held a red marker on the map lying on the living room table. She then handed Archer with a black marker. "Now, tell me about Rider and where the general area of her location is."
"Well, the road to your house is a very good place to start." Archer said as he pointed to the thin white line that marks the road they fought on. "She did not turn into spirit form and walked westward. So, if I used deduction…" Archer circled a block of houses. It was here that Rin spoke up, having recognised the buildings.
"That's the Matou residence!" Rin exclaimed in surprise. She then looked towards Archer as she said, "Rider's Shinji's servant."
Or Sakura's. Archer thought as Rin started writing more notes in regards to their current findings. He really is amazing at sprinkling bits of information like this. It's the only way for Rin to not only know what he knew while not being suspicious as to how he knew such things. Especially so when it comes to the next two servants in question.
"Lancer is located somewhere near the Shinto district." Archer said as he circled the area where the Hyatt hotel is located. "I think the master is staying in one of these apartments. Must be an outsider invited to take part in the grail war."
"I have a teacher who was just like that." Rin said as she wrote down a page dedicated to the Servant of the Spear. "He was an outsider too. He somehow got in by stealing the catalyst of his teacher. What happened next is hearsay, but I think he doesn't want to tell any more about it other than that."
"Not much we can do about it, I suppose." Archer said with a shoulder shrug. What he heard sounds exactly like Waver Velvet's experience in the last Grail War. It's interesting to take note, that's for sure. But irrelevant for their goal.
"I discovered a probable location for Caster's base after going to the Ryuudou Temple." Archer lied through his teeth. "It was part of my recon from both last night and this morning." Not. "I tried going in, but I stopped after noticing a boundary field. I am not sure how entrenched Caster is on the top of that hill, but I can guess that they've been there for quite a while." Archer finished with a tone of self-satisfaction. That last bit was the only truthful thing he said.
"Then we'll go there after school and after finding Saber." Rin said as she added more information into the journal. "You've done very well with the short time you've been in Fuyuki, Archer. You really are a great servant." Rin smiled at the bowman.
"Of course, Rin. But I believe it's because of having you, the best master, as the one to summon me." Archer answered with great confidence. "You wouldn't find anything short of excellence from me."
As Rin beamed in happiness at Archer's words, the red clad servant retreated for a bit into his mind. Technically speaking, Rin truly is the most powerful master out of the 7. In the Original timeline, Shirou couldn't be counted as a third-rate. Sakura wasn't allowed the right to use her own servant. Shinji and Kuzuki couldn't even use magic. One can't fight while the other can. And let's not forget the fact that Assassin's master and Bazett are dead. Or… was. Eh, it's alright. Bazett and Assassin's master probably won't be a challenge for them.
Into another issue. It's been 4 days since he was summoned. And as per things not being the way they were, he doesn't remember Rin going to school on this day. Granted, they never established a connection with Saber and that boy last night even though that was supposed to be the next step in the original flow of things. Should he convince Rin to dissuade that idea because of the chance that things may go sideways? Archer trusts in his ability to adapt to the inevitable new events, but a flag of caution is necessary for anything. He can't be too safe, after all. Ah, screw it. Might as well go with the flow for now. But Constant Vigilance, as always
"Shouldn't you be preparing right about now?" Archer asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to be late for school if you don't move quickly enough."
"Alright, alright." Rin said as she got up from the couch. "Don't have to nag me about it."
Archer chuckled at his master's remark and got up himself. He proceeded to enter the kitchen and started preparing Rin's lunch. It did not take much before a prim and proper highschool girl came down from the stairs with her school bag in tow. Her demure demeanour reminiscent of that aloof mask she wore whenever she presented herself to her schoolmates.
"Are you ready, Archer?" Rin asked as she whipped her hair back and pocketed the journal in her jacket.
"As ready as can be, Master." Archer replied as he handed Rin's lunch to her. Once Rin opened the door, the bowman went into spirit form and followed her to school.
Homurahara High… Around noon…
"Are you alright, Shinji? You look more drained than yesterday." Issei asked as he opened his lunchbox. He invited Shinji and Shirou to eat with him inside the Student Council room for lunchtime.
"It's my damn maid again." Shinji groaned as he struggled to open his bag. "She doubled my training regimen and cut the time I needed to accomplish them! How the hell am I supposed to do 50 pushups in 3 minutes?! That's impossible! And when I couldn't do them, she forced me to do laps around my house for 2 hours."
"That's… that's a difficult situation you're in." Issei pondered for a moment as he inspected his nattou, miso soup and rice. "Why haven't you done anything to fire her after suffering so much?"
"That's-!" Shinji paused to think his words through. He grimaced before answering, "My grandfather doesn't think that she's going overboard with my 'training'. He thinks that it's best that she continued with what she was doing."
"Maybe you should tell her to ease up a little." Shirou offered with a soft smile as he brought out his katsudon. "You are her boss, right?"
"Well, yes… but…" Shinji sighed in defeat as he hung his head low. "It's… complicated." He then dropped the topic and began eating up his burger with fries.
Archer watched this conversation in spirit form and analysed it deeper. So, Rider was discontent with the stalemate they had last night and decided to take it out on the Matou brat. He should feel bad, but honestly he doesn't. Shinji definitely deserves what he's getting. And from where Archer's standing, he could see that the brat was benefitting from the ordeal. Rider is whipping the bad traits out and is slowly replacing them with good ones. He no longer acts like an asshole towards Shirou Emiya for one, so… there's that.
But it needs to be asked: what the hell is he doing here? Why is he listening to these kids go on about their lives without ever realising that he's even there? It all boils down to information gathering. Again. Rin ordered him to spy on Shinji whilst she kept an eye on Sakura. The idea was to figure out which of the siblings was the master of Rider.
It's Shinji. Without a doubt.
Even Rin believes that the brat was the master in part because she was reluctant to accept that she might be fighting her own sister if that was not the case. But, like a proper Tohsaka, Rin needed to confirm that Sakura was uninvolved herself. And Archer will oblige. Besides, it's not like he's wasting time just standing around in the Student Council.
"That looks delicious, Issei." Shirou complimented the monk boy's food. "Did you make that yourself?"
"No, no, I didn't Emiya-dono." Issei dismissed with a wave. "My friend cooked this for me as a means of thanks for letting her stay in the temple."
"Must be nice having a girlfriend making you food." Shinji teased with an undertone of loathing as he bit into his burger. Archer could tell how disgusted the brat was with the junk food. The bowman thinks it's because Shinji's eaten it more often than not. Somewhere
inside his gut, Archer shared the brat's sentiments. Though obviously, he would never say it out loud.
"I-it's not like that, I told you!" Issei stammered as he forced the furious blush off his face. "She wanted to learn how to cook, and thought to make me some lunch after the fact. There's nothing else about it."
"Whatever you say, man." Shinji muttered into his fries. He was totally unconvinced, and Issei just groaned that he could say nothing else to convince his friend about it. He turned to Shirou to change the subject to his guest. Archer could tell that the redhead was bracing himself for the inevitable topic.
"Say, Emiya-dono. I remember you saying you've had a family friend over." Issei said as if testing the waters he's sailing into. "Did you know who she is to your father?"
"Well…" Shirou scratched his head whilst choosing the right words to say, "I guess you could say they were workmates long ago. She recently heard news of dad's passing and wanted to visit. Turns out she hadn't found out up until now because of how remote her current line of work is. Now, she's staying for a while in my house to conduct business in some areas. She hasn't been specific."
"Hm… I see." Issei nodded in understanding. He then lifted his miso and asked once more. "I remember you told us her name yesterday, but you didn't say it because of Kuzuki-sensei. What was her name again?"
Archer smirked as Shirou panickedly looked around. He definitely wasn't planning on saying it yesterday. It was clear from how fidgety he was back then. The bowman shook his head at the boy's idiocy. He made up a whole cover story and couldn't figure out a name that isn't just 'Saber'? Are you kidding? Granted, Archer too didn't go so far as to call Saber something else as well. But, that was because Emiya Shirou's a dumbass. He knows better now.
Archer at this point also noted the slight difference this timeline's Emiya Shirou had compared to the original. Saber being summoned early definitely meant that he was informed just enough about the Grail War without the presence of that priest. Which had a lot of implications. The main thing being that the boy had more time to be taught by the sword wielding servant in everything including the importance of secrecy. So, internally, he approved of the hesitation Shirou showed when it came to Issei's question. It's a hell of a lot better than answering outright without giving a damn about the consequences. Still, it's funny to make fun of.
"Her name is…" Shirou drawled out as he grasped for anything that popped into his head. "...Saiba-san…"
"An unusual name. But, I am not one to judge." Issei said politely as he placed his bowl down the table. "My guest's name is Acasta-san. She wasn't really comfortable with sharing her first name, so I left it at that."
"I never got my maid's name." Shinji answered as he tossed his trash at the bin being the first one to finish eating. "She just told me to call her 'your grace' and smacked me whenever I asked. Damn bitch. My arm still hurts." Shinji finished while rubbing his sore arm.
"Hm…" Issei hummed as the bell rang on top of them. Lunch is done. Class resumed. The trio packed their stuff and left the room together. As Shirou closed the door behind him, Archer took this time to leave. He got what he needed.
'They really should have picked their fake names better.' Archer thought as he made his way towards a walking Rin Tohsaka going through the hallway and into her own classroom. She had a happy mood, it seems. Might be because she confirmed that Sakura was uninvolved. Well, good for her. Archer supposed. One less thing to worry about. As he neared Rin, he spoke to her through their mind-link.
"Master." Archer started as Rin slightly turned to where he stood before returning her gaze towards her front. "I see that you've got what you came for."
"Sakura's not a threat." Rin answered in her head as she greeted a fellow schoolmate. "How's your time with Shinji?"
"He hasn't said much that wasn't tantamount to complaining." Archer answered as Rin opened the door to her classroom. "He said that Rider had not told him of her identity. It is a sign that the servant doesn't trust the brat as her master."
"Or she just had amnesia and forgot about it." Rin quipped with a barb-filled remark as she waved at Ayako with a half-irritated smile. Not that it was directed to the Archery Captain though.
"Impossible." Archer clapped back with his own snarky comment. "The Matous must surely have a more sophisticated setup than a messy basement owned by an equally unkempt magus who botched her servant's summoning. A faulty summoning must be an impossibility for them."
"You're lucky we're outside, Archer." Rin thought with an angry vein on her forehead and gritted teeth. 'I would've decked you in the chin by now."
"You're not tall enough to reach that high, Rin." Archer said with a grin as he felt his master's fury rise to new heights. At this point, he left the classroom to let the girl have her studies. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't notice his leaving. Moving on from that, this is the perfect time to do what he couldn't have done yesterday because Rin ordered him to go home.
Scouting to see if all the servants are in the right places.
Now currently, he's only got solid information on all of the Knight class and Rider. The rest are either good guesses or what he remembers from the previous timelines. That's not good at all in his books. He needs dependable information to have an edge over them.
And so, that's how Archer found himself outside the school. Looking up at the horizon and deciding which servant he should go and look into. He could go and make his lie about Caster a little bit more of a truth. He could check on Lancer for real this time. Maybe figure out where Assassin is based? Hm… what to choose…
…Wait. What about Berserker?
The outskirts of Fuyuki…. The Einzbern Mansion… Near the end of classes in the afternoon…
Damn. He nearly forgot how dangerous Illya and the Einzberns were in the beginning of the Grail War. Here he was at the edge of the Einzbern Forest, spying into enemy territory as far as his eyes could let him see - which was about 4 kilometres - in fear of Berserker's terrible power. He was supposed to be able to pierce through the thick veil that was the bounded field surrounding the forest with his Clairvoyance. However, it seems that they too increased their defences. Was it because Berserker had a higher chance of exposing the secret of the Grail War? It is a reasonable theory because of how volatile the class is in itself.
Damn. He also nearly forgot that he wouldn't be dealing with Heracles. Rather, he would be facing a Berserker Arturia. How would that play out? He doesn't recall any legends that have anything to do with Arturia going insane. What barely historical account out there would be used as the catalyst to turn her into a Berserker servant? Better yet, what weapon would she be using. He prays that it's just an altered version of Excalibur. Because at least, he has an idea how to counter its strengths and exploit its weaknesses. He'll be screwed over if it's something like Rhongominiad. When it comes to that, he'd rather retreat.
It was at this point did the bowman's train of thought come to an end. He was standing on one of the electric poles beside one of the rural roads that connected this part of the forest to the rest of the City. With the Homurahara School being closest to it. He spent his time fruitlessly trying everything he could to find some sort of loophole that not only allowed him access to the Einzbern Castle but also while being unnoticed. Obviously he got nowhere. Even going in spirit form might trigger some sort of unknown spell. Maybe deciding on this course of action was a bad idea after all.
Then suddenly, far off in the distance, Archer saw a slick black car popping out of the forest. It was… familiar. It was driving at a fast speed that surely broke several traffic laws. Judging from the intense swerving, it appears as if the driver was drunk or suicidal. Archer decided to settle for both. It was nearing him quickly. In just three minutes, Archer can tell that it was 3 kilometres near. He tried gazing into the driver's seat, but the design of the car itself and the glare of the sun made it hard for him to discern anything other than the hands of a white lady. If he hazarded a guess, it must be Leysritt - the more laid back of Illya's maid. Sella would never do this, after all. And absolutely neither of them would allow Illya herself to be behind the wheel.
As the car neared the bowman by 2 kilometres, Archer took this time to jump off the pole and position himself perfectly hidden behind one of the trees opposite the ones that were part of the Einzbern forest. As he snuck behind the tree of his choosing and positioned himself to have the best view of the road. As well as the car nearing him. True to his analyses from
when it was still afar, the car couldn't even stay in the same lane as it rocketed through the rural setting around it. He now had a new challenge: getting some sort of glimpse into the car without suffering a migraine. He strained his eyes and reinforced them to imprint every single detail into his mind. A few seconds of doing this, the car seems slower than before. It was getting closer and closer. He could feel the wind shifting because of the car's speed.
FWOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHH
A bullet of a car, that was. Archer was fortunate that he was still in spirit form when this thing went past him. He undoubtedly believes that he would've become roadkill had he corporealized. Why does he think that way? Well, it's because of what he saw. He had a thousand images in his head, yet only one made the cut to prove his point. At the closest mark - where Archer felt like he could reach out to the car and touch it - he was able to see everything he needed to see. It was a black Mercedes-Benz 300 SL with a leather interior capable of seating 4 people. And of those 4 people, the driver at the right hand side was the first thing he noticed. She was Arturia, alright. Though, a lot paler than what he was expecting to see. She was facing the road (surprising even Archer) whilst she continued her rampant disregard for safe driving. Sella and Leysritt were screaming at Berserker and telling her to slow down. Well, Sella was. Leysritt looked like she was yawning. Illya was the last he set his eyes on. But unlike the other three, minding their own business…
She was the only one looking straight back at him.
The thought that she knew where he was sent shivers to his spine as he watched the car fly off into the distance. He was not sure why Illya didn't sic Berserker on him. Probably because it's still light out. He has to hang onto the hope that she didn't recognise his class. Nevertheless, he accomplished his mission. He now has hard evidence that Berserker is an Arturia with Illya as her master and are on their way to the city. What he will do with that info is up to his meeting with Rin later.
"Rin." Archer called to his master through their link as he made his way back to the School. "I've got some news."
"Well, it's going to have to wait, Archer." Rin told him with a hint of trepidation. "I got something big too."
'Hm… interesting…' Archer thought before asking, "What is it about?"
"It's Caster." Rin explained briefly. Her signature felt tense and anxious. "Caster found me and wanted to arrange a meeting."
…what?
"How is that possible?" Archer asked as he hastened his pace. "I thought servants aren't allowed to roam around during the day."
"That's why I was surprised when I saw her!" Rin exclaimed. "I didn't know she could look so normal. I thought she was a tourist just taking pictures of the school, for crying out loud."
"..." Archer paused before regaining himself. "What did she say?"
"She said to meet with her and her master tonight at the Temple. She seemed nice, though I can't tell if it was a suggestion or not." Rin replied.
"I see." Archer said as he made his way through the forest behind the school. "What about the master? Where was the master during your conversation?"
"She didn't want to compromise his identity, so she went on her own." Rin said as she went out of the school through the backdoor. "This isn't good, Archer."
"No kidding." Archer said as he appeared before his master. "Caster figured out you were a master just by looking at you. She's stronger than I thought. Especially so considering her base at the Temple."
"But just like Assassin, maybe Caster's master is also a novice." Rin theorised as they made their way to the road that led to the temple. "Rider also didn't bring Shinji either. So, it could be because of that."
"That would be a big coincidence if so." Archer answered as he bridal carried Rin. "Three Servants with incompetent masters. That's never happened in the history of the Grail War."
"Well, if you have another idea, then go ahead." Rin challenged as she held on to the Bowman as her servant started parkouring above the buildings. "That's all I have in mind. I'm open to anything at this point."
"Hn." Archer hummed as he wondered about something. He stayed silent throughout the journey formulating a theory. Well, to Rin it seemed like it. But actually he was just figuring out what to say to lead his master into the conclusion that Kuzuki is Caster's master. It's kinda hard to explain that her scary homeroom teacher is a contracted killer that somehow got into the Grail War, you know.
"Rin." Archer started as he landed right before the first steps of the mountain. "Who do you think is Caster's master?"
"Hm?" Rin asked as they started walking up the stairs. "Well, the first thing I thought was that the master was probably an outsider using the temple as a guise. But after what we saw with Rider and Assassin, I guess I'm wrong in my assumption."
'You actually aren't far off…' Archer said with a sigh of relief. Great, she's got the right mindset. If only he could direct the conversation towards Kuzuki. But how? He shouldn't even be aware of the teacher's existence at this point. What could he say to swerve the conversation towards the conclusion he wanted?
"Any suspects in mind?" Archer asked again. They were almost at the halfway point when he asked.
"None." Rin shook her head despondently. "Only monks live here, and you know how they are. There is no chance that one of them would be the master. No, I think they are being mind controlled to let Caster set up her base here."
"I see…" Archer said as he tactfully decided to just drop his idea for now and move on to another equally important topic.
"What did Caster look like?" Archer asked as he set his sights on the Mountain Gate. "You said she looked like a tourist. How could she look so inconspicuous? And shouldn't you have been able to sense her from afar?"
"Sigh… I'm not sure." Rin replied as she looked around the forestry before them. "Caster must have some sort of spell that allowed her to mask her signature from me. If she could mask her own signature just like that, then what powers she may have might be too much for just us to handle."
"So you say." Archer said as he kept that information into the 'importants' shelf in his mind. "But what about her appearance? Any notable details?"
"From what I remember, Caster had blond hair and green eyes. She was wearing a blue vest above a collared long sleeved shirt with a neck ribbon, a collared skirt to pair, a pair of leggings, and she was also wearing a blue beret with a rose on it."
"An interesting choice of clothes." Archer analysed deeply. "She must have a Master who was well off enough to afford to let their servant be fashionable. Well, if fashionable is the right word. If I have anything to say about it, it seems like Caster is a modern day girl with equally modern day sensibilities."
"Or just her master." Rin added to the speculation. "Incompetent aside, if we're facing a wealthy master, we're in for a rough ride. They could summon all the support and tools they need with money alone."
"Indeed…" Archer said as he took this time to focus on something else: Who did he offend to suffer this fate? Caster's profile transformed his 'Arturia Grail War' theory into a fact. All six servants are without a doubt Arturia Pendragon. What will he do now that it's confirmed? Will he now pursue a new mission of figuring out what caused this? Could he even do it? He doesn't have a place to start finding clues save for the Church and the bottom of the Temple mount - two places that will eventually fuck him over sooner or later (he had a feeling). For now, he will just go with the flow of things. It's probably the best move considering he's at the early stages of the Grail War.
"We're here."
Rin's voice rang through his head as he went out of his reverie. Indeed, they passed through the Mountain Gate and found themselves staring in front of the main building of the Temple compound. The compound is divided into several sections. The main building, the monk's dormitories, the guest house, and the inner yard are the ones of note. From what he could
gather, Archer knew that the guest house is the smallest and at the innermost section of the compound. It must be where Caster and Souichirou Kuzuki are staying.
And speak of the devil. As soon as they were about 3 metres from the front door, there the man was. He was wearing his two-piece suit and black shoes. He must have only taken now to come back home from school and did the house head the honour of greeting the bowman and Rin. Archer looked at Rin and noticed her tensing up at the sight of her homeroom teacher. She's probably not used to seeing Kuzuki outside of school grounds.
"Tohsaka Rin." Kuzuki greeted with a gravelly, toneless voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Kuzuki-sensei." Rin smiled pleasantly with her eyes filled with determination. "I was invited by a friend of mine. I'm sure you know of this, yes?"
Archer was internally impressed at his master. It was direct enough to get the point across while vague enough for Kuzuki to fill in the blanks on his own. He noticed how she didn't refer to her 'friend' as 'Caster'. Must be because of her conscious effort to hide anything related to the Grail War from 'uninvolved civilians' like Kuzuki here.
"Ah, yes. Indeed." Kuzuki nodded as he brushed his fingers on his chin. "Issei mentioned that Acasta-san is bringing some guests over. Very well. I shall take you to our dining hall. Please leave your shoes at the door."
Archer removed his boots and after Rin removed her school shoes, he took both of them and arranged them perfectly beside the rest of the shoes on the floor. They entered and followed Kuzuki around the temple halls. And it was here they noticed the occupants of the compound. Monks, apprentices, and even Issei himself. Well, Issei Senior to be concise.
"Oh? You must be Issei's friends! How nice to meet you. You can call me Ryuudou-san if you like." Issei's father greeted them with a smile that threatened to outshine the lamps above. He reached out to Archer with his hand and the bowman brought out his own to shake it.
"Well met." Archer spoke for Rin. "We were invited by Issei's guest, actually."
"Oh! Acasta-san?" Ryuudou-san perked up in interest. "That's the first I'm hearing of it. She never brought anyone from outside, so it's a surprise."
"Right…" Archer said as if at a loss for words. He didn't expect Issei's old man to be so cheerful. It's kind of off putting to see.
"Well, then." Ryuudou-san said as he waved towards the duo and the almost forgotten Kuzuki to follow him. "I'll lead you to our dining hall. It's just beside our kitchen, so it's not too far of a walk."
The four of them made their way through the halls. Ryuudou-san and Kuzuki were being greeted with bright faces when they passed and shone even more when the duo greeted them in turn. Archer noticed this. Kuzuki shouldn't be that well-liked. Right? Is there some
sort of event that transpired the way it did to let the teacher-assassin be treated like this? A quick glance at the man shows that he too is exasperated by all the attention he's getting. But Kuzuki played it off by being cordial with the monks. After that, Ryuudou-san and Kuzuki turned towards the Bowman and his master. Chatting about the weather, how Issei is during classes, and who Archer is and where he came from. All within the boundaries of casual small talk to pass the time.
They found themselves in front of a closed big sliding door. Archer assumes that this is the door that leads to the dining hall and the kitchen. The moment when Ryuudou-san opened the door, a waft of spices and broth filled the air. It smelled great, to be frank. Which is also weird. Archer remembers eating here with Issei after he was invited for a quick meal. They only prepare simple meals because Ryuudou-san believes that the Shinto priests in training should be given simple meals. And that anything luxurious needs to be obtained through their own effort. So, why on earth does it smell like they're making Matsutake Ramen?
"Issei! There you are. Your friends are here to see you." Ryuudou-san called out to the boy in front of them, setting up the table. The Student Council President looked up in confusion and looked at them
"Eh? Tohsaka-san?" Issei blurted out in confusion as he laid down the last plate. "You're so early."
"What do you mean?" Rin asked curiously with narrowed eyes. Archer sensed it too. Could there be something that Issei knew that they didn't?
"W-well." Issei stuttered as he rearranged his glasses in an attempt to compose himself. "It's just that you are always late for classes these days. Especially today. I was just expecting your tardiness to supersede our - uh, Acasta-san's invite."
As Rin turned red from indignation, Ryuudou-san laughed while Kuzuki remained silent. Archer, while smiling at his master's frustration, concentrated on what Issei didn't say. Caster must have told the boy that she was planning on meeting Rin and the Bowman around midnight, probably. The time when everyone is fast asleep. If Archer's assumption is truly the case, then he and his master have an advantage over them simply because of their unexpected arrival. Caster might not have enough time to prepare.
Speaking of…
"Where is she?" Archer asked after the laughter and Rin's ceaseless battle of wit with Issei finally ended. "Is she supposed to help with the kitchen crew?" He then looked to his left and sure enough, a whole section of the room was separated for the kitchens itself. The large steaming pots on top of wood-fueled furnaces were being manned by monk apprentices. Tirelessly feeding the furnaces with recently chopped wood and the pots the ingredients.
"Oh." Issei said as he stepped aside to let his dad, Kuzuki, and Rin reach their pillow seats. "Acasta-san is changing her clothes. She was leading the cooks until some broth spilled on her. She should be back by now."
Just then, Archer heard the pitter-patter sound of light footsteps running down the halls towards what seems to be the Dining room. It was faint when Issei was still talking, but as the boy finished what he had to say, it grew loud and louder as the person neared the door.
"Sorry I took so long!" A voice melodically rang through Archer's ears. "I was trying to find… my… apron…"
Archer turned around at this point and saw… her. Honestly, the Bowman already knew she was coming, though the impact of her presence did not lessen at all. There she was wearing a simple blue sweater and wool pants with a red apron in her hand. Looking up from the attire, Archer gazed upon the girl who was both familiar and unfamiliar to him. Her pristine long blonde hair tied in twintails that fluttered in the wake of her arrival reached to the small of her waist. Her glittering eyes shone with life and a hint of surprise. She was clearly not expecting Archer to be here.
"Oh! Uhm… n-nice to meet you…" 'Acasta-san' said with a half-hearted wave before hesitatingly adding, "...again."
"It's been a while…" Archer said with alacrity shining through his stoic demeanour. For some reason, he couldn't find any falsehood in the words he said. Truly, the Bowman's acting as if he's greeting an old friend. Well, to an extent. But his razor sharp eyes sought to pierce through the (seemingly) bashful nature of this twintailed Caster Arturia. Anything and everything 'Acasta-san' will do from now on shall be imprinted into his mind for further analysis.
"It's great that you guys made it for dinner." Caster said with a refreshing smile as she walked towards Rin. Like a true actress, she held his Master's hands gently and greeted her.
"Issei-kun's been rambling about how late you tend to be. But I didn't think you would be that kind of girl." Caster said with a thoughtful look.
"How so?" Rin asked with a head tilt whilst giving a pointed look at the Student Council President to which he replied with a scoff.
"Well because you look so cool!" Caster said with glittering eyes. "Your too stylish to allow something like that."
"I..see… thanks?" Rin said with a hint of confusion. Clearly at a loss as to what Caster meant by that.
"Please! Come sit." Caster ushered everyone to the table. "The food's about to be done anyways, so take your time resting here. I'll be serving the food in just a moment."
Archer and Rin sat on one side of the table, while Issei and Kuzuki sat on the other. Ryuudou-san meanwhile sat the head of the table. As the monks started to bring out the utensils, the master-servant guests spoke to each other through their link.
"She seems nice." Rin started as she watched the blonde girl direct the monks with that same upbeat attitude.
"You're telling me." Archer snickered. "It appears that she means to establish good relations with us. Could it be that she's doing this to create an alliance?"
"Maybe." Rin answered as she pondered something. "And it's not like we're in a position to refuse. The probably reason why she's friendly is to sweeten the pot."
"But the question is…" Archer slowly asked. "Will you accept?"
Rin paused and contemplated the answer. She stayed this way while Archer helped placed the meals on their respective places. Finally, once everyone is settled on the table and Caster sat in between Issei and Kuzuki, Rin blinked and out came eyes filled with resolution.
"Until Saber is found, we will keep Caster's proposal on hold. Neither answering not rejecting." Rin answered.
"A tall order." Archer commented with a small smirk as they all clasped their hands in thanks. "But I trust in your skills, Master." and that was the end of that.
"Itadakimasu!" The people in the dining room said in unison. A pleasant silence hung over all of them as they marvelled at the wondrous taste of the Matsutake Ramen.
Archer especially. Though his appreciation is dimmed by suspicion. The Bowman thinks that Caster's put something in the meal. What that is is up to speculation. This meal is simply too good to be true. And so, he discreetly enhanced his sense of taste using reinforcement to figure out any oddities inside the meal. He spent every single minute of his eating the meal before him doing this investigation. And once he placed his now empty bowl on the table, all he got from that was…
Nothing.
It was simply an extraordinary bowl of Ramen.
For some reason, Archer felt a twang of envy when he thought that. No matter, he can cook better than this. Maybe.
"So, Rin-san." Ryuudou-san broke the silence with a bright smile. "How did you and your friend Archer over there meet Acasta-san again? She's never really been that outgoing ever since she came here. It's the first time I've heard that she made friends."
Archer watched as imaginary arrows pierced through Caster's back at Ryuudou-san's comment. He forgot how sensitive Arturia was when it came to her being called a shut-in/freeloader.
"W-well…" Rin nervously scratched her temple. "It's not that complicated of a story, really. We met on the road to the mountain recently, and talked about… the weather and Fuyuki as a whole, I guess(?). And after going around a bit, she invited Archer and I here."
"That's exactly how things went." Archer supplanted with a knowing grin. He then added, "Acasta-san wanted to try out the food Fuyuki had to offer, but we had to drag her away from the 3rd diner because she was eating too much."
Everyone - including the two part of the story - widened their eyes before reacting extremely. It appears that Archer's hit a mark. Ryuudou-san bellowed, Issei (failingly) stifled a laugh by adjusting his glasses, Kuzuki hazarded a small chuckle, while Caster herself threw an accusatory glare that failed to bring any impact because of her tomato colored face. Rin looked at Archer curiously as to how he managed to know enough of Caster to land that joke perfectly. He simply pointed his eyes towards the stack of three empty bowls near the blond girl, who was holding the fourth in her hands, causing Rin to nod at his astute observation. And it appears that Caster realised the silent conversation.
"Wh-what about you?!" Caster tried to counter, "y-you u-uhh tried to - uhm - run away from the bill! Yeah! Yeah, you did. You almost escaped too, I-I think(?). A-a-and don't try to deny it."
Archer and Rin looked at each other in a blink of an eye. Their understanding of the situation in sync. They realised that Caster had a weakness and were willing to exploit it. The weakness? Caster is surprisingly easy to tease.
"Well why wouldn't he, Acasta-san?" Rin said with false dismay as she leaned her hand on her cheek. "After all, you didn't have any money to pay the bill. Poor me had to pay half my weekly allowance yesterday."
"W-wait, nooo…" Caster withered under the increased laughter at her expense. All she could do now was pout with her head down. Archer almost felt bad for her. Almost.
"Hahahahaha… But honestly," Ryuudou-san said with seriousness. "It's nice of you to befriend young Acasta here. The monks here love her, sure. But I believe she should have friends her age."
Archer and Rin simply nodded pleasantly at those words. At least they had the courtesy not to solidify their made up lie too much. Then, after a pleasant moment of small talk, the monks began to clean up after them and let the master-servant guests follow along Caster - who led them towards her room at the guest house. Archer noticed that it's similar to Kuzuki's own room. With the exception of a few feminine touches to it. Once they were ushered into the room, the door was shut with a swift motion.
"Come sit on the floor." Caster said with a wave as she sat before them. Archer and Rin sat as requested and waited patiently for the servant to start the meeting.
"Before I start." Caster said with a stern face and crossed arms. "I'll let you know that I don't appreciate you guys teasing me. Like, at all."
"Yes, yes. We understand." Rin acknowledged with an apologetic gesture. Archer just kept his grin on his as he added, "But we had to do so in order to keep appearances."
"I know," Caster said with a sigh before returning to the main issue. "Now, let's get into the real business."
"I was summoned a month before the Grail War." Caster started as her hand glowed with mana. "I will not tell you much. But, after an accident with my first master, I made a new contract and solidified my hold in the Temple."
"I can see everything that happens in the Grail War." Caster said as she made a pointed stare at Archer. "I saw your battles with Assassin and Rider, I witnessed the summoning of Saber not far from here, and they all pale in comparison to the threat that Berserker and her master imposed."
"Tell us something we don't know." Archer said as he played hard ball with the girl. "We are aware that the Three Great Houses are guaranteed members of the war. We know which families they belong to after figuring out one of them, so this threat you're speaking of isn't unknown to us."
"Then you must understand the need for this meeting." Caster whisked her hand to summon an orb that showed the image of a Berserker wearing black armour and helmet carrying a certain albino girl smiling viciously. "You and I both know we can't take Berserker on on our own."
"So that's what we're here for?" Rin asked with a thoughtful look. "You do make a good point. We can't fight Berserker on our lonesome. But what's stopping you? You have access to the single most powerful ley line inside the city. Practically all the mana you could need."
"I…" Caster paused at that question. She was considering her words carefully. But why? Archer is dismayed to admit that they wouldn't find out any time soon. How could he think that? Because Caster simply set the topic aside and moved on to another matter.
"I will only answer once you accept my offer." Caster told them in a tone that left no debate. Both Rin and Archer unconsciously stood straighter at the shift in demeanour. Her eyes shone with a familiar gleam that could only be attributed to a certain sword wielding servant.
It was at this point that Archer realised that he's got to stop searching for familiarity like that when it comes to the other Arturias. Any more of this, and he'll grow to be soft on them. Caster especially.
But onto the subject at hand. Archer glanced at Rin and wondered what she thought about what Caster said. His master did say that she would say 'maybe' until contact with Saber was established. But will she still go through with that idea?
"I will need to think about it more." Rin said as she stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality, Caster. Or should I call you, 'Acasta-san'? Either way, my answer stands."
"Acasta is fine, but only in public." Caster said as she and Archer stood up as well. She then reached for Rin's hands and smiled cordially. Though the Bowman can tell that she was not too pleased with the answer his master gave.
"I do hope that you would consider my offer." Caster said with a twinge of hope. She then turned to speak to Archer. "I really want to know more about your projection magic. It's a real mystery how you, an Archer class, are capable of using such magic."
"Well, I know that you're clever. So, I bet that you'll figure that one out soon." Archer offered jokingly with a grin. "I mean, you did fool us by hiding your Master in plain sight without us questioning it. You even made sure that we were at the only building cordoned off from the rest of the compound."
"Oh, right. Now that you reminded me of it, please take down your boundary fields. We're not here to fight. I do have a schoolmate living here, after all. I wouldn't want him to get hurt or anything." Rin added with a genuine smile. Clearly proud of herself for not being scared of the idea that Caster could've - and would've - ended their lives that easily if things went wrong.
"Alright, as you wish." Caster said with a sigh as she waved her hand in the air. Outside, a golden magic field surrounding the guest house vanished into glittering stars. Thereby allowing Archer and Rin to leave unimpeded.
"You should be aware that I only brought up the fields to protect the people here." Caster said as she pointed a finger towards Archer. "I know that you aren't the most honest of Servants out there, Archer. Not after your fight with Assassin. Your unpredictable nature forced me to act."
"I can be chivalrous when I want to be." Archer countered as he followed Rin out the door. He then gave one last smirk and said, "Who knows, you might see it one day."
"I can't wait." Caster deadpanned at the Bowman. Clearly disbelieving the man's claim.
The Route Home… evening…
"At least we established friendly relations with one of the servants." Rin said as they walked past Homurahara High.
"Friendly is a strong word, master." Archer said whilst walking beside her in spirit form. "She practically invited us to the lions' den and surrounded that with the Caster-class equivalent of dynamite just to feel safe talking to us. She doesn't trust us."
"Sigh… I know, Archer." Rin said as she looked to the sky. "But at least she made the effort to reach out to us and appear friendly. Maybe that meant something more, is what I thought."
"Maybe. However, I cannot lean to that hope." Archer said with finality. And then the conversation ended like that. They walked in comfortable silence before Rin brought up another topic.
"So," Rin smiled cheekily. "How was 'Acasta-san' for you?"
"What do you mean?" Archer questioned with a raised eyebrow. "We've been talking about her this whole time. What is there left to talk about?"
"Come on, Archer! Don't think like that." Rin persisted in a sort of whiny tone. "I noticed how easy it was when you went back and forth with Caster earlier. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you spoke to her like someone who knew her."
"You are insane, master." Archer chuckled to the expense of Rin's pride.
"There was no way you could have made that joke!" Rin clapped back at the bowman. "You seemed so relaxed and so sure of yourself when you talked to Caster, that I couldn't help thinking like that, Ok?"
"Hmph! Forget it. You're insufferable." Rin said with crossed arms. Clearly annoyed at her servant's laughter ringing through her head.
And while Archer was amused at his master's assumptions, he was also worried. Was he really that obvious? Okay, now he's gotta be harder on these Arturia servants. No more Mr. Nice guy. Once he sees one of them, it's all fight and no love. Being 'friendly' - or attached, which is worse - to any of them isn't good if he wants to follow and accomplish Rin's dream of winning the Holy Grail (and probably figuring out what's wrong with the War.) From now on, Archer will consider Arturia Pendragon as an enemy.
CRASH!!!
…He literally just said he was going to be hostile to any Arturia he sees.
They were at the intersection road that leads to Rin's house by this time. They were walking past a house that had its yard surrounded by stone walls. One of these walls had an electric post standing tall beside it. As soon as he promised the above, a blue object rocketed through the night sky and punched through both the wall and post. Archer unconsciously became corporeal at the exact moment the blue object created a crater on the ground literally right in front of them. The dust did not even settle yet when Archer reached out into the cloud to catch the stumbling figure of a girl. A nearly unconscious, blond girl whose face landed gracelessly onto his chest. One that was constantly inside his head for better or worse. She was bleeding from the top of her head and right around her upper left chest. A closer look showed that a metal piece from the reinforced concrete of the electric pole lodged itself onto her during her fall. And as Archer knelt down to avoid straining her body by standing up too much, Archer just knew that he was about to break his promise to himself. Probably forever this time.
"SABER! ARE YOU AL-right…"
Because once his Master darted her eyes towards that oh so recognisable voice, Archer has no choice but to accept that he is forever bound by his connection to Emiya Shirou… and Arturia Pendragon. No matter what the timeline and its differences may be.
"T-t-t-Tohsaka??" Emiya Shirou blurted as he raised his pointed finger towards an equally shellshocked Rin.
"E-emiya-kun! You're a master?? Wait… Then that servant means…" Rin said as she darted her head towards both him and the girl that crashed in front of Archer. Her eyes got wider and wider as the realization set in. Archer just watched as his master started running towards the red haired boy with murderous intent.
"HOW THE HELL DID YOU SUMMON. SABER WHILE I COULDN'T?!"
"Thanks for appreciating me, master." Archer deadpanned as she let Rin drill the boy for information as to what he's doing here and what happened before they got there. Meanwhile, he's tending to the injured Saber by quickly pulling out the metal object and summoning a clean towel to remove the blood around the wounds she's sustained uptil now.
"Rin, I need a gem." Archer cut her off from her rant.
"-I had to stay up all night reading about how to do it right while you just slipped on some barrels in your shed!? How is that even-" Rin did not heed her servant and continued to shake the boy by his shirt like a rattler.
"I don't know what to tell you, but that was it!!!" Shirou panickedly yelled as he tried to free himself from his schoolmate's demon-like grip. His eyes wandered constantly towards Archer who was still holding Saber in his arms and waiting for Rin's attention.
"Did you confirm your status as a master at the church?" Rin asked as she pressed her finger on Shirou's chest.
"No? What church? I was supposed to do that?" Shirou asked confusedly with a head tilt to the side.
"Are you freaking kidding me???" Rin roared in frustration. "You managed to get into this war, summon the strongest Servant, without confirming any of that with the Overseer of the Grail War himself?"
"I just found out about the war from Saber, okay! I didn't know anything about a war before all this. She didn't say anything about that." Shirou told his schoolmate with haste. He had his hands raised as if the finger on his chest was like a gun ready to fire at any moment's notice.
"Ugh! I can't believe I'm part of this stupid war. Why bother joining when about half of the masters here can't even call themselves competent! Much less maguses." Rin said as she slapped her forehead in annoyance. It was at this moment that a brilliant idea sprang into her
mind. If Shirou is incompetent, and Archer is holding onto an incapacitated Saber… she could finally do what she wanted! She can make an alliance with the strongest Servant while also making sure that she's the dominant master in the alliance. And it's not like Shirou is stupid enough to refuse it, right? After all, what choice does he have?
"Here's what you're going to do: You are going to make an alliance with me and shall aid me in my quest for the Holy Grail. If you agree, we'll take care of Saber for you and protect you while you're a participant of this war. If you don't say yes, I'm going to shove Every. Single. Gem. Up where the sun doesn't shine and make a new hole for you to piss with!" Rin said as she snagged her bag and tossed a few crystals towards her servant.
"B-but…" Shirou tried to refuse. But after seeing Saber being taken care of and Rin burning him with a glare that he couldn't say anything but yes to, Shirou knew that he was defeated. Oh well, at least it's Tohsaka. She's a good girl to be with, anyways.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Rin growled as she threw an uppercut at Shirou. Causing the boy to be surprised at both himself for speaking his thoughts and at her for being so strong.
Meanwhile with Archer, he's finally done all he could to heal Saber. He basically force fed her the mana that came with the gems and cleaned the blood off her face and shoulder. She should be waking up soon after this. Matter of fact, it appears that she is.
Shirou's finally done getting beat up by Rin and went to take over Archer's place and is now knelt beside her to support her as she wakes up. She stirred as she leaned into the redhead. Her eyes opened to see Shirou holding on to her firmly so as to reassure her that everything is fine. Saber slowly turned to check if the coast was clear for her master until it landed on Rin, who was walking towards a tall silver haired man with his arms crossed like his face. She instinctively panicked when her senses came back to her and recognized that this man was a servant. Without much thought, Saber summoned a gust of wind and placed herself between the strange duo and her master.
"Shirou, get behind me! They are our enemies." Saber yelled as she wielded the gust of wind like a sword. The air churned around them as the tension rose dramatically.
"S-saber, wait!" Shirou tried to call out, but only found deaf ears. The blond girl kept her guard up in case of any slight movements from the man in red. But she was forced to turn her attention towards the girl from earlier since she spoke first.
"Hello, Saber." Rin walked towards the sword wielding servant with a dauntless disposition. "I am Tohsaka Rin. Servant of Archer, and your master's newfound ally."
"What? Is this true, Shirou?" Saber asked as she turned an eye towards her master. "When did this happen?"
"The moment I started tending to your wounds." Archer said as he waved the bloody cloth in his hand. "If you are not convinced, then the brief conversation our masters' had during your unconsciousness would be the answer."
"I was not privy to this arrangement." Saber declared as she addressed everyone including Shirou. "What were the terms proposed for this alliance?"
"The terms are simply that our alliance is of mutual assistance." Archer answered factually. "Your Master needs help, we shall be there and vice-versa. There are no other terms."
"That is too simple of an agreement." Saber said with a tone that lacked any trust. She turned to Rin and asked her, "What else did you agree upon?"
"I would protect Emiya-kun and in turn, he shall aid me in my quest for the Holy Grail." Rin answered as she turned towards the fallen electric pole.
"In doing so, you would have made my master subservient to your whims." Saber accused boldy.
"Oh don't you say that," Rin barked back as she pointed at Shirou. "Look at him, Saber! He couldn't even call himself a third-rate, much less able to use his prana effectively. How could you question our generous offer knowing that it's the best one he's ever going to get? I'm protecting that idiot, not manipulating him. I'm above that cruelty."
Rin and Archer stayed quiet to allow Saber to quietly discuss with Shirou on whether or not Rin's offer for the alliance is truly what they need right now. Suddenly, a random thought came to Rin. They have been overcome by what happened to Saber - crashing into an electric pole and a wall with Archer tending to her - that they didn't stop to think about how it happened in the first place.
"Speaking of protecting… what happened to you that caused this." Rin pointed towards the damage Saber caused. The servant in question knew that Rin oversimplified the terms. But after knocking her off her current train of thought and being redirected to another, Saber realised that she forgot that the master-servant duo before her and Shirou weren't the enemies she was talking about.
"Tohsaka Rin." Saber said as she unsummoned her weapon of choice. "We need to leave now. If you truly formed an alliance with my master, then heed my words: we were under attack by another servant near the forests of Homurahara High School. I saw the master's face and the servant itself accompanying her was covered in black armour and possessed a mindless rage in its movements."
"So you've already met Berserker." Archer asks with his eyes filled with alarm. He did not say anything else before grabbing both Rin and Shirou and carrying them like rice sacks on his shoulders.
"Wha-" Shirou exclaimed in shock.
"Archer, what're you-" Rin protested aloud.
"We can try to escape." Archer told Saber who was still unsure if she should stab the Bowman for manhandling her master. "I can see them in the distance, and I can tell that they are only a kilometre and a half away. Even if they jumped through the roofs, Berserker and her master can't catch us if we take flight now."
"Cowardice of the highest accord." Saber said disdainfully before looking at Archer questioningly, "And did you say, her, in reference to Berserker? Have you met the servant beforehand?"
"That is why I'm a coward, Saber. And don't you react like that" Archer said whilst addressing an indignant Rin. "I did try to tell you but you interrupted me."
Archer was about to take off but he couldn't help but pause when Saber turned around to face the general direction where Berserker's signature emanated the strongest. Archer can't help but curse internally as he realised what Saber was planning to do. She was definitely going to stay behind to buy time for them to escape.
"You're not strong enough to face them on your own." Archer reminded the sword wielding servant. "Berserker alone can defeat you in minutes. But she's not alone. Her master is as competent if not more so than my own. Both of them will kill you if you do not listen to me."
"I will not turn my back against my enemies, Archer." Saber said without turning towards the man. "I will face them while you bring our masters to safety."
"Is this your stubbornness talking, or your arrogance?" Archer goaded Saber to turn around. "You cannot face them on your own. Hell, even at our current strength and most especially with our masters as collateral, we are not going to make a dent on her."
Saber turned around and burned Archer with the fiercest glare he's ever seen today. She was furious at his words. Her code cannot and will not allow itself to bend just because of the superiority her enemies had over her. No matter how daunting the challenge may be, Saber will fight. To the death, if be.
"Saber, please. Listen to him." Shirou wheezed from Archer's shoulder. "We can fight another day."
"Shirou, I-" Saber said as her resolve wilted bit by bit before the plea of her master.
"We have to retreat." Shirou said with finality. "We have allies now who can help us take Berserker down. You saw how Berserker punched you, right? We can fight, yes. But not today."
"...alright. fine." Saber said as she relented. "but I will be taking my master."
"As you wish." Archer said as he more or less dropped the boy on her arms.
"Are you done talking?" Rin asked with impatience. When she got three nods, she continued. "Good, now let's go home. We'll go to my place."