The residence of the Chelon Canticle Brigade was located in a castle on the outskirts of London, built in the 18th century and belonging to the Barthomeloi family. Originally planned as a military facility, the castle's exterior, covered in climbing vines, boasted a Gothic architectural style full of layers, which served as a disguise. However, its interior held hidden wonders.
The ground floor of the castle served as the office and accommodation area for the Brigade members, while the training grounds and various specialized workshops were concealed underground, occupying an area five times larger than the above-ground region.
Shinji had once thought that his three-level, seven-room workshop underground was already impressive, but compared to the Chelon Canticle Brigade's residence, it was still dwarfed. And this was only the tip of the iceberg of the Barthomeloi family's influence. He wondered what kind of astounding underground facilities their main headquarters possessed.
In the gathering area of the largest facility, the first training ground, all four squads belonging to the Chelon Canticle Brigade and their six officers, totaling twenty-five members, were present.
The four squads were arranged in a column formation in the order of the First Wand, Second Chalice, Third Sword, and Fourth Pentacle, with their respective codenames derived from the four major card groups of the Tarot Minor Arcana.
Each squad had its focus. The Wand Squad excelled in wide-area annihilation, the Chalice Squad specialized in endurance battles and defense, the Sword Squad was skilled in siege warfare, and the Pentacle Squad was adept at rapid response. Of course, these were all relative, as each squad possessed formidable combat capabilities and comprehensive skills.
The members of the squads were named according to the format of Squads, with the squad leaders having corresponding Major Arcana codenames. The Wand Squad leader had the codename "King," the Chalice Squad leader was "Pope," the Sword Squad leader was "Justice," and the Pentacle Squad leader was "Hermit."
In addition to these four individuals, three others possessed Major Arcana codenames: Lorelei's vice-captain, who piloted the helicopter and supported Shinji's missions, had the codename "Chariot"; the officer responsible for enforcing military law was "Judgment"; and now, standing in the position that should have belonged to Lorelei, there was a figure draped in a cloak, wielding a sickle, known as "Death."
"I believe 'Chariot' and 'Judgment' have already informed you in advance. Miss Lorelei, due to her inheritance of the Báthory family's Magic Crest, will need to leave the team for some time. Until her return, I, 'Death,' will temporarily assume the position of 'Captain of the Brigade.'"
At this point, Shinji deliberately paused, his gaze quickly scanning the faces of each person below.
The members of the Chelon Canticle Brigade were all under 30 years old, with males comprising 60% and females 40%. Some of these young individuals furrowed their brows in secret, some had expressionless faces, and some held a hidden scrutiny... However, regardless of their opinions regarding the newly appointed Captain of the Brigade, not a single person voiced their thoughts, demonstrating commendable discipline.
One of the rules of Chelon Canticle Brigade was, "No one is allowed to speak when the commanding officer is talking."
Shinji inwardly praised their discipline, but his expression remained unchanged, even though he was currently wrapped in a cloak, concealing his face entirely.
"Perhaps some of you may have doubts about someone like me, whose origins and face remain unknown. Some may question my qualifications as a newcomer who has only recently joined, asking why I should lead us. I understand all of this. Those who can stand here are all elites, and elites tend to be proud."
"To be honest, when Lorelei asked me to be the interim captain, I initially refused. Leading a unit, especially an elite one, is troublesome, and I'm someone who dislikes trouble. So, I decided to resolve the trouble once and for all."
"Listen carefully, today I'm giving you all a chance, a one-time opportunity. From the moment I finish speaking, there will be no commanding officer or subordinates here, no hierarchy. You can speak freely, whether it's providing suggestions or even starting an argument. I'm straightforward—if you offend me, I'll likely retort or strike back immediately, so there's no need to worry about retaliation afterward. That's all."
"Captain..." Chariot, standing to Shinji's left rear, hesitated to speak.
Shinji waved his hand, indicating that Chariot didn't need to say anything. "You can start asking questions now."
"I'll go first." A man standing to Shinji's right rear raised his hand.
He was the oldest member of the team, 29 years old, and one of the members of the Barthomeloi family. He typically had an expressionless face and wandered around the base in a formal tailcoat, exercising the supervisory and enforcement authority bestowed upon him by Lorelei. He was the "Judgment."
"Please speak," Shinji turned his head to the side.
"Captain, appearing in this manner must have its reasons, but it makes it difficult to detect any aura or distinguish any features."
"Judgement is correct."
"What if the enemy disguises themselves as 'Death'; Your Excellency's appearance..."
More than one person voiced their agreement.
"There are indeed reasons behind appearing in this manner, and Miss Lorelei understands that which is why she allowed me to conceal myself. After the meeting, I will let 'Judgment' and 'Chariot' see my appearance. As for the rest of you, please remember my armament. Every piece of Mystic Code on me is unique and cannot be imitated by anyone."
At least in the absence of the Holy Grail War, and with Shirou no longer being an Emiya, Shinji had confidence in this.
"Hmph, for now, let's believe that your Mystic Code is unique. But how can you guarantee that it won't be taken away from you?" someone murmured.
"Hehe." Shinji let out a light laugh and countered, "Why do you think Miss Lorelei made me the 'Captain'?"
"..."
"No one has anything to say? Is it because you don't know or because you know but don't want to admit it? Regardless of which it is, you cannot deny a reality—' Death,' that's me, has enough strength. The principle of Chelon Canticle Brigade is 'strength above all.' If you don't agree, you can try to challenge me. Whoever can defeat me will have the privilege to act as they please."
Shinji raised his scythe, pointing the blade at each squad.
"What's the matter? No one wants to challenge? I've already said it, today is your only chance. Whoever dares to disobey after today, I'll deal with them!!! If someone lacks confidence, I allow you to form teams, with no more than four members per squad. Cadres count as two. If there are more, I can't guarantee the safety of every one of you."
This statement was extremely arrogant, and under the provocation of such words, someone finally couldn't bear it any longer.
"I'll do it!" A young man in his twenties stepped forward from the fourth squad, "I want to make it clear that I don't doubt the captain's strength; I just can't stand your attitude. The entire Pentacle's squad, excluding the captain, challenges the Brigade Captain.'"
The other three individuals who were named first glared at their teammates in discontent, then looked at their captain. Seeing that their captain didn't react, they nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Shinji lifted the Harpe with his right hand and gestured with his left, saying, "The rest of you, step back. Let's begin."
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