Back then, Olga Marie was just plain curious. However, due to her status, she never really got to the bottom of things. Even though that particular incident ended with both sides shaking hands, anyone with inside intel knew the Clock Tower had actually taken a major hit. Even Yggdmillennia's final "concessions" were pretty much skin-deep.
It wasn't until later, after her father went missing and she succeeded him as the Lord of the "Department of Astronomy," that she finally gained access to top-secret files and pieced together what really happened.
Years ago, a mysterious man belonging to the Yggdmillennia clan defeated the previous Ruler—who had been illegally staying in the world—and the Master of Red Assassin, ultimately seizing the Holy Grail. Later, during negotiations with the Clock Tower bigwigs, the Association deduced that since the Wizard Marshall Zelretch wasn't around and the man possessed strength far beyond a normal magus, he might have used the Grail to reach the Root and become a "Magician."
That's exactly why the "Heroic Spirit Summoning System" became such a big deal to the Clock Tower later on. Everyone was trying to replicate the success of this "Mysterious Magician," but unfortunately, no one ever pulled it off.
None of that really mattered to Olga Marie, though. What caught her eye in the records was something else entirely.
Ever since those negotiations with the Clock Tower, that mysterious Master had never shown his face again. Some within the Clock Tower wondered if the guy had just completely abandoned the Yggdmillennia family—after all, it was common knowledge how chaotic the clan was before Fiore stepped in to clean house.
But that theory was eventually shot down. Yggdmillennia had already pushed through the growing pains and was thriving. Taking them on wouldn't be easy, and besides, who knew if that vanished man was really gone for good?
Just to be safe, they put the whole matter on ice.
As a magus born into a prestigious family and raised with an elite education, Olga Marie knew that reaching the "Root" was the ultimate goal for almost every magus. Still, she couldn't wrap her head around why that man would "cruelly abandon" (her words) her mentor, Fiore, and then go completely radio silent. She'd wondered if something had happened to him, but realistically, there weren't many things out there that could make a Magician disappear without a trace.
Now, looking at Lancer, her first instinct was: This guy is a total slacker!
If Lancer knew what was going through Olga Marie head right now, he'd probably be crying in a corner. He'd tried so hard to avoid any misunderstandings—he even resorted to carrying her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes just to keep things professional...
But honestly, things weren't much better now. The burning glare she was giving him made him so awkward he didn't know what to say.
"Assassin's been dealt with, Rider was defeated by my Senpai, and now Archer is out of the picture. That only leaves Saber, Lancer, and Berserker. We've already scouted Saber location; she's been at Ryuudou Temple the whole time. As for Berserker, Saber can't perfectly control him, so we could theoretically ignore him, but to take down Lancer, we have to face Berserker. Let's head out as soon as we're done eating."
Lancer sounded perfectly serious, but Olga Marie just gave a disdainful snort.
'He's changing the subject.' x4
That was the unanimous thought among the four people present, though Cu Chulainn wasn't about to blow Lancer cover.
Olga Marie decided not to push it, considering the "Singularity" was the bigger priority. Besides, she didn't really have the mental energy to focus on it right now—if her situation was truly as Lancer described, she was in a pretty tight spot.
As for the two bystanders, they just sat there quietly eating, giving Olga Marie strange looks.
Sure, her points make sense, and even if this guy is a total jerk, why is the Director so worked up?
The thought crossed both their minds, but after a quick glance at each other, they wisely kept their mouths shut. After all, Olga Marie still held plenty of "authority" back at Chaldea.
If this were a game, Cu Chulainn would be the "Support NPC," Saber would be the "Final Boss," and Archer would be the "Roaming Boss." Rider, Assassin, and Lancer were the "Mini-Bosses," while Berserker was the "Side Quest Boss."
And right now, Lancer and the group were aiming to clear out the "Side Boss" Berserker to save themselves some headache when they finally hit the Final Boss.
Berserker stood there gripping his axe-sword. Even with no one around him, he let out constant, guttural roars as if fueled by infinite rage. Seeing the two-meter-tall Berserker was terrifying enough on its own, but seeing him covered in eerie black and red veins made the whole scene feel incredibly cursed.
"Are all Berserkers like this...?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka already knew their opponents were Servants corrupted by the black mud, but Archer had still looked somewhat decent. Now that Berserker had shown up, she was at a loss for words.
"Berserker... or rather, Heracles, isn't usually like this. It's the mud. Alright, the plan is set. Senpai, Mash, I'm counting on you two to take out Lancer first, then come back to back me up."
In Lancer memory, Lancer had been defeated by the combined efforts of Cu Chulainn and Mash. Since they were low on intel, leaving that fight to them was the safest bet. As for Berserker, Lancer knew he couldn't take him alone. He wasn't even sure he could match him in a straight fight, and God Hand's twelve lives were a total cheat code. His job was essentially to kite the guy and make sure Lancer didn't lure him away.
You could say that while the battle was split into two separate fronts, they both needed to support each other.
Lancer had to ensure Berserker didn't interfere with Cu and Mash fight, while Cu and the others had to make sure Lancer didn't pull a sneak attack on Lancer.
Before the fight officially kicked off, Ritsuka looked at Mash with a bit of nerves. This was Mash first real battle. The enemy this time was on a completely different level than the skeletons they'd been smashing earlier.
But even though she was worried, she didn't try to stop her. She could see the resolve in Mash eyes. So, as Mash picked up her shield and stepped toward Lancer and the others, Ritsuka just bit her lip, stepped forward, and grabbed Mash hand.
"Mash."
"Senpai?"
Mash looked surprised to see Ritsuka suddenly by her side. According to the plan, she and Olga Marie were supposed to stay back for safety.
"Mash, do you remember when you and Fou came to pick me up?"
"Of course I do. Back then, Senpai had just arrived at Chaldea. You were so jumpy, like a little startled animal."
Recalling their first meeting, Mash couldn't help but let out a small smile. The smile made Ritsuka face turn bright red, but she didn't forget what she wanted to say. She took a deep breath to steady herself and looked at Mash with a serious expression.
"It's a promise. When this mission is over, we're going shopping together. We'll buy Fou some cute clothes. Oh, and the Director should come too, right?"
Suddenly dragged into the conversation, Olga Marie blanked for a second before looking away.
"I'll consider it... if I have the time."
Her voice was calm, but the faint blush on her cheeks told a different story.
"So, Mash, you guys have to win! Me, Fou, and the Director will all be waiting for you!"
Seeing Ritsuka rare, serious face, Mash nodded back firmly.
"Please trust me, Senpai. I'll protect you, the Director, and Fou! And then..."
Mash paused for a moment, her serious expression melting away into a radiant smile—the brightest Ritsuka had ever seen.
"...we'll go shopping together!"