Ren could only sigh in exhaustion as he collapsed on his bed once more. The half-eaten poisoned dinner had long since been removed from his room, leaving his table bare. While he could probably ask for some more food, after everything he had been through, he wasn’t hungry in the slightest. Rather, his entire body felt like jelly after everything that had happened. Everything may have turned out well, but frankly it wasn’t a situation he felt like repeating again.
The command structure had been shuffled. Many of the commanders who had been found to have more selfish desires were demoted or otherwise punished, with their underlings or proven soldiers promoted. Glauca was promoted from an Optio to a full-on Centurion, matching Ren’s rank. Ren didn’t even know he had outranked him, given how he reacted when they first interacted, but then he wasn’t too concerned about ranks and titles anyway.
The biggest surprise was when Asisculus was allowed to keep his rank and command. Many of the officers protested against such a ruling, especially those who were loyal to Nero from the start. Even Ren was skeptical – the man ironically had betrayed his own emperor out of twisted loyalty for her. What’s stopping him from doing so yet again? And worst of all, how could he suffer no consequences for his treason?
“He committed all of this due to his loyalty to me,” Nero had declared. “He has learned and repented so I shall forgive him this once! Rest assured that if he betrays me once more, I shall not hesitate to make an example of him!” There was some grumbling about it but that was that. No one wanted to press the point against their emperor and at the very least, the legate did look contrite. No doubt everyone would be watching him like a hawk, however.
Ren had to sigh. He never thought war was a simple affair, but frankly living it was a different matter entirely. He was thankful there were surprisingly little to no civilian casualties or destruction – he was aware enemy invaders tend to be less than pleasant with the citizenry but so far, the worst they saw was desertion of the cities and villages with barely anything left behind in terms of things like foodstuffs.
He could feel his eyelids starting to get heavier, and with a deep sigh and great effort, heaved himself off the bed. As much as he wanted to get to sleep and recover from this long day, there was still one last thing he needed to do or he’d catch unholy hell later. He sat back down at the table, closing the window shades. Taking off the communicator, he activated it as he wiped off the band of sweat that accumulated underneath.
A moment later, Roman, Ritsu, and Morgana all appeared on the holographic interface. “ Ren!” Roman cried out in relief. “ If you’re calling, that means everything’s been resolved, right?
The Phantom Thief smiled tiredly and nodded. “Yep,” he confirmed. “Had to jump through a couple hoops but in the end, everything’s been taken care of.”
“ Ha!” Morgana laughed. “ That’s our fearless leader for you!” Despite the words of support, it was clear from his red eyes that he had been worrying sick. He’d have to make him some extra-special curry for Morgana when he got the chance.
“ But still, the heck happened?!” Ritsu demanded, looking in a similar state to Morgana. “ You got poisoned, there was some ridiculous conspiracy, and now you’re here telling everything’s alright?! Come on, there’s gotta be a helluva story to tell, at least for the record!”
Ren blinked, then chuckled. “You could say that,” he admitted. Recounting from right after he had been dismissed from the battle, he told them the entire story of how he had been poisoned, how he dug up information of everything that had happened, and the impromptu tribunal that occurred in Nero’s room, as well as the results. After they finished, there was silence as all of them digested the story and information.
In the end, Ritsu was the first to speak up on the matter. “ They’re insane, you’re insane, everything’s insane, ” she stated bluntly.
The statement caught Ren so off-guard that he burst out laughing. Leave it to Ritsu to sum the whole thing up in her usual manner. “Can’t argue with any of that,” he cheerfully admitted through chuckles. “At the very least, it seems everything’s been smoothed out so it worked out in the end. Speaking of which…” He glanced over at Roman. “Any luck as to why the poison didn’t affect me?”
Roman blinked and pulled up another monitor. “ Apparently, we have Mash to thank for that ,” he replied as he looked over Da Vinci’s findings.
All three Masters blinked in surprise. “ Mind elaborating on that, Roman? ” Morgana inquired skeptically.
The doctor took a deep breath as he considered how to concisely explain this. “To be entirely honest with you,” he began. “Mash is an anomaly as far as Servants go. There have been no records of a Shielder class Servant and hence we don’t know their full capabilities. Coupled with the fact that we don’t know which heroic spirit has taken up residence in Mash and we’re kind of left putting together bits and pieces here.”
“ That being said, Da Vinci has been doing a deep dive into the data,” he continued. “ And it appears that there’s one particular aspect of Mash that has caught her eye. We’ve been working on the current theory that a Shield class Servant specializes in defense more than most other Servants, even the likes of Cu Chulainn or Leonidas, whose greatest legends involve defending a specific point. However, we may have greatly underestimated just how far that protection extends.”
Ren crossed his arms, his weariness falling away as he listened with a frown. He remembered what they taught him about the various classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Each of them had their inherent advantages and disadvantages, though that can vary depending on the Servant’s individual skills, abilities, and Noble Phantasms. Then there was the Ruler class – Jeanne – and the Avenger class – Loki. He hadn’t received any notes or lessons about those two classes, but as extraordinary as they are, it seemed Chaldea knew at least how to deal with them.
But Shielder… Well, from what little he gathered, there was next to no information and they’re just working on the fly. Well, they’d figure it out as they went. That was how he and his friends handled their personas and Palaces, anyway.
“ While we’re still figuring things out, it would seem that Mash has passive skills specializing in protecting her Master,” Roman concluded. “ In this case, poison immunity. That’s why the poison in your dinner, Ren, didn’t affect you – or rather, wasn’t given the chance to. It was introduced into your system but was broken down and negated before they could begin any reactions that would harm your body.”
Ren blinked in surprise. He knew Mash was amazing, but he didn’t expect it to extend to this point. “I’m guessing the poison immunity covers all of us, then?” he asked.
Roman nodded. “ From what I can see, yes ,” he replied, once more glancing over at Da Vinci’s report. “ I wasn’t sure if her protection is just one Master or all, but it seems to cover all of you. That being said, we’re still unsure if the effect is diluted when spread to three Masters or not, so please try to avoid being poisoned. In the meantime, Da Vinci said she’ll be looking into an anti-toxin functionality for the Master uniforms as well as Morgana’s scarf just in case.”
“A shame,” Ren sighed dramatically. “I was hoping to add belladonna berries to my evening porridge from now on. It definitely gave it a nice, tangy taste, to be honest. It was a nice change of pace.” The reactions of the other three were immediate.
“ Joker, for heaven’s sake!” Morgana screeched as he held his head in outrage.
“ I will suplex you so hard if you even try, buster!” Ritsu snarled, with a glare that caused cold chills to go up Ren’s spine.
“ Ren, I beg of you, for the sake of my heart and my sanity, please don’t do anything like that, ” Roman all but pleaded, looking close to tears.
Ren grinned ruefully and rubbed the back of his neck. “Right, sorry,” he apologized. Even he felt that joke was a bit too far, given current circumstances. He still couldn’t really stop himself from joking around, especially when a situation is bad. Even the other Thieves at times admonished him at times for it. It was a bad habit he really needed to fix.
“At any rate, that’s it for my report here,” Ren finished. “The siege will probably kick back up tomorrow or so, so I’m gonna catch some sleep. Is there anything else we need to cover?”
All three of them stared at him, then simultaneously sighed. “ No, that’s it for now, ” Roman replied tiredly. “ Just… Can you please stop scaring us to death? We understand risks are necessary but you’re taking on far too much. We really can’t afford you… out of commission. ”
‘Dead’ was the term Roman tried to censor, and everyone knew it. Regardless, Ren smiled weakly. “I’ll do what I can,” he replied earnestly. “Trouble does have its way of finding its way to me though, so I can’t make any promises.”
“ Do you get into trouble because you’re a Phantom Thief, or did you become a Phantom Thief because of how often you get into trouble?” Ritsu grumbled.
Ren chuckled. “The latter,” he admitted. “You guys have a good night.” With that, he cut off communication for the evening. Getting up, he collapsed back on the bed again, heaving a heavy sigh as he massaged his temples. Then he stopped. Odd. His hands felt a bit stiffer than he expected.
He glanced at his hands– and started as he stared at the dried blood coating them. Suddenly, the image of the dead soldier flashed in his mind once again, trying to staunch the bleeding as the healing too effect – and was only a split second too late. With a heavy sigh, he allowed his hands to drop back onto the bed. Now that he was done with the whole situation, he didn’t have anything to distract him from his failure.
The Phantom Thief could only replay the situation in his mind. How could he have handled the situation better? The fact that there were two of them made things more complicated. If he focused on healing, then the soldiers would’ve had a second to do anything – attack him while he was distracted, yell for help, push past him and escape, and much more. What if he had activated his Third Eye before coming down the stairs? Would he have been able to distinguish between the soldier and assassins and work accordingly? No – he couldn’t rely on the Third Eye too much, and it was more than possible he would make a mistake and attack the wrong person. The Third Eye was great, but it wasn’t infallible.
Scenarios, what-ifs, self-admonitions, and revisions kept dancing in his head until it felt almost fit to burst. In the end, there was only one conclusion he could come to: Whatever he did, however he did it, it simply wasn’t enough . He didn’t know enough, he wasn’t fast enough, he wasn’t capable enough. Every single way he turned, he found himself lacking in some way, shape, or form.
His hand tightened into fists. Is this truly his limit? Is this all he could really do? To hell with that. Every single area he was lacking when he was back in Tokyo, whether it was his courage, his knowledge, his dexterity, and more, he worked hard to overcome. This would be no different. He simply slacked off far too much ever since he came to Chaldea. Once he got back and could plan properly, that would change.
But for now, with a sigh, he slowly stood back up, grunting as his body once again protested. Grabbing the bottle of water, he shambled outside.
At the very least, he could rinse off his hands.
----------------------------------------
Ritsu watched as Ren cut off communications. She breathed a heavy sigh as she sat back, staring up at the fabric of her tent. They were still a few days out from Massilia, but ever since she relayed the news about the siege, they had been marching double-time. Her legs ached something fierce but even she knew this wasn’t the time to complain. A similar sentiment had been echoed among the soldiers, but none of them seriously protested to either Boudica or Spartacus.
Ever since the retaking of Gaul and the defeat of Caesar, sentiments among the army had been… mixed. Though Caesar had been their enemy, he was still one of the greatest emperors of the Roman Empire. To see him fall under Spartacus’s blade, especially after the gladiator had assumed such a monstrous form, left many of the soldiers whispering and muttering among themselves. As such, the Berserker had been keeping himself scarce in turn, either on patrol and scouting or meeting with Boudica by himself to consult with her on their next move. He knew better than to cause more friction within the camp when the situation was urgent.
As for the Iceni queen, the opposite had happened. Her command of the Roman army in retaking the castle before breaking away and fending off the reinforcements with only Mash in tow had won her a surprising amount of favor with the troops. While they weren’t exactly singing her praises, there was certainly a lot less grumbling about her command or her personal history. At the very least, they believed she had their best interests in mind. For her, that would be enough.
Or rather, she hoped it wouldn’t go any further than that.
In the meantime, Ritsu glanced up at Mash, who had been sitting on her own bunk across from her, and grinned. “Like I said, Mash, you’re amazing,” she declared to the Shielder.
Mash forced herself to swallow and nod. She had been sitting here the entire time, listening in on the report. It was unintentional – she had finished her patrol just as the conference had started, but Ritsu for some reason hadn’t introduced her into the conversation and she didn’t speak up. Instead, she sat nearby and listened. She heard more than she expected – including how her ability had saved Ren from being harmed.
The grin on Ritsu’s face slowly fell into a frown as she looked at her companion in concern. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I thought you’d be happier.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The lilac-haired girl blinked in surprise, then she looked back down. “B-because… I’m not sure if it’s something I should be proud of,” she murmured. “I did protect Ren-senpai, yes, but… it wasn’t because of anything I did. It was the power of the heroic spirit that dwells within me instead of anything I’ve done. I can’t claim any credit for protecting Ren-senpai. It simply… happened.”
Ritsu considered it. Mash was technically right – she didn’t exactly do anything to help or protect Ren. It was just a consequence of whoever was possessing her. And even then, they had no clue if said heroic spirit was even intentionally protecting them or again, it was just their presence. Overall, everything was solved by them doing nothing. She could see why that wouldn’t sit well with Mash. That being said, though, in her eyes…
“What’s so wrong about that?” Ritsu inquired.
Mash blinked in surprise. “I beg your pardon?” she asked.
“There’s a lot of things a person can do just by being there,” the Master explained, stretching. “The Phantom Thieves can’t steal every single heart out there for loads of reasons. But their presence inspires people to be better and for the bad guys to clean up their acts. All that, just from being there. They don’t have to do anything. Similar case here.”
“But,” the Shielder countered. “The Phantom Thieves acted and worked hard to create that presence where their influence has a beneficial effect on others. On the other hand, I have not done anything to warrant it. It’s because of the heroic spirit within me. I have not done anything.”
“Bullcrap,” Ritsu bluntly stated, surprising Mash. “Heroic spirit this, heroic spirit that, I don’t give a damn. Sure, it may be the heroic spirit giving you these abilities, but who’s ultimately using these abilities? Well?”
Mash blinked. “Um… me?” she hesitantly answered.
The Master raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, I can’t hear uncertainty well,” she said. “Who’s ultimately using these abilities?”
“I am,” Mash replied with a bit more certainty.
“Who’s using the shield and busting her ass to keep all of us safe?” Ritsu continued. “Who’s the one who fought and took down Leonidas while also protecting Ren? Who’s the one who had Ren and Morgana’s back from the very start, even when you didn’t know what precisely you could do, and they had your back in turn?”
“Me,” the Shielder replied.
“And who-“ Ritsu declared as she stood up and marched toward Mash, who only stared up at her with wide eyes and started sidling nervously backward. “Is the most awesome Shielder, and that if she could control her abilities, would do everything she can to protect us and be more awesome, and therefore questioning that her not doing anything is entirely a moot point?” She slammed her hands down on the bunk on either side of Mash and got in her face, only an inch away from hers. “Well?”
“…. Me?” Mash squeaked, staring up at her senpai’s eyes as her face slowly turned a deep shade of crimson.
“You’re damn right,” Ritsu stated with a satisfied nod. “So don’t ever think you’re not doing enough – you’re doing plenty, and you’re awesome by just being you. Never forget that for an instant, alright?”
Mash blinked, then nodded. Right. Ren-senpai trusted her, but it was clear Ritsu-senpai trusted her as well. And she was right – if she could control this poison immunity, she would’ve applied it to all her Masters regardless. Perhaps she was worried over nothing. “I won’t,” she replied quietly. “Thank you, Ritsu-senpai.”
Ritsu nodded with a broad grin on her face. “So long as you understand,” she said happily as she got back up. She turned around – and squawked as she stumbled, her strained legs giving out on her, and fell backward onto Mash. The shielder in turn reflexively moved her arms around Ritsu to secure her and make sure she was safe. The redhead looked up at Mash and grinned ruefully. “Eheh, sorry,” she apologized. “It seems the stress of the march got to me more than I thought.”
“Oh, it’s not a problem, R-Ritsu-senpai,” she stammered, feeling more warmth climb up her face as she stared down at the redhead in her arms. Then an idea crept into her head. Tamamo at the moment was out on patrol so this would be an ideal opportunity. “Erm, if you like, Ritsu-senpai,” she hesitantly suggested. “Perhaps I could massage your legs a bit? I don’t have much practice, admittedly, so if you wish to wait for Tamamo…”
Her words trailed off as she noticed Ritsu’s reaction – specifically her eyes widening more and more, her mouth hanging slightly open. “… Am I in heaven…?” she whispered.
Mash could only blink in surprise at the question. “Um… I don’t believe so, Ritsu-senpai?” she replied confusedly.
“Welp, heaven or not, I’m taking the opportunity!” Ritsu declared with a broad grin. As she scrambled off Mash to get herself into a better position, the Shielder merely smiled despite herself. Her senpais were unique but good people. She had much to learn from both of them, and she would protect them with all her power.
She would make sure of it.
----------------------------------------
Throughout the day and night, the ships didn’t stop. Making their way north towards the continent, two ships, laden with supplies and soldiers, sailed the Mediterranean. When the winds weren’t in their favor, the soldiers took shifts rowing to the beat of a massive drum, making steady and sure progress no matter the situation. Yet despite the strain and breakneck pace they were moving, none of the soldiers complained. They were all briefed and knew the stakes.
Helming the two ships were, surprisingly enough, Medusa and Astolfo. As Riders with considerable skills in Riding – in this case, operating vehicles – they were more than adept at handling the ships. It took a bit of persuasion to convince Evander, but after seeing what the two Riders could do, the legate immediately ordered all forces to heed whatever nautical commands they issued. Thus, the two ships far outstripped the rest of the Roman contingent as they raced ahead to reinforce Massilia.
Morgana sighed as he sat on the railing for the ship. The sun had long since set, shrouding the land in darkness. Above, the skies were cloudless, showing off a tapestry of countless stars stretching across the night sky. It was an awe-inspiring sight that the catlike being would normally be more than happy to take in.
However, ever since getting off the call with Ren, he had been fretting to no end. He had more than enough confidence his best friend would see things through, that didn’t stop him from worrying. It wasn’t like Tokyo where they could more easily blend in with a crowd – their actions and presence put them front and center. Not to mention, they at least had a base in the form of LeBlanc. Here, even among their own supposed allies, they needed to be wary in case of some conniving traitors. It was enough to drive anyone insane with paranoia.
He glanced behind him. Medusa was right now at the helm, easily turning the wheel like she had been born all her life for it. Despite the fact she wore a blindfold, she didn’t seem to hesitate or have any problems, easily navigating currents and catching favorable winds. Beside her was another soldier – a navigator – who consulted an almanac and a map to ensure they were maintaining their course. Archer was on the other ship to act as Astolfo’s babysitter. Considering the other ship was still visible despite the Paladin’s proclivities, he was most likely doing a good job of it.
“Aren’t cats supposed to be getting twenty hours of beauty sleep, woof? I mean, meow?”
Morgana glanced over to see Tama sauntering over, holding a small wooden platter. He sighed. “Can’t sleep after all that,” he admitted. “Maybe if I tire myself out first, I’ll be able to get to sleep. But for now, I’m trying to relax a bit. As much as one can on a warship, anyway.” Still, he preferred a Roman warship over Shido’s cruise ship. The sheer decadence of the latter just oozed sleaziness that always put him on edge.
Tama nodded pensively. “Well, today’s problems are today’s problems, but tomorrow’s a new day,” she chirped. “So why worry so much? And especially when it stops you from sleeping properly?”
The catlike being rounded on the Berserker in shock and anger at the suggestion, only to be met with her innocent, inquiring expression. He opened his mouth to retort… and found he just didn’t have it in him to. It felt like all his arguments felt pointless against the mass of simplicity that was Tama. Besides, she wasn’t wrong. As much as he lectured Ren on sleeping properly, he hadn’t been exactly following his own advice.
“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” he sighed. “But I do need to catch up on sleep. Can’t be heading in tired and all, not when Ren’s counting on me.”
Tama nodded. “True!” she chirped. “And you know what makes one sleepy, Master? A full belly!” To that end, she set her platter over on a barrel and beckoned. “Perhaps after this, you’ll be able to sleep well, woof! I mean, meow!”
Morgana blinked in surprise, then deciding to humor her, walked over before hopping onto the barrel that would serve as a makeshift table – and his eyes widened. On the platter were small rectangles of meat, neatly cut, carved, and arranged. In the torch light, they gleamed and glistened, causing Morgana’s mouth to water. “S-S-Sashimi?! AND FATTY TUNA?!?” he gasped. “Wh-where did you get all th-this?! How?!?”
The Berserker grinned. “It was a matter of going through the food supplies of the soldiers, and fishing some up myself! I only took one or two fish so they were okay with it, and while fishing was tricky, I managed just fine, woof! I mean, meow!” Reaching into her robe, she took out a small pair of chopsticks. They were rough but more than serviceable – it was obvious she had carved them herself. “Please, enjoy, Master.”
The catlike being blinked in surprise as he accepted the chopsticks from Tama. “Er, why are you going out of your way for me?” he asked. “I mean, I’m really thankful and all, but… you really didn’t have to go through all this.”
Tama blinked, smiled enigmatically, and bowed. “It is nothing so complicated, Master,” she replied simply. “I just believe someone like you deserves all the support and care I can give. That’s really all there is to it.”
Morgana blinked again. For once he was speechless as the weight of the Berserker’s words rested on him. Then he sighed. “Well, I’m honored then for your kindness and support,” he replied. “Still, now that you told me all this, I will only eat this on one condition.”
Blinking, Tama tilted her head to the side. “And what would what be, woof?” she asked curiously.
“That you join me,” he declared. “Food like this is something you worked hard to get, and while I’m thankful, I’m not the type to leave a person without the fruits of their labor! There’s enough for both of us! We can both eat and have full bellies, ready to sleep and be ready for tomorrow!”
The Berserker blinked in surprise, then smiled. “If that is your wish, Master, then I shall join you, woof! I mean, meow!” she accepted. With that, they each took a piece of the sashimi, popped in in their mouths, and delighted as the flavor melted and coated their tongues as they savored the deliciousness of the carefully prepared fish.
The catlike being ate thoughtfully, staring at the sky as his thoughts raced through his head. “Hey, Tama?” he said.
“Hm?”
“If you were in a similar situation,” Morgana hesitatingly described. “Where your best friend is in trouble, what would you do?”
Tama blinked in surprise as she put a paw underneath her chin to think. “Hm,” she hummed. “I’d run! I’d forgo any naptimes and run as fast as I could! And then I would claw and kick whoever was giving my best friend trouble until they stopped giving them trouble!” She popped another cut of sashimi into her mouth, chewing contentedly.
Morgana blinked. “But… don’t you worry if you’re too late?” he asked.
The Berserker shrugged. “Dunno, I don’t think about that, woof,” she replied earnestly. “I just wanna get there. That’s really all there is to it.”
Again, the catlike being blinked as he considered. He had a lot of other points of discussion or arguments, but for some reason the more he thought about it, the more they dissolved away. She made an odd sort of sense – fretting about it wasn’t going to get them there any faster, and in fact was probably going to tire them out and subsequently slow them down. In the end, arguing about this any further – especially over a plate of tasty sashimi – was counterproductive. They were already moving at top speed, with Medusa and Astolfo at the helm. All they could do was be ready for when they arrived.
A slight scraping sound brought him out of ruminations. Glancing over, he noticed that there was one last piece of sashimi left – and it was a fatty tuna. “Saved it for you,” Tama chirped with a smile. Morgana blinked, grinned in gratitude, and popped it in his mouth, enjoying how it just melted in his mouth.
It was indeed bliss.
----------------------------------------
Olga breathed out as she watched Ren fall asleep, the image of the real world vanishing. She had been watching his progress all throughout Massilia, from their rather anticlimactic siege all the way to the end of the tribunal – and she had also seen what Loki had just done with the enemy Caster and Rider. To drive Lord El-Melloi II insane in such a manner…
That was a move worthy of someone from the Clock Tower. No, worse. She won’t deny its effectiveness, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
She turned back to the others – Igor at his desk, his hands tented as usual, and Lavenza, faithfully standing beside him with her own Compendium in hand. “What do you make of all this?” she asked the two of them. Despite her own competence and massive strides, she still wasn’t precisely sure how the Velvet Room worked once they received information from the outside. Better to get their opinions and follow their lead for now, unless she disagreed.
Igor’s eyes narrowed. Although his perpetual grin was still there, it was obvious that he was displeased. “It would seem our dear guest is beset once more by trials,” he murmured. “I will admit, I did not entirely expect Loki to still have the abilities of his host. It is certainly a complicated matter.”
Olga frowned as she crossed her arms. “Was his host – Goro Akechi – someone particularly unique?” she asked. “I was aware that he had crossed blades with Amamiya and Morgana, but not much more than that.”
“Goro Akechi was also a Wild Card,” Lavenza supplied as Olga glanced over at her. “For context, both he and my Trickster were chosen as pawns for the imposter’s game. However, their circumstances could not have been any more different. Goro Akechi was unable to form proper bonds and only had two Personas as a result: Robin Hood and Loki. He was also granted the ability to adversely affect shadows, driving them psychotic at will. Our Trickster, on the other hand, had formed bonds with many people, and they became his strength. Thus, he was granted his Third Eye – an ability that allows him to see the world for all he desires.”
The former director processed the information. “So, what you’re saying is that Loki, utilizing their connection with Akechi, who had a persona of them, also has his abilities as well?” she summed up. “And that ability of driving shadows psychotic – which is what we saw them using on Lord El Melloi II – has also been transferred?”
“That is the case, yes,” Igor confirmed.
“And we’re not gonna be telling Amamiya about any of this,” Olga also stated more flatly, already knowing the answer.
“Our role is to guide and assist the Trickster,” Lavenza replied. “We cannot give him answers easily, else we risk coddling and thereby weakening him. Though it is a risky position, we must have faith in any and all guests to the Velvet Room to see things through, no matter the difficulty.”
“We have already granted both our guest and Morgana far more capabilities than other guests,” Igor added. “We do recognize that the situation is far more dire, but as those who watch over humanity, we must have faith. That being said, there is another reason we must not more openly interfere.”
That caught Olga’s attention. “What would that be?” she asked.
Igor’s eyes narrowed once more. “Our existence must not become common knowledge,” he replied. “For if word of us reaches the ears of whoever is behind the Incineration of Humanity… I fear that all will be lost. While we are loath to leave our guest in such a precarious state, to do more is to invite calamity. That cannot be allowed to pass.”
Olga glared at the two of them as more arguments danced at the tip of her tongue, then sighed. Though she wanted to argue, it was clear the Velvet Room had its own rules and methods, and she wasn’t about to argue. She could tell from the gazes of Igor and Lavenza that, while they were sympathetic, they weren’t about to budge, and admittedly, it was for good reason.
“Then all we can do is prepare and wait until Amamiya needs us,” she concluded wearily. “In that case, I shall be in the Workshop. Please notify me if my presence is required.” With a stiff bow, she turned to walk away, vanishing into thin air and leaving the two alone.
Lavenza fiddled with a corner of the Compendium in nervousness. “Master, while I agree that we must remain faithful to our roles, I do share Olga’s concerns,” she commented. “The Trickster’s trials are never-ending, and circumstances are far from ideal. And it is still only the beginning of this journey. Is there nothing more we can do?”
Igor sighed, his body sagging slightly in exhaustion. “We are doing all we can and should, my dear Lavenza,” he murmured. “Though harsh, our guest needs to become stronger, else the trials in the end crush him into nothing and we can only lament our failure.” He had seen many guests come and go, and saw all the potential paths and choices they could take. For every success he had foreseen, he had also witnessed countless failures.
“Do have faith, my dear Lavenza,” he said, grinning kindly down at his subordinate. “As we have seen, our guest has completed one journey and come out stronger than ever before. He is quite capable, is he not?”
The Attendant blinked in surprise, then nodded in agreement. “He is, as expected of my dear Trickster,” she replied. “I thank you for your words of wisdom, my Master.”
Igor chuckled. “Think nothing of it,” he reassured her before turning his gaze straight ahead, to the open cell room where their guest always appeared from. If he needed their services, they would be happy to grant them. Their strength is his, and until the journey's end, that will never change.
His perpetual grin widened. Truly, Ren Amamiya was a most remarkable guest.