[X][Ayano] Agree to search for Archer, it's probably the best lead you have for finding another Servant anyway.
[X][Involvement] Leave. If Ayano wants to handle this situation on her own, you're willing to respect that decision.
-[X][Involvement] Stop by Monochrome Rainbow's concert hall. You may not have the time to pick your students out of the crowd, or take over the show, but you should still be able to reprimand the culprits themselves. After all, it's not like a pair of idols could possibly cause an unforeseen event that would make you late for your meeting with Amna.
[x][Involvement] Leave. If Ayano wants to handle this situation on her own, you're willing to respect that decision.
-[x][Involvement] Return home and prepare for your meeting with Amna.
[x][Ayano] Agree to search for Archer, it's probably the best lead you have for finding another Servant anyway.
Somehow I thought it would be beneath Kari to respond to that, and the narrator's voice was always distinct so far, never being mixed in the group scenes.
Now that you mentioned it, it's obvious enough, and the tone fits.
[X][Involvement] Stay. Amna has shown herself willing enough to follow your schedule that you're sure she won't mind even in case she has to wait a bit longer. You still decide to send a familiar with a message outlining the situation back to the mansion to avoid confusion.
[x][Ayano] Agree to search for Archer, it's probably the best lead you have for finding another Servant anyway.
[x][Involvement] Leave. If Ayano wants to handle this situation on her own, you're willing to respect that decision.
-[x][Involvement] Return home and prepare for your meeting with Amna.
[x][Ayano] Agree to search for Archer, it's probably the best lead you have for finding another Servant anyway.
[X][Ayano] Agree to search for Archer, it's probably the best lead you have for finding another Servant anyway.
[X][Involvement] Leave. If Ayano wants to handle this situation on her own, you're willing to respect that decision.
-[X][Involvement] Return home and prepare for your meeting with Amna.
You sigh in disappointment but ultimately relent. "As you wish, Ayano. Allowing you to make your own mistakes is part of letting you grow. At least you're competent enough that I don't need to worry about you making excessive blunders, even without my supervision."
"Yeah, sure, great. As long as it gets you off my back," Ayano says smiling slightly. It's nice to see that the joy of receiving your trust outweighs the grief of having to separate from you. That way you don't have to worry about her being dragged down into a morass of her own foul mood.
"Don't you think you're taking this situation a bit too lightly?" the grand duchess says. "You'll regret thinking of me as a bit character that's easily bested."
"You'll have your chance to prove your importance to Ayano in just a moment," you say. "However, you'll have to be more than simply exceptional to have me acknowledge you as a threat."
"Hohoho! That arrogance will be your downfall. None can escape the oblivion that awaits at the end of their life, nor me as its ultimate enforcer."
"Kufufu. Clearly it's you that isn't aware of their station." You start walking towards the stairs as you speak, only dignifying her with a sidelong glance. "I am an eternal goddess. In my world, something as insignificant as death only exists as a means to satisfy my sister."
As you open the staircase door, you can hear Ida talking to the grand duchess, "I think your title is lovely. It makes you sound like my very own cupid. I look forward to exploring the pleasures of death with you in the future."
Without waiting for a response, Ida hurries to catch back up with you on your way down the stairs. Judging by the stammering you can hear from behind you, you don't think she would have gotten much of an answer regardless. Although, the tone of her voice at least sounds reasonably awed.
Naoki and Mara fall in line behind the two of you not shortly afterwards. "So… is it safe to just return to classes, or should we start to evacuate people in case the situation on the roof escalates?" Naoki asks.
"Hm? I don't think those two are quite bad enough to go out of control during the daytime, but frankly you should be watching them anyway. You can still take action, once it seems like they're starting to escalate beyond the point of reason," you say.
A wave of confusion washes over Naoki's face, but he quickly calms himself, presumably after remembering that he shouldn't question what you're capable of. "Right, magic. In all honesty, I'm not sure Ayano will appreciate you, uh, looking out for her."
"Of course not. That's why we'll spy on them," you say. "I may be willing to let Ayano handle herself, but that doesn't mean I'll let her deprive me of information relevant to the Grail War and neither should you. Victory might not be on the line for you, but your life is still very much at risk. I can only hope that your magus partner doesn't share your negligence." You give Mara a pointed look.
"Uh, I definitely do not. I can probably prepare a familiar during class," she says with the drawn out hesitation of someone making up their answer on the spot. "Oh, also I think I know who that new Master was."
A rather obvious diversion from her oversight, but you'll allow it as long as she gives you new information. You prompt her to talk.
"So my dad was on the lookout for the various Masters before the war started and a student from the Department of Individual Fundamentals named Annabella Smith came to his attention. He didn't exactly let me get a detailed look through his notes, but I'm sure you can imagine how unique the description I did get of her was."
"I see. Any useful information?"
"Not on her. She might have the head of the Department of Botany looking out for her though."
"Hm, that is rather lacking overall, but at least we know who to investigate now," you say. "In case it needs to be said, do try to get further information out of Mister Seran."
"Mentioning the weird lady that showed up at our school should be easy enough, but I doubt he's going to tell me anything useful," Naoki says. "The best I can do is set the topic up for Mara."
"Sure, leave all the interrogating to me," Mara says.
"Good. In that case you're dismissed until tonight," you say.
You and Ida separate from your students and head back to your car. On the way, you pull out one of your hairs and turn it into a familiar, pouring just a sliver more of your magical energy into it than is necessary for observation purposes. You'd rather be prepared in case Ayano requires some of your help after all and any amount of magical energy is simply a drop compared to the reserves you've stored. However, the degree to which the two of them will be distracted by their duel is much more limited, so you refrain from imparting your familiar with more power than is strictly necessary for an emergency. That way, it should be able to blend in with the traces of your presence that are still lingering on the roof.
You let it take flight and sit down in your car, while it searches for a good vantage point. Moments later you connect your senses with your familiar. You'll have plenty of time to watch the other two Masters during your drive home. While Ayano had some sympathy for being unnerved by the Einzberns, there's only so much time she's willing to give an opponent to collect themselves. "Are you just about done?" she asked.
The other Master finally stopped cradling her face and returned her focus to her. "I apologize, it appears I let the excitement of finding a worthy opponent get the better of me. You see, it has been lifetimes since I faced somebody that could meet me in the divine realm."
Ayano grimaced at the excitement in her voice. With every word she only became more certain that she didn't want to deal with both her and Karisviel at the same time. "Whatever. Just get to a point already."
"Fine. Back to the script then," she says with a pout. "I have come to offer you redemption for the crime your family committed by creating this war. Comply with me now and you might still be able to wash away the blood staining your very being."
"Fuck off with that family responsibility bullshit!" Ayano growled. She already had to deal with enough shit because of her relatives without anyone trying to add to the pile.
"What kind of response is that? For all we know people are already dying! How can you not-"
Ayano's last nerve snapped. She walked over to the idiot, fully intending to punch her in the face. If nothing else, it should get them past the talking stage.
A flash of silver caught Ayano's attention just as she was about to throw her punch. That mere glint of light held enough beauty to convey the majesty of the blade aimed for her neck.
Her survival instinct pierced through her revery like an arrow through her heart. The mental trigger activated her magic circuits and she threw herself backwards full force. It was barely enough to avoid her head being cleanly cut off. She only vaguely registered the blur passing by her face, before the rush of air following in its trail forced her to take another step back and shield her eyes.
If that's the worst she got, it looks like she got lucky and the Servant half-assed their attack as a warning.
After blinking a couple tears out of her eyes, Ayano focused back on the Servant. She again couldn't help but notice how stunning their sword was. Now that she had the time to take a closer look, she could tell that it was an ornate katana. A copper engraving depicted flames dancing along the finely polished silver of the blade. Fittingly, the hilt's wrapping is a vibrant red color.
Most importantly, it's likely yet another thing she could blame the Tohsakas for.
They swung their sword again, this time aiming at the roof. It cut through it as easily as the air, drawing a clean and deep line in front of their Master's feet. Ayano got the point even without the insistent stabbing at the ground. No crossing that line until she was ready to turn this into an all out brawl.
She wouldn't have to worry about Rider making it here in time in case things got serious, but she'd rather not ask him for help unless she had to. Meanwhile, her chances of taking on a Servant on her own were… frustratingly nonexistent. Especially when their weapon…
No, that's moronic. Anything short of the most pathetic of Servants should be capable of killing her with their bare hands. Why was she focusing only on the sword? She's been staring at the damn thing so much she hadn't even taken a moment to take a good look at the Servant standing right in front of her. With that thought things finally clicked into place and she noticed the hypnotic effect the sword had managed to slip past her attention. The subtlety of the effect was as impressive as-
Focus.
She started circulating her magical energy again to forcefully flush the magecraft out of her mind. She could manage that much, now that she knew about it. Not that it mattered. By the time her head cleared, the jackass had already dematerialized again.
"Guess I can't blame you for letting someone else get involved in your duels, what with the whole Master deal," Ayano says, her voice taut with frustration that's mostly aimed at herself for not catching on to their little trick sooner.
"I do intent to treat this as a duel, but, as you may remember, I also said that I see no need to spill blood," Miss Eyepatch says and straightened herself out. Seems like there's some actual spine hidden under all the frills after all. "My magnificent Saber will not involve himself, as long as you stop acting like a brute."
"Silly me, of course the person issuing the challenge has the choice of weapons. I hope you at least have something good planned."
"Obviously. I have the perfect means to pit our fates against each other." Eyepatch reached for the big ribbon at her side, which apparently had a small pocket sewn into it, and pulled out a deck of cards.
"NoNoNoNoNo! These work perfectly, trust me." She held the deck out towards Ayano, as if seeing the blue spiral pattern on the back of the cards would change her mind. Her earlier confidence evaporating again, as she slowly began squirming under Ayano's blunt stare.
A short yet uncomfortable silence stretched over the roof until Ayano finally broke it to voice her suspicions, "...You're not actually looking for a fight, are you?"
"I only desire as much of a fight as is necessary to fan the flames of passion that'll let me melt the shield around your soul and reforge it into bonds of friendship instead. Indeed, part of my duty is to grant the final mercy to the dead, it would go against my merciful nature to seek conflict merely for the sake of it."
"Tough luck then. We're stuck as enemies as long as we're both Masters in the Grail War and I'm not going to bow out over some stupid cards. Come back when you're done playing and want to duke it out properly." Not waiting for a response, she walked towards the stairs.
"Wait! Look, I'm sorry for talking bad about your family."
"Nah, you're not wrong there. My blood's all rotten. I just don't want to hear lectures about it." She let the door to the roof fall shut behind her.
She barely managed to to walk down four steps before the door was thrown open behind her again. Should have figured. The worst part was that she didn't even feel like punching her goofy face anymore. You must say that you're disappointed with your student's performance. She should have been more considerate of your familiar's inability to follow them inside—at least without arousing suspicion—before leaving the roof. It's like you even have to instruct people on how to be properly spied on.
At least her handling of Annabella herself was acceptable enough by the low standards you hold other people to. Although you don't appreciate the way she almost got herself cut down by Saber. Worrying you like that had also been very inconsiderate of her. Almost as bad is how neither of them bothered to repair the damage done to the roof. Do they seriously expect you to teach in a school that's in anything less than pristine condition?
You have your familiar repair the cut in the roof in their stead—not the use of magecraft you expected when creating it, but such are the advantages of being well prepared—and then order it to continue monitoring the area, just in case it could find them again.
Meanwhile, you could turn your attention to what you did manage to learn.
Class: Saber
True Name: Unknown
Master: Annabella Smith
Noble Phantasm:
Captivating Sword
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Unit
A katana whose true name is currently unknown. However, even without having its name revealed, the beauty and craftsmanship of the blade have transcended the mundane and stepped into the realm of magecraft. A subtle charm spell is cast on anyone seeing the sword, making it difficult to pay attention to anything but it, including the person wielding it.
It's vexing to admit that your worry about Ayano distracted you to such a degree that you failed to pay any attention to Saber himself. At least you can rest assured that you'll be able to resist the sword's charm, in case they ever try to use it to divert your attention. Not that you'd need an advance warning in any situation where your overabundance of compassion isn't sabotaging you.
However, it does make you wonder. Just how recognizable is Saber's appearance that he'd choose revealing a Noble Phantasm over simply being seen. Not that it's an especially impressive sword judging by the standards of the strongest class.
It does however tell you that Saber is likely tied to Japan itself, which is an oddity. Yes, the Tohsaka's tinkering with the Grail means that summoning such Heroic Spirits is possible, but no other Master should have been aware of that fact to take advantage of it. Did they tell her for some reason, or did she get lucky, perhaps with a compatibility based summon? Either way, having to fight a second Servant empowered by their close connection to the land would be bothersome.
As for his Master, you have trouble to imagine just how deluded she has to be to consider herself a "worthy" opponent to you. It seems you'll have to be the grim reaper of her delusions and demonstrate just how far apart the two of you truly are. Hopefully she won't attempt to sway you with the same spiel about family responsibility. The mere implication that you and Idasviel aren't enough justification for your family's actions would be despicable.
Anyway, you've more pressing matters to concern yourself with than such nonsense. That's right, given how early you departed from the school, you still have plenty of time to prepare for your meeting with Amna. She'll only have the honor of meeting you for the first time once after all. Such an important occasion ought to be treated with respect.
[X] Your guest deserves a reward for seeking you out and obediently waiting their time. Have Mel prepare a feast and give Amna a warm welcome to demonstrate your generosity.
[X] Keep the meeting formal. You'll be a gracious host of course, but Amna is still one of the fools vying for what's rightfully yours. It's important that she understands how outmatched she is.
[X] Write In
I apologize for how long this update took even compared to my usual update speed. Life has just had a lot of stuff to keep me busy recently.
Regardless, I do want to take the opportunity to thank everyone that still takes the time to read this Quest. I do very much appreciate it.
[X] Keep the meeting formal. You'll be a gracious host of course, but Amna is still one of the fools vying for what's rightfully yours. It's important that she understands how outmatched she is.
[X] Your guest deserves a reward for seeking you out and obediently waiting their time. Have Mel prepare a feast and give Amna a warm welcome to demonstrate your generosity.
[X] Your guest deserves a reward for seeking you out and obediently waiting their time. Have Mel prepare a feast and give Amna a warm welcome to demonstrate your generosity.
After blinking a couple tears out of her eyes, Ayano focused back on the Servant. She again couldn't help but notice how stunning their sword was. Now that she had the time to take a closer look, she could tell that it was an ornate katana. A copper engraving depicted flames dancing along the finely polished silver of the blade. Fittingly, the hilt's wrapping is a vibrant red color.
Most importantly, it's likely yet another thing she could blame the Tohsakas for.
It does however tell you that Saber is likely tied to Japan itself, which is an oddity. Yes, the Tohsaka's tinkering with the Grail means that summoning such Heroic Spirits is possible, but no other Master should have been aware of that fact to take advantage of it.
Technically, I thought it was the offended party who gets the choice. But since the duel isn't fought over any kind of offence, I suppose the rules may be less defined.
[x] Your guest deserves a reward for seeking you out and obediently waiting their time. Have Mel prepare a feast and give Amna a warm welcome to demonstrate your generosity.
Ah, sorry. It got touched on before with the Tohsaka's summoning of Abe no Seimei, but with how far the updates are appart, it wouldn't have hurt for me to go into more detail again. Basically the Fuyuki Grail War system is supposed to only summon western servants, because of how closely the concept of the Holy Grial is tied to western culture/christianity. Granted, this being Fate the rule is full of holes before even going into how vague "western" is, but it still exsists to some degree and Abe no Seimei violates it so completely that it's clear Akihiko did some cheating to get him summoned. It's unclear how much Saber and Annabella are involved with said cheating, but unless you know that the "western only" rule is suspended (or have your own workaround), it makes fairly little sense to actively try to summon [insert Japanese Servant here], when that should be impossible to succeed.
However, once you have a workaround, it makes perfect sense to attempt to summon a Japanese Heroic Spirit, as one of the factors playing into the strength of a Servant is how close geographically they were summoned to the origin of their legend (which also tends to max out how famous they are in said location, which is another factor playing into the Servant's strength). Meaning that (assuming the Master can properly fuel them) a Servant summoned close to their home is bound to be at their full potential and may even have additional Noble Phantasms granted to them. It's not enough to guarantee that they're the most powerful Servant around, but they're very likely to be on the upper end of the power scale.
[X] Your guest deserves a reward for seeking you out and obediently waiting their time. Have Mel prepare a feast and give Amna a warm welcome to demonstrate your generosity.
[X] Your guest deserves a reward for seeking you out and obediently waiting their time. Have Mel prepare a feast and give Amna a warm welcome to demonstrate your generosity.
We had her wait longer than she expected, so an expression of goodwill seem's fair... and an excuse for us to show off our perfect dinner manners and Einzbern silverware.
[X] Your guest deserves a reward for seeking you out and obediently waiting their time. Have Mel prepare a feast and give Amna a warm welcome to demonstrate your generosity.
After returning home and making the necessary preparations, you decide to pass the time in your library until Amna arrives. You're searching for an index of famous Japanese swords, or at least something similar that might help you identify Saber's weapon.
Ida is trailing behind you, holding a bowl of grapes—given to her by Melsritt, when you sent your sister to fetch you some food, after the savory smell coming from the kitchen whet your appetite—and watching you for any sign that you want to be fed. You only need to open your mouth and a second later your sister places a sweet treat into it.
It's the one pleasure maintaining your mood, as your search itself fails to bear any fruit. The books gathered here by your family were selected under the assumption that no local Servants would be summoned and as such have fairly little material covering them. There's a small handful of exceptions that cover swords from all over the world, but they only concern themselves with the likes of the Kusanagi. A level of fame that Saber's sword can evidently not match.
As reassuring it is that your enemy doesn't wield a truly exemplary holy blade alongside their home field advantage, you can't help but be frustrated that you ultimately ended up wasting your time. It seems you'll have to dedicate more time to this research in the future, if you want to learn anything useful.
"Don't worry, Elder Sister. It's not like a simple piece of information like this is going to stop you from claiming your victory," Ida says.
"Naturally, but that's no reason to grow lazy," you say and signal to her that you want another grape.
"You're so diligent," she says as she feeds you. "That just goes to show how much better than me you are. All I can think off, when I see how hard you work, is that you deserve to rest."
"I wouldn't say that you're wrong. In fact, the problem may very well be that not enough people think the way you do and instead force more tedious work on me." You still remember the days you have been forced to waste tracking down variations of the same legend, or obscure trivia just to satisfy your teachers.
"Regardless," you continue, "I'm sure that I'll have plenty of opportunity to enjoy myself once our guests show up. They have to be desperate to sing my praise after waiting all this time to finally meet me."
As your sister gives her agreement, the bounded field surrounding your forest informs you that two people have entered your property. Judging by the timing, you assume it's Amna with a companion; by the amount of magical energy you sense from them, you assume she's accompanied by a Servant.
"Speak of the Devil indeed. It seems Amna is about to arrive," you inform your sister. "Tell me, how do I look?" You did change from your usual clothes to a more formal white dress with gold trimming in preparations for the meeting.
"Absolutely majestic and breathtaking," she answers without hesitation. It might be an obvious answer, but hearing someone else say it is nice nonetheless. "What about me, Elder Sister?"
"Almost as beautiful as me, which is still plenty to surpass goddesses."
"Thank you, Elder Sister. I can't think of a greater honor than being compared to you like this."
"That's because there isn't one. Now let's go to welcome our guests." You ruffle your preening sister's hair and lead the way toward the castle's entrance.
Of course, while the hallways of your current abode may still be relatively spacious, crossing them doesn't nearly take as long as traveling through your forest does. The bounded field lets you track your visitors location and by extension their speed. You'd estimate them to take about twenty more minutes to arrive, several times faster than the hour long journey it would be on foot, but it still forces you to wait.
You pass the time munching on more grapes and talking with Ida. Naturally you find that she agrees with you that birds are wonderful creatures and unsurprisingly she favours birds of prey specifically, although she doesn't feel like she had the time to learn enough about birds yet to decide amongst them. It's a choice that fits your spear, even if none of them are as adorable as your Mister Schnabel.
...You can't help but worry about how he's faring without you. You can tell that he's still being fed, but he must feel terribly lonely.
Amna reaching the castle's entrance causes you to push your dreary thoughts away. With a snap of your fingers, the door opens on its own, revealing a woman with a hand raised in the air, unsure what to do now that she no longer has to knock. After a second she waves at you in greeting and enters your home.
"Greetings, Lady Einzbern," she says in a flat voice. Frankly, you'd be insulted by the lack of excitement she's showing, if not for the intensity with which she's staring at you. You suppose some people don't openly show their emotions. No matter, you'll have her gush passionately about you soon enough.
"Greetings. Amna, I presume?" you respond and take a good look at her yourself.
There is an undeniable artistry in how she looks. Her lithe figure is flawless—besides the obvious shortcoming of not being you—the very image of practicality with not an ounce more fat or muscle than is necessary. Likewise her brown skin and short black hair are smooth and without blemish. It all helps her cut a sharp figure in the black suit she's wearing.
There's something else about her too. It's the way the mana in your forest is flowing around her, there's less resistance than there ought to be with a human magus. It seems you have another homunculus at your hands. What a lucky woman she is to be similar to you on such a fundamental level!
"Yes, I am Amna," she says and gives you a slight bow. "Thank you for accepting my request to meet. I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience for your schedule."
Moved by her display of consideration for you, you hop down the stairs. The heavy carpet draped over them muffles the sound of your steps, until you land next to her on the blank marble floor. Without delay you begin petting her already lowered head. "Worry not," you say. "I can always make time for those that wish to admire me. I'm not cruel enough to deny anyone that luxury."
She looks up at you with wrinkled eyebrows. It seems she can't quite grasp how she has managed to already earn such an affectionate gesture from you. The answer, of course, lies in your own generosity, which you're sure she'll come to realize in due time.
"I see. I'll remember this information in case it ever becomes relevant," she says, without bothering to pull away from your headpats.
"Of course you will commit everything you learn about me to memory. There's no need to hide something that obvious behind the veneer of practicality."
"I do not understand, my stated motivation was entirely sincere."
"Denial, is it? But enough of that for now. Let's continue our conversation elsewhere." You remove your hand from her head and instead grab one of Amna's gloved hands to lead her to your dining room.
She obediently follows you.
You climb back up the stairs, where Ida's patiently waiting for you. As you walk past her, she falls in line with you and grabs your guest's other hand. "Hello, I'm Idasviel von Einzbern and I have the honor of being my elder sister's knight. Did anyone ever tell you that you look stunningly handsome wearing a suit?"
"No, you're the first one. Although, I'm afraid that I can't offer an opinion of my own on the matter. Rider thought that wearing a suit would be a good idea."
You file the comment away as a potential hint towards her Servant and let Ida keep hogging her attention for the short while it takes you to reach the dining room. Upon arriving at your destination, you find the dining table already prepared with a proverbial treasure trove of hors d'oeuvre from all over the world.
Taking the head of the table for yourself, you seat Amna to your left, while Ida claims the seat at your right. It leaves most of the table empty compared to the dozen of guests it could house, but then you're still missing someone.
"Rider, do feel free to take a seat yourself. There's plenty of food for all of us," you say and point to the additional plate prepared next to Amna.
He materializes wearing a suit matching his Master, although in contrast to her simple black one, his is colored a purple that compliments his dark brown skin. Together with his tall and muscular build he looks refined and imposing in equal measure.
Strength B
Endurance B
Agility C
Mana A+
Luck C
Magic Resistance C
The ability to cancel magical effects targeting the servant. Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
Riding C+
Most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill. However, cannot ride creatures that qualify Phantasmal Species. Rider might show greater skill for a specific type of vehicle.
"Gladly," he says. "I merely did not wish to distract from my Master. She's the one that wished to talk with you after all."
"There's no need for you to worry. I have more than enough attention to give and she earned herself plenty. Same goes for the food, no need to be shy," you say turning to Amna, who is only awkwardly eyeing the food.
"Thank you, but you don't have to bother with accommodating me."
"Nonsense, this paltry amount of food can hardly be called a bother. Spoil yourself, you earned it by seeking out my presence." You grab yourself a small pastry that turns out to have a creamy mushroom filling.
"She's right, Master. In situations like this, fussing over the details is more insult than consideration," Rider says and grabs one of the same pastries you're eating.
Following his lead, Amna hesitantly takes one of the pastries as well. It's frankly a bit of a shame. You went to the trouble of telling Mel to prepare a varied selection in case Rider would let another hint towards his true name slip by choosing the type of food he's familiar with. Yet here they are, mimicking your own choice. Although, you suppose it's only proper that such virtuous behaviour keeps them away from harm.
"It tastes good." Amna passively stares at the food in her hand, sounding more confused than anything.
"Naturally. It was made to match my standards after all," you say. "Now then, we were talking about what pretense you're using to allow yourself into my presence, yes?"
"Yes?" Amna says hesitantly. "Either way, I've sought you out, because I don't wish to fight against you."
"Excellent, I could tell that you're a good person. You're a shining example for all the other Masters that fail to simply place victory into my deserving hands." As you speak, your hand once again finds its way to your guest's hair.
"What a noble decision. I just fell in love with you all over again," Ida gushes and leans over the table to offer her a small skewer with feta, watermelon and ham.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding," Amna objects. You pull back your hand, letting it hang tentatively in the air to fall alongside your judgement on whether or not she deserves more of your headpats.
"It isn't that I wish to surrender," she continues. "Rather, I just wish to avoid conflict with you for as long as possible."
"Ho, so what you want is an alliance? It's hard to praise you after the disappointment of you failing to surrender outright, but that decision still shows some amount of sense on your part."
"No, that isn't quite right either. I… am not sure if my current reasons are enough to justify opposing the other Masters. That's why I want to establish a non-aggression pact, without further strings attached, with as many people as possible to give myself more time to gather my resolve."
"Really." You let your hands fall into your lap. "More and more I have to wonder if the Grail was hard pressed to find anything but stragglers and rejects for its second set of Masters."
"I don't think I am relevant to that evaluation," Amna says, appearing not to care about your judgement. "The Grail did not select me to be a Master, but my… mother. She said that she wanted to see me participate more than she wanted the wish for herself, so she handed her Command Seals over to me. I don't want to disappoint her. That's why I am unwilling to bow out of the contest unless I'm forced to do so."
"How curious, did this mother of your create you for the sake of the Holy Grail War?" you ask. Your interest in her piqued once again.
"I think it'd be more accurate to say that I'm adopted. However, we've moved away from the topic of conversation."
"That request of yours, yes? I do hope that you at least realize that you're asking me for much more of a favour than what you're offering in return."
She stares at you for a couple of seconds, evidently unable to grasp what you mean. "Please elaborate."
"The Holy Grail War has begun," you explain, fully accepting that your responsibility as a teacher follows you even here. "It's not an option for all of us involved to sit around a nice cup of tea until everybody is quite sure they're ready to start. There will be fighting. And by making a claim on my inheritance, you carry responsibility for each Master and Servant that falls in pursuit of it as well. Refusing to end any of them yourself changes nothing about that. Ultimately, expecting others to exempt you from the struggle, only to come crawling out of your hiding spot to try and claim victory is barely different from asking them to do your dirty work. It's cowardice; not mercy."
"I see." Amna looks down at her hands. "I hadn't considered that before."
Rider watches his Master's doubt with a faint smile. You get the impression that he's looking through her like a glassy shell, only seeing the conclusion she's approaching. It's not a malicious expression, but you're still irked to see your fellow homunculi not being given the amount of attention she deserves as a person.
"What is it, Rider? Do you have a problem with your Master?" you ask him.
"Not at all," he replies, meeting your glare with an upbeat smile. "I don't share my Master's concern, so either option works for me. Although, if I were to choose, I'd prefer to risk a defeat we can learn from, than to stay away from the battlefield entirely."
"I know exactly what you mean!" Ida says and gestures at him with a skewer. "The fighting is where all the passion happens. Honestly, I don't think it makes sense to claim that you're participating in the war unless you're throwing yourself into the throes of carnage."
"I…" Amna speaks up, raising her head to meet your eyes. Her expression remains perfectly neutral, but the intensity you sensed from her before has wavered. "I understand what you're talking about. I don't know about seeking out conflict with others, but I'll at least try to be more aware of the implications of my actions going forward."
"Good," you say with a giggle and pet Amna again. "It's not perfect, but anything that's a result of you listening to me is an improvement worthy of praise."
"Thank you, Lady Einzbern."
"Feel free to call me Kari, Amna," you say. "And don't feel reserved about asking me for more advice in the future. Guiding my lessers is only natural after all. Simply make sure you give me the gratitude I deserve in return."
"I will make sure to do so, Kari. In fact, there's already something I'm wondering about. The problem you've described with my approach should only apply when I agree to non-agression with a large number of of other Masters, correct? I don't think avoiding one or two other combatants will be enough to make me completely escape combat, so it should make little difference in the end."
"Still clinging to your original plan, are you?" you say with a sigh.
"Perhaps, but that is not an answer to my question."
"You shouldn't need more of an answer than the disapproval in my elder sister's voice," Ida tells her.
"True, but I shall be merciful and elaborate for her regardless," you say. "I suppose if you limit yourself to two others, it would barely matter. Of course that raises the question why you'd bother with making said pacts instead of dealing with other Masters as you encounter them."
"It's a matter of consistency," Amna says. "One other Master already accepted my offer and it seems wrong to go back on my word to them simply because I changed my mind. Likewise, you have never given me a proper answer to my offer, as such it still stands in case you want to accept it. Further, while you have pointed out a problem with my thought process, that does not change that I currently do not want to fight you." As she talks, her eyes light up with renewed confidence.
You nod. You suppose her reasoning is sound. No sane person would ever want to fight you, be it because they can't bring themselves to do something that morally abhorrent, or because they have to acknowledge that there's no practical way for them to defeat you.
Still, you can't help but feel it would be you making a concession to her.
You give yourself a moment to consider your options by calling in Mel with the soup course.
[X][Offer] You're in no hurry to attack her, but any long term commitment is more of a bother than you're willing to deal with. Disencouraging her naivete by rejecting her offer might also be in her best interest in the long run.
[X][Offer] You'll win, no matter what order you defeat the other Masters in, so you suppose there's no harm in accepting her offer.
[X][Offer] You might as well use this opportunity to teach her about equivalent exchange. She stands more to gain from not having to worry about you attacking her than is true the other way around. It's only fair that she offers you something in return to close the difference in benefit for the both of you.
-[X] Have her swear to help with eliminating Avenger. It's something she might help with regardless, but given her passive nature it'll be good to have reasurrence.
-[X] Request her to go on a date with Idasviel. You're sure your sister will enjoy it greatly and if Amna ends up being your last opponent it would be a good opportunity to sharpen your spear.
-[X] Tell her to come up with something on her own. Who knows, maybe she'll manage to surprise you with something worthwhile.
At the same time you consider what topics would make for good dinner conversation.
[X][Conversation] Ask Amna about herself.
[X][Conversation] Further press her on the matter of her family. You have to admit that you're curious.
[X][Conversation] Inquire if she at least already knows what wish she wants to make on the Grail.
[X][Conversation] Amna has yet to sing your praises. Remedy that travesty by asking her opinion about you.
[X][Conversation] Write In
[X][Offer] You might as well use this opportunity to teach her about equivalent exchange. She stands more to gain from not having to worry about you attacking her than is true the other way around. It's only fair that she offers you something in return to close the difference in benefit for the both of you.
-[X] Have her swear to help with eliminating Avenger. It's something she might help with regardless, but given her passive nature it'll be good to have reasurrence.
[X][Offer] You might as well use this opportunity to teach her about equivalent exchange. She stands more to gain from not having to worry about you attacking her than is true the other way around. It's only fair that she offers you something in return to close the difference in benefit for the both of you.
-[X] Have her swear to help with eliminating Avenger. It's something she might help with regardless, but given her passive nature it'll be good to have reasurrence.
[X][Offer] You might as well use this opportunity to teach her about equivalent exchange. She stands more to gain from not having to worry about you attacking her than is true the other way around. It's only fair that she offers you something in return to close the difference in benefit for the both of you.
-[X] Request her to go on a date with Idasviel. You're sure your sister will enjoy it greatly and if Amna ends up being your last opponent it would be a good opportunity to sharpen your spear.
[X][Offer] You might as well use this opportunity to teach her about equivalent exchange. She stands more to gain from not having to worry about you attacking her than is true the other way around. It's only fair that she offers you something in return to close the difference in benefit for the both of you.
-[X] Request her to go on a date with Idasviel. You're sure your sister will enjoy it greatly and if Amna ends up being your last opponent it would be a good opportunity to sharpen your spear.
[X][Conversation] Ask Amna about her creation
Maybe this would fall under 'about herself', but I specifically want to know about her status as a homunculi, rather than her background or anything. I mean, there's no chance of her coming even close to an Einzbern work like ourselves (and we can probably wager that she'll be more finely crafted than those Yggdmillenia rabble) but that still leaves a wide variance.
And hey, if it turns out she's good enough or compatible enough to serve as a Lesser Grail, Ida won't have to use her wish to stop us from being a Cup, so we get a free wish on top of nice dress. That's a bonus.
[X][Conversation] Ask Amna about her opinion of the Church Overseer
If Amna was wanting to pursue neutrality, it makes sense she might have stopped by the church, in which case she would have met Kotomine. Even if she hasn't met her directly, she might have gotten the message about the 'extra servants' by now, and I'm curious what her opinion and reaction to those facts are. And whether she finds Kotomine as impertinent as we do, and therefore can be counted on to show discerning taste of character.
[X][Conversation] The second set of Masters
She didn't even blink when we mentioned 'the econd set'. We must find out what she knows!
[X][Conversation] Ask Rider his opinion of the modern era.
No way he's gonna let his identity slip easily. Still, at least we can maybe get a guage of his opinion on things, if only so we don't hit on some berserk button.
"The Holy Grail War has begun," you explain, fully accepting that your responsibility as a teacher follows you even here. "It's not an option for all of us involved to sit around a nice cup of tea until everybody is quite sure they're ready to start. There will be fighting. And by making a claim on my inheritance, you carry responsibility for each Master and Servant that falls in pursuit of it as well. Refusing to end any of them yourself changes nothing about that. Ultimately, expecting others to exempt you from the struggle, only to come crawling out of your hiding spot to try and claim victory is barely different from asking them to do your dirty work. It's cowardice; not mercy."
This is a surprisingly accurate summary of what is wrong with the offer of neutrality. I guess I've grown too used to Kari's outlandish escapades that I find such a simple and grounded logic surprising, coming from her.
Them asking you to delay hostilities is like asking you to be exhausted by the fighting before you get jumped by them.
Still, we have an Avenger to apprehend, so there is a benefit in accepting.
Also, what is up with people being brought into the war for all sorts of weird reasons? Can you even get drawn into a war without a wish of your own? What kind of a maniac gets someone else, much less their adopted daughter, involved in the war so they could watch? Why were they selected in the first place? Then again, "why would the Grail do that" is a moot question when it's been hacked to the point not even the original creators recognize what it's become.
[x][Offer] You might as well use this opportunity to teach her about equivalent exchange. She stands more to gain from not having to worry about you attacking her than is true the other way around. It's only fair that she offers you something in return to close the difference in benefit for the both of you.
-[x] Tell her to come up with something on her own. Who knows, maybe she'll manage to surprise you with something worthwhile.
Hey, let the girl come up with a suitable recompence. It will be a test of her character, if nothing else, and what we've seen of her shows an open mind, and a lot of promise. Let her stretch her wings; it's the first step on the way to find that resolve she wants. I am beginning to like her, and not just out of solidarity.
Homunculi of the world, unite!
[x][Conversation] Further press her on the matter of her family. You have to admit that you're curious.
I am curious about what she has to say about her creator and their relationship.
-[X] Have her swear to help with eliminating Avenger. It's something she might help with regardless, but given her passive nature it'll be good to have reasurrence.
-[X] Request her to go on a date with Idasviel. You're sure your sister will enjoy it greatly and if Amna ends up being your last opponent it would be a good opportunity to sharpen your spear.
[X][Conversation] Ask Amna about herself.
[X][Conversation] Ask Amna about her creation
[X][Conversation] Ask Amna about her opinion of the Church Overseer
[X][Conversation] The second set of Masters
[x][Conversation] Further press her on the matter of her family. You have to admit that you're curious.
[X][Conversation] Ask Rider his opinion of the modern era.
By the time Mel retreats back to the kitchen to prepare the next course, you've made your decision. "I have no reason to turn your offer down," you tell Amna, who is watching you in anticipation. "However, at this point I expect you to understand that you gain more from this deal than I do. As such, it only strikes me as fair that you compensate me for the difference."
She takes a moment to consider your words before affirming your assessment with a nod. It's a faint sliver of movement, not even enough to break the eye contact between the two of you, but it's those same eyes that reflect her sincerity better than any mere gesture could. "That sounds reasonable," she says. "After all, it is foolish to assume one will receive more than has been sacrificed in return. What additional terms did you have in mind?"
You give your soup a taste before answering and the clear, rich taste of the consommé joins forces with your satisfaction at Amna's reasonable response to lure a content hum from your lips. Such willingness to go along with your wisdom truly does warm your heart.
"I don't plan on asking much from you," you say. "Even being given an advantage, I doubt you'll stand to be little more than a nuisance and I'm not a greedy woman. I take it you have already been informed about Avenger?"
"Yes."
"Good. I want you to join the group of Masters that's going to aid me with eliminating Avenger safely. Frankly speaking, as the fated winner of this war, I benefit more than anyone else from maintaining the Grail's purity. As such I'll consider your help sufficient payment."
"No, I don't think that can be considered fair," Amna says with a decisiveness that you'd praise her for, if not for how ill timed it is. You let her continue, in the hope that she'll avoid disappointing you. "No matter how self-assured you are, I don't think I can simply concede the Grail to you. So while I'm willing to help you, it would be insincere to pretend like there is no benefit to myself. Please think of another condition to bring the two of us to equal footing."
You can't help but chuckle. "So it's the decisiveness of a shooting star that you found. Measuring yourself up to me like that is rather presumptuous, but I lack the cruelty to deny anyone a chance to indulge me." You glance over at Ida, as you consider your second demand, and notice her looking at you with her cheeks hot.
You gesture for her to speak.
Instead of speaking up out loud, she leans close to you and whispers into your ear. Her voice holds no concern for being overheard, but simply carries the excitement that comes with sharing a secret. "Elder Sister, given that she's emphasizing that she'll continue fighting you, while also inquiring for more ways to please you, I believe Amna is attempting to flirt with you. I find her attempt to be both bold and charming. Even if she's reaching above her standing, there shouldn't be any harm in indulging her until the end of the war. Unless you're uncomfortable with keeping anyone around that desires to harm you. In that case, It'd be my pleasure to impale her with my spear and keep assaulting her until she's no longer a threat. All for you, of course."
You don't think your sister quite understands your guest's motivation. Still, seeing her this excited only makes you want to pamper her. You've yet to let her kill anybody as well. Presenting her with a different outlet for her desires seems only appropriate.
You tell Ida that her intervention won't be necessary for now and address Amna. "Given your insistence, I have decided to give my second demand a more personal value. I want you to go on a date with my sister."
While your Servant receives the news with a happy squeal, Amna simply blinks at you.
"What is it?" you ask her. "Can you not believe how fortunate you are?"
"No, I'm simply unsure what that request entails."
"It is quite easy. You'll spend a day with my sister and offer her your attention and affection."
"Don't worry, if you don't know what to do, I can take the lead," your sister reasurres her. "Given your agreement with my elder sister, I'll even refrain from killing you. For a first date, your company will be enough to satisfy me."
"I see… if that is what you want, I will comply," Amna says, her voice notably slowed by confusion as she addresses your sister. "For the sake of clarity, does this request imply that you have romantic interest in me?"
"Naturally!" Idasviel slams her hands on the table and surges to her feet as she makes her confession. "How could I not fall in love with someone as earnest as you, especially after you've been this thoughtful towards my elder sister? It helps that you've got the looks to go along with your personality. I'm sure we're meant to be. The feeling is mutual, right?"
"No. Frankly, developing feelings that quickly seems rather irrational to me," is Amna's blunt reply.
Your dejected sister slumps back into her seat.
You gently rub her shoulder to console her. "Don't worry, you can win her over during your date."
"Yes, you're absolutely right, Elder Sister. My passion will burn its way to her heart until there's nothing else left."
"I'll try to be… receptive towards your efforts," Amna responds.
"Wonderful," you say. "That's what I've come to expect from you. Now, if you're to date my wonderful darling little sister, you might as well go ahead and tell her about yourself."
"Myself? I suppose that does make sense, if she's interested in me." Amna falls silent and lets her gaze wander across the room. Her search for some kind of inspiration ultimately fails. "Is there perhaps something specific you want to know about me?"
"Not for the moment," you say. "There's no need to worry about the details. You're a person of value now that you have my interest, so whatever you have to tell us will be a treasure."
"In that case, I'll share what little there is about me of interest. My mother lives rather isolated from other people. As a result, I didn't have a lot of contact with strangers before this week." Amna pauses.
"Although, I've only been active for a handful of months, so I doubt I would have much experience regardless. Besides lessons with my mother and helping with chores, I mostly keep myself occupied with reading and listening to music. Mother did not like me simply doing nothing while waiting for her to give me another task. I did however insist that she let me watch the night sky without distraction. It's rather calming."
"I'd like to see you like that," your sister whispers wistfully. "Your eyes are already so intense, that I get excited imagining them settling on something you're passionate about."
"That might be difficult," Amna answers. "The light pollution from the city makes it rather difficult to see the stars."
"Oh… Well, I'd be happy to be your stars, if you ever feel like staring at me."
"I do not think you'd be a suitable replacement."
Seeing your sister pout after that straightforward rejection, you break up the scene by calling in Mel with the fish course.
"You do seem to care about your mother quite a lot," you eventually ask Amna once Mel has retreated again.
"Yes," was her simple reply.
"That's wonderful. Familial love is just as important as romance," your sister gushes. "Older sisters are naturally the best kind of relatives, but parents aren't bad either."
"I can't attest to what it's like to have siblings, but I agree with the importance of family."
"Frankly speaking, I'd like to know how the two of you met," you say.
"She took me away."
"Amna, when people ask a question like I just did, they usually want details," you explain.
"I see. I'm afraid I don't know that much myself. My first memories are of sitting in a small room containing nothing but myself and a bed for… days?" Amna recounts. "The first time I heard another person's voice was when screams managed to tear their way into the box I was kept in. My mother showed up shortly afterwards and took me home with her. Given that they never interacted with me, I don't think my creators ever cared about me as a person. Likewise, I've never bothered to ask about them." The memory doesn't cast even the slightest ripple across her expression. It's only when she finishes talking that her eyebrows scrunch up in consideration. It only takes a second until she seems to have settled on not saying any more and returns to her usual placid expression.
You can't exactly blame her. There's few things worse than depriving a person of the attention and appreciation that they need to sustain themselves. It's why you intend to keep yourself from being lonely going forward.
Extrapolating from what little she did tell you, her origins sound rather suspect. Given the screams, it sounds more like her mother looted her from the carcass of an organization she gutted herself, rather than any legitimate process. Not that you'd condemn such an action in any way. Taking care of their creations is the highest responsibility of any alchemist that aspires to create a homunculus. If they fail to do even that much, they deserve whatever punishment they face.
However, if she's a thief sending Amna to rob the world of your ascend to godhood, you have to wonder how much she cares about her self-proclaimed daughter.
"First off, I'm happy for you that you're finally able to spread your wings in freedom," you say. "Secondly, could you tell me more about your mother?"
"I could, but I'm not sure how much she'd want me to tell you. She did accompany me to Fuyuki, so maybe it would be best if I ask her if she wants to meet you as well?"
"I'd love to have you introduce me to your parent!" Ida gushes.
"A reason to meet her almost as good as satiating my curiosity," you say. "I'll consider taking you up on that offer. I'm a lot more likely to reward her with meeting me in person now that I know that she didn't simply abandon you to the risk of the Grail War."
"Of course she wouldn't do that," Amna says with a scowl. "She might not actively interfere with the war, but she's watching over me."
"I'm sure she wants to see her girl grow up," Ida says. "Romance is exactly what a person needs to bring passion into their life and with how intense it can be, there's no better chance to find love than this Holy Grail War."
Amna seems to consider your sister's words, muttering something about suspension bridges under her breath.
Personally, you're not sure if there's anyone in this war truly worth meeting besides yourself, and it doesn't appear like Amna was tasked with worshipping at your feet. Ultimately, you decide to let the matter rest for now. While Amna isn't dishonest, you don't think she's the most reliable source of information on this matter either. The thought of worship did bring something else to mind, much like a bad aftertaste spoiling the satisfaction of an otherwise delicious meal.
"On the topic of those watching from the sidelines, I take it you have already met the church's overseer? What kind of impression did she make on you?"
"You mean Miss Kotomine?" Amna says. "Yes, I did visit her at the church last night. To me she seemed… competent? At the very least I think she'll be able to manage the oddities that have surfaced in this war, which is about as much as I can demand from somebody in her position."
"But you like my elder sister better than her, right?" Ida asks to prod her towards the important part of her assessment.
"I suppose so. Miss Kotomine was nice enough, but she also felt distant in a way. I can't imagine her inviting me to dinner at the very least."
"Right. Being a wonderful host is just one of Elder Sister's countless strengths," Ida says brimming with pride.
"It's nice to hear you appreciate the effort I made in welcoming you after your initial hesitation," you tell her while absentmindedly petting your sister. "You shall receive some consideration from me in return. There's even more participants in this war than usual. Given your apparent aversion to conflict, I hope you aren't too bothered that you might have to fight against more people as a result."
"It isn't something I look forward to," she answers. "However, it doesn't change the heart of the matter. I'll just have to decide how to deal with them one at a time."
"That's not the worst stance to take, Master. We can't have you simply give up after all and while it never hurts to be careful, hardening yourself completely is only going to waste a chance for potential allies." Rider finally speaks up again. He shares a look with his Amna, who wordlessly nods back.
"It's good to hear you talk as well, Rider," you tell him. You suppose letting Amna bask in your attention is a noble sacrifice to make, but you're hard pressed to trust a person that can resist the temptation of being noticed by you.
"Of course, I'd hardly be a good Servant if I didn't at the very least show her my support," he says.
You give him a sidelong glance. That reasoning still isn't about you.
"Seeing how I've already spoken up, I might as well answer one of your questions as well," Rider says with an easy smile after meeting your eyes. It seems his conscience has finally caught up with him.
"Very well, I'll give you the honor of answering my question." You take a short moment to consider your exact question. He doesn't appear to be the kind of saint that would offer you his true name that easily. Ultimately you settle on something that'll help you get a grasp on his personality.
"Rider, what is your opinion on this modern era?"
"Not wasting your chance on a small question, are you?" Rider says. "To keep my answer simple, I'd say that I'm quite fond of the modern world's conveniences, but not of the way people live in it. Most of you are too aimless for my tastes. What you need is… Hm, no, I suppose this is as much as I should say. We Servants are served well by a bit of mystery after all."
"I don't know," your sister says doubtfully. "I think familiarity is a lot better at breeding attraction. I'd love to get to know you better too, Rider."
"Maybe another time. I have taken up enough attention for today," he says.
"I don't mind, Rider. We don't need to talk even more about me," Amna says.
"If both of you are willing to relinquish the attention gifted to you, I'll be more than happy to claim it for myself," you say. "After all, that's where it ultimately belongs and I could hardly call myself a good host, if you leave today without having your life enriched by learning more about me."
To your guests' credit, they obediently listen to your lecture until the end of the meal. Of course an hour isn't nearly enough to do you justice, even with the help of Ida demonstrating how to best heap praise on you, but it's enough to ensure that they've become better people.
As Amna prepares to leave, a thought does occur to you. Your castle is rather far out from the city proper, so Amna might appreciate you driving them back. After all, even if Rider can shorten the trip through your forest, they'll have to be more subtle once they reach the edge of Fuyuki. It does mean you would arrive in town before it's time to meet up with your students, but not terribly so and you should be able to spend the time by searching them out early.
Alternatively, you could simply spend the time you have left at home. As natural as it may be for her, Mel deserves some of your attention after the effort she put into preparing your meal. There's no harm in giving it to her sooner rather than later.
[X] Give Amna a drive back home.
[X] Stay at home with Idasviel and Melsritt.
