Section 3: My Fleeting Fate!

They say good wine makes good blood, but it can also be just as good at making bad blood.

How many times have we heard of someone committing an egregious breach of etiquette while under the influence?

I've heard mages have a way of neutralizing alcohol's effects...but I expect that only applies to the dangers of extreme overconsumption.

Once they are intoxicated, they are surely just as likely to loosen their lips as anyone else...

...especially when speaking to ordinary bartenders like us.

So, why don't we start by bringing Alexander in here and seeing what we can learn from him?

...Though I would like to ask that you do the talking, if you don't mind.

I'll stick to the occasional interjection.

Well, my young friend, once you reach a certain age, it becomes extremely difficult not to always appear shady, particularly in younger company...

Okeydokey!

...Sorry. Spur of the moment.

？！

Alcohol?

I'm not sure I understand. You want me to have a drink now, under these circumstances?

...Well, okay. They have a saying for this in China: "You can't catch a tiger cub without going into a tiger's den."

In other words, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Those other two have been mages a lot longer than me.

So if I want to get ahead, I've just got to leap in without fear.

Besides, I'm sure you two have some useful info of your own.

Here you go.

(No sign of magical energy, let alone poison. But, I guess that's to be expected.)

So, what do you call this?

That is a dry martini, the king of cocktails.

Seeing how you have an air of royalty about you, I thought it would be fitting.

Huh, never heard of it.

(That's because it has yet to be invented.)

Hey, that's pretty good...

？！

You're saying I look underage?

Don't worry, I'm not. I'm just doing what I can to keep the ravages of time at bay.

Though of course, I don't expect any other mages would take it easy on me just 'cause I look like a kid.

？！

That's what I came here to find out. Can I get another of these?

(Use the information I gave you earlier, Master.)

？！

...Now I see. So all three groups are dancing on a razor's edge.

Well damn, now what do I do.

I originally contacted Diarmuid's group because I heard they were the biggest player here...

...but if they're that closely tied to the city, that's really gonna hold me back.

Not to mention that between the three of us mages, my family's got the shortest history.

You don't mince words, do you!

But, you're not wrong.

Mages are all about passing power down through generations. My family's only been at it for three hundred years.

But those two have families that go back five hundred and seven hundred years.

？！

...That said, my magecraft is pretty well-suited to combat, so that could tip the scales in my favor.

？！

Yup. You know about centaurs, right?

The legendary half-human, half-horse creatures?

？！

I'm sure they were incredibly fast, but that's not the only reason they were so strong.

No, they were strong because they focused all of their attention on pinpoint precision with their arrows, even while running at those incredible speeds.

Concentration is key. Not just in magecraft, but in everything.

If people could concentrate like a centaur, it would improve their abilities tenfold across the board.

Even if you don't have a lot of magical energy to work with, if you focus, you could squeeze every last drop you have right into your magical circuits.

"Battery"?

Think of it as a kind of energy engine.

So, you use your body so efficiently that you're able to boost not just combat abilities, but all abilities.

Quite the superhuman training regimen.

Ahaha, don't worry, you'll see soon enough.

？！

Anyway, you're going to pump the other mages for information too, right?

I sure would appreciate it if you let me in on what you learn, too!

A mage who tries his hardest to compensate for being the weakest, hm. That's an admirable attitude with which to go into battle...

...but it would seem to make him something of a poor ally for Diarmuid.

？！

Left to his own devices, Alexander would surely do whatever it takes to win...

...but Diarmuid is more concerned with playing by the rules and winning fairly and honorably.

It may not be an issue in the beginning, but by the end, the disparity in their methods could very well spell their doom.

Now then, why don't we see what Prince of Lan Ling has to say!

Alcohol, huh.

...I see nothing to fear.

I would have no trouble breaking alcohol down with one hand tied behind my back, after all.

I am happy to drink this if it will help me acquire information.

Coming right up, sir.

Here's your cocktail. This is called a silver bullet.

Silver bullet?

Indeed. That is what you use when slaying monsters, is it not?

Hmm. So it's a good luck charm, is it?

...Well, I suppose I'll need all the help I can get. Alexander I can handle, but Vlad is a formidable opponent.

？！

...That's a good idea.

And I'm sure Alexander would also prefer to go up against me rather than Vlad.

But I don't think Yan Qing would go for that... Then again, I suppose if I want to know, I'll have to ask.

And he does need to understand that Vlad III is our greatest threat...

？！

Well, the rumor is that he uses blood as a catalyst for his magecraft.

Whether that's true or not, I do know that both his magical crest and his magical circuits are stellar.

His magecraft may not be focused on combat, but I doubt he will have any trouble keeping up.

As for Alexander... Oho, imitating the centaurs, huh?

If that's true, it would seem to have very narrow applications, but I suppose it would also be rather difficult to predict.

Thank you for the drink. It was delicious. I think I will go see if Alexander would be amenable to working together.

Hm? What is my magecraft like? Hehe, how silly to think I would tell you that.

The very basis of magecraft is secrecy. That is as true today as it was in ancient times.

That said, it would not be difficult to figure out if you examined my magical lineage.

I hope tomorrow's auction goes smoothly... for all our sakes.

All right, that just leaves Count Vlad...though who knows if he'll actually come.

I have come.

You have!?

How in the world did you convince him?

It's simple, bartender.

Your pupil there was unfailingly polite when he expressed his wish to entertain me.

It was clear that he meant every word, and I intuited no signs of malice whatsoever.

And so it is only proper that I accept his invitation, lest it reflect poorly on me as a mage.

Now, come and celebrate my victory, bartender.

...Very well. May I suggest a Bloody Mary?

You may. I know nothing of alcohol and its intricacies in any case.

I see. So that bastard Prince of Lan Ling told you about my magecraft, did he?

Even if he did avoid going into detail, I can't say I enjoy having someone else share my secrets.

Not to mention it seems a tad unfair that he insists on keeping his own magecraft a secret.

So go ahead and tell Alexander this:

Prince of Lan Ling's magecraft is based on beauty. He uses curses to entrance his targets and bring about their downfall.

However, while that may work on ordinary men, it will have no effect on me.

If anything, it is Alexander who may hope to stand against me.

All that remains is to see how much money Izo is able and willing to pony up. But these men are no fools.

They are willing to make great sacrifices if it means gaining control of this city.

...Hmm. I still don't know much about alcohol, but I do like this brilliant red color.

Once I've obtained the catalyst for myself, I think I'll celebrate with another of these Bloody Marys.

...Well, he was certainly the most imposing, wasn't he? Though he also seems not so much guarded as...oblivious?

？！

All right, now that we've got more information to work with, let's see if we can't make some sense of it.

First of all, while these mages share a name, body, and personality with the Servants they appear to be...

...they are not actually those Servants. I trust you already understand that?

The Vlad III we spoke to may sound like the same one we know...

...but in reality, he may speak completely differently. Even boorishly.

For that matter, Prince of Lan Ling may not even be from China.

But we perceive them as the Servants we know, and thus hear their words in a way matching that perception.

The same thing happens whenever we speak to them. Before our words can reach their brains, they are processed to fall in line with their perceptions.

That is why we can address an ordinary mage as Vlad III without causing any problems.

？！

If you think that's confusing, wait till you hear this next part!

Since each of the three gangs are working with one of the mages, you might think there are only three factions at play here...

...but in actuality, there are six!

Each faction is trying to obtain power and treasure to realize their own ambitions.

And we

My, you are just a cunning devil after my own heart, Master. But no.

Exactly!

？！

As for our exact plan of action, I think that can wait until tomorrow.

If I've read the situation correctly, something will happen at the auction.

For the time being we had best take the opportunity to rest while we can to prepare for tomorrow!

Well, good night.

？！

Oh, up already? It's not even daybreak yet.

？！

I see. Hmm. In that case...

...perhaps it would help if I told you a story from my own admittedly checkered past?

？！

Heh.

In truth, much of my life was actually quite dull.

What's that? Is it because I'm a fictional character? I'm not so sure.

AM I a fictional character?

Or did James Moriarty truly exist at some point?

Did the events that make up my past truly happen?

...At this point, that is really not so important a distinction as you might think.

All that really matters is that I'm here now.

Hmm, I suppose I cannot possibly expect you to understand that part, no.

I wanted to prove beyond all doubt how beautiful and terrifying my equation was.

So I swore I would do whatever I must to make that happen, and eliminate anyone who stood in my way.

From there, I devoted myself solely to calculating one thing:

How could I go about proving this equation to the world at large?

And the conclusion I reached was that I must turn to evil.

As an evil man, I would use this equation to wreak destruction upon the world.

My next step was to form an organization.

I mixed intricate schemes into evil that typically tended toward straightforward simplicity.

I provided wisdom and intelligence to evil that typically resorted to brute strength and violence.

I piled up evil deeds upon evil deeds, until one day...

...that accursed detective brought me to justice.

？！

...A fair point!

From my perspective, I thought I was just advising everyone to take notice of me.

But once they started calling me "genius," "scum," "morally bankrupt," "monster," and "the Napoleon of crime"...

...well, I suppose I let all of that go to my head.

But regardless, Fujimaru, even with all that said...

...I don't regret my decision to turn to a life of evil.

There is oneno, two reasons for that.

I enjoyed myself immensely. Yes, I admit it: I truly AM morally bankrupt.

But in spite of that, or perhaps because of it, I can say without a doubt that few have enjoyed their lives so thoroughly as I enjoyed mine.

It was grand fun to see people playing into my hands, and even more fun to see them falling into my traps.

Watching them stumble off a cliff, or trip on a pebble, or have a vase come crashing down on them, were some of the greatest moments of hilarity I ever witnessed!

Indeed.

...I'm impressed you can look me right in the eye when you say that.

？！

Of course, it isn't as though I was riding high for the rest of my life.

I met my end tumbling down the Reichenbach Falls.

It was a miserable end, but properly befitting a criminal like myself. And to make matters worse, the man I tried to drag down with me ended up surviving.

I remember how ashy gray the sky was that day, at a time that was neither morning nor evening. How the icy cold waters seemed to scream like machine-gun fire.

It's quite strange, really. Why in the world did I challenge him to a fistfight?

If I am merely fictional, then I'm sure I did so purely to satisfy the demands of the plot. But if I did actually exist, then I think I understand.

...I must have wanted to show him what a villain like me is truly made of.

All right, back to bed with you! Surely you must be bored enough now to drift right off.

？！

Oh come now, do I really have to spell it out?

Because if it wasn't for my life of crime, I would never have gotten to meet you!

Hahaha, now, now, don't be bashful. Even aged gentlemen like me are, at times, prone to sentiment.

All right, that's quite enough. Off to bed with you! Good night!