School was…just as boring as predicted, in all honesty.
I didn't expect much, and it delivered.
Perhaps I was a bit more wary just because of the new situation I found myself in. Despite my memories indicating that Winslow was boring, even at the best of times. Ironically, the gangs that littered the school's corridors rarely did anything worth noting.
To me.
I do hear of the occasional person of color getting jumped by Nazis, only for another of the gangs to retaliate.
Considering that they very blatantly use the schools to 'recruit,' neither side really steps over the line, like drawing guns or murdering people on school property.
The moment that happens, it gets picked up by the news, and then suddenly the government is forced to clean up Winslow, and the gangs have to hide away.
No one really wants that; they're much happier having free rein as long as no one dies.
My newest servant hadn't really said much throughout the day.
I always noted her presence lingering near me through our master-servant bond, but it felt like she was content to simply listen and watch me go about my day normally.
I suppose for her it's a new and novel activity compared to things she's done in her life.
I envied the people I watched from my final class window that just started leaving even before the school day was over.
Unfortunately, my persona didn't allow that, as I was seen as one of the 'good kids.' Even if half the class got up and left, the teacher wouldn't say a word. But if I joined in, I would be called out by them.
After school finally let out, I didn't get on the bus and go home.
[Where are you headed, Master? This is not the direction of your homestead.] Lancer's voice chimed in my head.
[The Boardwalk. It's the more touristy era of the city, but they have some decent shops where we can buy you some clothes.] I responded. [And you can get a good look at more of how the people here are living.]
Though, this is technically more of the 'upper scale' parts of the city. Things were overpriced, but it's also 'safe,' which is why a lot of the native Brockton Bay residents shop here.
It was a bit of a walk, a little less than an hour when I put effort into it.
But luckily these sections were actually patrolled by the police, so there wasn't any noticeable crime happening.
Due to the presence of so many Cape gangs, crime in the Bay was rampant.
It really wasn't an exaggeration to say that I would get mugged if I was in the wrong parts of the city. Homelessness, drug addicts, literal Nazis, and Yakuza knockoffs—Brockton Bay was a shithole.
Ironically, towing the edge of 'Empire' territory was the safest.
You know it's bad when people—albeit of the right complexion—prefer to be near literal Nazis to feel safe.
[The world is busier than I remember.] Lancer said softly through the connection. [In my time, people were up from sunrise to sunsettending the fields, working their farms, or doing crafts. Yet it feels as if everyone here is in a hurry to be somewhere.]
[The world became quicker, and if you don't keep up, you get left behind.] I responded.
It must be jarring compared to her own time.
[There are more of those larger contraptions, with a variety of people on board. By my guess, those are useable by the populace, while the smaller ones are privately owned, yes?]
[Those are the public buses, yes.] I confirmed.
[Why not utilize one of those to reach your destination?] She asked curiously.
I considered how to answer her. [The buses for school are specifically for the kids going to and from school. You won't see any random people getting on it. The city buses are…not a pleasant experience and mostly used out of necessity.]
It was hard to explain until someone experienced it for themselves.
[There are good odds that quite a few people on the bus hadn't bathed in over a week.] I added it to emphasize my point.
I would rather put in the effort to walk rather than take the ten- to fifteen-minute bus ride that I could take if needed.
[Ah.] Her simple reply said more than further words could.
She's going to learn quickly that underneath all the bright lights and sounds, the world isn't really all that amazing.
With her not speaking anymore, my thoughts drifted elsewhere.
It was sort of a snap decision to want to pursue astrology as my main craft, but after sitting on it for a bit, I wasn't against it even now.
I already had the resources available, and I had some great ideas on how to utilize various mechanisms to create my own set of spells.
Those idle thoughts were enough to last me until I finally felt the salty air of the bay as we got closer to the water.
Contrary to the name, the boardwalk wasn't directly up against the bay.
It's not like the city was a major beach spot; it was a shipping location, so the 'water side view' wasn't spectacular by any means.
Being a weekday, the crowds were rather thin as well.
[There are plenty of clothing stores; feel free to pick one that piques your interest.] I told her as I began walking after just picking a direction.
[I see one that I believe will suffice. To your left three doors ahead.] She responded after a few minutes.
I look at the store; it reads Boardwalk Boutique.
How original.
Thankfully, it looked rather empty of both shoppers and employees. Only a handful of people from what I could first spy. And it sold both men's and women's clothing, so that made things just a tad less awkward.
I entered and didn't immediately move; things were separated as one would expect. Women's in one corner, men's in the other. It was a tad on the bigger side, almost like a larger retail.
[Do you think you could estimate your sizes?] I sent it to her.
[I believe I can make do.]
I grunted and made my way back towards the women's, passing through the younger girl's sections until we got to the adults.
Ah, please stop here. Are these the undergarments of this era?
I just nodded to her question. [Pick out whatever you want.]
[Thank you, Master.] I could hear the very faint twinge of happiness.
While astralized, I couldn't really 'sense' her normally. But due to our connection, I also sort of had this faint idea of where she was? It was hard to articulate, like an extra sense I didn't have before and still have a hard time processing mentally.
But from the link, I could more or less tell she was carefully moving around me, looking at the stuff.
Likewise, while Astalized, she couldn't interact with the object.
[Master, can you please take this piece of fabric off the rack and hold it up for me to view?] She asked. [The white one to your right.]
I was turning around as she gave me directions and found what she wanted.
I took off the pair of panties and held them up for her.
[Yes, thank you. I wish to purchase this piece of fabric.]
[I'll hold onto it, we'll pay for everything at the end.] I informed her.
[Thank you, Master.] She responded politely. [Why is that woman staring at you?]
The woman in question, a middle-aged woman at that, was giving me the stink eye from a few aisles away.
As I met her gaze, she quickly turned around as if to put distance between us.
[She probably thinks I'm a pervert.]
[I am confused.]
[I'm holding up women's underwear, I look very suspicious right now.] I explained it to Artoria, who most likely missed the obvious due to her warped perspective.
[It's merely undergarments; is it something so shameful?]
[It's something sexualized quite heavily. And this particular…item is of a certain intimate nature?] I was being very careful with my words.
She picked out something a bit on the…risqué side.
I was thankful for my 'mask'; otherwise, I know I would be very embarrassed right now if I wasn't pulling it down tight.
It was a rather awkward conversation and situation.
[I see.]
I was genuinely wondering if she did.
Regardless, get this over with quickly and not have to deal with it again. She can buy her own clothes after this.
[What is the chest garment called?]
[A bra]
[Hmm, I don't believe any of these 'Bras' are of large enough size to be comfortable.]
I felt my eye twitch.
Was she intentionally teasing me, or was she really just that oblivious?
[There are…specialty stores for larger sizes.] I forced myself to respond without a change in tone.
[Truly? That is pleasant to hear. I was not looking forward to forcing one of these 'bras' to constrict my bosom daily.] She sounded a smidge happy again. If such is the case, I will acquire a bra at a later date. Shall we move onto a set of clothing now?]
I just nodded absentmindedly.
I wasn't a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but there was a special level of awkwardness happening right now. Maybe it's because we were still essentially strangers, yet we were discussing the topic of her notably large breasts.
Well, with that done, the awkward parts are finished.
[Do you see anything that you like?] I asked her as we started browsing the actual clothing. Different pants, shirts, etc.
[It's very different than what I'm used to.] She admitted. [However, I see nothing that I particularly dislike. However, I believe I prefer clothing that covers me more rather than less.]
[No skirts or dresses or short sleeves then?]
[Yes, that sounds correct.]
Even she was unsure, it seemed.
I felt her slowly move around me as if to inspect everything, but even after several minutes, it didn't seem like she picked anything in particular.
[I confess, I am having a difficult time.] She finally spoke up again. [Would it be remiss if I asked for assistance?]
I blinked because I wanted to say something like, 'Do you think I'm knowledgeable about women's fashion?' but in all honesty, I probably had a much better idea. And with her personality, asking for help like this meant she truly was out of her depth.
[Alright, let me see what I can find.]
I really hope she doesn't ask how I know her sizes.
[Line break]
I walked down the street, bags in hand, until I came upon the mall.
Brockton Bay Mall wasn't massive, but it was about average, especially for some random West Coast city like this.
And considering how shitty the city is, it was actually a relatively safe and clean place.
And I knew it like the back of my hand. Apparently my previous self often came here to do shopping or other things. Partly because I actually owned a significant portion of the actual mall through some subsidiary companies.
Once more, I'm startled by my material wealth when it's right in front of me.
I even had a special key card that let me get into places I technically shouldn't be allowed in. Though a simple call would sort out any mishaps with security.
There's actually even a reason for owning the mall—mostly.
It has one of about a dozen safe houses around the city.
Magi are nothing if not paranoid. My family wouldn't live in a city this long, have financial control over it as much as they did, and not plan for the worst-case scenarios.
There was a closed-down golf store in one of the further ends of the mall. Next to it was a store with a big 'coming soon' banner strewn across from it.
On the other side of the walkway were a couple of stores that saw very little traffic.
All of this was planned out.
These four stores were all specifically 'owned' by my family rather than all the other stores inside the mall renting out space from other entities. The golf store was never going to reopen or change. The 'coming soon' store was never going to be filled.
The other two storefronts, while open, barely had anyone come on the best of days, even if there was an employee or two staffing them.
It all looked…normal.
No one questioned it.
The perfect place to run to in an emergency. If I'm being chased, well, the mall has plenty of huge crowds that I can duck into and eventually make my way to this little corner.
Between the Golf Store and the 'coming soon' store, there was a little doorway hiding in a small corridor that read 'Employees only.'
There was even a camera hanging over it that didn't connect to the mall's main surveillance equipment.
I walked up to the door and swiped my personal key card; hearing it click, I pushed it open to reveal a rather mundane space.
It looked like an office break room at first glance, so even if someone accidentally came in here, they'd suspect nothing. Through a couple more doors to the right that required an actual entry code, it led to the real safe room.
But this is what I needed.
"You can come out." I said out loud.
Lancer astralized in front of me. She wasn't wearing her armor this time, but her blue leathers. And while I didn't voice it out loud, I would freely admit, damn.
No wonder she couldn't find a retail bra her size.
"This is a safe location?" She looked around curiously.
"I'll get you a key card later just in case." Not that she would need it for a 'safe house' like I would, but I wasn't going to be stingy. "One of my families' panic rooms." I jerked my thumb to the right. "A magically reinforced safe room that way. And to the other side, there's a small room you can use to change." I handed her the bags.
She perked up just a tiny bit, but her expressions were still hard to read. "I will return momentarily."
The moment turned into several minutes before she returned.
"Does this look acceptable?" She asked after reentering the room.
You know, I think I sort of get those old cartoons where the character turns into a drooling mess when seeing a beautiful woman.
I had self-control and all that, but I think my monkey brain wanted to break out of confinement.
She wore pretty simple high-waisted jeans with a simple white sweater tucked in. She had…not quite heels, or maybe they were. I couldn't claim to know what they were officially called, but they had less of a back lift to them. And she wore a beige-brown coat to round it all off.
It was simple, not overly fashionable, but the only word that could be used to describe her was beautiful.
Magus training—engage.
"You look very lovely." I did my best to not stare too long.
Her lips slowly rose up into a smile. Something I've barely been able to see thus far since summoning her. "I very much like that compliment, thank you."
As…frank as her response was, it had a weird genuineness to it.
I feel like if there was a Servant Bond status bar, it would have just gone up a level.
"However, I am unsure about something." She turned so her back was facing me, and to my astonishment, she put her hands on her butt and pushed it up. "These trousers are rather tight around my behind. Is it supposed to be this way?"
I would almost certainly believe she was teasing me if I couldn't see the rather obvious obliviousness on her face.
"...It's supposed to be that way." I forced myself to turn away. "They're meant to emphasize your…rear." I made sure to be polite about it.
"Ah." She blinked. "Why is that?"
"...people find the rears of women attractive." I said with a completely straight face.
Lancer looked contemplative. "I seem to recall many of my knights commenting on the large behinds of women, but I hadn't given it much thought until now. So men enjoy large women's behinds?" She muttered. "How interesting; I have learned something new."
I didn't know what to respond with.
Yes, men love fat asses like yours that could smother their faces when you sit on them.
Even before she became Goddess Rhongmyniad, she was rather oblivious about sexual appeal or romance in general, from what I remember.
She wasn't some idiot; literally for her entire life, she simply had absolutely no thoughts towards these sorts of things and was genuinely learning about them for the first time.
It's kind of endearing how innocent she is with stuff like this.
"Would you like to get something to eat?" I offered, trying to change the subject. I know that mall food wasn't exactly upscale, but for her, I think watching a bunch of regular people going about their daily lives was more interesting.
"I would quite like that, Master." Saber responded as I led her back outside.
This time, her curiosity was practically palpable. From turning into an invisible watcher to another amongst the crowd.
I think there was a moment of shyness? But that quickly disappeared, and her confident self made a return. Maybe I was just imagining things.
And as I expected, many people were looking at her as we passed by.
I wondered if it was a goddess thing or just her natural state that drew in the looks. She did have a sort of supernatural charm about her even when she wasn't trying. And not in an 'I'm beautiful' sort of way, but the charismatic kind that just unconsciously had people follow you.
There was a reason she had managed to wrangle the cats that were the Knights of the Round Table during her tenure as king.
"There's something occurring up ahead; a crowd has gathered." Lancer informed me before we turned the corner.
And she was right; there was a large crowd gathered, and there was seemingly a makeshift stage set up. Like one of those just raised up off the ground by a couple feet that could be assembled or disassembled in an hour if needed.
"That would be because of the Wards." I replied, coming to a stop at her side. "I told you about them before."
"Ah, yes." She tilted her head, looking at him. "These 'younger superheroes.'" She quoted, and I think I detected a hint of disdain? "What are they doing?"
"PR Stunt." I said without thinking as she shot me a confused look. "Public Relations. Mingling with the people to affirm their image. 'Look at me, I'm just a normal person you can approach,' or something along those lines."
She hummed. "I see. I believe I've done such things in the past, but not so flamboyantly. Perhaps the equivalent would be a tournament. It was important for the peasants to have a strong sense of faith in the protectors of the realm."
By "flamboyant," she was probably referring to the people posing for pictures or them signing autographs.
At least in an old medieval tournament, her knights would be showing their skills and prowess in various fields to gain honor and glory.
Here, they're just…modeling, I suppose.
"It should be noted that it also helps ease the idea of 'superpowered' individuals among them, especially those underage with the authority to arrest people."
"I had not considered such a thing." She admitted. "My memories tell me that humans of this era should be unaccustomed to feats of power and strength that these 'Capes' display. Thus, I can assume that such things still create unease."
"More or less." I nodded. "Though, it's been a few decades since 'powers' have appeared. It's mostly because of how chaotic it makes things. How 'beyond the law' some superpowered people can be. What are normal humans supposed to do when a random Parahuman could overturn local government if they wanted? As much as I look down on the stunts that the PRT does—like this—it does help ease tension in the city."
Just because I thought the PTR was a joke didn't mean I was oblivious to the actual good they did.
In all honesty, a stunt like this most likely does more to help than any of these dumb kids wandering around trying to play cops and robbers.
It is objectively better to have the PRT in my city right now rather than not.
Though, the moment that changes, I should consider how much I can leverage to shut them down or get them to move elsewhere.
I don't think I've ever had to flex my financial or political power to that extent before, so it would take some planning if I ever came to that point.
I could see Lancer furrow her brow. "Their posture is…odd. How are they trained? Their footing speaks of lack of experience in how they shift their weight with each step."
If it were some random person spouting that sort of thing, I'd think they were just throwing out bullshit. But I was only impressed that she was able to glean something like that merely from sight.
"Training?" I raised an eyebrow. "You severely overestimate them."
She has expressed confusion multiple times today, but I think this was the first time I've seen her generally taken aback. "But they are your defenders, are they not?"
"Defenders is a…..strong word." My lips thinned, thinking of a good example to use. "They're…squires. Squires that don't even get to touch sharp weapons, touch the horses, or wear armor."
"Then what is their purpose? That seems very contradictory and illogical."
"Their purpose is to primarily keep a watchful eye on a bunch of superpowered, volatile kids." I replied with a small snort. "It's babysitting with extra steps."
Lancer was silent for a moment before opening her mouth again. "I find myself disappointed."
And that's the name of Earth Bet's album.
"Do you want to go get an autograph?" I asked, seeing her continuing to look intently in their direction.
"Yes," she nodded, and I wasn't quite sure she even knew what an 'autograph' was.
Silently, we moved to the line and queued up.
It was moving rather fast, probably because the wards were split up and you could queue up for whoever you wanted. I wasn't really paying attention to who we were queued for until we got close.
It was the ward with a bunch of clock motifs on his 'armor.'
"What is the name of this Ward, Master?" Lancer asked, thankfully in a hush tone.
I cleared my throat and glanced both ways to see if anyone heard. "Can you not call me that in public, please?" I was polite in my request even if it came off as a bit anxious. "People may assume the worst; I'll explain later."
"Very well." She just accepted it easily.
"His name is Clockblocker." I started, and I could see her eyes light up with another question, but I could guess it. "Capes have a 'superhero' name. Usually something leaning towards descriptive; you can consider it equivalent to a Servant's class title."
It wasn't a perfect fit, but she had no context for it, I think.
"Ah, I understand. I have fond memories of Knights joining my tournaments under pseudo names or titles, often something absurd for comedic effect." She had a faint, if whimsical, smile as she appeared nostalgic. "What are his abilities?"
"He can freeze things in time." I said bluntly, only recalling the basics.
Lancer blinked again. "Truly?"
I nodded. "It sounds more…amazing than it is."
She appeared contemplative again. "I will need to research these 'Capes' further. The concept of time manipulation is difficult even to one such as I."
I wasn't worried about someone overhearing us; at this point I realized she was making it so sound didn't travel beyond our immediate personal space.
The line moved rather quickly. And compared to the other lines, there were significantly fewer people here, so we came to the front within a few minutes.
It was also a neat opportunity to take a look at Clockblocker's armor, even if it was kind of useless. I had never actually seen tinker tech up close before.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" He sort of froze for a moment as his eyes landed on Artoria. Though, credit where it's due, he caught himself rather quickly. "Did you come to check out the Wards? Do you want an autograph or a picture?"
"Good evening, young man." Artoria smiled politely.
"Good evening to you too, madam." Clockblocker responded, and due to his helmet showing the bottom of his face, I could see his smile shoot up.
Smooth.
"Tell me, Ser Clockblocker, why did you aspire to be a 'Ward'?" She asked.
I don't think he found the question strange, mostly because Artoria definitely had an accent, indicating she wasn't from around here; thus, certain Cape societal norms wouldn't be prevalent where she's from.
"Every cape, big or small, has a duty to protect the people, ma'am!" He sounded like he rehearsed that response, probably from classes in PR.
"How honorable." Artoria seemed to accept it, though, so maybe he was being truthful even if he was blurting out a PR-approved statement?
Well, from what I remember, Clockblocker was a genuinely nice guy.
"May I request one of your 'autographs'?" She then asked, not bothering with any other inquiries.
Clockblocker perked up. "Of course, anything you want!" He thinks he noticed his own eagerness, because I saw the faintest hue of red on his cheeks. He then turned to me. "And your…friend?"
Huh, I never told her what to refer to us as in public.
[Just call me your neph—]
"My betrothed." Artoria answered.
My mind came to a screeching halt, and it appeared so did Clockblocker.
"...dios mio." He whispered.
I think I heard a 'lucky bastard' whispered under his breath again.
I'm very happy that I'm nearly an adult legally, and I look to be an adult.
I stop myself from overly reacting, though.
"Make it out to Frederick Verde, and one to Artoria…Ectorius." She glanced at me as I used that as her last name, but she didn't question me in front of him.
"...right, one second." He grabbed two pictures and scribbled our names and wrote a polite message on them. "Enjoy, and thanks for coming! The Wards are proud to serve Brockton Bay—protecting our city and building a better tomorrow!"
That last part definitely felt rehearsed and something I'm guessing they're forced to say after every 'meet and greet.'
Artoria and I took our autographs before leaving.
"You appeared startled by my lie." She noticed that it seems. "Did I choose the incorrect identity to falsely use?"
I pursed my lips. "Why…betrothed?"
"You purchased me gifts, and I will be living at your home while you are an unmarried young man. I did not wish to sully your reputation by making others believe you to be a libertine. I thought if I lied to say I was your betrothed, such rumors would not spread if I am seen coming and leaving your homestead."
I…think that word means someone who is morally loose with their lustfulness?
Basically a man whore in this context.
"Why not aunt and nephew or cousins?"
Lancer tilted her head. "We look nothing alike; our features would not lend to such close familialness. If someone did not believe such a lie, then it would appear we were hiding a more scandalous relationship. I do not mind if others believe such things of me, but as you are my master, I must be conscientious of your reputation." She said firmly. "And this allows the close proximity we will be in due to our contract without raising questions. I have seen many a young bachelor lose their chance at proper marriages due to such claims."
"...Let's shelf that for now." I could understand her logic now; she was trying to protect my reputation in her own flawed way.
There was just far too much to articulate about why that's wrong in this era.
"If I may ask, why did you use that incorrect name for me?" She changed the subject.
"The name Pendragon isn't something used in modern day; it would raise some eyebrows for sure with how famous it is. And I recalled the name of your adoptive father to be 'Ector,' and I recalled some tidbits that some interpretations of writings or stories from that era have him noted as 'Ectorius,' which sounds like a proper family name? That was my thought anyway. I apologize if you don't like it."
It was the first thing that came to my mind.
"Ectorius." She repeated. "In honor of Ser Ector." Her lips curled up again into a surprisingly warm smile. "I quite like it, Master. Thank you for the name."
I found myself smiling too; it was rather contagious when she did it. "As long as you like it."
It's the least I could do for my betrothed.
God, that's going to be another awkward talk, isn't it?
[Line break]
The day had been…eventful.
I mentally joked about Artoria's gluttony when I had lunch earlier today at school, but seeing it firsthand was…interesting.
I don't understand how someone can look so regal while shoveling plates of food into their mouth.
We wandered around until it got dark and the sun set.
She looked curiously at the streetlights, as it's her first time seeing them in action like this.
Her summoning presumably gave her certain 'memories,' but even knowing how they work, it must be something novel to her just as well.
Normally, you really shouldn't be walking back after dark like this in the streets of Brockton Bay, even in the 'safer' parts of the city. But…I was frankly unconcerned about that considering both myself and who was at my side.
If an Endbringer suddenly jumped out of the sewer, I was fairly confident that Lancer could handle it while I ran away like a scared child.
A pleasant end to a pleasant evening.
If Lancer is going to stay by my side for a long time, I believe we will get along well enough.
Just as I thought that, she stopped in her tracks. "I smell something foul mixed with an intense scent of blood."
…and it was a pleasant day.
"Define 'foul.'" I told her.
"Not something mundane."
I frowned, hoping I could have just anonymously called the police or something. "Take me to it."
If something was beyond the mundane, then my job as second owner compelled me to investigate.
With a nod, Lancer turned and moved between two buildings, some type of office complex.
The alleys behind them twisted and turned a bit, and we got a little far off the proverbial beaten path until some of the less public-facing buildings started to look more run-down and unkempt.
"Here." She told me as we came to a door that looked slightly indented. Like something had been pushing on it.
And also, oddly, it was a door made of metal.
"There's something inside." She added, donning her armor with a short burst of magical energy.
"Let's be quiet about it." I said in a whisper as I gently ran my finger along the door to pulse magical energy into it.
It's a very simple trick to just see if there are any 'obvious' tricks since I didn't notice any other spells or bounded fields around this place.
I reached into my pocket and took out a Sharpie, drawing a symbol on the door that looked like an eye along with a few runes.
"Resonance, key, align, pattern—open." I chanted in a hushed whisper as my magical energy flared, and the various locks on the door—quite a few of them—noticeably slammed open.
I pressed a finger against the door, barely any pressure, and with a creak, it slowly began to awkwardly swing open, as apparently even the hinge of it had been broken.
I could smell the blood at this point.
And there were scratches and tears all in the hallway that opened up before us.
Like something had been clawing at anything and everything.
Artoria shot in front of me and grabbed something that leapt out of the darkness that I could barely see for a brief second: two glowing red eyes.
She slammed it to the ground, and it hissed and screeched as it tried to claw at her as well.
I felt my anger rising, and I couldn't hold back the venom in my tone. "Why is there a Ghoul in my city!?"
Ghouls were created by Dead Apostles.
There was a Dead Apostle in my city!
"Kill it." I hissed, and she obliged, snapping its neck and then stomping on it for good measure. "Ansuz." I flicked my finger, producing one of the few runes I was familiar with thanks to Bazett's teachings.
The corpse ignited and jumped to the blood splatters as well, and I made sure to clean that up.
"There are more." Lancer informed me.
"Anything living in this building?" I asked her, knowing her intuition and senses were strong enough to know.
She simply shook her head.
"Kill them," I told her as I stepped back outside.
I did some quick calculations in my head, mostly gauging the distance from this building to the others.
I cast Reinforcement on myself and carefully pushed a dumpster a few more feet away from the building as I inspected the perimeter.
I could hear some muffled sounds from inside, a few rough hits, some hissing and what-not, but this building seemed abandoned, and the ones around it didn't fare much better. A good place to apparently hide something like this.
I drew Ansuz over various places at the base of the building.
It was crude, but it would suffice.
Artoria rejoined me some minutes later just as I was finishing up. "There were dead bodies, not those of ghouls, intentionally thrown inside it seems."
"Ghouls can wither quickly if they're not fed." I spat out as I actualized all the runes at once, and immediately the building ignited from the base and started climbing upwards.
Burn away all the traces.
Don't need any morons thinking this was some biotinker nonsense and messing around with Dead Apostle shit.
May you live in interesting times, indeed.
"Let's go before the police show up." I grunted as I followed Artoria's lead and left.
There's a fucking Dead Apostle in my city.
It's going to regret coming here.
[Line Break]
A/N
A long chapter, most of it was spent on a bit of slice of life as it builds up their relationship and acclimates everything to this world before things start moving. I didn't want to immediately jump into huge plots or fights.
Artoria's archaic sincerity crashes against Frederick's dry pragmatism.
If you want to support me, or read a chapter ahead visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a boosty if you can't use the above under the same name.