The day has been at once productive and unproductive, Romani thinks as he stands before the sanctum of Medea of Colchis, an unassuming room with the same white door that basically every room in Chaldea has across the entire complex - and not even reinforced with metal or concrete. It is wood, perhaps laminated with plastic. And he can't open it.
Leonidas I of the Three Hundred Spartans told him that he has little experience as a father and to trust in the inherent goodness of his foster-not-daughter. Cu Chulainn, who is in retrospect responsible for killing his son he never met and thus an awful person to ask about advice, just said not to kill her. Which is useful advice in theory but… well he could never do that even if he wanted to. And he never will. Archer EMIYA, despite mothering the twins, is unwilling to provide advice - and seeing as firstly he is not their actual father and secondly they are currently
beating each other through Chaldea, his advice might not actually be good
either. And Jeanne, being Jeanne, doesn't even know where children came from.
And yet he feels like he knows the answer. He's always known. He's just scared of making the attempt. Just as he is scared of entering a Witch's Temple when the entire complex is on the hunt for a male weeb. The question now is… is he more afraid of getting zapped by a witch, or is he more afraid of confronting the girl he's raised?
Without another thought Roman grabs the door knob and steps through.
The first thing that hits him is the sea breeze - fresh, crisp,
real. The second thing that hits him is that the sun is shining but he is not sweating. In fact, it is a comfortable, cooling beach. Unnaturally comfortable for a beach. The third thing is seeing a certain pair of Servants sitting around a table with a parasol sipping drinks and talking about their feelings without trying to kill one another.
Honestly it is the beach that really sells the artificial nature of this sanctum. Only a true master of Magecraft could make something as frustrating as the sun and sand so inviting.
"Ah, it was the doctor." Medea nods, only briefly sighing with regret, and the pressure drops tenfold. Roman only just realises how close he was to getting lasered and… probably getting chopped up and thrown into a cauldron, something about dismemberment for sure. And just as he thinks that, the once-Princess of Colchis scowls at him. "If you intend to think poorly of me, Director Romani, at least do so in the shade."
"It
is nice," says Arturia Pendragon, King of the Britons, the Knights, the Britonian Knights, and possibly the Round Table as she sips on… not-tea for once. It looks like a cola. "Join us, doctor, it is a good day today!"
It is, somehow, so Roman does so. Taking a seat, Roman thinks that he could really use a drink, and at once tiny skeletons step from dust clouds and start pouring him a cocktail. They even provide the tiny umbrella before disappearing. He looks at it oddly, then at Medea.
"A simple working," the Caster says with pride and more than a little smug. "Now, what ails you?"
"Why aren't you and Saber trying to kill one another?" he blurts out. Fearfully, he expects Medea and Arturia to gang up on him in a fit of flustered frustration, but instead Medea laughs while Saber shakes her head with a smile.
"Caster and I have come to an agreement," Saber says. "She does not kidnap me or try to make me hers or kill my wards or… really anything evil, and I will hold my peace." Her smile grows a little strained, but relaxes just as quickly. "She is not so insufferable when she isn't on about dresses or cuteness or her beloved Kuzuki."
"Mostly, Saber amuses me with stories of the boya's skill at homemaking," Caster smirks. She leans forward, resting her head upon a hand, drumming her fingers as she looks at Roman. "But what
really brings you here, Director? I doubt that Blackbeard has been chasing
you."
Roman sighs and shakes his head. "No, I was… hoping to find some parenting advice."
At this, Saber perks up.
"From you, Caster."
Offended, Saber pouts and returns to angrily drinking from a straw.
"Hm." Caster looks upon Roman, now clasping her chin with her hand. "Well, Director, you are mistaken. I had been a parent, yes - but obviously, I was a
mother. And what you probably want is advice from a
father."
"There aren't many good fathers in Chaldea," Roman notes blithely. "Most of them are awful."
Caster nods. "Lancer?"
"Lancer, yes."
"You must be desperate." Now, Saber perks up again, though trying to seem uninterested. "Alas, I am at a loss myself," Caster laments.
Roman nods and slumps in his chair. "If only there was someone who helped raise wonderful children here."
Practically beaming parental instinct, Saber simply waits.
"Someone who has experience raising young boys and girls into capable men and women," Caster agrees.
Saber continues waiting, a self-assured smile on her face.
"Someone who has teaching experience?" Roman suggests.
"That would be good," Caster agrees.
Saber, all but assured, begins preening.
Roman nods. He stands up, hands on the table. "Thank you, Caster. I'll go find Lord El-Melloi II."
"A good choice," Caster agrees. "In my interactions with him he's proven to have a discerning eye. As a magus he's worthless, but as an
educator…"
Their attention is drawn by the sound of glass shattering. They both look at Saber, who has shattered her cup in her hands, now clad in metal gauntlets. "I am
right here," Saber seethes. "I am an
excellent parent!
And an excellent teacher!"
"You
also murdered your son," Caster points out. "And unlike Lancer, you neglected Mordred so badly he lead a rebellion against you that lead to your death. So no, Saber. You might be worse than Lancer in that regard."
"I raised our
Masters!"
And then the sky shatters. Ritsuka falls through first, followed shortly by Kana, who has her hand clasped around his face. They hit the ground heavily, smashing into the sand, before Kana lifts him up by the head and starts smashing him into the ground again.
"You mean
those Masters?" Medea asks with a sarcastic smirk.
"Oh, God," Roman laments.
"Use your legs, Ritsuka!" Saber screams, standing on her chair. Ritsuka sputters and flails and is smashed into the sand again. "No, YOUR legs!"
----
Waver Velvet, the Lord El-Melloi II, Clocktower Lord and Pseudo-Servant of the legendary Zhuge Liang, sighs as he bites on an unlit cigar, hands in his pockets as he faces Romani Archaman. Behind him, both Ritsuka and Kana Tohsaka weep as they are locked up in the Stone Sentinel Maze, their battle finally inconclusively concluded in Kana's favour - but neither of their victory. Beside them, Mashu Kyrielight frets over the both of them, but is ultimately unable to help. "I take
one smoke break and
this happens," the legendary educator grumbles.
"It is nearly dinnertime," Medea of Colchis sniffs.
Wordlessly, Waver points at the idiots locked up behind him.
"...Well played, Professor," Medea chuckles, her voice melodious as she heads off to mend the hole in the sky-ceiling. "Well played
indeed."
Ignoring her, Waver turns to Roman. "Anyways, you just need to give Miss Kyrielight some time. She is just acting out a bit of teenage rebellion. Nothing to worry about."
"She's never acted out teenage rebellion before!" Roman exclaims.
"She's never had a boy she liked that much either," Waver responds with an arched eyebrow.
"...Okay." Roman inhales sharply and nods. "Thank you, Professor." He frowns. "But what have you
really been doing, this entire time?"
Waver lights his cigar and takes a puff, not once taking out his lighter. "Hunting."
Somehow, from that one word, Roman knows exactly what he means. "So Blackbeard's…"
"If you are going to enjoy japanese culture you should do so
properly." He points back at Ritsuka and Kana with a thumb. "And as penance, the two of them can join him."
And it was at this moment that Romani Archaman knew he had a new father figure to look up to. But not in a weird way.
- End Chapter Thirteen -
----
Locked within a theatre in the depths of Chaldea - personally built by Leonardo Da Vinci as a dungeon and promptly converted into a cinema by her easily-inspired mind - three pairs of eyes gaze upon
japanese perfection.
"I love Jojo," Ritsuka says, a single tear falling from his eye.
"Crazy Diamond
is Unbreakable," Kana says, sniffling as she does so.
"I'm sorry I called you a thot."
"I'm sorry I saved Eromanga Sensei from annihilation."
The two of them hug, their divisions mended. And Edward Teach, the legendary pirate Blackbeard, once the terror of the seas and now the terror of Chaldea's hallways, weeps openly in his restraints. "I have seen the light," he whispers, and all who heard it could earnestly say that it was so.
And so the dark reign of Blackbeard's degeneracy ends, replaced by the more benevolent reign of manly, muscular, posing men.
----
----
Long after hours, when the rest of Chaldea sleeps, two old men sigh as they reminisce over drinks in the Director's office. Glasses of wine arrayed before them, a tall golden pitcher of the same in between, Romani Archaman and Gilgamesh of Uruk drink quietly, with little raucousness or energy between the two of them. Just two old men, with shared experiences.
"Did you have enough fun today?" Romani asks bitterly. He sups at his glass, feeling the smooth red wine burn in the back of his throat. "Was it worth it
just to get a laugh? People got
hurt today."
"Bah," the King of Uruk scoffs. "No one
died, and no one hurt
seriously. They are but emotional pains, to grow from. Learn from." He raises his chalice to the light. "To reminisce."
Roman shakes his head. "What would he think, that you would willfully set Chaldea on fire just to satisfy your boredom?"
Gilgamesh looks sharply at him, but not with murderous intent. Merely irritation, felt towards a friend reminding them of a painful or embarrassing moment. "And what would she think, that you are responsible for inciting the incineration of man with poor wording and unresolved frustrations?"
Roman sighs and looks into his glass. "The only thing we can do now is look forward."
"And yet, the solution lies in the past," remarks the King of Heroes. "Ironic isn't it, Solomon?"
Roman sighs. "That life is over, Gilgamesh. You know this."
"Hmm," grunts the King.
The two of them sit quietly, alone with their thoughts and company.
"...At least neither of us put a dick on a girl," Roman notes idly.
"Aye, neither of us," agrees Gilgamesh. "...Though, now I wonder…"
"Gilgamesh
no."
"Gilgamesh…
maybe."