Chapter 64: The Lords' Meeting
The "Clock Tower" serves as the current headquarters of the Association, located on the outskirts of London, England.
The name is tied to a structure resembling Big Ben. Newer than other departments, its history spans approximately 2,000 years, founded in the first year of the Common Era (though Clock Tower 2015 suggests the 2nd century AD), growing and developing as a cutting-edge research institution.
The Clock Tower's sphere of influence covers Western Europe; ninety percent of Western European magi choose the Clock Tower. Compared to the outdated Wandering Sea, this place is filled with brand-new theories. The Clock Tower is now the center of the Mage's Association—one could say it is the Association itself.
With branches established worldwide, an individual officially becomes a member of the Association after their aptitude and soul color are audited and registered. Magi from all over the world gather here, honing their craft day and night, while simultaneously exerting energy to pull down rival factions, compete for power, and secure budgets. The organizational structure is complex and bizarre—certainly not of one mind—but their magecraft research is undoubtedly the most advanced in the world.
The Clock Tower also manages patents related to magecraft; the Tohsaka family's current finances are maintained by the patent fees accumulated to this day. While the Mage's Association is composed of three major organizations—the Clock Tower, the Atlas Institute, and the Wandering Sea—in the modern era, "Mage's Association" usually refers specifically to the Clock Tower. To almost everyone, it is the true base of operations, a major power in the magical world, and an academy that has produced numerous famous magi.
However, behind its long history, darkness lurks. After auditing aptitude and soul color and registering, one becomes a member. As long as one possesses the talent and a clean background, there aren't many obstacles to joining. The prerequisite, of course, is money; the Great Classroom is open to all students, but the tuition is far from cheap. Besides magecraft courses, the basic curriculum includes self-defense. Furthermore, the Faculty of Law and Governance opens its doors to those aspiring to be politicians.
To freelance magi not affiliated with the Association, it is an authoritative group buried in internal strife; to future magi dreaming of a career, it is a desirable academic city for research and success; to the old-timers buried in research, it is merely a convenient, unremarkable daily routine where facilities can be shared.
At this very moment within the Clock Tower, a group of "Brand" (Color) rank magi have gathered for an emergency meeting. Magi are typically assigned ranks based on their strength, from highest to lowest:
Grand (Crown)
Brand (Color) Pride (Order) Fes (Festival) Cause (Opening) Count (Blue) Frame (Startup)
Although the highest rank is set as "Grand," those who can reach it are few and far between globally. Thus, at the Clock Tower, "Brand" is effectively the highest active rank. Because of the recent abnormal magical fluctuations in Fuyuki City and the subsequent reports from Association magi there, ten of the Twelve Lords are participating in this meeting.
Among them, only Marisbury Animusphere of the Celestial Body Faculty and Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald of the Mineralogy Faculty are absent. Marisbury remains in long-term seclusion in the mountains, rarely involving himself in Clock Tower affairs, while Lord Kayneth had previously traveled to Fuyuki City and remains missing.
"Everyone, the reason we are gathered here... I assume you were all informed before coming?" An old woman spoke first. She was the current Lord of the Faculty of Creation, Inorai Valualeta Atroholm, a flamboyant old lady with short hair.
Responding to Inorai was an incredibly powerful-looking man, his well-tailored suit bulging against his muscular physique. This man was McDanell Trambelio Elrod, the head of the Trambelio family, one of the Three Great Aristocrats. He is the pinnacle of the democratic faction and controls the First Faculty: General Fundamentals (Mystile).
"In the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, the Servant summoned by the Einzbern family has boarded a plane for London. I expect they will arrive shortly.
While Servants are merely Heroic Spirits of the past, their power is immense. This trip to London is likely not for sightseeing." McDanell's statement caused several people to pale slightly.
As magi of only "Pride" rank began to panic, a woman spoke in a cold voice.
"To be reduced to such a pathetic state by a single Servant... it seems your titles of Lord were granted for nothing."
That woman was the current head of one of the Three Great Aristocrats—Barthomeloi—Barthomeloi Lorelei, regarded as the "top magus of the modern era." She serves as the Vice-Director of the Clock Tower.
Lorelei is the current Wizard Marshal who commands the Choir (Clones) unit, and her magical attribute is Wind. She is a vampire hunter who has defeated two of the twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors and handed them over to the Church.
She is an orthodox magus who does not possess any specific specialized magecraft. However, because all her abilities have reached the zenith, she achieves excellent results in any situation. Among magi, there are those who seek pure strength without pursuing special abilities; she is the perfect archetype of that group.
Lorelei herself is the strongest magus; the sight of her leading an elite unit of fifty strictly selected magi to eradicate enemies is like a young monarch conducting a symphony orchestra. Although the team members behind her are all first-rate magi, Lorelei is capable of facing a Dead Apostle Ancestor on her own without them.
Lorelei's words made the expressions of most present turn even darker.
"Barthomeloi, we cannot accept that statement. Not all Lords rely on combat to hold their current positions."
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