>>51273

What is a tool?
An item that has been created to achieve a goal.
Can a man be considered a tool too, then, when he lives solely for one purpose?

The Ainsworth family considers the answer to this question to be yes. Not only that, they take pride in their role as tools. You, as the young head of the Ainsworth family, make no exception.

As an Ainsworth, you’ve been trained to reach peak levels of proficiency in magecraft, which you and your family see as a mere tool to reach proper Magic. You’ve moved to Sendai, in the Myiagi Prefecture, following the signs the stars were sending you.
A comet star, one that looked oddly familiar, guided you to this northern town, and you have reasons to believe the ritual your family has been waiting for will occur here.

You’ve been living in Sendai for the past 4 years, waiting for it to happen, preparing for the fateful day.
To that purpose, thanks to the rather large inheritance your father left you, you acquired a western-style villa in the city, and stipulated a contract with both a cleaning agency and a senior citizen to take care of it.

The cleaning company comes on a weekly basis, while you contact your butler when you’re in need of house supplies, such as food, or to investigate the climate in the town.
You’ve also used the butler to inquire if your presence in the city was being perceived as suspicious by anyone, chiefly the maids, but his report was that the only rumor the cleaning agency was spreading was that you’re a customer that pays well.

Maintaining relationships as head of the Ainsworth family hasn’t been as easy, but overall there is little to no reason to be concerned.

>>51277
Today begun as an ordinary day, you woke up as late as possible in the morning to avoid the sunlight and barricaded yourself in your study room in the basement.
While the study, with its magic tools and books, and, by extension, the whole basement represent the lowest point in your house, your sleeping room and your bathroom are located at the first floor, leaving the ground floor to be occupied solely by the living room and the kitchen.

The day has so far gone by uneventfully as usual.
Nevertheless, spending the whole day twiddling your thumbs would be a waste.

You decide to

>Read a book
>Take a walk outside

>Read a book

>>51284
>Read a book

>>51284
>Read a book

>>51284
>read a book

>>51284
>Take a walk outside
Don't be a nerd.

>>51408
Can't we read a book outside? Walk a bit to our favorite reading spot.

>>51424
Nah, that would be creative. We have to follow the rails or Storyteller will get angry.

>>51380
>>51381
>>51387
>>51407

The bookshelves are filled with books, from lousy introductions to magecraft written by Magi who kept themselves in a higher esteem than the rest of the world did to finer treaties on the nature of the Sixth Imaginary Element.

You, however, would like to know more about:

>The Holy Grail War
>The Origins of your family
>The Ainsworth family
>The Fourth Magic
>The Cavalier Families
>Other [write-in]

>>51477
>The Ainsworth family
Obviously.

>>51477
>The Cavalier Families

>>51477
>The Fourth Magic

>>51477
>The Ainsworth family

>>51477
>The Holy Grail War

Oh come on, don't let Ainsworth family win

>>51557
>questwriter made literally half of their first post about the Ainsworths
>let's not delve into this deeper

>>51477
>>The Ainsworth family

>>51568
You are so narrow-minded, it's important to expand the perspective

You take the first book on the history of the Ainsworths out of the shelves.

"The Beginning

The lowly first head of the Ainsworth family was a British alchemist whose knowledge of magecraft was limited to the spell known as ‘Flash Air’. Frustrated by his lack of talent, he came to desire greatness, not for his sake but for the purpose of making the world a better place.

Ainsworth’s fortune came when he accepted to pay the hotel bill for a penniless foreigner. That foreigner turned out to be the Wizard Marshall, who elected to repay his debt by sharing some of his knowledge with Ainsworth.
Despite recognizing Ainsworth as a fourth-rate magus, Zelretch decided to take him as a pupil because of Ainsworth’s commitment to the goal of ‘saving the world’.

By the end of the training, Ainsworth had become a reputable magus, although hardly outstanding. Zelretch had entrusted him and his descendants the goal of finding the ‘rogue’ Grail to fix the imbalances governing their universe. For this purpose, he assigned him a few grimoires detailing the functioning of the Holy Grail War. When questioned by his other pupils about the task assigned to Ainsworth, it is said that Zelretch motivated his decision by saying that he had more faith in Ainsworth’s heart than in his skills."

Satisfied, you proceed on to the next volume.

>>51653
"The Ainsworth Family
After the departure of Zelretch, Ainsworth senior and his descendants continued their study of magecraft on their own, relying equally on Zelretch’s legacy and on modern findings of thaumaturgy.

In particular, they devoted themselves to the study of dark magic, as well as runic magecraft and astrology.
Magecraft would only retain its power so long as it would stay the only way to make the impossible possible. But with the advancement of science, the number of things that could be done would inexorably increase. For this purpose, the Ainsworths elected to perfect themselves in the fields of magecraft that had to do with the feeling of unknown and the mysteries of human nature.

A few Ainsworths who acquired power and influence did try in the past to hamper the progress of science and technology, however most of the family members understood the role of science in making the world a better place to live in, and decided to remain uninvolved.

The priority of the Ainsworths through the centuries, however, has been being ready for the beginning of the great ritual known as the Holy Grail War. Not even the great Zelretch was able to predict when or how it would start, and being prepared for it has been one of the obsessions of every head of the Ainsworth family.
Needless to say, the ritual hasn’t begun yet, and the Ainsworth continue monitoring the sky and the world to the best of their capabilities today, ready to play their role in the inevitable clash that will erupt for the control of the single most powerful artifact in the Universe."

You put the book away. It is nice to read about your family's history, and while some books might be interesting, this kind of reading is extremely delectable for you.

Moving on

>I want to read more
>I want to take a walk.

>>51688
>I want to read more
Nice dubs btw.

>>51688
>I want to take a walk

>>51688
>I want to read more

>>51688
>I want to take a walk.

>>51688
I want to read more

>>51688
>I want to read more

>>51730
>>51712
>>51707
>>51773

You skim through the books once more. This time, you'd like to read about:

>The Holy Grail War
>The Fourth Magic
>The Cavalier Families
>Other [write-in]

>>51800
>>The Fourth Magic

>>51800
>The Fourth Magic
time to get real

>>51800
>The Cavalier Families
Nice dubs again.

>>51800
>The Cavalier Families

>>51800
>The Fourth Magic

>>51800
>The Fourth Magic

>>51829
>>51820
>>51810
>>51808

"The Fourth Magic
Magic is a mystery that goes above and beyond common magecraft. It could be considered by all intents and purposes a form of miracle.
Such Miracle as a rule transcends the limits of magecraft, and it retains its title of magic only as long as common magecraft or scientific technology can’t emulate its end results.

With the advancement of civilization, Magic started to fade out and magecraft gradually lost power. To this day, only 5 magics exist.
The first one is unknown, called simply ‘Denial of Nothingness’, somehow related to the resurrection of the dead.
The second one is Zelretch’s Kaleido.
The third one is known as Heaven’s Feel, and according to Zelretch, it’s the Magic the Grail was originally built for.
The fifth one is called Blue, and it is currently in possession of a shady family of Magi.

The Ainsworth have pursued the mystery surrounding the Fourth Magic for a long time, believing it is the key for interacting with the Grail and saving the world.
They hypothesize that the ‘rules’ governing the Universe before the Advent of the Grail are still recorded somewhere in the Swirl of the Root, and if they were to be reinstated somehow, heat death of the Universe could be prevented."

Satisfied and reminded of the most important task currently at hand, you put the book back where it belongs.

There are a few more manuals that you could read right now, or you might just do something else

>read another book
>>The Holy Grail War
>>The Fourth Magic
>>The Cavalier Families
>>Other [write-in]

Or

>Take a walk around the city

>>51963
>Take a walk around the city
Time for a break from reading.

>>51963
>Take a walk around the city
enough reading

>>51963
>Take a walk around the city

>>51963
>Take a Walk around the city.
Let's get out for a bit.

>>51963
The Cavalier Families

>>51963
>>The Cavalier Families

Sorry for the shitty formatting, I can't even fucking delete my post.

I am going to take the chance and post my CORRECT twitter link
https://twitter.com/StorytellerTG

>>51963
>Take a walk around the city

tfw I will never know what were those Cavalier Families

>>52013
followed

You get up from the chair you were sitting on and head for the stairs that lead out of the basement.
You stretch as if you just woke up from a long sleep, and don your usual clothing.

Albeit somewhat unusual for the current day and age, your victorian-looking robes are actually a powerful Mystic Code. Magi are not exactly kind to each other out there, and your family’s standing in the Mages Association has long since deteriorated.

The first thing you see opening the door is the corpse of your former butler.
Rather peculiar, you think. Someone decided not only to kill your helper, but to drag his corpse all the way to your entrance, like a cat dragging a dead mouse for his owner.

You move in to examine the body. It is covered by a rather simple spell: rather than making the corpse itself invisible, it just causes people to look away from it.
You’ve heard that scientists somewhere are developing a substance that works much in the same way: it reflects all the light away, effectively making an object invisible to human eye.

You carry the corpse inside and then down to the basement.
Your position was much less secure than you originally thought: somebody knew not only where you live, but also where the magic barrier cast around your house ends.

At this point, going out might reward you handsomely with information, but it will also expose you to considerable risks.
You weight your chances, grab a few more items, put the corpse on top of a magic circle you drew on the ground and get out of the house.

The sun is shining outside, and the town doesn’t seem particularly busy.
You live not far from a bus stop that connects Sendai to a smaller town nearby. You’ve seen students get on and off the bus, some of which seemed to be physically impaired.

>>52212
The road you live in is small and narrow, away from the attention of prying eyes. Nevertheless, you’re quite pleased to see that the people you meet on the road don’t stare at you, despite your foreign clothes and your somewhat discomforting red eyes.

Following the road that leads to the center, you find yourself in front of a huge shopping center.
From there, it looks like the roads divide into two main directions, one heading north and one heading south. Incidentally, the path you took to come here later flows in the north direction, as many other lanes and alleys do.

>Go North
>Go South

>>52221
>Go South

>>52221
>Go South

>>52221
>Go North

>>52221
>Go South

>>52221
>>Go South

>>52221
>Go North

>>52221
Go South

>>52221
>Go South
Things always go south in the end.

>>52221
>north

You decide to continue on the direction opposite of whence you came.
The southern part of the town is exposed to the shade, making your trip somewhat more enjoyable.

Shops on this side of the city seem to be a lot fancier and more targeted towards large spenders.
Foreign brand shops, perfume shops and jewelry stores become more and more common the further you walk.

One such store in particular captures your attention: it’s an antique shop called “Othello’s Antiques”.
It is small and barely noticeable, surrounded as it is by much flashier neighbors.
It has however a peculiar charme, and you find yourself being unconsciously drawn to it.

The door’s opening causes a little bell on the top of the door to trill, and the odor of old wood makes its way into your nose.
The shop seems to sell a wide variety of objects, including some old, hand-made dolls.

Shops like these are interesting for a Magus as the might contain diamonds in the rough.
The eye of the commoner can hardly recognize the latent magical powers of an item, leading antique shops to sell valuable items well below their actual worth.

The owner acknowledges your presence with a small nod. He’s old, neatly dressed, and with blue piercing eyes.
He looks somewhat sad, although it would probably be inappropriate to ask about that now.

A small music box is playing a pleasant melody, a music that brings you back to when you used to train with your father. In a way, it is nostalgic, without the painful connotations the term usually bears.

“It really is a fascinating sound, isn’t it?”
The voice takes you by surprise. It is not the owner’s, it’s rather the voice of a young girl that was standing right behind you.

File: Cielremake.png (128 KB, 166x685)

128 KB PNG

>>52545
You stare at her: she’s wearing what looks like a school uniform, and she’s keeping her short and messy hair in bangs hanging from her forehead.
She has the mischievous look of a child about to play a trick, combined with the spark of an outstanding intelligence in her eyes. Overall, there’s no denial she’s beautiful.

You look into her eyes a bit more, and find yourself drawn to something warm and comforting.
You shake that feeling off in an instant: a second-rate trick that could fool an ordinary magus, certainly not the heir apparent of the Ainsworth’s name.

Low-ranking mystic eyes, powerful enough to almost deceive you.
You look at her with contempt.

>Who are you?
>Let’s talk about this outside
>Shift your gaze away, you will retaliate if the situation makes it necessary.

>>52563
>Who are you?

>>52563
>Let’s talk about this outside

>>52563
>Who are you?

>>52563
>Shift your gaze away, you will retaliate if the situation makes it necessary.

>>52563
>Who are you?

>>52563
>Who are you

>>52563
Who are you?

>>52563
>>Who are you?

“Who are you?”, you ask, barely keeping your rage under control.
She sticks her tongue out, winking, mocking you.
“Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to see if it would work on a… well, on a person like you”

You are still squinting at her, as she grabs your hand and tries to bring you outside.
“Wait, I…”
“Oh, right!’, she exclaims. “We can’t get out without buying anything. Pick something nice, we’ll split the bill. Take it as a sign of goodwill”.

You ponder. After all, the music box sounds nice, you wouldn’t mind having it.
“The music box”, you declare, with a stern voice.
“Alright”. She grabs it and heads for the cash.

It looks like she’s haggling with the shopkeeper, with the latter being on the defense as she deals blow after blow to the price tag.
The shopkeeper eventually admits defeat, accepting a payment much inferior to the original value.

The girl tosses you the box on the way out.
“Keep the money”, she says. “I got it much cheaper than I thought”
“Did you use your eyes?”, you inquire.

She shakes her head. “That wouldn’t be fair. I wouldn’t do it on non-magic users”.
“Which begs the question, who are you, actually?”
She bows politely. “My name’s Ciel, I am an agent of the Counter Force. I trust you know what I am talking about”

You nod. The Counter Force, the collective self-defense mechanism of the human race.
“I’ve heard that your kin only appears when humanity is danger”
“We do. But we also appear when a path to the Swirl of the Root is opened. There’s currently one in this city, waiting to manifest itself. At all cost, we must prevent people from accessing the Akasha”

You swallow. There’s only one ‘object’ capable of opening a portal to the Root in the known Universe.
“The Holy Grail…”
“Exactly. The Grail’s summoning system can fool the Counter-Force, but the Magi cannot. In this city, there are magi who aim at reaching the Akasha through the Grail. Our duty is to stop them”

“So I guess that’s why you were using your powers on me. Let me tell you, there was absolutely no need for that. If you asked me frankly, I would have given you an honest answer”
“No, that was not my purpose. You could say I was… training. But I shall take you up on that offer. Tell me, what do you plan to do? The Grail is an almighty wish-granting machine. Surely you must pursue it for a reason?”

>I must carry out the Fourth Magic
>I will make my wish taking into account what I’ve lost during the War
>Circumstances have changed. You can’t buy my trust with a music box

>>52966
>I must carry out the fourth magic

>>52973
>I must carry out the Fourth Magic

>>52973
>>I must carry out the Fourth Magic

>>52973
>Circumstances have changed. You can’t buy my trust with a music box

File: tegaki.png (1 KB, 400x400)

1 KB PNG

>>52973
>I must carry out the Fourth Magic

>>52973
>I must carry out the Fourth Magic

r34 Ciel when?

>>52966
I must carry out the fourth magic

File: Spoiler Image (27 KB, 420x600)

27 KB JPG

>>53030
>Inb4 I get b&

>>52973
>Circumstances have changed. You can’t buy my trust with a music box

>>52973
>I must carry out the Fourth Magic

>>53086
How did Ciel get all tattooed, what with her insane regeneration?

You open your arms as to remark that what you’re saying is painfully obvious.
“The Ainsworth must carry out the Fourth Magic. I do not care for the Root, nor do I care for the Grail. All those are means to an end for me and for my family”

“Right. But watch your step, least me or one of my colleagues might have to stop you. This world… is not as it should be. The Ainsworth know it more than anyone else. And you know it too, right, Fred?”

Her utterance of your name takes you by surprise. She must know much more, if she’s a Counter Guardian.
“It’s Frederick for you. Ainsworth would be even better”
“That isn’t really fair, is it? After all, you call me by first name”, she protests.

“At least refrain from using monikers”, you ask.
“How very formal of you. Frederick, let me tell you this much: if you do carry out the Fourth Magic, you can save the world. However, you won’t be able to save everything and everyone. Saving one life always comes at the price of not saving another”, she concludes.

She drops the music box in your hands, then takes a few steps away.

“One last thing before I go. The murder was carried out by the other magus in this town. I would watch out, the Ainsworths have gotten traitors in their ranks. Some members of the Cavalier Families are acting against the will of your late father”.

These are terrible news for you. As the Association grows increasingly hostile to your family, the Cavalier Families have come to represent the sole reliable social network of the Ainsworth. If they were to rebel, caos would ensue, and your family’s survival itself would be at stake.

>>53316

“Thank you. I will be on guard henceforth”
“Do not thank me. I don’t have enough time to hand out red cloaks to all morons bent on saving the planet, even at the cost of their own life. So you will have to handle this problem on your own. I would suggest proceeding with the ritual summon too, if I were you”.

“So it is time”
“It is time, and the sooner the better. After all, first come first served”, she remarks.

She flashes you one final smile, and for an instant she turns back into the mischievous girl she was when you first met her.
“I will be off then. Stay safe and enjoy your present”

As you see her figure melt into the crowd and disappear, you start to plan your next move

>I have to go home.
>I want to walk around a little bit longer

>>53330
I have to go home.

>>53330
>I have to go home.
Time for rest and thought.

>>53330
>I have to go home.

If we choose to walk around and get crushed by Berserkah, do we get to see the Tiger Dogo?

>>53475
do you have a deathwish, anon?

Or do you just feel like trying your luck?

>>53489
I-is that a no?

>>53557
I am just saying, don't take things for granted.

This isn't exactly Stay Night, besides, have you checked the status screen? Notice anything strange?

>>53569
Cool, more classes.Still if this is Fate-style, I would play differently than I would play a normal quest. It's why I'm asking, not just for the lulz.

It won't be as unforgiving, also because I am somewhat adversed to "saving and reloading". Pick the option that feels right to you

===========================
Dejectedly, you turn around and head back home, the music box in your hands a memento of the discoveries of today.
The streets look much more empty than they used to be.

People are once again ignoring you, which is good, as their attention is captured instead by an imposing figure carrying around a katana.
Tall, with long hair and with extravagant clothes, even for your standards, the man is strolling around with a smaller figure, an androgynous-looking kid.

Satisfied with this turn of events, you carry on, but you catch out of the corner of your eye an object falling from the kid’s neck.
You stop and head towards the fallen object.

Upon closer inspections, it seems to be a plastic camera, one that works only once and then needs to be thrown away.
You call out to the kid, clearly oblivious of their loss.

“Hey, you lost this”, you shout.
The man tilts his head and points you to the kid. Then, they both walk up to you.
The man outstretches his massive arm, as to demand the camera be returned to him.

“There you go. Pay more attention, kid”, you say, as you hand it over.
As soon as the man has obtained possession of the camera once more, he stares right into your eyes and simply utters: “Don’t talk to me or my son ever again”.

Having said that, the man and the young boy turn their back on you and proceed to their destination.
‘A boy, huh? I really couldn’t tell’

>>53795
Upon arriving home, you collapse on the nearest chair, laying the music box on the kitchen table. You will probably have to call the cleaning agency and ask them not to come over for a while, as well as look for another butler.
But all this will have to wait until the end of the war.

The Holy Grail War, the massive ritual the Ainsworths have been preparing for generation, is about to begin, if the Counter Guardian’s words are to be believed.
You could probably start the summoning ritual later tonight, when your mana is at its peak, just to maximize your probabilities of summoning a top-class Servant.

So you happen to have a lot of time at your disposal, and it’s up to you to decide how to spend it

>Relax until then (fast forward to summoning)
>Read another book [specify]

>>53804
>Read The Cavalier Families

>>53804
>Inspect music box.
I might be paranoid but it seems suspicious.

>>53804
>Cavalier Families

Also
>carrying around a katana
Fucking weebs.

>>53847
Nuh, uh. It doesn't work like that. You're getting off the rails.

>>53874
No it's ok, if you have some form of valuable inputs, even if it's not explicitly listed, I will let you do that.

As a rule you can select BOTH an option I listed AND give a suggestion.

>>53897
Then sure, music box sounds interesting. Count me in as well.

>>53804
Let's inspect the box.

>>53804
Relax while listening to the music box

You shake off the idea of lazying around. Time is valuable, and you have plenty of uses for it.
First of all, inspecting the music box. Something felt off about it.
You opened it and let the carillon play its music. The pleasant sensation of nostalgia invaded you again, but you didn’t perceive anything magical stemming from it.

You decided to further inspect the box, making it undergo the process of consecration.
Yet again, however, the test turned in negative. Nothing magical was possessing the box, except perhaps the magic of music, a man-made mystery.

You spent the rest of the day reading old books and drinking chamomile tea to calm your nerves.
One of them caught your attention in particular: it narrated the history and the formation of Cavalier Families.

“Cavalier Families
Ainsworth and his descendants possessed in wits what they didn’t have in magical prowess. By flaunting their ancestor’s training under Zelretch as proof of their excellent pedigree, they were able to forge alliances with families of magi at times even stronger than them. Such agreements often involved either offering second-born and third-born sons to heirless families or marriage agreements.
The Ainsworths’s reputation as fair and just men, sometimes to the point of zealotry, further increased the network of allied families, who in turn used the Ainsworths as an unofficial tribunal to settle their disputes.
This process shifted the paradigm of the relationship between the Ainsworths and their allies, causing the former to become ‘Primi inter pares’ first, and de facto leaders later.

Such allied families came to be known as ‘Cavalier Families’, an echo of the feudal world in which the liege lord would assign lands, castles and other boons to his knights in exchange for an oath of loyalty. “

There was no precedent in the Ainsworth history of a Cavalier Family turning traitorous or rebelling.
Not until now, at least.
You kept browsing through old tomes, and finally found one detailing the evocation formula to be used to summon a Servant.

Satisfied, you once more descended into the basement at midnight and kneeled in front your butler’s corpse
Bowing your head in apology, you ripped it apart, letting the blood flow on top of the magic circle
until it covered its shape perfectly.

And there you stood, barely out of the circle of summoning, reciting the evocation formula:

“Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill.
Five times fill, and five times destroy.

A base of silver and steel,
A foundation of stone and the Archduke of Contracts
The great master of my ancestors, Schweinorg
A wall to block the falling wind
The gates of all four directions close.

From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom
I hereby propose:

Thou shalt come under my command,
and my fate shall be thy sword
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail
If thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me!

I hereby swear:
I will be all that is good in the eternal world
I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world

Thou, the seven days clad in the Great Trinity,
come forth from the circle of constraint,
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!”

With this, the formula is finished.
A blinding light invades the room, making you squint first and cover your eyes then.
When you reopen them, someone is standing in front of you

A man wearing an heavy armor, his neck and his back covered by a thick fur, with an aristocratic gaze, a short beard and short wavy brown hair. With his piercing emerald eyes fixed on you, he takes a step forward.

“Truly outstanding, young magus. Everything was conducted with great care for details. I must commend you”, he says.
“Are you my Servant?”, you ask, hesitantly.
The man who came out of the magic circle gives you a quizzical look.

“Hm? Oh no, I am afraid you misunderstood. In fact, you are not my Master”.

The quest is over for today.
If this thread survives, we'll play tomorrow here again.

Otherwise I will create another thread.

Thanks everyone

>>54372
Thanks for running.

>>54317
>“Hm? Oh no, I am afraid you misunderstood. In fact, you are not my Master”.
That's... interesting.

>>54317
>“Truly outstanding, young magus. Everything was conducted with great care for details. I must commend you”, he says.
>“Are you my Servant?”, you ask, hesitantly.
>The man who came out of the magic circle gives you a quizzical look.
>“Hm? Oh no, I am afraid you misunderstood. In fact, you are not my Master”.
then why the actual fuck did you come out of our circle?
no seriously, how it works is i do the ritual, out comes a servant, and then its a free for all to who survives, not whatever the shit this is.

File: maxresdefault.jpg (41 KB, 1280x720)

41 KB JPG

>>54513

>>54317
Not our servant? Maybe an enemy servant wants to attack Us in the middle of our summoning? Or maybe it is our servant but he wants to act indepently

I think I know who this may be...

>>54628
>>54513
Considering his "gaze" he is likely a king or someone of high Status whom does not view us as his master. More like his Partner during this war.

We should likely clear that up, say our apologies it's just the names of the system we view him more as a partner in the coming war, he seems the type to have an eye for what detail is in regards to our ritual so lets keep it professional and shake his hand. Shows we have some balls and that we don't view him as a simple tool or familiar.

Even if he turns out to be an "enemy servant" be respectful and polite, that shit can go a long way in a grail war. especially if you become respected/viewed favorably by a number of the stronger ones.

also it's not whom i thought it was

>>56231
Say the name you have in mind, I am curious.

>inb4 it's Joseph Stalin

>>57355
Fionn mac Cumhaill, I forgot the changed him for Grand Order, I was thinking of Fate/Zero him

>>57355
I thought it was Iskandar lmao
Make someone original! And surprise us with a genderbend at the last second!

Welcome back, everybody

=================================

Your position is now more than even awkward. A medieval king of some sort is sitting right in front of you, sipping from the cup of chamomile tea you offered him.

From time to time he nods in approval, his manners aren’t always the best, but to his defense it’s clear he’s trying his hardest to be polite.
“Interesting, really interesting. You humans of the future have developed marvelous systems of governance! Things sure have changed since when I was around”, he remarks.

‘Was that what he was pondering and nodding about?’, you think.
“I guess, er… depends on when exactly you were alive”, you point out.
“Oh, what you call the Middle Ages. Mind you, not the Middle Ages you find in story books, with valiant knights and damsels in distress. No, I experienced the full brutality and ruthlessness of the Early Middle Ages, or at least, this version of me”, he states enigmatically.

“it was a dark period. I tried my best to be a fair king, but let me tell you, it was hard back then”, he says, as he take one more sip of chamomile.
Silence descends upon your living room. You conclude this is your chance to ask him something more significant.

“I conducted the Summoning with attentions to all details, as you pointed out. Thus, why do you claim not to be my Servant? Are you by any chance unsatisfied with me?”
“Hm?”, he grunts, in a failed attempt to convey both his genuine interest in your concerns and the formality the situation requires.

“I do not have command seals on my hand yet, so I suppose you have enough power to make the contract void. Yet I can’t help wondering why would you do that”.
“Yes, please, allow me to clarify the situation. I do not have any outstanding issues with you, nor with any other Master in the war. Had I been summoned in another class, I would no doubt offer you my sword and my loyalty. Yet my purpose in this war will be to look after the interests of the Grail itself, and as such, I will be bound to the Grail itself, and not to any Master”.

>>58782

You look to the Servant in surprise. There was no mention in Zelretch’s book about Heroic Spirits serving the Grail rather than their Master. Unless….

“You’re a non-standard Servant, correct?”
“Yes”, your guest says, bowing his head slightly. “More precisely, I am a Ruler-class Servant. I am here to supervise the Holy Grail War, the battle between magi that represents the Grail’s mechanism for selecting a suitable owner. As such, I have no desire for the Grail in itself, but only for the procedures that lead to the selection of the winner”.

>And yet you were summoned using my mana. I demand compensation.
>Have any other Servants been summoned?
>I understand. I trust you as a supervisor more than I’d trust any man from the Church.

>>58789
>I understand

>>58789
>>I understand. I trust you as a supervisor more than I’d trust any man from the Church.

>>58789
>I understand. I trust you as a supervisor more than I’d trust any man from the Church.

>>58789
>>I understand. I trust you as a supervisor more than I’d trust any man from the Church.
We should ask who he is, and politely ask if we will be compensated for the mana since we intended to take part in the Grail War ourselves.

Also, just curious but I assume at least someone here has knowledge of the Nasuverse. Rulers serve the grail, so how do the Rulers in FGO work since they serve their masters? I assume Shiro doing his own thing was because he was incarnated and thus disconnected from the grail after his war was over.

>>59075
I researched a bunch of shit to prepare the Quest, but I am not sure how the grails in FGO work. I can't read moonrunes, so there's that.

>>59075
>>59022
>>58924
>>58858

“Very well. I suppose having a Servant rather than a man has its perks when it comes to supervision, especially since you said you do not desire the Grail. At any rate, I’d take a person like you over any member of the Church any day of the week”, you say.

“I am glad. Let it be known that your trust in me is well placed. I also won’t forget the great care you took in summoning me, and I will be glad to return the favor”.
“What do you mean by that?”, you inquire.

“I am in your debt for summoning me. I will handle the rest of the summons henceforth, and I will repay your efforts. After all, was I not the King who forced his own men to rebuild at their own expense the synagogue they destroyed?”

“Uhm… I wouldn’t know”
“Oh, right. How forgetful of me. I must make sure not to share my True Name, least someone uses it against me. Even if I am an impartial arbiter, there might be people not pleased with my decisions. No hard feelings, I hope?”

You shake your head. “I perfectly understand. But let’s proceed now, I’d like to summon my own Servant”
“That isn’t possible. Not right now”, Ruler remarks matter-of-factly. “We will proceed with the summon only once I will reach the location where the war will take place”

You look at the medieval king, puzzled.
“Isn’t Sendai the place where the war will take place?”
“No, the Grail has otherwise disposed. It will take place not far from here, in the small township of Saitama”.

So the comet that lead you here was wrong. No wonder, considering that the sheer power emanating from the Grail might have altered more than just the course of history.
You’re assaulted by regret, thinking that these last four years had been wasted, and that the war might have been already over if just you bothered looking in other locations.

>>59219
“I trust you know how to get there? After all, moving around in this modern world seems to be much easier than back in the days”, Ruler presses on.
You sigh. There’s a way, the bus to be precise. But it won’t leave until 6 am.

>Yes, but you’ll have to wait
>Yes, but I want you to be in spirit form
>I am afraid I can’t.

>>59227
>>Yes, but you’ll have to wait
The Bus doesn't leave until six. We should get you some normal clothes, go hang out while we wait.

>>59227
>>Yes, but you’ll have to wait

>>59227
>>Yes, but you'll have to wait

>>59227
>Yes, but you’ll have to wait

File: Theoderich_(Vischer).jpg (237 KB, 615x920)

237 KB JPG

>>59227
As an add-on to my post here >>59234 I'm fairly sure Ruler is Theoderic the Great.
I'm not sure how to confirm it though, maybe asking about his wife and daughters? If it is, I don't want to be all "OH YEAH, HOW'S AUDOFLEDA?" and announce his identity when he's trying to keep it secret.

“I do. But here’s the catch: the first bus won’t arrive until 6 am, which is roughly 5 hours from now”
“A bus? You mean the large self-propelled carriage?”
“I guess you could call it that, yes”

“I don’t understand then, do you not possess one of your own?”
“I definitely do not. Maybe you’re thinking of a car, but I don’t possess one of those either. The truth is, I cannot drive, and thus I have to rely on public transportation or my own feet”

“I see”, says the man, pensively “Do you suggest going there by foot, then?”
“By all means, no. First of all, it’s too far. What’s more, someone out there has clearly intends to kill me. If you can’t guarantee for my safety, I am afraid I’ll have to decline your invitation to simply walk there”

“As a matter of fact, I cannot give you preferential treatment above the other Masters. You will have to stand for yourself”
“But at least no other Master has a Servant yet, correct?”
“Correct. No summon will take place before I reach the designated location”.

Ruler pats you on the back, maybe with excessive force. He really should be mindful of his own strength.
“Relax, young magus. You need to be a bit more confident in your own skills. If you do not wish to go out, I suggest you start preparing your things and maybe get some rest. You won’t be able to get much once the war begins”

‘He is probably right’, you think. Standing up and heading downstairs, you start to think of what you’d like to bring with you

After roughly 2 hours, you have fit all that you could in your suitcase. Regrettably, you can’t bring your entire workshop with you, but you have managed to fit tomes and tools you consider to be most useful.

There clearly isn’t any room for clothes, so your Mystic Code will have to do for now.
‘I will buy new clothes once I am there’, you decided.

Once done, you laid on the sofa for a few hours. You get up and head for the kitchen, where Ruler had patiently been waiting.
“Sound advice you gave me, Ruler. I think we’re ready to go”.

>>59428
Ruler nods and slowly gets up. As you head for the door, you start thinking of the password to erect and take down the magical barrier.
The magical lock is still as sound as it was when you erected it, you ascertain with satisfaction.

Now then, the way to the bus is circa 20 minutes on foot

>Pick a topic of conversation: Magic
>Pick a topic of conversation: Ruler’s True Name
>Pick a topic of conversation: Master eligibility criteria

>>59436
>>Pick a topic of conversation: Ruler’s True Name

>>59436
>>Pick a topic of conversation: Ruler’s True Name
Try and do it without giving obvious clues as to who we think he is.

>>59436
>Pick a topic of conversation: Master eligibility criteria

>>59436
>Pick a topic of conversation: Ruler’s True Name

>>59436
>Pick a topic of conversation: Ruler's true name

>>59436
>master eligibility criteria

>>59436
>Pick a topic of conversation: Master eligibility criteria

>>59436
>Master eligibility criteria

>>59459
>>59497
Did you really just try to samefag on /qst/?

>>59520
n-no

>>59531
Sure thing buddy :^)

>>59436
>master eligibility criteria

>>59436
>Pick a topic of conversation: Master eligibility criteria

>>59436
>Pick a topic of conversation: Master eligibility criteria

tried to find a compromise to make everyone happy

==========================

Leaving your beloved house behind you, you start to ponder.
What could you possibly ask to learn more about Ruler, without asking him directly his True Name or causing suspicion in him?

He mentioned something about a broken synagogue he forced people to rebuild. Antisemitism wasn’t exactly uncommon in Europe during the Middle Ages, but his decision to support the Jews on this matter was strange to say the least.

Maybe he was a Khazar in life, a member of a turkic tribe that converted to Judaism.
Still, his features are northern European, which makes it hard to believe. Perhaps a question about his provenience will give you some insight.

“Where do you come from, Ruler?”, you ask, the bus stop draws nearer and nearer.
“In my days, that didn’t matter much. What mattered was who your father was, the name of your tribe and what were you able to accomplish in life. People used to move around a lot more, and me and my tribe made no exception”.

Even if he’s being evasive, he’s anyway giving you something to speculate about. He just needs some encouragement, you think.
“So which places did you visit? Did you travel a lot?”
“You could say that! I was all over the place. Some of things I’ve seen probably don’t exist anymore, which is a shame. Then again, old things leave place to new ones, that’s simply how the world goes”, he comments.

“Oh really? Tell me about it!”, you hesitantly ask
Ruler stops at once and stares directly into your eyes with a defiant look.
“Young Magus, don’t try my patience. I know what you’re trying to do, and I assume you’re trying to learn about me out of curiosity and not out of malice. But I must nevertheless ask you to stop”

>>59674
You nod. Better luck next time.
You approach the bus by the bus stop and see two men standing there, one of which is the driver.
As you buy two tickets, you can feel the oppressive gaze of the men upon you.

As you make your way further down the bus, you can hear them talking about ‘cosplayers’.
“Ruler, what makes a Master eligible for the Grail War?”, you inquire
“That depends”, Ruler replies, sitting down by the window. “Strong magi with a strong will is the easiest answer I can give you. In truth, strong magi can seek the Grail without having a great desire, but just for the sake of accomplishing something. On the other hand, a strong will might pique the curiosity of the Grail. All in all, I could summarize this by saying that the Grail is attracted by extraordinary folks”

That makes sense. The Grail selects his own prospective owners, and its eligibility criteria are as fickle as its will.
“As long as it’s about basic informations such as these, do not hesitate to question me”, Ruler adds, with a sonorous voice

>Ask more about the Class system
>Ask more [Write-in]
>I don’t need any more info.

>>59684
>Ask more about the Class system

>>59684
>Ask more about the Class system

>>59684
>ask if this grail war will have a unique set up cause of his presence

>>59696
>>59694
Both of these if possible.

>>59694
>>59696
I'll support these.
I also kinda want to add in that we have a good idea of his identity, we just didn't want to announce it. He gave away ALOT with his rebuilding the synagogue thing.

>>59684
>class system

>>59684
>ask if this grail war will have a unique set up cause of his presence

“Yeah, while we’re on the topic, I wanted to ask what is going to happen to the Holy Grail War now that you’re here”, you enquire. “This is not what I expected the War to be”
“No one makes realist forecasts about the Holy Grail War. Not even the Wizard Marshall”, Ruler says with a wink.

“As of a matter of fact, I am here not to only to act as a judge, but to reconcile the desires of the Grail with reality. In other words, I will take into account whom the Grail judges to be fit to be a Master, but I will make my own decisions too. As long as I don’t harm the Grail, I have carte blanche”, Ruler concludes.

“So what do you plan to do?”
Ruler scratches his beard. “I do not know yet”.
The bus leaves, and the noise of the engine echoes loudly through the silent road.
It feels like you and the people on the bus are breaking a sacred oath of silence collectively undertaken by humans and animals alike. Not even the wind dared to blow before you left.

“I do know this, however: different people should be judged according to different standards. I will make no exception to this rule in this war”. Ruler sighs. “I have a soft spot for underdogs, unfortunately. I will try to keep it under control, however. I was considering having you draw up a geas, but then I realized the terms would be too vague”.

A man with a soft spot with underdogs. This clearly isn’t good for you, since Ruler has praised you as an excellent Magus. Then again, the Grail might even frown upon you if you were to snatch your victory under the nose of unworthy rivals.

As you look for a silver lining in this situation, you gaze through the window. The dawn is drawing closer, and the horizon is by now tinted orange.
You still have something to ask Ruler.

>>59996

“Is there anything I do not know yet about the Class System?”
He acknowledges your question with a nod. It’s perfectly legitimate to ask something like this after what happened to you.
“There are seven standard classes: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Berserker, Caster and Assassin.
There are discarded designs that the Grail harbors, too: Ruler is one such design. Sustaining too many Servants could be difficult for the Grail, so seeing more than one irregular summon is rare, and sometimes the irregular summon replaces one of the standard classes. Rest assured that I have no intention of taking anyone’s place: you will have to face six rivals at the very least”

You have no problem with that, but that ‘at least’ is somewhat discomforting.
After roughly an hour, the bus stops in front of an old shop. The bus driver announces that it is the end of the line and gets off.

You get out after Ruler, still confused on what he intends to do.
“Follow me, young Magus”, he calls out to you. “Let’s search for a suitable place to carry out the summoning. Or is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”

>No, let’s proceed
>[write-in]

>>60010
>>No, let’s proceed

>>60010
>No, let's proceed

>>60010
>No, let's proceed

>>60010
>No, let’s proceed

Did the einzbern family finally realize that acht is a gigantic retard and decide to replace him? Took them long enough desu.

>>60341
Nevermind, I can't read apparently.

>>60023
>>60037
>>60178
>>60262

“No, let’s proceed”, you state, without an hint of hesitation in your voice.
Ruler thus turns around and leads you through a tangle of short alleys and deserted streets.
“The abandoned church is not far away from here”, he claims boldly.

Apparently the Grail has given him precise instruction on where to look and what to look for.
Finally, an old dismissed church appears in front of you. It seems to be in a state of disrepair, and probably a priest hasn’t been here for a long time.

‘Not surprising, we’re in Japan after all’, you think.
Ruler opens the door and invites you to come in.
The church is dark and dusty inside, and your eyes struggle for a while until they adjust to the obscurity.

“This place is well-suited to execute a summoning. Now if you wish, I will take care of it myself. You’re probably low on mana after summoning me”
You nod in assent.

Ruler turns his back on you and walks to the altar. He removes his bracers and outstretches his arms.
It’s then that you notice that Ruler’s arms are decorated with an intricate tattoo, a pattern you easily recognize as being his Command Spells.

He begins murmuring something, and a magical circle spontaneously appears in front of him.
As his murmuring becomes louder and faster, the circle spins, producing an intense source of light.
Yet again you’re forced to cover your eyes to protect them from the blinding shine.

Then, the light dies out. An intense pain strikes your left hand: a red shape appeared there, your three Command Spells.
As you lift your gaze, you see a young woman standing between you and ruler.

>>60484
Her armor looks somewhat futuristic, while the sword dangling from her side is clearly a western-style blade.
The girl is looking at you with her dark green eyes and a content expression.

“Say, are you my Master?”, she asks.
“Sa…ber…”, you utter, lost for words.
The girl fidgets with her short blonde hair before flashing you a smile.

“Yes, that’d be me! And you’re my Master, right?”
You nod slowly. You’re overjoyed. You summoned the strongest Servant, and now your chances of winning the war are actually significant.

“Is there anything you want to ask me?”, she inquires, noticing your hesitation.

>What is your True Name?
>[Write-in]
>I have nothing to ask. Let’s leave

==========

>>60373
Even the best fall down sometimes

>>60502
>I have nothing to ask. Let’s leave

>>60502
>Introduce ourselves.

>>60502
>>[Write-in]
Can't we see her name and stats, or does she have something like Secret of Pedigree?
Also poke her in the boob for being a Saberface.

>strongest Servant
That's not Jeanne Alter, silly. Fucking broken OP, bitch.

>>60532
>Saberface
Don't make me post frogs

>>60502
>I have nothing to ask. Let’s leave

>>60502
>Introduce ourselves
Then we need to leave and get to know our servant. Unless good ol' Ruler needs something else from us.
He has been rather polite, if it doesn't hurt our chances at winning, I'd like to extend an offer to help him when he needs someone with modern world mind for various things, like the bus today.

>>60502
Also, can you describe her facial features and general buld for us, please?

File: Saberfaces.gif (1.57 MB, 540x304)

1.57 MB GIF

>>60544
If she didn't want us to call her a Saberface then she shouldn't have been a dirty Saberface, dammit.

>>60621
We don't even know if she's blonde.

>>60645
>We don't even know if she's blonde.

>>60502
>The girl fidgets with her short blonde hair before flashing you a smile.

Reading is important, man.

>>60502
>when we get back to our base of operations I'll ask for your true name

>>60651
I'm dumb and I should die.

Can't wait for the reveal that our servant isn't actually a saber but just uses a sword as a main weapon.


Speculation: ruler is Theodosius I? He's the only candidate I can think of

>>60663
You're a good person and I am glad to have you onboard

>>60684
I wonder why no one latched on the 'At least this incarnation of me' hint I left around

>>60502
>>What is your True Name?

“Y-yes”, you stutter as you struggle to regain your composure.
“Saber, come forward. I wish to inspect your status”, you demand.
Stepping forward, the girl places her hand over your eyes.

Informations regarding her skills and stats, as well as some information about Ruler clearly becomes readable to you.
The girl steps aways, smiling to you once again.
“Thank you very much, Saber. Now, I suppose asking your for your True Name here or elsewhere doesn’t really matter, given Ruler’s class skills”

The girl becomes a bit uncomfortable, mumbling and fidgeting with her feet.
“Well, actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to keep it a secret for now. Nothing personal, it’s just a precautionary measure I need”, she says, blushing considerably.

You sigh. You might ask Ruler, but he would probably not approve. Using a Command Spell is out of the question too.
“Young Magus, I must ask you to vacate the premises. I need the church to perform some additional summonings, and it’d be advisable to look for a new base of operations”, Ruler advises you.

You bow your head slightly in assent.
“Thank you, Ruler. You can count on us”, you say before leaving.
“And you can count on me”, he replies.

As you get out with Saber, you notice that the two of you are rather unfit for the task of going around town, given how extravagantly you’re dressed.
“Saber, enter spirit form, please. It’d be better if no one saw you”

>>60939
Yet again Saber shakes her head. ‘Damn’, you think, ‘I got myself a defiant one’.
“Ruler told me you’re a bit of a dork, and that you could use some help when it comes to practical stuff. It’s better if I assist you in person”, she claims, puffing her chest in pride.

“But that’d be a considerable strain on my mana”, you protest.
“No worries”, she promptly replies, flashing you the biggest grin you’ve ever seen. “I am low-consumption!”
You cover your face with your hand. What was Ruler thinking?

“Anyway, Master”, Saber’s voice brings you back to reality. “We should do as Ruler told us. Either that, or going shopping for clothes. I know I am partial to one these options”, she says, winking

>Go shopping
>Look for a new base of operations

Status screen updated.

>>60953
>Go shopping

>>60953
Time to go shopping

>>60953
>go shopping

>>60953
Go shopping first. The least we walk around in conspicuous clothes, the better. I really wish Saber went into spirit form though. Perhaps we could try reasoning or at least ask if she can at least appear in less futuristic garments?

>>61001
We need to ask her to stop being fucking retarded. Knowing our servant's name is not something we should have to waste a Command Spell on.
I've half a mind to use one to make her follow any orders we give her from here on.

File: CYI6KSkWwAAXtxo.png (186 KB, 599x510)

186 KB PNG

>>61001
fugg I forgot the pic I had prepared for you, btw.

It's some fanart a friend of mine made. Hope it gives a general idea, I can't really be more specific than this. Apologies.

>>60953
>Go shopping

>>61030
She'll probably more accepting of our questions as we build rapport. We gotta be patient. Having her like us will be very useful to our survival so I suggest we're kind and charming while our life's not immediately on the line.

>>61060
It is a matter of life and death however. If she refuses to follow orders, she risks herself, us and our chances of winning the war.
Aside from the fact that as her Master we should have known her identity as soon as she was summoned, I also want to know what's blocking it.

>>61036
Whoa, dem hips.
But yeah, we need to start building rapport. Now, I don't mean "let's aim to give her the dick down the line", I mean we're gonna be fighting side by side and I feel we need to be less Kayneth/Kiritsugu, more Sakura towards someone who we're pretty much trusting our life to.

>>61083
>inb4 its because that she is actually us from alternate future self where we actually died the back then but were revived due to Grail's wish so it created a timeloop or something

>>61083
If you wanna try being more forceful, let's do it at our new base of operations, then. I doubt the other Masters will come guns blazing at us today, they also need to familiarize themselves with their servants.

>>61120
Pretty sure we're a dude. Also, she's a Counter Guardian.
My guess is she's the counter guardian we met in the first thread, but from the FUTURE or some bullshit.

Still, the fact that we don't know her name or what she can do is infuriating and severely hampering.
Maybe we can go back to Ruler and trade her in for a servant that's not as shit. Emiya Assassin is pretty cool.

>>61138
I also think it's her or someone that we're close to.

>>61138
>Pretty sure we're a dude.
[Doubt]

>>61186
we're a dude

“Right. Shopping time it is, then. I wonder how we’re going to explain our garments to the clerk though”.
“It’s simple!”, Saber exclaims. “We’ll just pretend to be cosplaying!”
“That’s the second time I hear that word today, and I have no idea what it means”, you comment in a flat voice.

“I see! Well, cosplayers are people that dress up as their favorite fictional character!”
“For what purpose?”
“Ummm…. Because it’s fun?”, she asks, with a big smile on her face.

“You sure are energetic today. Let’s look for something appropriate”, you conclude.
After wandering through the small town for half an hour, you find a clothes shop for men and women.
You buy the plainest clothes you can find, while Saber takes her sweet time selecting the most fashionable pieces of clothing.

The owner, a merry old woman who is also the clerk, seems to be enjoying your company a great lot.
Saber reciprocates her enthusiasm, so the old lady is happy to give you a generous discount on what you buy.
You Servant picked a long blue gown and a pullover with the American flag for herself, a choice you find somewhat tacky.

“Why the flag?”
“Oh, the American one? I dunno, I just like the design, I guess”, she responds, still flashing her big smile. “You, instead! Your clothes are awfully boring!”
“Because I am actually trying to go unnoticed. But to each his own, I guess. The old lady gave us the address of a motel nearby. Let’s give it a look”

“Eugh, Master! That will give the wrong impression!”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it will look like we are a couple!”
“But we are a couple”
“I mean, a romantic couple”
“Oh”. Her observation takes you by surprise, mostly because you never thought of it. “Well jeez, I am found of you too. Listen, we can’t afford to be picky right now. Although it’s probably my fault, we are behind in preparations and we need to make up for this”

>>61210
Saber nods. It’s clear she’s not happy with this, but she’ll deal with it.
As you reach the motel, Saber’s eyes widen.
“Look, Master! S-H-A-N-G-AI! It’s a tea shop! Let’s go eat something!”

>Didn’t you say you were low-consumption?
>Later, maybe
>Good idea, I am starving

I'm going to go ahead and assume she is actually a historical figure unlike the rest of you people. Only defining traits I can think of right now are her counter Guardian skill has the exact same description as Savior's counter hero skill and I don't think other counter Guardian servants had it.

And she might potentially be related to ruler in some way because he summoned her.

>>61223
>Good idea, I am starving

>>61223
>Didn’t you say you were low-consumption?

>>61223
>Didn't you say you were low consumption?
Try to give it a playful tone instead of mocking. An amused smile should do.

>>61083
It might be the fact she's a counter guardian and not a proper servant

>>61223
>Good idea, i am starving

>>61374
“Didn’t you say you were low-consumption?”, you ask teasingly.
She pouts at you, and you chuckle heartily. “I am just fooling. Come on, I will treat you”
Her face changes from unamused to overjoyed in less than a second.

Dropping you the bags with your old clothes, she dashes off to the tea shop.
You follow behind her at a slower pace.
A waiter is greeting Saber, bowing politely. You return the bow, and head to the table the waiter pointed to you.

As you look around for a menu, Saber ponders her options out loud.
“I will take a Banana Split! No, no, a creme brûlée! No, that’s not it either… what was it… that I liked so much?”
It looks like she’s thinking so intensely she’s getting an headache.

The waiter returns, ready to take your orders.
“What can I bring you, sir?”, he asks you.
“Chamomile tea, for the two of us. And I guess creme brûlée?”
“No”, Saber corrects you. “I’d like a slice of Sachertorte”.
“Very well, coming right up”, the waiter says before disappearing.

There’s literally no one else in the tea shop, except for the personnel working in the kitchen.
Your chamomile tea arrives promptly, and you start sipping slowly.
“You should drink it while it’s still warm”, you tell Saber.

Some minutes pass by before a new waitress comes by your table.

“H-here’s your Sachertorte”, her hesitant voice mutters.
You turn around, choking on your tea.
The innocent-looking girl right in front of you, the waitress, with her freckles and her shy demeanor, is the cause of your shock.

She’s literally a living Magic Circuit. She must have perceived your presence too, because she flinches as you nervously cough.
“I am sorry! I am sorry!”, she shouts unexpectedly, bowing so fast she almost collides with the table.
Saber is looking at her too, with a worried expression. She must have caught on with the situation.

The waitress deposits the Sachertorte in front of Saber, then withdraws quickly.
You Servant starts eating nervously.
“Damn it”, she exclaims in frustration. “that’s not it. I must keep looking for it”

“Looking for what? Did you see what I just saw?”, you inquire.
She nods. “Yes, if she were to be a Master, she’d make a powerful enemy. Now can we concentrate on my dessert? I am still trying to remember what was it that I liked”

You take one more sip of chamomile tea to calm yourself.
The war has just begun, your partner isn’t the easiest one to deal with and the environment is completely foreign.
Off to a great start indeed.
===============

That's it for today.
I won't run tomorrow but I guess I will be back on Friday.
I will be available for questions tomorrow too, I simply won't be able to run. Thanks for coming.

>>61412
That was interesting. Seems like we'll have to use some serious strategy to deal with that one.

>>61412

Hey man, thanks for the quest. I enjoyed it a lot even though I was too late for any voting. I really look forward to updates.

>>65075
I won't be able to do it today, but I will be here on Friday.

I would tell you to check my Twitter for updates, but I am far more active here.
Also do not hesitate to ask questions, I do understand that the Nasuverse Jargon gets difficult at times

Bumping this thread, hoping it will survive 8 more hours before I start running the quest again

>>72071
Bump!

>>72071
How long till we resume?

>>73097
NOW!

The motel room is rather small, despite renting the largest room you could. There was barely enough space to set up a small workshop, and you didn’t manage to convince the owner to keep out of the room. Actually, Saber played a critical role in the booking process, so you have no one to blame this on except yourself.

‘I will just set up a magic barrier’, you thought.
Setting up a simple one wasn’t much of a big deal, and while you believe it won’t keep stronger mages away, at least it will keep nosy commoners away.

The plant the owner generously offered you gives you a general idea of the town. You located three points of interest: the residential area, the old church (relevant for you, not so much for the other citizens) and a school campus located on the top of a hill.

You plan to visit all of these, one way or another. Largely populated area have more people, and thus more chances of having a Master hidden there. This of course doesn’t apply to the Church area, yet you suppose talking with Ruler from time to time will be useful.
You’ve been working non-stop for 6 hours after the accident at the Shangai, so much that you almost forgot about the waitress and… well, your own stomach.

It growls and grumbles, reminding you that you haven’t eaten since at least half a day.
Thankfully, the town map you possess also shows the phone number of a Chinese delivery restaurant.
You ordered food for two, pressured by Saber who, as a Servant, really doesn’t need to eat food.

Satisfied with the meal, you decided to consult Saber on what to do next.
“Saber, we have two places we should look into. There is a school about 30 minutes from here and a residential not so far from where we are right now, the heart of the town. We could also visit the Church to consult Ruler on what is going on, but I suppose it’d be better not to disturb him. What do you suggest we do?”

Saber ponders on your question for a while, before giving the verdict.
“We should look into the school. I know it sounds weird, and we might not even be able to enter if it’s a campus. It’s just a gut feeling I’ve got. Of course, feel free to do as you prefer”, she said, shrugging.

Her bubbly and cheerful personality has given way to a more focused and rational one since when you first talked with the motel manager. Either there are two sides of her, or one of personalities isn’t genuine.
You decide you’ll think about it at a later moment, and prepare to leave for

>The School
>The Residential Area

>>73863
>the school.

can we also try to get some hints about sabers true identity while moving there?

>>73920
sure, I will keep it in mind

>The Residential Area

>>73863
I vote for the school. Also, we need to investigate about obtaining a better base than a shitty motel.

>>73863
>The Residential Area

>>73863
>>The School

Took me a while to upload. Now you'll see why.

=============================
“School it is, then. Saber, are you good at orientating yourself? I am afraid I am not much of the map navigator”, you say.
“Sure, she replies with a grin, snatching the map from you. “And now let’s go!”

The road for the school is uphill, so getting there turns out to be harder than expected.
The campus is surrounded by a wall and the entrance gate is locked. There are a lot of green areas, it seems, but no student can be seen around, at least not from the gate.

You catch a quick glimpse of two students wearing what you suppose is the school uniform.
One of them doesn’t have a leg, the other has some sort of band-aids on his ears.

“A school for the disabled, huh? I’ve seen their students in Sendai from time to time. Let’s go, Saber. We’ll need to buy ersatz uniforms before we go back to the Motel”
“Hm, why? I can just turn invisible, and so can you”
“What if we need to talk with them? There’s a reason I am not keeping you in spirit form”, you respond.

Saber nods understandingly.

The nice old lady at the shop seems to have school uniforms too.
“These are not things I usually sell”, she explains. “but students from time to time bring their uniforms to me to get them repaired, then forget them or graduate and don’t need them anymore. They’re such nice guys”, she sighs. “too bad for what happened to them. What a cruel world we live in”, she concludes.

You think about her words all the way into the motel.
As soon as you lay down on the bed, the tiredness of the past two days gets to you, and you fall asleep.

>>74164

INTERLUDE: MISERY

Four people are sitting in a dim-lighted room.
A young man, a middle-aged man, an old man and a young girl, the youngest of the group.
In front of them stand three man, two of which are clad in a toga.

The last one is standing in a corner, brooding.
“So you have elected not to harm each other, right?”, asks one of the men in the toga, holding a book under his arm.

“Indeed. I see no reason to shed even more blood. We don’t want war”, says the middle-aged man, shaking his head.
“I understand. And yet you have no choice but to fight. Killing the Master isn’t important, you know? It just makes things easier”
“For what purpose? For a wish-granting machine? I have no wishes for myself, none that are worth killing for.”

“I can comprehend how you feel”, says the other man in the toga, one holding a snake-entwined staff. “You care for life more than anything else. Life is a precious gift… something people don’t understand until the very end”
“Think about this”, intervenes the younger man. “If we really can make miracles, we can bring them back to life. We can clean up this mess. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime!”

“And at what price? Do you really think some of us won’t die? What if we lose? What if we can’t fix this in the end? I didn’t expect this coming from you. Not after what you’ve told us about the world of magi”, states the middle-aged man with contempt.

“If it’s about resurrecting the dead, we don’t have to fight”, says the man with the book to everyone’s surprise.
“I need a container. A very large container. I can see to it myself if necessary. And you”, he continues, turning towards the man with the staff, “I need your mana, of course only if your Master agrees”.

The young man can be see nodding, and the man with the book smiles overjoyed.
“Then it is decided. We won’t fight with each other. We will fight against the others if we need to. And we will create our very own miracle”.

>>74169
A scornful laughter can be heard through the room.
“How very admirable of you, Caster”. It’s the young girl. “You’re willing to put your own desires aside in favor of your Master’s? Touching”.

“There is no need for your sarcasm. My desire happens to be seeing this miracle with my eyes, thus I have no objections. Maybe you and the others will want to keep on fighting afterwards, but I don’t care. I won’t care anymore”.
“Oh? And how do you plan to survive until it happens? Even if the fifth-rate Masters of this school won’t attack you, there’s no telling what the other Masters will do. You are a great teacher, but you can’t teach people to be magi. You’re either born one, or you’re not. That’s the end of it.”

This time, the man in the toga is smiling, without a trace of derision or any of the negative feelings that tainted the girl’s laughter.
“You’re an excellent magus, from an excellent lineage. That much I know. But do not underestimate the character of a teacher: truly there is no greater miracle than learning”.

INTERLUDE END

>>74178
You’re having a nightmare. What’s more important, you’re having a dream, for the first time in many years now.
You’re laying on the cold ground, the warm rays of sunshine embracing you.
You don’t feel anything, and that’s scary. You know something’s wrong with you. Is that your blood on the asphalt?

Or are you standing in an hospital? Yeah, that’s what it is. The sun you were seeing was nothing more than a sham, a light bulb so shiny it hurts.
‘Yes, I see. If a human wants something, he can do it. Humans have infinite potential. If you really want it, if you really believe, if you work hard.. anything can be accomplished’.
These are not your thoughts. So why are they in your head?

‘I don’t believe it. Humans are weak, we can bow and we can break. But if out there… if out there, there’s something stronger than a human, something that cares for humans… then it can have my body. It can have my worthless life. But please, prove me wrong. Prove me that humans can do anything. Prove me that people can change, prove me that they can change their life too… because right now, I don’t believe it…’

You’re being rocked. The stretcher carrying is being rocked. You’re being rocked by Saber, and slowly wake up.
“Do you know what time it is?”, she asks, pouting. “We have to go now! Or they’ll close the gate”.
Realizing she’s right, you appeal to all you strength to get out of bed.

She’s already changed, so you change as fast as you can and lock both doors, physical and magical, behind you before leaving.
When you get to the school, the gate is still open. Not many students are around, and maybe most of them sleep on campus. You can see only two of them in the garden in front of the main building.
A girl with no arms, painting with her legs.
The same boy you saw yesterday, with band-aids on his ear.

>talk with the girl
>talk with the boy

>>74272
>talk with the boy

>>74272
>talk with the boy

The girl is clearly busy, painting in a garden for some reason...

>>74272
>talk with the girl

>>74272
>talk with the girl

>>74272
>>talk with the girl

>>74272
talk with the grill

>>74272
I hope the girl ain't a redhead...
>Talk to the boy.

>>74272
I guess this is Katawa Fate.

>>74738
it is called broken destinies after all.

Sorry guys, the thread is going into autosage.
This happens because my Ip keeps changing (bad internet connection).

Here's the new one, girl won by the way.
>>74785

>>74807
Wait what?

>>74827
Threads start autosaging after 72 hours. It's a board rule.

Since the OP is identified by his IP rather than his trip, the 'system' doesn't recognize me as the OP posting and is now autosaging the thread.

>>74864
What a shitty system, desu.

>>74879
I am not in charge here, I just do what I can.

File: image.png (437 KB, 470x734)

437 KB PNG

Ruler is Casimir III the Great