It was a surprisingly strong reaction, and it remained quiet for a moment in the wake of it, as Shirou blinked owlishly at Rin, who seemed to be towering over him despite the fact they were both still kneeling at the dining table.
"…To let them know that I am coming?" The redhead replied after the moment had passed, wondering what he'd done wrong this time. "I thought that was the rule? To inform the Second Owner of your coming before you enter their territory?"
That rule was the whole reason they'd been able to legally kick out those Edelfelt-mercenaries after all. They had entered Fuyuki without Rin's permission, and as a result, she had been allowed to legally detain and expel them.
Now, Rin was many things, not all of them good, but she was not someone who'd break rules for the fun of it. Especially not rules she herself profited from. She was no hypocrite.
There had to be something else behind her sudden displeasure with him.
"Of course you should let the Second Owner of Misaki Town know that you are coming." Rin agreed with a huff, as if that was obvious. "You shouldn't do it by telephone though. You should send them a letter."
"I'm pretty sure the Tohno-family has a phone." Shirou argued, as most Magus-families these days did possess at least some forms of technology. Even the Tohsaka, which were the most traditional family Shirou had ever encountered, had had a telephone installed decades before.
"It's not about whether they have a phone."
"Then what is it about? Why can't I just call them?"
"Because if you call them to let them know you are coming, they can refuse to allow you entrance into their city." Rin explained slowly, as if to a child. "But if you send a letter just before leaving, they won't have any time to do that."
It was a surprising reason, and Shirou made to reply, but then Rin lifted a single finger while placing the other hand on her side, signalling she was about to give him one of her famous lectures.
The redhead, who had been trained quite well by now by the black-haired girl, could only fall silent in the face of that pose.
"The rule about informing Second Owners of your coming is a bit nebulous in its phrasing." She began, adopting her teacher-voice. "While it's considered polite to send the missive and wait for a positive reply before entering the territory, it doesn't say anywhere that a positive reply is mandatory. A negative reply bars you access, but the lack of a reply is the same as receiving permission to enter."
"So?"
"So you should send them a letter the day before you depart. They'll receive it just in time for your arrival, but they won't have time to formulate a reply, negative or positive. That way, you are guaranteed entry without breaking any laws."
Rin presented him with a loophole in the rule with all the smiling elegance of a noble lady holding a lecture about her favourite rose, and Shirou wondered if that brazen disregard for the spirit of the law was something she'd picked up from him or something she'd had inside of her all along.
A bit of both, probably.
But while her loophole was simple and most likely also effective, Shirou had to wonder if it was the best option for the current situation.
"I can't imagine the Tohno will be very pleased if I do that." He argued, a bit reluctant to unnecessarily sour his relationship with a whole Magus-family. "Do you really think they'll refuse me access to their territory if I call them and ask?"
"Yes." Rin's reply was clearcut however, not a trace of hesitation to be found in her voice. "If only because your request is so late in advance."
That, Shirou couldn't deny. If he were to pick up the phone right this moment, he would have to ask the Tohno for permission to enter Misaki Town only three days from now.
And like Rin said, that probably was too short notice for any Magus-family to be remotely happy with.
"If you manage to get inside their territory before they can refuse you however, they cannot just kick you out again. Not without good cause." Rin continued, her idol smile turning a bit devious. "You might bruise a few egos by disregarding their authority like that, but knowing you, that is a price you are willing to pay."
"You are right of course." Shirou inclined his head, recognising she was completely correct. As always, Rin had completely thought things through, and he was wrong to have ever doubted her.
"Aren't I always?" She huffed, raising her head so she could look down her nose at him. "I would have thought you'd know that by now. You must be even more of an idiot that I realised, Shirou. You better be grateful that you have me-"
That was as far as she came before he took her by the shoulders and pulled her close to him, giving her a deep and grateful kiss.
One of his arms went around her back, to keep her in place, while his other hand sneaked downwards, sliding under the hem of her skirt and going upwards, where he could trace his nails over the upper part of her thigh.
"Hm? Hmmm." Rin had been taken by surprise at first, but it barely took a moment for her to relax into the kiss, wrapping her arms around him in turn.
As always, it was very nice to kiss her, to feel her soft lips, but Shirou had to break it off soon, before they got too hot and bothered to stop.
There was more to discuss after all, and with a timetable as short as theirs, business unfortunately had to come before pleasure.
"Phew." Rin let out a soft sigh after he let her go, turning around in a futile attempt to hide her bright red cheeks, trying to clandestinely wave herself some cool air with her hands.
It was absolutely adorable, and Shirou couldn't help but laugh even as he rubbed his own white-hot cheeks in an attempt to lower his blush.
Of course, laughing at a Tsundere was dangerous, but it seemed his ministrations had gotten him enough goodwill for her to pretend she didn't hear it.
"Ahem, let us continue." She told him when she turned around again, with a voice that was a delightful mixture of strength and shyness. "What was your plan again?"
"I will leave for Misaki Town in three days." He said, placing his already purchased train ticket on the table. "Once I arrive, I'll do my best to find whatever or whoever Nasu wants me to find."
He had no idea what his target looked like or smelled like, or even whether it would be in human form or something else entirely, but like he said, he'd do his best.
"Nasu sounded pretty confident that you'd succeed." Rin said, tracing a finger over the ticket in a way that, to Shirou eyes, was unfairly erotic. "I don't think he'd sent you on a wild goose chase."
"I don't think so either." Shirou agreed, forcing his eyes away from the black-haired girl's fingers, and her lips, and her thighs, and her… her everything. "Finding the Dead Apostles will probably be the bigger challenge."
"You're still going to look for them? Despite Nasu-sama's assurances?"
"Well, I can't not look for them, you know." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck in agitation. "Not if they might hurt people."
On one hand, he did want to follow Nasu's instructions. The alien god had done him a massive favour, one he could never repay, and he did believe the Watcher when he said that the Ancestors would be vanquished even without Shirou's interference.
On the other hand, there was no telling how long it would take before the Ancestors were indeed vanquished, and as a result, there was no telling how many people would be killed by those monsters in the meantime.
Ignoring people's suffering was not something he could ever do, even if Nasu asked it of him.
Something that Rin understood perfectly well.
"Perhaps I can suggest a compromise then?" The black-haired girl proposed.
"Please do." Shirou nodded gratefully.
Rin was a very bright person after all. He might have her beat at sheer memorisation and computing power, but she was far better than him at plotting, scheming, and rule abusing. She had a very practical mindset, and a brain that was always searching for ways to turn situations to her advantage.
It was that she also had a conscience, or she would have been a terrifying Magus, one he would have been hard-pressed to defeat.
"My idea is simple. Don't go looking for the Ancestors." She said, before holding up a finger to stave off any protests from him. "Don't go looking for them! Nasu-sama clearly said you shouldn't involve yourself in their business, so you shouldn't."
"…Alright." Shirou agreed slowly, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"However, that doesn't exactly apply if they decide to involve you."
"If they… involve me?"
"When you are in Misaki Town, you must focus solely on your own mission. The fate of the world is at stake after all." She dictated seriously, before she smiled slightly, winking conspiratorially at him. "At the same time, it would be unrealistic to expect you not to defend yourself. If the Ancestors were to attack you themselves, without any provocation, I imagine it is only natural that you strike back as hard as you can."
"Only natural indeed." Shirou agreed, smiling himself as he understood where she was going with this.
"I would hardly be your fault if you were just walking through the city, only to coincidentally find yourself in a place they were about to attack." Rin continued, still smiling meaningfully. "The Ancestors are such sneaky monsters. There's just no way to predict what they'll do. It's not like you have very strong senses that might tell you where they are holing up, so if you accidentally stumble upon them..."
"Then it would hardly be my fault if I ended up killing them." Shirou nodded strongly, perhaps exaggeratedly so. "You are entirely correct."
"Splendid! Then that is settled." Rin grinned, giving him a slight nudge, clearly very much enjoying the situation. "Now, what about the Second Owner? Have you prepared your apology yet?"
"Ah?" The change in subject sobered Shirou up quickly, as he had to admit it made him a little confused. "Apology?"
"Yes, an apology, for entering the Tohno's territory without their explicit permission." Rin explained, giving him a look that suggested her opinion of his mental capacities was lowering every time he opened his mouth. "I know it was my idea that you should sneak in before they can refuse you, but that doesn't mean I want you to ignore them entirely. Not unless you want to completely burn your bridges with them."
"Right." That made sense. "I'll prepare an apology soon then."
"Make sure you let me read it before you depart." Rin dictated. "And do you have a gift ready?"
"I do." That was something he had in fact thought of.
"It is appropriately expensive?"
"It should be."
"Excellent. Handle that matter as soon as you can." Rin ordered. "And make sure you don't owe the Tohno a favour after you're finished in their city, for any reason. The only Magus you can owe any favours to is me, understood?"
"Understood." Shirou nodded, smiling at his bossy fiancée. "I am loyal to no one but you, my lady."
"Hm." Evidently, Rin considered that the correct response, as she graced him with an approving smile. She quickly became serious again however, to give him a warning. "If the Tohno-family has more members than just its head, try not to get involved in any internal struggles."
"You expect there to be any?"
"I don't know, but it's possible. Magus-families are not known for being hearty and loving." Rin's tone of voice was entirely cool and measured as she spoke, but Shirou had known her for long enough now to know that placing a supporting hand on her shoulder was the correct response.
"It might not be all that bad." He said, trying to stay positive.
"Maybe not." Rin allowed, making a small concession, as she knew she should not overgeneralise. "Not all Magus-families are cold. Some are quite warm."
"That's the spirit." Shirou grinned, giving her a small nudge. "I mean, I can't really think of any examples right now, but I'm sure there are good and warm Magus-families out there."
"Out there." Rin nodded, bringing up a hand to brush a lock of hair out of her face, looking away and to the ceiling. "In here."
"Yes." Shirou nodded happily. "There are good Magus-families in here-"
Then he stilled.
He stilled, because what she said really sunk in.
"In here?" He repeated after a moment, his voice lowering involuntarily. "Do you mean-?"
"Hehe." Rin giggled softly, and then she turned back to him with a smile.
And what a smile it was.
Her lips were curled up in genuine amusement and fondness, her eyes were open, friendly, and warm, her expression was relaxed and peaceful, and there was an ever-so-slight dusting of red on her cheeks.
There was no mask anymore, not a hint of pretence or exaggeration, no well-measured restraint and control. She had laid herself bare to him.
Rin was genuinely happy, and she had no qualms about making it known.
Shirou's heart skipped a beat, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it stopped beating entirely.
Even so, his blood rushed to his head, undoubtedly colouring his cheeks a flaming red.
His brain spluttered and glitched, rendering him unable to speak, as it needed all capacity it had to process that incredible expression.
"But not all Magus-families have what we have." Rin didn't give his poor brain the time needed to process her smile however, as she continued quickly, adopting a serious and measured expression again. "Most of them are wrought with infighting. Make sure you don't end up on anyone's side, because that will give trouble that can persist for years."
"…"
"Shirou?"
"…I will try to avoid the Tohno as much as I can." Shirou found he had surprising difficulty with speaking, as his tongue felt like lead in his mouth and his brain felt like cotton.
"Good." Rin nodded approvingly. She apparently did not fully understand what effect she'd had on him, because she went on talking immediately. "Also, try to avoid giving them either of your family names. Fujimaru is the name of the new Sorcerer, something they'll have heard about even here, while Emiya is the name of the Magus Killer. Neither are associations you need if you want to keep a low profile."
"Right." The fact that his cover name, the one he'd invented to keep a low profile in the first place, was now a world-famous name associated with one of the 'three' only Sorcerers in the world was an irony Shirou did not miss. "What name should I use then?"
"Shirou." Rin replied simply. "Avoid the use of a family name altogether. In your letter to them, just state that I, Tohsaka Rin, guarantee that you'll cause no trouble in Misaki Town. I'll sign it officially when you're done writing it, like we agreed."
"Thank you." Shirou smiled gratefully, as he knew she was really sticking her neck out for him. A Second Owner's official signature carried great power, enough to probably convince the Tohno to mostly let him be, but it could also backfire spectacularly on the Second Owner in question if the person they backed turned out to be not as trustworthy or solid as they'd claimed.
That Rin was willing to give him her official signature was thus a massive sign of trust, equivalent to handing him a knife and turning her unprotected back to him.
"Ah well, it's part of my duties anyway." Rin shrugged however, making a dismissive motion with her hand, as if it was no big deal. "As Second Owner, it falls to me to support my underlings to the best of my ability. It's a sacred responsibility, one that my family has never failed to uphold."
Shirou only just managed to stop himself from making a disbelieving sound at that.
It was a nice attempt at making him believe her support was nothing special, but he knew it wasn't nearly as self-evident as she tried to make it seem. As far as he'd heard, Second Owners didn't actually have any sort of duty to their underlings, and whether they would help them or not depended entirely on their character and mood.
In other words, Rin was being a total sweetheart again while trying to deny she was showing him any form of kindness.
But it might be best not to mention that he knew that. It might embarrass her.
"Thanks anyway." He thus cut the subject short with a last expression of gratitude.
After that, it remained quiet for a bit between them, though it was by no means oppressive. As always, the silence was far more companionable than it was awkward.
"I shouldn't be gone for very long." Shirou eventually did speak up again. "The fact that Nasu wants me to go to Misaki Town at such a specific time probably means I'll find whatever I'm looking for very soon."
"Good. I don't want you to stay away for long." Rin said, before she blinked once, and then hastily elaborated on her statement. "Y-You have many duties here, and there's school too! If I can't choose not to go, then you can't either!"
"Of course."
"A-Also, Sakura and Ayako would be sad if you stayed away for very long." She added, crossing her arms as she leaned away from him. "They'll definitely miss you."
"And what about you?" Shirou asked curiously.
"M-Me?!" Rin's eyes shot back to his, and she fumbled with her words for a moment. "I-I… I might… I might miss you too, a bit, m-maybe."
"Well, I will miss you, a lot, definitely." Shirou replied, giving her a lopsided smile as he mirrored her words.
"As you should." Rin nodded rapidly. "I-In fact, you should think of me every time you're inside the Tohno's cold, inhospitable mansion. It'll make you appreciate me more."
"Oh, I'll make sure to appreciate you when I get back." Shirou agreed, before he reached out and pinched Rin's bottom. "I'll appreciate you very much."
"G-Good." That prospect seemed to appeal to her, and she let out a slow breath, before she shifted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, bundling up against his side. "…I meant what I said earlier, you know?"
"What's that?"
"Your house is warm." She whispered, and she relaxed so much that it almost seemed as if she was falling asleep. "Warm and comfy."
It was true that his dining room was well-heated, even in the chilly autumn, but Shirou knew that was not what Rin meant. She referred to the other meaning, and knowing that she felt secure and welcome at his home was enough to warm his heart as well.
Smiling softly and with a blush high on her cheeks, Rin looked like an ideal dream-princess, a vision of beauty and loveliness, and Shirou couldn't resist kissing the top of her head, repeatedly.
He did no more though. This scene was too beautiful to ruin with anything more.
He was content to just enjoy this moment of peace-
"Hey guys!"
The peace was shattered into pieces however when the door flew open and Ayako came barging in, a laptop in her hand and a smile on her face.
"You were searching for information about the Tohno-family, right? I might have something for you."
"Is that so?" As expected of Rin, she was already sitting up straight again, not a hair out of place as she motioned for the brunette to sit down next between Shirou and herself, not showing a hint of disappointment or embarrassment. "Please do tell."
Her composure was impressive, and although Shirou regretted that their intimate moment had been interrupted, he followed her example and gave Ayako his undivided attention.
"Right." The brunette plumped herself down between them, placing her laptop on the table to they could all see it. "So I was just browsing the internet a bit, when I came across a recent article about the head of the Tohno-family, in Misaki-Town."
"Really?" Shirou blinked at the massive coincidence, wondering for a moment whether forces beyond his control were meddling again. "Does it mention a name?"
"We thought the head of the family might be Tohno Mikihisa." Rin supplied. "Does your article mention him?"
"It does." Ayako nodded. "Though only to say he is not the head anymore."
"What? Why?"
"Because he's dead." The brunette replied bluntly, gesturing at the screen. "And his daughter has taken over."
On the laptop, the title of the article could clearly be seen.
'Millionaire Tohno Mikihisa deceased from heart-complications. Daughter has taken over family-business.'
"Why I never." Shirou mumbled, wondering how many more coincidences he was going to find here.
When Waver had received orders to come to a private conference room in the Department of Policies to attend an impromptu and unplanned meeting of the Clocktower's Aristocratic Faction, he hadn't suspected anything was amiss.
It was hardly unusual for the Aristocratic Faction to have a meeting after all, and since he'd been one of the Faction's most powerful lords for a while now, he was generally invited to every one of them.
The Aristocratic Faction was one of the three Great Factions of the Clocktower, together with the Neutral Faction and the Democratic Faction. Together, the three of them dominated nearly every aspect of the Magus Association, playing their tugs-of-war in all areas from art to economics.
The Aristocratic Faction, Waver's Faction, had always been the most powerful of the three. Mainly because it was led by the Barthomeloi, but it also had the most Ruling Families and it generally enjoyed the support from both Atlas and the Wandering Sea on the rare occasions that those institutions bothered to involve themselves in the turf-wars and conflicts of the Clocktower.
Hence, the Aristocratic Faction was always a bit more powerful and influential than the other two. Not by much, but enough to have a slight advantage.
But that had changed recently. Since the Purge of the Meluastea, the family that once headed the Neutral Faction, the Aristocratic Faction had ballooned in power. Practically overnight, it had gained enough strength and influence to nearly match the other two Factions together, more than enough to solidify their dominance for centuries to come should they have chosen to directly apply that power without a care for the consequences.
Fortunately, lady Barthomeloi was not that foolish. She had enough sense not to use the newfound advantages lightly. In the chaos and disorder that had followed the Purge, she had chosen to stand back and let the Clocktower heal before she would make another move.
Most other families of the Aristocratic Faction, the Archibald included, agreed with that. They were power-hungry, but they weren't stupid. Destroying the playing board for momentary gain was a rookie mistake, and none of them were rookies. They had taken a passive stance for now, waiting patiently to see how events would unfold.
But even with that current passive stance, the events in the Clocktower still demanded that they held regular meetings within the Faction, to discuss their plans and to update their response to the ever-changing situation.
They might be riding high now, but if they weren't careful, the Aristocratic Faction's power and influence could plummet again in the blink of an eye. Chaos could be a ladder to the less morally scrupulous with little to lose, but to most people, it was nothing but a gaping pit.
The rapid downfall of the Archibald after Kayneth's untimely death was a lesson that was still remembered very clearly by every Ruling Family in the Clocktower. A reminder that a single snag in the chain could upend centuries of tradition and power-solidification.
Attending a meeting held by the Barthomeloi could be the difference between survival and downfall, and the families of the Aristocratic Faction made sure to always have either a family-member or a trusted representative present, no matter how many meetings were called or how busy they were with their own matters.
Naturally, Waver attended all those meetings in person. He could probably have sent Marianne or Reines, or perhaps even one of the other elders of either of his current families, but in the end, his desire for first-hand information forced him to go to every meeting himself.
It was becoming rather time-consuming though. The Aristocratic Faction had had over half-a-dozen meetings already in the months since the Purge, more than they normally had in three years, and it was expected that at least a dozen more were needed until order was fully restored in the Magus Association.
Waver considered Shirou Fujimaru, -no, Emiya- a personal friend and ally, but he couldn't deny the boy had made a right mess of the Clocktower. A mess they were hard-pressed to resolve.
Truly, he was worse than his father ever was.
Though of course, he shouldn't put all the blame on the boy's shoulders. The Meluastea were ultimately the ones who were most at fault for their own destruction. They were the instigators and perpetrators. Shirou was just cleaning up the mess.
In any case, Waver hadn't expected today's meeting to be particularly noteworthy. Sure, it was unplanned, and the announcement had been made barely three days in advance, but as far as he was aware, nothing major had gone wrong lately.
They'd probably discuss the latest 'emergency', shout at each other a bit about how they were going to deal with it, complain about the Democratic Faction and the Neutral Faction, boast about recent achievements, make a few business deals during the breaks, and pay their respects to lady Barthomeloi.
A fairly normal meeting.
That was what he'd thought when he entered the conference room.
But then he was shown the rabbits.
The Wolpertingers.
And he knew he'd been completely wrong.
This was not going to be a normal meeting by any meaning of the word.
"Mystery is returning to our world." Lady Barthomeloi stated with absolute certainty, placing a hand on the boar-sized rabbit next to her, which was glaring at the gathered lords with suspicion and no small amount of bloodlust. "And Phantasmal Species are returning with it."
Her words echoed between the walls, deafening not in volume but intensity, and it was fortunate that they were all already sitting on their chairs, for her announcement that the Decline of Mystery was reversing because of causes unknown would have sent many of the gathered lords to the ground otherwise.
Waver was no exception. The declaration from the Vice-Director turned his spine into water, and he could only sit still in astonishment, unable to move a finger.
And he wasn't nearly the only one either.
The conference room had gone completely quiet. The gathered lords could only gape at lady Barthomeloi and the Wolpertinger in utter stupefaction.
What she told them was supposed to be impossible. An idle fantasy, born from nostalgic feelings and dreams about times gone by. Something that went directly against all observed laws of Gaia and nature.
Yet the presence of the Phantasmal Beast next to the Vice-Director proved conclusively that she was telling the truth.
She couldn't have surprised them more if she'd turned them all into frogs. As cunning, devious, and hardened as they were, having their every conviction overturned and their every belief ground into dust was a massive blow. One they needed time to recover from.
Time that lady Barthomeloi did not wish to give them.
"Well?" She more or less demanded, frowning ever so slightly, clearly displeased by their continued silence. "I would have your answers."
"Answers?!" It was Phryne Gaiuslink who answered first, her voice just a tad shrill, which for Magus standards was akin to hysterically shouting at the top of her lungs. "What answers could we have?!"
She was the second daughter of the current lord Gaiuslink, head of Zoology, and it spoke to her pure shock and confusion that she dared to be so rude to lady Barthomeloi herself.
"Forgive my sister." Isabelle Gaiuslink, the first daughter, was quick to interrupt Phryne, making an apologetic gesture as she bowed her head and forced Phryne to bow as well. "What she meant was that this is rather surprising to us all. Please, allow us a moment more to think about this matter and its implications. Our replies will be all the better for it."
It was a bold request, especially after lady Barthomeloi had already indicated she wanted replies sooner rather than later, but Isabelle did have a point. No one had any use for impulsive ramblings. They needed well-considered arguments.
"Very well." Lady Barthomeloi thus nodded graciously, granting permission for them to think for a moment longer.
Not a long moment though. She waited only several seconds before she swept her gaze across the room once more. She didn't speak again, but her gaze was sufficiently demanding that it was clear she wasn't in a patient mood tonight.
"…"
However, no one had anything sensible to say. There were nearly two dozen lords present, some of the most powerful and most vocal people in the world, but they had nothing to say in the face of such a massive paradigm shift.
The rabbit had struck them completely silent.
Eventually, lady Barthomeloi realised that she wasn't really getting anywhere, and that no answers were forthcoming.
"Several Phantasmal Beasts have already appeared." She thus spoke up again, giving them a look that was as disappointed as it was annoyed. "A Nokken, a Girtablilu, and a Wolpertinger. As far as I have been able to determine, those are the only ones so far, and two of the three have been vanquished already."
Considering what was standing next to her, it wasn't difficult to guess which two were now deceased and which had survived.
"More will follow however." She continued, and Waver couldn't help but gulp nervously at the thought. "If we are to maintain the secrecy of the Moonlit World, immediate action from our side is required."
"Action?" A voice piped up from somewhere in the group.
It wasn't clear who had asked the question, and the asker was clearly not in a hurry to reveal themselves, but the question was a valid one nonetheless.
"Phantasmal Creatures are a threat to the human order and to our society." Lady Barthomeloi stated, her expression hard as stone. "They are to be treated similarly to other inhuman creatures, such as Dead Apostles."
There was no doubt in anyone's mind what that meant.
"They are to be slain."
But Lady Barthomeloi spelled it out anyway, just to make things crystal clear.
"B-But how are we to know where and when they will appear?" Goredolf Musik asked timidly, raising a hand as if he was in class. "I-If we w-want to f-fight them, w-we need to find t-them first."
The Musik-family were part of the Department of Policies, mostly taking an administrative role, but they also had numerous other business ventures in the Moonlit World and the mundane world alike. They were for instance the second-best producers of reliable Homunculi, the third-best creators of general Magecraft-tools, and a big player in the gem-market.
Because of their family's age, wealth, and significance, the Musiks had been granted a seat at the meetings of the Aristocratic Faction, though they certainly weren't the most respected of families there. Most considered them to be new money, having bought their way into significance, and avoided them as a result.
Waver had always gotten along fairly well with Goredolf though, and with his father, Gordes. They could be quite blusterous and rude, but they were decent people at heart. The sort of men he could entrust his students to in an emergency.
But his behaviour towards the Musik-family did not improve the other lords' opinions of them, which was why Goredolf had been so hesitant to ask his question, fearing to be shouted down.
But in light of the current situation, nobody bothered to account for small grudges, and his inquiry was picked up by the other members of the meeting.
"Young Goredolf asks a valid question. We cannot anticipate where our new enemies will strike." Rufleus Nuada-Re Eulyphis rumbled in his strong voice. The elderly lord had been as shocked as any of them at the announcement of the return of Mystery, but he appeared to have composed himself again.
Although, from the way his hands held on tightly to the armrests of his chair, most of that composure was just a bluff. He was still deeply rattled, partially by the announcement, and partially by the Phantasmal Beast standing next to the Vice-Director.
Rufleus was the head of the Department of Spiritual Evocation and one of the Clocktower's most powerful lords. He was not easily spooked, and the fact he was now so anxious as to let it show meant that he considered it a truly momentous occasion. One that deserved his full attention.
"T-Thank you, l-lord Eulyphis." Goredolf muttered, his eyelids twitching at being spoken to, however indirectly, by such a powerful lord.
"So perhaps we could ask our resident teacher for advice." Rufleus suggested, and his eyes, along with everyone else's, moved towards Waver. "The Big Ben London Star himself will surely know what to do."
It took Waver a titanic amount of effort not to grit his teeth at the ridiculous nickname, and after once more cursing Flat in his head for coining the name in the first place, he looked back at Rufleus.
"Lord Eulyphis, I am not sure why you think I would know more than your own esteemed self." He hedged, hoping to be let off the hook.
"Because you are a frightfully intelligent man, lord Velvet." Rufleus replied, and as always with the man, Waver could not tell whether the use of his real family name was supposed to be a clumsy compliment or a nasty insult. Perhaps both, or perhaps neither. "Even if you do not have the perfect answer, you can usually point us in the right direction."
No one protested against the old man's words, and with the weight of over two dozen pairs of eyes on him, including one set of rabbit eyes, Waver was forced to give in.
This was exactly why he didn't like dealing with Rufleus though. The old man was rather fond of putting him on the spot, and he always seemed to be fishing for weaknesses in Waver's lordly demeanour.
That it was likely an expression of fondness rather than malice did not help in any way.
Technically, Rufleus and Waver were supposed to be allies. Rufleus' granddaughter, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, had been engaged to Kayneth at some point, and although both Kayneth and Sola-Ui had perished in Fuyuki, Rufleus had always remained on decent terms with Waver for some reason, even in the depths of the Archibald's poverty.
But his difficult personality meant that Waver preferred to avoid him as much as possible. Frankly, he'd much rather deal with the Eulyphis' representative, Rocco Belfeban, or even with Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, who was Sola-Ui's brother.
He was on good terms with Rocco, and he was simply hostile with Bram. Neither of the men had Rufleus' tendency to play mind games with everyone around them, which meant Waver far preferred them over the old lord.
Also, neither Rocco nor Bram would have put him on the spot like this during a meeting, forcing him to try and formulate an answer to the best of his ability.
"First then, let me get a common misconception out of the way. Contrary to popular belief, Phantasmal Species never disappeared completely from our world, even in the most recent decades." Waver began, deciding he'd just give them a shortened and slightly altered version of his normal lecture on Phantasmal Species. "Several of them survived, more or less, in the areas that are furthest removed from the Human Order. In the depths of the largest jungles for instance, or somewhere in the Russian tundra."
"Or deep in the sea?" Sir Dinburg ventured.
"Exactly." Waver nodded at the renowned Magus who had defected several years ago from the Democratic Faction. "As long as they are far away from our civilisations, they can still survive, even now."
"Wait, so the presence of this Beast is no proof of the return of Mystery?" Isabelle Gaiuslink asked, looking from Waver to the Wolpertinger and back. "It could always have existed?"
"On the contrary." Waver resolutely shook his head, as if she was one of his students drawing a premature conclusion. "Its presence here in London, a city that lies at the very foundation of Human Order, shows that the circumstances have massively changed. Only a year ago, it would have been banished to the Reverse Side of the World if it even approached the city's outskirts."
"And now it sits here, looking just fine." Sir Dinburg huffed, eyeing the real-life Phantasmal Beast with a discerning look.
"Yes. However, despite the fact that the rules have changed, I do not think we must completely disregard our previous knowledge." Waver was now approaching the main part of his lecture, and he held up a finger to make sure everyone remained focused. "Phantasmal Beasts and the Human Order have never gotten along. Hence, I propose that the likeliest origin of these creatures will be areas where the Human Order has a weak presence."
"Such as forests, tundra, deserts, and the sea." Sir Dinburg surmised, frowning in thought. "That does make sense. So we will have to keep an eye on those areas?"
"Yes." Waver nodded, already anticipating the protests that would surely come his way.
And they did come, though from an unexpected direction.
"A clever theory, but 'areas with a weak presence of Human Order' still leaves an awful lot of ground to cover." Millieune Carillon grumbled, and nearly everyone reacted in surprise at the sound of their voice. "Even in Europe alone, there are many forests and mountain ranges, not to speak of the rest of the world. And let's not forget most of our planet is covered by oceans."
It was the first time the normally so reclusive Magus had spoken up since the meeting had started, and frankly, many people hadn't even noticed they were there at all before they started talking.
Covered from head to toe in a black cloak that hid all their features and even their gender, Millieune Carillon was undoubtedly the most mysterious figure in the room.
They led the Carillon Observatory, the oldest classroom in the Clocktower and the place where Sealing Designations were decided. Feared as much as they were hated, Millieune Carillon was an individual of few words and much secrecy. They only very rarely left their Workshop, and almost never attended meetings.
Yet it seemed they had judged this subject worthy of their attention.
Which may have something to do with the fact that their classroom was located deep underground in the head of a dead dragon.
A dragon which may come back to life again should enough Mystery return.
"That is true." Waver admitted, knowing perfectly well that more places on Earth were uninhabited by humans than were inhabited. "But even so, my theory gives us the beginnings of a plan of action should we want to move against the returning Phantasmal Species."
"It would require us to guard the boundaries between nature and civilisation." Sir Dinburg said slowly, wincing a bit. "That is a tall order indeed. I fear that any action we undertake to combat Phantasmal Species will have to be a reactive one simply by lack of manpower on our side."
In other words, because they had too few people to effectively guard all areas of risk, they would likely only be able to find a Phantasmal Beast once it had already done some damage.
"Not unlike our battles against Dead Apostles then." Drea Flugelful, one of the top-executives of the Enforcers, remarked, setting off a wave of muttered grumblings.
She wasn't wrong. The world was a very large place, with many convenient spots for the enemies of humanity to hide. To make it worse, there were seven billion people on the planet, and nowhere near enough Enforcers and Executors to guard them all. That made taking preventive measures near-impossible.
In the battle against Dead Apostles, all they could do was keep an eye open for incidents and try to react to them as fast as possible, before the vampires would flee again.
Something that might very well become the case for Phantasmal Species too.
There was no one in the meeting who wasn't clever enough to realise that, and more than a few mouths twisted in displeasure in response.
They were the Aristocratic Faction, an alliance of Magi who saw the world as their oyster, and any reminder that their control over the world was fundamentally limited by their own imperfection was very much unwelcome in their halls.
It was bad enough when Dead Apostles and several very vexing criminals did it, but if an entirely new class of creatures was about to do the same, their hard work on establishing their supposed infallibility might soon go to waste.
Waver was happy to see the pursed lips though. If those lords felt strongly enough about this matter to openly show their distaste, it was fairly safe to assume that they would also act on that feeling. The Phantasmal Species insulted them by their very existence, and if there was one thing that could unite this herd of proud cats, it was insults from an outside party.
If lady Barthomeloi decided to take measures to combat Phantasmal Species, she would find no protests or complaints in her own faction at least.
And she knew that. Her face did not even twitch as she looked at the gathered lords, but Waver knew that she knew.
Likely, it had been her intention all along.
"The Department of Policies is working on countermeasures to effectively combat the returning Phantasmal Beasts." The Vice-Director took the word again, striking everyone silent. "In addition, protocols are being prepared to manage the return of Mystery itself."
"…?"
There was a minute shift in the atmosphere at those last words, as the gathered lords collectively realised that the Return of Mystery was not just bad news, heralding the return of monsters, but could also work out positively for their own power and research.
"I trust the families of the Aristocratic Faction will support Policies in the execution of the countermeasures and the protocols?" In response to the shift, lady Barthomeloi's tone became a little harsher, as if to remind them that this was still a serious problem. "In order to preserve order and the Secrecy of the Moonlit World?"
Her words were sharp and direct, and it was clear that refusal was not an option. Not if they wanted to keep their heads attached to their shoulders.
So no one refused. They remained silent, inclining their heads whenever lady Barthomeloi looked at them.
At least until Rufleus raised his hand.
"Of course we completely support the Department of Policies in its efforts to preserve order and ensure our security." He smiled, showing off his pearly-white teeth, utterly unbefitting of a man his age. "But in order to do so most effectively, I propose that we put every measure and protocol to the vote before we implement it."
In other words, he wasn't about to let lady Barthomeloi create new laws and regulations with impunity. He wanted a check on her power, to ensure they could reject any measures that unfairly favoured the Barthomeloi and their allies.
A very reasonable demand to make, considering the political situation in the Clocktower.
"That is acceptable." Lady Barthomeloi evidently realised that too, for she didn't even put up a token protest. "I shall call a vote for all new measures that Policies wishes to implement."
Waver really wondered how that would work out. It was well-known in the Magus Association that the Aristocratic Faction was immensely traditional, hating all forms of change simply because it was change, so if new measures were indeed put to the vote, they would normally be rejected with an overwhelming majority.
But then, this situation was by no means normal, and many of the lords present did look genuinely concerned over the future.
Whether it was enough to sway their recalcitrant personalities was something that would only become clear at the first voting.
"Should we also include the Democratic and Neutral Faction in the voting-?" Goredolf Musik tried to ask a question again, but he lost his nerve when all lords turned to glare at him. "N-Never mind!"
"We should." Lady Barthomeloi replied in the affirmative however, and all looks switched to her, though no one dared to glare anymore of course. "Though we shall not invite them in here. We shall vote on a proposal first, and should it be accepted, I will speak with Trambellio and Valualeta about it."
"And the Neutral Faction?" Sir Dinburg ventured.
"I shall speak with their representative too, whoever that will be." Lady Barthomeloi nodded slightly.
"Probably Gladstone Phamrsolone, right? He seems to be doing well as their chairman." Sir Dinburg argued, before immediately shutting up when the Vice-Director's gaze sharpened, a minute trace of anger slipping out.
Not surprising, considering what crimes Gladstone was being suspected of.
"That is all." Lady Barthomeloi stated, her tone leaving no room for discussion, and it was clear she was done with them for today. "You are dismissed."
The attendees didn't need to be told twice, and they all rose as one, bowing once to the Vice-Director, before they left the conference room.
Some of the lords left the room in a great hurry, anxious to return to their work and experiments, while others headed out at a more leisurely pace, taking some time for a chat, to use the opportunity of having so many important people together to do some networking.
Waver would have liked to be one of the latter, to talk with Goredolf and maybe Rufleus, but he didn't make it very far before he was summoned back.
"Lord El-Melloi." Lady Barthomeloi called out to him, and Waver promptly turned around again to face her. "I wish to speak with you, in private."
"Right." Waver suppressed the instinctive urge to make a break for it with practised ease, beating down the cowardly part of himself, and he walked, faster than before, towards the Vice-Director. "What can I do for you, lady Barthomeloi?"
"There are multiple matters for us to discuss." She replied, her tone giving nothing away, as she directed him towards his chair again, before taking place on a nearby chair herself, sitting down primly and properly. "Most of them relating to our current crisis."
"The return of Mystery." Waver nodded, having guessed as much already. "Why do you need me for that in particular?"
"Not you." Lady Barthomeloi corrected him however, glancing towards the door to ensure all other members of the Faction had left. "I wish to speak of your apprentice, Grey."
"Grey?" Waver allowed himself a blink in surprise, as it was hardly normal for the Vice-Director herself to bring up a lowly apprentice. "Why?"
"Because of the weapon she carries." The brunette answered, in a voice that was softer than normal. "The weapon that seems capable of destroying Mystical creatures of various natures with great efficiency."
"Weapon? You mean, Ad?" Waver had to use a considerable portion of his lordly composure not to show too strong a reaction to the Vice-Director's interest in his apprentice and her weapon, showing only a slight surprise.
Because it was paramount that no one aside from Grey and himself learned that Ad, the supposed Mystic Code capable of changing into various weapons with a few anti-undead properties, was nothing else than Rhongomyniad.
The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World.
One of the main weapons of King Arthur herself.
"I speak of the weapon that she employed during the conquest of the Department of Mineralogy during the Purge." Lady Barthomeloi clarified. "She utilised it to great effect to vanquish numerous Werewolves, Ghosts, and Undead in one stroke. If she is capable of using such attacks consistently, she would be a tremendous asset in combating the returning Phantasmal Species."
"Well, I suppose." Waver replied slowly, purposefully staying vague.
She was correct of course. Rhongomyniad was a weapon of immense power and Mystery, more than capable of destroying low- and middle-ranked Phantasmal Beasts with laughable ease, even in the hands of Grey, who was unable to unleash its full potential.
Legends had it that King Arthur, its true wielder, even killed a near-Divine Dragon with it after all.
But Grey being in the possession of Rhongomyniad was a piece of information that should absolutely not be made public. People would start to wonder how it was possible for a simple girl to be able to wield a Noble Phantasm. They would start investigating the matter, building theories.
And then it was only a small step towards drawing the conclusion that Grey was of King Arthur's bloodline.
And then the trouble would really start.
"I realise that you are reluctant to have her display such power in public." Surprisingly, lady Barthomeloi accurately guessed the reason for his hesitance. "I do not intend to expose her secrets. Should she choose to join the efforts to combat the Phantasmal Species, I will ensure that she will only use her weapon in the presence of my most discrete followers."
"…" That was quite a promise, especially from a woman who always kept her word, and Waver let out a slow breath. "I will have to discuss it with her first."
"Of course." Lady Barthomeloi nodded, exuding a certain gallantry. "And do keep in mind that refusal is an option in this instance."
"My lady?"
"I cannot force law-abiding Magi from other departments to contribute to a cause that should be my own responsibility." The brunette admitted frankly. "I can only appeal to your sense of righteousness."
Right, that again.
Waver almost pursed his lips in distaste at her choice of words, remembering quite clearly how she'd roped him and Fujimaru into helping her fight the Meluastea by appealing to their better nature. She had shown them the crimes committed by the Meluastea, knowing that they couldn't just let that continue to happen.
It was a manipulative tactic, but apparently, it had been so successful that lady Barthomeloi had no qualms about repeating it with Grey. By alluding to the fact that people would die if she did nothing, it would be easy to convince kind, soft-hearted Grey to help out to the best of her ability.
"I will convey your message." He nevertheless promised, knowing that if he wouldn't do it, lady Barthomeloi would do it herself. "Was that everything?"
"It was." Lady Barthomeloi confirmed, and for a moment, Waver thought he might have seen a hint of an apology on her face. It was gone before he could confirm its existence though.
"I wish you a good day." He said by ways of goodbye, before he rose and made for the door, to follow the other lords.
Before he could leave however, something suddenly occurred to him, making him turn around again.
"My lady?" He asked, prompting the Vice-Director to look at him. "Have you already informed Fujimaru of these new developments?"
"I have informed Fujimaru of the situation, yes." She nodded, her demeanour turning even more serious, as was appropriate when dealing with Sorcerers. "It turned out to be unnecessary however. He was already aware of the return of Mystery."
"I expected as much." Waver hadn't been sure of course, but with Fujimaru being a Sorcerer and being rather observant in general, it was a relatively safe assumption to make.
"Did you?" Lady Barthomeloi gave him an odd look, one he couldn't place, before she nodded, seemingly to herself. "I myself did not expect as such. You must know him well."
"I wouldn't say well." Waver shook his head quickly, eager to correct any misconception about his closeness to a True Magician. They might be staunch allies, and on a first-name basis, but that didn't mean they were best friends or anything like that. "I just assumed a True Magician would be more aware of changes in the world than us Magi."
"Hm." Lady Barthomeloi made a contemplative noise in return, before she inclined her head in agreement.
"I don't know exactly what Fujimaru intends to do in response though."
"I do." Lady Barthomeloi's reply was just a tad faster than normal, and Waver could have sworn he saw a glint of pride appear in her eyes, as if she was happy to know more than he did. "Fujimaru told me he intends to join the efforts to halt the Phantasmal Species once he returns to the Clocktower this winter."
"I see. That is good news." If Fujimaru was indeed coming to help them, it might be a bit safer to have Grey help out too. The young Sorcerer was a responsible man after all, and more than capable of keeping a few secrets.
"It is indeed good news." Lady Barthomeloi agreed. "I will soon speak with him again to discuss more details. Have you spoken with him since his departure, lord El-Melloi?"
"Can't say I have, no. There's never been any need."
That answer changed the look in the Vice-Director's eyes from slight pride to outright smugness, though Waver still didn't know what she was being smug about.
Was he losing in something?
"Is there anything else?" He asked. He had been the one to continue the discussion of course, but that didn't mean he was just going to turn his back on the Vice-Director and leave. It was always better to ask permission first.
"Nothing. You may leave."
So Waver truly left, meeting up with Bazett, who had been waiting for him at the door, before they headed straight back to his office.
He had people to talk to, Grey most important among them.
It was three days after his lengthy conversation with Rin and Ayako that Shirou's train entered Misaki Station, where he disembarked, alongside a fair number of other passengers.
It had been a fairly pleasant journey, if a bit long. He'd travelled from three in the afternoon until eight in the evening, and although his seat had been comfortable, his legs felt a little cramped by now.
Blissfully though, he seemed to have no adverse reaction to trains like he did to planes, so the trip hadn't been nearly as bad as it could have been. He'd been able to relax a bit without feeling like he needed to escape through the window all the time.
Furthermore, he'd chosen to travel first-class on this trip, at Sakura's urging, and he had to say it did indeed considerably improve the journey's quality. There had been no screaming babies, no loudly gossiping middle-aged salarymen, no people mistakenly thinking they could discretely have sex in one of the seats, and most importantly, no smelling fellow passengers.
Paying more money really did work to get better quality. Something to remember when he would fly to London again over the winter holidays.
Though frankly, Shirou really hoped he'd have mastered different forms of travel by then, making planes unnecessary. He'd been making some nice progress on one form in particular, and he hoped it would yield concrete results soon.
But that was not important right now.
He had arrived in Misaki-Town, the city that had been built on top of Japan's single strongest Leyline, and he needed to find the first clue for the scavenger hunt that Nasu had sent him on. The scavenger hunt that would eventually save the world, if the alien was to be believed.
But first, he needed to meet the city's Second Owner, Tohno Akiha, daughter of Tohno Makihisa, to introduce himself and to apologise for his impolite behaviour so far.
He'd used Rin's proposed trick, announcing his intent to visit Misaki-Town on such a short notice that they could not refuse before he'd already arrived, so he needed to make amends now.
It had been a very rude thing to do, one that could cause serious bad blood to be set between families, so Shirou already had his apologies and a gift prepared, hoping to smooth over any friction that might have been generated.
He wasn't really worried about being sent packing again though. He was inside the Tohno's territory now, with a letter that held Tohsaka Rin's personal seal of approval. Expelling him from their city without due cause would thus not only send a sign to the rest of Japan that the Tohno were inhospitable hosts, but also that they explicitly did not trust the Tohsaka-family despite said family having given them no reason not to. Something that could easily lead to bitter rivalries and a tremendous loss of face.
It was yet another low handed effort to give Shirou the time he needed to find Nasu's clue, and the redhead did genuinely feel bad about being so manipulative.
So he had made the gift extra expensive.
According to the internet, the Tohno-manor was located fairly close to the station, close enough to walk the distance rather than calling a taxi, so that was what Shirou did. He walked, taking in the scenery on his way.
At first sight, Misaki-Town wasn't so different from his own Fuyuki. Most of the inner city consisted of residential areas interspersed with shopping districts, with houses that were generally of good quality but sometimes in varying states of disrepair, signifying the owners' lack of care or lack of funds.
There were a few patches of green scattered about here and there, most in the form of parks, some better maintained than others, and there were even a few playgrounds for the children.
The people he passed on the way were neither particularly happy nor particularly sad, and they appeared to come from all walks of life. There were no vagrants lying on the streets though, nor was there any obvious criminal presence.
All in all, Misaki Town seemed a fairly healthy city, with some room for improvement nonetheless.
The Tohno-manor was located in one of the richer parts of town, as befitting for a Magus family, though even in those parts, it easily stood out from all the other houses and manors surrounding it.
Sufficiently so that Shirou could spot it from over a hundred metres away, and he soon stopped for a moment, to take a proper look.
He'd already seen on the maps that the Tohno-manor was nearly big enough to qualify as a city-block of its own and seeing it in person only confirmed it. It was enormous, massive, big enough to fit his house into over a dozen times. Granted, most of it was garden, with enough trees and shrubbery to rival all other parks in the city, but the manor itself was also very big. Needlessly big almost.
It was also immediately apparent that most of the manor was currently uninhabited. Only the centre of the place was used consistently as a place of living while the rest was obviously empty. There were no obvious signs of disrepair or abandonment of course, no Magus would allow that, but there was no hiding that there were a lot fewer Tohno now than there might have once been.
A typical example of a family that had built grandiose structures in their prime, only to leave their descendants with more than they could manage later on.
The manor was separated from the outside world by a large wall, a wall that had been reinforced with various forms of Magecraft. On top of that, Shirou could sense several Bounded Fields behind the wall, and he wouldn't be surprised if there were other, more exotic forms of defence present as well.
Though he had to admit the defences seemed strangely weak for a family as powerful as the Tohno. A dedicated team of Enforcers shouldn't have too much trouble breaking in within only a few hours, and either lady Barthomeloi or Shirou himself could just walk straight in.
But he wasn't here to break in, so he headed for the official entrance, a massive gate, and politely rang the doorbell.
Not long after, a redheaded maid arrived to welcome him in, quickly but elegantly crossing the distance between the manor and the gate.
"Good morn-"
"Are you Shirou?" She interrupted him bluntly, and although her face was the very picture of professionality and composure, her tone was scathing. "The one who sent milady the impertinent request for entry into her city?"
"That's me." Shirou nodded, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I've come to apologise for my impertinence and present your lady with a gift."
"…" The maid studied him for a moment, her perfect expression never wavering, before she turned around. "I shall discuss it with milady. Wait here."
She didn't say anything else, leaving him standing by the gates as she walked back to the manor, not sparing him another glance.
That was a very short conversation, and Shirou got the sense she was taking the insult to her mistress rather personally.
Which was good news. People who inspired such loyalty from their servants generally weren't the evil and unreasonable sort, and that meant he had a chance of patching up their relationship.
Though it probably also meant he'd be standing here for a while longer, as the maid took revenge for his rudeness against her mistress by making him wait outside. Her intentions on that had been perfectly clear.
Ah well, he definitely deserved it this time, so Shirou Traced a chair and sat down on it, taking a book out of the Vault to kill some time. It was still only the beginning of autumn, so the sun hadn't quite set yet at this hour, giving him enough light to read by.
Surprisingly however, he hadn't waited for longer than a few minutes before someone came running towards the gates again, someone who definitely wasn't the maid from before.
It was a tall, slender teenager of about Shirou's age, with short black hair, almost unhealthily pale skin, and huge, jampot glasses. He was pretty good-looking, though his glasses rather ruined those looks, and he was dressed in a light-brown uniform that covered nearly every inch of his body.
In other words, the kind of youth that one could find in just about every classroom of every school in Japan.
Though he was running with what appeared to be all his effort, the teen was rather slow and unsteady, and that, coupled with his pale complexion, painted the picture of someone in bad health. Someone who'd had a bout of illness recently and likely did not eat and exercise properly, which, unfortunately, also wasn't uncommon for Japanese teenagers.
It was only his Mystic Eyes, of a nature Shirou could not quite grasp yet, that showed this teen was in some way unusual and thus belonged in the Tohno-manor.
"Good morning." Shirou greeted him politely once the young man arrived at the gate.
"Eh? Ah, y-yes, good morning." The young man brought out, leaning on his knees while panting hard. "S-Sorry to keep you waiting. I don't know what Hisui was thinking, leaving you standing here while she went back to doing chores."
"That's alright." This Hisui was probably the maid then. "Don't concern yourself over it. I deserved it."
"It's not alright." The teen shook his head however, a bit of steel entering his expression. "This is no way to treat guests. I'll be sure to have words with Hisui later."
"Ah…"
"O-Oh, but please come in." The bespectacled teen continued quickly, fishing a key out of his pocket and opening the gates just enough to allow Shirou entrance. "You are here for my sister, right? We just finished dinner, so I think she's available. I'll take you to her immediately."
"Thank you." Shirou nodded gratefully at him, pleasantly surprised by the young man's character. He lived inside the manor of a Magus Family, but apparently did not let that stop him from acting decently.
"Don't mention it." The teen shook his head, before gesturing for Shirou to follow him as he began walking back to the manor. "My name is Tohno Shiki by the way."
"Shirou." Shirou replied, nodding when his suspicion of the young man being a Tohno was confirmed. "Nice to meet you, Tohno-san."
"Nice to meet you too, Shirou-san." Tohno smiled slightly, before he fell silent, focusing on the road ahead of him instead.
And what a road it was.
Clearly, the Tohno of old had wanted there to be no doubt about their wealth and influence. They had stuffed the garden full of riches, enough to humble even average Clocktower-families.
The path itself had been made out of white marble of the most expensive kind, and it was so well-maintained and clean that it sparkled in the light of the autumn sun. Not a single smudge or footprint could be seen, nor any imperfection.
Statues of various people Shirou did not recognise were spread out across the garden, made from all kinds of precious metals, while the path itself was flanked by numerous large trees, some of them amazingly rare.
Shirou hadn't known it was possible to grow Goldenheart trees outside of their native region in France, but apparently, the Tohno had managed it.
Fountains made from precious rock could be found at every corner and twist of the path, birdhouses inlaid with shining gems were placed at strategic points next to the trees, and there were even several white deer frolicking around, not at all scared of the two humans passing them by at a distance of mere metres.
It really was quite impressive, but Shirou was torn away from admiring the scenery when Tohno spoke up again.
"Why do you want to talk with my sister anyway?" The teen asked, sounding genuinely curious, indicating he hadn't been informed about the letter nor about Shirou's impending visit.
"Business." Shirou replied shortly. "My father had dealings with yours, and I am here to… discuss some aspects of them."
"I see." Tohno nodded slowly, and to his credit, he asked no further questions, perhaps realising they were unwelcome.
The duo soon entered the manor, and Shirou was exposed to wealth even more opulent than in the garden.
Ridiculously expensive artworks were hanging everywhere, expensive trinkets were visible no matter where you looked, and precious metals seemed as common as dirt inside the house of the Tohno-family.
It was so incredibly opulent it almost became tacky, but the tasteful positioning of the riches and the inclusion of several cheaper decorations saved it from that fate.
It was an impressive sight, one that was sure to astound most visitors.
Even Shirou, thoroughly desensitised to such displays of wealth and ostentatiousness by the Vault and by visiting so many affluent families in the Clocktower, could admit he was impressed.
"I was also very surprised when I first entered this place." Tohno remarked when he saw Shirou's expression, a slight glint of pride entering his eyes. "But you get used to it."
"I'm sure." Shirou nodded, not entirely inexperienced with sudden wealth himself.
As they walked to Tohno Akiha's office, they encountered the maid who had left Shirou at the gate earlier. She was dusting off the artworks that were on display here and there, and Shirou was willing to bet a fair sum that she had not even bothered to tell her mistress about his presence yet.
Indeed, upon seeing Shirou inside, her composed expression broke to show displeased surprise, but she soon recovered once she saw that Tohno was with him. She schooled her expression, looking on neutrally as one of her employers brought the disliked guest to the lady of the manor.
"Sorry about that." Tohno apologised, having also noticed the maid's slip.
"As I said, it's quite alright."
That one was just never going to like him. Shirou could already tell.
"Sister!" Tohno called out as he opened an ornate, oaken door at the end of a richly decorated hallway, motioning for Shirou to wait. "Sister, you have a visitor."
"Brother." A female voice came from inside, pure and undistilled happiness clearly reverberating through it, though it quickly cooled. "A visitor?"
"Yes, some guy named Shirou." Tohno replied, before waving Shirou over. "His dad knew our dad, apparently."
"Good morning, lady Tohno." Shirou greeted the lady of the manor, entering the office and laying eyes on her for the first time. "Thank you for having me."
Tohno Akiha was a good-looking young woman with long black hair, a symmetrical face, and an elegant demeanour. She wore an official-looking suit, probably as a symbol of her authority, though it was partially unbuttoned at the moment. She had the look of a strict person, but there was warmth in her eyes as well, especially when she looked at her brother.
She was also not human.
Or rather, she was not entirely human.
She appeared to have a fair bit of Demon-blood mixed in with her own, making her a halfbreed, as the lords in the Clocktower would say.
Such a thing was hardly uncommon in Japan however, so Shirou paid it little mind.
He did note though that if Tohno Akiha had so much Demon Blood in her veins while Tohno Shiki did not, there was a very strong possibility they were not actually brother and sister. Another glance at a deeper level of reality showed him they were indeed not related by blood.
But that was none of his business.
"Shirou-san." Tohno Akiha's voice had become frosty, and she glanced over at her brother again. "Brother, could you leave us alone for a moment?"
"Sure. I was just, uh… going to bed! Yes, I'm going to sleep, so I'll see you later, tomorrow I mean." The male Tohno grinned, though it was a shaky grin, showing he wasn't unaware of the cooling atmosphere in the room. "Good luck."
"Thank you." Lady Tohno shot him a quick smile of her own, one filled with actual warmth, before she went back to glaring at Shirou.
"Lady Tohno." Shirou greeted her again, waiting for Tohno Shiki to close the door and leave before continuing. "Thank you for seeing me."
"What choice did I have after my brother allowed you entrance?" She replied sharply, her expression becoming even frostier. "What do you want?"
"To apologise for my impertinence in entering your territory on such short notice." Shirou bowed deeply, before he rose again, taking the gift out of the Vault in the same motion. "Please, accept this gift as a sign of my regret over my actions."
"If you regret your deeds so much, you shouldn't have done them in the first place." She huffed, though she did accept his gift, opening it with a few precise slashes of her surprisingly sharp nails. The contents of it then clearly took her aback. "This is…?!"
"The eye of a Wani." Shirou nodded.
The Wani was a type of ancient Japanese sea monster, famed for its bloodthirst and hunger for human flesh on one side, yet also for its surprising capability of coexisting with humans on the other.
Body parts of Wani were extremely valuable as Magical Catalysts, but they were also vanishingly rare in the modern world, and Shirou had been very surprised to find such body parts in the Vault.
Apparently, Wani had existed in Thor's universe too.
"I thank you for this gift." Lady Tohno said slowly, and when she looked at him again, it was with a bit less disapproval. The power of expensive gifts was truly tremendous. "What brings you here? Is it truly business, as you told my brother?"
"No, I wasn't honest to him." Shirou admitted, though lady Tohno did not seem surprised. "I came to your city in order to find something."
"Something? What?"
"I don't know yet." The redhead admitted, drawing a confused blink from the young woman opposite him. "But I have been assured I'll know it when I see it."
"Assured by whom?"
"A friend. His name wouldn't mean anything to you."
"If you say so." Lady Tohno nodded, not wasting any time on trying to get the name of his friend, recognising a lost cause when she saw one. She was clearly a practical woman, something Shirou could appreciate. "What do you want from me?"
"I want your permission to wander your fair city for a few days, to search for my objective." He replied, adopting his most innocent expression. "You have my word I will not cause any trouble for you."
"…" Lady Tohno mulled that over for a few moments, clearly reluctant to just let him wander about, but after taking another glance at the Wani eye, she nodded slowly. "Very well. The Tohsaka vouched for you, so I will believe you when you say you have no ill intent. Do not shame their trust though, or mine."
"Never." Shirou swore.
"Also, do you have any more samples of a Wani's body? They might help when I inform my family about the result of our discussion." For the first time in the conversation, lady Tohno's expression mellowed a bit, as she gave him a meaningful smile.
Her message was clear. She wanted a bribe.
"Of course." Shirou saw no issue with that, and he handed her a Wani's claw.
"Excellent." Lady Tohno rose from her chair, most of the frostiness having disappeared from her voice. "It was a pleasure to do business with you, Shirou-san."
"It was indeed, lady Tohno." Shirou nodded, wondering if he could tentatively assume she had forgiven him for his stunt with the letter.
"I hope we shall never meet again." She continued cheerily. "Finish your business and get out of my city at once. Do not return if you know what's good for you."
"…Right."
Okay, so she hadn't forgiven him after all.
"Also, I have a request." Suddenly, lady Tohno drew in on herself a bit, and her expression became almost sheepish. "If you meet my brother again, please do not mention Magecraft to him. He is unaware of its existence."
"I understand." Shirou nodded. It was by no means unusual for Magus-families to leave certain members in the dark, and apparently, such was the case for Tohno Shiki as well. "Not a word."
"Thank you." Lady Tohno spoke gratefully, before she walked to the door and opened it. "Kohaku, please see our guest out."
"At once!" Came the cheery reply, and then another maid came running into the office.
She looked rather similar to the first maid, with the same colour hair, the same height and build, and even mostly the same face.
But where their body was similar, their behaviour could not have been more different.
"I hope Akiha-sama wasn't too rude to you. She can be a bit grumpy, but it's nothing personal, I assure you." She rattled after they'd left the lady's office, speaking awfully fast without ever dropping her grin. "She did look satisfied when we left though. Did you have a good talk? I hope you had a good talk."
"Well, we-"
"She's been under such stress lately, it's hard for her to keep up. Because of that, she can be harsh, on guests, on me and my sister, and even her brother, though she loves him very much." The maid continued, practically pulling him along through the manor's halls.
"Right, but I-"
"You shouldn't take it personally, okay? She might be a bit miffed with you right now, but she'll mellow out. She always does. You gave her gifts, right? She likes people who give her stuff. I mean, I do too, and I suppose everyone does, but we aren't talking about everyone, but about my lady."
"Indeed-"
"I hope you have a very nice day." She then pushed him out of the manor and into the garden. "Could you see yourself out? I'm frightfully busy."
"Of course-" Shirou replied automatically, not wanting to be a bother, but before he could finish, the maid had disappeared again.
What an odd family.
And yes, the Tohno-family members who were currently glaring suspiciously at him through their windows, thinking he couldn't see them, were included in that.
"Right." Shirou said to himself, straightening out his clothes for a moment, before he started his trek towards the gates. He had clearly overstayed his welcome, so he should leave.
His meeting with Tohno Akiha had actually gone a fair bit better than he'd expected though. Granted, it was mostly due to Tohno Shiki, without whom he'd still be standing before the gates, but even so, the Second Owner of Misaki-Town had been far more reasonable than he'd feared.
That was good, for it gave him more time to search for the thing he was supposed to be looking for.
Upon leaving the manor completely and shutting the gates behind him, Shirou took a look around, trying to find a hint or clue as to where he should be going, before he shrugged his shoulders and just started walking in no particular direction.
Nasu said he would find his target in due course, so he probably shouldn't overthink matters.
The first hour of his search did not yield any results though. There were no mysterious artefacts lying around on the streets, no armies of Dead Apostles roving the alleys, no great human sacrifices being performed in the town's square, nothing.
No matter where he looked, he couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.
Until he arrived at one of the city's less-maintained parks.
That was when he hit the metaphorical jackpot.
"!"
As always, it was the scent that first tipped him off.
The strong odour of Mystery hit his nose full on once he entered the park, almost making his eyes water from its intensity. It was a powerful, earthen scent, as if a mountain of dirt had just been upturned, and within it, he could smell traces of sea water, chopped wood, freshly mowed grass, and, most forebodingly, blood.
Even though he was still a good distance away from the source, the scent was already overbearing. Whatever was producing it had to be immensely powerful, more than anything he'd ever smelled before.
Not even the Nokken or lady Barthomeloi had smelled this potent…
Alarmed by the scent's intensity, Shirou pre-emptively activated his Magic Circuits and the Mysterious Power, in preparation for a confrontation.
'Trace on'
In his mind, he cocked back the hammer of his mental revolver and pulled the trigger, and while his Magic Circuits activated and lit up under his skin, he also summoned Mjolnir to his hand, its constant thrum a welcome comfort.
Only then did he start walking again, following his nose as he prepared to fight for his very life.
There was a very good chance that this was the thing he was looking for, the thing that Nasu wanted him to find, and if so, it was probably a part of some grand scheme or mechanism that threatened the entire world.
If he wasn't careful, it might very well destroy him.
So Shirou prepared for battle, readying himself for anything he could imagine.
Legions of Phantasmal Beasts, terrible Foreigners from beyond the stars, even visitors from Thor's universe, Shirou was ready for it all, power coursing through him in quantities that would burn up any other Magus in an instant.
But then he saw the source of the overbearing scent, right there on the road, and he realised his preparations had fallen short all the same.
He'd been expecting all sorts of things, from Magi and Mystic Codes to aliens and Demon Gods.
It wasn't any of that.
Instead, it was the bloody, chopped-up corpse of a woman.
Slashed into seventeen pieces.