Fate/Apocrypha - Volume 1

by Yuichiro Higashide

  "Aren't you being soft on your Master, too?"

  "Ah, is that why your mood turned sour? Rider... the most fitting way to educate is dependent on and different for each person. My Master works hard to remove the handicap that she has borne since birth, as though it were a matter of life and death. But, as a magus, she has come to accept it as though it were only natural. She will fall apart, one day, if there is no one to praise her for her efforts, unconditionally."

  "So you think he's not working hard, then?"

  "He does not understand the difference between effort and sloth to begin with. Considering his short lifespan, he cannot be allowed to be lazy. That would only lead to regret at the very end."

  Rider grumbled, but became quiet and did not speak further.

  "Of course... your doting on him is another issue. Without someone to cling to, it is doubtful that he can escape this place. However, do not lose sight of why you were summoned here as a Servant."

  "You sound like a teacher or something."

  "Oh, but I am."

  Archer answered brightly and tried to place a hand on Rider's head, but a peeved Rider brushed it aside.

  It seems the two are the last to arrive at the throne room. At Darnic's signal, Caster manipulated the Menorah to display a scene from outside the fortress. This technique, utilizing airborne golems as a relay, far exceeded the maximum viewing range of the normal remote surveillance thaumaturgy used by magi.

  The scene that the golem showed was rather difficult to describe - it was of a half-naked, enormous, oafish-looking man, marching through a forest.

  Darnic was the first to speak.

  "Soldiers of Yggmilennia - according to Caster, this Servant has been pushing through the forest day and night, on a direct course towards this castle."

  The others were dumbstruck. They were at war, of course, so it is only obvious that they will be assaulted by a Servant - but there should be several attacks at once, some in ambushes and others in frontal assaults. And some, like the Lancer of the Red, will carry out other tasks as well.

  But there did not appear to be any subordinates around this Servant - which means he is advancing on the fortress by himself. It was an act of utter foolishness - but there is one class of Servant that would calmly perform such acts.

  "By my judgment, that is the Berserker of the Red. Most likely, he possesses a high rank in Mad Enhancement - running amok in his desire to fight the enemy."

  Those summoned as Berserker will have varying ranks of Mad Enhancement based on the anecdotes of their past lives. Those with a low rank will not receive as great of a boost in parameters, but are able to deliberate and communicate with others to a certain extent. Those with a high rank can expect a great boost in parameters, but it becomes impossible for them to even follow commands, much less exchange ideas.

  "What shall we do, Grandfather?"

  "We will not let this chance slip by, of course. Sending three Servants ought to be enough. But this presents a unique chance - if all goes well, we may be able to make a pawn out of this Berserker of the Red."

  At Darnic's declaration, a wave of whispers swept the hall. Lancer waited until the commotion died down before asking calmly.

  "Let us hear concisely of this plan of yours. That is why you have gathered all the Servants here, no?"

  "Yes, my lord."

  Under the directions of Darnic, the ploy to seize the Berserker of the Red was organized. Said Berserker was charging along the shortest length of approach, but with his comparatively slow speed, it would take an estimated one or two days before his arrival.

  Victory is all but certain - the problem is how to attain the objective of capture. Will six Servants be enough to restrain such a man?

  ---

  Chapter 3-9

  ---

  Arriving in Trifas at dawn, Ruler first tried to find a place to stay, but came up against an unforeseen difficulty.

  It is as the old man said; Trifas does not have tourist attractions of any sort. There were only three hotels, and they were all full.

  "This is a first for us as well... I'm terribly sorry."

  Turning away from the apologizing hotelkeeper, Ruler glanced at the men and women chatting in the lobby. From the slight reaction of prana, it would seem they were magi - members of Yggdmillennia, most likely. They were probably all staying in the hotels of Trifas.

  "It's all right if that's the case. Would you have any idea where else I could stay?"

  "Perhaps you could try the church?"

  Yes - there was a church. Ruler felt rather ashamed that she did not think of that first. All of this modern knowledge must have confused her. That should have been the first place she visited.

  After asking for directions from the front desk, she began to walk to the church. Perhaps she was overheard at the hotel; she could detect several others trailing her.

  "They should have been more attentive... I am a Servant, not a magus..."

  It's likely due to the casual clothes she was wearing. And, unfortunately, the spirit form that all Servants should naturally be capable of taking was impossible for her, due to her possessing a host.

  In any case, they know that she will be staying at the church. And, for the sake of her host, she would prefer not sleeping out in open air. Left with no choice, Ruler headed for the church. She knocked on the door of the small wooden church, asking to stay there for several days, and the sister agreed gladly.

  "I'm sorry, but we only have the attic left. Is that all right?"

  She was in no position to make demands on luxury - and she did not much care for it in the first place.

  "Any place where I can lay down would be enough. Thank you very much."

  Alma Petresia was the sister's name. The gentle woman truly suited one whom was raised in such an idyllic place - a woman who needed nothing more than the love of God.

  "Please, come this way."

  Alma offered to show her the way, and Ruler followed her to the second floor and up a staircase leading to the attic.

  "Are you a tourist?"

  "No, I'm here to study the history of medieval Romania."

  "In that case, Sighişoara would probably suit your needs better. There are quite a few buildings from the Middle Ages still standing here, but I don't believe they have much historical value."

  "Someone else is already researching Sighişoara."

  "Oh, I see. Yes, I suppose there haven't been quite as many hands going over Trifas yet."

  At the end of the creaking staircase, they reached the attic. The room was rarely used, according to the sister, but there was not a single speck of dust or dirt to be found on the bed and lamp. The room seems to be have been cleaned regularly.

  "I could prepare a meal as well, if you'd like."

  "Oh, no - my eating patterns are rather erratic. I shouldn't trouble you."

  On top of not being able to take spirit form, the girl must also eat. She wouldn't die from the lack of food like a normal human would, of course - but the girl's physical condition would worsen due to starvation. The fact is, since she hadn't eaten anything for a while, she was starting to feel pangs in her stomach.

  In truth, while she felt highly grateful for Alma's suggestion, it would be rather careless of her to request such an arrangement - given the likelihood that she would be sneaking out during nighttime.

  "It's quite all right. You'd only need to warm it up again."

  "Warm it up...?"

  Ruler tilted her head slightly. The sister looked at her strangely.

  "That's right... with the microwave?"

  "Oh... yes. The microwave."

  Yes, of course - there was no need to start a fire just to warm up some food.

  "Though I would much enjoy sharing my meals with another person."

  After a quick moment of deliberation, Ruler decided to take up her offer. If the sister calls and she responds, they will eat together; if not, then she will leave her share in the refrigerator. That
is the agreement they made. It would not be much trouble for either of them.

  "Well, then... oh, I forgot one very important thing. May I know your name?"

  "Ah, yes. Please, call me Jeanne."

  She readily provided her true name. Ruler did not place much emphasis on its secrecy. She did not mind it personally, and it hardly represented a clear weakness, as it did for the Saber of the Black.

  "Jeanne... that's a wonderful name."

  "Thank you. There's actually one more thing I would like to ask. If there's time before our meal... may I enter the chapel to pray?"

  "Yes, of course - that's why it's there."

  Ruler stored her belongings in the attic. After that, she went down, knelt before the altar, clasped her hands together, bowed her head slightly, and closed her eyes.

  It felt no different from when she had been alive. The moment her prayer began, she became separated from the world - removed from the past, the future, and reality itself. She was there not for any particular purpose, but simply to offer a prayer to God. By doing so, the course which she ought to take would come to be fixed.

  To her, every second of prayer is as important as every breath she takes; a day will not pass where she does not pray. Having been born to a peasant family, Jeanne never knew the contents of the many books of prayer. She did try hard to learn them, but it seems she was simply born incapable of reading or writing. The most she ever managed was learning how to sign her name. While she worried about this, in the end, she decided that she needed little more in order to pray to the Lord. As she recalled, one of her comrades whom rode beside her, Gilles, once laughed and promised her that that was more than enough...

  "Jeanne?"

  It occurred to her that she had been kneeling in prayer for quite some time. The sister said to her, looking apologetic.

  "I'm sorry for interrupting."

  "Oh, no - I tend to set my mind free and forget the time in spite of myself. I wouldn't want to starve myself into unconsciousness."

  "It's a good thing I called out to you, then. Dinner is ready - let's tuck in."

  "I see. Thank you."

  Alma led her to the dining room. There was an ancient set of table and chairs made of oak, befitting this small church.

  "Will anyone else be joining us?"

  "Oh, I'm the only one here. They haven't decided on anyone to succeed Father Luxter ever since he passed away five years ago."

  To begin with, Trifas is a small city with a population of less than twenty thousand. And there have been other churches built, as well. By now, the only visitors to this small chapel are the elderly whom live nearby. Although Ruler did not believe there to be any difference between places of worship, be they large or small.

  "Now, shall we say grace?"

  "Yes, let's."

  After they finish setting the table, Alma and Ruler seated themselves opposite of one another and whispered their words of thanks. By the time they finished, her hunger had reached its threshold. With knife and fork in hand, Ruler cut a portion of the steaming sarmale (Romanian cabbage rolls) and put it in her mouth. As soon as she did, the sweet-and-sour cabbages and tomatoes and juicy minced meat hit her taste buds.

  "How is it?"

  "It's... wonderful."

  Ruler gave only a short reply before indulging in the meal. With every bite, her contracted stomach expanded - and the more she ate, the bigger it became, making her want more and more. It was a vicious cycle of increasing hunger.

  "There's more, if you'd like."

  "Yes, please."

  Jeanne replied immediately, without hesitation. Having been a farmer's daughter, she boasted an appetite that had been more than a match for the ravenous ruffians that were her rank and file. The plain seasoning of traditional Romanian cuisine also fitted her tastes extremely well.

  Ruler ate until she had her fill, so happily that she beamed at the sister whom had made the meal for her. After that, she borrowed the bathroom to wash herself clean.

  Once night sets, the magi and Servants will make their move. That is when Ruler's real job begins.

  * * *

  The sky is its usual shade of grey. According to weather reports, there will a slight shower during the night. Shishigou Kairi and Saber walked the streets of Trifas - but not for pleasure, of course. They were surveying the city to determine locations suited and unsuited for battle.

  But one place being suitable does not mean that it is usable. Trifas being literally under the authority of the enemy, it would only be natural for there to be clan members hidden amongst the populace. It is also likely that traps have been prepared at ideal locations - much like the night before. And, as expected, they found numerous bounded fields - some with detection capabilities, others with various distractors - hidden around the places they checked.

  "Damn it..."

  "Things not going so well, Master?"

  From atop a wall, Saber called out to Shishigou as he crawled on his hands and feet, looking for ways to destroy the bounded field. Her voice was devoid of any hint of sympathy.

  Shishigou sighed and promptly decided to abandon this location as well. It would be all pain for the smallest of gains simply to secure it.

  "What's better for you, Saber? Level ground or back streets?"

  "Hmm... level ground, I would say. I've said this before as well, but my true Noble Phantasm is an anti-army armament. The more open the space, the more room I have to give it my all. A plain field would be most advantageous."

  "In that case, maybe it'd be better if we just took the fighting outside."

  "Outside?"

  The Fortress of Millennia encircles a portion of Trifas within its walls. Outside those walls are various constructions, the number of which have steadily increased over the past three hundred years or so. The castle is located at the easternmost tip of the north side of the city. Beyond that, there is a great forest and grasslands further to the east - though they are on the other end of a sheer cliff. It would be difficult to infiltrate the castle from that way.

  "Wait for them, to come to us."

  "I see. That would be far better for me, as well - more so than fighting in this cramped little city."

  "Yeah. Trifas is just a cluster of civilian houses that have been huddling together since the sixteenth century - though that's not much of a problem when you can just mow all of them down."

  "What? Of course, that's a problem."

  "Well... when it comes down to it, everyone - whether they're friend or foe - wants to win, no matter what it takes."

  Magi are those whom are unbound by human logic. As long as they protect that one fundamental rule of secrecy, they can sacrifice as many of the civilians as they want.

  Of course, one should have moderation in all things. A single death may cause little more than grief to those around them - but when one death becomes ten deaths, or a hundred deaths, public institutions will act. And if the situation becomes impossible for one person to conceal, the Association will act. That is why the fighting takes place at night, and why bounded fields should be placed before combat to turn back normal people.

  But this is the Great Holy Grail War. Is there really a choice whether this city should be sacrificed to those heroes of myths and legends, called here to rampage about as they please? Besides, every stick and stone of Trifas belongs to the Yggdmillennia.

  Saber remained unexpectedly quiet. A curious Shishigou turned around and saw that she was clearly cross.

  "I would not stand for that."

  "Stand for what?"

  "Sacrificing the common folk. Why is it that magi never seem able to understand such a simple logic?"

  Saber spat out in obvious disgust.

  "Well, that's just what they are."

  "Disgusting. I would never stoop so low, Master."

  "Yeah, yeah... we'll try not to involve the peasantry, Your Highness."

  Saber's legs, dangling back and forth from the top of the wall, came to a sudden stop.<
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  "What... did you just call me?"

  "Hm? I said 'Your Highness'. Well, you're the one calling them the 'common folk'. Only people in high places have the authority to do that. And isn't it your wish to become king? What's wrong with calling you that now if you're going to become one eventually?"

  Saber's face froze.

  "I... I suppose it isn't."

  "So, anyway - it's your policy to involve normal people as little as possible. Is that right?"