To most people in the office, that name meant very little, as evidenced by their slight frowns as they attempted to remember whether they'd heard the name anywhere before. To Waver however, the family-name was a real blast from the past, again, though his only response was a minute widening of his eyes and a measured comment.
"I look forward to meeting her someday."
Shirou was grateful for his restraint. The last thing he needed was for Flat to get the idea that he was keeping secrets of any kind.
"Yes, congratulations." Marianne gave him another beautiful smile, followed by a curious look. "Have you been engaged for long?"
"No. Only for a couple of months now. Actually, we got engaged soon after I returned from the Clocktower."
"Oh, so that's why you didn't tell us last time." Flat nodded as if everything made sense now. "Can I ask why you got engaged to her?"
"Why?" It seemed an odd question, one that Shirou didn't immediately have a reply to. "What do you mean?"
"Is she very powerful?" Flat clarified. "Or is she very rich?"
"Ah." Now Shirou understood. In the Moonlit World, marriages were basically transactions between individuals or families, meant to benefit both parties in some way. If love was involved, that was fine, but it was certainly not a priority. The betrothal between Waver and Marianne was a good example. Because of that, Flat wondered what exactly Rin had to offer for Shirou to agree to marry her. A question that was of course easily answered. "We got engaged because I love her."
"Love?" As expected, most people in the office were rather taken aback again, Flat most of all.
"Yes, love. There's nothing more to it. I love Tohsaka Rin, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Shirou wasn't ashamed of his feelings in the slightest. He bluntly laid out his motives and goals, uncaring about what others might think of them.
"Now I really look forward to meeting her." Waver huffed, cocking his head to the side and narrowing his eyes slightly. "I wonder what kind of woman can have such an influence on you."
"The best kind." Shirou jested, and he was rewarded with a minute smile in response.
"I… I am very pleased to hear that, but…" Marianne looked a tad confused now, wringing her hands in a clear sign of anxiety. "But what about… What about the Vice-Director?"
It took the redhead a full three seconds to understand what she meant, and then he had to firmly sit on the desire to throw his gaze to the ceiling and scream in despair.
Was there anyone who hadn't heard those blasted rumours!? Or at the very least, didn't take them so seriously?!
"Lorelei and I are not in any sort of romantic relationship!" He repeated his old line, injecting as much energy as he could, hoping against hope that it would be enough.
"…Lorelei?"
"Damnit!"
He'd only managed to fuel the fire.
Again.
Damn the Moonlit World and its backward notions of romance and interpersonal closeness!
And while the office was once more consumed in a storm of questions and remarks from the peanut gallery, Shirou met Waver's eyes, seeing in them his own tiredness reflected. A tiredness with how slow every conversation seemed to progress once more than four people were involved.
In a split-second, they wordlessly agreed to meet again somewhere else, away from all the racket, to have a proper talk.
There was much to discuss after all, from the personal matters to the great emergencies that threatened the entire world. Hopefully, those discussions would take place a little more efficiently than they were managing right now.
In the wake of the Night of the Broken Moon, both the Burial Agency and the Magus Association had feared retaliation of some kind, a strike of revenge from the Dead Apostle Ancestors to show they wouldn't take such a defeat lying down.
They needn't have worried. Most Dead Apostle Ancestors had gone even deeper into hiding than before, spooked badly by the fact that three of their peers had been slain so quickly and easily by a positively tiny taskforce. Revenge had been the furthest from their minds, as they ran away like skittish critters.
It wasn't often that they were reminded of their own mortality, of the fact they were not gods but flawed beings that could barely be called immortal, so it was definitely an unpleasant experience to have their fallibility shoved into their faces so brutally.
This went for Elder and Upstart alike. Whether young and brash or old and weathered, none of them were willing to look death in the eye. As the late Spider Queen had already remarked upon, they were terrible cowards, who felt no compunction about fleeing and hiding at the first sign of trouble.
It was how they'd survived for as long as they had even though literally everyone hated them. The only exceptions to the rule were the few Ancestors without much sapience to speak of, such as the Forest of Einnashe, which barely possessed a conscious mind at all, and utter mavericks such as Sumire, whose motivations were a complete mystery to everyone, including her peers.
Trhvmn Ortenrosse on the other hand, the King of the Dead Apostle Ancestors and the Burial Agency's number one enemy, was no exception at all. The moment the news broke that three Ancestors had been slaughtered in a single night, he'd abandoned his previous shelter and fled to the Southernmost tip of South-Africa, barely bothering to find out which of his subjects had perished before going underground.
King he may be, but his courage and valour were severely lacking. Truly, any ancient king worth their salt, such as Arturia Pendragon and Rama, King of Kosala, would have been greatly disappointed to see how this wretched creature, which dared to call itself a king, abandoned his subjects without a second thought. How unwilling he was to risk himself for the sake of those he claimed to rule.
Not that Trhvmn cared about that. The opinions of humans, even Demigods, were of little interest to him. He had nothing to prove and nothing to lose, as long as he managed to stay alive. That was his highest priority, taking precedence over absolutely anything else, up to and including his power, his authority, his dignity, and whatever Earthly goods he had in his possession.
Yes, the King of Knights and the Avatar of Vishnu might disdain him for his lack of courage and chivalry, amongst many, many other things, but in turn, Trhvmn looked down on them for only having managed to stay alive for a few decades at most. Their ages, even when put together, didn't even come close to a single century, whereas Trhvmn was over three millennia old already.
It went to show just how much that valour and bravery was worth in the end. How useless it was to pretend that good people would have good fates.
A Dead Apostle Ancestor shouldn't be valiant and self-sacrificing. They should be old. As old as possible. The older the better. Which, of course, meant avoiding anything and everything that could possibly pose a serious threat.
It was a case of completely different worldviews. Priorities that simply weren't compatible in the slightest. Trhvmn had spent many a night philosophising about the nature of kingship, wondering if he could perhaps learn something from the Ancient human kings, but every time, he'd arrived at the same conclusion.
He couldn't. There was nothing to learn from mortal creatures who had thrown away their lives at a whim for no personal gain whatsoever. They had blinded themselves with their obsession for legacy, honour, and chivalry, and while humans might appreciate that in a ruler, Dead Apostle Ancestors did not.
They only cared about survival.
So Trhvmn hid like the coward he was. He abandoned his subjects to whatever fate awaited them and took refuge far away from the civilised world, in a place where humans hadn't come for many centuries. A place that even his fellow Ancestors did not know about, which was an advantage that Trhvmn had gone to great lengths to maintain.
Which made it immensely vexing that one of his subjects had managed to track him down anyway.
"Your Majesty! So this is where you've been hiding! It took me almost three days to find you!"
Trhvmn was roused from his musings by the voice of said subject, and he scowled in displeasure, having to suppress the curse that wanted to pass his lips. Though normally a very composed individual, Trhvmn had definite limits to his patience, and unfortunately, his current conversation partner was someone who very much enjoyed finding those limits.
"What is it, Crown?" He spat at Merem Solomon, somehow managing to not make it sound too hostile. While he had very little patience for the likes of Solomon, barely being able to tolerate the nuisance on a good day, the little louse was a fellow Elder, so he deserved at least a measure of respect.
Not trust though. Trhvmn didn't trust that church-lover as far as he could throw him.
"My most glorious king, I return to you triumphantly!" Merem proclaimed bombastically while throwing his arms wide, his acting so over-the-top that it was clear he was doing it just to annoy Trhvmn. "The mission that you bestowed upon your humble servant, me, has been completed. I bring to you the Idea Blood of the Spider Queen."
He knelt, bowing his head deeply, while holding out an orb-shaped object wrapped in a handkerchief.
"Ah, yes, that." Now Trhvmn remembered. He'd given both Solomon and Chaos the order to obtain said Idea Blood by any means necessary just before going into hiding. An order they had apparently followed with impressive speed.
"You'll find it in mint condition." Solomon promised, still keeping his head bowed, likely to hide the fact that he was rolling his eyes or something similarly disrespectful. "I was exceedingly careful in its handling."
"Hm. Lift your head and be proud. You did well." The report of a successful mission did wonders for Trhvmn's mood, and he praised Solomon's hard work as he accepted the Idea Blood, leaving it wrapped in the Enchanted handkerchief for now. It should be powerless without a wielder, but even so, there was no reason to tempt fate. There was no telling what the Spider Queen might have done with it, so Trhvmn was only too happy to keep the piece of cloth in place. Once he'd found the time to completely reset and cleanse the Idea Blood, he could bestow it upon someone worthy.
"Of course, the Spider-Clan has been disposed of as well, in its entirety, as you commanded." Solomon continued, the corners of his lips pulling down slightly, undoubtedly in disapproval over the massacre of his fellow Apostles. "It was a most… brutal, spectacle."
Trhvmn wasn't surprised to see that the boyish Ancestor disapproved of assassinating the Spider Queen and her followers. He had always been soft-hearted, towards humans, animals, and especially his own kind. In fact, if it hadn't been for Solomon's advanced age, nearly equal to Trhvmn's own, he might have suspected the fool lacked a killing-instinct altogether.
"Brutal, but necessary." He chose for a diplomatic answer, storing the Idea Blood away safely in a small chest inscribed with hundreds of seals and markings. "They will be replaced with someone more competent."
"Someone more obedient, you mean. Obedient to you." Solomon countered brazenly, and Trhvmn inclined his head, for it was true. "Are you sure it was the right decision though?"
"You disapprove?"
"Not necessarily. I'm perfectly fine with a bit of murder, and I was never that attached to the Spider and her ilk, but I do worry about the greater picture. I have to ask whether her death won't cause any problems for the Ritual."
"Ah yes, the Ritual." Trhvmn nodded understandingly, now seeing what Solomon was driving at. "I am so glad to hear you are taking it seriously now."
"What are you talking about? I always took it seriously." Solomon lied so brazenly and confidently that lesser men might actually have believed him. "Which is why I'm concerned about your recent… decisions, my liege."
"My decisions? Such as?"
"To have the Spider Queen killed for instance. No matter who you give her Idea Blood to, they will not be prepared in time to aid with the Aylesbury Ritual. Can Dark Six still be awakened with our ranks depleted even more than they already were, now that we have lost three of our own? Will we still be able to execute the Aylesbury Ritual?"
The Aylesbury Ritual.
A term that inspired nightmares in even the hardiest of Executors. A ceremony that served to awaken the Dark Six, the first Dead Apostle Ancestor to have ever been created and the only creature that held the means to resurrect the Crimson Moon.
Awakening it had been Trhvmn's foremost priority for many centuries now. He'd laboured endlessly in the pursuit of that goal, sometimes to the point where he almost risked his own life. Even when several of his fellow Ancestors dismissed his efforts as misplaced, he'd bravely continued on. As such, when Solomon, who until recently had been one of the Ritual's greatest detractors, worried about Trhvmn's commitment to the plan, the king had to suppress a bark of incredulous laughter, so as not to hurt the brat's feelings.
"I understand your concern." He chose to say instead, making a show of nodding seriously. "But you worry needlessly. To execute the Ritual and awaken our dear senior, we only need as few as six of us being in the right place and working together. Even without the Spider Queen, we more than meet that criterion."
"You, me, Gransurg, Van-Fem." Solomon began counting on his fingers, listing the Dead Apostle Ancestors who had already agreed to aid in the Ritual's completion. "Stanrobe, Rizo, Fina, Altrouge, Nero, little Rita, and of course your three pets, though since you now have the Spider's Idea Blood, I guess you'll have four pets soon enough. That makes fourteen Ancestors in total, enough to leave us with a comfortable margin."
"It should be, though I ask that you not refer to your fellow Ancestors as 'pets' again."
"Why not? It's basically what they are. You practically handed them their positions among the Twenty-Seven every time Barthomeloi killed one of us and you had an Idea Blood to spare. They owe everything to you. They are, and will always be, yours. Your pets."
Trhvmn pursed his lips, once more reminded sharply of just why he disliked dealing with the Daemon-master. Solomon was technically correct in his accusation, sufficiently so that it was hard to deny his words, and that made it difficult to properly chastise him.
"I may have… 'stacked the deck in my favour', as they say these days." He admitted, minding his words very carefully. "But they all earned their positions nonetheless. You will find them no weaker than their predecessors."
"Oh, I fully expect them to be stronger. They have your full backing and support after all. I would be more surprised if they weren't more powerful." Solomon laughed, taking another stab under water for good measure. "I don't think lord Brunestud will be very happy though. He established the Twenty-Seven to be independent from one another. Your puppets may well find that their existence won't last long past the Aylesbury Ritual."
"If that is our Master's will, it shall be done." Trhvmn replied with a shrug, though personally, he rather thought that Solomon was exaggerating. "But we shall see, once the Ritual has been completed, what our Master's will truly is."
Solomon evidently had a rose-tinted view of the Crimson Moon, one in which their Father was infallible and fair, but that was not how Trhvmn remembered him. The Crimson Moon was, as all gods, a hypocrite, who said one thing and did another. If Trhvmn's actions benefitted him, he wouldn't care one whit whether it went against some rules he'd set up thousands of years before.
It was hardly Solomon's fault though that he didn't understand that. He'd been but a child when he'd been turned, and he had barely matured since. His intelligence had greatly increased, and he'd even gained wisdom, but he still lacked a great deal of common sense and the ability to see nuance.
"I look forward to seeing what Crimson Moon Brunestud will do with the Idea Blood of your pets. Undoubtedly, it will be grand." Adhering entirely to expectations, Solomon fired off a last taunt, before his countenance turned marginally more serious. "Speaking of Idea Blood, I have yet been unable to determine what happened to that of the Nineteenth."
"Vlov Arkhangel?"
"Yes, him. His Idea Blood should have passed on to his Successor, or, if he didn't have one in place, to a compatible Dead Apostle, but there's no trace of it anywhere. He's been dead for a while now, but no new Nineteenth has risen to take his place."
"That is… interesting." As he'd fled for his life after hearing about the Night of the Broken Moon, Trhvmn was less well-informed about current events than he'd have liked to be, so this was entirely new to him. "I hope you plan to elaborate."
"I'd love to, honestly, but there's not a lot I can say. I searched high and low, even asked around at the Burial Agency, but I can't for the life of me figure out where it has gone. For now, the theory is that it has yet to reform, though the cause for the delay is unknown." Solomon reported, for once not cracking any stupid jokes. "Apparently, the Church can't even make a new infernal device for the next Nineteenth, simply because there is nothing to work with."
"How fortuitous." Trhvmn allowed himself a thin smile, at the message rather than the messenger, enjoying how Solomon's face scrunched up in confusion.
"Fortuitous?"
"It is a synonym for fortunate, meaning that something happened by a lucky chance." Trhvmn explained glibly, pretending to completely misunderstand the question.
"My king!" The boyish Ancestor complained in a rather whiny tone, showing he couldn't take nearly as much as he could dish out.
"It is fortuitous because it means that the Burial Agency does not possess the Nineteenth Idea Blood either." Trhvmn conceded. "My greatest fear was that they had hidden it away or converted it into a weapon, like they did the Twenty-Fifth Idea Blood. In that case, it would have been lost to us for the coming century at least. However, if it is only missing, it will reemerge again in due time. We only need to keep our eyes open and wait."
"You don't think the Magus Association might have it instead?"
"I am certain they don't." It was a good question, as the Magus Association was a powerful and resourceful organisation too, but Trhvmn confidently shook his head. "For all that Magi like to keep their secrets, their precious Association is as leaky as a sieve when it comes to such information. If they'd possessed or sealed away the Idea Blood of the Nineteenth, we would have heard all about it by now. Their bragging would have reached the far ends of the Earth and beyond."
"Then, my king, what do you think happened to the Idea Blood?" Solomon let his curiosity get the better of him, but Trhvmn allowed it, for a short discussion would allow him to straighten out his thoughts as well.
Frankly, he'd rather have had said discussion with Stanrobe or Van-Fem, but they were busy, not to mention unaware of the location of his current hideout, so he'd have to settle for Solomon.
"I have my theories, but none of them are proven. If it is the absolute truth you want, you likely won't find it here." He cautioned his fellow Ancestor, who responded with a shrug. "Very well then. As you know, the transference of Idea Blood from one person to the next is a very intense and strenuous process, both for the receiver and the Idea Blood itself. It takes time to recover from. As the time between the demise of Arkhangel's predecessor and his own was very short however, only a few decades, if I remember correctly, it could be that too great a strain was placed on the Idea Blood when he perished as well, causing it to go into hibernation."
"Hibernation? Idea Blood can go into hibernation?" The doubtful frown was entirely warranted, and demanded explanation.
"I don't mean that it goes to sleep for the winter. I mean that it disappears for a while to regain its strength. It has happened before. Not often, but certainly once or twice. In such a case, it will reappear by itself once it has healed. We only need to be patient in the meantime."
Solomon still didn't look convinced, but that hardly mattered. Trhvmn wasn't here to convince him. The truth was the truth, and all things ended there.
"…What other possibilities can you think of, your majesty? Are there any options that are a bit more… convenient, to us?"
"Even more convenient?! Crown, hibernation is the most innocent and beneficial explanation for the disappearance of the Idea Blood that I can think of! Any other explanation involves a third party absconding with it following Arkhangel's death!"
"Impossible!" Solomon dismissed the possibility out of hand. "The Burial Agency doesn't have it, and neither does the Magus Association. Any individual Magus would never be able to control it, and any Executor would have tried to destroy it on the spot, before bringing it to their masters when they failed. No one else can possibly possess it."
The sheer arrogance on display nearly drove Trhvmn to despair. Solomon was a fellow Elder, almost as old as he was, yet he displayed all the naivety of a child. Granted, he was a child, but even that should have limits.
"Don't be a fool, Solomon. The world is a vast place, filled with horrors and wonders that are beyond even us. Humans are frail and short-lived, that is true, but they are crafty, ingenious, and persistent. That goes doubly so for Magi. I imagine there are any number of means by which even our own Crowns can be rendered invisible to our eyes."
Trhvmn might be one of the oldest and most powerful beings on Earth, but that didn't mean the world didn't hold many secrets from him anyway. No single being could know everything, with the sole exception of the Christian God, if the Burial Agency was right about His existence.
"Tch." The sound that came in response conveyed very clearly what Solomon thought of that though, how ludicrous he considered the very idea that mankind might have 'pulled one over on him', so to speak. "Humans cannot reach such heights."
"Then have you considered that the culprit, the thief who absconded with the Nineteenth Idea Blood, might not be human at all?" Recognising a lost cause when he saw one, Trhvmn attempted a different approach. "There are a myriad of other beings out there who might have stolen it instead and claimed it for themselves."
Lingering Phantasmal Beasts, Wraiths, Ghosts, Gremlins, and even other Dead Apostles. They could all have decided to claim the masterless Idea Blood for themselves. It was a source of great power after all, and if there was one desire that all the aforementioned creatures, including humans, shared, it was the desire for power.
"The Idea Blood was made by lord Crimson Moon for Dead Apostles only." Solomon was quick to refute him however, his face rapidly losing all expression. "No other creature would bother stealing it, for they cannot use it. It rejects them utterly and completely. Only humans would bother trying, with only marginal success. Brunestud's designs were flawless."
"The Crimson Moon is not…" Trhvmn suddenly halted, sensing trouble ahead if he finished his sentence and said out loud that their creator wasn't infallible. "…He couldn't have foreseen every possibility. He only had a limited amount of time before he was cowardly ambushed by the Kaleidoscope, so he might not have been able to make all the preparations he wanted."
To say that much was almost sacrilege, and Solomon wordlessly shook his head, his expression alarmingly stoney.
Seeing the boyish Ancestor so serious for once was not nearly as pleasant as Trhvmn had always imagined, and he found himself almost wishing for the insolent prankster to return.
Which was a weird experience indeed.
"Glare at me all you like, but even you cannot deny my words. Do you not remember the Fifth? The Elder who was just a few decades younger than you and I? Do you not remember what happened to him? To his Idea Blood?"
"Of course I do. He was killed when he tried to mess with…"
Realisation struck like thunder, and Solomon froze mid-sentence, his mouth still hanging open, but not a sound escaping it anymore.
It seemed the boyish vampire had been completely caught off guard by the flash of inspiration. For a single moment, he had no idea what to do or say. He was too baffled, his earlier seriousness having been shattered into nothingness.
"When he tried to mess with…?" Trhvmn prompted him gently, gleefully stretching out the moment as much as he could. Solomon was normally always so annoyingly composed and laconic, so to see him looking so vulnerable, a vanishingly rare occurrence, was a sight for sore eyes.
"W-With…" He was even stuttering now, a sound that was like music to Trhvmn's ears. "Y-You mean to say that…? N-No, that is impossible! There is nothing like…"
"Nothing like…? Like what?" This really was a surprising lot of fun, bullying the troublemaker, and Trhvmn played dumb, acting like he had no clue what Solomon wanted to say, letting him stew for a while longer.
But all good things had to end, and the Daemon-master was too old to be off-balance for long.
"There is nothing like it! That thing is a complete and total fluke!" Solomon clearly wanted to sound confident, but his assertion came out more as a wish than anything else. "An outlier! It doesn't count!"
"Of course it counts." Trhvmn countered immediately. "You wanted to know what could have happened to Arkhangel's Idea Blood to make it vanish, so I gave you an example from the past. An actual example, which actually took place. It is entirely possible that something similar happened again, no matter how much you dislike the idea."
"No!"
"If something happened once, it can happen again."
"No! I can accept hibernation, or being Sealed away through means unknown, but your third example involves ORT!"
Indeed it did. The alien god was the only being to have ever claimed an Idea Blood for itself without being a Dead Apostle beforehand or becoming one afterwards. It had claimed the Crown of the Fifth after the Fifth had foolishly attacked it, which was why it currently held a position among the Twenty-Seven despite not being a Dead Apostle.
Though no one could be certain whether ORT was even aware of that. It didn't communicate with the outside world, except by killing everything and everyone that came close with extreme prejudice.
Which, as far as communication went, was perfectly clear.
"Yes, I do speak of ORT." Trhvmn confirmed. "As I said, if it happened once that an alien god claimed one of our Crowns, it can happen again, can it not? Lightning does, after all, strike twice every once in a while."
"Lightning does, but ORT doesn't!" Solomon practically snarled. If he were a cat, his fur would be standing on end, which was a marvellous sight indeed. "I will not… I cannot believe- That is, it cannot have happened again. It is impossible!"
"Improbable." Trhvmn corrected his poor, confused servant. "Perhaps another Type, or something of a similar nature, has arrived on Earth recently, and now made its first mark by claiming an Idea Blood for itself. We cannot discount the possibility and we should prepare accordingly."
Solomon practically flailed for a few moments, utterly overwhelmed, while Trhvmn did his best to look serious and sincere, and not at all like he was very much enjoying his fellow Ancestor's distress.
"…Do you really think that might have happened?" Solomon eventually ended up asking, his voice very small and rather befitting his young appearance.
Trhvmn almost nodded in response, but at the very last moment, decided to take pity on the other vampire lord instead.
"No, I do not. It is possible, but the chance is so infinitesimally small that it borders on non-existent. It's far more likely that the Idea Blood is hibernating or that some ordinary rogue has attempted to claim it for themselves. Or perhaps it is something I have never seen before. That too remains a distinct probability."
"I will keep looking." Solomon promised, looking pleasantly serious again. "I will make sure to reclaim it. I don't even care anymore if it ends up with another pet of yours, as long as we have it back. By your leave, my king."
"Good luck." Trhvmn kindly waved the boyish Ancestor goodbye, watching as the small form scurried away in a manner not unlike his rat-familiar.
It certainly was an odd situation, with the Nineteenth Idea Blood being missing, but Trhvmn wasn't too worried. It would turn up sooner or later, and then the Ancestors could just reclaim it again. These things had a way of working out by themselves in the end.
And if the matter kept Solomon on his toes, it was ultimately more advantageous than truly problematic.
Though Trhvmn was a bit confused that the smaller vampire seemed so ignorant of past events. Certainly, he had to have known that an Idea Blood going missing for a while wasn't unprecedented?
Ah well, it hardly mattered in the end.
Alone once more, and left in blissful silence, Trhvmn put the matter out of his head and returned to his musings from before.
Would Julius Ceasar have approved of his style of ruling? Or Oda Nobunaga?
Certainly, at least one Ancient King would?
True to her word, Lorelei Barthomeloi summoned Shirou, Rin, and Ophelia back to her chambers only a day after she'd previously dismissed them. The most pressing matters concerning Gladstone Phamrsolone had been dealt with for now, so she had some time to properly welcome her old friend and her new apprentice, and to give Ophelia the details on her new identity.
The trio in question had been waiting for said invitation, and they responded promptly. By now, Shirou was such a familiar sight in the Department of Policies that no one bothered to get in his way or even look twice at him, so they reached Lorelei's office quickly enough.
They were invited inside just as quickly, and found lady Barthomeloi leaning back against her desk in a surprisingly casual stance, while lady Montmorency sat in the corner, as usual. It seemed like they had just been waiting for the trio to arrive, but knowing these practical women, they probably had been discussing various matters of importance right up until Shirou knocked on the door.
"Lady Barthomeloi." The redhead took point, and bowed to the Vice-Director in greeting, doing his best to remain formal, so as not to feed the rumour mill about their supposed relationship any further. It only got him a strange look from her though, so he rose again and amended his words. "Lorelei, it is good to see you again."
Referring to her by her first name was an excellent way of further feeding the rumour mill, and Rin gave him a very meaningful smirk, but if Lorelei was fine with that, he was too.
"The pleasure is entirely mutual, Shirou. Please don't stand on formalities here." The strange look disappeared and she gave him a warm smile, one that made Ophelia gasp softly in surprise, before she pushed herself off her desk and held out her hand.
It was an almost exact replay of Shirou's meeting with Waver the day before, only now with someone far prettier, and just like the day before, the redhead's reaction to the outstretched hand was awkward to say the least.
After the regrettable incident with Waver, and knowing that it might be repeated with Lorelei, he'd prepared himself thoroughly to shake her hand properly in a normal, British way. If he made the same mistake as before, he didn't think he'd be able to live with himself anymore.
However, just as he reached out and looked Lorelei in the eyes, he suddenly remembered that proper European decorum had different rules for men and women, and that shaking a lady's hand might be the height of impropriety.
He very nearly panicked, like the idiot Rin always claimed him to be, and he almost fell back on instinct again, only just stopping himself from making such a colossal mistake.
It was that instinct, mixed with Thor's, that had brought him to embrace Waver. Undoubtedly, it would move him to embrace Lorelei as well if he allowed it any leeway whatsoever.
In fact, it might bring him to do something even worse. Waver was a good friend, but Lorelei was a comrade-in-arms, and a beautiful and honourable one at that. Shirou did not want to know what an Asgardian might consider a proper greeting for her.
In the end, he just shook her hand up and down a few times, choosing the simplest option. It certainly wasn't very gentlemanly, but since the alternative was much, muchworse, it would have to do for now.
Lorelei herself didn't seem to mind, not batting an eyelash at the handshake and gripping his hand with equal strength, so ultimately, it hardly mattered at all.
"Shirou, you idiot." Rin on the other hand let out a weary sigh, before she gently pushed him aside. "That is not how you should greet a lady, much less the Vice Director. You have to greet her properly, like this."
She turned to Lorelei and took her hand, the one the brunette had held out to Shirou before, before she lowered her head and brushed her lips over Lorelei's knuckles, in a greeting that did seem rather familiar to Shirou.
Oh, right, he'd seen that before in films.
"Your method is indeed more formally appropriate, miss Tohsaka, but I already told you not to stand on formalities-" Lorelei began to assure them, but then Ophelia stepped forward as well and copied Rin's greeting, though a bit clumsily, outright kissing the back of the Vice Director's hand, which, ordinarily, would be quite a faux-pas.
"Incredible." Mirei whispered, looking half-awed and half-amused by their antics. "What a fantastic train-wreck I am seeing before me."
She was summarily ignored by everyone present.
"…Welcome." Lorelei considered correcting the rampant misconceptions, to bestow upon the teens a short course on actual decorum rather than the bastardised version they'd learned from the television, but after a split-second of deliberation, she decided time was too short. The trio hadn't done anything too egregious anyway and there was too much else that needed to be done in far too little time. "Take a seat."
There still weren't many chairs in the office, but Shirou Traced a few more, allowing them all to take place at her desk. Then, Lorelei immediately tried to get down to business.
"There have been quite a lot of developments-"
"How have you been?"
Shirou wouldn't have it though, bluntly interrupting her with a personal question. Another violation of proper decorum, though this one was entirely deliberate.
"How have I…?" Though surprised at being interrupted, which certainly didn't happen to her every day, Lorelei showed barely a hint of shock on her face, remaining wholly composed as she turned towards Shirou. "I do not see how that is relevant."
"It is relevant to me." He insisted however, meeting her gaze without compunction.
"Why?"
"You are my friend." Though they had never officially acknowledged it, Shirou considered Lorelei a friend at least, and he hoped she saw things the same way. "I know we have much to discuss, but first, I want to know if you are doing alright. I missed you."
That made her eyes widen, if only ever so slightly, and for a split-second, he thought he saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks, though it was gone so quickly he might as well have imagined it.
"Aw." Rin cooed, though both Shirou and Lorelei stoically ignored her.
"I have been well." The Vice Director replied after a moment, a single moment that was nevertheless just a bit too long to be entirely casual. "The past months have been fraught with troublesome news and impending perils, but so far, things have not spiralled out of control yet. There have been no major upheavals in the Magus Association or within the Aristocratic Faction since your departure, nor have we suffered any losses in personnel or resources. In briefer terms, all has been quiet."
"Aha." It didn't escape Shirou's attention that she was still mainly focusing on her work and her position as Vice Director, thereby barely answering his actual question. "And on a more personal level?"
"My personal life is entirely irrelevant."
"Inexistent, more like." Lady Montmorency suddenly scoffed, giving her boss a look that Shirou found hard to discern. "And aren't you going to talk to him about the you-know-what?"
"I will, at a later date." Lorelei's expression turned unreadable as well, as the two women stared each other down for the briefest of moments, before they both focused on Shirou again.
There was definitely something going on between them, something that ran deep, but since Lorelei didn't continue and lady Montmorency had fallen silent, Shirou knew he wasn't going to get any answers today.
"Have you done anything fun lately?" He tried instead, hoping against hope that Lorelei hadn't only been working.
"No." Once again, her reply was short and to the point, and also rather saddening. It honestly made Shirou seriously consider inviting her on a daytrip soon, just so she could relax for a while.
It would fuel the rumours something fierce, and Rin would never let him hear the end of it, but even so, he didn't entirely dismiss the idea. Friends had to look out for one another.
"What about hunts? Have you hunted anything lately?" He tried as a last-ditch attempt, knowing that was a subject that Lorelei liked talking about.
"No." Rather than igniting enthusiasm however, his question seemed to irritate her for some reason, as her tone suddenly turned icy and she gave him a glare that he was sure he did not deserve. "I have not been on any hunts since my last one, over two months ago."
"I… see?" There was a strange emphasis on the word 'I' in her sentence, as if she wanted to tell him something, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what that could be. "W-Well, if I had known that, I could have invited you on my own hunt."
"Oh?" The icy glare wasn't just icy anymore now, but also fairly inquisitive. "Would you have?"
"Of course. I would have loved to take you along, had circumstances allowed it. You are the best Apostle-hunter I know. Maybe even the best in the world. If you'd had my back, it would have made all the difference. If I'm ever going to hunt Dead Apostles again and it is at all possible to take you along, I definitely will."
If he'd had Lorelei with him in Misaki Town, he didn't doubt they would have crushed Vlov Arkhangel in the first round, and that they would have hunted down both the Spider-Queen and Roa far earlier, preventing many more deaths in the city. In general, Shirou didn't think any Dead Apostle would be able to fight them if they teamed up, not even the Ancestors.
"Hm." Lorelei seemed to be in an immensely fickle mood today, for she was already smiling again. Not broadly, she wasn't that expressive, but the corners of her lips were definitely curled up in approval, and the icy glare had disappeared without a trace. "Good."
Apparently, he'd given her the right answer, and he'd now passed some kind of test, though he couldn't for the life of him figure out what he had or hadn't done.
Rin was right. He truly was slow sometimes.
"You mentioned a hunt two months ago." He recalled, moving the subject along, towards a topic he'd been meaning to ask about. "Was that the hunt in which you encountered the Wolpertingers?"
He remembered the Magical Rabbits that Lorelei had managed to capture alive, and this seemed to be a good time to ask about them.
"It was." Lorelei confirmed, still looking oddly content. "I wish I could have taken you along for that hunt. It was… unexpectedly glorious."
"And it would have allowed you to take those hell-rabbits back to Japan immediately, rather than storing them here for two months." Lady Montmorency grumbled under her breath, looking quite cranky indeed. "You promised to take them off our hands when you returned, boy, so I suggest you do so at once."
"Lady Montmorency." Lorelei turned to the older woman with clear disapproval. "Enough. It was no chore to take care of the Wolpertingers."
"Not for you perhaps. Those beasts throw themselves at your feet whenever they lay eyes on you. For the rest of us though, they've been a pack of right little demons."
"…No."
"Yes!"
"I will gladly take them with me." Shirou hastily assured the ladies. "You caught them at my request, so it's only right I take them off your hands as soon as possible."
"Quite." Lady Montmorency agreed, calming down now that she'd achieved her purpose.
"Very well then." Lorelei seemed oddly reluctant to part with the beasts, but she did not protest. "Doctor Kix has finished his research on them, so you are free to take them with you whenever you please. I believe your Sakura will be most satisfied with them."
It was a bit disorienting to hear the Vice Director of the Clocktower address one of his girlfriends by her first name, but then, Sakura was indeed the one who'd requested Lorelei to capture the Wolpertingers alive, and as far as he knew, Lorelei only had her first name.
In any case, this was wonderful news.
"Thank you so much, for capturing them and for giving them to me, also from Sakura." He bowed his head in gratitude, doing his best to show his utmost sincerity. Lorelei was giving him an enormous gift, one that she likely would never have given to any other Magus, and it was only right that he gave it the appreciation it deserved. "If there is anything I can do to repay you, now or in the future, anything at all, just let me know."
"Noted." A less scrupulous Magus might have smirked, or given some other sign of being darkly amused at receiving such a broad favour from a supposed Sorcerer, but Lorelei treated his promise with respect and appreciation. "I won't ask for anything that will compromise your values. You have my word."
Truly, she was a splendid woman, and Shirou gave her a broad smile.
"It's almost scary how well you get along." Rin suddenly felt the need to say, taking them both aback while lady Montmorency let out a bark of laughter. "Ah, but don't mind me. Please continue."
"…You can find the Wolpertingers in the Medical Wing of the Department of Policies." Lorelei did indeed continue, once more showing her impressive poker face. "As I said, they are currently in the care of doctor Kix, so you'll have to speak with him. He has taken a bit of a liking to them however, so you might find it difficult to have him part with them."
"I'll talk with him about it." She didn't sound overly concerned, and her warning was given in a fairly light tone, so Shirou assumed doctor Kix wouldn't actually be much of a problem. "Thank you again, also for sparing them in the first place and for keeping them safe until now."
"Think nothing of it. There is honour in protecting vulnerable little creatures."
"There is indeed."
They were in complete agreement, nodding confidently in perfectly similar motions, which greatly amused Rin again.
That just about concluded their casual chitchat. The ice had been broken, the mood was a little more pleasant, and they could move on to business. Once again, Lorelei took the initiative.
"Speaking of protecting vulnerable little creatures, miss Phamrsolone."
"E-Eh? O-Oh, yes?" It took a few moments for Ophelia to realise that she was being addressed, and a few more to realise Lorelei had just cracked a small joke.
"Your situation is actually a bit more advantageous than we'd hoped. Gladstone Phamrsolone has already confessed to his crimes and has given up the names of his accomplices. His cooperation isn't enough for him to avoid the noose, but it is enough for his wife and his daughter to be granted limited clemency. Hermione Phamrsolone will still be incarcerated and lose her position and her wealth, but Ophelia Phamrsolone will be acquitted fully, in part because of the services she herself rendered."
There was the expected sigh of relief from Ophelia, and both Shirou and Rin also smiled at the fact she was now definitely off the hook, at least as far as the Aristocratic Faction was concerned. It didn't solve everything yet though.
"What about the reprisals from the Neutral Faction you mentioned yesterday?" Shirou asked.
"They have been deemed unlikely. Now that Gladstone has confessed and is willing to publicly declare his involvement in high-treason, there is no need to even mention Ophelia here, in any context. Since very few people were aware of her connection to Gladstone's arrest to begin with, it should be relatively straightforward to bury the matter entirely and pretend his arrest was executed through the normal channels."
"Will it really be that simple?"
"Nothing is ever that simple." Lady Montmorency scoffed, fixing her gaze on Ophelia. "A small chance is not the same as no chance, and we're taking no risks with your safety. That is why we will continue with the plan to provide you a new identity, here at Policies."
"Y-Yes." Ophelia nodded, visibly steeling herself for what was to come. "I am ready."
"I doubt that, but we'll hold your hand as we guide you through the process." The elderly woman rose from her chair, wincing every time one of her bones cracked, before waving Ophelia over. "Now come. No time like the present. I'll brief you on all the details in the adjacent office."
"N-Now? B-But what about…?" Ophelia hesitantly looked at Rin and Shirou, clearly loath to leave them behind.
"Give them a moment with the Vice Director. They have a lot to discuss too. Don't you worry, I'm not going to eat you." Lady Montmorency gave Ophelia a toothy smile, showing that her teeth were still in excellent condition, especially for a woman of her age. "We'll be back here in less than an hour, and then you can fill them in on everything I have told you."
"Oh, uhm, w-well." Ophelia was still hesitating, looking at Shirou for advice. When he nodded at her in assurance though, she capitulated. "A-Alright."
"Capital! Let's go!"
Ophelia obediently trailed after lady Montmorency, with all the air of a girl not quite heading towards her own execution, but certainly towards an execution, leaving Shirou and Rin alone with Lorelei.
The redhead seriously considered going after her anyway, to offer moral support if nothing else, but if he was reading the room correctly, his girlfriend was about to need moral support as well. So, with a quick mental apology to Ophelia, he remained where he was.
"Tohsaka Rin." Lorelei addressed the black-haired girl, looking her over with an almost judgemental gaze. "Are you still willing to become my apprentice?"
"I am." There was no hesitation in Rin's voice as she replied. All her awe and fear of the Vice Director, all her nervousness over coming to the Clocktower, all her doubts about whether she was ready or not, were shoved to the very back of her mind, leaving nothing but grim determination. She was ready for any test or trail that Lorelei would throw at her, ready not only to pass, but to excel.
"Very well. Then, as of now, you are my apprentice."
"…Eh?"
"Was I not clear?" Rin's confusion confused Lorelei in turn. "As of seven seconds ago, you are officially my apprentice. I do not believe it is such a difficult concept to grasp."
"J-Just like that? I-I mean, don't you have any tests or examinations or anything for me?"
"Tests?" Lorelei's confusion continued for a moment longer, but then cleared up. "Ah yes, I heard that other lords often do examine the skills of any potential apprentices before they accept. I do not however. Instead, your entire apprenticeship will be a test. As I have told you before, I expect nothing less than your full effort and excellent results at all times. Should you fail to meet my standards, I will not hesitate to dismiss you again. Do you find these terms satisfactory?"
"…Of course." Let no one say that Rin didn't adapt quickly, and she nodded strongly again. In fact, she even seemed excited, to have a master who had exacting standards and would push her to be the best she could be.
"I must also warn you that you are my very first apprentice, and more notably, the first apprentice that any member of the Barthomeloi-family has accepted in over eight centuries. All eyes will be on you, miss Tohsaka, and any failure, no matter how slight, whether perceived or real, will be magnified and used against you. Naturally, I will do my best to shield you from the worst of it, and I have little doubt Shirou will do the same-"
"You got that right." He scoffed, not about to let anyone make too much trouble for Rin.
"-But the brunt of the negative attention will fall on you either way." Lorelei finished as if he hadn't spoken. "Should this, at any point, prove too much, I will allow you to temporarily retreat to your own home and resume your apprenticeship at a time of your choosing. I wish to be your ally, not your enemy."
"That is very gracious of you." Rin was yet again surprised that the Vice Director could be so accommodating and kind, even though Shirou had told her so a thousand times already, but although she appreciated the gesture, she shook her head resolutely. "But it won't be necessary. I am not here to quit. I have only four weeks after all, so I need to make the most of it."
"Very good." Something in Rin's words or demeanour must have pleased her, for Lorelei smiled at her new apprentice with clear approval. "We shall start as soon as this meeting is over. You will show me your capabilities and talents, and I will help you improve them."
"Really? Are you sure you can help me with my crafts? They are quite specific, you know."
Rin was doubtful, and for good reason. Different Magi had different talents after all, and a teacher who did not share their student's abilities was fundamentally limited in what they could teach. There were the basics of course, and some universal forms of Magecraft that pretty much anyone could learn, but generally, only Magi with the same specialisations could effectively teach one another.
Which made it a real shame that one had to be extremely fortunate to find a mentor with exactly the same talents as oneself.
Instead, most people tried to find a teacher like Waver Velvet, whose deductive skills and immense intellect allowed him to master the theory of nearly any Magecraft in existence, even if the practical side remained far behind. It was better than nothing, so to speak.
But Lorelei was a breed apart, and when he saw the glimmer of amused confidence in her eyes, Shirou already knew what she was going to say.
"Miss Tohsaka, I possess the Trait of the Almighty. I can learn and master any type of Thaumaturgy in existence, including yours."
There it was. Lorelei had already told Shirou about her Sorcery Trait, so he wasn't too surprised, but Rin had no idea, so she was positively blown away, her mouth falling open as she was struck utterly silent by the sheer impossibility of that claim.
To be talented at everything, to have the potential to learn any Magecraft in existence, was the stuff of legends, not real life. It was almost Divine in its own right, every bit as amazing as Shirou's own ability to mimic the True Magics.
Every person only had a limited amount of talent at their disposal, and to divide that talent among infinite fields meant every field only received an infinitesimal amount. To try and master everything was the same as mastering absolutely nothing. Even the most well-rounded Magi stopped at ten fields at the very most.
But not Lorelei.
"That… That is amazing!" Rin croaked, her voice raw and her eyes bright from sheer admiration, something which pleasantly stroked Lorelei's ego. "I-I can't even… Wow…"
She was completely overwhelmed, every bit as much as she'd been when Shirou revealed his true nature to her. She was in awe of the woman before her, and Shirou was pretty sure she'd just found her new role model.
"Simply tell me which Crafts you want to be taught in, and I shall endeavour to raise you to mastery." Lorelei promised, before, with a flick of her hand, she conjured up several gems, which were so full of power that they shone like miniature stars. A show of Gemcraft that stood far above anything Rin had managed so far. "Before your four weeks are over, I'll have you on this level at least."
"!"
Rin looked utterly delighted, practically frothing at the mouth to get started, while Lorelei also looked rather eager to teach such a keen student. Teaching was after all one of the core tenants of being a Magus, even if most Magi were rather incapable of it, and as unorthodox as Lorelei could be sometimes, she was still a Magus. The greatest Magus of the modern era even.
Shirou was quite a dense person, but in this case, even he could read the room, and he made to get up, to leave them to their business.
"Shirou?" Neither Rin nor Lorelei were so absorbed however that they didn't see him try to leave, and they turned to him in askance, with expressions that were remarkably similar.
"I'll go and see if I can find Ophelia, and maybe speak with doctor Kix as well about the Wolpertingers." He offered by ways of explanation. "Please don't let me interrupt you. It seemed you were gaining steam quite nicely."
"Don't be an idiot. My first lesson can wait." Rin huffed, motioning for him to sit down again.
"It can indeed." Lorelei concurred. "Though your intention to give us time and opportunity for a first lesson is certainly appreciated, it should not come at the expense of efficiency. There are many pressing events and details we have yet to discuss."
"And I'm sure all of it can wait." Shirou wasn't so easily talked down, especially not when he could see just how eager they were to get started. "We have already spoken about a lot of heavy stuff today, and I'm sure we have a lot more still in front of us. We could really do with a break, and it seemed like you were having a lot of fun just now."
"Time is a precious commodity." Lorelei argued, not incorrectly. "The disasters that threaten us now are utterly unprecedented, and need to be handled with the utmost alacrity."
"Haste makes waste." He argued back, also not incorrectly. "Really, girls, just take the afternoon to get to know each other and work out a training plan. I promise we can talk more tomorrow. If any disasters occur before then, I will handle it or let you know about it. You have my word."
He was as stubborn as a mule, and though Rin and Lorelei gave as good as they got, their own desire to do as he said won out in the end.
"Will you not join us?" Rin did make a final attempt to get him to stay however, blinking her large, pretty eyes at him with a small and hopeful smile. "You are quite gifted too. It would be a waste if you didn't practice and develop your talents."
"Nonsense. I have only three things I'm good at, and that's Projection, Runes and True Magic." He scoffed in response, which was true, provided one swapped 'True Magic' for 'Divinity'. "At anything else, I'm hopeless."
"Oh yes, definitely. I was just baiting you." Rin grinned, propping her hand up on her chin to give him a very smug smile. "But I like how simple you are. Aren't you fortunate?"
Her words were a bit mean, but her smile took every bit of sting out of her words.
He was most fortunate indeed.
Once he was out of the office, it didn't take Shirou long to track down Ophelia and lady Montmorency, who had only gone down the hall for a bit, to a small, secluded room of which the purpose wasn't entirely clear.
There, he found them in the middle of pouring over a small pile of documents, and he noticed, with some surprise, that Ophelia had undergone some kind of metamorphosis. A different haircut, a different outfit, her skin seemed a bit less pale somehow, and she even carried herself differently. It wasn't as drastic a change as when Rin had Magically disguised her, but anyone who wasn't very closely acquainted with her would never be able to tell this was Ophelia Phamrsolone.
Which was probably exactly the point.
"Greetings, mister Fujimaru." Lady Montmorency was the first to spot and greet him, before motioning with her head at Ophelia. "Allow me to introduce Josephine Toulouse, junior clerk at one of Policies' many subdivisions. Her pedigree is nothing remarkable and her skills leave something to be desired, but her work ethic is rather fine. She is currently nineteen years of age and possesses neither a crest nor a discovered Sorcery Trait. In short, she is an utterly unremarkable figure among many other unremarkable figures."
"Well met." Shirou nodded at her, playing along for a bit. "How are you doing, Oph- that is, Josephine?"
"It feels weird." She admitted without compunction, though there was not a trace of actual displeasure or a hint of reluctance on her face. Rather, there was curiosity and slight wonder. "But… I think I can manage, if I practise enough."
"That's good to hear. You also seem to be coping rather well."
"Coping?"
"I don't think I would be as calm as you if I had to pretend to be someone else." Shirou admitted that frankly. He wasn't entirely unskilled in stealth or subterfuge, but he couldn't imagine having to live with an identity that wasn't his own. A different name alone wouldn't be so bad, but having to spend his days without his girls, having to behave in a way that wasn't him…
He couldn't do it. Not for any significant amount of time anyway.
Actually, now that he thought about it, he suddenly found himself pitying Ophelia a bit, for she would really have to live undercover for months, if not years. She had to become someone else entirely, abandon all that was familiar, and all because she'd made the morally righteous decision.
They said no good deed went unpunished, and Shirou had never seen that more clearly than now.
"I rather like it."
But it seemed Ophelia didn't agree.
"You like it?"
"Yeah. Not being Ophelia Phamrsolone for a while is… good, I think." She nodded slowly, raising her arms to study her new blouse and her darker skin tone. "Josephine Toulouse is… someone new. She can be anyone she wants. She doesn't have a past, or a family, or anything to get in her way. Instead, she has a job, a position, and she has friends. She… She does have friends, r-right?"
She looked at him for confirmation, her expression one of pleading and hope, and even if he'd wanted to say no, which he most certainly didn't, Shirou could do naught but agree in the face of it.
"She does." He nodded, playfully bumping her shoulder with a broad grin. "Or rather, you do."
"…" The smile that appeared on her face was a truly happy one, and contained hints of satisfaction and triumph besides, as if she'd succeeded at something she'd been wanting to do for a long time. "Thank you! I… I've never had friends before."
"Which is nothing to be ashamed of, and actually an advantage right now." Lady Montmorency stated, and it didn't sound like it was just an attempt to make Ophelia feel better. "Most people in witness protection who are killed despite our best efforts were discovered because they slipped up themselves. They couldn't resist revisiting their old life again, despite all my warnings. They contacted a friend from their past for instance, or returned to their old home. At first, it's just an isolated incident, but after the first time, it gets easier and easier to try again, until they are caught and murdered in the end. That you don't have such attachments is a relief to be sure."
"Oh… Okay." Ophelia had no idea what to say in response, and Shirou completely understood. He didn't either.
"How long does she have to stay undercover?" The redhead asked. He was pretty sure they'd said it would take a few months to a year, but such schedules could easily change by the day.
"Ideally, forever."
"…Forever?" Now that was a radical change indeed.
"That would be the absolute best, but whether it will be necessary depends entirely on what Ophelia will do from here." Lady Montmorency raised a finger. "Her first possibility is to stay within the Department of Policies forever, in which case it would be advisable for her to stay Josephine Toulouse for the rest of her life. Second, she could try to return to her previous life once the heat dies down, probably after a year or so. It would be risky, but it is possible as long as her involvement in the Gladstone-affair stays secret. Third, she could leave England and perhaps even Europe entirely, in which case she can assume her old persona as well, since I doubt anyone will care enough to send mercenaries or assassins after her."
Shirou and lady Montmorency then both looked at Ophelia, to see what she would prefer, but the young woman looked so overwhelmed that they soon understood that no answer would be forthcoming yet.
"You have a lot of time to think about it. A few months at least." Lady Montmorency kindly assured her. "And don't forget that your choice doesn't have to be permanent either. If you pick the first option, you can still choose to leave after two years, or three. You're not a prisoner after all."
"R-Right." The pressure Ophelia was experiencing seemed to ease slightly, as she realised that she was indeed not a captive. "T-Then, uhm, I should… What should I do now?"
"For now? Nothing. You are going to hide until Gladstone's trial is over. This is the most dangerous period, during which your former allies might very well try to track you down, for any number of reasons. Any appearance in public, whether disguised or not, might put you at risk, so I want you to pick a hiding place and stay there for the next month at least. Fujimaru, are your chambers available?"
"They are." Shirou didn't hesitate to accept the implied request. He would never close his door to a friend, new or old. "I made sure to secure them properly. It'd be a shame if all that effort went to waste."
"You're a life-saver." Lady Montmorency grinned, tapping her cane on the ground once to accentuate her words. "Don't worry by the way. I'm sure the worst of the heat will have died down by the time you leave again."
"Don't worry about that. There's no reason Ophelia can't stay in my chambers even after Rin and I have left. Like I said, it'd be a waste to leave the room empty for so long."
"R-Really?" Ophelia boggled at him with eyes as wide as saucers, so shocked and surprised at his offer that it almost made Shirou feel awkward. You'd think he'd saved her life and given her infinite wealth from the way she was looking at him, rather than just being kind to a friend.
But, when he thought about it some more, he had to admit it wasn't really surprising. He'd seen that kind of reaction before, in pretty much any Magus he'd treated with a measure of respect and dignity. Mary and Clair had been exactly the same, as had Rosaly and Fiore, and even Eduardo di Stanza, if to a lesser extent.
"Really." He confirmed, as casually as he could, to make it clear it was no big deal.
"I-I won't touch anything, I swear!" The brunette rushed to promise him, working off the assumption that Sorcerers were just as reluctant as Magi to let others touch their possessions.
"Don't worry about that. I keep anything secret or dangerous with me at all times." He assured her however, hinting at but not mentioning his Vault. "Frankly, the biggest problem I can foresee is boredom. Spending a month in one single room all by yourself will get very old, very fast. I'll have to get you a lot of books, puzzles, and games, and even then, you will get bored."
"…" Ophelia didn't look convinced, probably because spending a month mostly alone, without people intending to experiment on her, sounded far, far better than her life had ever been so far, but she did not protest out loud.
She didn't need to of course for Shirou to notice she disagreed, but he didn't press. If she really wouldn't get bored, all the better.
"Excellent. That settles the matter of your residence. Now we can move on to your profession. Naturally, you'll be working directly under me." Lady Montmorency took over the instructions again, jabbing a thumb at herself. "You'll be joining a team of like-minded individuals, all of whom I personally scouted and brought together. They will help you with everything you need to get started. Don't worry too much about what exactly you'll be doing, you can figure that out as you go."
Her words heavily implied that said team held more people who were under Policies' protection, implied it to the point where Shirou was all but certain, but that was none of his business, so he held his tongue on that.
"When can Ophelia meet them?" He asked instead, focussing on the details. "And can I be present?"
"Why? To put the fear of God into them?" Lady Montmorency accurately guessed his motives, her lips quirked up in amusement. "You need not worry. They are good people, if a bit reclusive and distrusting of outsiders. I told them about Josephine yesterday, and I have no doubt they are already preparing to smoothly integrate her into their group."
"So I can't come along." Shirou managed to read between the lines and surmise that lady Montmorency would rather not take him to meet the team. Not too surprising if his suspicion about some or even all of them being in hiding was correct. However, lady Montmorency's opinion was not the one he cared about right now. "What do you think, Ophelia? Do you want me to be there when you meet your new colleagues?"
Yes, he respected people's right to privacy, especially when they were hiding from potential assassins, but at the moment, it was more important that his newest friend felt safe and secure. If she wanted him to come with her, he would. End of story.
"You… You don't have to come with me." Ophelia shook her head however, putting on a brave face. "I-I can manage by myself."
Shirou studied her for a moment, trying to judge whether she said that because she believed it or because she didn't want to be a bother, before he ultimately settled on the former.
"Good luck then, and if you encounter any difficulties, let me or Rin know at once, okay?"
"Yeah." She nodded, looking faintly relieved, before she turned to lady Montmorency. "W-When can I meet the team?"
"You can visit them at your own convenience. In fact, you might as well go now."
"N-Now?" Ophelia squeaked, clearly not having anticipated any unscripted social contact today.
"Now." Lady Montmorency confirmed airily, keeping her voice so innocent that it was obvious she was enjoying this very much. "Say the word and I'll take you to them."
"E-Eh… W-Well, I-"
"No time like the present. Let's go."
And without another word or a by-your-leave, lady Montmorency walked out of the door again, not pausing for a moment to see if Ophelia was following.
"Ah?! Oh, uh, s-see you later, Shirou."
"See you later."
The redhead watched as his new friend hastily took off, going after the elderly lady, silently wishing her all the best, before he nodded to himself and left the room as well.
He had a few Wolpertingers to retrieve from one doctor Kix. Evidently, they were bothering lady Montmorency something fierce, so the sooner he picked them up, the better.
When he confidently marched towards the nearest set of stairs however, he suddenly stilled, realising that he had no idea where to find this good doctor.
The Department of Policies was quite large and rather maze-like in its design, so he didn't like his chances of finding Kix on his own. Fortunately, there were always several people walking around the halls, going from one destination to the other, so it shouldn't be too difficult to flag one down to ask for directions.
Shirou promptly approached one of those aforementioned people, with only the kindest of smiles on his face and not a thought of hostility in his mind, unaware that he was inadvertently scaring the life out of them.
Partially because he was a known companion of their frightening boss, but mainly because most of them had ample experience with encountering Zelretch, the master of the Kaleidoscope, and had witnessed, often firsthand, what could happen to those who caught a Sorcerer's eye and failed to live up to expectations.
As a result, they were unusually accommodating to Shirou's request for directions, and although the redhead did notice they were nervous, he failed to draw the correct conclusions from that observation. As such, he could only note how much more helpful the Magi from the Department of Policies seemed to be in comparison to their colleagues from elsewhere.
A fact he was pleasantly surprised with, and which he wholly attributed to Lorelei and lady Montmorency.
At the end of a long day filled with trials and tribulations, most people wanted to unwind a bit before they went to bed. This was true for Magi every bit as much as for mundane people, and even Demigods were no exception.
Shirou, Rin, and Ophelia had been working hard all day, so right now, after many hours of training, meeting new people, or searching for wayward Phantasmal Beasts, they needed a moment for themselves, to blow off some steam and relax without constantly being in the presence of other people whom they didn't know and couldn't trust.
Hence, they had secluded themselves in their room for the evening, hiding behind extremely potent defences, to have a few hours in which they could do as they liked.
It should come as absolutely no surprise that Shirou was cooking dinner. Making food for others was his surefire way to relax, so when he and Rin had been preparing to leave for the Clocktower, he'd swiftly assumed the responsibility of preparing their meals.
He'd had no argument from Rin on that one. The black-haired girl did know how to cook after years of living on her own, but she didn't derive pleasure and satisfaction from it in the way that Shirou did. She was more than happy to let him have his way in the kitchen while she set the table and lounged around for a bit.
That Ophelia would join them in their room was a tad unexpected, but Rin easily rolled with the punches, striking up a merry conversation at the dining table with the brunette, which quickly evolved into an animated discussion about lady Barthomeloi's many virtues and talents.
Though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Rin was holding an animated speech about said virtues and talents, while Ophelia just nodded along without saying much at all.
"My family's records have always claimed that imbuing gems with class three Enchantments was impossible, that it couldn't be done, but lady Barthomeloi managed it with just a wave of her hand!" The black-haired girl professed, her eyes shining in admiration. "She is just so incredibly clever! No, more than that, she is a true genius, Ophelia! An absolute genius!"
"Right."
"Ah, but even though she's more brilliant than anyone else I've ever met, she still stays humble. She works very hard, even though she has an abundance of talent, and never stops trying to improve! She's definitely the best Magus I have ever met!"
"That's impressive."
"Yes, it is! I don't know how I'm ever going to reach her level, or even half of her level, but I'm going to practice and work until I drop! It's the least I can do for her in return after she taught me so patiently!"
Rin was positively lyrical about her new teacher, singing Lorelei's praises without compunction. Apparently, the brunette was a lot better at teaching that either she or Shirou had anticipated, and the redhead could not be happier with that.
Rin had been looking for ways to get into the Clocktower for years now, far longer than Shirou had known her, in order to further develop her Magecraft, and it would be terrible if it failed to live up to her expectations now.
It didn't though. It met her expectations and then some, if he could believe her ravings about how much she'd learned already.
Her day had certainly been more successful than his.
"Say, Shirou?" Once she was able to get her head out of the Lorelei-shaped clouds, Rin turned her attention to her boyfriend next, suddenly noticing that things weren't as they should be. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not seeing any rabbits around here."
"Well spotted, Rin." Shirou pursed his lips, annoyed at his own failure but also amused at how long it had taken her to notice. "There are indeed no Wolpertingers here."
"So you don't have the rabbits yet?" Rin lifted an unimpressed eyebrow at Shirou, one he could practically feel despite not actually looking at her. "What happened? Did a few bunnies get the better of you?"
"Doctor Kix and the Wolpertingers were not present in the laboratory." He explained while continuing to stir the cheese sauce for the mixture of broccoli and cauliflower he was about to serve, unable to stop a bit of grumpiness from leaking into his voice. "It took me quite a while to find the place, and then they weren't even there. I suppose it's just bad luck. I'll try again tomorrow morning. Want to come along?"
"I would, but I have scheduled another lesson with lady Barthomeloi then, so I'll have to give it a miss."
"I see. What about you, Ophelia?"
"Me?" The brunette started a bit at being addressed, but she quickly composed herself again. "Uhm, I promised I'd meet my team again, so I can't come. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it. It was just a suggestion." Shirou waved away her apology with one hand, while the other continued stirring the sauce, making sure it wouldn't burn and get all stuck to the pan. "Good luck, to both of you."
"And to you of course." Rin forewent the teasing to sincerely return the well-wishes, but she didn't manage to stay serious for long before she started snickering again. "Pffft, I'm sorry. I mean, it's rabbits, but at the same time, Phantasmal Creatures. I don't even know what to think."
Her amusement was infectious enough to make Shirou chuckle too, and even Ophelia couldn't suppress a smile.
The atmosphere improved even more when the redhead served dinner. Today, he'd gone for a simple, European meal, consisting of baked potatoes, fried sausages, and a mixture of cauliflower and broccoli covered in a cheese sauce.
It wasn't anywhere close to the most complicated meal he'd ever prepared, but it was perfectly satisfactory.
Rin and Ophelia clearly agreed, for they dug in with gusto. Perhaps a little bit too much gusto even.
"You have some sauce on your cheek." He pointed out to Rin, carefully keeping the smile off his face. She looked adorable like that, but he probably shouldn't say that out loud.
"Do I?" Rin raised a hand to wipe it away, before she stilled, and lowered the hand again. Then, she leaned towards him with a sweet smile. "Please remove it for me."
She clearly meant for him to wipe it away, as boyfriends did, but Shirou's hands were a bit full at the moment, so he leaned towards her too and licked the sauce from her cheek instead.
"Bwa?!" Rin started as if he'd given her an electric shock, flushing a soft red, while Ophelia, by now more than used to their by-play, politely looked elsewhere. "W-Wha?! What was that for?!"
"You wanted me to remove it, so I did." Shirou pretended to be completely clueless though, giving her a disarming smile, a smile that got even wider when she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "Did I... do something wrong?"
"You are so shameless." She hissed, conveniently ignoring the fact that she would probably have done exactly the same had the roles been reversed.
Then, she resumed eating, stuffing her mouth full while resolutely looking away from him.
She was trying so hard to project an aura of anger and wrathfulness, and Shirou almost felt bad that he wasn't the least bit intimidated, but rather found it endearing.
The urge to cuddle her was high, but she was evidently not in the mood, so he resisted that urge and turned to Ophelia instead.
"What time do you have to meet your new team tomorrow?" He asked. "I'm not asking for any specific reason. I'm just curious."
"Five o'clock in the morning. I have to be at the entrance of the Department of Policies at half-past-four." She replied promptly, before nodding minutely when Shirou winced in sympathy over the ridiculously early hour. "It's really quite early. That way, I can avoid most of the crowds, and hopefully, whoever is wandering the hallways will not recognise me with my changed appearance."
"The chance that anyone will recognise you is small. Nevertheless, I'll come with you. I don't have much use for sleep anyway, and I can distract those wanderers with my presence."
"Y-You don't have to bother for my sake-"
"It's no trouble at all. Frankly, it'd make me feel better too, so please accept it."
"O-Oh, in that case, uhm, thank you?"
That settled the matter, and for the rest of the dinner, they talked about lighter topics, subjects that did not involve Ophelia's family or the fact that she was currently in hiding. They played a few games together, and Rin even started combing Ophelia's hair, which was a gesture of friendship if there ever was any. It was actually quite a companionable time, and with the seriousness of the situation firmly pushed to the background, it almost resembled an innocent sleepover.
However, once they had all eaten their fill, the dishes had been done, and they'd had their fun, it was time for Ophelia to go to bed.
Rin didn't have to be at Lorelei's office until eight in the morning, so she could sleep until seven at least, but Ophelia had to get up at four. To still get the proper amount of sleep, she needed to turn in early.
"I need at least eight hours to function properly, so I'm going now." She was surprisingly strict about it, not budging even when they tried to convince her to play one last game with them. "I wish you a good night. Please only wake me up before four in case of an emergency. If you do wake me up…"
"Death?" Shirou guessed jokingly, which got him a playful shove from Rin.
"I won't be happy." Ophelia didn't let his remark unbalance her, which was good, and after bidding them a good night, she left for her room.
Which left Rin and Shirou on their own.
"Considering we've had a long day, it might be a good idea to catch up on some sleep ourselves." He suggested, though it was more for her benefit than his.
"Sleep?" Rin scoffed, glancing behind her to make sure Ophelia really was gone, before quickly using one of her gems to erect a Bounded Fields meant to suppress sounds. "Well, yeah, I suppose we could go to bed, but it's still early. Is there nothing else you can think of?"
"Like what? Study and prepare for the coming weeks?"
"No, you dunderhead! Take a hint. Now that we are finally alone, we can have some fun." Knowing he was being deliberately obtuse, Rin rolled her eyes, before unzipping her skirt and letting it slide to the floor, exposing her long, luscious legs and bright-red, rather sexy panties. "We have to properly celebrate our success, and I can think of only one way to do so."
"Only one?" Shirou asked with a wry smile and a long-suffering sigh, which were completely at odds with his next action, which was to remove his shirt. "You have become quite the lascivious witch, haven't you?"
"Oh yes." Rin nodded emphatically as she leaned in, coming close enough that their noses touched. "And I don't see you protesting. In fact, either you are carrying a knife with you or you are happy to see me, and I don't think you of all people would consider it necessary to physically carry a knife."
"Certainly not." He gently placed a hand on her cheek and captured her lips in a short, teasing kiss, well aware of his increasing erection. "I am in fact very happy to see you."
"Prove it."
"Gladly."
He grabbed hold of her to kiss her again, longer and deeper this time, and he let his hand slide down towards her left breast, to gently cup and squeeze it.
However, her sweater, her inordinately annoying sweater he suddenly discovered he hated with a fiery passion, had the temerity to get in his way, and he reached for the hem instead, to pull it over her head.
"Y-You can rip it. I can always fix it later with Magecraft."
Her suggestion sounded a whole lot better however, and he did just that, grabbing the offending piece of clothing with both hands and tearing it right off her body.
For a split-second after, he couldn't help but wonder whether that had gone too far, whether he'd been too aggressive, but then Rin reached down and did exactly the same with his trousers, tearing them apart with gusto, and that hesitation disappeared again.
Touching her all over was much easier now, but not easy enough yet, and soon, her bra suffered the same fate as the other pieces of clothing that had gotten in their way, ending up in tatters on the ground. His boxers followed a moment later at her hands, leaving him naked and exposed to his girlfriend's hungry gaze.
Her panties were now the last hindrance in his way, but just as he slid his fingers underneath the waistband on her hip, he hesitated, suddenly wondering whether they couldn't still serve a purpose before he tore them apart.
"Just rip them." Rin hissed impatiently, clearly eager to continue, but Shirou didn't listen. He had another plan.
With both hands, he grabbed hold tightly of the waistband, but rather than jerking his hands to the sides to rip the panties, he gently moved them upwards, pulling her underwear up and into her, rubbing it against her most sensitive spot.
"Nnngghh?!"
The surprised and ragged gasp she let out in response was like music to his ears, and he experimentally moved his hands around a bit, creating a delicious friction that drew another wonderful sound from her lips.
"W-What are you-?!"
He pulled a little higher, cutting her off by forcing her to gasp again, and then noticed that Rin's body also came up, as she stood on her toes in an attempt to escape the worst of his unexpected ministrations.
"S-Stop-!"
Naturally, his response was to pull even higher, moving his hands up bit by bit, until Rin stood on the very tips of her toes, as high as she could, while she had arms wrapped around him to keep her balance.
"D-Don't do that!"
It was a surprisingly vulnerable position, one that didn't allow for much movement on her part. For now, that was satisfactory, so he didn't pull her panties any higher, instead only moving his hands from side to side a tiny bit, never giving her a moment of respite from the wonderful friction in her nether regions.
"Mmm, nngghh."
Her underwear was pulled completely taut, wedged into her slit and between her butt cheeks, where they could rub all her sensitive spots, and Rin only made it worse for herself by clenching her buttocks.
"Just relax." He teasingly whispered into her ear.
"F-Fuck you." Was the hissed response.
He promptly raised his hands a fraction more, pulling the string even more taut, eliciting a whine of protest from her.
"Relax." He repeated, a little more forcefully.
For a few moments more, she resisted, her lower body trembling from the strain she put on it, before she broke at last, letting herself relax.
Shirou lowered his hands immediately, enough that she could stand properly on her feet again, though he maintained a little pressure, just enough to continue teasing her.
"Good girl." He smiled at her, before gently kissing her neck.
"…Nnnnnggghhh!"
Suddenly, Rin jerked her hips forward, slamming them against his hips, and her hold on him tightened considerably while she bit down on his shoulder, her whole body trembling violently for several long seconds, her hips shaking most of all.
"Khhhcccchhh! Nyaaa!"
Then she sagged, suddenly losing all strength in her legs, and Shirou quickly caught her in his arms, realising with shock and surprise that he'd inadvertently brought her to orgasm already.
He… He hadn't even meant to. He'd just played around a bit, exploring her body as he determined what made Rin hot and bothered.
Yes, he might have gotten a little carried away, but he'd had no idea she was so close to the edge already.
Quickly, he placed her on the sofa, propping her head up with a pillow and doing his best to make her as comfortable as possible while she came down from her post-orgasm bliss.
She did so with admirable speed, and Shirou soon noticed that she didn't seem very happy with him.
"Y-You went too fast." She grumbled petulantly, giving him a cross look as her eyes came back into focus after they'd rolled up into her skull. "You… You need to take things slower next time. Slower!"
"Of course." He agreed quickly, well aware he'd been too enthusiastic, and he resolved to thoroughly map out Rin's body as soon as he could, to make sure he could flawlessly control her level of arousal. "I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional. I'll pay more attention next time."
"See that you do." She nodded sternly, before she stilled, cocking her head to the side as her gaze strayed down, towards his penis, which was still ramrod straight after all the titillation. There was a moment's pause, before she shot into action, seizing his member with both hands. "Hm, maybe I should return the favour, and not be gentle about it either."
Her hands were immensely soft, she was still naked, and despite her claim that she was going to be harsh, she was exceedingly careful, so it wasn't long before Shirou finished as well, nearly going cross-eyed from the sheer rush of pleasure coursing through his veins.
This really was a lot of fun, and it was safe to say that a proper night's rest was delayed by a considerable time.
They very much did not regret it in the morning however.