[ Oh, and at that, he narrows his eyes. Then he smiles, not too pleasantly. ] ...You know about that, huh? I'm not quite sure how to feel about this unknown woman I never met before already knowing that I'm a Heroic Spirit without a legend. But if you're smart, you'll also know not to go spreading this information around, because it will be quite inconvenient for me indeed.
[ And that brief moment of hostility fades away as though it was never there. It was just a warning, after all. His enemies thinking he has a legend to figure out gave them a false hope. And turned into a very convenient tool to manipulate them with when they desperately tried to figure out who the hell he is. It didn't gave a huge advantage, really, but it gave him an edge in battle. That, and more people knowing that he's a Heroic Spirit without a legend can never lead to anything good. If they know he's not a legend, it will make figuring out who he is far easier. ]
You are correct, but I've had everything explained to me by now. Strange town in the fifties, kidnapped, weird shit happening, everyone's human, we'll regain our things eventually-- you know, the whole story.
Do not worry. Those that do and do not know about what you are does not concern me. The other residents of this town can think whatever they want about you and I will not care.
However, I am curious. Which Grail War world did you come from? It seems there are at least two of those.
[She nods when she hears this.]
Good. Then it seems that you do not require my aid after all.
...Given that I already said that I'm from the Fifth War, I'm assuming you're speaking of something else entirely, in which case I can only answer with "I have no idea what you're talking about".
[For a second, she wonders if he is trying drag information out of her the same way Tohsaka tried when she first arrived. However, he seems genuinely confused, so she decides to answer his question.]
I have encountered at least two people here from the Fifth Grail War. Both of them were from alternate, but similar universes. Both of them are also copies of beings from my home universe.
Were you aware of a Rin Tosaka or Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern during your version of the Grail War?
[The last name is thrown in a distractor. Hopefully, he will not be able to figure out which of the two she had actually met in this town. She is not sure if this man is an ally or enemy of Tohsaka or her servant. For Lancer's sake, she will protect their identities until she is sure that this man would not harm Lancer or his master.]
[ It's the second name that gets a very light flinch out of him. It works quite well as a distraction, so much that he doesn't even consider thinking about whether she met them or not. His expression remains as earlier, but he speaks up a little slowly. ]
... Alternate universes, huh? Damn that Second Magic, how troublesome. Still, if it's alternate universes, it explains things nicely. Well, at any rate, that would be correct. I was. [ He decides not to elaborate, just in case. ]
[She knows that this man is being careful. Like her, he is a new arrival and does not know who he can trust. Add in the fact that he has never seen her before in his home universe, so he has even less incentive to explain himself to her.]
[However, it is still frustrating when he dodges around her questions or gives the least informative answer.]
Yes, it is indeed troublesome. I mistook them for the ones of my home universe at first. Thankfully, I was able to clear up the misunderstanding later.
Misunderstandings are a source of a great deal of troubles. All the more so when you don't clear them up. So it's a smart choice. Make sure not to let that happen later.
[ Being a jerk, or genuinely praising her? Both, probably. And the lack of an informative answer is both for the sake of being a jerk and being deliberately frustrating, and both to be careful. ]
...Tohsaka Rin is my Master. As for Ilyasviel von Einzbern, we have no relationship, [ a direct lie, made all the more easier to tell by making sure to use her full name ] but I am aware that she is one of the Masters. [ Though, considering what probably happened to Berserker, she's likely not to be any longer, but he doesn't say that. ]
[This man is almost as frustrating to deal with as her superior. All of his words could have been taken in two different ways. She could not be sure if he was purposely antagonizing her or not.]
[She nods at his answer. So this man is Tohsaka's original Servant. If he had a personality more like Lancer's, then she would be able to trust him at this point. However, from what she can see from his personality, she cannot trust him just yet.]
I see. What is your personal opinion of your Master then? If, theoretically, your contract with her no longer existed, then what would you do to her?
And if I told you that here, you might encounter not just your former Master but former enemy Masters and Servants like Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern, what would you do? What if I told you that you might be put into situations where you need to ally with them?
Rin? To put it in nicely, she's troublesome, sour and cranky, spoiled, prideful, immature and childish, unapproachable and not the most pleasant of people at best, bossy and loud, but the most fitting Master for me and undoubtedly among the strongest Masters. But there would be no reason for me to do anything to her unless she gives me one. And I think we both know that it's not exactly a theoretic situation anymore.
Well, that's obvious. If I were put in a situation where I must ally with them, then I were to do so. Of course, only if there weren't any better allies available.
[She can see that this man is loyal to Tohsaka, at least. This means that she can actually tell him about her experiences with Tohsaka and her current Servant.]
Remember the two people from the Fifth Grail War that I have encountered here? One of them is your former Master, Tohsaka Rin. The other one is her current Servant, Lancer.
[She watches him for a reaction.]
I understand that as her former Servant, you might be concerned about this fact, but I can assure you that he is absolutely loyal to her. They also work well together, though Tohsaka has some issues with trusting her Servant.
As for me, I am currently allied with them, however loosely, as long as we have the same goal of returning home. I suppose that alliance might extend to you as well.
[ He stares at her for a while. There's a long silence, and then... ]
...That's it? That's all you wanted to tell me? I already knew all that. [ BUT ARCHER DID YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A JERK ABOUT IT (answer: it's archer, so yes apparently) ] Frankly, as long as he's loyal, does a good job, and Lancer is a pretty strong Servant, doesn't cause her any unnecessary trouble, and she's satisfied with him, I really don't care about who her Servant is. I greatly prefer not being bound by the contract like that anyway. Servants are just slaves, in the end. [ Though he will have to figure out what to do once he's a Servant again... but he doesn't mention that. ]
[She does the best to restrain herself and not attempt to punch a hole in his stomach the way she did to the Archer card of her world. It is almost exactly like the multiple times her superior had provoked her in her native world.]
I am glad to hear that you have no problems with this arrangement.
[Lancer deserves a good Master, and for all her faults, Tohsaka was currently the best possible Master for him. Even if she was not, he was still happy to serve her, so it was enough. Bazett would do her best to preserve their relationship because it made Lancer happy.]
I suppose I should introduce myself if we are to be allies. I am Bazett Fraga McRemitz, Church First Rank Combat Specialist: Sealing Designation Enforcer. I come from a world where the Grail War was never fought.
[After a little bit of deliberation, she decides to ask him the question.]
What was the Grail War in your world like? And what was Kotomine Kirei's role in it?
Sounds like the ideal world to me. Kotomine Kirei, huh? [ Frowns slightly. Yeah, Archer doesn't exactly like him, even if he doesn't have any doubt that the guy fulfilled his last request... even though they technically never actually met but he knew him before, not that anyone needs to know that....! ]
He was the supervisor, supposedly. The man overseeing and mediating the war. As for what the Grail War itself was like- well, I doubt I need to say this, but it was not exactly sunshine and rainbows, as you can imagine.
[She decides at that point that if he gives another vague answer, then she will punch the truth out of him. Both of them are humans at this point, and as far as she can see, she would have the advantage in a fight.]
My world is far from ideal.
[In her world, she had not been a mage who had spent her life preparing for the Grail War that she might never participate in just so she could summon her childhood her. She had not been the lonely, reserved young woman who finally let her soft side show around her Servant. Instead, without even that sliver of hope provided to her, the only thing she focused on was fighting.]
[So she mastered Fragarach, she trained her physical and magical skills to the point that she could be called one of the top Enforcers, and she buried her soft side deep within herself and became such a grim and implacable warrior that her superior had even joked about her being his Berserker Class Heroic Spirit.]
[But from what Lancer had told her about the War, she could see how one of the participants could see her world as the ideal one.]
For example, in my world, there exist certain things called Class Cards, which can call up twisted copies of past heroes. I was sent to apprehend those cards, which is how I know you are Archer.
As for your world, I just want to know whether or not Kotomine Kirei was a Master during your version of the Grail War. I have heard at least one version of the Grail War where he killed one of the Masters he was supposed to protect and stole their Command Spells.
[How strange that the man who had been her superior in one world would be her murderer in another.]
Perhaps, but in comparison to mine, I would say it is. Any world where the Grail War does not exist is ideal. [ Because then, there would not be the fire. Because then, he would not have become what he is. Because then... maybe Kiritsugu would have died happier and lives happier. And so many people would have had their lives spared.
He listens carefully, and eyes for for a moment, his expression a thoughtful one ]
... I see. In that case, in my world... you are Lancer's original Master. [ Though he does not hold the memory of the War in his timeline, he knows what happened in it, and knows for a fact that he did at some point find out that Lancer was Kotomine Kirei's Servant, but that he was not his real one. So it doesn't take too much effort for him to put two and two together. ] But yes, you are correct.
[ And that brief moment of hostility fades away as though it was never there. It was just a warning, after all. His enemies thinking he has a legend to figure out gave them a false hope. And turned into a very convenient tool to manipulate them with when they desperately tried to figure out who the hell he is. It didn't gave a huge advantage, really, but it gave him an edge in battle. That, and more people knowing that he's a Heroic Spirit without a legend can never lead to anything good. If they know he's not a legend, it will make figuring out who he is far easier. ]
You are correct, but I've had everything explained to me by now. Strange town in the fifties, kidnapped, weird shit happening, everyone's human, we'll regain our things eventually-- you know, the whole story.
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Do not worry. Those that do and do not know about what you are does not concern me. The other residents of this town can think whatever they want about you and I will not care.
However, I am curious. Which Grail War world did you come from? It seems there are at least two of those.
[She nods when she hears this.]
Good. Then it seems that you do not require my aid after all.
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[ Dat smile is making it really hard to tell if he's making fun of her or not. ]
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...Given that I already said that I'm from the Fifth War, I'm assuming you're speaking of something else entirely, in which case I can only answer with "I have no idea what you're talking about".
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I have encountered at least two people here from the Fifth Grail War. Both of them were from alternate, but similar universes. Both of them are also copies of beings from my home universe.
Were you aware of a Rin Tosaka or Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern during your version of the Grail War?
[The last name is thrown in a distractor. Hopefully, he will not be able to figure out which of the two she had actually met in this town. She is not sure if this man is an ally or enemy of Tohsaka or her servant. For Lancer's sake, she will protect their identities until she is sure that this man would not harm Lancer or his master.]
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... Alternate universes, huh? Damn that Second Magic, how troublesome. Still, if it's alternate universes, it explains things nicely. Well, at any rate, that would be correct. I was. [ He decides not to elaborate, just in case. ]
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[However, it is still frustrating when he dodges around her questions or gives the least informative answer.]
Yes, it is indeed troublesome. I mistook them for the ones of my home universe at first. Thankfully, I was able to clear up the misunderstanding later.
So what was your relationship to these people?
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[ Being a jerk, or genuinely praising her? Both, probably. And the lack of an informative answer is both for the sake of being a jerk and being deliberately frustrating, and both to be careful. ]
...Tohsaka Rin is my Master. As for Ilyasviel von Einzbern, we have no relationship, [ a direct lie, made all the more easier to tell by making sure to use her full name ] but I am aware that she is one of the Masters. [ Though, considering what probably happened to Berserker, she's likely not to be any longer, but he doesn't say that. ]
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[She nods at his answer. So this man is Tohsaka's original Servant. If he had a personality more like Lancer's, then she would be able to trust him at this point. However, from what she can see from his personality, she cannot trust him just yet.]
I see. What is your personal opinion of your Master then? If, theoretically, your contract with her no longer existed, then what would you do to her?
And if I told you that here, you might encounter not just your former Master but former enemy Masters and Servants like Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern, what would you do? What if I told you that you might be put into situations where you need to ally with them?
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Well, that's obvious. If I were put in a situation where I must ally with them, then I were to do so. Of course, only if there weren't any better allies available.
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Remember the two people from the Fifth Grail War that I have encountered here? One of them is your former Master, Tohsaka Rin. The other one is her current Servant, Lancer.
[She watches him for a reaction.]
I understand that as her former Servant, you might be concerned about this fact, but I can assure you that he is absolutely loyal to her. They also work well together, though Tohsaka has some issues with trusting her Servant.
As for me, I am currently allied with them, however loosely, as long as we have the same goal of returning home. I suppose that alliance might extend to you as well.
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...That's it? That's all you wanted to tell me? I already knew all that. [ BUT ARCHER DID YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A JERK ABOUT IT (answer: it's archer, so yes apparently) ] Frankly, as long as he's loyal, does a good job, and Lancer is a pretty strong Servant, doesn't cause her any unnecessary trouble, and she's satisfied with him, I really don't care about who her Servant is. I greatly prefer not being bound by the contract like that anyway. Servants are just slaves, in the end. [ Though he will have to figure out what to do once he's a Servant again... but he doesn't mention that. ]
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[She does the best to restrain herself and not attempt to punch a hole in his stomach the way she did to the Archer card of her world. It is almost exactly like the multiple times her superior had provoked her in her native world.]
I am glad to hear that you have no problems with this arrangement.
[Lancer deserves a good Master, and for all her faults, Tohsaka was currently the best possible Master for him. Even if she was not, he was still happy to serve her, so it was enough. Bazett would do her best to preserve their relationship because it made Lancer happy.]
I suppose I should introduce myself if we are to be allies. I am Bazett Fraga McRemitz, Church First Rank Combat Specialist: Sealing Designation Enforcer. I come from a world where the Grail War was never fought.
[After a little bit of deliberation, she decides to ask him the question.]
What was the Grail War in your world like? And what was Kotomine Kirei's role in it?
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He was the supervisor, supposedly. The man overseeing and mediating the war. As for what the Grail War itself was like- well, I doubt I need to say this, but it was not exactly sunshine and rainbows, as you can imagine.
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My world is far from ideal.
[In her world, she had not been a mage who had spent her life preparing for the Grail War that she might never participate in just so she could summon her childhood her. She had not been the lonely, reserved young woman who finally let her soft side show around her Servant. Instead, without even that sliver of hope provided to her, the only thing she focused on was fighting.]
[So she mastered Fragarach, she trained her physical and magical skills to the point that she could be called one of the top Enforcers, and she buried her soft side deep within herself and became such a grim and implacable warrior that her superior had even joked about her being his Berserker Class Heroic Spirit.]
[But from what Lancer had told her about the War, she could see how one of the participants could see her world as the ideal one.]
For example, in my world, there exist certain things called Class Cards, which can call up twisted copies of past heroes. I was sent to apprehend those cards, which is how I know you are Archer.
As for your world, I just want to know whether or not Kotomine Kirei was a Master during your version of the Grail War. I have heard at least one version of the Grail War where he killed one of the Masters he was supposed to protect and stole their Command Spells.
[How strange that the man who had been her superior in one world would be her murderer in another.]
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He listens carefully, and eyes for for a moment, his expression a thoughtful one ]
... I see. In that case, in my world... you are Lancer's original Master. [ Though he does not hold the memory of the War in his timeline, he knows what happened in it, and knows for a fact that he did at some point find out that Lancer was Kotomine Kirei's Servant, but that he was not his real one. So it doesn't take too much effort for him to put two and two together. ] But yes, you are correct.
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