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57.99% A Nascent Kaleidoscope. / Chapter 341: Chapter 308

Chapter 341: Chapter 308

What a weird atmosphere.

It felt like I'd been called into the principal's office.

Though I wasn't alone, thankfully.

Olga sat behind her desk, practically steaming as no one wanted to speak. However, my attention was mostly on the other woman in the room. Olga enjoyed her break enough that she stayed there for quite a while, which gave me more than enough to learn under Beryl's tutelage. She erupted in anger when she finally walked into the room to see the commotion. She probably was sent there when my Team members finally made it to the medical room.

Funnily enough, it wasn't entirely directed at me.

In fact, I think she was the tiniest bit amused to see Beryl in such a state.

"Kadoc." Olga breathed out, reining her temper in. "Explain it from the beginning."

"Y-yes Director." A young man with silver hair that looked almost white in the right light answered. He was slim and had a sort of timid personality, though that could just be his reaction to the Director's anger. "It was after the group training exercise this morning. Lev came and asked if any of us wanted to give B-Team a few pointers, and, um…..I offered to help."

"Hinako." Olga turned to address the woman who I couldn't help but keep an eye on.

"It's as he says." She said simply. She had long brown hair in two pig tails that almost touch the ground. A large coat around a turtle-neck sweater and brown eyes that gave me a strange feeling. She was by every definition, beautiful, but that wasn't what held my attention. "Lev asked me specifically as well saying that I was the most versed in...Eastern Magecraft, and that the new leader of the B-Team was said to have some proficiency. So I was curious to see as well."

She glanced at me, and I met her eyes.

Not Human.

Absolutely 100% not human.

And I think she noticed something wrong with me too. Because it was not a kind gaze she returned towards me. I may have thought that was because of what I did to her teammate, but she seemed utterly apathetic to his current situation.

But another important question was annoying me right now.

Why was there ANOTHER non-human here!?

I have absolutely nothing against non-humans, considering I can't truly be considered human myself, but they're supposed to be rare in this world!

[Strange, I don't have a reference for whatever she is.] Ddraig spoke up. [With that Lev person, he atleast feels a little familiar, but mostly foreign. That brat you beat up earlier, he reminded me of some disgusting things, if only a little bit. And I also had no reference for that creature you met at first, aside from that immense power It was hiding. But whatever she is, she's definitely not on the level of that creature, but she's still a complete unknown to me.]

You don't have a clue?

[Mmm, nope. Do you?]

….maybe.

But, I'd rather investigate some first. Because my initial thought seemed a little too outlandish considering the era.

[I guess I'll go shifting through your memories, see if I can't maybe pick up an clue.] Ddraig hummed to himself. [I can say for sure that they're not Dragons though. Was around that corpse of my opposite here long enough that I can pick up the same of my kin, even if our existences differ.]

"Lev." Olga waited a moment before addressing that thing. He was smiling innocently to the side. And to my surprise, the Hinako woman also looked at him with a strange expression. "I can understand your intent, but why did you bring Beryl?" She asked more so than demanded answers like she did the other two.

A huge shift in her tone when talking to this thing in the form of a person.

"I apologize, Olga. He had been behaving rather well recently, and I thought he would be a good lesson for the newcomers. I was afraid they were beginning to see what we're doing here as a game." Lev replied, and I think I picked up some hidden amusement in his tone. "I just wanted them to get a firm understanding at what kind of world we live in. I expected Beryl to be a little rough, but nothing beyond what we couldn't patch up in a day or two."

It made me frown that Olga didn't even question him on his intent. She just adopted a thoughtful look before nodding her head. "I can see your point. It's a good idea to knock those ideas out of their heads early on. It's unlikely they'll be needed, but if we're doing a second, back-up, team, then it should be done properly."

"Director." Roman suddenly pushed open the door. The brown-haired man had a strange look on his face. A pensiveness mixed with a subtle glee. "I brought Kirschtaria, like you asked."

Behind him, a man with long blonde hair walked in. He wore an immaculate ensemble, and exuded an air of nobility that I would place with many different Magus families. "Director, I have just received the summons." He tone was oddly gentle in contradiction with his perceived appearance.

"Wodime." Olga said rather stiffly. "Good, you're finally here. We can settle this matter for good now."

"Yes, I believe it prudent." Wodime stated, turning towards me. "Are you Takao Shimoda that I've heard became the leader of B-Team? The one who beat Beryl unconscious?"

"I am." I met his gaze with my own. Well, I already had a good excuse for my actions, so I was primed for him to start throwing accusations and call for –

"I apologize for the actions of my teammate." He bowed his head. "As the leader of A-Team, I take full responsibility."

And I was a little thrown off by his admittance. "Pardon?"

"I should have given you a proper warning. Beryl is not the most...appreciated member of our team. As critical his duties are, it is no excuse for his behavior." He raised his head. "I will take full responsibility, Director."

...This wasn't how I expect him to act.

Wodime, I vaguely recalled that family name. An old one, thousands of years old, and he looked….competent. I expected him to have an ego bigger than the room, but he immediately bowed his head and apologized.

Interesting.

Olga looked at him for a moment and huffed. "Roman, what's Beryl's status."

"His right arm is broken in about a dozen places. His Fleshcraft wore off during the….events, thus it didn't revert properly, causing some muscle and tissue damage and disrupting the flow of blood. There's also the rebound he suffered from his miss-cast spell, his organs were going into failure but I managed to stabilize him, barely. And there are a bunch of other minor wounds – bruising, sprains, that kind of thing. But they aren't life threatening, just in large enough quantities to make note of." Roman replied rather cheerfully.

….is he a sadist?

"Shimoda." Olga sighed, dropping her face to her palm. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Give him a raise." Roman replied happily.

"You are dismissed, Roman" Olga glowered.

"Alright, I'll go back to poke at my patient." He hummed, not even perturbed at the tone that Olga used.

And for some reason, I think he meant that quite literally.

Did he have a grudge against that Witch for some reason?

"And now it's public knowledge that he's a Witch. It was an open secret before, but I know some busy bodies are going to kick up a fuss about this whole thing." The Director steeled her expression again.

"We should get on top of it immediately, Olga. A punishment must be rendered otherwise some of the vultures may use this as an opportunity to make a move. Regardless of how disliked Beryl is even in the Clock Tower, and among the staff here, our priority is to resolve the singularity above all else. Shimoda's actions – while understandable, have potentially lost us a valuable asset." Lev spoke up, flashing a grin towards me for a brief moment.

"Doctor Roman said that Beryl should be recovered by the team we set out for the singularity, Director." Wodime spoke up. "And we cannot fault Shimoda here for his actions when Beryl was the one who instigated and attacked first."

Olga scowled as Wodime spoke, and it made me think she had a grudge against him. Lots of relationships here I didn't have context for. "Lev is correct." She finally replied. "We can't let the ones circling around the chance to kick up a fuss. So, I will give punishment to Shimoda."

And I was going to lose a lot of respect for her if she went this route.

"Shimoda, your pay for this month is going to be docked." She leaned back, with a small smile on her face. "And I will not be punishing Beryl."

....well then. My expectations have been dashed in a good way.

Wodime nodded. "I will spread news around."

"Good." Olga seemed pleased.

Magi, the sort that would claw at any advantage they could. I have no doubt there are those vultures circling overhead, ready to tear into this big piece of meat that is Chaldea given any opportunity. Olga is going to spread that I got punished while Beryl didn't, making it seem like she did right by the more esteemed figures of our society.

I was but a random Mage from out east. And while beryl was a Witch, and seemingly detested everywhere, he was still, a known figure with a pedigree of some sort, and he was a member of A-Team. It wouldn't do good for Olga to show favoritism to others when so much more important things, and people, were on the line.

Besides, I'm sure Beryl got punishment enough. I didn't go that easy on him, afterall.

Lev looked unhappy but didn't let it show too deeply. "There's still the matter of his missing status for A-Team."

"Agreed." Wodime added. "From what I understand, Beryl used a Curse that's tentatively placed at B-Rank, with the ability to go further. I believe it was cast hastily at a diminished state, but that is still a powerful Curse, especially to have it rebound."

"As much as I dislike him, he is an expert in Curses." The unknown woman with the name of Hinako spoke up.

"I believe we have an obvious solution." Wodime looked at me again. "I cannot claim to know much about the Eastern Arts, but from the report I heard – spoken and not entirely verified – Mister Shimoda here is adept enough at the Curse arts to counter them without harm to himself. Not to mention handily beating Beryl in a fight."

"Are you suggesting I make Shimoda an A-team member?" Olga asked.

"Is he not already a reserve member?" Wodime asked. "I'm suggesting that he integrate with our team for the interim on the off chance that Beryl is unable to perform his duties when the time comes. He will still be the leader of B-Team and perform those duties to the best of his ability."

"…..your suggestion has merit." Olga frowned. "Kadoc, Hinako, your thoughts?"

"….It should be fine." The timid younger guy said awkwardly.

"He can't be worse than Beryl." Hinako scoffed, though she was still glaring at me for some reason.

"Shimoda, what about you?" Olga asked me.

"I have nothing against it. It would give me a chance to see how A-Team is training if you expect me to join in. Would help in how I handle my own team." It would also let me investigate further, and maybe keep an eye on a few individuals I'm skeptical about.

"Wonderful, I believe this settles the matter then." Wodime smiled noticeably warmly.

"….I suppose it does." Olga grumbled. "Very well, you all are dismissed. And Shimoda, I can overlook this incident because of who was involved, but this won't be acceptable in the future."

"I'll keep that in mind, Director. Thank you for your leniency." I made sure to be humble towards her. I felt like she was someone who liked her authority respected, even if she didn't lord it over others.

She perked up the slightest bit, so I think I hit the mark. "Right, see that you do." She said proudly.

"Unfortunately, I must attend to matters that have arisen due to Beryl's admittance to the Medical wing of our facility. I apologize for not being able to properly converse and apologize, Shimoda." Wodime addressed me. "If you allow me the opportunity I would be honored to properly welcome you to our Team, perhaps tomorrow once the dust has settled."

"Don't worry about it, I completely understand how things have gotten a little messy. I look forward to meeting the whole A-Team." I politely replied to his humble words. "Speaking of, where exactly do you guys gather at? I'm still new here, and the place is confusing to navigate."

"Oh yes, many of us have gotten lost among these corridors." Wodime chuckled as we all walked out of the Directors room."

I didn't even notice that Lev disappeared.

Which made me a little paranoid if I were to be honest.

"Why don't I show you –"

"I'll show him." Hinako interjected. "You go deal with Beryl's mess. I can show him where to come later."

Wodime blinked, looking at her. "If you insist, I shall leave him in your capable hands."

Why did it sound like he thought the idea was strange?

And why did she volunteer….

"Come, Kadoc, I need your aid."

"Coming, boss." He said quietly, following behind the Team Leader, leaving both the woman and I alone.

"Follow me." She said rather aggressively as her hand grabbed my wrist.

[***]

She walked with haste, turning corner after corner, and it had been several minutes since I saw any other people walking around.

"No one comes to this area." She abruptly let go of my wrist. "Except the Maintenance staff, and they routinely check every Wednesday, so we have some privacy."

"….Privacy for what?"

Her hand slammed against the wall right next to me, a very intense look on her face and her eyes flashed a dangerous red. Her hand dug into the reinforced building, digging out a chunk as it turned to dust within her grasp. "Why and how are you here, Divine Spirit."

Was she threatening me?

And she called me out so blatantly.

The fact that she didn't blurt it out in front of everyone else meant she was also hiding herself. This was just getting more and more strange the longer I spent in this place. But one thing was for sure, I did not like to be threatened.

I let a faintest bit of my Divinity seep out to accompany my words.

"Shouldn't I be asking that, True Ancestor."

[***]

Non-Canon Omake, A game to decide the fate of the world.

"A Wager?" The Beast spoke. Ars Goetia, the Human Order Correction Ritual, and the one responsible for wiping out humanity. "You wish to bet the fate of the world on….a wager?" Its voice sounded incredulous.

"We could fight. I cheat, mind you. But we could fight, an epic battle to decide the fate of Humanity as a whole. Servants from across all time and space answering the call to do battle against you. The Will of the world backing us up because It doesn't like what you're doing. Or...we can just make a wager and bet it all on a single moment. It would save both of us time and effort."

"…..The idea is not detestable, Magician. Very well, What are the terms before I agree?"

Good, I baited him.

Just as I would honor my word, so to was he boudn by his own pride. "A game of skill, one versus one, me and you to decide it all."

The monster let out a raucous laugh. "A game? An appropriate conclusion, as this was merely a game from the start. I accept, Magician, this game of yours, you may choose the means, I care not. I will defeat you at any ridiculous attempt at skill you think you can face me with. I have lived thousands of years and thousands of life times through my Demon-God Pillars. Do you believe there is anything I cannot match you in?"

I smiled, waving my ring.

It was an old device, one from my childhood.

A video Game, one that I had mastered through many years of torture.

"We'll be playing Mario Party."

[***]

Goetia let out another roar of mocking laughter. "Even with this laughable device you attempted to subvert me with, I have still defeated you, Magician!"

It was kind of comical, seeing his massive hands hold that tiny controller.

He picked up the rule very quickly, as expected of someone of his intelligence. Not only that, but he played perfectly, as well. Every aspect of the game that came down to skill, he won with ease. It made me feel a little depressed, if I were to be honest.

'It's time to pick the winner!' Toad on the screen began tallying points.

"Pitiful!" The Beast continued his laugh. "Are you even capable of counting this high, Magician? Do you not see my 5 stars to your 1 star? Why continue with this charade, just admit defeat now, I may even allow you to watch the final moments of this wretched world for the miniscule amount of amusement you have provided me."

'Oh wow, it looks like Mario has the most stars!'

Goetia picked Mario as his character. His logic being that he shared a name with the game, thus Mario must be the best.

'Unfortunately, Luigi, is far behind.'

And I picked Luigi.

He didn't know yet why I picked Luigi, even when I picked my character first. But he was going to find out in a moment.

'But before we decide the winner, it's time to give away some bonus stars!'

"….what?" Goetia stopped in his laughter, taking focus once more. "What does that creature mean by this? I have already won, declare me the winner!"

"Who said it's over yet?" I grinned and his eyes widened.

'First, let's see who won the most coins throughout the game.' Toad on the screen began tallying the amount of coins we each won. 'Oh wow, it looks like Luigi won the most coins. Here's a star as a reward!'

"…..no…." Goetia said quietly, before regaining his composure. "It matters not, it is my five to your two. A futile effort on your part."

'Now lets see who walked the most spaces!'

"..."

'Luigi gets the star!'

"What is this nonsense!?"

'Who won the most Mini-Games'

"No!"

'Luigi!'

'Who lost the most coins?'

"Ridiculous!"

'Luigi'

"What is this ridiculous ruling! I demand an explanation! How are we tied? I defeated you for the majority of the game, and you were…..given stars for merely existing!"

'Now, one last star to give….'

"…..no."

'This is a special star where we pick our favored to win.'

"….Don't you dare.."

'And it's Luigi—'

The game got cut off, a controller was now impaled through the screen of the T.V. with a very angry Goetia on the other end.

He didn't speak a word as he stood up. He merely walked away and disappeared. But moments later, the incineration of human history was reversed.

And I never heard a word from him again.

[***]

If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone


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Chapter 342: Chapter 309

I don't' know why she was surprised that I called her out in return. Did she not expect me to call her out after taking me somewhere isolated and claiming I am a Divine Spirit? She was….a little off the mark on me, but it wasn't entirely inaccurate, more she aimed right when she should have aimed left.

Her eyes flashed a dangerous red, the mild surprise wore off immediately and I could see her tense up.

Honestly, it felt like I was looking at an animal that was backed into the corner, ready to lash out. Odd considering that she was the one who initiated this confrontation.

"I'm not a True Ancestor." She hissed.

"And I'm not a Divine Spirit." I countered.

She blinked at my abrupt denial. "Impossible, your Divinity is obvious, and you have an Authority, regardless of how you try to hide it."

"And the fact that you can pick up on those things, I'm going to call bullshit on you too." There's no way she would have picked up on something like that unless she was A True Ancestor or something of a similar weight class/caliber to the point where titles were merely semantics.

"…..I am not a True Ancestor." She seethed quietly, repeating herself.

"An Elemental then?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't act like you don't know." She scowled. "Who are you, why are you here? If you're here to mess things up – "

"Woah, hold it." I quickly cut of her, because it was clear she was thinking the worst. "You're making an awful lot of assumptions here." Clearly she didn't want her identity revealed by how she's acting. It seemed like a sore spot for her, and I think she's worried I'll blow whatever cover she currently has. "I can promise that I have no ill intentions regarding Chaldea or the people here."

"Am I just supposed to take your word for it." She snorted, but took her arm back. "Why are you here? If you're doing anything that could ruin my plans, I won't let you off easy."

A precarious situation I found myself in. How many days had I been here at this point, and how many things had noticed my…..interesting heritage.

Though, this woman was the most direct about it. Funny that everyone else so far was very cautious about revealing themselves.

I quickly decided what I should and should not say. "Some parties are interested in what's happening, and I was sent to investigate to make sure everything gets resolves satisfactory."

"And that tells me nothing."

"Do you expect me to give you my life story? Pretty much just said I'm under cover here."

She huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms. "I take it your name is fake then."

"And your name is real?" I countered.

The look she gave me made it obvious I hit the mark. "And what exactly is a True Ancestor doing here. The purpose of this organization is the protection of the Human Order. I find it unlikely that one of your kind would overly care about that. You can continue to exist even if the Human Order falls and another takes its place."

"I am not a True Ancestor." She growled. "And I don't care, Divine Spirit." She pursed her lips. "And you're one to talk."

"Not a Divine Spirit, and my mom was human." I chuckled at her attempt to verbally jab right back at me. "Not caring about the purpose of Chaldea, yet here all the same. And a part of A-team as it were. Makes you look suspicious."

"I look suspicious?" She repeated in mild disbelief. "You're the Divine Spirt that shouldn't be able to manifest in this era. Not to mention, you're coming in at this point when we're getting ready to deploy. I've been here since the beginning, you're the suspicious one. Maybe I should report what I found." She eyed me.

"By all means, lets both step into the spotlight." The little twitch of hers meant I hit the mark I was trying to. "But you're hiding just as I am, so it appears we're at an impasse."

"….are you trying to blackmail me?"

"It's more like mutual blackmail. You don't want to reveal yourself – for whatever reason. I don't want to reveal myself for reasons I already said –" The noise she made giving my the impression she didn't believe me just yet. "—So, mutually assured destruction as it were."

Not to mention she was the one who pulled me away, though I can understand her reaction considering that she's an Elemental of some sort – something infinitely close to a True Ancestor but she denied an actual title and I appeared close enough to a Divine Spirit for her to start panicking about.

"There's no reason we have to be hostile." I offered her an olive branch. "I genuinely have no ill will towards Chaldea or anyone here – so far. As I said, I'm investigating the whole situation, I can't rule out that some people here may be less than savory in facilitation of this whole problem."

"You think that someone here is the cause of the Singularity?"

"You should know how the world works more than most. Do you think a Singularity like this would manifest and sustain itself without…..some external assistance? The Counter Force should have purged it with prejudice."

"…..Chaldea formed after the problem was discovered."

"And if someone or something was the cause of the Singularity, do you think they wouldn't keep an eye on the ones tasked with fixing the supposed error in the time-line?"

She bit her lip, seemingly accepting my logic was reasonable. She took a deep breath before responding. "….I had no hand in it."

"Obviously." I snorted myself. "I find it unlikely that an extension of the world would actively seek to unravel the current texture."

"Of course, it's not like I'm a human. I wouldn't do something so ridiculous as harming the world."

A very clear disdain in her voice when talking about humans.

"So we have an agreement?"

"I don't trust you." She sneered, crossing her arms "You still haven't proven who you are or why you're here, only given your word."

"You keep calling me a Divine Spirit. I won't deny that I have both Divinity and an Authority, so believe in my pride that I wouldn't lie." I offered her another perspective. "I intend to fulfill my duties as hired to the best of my ability, and I will be helping resolve this situation as best as possible while also investigating the cause, which may or may not be currently lurking these halls."

"….fine." She relaxed the slightest bit, her tense shoulders slumping a little and her arms unfolded. "I'll believe you, for now. If I think you're doing anything that will disrupt my own goals, then I wont hesitate to reveal you."

"And you would reveal yourself?" I questioned.

"I'm much more trusted than you are. And I was actually hired by Marisbury with him knowing my real identity." She huffed. "So I have a lot more weight behind my words than you do."

"Fair." I nodded at her explanation.

So, she was hired by the previous head of the Animusphere family knowing her true identity. That made things a little interesting. I wonder how Olga's father was able to discover her when even I had no idea that she existed.

"And just for clarification, what are your goals, so I don't accidently step on your toes?" I wouldn't care as long as she wasn't actively participating in the Singularities' creation, nor going against its resolution.

"None of your business."

"You kidnap me, force me to run my mouth and you won't even tell me your basic goal so I don't accidently stumble into it? Rude." I said rather playfully.

She frowned after blowing some air out of her nose. "I want to summon a specific Servant, that's all."

"Really?" I blinked at the sheer simplicity of her supposed goal. "That's it?"

"You have a problem with that?" She narrowed her eyes.

"The opposite, actually. I honestly can't say I have anything against you doing so. A part of me is curious as to why you're going through all this trouble. There were ample opportunities for you to hijack a Grail War that you could have used, yet here you are going through this round about method."

"And reveal myself to humans so I get hunted down and used as some kind of experiment?" She scowled. "The only reason I agreed was because my identity was hidden."

"I suppose I can't fault you there, I know how The Mages Association would treat you." I let out a small sigh. "Alright, I won't do anything to interfere with your attempts to summoning this Servant you want."

"…good." She whispered, there was a noticeable relief that washed over her.

….how important was this summoning for her? She's an Elemental of some kind, so it's likely she's very long lived, at least since the end of the Age of Gods most likely. So, it's reasonable to assume that this Servant she's summoning was someone she knew in life…

I wouldn't press.

It seemed obvious that she's unrelated to my investigation. And I sort of sympathize with her, I don't know what her relationship with this Servant was, but all I could think about was Scáthach and what I went through.

The way she's anticipating it by her undertone, I can imagine it's someone important.

"Since we're being all candid, can I ask you about some things?"

She quickly recovered and returned to her annoyed expression. "Fine, be quick. I don't want to have to answer any questions on why it took so long if there's anyone still around in the training area."

Says the one who took me here in the first place.

"Anyone suspicious I should note?"

"Sure, if they can practice Magecraft, chances are they're scum and would likely do something horrible if it meant they could gain even a modicum of benefits." The sarcasm was clear in her tone.

"Even your team?"

"...There are very few exceptions, even amongst my own team. You've met the Witch."

"Touché." I couldn't argue with her there. "Wodime seemed pretty nice, surprisingly enough. Thought he was going to act like the average High-Noble Magus."

"He is not insufferable." She said quietly.

Curious.

Good to know that Wodime's attitude wasn't just a one-off response to what happened. He appeared amicable; I didn't want him to actually be insulting me in the back of his head during every conversation.

"Anyways, anyone I should specifically look into? Perhaps, Lev?"

She stiffened a little, barely enough that I could have blinked and not notice. "So you noticed."

"It would be hard not to."

"Well, he does a good job of hiding it." The Elemental shrugged. "Not even Beryl noticed, and there are a few other non-humans walking around."

"Any idea on what's going on with him then?" Because I'm fairly sure that Lev was targeting me subtlety. "Clearly, he doesn't want to reveal himself either."

"Why would I know? It's not like I asked him. He hasn't caused any problems, and he's been involved before I came along and hasn't done anything to make me skeptical."

"But you immediately drag me off to an isolated corner of the building."

"Do you think I wanted to get involved in whatever it is you're doing!? He isn't a Divine Spirit masquerading around as a human." She scowled again. "Atleast whatever he is, he's discreet and wouldn't draw any attention to me. I couldn't say the same for a Divine Spirit that just waltzed right into this place like he owned it."

Well, considering the personalities of most Deities, I could see her concern. Better to get ahead of it than to let it blow up without her control.

"He's also targeting me."

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes. "Why else would he bring Beryl to 'help out'. Everyone knows he's a menace at the best of times and outright disgusting normally. Wodime has to constantly threaten him to keep him in line."

"And you're not the least bit curious why he's doing so?"

"I don't care." She said very bluntly. "As long as I'm not involved, and it doesn't interfere, I'm not going to stick my hands in it."

That does give me an idea.

"How about a trade?"

"A trade, for what? What would you even want from me? I want nothing to do with you."

"I could use someone in my corner that knows why I'm here. An extra ear around the place with someone who has much more trust would go a long ways."

She scoffed again. "You have nothing I want. Don't bother trying to –"

"A Holy Grail." I cut her off, making her stiffen. "I can offer a Holy Grail to summon the Servant you want."

"….you're lying."

"I promise on my Divinity, my Authority, and my name." I spoke with genuine sincerity. "I won't even interfere with your attempts to summon through Chaldea's systems. But I also can promise the use of a Holy Grail in case of failure or any other reason."

I could tell she was conflicted on the choice here. She was silent for several moments before her lips parted to speak again. "What do you want specifically?"

"If you hear anything, see anything that might be related to someone either helping the Singularity or preventing Chaldea's mission, I want to know. Also, I want you to run interference with Lev."

"Do you think he's involved?" She didn't sound immediately against the idea, which was a good sign.

"I don't know, but he gives me an uneasy feeling and he's been hostile to me, so it couldn't hurt to be cautious." At this point, I was 99% sure she had absolutely nothing to do with why I'm investigating, so I didn't mind trying to pull her over since she already picked something out about me, so she could probably pick something out I might have missed.

"….I won't do anything that jeopardizes myself."

"I wouldn't ask you to."

"And I did make a promise." She pursed her lips. "I won't betray Chaldea, I have my own pride. The agreement I have with Marisbury Animusphere stands."

Good to know her pride was important to her in this kind of circumstance. "I genuinely have the best intentions for Chaldea."

"Also –" Her hand was raised infront of me, a single finger extended. Her singular nail turned into something sharp, sharper than steel as she kept it for my eyes to see. Slowly, it trailed down to my chest, hovering right over my heart as she poked the spot. "Divine Spirit or not, if you're lying to me, I will carve out your heart."

I wonder if I should tell her that her threat made her more attractive than intimidating.

[***]

"Come on guys, twenty more seconds." I called out to the side as my Team were running back and forth. "Stamina is key for nearly everything we do. Your Magic Circuits have a strange connection to your physical attributes. Stamina carries over not just in the physical aspect, but your ability to push through continued use of your Circuits for long periods of time."

And it would help them since they weren't being trained on full-body Reinforcement. Meaning, their stamina will drain faster, so they needed to thoroughly train that aspect.

It made me feel a little like a drill sergeant.

I held up my fingers, counting down the seconds. "Alright, everyone, you can stop." They immediately collapsed on the ground. "While you're resting, I want to see you turning your Circuits on and off. Get used to doing it under stressful situations. By the time we're done, I expect you all to be able to do it with but a thought."

Though, I would go over it again in a couple days, see who needs more help in that regard.

So far, they've been making some decent progress.

After the incident with Beryl, I hadn't been bothered, and I've had a few days now to really get into their training.

I was also going to teach them how to activate my Talismans and load them up with their own. They weren't spectacular, but their benefit came with their ease of use and ability to be mass produced with large amounts of resources. The downside being of course that they're usually weaker than normal spellcasting with similar effects.

But that's just considering the basic use of Talismans. I obviously have spells that incorporated their usage, but that came from more knowledge and experience than they have the time to catch up to.

So, the ability to just throw out a Talisman that has an immediate effect attached would be beneficial.

Though…..if worse comes to worse, I'll forgo my hidden identity. I don't think my pride can let me just sit and watch if they got into danger and I could help. I accepted them as my responsibility, that made them my people, and I'll do what I can to assure their survival.

"Alright, everyone." I clapped my hands. "You did good, we're going to slowly increase the physical exertion every day. As much as I hate to say it, you guys are going to be hurting every day, and we're going to cheat with Magecraft so we can keep up the effort without breaking your bodies."

The Director had authorized the use of Magecraft of the medical variety. Muscle soothing, enhanced rejuvenation, that kind of thing. Not much, but it would be extremely useful when continuously stressing the body.

"Samuel." I started speaking again. "How you feeling?"

"Um, good boss." He moved his wrist. "Feels weird, but it isn't hurtin no more."

I nodded. "Remember this feeling, your body is getting used to foreign Magical Energy invading it, even for its own benefit. It's going to feel odd for a few days, but you'll get used to the feeling." I walked to the side, pulling out another box of glass balls for them to continue practicing on. "You guys know what to do."

They all walked over with staggered steps, taking a ball or two with them before moving a few feet back and sitting down to concentrate.

"Pierre, you're being too impatient again." I walked up behind him. "Slow and steady."

He took a deep breath, focusing intently on it before it suddenly shattered in his hand. "Fils de bâtard"

I chuckled at his insult in French. "If it helps, think of it like your mother –"

"Casse-toi!" He threw his arm up with a huff, telling me to get lost.

I held back another snorted, dropping another glass ball in his hand. "Seriously though, slow and steady for now. Get a feel for how it reacts, you don't want to just throw all your Magical Energy into it at once."

"J'ai compris, patron" He nodded, focusing again. "Like a fine woman, she needs to be romanced, slowly."

"Like your mom." A distinct British accent followed up a few feet away.

"Branleur!" Pierre shot back. "Or, you Wanker, in the language you pigs talk in. I will learn this faster than you, swine."

There wasn't really any bite to the words, from either of them.

"Is that a bet, Frenchie!?"

"Alright, alright." I interjected. "Focus on your orbs unless I misjudged and you guys have some energy to spare. Which means you can run a bit more today." I walked over to the one Pierre was arguing with who quickly lowered his head.

"Ah, Boss, I can't feel my legs." He looked at me really cheekily.

I lightly swatted at the back of his head. "Focus, Benjamin." I chided him lightly. He was the youngest of the lot. Barely in his twenties, so he was a bit more…playful about this whole thing. "You're having the exact opposite problem. You're going too slow, your Magical Energy is dispersing before it can fill up so you're just wasting your effort."

I knelt down next to him, putting a finger on the Orb. "Watch me." I ushered him. "Don't be afraid of it breaking."

He watched as my Magical Energy poured into it, taking his own and inflating it to where it should be. "Slow is good, but you're not ramping up at all when you see that nothing's happening. Don't be afraid, this is the point where you can mess up without any problems."

"Alright, cock it up all I want, got it mate." He laughed, but did start focusing harder. I just chalked it up to his personality to make light of situations, but he had been putting in the effort, so I didn't think anything negative about him.

I looked around, and the progress was miniscule, but they were getting better.

They actually got along pretty well. No major issues among themselves, even some playful bantering here or there. And no one was challenging my authority, however, that may be because of what happened with Beryl the other day.

Maybe that did put it into perspective like Lev said, even if he was bullshitting.

"I either want you to succeed successfully in ten attempts without breaking the orbs, or I want you to go through twenty Orbs before you finish." I stood amongst my team as they all nodded. "Afterwards, we'll be sitting down and I'll give a small lecture on bodily anatomy and how it pertains to this specific Spell."

I more or less figured out how I was going to go about this even without them learning Structural Grasp. It would be difficult, but within the time constraints, it seemed plausible.

Anyways, I suppose it was time to address the spectator that had been waiting patiently off to the side.

He perked up slightly as I approached.

"Kirschtaria Wodime, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The Leader of A-Team stood silently as he watched for the past twenty minutes or so, not moving to disrupt. "I apologize, I did not mean to interrupt your training time."

"Don't worry, you didn't." He was very polite like before. "We were wrapping up the physical aspect, before moving on to a lecture afterwards."

"You appear to have built a strong rrapport with your team so far. I had expected it to be more…..disorganized due to their origins."

"They're very out of their depth and they know it. It's easily to get their admiration when I offered them help after their world-views were utterly shattered. And Beryl's introduction seemed to help in that regard." I admitted.

"It is unfortunate that this is required. I do not enjoy the thought of sending inexperienced and unprepared people into such a dangerous situation, if we were to fail. Tell me, do you believe this to be a viable strategy?"

"Viable? No." I shook my head. "You're asking if sending a bunch of mundane people into a potential battlefield that requires the use of Servants to navigate is a feasible alternative. It's practically suicide, but at that point, everything had gone utterly wrong and we're out of options. The literal world would be at stake, so there isn't room to argue about the morality of it. I explained it to them thoroughly, and they're prepared for what hopefully may not come. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. The best we can do, in a reasonable time frame, is to prepare them to be able to run away from danger while relying on their Servants to do nearly everything."

"It seems we share the same sentiment. I am pleased that you took the path of ensuring their survival instead of training them in other means. I admit I am…..skeptical with the approach of teaching them Reinforcement – even in as minor a capacity as you are attempting – but I can also say I do not believe there is a good alternative."

"The Director mentioned that there are other Mages that were recruited for B-Team coming in the next few batches. I can work with them to fill in the gaps after I see where we're standing at that point." I looked at my team still going about their training exercise, the sound of glass breaking flling the silence between our words.

"A logical approach." He replied. "It is a stroke of luck that you were recruited when you were. Otherwise, I fear B-Team may have been left in the hands of those who would be uncaring beyond immediate gratification."

"….I can only imagine." Yeah, most Magi would just make them presentable and nothing more if they didn't have to. "I do have a question though."

"Speak, I shall answer as best as I can."

"Where are we with regards to Servant Summoning?" I asked, still a little confused on that tid bit. "So far, I don't think you all have performed the summonings yet, but we're approaching the deadline soon. Wouldn't it be wise to start now, train with your servants and be more prepared?"

"A worthy thought, and I believe you have not had much time to learn about Chaldea's facilities thus far as to why that is not the case. To put it simply, our Summoning System is not...reliable." He strained that last word.

"Is it prone to failure?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No, perhaps I chose the wrong word. The system is based on the Grand Ritual performed in the Grail War, but there are also differences. The ability to operate without the support of the Grail or the Leylines it is usually anchored to made it so that other methods were needed."

"It lacks the coordinated power to latch onto a Heroic Spirit and pull them down as a Servant." I could summarize what he was getting at.

"Indeed, even with a probable Catalyst, to facilitate the summoning of a Servant is a difficult endeavor."

"That seems like a worrying notion that should have been brought up sooner. I'm assuming that there is a reasonable solution to this problem?"

"As we approach the time of deployment, Chaldeas and SHEBA have forseen the intervention of the Counter Force. The FATE system will be operable beyond its original limitations and summoning of Servants will be more accessible."

"Ah, The Counter Force is going to open a direct link as the path of least resistance." The Counter Force was basically a machine, it used the bare minimum energy necessary to solve any problem. Knowing that Chaldea is here, ready to resolve this Singularity, the Counter Force would see it and know it doesn't have to expand energy, just open a path to the Throne to allow the FATE summoning system to operate without problems.

And if the CHALDEAS and the SHEBA systems in place were able to simulate the world, peering at points in history, predicting the intervention of the Counter Force should be child's play in comparison.

"Indeed, you have a good understanding of the underlying situation. I am impressed as I heard you have not had any official tutelage connected to the Mages Association. When this matter is resolved, If you would be inclined, I would offer my recommendation to the Clock Tower."

"…that's very kind of you." And I was being sincere when I said that. A recommendation was not a trivial thing to give out. "But I will politely decline. I have no intention of going to the Clock Tower, I don't feel I'll fit in that well."

"Understandable." He didn't push the issue. "Regardless, I have come here to apologize once more for the conduct of my teammate."

"It's fine, it was already resolved as best as it could have been. I don't hold you accountable for his actions."

"No, as the leader, it is my fault, I will not shy away from that." He seemed to not want to budge on that aspect. "I wished to come sooner, but many problems took my attention. As I said previously, I wish to invite you to train with our Team. We have a simulation room set up with the data and the records of dozens of Servants that will allow us to properly simulate a battle involving them. We use it often for our own training purposes, and I believe it would be beneficial if you brought along your team so they can see what they will be participating in if the time comes."

"A battle simulation involving Servants? Color me interested." I was immediately enthused by the idea.

I knew that Chaldea had some interesting toys, but it just continued to impress more and more.

"Wonderful, tell me when you have time prepared. I reserved the Simulation Room for the entirety of today if that is acceptable. You may use them how you see fit."

Well, I did have other plans, but when would they get this opportunity again?

I clapped my hands loudly, gathering everyones attention. "It seems like we have a change of plans. A-Team leader, Kirschtaria Wodime here offered the facilities used by the A-Team today. So, we're going on a little field trip."

[***]

If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone


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