Tohsaka Rin put down her teacup and rubbed her temples.
"Flat," she said, "you'd better explain."
"Explain what?"
"Explain why Olga Marie is here, and why she's become some... President of the Earth."
The corner of Tohsaka Rin's mouth twitched. "Are you guys playing some kind of childish house?"
She couldn't help but add: "And how did you persuade her to dress in this, uh, look?"
"What's wrong with the look?" Olga Marie suddenly spoke.
She lifted her eyelids, her pupils locking onto Tohsaka Rin.
"You have a problem?"
Tohsaka Rin: "..."
She opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately just let out a sigh.
"No. As long as you're happy."
A wise choice. Flat silently gave her a thumbs-up in his heart.
"So," Tohsaka Rin looked back at Flat, deciding to skip the fashion issue, "what's actually going on?"
Flat blinked and began to recount everything from their meeting in the Park in his characteristic, jumping narrative style.
He omitted the details of the Spirit Origin Repair and skipped the chaotic battle in the Gobi, emphasizing instead that "this lady is a Servant version of Miss Olga Marie," "she calls herself the President of the Earth," and "she's currently my temporary partner."
He spoke very briefly, but the volume of information was already explosive.
When he finished, the hall fell into a third silence.
This silence lasted for about ten seconds.
"In other words," a blond boy sitting on a single sofa spoke slowly, "this is an 'Olga Marie' from some possible world recorded in the Throne of Heroes, summoned as a Servant, but with an unknown Master, an abnormal Spirit Origin Structure, calling herself the President of the Earth, and currently in a... cooperative state?"
"That's exactly it! A very precise summary, Svin!" Flat nodded.
"Then the question is," another girl closed the book in her hand, "why did she appear in Snowfield City? What is her goal? And,"
Her gaze landed on Olga Marie.
"Are you truly the President? If so, do you intend to rule the Earth again?"
The questions grew sharper one after another.
Everyone's eyes focused on Olga Marie once more.
Olga Marie gave a yawn.
"So many questions." Her tone was tinged with obvious impatience. "Why should I tell you?"
"Because," Tohsaka Rin took a step forward, "you are currently an unidentified Servant who has suddenly intruded. We have reason to suspect your intentions, especially during a sensitive time like the Holy Grail War."
"You should understand that under the current circumstances, we cannot fully trust you."
"It doesn't matter." Olga Marie shrugged. "I didn't expect you to trust me anyway."
"Then why did you come here with Flat?"
"Because," Olga Marie glanced at Flat, "this guy looked like he really wanted to come. And I just happened to be a little bored."
Flat immediately raised his hand: "I'm very touched by that!"
"Shut up."
"Oh."
Tohsaka Rin stared at Olga Marie for a few seconds, as if evaluating the truth in her words.
"Fine, I understand."
Tohsaka Rin looked back at Flat.
"Now then, catching up time is over. Let's talk business."
The other students also found places to sit.
Flat looked left and right, then simply sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the sofa where Olga Marie was sitting.
Olga Marie glanced at him but didn't say anything.
"First," Tohsaka Rin began, "Flat, do you know why we're here?"
Flat nodded: "The Professor said it—you guys ran off to join the Holy Grail War."
"To be precise, it wasn't thirty people at first," Tohsaka Rin corrected. "Initially, there were only a dozen. Our goal wasn't to participate in the Holy Grail War, but to destroy it."
"Destroy it?"
"Yes." Tohsaka Rin picked up her teacup and took a sip. "The Holy Grail War in Snowfield City is very abnormal, and there is government interference."
"So we came. The goal was to find the core of the Holy Grail System and then dismantle it."
"But then the situation changed."
"Because I came to participate?"
"Yes." Tohsaka Rin looked at him, her eyes complex. "We received news that you snuck off to Snowfield City and became a Master. Then everyone else started showing up one by one for various reasons like 'support,' 'watching the fun,' or 'can't let Flat hog the spotlight alone'."
Her voice carried a thick sense of speechlessness.
"So now, including myself, there are thirty-one Masters for Rider in total."
Flat: "...Are you guys really okay with that?"
Tohsaka Rin: "We're fine."
Flat looked at Tohsaka Rin and the others in the hall.
Everyone's expression was serious; no one was joking.
"So," he said softly, "you guys did this for me..."
"Don't flatter yourself." Tohsaka Rin interrupted him, her tone not harsh. "If you died, that man might declare war on the United Nations, wouldn't he? I just didn't want to see that happen."
"The Professor wouldn't do that~"
"He would." Tohsaka Rin's tone was certain. "He definitely would."
Flat scratched his head and gave a couple of giggles.
By this point in the conversation, the atmosphere had eased considerably, and the students began to exchange talk.
Olga Marie sat on the sofa with her eyes closed, looking as if she were asleep, but Flat knew she was listening.
"Right," Flat suddenly remembered something and looked at Tohsaka Rin, "who was Rider's Servant originally?"
Tohsaka Rin didn't speak.
A woman sitting opposite her spoke up.
"He was mine."
Flat turned his head.
It was a woman who looked to be in her twenties, her dark brown hair tied in a bun at the back, wearing a well-tailored dark grey suit and gold-rimmed glasses.
"Doris Lusendra," the woman introduced herself, her voice steady and clear. "Rider's original Master."
Flat looked at her and blinked.
"Have we... met?"
"No, I am certain of that. However, I have heard of your reputation."
"I see~" Flat nodded. "Then what did you mean by 'original Master' just now?"
"It means," Doris spoke slowly, "I summoned Rider, but after that, a mage found me and won ownership of Rider through a duel to settle a pact between magi."
Flat's eyes widened.
"A duel? Won away the Servant?"
"Yes." Doris nodded, her expression unchanged.
"Then now," Flat pressed, "who is Rider's Master...?"
Doris raised her hand and pointed at Tohsaka Rin.
"She is the one who won against me, but the Master is everyone present, as well as those not present—thirty-one in total, all are Masters of Rider."
Flat raised his hand. "Then what about Command Spells? What about magical energy? If thirty-one people give orders at the same time, who does Rider listen to?"
"Command Spells are distributed among everyone; each person has them," Doris explained. "Magical energy is provided by all of us together. As for the right to command..."
She paused.
"In principle, the commander-in-chief decides. But in an emergency, anyone holding a Command Spell can exercise the right to command."
Flat: "...Will that work?"
"As it stands, yes." Doris nodded. "Rider's level of cooperation is very high, and this system has not encountered any major problems so far."
"I have to say, the students trained by Lord El-Melloi II are truly all outstanding."