Chương 16: Vol. 1. Chapter 15. The Way Of An Enchantress.
"Nooooooooooooooo!"
Snapping my head away from my newly summoned servant, my eyes locked onto a distressed Altrouge, who covered her face with her hands as she screamed.
"You were meant to be a man! A MAN! Go back and send anyone, and I mean anyone, our way!" she screeched, before leaning back and sprawling herself on the boulder.
"Fuck it, I'd be happier if Angra Mainyu was summoned instead of you," she spat aloud, rubbing her hands on her face.
Now, I'm no genius, but I think she was unhappy with the summoning… and I'm a bit apprehensive as well. But preferring I'd have summoned Angra Mainyu? Really? That's a bit excessive.
"Oh, what is this?" A soothing voice sounded right next to me, causing me to nearly jump in surprise.
Somehow, Morgan had silently moved up next to me without me noticing.
"What connection do you have to this delusional child, Master?" she questioned in her enthralling tone, while pointing a finger up at the sprawled Altrouge.
"She's no—" "Excuse you?" In the blink of an eye, Altrouge suddenly stood in front of Morgan, looking up at her, making the height difference extremely visible.
Morgan didn't even flinch at Altrouge's sudden movement and merely raised a hand in front of her veil.
"My apologies, I seem to have been mistaken." Her tone was serene but insincere.
Slowly, she swirled her head in my direction, her barely visible glowing green eyes meeting mine.
"Master, what is your connection to this delusional dead child?" she questioned, tilting her head slightly to accentuate her 'cluelessness.'
Shit.
"You HAG!" Altrouge spat before she extended her arms to grab the rude servant.
Before her arms could grab her, Morgan suddenly sank into the ground.
"A feisty one, aren't you…" Morgan's calm voice came from the shadow of one of the nearby boulders before she stepped out of it.
"Master, your attainments within necromancy are truly astounding. You should be proud," she said in an impressed tone.
I'm not sure if she's fucking with me or dead serious, as I'm fairly sure that she is capable of sensing that Altrouge isn't any normal corpse but an Apostle…
Altrouge reappeared in front of Morgan, just as fast as before, and scowled up at her.
"Enough, witch!" she spat.
"I will not be talked down to by a servant!" she said with annoyance, causing a melodic chuckle to emit from behind Morgan's veil.
"Oh dear, and here I thought someone as short as you was used to being talked down to," she said before shaking her head. "But such ignorance and foolishness are to be expected from a child."
Altrouge gave no verbal reaction, but the balling of her fists and the palpable irritation surrounding her did not bode well for Morgan's survival.
"Morgan, I believe I have yet to introduce myself," I said loudly, causing the two to look in my direction.
Instantly, Morgan fell into the shadows once more, disappearing from where she stood.
Suddenly, I felt two hands gently glide up my arms, causing me to almost jump out of my skin, before the two hands rested on my shoulders.
"Ah yes, how could I forget someone so interesting?" Morgan's voice almost whispered into my ear, causing a shiver to trail down my spine.
"It seems the Blackmores almost flawlessly created a vessel for sister dearest, but they managed to get the gender wrong," she said with amusement.
What?
"Um, I'm sad to say, but I know nothing of these Blackmores you speak of, and I can confidently say that I was never meant to be anyone's vessel."
My words had an instant effect on Morgan, as I felt her hands grip my shoulders suddenly tighten before relaxing once more.
Letting go of my shoulders, she slowly moved around to stand in front of me, placing a hand behind her veil, probably cupping her chin, and using the other hand to rest on her hip.
Now that she was standing in front of me, I became acutely aware that she was tall. And I mean tall tall, as in almost being tall enough for our eyes to naturally meet.
And seeing as I am six-foot-one, that would make her somewhere around six feet tall, which is incredibly tall for a woman of her time.
"You aren't lying… yet I can feel the magic core in you, as well as your connection to Rhongomyniad, how odd…" she mused aloud, causing me to momentarily stiffen.
I was definitely going to fill in anyone I summoned about those two things, even someone as sketchy as Morgan, but it being found out instantly made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
Stretching out a hand, I shot her a smile. "I am Alistair Pendragon, a pleasure to meet you, Morgan," I said confidently, while ignoring the comment about my spear and core.
There was a momentary pause in Morgan's actions before she gently grabbed my hand.
"The pleasure is all mine, Alistair," she said coyly, before letting go of my hand.
"But I must ask, how did you acquire Add? And what ritual did you cook up to get a magical core? Even I was unable to recreate one after my sister was sent to Avalon," she asked with interest.
Pausing, I moved a hand to the back of my neck before rubbing it nervously.
"Well… how about we have that talk once we get back to my home?" I said, causing Morgan to move a hand in front of her veil, where her mouth would have been.
"Moving fast, aren't we? Wishing to bring me to your abode so soon after meeting me? I am flattered," she teased.
Faster than I could give an exasperated sigh, Altrouge appeared between us.
"You." She said, while poking her finger into Morgan's stomach. "Will stop flirting with my fiancé immediately!" she growled.
Morgan, on the other hand, only gave another light chuckle before slightly tilting her head down towards Altrouge.
"Little girl, my eyes can see through lies, so do try not to give such a blatant lie," she said with amusement.
Well, shit. She's a living lie detector…
Altrouge could only fume before she grabbed my hand and moved me away from the witch.
"Let's pack up, I wish to leave, and I need that drink," she said with annoyance before guiding me towards the altar with my blood on it.
"Let me assist, Alistair." Morgan's voice came from behind us, followed by the sound of her snapping her fingers.
Shadows covered the grass and the mercury formalcraft circle before sinking into the ground, leaving only the grass.
I gave out a low whistle before raising a hand and giving her a thumbs up.
"Neat party trick, could you teach me it?" I probed lightheartedly.
Silently, Morgan appeared on my other side and walked with us. "Oh please, I am more than willing to give you a few… private lessons, trust me," she said in a very suggestive tone, making Altrouge cough to interject.
"I am happy to see FAMILY reconnect. It's good to see family acting close and all," she said dryly before stopping by the altar and picking up the cup of my blood.
Pulling it up to her lips, she started to slowly drink it.
"No need to worry, child. Our family has a lot of history with being intimately close. I'm sure we'll be revisiting those traditions."
"Pppppfffffffffttttttttttttt!" Altrouge proceeded to spit out the contents of her drink, causing my blood to be sprayed everywhere.
In the blink of an eye, the blood stopped moving mid-air before flying back into the cup.
Altrouge turned her head in Morgan's direction and shot her a scathing look before downing the cup's contents.
"I don't like you," Altrouge said in a dry tone before removing her gaze from Morgan.
The witch gave a low chuckle before responding.
"You didn't give me a good first impression of yourself, all but calling my summoning a mistake, so do pardon me for not showing you any respect in turn," she said in an amused tone, making Altrouge give a low groan.
Sighing, I glanced from side to side, momentarily looking at the two.
"I think it's time we hopped in the car and headed home. Then we can get down to brass tacks," I said before moving towards the car.
Neither of the two commented, allowing us to walk to the car in silence.
As we got to the practically empty parking lot, we were greeted by the sight of my Humvee.
"What an interesting vehicle… certainly more impressive than the chariots of my time." She sounded somewhat impressed, but it was mixed with a healthy dose of interest.
"You can say that again," I commented, before walking over to the passenger seat and opening the door.
"I'll assume the grail has told you how to put on a seat belt," I said while looking at Morgan.
She gave a low hum before passing me and seating herself in the back seat. "Thank you, and no, but I'll manage," she said while pulling down the seatbelt.
Closing the door, I opened the driver's seat door, only to hear a cough from beside me.
Glancing to the side, I was greeted with a smiling Altrouge.
Her hands were behind her back as she was slightly leaning forward while looking up at me. Though I could see a small vein on her forehead forming.
It would seem she wanted the royal treatment as well…
"Ah, come along, Altrouge, you'll be sitting in the front passenger seat," I said while closing the driver's door.
"Ah, such a gentleman," she swooned, but it felt like she was trying too hard.
We moved to the other side of the car, and I naturally opened the door.
Before Altrouge could seat herself, Morgan's voice came from the back seat.
"Might you be in need of a booster seat? I could conjure one perfectly suited for your height," she said with such a genuine tone that it could have fooled me.
"I will gut you," Altrouge spat as she sat down, looking into the rearview mirror.
This is going to be a long drive home… isn't it?
~~Fate/False Order~~
Parking the car in the driveway, I swiftly exited and opened Morgan's passenger seat door, allowing her to step out.
"Hmmm, our family seems to be doing better than the last time I saw it," she said humorously, glancing at the family manor.
"I would hope so," I commented dryly.
Closing the door behind her, I moved to the other side of the car and opened the door for Altrouge as well.
She jumped out of the car and moved to the door without hesitation. Glancing at Morgan, I shot her an apologetic look.
"Could you enter your astral form for a moment? I'm keeping my participation in the war a secret from my mother, so it would be for the best if she didn't see you," I asked gently.
Silently, Morgan's form let out a golden glow before she disappeared into golden particles.
"Of course, Alistair," her disembodied voice echoed from the spot where she had stood.
"Thank you. And follow me, if you'd please," I said before moving toward the entrance.
Opening the front door, Altrouge and I slowly moved to our hangout spot without talking.
Reaching the game room, I opened the door and entered the room together with Altrouge.
The two of us sat ourselves down on the large sofa, adjacent to another one, only separated by a rectangular coffee table.
"Morgan, you can de-astralize now and take a seat," I said, gesturing at the adjacent sofa.
Gold particles formed on the sofa before materializing as Morgan, who was sprawled across the couch, using the armrest as a headrest.
She gave a little stretch before adjusting her posture, resembling a model in a magazine.
"Now, what do you wish to discuss?" she said sensually.
If I take one thing from her summoning, it's that Morgan lives up to her Enchantress title…
Coughing slightly to remove any lingering thoughts that she was conjuring up, I glanced at Altrouge, who was shooting Morgan a murderous glare.
"Altrouge, could you do the thing?" I asked, causing her to snap out of her funk and perk up.
"Ah, yes… the thing," she said in a pleased tone.
Leaning forward, her eyes snapped to Morgan's veil, and a smile spread across Altrouge's lips.
"Morgan," she said in a business-like tone, "would you be amenable to an agreement?"
Morgan's veil hid any expression on her face, but the slight nod of her head gave away her opinion on the matter.
"Naturally, as long as it is beneficial and doesn't hurt me or my master," she laid down her terms, causing Altrouge to nod.
"Great, then everything should be fine," Altrouge said with a smile.
"We are willing to give you key, future knowledge on the war, along with answering all of your questions pertaining to Alistair, his knowledge, and how he obtained it," she gave a small pause before continuing.
"In return, we wish that you do not spread what you learn, and that you stay loyal to Alistair, not plotting against him, and having his best interests at heart," she said seriously.
Morgan didn't give an answer immediately, instead giving a low hum.
"Interesting… future knowledge about the war, you say…" She mused.
"While interesting, you do know that I have no interest in the Grail, as I have no wish for it to grant," she explained ruefully.
This was not something I had thought about… it's true that Rulers wouldn't have a wish to begin with, so naturally, they wouldn't care too much about getting an advantage during the war.
Pursing my lips, I decided to entice her by giving an enticing freebie.
"Your little sister will be participating as a servant in the war."
Morgan's head noticeably moved to look at me, which was a good sign for me.
"Impossible, she still lives on in Avalon," she rebuked, causing me to nod my head.
"You're right, yet she will still be summoned."
There was a pregnant pause in the conversation before Morgan spoke up.
"Interesting… but I'd like to add a few conditions of my own to the agreement as well if I am to agree."
Altrouge gave a low hum before gesturing for her to speak up.
"I'll agree on the basis that I'm treated with respect, and I am not to be thrown away like a used tool if the situation allows for it. Nor that the command seals are to be used against me in any negative way," she said confidently.
Glancing at Altrouge, she sent me a nod, causing me to look back at Morgan and give her a nod.
"I am willing to agree to the terms you have laid out," I said, causing her to give a low hum.
"Seeing how quickly you accepted makes me want to demand more," she mused aloud before giving a theatrical sigh.
"But given that I am dealing with family, I'll be lenient," she said in a tone where it sounded like she was making a giant concession.
"I agree to the given terms as well. Shall we sign a g—" Morgan cut herself off before slowly turning her gaze to look at Altrouge.
"To be able to enforce a verbal agreement to such an extent…" She mused with a twinge of respect before shaking her head ruefully.
"Pray tell, you clearly have an Idea Blood pertaining to contracts, but I can't seem to recall a childlike Ancestor other than Merem, so which seat do you hold?" she said with a hint of respect.
Altrouge's smile grew before she theatrically brushed her hair to the side. "I am Altrouge Brunestud, Eclipse Princess of Black Blood and The Master of Blood and Contracts, holder of the 9th seat," she said proudly, with a smug expression.
…I'm fairly sure she only asked what seat she held, and she didn't ask for all that meaningless exposition.
Morgan only gave a slight nod before turning her head in my direction.
"Now, I have some questions," she said, making me give her a nod.
"Tell me, how do you have a magical core? Such a thing shouldn't be possible in this day and age, so I am very curious about how you got one," she said with genuine interest.
I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't ask for the Grail War info, but seeing as she clearly stated that she didn't care about the war, I could understand why she jumped straight to the topic of magecraft.
"The answer to that question ties in a lot with how I know about the future, so we'll start with that."
Morgan seemed to give a low hum of interest at my non-answer, causing her to gesture for me to continue.
Leaning forward, I spoke. "Tell me, how well is your understanding of the Second True Magic?"
~~Fate/False Order~~
"You are a fool," Morgan said dryly.
She stays quiet for forty minutes during my explanation, and her only comment on the matter is that I'm a fool…
The very least she could do is be surprised or find it interesting.
"I am well aware; Altrouge gave me quite the talking to once it had all sunk in for her," I replied with equal dryness to Morgan, causing the witch to give an approving nod to Altrouge.
"Thank you for educating my fool of a descendant," she said to Altrouge, who gave a solemn nod back.
"Of course, any day," she said with a crude smile on her face.
Weren't these two going at each other's throats fifty minutes ago? Was my stupidity such a unifying factor? Fuck my life.
Turning her gaze back to me, Morgan shot me a question.
"So what are your plans?"
I gently shook my head. "None that are set in stone, as I thought it wise to wait until I had gathered information on my opponents, as well as learning of my servants' specialties and their input on what to do before creating a plan," I explained.
Morgan gave an appreciative nod before speaking up.
"Wise, but what information do you have on our opponents, other than what you know from this 'anime' you spoke of?"
Glancing at Altrouge, she met my eyes halfway, and I watched as she leaned forward and pulled a stack of documents that were stuck to the underside of the table.
Throwing them on the table, each document was shown to display one of the seven servant class names.
Seeing them, Morgan finally found it prudent to sit up straight, and she grabbed the Saber document first.
"In each document, you'll find the servant's true name, along with their master and associates. The only master that I don't have much information on is Caster, due to my memory of his name being fuzzy, but there is still a decent amount of information on him," I explained.
Humming, she seemed to skim the document she was holding before lowering it and looking at me.
"Avalon has been found?" she questioned, causing me to shrug. "The Einzberns are a secretive bunch, so we couldn't dig up any information on their recent activities, but according to the anime, they did somehow find it," I explained.
Nodding, she put the document down before looking up at me.
"So what have you planned?" she probed.
Shrugging, I gave a half-hearted reply.
"I was thinking of just using the information to make a battle plan and attack them head-on," I explained.
My words made her shake her head with disapproval.
"You are too much like Artoria, fighting others upfront," she said with annoyance.
Leaning in, I could see her eyes had begun to glow behind her veil.
"Let me teach you how I would go about this."
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A/N
Welcome back, my reader Overlords, please add this to your library and give me some comments, stones and Reviews, as it would be much appreciated.
Now that the mandatory begging is done, time to ask the hard hitting questions.
How was Morgan? Was the portrayal in line with how you'd expect a historic portrayal of the character to be?
How do you feel about how Alistair and Altrouge handled the interactions with her, anything you'd change?
Btw, I have made a Discord server for the fic, come on and chat with me! https://discord.gg/T39uwmxJ
Now I'm tired, so have a nice day, and send me some stones or some shit, I need motivation, or some shit like that.
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