Mash POV
After the close call with Gilles, Georgios had ushered them into a private room in his temporary home to discuss the circumstances of their mission.
The spacious room smelled of lavender, but the lingering smell of the city still seeped through the blanket of scents trying to mask it.
Once Georgios sat down at his wooden desk, the meeting began.
Kriemhild had advised Senpai to be as transparent as possible with Georgios as possible, and he was eager to comply.
Senpai, Kriemhild, Romani, and Da Vinci spared no detail as they all took turns to explain the situation at hand. The incineration of mankind, the state of Chaldea after Lev's betrayal, the singularities, and Lev's true identity as a demon from Ars Goetia.
Georgios sat at his desk, his hands under his chin and with a grave expression on his face as they recounted it all. He did not interrupt the conversation unless necessary and had been actively listening to their tale.
Senpai even went as far as revealing the existence of chat and how they have been helping them along their journey.
Thankfully, Georgios and Sasaki did not take offense to being recorded and treated it more like a novelty. Georgios, however, did warn Senpai to not disclose the existence of chat to the other people in town and to not record people when they were having personal conversations.
Senpai agreed and immediately disabled the Text-to-Speech, or TTS, feature from chat while they were in town.
Chat was fun.
She never had a chance to interact with people online before, and she was having a lot of fun reading the funny comments and conversations in chat. It was even more exciting whenever she was reminded that the people in this chat belong to a world that she thought was fictional.
Yet, despite all the memorable times she spent with Senpai and his chat, she had to admit that they could be a bit too enthusiastic and reckless when it was unnecessary.
On a side note, she really hoped Officer Jenny would be okay. She might have forced Kriemhild to retaliate against her, but she also didn't want her to end up dead.
In any case, while the revelation of Chat went easier than expected, the events that led their group into meeting Kiyohime proved to be much more difficult to explain.
"I see… so that's what happened." Georgios let out a sigh, then leveled a stare at Kriemhild, who could only meet his disappointment with a neutral expression.
"Your actions have put us in quite the bind. Siegfried would have undoubtedly been a great counter to use against Fafnir."
Kriemhild bit her lips, she looked like she wanted to make a retort but was doing her best to keep her words to herself to avoid a confrontation with the saint.
"Based on the description of the curse you gave me, it could have been possible for Jeanne and myself to have performed a Baptism Rite that would have undone his curse." He narrowed his eyes, "not that it matters now, does it? Siegfried is dead. And your ambition is the root cause. You cornered an innocent man and forced him into a death match he had no hope of refusing."
[(－‸ლ) ] x 352
[Dammit Kream. You really fucked us over. ]
[PerfectlySaneHex: idc if she can hurt me. If Gudao dies because of her stupid revenge side quest, I'll find a way to hurt her!! ]
Kriemhild tightened her fist harder at that. She was surprised to see Kriemhild take this verbal slap to the face without making a retort. Kriemhild never took comments about her vengeance against Siegfried lightly, yet here she was, taking it all without a peep.
Achieving her goal really mellowed her out.
Georgios's gaze softened, "but despite your evil intentions, he chose to entrust the responsibility of slaying Fafnir to you, his wife."
He paused for a moment, letting the previous words simmer before he spoke again, "Frankly speaking, the only reason I haven't had you arrested and thrown you into prison is because I can sense his draconic essence in you. If you had forced his essence into you by devouring his soul, I would have been able to tell, and I would have cut you down where you stand, alliances with your master be damned!"
The air got heavy.
Georgios was furious.
And Kriemhild, for the first time since they got here, looked nervous.
Thankfully, the pressure dissolved into the air, as if it was never there.
"However, such was not the case, and Siegfried departed this world in peace. So I will treat this incident as a marital dispute that got out of hand."
His eyes narrowed further, "I do not tolerate evil, but I can see you hold some remorse for your misdeed. So consider yourself on thin ice. Please do not give me a reason to see you as a dragon for Ascalon to cut down. Do I make myself clear?"
[Dragon's-Iris: S-Scary… ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜ ) ]
[DragonMasterLance: This pressure…why am I shaking? ]
[CaptainDrakeE4: Damn, that line was so cold, it shivered me timbers… literally. ]
[Dracéna-E4: So this is the power of a dragon slayer. To drive fear into these old bones of mine, how scary. ]
"Yes, I understand." Kriemhild, despite looking nervous, hadn't stuttered her words.
She was much braver than I.
Georgios seemed to be satisfied by her response, "Good. Well, now that I have a good understanding of your circumstances, it is time to talk about strategy. How exactly do you plan to bring Fafnir down?"
At the mention of strategy, Kriemhild perked up, "oh, I have several ideas in mind."
✦✧✦
"And this is where you will be staying. I apologize, but due to the circumstances, you will have to share a room with other residents I took into my care."
"Think nothing of it, Saint George!! We are grateful for your hospitality!!" Georgios smiled at the kind words of Madame Romee, who was still excitedly treating the dragon slayer saint like he was a rock star.
She hated to admit it, but she had gotten used to meeting famous historical figures, so it didn't faze her as much. Which is why it was refreshing to see someone so excited to meet someone that they never would have been able to meet in their lifetime.
Georgios lightly knocked on the door, and the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching from inside.
The door creaked, and a light brown-haired young woman stuck her head out the door, "Yes? Oh, Saint George!! Good evening!"
"Good evening young Elaine, I apologize for the intrusion, but these good people need a place to stay. And we don't have a proper place to house them due to their… unique circumstances. So we are having them stay here during their stay in Theirs."
The young woman narrowed her eyes, then they widened, "so they're like you, aren't they?"
"Two of them are not, but the rest? Yes, they are."
So Elaine knew that Georgios was heroic spirit? Was that okay? She was a civilian.
Georgios noticed the concerned expressions on their faces, "before you ask, yes, Elaine and her brother do know that I am the real Saint George. A few others, like the Baron de Rais, are also aware, but most of the town do not know my or Sasaki's true origins. That is why it is okay for you to stay here, because you won't have to avoid stepping on glass around them."
He looked to Jeanne, "Mostly."
The saint then turned to Elaine, "that is, if you do not mind sharing a room with them."
"I do not mind Saint George, after all you and monsieur Sasaki have done for us, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse an honest request from either of you."
Georgios nodded, "you are a kind soul, Elaine, may god bless you for your kindness."
Elaine faced them, "bonjour everyone, I am Elaine. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable. I promise I won't bite."
"The pleasure is ours, " Marie told her.
Georgios turned to look at Senpai, "as for you gentlemen, your room will be across this hall, where Gerald is staying. "
"Oh, my brother is still working at the forge for his apprenticeship and will get home late. But I'll be sure to be on the lookout and let him know we have visitors so he doesn't get spooked." Elaine told the saint, who thanked her for her consideration.
"Do not worry, I will personally let him know about it on my way out, so please be at ease, young Elaine." He turned to them and gave a nod, "if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way, it is my turn to patrol the town's borders tonight."
"Thank you for your help, Georgios," she told the saint, to which he just smiled.
"Think nothing of it young Mash. I wish you a good night and pleasant dreams." With his peace said, Georgios turned around and left.
A soft clap caught her attention.
"Ladies, I officially declare tonight as a sleepover party!"
"Huh?"
The looks everyone was giving Marie were just as confused as she was.
[Whoo!! Sleepover!! I love sleepovers!! ]
"Don't give me those looks, come along now, ladies, the night is young, and the gossip is ripe for the talking!!" Marie declared, her excitement bright enough that it lit up the dim hallway they were standing in.
Unsure of what to do, she looked to Elizabeth for help in trying to understand what was happening, but she only received a shrug as a response.
Well, she hasn't been to a sleepover before, so it could be fun.
She stepped through the door and was greeted by a modest bedroom. The scent of oil and soot, as well as baked bread, permeated the room.
She could hear Elizabeth's footsteps coming into the room, followed by Kriemhild and a very confused-looking Elaine.
Lastly, Marie came inside; however, she stopped under the doorframe and whipped her head towards Senpai, who was following Marie.
"Nuh uh! Sorry Master, no boys allowed."
The look of betrayal he was giving Marie was funny. Senpai apologized and took some steps back to show he wasn't going to sneak inside the room.
[Yeah Gudao! No boys allowed!! ]
Then, Marie turned to chat, "also, your chat isn't allowed to join us either. This is a private event, no cameras!!"
Then, she stuck out her tongue at chat, much like a child would.
[Don'tTouchMyBuns!: I am okay with this. ]
[Same. Everyone is entitled to privacy. Let them have their sleepover in peace. ]
[No! We were so close to reaching the Hall of Origin… only to be cast into the Distortion World!!]
[Don'tTouchMyBuns!: Oh grow up. There's nothing for you to see there.]
[IceCold-Melony361: We'll keep the boys on a leash to curb their curiosity. Have fun girls!]
"Chat says that-" She tried to convey chat's message, but before she even had a chance to finish her sentence, Marie turned around and gently placed her delicate finger on her lips.
"Non, none of that. I do not care what strangers on the internet say Mash, I care what you say."
[Based. ]
[Marie is a treasure we do not deserve. ]
She then looks at all of them, "that goes for all of you. You're forbidden from looking at those floating screens while we have polite conversation!!"
Did Marie forget that Elaine was in the room? Or does she simply not care?
"I'll get them out of your hair, Marie." He gives a side eye to chat, "come on guys, we're leaving."
"Ah, to think that we men will be sent away to wither in the dark while these flowers talk behind our backs. Truly, what a travesty."
"Mozart, if you use your perverted ears to listen in on our conversation, I'm making you fight Fafnir on your own." Marie's statement was cold, and left no room for jokes. She was dead serious, and Mozart knew it too, since he seemed nervous.
"I-I promise, I would never do such a thing, Marie."
A zipper unzipped, she could see her Senpai was digging through one of the pockets in his mystic code.
His face lit up when he found what he was looking for.
Senpai pulled out the object from the folded space to reveal… a first aid kit.
The box opened with a metallic click. Reaching inside, Senpai took out a bag of earplugs, then he turned to Mozart and handed them over.
Mozart stared at the earplugs as if he couldn't believe that they were real.
"Seriously?" Mozart said, his face looking at Senpai like he was crazy.
But Senpai was no fool, he was also dead serious.
"We cannot afford to have you fight in the front lines, Mozart. So please, put these on."
Mozart took the earplugs from her Senpai's hand and ripped open the bag. He stared at the foam plugs with a critical eye, "Hmm…. I don't think these mundane earplugs will make that much of a difference."
Suddenly, Da Vinci made her presence known.
"Oh, those aren't ordinary earplugs, they are magically reinforced foam earplugs designed by yours truly! So have no fear, no mundane or supernatural sound will reach those delicate little hairs in your ears! "
Mozart hesitated, but Marie was not having it.
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the man, "put on the earplugs Mozart, now."
"Yes Marie." The hesitation vanished, and was replaced with compliance.
[Junior_Researcher: Lol. Whipped like Kream in Siegfried's arms ]
[Kream: Do you also want to know what getting slapped with freshly done nails feels like? ]
[Junior_Researcher: Try me bitch, unlike the dunces in this chat, I actually have a Pokémon with protect with me at all times. ]
[Kream: (≖_≖ ) ]
[The balls on this man… ]
"Alright, Marie, they're on. I can't hear a thing."
"Hmm… really? Well, let's put that to the test, shall we?" Marie made a spinning gesture with her finger, and Mozart turned around.
She then cleared her throat, "the truth is, Mozart, I actually really, really, reaally like you."
Her mouth let out a gasp before her brain had a chance to process what Marie said.
The hall fell silent at the proclamation.
But Mozart said nothing.
[Bruh! That is cruel! She confessed when bro can't hear her!! ]
[What kind of romcom anime bullshit is this?!! ]
"You can turn around now, Mozart." Marie told the Mozart, but he didn't turn.
Satisfied that Mozart couldn't hear, she closed the door shut behind her.
✦✧✦ RitsukaPOV
The bed creaked as he threw himself on top of it.
Soft. It pales in comparison to a modern bed, but after spending days on a sleeping bag, it was bliss.
The foul odor from outside was still noticeable, but it seems the previous owner had drowned the sheets in perfume, so it was ignorable.
He looked up at the ceiling, and his chatbox was, as always, looming in his peripheral vision.
He thought back to the meeting with Georgios. The look of fascination Georgios gave him when he explained the idea of vlog-style content and nature documentary-type education streams was something he hadn't expected from the saint.
And honestly? He can't blame him, those kinds of streams were fun to produce. He actually missed doing those kinds of streams. Streams where he could just go out and explore nature while trying his best to explain to Chat why a certain animal fit the niche in their ecosystem.
Unfortunately, the current circumstances have prevented him from doing one of those livestreams for a while. His GoPro breaking was also a major reason, but he had streaming powers now, so that was not an issue anymore.
God, he still can hardly believe this is his life now.
Running around the past, helping people, seeing real life magic, meeting famous people…
He closed his eyes.
✦✧✦
The scent of blood invaded his nose.
A woman sat on a carriage, a wyvern looking over her.
"No please!! God Help me!"
The wyvern ripped her apart, her blood and guts covering the other passengers.
A drop of blood hit his face.
The wyvern turned to him, the woman's mangled arm dangling from its mouth.
✦✧✦
He jolted awake, his heart beating loudly enough that he could hear it in his ears.
He took a deep breath and checked his watch.
His eyebrow twitched, only a minute had passed.
Not wanting to relive that nightmare, he decided to browse through the comments in chat to keep him distracted.
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Gudao, ya gud bro? You looked like you were having a bad dream. ]
[Gudao: Yeah I'm fine. Don't mind me, I'm just lurking. You can continue your conversations. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Okie dokies, well, in light of recent events, I am going to start enforcing the rules on lewd comments. ]
[: Dissapearing emoji with hands in air: ]
[Impossible. Iono, actually doing her job as a mod?! ]
[Lol, you give her too much credit. She probably just hired a Porygon to do the job for her. She got the expendable streamer income after all. ]
[So that means I can't make comments about wanting GARcher to cook for me in a naked apron anymore? :sadge: ]
̶[̶I̶o̶n̶o̶,̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶u̶s̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶a̶r̶m̶p̶i̶t̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶n̶e̶x̶t̶ ̶I̶o̶n̶o̶z̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶r̶e̶a̶m̶.̶]̶
̶[̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶K̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶n̶a̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶p̶r̶o̶n̶.̶ ̶.̶]̶
̶[̶I̶o̶n̶o̶ ̶x̶ ̶F̶r̶i̶s̶k̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶O̶T̶P̶.̶ ̶]̶
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): That last comment wasn't lewd Iono. They were just stating their very based opinion. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): That wasn't based. That was cringe. ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): You're so cute when you are wrong. ]
̶[̶M̶e̶h̶,̶ ̶C̶a̶n̶a̶r̶i̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶I̶o̶n̶o̶.̶ ̶]̶
[User has been timed out for 24 hrs by Frisky1intheFlowers. ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): You're not allowed to mention other streamers in this chat. (ծ_Ô) ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Lol. Get rekt, loser. ]
He felt Archer's presence nearby, a feeling that was confirmed when he heard his deadpan voice calling out to him.
"Master, go to sleep. You can look at your chat later."
He didn't turn to face him, "Right, sorry. Just give me a few minutes, I'll get some sleep."
Archer didn't say anything, but he could feel his gaze pierce his skin.
"Just make sure not to stay up too late. The mind is a sword, it needs sleep to stay sharp."
"Okay," A thought came to him.
"Hey Archer? Can I ask you a question?" He looked up from his screen and saw Archer, a brow raised in curiosity.
"Sure, I do not mind. If it's something that's not inappropriate, I'll answer it."
"What's it like? To be inside the throne of heroes? To be in a metaphysical space where your consciousness waits to be summoned by someone or when the world sends you somewhere?"
He could see Archer's face turn thoughtful at his question, "Truth be told, there's not much I can say. I do have memories of waiting for my next assignment, but they are mostly snippets and clips. Normally such a thing would not be possible, but these are rather unique circumstances. So I am afraid I cannot convey in words how the transition from the mortal world to the throne feels."
"Hm, I guess I can understand that. It's like trying to recall a dream, isn't it? You only remember pieces but don't recall the exact feeling you felt when you entered the dream."
Archer snorts, "yes, a dream. That is an appropriate way to describe it, I suppose. Some of the dreams are nice, while others are unpleasant."
Oh, it sounds like there's more to that story, but he shouldn't pry about it.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Archer."
Archer waved off his concern, "It's alright, I am a heroic spirit, and my job is to handle the problems the world wants gone."
"Do you not like being a heroic spirit?"
Archer took another moment to formulate his words, like he was sorting through information he wanted to disclose from what he didn't.
"...I will admit, it comes with its set of challenges, but it does come with some opportunities and perks."
"Like meeting old friends?" Despite how much he needled Sasaki Kojiro, Archer seemed to view the man positively, even when they claimed that they were enemies in the Grail War they met in.
"I wouldn't say old friends, more like acquaintances. Though if you want to twist my arm about it, I can say that it's been an interesting experience to meet other heroic spirits and not be forced to fight to fulfill some selfish magus's wish. Quite frankly, the massive scale and fantastical odds are actually a nice change of pace from what I am usually summoned to do." It was rare to see Archer smile outside the kitchen and without a hint of sarcasm or smugness.
"Going on a quest to slay a dragon is quite a step up in escalation compared to a normal Grail War, huh?"
Oh wait, never mind, there's his usual Archer smirk, "Heh, you're right about that. I honestly never thought I would be summoned to take the role of a hero from one of those anime Taiga used to watch, but here I am."
He furrowed his brows at the name, "who's Taiga?"
It looks like Archer said more than he intended, as he pursed his lips, then, realizing he couldn't take back what he said, he let out a defeated sigh, "just an annoying cat I used to take care of."
"Oh cute. What breed was he?"
What's with that shocked look on his face? Why did he suddenly look like he was holding back a laugh?
"She was an orange cat. A real lazy one too. Always coming over to my house to nag me for food." He snorted, but not in a derisive way, "but I, like the soft-hearted fool I was, always indulged her."
"Cats do that when you feed them regularly. Actually, I always wanted a cat, but most of my family were more fond of dogs. So none of the neighborhood cats like coming near our house."
"Heh, your family would love Cu Chullain."
[CasCu: His aunt does look kind of hot. So I wouldn't mind the attention. ]
[Bunny_Aachan: Oh boy, no you don't. No offense to Master, but his aunt might be hot, but she is scary when wronged. ]
[CasCu: Really? ]
[PerfectlySaneHex: Gudao didn't go into full detail, but apparently, she got into a messy break-up once, and it ended up with the boyfriend in financial ruin and thrown into the streets.
The only reason we found out was because Gudao ran into him sleeping on a bench at the park when he was doing a stream on his GoPro. ]
[CasCu: Geez, never mind. If there's one thing worse than a crazy hot chick, it's a vindictive one. ]
He couldn't hold back the chuckle in his throat, "man you really can't stand him can you?"
Archer smirked, "nope. That dog has a special place in my shit list."
He furrowed his brows, then something in his head clicked into place, "is it because he's a hero?"
"Nah, that isn't it. I just don't like mangy mutts."
[CasCu: Well fuck you too asshole. ]
"By the look on your face, it looks like there's something else you wish to know."
He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure if he should bring it up. Though from the look he's giving him, it might be too late to back out.
"I mean, I was curious about something, but Chat is with me. And it's probably too personal a question to ask in front of them."
It also didn't help that no one wanted to take control of chat right now. Mozart was unavailable, Mash and the others were also having a girl's sleepover, which explicitly forbade chat, and he hadn't formed a contract with Sasaki or Georgios yet.
He had been cautioned by Da Vinci to take a night of rest before he made more contracts, as he already had made a lot of them. A feat that hasn't been done before by previous masters, so she wanted to make sure his vitals were stable before he could make more contracts.
He had tried to give chat to Chiyome and the others, but the stream refused to do so.
Which means it was only him and Archer that could take Chat right now.
Archer scrutinized his face for a moment, then he looked at Chat's orb, then back at him.
"There once was a boy. A boy who had a dream. A dream to become a Hero of Justice."
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): No way! GARcher is telling us a story!! ₍₍⚞(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾ ]
[Sweet!! This is such a rare moment!! ]
[Who needs stupid sleepovers?!! We have storytime with GAR!! ]
"His dream was noble, but the road to achieve said dream was anything but. His noble dream soon became an obsession, one that cost him everything. He had people that cared for him, who wanted to be with him, but they could not follow him on the path to achieve his dream. So he left them behind."
[I don't like where this story is going. ]
[Junior_Researcher: A tale meant to discourage chasing after impossible goals. How intriguing. ]
"The boy was desperate to achieve his dream. So he made a contract with something that promised to help him achieve it, but he realized far too late that he had been trapped in a hell of his own making."
"That is why I hate heroes. They feed naive children false ideas, ideas that lead children into blindly throwing away their lives to save others, even at the expense of themselves and those around them. When, in fact, that usually ends up making things worse."
[My palafin doesn't approve. ]
[Okay, now I can see why Archer hates heroes now. Wanting to be a hero is cool on paper, but actually being a hero carries risks and a weight that no one can be prepared to carry. ]
[_Red_: … ]
[Don'tTouchMyBuns!: ... ]
[Man, no wonder he gets along with Kream. ]
[Is that boy someone he knew? A little brother who he saw kill himself trying to achieve his dream? Is that why he's so bitter all the time? ]
He stared Archer in the eye. The unspoken question he had was obvious, but he did not vocalize it.
But he still had to respond.
"My dream is to open a bakery."
[Huh? ]
[Gudao, bro. What does cake relate to hating heroes? ]
Archer raised a brow at his statement, but he didn't say anything and was giving him a chance to speak his mind, so he spoke.
"Since I was a kid, I loved baking. It was the one thing that I loved and still love doing. Once this whole singularity stuff is over with, and after I graduate, I am going to do my damnest to open one."
His gaze hardened, "So I understand what it's like to have a dream, to have something to strive for…. But abandoning people that care for me so that I could achieve it? I would never do it."
He never broke eye contact with Archer, "if it came down to being with my family, or have a successful bakery, I'd choose my family in a heartbeat."
Archer stared at him in silence for what seemed like a long time, then he smiled, "if that is what you think, then you are already better off than that naive red-headed idiot."
Archer turned his back to him, "I told you your bedtime story, now go to sleep Master."
Archer astralizes and jumps to the roof, leaving him behind.
He does that, and as soon as he closes his eyes, the world disappears.
And a warm scene of a dinner table with an older woman and a purple-haired girl fills his vision.