Lady Reines's Reminiscence

There it is. Finally.

Some of the details might be different, and they might actually use modern technology here, but it's still the same old Clock Tower methods at heart.

I guess Flat didn't waste his time telling me all about this stuff after all.

Anyway, I'm relieved to see their old security habits are the same as ever.

Now, let's see what we've got.

Requesting disclosure of Pseudo-Servant Research Data.

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Fujimaru, was it?

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Recognizing speaker as Master Fujimaru. What can I do for you, Master Fujimaru?

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... ...

It would seem the jig is up.

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Trimmau! Get back here!

Damn, she got away!

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Oh come on, you know who that was. That was Trimmau, aka Volumen Hydrargyrum, the El-Melloi family's ultimate Mystic Code.

She's my personal weapon, computer, and all-purpose maid, and as you'd expect from an ultimate Mystic Code, she does a great job at all that stuff...

But now, hahaha, she just up and ran away on me!

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No need to say anything more. I might not look like it, but trust me, I'm embarrassed enough as it is.

If you haven't yet learned to recognize when a fair maiden is feeling ashamed, you really should.

You know what it's like for a maiden to feel ashamed too, right?

Anyway, now that I missed that chance to nab her...

Aaaaaahhh!

Well, that didn't take long!

Pseudo-Servant detected. Proceeding with data collection.

What's the meaning of this, Trimmau!?

Great. Just great.

Reines!? Don't tell me you're behind this!

Dammit, of all the people I hoped wouldn't find out about this! Wait. Were you writing essays in the cafeteria again?

It's an old habit of mine! The words come more easily when I've got something to munch on!

Besides, the cafeteria's sandwiches are just too good. I can't resist them.

Hahaha, I'd say the ones from the café on Druid Street would give them a run for their money, but I got it.

Anyway, why're you still writing essays at all? Did you forget you're a Servant now?

I can't help it! When I make a new discovery, I can't relax until I've written it down for posterity!

Fair enough. It's not like your obsessive tendencies are anything new at this point. Anyway, now that the Code's out of the bag, Brother, why don't you give me a hand getting it back in?

Data collection obstacle detected. Initiating ability-based obstacle elimination procedure.

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Volumen Hydrargyrum only imitates outer appearances. I should be able to get it back once it's defeated.

On that note, since Trimmau isn't with me I'm sitting this one out, so I'm counting on you two to beat her instead. Good luck!

What have you pulled me into now!?

Well, I've got this part of Trim back now...but eighty percent of her main body is still out there.

Still, something's definitely better than nothing. I can use this twenty percent to track the rest, as well as do some fighting myself.

What's going on here, Reines? Did you say Trimmau is missing?

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It did what!?

What kind of mage lets their own Mystic Code run away from them!?

Hahaha, what kind? You're looking right at her, Brother!

Don't say it...

No! No I'm not!

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I'll ask you again. What's going on here, Reines?

Well, it started when I decided to do a little research.

What kind of research?

Come on, Brother. The world we're in may be a little different from ours, but you still know the Clock Tower's inner workings just as well as I do.

In spite of everything, you're still Lord El-Melloi of the Clock Tower, and I'm the next in line.

So we both know a thing or two about the Clock Tower's unique security practices.

What's your point?

Long story short, I decided to try my hand at hacking into Chaldea's secret database this time.

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Hey, come on. Aren't you curious what they've got in there, too?

There you go. But, unfortunately, the central sector where they keep all the juicy stuff was too well-protected.

Et tu, my pupil? I thought you'd have my back on this!

Anyway, it ended up not mattering. The central sector where they keep all the juicy stuff was too well-protected, unfortunately.

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And based on those unusual security tics I saw, I'm pretty sure Marisbury himself had a hand in it.

Still, it wasn't enough to stop me from getting a peek at a tiny bit of their research data.

...What kind of data, Reines?

Ohoho. Taken the bait now, have we, Brother?

Personally, I was interested in the nature of Servants.

Lord Sima Yi and I have actually been discussing it among ourselves for some time now.

...Indeed. I, too, have found it to be a fascinating question.

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Specifically, Pseudo-Servants.

Because those were never a thing in our world.

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And Pseudo-Servants like us where most of the host body's original personality is still intact are the rarest pattern of all.

Which is why I thought we might have room to try some...exploits.

Exploits?

There, I just finished my analysis. Now we can go after Trimmau.

I'll explain the rest on the way. Come on, my pupil, let's get going. You too, Brother.

I'm not getting out of this, am I?

Why, surely a kind and considerate brother like yourself could never be so cruel as to leave his angelic little sister to fend for herself, could you?

Angelic!?

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It looks like Trimmau activated it.

Dammit. So you used the Volumen Hydrargyrum to hack in!

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I know how capable that Mystic Code is all too well. It was my own mentor's masterpiece, after all.

Hmm. It looks like it went to... nineteenth-century London?

The same time period as the Fourth Singularity, hmm. You're certain this wasn't a Rayshift?

As far as I can tell from the data. Although...there are some odd minor fluctuations here. What could those mean?

Questions for later, I am afraid. Come on!

Yup, this is definitely London.

And based on the local architecture, it would seem the nineteenth-century setting was accurate as well.

I don't see any other people around... Is that part of the settings, too?

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Hmm. I have no idea.

Aside from the lack of people, there doesn't seem to be anything strange or out of place.

What's your tracking spell say?

Thanks to that bit I gathered earlier, I was able to get Trimmau's coordinates.

But it's still going to take a little time to find her.

Then it seems now would be a good time for you to tell us more about this research of yours.

Damn, so you didn't forget about that, huh?

Basically, like I said before, it boils down to how we can take advantage of Pseudo-Servants' unique characteristics.

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Most Servants never grow or change.

And why would they? They're all dead, after all.

The moment they're inscribed in the Throne and given a Servant class, their form is pretty much set in stone.

They can level up, sure, but that's really just a way of showing how close they are to their true capabilities.

But the same isn't true for us Pseudo-Servants, is it?

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We're simultaneously dead, yet not dead. Alive, and not alive.

I see. So that's where the Volumen Hydrargyrum comes in. It belongs to you, not Sima Yi.

Exactly. I figured if I played my cards right, I could find a way to boost my combat capabilities.

And I thought the same, which is why I decided to help investigate this idea.

Specifically, I was adjusting the data to better acclimate the Volumen Hydrargyrum to my own Spirit Origin.

Both the Volumen Hydrargyrum and Lady Reines are old hands at that sort of tweaking, so if all goes well, it should unlock some new possibilities.

I can't tell if that sounds more like something you would do, or something Lord Sima Yi would do... Either way, that's no exploit. That's an out-and-out cheat!

Huh, I'm surprised you disapprove, Brother. I thought you liked video games.

Video games are designed with their own respective rules, and those rules need to be followed.

One careless move, and you could end up destroying your entire Spirit Origin!

Please, Lord Sima Yi, try to talk some sense into

Heeey! Can you guys hear me?

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I saw the simulator was booted up all of a sudden. Is something wrong?

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Wait, wait! I'll explain that part!

Now I see. I'm surprised that Volumen Hydrargyrum would run amok on her own like that.

I must have made a mistake with one of her settings or something. Believe me, I feel very silly.

(Let's just keep the fact that I was hacking into Chaldea's database between you, me, and my brother, okay?)

Hmm...

Okay, got it. Now that I know what's going on, I'll keep an eye on all your vitals from here, too.

(Phew. That was too close...)

It looks like your tracking spell is reacting again.

Hmm. She's south of here, near Regent's Park.

Come on, we'd better hurry.

Ooh, a fish-and-chips stand. Damn if it doesn't smell good.

Go buy me some, will you, pupil?

Hm? I see the stand, but I don't see anyone working it...

That's exactly why we need a snack to keep our energy up. ...Never mind. There's no one working it.

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Hmm. Maybe this is another odd simulator setting? Then again, it really seems as though someone was cooking here just a few minutes ago.

Maybe they're doing their best Mary Celeste crew impression?

Mmm, I'll have to really pour on the vinegar to tamp down the delicious smell this freshly fried fish is putting out.

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Hahaha, I'm just showing the food its due respect. Mmm, yum! It's piping hot and perfectly flaky!

I can taste the delicious oils with every bite of fish! And these steaming hot chips are salted perfectly!

If this stand's proprietor were here, I'd be breaking out my Reines Stamp of Approval.

...Hm?

What the...!?

Now I see. Part of Trimmau got into the automated defense systems! And here I thought it was my comeuppance for dine and dashing!

Hold it, Reines.

Does that mean Trimmau has control over the simulator itself?

How much of her do you have now?

Let me see... This just makes forty percent.

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I knew there had to be more than an odd simulator setting behind the lack of people here.

My Unreturning Formation isn't working right, either.

You mean Zhuge Liang's famous maneuver?

Things might look normal here, but there's something going on right beneath the surface.

It almost feels like a loading screen from a video game...

My tracking spell! There you are, Trimmau!

Huh? It can't be...

Reines! Fujimaru!!!

No, it isn't. Take a closer look, Master.

This is the old Chaldea. I'm sure of it.

No, that's not quite right either, Brother.

Both my Mystic Eyes and the part of Trimmau I collected are reacting. We're definitely still in the simulator.

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I see. So we're in a simulation of the old Chaldea!

Da Vinci, can you still hear us?

I think we can take the silence as a no. Damn.

Brother, you said that London reminded you of a loading screen, right?

What if that was a fake out, and Trimmau's real goal was to simulate the old Chaldea?

...If it is, that would explain why she infiltrated the automatic defense systems.

I see. So she put up that London as a front while she was secretly building this simulation behind the scenes.

But even if she is going haywire right now, I still don't understand why Trimmau would go to such lengths...

Authenticating... Error... Reattempting authentication... Error...

Authentication attempt limit reached. Locking system... Lockdown protocol halted by root user...

Authenticating... Error... Reattempting authentication... Error...

What the hell?

It looks like Trimmau's trying to hack into the system. But this... Wait. That's it.

Reines.

Yes, Brother?

You saw the last thing Trimmau turned into back in London, right?

...Yeah, I did.

Do you know who it was?

Because if it was who I think it was, she's someone Fujimaru knows, too.

That's right. Someone with deep ties to the old Chaldea. Give it some thought, and I think you'll know who I mean.

So you figured it out, huh? Makes sense. I'm sure you knew her a lot better than I did.

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It was Chaldea's former director, Olga Marie Animusphere.

Looks like we managed to avoid any obstructions.

Are you two ready?

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Hi, Trimmau. Sorry I took so long.

The only reason Trimmau went haywire is because she's working properly.

Huh? What do you mean?

Exactly what I said. Trimmau ended up like this because she was carrying out your orders.

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We had it backwards.

You said you couldn't get into the central sector's data, right?

In other words, Trimmau wasn't able to break through the new Chaldea's security.

So in response, she made a place where she might be able to: the old Chaldea.

Instead of trying to get past the new security measures...

...she decided to use the simulator to create a route where she could get past the old ones.

No way...!

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It depends, but it wouldn't be the first time this kind of scam has worked, either with magecraft or computers.

I see. So if there's a flaw in the simulator's security, she might be able to use that to gain access.

Whether that's actually the case or not, it must be what Trimmau was thinking when she did all this.

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Trimmau can. We had Flat help make her personality.

Oh, Flat was one of Brother's pupils, by the way. The El-Melloi class was actually pretty popular, believe it or not.

Was that last part really necessary? Anyway, I can assure you that Trimmau's thought processes are impossibly flexible compared to those of standard AI.

Unfortunately, if she's going haywire now, that also means there's no telling what she might try next.

We'll need to be very careful.

Well? Come on, Trimmau, say something!

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Positive. I'm also sure you know that just as well as I do.

She's what Reines was hiding.

There's something you're still not telling us, isn't there?

Yes, you were in an important position at the Clock Tower, and you do know a lot about high-level security.

But that doesn't mean you can just breeze past Chaldea's security measures like they're nothing.

Which means there's something else you're keeping from us that allowed Trimmau to get through.

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I'll tell you. Reines here didn't just know how Chaldea's security was set up.

She also knew Olga Marie's habits from her own world. Didn't you?

Haha, well this is embarrassing.

There are a number of differences in this world, but in my world, yes, Olga Marie and I were very close.

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Well, relatively close. As mages, we both had our share of secrets, so we couldn't open up that much.

But, we were still close enough to know each other's quirks...

...and I could see them all over Chaldea's security.

...Man, this brings back memories.

As the next Lords in waiting for our respective families, you and I used to deceive each other all the time.

And as mages from the same generation, we also always had lots to talk about.

Reines, this Olga Marie isn't

I know, Brother. It's just a Volumen Hydrargyrum that looks like her.

Besides, I never even knew this world's Olga Marie.

I took a look at her file once, and she and my counterpart from this world's paths barely crossed at all.

She never got on that train here, nor did she ever take part in the Grand Roll with me.

Authenticating... Error... Reattempting authentication... Error...

That's why I can't fully get through this Chaldea's security. The Marie I knew might look like the one from this world, but she's a completely different person.

That's why I

Mage threat detected. Eliminating.

Ghh!

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Don't worry. I'm fine. As I was saying...

That's why I'm going to tear you apart.

Seven holes are bored into primordial chaos. There are poisonous women to great men. Never is there a time when neither sun nor moon is set.

Behold my tactics! Unspoken Formation...release!

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Now I see. Sima Yi's Noble Phantasm exposes an enemy's weakness, so Trimmau was imitating Olga Marie because she was Chaldea's weakness!

Not exactly. I only meant for Trimmau to imitate Olga Marie's habits.

I never planned for her to imitate Olga Marie herself.

When she tried, she got stuck at imitating the Olga Marie I know, and now, here we are, trying to clean up the mess.

And damn if it isn't a hot one. I could cry.

Now she's imitating me! Well Trim, if you think you can beat the real deal, you're sorely mistaken!

Reines.

I'm going to focus my skills entirely on you. You said this is your mess, right? Then clean it up yourself.

...(Sigh) I swear, you're too damn lenient with me for your own good sometimes, Brother.

But I guess I can't blame you, seeing how adorable I am! Thanks, Brother! Just this once, I'll take you up on that!

...Lady...Reines?

Welcome back, Trimmau.

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I'm fine. It's nothing.

I just never expected to run into my Servant karma here of all places.

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Well, maybe it's not karma so much as a weakness that only Pseudo-Servants with their host's personality intact are susceptible to.

You know how Servants don't retain memories of their past summonings, right?

Exceptions to the rule aside, usually it's the person summoning the Servant who feels bad about being forgotten.

But for Pseudo-Servants, we're the ones who remember, and have to deal with being forgotten.

Obviously, the chances of running into someone we know are practically nonexistent, since we're in a world entirely different from our own and all.

So even if we do happen to run into someone we know, they end up being someone else entirely.

So, yeah, it's painful. Nothing I can't handle, but it still hurts.

...But, maybe it's not all bad.

Maybe this'll help me better understand what it's like to be in your shoes.

As a Master, you go through this sort of thing all the time, right? So I should probably learn to appreciate this pain.

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Initiating reboot. Reboot complete.

Whoa!

I've been monitoring the situation. I'm so sorry, Lady Reines.

Don't be. This was pretty much all my fault.

I'm sorry, Trimmau.

At least it looks like the experiment worked. I can tell you and my Spirit Origin are working together better now.

Yes, Lady Reines. I can confirm a thirty-seven percent increase in Spirit Origin output.

Looks like the simulation's fading away now that Trimmau's back to normal.

Come on, you two. Let's get out of here.

Phew. This latest caper really tuckered me out.

Then get some sleep.

If Jason is anything to go by, even normal Servants can benefit from a good nap.

As Pseudo-Servants, we no doubt need proper rest even more than they do.

Hmm. You make a pretty convincing case.

Okay then, good night, Brother.

Good night, Reines.

Just a moment, El-Melloi II.

...Lord Sima Yi.

Worry not. Lady Reines is fast asleep now, so we can speak freely.

There's something I wished to discuss with you, something that's been nagging at me. In fact, it's something I noticed you purposely shied away from.

What are you talking about?

The reason Trimmau went haywire in the first place.

She was making predictive calculations at a level she could not even properly verbalize, correct?

Because we need to know more about the data Chaldea possesses?

Exactly. The Volumen Hydrargyrum calculated that data was a top priority, even if it meant she had to go haywire to process it.

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Of course, her efforts to do so ultimately proved to be for naught. Haha, I must say, this modern world has turned out to be much more enjoyable than I expected.

Oh, and one more thing. You should come out of hiding once in a while, you cowardly excuse for a tactician.

Your "gift" of women's clothing sent to taunt me is the whole reason I ended up inhabiting a woman's body, after all.

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Tell it to someone who cares. Besides, I'm enjoying this modern world plenty myself.

...Huh?

Did you just get Liang to rehash the time he sent you women's clothing to insult you as being weak for refusing to fight him?

I sure did. It only makes sense he would respond to me, no matter how deeply he may be lying dormant.

Such is the nature of our relationship.

Of course, I have my doubts as to whether he truly thought women were synonymous with weakness or not.

At any rate, take care, Zhuge Liang. I am sure we will see each other again someday.