Not that it was surprising. Shirou figured it was Lady Montmorency who normally dealt with nuanced stuff like this, while Lady Barthomeloi only cracked the heads of those who had been sentenced to death.
Now that Lady Barthomeloi had to weigh the law against her own morals, and weigh her hurt sense of pride against her lingering fondness for her mother's best friend, she had no idea what to do.
As such, she did what every Barthomeloi tended to do in such situations; Let someone else decide.
"Fujimaru." Lady Barthomeloi thus spoke up, and Shirou turned towards her, a bit surprised by the fact she was suddenly addressing him. "What would you make of this?"
'Wait! Hold on! That's your job!' Shirou spluttered mentally, incredulous that he was suddenly being put forward as the one who would make the ideas.
On the outside though, he remained cool, pretending to think deeply, desperately trying to channel his inner Rin, before blurting out what first came to mind.
"Since you are doing lady Archelot a favour, she will repay you by working for the Department of Policies for the rest of her life. I'm sure Lady Montmorency can find something to do for such a talented person." He began, figuring that having that as his first idea couldn't hurt, and he was rewarded when Lady Barthomeloi nodded approvingly. "Naturally, all Archelot who are willingly involved with the Meluastea need to go."
"Naturally." Lady Barthomeloi agreed.
"Nothing would please me more." Lady Raquel also had no problems with that stipulation.
"Jack Colby needs to be removed from the board as quickly as possible, so that he is no longer Marianne's husband. He will be replaced by someone of your choice, Lady Barthomeloi, who will ensure that Marianne leads the Archelot-family into a direction of your choosing."
"Hm." There was a slight smile on Lady Barthomeloi's face now, and lady Archelot sighed in relief at the news that her granddaughter wouldn't be executed in Shirou's plans.
"Then, when the Meluastea are gone and Marianne is married to someone who is loyal to the Barthomeloi, the Department of Botany can be brought back into the fold. Some restructuring to ensure something like won't happen again might be in order though." Shirou finished. "I would advise breaking the department into several parts that are each headed by a different person to ensure that none of them can gather enough power to do something foolish again."
It wasn't a great plan, and a lot of it depended on the assumption that Marianne Archelot was indeed being forced or manipulated into going along with her husband instead of having chosen to do so herself, but it was the best he could do on such a short notice.
Fortunately, Lady Barthomeloi seemed to approve.
"A simple, yet elegant plan." She smiled appreciatively. "We shall carry it out. Take note however, lady Archelot, that I give no guarantees this will end well. If the plan fails, I will still execute every last Archelot without hesitation, including you and your granddaughter."
Ah yes, that was more like the Lady Barthomeloi he knew. Shirou had been getting worried for a bit there, with her being so kind and all, but it seemed everything was normal again.
"I understand." Lady Archelot rose from her kneeling position and nodded in acceptance to Lady Barthomeloi's terms. "May I inquire who you have in mind for my granddaughter to marry?"
"There are several options, but I make no commitment until I have discussed this with Lady Montmorency." Lady Barthomeloi replied, her voice allowing no argument.
"Of course." Lady Archelot nodded in acceptance again, before glancing over at Shirou for a moment, though she shook her head immediately after. "No, not that one. I gather that one is yours."
"Lady Archelot?" Lady Barthomeloi lifted an eyebrow in confusion, but the lady merely shook her head again.
It was at this point that Benjamin the butler finally returned with the drinks, the taciturn, discrete man having waited until the bulk of the negotiations were over with before entering the room and disturbing the atmosphere. With prim and proper movements, he handed them their glasses of wine, before disappearing again just as quickly.
Shirou, who'd never had wine before, curiously tasted the red liquid, and he found that it was pretty good.
'Not as good as Mjod though.'
The thought suddenly entered his mind, though that thought was nonsense, since Shirou had never drunk Mjod in his life. He didn't even know what Mjod was.
Lady Archelot and Lady Barthomeloi spoke for a few minutes longer, but duty called and the agenda for the day was very full, so before long, Shirou and the Vice-Director were already preparing to leave again.
"I wish you the best of luck with the purge." Lady Archelot said, smiling at the sight of Shirou using the Cleansing Power to remove the lingering traces of evil on her house. "Be careful."
Lady Barthomeloi nodded back, and then, when Shirou was done, turned around without another word.
"Remember, Shirou." She then said when they left lady Archelot's house. "For the duration of our walk back to the Clocktower, you shall address me as Lorelei."
"O-Of course, L-Lorelei." Shirou nodded obediently, immediately resolving not to address her by name at all during the trip.
In the end, he only had to say her name three more times, and then he had reached the Clocktower again in one piece.
This day had already been nerve-wrecking and exhausting, and it was only a little after nine in the morning yet.
It didn't promise to become any easier either.
"Waver? Where are you going? Waver? Don't ignore your little sister!"
Waver sighed as Reines followed him out of his office, sticking to him like glue, insisting he tell her what was going on.
"Where did you go over the past three days? What have you been working on?" She continued, her tone increasingly whiny. "Where are you going now?"
Despite her nagging however, he kept his silence.
"Waver! Waver, please!" The little minx tried to plead with him, grabbing his hand in hers and looking up at him with dewy eyes. "Big brother! You have to tell me! Please! Please! Pleeeeaaaase!"
"Later!" Waver barked, conscious of the people they passed as they walked through the halls of the Department of Modern Magical Theories. "I will tell you, but only when we arrive at our destination."
"Destination?" Reines' ears perked up at the first clue Waver had given her so far.
"Later." Waver repeated coldly.
"Oh, fine." Reines accepted with a huff. "But can you at least tell me where your adorable apprentice is? It's been three days since I saw her, and I really need some quality Grey-time."
"She'll be at our destination, along with the people I told her to bring."
"I see." Reines nodded, before she let go of his hand and hugged herself instead, as if imagining that she was hugging someone else. "Uwah, I can't wait to see little Grey again, I'll hug her to death."
"Please don't do that." Waver snapped. "I want my apprentice alive. Besides, you shouldn't call her 'little Grey' when she's taller than you."
"Only by a little bit." Reines protested, demonstratively holding out her thumb and index finger at a short distance from each other to indicate how little. "And she's cute, so yeah."
"What is it with you these days?" Waver turned to face Reines, walking slower as he glared at her in suspicion. "Why are you suddenly so fond of Grey?"
"Oh, I've always been fond of her, but I do understand what you mean. I wasn't as open about it before." Reines nodded, boldly meeting his gaze with a perfectly innocent smile. "You see, it's because of Fujimaru."
"Fujimaru?" Waver blinked in surprise, not able to see how that boy could have anything to do with how Reines behaved. "Because he helped you with your spells?"
"No, I am grateful to him for that, but it's not what I meant." Reines shook her head resolutely, before her smile turned sly. "I talked with him once about marriage, and he let it slip that he had two girlfriends, and that he plans on marrying both of them."
"Good for him." Waver nodded, not surprised that Fujimaru was being over the top even in romance. "But I don't see what that has to do with-"
"So that got me thinking." Reines continued, effortlessly talking over him. "It is obvious that Grey has a crush on you, and before, that was a problem for me, since I intend to marry you myself, but now that Fujimaru has shown me the way, I decided that I will take you both."
"Wha-?"
"So I will flirt with Grey by showing her physical affection, and I'll take her shopping and stuff, and you I will flirt with like I did before, by bullying you, and then, when I have you two in my pocket, I'll marry the two of you. I would throw in Lehrman as well, but I get the idea you actually don't like her, so-"
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!?" Waver screamed, his face exploding into a blush as Reines blurted out something absolutely, totally outrageous. "What do you think you're playing at, Reines?!"
"Ahahahahaha! I'm joking, I'm joking." Reines quickly assured him, laughing merrily at the sight of his bright-red face. "I'm just teasing you, Waver."
"T-This goes too far for mere tea-"
"Or am I?" Reines suddenly asked, all traces of amusement gone as she gave him a penetrating gaze. "I like you, and I like Grey. Why wouldn't I want you at my side for the rest of my life?"
"…Don't say ridiculous things you don't even mean." Waver sniffed, turning away from his fiend of a boss and picking up speed again, deciding that this conversation held no more value. "Now come, we cannot be late."
Resolutely facing forward as he was, Waver missed how Reines smiled sadly at his back, and he definitely missed the whisper that fell from her lips.
"Who says I didn't mean it?"
But then she shook her head, gathered her resolve again, and followed after him. All feelings and plans for the future aside, something big was about to happen, and Reines would be damned if she allowed herself to miss it.
By the time Reines caught up with him, Waver had made it to his destination, which was the main entrance of the Department of Archaeology, so they could begin the attack on the enemy's main stronghold at nine o'clock sharp.
Waver was perfectly on time when he arrived at said place, yet he found that he wasn't the first one to arrive. Or the second. Or the third.
Lady Montmorency was already there, wearing some kind of body armour and with a bundle of papers in her hands that she was slowly paging through. Around her, a group of Enforcers, Policy-personnel, and other warriors had taken position, having placed themselves in such a way that they could prevent anyone from leaving or entering the Department of Archaeology while also providing maximum protection to Lady Montmorency.
Waver didn't know most of the Enforcers, but he recognised George Wesley, Ronald Shacklebolt, Gunter de Vries, Gerard Johnson, and a smattering of other individuals, though most of them he knew only by name and face.
He was more familiar with Gideon and his crew, who were also standing there. Just like they'd said, they had found a way to involve themselves further into the matter with Meluastea, and Waver was glad to see that they had. They were a good team filled with reliable people, and there were few others who he'd rather have at his back during a fight.
Of course, they wouldn't be having his back, they would be in the thick of the fighting while he remained behind, but it was the thought that counted.
Another thing he noticed was that the entrance of the Department of Archaeology had been closed. The hallway was normally open and only lightly protected by several Bounded Fields, to allow entrance to its members and possible guests, but now, it was now shut tight by immense, blue-coloured gates.
The gates were of course covered in countless Bounded Fields of all kinds, and had been made out of a mixture of steel, crystals, and gems. From the looks of it, it would take the people gathered here at least eight hours to get through them.
Really, Archaeology always got the nice toys. They didn't have gates like that at the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories. They didn't even have fences, only a few Bounded Fields that served to keep interlopers out.
Waver felt cheated.
"Urk!"
Meanwhile, Reines seemed to finally realise that whatever he was involved with, it was serious business. Instead of demanding he explain, like she'd undoubtedly planned to do once they reached their destination, she kept her mouth shut, sticking close to him as she looked with barely hidden suspicion and anxiety at Lady Montmorency.
"Sir, over here!"
Waver's attention was pulled away from Reines when he heard Grey's voice call out to him –the sound of it was quite distinctive, for she was one of the only people he knew who could make her voice sound like she was whispering even when she was shouting– and he turned to face his apprentice, seeing her walk up to him with Svin, Flat, Bazett, and miss Ortensia in tow.
"Grey." He smiled. "I am glad to see that-"
"What about me?! Are you glad to see me, my love?!"
"Lehrman?!" Waver reared back in shock when the pink-haired demonette appeared from behind the boys, waving excitably at him. "What are you doing here?! Grey, what is she doing here?!"
"I'm sorry, Sir." The hooded girl apologised profusely. "She demanded to know where we'd been over the past three days, and when I refused to tell her, she decided to follow us. I'm really, really sorry."
"It is alright, Grey. I am not mad." Waver sighed, already regretting to have yelled at the skittish girl. "Well, I am mad, but only at Lehrman."
"Ah, Waver, my love, please let me help you!" Said pink-haired girl called out, bringing her hands together in a begging motion. "I will do everything you say! Feel free to use me in whatever way you want! Just let me stay! Please!"
"Let the girl participate, Waver." Flat decided to take pity on the girl, for some nebulous reason. "You can use her as an extra bodyguard if nothing else."
"Ugh, fine." Waver barked, having no desire to waste energy on convincing the girl to leave, especially not if the boys were on her side. "You can stay, Lehrman, as long as you stick close to me at all times, and do not interfere in anything without my explicit permission."
"Yes! I will!" Lehrman cried in joy, immediately hopping over to stand next to him, giving him a salute once she was by his side. "I will guard you with my life, Waver, my dearest."
Waver couldn't suppress a tired groan, and he pointedly looked away from Lehrman, letting his gaze pass over Svin, Bazett, and miss Ortensia, who were making their own preparations for the upcoming battle, until it fell on Reines and Grey.
"Grey, my darling! I missed you so much!" True to her word, Reines was embracing Grey strongly, latched on to her like a barnacle, having thrown her arms around Grey's body while pressing her face into Grey's shoulder. "Don't ever scare me like that again! I thought you'd left me forever!"
"Ah? N-No!" Grey spluttered, looking utterly flummoxed by Reines's behaviour. "Sir and I were just on a mission from Lady Barthomeloi. W-We couldn't tell anyone about it, s-so…"
"So you left me behind without a word?" Reines wailed as tears streamed down her cheeks, acting every bit the abandoned kitten. She was exaggerating to a point where it became almost embarrassing, yet Grey completely fell for it.
"I'm so sorry, lady Reines." She apologised profusely, awkwardly hugging the other girl back. "I-If there's anything I can do to make up for it-"
"Why, there is!" Reines beamed, her tears disappearing like snow under the sun, not a trace left of her earlier 'sadness' as she withdrew from the hug and tightly held Grey's hand instead. "You can tell me what you and my dearest brother have been working on over the past weeks. I know he spoke with the Church, and that Lady Barthomeloi sent you on a trip, but other than that, I haven't been able to discover anything at all."
"W-Well, it was sort of the point that it would remain secret." Grey stammered, before she nervously licked her lips, and began explaining. "It all started when miss Bazett came to visit Sir with news about Mundane Dead Apostles…"
Grey began to explain the whole matter to Reines, which suited Waver just fine, as it meant he wouldn't have to spend time on explaining it himself, and he turned away from the duo to see Gideon walking towards them. The Enforcer looked quite happy, and Rit, his blonde girlfriend who followed a few paces behind, looked positively ecstatic.
"Lord El-Melloi." Gideon greeted him, taking Waver's hand in his own for a strong shake. "I am glad to meet you again."
"Sir Gideon, the pleasure is entirely mine." Waver answered, happy to see someone who was at least a bit normal. "Were there any problems in delivering the prisoners we took in Germany to their destination?"
"None whatsoever." Gideon replied, glancing back at Lady Montmorency. "After we brought them to England by boat, we took them to the Clocktower with very little fuss. To be honest, we did expect to have trouble finding a place to keep them, but it turns out the Department of Policies has immense underground dungeons, and Lady Montmorency had us imprison them there."
"…Immense underground dungeons?" Waver sweatdropped at the news, and both Gideon and Rit nodded in agreement, their expressions as pained as Waver's felt at the moment.
"But never mind that." Gideon then brushed the matter of the dungeons aside. "After we delivered the prisoners, we asked Lady Montmorency if we could join the mission to take down the Meluastea, and she agreed, so here we are."
"We're ready, sir, Lady Montmorency already filled us in on what will happen and how it will take place." Rit grinned, bouncing in place, clearly eager to start. "The Meluastea won't know what hit them."
"I'm sure they won't." Waver agreed kindly.
"I have a question." Lehrman, who was still standing to Waver's left and slightly behind him, suddenly piped up, raising her hand as if she was in class.
"Speak then, Lehrman." Waver nodded, figuring he owed her at least some form of explanation if she was going to be his bodyguard.
"I have heard enough to gather that we're going after the Meluastea." Lehrman began, crossing her arms and closing her one visible eye in thought. "I won't ask why, since I am pretty sure I already know, but what I wanted to ask is, why are we just standing here?"
"You mean, why are we waiting here instead of attacking?" Gideon asked, to which he received a nod from the pink-haired girl. "Because we are waiting for several important people, like Lady Barthomeloi and Fujimaru, to arrive. We cannot start without them."
"I know it is frustrating, but we need Lorelei and Fujimaru if we want to stand a chance at really striking these people down in an acceptably short time." Rit added, showing her strange tendency to call the Vice-Director by her first name again. "Fujimaru is the best sensor we have, and Lorelei has the authority needed to allow us all to start wrecking a Department or two."
"We will start once they arrive." Rit grinned. "We're going to drag the Meluastea and their flunies out of their Workshops, and we'll throw them into those creepy dungeons under the Department of Policies."
"Should you really call them creepy?" Waver sighed at the frank description. "That might be seen as insulting."
"Not at all." A new voice piped up from behind them, a sly smile audible in every word. "Those dungeons really are creepy."
Waver froze when the new voice joined the discussion, for it was a voice he recognised, a voice that was accompanied by the feeling of a snake slithering around his feet.
For the shortest of moments, Waver furiously hoped that he had simply misheard, and that the person behind them wasn't who he feared it was, but then he turned around, and his hopes were dashed.
"Adashino." He spat at the kimono-clad woman that had appeared behind him. "What are you doing here?"
"Ara? I am merely doing my job, Lord El-Melloi II." The black-haired, Japanese woman replied, giving him a large, closed-eyed smile. "When a ruling-family is about to fall, I can hardly sit around doing nothing. I have a duty to the Department of Policies after all, and I am here to help in the war-effort."
"You mean you are here to amuse yourself." Waver scoffed, not believing the woman's words for a second. "That's all you care about, snake."
Hishiri Adashino was an old acquaintance of Waver. The story behind how they met was long and complicated, but it ultimately all boiled down to her trying to kill him because she thought he might be a potential troublemaker, before he managed to convince her that he was a law-abiding Magus with no intentions of breaking any rules.
She was a tall, beautiful woman, with graceful, Japanese features, though her beauty was marred by the mocking look that was always present on her face and the snake-like feeling she permanently exuded. The fact that she worked for the Department of Policies also didn't help.
She seemed to derive a vicious pleasure from interfering with Waver's business as much as she could, and every time he went on a mission, there was a considerable chance Adashino would be waiting in the wings, eager to make things more difficult for him.
Waver disliked her a fair bit, but because she was an officer of the Department of Policies, he had always been forced to be polite to her and listen to her orders. Even when she did outrageous things, double-crossed him, or just plain was a pain in his rear, she was the boss and he had to listen.
Now though, things were different. He had the backing of Lady Montmorency, and the knowledge that his second apprentice was absolutely vital for the coming operation. As such, he felt secure in being a bit ruder to her than he'd normally be.
"Snake?" Adashino gasped in poorly faked shock, before she playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you sure it is wise to mouth off like that-"
"Adashino!" Lady Montmorency suddenly barked from where she stood, glaring down at the tall woman even though she was a fair bit shorter and at least twenty metres away.
"Yes, ma'am?" Adashino immediately turned towards her superior, straightening her back and adopting a serious expression.
"Shut up."
"…Yes, ma'am." Adashino was clearly surprised by the order, but she didn't dare disobey it, and thus fell silent.
"Right." Waver nodded, trying and failing to hide his grin. "Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?"
Another prick at the woman, one Waver enjoyed very much, especially since she could only glare powerlessly in return. Still, however much he might like 'mouthing off', he knew that he should firmly keep himself in check. Even if he had all the power now, he shouldn't abuse it too much, lest Adashino strike back twice as hard the next time they met, when she would probably be in charge again.
As such, he moved the subject along.
"I'm sure Fujimaru and the Vice-Director won't take too long to arrive." He spoke. "So if there are any preparations you still need to make, do it fast."
"Then we shall go now, we still have some stuff to prepare." Gideon nodded, before pointing at a spot behind Waver. "Besides, you need to have a word with Sisigou before we start."
"Sisigou?" Waver lifted an eyebrow, and followed Gideon's pointed finger to…
A man. And not just any man, but a bear of a man with biker clothes and hair like the mane of a lion. This man, who Waver didn't know, looked like a rugged warrior, and the fact that he was talking to Grey and Reines set his teeth on edge.
"Kairi Sisigou." Gideon said by ways of explanation when he saw that Waver didn't know who the man was. "One of the best mercenaries the Moonlit World has to offer. I guess he's here to earn some easy money."
"Easy money?" Waver spluttered, gaping at the black-haired Enforcer. "Attacking a Ruling Family is not easy."
"To Sisigou, it is." Gideon shrugged, with a 'what can you do'-look on his face.
"When it comes to mercenary-work, Kairi Sisgou doesn't lose out to anyone." Rit elaborated on her boyfriend's statement. "In pure effectiveness, the Magus Killer would still have him beat, but Sisigou's a lot more pleasant to work with than that man, or at least, that's what I heard."
"I wonder why he's talking to your apprentices." Gideon rubbed his chin in thought, before he shrugged. "Not my problem though. You should go and find out, Lord El-Melloi."
"Then that is what I will do." Waver agreed, nodding a quick goodbye to the two Enforcers, before marching over to Grey, Reines, and Sisigou, closely followed by Lehrman and Adashino, who, despite the fact she wasn't allowed to talk, still seemed to derive plenty of amusement from the current situation.
"-Should tell me a bit more about those Gravekeeper secret of yours, little lady." Waver heard Sisigou say once he got close enough to overhear them. "I'll trade them for some Necromancy spells."
"A-Ah, I would have to talk with Sir about that." Grey replied, nervously rubbing her hands together as she stood half behind Reines, who was levelling a very unimpressed stare at the lion-maned mercenary. "A-Also, I don't think this is the time."
"It certainly is not." Waver agreed as he came to stand next to Sisigou. "Lord El-Melloi the Second. I heard you are Kairi Sisigou?"
"The one and only." Sisigou grinned confidently, before flashing a thumbs-up at Grey. "And don't worry about my offer, little lady. It was entirely open-ended, no pressure. If you don't want to, we won't share anything."
"Ah." Grey nodded with a relieved sigh.
"So, Lord El-Melloi, hah? I thought you'd be taller." Sisigou turned back to Waver, looking him over with an inspecting eye. "Your reputation precedes you, but you don't look like much of a warrior to me."
"…" Waver would have liked to say something in response to that, but he couldn't, both because it was entirely true, and because Sisigou had every right to say it, considering he did look like a warrior himself.
Standing a head taller than Waver, with rippling muscles, a scarred face, and razor-sharp eyes with a noticeable gaze, wearing a leather jacket and leather pants fashioned from hides skinned from magical beasts, and a shotgun slung over his back, Kairi Sisigou very much looked like a fighter. There was even a stench of blood and gunpowder emanating from him, finishing the image.
This was a man to whom just about everyone would look like 'not much of a warrior', so Waver decided not to take the remark personally.
"I am a scholar." He offered by ways of explanation, noticing to his chagrin that Reines and Adashino seemed to consider Sisigou's remark to be hilarious. Fortunately, Grey and Lehrman seemed appropriately outraged for his sake, both glaring at Sisigou, which made him feel marginally better. "I am not here to fight. I am only here because my apprentice, not Grey but another one, will act as the main sensor for the operation."
"A sensor, hah?" Sisigou grinned widely. "I love it when I have a good sensor with me. They make things so much easier. Where is this kid?"
"Not here yet, which is also why we haven't attacked yet." Waver replied.
"He's late?"
"He and Lady Barthomeloi went out on an errand together. They will be back soon."
"Ha? With the Vice-Director? That's one brave kid you have there." Sisigou huffed, scratching at one of the scars on his face. "I wouldn't dare being in her presence for longer than a minute. That's your neck on the line right there. One wrong move, boom, off come your limbs."
"Yes, well… He has survived her pretty well so far." Waver said lamely, knowing full well himself how dangerous Lady Barthomeloi could be to friend and foe alike. "He has some experience with her now."
"Like I said, one brave kid."
"Yes, yes, Fujimaru's brave and all, but that's not important right now." Reines suddenly threw herself between Waver and Sisigou, beaming up at the former. "Waver, Grey just told me that we are about to purge the Meluastea."
"That is correct." Waver nodded. "Their crimes are too egregious for the Clocktower to allow anymore, even if they are a Ruling Family."
"But do you know what that means, Waver?" Reines asked eagerly, almost bouncing in place. "If the Meluastea are going down, and you and your apprentices were the ones who did the lion-share of the work in bringing them to justice, then maybe the Archibald can get the Department of Mineralogy back!"
"The Department of… Of course." Waver slapped his forehead in realisation. How could he have forgotten about that? With the Meluastea gone, the Archibald could indeed claim their former Department back.
The Archibald hadn't originally owned the Department of Modern Magical Theories. They had actually been the heads of the Department of Mineralogy, for centuries, until the Meluastea had taken it from them during the Archibald's fall after Kayneth's death.
With their power diminished, their fortune gutted, and their influence reduced to zero, the Archibald hadn't been able to do anything about having Mineralogy taken from them, and they had zero chance of ever getting it back under normal circumstances.
Things were different now however. If the Archibald played their cards right, they might very well regain their former Department by the end of the purge. Reines would be a fool to let this opportunity pass her by, and though she was by no means a perfect person, that girl was definitely not a fool.
"I need to speak with Lady Montmorency and the Vice-Director as soon as possible." Reines was still beaming in joy as she spoke, before she suddenly reached out and patted Waver's shoulder. "But don't you worry, big brother. Even if we get Mineralogy back, we won't drop Modern Magical Theories. You can keep your class, while the rest of us elders will take care of Mineralogy."
"Before you make such promises, you should first verify that you will get Mineralogy back at all." Waver frowned, noticing Reines was about to sell her chickens before they hatched. "For all that you know, Mineralogy might be given to another ally of the Barthomeloi."
"Hrk!" Reines' eyes went wide, and the smile was instantly wiped off her face.
"Do you really think so?" Sisigou asked, involving himself in the conversation again with a lifted eyebrow. "I mean, the Archibald lost it when they fell, that is true, but they've been getting back up, and there's no one who knows the Department like they do. Also, they're firmly in Barthomeloi's corner. Giving it to them would be a sure bet."
"Perhaps, but it's not as if the Archibald have been of much use lately." Adashino, the snake-lady, suddenly piped up, giving Reines a lazy smile that was filled with venom. "Only my dear Waver has shown his worth, but he doesn't care about Mineralogy-"
"Adashino!" Lady Montmorency levelled a terrifying glare at the kimono-clad woman, and Adashino shut her mouth again with an audible 'tack'.
"Adashino has a point." Waver was loath to admit it, but he could acknowledge the truth, even when it was given by a snake. "There are many other powerful families who would love to claim Mineralogy and become a ruling family. Many of those families have achieved far more over the past decade than the Archibald."
"Then those families can fight over Archaeology! Mineralogy belongs to the Archibald!" Reines hissed. "Certainly, anyone can see that?"
"Speculation will get you nowhere, Lady Reines." Bazett then also involved herself in the conversation, approaching the little group with Flat, Svin, and miss Ortensia in tow. "Might I suggest you speak to Lady Montmorency about this matter instead of theorising here, among people who know nothing more than you?"
"Right!" Reines barked. "I'll talk to her, I'll… I will…"
Her voice tapered off, and she looked at Lady Montmorency with an apprehensive expression. The lady was alone right now, not speaking with anyone as she read her documents, and if there was ever a time to approach her, it would be now. Reines did no such thing however, remaining rooted to the spot.
Talking about speaking to Lady Montmorency and actually going through with it were apparently entirely different matters.
"Well, you can try speaking to Lady Montmorency, but it's probably Barthomeloi who will actually decide." Sisigou added, scratching the same scar on his face again. "You probably need to have a word with her, present your views and all that, and hope that you can convince her."
Reines seemed to like that news even less, as she began rubbing her hands anxiously, still remaining rooted on the spot. Lady Montmorency and especially Lady Barthomeloi were extremely scary ladies after all, feared among Magi worldwide.
Fujimaru might not understand that, acting all friendly with Lady Montmorency and being only slightly apprehensive of Lady Barthomeloi, while having little trouble talking back to both of them, but he was very much the exception.
Normal Magi acted far more like Reines did now, being appropriately terrified of angering the ladies with the slightest misstep. They didn't dare approach them without an appointment, and they were especially wary of making any demands of them.
"Would you like me to accompany you?" Grey, ever the altruist, asked, and Reines pounced on the offer like a starving lioness would on a piece of meat.
"Please!" She cried, grabbing Grey's hand in her own and bringing it to her chest. "I would be eternally grateful."
"Ah? Eh, o-of course." Grey nodded, looking bewildered by Reines' behaviour, but not enough to retract her offer.
"Oi, Waver." Svin suddenly called, looking imploringly at the lord. "You will go with them as well, right?"
"Me?" Waver blinked twice, not understanding why he was suddenly being put on the spot.
"You actually have experience in speaking with Lady Montmorency, haven't you?" Svin asked, but since it was a rhetorical question, he continued before Waver could answer. "You're not going to leave miss Grey to do this all on her own, are you?"
"It would be quite cruel." Miss Ortensia agreed, though her mind was clearly elsewhere.
"Well, I-"
"I agree with the kid." Sisigou stated with no uncertainty, giving Waver a serious look. "You cannot leave those little ladies to face that woman on their own."
"Then why don't you accompany them?" Waver demanded, feeling like he was being pressed into a corner.
"I would, but I'm no good at talking to high ladies. That's your thing, lord." Sisigou crossed his massive arms, now grinning widely. "Come on, teacher, your students need you."
"I…" Waver looked around for a sympathetic face, but all that he saw was Reines and Grey giving him pleading expressions, Adashino nodding in agreement with a mocking smile on her face, Svin, Flat, and Bazett looking imploringly at him, and Sisigou grinning that same grin as before. "Oh fine, I'll do it."
It undoubtedly meant he would be doing all the talking and heavy lifting again, but he was used to being the stooge by now.
"Thank you, big brother!"
"I really appreciate it, Sir."
"Way to go, Waver!"
"That's the spirit, lordie."
"I will talk to Lady Montmorency and try to persuade her to return the Department of Mineralogy to the Archibald." Waver promised, before he held up a stern finger. "But remember that Lady Barthomeloi has the final say, and that Lady Barthomeloi only does what Lady Barthomeloi wants. If she refuses, there will be nothing I can do."
"Of course." Reines nodded quickly, understanding very well that the Vice-Director had all the power in this case.
"You know, it's all good and well that you are willing to talk with the Vice-Director, but I'd say she would need to be present for that." Sisigou remarked, looking around the hall a few times. "But so far, I haven't seen a trace of her."
"As I said, she is on an errand with my second apprentice." Waver repeated, though he had to admit he was getting nervous as well, with how long they took to return. "I expect them back at any moment now-"
"There!" Grey suddenly said, pointing down the hall, where a commotion was taking place.
Waver looked too, and he saw how people quickly walked to the side of the hall and in some cases literally threw themselves out of the way, while all Enforcers present saluted, and Lady Montmorency finally tore her eyes away from her papers, straightening her back as she faced the commotion.
"Yes, that would likely be her. Well-spotted, Grey." Waver agreed, patting Grey on her head absentmindedly, missing how the girl turned bright red in response. "Now we just need to find an opportunity to approach them… HUH?!"
"EH?"
"Is that…?!"
"No way!"
The cries of surprise from several of the group's members were not unwarranted, nor was the stupefied shock of the people throughout the hall in general. Waver too could not suppress his cry of disbelief at the sight of the Vice-Director, for she looked completely different from how she normally looked.
"W-What is she wearing?" Reines demanded, giving voice to everyone's thoughts.
"A red shirt, a black skirt, and ankle boots." Grey replied, taking the question at face value.
"They look quite fetching on her." Ortensia smiled, no longer absentminded but fully focusing on the sight before her.
"I can see that! I mean, why is she wearing that?"
"O-Oh, uhm, I don't know." Grey mumbled, taking another good look at the Vice-Director. "Maybe she just likes those clothes?"
Likes those clothes… No, whatever reason was behind it, Waver was absolutely sure the Vice-Director hadn't dressed up like a mundane girl out on a trip because she liked the style. There had to be some other reason, though he couldn't fathom what that reason could possibly be.
"She rather fits with your lad." Sisigou, who had recovered quickly from the shock, remarked at Waver, who only then noticed Fujimaru walking beside Lady Barthomeloi.
He wore a shirt with short sleeves, matching pants, and practical but still presentable shoes. Sisigou was right, he did match the Vice-Director in style.
If Waver didn't know any better, he'd almost think they just came back from a date!
What on Earth was going on?
If there was ever a moment that Shirou wanted to find himself a hole to hide in until Mankind had forgotten his name, this was definitely that moment.
He'd already been embarrassed walking over the streets of London with Lady Barthomeloi, looking like he was on a date with her, and that was when no one knew their names or anything else about them.
Inside the Clocktower, where everyone did know about Lady Barthomeloi and, to a lesser extent, him, it was ten times worse.
Lady Barthomeloi had led him straight to the Department of Archaeology, where he would be expected to uncover the Meluastea's buried secrets. She hadn't even bothered to take the time to change into a more appropriate outfit. 'This will do.' She'd told him when he asked, and then she marched on, apparently completely fine with bringing down a Ruling Family while dressed informally.
Everyone, and he really meant everyone, was gaping at them. Some managed to hide it better than others, but there was no one who didn't react in some way to the two of them walking past. Even Lord El-Melloi and his group, which suddenly consisted of more people than it usually did, were clearly floored.
Undoubtedly, the story would have reached the far corners of the Clocktower by midday and would continue to circulate for a long time to come. Safe to say, the last remains of Shirou's anonymity had just been blown to bits in an incredibly spectacular fashion.
If there was one light in the whole matter though, it was the fact that most people were just as surprised as he was, confirming that he was in the right here. It was odd for Lady Barthomeloi to be dressed like that.
Not that that stopped him from being immensely relieved when Lady Barthomeloi dismissed him for the moment and went to speak with Lady Montmorency, allowing him to distance himself from her.
Not that there was a single soul present who hadn't seen them arrive together, but he had to take his victories where he could get them.
Unfortunately, his ordeal was far from over, as Lord El-Melloi and his posse were now rapidly approaching him, undoubtedly planning on questioning him.
"Shirou! Shirou, you sly dog!" It was Flat who reached him first, exuberantly punching Shirou's shoulder. It got him nothing but a sore wrist, but that did nothing to lessen his smile. "I was joking before, you know? I didn't expect you to actually make a move on the Vice-Director! I mean, I'm delighted that you did, but… Wow, take a moment to think about what you're gonna do from here, pal. A single mistake could cost you your head."
"Mister Fujimaru, have you gone completely mad?!" That was Svin, who didn't look delighted, but furious instead. "If you're going to play with your life like that, you should at least sever your ties to Lord El-Melloi first!"
"I agree!" Lehrman cried, shaking her fist at him, her face contorted in anger. "It was difficult enough to protect my darling before, but now you go and bring this upon him?"
"Leave the kid alone, he's got massive balls!" One of the new arrivals, a large, scarred man with hair like the mane of a lion, said, grinning so widely his face was almost split in two. "After this is over, kid, let me buy you a drink. You have to tell me how you did that."
"Let me join you for that drink." Bazett piped up, eagerly raising her hand. "I too want to know."
The kimono-clad woman, who was also new to Shirou, didn't speak, but she did clap her hands a few times, expressing her own admiration, though the sly, mocking smile on her face ruined the gesture.
"Lady Barthomeloi is a very good catch." Miss Ortensia, who suddenly appeared from behind the lion-maned man, added her own two-cents.
"Uhm, I hope you'll be happy together." That was Grey, being as innocent and kind as ever, and somehow, that made her remark the worst of them all.
"Ahahaha! Yes! Nothing but happiness." Reines immediately agreed with Grey, speaking in a shrill voice. Unlike the rest of the group, she looked not amused at all, or even furious, but rather extremely nervous. "We're friends after all, aren't we, Shirou? Best of friends even!"
"I really have to say I admire your bravery." Flat continued from where he had left off, throwing his arm around Shirou's shoulders. "Now spill the beans, did you sleep with her yet?"
"Hey now, boy." The lion-maned man frowned, placing his hands on his sides like a stern father. "Their sex-life is none of your business. There are a lot of other things you can ask about, but that one is off limits."
"Sex-life?!" Svin squeaked, before his eyes flashed in fury again. "Shirou, you shameless-"
"ENOUGH!"
He'd had enough! Shirou was completely done with this nonsense! Within two thoughts, Bounded Fields had been erected that ensured no one would see and hear them anymore, and then he made his displeasure clear.
His roar was powerful enough to shut them all up. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes flashed an electric blue, a haze of lightning formed around him, and a pressure descended on the group that was so immense that even Sisigou and Bazett had to gasp for breath.
"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, going on between me and Lady Barthomeloi!" Shirou snarled, his hands shaking in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "We were visiting a former head of a Ruling Family, and Lady Barthomeloi decided discretion was in order! As such, she dressed like that to appear more like a normal citizen. Nothing happened between us! We did not go on a date. We are notgoing to be happy together, and we did not sleep together! Don't you dare say anything of the sort ever again!"
Yes, Shirou was truly angry, and it wasn't even because those rumours about him and Lady Barthomeloi being together would put him in the spotlights, which he honestly wasn't even thinking about anymore, but because those rumours suggested that he was cheating on Sakura and Ayako.
Never! He loved his girls, and he would never betray them like that. That it was even suggested made him boil over in fury.
"Is that clear?!" He hissed, and the pressure impossibly became even more immense.
"Crystal." Lord El-Melloi answered immediately, and everyone in the group nodded like bobbleheads.
Keeping his glare up for a few more seconds, Shirou then took a deep breath to calm himself down, unconsciously lifting the pressure, and then dispelled the Bounded Fields once he had composed himself again
"My apologies for the harsh reaction." He said, bowing to the entire group. "But I had to make that clear."
"No, no, completely understandable." The lion-maned man hastily assured him. "Probably for the best we know the truth right away. Bit dangerous to spread unsubstantiated rumours about the Vice-Director, especially rumours of... that kind."
There was a murmur of general agreement from the rest of the group, even from the kimono-clad lady and Reines, who seemed quite impressed by his earlier tirade.
Speaking of the kimono-clad lady…
"Now." Shirou began, looking first the lion-maned man and then the kimono-clad woman in the eyes. "I am Shirou Fujimaru. Who are you?"
"The name's Kairi Sisigou." The man, Sisigou, introduced himself, grinning widely as he jabbed a thumb at his own face. "Necromancer, mercenary extraordinaire, and part-time bounty hunter."
The kimono-clad woman still didn't speak, and instead shot Lord El-Melloi a pleading look.
"Ugh, fine. This is Hishiri Adashino." Lord El-Melloi introduced her with a slightly distasteful look on his face. "She's an officer from the Department of Policies. Normally, she can speak for herself, a lot, but she's currently under an order of silence from Lady Montmorency."
"Right." Shirou nodded, committing the names and faces to memory. "And may I ask why you are all here?"
"To help you, of course." Flat grinned, crossing his arms with a proud look. "Waver mobilised us to serve as your back-up, should you need it."
"Not me, I'll here to grab some cash." Sisigou laughed, before giving Shirou an inquisitive look. "Though if you're the sensor Lord El-Melloi spoke about, I suppose I'll have to keep you safe as well."
"I'm here because I was curious, and now I'm hoping to get the Department of Mineralogy back." Reines smiled.
"Miss Adashino is here because she's with Policies, making this part of her duties." Lord El-Melloi explained for the kimono-clad woman, and Shirou nodded, having figured as much already.
"Gideon and his crew are here too." Bazett told him. "You just missed them."
"I saw them standing further down the hall." Shirou nodded, before he looked at the group again, noticing there was someone missing who he had honestly expected to be here. "Say, where's Melvin?"
"Melvin?" Lord El-Melloi blinked in surprise at Shirou's question.
"I would have thought that he'd be here. This seems right up his alley." Shirou offered by ways of explanation, and realisation appeared on the lord's face, before he too looked around.
"Maybe he'll get here later. News of the impending attack will have circulated the Clocktower now, so he's probably on his way already." Reines waved the matter away, before coming to stand right across from Shirou. "Mister Fujimaru, I have a request."
"Is this about the Department of Mineralogy?" Shirou guessed, remembering the reason she'd given for being here and also that Mineralogy had once belonged to the Archibald.
"Correct." Reines nodded, looking happy he'd already figured out where she was going with the conversation. "The Archibald would very much like the Department of Mineralogy back, and since the Meluastea are now set to fall, this gives us a splendid opportunity to do exactly that."
"I suppose that's correct." Shirou nodded. "Though that sounds like something you should discuss with Lady Barthomeloi and Lady Montmorency, not with me."
"Yes, about that, uhm, is there a chance you could help me with that?" Reines gave him her best puppy dog eyes, which were honestly pretty good, and Shirou rubbed his chin in thought for a moment.
On its own, talking with Lady Barthomeloi and Lady Montmorency wouldn't be that hard for him. If he had a clear goal to work towards and kept himself brief and to the point, it was even rather easy to speak with them. However, there was a large difference between just speaking with them about inconsequential matters, and actually convincing them of his point of view.
It was worth a try though. The Department of Mineralogy would have to go to someone after the Meluastea were gone, and Shirou preferred it to go to the family that had Lord El-Melloi in it.
"I shall try, but I give no guarantee that I will be able to convince them." He thus said, and Reines beamed at him in gratitude. "Shall we?"
"Hold on! You're just gonna go up and talk to them?" Sisigou spluttered, holding up his hands in a gesture for a time-out. "Just like that?"
"I need to speak with them anyway about the operation and my role in it, so I don't see why I shouldn't be able to fit this in as well." Shirou shrugged. "Best to be upfront about it, no?"
"I…Well, perhaps." Sisigou muttered, the scratching at the scar on his face becoming more intense.
The large man wasn't the only one however who was surprised by Shirou's plan to use the direct approach. Lord El-Melloi might be resigned to it by now, and Reines was mostly happy that he had agreed to speak on her behalf, but Svin, Bazett, the kimono-clad lady, and Grey were looking at him as if he was insane.
Fortunately, he had a lot of experience in ignoring those kinds of looks. Flat's and miss Ortensia's deeply amused looks honestly hurt him more.
"Mister Fujimaru, wait here!" Reines then barked, her head swishing back and forth between him and the hallway behind her. "I need to speak to someone for a moment. I'll be right back. Don't start the attack without me!"
And with that, she was gone.
"Reines! Fujimaru does not determine the schedule of the attack- Oh, she's gone." Lord El-Melloi grunted in displeasure, before glaring at a deeply amused Adashino. "Really, that girl… Why on Earth would she run away now? If she isn't back before the attack begins, she won't get another opportunity to talk with the Vice-Director."
"I better go and try to stall for a bit then." Shirou sighed, pointedly ignoring the resumed stares of disbelief that were levelled at him again. "I'll be right back."
"Good luck, mister Fujimaru." Grey waved cutely at him, and the genuine kindness in her voice was just the boost Shirou needed to get his head back in the game.
He walked away from the small group and headed into the ever-growing crowd of Policies-personnel, following his nose to find the two boss-ladies.
Before he could find them however, a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Turning around, he met the eyes of two girls, who were looking at him with a mixture of worry and determination, and from those looks, Shirou just knew things were about to become much more complicated again.
The girl on the right looked to be about twenty, with good looks, beautiful red hair, and a strong look in her eyes. The girl on the left was about the same age, with brown hair, good looks as well, and a look in her eyes that was just as strong as her friend's. Most notably, she was sitting in a wheelchair, and a quick look told Shirou that everything below her waist was paralysed by the presence of too many Magic Circuits in her legs.
Amazing, what his eyes could see these days. It was almost like he was using cheat codes.
"Good morning." Shirou greeted them politely, before looking down at the brunette's hand, which was still holding his wrist. "How may I help you?"
"You are Shirou Fujimaru, right?" The redhead asked, before sighing in relief when he nodded. "Thank the Root. I am Rosaly von Stahlen-Frobrecht and this is Fiore Forvedge. We… Well, we need your help."
"Sure. What can I do to help?" Shirou asked without hesitation. He was very busy at the moment, yes, but a Hero of Justice did not let that stop him from at least hearing out the people who asked him for help.
"…" His easy acceptance stuck the redhead, lady Von Stahlen-Frobrecht, dumb for a moment, but the brunette was quick to jump in.
"It's about our friend, Marie. Marie Alva. We want to save her from the upcoming purge." She explained, before holding up a hand to stop Shirou from reacting. "We are aware the Alva are criminals, but Marie is not involved in that. She would never have chosen to join their despicable actions herself."
"We are serious!" The redhead added, balling her fists and giving Shirou a furious glare. "Marie is innocent of any wrongdoing. We aren't lying!"
"I know that you aren't lying." Shirou nodded, having sensed that already. "You are telling the truth as you know it. That doesn't mean you are right though."
He didn't like adding that last part, but it was entirely possible these girls were having too much faith in their friend. Even if they didn't want to believe that this 'Marie' was a criminal, they could very well be mistaken.
Shirou remembered meeting an Alva, one of the members of the group of Sealing Designees he'd caught in Japan, and he also remembered the vile Dead Apostle research that the man had been doing.
He didn't want to say all members of that family were guaranteed to be the same, but in the case of Magus-families, that was actually often the case.
"…" The redhead frowned deeply at his words, and the brunette pursed her lips, but neither seemed to know how to refute him.
"What do you want me to do?" Shirou decided to move the subject along. He was pretty sure he could take an educated guess, but it was always better to be sure. "Do you want me to speak with Lady Barthomeloi and Lady Montmorency about letting this 'Marie' off the hook?"
"I-If you could, we would be very appreciative." The brunette, Forvedge, nodded, looking happy he'd caught on so fast.
"Please mention to Lady Montmorency that it was me who sent her all that information about the Alva." Von Stahlen-Frobrecht added, referring to something Shirou had no knowledge of, though he assumed Lady Montmorency would know.
"I will do what I can." He promised the girls with complete sincerity. He might not know them at all, but their concern for their friend was genuine, and a hero had to do what he could to assist people who were worried about their loved ones.
It really was as simple as that.
"Thank you." Forvedge professed, and then she let go of him, apparently having decided to believe him.
"Will you be joining the assault?" Shirou asked after a moment of silence. "It would make things easier if you could point out your friend to me. Less chance of her accidentally getting hurt."
"If it makes it easier, we will." Von Stahlen-Frobrecht proclaimed, not a trace of hesitation in her eyes, and Shirou was glad to see there was loyalty to friends even in the heart of the Clocktower.
With a last nod of acknowledgement, Shirou turned around and resumed his walk towards Lady Barthomeloi and Lady Montmorency. As he was not stopped again on the way, he made it to them easily enough this time.
"Lady Barthomeloi, Lady Montmorency." He greeted the ladies with a bow, internally rejoicing he no longer had to say Lorelei.
"Fujimaru." Lady Barthomeloi gave a curt greeting in return, before resuming her focus on the entrance of the Department of Archaeology.
"Fujimaru, welcome. We were just about to begin." Lady Montmorency grinned. "I'll spare you all the strategic and tactical nonsense and get right to the important part. When we're all ready, we will break through those gates. Once we're inside, you will point out everything you can sense, and you will continue to do so for the duration of the mission."
"So, basically, what we already discussed." Shirou nodded.
"Indeed." The elderly woman nodded back, before handing him the floor plan of the department. "Here's the lay-out of the Department of Archaeology. It's from a few decades ago, so it might not be entirely correct anymore, but it will be good to use as a basis."
"Thank you." Shirou accepted it gratefully. It was always good to have as much information as possible before you began any kind of operation. That was something he'd learned quite well during his days as Rakurai.
"Mister Fujimaru." Lady Barthomeloi then took over again, now actually turning around to face him. "I will be honest with you. We do not know what lies behind those gates, it could be anything-"
"I can see a large hall right behind the gates, with numerous larger and smaller hallways leading in all directions, most of them ending in chambers and rooms." Shirou told them, trying to summarise everything he'd seen so far. From this angle, standing at the main entrance, he didn't have a perfect overview of the entire Department, but there was still plenty he could see. "Several of these rooms are not hidden or particularly well-defended, but there are many, especially those underground, that have been secured heavily with all kinds of Bounded Fields. Inside those rooms, I can see Dead Apostles, something that looks like Demonology, a lot of Cursed objects, and four-hundred-and-thirty people in total. That is only the first part though, the Department is much bigger, but my vision becomes hazy and scents are muddled if I try to look further. There is something very big deep underground, but I cannot see it very clearly either."
His senses were objectively amazing, but they did have their limits, even if those limits were moving back as he became more powerful. He could detect everything in the first part behind the gates well enough, but the Department was huge, and he would have to get closer if he wanted to get a good picture of the other parts.
"The floorplan is still pretty accurate, as far as the main hallways are concerned, but many of the smaller hallways and tunnels are not on it." He continued, studying the plan closely, before looking up…
And finding that the ladies were staring at him with huge eyes.
"Uhm, d-did I say something wrong?"
"No!" Lady Montmorency quickly shook her head. "No, no. Certainly not. Thank you, mister Fujimaru, you've already proven your worth. At this rate, we'll be criminally underpaying you for your services."
"Oh, well, if you want to reward me more, there are a few things I would like to discuss." Shirou said, continuing when Lady Montmorency gestured for him to go on. "Would it be possible to return the Department of Mineralogy to the Archibald after the Meluastea are gone?"
Reines had said to wait for her before he started negotiating, but Shirou figured there couldn't be much harm in introducing the topic already. He could get of a feel for what they were planning with that Department, and he could make a few plans to-
"It was always our intention to return it to them." Lady Montmorency nodded, promptly turning Shirou's plans on their head.
Not that he minded.
"Great!" He grinned, bowing in gratitude, before moving on to part two. "Then, would it be possible for you to keep an eye out for 'Marie Alva'?"
"Ah, young Rosaly von Stahlen-Frobrecht approached you, didn't she?" Lady Montmorency asked with twinkling eyes. "And possibly, young lady Fiore Forvedge as well?"
"Ah, well… Yes." Shirou nodded, taken aback by the woman's sudden knowledge.
"You aren't the only one who had lots of knowledge to show off, boy. I know just about everything about just about everyone." Lady Montmorency laughed evilly, and Shirou was once more reminded that this was the head of the most feared Department of the Clocktower. "Von Stahlen-Frobrecht has been blackmailed, or rather threatened, into helping the Alva for several weeks now, but she has been sending me quite useful information all the while. In light of that, I can allow you to spare Marie Alva, as repayment to young Rosaly, as long as the assumption that she is not involved in anything illegal holds true."
"Very well, thank you." Shirou nodded. "There's nothing more I wanted to discuss at the moment."
"Then," Lady Barthomeloi's icy voice cut in, the intensity of it freezing both Shirou and Lady Montmorency in place. "Perhaps I can continue now?"
"Of course!"
"Not a problem, dear."
"Mister Fujimaru, we do not know what awaits us in that Department." Lady Barthomeloi continued her speech from earlier. "It could be anything, and I am aware that it can be frightening."
Shirou blinked at her words, not understanding where she was going with this.
"There will be many Magi out for your blood, from both their side and ours, and many traps that you may trigger." Lady Barthomeloi went on with her seeming attempt at frightening him, but then she suddenly switched gears, smiling proudly at him. "But rest assured. I will not allow you to come to harm. I will protect you with the full power of the Barthomeloi-family, which, as you know, is considerable. On my honour, those filthy criminals will not touch a hair on your head."
…Was she trying to reassure him?
Was she… actually trying to set him at ease?
She was, wasn't she?
That was… surprisingly kind of her.
"I… Thank you." Shirou replied, placing a hand on his heart to show his sincerity as he gave her a bright smile. "That is very kind of you."
"Kindness? Hardly." Lady Barthomeloi scoffed as she took a sudden step back, her expression once more entirely aloof. "You are my responsibility and a useful asset to be protected. That is all."
Well sure, he could believe that, if she hadn't just given him an entire speech that was focused solely on trying to set him at ease. If he was truly nothing more than an asset to be protected, she could have protected him without saying a word, but she hadn't. She had gone out of her way to reassure him.
Really, why were people so afraid of this woman? Why had he been afraid of this woman? She was surprisingly sweet.
KRREEEECH!
Then a sudden screeching-noise sounded through the hallway, and everyone turned to look how the immense, blue-coloured gates barring entry to the Department of Archaeology opened slowly. They didn't open much, only a tiny bit, but it was enough to allow three people to come outside.
From what Shirou could see, all three were pretty powerful Magi, more so than Bazett or even Reines, and all three were middle-aged men wearing richly decorated robes.
There was not much else of note about them, except the fact that the first one held up a white flag.
"A white flag? They want to negotiate? Now?" Lady Montmorency spluttered, and Lady Barthomeloi narrowed her eyes to slits.
"Fujimaru." The Vice-Director barked. "Go and bring Lord El-Melloi to me. I have need of him here."
"Yes, ma'am." Shirou nodded, before sprinting off to do exactly that, not about to question the boss lady when something apparently monumental was happening.
Fortunately, Lord El-Melloi was not hard to convince, though the fact that the lord was coming meant the rest of the group followed along as well.
By the time they all came to the front, having pushed and elbowed themselves a way through the crowd, Lady Barthomeloi and Lady Montmorency had already met up with the three men.
"Who are those wackos?" Kairi Sisigou asked, quickly placing sunglasses with Mystic Eye-cancelling effects on his face. "And why aren't we killing them?"
"Those 'wackos' are Roland Meluastea, Nico Frey, and Martin Seydel." Reines, who had returned from wherever she had gone a minute ago, snapped at the scarred man, rapidly switching back and forth between glaring at him and looking with barely hidden anxiety at said three men. "The heir of the Meluastea-family and his two closest confidants."
"Alright, in that case, why aren't we killing them? Like, seriously, that was the plan, right?"
"We aren't killing them because they are here to parlay, or whatever the Clocktower-equivalent is." Shirou decided to answer. "If people want to negotiate peacefully, you have to respect that, or no one will want to negotiate with you ever again."
"Oh, right." Sisigou nodded in understanding. "So, they're here to save their skins, or…?"
"I do not know." Shirou admitted. "I suppose we'll have to ask them."
"Got ya."
They arrived at the place of negotiation a moment later, and after Lady Barthomeloi had given them all a short greeting, she gestured for Roland Meluastea to say his piece.
"My Lady Vice-Director. It is an immense honour to meet you again. Words cannot describe how happy I am to see you in good health. The Meluastea ever remain loyal subjects of the Clocktower, and I am undoubtedly the most loyal of all." The middle-aged man began, his voice regal and his tone flattering. His words were nothing but lies of course, but since everyone present knew that, Shirou didn't consider it worth mentioning. "But now we find that you have brought a small army to the gates of our Department, and we wonder why. I am here to respectfully request that you disband this army and discuss the matter that has angered you so with us in peace. Might I remind you of the Law of Proper Cause, that forbids Policies from violating the autonomy and privacy of Ruling Families?"
It was a speech that, despite the polite tone, would only just pass for being respectful. The second part was almost an outright demand even. Even if the Meluastea were as innocent as Roland claimed, he was straying dangerously close to being outright rude in Clocktower-terms.
Naturally, the heir of the Meluastea should have been able to do better than that, but the immense fear and dread that he was currently feeling dulled his senses and sharpened his tongue.
Lady Barthomeloi did not let it bother her though, and instead made a gesture for Lady Montmorency to come forward.
"Lord Roland, how nice to see you again." Lady Montmorency began, and though her ability to lie was infinitely better than Roland's, Shirou still saw that this was a lie as well. Once more though, everyone present already knew that, so it wasn't worth mentioning. "I am afraid however that the Law of Proper Cause has been suspended for the Meluastea-family, because of this."
'This' turned out to be a copy of the file that Shirou and Lord El-Melloi had delivered to her the day before, and Roland needed only one glance at it to turn a pasty white.
"L-Lies." He spluttered, before recomposing himself at an immense speed. "These papers are nothing but deceit and slander. A pathetic attempt at ruining our reputation. Lady Montmorency, Lady Barthomeloi, dark forces are attempting to sow discord in the Magus Association, and with this trick, they endeavour to make you turn on the ever-loyal Meluastea. I beg of you, do not fall for it."
That speech was much better than his previous one, but again filled with lies.
"Everything in this file that we have tested so far has proven to be true." Lady Montmorency wasn't convinced or persuaded in the slightest. "And don't forget, suspending the Law of Proper Cause does not mean the Meluastea are guaranteed to be found guilty. It only means we can investigate your holdings freely. I assure you, if you are as innocent as you claim, no further actions shall be taken, and Policies shall recompense you for the trouble we have put you through."
"Many families depend on us to protect them and their Crafts." Roland, seeing his previous approach had failed, immediately tried something else. "While I am confident that no employee of honourable Policies would steal secrets, the same cannot be said about the many mercenaries and Enforcers that have gathered like a flock of vultures behind you, ready to take a bite out of our flesh."
"The common measures to prevent theft during investigations are already in place." Lady Montmorency shot his words down immediately. "Those measures were good enough for you when the Archibald were investigated, so they are good enough now."
Roland Meluastea was sweating now, visibly running out of options, and for a few seconds, he stood silent, before one of his confidants quickly whispered something in his ear.
"Who are the ones that brought you these documents?" Roland demanded with renewed bluster once his friend stepped back again. "May I be allowed to speak with them to defend myself?"
"That would be Lord El-Melloi II." Lady Montmorency answered promptly, gesturing at said lord.
"The Archibald!?" Roland puffed out his chest at the news, glaring down at Lord El-Melloi. "I should have known! Unable to bear their loss of nine years ago, they attempt to slander and vilify us to reclaim their precious Department of Mineralogy."
"The matter of your crimes is entirely separate from any desire of ours to reclaim our lost Department." Lord El-Melloi took a puff of his cigar, his face perfectly expressionless. "You could have held on to that Department for a long time if you hadn't gotten greedy."
"You-" Roland Meluastea began to resemble a bullfrog more and more as his anger rose, and he turned, in his desperation, to Lady Barthomeloi herself.
"Lady Barthomeloi, madam Vice-Director, surely you can see that this is nothing but a pathetic attempt from the Archibald to reclaim their Department? Certainly, you cannot-"
"Your crimes were known to me long before Lord El-Melloi became involved." The brunette cut him off, her piercing gaze silencing him in an instant. "He merely assisted in gathering evidence, and he will indeed be rewarded for his efforts with the Department of Mineralogy."
At that news, Reines could barely suppress her cry of joy.
"Y-You… N-Nothing has been decided yet! We are innocent!"
"Then this investigation shall point that out. I do not expect it to take very long. I brought a sensor. Mister Fujimaru?"
Ah, so it was time for Shirou himself to come forward. Very well, he'd just tell them what he knew.
"In just the first part of the Department of Archaeology, I can see numerous rooms, many of them underground, that have been secured heavily with all kinds of Bounded Fields." He repeated what he'd told Lady Barthomeloi and Lady Montmorency before. "Inside those rooms, I can see Dead Apostles, something that looks like Demonology, a lot of Cursed things, and about four-hundred-and-thirty people. As we speak, several of those people are trying to destroy evidence, but they are not having much success."
The three men froze in shock, their faces going white, while Lord El-Melloi gave an amused huff, Sisigou gave an impressed whistle, Reines laughed out loud, and the edges of Lady Barthomeloi's lips pulled upwards.
"It was entirely predictable that this negotiation was naught but an attempt to stall for time, but I appreciate having it confirmed." The Vice-Director said calmly, before pointing a finger at Roland Meluastea. "Now return to your Department and pray that I shall be merciful."
Roland Meluastea promptly did exactly that, stumbling backwards and turning around in preparation to flee. One of his stooges followed his example, but the other one…
"NO! DAMN YOU!"
The second stooge lost his temper completely, and lashed out at Shirou, Lady Barthomeloi, and Lord El-Melloi, firing an array of nasty Spells and Curses at them.
Lord El-Melloi swore, Sisigou took a step forward, Grey placed herself in front of Reines and Svin placed himself in front of Grey, and Shirou lifted a hand to dispel the Magecraft and strike back.
They were all too late. Or rather, they didn't have to do anything in the first place.
From one moment to the next, the Spells and Curses disappeared like they were never there. At the same time, the second stooge was sliced to literal ribbons that unceremoniously splashed on the ground.
The gore splattered all around, yet when it came down, not a single drop landed on Shirou or anyone else at his side, while Roland Meluastea and the other stooge were completely covered in blood and guts.
Shirou spun around to find the origin of the event, and he saw, to absolutely no surprise, that it had been Lady Barthomeloi who was responsible for the sudden bloodbath.
With one look, without saying a word, without moving a finger, she'd obliterated the attacker and humiliated his allies in one fell swoop, dispelling his own attack and his defences in the same single move.
…Right, that was why he was scared of her. Why everyone was scared of her.
What a terrifying woman.
"Be gone." She sneered at Roland and his remaining stooge, her eyes shining brightly. She didn't radiate any power or pressure, but she didn't have to. The targets of her sneer were already terrified enough, and they sprinted back to their lair as fast as their legs could carry them.
The silence stretched on for a few more seconds, the entire hall seemingly holding its breath, and then Shirou decided to speak up.
"Thanks." He nodded at Lady Barthomeloi. He could have dealt with those Spells himself, long before they would have hit anyone, but there was no denying she had done so with more power, more flair, and more style.
There was much he could learn from her.
Lady Barthomeloi nodded in response, dispelling the tension by showing her anger had passed, before gesturing at the gates, which had closed again.
"Let us waste no more time." She said in a voice that wasn't loud, but still managed to reach every ear in the hallway. "Break through those gates!"
"Everyone with experience in breaking Bounded Fields, to the front." Lady Montmorency added, before shaking her head and muttering. "This is going to take hours."
Shirou frowned at the news. Hours was too long when there were undoubtedly many people in desperate need of saving in that Department, not to mention in the Departments of Mineralogy and Botany, which they would have to search through after this and which certainly had many Bounded Fields of their own.
They had said before that it would take a long time to break through Archaeology's defences, but hearing about it and actually experiencing it were very different. Standing here, knowing people needed his help, and knowing that he could get past those gates in a moment, Shirou's caution about not showing off his power quickly eroded into nothing.
Well, fine, he'd do it himself, and deal with the consequences as they came. Innocent people always came first.
His anonymity had been shot to hell over the last few weeks anyway. He might as well show off a bit now. If he was Sealed over this, he would just disappear into his Vault if needed.
So with that in mind, he got to work.
Shirou had already observed the Bounded Fields on those gates enough for him to understand them completely, and he still had Khamul's teachings in the back of his mind.
So with a mental command, he mixed in his own power with that of the Bounded Fields, introduced cracks and folds wherever necessary, and then placed tension on the weave.
Then, with some dramatic flair, he brought his thumb and middle finger together, lifted his hand, and snapped his fingers.
The Bounded Fields on the gate, all of them, broke with a deafening crack, blue sparks shooting in all directions, and Shirou knew he had been successful.
He would have to give Khamul something nice to thank him for his lessons.
His action created a pandemonium in the hallways, as everyone tried to figure out what had happened, but just when Shirou thought no one had noticed him doing it, he turned around again and met the eyes of Lady Barthomeloi, who clearly knew perfectly well what he had done.
"My compliments, mister Fujimaru." She remarked, a competitive edge entering her voice. "Very impressive. Now, please stay back and let me handle the rest."
…Okay, this was going too far. He wasn't some kind of tissue-doll for her to protect all the time.
"Lady Barthomeloi, I appreciate your wanting to defend me, but I must refuse." If he wanted to save people, he couldn't hide behind her all the time. He had to take some initiative as well. "I am more than capable of handling myself."
"That may be, but you are my responsibility. Let me deal with the Meluastea and their cronies."
"I can deal with them myself."
"But you shouldn't."
"But I want to."
"Wishes have no place on a battlefield."
"Of course they do. Wishes have a place everywhere."
"Then I wish for you to stay behind me."
"I refuse."
"That is an order."
"Which I refused."
"Knock it off, you two!" Lady Montmorency interrupted harshly, placing herself between Shirou and Lady Barthomeloi. "Don't squabble when there is work to do. There's plenty of them for the both of you."
"…Yes." Lady Barthomeloi nodded after a second of surprised silence. "I suppose that is true."
"With how many people I saw in there, I can say with confidence that there are indeed enough for the both of us." Shirou nodded in agreement. Not that he cared much about fighting right now, he had to save people, but if that was what she wanted to hear…
"Plenty for the both of us." Lady Barthomeloi repeated, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "May the best warrior win."
Hold on! When did this become a competition?
What had he gotten himself into now?!