Idle Talk in the Dead of Night

Sherlock Holmes is my rival; he is the light to my shadow.

However...

In this new role as a Foreign Disciple, our past rivalry is irrelevant.

Only his abilities matter nowhis capacity to observe, deduce, and reach the truth.

I cannot have him bringing those abilities to bear here.

So, I planted seeds of doubt.

I appeared to him and showered him in a torrent utter nonsense.

Heh... Yes. Utter nonsense.

But, assuming my position is assured...he will no doubt lose sight of what is truly important, thanks to my efforts.

If Holmes means to uncover the truth, then I shall be a wall to block his progress.

He will never overcome the barrier I represent.

I see. It seems this Foreign God thinks things through very well.

It's a shame Vlad III sealed himself away with his own stakes. A powerful Servant like him would have made an excellent piece on the board.

Oh well. I suppose I shall just have to move some other pieces instead.

But what about... ...I just can't say.

Holmes?

My apologies.

No matter how I try, I can't seem to get a read on this Moriarty.

I don't believe he's this Singularity's Master, but aside from that...

What's with you? You're not usually so hedgy.

Nonetheless...I have arrived at a conclusion, though one that yet remains ill-defined.

In this Singularity, Masters are all but meaningless.

Then...does that mean it's impossible to get rid of the Servants here by finding and killing their Master?

Yes, I believe we should assume as much.

Well, that's going to be a problem.

We recruited you Chaldeans because we were counting on you to do exactly that.

You were!?

Naturally, that in no way precludes us from cooperating in a different manner.

For example, we could win this war against the Revenge and Reinstatement Realms...

...acquire the Holy Grails sustaining those realms, and cause this Singularity to collapse.

Would that not be a viable option?

Sure. If we could actually accomplish that. But what about the numbers problem? Their armies are far larger than ours.

Of course I've taken that into consideration, and I remain confident we can win.

There are certainly plenty of challenges to overcome, but the situation is by no means hopeless.

... ...What do you think, sir?

...Right. Sir Sherlock Holmes?

Yes?

Please. Please save Proper Human History for us.

...Consider it done.

That being said...there are only so many things we can do at the moment.

Our first few steps should be taken as a small, mobile commando unit.

Then we'll have a few other Servants accompany you.

There are Servants besides Roland and Astolfo we're fairly sure we can trust.

Thank you. That will be a great help.

(It's a safe bet they'll be keeping an eye on us, too.)

(That aside...Sancho's pretty much been running the show ever since they revealed their true identity, hasn't she?)

(In fact, now that I think of it, she was the one who "conveyed" what Charles the Great was supposedly saying all that time.)

(I guess it makes sense Sancho would be better with political stuff than Don Quixote, given his, uh, background...)

(It'd be one thing if she was just Sancho...)

(...but the story of Don Quixote also has an imaginary princess, a deceptive maid, and a nameless Duchess.)

(...Ah well, who cares? Even if things turn out badly...)

(...that's Chaldea'sreally, Fujimaru's problem.)

(I'm just here to provide support. That's all.)

Okay, that concludes our business for today. We've prepared rooms for all of you, so I invite you to relax for the rest of the day.

...Well, sir, you heard them.

It sounds like it'll take more than killing a Master to repair this Singularity.

...So it does.

What shall we do? Speaking for myself

No, no. Absolutely not, Sancho. I still have to stay on this throne.

I have a duty to uphold, no matter what anyone else says.

... ...

...Isn't that right?

...Yes, sir. If that's what you want.

All right then, I'll come up with a few possible missions for the commando unit.

Good.

And please, allow me to select the Servant who will keep an eye on the Chaldeans.

We may be low on personnel, but we're still in charge of an entire realm.

There's a large population of capable Servant resources to choose from.

？！

It would seem we are being monitored...but it also doesn't seem as though they can hear us.

I can put up a light soundproofing Bounded Field for good measure. Want me to?

If you would.

...Well, we've had a chance to relax and catch our breath, which is all well and good.

But going forward, how sure are we that we can rely on Don Quixote instead of Charles the Great!?

We probably shouldn't.

Right!?

Nonetheless, this was still the only option available.

Both the Revenge Realm and the Reinstatement Realm are fully functioning, autonomous societies.

They have demonstrated clear hostility to all of Proper Human History.

If the Righteous Realm were similarly inclined, our goose would be well and truly cooked, as they say.

Well, yes, I suppose that's true, but still...

Never mind that now, Gordy. Isn't there something else you should be doing first?

Hmm, yes, you're right.

Fujimaru, I commend you on making it back alive. Well done, my boy.

？！

However.

What have I told you about not getting captured in the first place!? My poor heart can only take so much!

？！

I gotta say though, it really is impressive you made it back alive.

Indeed. I suppose it just goes to show how luck, both good and bad, really can be a skill.

I'm surprised, though, to hear you found a Servant willing to betray her side and help you.

You must remember, Goredolf: Servants are hardly mindless puppets.

We have thoughts and emotions of our own.

Sometimes, meeting new people can spur us to temporarily grow and change.

Of course, we must remember only records are sent back to the Throne, so unfortunately we aren't able to preserve these feelings and memories across summonings.

At any rate, who was this Seton(?) person, anyway?

？！

So you never even got a glimpse of him, huh? I see...

We can return to this Mr. Seton(?) later. Right now, we still have more pressing matters to discuss.

So hey, I put together a table of everything we know about the three realms. Want to see it?

？！

Got it. I'll put it up on the screen.

...Hmm.

Seeing it all laid out like this, it's pretty obvious that the Righteous Realm hasn't really got anything going for it.

Kind of amazing they've managed to survive this long.

They must be quite skilled in battle. And let us not forget the natural defenses this location affords them.

I expect they also have a countermeasure for Servants attempting use their spirit forms to sneak in.

They may be Servants, but they will be easily intercepted if they are on footespecially if they were to march in large numbers.

Not to mention that if one of the other factions were to attack, the remaining faction would no doubt be quick to take advantage of that opening.

I doubt she planned this all out intentionally, but it's an impressive state of affairs all the same.

Well, Holmes, the question still remains: What are you planning to do next?

First of all, we should discuss the Moriarty calling himself a Foreign Disciple.

It's safe to assume he's operating behind the scenes. While we could try to pursue him...

...that would not help to resolve this Singularity's root cause.

Then, you're going to work with this realm to help them destroy the other realms, as you said you would earlier?

Indeed. I don't believe we have any chance of negotiating something else.

Well, that should be fine. This isn't a Lostbelt, after all.

Since they're the ones who started this war, they must be prepared for the consequences.

But first, you're gonna start off in a commando unit, right? I wonder what that'll involve?

Pardon me. May I come in?

(I'll switch the comms over to audio-only. Remember, in this mode, your response will seem like a soliloquy.)

？！

Thank you.

I'm the Righteous Realm Servant who will be part of this commando unit.

My name is Xu Fu. I'm a Caster.

So you've heard of me?

I'm the court sorcerer Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent to search for Mt. Hourai and the elixir of immortality.

She's a Chinese court sorcerer whose search for the elixir of immortality on Qin Shi Huang's orders brought her to Japan.

That's all I know. If you wanna know more, ask her yourself.

Hehe, it's okay if you don't know who I am. I know I'm a pretty minor hero.

？！

I see. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Xu Fu.

I'm Sherlock Holmes, detective. And this is

Kadoc Zemlupus. Fujimaru.

...At least, that's what the secretary told me your aliases were.

I understand that you can't speak freely for a variety of reasons.

Still, I'd be thrilled if you told me more, anyway. So, tell me.

Hahaha. Let's just say...all in good time.

Oh yes, very smooth.

All that aside, two Casters and an Extra class? Weird makeup for a group.

Eh, it's a long story.

Lady Xu Fu, would it be all right if I introduce myself now?

Ah.

...Uh, yes, that should be fine.

We probably should introduce the other Servant joining this unit.

Well, I can assure you I didn't forget about him or anything like that.

？！

Hahaha, no wonder the secretary trusts you so deeply, Lady Xu Fu. You truly are greater than your stature suggests.

I am Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, one of the Knights of Fianna.

I'm also known as Diarmuid the Dazzling. Pleased to meet you.

？！

Oh, it sounds like you already know who I am. I'm surprised. I'm not that famous.

Oh, perhaps we met in another Singularity or during a Holy Grail War.

If we have, I'm afraid I have no memory of that...but here, I will be proud to fight beside you.

Work me as hard as you need to for this assignment.

Man, now that's what I call a hero's hero. A beauty indeed.

Come to think of it, Technical Advisor, you have always loved all things beautiful, haven't you?

All right, now that we've made our introductions, perhaps you can tell us about our mission?

Of course.

Our mission is to determine the enemy's military strength and to secure an abandoned stronghold.

Unfortunately, we're so low on personnel that we'll have to accomplish both in one day.

I can tell the secretary is ready to run us all ragged. Me included.

Hehe. This is going to be such a hassle. I wish I could just run away...

Well that was a sudden, depressing turn.

I'm sure this is obvious, but just to be clear, I'll stick to providing rear support.

Diarmuid here will lead the charge.

That's right. I will do everything in my power to escort you all safely!

Damn, he's so radiant it hurts to look at him.

I still don't understand how the "Dazzling" part of him actually manifests physically.

Don't worry. I promise I won't dazzle anyone while we're undercover!

I guess it's too much to ask for you not to dazzle in daily life either, huh?

...Ahem. Anyway, we'll be setting out tomorrow morning, bright and early.

I recommend you all change into your spirit forms or otherwise get as much rest as you can tonight.

Quiet. It's me, Kadoc.

Keep your voice down. ...I want to talk to you. Outside.

...Okay, that should do it.

Are you ready, Mash?

Yes, I'm here... As you requested, Da Vinci is working on the Ortinax.

Director Goredolf is asleep, and the night staff are all dozing off, too.

I'm the only member of Chaldea currently on active duty.

But why did you want to talk to us alone?

Just to be safe.

After I woke up, I reviewed your records of everything that happened after the Russian Lostbelt.

Including records about the man from Chaldea.

...!

？！

I know.

I don't know who he is either, but we'll just have to put that aside for now.

More importantly, do you remember what he said about there being someone who can't be trusted?

And what Archer said afterward about something feeling off?

？！

I...really can't believe you went and reported everything they told you when they were VERY clear you should keep it secret.

I guess you wouldn't be...you if you hadn't.

You remember those records too, right, Mash? Did you ever think about who the man from Chaldea might've meant?

It's all there in the report.

I've given it some thought, yes...but it just seemed too far-fetched to take seriously.

You're not exactly sounding like a mystery-lover here. So you dropped it? Just like that? Not another thought?

Not at all. It was the opposite.

I believe I thought about it as much and as logically as I could.

But no matter how much I thought about what he said...it never made any more sense.

...How so?

Well, if someone on Chaldea's staff can't be trusted...

...that would have mean one of them is a traitor.

But there's no evidence anyone has betrayed us, and more importantly, no motive for anyone to do so.

We call this kind of mystery a whydunit.

Oh, right. I've heard of those. Whoever told me about them also said:

"There's no meaning to be found in figuring out howdunits where mages are concerned. Not when they can do almost anything, including things outside the natural realm."

"But the reason they committed a crimethe whydunit...that, is always meaningful."

Right.

And that clears everyone on Chaldea's current staff of suspicion.

I can't see any reason for a member of our staff to want to help to wipe Earth clean.

If they were just hiding their motivation, they would have tripped up long ago.

If they didn't have any reason to reset Earth, they wouldn't have any reason to help prevent it, either.

Yeah, that's true.

The crime's already been committed here, so why would a traitor go on to help the organization trying to undo it?

The same goes for the Servants, too. That includes me, Captain Nemo, Da Vinci, and Holmes.

None of us have anything to gain from Earth being wiped clean. If anything, the opposite holds true.

That just leaves Sion, you, and SenpaiMaster.

And your alibi is airtight.

You weren't even at Chaldea at the time.

Senpai, of course, isn't a viable choice either.

Frankly speaking, if he gave up on everything, our mission would fail that very instant.

？！

I suppose Sion, as a member of the Atlas Institute, could see this incident differently than we do.

And that, in turn, could potentially give her some kind of motive to betray us...maybe.

But she's already done something that invalidates that theory.

When the Foreign God used a pseudo black hole to destroy the Wandering Sea...

...Sion stayed behind to the very last second, at very real risk to her life.

If she wanted to betray us, that would have been the perfect time and place to do so.

Frankly, if she had known what was going to happen ahead of time and had then escaped on her own...

...we would all be dead by now.

Are you really not at all suspicious that I did something, somehow?

Knowing those two, they could've predicted that I'd eventually come back to Chaldea.

True.

But it wouldn't even make sense for you to have started this conversation if you were the traitor.

Yeah, and just to be totally clear, I didn't betray anyone.

Well, I guess that's not true. I did betray all of Proper Human History once.

But I definitely don't have the guts to betray anyone holding the controls to a collar that could kill me at any time.

I think you have plenty of guts, but aside from that, I agree with you.

Betraying someone to save your own skin, when you know that betraying them would get you killed?

It doesn't make sense, no matter how you look at it.

And that's not all.

Me, Fujimaru here, the staff, the Servants... Our actions have all been consistent.

My case is more complex, sure, but it still checks out in terms of consistency.

Long story short, I betrayed Proper Human History, lost to you guys, got critically injured, recovered...

...and now, I'm helping you guys out with restrictions on my behavior 'cause it beats getting locked up or killed.

Sure, I wasn't exactly being virtuous, but I WAS being consistent, yeah?

That's true. In the end, I have to think the one from Chaldea was mista

？！

Senpai...!

I'm not sure, but I do have just one more question.

I think you can answer it with a search of the library, Mash.

And if that leads us to a clear answer, you can just forget all about it.

But, if it doesn't...then I think we might be onto something.

I already went ahead and launched the library's search system, just in case.

What's your question, Kadoc?

It's about Servants. Let's start with Da Vinci.

Chaldea summoned the original Da Vinci, and her successor unit is carrying on her work in her stead.

So we know that Chaldea's her summoner, and that she was helping before the Incineration of Humanity.

Nemo was summoned by Sion Eltnam. At least, that's what the records said.

He's got some Phantom and Divine Spirits mixed in with him, but we also know his summoning is legit.

And the Servants Fujimaru's contracted with, including you, of course, should all be fine.

...Kadoc, you don't mean

Yeah, I do. My question's about Sherlock Holmes.

Who summoned him? And when and where did they do it?

？！

A Master does more than just serve as a battery for their Servant.

Through their contract, the Master serves as an anchor to keep them rooted in reality.

That's the biggest reason they need Masters, even when those Masters are of no help in battles between heroes.

Compared to that, the magecraft support is just a nice bonus.

？！

Good question.

Yeah, there've been Servants in other Singularities who didn't belong to either Chaldea's side or the enemy's side.

But it was the land itself that summoned them, using the power of the Holy Grail which spawned the given Singularity...

...in an attempt to put history back on its original track.

Basically, Rogue Servants use the land as a kind of vessel, so it's no surprise they can act without a Master.

And of course, there were also Rogue Servants in some of the Lostbelts who didn't depend on the Holy Grail.

Beowulf in Russia leaps to mind.

Then, maybe that's what happened with Holmes, too? We first met him at the Atlas Institute, so

？！

Huh?

？！

O-oh, that's right. I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't thinking straight.

Yes, you're right, Senpai.

He himself said he had left a message for us in London.

In London, you managed to safely acquire the information I left at the Mage's Association, right?

It was just paperwork, but it must've been worth a thousand pounds to you at the time.

I could definitely see the land summoning him in London. That part makes sense.

But then, how did he show up in Camelot and Shinjuku?

We've asked Holmes about that...

...and he said that he managed to prolong his materialization and Rayshifted on his own.

You mean like Miyamoto Musashi?

No, he can't do it repeatedly like she could. He said twice was his limit, and that it came at the cost of seriously weakening himself.

According to him, those two forced Rayshifts effectively rendered him incapable of combat.

I see. So that's why he did almost no fighting in Shinjuku.

After Shinjuku, he and SenpaiMaster, formed an official contract.

That got rid of his, well, debuffs, but also made it impossible for him to Rayshift alone.

At least, that's what he said before...

I see... Well, that all makes sense.

But still...something's still nagging at me.

...Ugh, I can't figure out what it could be.

Still, I can say this much without a doubt.

Holmes, of all people, would never betray us. There's just no way.

When you take all of his accomplishments, his attitude, his motives, and everything else about him into consideration...

...it's obvious there's no theory that could possibly explain why he would have done such a thing.

I trust Holmes completely.

How about you, Fujimaru?

？！

？！

Ah well, it doesn't matter either way. I'm just giving you guys some food for thought.

Having said that... Fujimaru. Mash.

Can you just forget about this whole discussion?

This is Holmes we're talking about here.

I don't want things getting awkward if you trust him. And if you start doubting him now, it's not gonna take long for Sherlock Freaking Holmes to figure that out.

That's easier said than done...

？！

Why would I do that? I can just use a really basic spell for sealing away memories.

It can only be cast if the target consents to it, though, and it comes with some restrictions.

Wh-what about me? How can I forget about this discussion?

There's a file in Chaldea's library on the Storm Border, number AG134458.

I hid a memory-sealing spell scroll there under the alpine goat section.

All you have to do is inscribe the date and time.

Okay, I'll try that.

Fujimaru. Mash.

This is only a seal. It probably won't make you forget completely.

Your subconscious will still remember this conversation.

So if you really trust Holmes...then keep observing him and doubting him so we can put this at rest and trust him that much more. Got it?

All right, see you tomorrow.