Chapter 125 - 41.4

Merem, who was still very much an impulsive child himself, could not be expected to think rationally about matters involving the Dark Six. In hindsight, it had been entirely expected he would throw a tantrum and tell the Church about the Aylesbury Ritual in an effort to stop it. It was as much Trhvmn's fault for not anticipating it as it was Merem's for actually doing it. In light of that, Trhvmn could be merciful, just this once.

"And what about Altrouge?" He then prompted his servant to continue his report.

"Princess Altrouge Brunestud had also pledged to aid in the Aylesbury Ritual, though she insists her rivalry with you will continue unabated." Marol replied, bringing more good news. "This was the expected outcome. Most of her Faction's members have already pledged themselves to you, or at least promised their aid in the Aylesbury Ritual, so she could not refuse your offer without losing their support. She did need a way to save face though, so she blustered a bit."

"If you see her again, tell her I take our rivalry most seriously." Trhvmn allowed, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. "Make sure her faction is watching as you acknowledge how powerful and influential she is and how seriously I take her. It'll make her happy."

Altrouge Brunestud was an Ancestor with a fourteen-year-old body and a seventeen-year-old mind. If you wanted to work with her, you needed to account for that, and adjust your behaviour and words accordingly. Stroking her ego often yielded the best results.

Really, it was that Gransurg and Van-Fem were cold, rational, and mature, or Trhvmn might feel like his title 'King of the Dead Apostle Ancestors' actually meant that he was in charge of a kindergarten-class.

"Naturally, my King." Marol's approval of Trhvmn being so kind to Altrouge was clear in his voice. "However, Princess Altrouge's pet, Primate Murder, is more ambiguous. When I asked it for its stance on the Aylesbury Ritual, it completely ignored me."

"Primate Murder is a Beast, Marol." Trhvmn sighed, smiling fondly at his half-naked servant. "It cannot speak. The only one who can reliably communicate with it is Altrouge. You should have asked her to mediate."

"I realised that too, my Beloved Despot, and I did ask her, but to no avail."

"She wasn't willing to help you?"

"She was more than willing, but Primate Murder didn't listen to her."

"Pardon me?" Trhvmn sat up straight, the unpleasant feeling of surprise gnawing at the edge of his concentration.

"Princess Altrouge can no longer control Primate Murder." Marol repeated, nervously licking his lips. "She told me it is normally obedient enough, but lately, it has been rambunctious and rebellious. It does not listen to her commands anymore."

"Has it gone on a rampage?" Trhvmn asked, a sense of urgency filling him. Normally, he wouldn't have cared about what the Beast got up to, but now that he had a delicate operation with a tight schedule to run, he didn't want such a loose cannon running around.

"No, my King. The Beast appears reluctant to rampage."

"Reluctant to rampage? Primate Murder?" Trhvmn cocked his head to the side, frowning at the unexpected bit of news.

"We presume something has scared it, though we do not know what it could be." Marol admitted. "Whatever the case though, Primate Murder will be of no help in your scheme, my King, not as it is now."

"Perhaps Zelretch has done something, or Arcueid is on the move again." Trhvmn mused, before he shrugged. "Ultimately, it matters not. Primate Murder is a powerful weapon, but not required for the Ritual. Altrouge herself is far more important right now."

"About that, my king." Marol spoke carefully. "Princess Altrouge has asked for your help in pacifying the Beast again."

"Has she?" Trhvmn considered that for a moment, before he nodded. "Very well, I will help her after the ritual is over. For now, let Primate Murder be rebellious, though make sure to keep it away from anything important. If it regains its desire to rampage, unleash it upon Ohio's countryside. It can play to its heart's content there."

"My King, princess Altrouge wants your help now." Marol corrected him carefully. "Without Primate Murder, much of her personal power has disappeared. For now, her momentum, her Faction, and your acknowledgement that she is your greatest rival keep her at the top, but if Primate Murder isn't brought to heel soon, she will start losing influence fast."

"…Very well." Trhvmn sighed. Altrouge was of no use to him if she was powerless. "I do not know what help I may be able to offer her, but in light of cooperation, I will do what I can."

"Princess Altrouge will be most grateful for every bit of help you can offer, I'm sure." Marol's tone became flattering as he said that. "And I do not doubt you will find a way to help her."

"Your trust in me is heart-warming." Trhvmn said dryly, and both Ancestors laughed together at his little joke.

"With Altrouge accepting your offer of an alliance, your majesty, most of the Dead Apostle Ancestors are under your command." Marol then continued. "Only Zelretch and Sumire have not pledged themselves to you yet."

"There is little I can do about Zelretch, but I don't like that Sumire is being elusive again." She probably meant nothing with it, as it was the nature of Water Demons to be whimsical, but Trhvmn would still rather have Sumire in his grasp. "Send Nrvnqsr Chaos to search for her. His Beast-craft should counter her abilities quite well, and he has been eager to prove himself."

"Most eager." Marol agreed. "I will send him at once, to bring Sumire to you."

"Excellent." Trhvmn uncrossed his legs and rose from the couch. "Is there anything else you wish to report?"

"Not at the moment, my King." Marol shook his head.

"Then I have new orders for you. After you have dispatched Nrvnqsr to search for Sumire, you will send Gransurg to the Amazon rainforest, to search for the blue spider flower. He will know what it means. Then, you will destroy a group of rebels."

"Rebels, my King?"

"Several of the older Dead Apostles seem to have grown tired of having to wait until they are made Ancestors." Not that those Apostles had ever bothered to put their effort into growing stronger, like Tsula and Marol. They had just sat around, waiting for Trhvmn to promote them, though neither their power nor their accomplishments warranted a promotion. "They intend to break with me and create a faction of their own. I cannot have that, not now. Deal with them, Marol. You can find them in the Palace of Versailles, that arrogant lot."

"I will." Marol bowed deeply again, and then hurried out of the room, leaving Trhvmn alone.

The King of the Dead Apostle Ancestors followed quickly though, also leaving the room and then the residence. His business in Dublin was over, and it was time to move on.

The last thing he did before leaving town was burn down the house. It had been a pleasant place to stay in and Trhvmn did feel a bit of regret at having to destroy it, but he couldn't allow anyone to find any trace of him here, whether they be ally or enemy.

His life was lonely, and he had made peace with that long ago.

At the meeting of the Democratic Faction, held in the castle belonging to the Trambellio-family, tensions were rising high.

"Naturally, the solution to the rise of the Aristocratic Faction is to accept the offer of alliance of the Neutral Faction!" Merle Galliastea said loudly, having to talk with a raised voice to make herself heard over the racket of numerous other people also shouting their ideas and suggestions. "We cannot fight the Barthomeloi alone!"

"Make an alliance with those uncaring bottom-feeders?! After they have refused our offers for years?! I will not stand for that!" Robert Eltnam screamed in a high-pitched voice. "They will just drag us down with them, and for what?! They have nothing to offer us!"

"We should have anticipated the Meluastea's betrayal! I told you they would betray us! I told you! But you didn't listen!"

"We're doomed!"

Inorai Valualeta Atroholm, head of the Valualeta, the second most powerful family of the Democratic Faction, shook her head in dismay and disappointment as her faction turned on itself within twenty minutes of the meeting having started.

Yes, they were in a precarious position, having placed themselves in direct opposition to a faction that was now more powerful than ever, but they hadn't lost, not nearly, and a bit of clever politicking should see them getting off scot-free before long. Unlike the Neutral Faction, they hadn't done anything illegal, or at least hadn't been caught doing so, so any suggestion from the Aristocrats that they were going to make a move against the Democrats was nothing more than bluff and bluster.

But panic had taken root in the minds of many of her allies, making them unpredictable and impatient, and that meant she had very few people to rely on right now. Even McDonell, the head of the Trambellio, had lost his head and was contributing to the racket, which meant it fell to her to salvage the situation.

Inorai turned her back on the squabbling lot, and instead focused on the small group of Magi who were standing around her. Most of them were quite young, certainly a lot younger than Inorai herself, but despite their youth, they had managed to keep their cool so far where many of their elders did not.

Haruri Borzak, Inorai's protegee and apprentice, was one of them, but so were Sofia Edelfelt and her fiancé Eduardo di Stanza, Orlocke Ceasarmund –one of the few in the group who were older than her– Garett Frain, Deimlit and Cabik Pentel, Quentin Riedenflaus, and Melvin Weins.

It was not the most impressive group ever, especially since only Inorai, Orlocke, and Haruri were the heads of their respective families and Haruri's family was impoverished on top of that, but it would do for now. After all, it was Sofia Edelfelt and Melvin Weins who possessed the information Inorai was after.

"This has certainly turned into a right mess." Orlocke Ceasarmund laughed, slapping his arm down on the armrest of his wheelchair. "I would love to claim I saw this coming somehow, that a purge would come and that the status-quo of the Clocktower would be upturned so badly, but I didn't. I didn't foresee a single thing. Maybe I really am getting old."

"You are already old." Inorai smirked at her long-time acquaintance, whose weathered face pulled into a boyish grin at her remark. "But I did not see this coming either, and I don't like that at all."

"No one could have expected Fujimaru, madam." Haruri tried to console her, but fell silent when Inorai shook her head.

"Fujimaru is but one of many factors in this disaster, little one. We could not have foreseen his existence, but it is clear now that the Meluastea were up to their eyes in numerous extremely illegal matters, and we had no idea. Not even your mother, Melvin, even though she is usually so well-informed."

"Mother is deeply ashamed of herself for her oversight." Melvin Weins said apologetically, his frail form hunched over in regret. "The Meluastea somehow managed to fool even her. They hid their activities so deep that even her best informants couldn't find a trace of them. She is now slowly discovering how they did such a thing, but for now, she has no news to give you."

"Hm, most concerning." Inorai tapped her chin in thought. "If the Meluastea were that capable of keeping secrets from us, then their fall was perhaps a blessing in disguise."

"I wouldn't go that far, my lady." Quentin protested, pursing his thick lips in distaste. "The fall of a Ruling Family is never good news. Even if we stand to profit in the short term, we will all lose in the long term."

"Not if we play our cards right." Sofia Edelfelt corrected him with a purr, her hand holding that of her fiancé Eduardo, as always. "Chaos creates many opportunities if one knows where to look, and our current situation is not short of fertile chaos."

"The famed Hyenas are looking for a quick profit, I hear." Orlocke sneered, though his tone was still light-hearted. "Are you sure you can pull this off correctly after your entry into this faction ended in a spectacular failure?"

"Our car broke down!" Sofia hissed, looking extremely tired of that incident being brought up time and again. "That is hardly a spectacular failure, it was just bad luck!"

"Of course." Orlocke held up his hands in surrender, giving her his best innocent look. "I didn't mean anything with my remark. It was indeed nothing but bad luck. Undoubtedly, it won't happen again… Until the next instance of bad luck that is."

"Why you!"

"Can we really afford to argue after we have lost so much-" Quentin asked hotly, before Inorai decided to step in.

With a lot of flair, Inorai took a cigarette out of her pocket, accepted the fire Haruri offered her, took a long drag from it, slowly blew out the smoke, and only then focused on her group again.

Her gesture of smoking had been very theatrical and demonstrative, and both Sofia and Orlocke looked suitably chastised by it. As such, she took the lead again.

"The Democratic Faction has lost nothing over the past weeks." She told them sternly, wanting to make sure they understood that, and that they understood panicking or worrying too much was unneeded. "We still have our resources, we still have our riches, and we still have all our pieces in place. The Aristocratic Faction is riding high currently, but they will come down again, soon, and we will be ready to meet them when that happens."

"There is nothing the Aristocrats can do to us, even now." Cabik Pentel agreed with her. "They might have a great amount of momentum at the moment, but the levels of actual power of both the Aristocratic Faction and the Democratic Faction have not changed. If they couldn't destroy us before, they still cannot do so now."

"They won't even try." His brother Deimlit gave a self-assured nod. "Even in the Aristocratic Faction, there are many who dislike Barthomeloi. They consider her a tyrant, and think Policies are blasphemous heretics. They won't look favourably on any attempt she makes to continue her self-proclaimed war against the rest of the Association, and they will undermine her if they even so much as suspect that she will."

"Mother says some Aristocratic families are already working hard to undermine lady B right now." Melvin smirked, winking slyly. "Lady B has become a little too powerful, even for them."

"In that case, let us help them out a bit." Orlocke grinned, and his suggestion was met with a round of agreeing nods. "I'm sure Inorai and I can arrange a few things to ensure the Aristocratic Families can burst Barthomeloi's bubble easily enough."

"You will not use any direct attacks on her, I hope?" Eduardo inquired carefully, as he licked his lips in nervousness.

"Do you take us for fools, boy?" Orlocke scoffed, frowning at Eduardo. "Inorai just told us that the reason we are still in a good position is because we have broken no laws. Attacking the Vice-Director is a good way to ruin that, especially since we're never going to succeed in our attacks, no matter how hard we try. She was always more powerful than any of us, but now that she has Fujimaru too, she has become unbeatable."

"Speaking of Shirou Fujimaru." Inorai said leadingly, looking at Melvin and Sofia. "I heard that you are somewhat acquainted with him?"

"Yes, through Waver." Melvin grinned widely. "Shirou has always been nice to me. We spoke a few times, though I have not been able to get hold of him since the purge."

"I have spoken with him once, which was after the purge, but it is actually Eduardo who has interacted with him for a significant amount of time." Sofia admitted, gesturing at her soon-to-be-husband. "The only reason Fujimaru agreed to speak with us in the first place was because of Eduardo."

"Lord El-Melloi II arranged for Fujimaru to help me with a project on Curses a while back." Eduardo explained, not looking entirely happy with being put on the spot. "We worked together for an hour or two. I interacted with him a few more times in Lord El-Melloi's class, and then spoke to him again this morning, with Sofia. That is it."

"Limited as they may be, your interactions with him could provide valuable information. Even if you have only a little knowledge, do share it, for it is more than I currently have." Inorai replied, before throwing her spent cigarette into a nearby ashtray. "Tell me everything you know."

"He's very powerful." Melvin said immediately. "Comparing him to the Vice-Director is entirely justified. Waver told me even lady B herself acknowledged that he is definitely in her league."

"He has a wide range of abilities too." Eduardo added. "I have seen him use multiple kinds of Magecraft in class, often without any apparent effort, without an Incantation even."

Sofia then decided to put her own two cents in regarding Fujimaru. "He likely has some type of Mystic Eyes related to seeing through things, even in the non-literal sense, considering he can tell if you're lying."

"That aligns with what Waver told me about Fujimaru being able to see through walls and Magical Barriers of any kind." That was Melvin again. "He can also smell Magecraft from a hundred meters away, and easily discern its type through its scent. Additionally, his Healing Abilities are out of this world."

"Very interesting." Orlocke nodded, busily making notes on a piece of paper, before he looked up again. "But do you perhaps have any personal details on him? Where he lives? Whether he has any family?"

"Aside from his name being fake and him coming from Japan? Nope." Melvin didn't even have the decency to look apologetic as he said that. "Shirou's careful about those things. I tried to trick him into revealing more of his past a few times, but he always figures me out pretty quickly."

"Smart of him." Inorai approved of Fujimaru's caution. "If you are going to make such a large impression, better do it while no one knows who you are."

"I'd have preferred it if he were a little less smart." Haruri grumbled. "We can handle the Aristocratic Faction and the Barthomeloi-family, but if we fail to get any grip on Fujimaru, he will be able to act with impunity and we will be unable to do anything about it."

"Nah." Melvin shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that. Fujimaru's pretty soft, really cares about people, you know? He would never do anything that puts innocent lives at risk, nor would he act in any way that will cause trouble to Waver or lady B."

"That is not very Magus-like of him." Orlocke remarked, his eyes shining in interest.

"He has no problems admitting he is more of a spell-caster anyway." Melvin shrugged, taking everyone aback, as 'spell-caster' was considered to be quite an insult in the Clocktower. "I mean, I don't understand at all why he chooses to be like that, it seems like an awful lot of trouble to me, but that's simply how he is. I heard from Grey his life's goal is to become a 'Hero of Justice'."

Everyone in the group except Melvin blinked in stupefaction, as their brains temporarily refused to process what they'd just heard. Then most of them scowled in some way, while the rest looked pensive.

"We can work with that." Cabik piped up, his pensive expression turning hopeful, before his face fell when Inorai shook her head.

"I know what you are thinking, but no. You should be very careful with those hero-types." She admonished him, and with him the rest of the group. "They can be extremely unpredictable. If you are planning now to use innocents to try and blackmail or otherwise manipulate him, you might as well forget it. All you will achieve is that Fujimaru will refuse to take part in your little play, and then will be out for your blood for the rest of your life, which will then be significantly shorter."

"That is completely true." Orlocke nodded, his wealth of life-experience allowing him to see the truth in Inorai's words. "Those hero-types don't think like you or me. They are extremely random and whimsical, and since they act with the conviction that they are heroes, they can excuse almost any monstrous act they commit. You can manipulate selfless people, or people who try to be good, but heroes? Heroes are too much for simple Magi like ourselves."

"I am placing Fujimaru out of bounds." Inorai announced, now more certain of herself than ever. "I forbid any of you from trying to strike at him, directly or indirectly. The potential gains are not worth the inevitable risks."

Haruri nodded immediately, as did Sofia, Melvin, and Eduardo. The others looked a bit more recalcitrant, but the fact that everyone who'd met Fujimaru for even a short while agreed with her so strongly vindicated Inorai's decision.

"As I said, even the problem with Fujimaru will sort itself out." Melvin piped up again after a few seconds, trying to set everyone at ease. "Waver and lady B will keep him on a short leash, and as long as we don't do anything to challenge him, he will not act against us."

"I got that idea as well." Eduardo nodded. "We can just do what we planned earlier, use politicking and stuff, and then Fujimaru will back down as well."

"We'll see how it goes." Inorai said neutrally. "We should remain cautious nonetheless."

"Do you want me to gather more information on him?" Melvin asked, still looking very laid back even as he offered to spy on a man whom he himself had admitted to be roughly the Vice-Director's equal.

"If you can do so without arousing suspicion." Inorai decided to allow it. Any information on the newest player on the block was welcome, especially if it came straight from the horse's mouth.

After that, the small group talked a bit more about the precise actions they would take to limit the fall-out of the purge, and how they were going to ensure that the Barthomeloi wouldn't continue their rampage, and then they disbanded again.

Coincidentally, at about the same time that their little group disbanded, the meeting of the rest of the Faction also came to an end, with the families' representatives storming out of the hall, all of them angered in some way, without exception.

Only McDonell Trambellio Elrod, the head of the Trambellio-family, remained seated in the hall, slouched in his chair, covering his eyes with his hands in a gesture that was clearly meant to stave off a massive headache.

Feeling something akin to pity, and a desire for a good talk about the future, Inorai sent Haruri back to their shared office, before making her way over to McDonell.

"McDonell." She greeted him kindly when she'd gotten within hearing distance, and his shoulders stiffened for a fraction of a second, before they relaxed again. "How did the meeting go?"

"Terribly." The silver-haired man grunted, lowering his hands and looking her in the eye. "Magi have a reputation of being cold-blooded and always in control of themselves, but we didn't live up to that reputation today."

"Oh dear."

"You saw it yourself. Everyone was shouting and screaming in panic, trying to find out if it would be better for them to act as a group or hole up alone until this matter blows over. I don't think we discussed anything useful or came up with any good plans at all. All I can do now is hope that this meeting allowed them to get the unrest out of their system so the next meeting goes better, because if not, then I just wasted three hours of my life I'll never get back."

"That bad, huh?" Inorai asked rhetorically, smiling when McDonell groaned pathetically. "Fortunately for you, I do have a plan, and even better, we don't even need most of our Faction's families to set it in motion. All we need is you, me, Orlocke, and a few others."

"You have a plan?" McDonell looked up hopefully, before he smiled wryly. "I am happy to hear that you did spend these three hours productively, unlike me."

"Heh."

"Well then, let's hear your plan."

Inorai then spent the next twenty minutes explaining the plots she'd hatched with the others of her group, to undercut Lorelei Barthomeloi and drag the Aristocratic Faction down again by using their own arrogance and infighting, with McDonell commenting here and asking further explanation there. It had already been a reasonably good plan, but with McDonell's input, it became even better.

Inorai and McDonell were very old friends, who were as close as Magus-Society allowed them to be. McDonell was the leader of the Democratic Faction, but Inorai was his close second, and neither of them felt any compunction about telling the other the plain truth. They were the whetstones that sharpened each other's swords, and after seventy years of working together, their teamwork was a thing of legends.

In other words, whenever they combined their strengths to work towards a common goal, the entire Clocktower held its collective breath in anticipation of what they would get up to.

"But that's enough about the downsides of this recent happening." McDonell said eventually, once the plan had been made as perfect as they could get it. Then, his previously serious expression suddenly turned into a wide grin, taking Inorai aback by its intensity. "The existence of Fujimaru is extremely good news for us, Inorai."

"Oh?"

"He is a Magus from an extremely young, virtually unknown family, with a Crest that is probably nigh-worthless, who nevertheless is every bit as strong as the Vice-Director with her 'impressive and royal lineage'." McDonell's grin was so wide it threatened to cut his face in two. "It proves that we, the Democratic Faction, were right all along. It is not the bloodline or the Crest that matters, but the talent. Couple that with the meteoric rise of Lord El-Melloi II, whose family is as average as average can be, and our philosophy is suddenly a whole lot stronger."

"Good gracious." Inorai mumbled, not even having considered that yet. "You are right, McDonell, this is beyond excellent! Numerous younger families will flock to our banner once they see living proof of our philosophy."

How could she have missed this? The fact that a Magus from an absolutely minor family had made such waves was a dream come true for the Democratic Faction. They could finally stop arguing in hypotheticals and use the actual example that the Aristocrats had just served them on a silver platter.

"But is it not inconvenient then that the boy is with the Aristocratic Faction now?" She asked, her good mood dimming when she remembered Fujimaru was not on their side.

"The side he is on is irrelevant for our purposes." McDonell was quick to set her at ease however. "If he joins us, we can use him as a figurehead and as an example that our view on Magus-Society is the correct one. If he stays with the Aristocratic Faction, we can use that to show that even the Aristocrats acknowledge that a member of a young family deserves to be at the top if his talent is great enough. Either way, we win."

"The Aristocrats might try to spread rumours that his family is actually ancient, and only unknown because it is Asian." Inorai warned him, well aware that Magi didn't put much value in being truthful.

"Even then, we can use it to show how nonsensical racism is, which Asian families both in our Faction and outside of it will appreciate." McDonell had an answer ready right away. "Which is also to our advantage. No matter how the Aristocratic Faction tries to spin this, Fujimaru's very existence shows that their lineage-focused and race-focused outlook on the Moonlit World, and on Magi in particular, is deeply flawed. They are vulnerable now."

"So the man who lifted them so high can also bring them crashing down." Inorai giggled, though the realist in her acknowledged that this would not be enough to seriously hamper the Aristocrats. At most, they would get a bloody nose, but unless another dozen Fujimarus appeared in the next decade, it would go no further than that.

"Not to mention Lord El-Melloi II, who is becoming more powerful with every year that passes." McDonell laughed. "He was already a good example for us, with his amazing talent at teaching that has seen him become reasonably powerful at a political level, but now that he rules over two departments, he can become as great a figurehead to us as Fujimaru."

"Though once more, he is not on our side." It stung a bit that neither figurehead was actually a member of the Democratic Faction, but on the other hand, seeing the Aristocratic Faction struggle with aligning their deeply classist beliefs with the existence of both Lord El-Melloi and Fujimaru in their ranks promised to be deeply amusing.

Inorai and McDonell spoke for a few minutes more, to hash out the precise details of what they were going to do over the next months to ensure the Aristocratic Faction was pulled back down to its original level of power and influence, and then some more about what they were going to do about Fujimaru and Lord El-Melloi, before their ways separated again.

They would have liked to talk for a bit longer, not just for work but also to catch up, but they were both frightfully busy. McDonell had to attend another meeting soon, with his own family this time, while Inorai had noticed something out of the corner of her eye, something, or rather someone, that demanded her immediate attention.

With long strides, the elderly woman left the hall, finding herself in a rather small –by Clocktower standards– hallway. The person she'd come to see was nowhere in sight anymore however, and Inorai, rather uncharacteristically, hesitated, wondering if her eyes had played a trick on her.

"Hey, teach."

Nope, no trick.

Inorai turned around upon hearing the purring voice, coming face to face with her greatest and most powerful apprentice ever. A woman who had studied under her for years, who had rapidly risen above her in power, who had gotten herself Sealed, and then had been released from the Sealing Designation again a few years later. Someone who'd reached the highest rank of Magus possible at just twenty years of age, whose name was so well-known that only her sister's name eclipsed hers in fame, and who had received a coloured title for her mind-boggling achievements and might.

"Good morning, you troublesome girl." Inorai greeted, smiling brightly at the woman whom she still saw as a daughter in all but blood. "You are looking rather harried today."

"Right back at you, hag." Touko Aozaki greeted back, her red hair shining like blood under the light of the hallway's lamps, fitting perfectly with her cruelly playful expression, which was almost witch-like. The fact that her hair was unkempt and that she had large bags under her eyes only added to that witch-like image. An image that was wholly unlike the prim-and-proper girl that Touko had been under Inorai's tutelage. "I heard you got yourself in a spot of bother, so I came to take a look."

Inorai kept her immaculate smile plastered on her face, even as the gears in her mind were spinning rapidly, desperately trying to devise a way to get the girl to leave the Clocktower again. Yes, she did see Touko as a daughter, but she was very much the kind of daughter you'd rather see and praise from a distance, a large distance. She could be very troublesome, and the fact that she was part of the Neutral Faction did not help at all.

Touko was blunt and outspoken, and had the kind of influence that could increase the current chaos in the Magus Association even more. She was also impatient, and she hated being driven into a corner. The current state of her Faction could very well prompt her to do something unwise.

That, coupled with the fact that she looked quite frustrated and stressed, meant that Inorai had to be exceedingly careful with what she said, lest she trigger some kind of rampage.

On the other hand, Touko's remark about 'a spot of bother' clearly showed she had an incomplete understanding of the situation, and as her former teacher, Inorai could not accept that.

"A spot of bother?" Inorai thus repeated incredulously, playing up the angle of a confused old woman. "To the contrary, the Democratic Faction just had a massive windfall, as our view on the Magus Association has finally been validated. It is your own faction that is in trouble currently."

"They'll manage." Touko gave a disinterested wave with her hand, her eyes locked onto Inorai's. "I don't actually care about Factions or politics right now."

"You don't?" That was news to Inorai, and while it was a relief that Touko wasn't about to make trouble to help the Neutral Faction, it did beg the question what else could have made her look so harried.

"I don't. I'm only interested in Shirou Fujimaru. The Neutrals had no information to give me, so I came here, to you, hoping you'd have more."

"I see..." So things had circled back to Fujimaru, and Inorai wondered what it was about that boy that had the Red looking so unnerved.

"Naturally, I am willing to pay for any information you can give me." Touko took off her glasses, and her expression became almost pleading. "I need to know more about him, teach."

Now Inorai truly was baffled. Touko was going as far as to plead? With her glasses removed even?

Those glasses, which were actually Mystic Eye Killers, were Touko's way of Hypnotising herself. If she wore them, she was dedicated, serious, and in complete control. If she wasn't wearing them however, she was subjective and emotional, and indeed almost unable to control herself at all.

Inorai wasn't sure which was the real Touko, but she suspected the truth was somewhere in the middle.

That Touko was willing to engage the glasses-off mode to practically beg for information was completely unexpected though. Inorai had been completely unprepared for such a thing, and in her confusion, decided to indulge the girl for now.

"Shirou Fujimaru is a 'Third-Rate' Magus from Japan, who is currently apprenticed to Lord El-Melloi II, and has been for several weeks. He has red hair and golden eyes, and is quite tall for his apparent age. He is said to be almost as powerful as the Vice-Director, despite the fact his family is unknown." Inorai started out with commonly known information, before also adding the things that had been told to her by Melvin, Eduardo, and Sofia. "Other than that, I know that he is a fundamentally kind person, who-"

"I don't care about his personality or his origins!" Touko interrupted her loudly. "I want to know about his abilities!"

"Then you should have said so." Inorai huffed, not letting herself be intimidated. "I believe it is well-known among the Clocktower that he can destroy Bounded Fields in seconds. Sofia Edelfelt believes he has a type of Mystic Eyes, and Eduardo reckons he has an aptitude for nearly all Crafts in existence. According to Melvin Weins, he has a confirmed aptitude for Storm-Craft, for Runes, and for Healing."

"Healing?" That word seemed to hit Touko like a punch to the gut. "W-What kind?"

"His Healing is of an incredibly high level. I heard it can heal just about everything except death. Why? Why is that so important to you, Touko?" Inorai asked, wondering if the girl was perhaps ill herself.

"So you have not heard the most unbelievable rumour of all?" Touko answered her question with another question, before she shook her head. "No, I don't think anyone would know. I myself only heard about it by total coincidence, because I happen to know those three girls."

"What are you talking about?"

"They said that Fujimaru changed a Dead Apostle back into a human."

Inorai's mouth fell open in shock, her pristine self-control breaking in an instant, as the entire world seemed to be turned upside down and vertigo struck her like a hammer.

"Yes, that was pretty much my reaction as well." Touko laughed, before giving Inorai a grin that was filled with both amusement and absolute terror. "Someone who can mess with Souls to such a degree is not someone I want to face. I don't know if my puppeteering has done anything to my Soul, and I do not intend to find out by getting anywhere near that monster."

"…"

"Got nothing to say, old hag?"

"…The Materialisation of the Soul." Inorai whispered. "The Third True Magic."

"Pretty much." Touko nodded, before putting her glasses back on, switching back to her controlled personality. "It seems there is a third Sorcerer on the block, besides the old vampire and my sister. Do with that what you will. If you don't have anything else to tell me, I will be leaving now. With my own Craft, I must stand out like a beacon to him, and I am not going to wait around for him to decide I annoy him enough to warrant my immediate destruction."

"Do not tell anyone else about this!" Inorai commanded her former apprentice with all the authority she could still muster. "I will look into this myself. If I discover anything, I will let you know, but don't expect miracles."

"I won't tell anyone else. I'm not that much of a fool." Touko huffed, before looking away. "And thank you, old hag. It was nice seeing you again. If you discover anything interesting, you know where to find me. One tip though, try to speak with Fiore Forvedge. She might have more to tell you about Fujimaru."

Then she disappeared out of sight, leaving Inorai alone.

Inorai barely noticed her former apprentice leaving however. She was too absorbed by what she'd just learned.

Fujimaru had changed a Dead Apostle back into a human. Essentially, he'd Resurrected someone, brought them back from the dead.

Inorai's first instinct was to deem it impossible, a lie, but that would not be true. It wasn't impossible, it was a miracle.

It was True Magic. The domain of the Third.

Shirou Fujimaru was a Sorcerer.

Then Touko was right to worry. Her own Craft, that of transferring her Soul between puppets, was something that encroached on the Third Magic, and if there was anything that both Magi and Sorcerers hated, it was amateurs who encroached on their Craft.

Did Lorelei Barthomeloi know about this? Was that why she had taken Fujimaru into her Faction, despite his utterly lacking lineage? Had she somehow managed to get herself a pet-Sorcerer?

If this got out, the status-quo wouldn't just be upturned or damaged, it would be obliterated beyond repair! Never before had a Sorcerer gotten involved with Clocktower-politics, and the consequences of that rule being broken would be disastrous.

Zelretch was a True Sorcerer, but he didn't involve himself in anything, least of all feeble politics. Aoko Aozaki was not really a Sorcerer yet, though she had the potential, and she too much preferred tending to her own matters to getting involved in someone else's problems.

Fujimaru however clearly had no problem meddling in the business of the Magus Association, and if what Touko said about him changing a Dead Apostle back into a human was true, he was more of a Sorcerer than Aoko.

All Inorai could do at this point was hope that Melvin had been correct about Fujimaru being a goodhearted person who hated needless conflict, and that Lorelei Barthomeloi had no interest in wrecking the Magus Association. Because if not, then…

It didn't even bear thinking about.

She needed to discuss this with someone. Someone wise but discrete, who would not immediately spread the word. Someone who had already proven to be able to keep secrets.

Her mind made up, Inorai cast a look around the hallway, even going as far as to use Magecraft to ensure no one had eavesdropped on them. Only then did she depart as well.

"What was Millicent thinking?!" Gladys Archibald Archisorte snarled, smacking her hand down on the table. "Did she take complete leave of her senses?!"

"Come off it, Gladys!" Reines spat, glaring at the girl who looked so much like her that she could have been her twin, if it hadn't been for the darker skin she possessed. "You knew precisely what Millicent was doing! You just couldn't be bothered to give a damn until it became a problem for you personally!"

It was the morning of the trials, and the Archibald-elders were holding a meeting. It had been quite a while since they last held one, considering nothing much had happened recently, but today, they had convened to discuss an urgent matter.

One of their own was about to be put on trial for treason, as well as numerous other crimes. Millicent Archibald had been caught consorting with the Meluastea, and there was so much evidence of her crimes that she was sure to be found guilty.

On itself, that wasn't much of a problem. None of the other Archibald-elders liked Millicent, and it was undeniable that she had in fact committed the crimes she was going to be sentenced for. However, having one of their own be convicted publicly could result in a massive loss of face for the entire family, so they needed to find a way to limit the damage.

Finding such a way was difficult however, and before long, Gladys lost her patience, throwing a small tantrum as she expressed the wish for Millicent to have been wiser. Reines wouldn't have it though, and slapped her down.

"Calm down, both of you!" Dominic Ralpha Archibald, a portly man with a double chin, snapped, his gut swaying slightly as he moved. "Arguing between ourselves solves nothing."

"I can't disagree with Gladys though." Frederique Archibald grumbled. "This should have been a joyous occasion, considering we gained back the Department of Mineralogy, but instead, we are desperate once again because Millicent let herself be tempted into joining the Meluastea, the brainless twit."

"That is why I keep saying that we should cut Millicent out of the family now. If we distance ourselves from her, we may very well be able to nullify the bad effects that her conviction might have on us." Rampusa Lopez Archibald repeated something he'd said multiple times already. "She knew the risks. Now she can pay the price for her foolishness, alone."

"Waver won't have it." Reines shot the suggestion down again, like she'd done every time before. "He is not going to abandon a family-member in trouble, even if he doesn't like them. As the lord, he has a responsibility to take care of us, even if we are idiots. That's what he said at least."

"Why are we listening to anything that fool has to say anyway?!" Frederique spluttered, clenching her frail hands.

"Because young Waver is now truly our lord and master." The ancient Chairman, oldest member of the Archibald-family and chairman of the meetings between the elders, explained calmly. "Now that he controls Mineralogy as well as Modern Magecraft Theories, it is safe to say he has gone from our figurehead to truly the most important member of the family. I am afraid we need to listen to him from now on."

"Absolutely not!" Dominic blustered, sweating profusely, though whether that was from fear or from the strain of having to move so much, no one knew. "I refuse to listen to the upstart who got Kayneth killed."

"That kind of attitude will get you into trouble soon." Reines said 'kindly', smiling brightly at the fat fool. "Waver pulled one over on us and won. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can profit from the family's new and improved standing."

In the privacy of her own mind though, Reines acknowledged that it was exceedingly unlikely that Dominic would accept the fact Waver was now above him. Gladys would accept it, eventually, the Chairman had already accepted it, and Reines was of course the first one who'd given Waver her support, but Rampusa, Dominic, and Frederique would never acknowledge Waver's new place in the hierarchy.

That was fine. Reines had kept the three of them around because she couldn't afford challenging the elders of her family while the Archibald were in such a precarious position, but as soon as Waver had solidified his hold over Mineralogy, it was time for the trio to retire early.

It was up to them whether they would enter their retirement alive or dead.

"To get back on point." The wheezing voice of the Chairman cut through her thoughts. "Young Waver will stand by Millicent, no matter what we do. I think it would be best if we support him in this. Revealing to the Clocktower that we are divided is a terrible idea after all."

"…" Rampusa looked like he wanted to argue, but after gaping like a fish for ten seconds, unable to find words, he just sneered and ran away, quickly followed by Dominic and Frederique.

Just like that, peace was restored.

"…I will support Waver in his actions then." Gladys said eventually. "As long as you can promise it won't have us end up on trial alongside Millicent."

"Thank you, Gladys." Reines grinned, before waving goodbye when the girl left as well, leaving her alone with the Chairman.

"Much has changed over the past weeks." He said once Gladys had closed the door behind her. "And I fear much more will change, not all of it for good."

"Then we will have to prepare for the worst." Reines sighed, not about to argue with a creature that was centuries older than her. "It's going to be difficult without a Crest."

"Hm." The Chairman didn't argue with that, as it was true. "We should at least make sure young Waver will remain on our side. Now that he has reclaimed Mineralogy, he might feel that his debt to us has been repaid. If that happens, we have nothing left to tie him to us."

"I'm working on it." Reines grumbled, her mood souring as the Chairman touched on a topic that was rather sensitive for her.

"Are you still trying to tempt him into marriage? How is that going?"

"…Not well."

Reines had done her best to make her interest clear, but so far, Waver had refused her every advance. Even when she told him that she was willing to share with Grey, he shook his head, if he didn't just outright ignore her.

Reines knew that he considered her to be annoying, and she knew that he just wasn't very romance focused, not to mention that he was still hung up on his Servant, but that couldn't be all. It just didn't fit.

So she'd done some digging, and eventually, she'd discovered that Waver's main reason for refusing both her and Grey was because they were too young.

Reines admitted that there was indeed an age-difference. She and Grey were both seventeen, while Waver was twenty-six. Nine years was not a negligible amount of time, especially not when one party was underage.

On the other hand, Reines was more than willing to wait until the age difference didn't matter anymore. If Waver was more comfortable with her being twenty-two or so, she'd gladly wait five years, more even, as long as she had his guarantee that he would wait for her too.

But there was no guarantee that he'd wait. Not only was the Chairman right that he might leave the Archibald-family once he considered his debt paid, there was also Marianne intruding upon Reines' territory, to say nothing of Adashino and Bazett.

She needed to pull out bigger guns, and more of them, if she wanted to be successful in her advances before Waver either left or got hitched with someone else.

"If marriage is your chosen solution to tie him down, might I offer a piece of advice?" The Chairman interrupted her thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Please be upfront about your intentions. Men like Waver Velvet don't play games of love. You would have more success if you clearly spelled out your plans and intentions than if you made the thousandth remark about how you will take him as your husband later."

"You mean…?"

"Cease with your teasing, Reines, and conduct this like a business deal from now on. When dealing with men like Waver, that is the most efficient way."

"I can never tease him again?!" Reines could scarcely think of anything worse.

"Of course you can, but only after you have reached an agreement with him." The Chairman corrected her. "Don't sell the hide before you have shot the bear, and I think it is high time you started taking the hunt seriously."

"Oh, phew." She wiped some imaginary sweat from her forehead, before she began pondering. "Alright, I'll offer it like a deal. He gets to stay part of the Archibald while I retain him and his competence. As I am clearly profiting more from that deal than he is, I'll sweeten it for him by allowing Grey into the relationship as well. I'm not clear about Marianne, but if we hash that out properly, I might be willing to think about it if that also means Waver gets control over Botany. Adashino and Bazett can be side-pieces, and Lehrman can be a concubine."

Reines muttered rapidly as she spun her plans, and the Chairman sighed in exasperation.

The modern generation really was hopeless in matters of the heart.

Then again, he didn't have any right to talk. He still hadn't been able to work up the courage to approach the lovely Mirei, even just to invite her for a cup of coffee.

Perhaps he too was hopeless when it came to love…

Inside the Emiya-estate, Ayako and Sakura were wrapped up in an important discussion, even if one might not immediately conclude that from the way they looked at the moment.

Both of them were clad in nothing but their panties and a shirt, the latter actually belonging to Shirou, who had left them behind when going to London. These shirts were long enough to fall below their hips when they were standing, but if they sat down or bent over, it would become clear immediately that they only wore panties underneath it.

As they were the only ones present in the house however, neither girl had any issue with that.

Currently, Ayako was sitting on the couch, leaning against the backrest as she watched the news on the television. Her shirt had crept up a bit, enough that her legs were bare in their entirety and a hint of red cloth was poking out from underneath.

In the meantime, Sakura had laid herself down on that very same couch, resulting in her equally bare legs lying across those of Ayako. In other words, Sakura's thighs were lying on top of Ayako's thighs, and both girls were very happy with that situation.

The only thing missing was Shirou. He might have been away for more than a month already, but his absence was still extremely noticeable in the house. Both girls wanted him home already, and they were counting down the days until he would come back to Japan.

Fortunately, it was now known when he would come home. As Shirou still called them every day, they were well aware of everything that was happening in the Clocktower. They knew about the purge of the three departments, they knew about the trials, and they knew about the schedule that Shirou had been given by Lady Montmorency.

Just two more weeks, and they would be able to hug their boyfriend again. Just a little bit longer now, and the ordeal would be over.

Though it would by no means be the end of it.

"I can't believe the Vice-Director made Senpai promise to come back regularly so they can experiment on him." Sakura grumbled, her face set in a thunderous expression. "So typical of those Magi."

"Well, Shirou did do some things that were supposed to be impossible, so I sort of get why she demanded such a thing." Ayako sighed, before she tenderly stroked Sakura's thigh with a finger. "There, there."

"He better not be gone for more than a month again." The plum-haired girl muttered, enjoying the ministrations of her girlfriend, her expression mellowing. "I have to draw a line somewhere."

"Definitely." Ayako agreed, pinching Sakura's thigh with her thumb and index finger. "I don't want to nag, but neither do I want to have our boyfriend spend most of his time on the other side of the world."

"Yes, exactly that!" Sakura pointed at Ayako, before clenching her fists. "I don't want us to become like those anime-wives who raise their children alone and keep saying their husbands are working abroad. That's such a stupid plot device."

"I completely agree with you. It's stupid, convoluted, and plain weird honestly." Ayako nodded, grabbing a handful of Sakura's plump thigh and squeezing tightly, enjoying its softness between her fingers. "Their husbands are never present, they never even mention them, yet when a super kind and charming man appears, who is like an actual father to their children, they mutter about how they're married and stuff."

"Are you thinking about All Might and Inko Midoriya?" Sakura asked, before smiling when Ayako nodded fervently. "Yeah, it's pretty maddening, especially since her husband never appears."

"They didn't even need to cut out Izuku's father!" Ayako's voice rose in passion, causing Sakura to laugh out loud. "They could have just kept him in, and nothing would have changed. Or they could have just killed him, instead of this half-hearted 'working overseas'-nonsense."

"Though that is just fiction, determined by the writer, who has absolute power. On the other hand, we have to make sure ourselves that it doesn't actually happen to us." Sakura rose up to pat Ayako's head, before lying back down again. "We'll have to tell Senpai that we don't want him to stay away for too long."

"Unless it is absolutely required of course." Ayako allowed, before grabbing Sakura's thigh with both hands to firmly massage it. "But even that has limits. He is our boyfriend, so I want him to be with us for at least ten months of the year."

"Or we could come with him next time he leaves for another country." Sakura suggested, her toes curling involuntarily when Ayako's nails ghosted over the inside of her upper thigh. "That way, we can be with him all the time."

"That is a good idea, though we'll also have to ensure we don't cling too much." Ayako argued, deliberately letting her nails stroke over the inside of Sakura's thigh some more to elicit another cute reaction. "I mean, we don't want it to look like we suspect him of cheating."

"Senpai would never cheat. He is avoiding it so hard that he even reports back to us about everything that happens to him that could be vaguely related to cheating." Sakura's eyes glimmered in amusement, making the brunette's heart beat faster. "Though I must say I enjoyed the story about how the Vice-Director accidentally flashed him."

"Oh yes, that was hilarious." Ayako grinned, remembering how they'd made Shirou tell them every detail of that incident, down to the Vice-Director's choice of underwear. "I do like stern, powerful women who are also sexy."

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Sakura nodded. "The lacy black panties were also a nice touch. Maybe we should consider buying some of those as well."

"I don't know." Ayako mused, before lifting Sakura's shirt and taking a look at the underwear she was wearing. "I really like purple as well."

"Purple lacy panties then." Sakura amended. "And red ones for you, so we can give Senpai a heart-attack when he gets back."

"Going from the hot Vice-Director to his hot girlfriends. That sounds like Shirou will have nothing to complain about." Ayako's grin showed nothing but complete confidence in her own beauty. "Might convince him to stick around a bit more too."

"Oh, the Vice-Director is hot, is she?" Sakura asked teasingly.

"I mean, Shirou did manage to send us a picture of her." Ayako held up her phone, on which a pretty good image of the Vice-Director in her normal state of dress was visible. "So yeah, I can say with full confidence she's hot."

"Even hotter when wearing a shirt and a skirt." Sakura grinned, lifting up her own phone, on which a picture of the woman in her purge-outfit could be seen. "Tell me, after you saw these images and Senpai told you about the skirt-incident, did you imagine anything naughty? I certainly did."

"Oh? What did you imagine?"

"I asked first."

"Fine." Ayako sighed, before smiling pervertedly. "I imagined the Vice-Director wearing nothing but that skirt while bent over a desk."

"Nothing else? Not even the famous lacy black panties?"

"Fine, they can be around her ankles."

"How wonderful!"

"What about you?"

"Something similar, though she was only wearing the shirt instead of the skirt, and the panties of course, and she would be sitting on my lap."

"She's a lot taller than you though."

"So? I like tall women, especially if they have a big butt."

"You're right, her being tall only makes it sexier." Ayako nodded, before both girls fell silent. After a few seconds though, they burst out in laughter, giggling hysterically at their own thoughts.

"Good Heavens, I'm glad we are alone." Sakura snickered after a minute after their laughter died down again. "Can you imagine how Nee-san would have reacted if she'd heard us? Talking about the Vice-Director like that?"

"She'd be scandalised, though also tentatively interested." Ayako replied, wiping away a tear. "A more important question is what Shirou would have thought of our discussion."

"Oh, that is harder to guess." Sakura scratched her temple in thought, but ultimately came up blank. "I don't know. I guess there's only one thing to do."

"Repeat our discussion when he's back?"

"Precisely."

That prompted another round of laughter from the girls, as they tried to imagine how their prim and proper boyfriend would react to the Vice-Director of the Clocktower being the subject of their perverted discussions.

Eventually, the laughter died down again, and then Ayako's eyes turned hard.

"Sakura, what do you think about the Paris-case?"

The sudden shift in subject sobered the plum-haired girl up immediately, and she looked at her girlfriend in askance.

"I mean, if what Kuzuki-Sensei said is true, and his case will never be solved, then certainly we cannot just stand by and do nothing." Ayako argued carefully, not sounding entirely convinced of her own words, yet unwilling to stop. "I mean, Shirou would never have let that happen. We have to do something to catch the murderer like he would, or we can't call ourselves his girlfriends."

"I don't disagree with you. I want to do something too." Sakura admitted, removing her legs from Ayako's lap and sitting up straight next to her. "But I am unsure what we can do. We are not Senpai, Ayako."

"No, of course not." Ayako nodded, rubbing the back of her head in a very Shirou-like motion. "We don't have all the cool powers that allow him to fight criminals on his own. But even so, I don't want to use that as an excuse to do nothing."

"Can you really call it an excuse when it's a perfectly valid reason?" Sakura deadpanned with a metaphorical sweat drop appearing on her temple. "Without Senpai's knowledge and abilities, we are completely stuck. I mean, we don't even know where to start looking for clues."

"You see, that's the thing. I do know of a possible clue." Ayako admitted suddenly, and Sakura turned to face her in surprise. "I have met Carlton Paris before, at a big fundraising event at the town's hall."

"You did?"

The brunette nodded.

"Why didn't you tell that to the police?"

"Because I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to look like a fool if I was wrong." Ayako said, her voice tinted with frustration. "But the more I think about it, the more I am convinced it was indeed him. You have to believe me."

"Of course I believe you, that goes without saying." Sakura tenderly bonked her head against Ayako's in a gesture of affection. "What happened that day?"

"My father had been invited to this big fundraiser, and he had to take mom, and since they couldn't arrange a baby-sitter, Minori and I had to come along too." Ayako explained.

"And that's where you met Carlton Paris?"

"He was with judge Koyama Junko, as her date for the evening." Ayako scrounged her face as she thought deeply, trying to dig up as many details as she could. "I remember because she was an extremely impressive woman, and he was black-skinned, which I had never seen before."

"How long ago was this?"

"I don't know, a few years maybe. I'd have to ask my parents."

"Please do that." Sakura made the request urgently. "If it really is the same Carlton Paris, then we might have a lead for our investigation."

"So you want to investigate too?" Ayako asked hopefully.

"I am willing to give it a try." Sakura nodded. "Though I cannot guarantee that we will succeed, or even get anywhere at all."

"I know." Ayako had already accounted for that when she started their discussion. "But we have to make the attempt at least."

"Naturally." Sakura agreed wholeheartedly. "And besides, even if we don't get anywhere, Senpai will be back in two weeks, so he can help us then."

"…" Ayako pursed her lips at Sakura's words, before she looked away shyly. "I'd, ah, I'd prefer it though if we could solve it ourselves."

"Ah." Sakura smirked at her girlfriend, who turned red in response. "Feeling a little proud, are we?"

"…Maybe?"

"Well, alright, let's try to solve it before Senpai gets back." The plum-haired girl then placed a finger against her lip in thought. "Should we ask Nee-san to join the investigation? It's always better to have more people, and her Magecraft might come in handy."

"Do you really think she would agree?"

"We can always try." Sakura shrugged, before she rose from the couch. "But that's enough about Carlton Paris. We will talk with your parents and Nee-san tomorrow. For the rest of the evening, there's something else I want you to do."

"Oh? What would that be?"

Sakura smirked as she went to stand before Ayako, before she bent down, placed her hands on the brunette's shoulders, and brought their faces close together.

"Kiss me."

It was a command Ayako eagerly complied with.

Gideon woke up feeling supremely satisfied.

Still a bit drowsy, he looked around, registering that the sun had already risen above the horizon, and that he had neglected to close the curtains the previous evening, meaning that his room was now fully lit.

The room itself was the bedroom of his apartment in London, where he slept when he was between missions. It wasn't a luxurious apartment, but since Gideon usually worked abroad for the better part of the year, he found it more important that the bathroom was functional and the bed was soft than that he had a lot of expensive stuff.

This apartment ticked both boxes, so he was content.

What truly made him feel satisfied however was not something that had come with the apartment, but something he'd taken with him the previous evening. Something that had made that evening most enjoyable indeed.

That something was his girlfriend, Rit, who was lying flush against him at the moment, completely naked, just like Gideon himself, allowing him to feel every curve and slope of her divine body.

From what he could see, she was still asleep, her adorable face completely relaxed and her breathing soft and steady. Her head was lying on his shoulder, so her breath tickled Gideon's neck, a feeling he quite liked.

She should be waking up soon though, as they hadn't gone to bed very late the previous evening. They'd gone out for dinner together, after which they'd returned to Gideon's apartment, where Rit had taken a shower before they both went to bed.

Of course, the fact that she had emerged from the bathroom as naked as the day she was born, with her eyes hooded and full of desire, meant that going to bed didn't mean they went to sleep immediately. On the contrary, they'd remained quite busy for a while.

To put it bluntly, they'd had sex.

It was hardly the first time, or the tenth, or even the hundredth, but it still felt as amazing as the first time, or rather, better, since they actually knew what they were doing now.

Alas, they'd been quite tired after a busy day, so they both conked right out after less than an hour. Neither of them had woken up after that, up until Gideon had been roused by the sun.

Rit awoke only ten minutes after Gideon did. She opened her eyes, blinked blaringly several times to get used to the light, and then focused on her boyfriend's face. As soon as she realised what she was looking at, she smiled brightly.

"Good morning." She chirped, with not a trace of drowsiness in her voice. "Did you sleep well?"

"I certainly did." Gideon smiled back, also fully awake.

"Was it because of me?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I also slept well because of you." Her voice was as sweet as honey as she dealt the critical blow to his heart.

Gods, did he love this woman.

They tenderly pressed their foreheads together, though they didn't kiss yet. Kissing while you were still suffering from morning breath wouldn't make anyone happy after all. Kissing could come after they had drunk some water and brushed their teeth.

"The trials are today, aren't they?" Rit asked, slowly letting her hand slide up and down over Gideon's abs a few times. "Of the Meluastea, I mean."

"They are." Gideon nodded, retaliating by gently squeezing her firm butt. "Do you want to attend them?"

"No." Rit was entirely honest and upfront about her intentions, and Gideon almost laughed out loud at the blasé answer. "I don't particularly like seeing Magi squeal. It's distasteful."

"Hm, right you are." After almost thirty years of living, Gideon no longer had any illusions about Magi being 'great', 'always in control', or 'beyond reproach', but that didn't mean he liked to watch as one broke down when they were sentenced to death. He didn't take pleasure in misery at all, nor did anyone else in his team. "In that case, let's go to the zoo today instead."

"Excellent idea!" Rit agreed wholeheartedly, sitting up in bed, her full breasts swaying slightly from the motion as she didn't cover them at all. "It's been quite some time, and I heard several animals have had babies."

"…Yes." Gideon agreed, not bothering to hide his staring at those divine boobs. "Yes, I'm sure it will be great."

"Hehe! Then I'll go and prepare for a day out." Rit swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Then, she took the time to thoroughly stretch her muscles, giving Gideon numerous long seconds to study her backside in detail, before she walked into the bathroom, injecting such a swing into her hips that it had to be on purpose.

Gideon was almost disappointed when the door closed behind her, but since there would be plenty of opportunities in the future to study her entire body in great detail again, he quickly got over it.

Then his phone rang.

Frowning at the unexpected noise, Gideon scooted over on the bed until he could grab the phone, which was lying on the side table.

"Gideon speaking. Who is this?"

"Gideon!" The person on the other side of the line cried enthusiastically, and Gideon recognised the voice a second later. "You old witch! How are you doing?"

"Jonah." Gideon greeted back, certain that it was indeed Jonah, both because of the voice and because Jonah was the only one who ever addressed him as 'witch'. "What do you want?"

"Getting down to business immediately? Can't you ask me how I'm doing first?" 

"How are you doing, Jonah?" Gideon asked, his voice deadpan. "And how is Mira doing?"

"We're doing great, thank you!" If Jonah had noticed Gideon's exasperation, he made no mention of it, and his voice remained enthusiastic. "How about you? How have you been holding up? How's the team?"

"Everyone is doing well. We just finished a mission, got paid, and now we're taking a short break before going back to work." Gideon replied, somewhat eager to get the small talk over with. He didn't want to be rude, but he already had something planned for the day. "Can we now get to business?"

"Absolutely. To put it simply, I need a favour." Jonah didn't beat around the bush anymore. "Not a hard one though. I just need you and the rest of your team to pretend over the coming months that you don't know me and Mira. If you see us, just keep walking, that's all I want." 

"Are we going to meet somewhere?" Gideon asked with a frown. It would not be difficult to pretend he didn't know Jonah and Mira, and his team wouldn't have an issue with it, but he did wonder what the other man was planning for such a thing to be necessary.

"We're coming to the Clocktower." Jonah told him, and Gideon froze in shock. "Please don't ask for more details. It's Church business."

"You want me to stay silent while you infiltrate the Clocktower?" Gideon couldn't believe his ears. Yes, there were Church-spies in the Clocktower, everyone knew that, but those were Magi who had been bribed at some point. It was unheard of for Executors, the warriors of the Church, to try and sneak into the Magus Association themselves.

"While who infiltrates the Clocktower?" Having emerged from the bathroom a moment ago, freshed up but still completely naked, Rit leaned against Gideon's back, but even the feeling of her breasts couldn't distract him from Jonah's sudden request.

"Is that Rit?" Rit's voice must have carried across very well, for Jonah both heard and recognised her instantly. "Hello, Rit, it's me, Jonah!"

"Jonah!" Rit cried happily, leaning forward even more, wrapping her arms around Gideon's chest for stability. "Are you really going to infiltrate the Clocktower?"

"That's the plan, if you can get your boytoy to agree to pretend you guys don't know me or Mira." Jonah replied. "There's some stuff going on with the Dead Apostle Ancestors and we're pretty sure your Association is involved somehow, and me and my team need to check it out. We were all ready to go and pretend we were witches, but then I remembered you guys could very well blow our cover, so I called ahead."

"The Dead Apostle Ancestors?!" Gideon spluttered, his heartrate skyrocketing. "What on Earth-?!"

"Like I said, don't ask me for details." Jonah cut him off. "Just let us deal with it, okay?"

"Even if you say that…" Gideon muttered.

"Things are rather chaotic at the Clocktower right now though." Rit warned, her pale face showing that she had been very shocked by the mention of the vampire lords as well. "Won't that be a problem?"

"Not at all. In fact, it may work to our advantage. Don't worry, we have everything arranged, we only need you lot to stay mum."

"Well, I have no problem staying silent." Rit grinned, before slyly making her way around Gideon, perching herself in his lap while facing him, and pulling his face into her breasts. "And neither does Gideon, right, dear?"

"…No problem at all." Gideon squeaked.

"Great! Thank you very much, Rit. I owe you." 

"If you have time, please come 'meet' us." Rit chirped.

"We will. Thank you too, Gideon, even if you only agreed because of Rit's boobs."

"Urgh!" Gideon flinched at being seen through so easily, before composing himself. "Ahem, that is, I look forward to seeing you again."

"Seeing them for the first time, you mean." Rit corrected him.

"Yes, for the first time."

"Thank you again. Okay, gotta run now, bye bye."

"Bye." Rit made a cute little handwave even though Jonah couldn't see her.

"Be well, Jonah, and take care." Gideon said, before the line went dead.

The black-haired Enforcer placed the phone aside, before looking back at his girlfriend.

"I suppose we'll have to tell the rest of our team as well." He remarked, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"Definitely." Rit agreed, before hesitating for a moment. "Is that enough though?"

"What do you mean?" Gideon asked, not sure what else they could be doing.

"Well, don't you think we should help Jonah?" Rit pressed the tips of her index fingers together, looking down as she made her case.

"Help them?"

"The Dead Apostle Ancestors are serious business, Gideon." Rit said, reflexively looking around to check whether there were any bloodsuckers hiding in their room at that moment. "I know the Church and the Magus Association don't get along, but we need to work together in the face of such foes."

"You are correct of course." Gideon nodded, already convinced. He too knew how terrible the vampire lords could be, and how important it was to accept any allies you could find in the battle against them. "Do you have any suggestions on what we could do to help?"

"I think we should discuss that with the entire team. We shouldn't be making decisions on behalf of the others without consulting them." Rit said, before she looked down. "Besides, there's something else that demands my immediate attention right now."

Gideon was confused for about two seconds, before he realised what she meant, and he felt himself blush heavily. She was still sitting in his lap after all, and since they were both naked, little Gideon appreciated her presence very much indeed.

"Ah, Rit…"

"Why don't you take your turn in the bathroom now, to freshen up? When you're done, we can take care of the little issue down there." Rit gave him a salacious grin, before looking down again. "Or the big issue, rather."

Gideon stared at her for a moment longer, still blushing, but then he composed himself, shaking off the confusion. He was a grown man, and he wasn't about to be embarrassed because his girlfriend was looking at his manhood. Once he was in control again, he calmly lifted Rit off his lap and rose from the bed.

Then he gave her butt a good smack as revenge, ignored her shocked squawk, and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

He didn't take long to freshen up, ten to fifteen minutes or so, and then he emerged from the bathroom again, ready to take on the day.

Only to be greeted with the sight of Rit's bare butt poking into the air, as the girl was sitting on the bed on her hands and knees, turned away from him, as she searched for something behind the bed.

It was such an inviting sight that Gideon couldn't resist giving her bottom another smack, and he didn't regret it for one moment, not even when Rit turned around with a very scary expression on her face.

Ultimately, the two had to take another shower before they could leave the apartment, which was well over an hour later.

It didn't escape Gideon's attention though that Rit never resumed the search behind the bed for what she had supposedly lost, and when he checked himself that evening, there was nothing there.

There, that should do it for today. 

So, this is a really big chapter, in which a whole lot of stuff happens. 

Osaki and Yomaura search Paris' house, and they find out that he was a gigolo, and a very good one. I do not know if it is really possible for a gigolo to earn that much, so maybe you should see him as more of a sugar baby for a lot of different sugar mommies, who all want to spoil him. It isn't the life I would choose, but each to their own and all that. 

Shirou and Illya also reunite, and they talk about various subjects as they each try to get a feel for what the other is like. Maybe you felt it was a little awkward, but that's the two of them getting used to each other. 

They also talk about giving Waver something in return for his help, and to repay him for what Kiritsugu did. Fortunately, paying off his debt won't be very difficult with the riches Shirou has at his disposal now. 

Shirou also gets a lesson in politics from Lady M, and he immediately applies it against Sofia Edelfelt and Eduardo di Stanza, while eating his breakfast. His meeting with the ladies B and M will be next chapter. 

For the Enforcers, we have Gideon and his team making sure Sisigou doesn't go for Darnic Prestone's offer, saving him from joining the Yggdmillennia. At the end, there is one more scene of Gideon and Rit being boyfriend and girlfriend, before they are called by Jonah. Do you guys remember Jonah? He is part of Kayla's team, who are going to infiltrate the Clocktower in order to find the minions of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, like you saw for yourselves in this chapter. 

We also know though that Trhvmn is going to send more minions to the Clocktower, so in other words, it becomes a game of cat and mouse between the King of the Dead Apostle Ancestors and a bunch of Executors undercover in the Clocktower. I don't know how many words I am going to spend on that, but I will at least make some passing mentions of it. 

About Trhvmn, I hope I presented him well. I had to take many liberties with his personality, as little is known about him. His two servants by the way are OCs, made by me. The real 22 and 25 are dead or Sealed away in canon. 

Trhvmn succeeds in getting his alliance with Altrouge, only to be surprised by the fact that Primate Murder is afraid of something. That something is Shirou, or at least, the Divinity that he is pumping into the World again. Don't forget, Asgardians are not human or any other sort of primate, so Primate Murder is very weak against them. 

The Neutral Faction and the Democratic Faction both have meetings to discuss the recent developments. Maybe the Aristocratic Faction will also have a meeting next chapter, but I'd have to see if that has any added value. 

I knew that mentioning the Phamrsolones meant that I had to include Ophelia as well, so hereby. I decided to go the route of Magus-parents who do genuinely love their daughter (or at least feel a twisted version of it) but because they are messed up in the head, that love means they are torturing her to make her strong. Basically, the overly pushy helicopter-parent trope taken to eleven. 

Some of you already mentioned wanting to see Touko Aozaki, and here she is, but she isn't going to stay. Her puppet-craft is an approximation of the Third True Magic after all, and she doesn't want to find out whether a True Wielder of the Third would be insulted by her paltry attempts at copying their Sorcery. She might approach Shirou later, but only when she is sure he won't hold a grudge against her. 

And no, Shirou cannot actually use the Third Magic, he is still using the Mysterious Power, which is the Odin Force. 

I hope you enjoyed it. I'll see you next time, and no, I don't know how long that will take.

Omake

When Waver found that Iskandar's artefact had been stolen, he wasted no time in pursuing the thief. The invitation for the Mystic Eye Collection Train that had been left at the spot where the artefact used to be was a good clue, and before long, Waver was onboard said train, together with Grey and Caules.

Of course, Waver had seen immediately that Caules wasn't actually Caules, but he'd pretended to be ignorant so far, curious what the pretender was up to.

Then they met Servant Faker.

"I really find myself hating you." The woman spat, drawing her sword and making to stab it right through him. "All that fascination and loyalty to a man long dead. Why don't you have an original thought for once!"

"I simply consider him to be worthy of my loyalty, even in death." Waver huffed, before batting the sword aside with the back of his hand. "And you won't change that."

Then he punched her so hard the stomach she was launched off the train entirely, while Grey gave him a cute little cheer.

The Caules-pretender was sweating though, and Waver discreetly enjoyed how the figure's plans were clearly falling apart at the seams.

"Get him!" Altrouge Brunestud screamed shrilly, pointing at Waver with immense urgence. "Tear him apart!"

Primate Murder immediately made to follow her instructions, rushing at Waver with its mouth wide open, to bite him in half, and Waver braced himself.

"Bad dog!" He shouted, before smacking the Beast right on the jaw, sending it careening onto the ground.

Then, Waver seized it by the scruff of its neck, and pressed it down, like it was a normal dog that needed to learn manners.

Primate Murder roared and screamed and twisted, but Waver held on, easily withstanding its attacks, until it became exhausted. He slammed it against the ground once more, just to be sure, and then he let go of it.

It did not try to get up again.

"No!" Altrouge Brunestud screamed, rushing forward with her claws outstretched. "I'll kill you!"

Then Waver grabbed her at the scruff of her neck, easily holding her at arm's length.

"What works for the pet seems to work for the Master as well." He remarked, enjoying how Altrouge became a furious red.

"I do not think it in any way appropriate for a single man to control so much of the Clocktower!" Mario Brishisan spat out from between gritted teeth. "It is dangerous, not to mention it goes against many ancient traditions."

"If you have a problem with a single person ruling multiple departments, you should have spoken up when Stanley Meluastea claimed Mineralogy in addition to Archaeology." Adashino smiled beautifully from where she stood next to Waver's chair. "Since you didn't, your complaints ring hollow, lord Brishisan."

Waver kept his expression perfectly neutral, but he gave a grateful nod to Adashino for her rebuttal.

They were in the middle of a conference between the Ruling Families of the Clocktower, and both the Neutrals and the Democrats seemed to have it out for Waver.

It was hardly surprising. After all, Waver controlled three departments at the moment, Modern Magecraft Theory, Mineralogy, and Botany, which was sure to make anyone nervous or jealous, especially his opponents.

Sure, Reines might sit in the chair reserved for the head of Mineralogy, and Marianne held the seat of the ruler of Botany, but there was no one present who didn't know that they answered to Waver in the end.

The glares he received from his opponents were burning in their intensity, and it was only his recent power-up at Fujimaru's hands and the presence of Bazett and Adashino on either side of him that allowed him to keep his cool.

Not that anyone noticed his nervousness. To all outside eyes, Waver was unshakable, indominable even, looking on coldly as his enemies desperately tried to hurt him in some way, only to fail miserably.

Sat in his throne-like chair, with two beauties on either side and two other Department-heads under his direct control, with an expression that could only be described as regal, Waver almost looked like a king.

Not that he would ever acknowledge that himself of course.

"I think the conference went rather well, all things considered." Adashino smiled, calmly milling about in Waver's office, doing nothing in particular. "Wouldn't you say, Marianne, Bazett?"

"Definitely, Hishiri, definitely." The blonde agreed as she meticulously ordered the files in the lowest drawer of a file-cabinet.

"Even I could see that Lord El-Melloi easily dominated the conference." Bazett laughed, standing guard next to Waver, as always.

"I am glad you agree." Adashino's smile was positively glowing. "And would you say that the three of us made our own contributions to the conference?"

"I did my very best." Marianne said, turning her head slightly to look at the others.

"So did I." Bazett nodded.

"And I as well." Adashino purred, before her lovely smile turned a tad devious and she turned to Waver, who was sitting in his chair with his eyes closed. "Yet our beloved lord refuses to even look at us. What have we done wrong, my lord, that you turn your eyes away from us?"

"You know perfectly well why I am not looking at you." Waver snapped, still keeping his eyes closed, as he knew perfectly well what he'd see if he opened them.

Adashino was wearing a kimono, as always, though this particular one was different from the ones she normally wore. This kimono was transparent and entirely see-through, which made it very obvious that she wasn't wearing a single thing underneath it as she sauntered around his office, making absolutely no attempt to cover herself.

In the meantime, Marianne wore a set of green lingerie coupled with stockings, a garter belt, and nothing else, accentuating how good it looked on her butt by bending over the entire time.

Even Bazett was in on it, wearing thigh-high boots, a set of small white panties, a corresponding small white bra, and white detached sleeves connecting to a collar around her neck. She stood at attention next to Waver, her back straight and her breast pushed out. It was a very erotic picture, that nevertheless still gave off a martial air.

Now, did Waver think they all looked beautiful?

Yes, certainly.

Did he want to look?

Yes, definitely.

Was he going to look?

Not if he could prevent it. They would surely tease him without end if he looked, and he'd rather avoid that.

It had turned into a battle of will and patience, and unfortunately for Waver, the women had more than enough of both.

In the end, he managed to hold himself back for an extremely impressive twenty minutes, and then his eyes opened anyway.

In the end, the sight turned out to be more than worth the teasing.

"Die, mongrel!" The golden Archer roared, firing off Noble Phantasm after Noble Phantasm at Waver, his face twisted into an expression of hate. "You will die like your king!"

His words inflamed Waver's own hate, and he continued his approach, dodging every Noble Phantasm as he ran towards the golden demon.

"Impertinent runt!" Gilgamesh was so infuriated by this that he actually used a different swearword than 'mongrel', something that was almost a victory on its own, but Waver continued running closer and closer. "Don't think close range is safe for you!"

The rain of Noble Phantasm ceased falling, and when Waver came within arm's length, Gilgamesh swung a fist with enough strength to knock over a tank.

Waver dodged the blow, and stepped forward to tightly grasp the Servant's middle.

"How dare you touch me-?!"

Then Waver took a page out of Luviagelita's book, and supplexed Gilgamesh, ramming him head first into the unforgiving ground, burying him up to his middle.

It felt so incredibly good!