Chapter 60: A Warm Working Welcome
A Warm Working Welcome
It was unusually busy in the office of the Vice Director. Busy to the point where the small but functional room was actually getting a bit cramped.
In total, there were no fewer than eleven people present, an unprecedented number, consisting of friends old and new, all of whom were more or less feeling in over their heads.
For Goredolf Musik, heir of the Musik-family, it was the first time he'd ever been invited into the queen's private quarters, the first time that any member of his family had been granted such a massive honour. Rather than feeling actually honoured or flattered however, he was quaking in his boots, trembling in fright under the displeased stare of the office's owner, Lorelei Barthomeloi herself.
Lorelei was a bit irked with Goredolf, who'd dared to brazenly assault someone she cared about. In the end, no one had gotten hurt, which is why she hadn't actually taken any action against him nor planned to, but she still gave him a cross look whenever their eyes met.
What she didn't realise though was that even a mildly annoyed glare from her was enough to make any average Magus quiver in terror. She was putting the fear of God into poor Goredolf, whilst completely unaware of it.
After about a minute though, Emiya Shirou, better known at the Clocktower as Shirou Fujimaru, gently nudged her in the side to get her to stop glaring at the poor man already. He'd long since forgiven Goredolf for attacking him, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he'd never blamed him for anything to begin with, and it wasn't right to continue subjecting the man to such terror.
Meanwhile, Ophelia Phamrsolone tried to make herself as small and unassuming as possible, hoping fervently no one would pay attention to her. If she'd possessed any kind of Magecraft that rendered her invisible, she would have used it right away to escape any possible probing looks. It wouldn't have mattered much, not with Shirou and Lorelei present, but she would have tried all the same.
Tohsaka Rin on the other hand made no effort whatsoever to hide herself. She'd claimed one of the few chairs in the office from the moment she'd entered and was now looking at the byplay between Shirou, Lorelei, and Goredolf with great interest and amusement.
Waver Velvet had also been invited, and although he had many questions for just about everyone in the room, he held his silence for now, waiting for the Vice Director to speak first, as was proper. Instead of talking, he spent his time observing both Ophelia and Goredolf, the former of whom he was not familiar with and the latter of whom he hadn't expected to ever encounter in lady Barthomeloi's office.
Grey went wherever Waver went, and the office of the Vice Director was no exception. She was standing slightly behind and to the side of him, trying to look just as contemplative and serious as he did, with mixed results.
Kayla, Sidonus, and Jonah were perhaps the most surprising guests of all, considering they were Executors of the Burial Agency and thus not welcome in the Clocktower, let alone the office of its queen, but the situation was so unusual that an exception had been made for them, just this once.
The last and final guest was Mirei Montmorency, and she at least did belong in the office of the Vice Director, considering how often she visited it. She was sitting on the third and last chair, having quickly claimed it for herself, both because she was the oldest person in the room and thus not capable of standing upright for a significant amount of time, and because she would surely have fallen over if she hadn't been sitting down already.
Fallen over from how hard she was laughing.
"Bwahahahahahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
She couldn't help it. The whole situation was just too hilarious, from Ophelia suddenly grassing on her parents to the Phamrsolone's ill-fated attempt at fleeing the scene of their crime to Goredolf completely misreading the situation, which had led to him body-slamming a Sorcerer.
There was nothing dignified about her loud belly-laugh, and many Magi would probably have pursed their lips in disapproval had they been present to see it, but Mirei didn't care. She was too old to care about such irrelevant matters. The situation was hilarious, so it deserved to be laughed about, regardless of what some overly stuffy Magi might think.
Not that there were any stuffy Magi present in the first place. The office was full of mavericks and outcasts, who barely batted an eye at her unabashed expression of hilarity. To some, her laughter was even a bit infectious, and before long, Rin and Jonah were chuckling as well, and even Waver cracked a smile at the plight of his two friends.
As for the objects of ridicule themselves, Shirou and Goredolf, they bore being the centre of such attention with varying degrees of acceptance. While Shirou, who was quite used to being laughed at, mostly ignored it, smiling laconically, Goredolf was slowly turning both red and white, feeling entirely affronted by being laughed at yet not brave enough to say anything about it.
Fortunately for them, lady Barthomeloi's patience had a definite limit, and that limit had just about been reached.
"Enough." She practically barked, her voice bereft of any hint of amusement or approval, and everyone, Mirei included, fell silent right away, not even moving a muscle anymore. "I did not invite you all here for your amusement. Control yourselves, or depart at once."
She coupled her warning with a glare at everyone who had been laughing, giggling, or chuckling, and most of them quickly looked away in submission. Mirei though only held up her hands in mock-surrender, but she did acknowledge that her boss was right.
"I suppose I might as well kick off this meeting then." She said, her demeanour now entirely serious, as she recognised when enough was enough. "To put it bluntly, we have a big mess on our hands again, and once more, we find you at the centre of it all, Shirou. You're quite the troublemaker, aren't you?"
"Not by choice!" The troublemaker in question protested. He'd only intended to travel to the Clocktower and meet up with a few old friends, not to suddenly get involved in yet another dark plot. "I am a victim of circumstance!"
"As you all know, Gladstone and Hermione Phamrsolone were arrested several hours ago by the Department of Policies." Mirei completely ignored him however, as did everyone else, causing him to deflate. "Gladstone for colluding with the Dead Apostle Ancestors and Hemione for aiding and abetting her husband's treason. These are capital crimes, and it is unlikely either of them will be able to avoid the death penalty after they've been interrogated."
As one, everyone present in the room glanced at Ophelia Phamrsolone, the daughter of the individuals mentioned, and they noticed, to varying degrees of surprise, that she looked quite satisfied with that outcome.
"I doubt it will be as straightforward as you claim." Waver couldn't resist being a smartass though, tempering everyone's expectations. "Gladstone Phamrsolone is currently the chairman of the Neutral Faction, and I doubt they will silently accept the capture of yet another of their leaders by the Department of Policies so soon after the Meluastea's downfall. They will claim, with seemingly reasonable grounds, that Policies is purposefully and unjustly targeting them, and that their leader should be returned to them at once."
"It's not our fault they keep picking bad leaders though." Shirou protested, understanding Waver's point of view yet not seeing why they should care.
"Indeed, and let's not forget that Gladstone was actively spying on them for the Dead Apostle Ancestors." Mirei nodded in agreement. "Not on the Aristocratic Faction or the Democratic Faction, but on his own people. He is a traitor of the highest order. It is highly unlikely they'll want to protect him once they learn of that."
"They are Magi. They'll be happy to see him die, the more painful the better." Jonah huffed, which the rest could only agree with, knowing full well of the ruthlessness of those who lived in the Moonlit World.
"You didn't let me finish. I'm not saying that the Neutral Faction will protect Gladstone. I'm saying they'll want to kill him themselves." Apparently, Waver wasn't finished yet with his analysis of the situation, and the room's attention turned back to him. "I imagine that their foremost priority will be to extract their former leader from our hold and kill him before he can reveal any of their secrets. Perhaps they'll even skip the first step and just kill him in his cell."
"I'll double his security." Mirei realised Waver was entirely correct, and that measures needed to be taken immediately, making a note of it in her little agenda. "I'll have my most reliable men keep a sharp eye on him around the clock."
"Why?" Jonah asked, not quite understanding the need to protect Gladstone Phamrsolone. "Is there such a difference between him being executed or murdered? He'll die either way."
"Yes, he'll die either way, but we don't want him to die before we can interrogate him." Mirei explained, with all the patience of a good parent talking to a somewhat dim child. "He probably has a number of accomplices within the Magus Association, and we want to know who they are. To find out, we'll need time to thoroughly put him to the question. Time that the Neutral Faction doesn't want to give us."
"Ah, I see." Jonah nodded in understanding, having really benefited from the calm explanation. "Yeah, you should probably guard him then. He shouldn't bite it yet."
Shirou almost snorted at the reply. So Gladstone being murdered wasn't the problem. It was him being murdered too early. How very typical.
"Shall I go and make the arrangements then?" Mirei proposed, already set to leave, but both Lorelei and Waver shook their head. "Not?"
"No. You should absolutely make those arrangements at some point, but it is not so urgent you have to drop everything you are doing now." Waver assured her, gesturing that she could remain seated. "Unless I am very much mistaken, the Neutral Faction should as of yet be unaware of Gladstone's arrest."
"They are indeed, and I would like to keep it that way for as long as possible." Lorelei confirmed, her icy gaze still sending shivers down everyone's spines. "The only ones aware of his imprisonment are the arresting Enforcers and you all. Hence, to keep the secret, it is of the utmost importance that you are silenced."
"S-Silenced?" Goredolf squeaked out, turning an unhealthy puce. Lorelei didn't reply though, leaving the matter of explaining her reasoning to her right hand-woman.
"I put the Enforcers into a luxury suit in the Department of Policies, with all the booze, food, and amusement they could ever want, and a big pay check for when they leave again, in about a week or so." Mirei didn't need to explain it further. Everyone in the room, and the Enforcers in question too likely, realised that it was a royal bribe for them to stay out of the public eye for a while. "I cannot grant you the same however. Not only because you are important figures who will definitely be missed if you disappear for even a single day, but also because some of you aren't able to sit still for any length of time."
She looked right at Shirou as she said that, and the redhead, who by now was used to being slandered like that, very maturely stuck out his tongue at her in response.
It threw her for a fraction of a second, but then she smirked, as did Rin, which was a victory as far as he was concerned.
"S-So what exactly are you going t-to do with us instead? B-Because I can definitely go missing for a few days, no problem!" Goredolf wiped away a few drops of sweat with his elegant handkerchief, trying his hardest to put on a brave face. "C-Can Toole come with me?"
"I am not going to imprison you. You are free to go." Lorelei's expression could have been hewed from stone, that was how much emotion was visible in it. "Just know that if any of you reveal any of today's events to outsiders, and thereby sabotage the efforts to hunt down and crush the traitors who sold themselves to the Dead Apostle Ancestors, you will feel the full extent of my wrath. They'll be finding your bodies for at least three months, two of which you will be alive for."
Coming from her, that was a harsh threat, and a highly effective one, judging by the reactions from the group.
From Waver and Sidonus, whose expressions had gone completely still, to Grey, Ophelia, and Rin, who looked at Lorelei with a mixture of fear and awe, and finally to Goredolf, who appeared to have fainted where he stood.
None of them would say anything, even under the pains of death. That was certain.
Though frankly, Shirou was pretty sure Lorelei was exaggerating. She was not the kind of woman who would keep someone alive for months just to torture them. Kill them, sure, but she was no sadist. In fact, he was pretty sure she hated seeing people in pain.
Much like himself, actually.
But then, pretty much everyone knew that already, except for poor Goredolf of course.
"Even with our cooperation, it is impossible to keep something of this magnitude silent for long." Waver's voice was entirely steady, with no hint that he'd just been horribly threatened. Likely, he'd gotten so much of that from his own teacher, his Servant, Gilgamesh, and even Kiritsugu that it barely bothered him anymore. "I give you two, perhaps three days before the entire Clocktower knows that you have arrested Gladstone Phamrsolone."
"Then that will have to be enough." Lorelei replied calmly, linking her fingers together beneath her chin as her ominous aura dissipated. "I expect doctor Kix won't need more than one for the interrogation."
An ominous declaration, and while Shirou was a bit concerned for a moment that this doctor was going to use torture, Lorelei suddenly took the effort to give him a glance. To most people, her expression wouldn't have meant anything, but Shirou saw immediately that she meant to reassure him.
She knew about his dislike of torture, and she had accounted for that.
Truly, she was a wonderful person.
"As persons of interest in this investigation, you will all be kept apprised of its progress, although I must admit that I am not certain what to do with you three." Lorelei looked at the three Executors present in her office, her steely gaze changing into a much calmer frown. "While your contribution to the investigation has been invaluable, the fact remains that you are enemy forces on my territory. In light of your accomplishments, I shall extend your welcome at the Clocktower until Gladstone's execution, but I would much prefer you departed immediately."
"We understand, but we cannot leave just yet." Kayla shook her head in the negative, even though she looked like she also wanted nothing more than to go home already. "We started this, and we have to see this through to the end. We're not going anywhere until Gladstone Phamrsolone and all his accomplices have been vanquished. If you say we are still welcome here, we'll gladly take you up on that offer, my lady."
"Very well." Lorelei's nod was minute, but it did not seem overly reluctant. "I will not insult you then by keeping you on the sidelines. I shall treat you like my own people and put you to work again. There is much to be done and more helping hands are always welcome."
"They sure are." Mirei agreed wholeheartedly.
"R-Right. We, uhm, we look forward to our continued cooperation." Kayla didn't sound quite sure of herself, but she looked keen enough to stay a part of the action, just like Sidonus. Jonah on the other hand seemed as if he'd frankly prefer to be locked up in a luxurious suit with Goredolf to laze around for a few days, but he was ignored.
"Leave us then. The remaining discussions are not meant for your ears. Report back to your bishop and tell him about your success. Your marching orders will be given soon."
"By your leave."
The Executors, recognising when it was time for an honourable retreat, quickly left the room as ordered, and the office was left with eight people in total.
"Would you permit me a question before you continue?" Waver spoke up before Lorelei could, and while he normally would have taken a puff of his cigar, he currently wasn't smoking, so he could only rub his chin in a somewhat awkward motion.
"Ask."
"I am still not sure why I was invited. As far as I can tell, there was no need to involve me, especially if secrecy is of the utmost importance, so, why am I here at all?"
"We value your insight, lord El-Melloi, especially in matters of such significance." The corners of Lorelei's lips almost quirked upwards, but no one except Shirou seemed to have noticed it. "Additionally, Fujimaru is still your apprentice, which means you are to be involved in matters that concern him, and you are known to be a friend of lord Goredolf, who also meddled in this sensitive affair, in a rather overt manner."
It was a surprisingly diplomatic way of saying that Goredolf had tried to knock Shirou senseless over a misunderstanding, but since everyone understood what it meant, there was no need to go into any further detail.
"Not to mention that the coming conflict between the Aristocratic Faction and the Neutral Faction will affect you disproportionally, considering your lordship over three of our departments." Mirei added. "It's only fair to give you a warning."
"And so it is." Waver inclined his head, accepting their reasoning. "I have received your warning loud and clear, so if you do not mind, I shall take my leave as well, and prepare for what might come our way. I have much to do and see no reason to stay any longer. Might I be excused?"
"Granted. Take care, lord El-Melloi."
"And you, lady Barthomeloi. Shirou, we shall speak later, when you are finished here."
Waver left the office as well, with Grey trailing behind him, as always.
Then there were only six.
"As for you." Finally, Lorelei turned to Ophelia, who promptly sat at attention. She'd been keeping a brave face for the past hour, much braver than could realistically be expected of her, but Shirou didn't miss how her hands trembled in fright and sweat drops slowly rolled down her temples in anticipation of the coming verdict. "You have my utmost gratitude."
"…Eh?"
"Bringing Gladstone Phamrsolone to justice would have been much harder without your courage and your determination to do what is right. You have done a great service to the Department of Policies and indeed the Magus Association as a whole."
The Vice Director graced Ophelia with a smile of approval, and everyone else in the office nodded or smiled themselves that Ophelia's heroic deeds were being praised appropriately.
The young woman herself was mainly confused however. She'd expected to be scolded or condemned for being a daughter of two traitors, to be sentenced to prison or forced labour at best and to a slow death by vivisection at worst. Never had it even occurred to her that she might be praised instead.
"You're not going to work me to death?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, and although she immediately regretted her audacity, she did find some solace in the confusion that her question generated.
"Certainly not." The Vice Director's response was immediate and clear, and a massive relief.
"Unless you have committed crimes yourself of course." Shirou interjected, drawing her attention towards him. "Have you committed any crimes?"
"N-No."
"Have you aided or abetted your parents' crimes?"
"I-I have not."
"Have you done anything else that demands punishment under the law?"
"I… don't think so." Ophelia was far from an expert on legal matters, or indeed on anything at all, so she couldn't answer with any surety, but she didn't recall breaking any laws.
"Then it's all fine, isn't it." The Sorcerer smiled, apparently taking her at her word.
"It is indeed." Lady Barthomeloi agreed, giving Ophelia a look that the young woman found hard to discern, though it seemed more positive than negative. "Rest assured that you will not be punished for the misdeeds of your family, and that you be royally compensated, sheltered, and shielded from all possible fall-out of your brave deeds."
The elder brunette concluded her promise with a small yet kind smile, one that spoke of appreciation and reassurance, and everyone still in the office nodded or smiled in approval again.
Everyone except Ophelia herself.
"Fall-out?" For a moment, the girl's face was the very picture of confusion, showing she had no clue what the Vice Director was talking about, but when everyone turned to her in surprise, she realised she had just erred and needed to do something, fast. "Oh, yes, of course! T-The fall-out! T-Thank you, my l-lady! F-For shielding me from it!"
It was a brave attempt to salvage the situation, but it was too little, too late. Her ignorance of her situation had been put on full display. It was obvious now that rather than taking a calculated risk, she had reported her parents to the authorities seemingly on impulse, unaware of the consequences she might face for turning on her own family like she had.
She had outed herself as a naïve, foolish girl who had not thought things through as much as she should have, and she knew it, judging by the way she wilted under the stares aimed at her.
"You seem confused. Do you need clarification on certain matters before we continue?"
Rather than mocking her for her ignorance however, Lorelei gave her a gentle and understanding look, keeping her expression open and her voice pleasant to show that Ophelia was entirely free to ask for an explanation. They didn't know her circumstances, so it was unreasonable to have too high expectations of her.
Besides, she was far from the only Magus-scion who'd had a lacking education. Magi who saw their children as tools generally didn't teach them very well.
The fact that the Vice Director could be so gentle seemed a great shock to Goredolf and Ophelia, but not to Shirou and Mirei, who knew her well enough to know that she had a surprisingly big heart, or to Rin, whose knowledge of Lorelei came entirely from Shirou's accounts.
As surprised as she was though, Ophelia seemed to gain heart from that open expression, sufficiently so that she dared to indeed ask a question.
"…I knew, w-when I gave mister Jonah the evidence, that my parents might get angry with me, w-would get angry with me, but they are locked up." She muttered, doing her very best to meet the Vice Director's eyes. "Who else would attack me? I can't think of anyone, except maybe…"
In a sudden flash of clarity, Ophelia realised the answer to her question herself, sucking in a shocked breath when she finally understood who she would need shelter and protection from.
"My family." She breathed out.
"Your family." Lorelei agreed. "The Phamrsolone-family will not forgive you for turning against them, and they will almost certainly try to have their revenge on you should the opportunity ever present itself. Worse than that, the Neutral Faction won't appreciate your meddling either. They will see you as a coward at best and a traitor at worst. Now that you have cost them their chairman, they will be most wroth with you indeed."
Ophelia swallowed audibly, turning an unhealthy pale, but Rin frowned in slight confusion.
"Is there a problem, miss Tohsaka?" Lorelei spotted the frown immediately, and since she was in a talkative mood, allowed Rin to explain herself.
Of course, being addressed so suddenly by the Queen of the Clocktower herself, the very woman who was supposed to become her direct mentor and sponsor, startled Rin something bad. She managed to hide it extremely well though, to the point where Shirou didn't think anyone but him had seen her stumble, and when she replied, her voice was steady as a rock.
"Won't the Neutral Faction see the downfall of their chairman as a good thing? Now that guy is out of the way, his position is up for grabs. They'll like that, won't they?"
It seemed logical to the black-haired girl, who had been raised with the idea that all Magi were ruthless social climbers without any semblance of loyalty or companionship, that the lords and Magi of the Neutral Faction would be delighted with their chairman's sudden bad fortune. However, reality was, as almost always, a bit more complicated than that.
"Had they removed him from power themselves, for clear and valid reasons, I imagine they would indeed see it as a good thing that his position is 'up for grabs', as you put it. It would be an internal matter within the Faction, in which they hold all the power. A game, if you will, though one with high stakes." Mirei took over from her boss to explain the intricacies of Clocktower-politics to Rin. "But he was betrayed by a relative and arrested by the Department of Policies, by outsiders whom they cannot control. They will see it as a dead-serious attack on the entire Neutral Faction, and nothing brings people together faster than a common enemy. They will bend the truth to their will, and turn that wretch Gladstone into a martyr, and Ophelia into a cruel backstabber."
"Right, yes, I suppose I know what you mean." Being a perfect idol, Rin was well-aware of the human tendency to make sharp distinctions between people inside their group and people outside of it, and Magi were still people, no matter how much some of them wanted to deny it. "Yeah, I'm sorry, miss Phamrsolone, but they're going to tear you apart."
"Rin, please do not make Ophelia any more worried than she already is." Seeing that the young woman wasn't looking too healthy, Shirou placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to provide some comfort. "I'm sure Lorelei has a plan to avoid such an outcome."
"Lorelei?" Ophelia muttered, though so quietly that even Shirou didn't hear it.
"I do." The Vice Director confirmed, her obvious lack of worry easing the tension in the room. "The next two days are crucial. We can operate without overt resistance as long as Gladstone Phamrsolone's arrest remains a secret. He shall be put to the question, and meanwhile, Ophelia Phamrsolone will have to disappear."
"…Disappear?" That word was often used as a euphemism for killing someone, and Ophelia clearly didn't much like to hear it from a woman who was known for being ruthless and immensely heavy-handed in everything she did.
"Lady Montmorency?" Fortunately for her, it wasn't Lorelei who was in charge of making her disappear, and the Queen of the Clocktower gestured at her right hand-woman instead.
"You will be given a new name and a new identity. You will spend the coming six months as an unremarkable clerk working deep inside the Department of Policies. You will not be mentioned in any official pieces or reports. To the outside world, you'll be declared missing, and if necessary, we'll create a few fake trails for your enemies to pursue." Mirei quickly summed up, and judging from how rehearsed the words sounded, it wasn't the first time she'd done something like this. "Once the six months are over, we'll see about reassigning you to an isolated research base on the other side of the world. You'll be safe there."
"And I'll have to stay there forever?" Ophelia asked, not seeming terribly enthusiastic about that, though at the same time, not entirely opposed to it either.
"That depends on whether your involvement can be kept a secret, and to what extent you will be blamed for your father's downfall. Should we manage to obscure your role entirely, such drastic measures will not be necessary. For now, we will err on the side of caution however, and we hope you'll cooperate."
"I will!" Ophelia didn't have to think twice about that. She was away from her parents and their experiments, she wasn't going to be executed or vivisected, and Policies was going to protect her from assassination. It was a better outcome than she'd dared hope for. "Thank you so, somuch!"
"Oh, uh, no problem." The unabashed expression of gratitude took Mirei aback a little, but she soon smiled again at the young woman. "You must keep a low profile, and because of that, neither lady Barthomeloi nor me can be seen speaking with you. Any and all contact between us will have to happen through middlemen. It is still not ideal, but it is the best that we can do on such short notice."
"Reliable middlemen, I hope?" Shirou asked, already able to envision how a single mole could ruin the entire operation with just one wrong word to the wrong person.
"All my middlemen are reliable, although… if you are not certain…" For a moment, Mirei looked pensive, before she nodded. "Yes, it might be best if you took that role upon you."
"Me?"
"Among the Magi of the Clocktower, you are known as a social and friendly individual who speaks to anyone who is at least half-decent. You have a lot of friends and acquaintances in a lot of places, most of whom are around your age. No one would look twice if you got yourself another friend. In fact, it might even grant a layer of protection for Ophelia here, as people are generally disinclined to investigate a Sorcerer's associate too closely."
"Well, if you put it like that, how can I refuse?" Shirou had to admit he was flattered. Hearing that he was apparently considered to be very approachable at the Magus Association was a stark and welcome contrast to his outsider-status at Homurahara.
"I am counting on you then, Shirou." Lorelei nodded. "Hide her for tonight. Tomorrow, we shall have her new identity ready for her."
"Shirou?" Goredolf mimed in shock, though so silently that not even the redhead heard him.
"Well, you heard the lady." The redhead still had his hand on Ophelia's shoulder, and he gave it a light squeeze, grinning widely when she turned to him with eyes full of wonder. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you, my newest friend."
"F-Friend?" Ophelia's mouth fell open in astonishment, and Shirou laughed at the sight, before he turned back to Lorelei with a confident grin.
"Leave this one to me."
"Excellent. With that matter settled, there is only one topic left for us to discuss." Lorelei's eyes had softened over the past few minutes, especially when she looked at Shirou, but now they hardened again, as she turned towards Goredolf. "Lord Goredolf, as a result of your brazen actions, you now hold information far beyond your clearance level or your ability to handle. On top of that, you assaulted a Sorcerer, my ally. This time, I shall let you off with only a warning, but in the future, I strongly advise that you think before you act."
"…"
Goredolf Musik was forgiven for his improper conduct, in large part because Lorelei knew that Shirou didn't want anyone to be punished on his account, but it was doubtful that the moustached Magus had heard that properly, because he had once again fainted where he stood.
It was a very odd contrast, between Goredolf coming to the defence of a helpless girl and bravely fighting with someone so much stronger than him on one side, and him fainting from a stern talking to on the other, and neither Shirou nor Lorelei knew what to do with that.
"I think he got the message." Mirei laughed, while Shirou Projected a chair for Goredolf to sit on. "An interesting man, in more ways than one."
That, Shirou could only agree with.
"Leave us now. Lady Montmorency and I have much to arrange now that the investigation into Gladstone Phamrsolone has reached its final stages. Regrettably, I have no time available to speak with you at the moment." Lorelei explained, with a faint note of apology in her eyes. "I will welcome you properly at the earliest opportunity, Shirou, miss Tohsaka."
"That's alright. We're going to have to unpack our luggage first anyway." Shirou didn't mind a slight delay, and neither did Rin, as she realised very well that Vice Directors had many important matters to see to and sometimes had to prioritise. "Until next time, Lorelei."
"Until next time, Shirou."
Their goodbyes said, they both turned away, and Shirou led Rin, Ophelia, and poor Goredolf out of her office.
Then there were only two.
A much more sensible number.
"Well, that was terrifying." Rin grinned when they were out of the office. She'd kept herself impressively strong throughout the meeting, but now that they were in the clear, she sagged in exhaustion, and when she took Shirou's hand, he could feel how she squeezed harder than she normally would. "Exhilarating too, and funny, but mainly terrifying."
"Was it? I thought it went pretty well."
"Yeah, Shirou, I noticed, and so did everyone else, with you calling the Vice Director by her first name every two minutes." Rin huffed, giving him a cross look. "But for everyone who isn't you, it was scary, alright? Especially when she threatened us to keep us quiet. I thought I'd faint on the spot."
"Right." Shirou inclined his head, accepting the mild rebuke. It was certainly true that Lorelei had been rather harsh during the meeting, and that people who weren't used to her mannerisms might be intimidated by that. When they'd first met, Shirou had been intimidated by her too, so he had no right to speak. Nevertheless, he did feel the need to correct any possible preconceptions about the Vice Director before Rin really got the wrong idea about her. "She's… she's not usually like that, I promise."
"She is though." Goredolf, who had accompanied them so far, gave him a look that suggested he was being ridiculous. "She's always like that. Every time the Aristocratic Faction holds a meeting, she is like that. I don't think she is ever notlike that!"
"You exaggerate-"
"No, I do not. Goredolf Musik does not exaggerate. You are simply insane."
"Oi, there is no need to get personal-"
"Everyone else agrees with me!" Goredolf argued, gesturing not only at Rin, but at Ophelia too. "The Vice Director is terrifying, always! No exceptions! She's too powerful and intense and ruthless for us to comprehend! Us common folk can only fear her, and hope against hope that she'll take pity on us poor wretches! The fact that you cannot see that makes you patently insane!"
"Okay, that is simply not true." Shirou frowned deeply in irritation. Not about him being called insane, he couldn't deny that, but about Lorelei being described as some kind of horrid tyrant when she was only doing her utmost to make the best of a difficult situation. "She might come across as such to you, but have you ever seen her actually harm someone? Someone who wasn't a Dead Apostle Ancestor or a criminal?"
"Hehe." Goredolf turned back to him with gravity and aplomb, raising his finger with a smug grin on his face, all ready to give Shirou a long list of names of those who had been killed most brutally by Lorelei, but when he opened his mouth, he failed to produce any sound. For several long seconds, it remained painfully quiet, and soon, it was Shirou who smiled smugly while Goredolf flushed.
The fat Magus quickly glanced to the side, to Ophelia, for aid and support, but even though the young woman honestly did her best to help him think of anyone who had been killed unjustly by the Vice Director, she had no more success than him. In the end, she could only shrug her shoulders.
Rin did not help either. She was having way too much fun looking on as her boyfriend bullied someone, as evidenced by her proud grin.
"Alright, fine!" Let no one say that Goredolf was excessively stubborn to the point of stupidity, and he gave in when he realised he could not think of any acts of overt brutality on Lorelei's part. "Maybe, and I mean maybe, she is not as bad as I said. Still, your girl was absolutely right when she said that the Vice Director is terrifying. Don't make light of our experiences just because yours are different."
"Yes, you have a point. I'm sorry." Though Goredolf was overly dramatic and jumped to conclusions far too quickly, he was right in that Shirou shouldn't deny other people's feelings. "I hope you'll one day see though that there is nothing to fear about Lorelei."
"Unless I suddenly become a Sorcerer myself, that is unlikely." Goredolf basically dismissed the possibility out of hand, brushing it aside without a moment of thought. "You agree with me, don't you, Phamrsolone?"
"H-Huh?" Ophelia started at being addressed so suddenly, but she recovered fairly quickly. "I, uhm, I think she's… nice?"