Ch. 97 - New Allies, New Knowledge
The summoning room was abuzz with activity. Roman and Da Vinci were once more at the console, monitoring readings and making sure everything was optimal as Mash laid her shield down on the platform. Ren, Morgana, and Ritsuka stood in their places as the staff around them made sure all systems were green before beginning the process. Nearby, Cu Chulainn yawned as he leaned against a nearby wall while Jeanne stood nearby, curious but impassive. The two had been assigned to guard duty in case the Servants summoned proved to be troublesome – no one wanted a repeat of Loki.
"Readings are within acceptable parameters," Da Vinci murmured as she scanned the monitor. "Power is at full capacity. Uplink has been established." The Caster looked up and beamed at the three Masters. "All systems are green!" she announced. "You may begin the summoning whenever!"
Ren grinned back. "Thanks, Da Vinci!" he called back before turning to the others. "Morgana, wanna go first?"
The catlike being chuckled. "Don't mind if I do," he accepted easily. He had been in a great mood ever since he learned that Ren could bring Metaverse items out of the Thieves Den. Familiar tools like that would definitely help turn the tide of battle for them – and considering what they had been through recently, they'll need every advantage they could get. While they had discussed how to explain it to Roman and Da Vinci, they had been called over to the summoning room, so it would have to be at a later date.
But for now, he was riding high on that feeling. Ren had always proved himself more than capable, and time and time again he exceeded his already high expectations. He couldn't be any prouder of his best friend. Lifting his paw, his command seals glowed as he once more recited the aria. Buffeted by the winds of the summoning, it all still felt awe-inspiring despite seeing it all before. Three rings of light appeared in the air above Mash's shield, glowing painfully brightly before they all converged, creating a fountain of white light.
As the fountain of light vanished, leaving behind a white mist, a new figure emerged. Draped in a black cloak with a purple dress underneath, her eyes were hidden as she quietly scanned the audience nearby. Finally, her gaze rested on the diminutive figure of Morgana. She stopped for a second. This was certainly out of the ordinary, though at least it wasn't anything that she immediately disliked. She simply bowed her head in greeting. "I ask of you," she murmured. "Are you my Master?"
Morgana nodded in response. "That I am," he replied. "It's good to meet you! May I ask who you are?"
The woman smiled slightly. At least her Master was somewhat courteous. "But of course," she replied. "I am Servant Caster. My true name is Medea of Colchis. My powers and knowledge are at your disposal."
Immediately, everyone burst out into whispers and murmurs. The Caster had to restrain herself from scoffing, keeping her expression as neutral as possible. This was within her expectations. After all, her legend was rather infamous as the one who used her powers to kill her family and bring ruin to countless kings. Her father, her brother, Jason, her sons… no matter her loyalty to them, none of them had been spared. Her moniker, the Witch of Betrayal, was for good reason, after all.
She quietly turned her gaze back to her Master. Morgana was blinking in surprise, then nodded. "Alright then," he accepted without seemingly any demur. "Welcome to Chaldea, Medea! I'm actually one of three Masters – Morgana. Your other two Masters are Ritsuka Fujimaru and Ren Amamiya. They're right over there. I hope we can get along!"
Three Masters? Well, this is getting more intriguing. She looked back up at the other two Masters. One of them was a redheaded girl who was staring at her with what almost appeared to be stars in her eyes. Was that… abject awe? She had to admit that wasn't a reaction she had been expecting overall but still, it was something she could work with. The girl didn't seem to have any ill intent as far as she could discern. If anything, she was reminded of her days in her childhood, back before…
The Caster pushed the thoughts out of her mind. Those weren't relevant right now.
Then there was the other Master – a young man with messy black hair. He was smiling in greeting but unlike the others, what caught her attention immediately were his eyes. His gaze felt… penetrating, like he was scanning everything that composed her. No, that wasn't the right term for it. It was looser yet more thorough than that. It was like he was deciphering how she worked, how she became the person she was today. A scrutinizing stare that was objective, measuring out the great, the grievous, and everything beyond.
She immediately decided that she had no particular liking for the boy. Men like that who believe they are too clever by half… she had seen their like time and time again. Too much ambition, always staring at the horizon, yet will immediately burn a forest if it means clearing a path. She would fulfill her obligations, but already her mind began working on contingencies just in case. But for now, it would be better to simply observe and work from there.
"There are more summonings we have to do," Morgana piped up. "So can we ask you to step to the side for a bit? We'll be happy to give you a grand tour of Chaldea later!"
Medea nodded. "Of course, Master," she replied smoothly, easily stepping off the summoning pedestal and moving to the opposite side of the room – and came face to face with Cu Chulainn as she reached it. Well, another surprise today. "Lancer," she greeted coolly.
"Caster," he replied in turn. His body language hadn't changed, nor did he look directly at her, yet she could tell he was on high alert. "If you're scheming anything, don't. The Masters are good kids – they'll treat you right."
Cu Chulainn had spoken loud enough to garner the Masters' attention. Ritsuka looked slightly alarmed, her eyes darting between the Irish Lancer and the Greek Caster as a million thoughts ran through her mind. Mash, who had been standing nearby, edged closer to them as she kept a stern gaze on Medea. Morgana scowled and bristled at the Caster, now far more wary of her than before. Ren, however, barely reacted. He simply raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn't appear overly concerned.
"So you say," Medea said calmly, ignoring the reactions of everyone around her. "I thank you for the warning, but I shall judge for myself if it's all the same to you." With that, she brushed past him – and blinked as Jeanne d'Arc smiled at her from her position. Medea simply nodded back, slightly taken aback by the presence of the Maid of Orleans, before finally finding a place where she could wait. It seems that this summoning was going to be a very different affair compared to the usual Grail Wars.
The Masters all looked at each other in a bit of concern, but now wasn't the time to deal with it. Ritsuka stepped up next, the command seals on her right hand gleaming as she chanted the summoning area. Once more, three rings of light appeared and converged, forming another geyser of power as another Servant was brought into being.
The light vanished, shrouding the room in a white mist again as another figure stood. A beautiful young woman that radiated warmth, dressed in white yet with the top cut open to show off her generous cleavage. Her red hair was done up in a bun as her clear blue eyes sparkled. She smiled happily as she looked at everyone around her. "I am Boudica, a Rider class Servant," she announced. "I'm here once more to lend my sword to your cause."
"BOUDICA!"
That was the only warning the Rider had before Ritsuka had launched herself at her, hugging her tightly. "Oh my gods, it is so good to see you again!" she cried. "I wasn't sure what happened after that fight and-and…!"
Boudica blinked in surprise, then smiled gently as she wrapped her arms around the Master. "It's alright, Ritsuka," she murmured as she gently patted her back. "You did exceptional then, and before that too. I'm more than happy to be your Servant for as long as you'll have me." Ritsuka didn't even give a proper response, instead just holding on to her tighter.
"While I do not wish to interrupt," Da Vinci spoke up. "But we do have one more summoning to accomplish. If you could please…?"
The Rider nodded. She gently led Ritsuka down from the platform and happily smiled as Mash approached. "It's good to see you too, Mash," she greeted as she comforted the quietly crying Ritsuka. "I trust you've been well?"
"Yes, thank you, miss Boudica," she replied before turning a concerned glance to Ritsuka. "I apologize, Ritsuka-senpai has had… a trying time ever since she has returned to Chaldea."
Boudica smiled sadly. "I understand," she murmured. "But we can talk about this later." Mash nodded in agreement as Ren looked over at them. He had been worried about Ritsuka, but it seems like there wasn't much he needed to do here at the moment. What happened at that battle was still pretty raw for her, no doubt, but with Boudica here, it's a step towards healing. Maybe he should talk with her himself after this. There was still a lot he had to do, but not to the point of neglecting everyone else around him.
But in the meantime, he couldn't hold everyone else up. Raising his own hand, his command seals shone brightly as he recited the aria himself. Three rings, converge, and once more yet another fountain of light. It always amazed him that there were so many people who would readily answer the call to save humanity – but then, these are hardly ordinary people. They were beings with varied tales and powers, experiences and skills. People he could learn from, understand, and grow in turn. Servants seemed to encompass the greatest and the worst parts of humanity for good and ill.
Lavenza was right. No wonder why his skills were becoming stronger as such a fast rate.
As the mist lifted, the third Servant stood up. A man with waist length raven black hair, he was sharply dressed in a black suit with a red tie. Though he had the countenance of a young adult, there were lines and wrinkles of stress that made him look far older. His green eyes observed his surroundings impassively through his thick framed glasses, taking in every detail possible. "So this is the summoning technology of Chaldea," he mused. "Unorthodox, admittedly, but certainly more than workable."
For a moment, Ren's words failed him. Out of everyone he thought he would summon – like Nero, for instance – he didn't expect to summon the man in front of him. They had only met once face to face, after all – and then Loki happened. Plastering on his usual smile while doing his best to withhold his surprise, he looked over at the new Servant. "Well, didn't expect you to show up," he remarked. "Gotta say, this is a surprise."
"I had not expected it either and yet here I am to answer your summons," the man in turn answered, seemingly unperturbed. Taking out a cigarette holder from his coat pocket, he took one out and popped it in his mouth before lighting it. Roman was about to yell about no smoking within the summoning room when he caught sight of the smoke from the cigarette simply vanishing a certain distance away from the man and the stick. A filtering air mystery, perhaps?
"Forgive me, I appear to have forgotten my manners in the heat of the moment," the man continued. Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he bowed. "I am the Caster Servant Zhuge Liang – or rather, his heroic spirit has taken up residence inside my body," he announced. "Please address me by my actual name: El-Melloi II. I look forward to working with you all."
The announcement caught him off guard. Ren had recalled the name through his world history classes back in school. Zhuge Liang was known as a legendary general and tactician during the Three Kingdoms era in China. The man's tactical acumen and military skills had few peers, if any. He felt a shiver down his back – if it was Zhuge Liang who had been coordinating the siege on Massalia, then the chances of them losing would have been considerably higher.
That just made things more complicated. Nobody disagreed that Loki made the right call, but everything afterward was another matter entirely.
Meanwhile, the staff around them burst into surprised and worried murmurs. Ren listened carefully as Jing Ke had taught him to. He quickly caught the gist: El-Melloi II was a Lord at the Clock Tower. Exactly what would be his place in the hierarchy here? Would he step up as the new director of Chaldea in absence of anyone higher ranking or more qualified? And there were no small number of concerns that he would visit retribution on all of them for what happened during the Roman singularity. Ren could only flinch inwardly at that last one. While he had never undergone a mental shutdown himself, just witnessing what had happened to Haru's father informed him that it wasn't a pleasant fate. Considering how unjust it was, such a concern would be well-founded.
El-Melloi looked around at all the staff whispering to themselves and gave an exasperated sigh. "I will make matters clear right now," he declared, his voice immediately garnering everyone's attention. "While I am a Lord of the Clock Tower, that rank is irrelevant to the current circumstances. I am no more than a Servant here and ask to be treated as such. At most, I can act as a consultant on matters about magecraft or strategy but otherwise, I have no interest in taking any greater positions."
"And as for past affairs…" He scanned the room and noticed everyone waiting with bated breath. The Servants present had shifted ever so slightly and he knew they would be on him in a flash if he showed even a hint of hostility. He couldn't help but give a small smile of bitterness. How nostalgic. "You did what you must in order to achieve victory," he stated. "No more, no less. I will not fault you for that, nor will I hold a grudge for it. We are now working under the same cause and expect all of us to act accordingly. I hope that alleviates any pressing concerns on hand."
There was a collective sigh of relief from the staff as well as a few surprised murmurings. Ren on the other hand had been carefully observing the Caster beforehand. He was slightly leery given his position in the Clock Tower, if he remembered what Roman had told him before correctly, but the man himself proved to be different than he expected. Though he recognized his rank, he was surprisingly humble and pragmatic. If anything, he seemed more annoyed at the attention he was garnering.
"Glad we got that cleared up, at least," Ren remarked, smiling at El-Melloi before raising his hand. "Good to have you with us."
El-Melloi blinked in surprise, then gave a small smile in return before clasping Ren's hand in a handshake. "Good to be here," he responded in kind.
"And here we have the library," Ritsuka announced as they entered the room. "It was thankfully spared from the bombing so we managed to keep a good amount of books. We're still salvaging the catalog at the moment though, so we're left to find things the old fashioned way."
After the summoning, the Masters were showing the new arrivals around Chaldea. The staff had been dismissed back to their duties and the Servants on guard duty had wandered off now that they were no longer required. Roman and Da Vinci had also gone back to their own tasks, leaving the three Master and the three Servants, as well as Mash. "This seems like a nice, cozy area," Boudica noted, glancing at the comfy looking couches nearby.
"It is," Ritsuka replied cheerfully. Her mood had considerably after the summoning, helped by the Rider's presence and comfort. "It's so nice here that I almost took a nap here once or twice. There's something nice about sleeping on the couches here, y'know? Right, Mash?"
Mash blinked in surprise before looking away ruefully. "Y-yes, it is as Ritsu-senpai says," she admitted. "I have fallen asleep here once or twice during reading or researching here. It's surprisingly peaceful."
Boudica giggled at the image. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she replied with good humor. "I certainly wouldn't want to disturb at peace enough to nap in the open." A place where one felt safe enough to just fall asleep without issue… an environment like that was rare indeed. She certainly wasn't about to interfere with that.
El-Melloi and Medea in turn looked about with polite curiosity but otherwise didn't show any particular interest toward the library. Ren did notice, however, that the former's cigarette currently seemed to burn a lot dimmer right now than when they were out in the hallway. He had never been a fan of smoking – Sojiro always smelled of smoke if he didn't smell of coffee – but he appreciated the consideration the man was taking at least.
"And the next stop would be the cafeteria!" Ritsuka announced. They stepped out of the library and only walked a few feet down before they encountered another figure walking toward them: Artoria.
The Saber smiled – though it faded a bit as she approached them. "Good day to all of you," she greeted. "I believe these are the new Servants?"
Morgana nodded. "That's right!" he confirmed. "This is El-Melloi – or rather, Zhuge Liang, as Caster, Boudica as Rider, and Medea, also as Caster! Everyone, this is Artoria Pendragon, also known as-"
"King Arthur," El-Melloi finished for him, his eyes staring straight at her without blinking. "It is good to meet the honored king face to face."
Artoria turned to El-Melloi, her eyes narrowing as she dug through her memories – and came up blank. "You speak as if you have some familiarity with me," she mused. "Have we met before?"
El-Melloi hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm merely familiar with your legend and your prowess," he simply replied. "It's… reassuring to know you are fighting with us. I'll be counting on your strength, your majesty."
The king stared at the Lord pensively, then nodded in turn. "And I'll be counting on your expertise as well, El-Melloi," she replied in kind. "A strategist on the level of Zhuge Liang combined with your knowledge will be invaluable." El-Melloi simply bowed his head at the Saber's compliments, but otherwise said nothing else.
Artoria then turned to Boudica. "I did not expect to meet one of my countrymen so soon," she remarked. "I thank you for your valor, and for your support of my Masters. I'm most honored to work with you, queen of the Iceni."
Boudica chuckled. "The honor is all mine, King of Knights," she replied in turn. "Ritsuka and Mash have great potential, and to be able to fight alongside them is quite a privilege. I'll strive to keep up with you on the battlefield in turn."
Artoria smiled warmly. "I've no doubt you will do so with ease," she reassured her. "I am glad to have such a stalwart ally with us." Boudica returned her smile. To be able to fight alongside such a legendary and noble ally was more than reassuring for her. It would mean she would have to fight even harder in turn and match her peer, but she had no problem with that whatsoever. She would have to train and polish her skills soon.
Finally, the king turned to the last Servant. "Caster," she greeted, her tone decidedly frostier than before.
"Saber," Caster returned. "It seems we have been gathered on the same side this time."
"So it seems," Artoria replied. "I trust you will lend your considerable expertise and knowledge to our cause without reserve?"
Medea gave a humorless smile. "I have already pledged my power and skills to our Masters as best I can," she answered. "Of that, you can be reassured." The Saber nodded with a face of stone. She was more than aware of Medea's capabilities in both magecraft and planning. She would be an incredibly powerful asset and ally in their mission – her own personal opinions and experiences notwithstanding.
"Good to hear," she responded simply. "In that case, I shall not take up any more of your time. Good day to all of you." With that, she marched off down the hall, with all of them staring at her as they left. The Masters and Mash could only all look at each other in question and concern. It was clear that Medea and Artoria had some history with each other, and it was definitely none-too-friendly.
"Uh…" Ritsuka stammered as she tried to break the awkward silence. "So… yeah, that's Artoria. Let's continue on our tour, yeah? Where was I? Right, the cafeteria! Right this way!"
"You guys go on ahead," Ren spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "I need to talk to El-Melloi about something."
"You do?" Ritsuka asked, blinking owlishly as the Caster in turn raised an eyebrow.
"I do," the Phantom Thief confirmed. "We'll catch up in a bit. I just gotta check with him about something."
Morgana frowned a bit, then nodded. "Alright then," he accepted. "In that case we'll see you in a bit. Ritsuka, lead the way."
The redhead could only blink in surprise, then with no other recourse began walking off with the others. Meanwhile, Ren tapped a panel to open the door of a nearby, empty conference room and stepped in, with El-Melloi following close behind. "What did you need to speak with me about?" the Caster inquired with a mild frown of concern.
"Well first off," Ren said as he walked over to a water cooler in the corner. "You should sit down and focus on something else for a little bit – like your smoking. Normally not a fan, but it'd probably help right now."
El-Melloi blinked in surprise. "And why do you think I need that?" he inquired coolly.
Ren looked up at him, then nodded toward his hands. "You're shaking," he stated.
The Caster blinked in surprise and checked. Indeed, his hands were trembling. He thought he had done a good job disguising it, but evidently not. "You are… perceptive," was the only comment he could make as he slowly pulled out a chair and collapsed in it. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as he struggled to withstand his panic from overwhelming him. While he expected many things, he didn't think he would encounter her again, and in such close proximity. He thought his time with Grey, who bore her appearance, would adjust him to her appearance, but evidently that was far from the case,
"I get that a lot," the Phantom Thief simply answered. As he spoke, he filled up two paper cups with cold water. Walking back, he gently placed one down near El-Melloi before sitting down a chair away from the Caster, quietly sipping at his own. The Caster looked at the cup, took out his cigarette and breathed out a shaky line of smoke, and took a drink himself. The cool liquid rushed down his mouth and throat, giving him another thing to focus on as he mastered his mind and emotions.
They sat in silence, not speaking a word to one another as El-Melloi quietly puffed at his cigarette and took occasional sips of his water. Eventually, his heartbeat and breathing steadied, and his mind became clear once more. This was embarrassing – he was supposed to be a Lord of the Clock Tower, yet here he was acting like he was a child once again. Yet he was grateful at the same time for being given a space to quietly ride out his panic attack.
He looked over at Ren, who had long since drained his water and was staring up at the ceiling. At first glance, the young man seemed bored but that wasn't correct – he was more impassive. As if he knew that doing or saying right now would be unproductive to the situation and was simply choosing a better moment to act as necessary.
El-Melloi frowned slightly to himself. This wasn't an attitude of a simple young man, nor was it the attitude of most Masters towards their Servants. It seemed this Master in turn was a rather peculiar individual – and he taught classes filled with peculiar individuals.
"Better?" Ren asked without looking over.
The Lord blinked, then nodded. "Much," he replied. He took his cigarette out of his mouth – now reduced to the butt – and it vanished with a flash of flame. "I apologize for the unsightly behavior. Rest assured it won't be a complication in the future."
The Phantom Thief shrugged as he got up, stretching. "It happens," he accepted casually. "Now, we should probably catch up with the others. With any luck, they're still at the cafeteria."
El-Melloi nodded and started standing up. His Master was certainly unique – he was experienced in dealing with people and handling their psychology, no doubt about it. And it wasn't out of politics or manipulation like he had seen so often in the Clock Tower. No, it seemed to be simpler than that. Was it just kindness? Empathy? Experience? At the least, he was certainly unlike a typical magus despite his rather unique magecraft.
He stopped. Ren's magecraft. He had not seen too many examples himself, yet he had read the reports from the moles among the Roman army. They painted a part of a picture, but not nearly all of it. Perhaps he could…
"Wait," El-Melloi said, freezing Ren in place. He looked up at the young man with a discerning gaze. "While we have some time here, I might as well make things a bit more productive to repay your consideration. Your magecraft, Master – what can you tell me about it?"
Ren blinked in surprise. Right, now that he thought about it, he had taken great pains not to have him see his magecraft back in Massalia since the Caster could probably dissect and counter it. Same deal here but now it's something he could use to his advantage. It was a rather ironically handy coincidence. Now he was genuinely curious as to what El-Melloi's opinion would be of it. But first things first…
"How much do you know about Personas?" he asked.
Several minutes later, Ren and El-Melloi were walking down the halls of Chaldea towards the simulator, both occupied with their own thoughts. The latter had taken out a fresh cigarette and was furiously puffing on it as he walked, his eyes trained to the ground as he frowned deeply in contemplation. Ren on the other hand looked rather relaxed. Though also contemplative, he seemed more like was wondering what to make for dinner instead of what personas and abilities to show for the Caster. Their conversation had gone to the point where they agreed a demonstration of Ren's skills would be more fruitful than simply talking about it, so it was off to the simulator.
El-Melloi's mind was racing furiously, trying to put together as much of the evidence as he could. Ren had told him that his powers – not his magecraft – were called personas: reflections of the heart that took on the shape of beings from folklore, myth, and even religion. That being said, Ren made it clear that these were simply cognitive 'images' of the beings, not the actual beings themselves. Utilizing these personas, he could cast seemingly simplistic yet powerful magical abilities.
On the surface, it sounded like either the usage of familiars or projection, but that couldn't be the case – Ren had told him that prior to Chaldea, he hadn't used them under the purview of magecraft. In fact, he could only really use them in some separate yet connected 'world' known as the Metaverse. Was this some other texture of the World that Ren was utilizing to his advantage? It all sounded utterly absurd but regardless, he decided to take his Master's words at face value for now – Ren seemed like an earnest kid, from what he could tell, and there was no reason to lie at this juncture.
So far, he had been refraining from calling Ren's personas and abilities 'magecraft' or even 'mysteries'. They were far enough removed from the standard that labeling them prematurely may hinder comprehension. Right now, he was missing far too many pieces of the puzzle.
The Caster's eyes flicked over at Ren and frowned a bit more deeply. That begged the question: Why could he use these personas as magecraft now? Ren had told him it was to be able to use them in the real world, but otherwise said nothing else. He wasn't surprised his Master would keep that secret – most magi would sooner die a thousand deaths than reveal the properties of their magecraft – but something told him it was a different reason. One he wouldn't expect.
He blew out a tired sigh, watching the smoke leave his lips and vanish into nothingness half a meter away. He had seen much already in his lifetime, yes, but it seemed the world had a thousand more surprises yet to throw at him.
As they reached the simulator, the door hissed open – and they were greeted with the sound of heavy impacts. The wo of them glanced at each other, then walked in as they looked for the source. They soon found it: Martha currently on a training dummy, unleashing a furious barrage of punches. Each strike left behind a shockwave of impact, so resounding that Ren had to marvel that the dummy hadn't snapped into pieces with each blow. Her back was turned to them so she hadn't noticed their approach as she paused, took a deep breath and coiled her body once more, then unleashed another vicious salvo of blows.
The other thing that caught their attention was a gigantic creature that lay nearby: What appeared to be a huge turtle with a spiked shell, but with a snake for a tail and a black lion's head and limbs. It was curled up on the ground, seemingly dozing as Martha continued to train nearby. Ren immediately recognized the creature: The Tarrasque – the dragon that Martha had subdued in her life and they had fought against once. If he remembered correctly, legend stated that she subdued him through prayer. However, seeing her pugilist skills, he guessed that 'prayer' was more of a metaphor than anything.
Beside him, El-Melloi simply stared at both figures, unable to react. After a moment, he took a very long drag of his cigarette and blew out yet another stream of smoke in an incredibly exhausted sigh. "I did not expect so many surprises on my first day here," he grumbled. "But it seems I will need to reevaluate my circumstances."
"You get used to it," Ren reassured him with a wry smile before turning back. "Hey Martha!" he called out. "Hope we're not interrupting!"
Martha jumped in surprise about three feet into the air and spun around to meet them as Tarrasque lazily opened one eye. "Master," she called out, smiling politely. "I hadn't expected to see you here today. What brings you here?"
The Phantom Thief could practically see the mask sliding over Martha's face. She was trying to remain courteous – understandable given she probably still wasn't sure what to make of him. "I thought I'd give our new Caster here a small demonstration of my abilities," he explained, nodding over to El-Melloi. "We'll try not to be in the way of your training-"
"You need not worry about that," Martha interjected. "I had just finished a set and can easily move aside if necessary." Meanwhile, Tarrasque simply yawned – showing his impressive and intimidating sets of fangs – before turning the other direction and going right back to sleep.
Ren blinked in surprise, but shook his head. "It's fine," he replied. "You were here first and we don't want to interrupt. We'll find a quiet area for the demonstration so don't mind us."
Martha blinked in surprise, mused for a split second, then asked, "May I join you, actually? I do not believe I had… a good view of your abilities, Ren Amamiya. I wish to ascertain for myself what I witnessed before in France and ensure I don't draw improper conclusions this time."
That caught both of them by surprise. Ren quickly recovered and simply smiled. "Sure, sounds good to me," he agreed. He looked over to the Caster. "That fine with you?" he asked.
The Lord blew out another stream of smoke. "Unless her presence affects the demonstration, I don't think it will be an issue," he simply replied.
Ren nodded. "Alright then," he said. "In that case, if you guys can stand out of the way. I don't want to harm you."
The two Servants cleared the field, leaving the training dummy alone. Ren took a quiet breath as he switched to his most familiar mask once more. He brought his hand to his face – and envisioned himself tearing it off.
"Arsene!"
His other self appeared in a burst of blue flame. His flaming visage sneered down at the beings below as his crimson wings spread, creating a small burst of wind. Ren couldn't help but smile to himself. While he was comfortable with all his personas, using Arsene always felt like wearing an incredibly powerful second skin. But then, it was quite literally his true self after all – it shouldn't feel like anything less.
Meanwhile, both El-Melloi and Martha watched impassively. The former crossed his arms as he dissected everything he had seen so far. It was undoubtedly magecraft, but it was already deviating from standard procedures. A powerful familiar like this called upon with only a single word activation? Normally something like this would require a multiple line aria at minimum to manifest, as well as various other tools or schematics in order to create it properly. He saw no visible sign of a Mystic Code – or rather, no Mystic Codes that would allow him to form such a familiar with such ease. That would leave only the workings of a Crest, and a rather exceptional one at that.
Martha stared up at the flaming figure that loomed in the air. It looked satanic and even felt a bit like it, yet it… didn't. Or rather, it didn't feel malevolent. Whatever malice it held wasn't towards humanity or Him. Rather, it was focused and guided. And she knew clearly who it was being guided by: Ren Amamiya. Was it the same with all his personas? Were their judgements or malice all guided strictly by his will? It was too soon to tell, but she would observe carefully.
With a wild grin, Ren proceeded with the demonstration. With a mental command, Arsene pointed at the target dummy, and a fountain of dark energy exploded underneath it. As the magic faded, Arsene rushed forward and attacked with kicks of its heeled boots, leaving deep furrows in the dummy in turn. That done, it floated back to Ren's side and vanished as Ren switched masks – one that had become a particular favorite after the Roman singularity.
"Cerberus!"
The white lion appeared in another burst of blue flame with a howl, snarling at the target dummy. Ren hopped up easily on Cerberus's back – surprising both El-Melloi and Martha – and the persona ran a lap around the training ground under his mental command. Stopping at his original position, it let out a baleful howl as a pillar of flame engulfed the dummy. The sheer heat and brightness of the flames caused both El-Melloi and Martha to inadvertently shield their faces from it. They hadn't expected such power.
Ren slid off of Cerberus and grinned as he petted the lion, who immediately started purring loudly underneath his hands. "What do you guys think so far?" he asked, looking over at the two. Martha was left blinking, trying to formulate an answer as El-Melloi looked contemplative.
"Permit me to try something," El-Melloi replied. Walking over to the dummy, he drew a circle enclosing it on the ground below with a small piece of chalk he had in his pocket while muttering an aria. Stepping back, he nodded in satisfaction and turned back to Ren. "I would like you to perform a magical attack with your personas," he requested. "As well as a physical attack."
The Phantom Thief blinked in surprise, then nodded. With a mental command, Cerberus howled again as the pillar of fire consumed the dummy once more. As the flames faded, the circle remained unchanging as Ren once more switched out to yet another mask.
"Raphael!"
With yet another flash of blue fire, an angel appeared before them: Purple skin with upright golden hair, he bore a stern countenance as he wielded a longsword in one hand. The persona was dressed in armor, and over that was a white and gold cloth richly decorated with crosses. Despite his armor, the persona was bare-sleeved, displaying lean yet powerful arms as two great feathered wings emerged from his back. Despite the slightly unorthodox appearance, the holy aura from the archangel was unmistakable.
With yet another mental command, the archangel pointed at the dummy with his sword. Suddenly, multiple swords appeared, spinning in midair before stopping and pointing at the dummy. They all shot down and skewered it on the spot before vanishing in turn. Unlike before, Ren kept Raphael manifested so Martha could witness it clearly.
The saintess could barely prevent her mouth from dropping as she witnessed the sight of the archangel. She knew it was nothing more than an cognitive image – as in, the form Raphael would take in the common mind – but the sheer presence and aura he radiated felt almost identical to a true heavenly being. Unlike with Arsene, there was no tint of malice or malevolence to taint the image. No, all she could feel was righteous anger from the archangel. However, they were similar in one way: Like Arsene's malice, said anger was focused and directed as well – under Ren's will.
She could only gulp and reflect on this. There was much she had to think about here. Or perhaps, less thinking than she expected.
The rain of swords surprised El-Melloi. That was… undoubtedly a physical move, but that was not what he meant. It seemed that Ren's personas encapsulated a many more powers and elements than he thought. "I apologize, I should have made myself clearer," he spoke up, catching Ren's attention. "Please try directly attacking the dummy with your personas."
Ren blinked in surprise, then nodded. Before, he would've thought that suggestion would be a bit odd, but recently he had been using his personas in a different manner than he used to. With a glance up at his persona, Raphael flew forward and slashed at the dummy, leaving a long gash in the sword's wake before returning back to Ren.
"Interesting," El-Melloi mused.
Ren glanced over in curiosity. "Noticed something?" he asked.
"I did," the Caster confirmed. "However, I need a bit more evidence. One moment." He walked towards the dummy. As he did so, an object appeared in his hand: A small, jeweled amulet. He clasped it around the dummy before double checking the circle, making sure it was still intact, then nodded in satisfaction. Stepping back, he looked over to Ren. "I would like you to use the weakest spell you have currently, then have the persona directly strike the dummy," he called out. "If you must use a different persona, then do so."
The Phantom Thief nodded. He couldn't help but smile a bit – he didn't think he would be running scientific experiments with his personas today but honestly, it was kind of fun. He wondered what kind of conclusions El-Melloi would draw. In the meantime, his weakest one? There were a few he could choose from, but there was one in particular that fit the bill. He switched masks in his mind and tore them off once more.
"Pixie!"
With a tiny spurt of blue flame, the diminutive persona appeared. A tiny girl with fairy wings and a blue leotard, she smirked impishly as she looped through the air. With a point of her dainty finger, a bolt of lightning struck the dummy, then faded away. That done, with another mental command, Pixie darted in and smacked the dummy in the 'face'. Once that was done, the persona flew back to Ren and vanished.
"Got anything?" the Phantom Thief asked as he rotated his shoulders. His magic circuits felt warm from usage but he was far from straining them – definitely an improvement over when he first utilized them in Fuyuki.
El-Melloi frowned slightly. "Your magecraft is… intriguing, Ren Amamiya," he replied. "First, it seems that there is no difference between the material comprising of your persona's mysteries and the personas themselves – the composition is different, of course, but in terms of matter, the fires your Cerberus uses and Cerberus himself are the same thing. I can only conclude that your personas are using, for lack of a better term, 'parts' of themselves and reconfiguring them into spells."
"This leads me to my second observation," he continued. He pointed to the amulet he hung on the dummy. "That amulet bestows minor magic resistance. Normally it would ward off weaker magecraft, which would include that lightning bolt your persona just used. Because of the first point, however, they bypassed the resistance entirely. That leads me to conclude that your mysteries are not a standard form of magecraft. They utilize something else entirely to actualize their effects. At the very least, standard projection would not actualize mysteries of such potency."
Ren blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected an explanation like that in the slightest. "Huh," was all he could really say as he crossed his arms, wrapping his head around it. "So what does that mean in the end?"
The Caster blew out another line of smoke. "Currently, still inconclusive," he replied bluntly. "However, there may be more details to help bridge the gap and form a reasonable explanation. Out of curiosity, what's the extent you can use these projections in terms of raw power?"
The Phantom Thief considered his options. His extent…? His eyes flicked over to Martha, who was quietly observing from the side, though she bore a troubled expression. An idea creeped into his mind. A risky one, true, but one that would fully inform her of what she was dealing with. After everything she had put him through, she deserved that much. "I think I can show you," Ren said slowly. "You guys might want to back up somewhat though. And both of you – whatever you see, please don't react too much to it."
Both El-Melloi and Martha blinked in surprise at the latter warning but heeded his advice regardless and stood well away. Ren took a deep breath. To be honest, he was curious as to how powerful he currently was compared to his past adventures. This would be a good way to find out. He switched out his masks in preparation. Nothing for it now – time to begin.
"Attis!"
The bandaged persona sprung into being once more with a flash of blue flame. With a mental command, it cast Thermopylae twice. Two sets of red, green, and blue lights appeared into being around Ren before vanishing, empowering him twice over before the persona vanished. The Phantom Thief flexed his hands. He felt far stronger and more resilient than before. Looking around, he quickly noticed the world seemed to be moving considerably slower to him than normal. Everything was as he expected. He switched his masks once more. Now it was all or nothing.
"Lucifer!"
The fallen angel appeared with an explosion of blue flame. Human yet inhuman in appearance, the sheer aura of malevolence and chaos emanating from the persona was palpable. Ren felt the his circuits burning as they worked to maintain the persona, but it still wasn't as straining as it had been before. That was a good sign.
Meanwhile, both El-Melloi and Martha cried out in surprise and terror at the appearance of the Lightbringer, startling Tarrasque who looked over and immediately reared up, growling ferociously. The saintess especially could only start sweating nervously as she beheld his appearance. It was so different from what she imagined or thought, but every tiny mote of her body told her it was unmistakable. Without a doubt, this was Lucifer himself – the Devil. She was faintly aware that she wasn't the target of his malice and yet it still felt oppressive to her. It was taking all she had to not attack Ren then and there for bringing the fallen angel out.
Ren spared only a glance to make sure he wouldn't be attacked. Tarraque was the biggest (literally and figuratively) concern, but aside from that, the creature wasn't moving to actually strike. The Phantom Thief breathed a small sigh of relief. At least that was one concern alleviated. Turning back to his preparations, he began glowing with a blue aura as he began focusing his magical power. That was it for the preparations.
Now it was showtime.
With a mental command, Lucifer slowly raised a hand. The sky above them darkened immediately into a cloudless night, with countless stars wheeling through the heavens as they left glimmering trails of light. Power radiated from Ren and Lucifer as whirlpools of light appeared high above. El-Melloi and Martha could feel the hairs on their skin standing up from the intensity of the magic around them as they could only watch, transfixed.
Among the countless whirling stars, one gleamed brightly and shot down through the whirlpool like a bolt of judgement. It collided with the ground and for a moment, there was nothing but silence. Time itself seemed to slow down, milliseconds passing like eternity as the world itself seemed to be holding its breath.
Then the calamity struck – awesome, terrible, incandescent. There was nothing but light as everything erupted, consuming all before it in an unstoppable wave of annihilation. So blinding it was that the Servants were forced to shield their eyes from the sheer brilliance. Moments later, the roar of the explosion reached their ears in a deafening clamor. The air reverberated and howled under the sheer wrath of the Morning Star, whipping about them like a hurricane, almost knocking them off their feet as the ground trembled and quaked. Yet throughout it all, Ren and Lucifer both stood, undaunting and unyielding, beholding the sheer destruction they had wrought with no more than smirks of satisfaction.
And just as quickly as it came, it was gone. The night sky vanished, in its place the simulator's eternally sunny afternoon once again. However, a good distance away from them was a large, deep crater formed from when the Morning Star struck earth. Everything in and around the crater had been annihilated, leaving nothing but ruined earth. Lucifer vanished away as Ren collapsed on his knees, panting for breath. His circuits once again felt like they were running with boiling water. It had been some time since he strained himself like this.
He looked up at the crater and had to resist the urge to scowl. A double layer of Thermopylae combined with Concentration, then utilizing Lucifer's Morning Star was one of the most powerful abilities available to him. That level of destruction he inflicted… it was nothing in comparison to what he could do when he was in Maruki's Palace. Had he really become this weak in the interim from his adventures to now?
No. This was utterly unacceptable. He had a lot more he needed to work on than he thought.
Hiding his dissatisfaction for now, he slowly stood back up on shaky legs and gave a tired grin to the two Servants. "That's the most I'm capable of right now in terms of raw power," he stated. "What do you think?"
The two Servants could only stare at Ren with eyes as round as saucers. El-Melloi was the first to recover – he sighed aridly as he picked himself up and brushed himself off. "It seems there is much I have to consider in terms of your magecraft," he groused as he took out a fresh cigarette and lit it, his old one having been blown away by the blast. "Which I shall do while nursing a glass of whiskey that I desperately need right now. I thank you for the demonstration, Master, and shall speak to you further at a later date about the matter." With a small bow, he walked out of the simulator as he scratched his head in irritation.
Great. And he thought Flat would be the extent of troublesome brats…
Ren watched as the Caster left, idly wondering if he even knew where the cafeteria was since they never got a chance to show him. Then he turned to Martha. "What about you, Martha?" he asked, keeping his expression and tone as neutral as possible. He noticed Tarrasque now fully awake and eyeing him warily, though the dragon wasn't outright hostile. "What do you think about everything you just saw?"
Martha blinked several times as she registered the question, then cleared her throat. "You have… peculiar abilities, Master," she began slowly. "To be able to use the power of angels and well as demons – especially that of Lucifer himself – is something I fully admit I was unprepared for. It would certainly be a huge asset in the battles to come-"
"Not what I mean," Ren replied sharply, cutting Martha off. "I want your personal, actual thoughts on the matter, Martha. Please be honest with me – what do you think of all of it?"
The Rider blinked multiple times, then sighed deeply as her shoulders sagged. "I… have very mixed feelings about it," she replied honestly. "I know they are just images of angels and demons – and yes, that of Lucifer too – but… the way they feel and look still stirs and affects my heart. It is not a feeling I can easily shake off, nor do I relish it. I will not say they are blasphemy or heresy or anything of the sort – after all, what church is without images of Him, His angels, and the Lightbringer? At the very least, I commend you for having images that are very close to what they represent."
"Thanks," Ren replied simply. "And I get it – they may not be real, but they're in cognitions for a reason. So, what's your call? Are you still alright being my Servant or should I have Ritsu or Morgana handle things? Or…?"
Martha paused as she considered for a moment… then smiled warmly as she shook her head. "That won't be necessary, I think," she declined. "It's clear that your personas, despite everything, are simply your tools. Their intent is your intent. And from all I've seen of you, both here and in the singularities, your intent is nothing less than honorable and kind. I have no issue with them or your usage, Ren. And I would like to apologize for any and all discourtesy I have shown you."
The saintess paused for a moment. "It's not a very common story," she murmured. "But… my Lord is the reason that the Seven Princes of Hell cannot enter the mortal realm. That was among the many deeds He has done, and he sacrificed much in order to achieve them. To see demons, especially the Lightbringer himself, here after all He has done… well, admittedly that was the reason for my hostility in the beginning."
The Phantom Thief blinked in surprise at the story. Well, that certainly explained a lot. "No apology necessary," Ren reassured her. "Though a small correction: They're not 'tools', not precisely. They're more reflections of myself than anything. Everything you've seen – Lucifer, Raphael, Angel, Pixie, Cerberus, and more - they're all parts or aspects of my personality. Whether good or bad, I accept all of them how I can and use them for what I need them for."
Martha blinked in surprise. "They're… reflections of you?" she asked warily. "Including that of Lucifer? That's… disconcerting to hear, I must admit. You are aware of his reputation and how he acts, I presume?"
Ren nodded. "I am," he answered without hesitation. "And I'm not going to deny that there's a small part of me that does acts and thinks like him. However, I've accepted that and also accepted it's only part of who I am. What it does – what I do with it – is all dependent on me. Just as the aspects that Raphael represents are as well, or whichever persona I utilize."
Martha mused over them. Reflections, he had called them. All of them him yet only in part. Angel, demon, and monster alike… she had to wonder what her Lord would have thought of Ren. Discarding the thought for now, she let out a tired breath. "It seems like El-Melloi, I have much to think about," she murmured. "But for now, I am satisfied with your answers, Ren. I shall gladly lend my strength to your cause."
The Phantom Thief gave a genuine smile.. "Good to have you on board," he replied. He felt a warmth bloom in his heart as another bond was forged now. Chariot, huh? This would be interesting. "For now, you wanna grab some food? I think it's almost lunchtime."
The saintess smiled. "Of course, Master," she agreed. Tarrasque yawned and slowly ambled away before vanishing into golden dust. "Lead the way."
Red nodded. As the two left together, the simulator reversed the damage caused by the Morning Star. Soon, it would be a serene location once more, unmarred by violence.
It was a peaceful day.
Boudica had to admit, Chaldea was many things. It was bright and clean, for instance - almost clinically so. The atmosphere was surprisingly desolate and cold overall, missing much of the warmth of humanity. The staff all wore some sort of uniform, distinguished only by various colors: Orange, green, and the Masters themselves wore white barring Morgana. It all felt rather rigid and machine-like overall – and reminded her a bit too much of Roman soldiers and their uniform arms and armor.
However, that was all merely surface level. On closer inspection, there were signs of humanity everywhere – perhaps a small pin on a uniform, maybe a coffee stain that one of the robotic servitors hadn't attended to quite yet, and the occasional muffled conversation or laughter she heard as she passed by. Something that broke the monotonous coldness of the facility and constantly reminded her that no, humanity was still here and alive.
A tiny smile curled her lips. It was a small ember, but a persistent one nevertheless.
In the meantime, the Rider looked over the kitchen with an appraising eye. While everything was spotless thanks to the robotic janitors, she saw signs here too of usage: Tools and utensils somewhat askew, cutting boards with knife markings, scuff marks on the stoves where pans and pots have been consistently placed. Her observational skills admittedly weren't great enough to distinguish between whether it was done by robots or humans, but still, there was something familiar about it all despite the modernity of the equipment.
"Ren and Archer use the kitchen the most," Ritsuka piped up. She and Mash had still been showing Boudica around while Morgana had taken Medea to her room at the Caster's request. "Occasionally some of the other staff pop back here to whip up something, but most of the time everyone's too exhausted and just let the robots do the cooking. It works out pretty well for them."
"I see," the Rider mused as she took down a pan and stared at it, pondering. "And how are the dishes of these robots? I'm guessing they're serviceable, at least?" Putting up the pain, she fiddled around with various devices like the toaster, noting the heating coils within before activating the stove, passing a hand over the top to feel the heat. All these appliances were rather unfamiliar to her – the Throne of Heroes only provided 'need-to-know' information, after all. Manipulating appliances in the modern world apparently didn't seem to count for that.
"The robots are programmed with over a thousand recipes, with cuisines from all around the world," Mash elaborated. "I have not heard any complaints from the staff about the quality of the dishes. However, they have remarked a certain lack of… warmth to them, from what I've heard?" The Shielder looked over to Ritsuka for confirmation.
Ritsuka nodded in turn. "Yeah," she agreed. "Like, they taste good but they're missing a certain… something. They're like tastier, more nutritious microwavable dinners? I dunno, that's the best way I can really describe them." Mash tilted her head in curiosity. Microwavable dinners? She had heard of them during her readings of her outside world, but only in passing. She noted it down as something to ask either Ritsuka, Morgana, or Ren-senpai later.
Boudica nodded pensively. "I see…" she murmured. She glanced back at the others. "Are you two hungry?" she asked with a smile.
The two girls blinked in surprise and looked at each other. "It… IS getting close to lunch time," Mash admitted.
Ritsuka nodded. "Yeah, I could go for something," she agreed before looking back at Boudica. "I'm guessing you're offering?"
The Rider's smile widened. "Grab a seat," she answered. "I'll make something simple for now." As the two girls nodded and went to find seats at the counter, the queen stepped back into the storeroom and went over the rather abundant number of ingredients. She couldn't help but feel a bit wistful and nostalgic. It had been a while since she had really done this, hadn't it? Back in the Roman singularity, she had been too busy leading armies and maintaining discipline. Now, she didn't have to worry about any of that.
Taking a loaf of bread to start with, she once again felt a smile tug at her lips. Despite the different setting, it all felt so familiar. Her husband would be making the rounds around the tribe, talking to his men and working on the various issues that always sprung up. Her daughters would be out training or learning various crafts like sewing or singing. She would be here once she had finished with her other duties, thinking about what she wanted to make for them as the day went by. Her family always did their best to make time for meals – though it wasn't always a guarantee. At least if they were just right outside, she could just call them in.
She froze for a second as images of flame, iron, and blades flashed in her mind, wiping the smile from her face. Gritting her teeth slightly, the Rider shook her head to shove them aside before grabbing some cheese and meats. No. Not right now. This wasn't the time for it. There would be a time for her to reflect on her past, but this wasn't it. There were two girls who were expecting a decent lunch and at the very least, she wasn't about to fail them in that regard.
Grabbing a few more and loading them in a small basket nearby, she carried them out into the kitchen. Taking a pan, she placed it on the stove and turned it on high heat. Once that was done, she took down a cutting board and began cutting up various slices of cheese as well as lettuce and tomato. Her hands moved dexterously and skillfully from years of experience, quickly creating a small pile of needed foodstuffs.
With that done, she took strips of bacon and placed them on the pan. The grease immediately began sizzling as it hit the hot metal. Meanwhile, Boudica reached over to turn down the stove to light-medium, allowing the residual heat to cook the meat as the delectable smell filled the kitchen. The popping grease wasn't a bother for her – even before becoming a Servant she had long since become accustomed to this. As it cooked, she took four slices of bread and popped them into the toaster.
Inwardly, she marveled at the ingredients. Their freshness and softness were rather astounding – meats so readily available without worrying about preservation via salt or drying. The bread practically fell apart at a touch, unlike the harder ones her people had made in the past. The vegetables spoke for themselves as well. She had no doubt that people would have killed for foodstuffs like this back in her time. Yet humanity nowadays didn't even spare it a second glance. She could only chuckle to herself.
As she layered the sandwich, she spared a glance over at the girls. Both Ritsuka and Mash were watching her, murmuring to each other as they did. The former's eyes were practically sparkling as she watched, and Mash seemed rather excited as well. She flashed a quick smile at them before returning to her cooking. For a brief moment, she felt like she was cooking for her daughters again – and felt an old, familiar pang through her heart. It seemed becoming a Servant couldn't soothe some old wounds.
Boudica breathed a small sigh of annoyance as she finally finished. She was a bit rustier than she expected, especially with these unfamiliar machines. It seemed she needed to spend more time here. Nevertheless, she served the two sandwiches as well as glasses of apple juice. "Here you are," she said, smiling. "Sorry for the wait!"
The girls' eyes practically gleamed. Ritsuka seized her sandwich – and winced as she yanked her hands away. "Yeow, that's hot," she muttered as she shook her fingers. Taking it more carefully, she picked it up and bit into it, and her expression immediately lit up. "Oh my god I haven't had a grilled sandwich this good in forever!" she moaned through a mouthful.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Boudica gently admonished, smiling regardless as she leaned on the counter. "You'll choke." Ritsuka blinked in surprise but heeded her advice and savored the sandwich more quietly.
Mash meanwhile had already dug into her sandwich with relish. The heat wasn't a bother to her with her demi-Servant resilience. "This is delicious!" she crowed. "You are a wonderful chef, Miss Boudica!"
"Just call me Boudica," the Rider reassured her. "But I'm happy you two enjoy it so much. Do neither of you get home cooking that much?"
Mash blinked and shook her head. "Not much, I'm afraid," she admitted. "I've been in Chaldea my whole life and most of the staff don't cook, so I had to rely on cuisines from automated chefs. They were tasty, nutritious, and filling, but… well, I didn't think much about them until recently. It certainly is different, a dish made from human hands compared to one made by a machine."
Boudica blinked in surprise. Wait, did Mash say she spent her entire life here? In this sterile cage of metal and synthetic materials with nothing but the biting cold and snow of Antarctica outside? Where was the nature? The fields and horizons a child would pine for and allow their imaginations to consume them? Where were their peers that they could play, argue and compete with? Where was her family?
She could only turn over the thoughts in her mind sadly. Mash deserved far better than this.
"Yeah," Ritsuka agreed, breaking the Rider out of her thoughts. "It feels… warmer, I guess – and not because I burned my fingers earlier. Makes it taste all the better, if you ask me. Same with Ren's curry and coffee: on their own they're great, no questions asked. But when he makes it… my mouth just starts watering thinking of it. And I know Mash feels the same way about it – or is it because it's Ren?"
Mash turned red at the Master's question, not helped by the Master's impish grin. "I-it's not like that, senpai!" she quickly denied. "Ren-senpai is a very talented chef without a doubt, and an excellent barista! He's even skilled enough to tailor them to his wishes, which he often does depending on what we need for the day! I don't think all of that can be easily dismissed as 'just' Ren-senpai being… Ren-senpai!"
"Oh? You caught all that?" Ritsuka asked as her grin became even wider. "Someone's been observing him rather closely. Not that I blame you, though – he's pretty on the eyes, I gotta say. You've got good taste, Mashumallow~" The Shielder began spluttering as her face began turning even redder, trying to find some sort of excuse to give.
"You two seem remarkably interested with Ren," Boudica observed, looking between the two girls. "Is he that amazing?"
Ritsuka looked back, excitedly opened her mouth – no doubt to expound more about the Phantom Thieves – then stopped. Slowly, her enthusiasm drained away as she gave a small, tired smile in response. "Yeah, he is," she replied quietly. "With him around, we're pretty much guaranteed to win, no matter what. He seems to have an answer or a trick for everything."
Mash looked over in concern, then sighed. "While I think Ritsuka-senpai is playing him up a bit much," she answered. "There is no doubt that Ren-senpai is remarkably skilled and experienced in many different fields and areas, be they combat, social, or others. It takes me all I have to keep up with him and yet… I still find myself lacking considerably in many, many areas. I have much I need to work on and improve before I can even consider myself anywhere close to his peer."
"Is that so," Boudica mused. She hadn't interacted with Ren all that much aside from some more professional courtesies, but her first impression of him was that he seemed like a decent enough of a young man. A very capable one, without a doubt, but nothing more than that. However, now she knew that her current impression wouldn't stand. Or rather, she couldn't – wouldn't – let it. She needed a clearer picture of him before anything else.
And most of all, especially if he was the kind of man who would take advantage of two girls who not only had fallen head over heels for him but were almost worshipping the ground he walked on. She had seen such things happen far too many times during her tenure as queen when she spoke with her people. Thankfully her and her husband had taught her daughters to have a good amount of sense, but Ritsuka and Mash… they were still inexperienced and green.
The Rider inwardly shook her head. She was jumping to conclusions. It was probably better if she simply kept an eye out at the moment. There was much she didn't know – she only just got here, after all. Maybe it was a needless suspicion, but better a needless suspicion she could put to rest than unsuspecting naivete that would end up with them getting hurt. These two would grow up to be amazing, she was sure of it. And, more than as a Servant, she wanted to make sure the two would get that chance. But for now…
"Do you two want seconds?" Boudica asked.
"Yes, please!" Mash spoke up.
"Me too!" Ritsuka enthusiastically agreed.
The queen smiled happily as she stepped back into the kitchen. For now, she could at least make sure they were well fed. Her time at Chaldea was only just beginning.
If you have any questions about the story or background lore, check the Discord! You'll get more than you can stomach!
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