(Attendance… plz…)
….
Gojo and Sakura, with Waver and Iskandar beside them, stepped out of the cafe after their talk and business deal was done.
Waver still couldn't really believe what had just happened. He didn't expect the Holy Grail War to be like this, sitting in a cafe making deals.
Then again, it was his first time participating, and he had entered by going behind Professor Kayneth's back, so it wasn't like he knew how these things normally went anyway.
As Gojo turned to leave, Waver suddenly remembered one of the most basic things he should have asked, but had completely forgotten in the middle of all the stress.
"Wait, but how would I... we get in contact with you?" Waver asked. "Like if we find something, or you do first?"
While they had made a deal, they hadn't actually discussed how they would communicate. Usually, people just exchanged phone numbers and talked over the phone. For magi, they could use familiars to contact the other party, or even send someone over using mental manipulation as long as they covered their tracks.
Gojo stopped and thought about it. He did wonder about magic in this world. It was fundamentally different from cursed energy. Back home, sorcerers used cursed energy to strengthen their bodies and fuel certain fixed techniques. But here, people with magical energy and circuits could use magic to perform a ton of different techniques based on their circuits and research.
Well, that was a topic for another time. He looked back at Waver and replied, "Sorry kid. I don't have a mobile yet... didn't really think of that. But it's not like we need them. There's no need to contact each other, we will just meet."
He thought for a second and added, "If I find this Caster first, I will just deal with him on the spot. Wait... do you actually have to land the killing blow to get the Command Spell?"
"Hmm. Yes," Waver answered then remembering something. "Actually, the supervisor explicitly mentioned that one has to kill the Caster to get the reward of the Command Spell. But I suppose one can also transfer the credit to another, I think." He didn't know the exact rules of the Grail War too much himself.
Gojo put a finger on his chin. "I see. Well, either way, according to our deal, I will let you land the killing blow. I don't wanna mess it up. You will know when I call you, so don't worry about that. Bye-bye for now, happy hunting for the real Caster."
He gave a wave and began walking down the road, with Sakura quietly following along, holding his pinky finger.
Waver and Iskandar were left standing on the sidewalk.
"So, should we get going now?" Iskandar asked. "I'm in a mood for some hunting after all the food. The real caster would be best fitting for that role."
Hearing that, Waver remembered just how much his Servant had eaten in the cafe. He looked up at Iskandar and questioned him. "About that, do Servants actually have to eat at all? Like, do you even feel hungry in the first place?"
Iskandar just laughed at first. "Hahaha! Hunger? No, not in the way humans do. A Servant can fight without eating for as long as their Master supplies mana."
His grin widened as he continued. "But tell me, boy, if a feast worthy of kings lies before me, should I simply ignore it? That would be an insult to both the cook and the meal. A conqueror does not pass by fine wine or good food simply because he does not need them. One enjoys the riches of the world because they exist to be enjoyed! Especially that parfait or was it parfrait no it was surely Parfait."
Waver didn't know why he had even bothered asking. He already knew exactly what kind of answer he would get from his Servant. He let out a long sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"...And did you think about who was going to pay. As it happened, I was the one who had to pay for all of that."
Iskandar laughed heartily, his booming voice drawing the attention of several pedestrians walking nearby.
"WAHAHAHA! Pay? What conqueror has ever needed to pay for his meals?" He spread his arms proudly, as if he were addressing an entire army rather than a single exhausted teenager. "When a king conquers a nation, the food upon its tables becomes the king's food. The wine becomes the king's wine. Such is the privilege earned through conquest."
Waver deadpanned. "...Unfortunately, it is not your era and so none of those kingdom, nations belong to you anymore."
"..."
For a brief second, Iskandar simply blinked. Then another roar of laughter escaped him.
"WAHAHAHAHA! A fair point, my boy!" He clapped Waver's shoulder hard enough that the smaller magus nearly stumbled forward onto the pavement. "Then until I conquer this kingdom, I suppose I'll have to rely on my Master's generosity."
"...That's not generosity," Waver muttered under his breath. "That's my wallet crying."
Iskandar ignored the complaint entirely.
Waver sighed. "Let's get out of here before more people start staring at us. We have a lot of work to do. And I think we should get you a new pair of clothes if you're just going to appear outside like this... I can't have you walking around in these clothes."
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Iskandar asked, looking down at his clothes.
"Everything."
"They are magnificent."
Waver sighed again. "Exactly."
…
Meanwhile…
Gojo, having parted ways with the unexpected Master and Servant duo, was smiling as he walked down the road with Sakura. He had gained a lot of information and set up a few things.
He now knew that everything in the war was currently on pause. If he were to go out and find another Servant, for instance, Assassin once again, and killed them, he would be actively defying and violating the Church's direct orders. If he did that, he would become the target for every other Master and Servant in the city too.
Not like he wasn't already…
But that also meant he didn't have to go around finding Servants, because they would just come to him directly, and he could deal with them all instantly. He actually considered doing it right now, but then dismissed it altogether.
"Whatever, we have plenty of time," he muttered to himself.
Hearing that, Sakura turned her head to look at him. Gojo noticed her gaze and just smiled. "It's nothing."
He had noticed that she didn't really react to most of the things around her. They had just sat in a cafe and discussed murder, assassins, and a Holy Grail War, and she hadn't even batted an eye like it wasn't worth her time. In reality, she probably just didn't understand any of it at all. Not to mention, even he didn't really know what was considered normal for her, considering the state he had found her in.
She didn't react, she didn't show much, and even when she talked, it was just quiet and without any emotion.
Gojo let out a small sigh. He reached down, ruffled her hair, and said, "It's all gonna be okay soon. Let's find this hide and seek bastard."
….
A/N: sorry for this late and ahort chapter. Though you don't have to wait this long for the next one… i think :)
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