"Master, Momma's back." Berserker called out, pushing open the door to our little safe house, which was nothing more than a dilapidated building barely having four standing walls. "I found the farm to the east, and I retrieved two chickens for dinner." She held up the two limp avians, clearly having been killed.
"Did you leave the gold?" I asked, turning around from where I was working.
"I left it just as you asked." She smiled brightly. "I'll get started on cooking"
I tried to tell her that I had stuff stored away I could just take out and eat, but she was very insistent on 'providing' for me. I just chalked it up to a quirk of hers and let her go about it. But I wasn't going to steal from a farmer if I didn't have to. The gold should be more than enough compensation.
Well, she happily accepted some pans, utensils, and seasoning to go along with it. I don't quite understand her mindset yet, but I think the idea of 'cooking' for me was the most important thing here. The need to be the one to make sure I was well fed, or something along those lines.
Regardless of the reasoning…it was a nice gesture and I appreciate the concern.
I let her go about it, she had started a fire and set up to roast them. For the moment, I was focused on other things.
Zelretch's files had two places set up as the sort of 'battle field'. Trifas was the where the Black Faction was located. The former home of Vlad the Impaler, and also the greatest concentration of Leylines in Romania. There was no doubt in my mind that the Grail was somewhere in that city, for very obvious reasons.
The City was walled and maintained from the days of the Impaler himself. And there was a large Castle Situated at the city that housed the Yggdamillennia family. As one would expect, the Castle is without a doubt fortified beyond all reasonable thoughts.
It was safe to assume that the city itself was also heavily regulated. I wouldn't be surprised if the vast majority of the mundane population worked for them in one way or another.
City-wide bounded fields are going to be assumed until otherwise disproven. But the fact that they have access to such potent Leylines would make it rather easy to set up such defenses on a large scale. From what I understood, the Mages Association did try to attack the family before the Apocrypha protocols were initiated. Was it 50 Magi that they sent to their deaths? And they were all killed in a single night by one of the servants. Such a thing led credence to the idea that they could monitor the city on an individual level.
The good news is, I know for a fact that I'm outside of their monitoring range. There's no way they would leave a single master and Servant alone, and the fact that the Red faction set up their base in the city I was camping outside. Just to be sure, I did fortify this place against any kind of peeking I could think of.
Sighisoara, nothing particularly exceptional about this city, only that it's the closest place to Trifas. The most eye-catching thing was the church that sat on top a hill at the center.
Knowing that it was paste tense did make me a little happy.
Maybe my Devil heritage was having an effect on me? I had an odd annoyance with the priest from before and I'm usually not so aggressive unless I'm actually pissed off. I kind of expect the turn of events, so I wasn't angered beyond reason, so I really have no idea why I was acting like that.
Annoying.
Speaking of my Devil Heritage, I really need to watch out for any holy attribute opponents. That Priest looked skillful and him wielding the Church's teachings could be problematic even if I was confident in dealing with him.
The be honest, I wasn't entirely sure about the Church's secrets. There were possibly things they kept secret, even from me or that I simply don't recall from my previous life. The Zelretch that was a Dead Apostle had some run ins with the church, which was to be expected, but they generally kept out of each other's way.
Well, when you save the world, you get a little leeway even if you are their 'enemy'. No one could dispute that Zelretch was on the side of Humanity, even the Church.
But I digress.
Aura held up well, it was a good test run against an opponent like Rider. The way he could accelerate to higher levels so quickly, it was clear he hadn't even reached his peak and was holding back. Our next fight would probably not end on such a low note.
My Runic Circles held up well too. If it was before I performed that ritual of Lightning Form, I don't know if they would have stopped the Arrows from Archer. The Runic Circles aren't the most powerful lightning spells I know, being only comprised of Modern Runes and some Skyrim magical additions, but they are very versatile and easy to actualize. The fact that I was able to stalemate those arrows is an accomplishment in of itself.
It really does put into perspective how far I've come.
These were servants, even if they were reserved. Artoria in the past had kicked my ass without breaking a sweat, now look at me. I hadn't even used the Boosted Gear or my other trump cards and I was holding my own without issue, and I felt like I would have won.
"What do you think, Ddraig?"
[Servants are really interesting; I wish I still had my body. To test my skills against these heroes that were able to carve their names so deep onto the world's history that they ascended after death to such an absurd thing. That a mere piece of them is this strong.]
"You really think so highly of them? Don't dragons look down on humans and the like?" Most servants had a 'human' origin, or otherwise were close enough to humanity that they were able to become heroic spirits after their death.
[I've never hated humans. I don't care about race, background, gender, or any of that nonsense. I have pride in my dragon nature, and I judge others based on my own view of the world. I think the strong should do what they want, but also the weak should get strong if they are trampled on. These heroes are those who broke the mold, out of the millions and millions of humans who came before and after them, they were able to be remembered, thousands of years after their deaths. Even for the short-lived humans who think a decade is such a long time, who forget eras a mere century after the fact. The likes of Heroic Spirits are still revered and remembered, even if they faded into obscurity.]
"I didn't know you felt that way. What about Dragon slayers?"
[How could I not respect them? They were willing to face off against the likes of my kin and through sheer strength of will, managed to slay them.]
Huh, you learn something new every day.
"Master~ Dinner's ready." Berserker called out, breaking me from my musings.
Well, I could eat.
Actually, I could always eat.
Thank God for my Devil physiology…..heh.
I walked outside after putting everything away that I was working on. Berserker was there, waiting for me with a plate prepared and an expectant look on her face. It was as if this was a very important moment for her.
I didn't wish to keep her waiting, so I sat down infront of the fire and took my first bite. It was just some roasted chicken with some basic seasonings, and was what you would expect, but… "It's good, thank you." I said with a genuine thankfulness.
I wasn't used to people cooking especially for me. Who among my group of people actually knows how to cook well….
Berserker looked so prideful as I said that, doing a little fist pump into the air.
"Are you going to eat as well? There's plenty." I looked at the second chicken still on the skewer.
"I don't need to eat." She said simply. "A growing boy needs lots of good food though." A smile adorned her face.
"Technically, I don't need to eat either." I pointed out, though still enjoying my meal. "Half-Devil and all that." I could survive since my physiology was extremely resilient. Though the nature of 'gluttony' that was basically inscribed onto my soul due to being a creature of sin meant that it would be uncomfortable if I did not eat for long periods.
Sins are literally a core part of my being, for better or worse. While Devils may only embody one or two more actively, each and every one are intertwined in every devil bloodline due to the nature of our inception.
"Oh...I see." She immediately looked dejected at my words and I felt a tinge of regret.
"I only eat because I enjoy good food." I made sure to accompany my statement with another bite. "It's one of my favorite joys in life." She did perk up a little bit.
"Master." Berserker's demeanor shifted a little. That almost ditzy personality that she donned when being a 'mother' was still present, but her eyes looked a little sharper. "Who are you?"
"Haaah." I let out a breath, setting my plate to the side. "I guess this talk was coming."
"Even if you are a half-phantasmal species, fighting a servant is not something so simple. You say you are the son of Lucifer from the Christian religion. I am only familiar with the legends and stories because of the Grail, but it is that something possible in the current world?" She eyed me suspiciously, even if she still held a fondness in her gaze.
"You should know about the last True Magics in existence, yes?" I asked.
"The Grail provided me such information, master." She confirmed.
"Do you know the names of the current Magicians, the wielders of those sorceries? Specifically, do you know who wields the Second True Magic?"
"The name of the Kaleidoscope, Zelretch is known to me as well."
"His full name is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, he's my grandfather. I'm also a Magician, able to use the Second True Magic." I replied.
She blinked in surprise, a warm smile forming. "As expected of my son." She just accepted it as if it were natural.
I let out a sigh, thinking I would have to prove it or something, and she simply went 'okay'. "I'm also not native to this world-line. The world I was born in, the Age of Gods hasn't ended and everything still exists but is hidden from the greater world. I've traveled to several different worlds at this point, collecting some useful stuff along the way."
I held my hands out, palms facing up. In my left hand, lightning crackled, dancing around my fingers. In my right hand, my Aura flared the myriad colors conglomerating and becoming visible to the naked eye. "I also know a few Servants from other worlds, I've fought and sparred enough to be confident in my skills, I can fight by your side."
She looked a little lost in thought, perhaps digesting my words. Her expression darkened, though it didn't appear to be directed at me. "Momma will handle all the insects that appear, Master. You don't need to worry about them." Her smile was one that promised pain, and I'm immediately reminded that she is a Berserker, her mindset is hard to understand.
Maybe I can do something about that in the future? If she didn't have a wish on the Grail, if she wanted to stick around....
I just shook my head, thoughts for the future.
"Well this was the easiest version of this conversation I've ever had." I chuckled. "You took it a lot better than Meridia."
"Meridia?" Berserker shifted gears once again.
"Mmm, she's my lover."
"….is that so?" I looked over to see Berserker clenching her fists tight, a forced smile on her face.
Was there something wrong with what I said? I was about to ask, but I suddenly felt a tick on the mental connection I had with Sir Wiggles.
I focused on it to see what he was seeing. There were servants squaring off, of which I recognized none.
"Berserker." I stood up, looking into the distance. "It looks like the night isn't over yet, another opportunity has presented itself."
"Master?"
"Let's go crash another party." I grinned, taking Mirage out of my ring.
"There's no need for you to fight." Berserker said calmly. "I will be enough to step on some insects." She quickly got into her battle ready mood as well.
***
Alright guys, I read what you put. I could sit here and argue, but It's not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I don't deny the arguments said by those who disagree with me, there are valid points. But at the same time I think it can be argued in my favor as well. I'm just going to leave it at this for now.
Anyways, if you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my pat.reon.com/astoryforone.
I will not be writing this weekend, feel like I'm overdue for a little break since the last one was a couple months ago, I think.