You accept Father Pucci's invitation and are soon greeted by the cozy warmth of the church interior. The establishment is furnished with several aisles of pews and an altar, the average church fare. You take a seat on one of the pews and rest your legs after the hour long walk to here from Miyama. Pucci chooses to remain standing, one hand clasping his belt in an almost-pose. Father Pucci has always understood the subtle nuance of posing, an attribute of his character that makes him feel like something of a kindred spirit to you.
"So, where is Caren?" You ask.
"Sleeping." He responds plainly. "Like most folk are at this hour. She has had a rather strenuous day, and I would rather you not bother her while she is partaking in much-needed rest."
Father Pucci is probably putting her through a physical training regimen, you realize. As an Executor of the Church, he knows exactly what kind of dangers a person could find themselves in at any given moment. Insane mages, demons, Dead Apostles, the list trails on. One can never be too prepared for what surprises the Moonlit World has in store.
You break from the small talk and cut to the chase. "Anything out of the ordinary happen lately, Father Pucci?"
His mouth contorts into a thin, almost unnoticeable frown. "There was something that came up recently in the news, but I would rather you not investigate too deeply into this matter. Thinking of it fills me with a sense of unease." One I have not felt since…
"Yakuza?" One of Raiga-jiji's competitors?
"No, no." He dismisses the idea, "Nothing of that manner, though that is nonetheless something you ought to make efforts to avoid. According to recent news reports, there have been many late night robberies of electronics stores at Mount Miyama. With your numerous interventions in crimes such as these, robbers normally know better than to risk being caught by Fuyuki's 'mysterious hero.' Some footage of the shops after the robberies was shown, but what has me suspicious is the glass."
You raise an eyebrow. "The glass?"
"Yes, the glass. There was no evidence of a normal break-in in the latest case, save for the glass of the storefront windows having been shattered by a thrown object. If what the report claimed is true, the door was perfectly intact with no signs of having been forced open. The locks showed no signs of tampering, either."
"So why is the glass so suspicious?"
"The broken shards of glass from the windows were mostly outside the store, with very little on the inside. Which can only mean…"
"The impact on glass was made when the robber exited, not when entering." You surmise. "But that wouldn't be a very strategic move to make, since it would make a lot of noise and possibly trip an intrusion alarm, wouldn't it?"
"No, it wouldn't." Father Pucci agrees, "This course of action was delayed, likely not beginning until the store was already closed. It certainly was an imprecise and rough exit, but a successful crime with little other traces left. This denotes careful premeditation on behalf of the criminal, but a serious lack of finesse in its execution. This style of operation is typical of how younger Dead Apostles use their minions for specific tasks, but the lack of drained corpses in the city certainly proves it could not be something so sinister as one of the Dead."
A Dead Apostle? A chill runs down your spine at the thought, but it is soon banished by the Executor's assurances. Best to trust the judgement of the expert on the subject.
"That being said, I once again advise you not to intercept the criminal should you get involved. The robber behind these breakouts is likely prepared for intervention, and I'd hate to patch up another bullet wound. A call to the police would suffice, or contacting me if this proves to be a crime of an irregular nature." Though I respect your dedication to justice, you'll get yourself killed if you keep this up. I do not desire to be the one explaining to Kiritsugu why his son ended up in a casket...being shot from a rooftop half a mile away is not how I wish to leave this world.
You wince as he reminds you of the circumstances of your initial meeting. "I will keep your warnings to heart, Father Pucci. Apropos of nothing, have you had any strange dreams lately?"
"That is an unusual question, but I might as well indulge you." He relents, "I suppose one might consider it somewhat odd, but I have always had recurring dreams. In my sleep I tend to find myself looking into the stars and watching the spin of the universe. The depths of space are a breathtaking sight, even when only a dream." And in those dreams I found inspiration; a gleaming light sailing among the stars, forever frozen.
You give a nod of assent. "The stars certainly are a wonderful sight, but light pollution becomes very bothersome when one wants to stargaze. On one of Raiga-jiji's hunting trips, we spent most of the night in the forests on the nearby mountains and I saw the stars outside Fuyuki for the first time. How do I say this...the view gave me a sensation of mystery and wonder."
Pucci sits down on the pew in front of yours, opting for a more comfortable position. "Indeed. One can only wonder how majestic they would look from the distant wilds of Africa." Though I know not from whence it came, the destination is always clear to me: that which was born by a red stone careens toward another stone of red, transfixed in a ring like its brothers and sisters.
"Pardon me for asking, but do you by any chance have free time in your schedule for sparring?" You question, not at all fishing for a chance to see what tricks Caren is learning from one of the Church's less orthodox but still very effective warriors.
"Hmhm! Seeking to learn from an Executor, are you?" And he sees right through you. He wouldn't still be alive if he wasn't perceptive, after all. "Though my service to the Lord never ceases, I can make some time this coming weekend to get you in better shape for your nocturnal escapades. Though to cling to hubis is to invite sin, I would be ashamed if you could find a greater instructor than I in the entire prefecture." He boasts enthusiastically. A training session with the Shining Blade of the Burial Agency. You're in for a hard day, Shirou.
What do you do next? (Write-in)