「 Alistair's POV. 」
Watching as the guests slowly left through Westminster Abbey's great north door, I easily spotted the only figure not heading out of the church, but rather further into it, heading off to a corner closer to the Quire.
Knowing who it was, I couldn't help but let out a small sigh. It was best to not keep him waiting, as both of us were busy people, and he'd shown the proper courtesy by coming here.
As I prepared to stand up, I felt a gentle squeeze on my arm, causing me to look to the side at Morgan. She had once more taken to wearing her veil for this occasion, causing her face to be completely obscured.
"I think he can wait for another minute or so," she said gently, before nudging her head in the direction of the cathedral's towers. "Besides, the bell should toll soon, so it would be more appropriate for us to pay our respects until then," she suggested, causing me to pause and release a shaky, relieved sigh.
Patting the hand she had used to wrap around my other arm, I gave her the best smile I could muster given the circumstances. "Thank you," I said gratefully, before returning my gaze to the coffin in the center of the Quire.
It lay upon an elevated platform, with the large red flag embroidered with a golden dragon draped over it.
No Imperial State Crown, no Sovereign's Scepter, no Crown Jewels, no nothing.
It was simple, and fitting in some ways.
Mother never cared for any of them in life, as she saw them more as trinkets for the 'monarchy', along with a fancy collection of stones, rather than anything substantial, but the lack of any of them gnawed at me.
It was so difficult for me not to order the Windsors to fork them over for the funeral; the only thing that stayed my hand was understanding why I wanted them to be there. The reason being that I wanted to compensate… to compensate for the empty casket.
That one realisation caused me to not ask for them, as it would make the proceedings feel even more hollow, for all three of the Crown Jewels to be there, but no monarch to pair them with.
But even so, the minimalist approach, for all the logical reasoning behind it, still just felt hollow, much like the casket itself.
Before I could further spiral down that line of thought, I was brought out of it by the sound of a bell chiming.
Breaking eye contact with the casket, I leaned in my seat and closed my eyes, trying my best to calm down and prepare myself for what comes next.
…
…
…
…
Hearing the bell's tolls come to an end, I let out a small breath before opening my eyes. Time was up.
Pushing myself up from the pews, I was quickly followed by Amelia and Morgan who mirrored my actions.
Slowly shuffling out of the pews, we moved closer to the coffin, to the point that we were only a step away from touching the thing.
Looking at the casket, I couldn't help but feel that it was inefficient, and somewhat cheap. The only reason it was here was to act as a stand-in, and to give some closure.
But it was the best that I was going to get.
Stepping forward and pressing a hand on the coffin, I closed my eyes once more and let out a shaky breath.
We spent 19 years together, through rough times and smooth times, highs and lows, thick and thin. A long period of time for some, but utterly insufficient for most.
In the end, all that is left is a memory.
19 years of good and bad, but utterly irreplaceable.
So thank you for it all.
"Goodbye."
Letting my hand slip down from the coffin, I opened my eyes and took a step back. Pulling a handkerchief out of my pocket, I dabbed it at the corners of my eyes before repocketing it.
Looking to the side, I gave Amelia a small nod. "I'll give you some privacy, take your time, I have a guest I need to meet," I explained.
Amelia did not look back to me, choosing to keep her focus on the empty casket. "I'll take you up on that, thank you," she said quietly.
Understanding that she needed some alone time, I linked an arm together with Morgan, before heading toward the secluded corner where my guest was patiently standing.
As the two of us turned the corner, Morgan gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. "Are you up for this?" she asked in a low tone, ensuring that no one else heard us.
Taking in a deep breath, I turned my head to look at her, and gave her a slight nod. "Vacation's over; I have to be."
The upcoming meeting was equivalent to a 'first impression', as I was from now on Lord Pendragon, not the heir apparent. Add on to the fact that I'm on slightly shaky grounds in terms of being the 'only' Pendragon alive, and the fact that I could 'easily' end up with a Sealing Designation case, due to my abilities and lack of family.
How I acted now would be an indication of how I would act when at my 'lowest', which meant that I needed to put my best foot forward and stand strong.
Emotion had no place in this situation, regardless of the fact that I was at my own mother's funeral, and I would have to accept that.
Before Morgan could speak up, we turned the corner, allowing us to spot the man who had been waiting for us.
Dressed in a bespoke black suit, with his long brown hair tied in a low ponytail stood Lord Barthomeloi, though he was missing his usual cane.
Meeting his gaze, he gave a slight nod, before walking towards us, meeting us halfway.
"Good to see you, Lord Barthomeloi," I greeted with a nod, while extending my hand, which he instantly clasped. "I wouldn't miss this," he stated with a firm shake. "And please, call me Augustus in private, especially on a day such as today."
Letting go of his hand, I gave an approving nod. "Fair enough, and the same naturally applies to me," I added, getting a similar nod in return, before he glanced at Morgan.
"Would I be right in assuming you are the new Lady of the house?" he asked rhetorically. In response, Morgan unlinked our arms and gave a light curtsy. "Indeed you would," she said before straightening up and extending a hand. "Morgan Pendragon, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Grasping her hand, Augustus gave a firm shake. "Well met," he said approvingly, before releasing her hand, allowing Morgan to link her arm back up with me.
Seeing that the pleasantries were over, some small talk was to be expected before we got down to brass tacks.
Gesturing towards his leg, I gave him a raised brow. "Might I inquire about what happened to your leg? Last I checked, you needed the cane for full mobility," I asked with some curiosity.
For all I knew, he could have gotten it replaced a year ago, which was the last time I had seen him, but from what I knew, the prosthesis was really good and cost quite the pretty penny.
Smiling slightly, he tapped his leg with some appreciation. "The Aozaki girl's status as a Sealing Designation was appealed, and she was rather generous in her persuasion," he explained happily.
Raising a brow, I gave him a surprised look. "You signed off on her appeal?"
Shaking a head, he gave a slight chuckle. "Of course not, I will not be bought," he stated firmly, before shrugging. "Though the same could not be said with a couple of the more influential members of the judicial committee," he said with some amusement.
That is not too surprising. While most still had all their limbs and extremities, many still lost them on the eternal hunt for the Root. And say what you will about her character or practices, Touko Aozaki made the best prosthetics, by a large margin too.
Besides, this level of 'corruption' was rather minor, as I am fairly sure Touko likely still had a case that she could have won, but the 'donation' or the more likely excuse, her 'demonstration of her craft' given to the committee board members, merely greased the gears and got her appeal to go through faster.
Scoffing slightly, I gave him an unimpressed look. "How long do you think it will take for another Sealing Order to be slapped onto her?" I asked rhetorically, earning an amused huff from Augustus. "Three years, assuming she leaves my sphere of influence," he said confidently.
That was fast, even for Aozaki. "Is she dipping her toes in something she shouldn't be doing already?" I asked with some exasperation.
The slightly grim look that replaced his former expression spoke volumes. "She is looking into Family Crests," he stated gravely. "I'm not sure to what end, but knowing that she was passed over in favor of her younger sister, I'm forced to assume that she plans on stealing her crest, which means she might practice it on others before she tries it on her sister."
Frowning, I mulled it over for a bit. "That is possible… but the part of stealing others' Crests might be a bit of a stretch. All she'd need would be a willing participant to practice on; they could even create a one-circuit-sized crest for practice, to ensure that she wouldn't go running off with their actual crest," I countered.
Augustus gave a slight hum at that, seemingly thinking it over as well.
"Pardon me," Morgan interjected, causing the two of us to look at her. "But, your prosthesis," she said while pointing a finger at it. "How close to a perfect genetic match would you assume it registers as?"
Frowning slightly, Augustus glanced at it, before looking at Morgan. "Well, technically it is a 'puppet' limb, so zero. But with how my body interacts with it, I'd say it's a perfect match," he stated confidently.
"I see," Morgan mused while tilting her head slightly. "So, if she has a DNA sample from the original host, could she, in theory, graft that Crest onto one of her 'puppets'? As long as the puppet's genetic profile is properly matched, she could then wield every Crest she managed to obtain, right?"
I felt my eyes widen at her assumption, followed quickly by Augustus, who looked just as shocked.
"I seem to have been mistaken," Augustus stated flatly. "Three years is too long. Once I return to the Tower, I am placing a Sealing Designation on her the second I enter my office."
Nodding at his words, I gave a curt grunt of affirmation. "I think it is for the best that we cut this meeting short," I stated, before turning to look aside. "Morgan, the creature," I said with distaste, causing her to open her purse, and pull out a small vial containing blood.
She extended it towards Augustus with clear disgust present in her body language. "One Zouken Matou, or rather Makiri Zolgen," she said with displeasure.
Grabbing the vial, Augustus raised it up to the light to get a better look at it, before swirling the contents around, giving way to a red spiral-shaped crest worm to be seen pressing itself into the glass.
"Fascinating," he said in an unimpressed tone, before looking at me. "How did he solve the soul designation that comes from splitting himself across multiple familiars?" he asked with a hint of interest.
"He didn't," Morgan said curtly, causing him to look at her with clear disappointment. "Of course he didn't," he huffed in an unimpressed tone, before gaining a more understanding look. "At least that would explain his desperation for Heaven's Feel," he commented offhandedly, before returning his gaze at the worm.
"Still… I'll have my people rummage around in his memories, fragmented as they likely are, we might find something useful," he mused before pocketing the vial.
"I'll have my people confirm his identity, which will ensure that you won't get any flak for going after a member of the Clock Tower without a Sealing Order," he said before extending a hand, which I quickly grabbed.
"I'll see you at the gathering," he stated before raising a brow. "But would you be amenable to a meeting the day after? I have a few documents that need signing, and a few propositions to look over," he said, causing me to give a regretful look.
"Unfortunately, I have an appointment that day, and after that I'll likely be uncontactable, meaning you'll have to set up that meeting with Morgan," I said while releasing his hand.
Frowning in confusion, he glanced at Morgan, before focusing back on me. "I assume there is a good reason behind this, other than dumping all your work on your wife, so would you mind filling me in?"
I let out a slight chuckle at his comment, causing Morgan to tighten her grip on my arm, not that that stopped me.
"As much as I wish it was the former, it is mostly due to the fact that I'll be incredibly occupied for a prolonged period of time, likely at least three years, though at worst it could be a decade," I replied sourly, causing the man to frown.
"And who is it you're meeting, are they a part of the reason you'll be uncontactable?" he questioned.
"You could say that, Vice-Director," came a deep, aged voice from my left, causing me to snap my head in its direction.
Standing there, looking as if he had been there the entire time, stood a tall man with long, silver-white hair swept back from a lined face, with a short trimmed beard, sharp crimson eyes, and a slight, knowing smile. He wore a charcoal tailcoat over a crisp waistcoat and gloves, and rested one hand lightly on an ebony cane capped with a thumbnail-sized red gem.
"Wizard Marshal," Augustus ground out neutrally. "I didn't expect to see you here."
He thrummed his fingers on the large gem on his cane. "Why, I was invited of course!" he said pleasantly, before gesturing to me. "We had planned to have a little chat before your group's little power play meeting, so that we could arrange a proper date to discuss a possible arrangement."
I'm fairly sure he invited himself, I just didn't disagree with his assertion. And calling the gathering of the Clock Tower lords a 'power play meeting' is a bit demeaning, but not wrong. Not that I think Augustus agrees with that comparison.
"I see," Augustus said absentmindedly, before glancing at me.
The look he gave me made it clear that he was mentally reevaluating my mental health, likely concluding that I was too far gone, especially given that the obvious conclusion from the context clues was that I was planning on apprenticing under Zelretch. So all in all, a very fair reaction.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Augustus dusted some imaginary dust off his suit before fully facing Morgan and me.
"Well, I have work to do, so I will unfortunately need to leave now," Augustus stated, causing me to give him a nod of understanding. "A pity, but I am thankful you came at all," I returned kindly.
Nodding to us once more, he took a step back. "I'll see the two of you soon, until then," he said, before turning around and walking towards the exit.
"What a rude fellow," Zelretch huffed, causing me to look at him, allowing me to see the large grin he was sporting.
"Leaving this old man without saying goodbye," he said while mournfully shaking his head.
Raising a brow, I gave him a skeptical look. "You don't look too torn up about it," I stated, earning a chuckle from the old man.
"I suppose I don't," he concurred, before walking over to us and extending a hand. "About time we finally meet," he said, causing me to grab his extended hand. "Kischur Zelretch Schwienorg," he said while giving me a firm shake, before leaning forwards slightly. "But you may call me Zelretch."
Trying not to lean backwards at the sudden intrusion of my personal space, I raised a brow. "It's good to make your acquaintance, Zelretch. I am Alistair Pendragon, and I suppose you can just call me by my first name," I returned.
"Lovely, lovely," he said before breaking the handshake, causing the old man's eyes to lock onto Morgan.
"Ah, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised when you were summoned," he said while nodding approvingly at his own words. Placing a hand on his chin, he gently ruffled his beard. "Honestly, I was expecting someone like Galahad, or maybe even the male Arthur's Merlin bulldozing herself through the summoning system for her own amusement," he continued, and I could feel Morgan's grip on me tighten.
If anything, that at the very least confirmed that he knew about my unique summoning requirements, meaning he has likely heard one of the many talks between myself and Altrouge about the deal with Alaya. So that is a problem… maybe? I'm not sure, probably not as he himself is basically a casual transmigrator whenever it tickles his fancy, so I should be in the clear. But it's for the best to not touch the topic for now, and hope he doesn't tell anyone.
The only thing that confuses me is the comment about the genderbent Merlin. From what I know, she's a caster through and through, so it makes no sense. Then again, when has any Merlin made sense?
Still, best not to question the knowledge of the guy who fought the Crimson Moon, and won.
"Though I must say, I never imagined you'd get hitched by your own free will, and mellow out to this degree," he said with a nod. "Talk about character development."
Humming to himself, he raised his head, looking aimlessly to the side, somewhat as if he was in a daze. "Maybe I should meddle around a bit, see if it is a replicable scenario…" he mused in a low tone.
Morgan's grip was now starting to actually hurt, signifying that it was in my best interest to switch the topic, and get to the point.
"Zelretch," I said, causing the man to snap out of his musings, and fully place his attention on me. "Mind if we speed things along? I have Altrouge playing babysitter for Sakura, and I shudder to think what vocabulary she is learning from my little gremlin. So I'd like it if we hurried up for her sake."
Smiling, the old man nodded patiently. "Fair enough," he easily agreed, before raising an impressed brow. "And good on you for getting her out of the worm pit," he said with a nod. "It's always such a shame to see her potential being squandered due to trauma," he said wistfully, before donning a proud look. "Raise her well, and I'd happily take her on as a student."
…Was that a threat? I'm fairly sure it qualifies as one… but he looks so pleased, as if he is being generous.
Whatever…
"I'll put it under consideration," I lied dryly, causing Zelretch to nod along with a pleased look.
"Now, you wanted to apprentice under me, yes?" he stated eagerly, causing me to hold back a flinch at the smidgin of horror it brought forth.
"I believe I already declined that invitation," I countered diplomatically, causing the old figure to sigh. "Worth a shot, I was hoping you'd be too intimidated by my presence to say no."
… Why the fuck is he saying his scheme aloud? The old bastard has no shame!
"After knowing the fate of the last Pendragon who studied under you, I'd find it incredibly difficult to agree, regardless of the fear," I said, and I could feel my smile cramp up a bit while speaking.
The old man blinked a bunch, before lowering his hand from his beard. "Oh right… Henry…" he muttered, before shrugging. "It wasn't completely my fault."
"He jumped off Big Ben in what I can only describe as a 'magical-girl' outfit, while screaming about his 'transformation sequence' and some nonsense about the 'power of love' before skewering himself on the fence surrounding Westminster Hall," I countered.
Raising his hand, he pinched his thumb and index finger together, before creating some room between the two. "Alright, maybe I was a bit more at fault than I remember," he continued, before pointing at me.
"But I recall giving your family a favour in return, so we've moved past that, meaning there should be no issue with you learning under me," he rambled, only earning an unimpressed look from me in turn.
"Well, I am planning on cashing in that favour."
That snapped Zelretch out of his recruitment effort, causing the smile on his face to vanish. Suddenly looking a lot more businesslike than before.
"Is this what you wish to discuss with me? You want to cash in the favour I owe your family?" he asked in a serious tone.
The now serious Zelretch felt a lot more intimidating, but I knew now was not the best time to be intimidated. "Yes, I was hoping we'd be able to come to a favourable agreement," I stated, causing the old man to raise his brow.
"What sort of agreement? Are you looking for a commission for a Mystic Code, or some materials that can no longer be found in this age?" he rattled off a few questions, and I shook my head in denial.
"No, I'm not looking for a Mystic Code, or some materials, though I wouldn't be surprised if it ended with me getting a Mystic Code for convenience's sake," I replied, causing the old man to roll his eyes, indicating for me to get to the point.
"I need help with transportation, ideally allowing me to go from my house, to a location of my choosing," I explained.
Smiling slyly, Zelretch gave a low chuckle. "Planning on traveling to a different Grail War?" he asked with amusement. "Not a bad thought, but I'd need a bit more in return for all but guaranteeing you'd turn into a Magician."
Shaking my head, I noticed how he gained a slightly surprised look at my refusal. "No, as you likely know, I'm already planning on hosting another War, so I don't plan on attending one ahead of time," I refuted, before gaining a curious look. "Though what would your 'additional cost' entail? Not that I will pick that option, I'm just curious."
Shrugging, a crack in space appeared next to Zelretch, shining in all of the colors of the rainbow, before slightly expanding. Instantly, tentacles with teeth and eyes instead of suckers burst out of the crack, before they were quickly shoved back into the crack, causing it to seal itself and vanish.
I barely had any time to react to it, before Zelretch gave a light huff. "I am in need of someone with a higher-dimensional soul to explore a few dimensions full of creatures like that," he said while gesturing at where the crack once stood. "Unfortunately, even someone like me would have their soul shredded when looking at them for too long, or if even exposed to them for prolonged periods, so Heaven's Feel is a necessity for anyone trying to explore and learn anything about them," he said with clear disappointment.
… Note to self. Don't. Fuck. With. Zelretch.
"I'll say it again, I'm not taking the Grail War deal."
My words seemed to discourage the old vampire. "Why does everyone get antsy when I mention The Old Ones?" he grumbled.
Fucking shocker.
I coughed slightly into my hand, and Zelretch refocused on me, returning to his slightly stern look. "If not to another Grail War, then where do you wish to be transported?"
Pursing my lips, I glanced to the side to look at Morgan, before I focused back on Zelretch. "Would it be alright if we talked about it during our next meeting? As I am fairly sure that today was only meant as a meet and greet to set the date for our proper meeting."
Raising a brow, Zelretch gave me an unimpressed look. "I can see you clearly are trying to keep it under wraps for a bit longer, from your lady friend over here," he said while gesturing at Morgan. "And besides, I'd like to know what the favour is beforehand, so that I can workshop the idea a bit before agreeing to anything."
The pressure on my arm increased, which almost caused me to wince.
Well, fuck it, the cat's gonna be out of the bag soon regardless.
"I'd like for a consistent route to and fro the Land of Shadows."
---
A/N
Welcome back, my reader Overlords, please add this to your library and give me some comments, stones and reviews, as it would be much appreciated.
Well, I'll soon be home, whoo-hoo! Meaning I should be able to post properly, and far faster again! Now, why was I late you may ask… Well, apparently, the flight trip back to NYC was an 'illusion', or rather a misunderstanding on my part. Instead we have been taking a cross-country road trip from California to NYC… To be fair to myself, the road trip was first supposed to only be a trip between cities in California, but apparently I misunderstood the scale, and before anyone points out I should have noticed the lack of a return ticket, my only defence is that my parents bought the tickets, so I didn't know…
But onto the story!
We are close to ending the 'depression' arc, or recovery arc if you will, and entering the training arc! His choice of teacher is obvious, but let me ask: Is he more or less insane for choosing Scáthach over Zelretch? Genuine question, our favorite mutt would swear up and down that training under her was utter hell, so I am curious to see where you all stand on this.
Now, if there are any questions about the story, please, place them here, and other than that, have a great day!
Hop onto my Discord Server, I'd love to have a chat: https://discord.gg/HAPhryp5M2
Now, hand over those Power Stones, can't you see they are lonely when not used? Give them to me, and allow them to socialize, it's for their best... I swear...