London, Clocktower Mage Association HQ

Chapter 0 - Prologue to a Terrible War

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The afternoon day here in London was a nice one, and the sun shined brightly around the city. The Clocktower that the Mages trained in the Clocktower went about their everyday activities doing what they would to further their own knowledge. However the Clocktower today was holding a little darker shade then it usually did, and the Clocktower was home to many dark secrets already. Today the Team of Black was being formed. Church Officials, and Mage Associates all gathering to form an alliance against the Family Grey. The mage family known for their mage superiority views now held the keys to the 'new' Holy Grail. However only the top officials knew the exact details. In order to assure secrecy the Association has yet to tell the exact details to those outside their domain in order to prevent leakage of their plans. Thus the group was gathering at the Clocktower in order to form a more cohesive group.

Normally the Association would go for mercenaries, and thugs for a job like this however with the Greys being former Mage Association members they have decided to make this more personal. The Association had left Director Orson Archibald as the one in charge of Allied forces. The Church for their part was sending a master of their craft their way as well. It was in the headmaster's office that the group would be meeting. The world would change for the better, or for the worse this day as a Great Holy Grail War was to start.

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As Leon rounded a corner he looked for the office of the Headmaster. He had been told where to go by a younger mage he had ran into at the front of the clocktower. It wouldn't be much longer until he got there. It was hard to keep pace, and not lose himself in the sprawling corridors of this place. No doubt others found it easier if they lived here, and learned what it meant to be a mage here. But to him it was a mess. As he nearly bumped into a master mage carrying some boxes he apologized, and moved out of the way and finally arrived at the office. He knocked on the door, and someone inside told him to enter.

As he entered he saw a large man with scars on his face wearing a long white jacket staring at him with indifference but them smiled at him when he noticed Leon was looking at him. He had messy brownish blonde hair, and grey eyes. His body was muscular but not to a freakish extent. And his size made Leon a bit intimidated he wondered how many fights this man had survived. At a desk sat the man called Director Orson. He wore a black vest with a red tie. His graying hair was slicked back, and he looked at Leon through cold blue eyes.

His professional nature spoke volumes about him as he reeked of a man who had spent his life teaching those younger than him. Still Leon could not help but feel as if he was staring at a terrifying man. Leon had not met him but he was known by many as a great mage. He was not the head master they were simply borrowing the office for sake of convenience. "Why hello there son! How are you doing this fine day?" the man in white said to Leon as he nodded at him in return.

"I'm fine nice to meet you, I'm Leon, Leon Winchester. It is a pleasure to meet you sirs." Leon said as he nodded his head at them. "Winchester? Ha there's a name I never thought I'd see pop up again. Your grand dad was a pain in my ass when I was a younger man you know. All the same you shouldn't worry we're all friends here. Oh and my name is Richard Anderson. But please just call me Anderson." the man said as Director Orson cleared his voice,

"I hope the others will show up soon. If not we will simply proceed with business as we should. I specifically marked today as a meeting day for everyone. If no one else shows up I can only assume they are operating on their own volition." Director Orson said calmly as he motioned for Leon to take one of the chairs in the office. Leon obliged with a quick thanks to the Director.

Hifumi didn't imagine the day could get any less interesting. Introductory Formalcraft classes were far below her level, yet she had to preserve her reputation and thus gave her whole attention to her morning classes.

Thankfully, she had an appointment that felt like it would ease her up, in the afternoon.

Until the time came, she spent the rest of her break at the library examining an unpublished manuscript said to belong to Britain's greatest writer—William Shakespeare, a man that's often compared to her own ancestor when it comes to prominence in their respective literary spheres.
Hifumi arrived at Director Orson's office as soon as the appointed time came.

The room was simpler than she expected it to be. Perhaps it was a statement of the man's sobriety, nevertheless the fact that it was occupied by three old—and unappealing—men made she frown in an almost imperceptible way.

"It's only expected..." she thought as she closed the door behind herself.

As soon as she did so, Hifumi bowed and introduced herself, "Good afternoon, I'm Murasaki Hifumi, of the Fujiwara Clan. May I ask why is it that you summoned me?" she said in a tone.

Head Office, Clock Tower

---

The meeting place was just a hop and a skip away from the duelling grounds, so Jack had the pleasure of an easygoing stroll through the storied halls of the Clock Tower on a sunny afternoon. The paths to different departments of the association were very familiar to him, and the head office was no exception, so he was able to get there more-or-less on time despite his pace.

Jack's suit-jacket had been stained with blood during the process of saving the loser of a violent duel a few minutes ago, and while he wondered if walking into the war meeting looking like that would have helped him seem strong and intimidating, he decided against doing so, tucking the jacket away in his case and resolving to clean it later.

The Meatmaster had met the headmaster before, but the business today was apparently being led by a higher-up named Orson. The name certainly sounded familiar, and as Jack stepped through the door and gazed about, he recognized the face of the old man behind the desk as well. Added on to that were two seated men who gave the distinct impression of combat experience- and Jack would know, given his usual job was to stand by while people fought all day. Finally, a younger woman still standing in front of Orson's desk.

"Nobody let you know what we're doing here? The Director here must think pretty highly of you as a mage, Miss Hifumi, because you've been picked for the operation against the Grey family." He said so as if he hadn't been picked for the exact same thing.

I got picked because of my healing. Not because I have a track record of assisting against rogue families, right..? He took another sweep of the office. "Afternoon, all. I'm Jack." Not taking a seat as of yet, he sent friendly looks around the room, and an offhanded nod to Orson.

"I see," Hifumi replied as someone else—a man named Jack, apparently—who had just entered the office spoke to her. She didn't show any signs of an overt reaction, but the truth is that every moment that passed made her less and less impressed with this group. Judging by the faint smell of blood that she could feel wafting from Mr. Jack, and the way the other men behaved, she was finally able to figure it.

There are truly magi who think with their fists rather than their brain, huh?

Hifumi brought a finger to her lips and smiled mischievously. "That much goes without saying, does it not?" she said in a disarming tone.

"Perhaps I should have been more specific with my question, right? I was—am—more interested in the reason why I—or rather us—were summoned here instead of being sent straight away to our destination. Is a briefing really necessary when the situation is this clear cut? Or perhaps it maybe to make us aware of the stakes at hand? The nature of the Holy Grail War? Or something else entirely? Having an inquisitive mind is only natural for us magi, is it not Mr. Jack?"

The sound of heels echoed through the halls of the Clocktower as a studious woman with substantial assets made her way to Orson's office. She was fairly miffed. Her work had been interrupted so she was frantically scribbling down some complicated looking algebraic equations on some scraps of paper. She was yelling her internal thoughts all the way.

"I can't believe I have to drop everything to pacify some stupid rogue mages that want to open a way to the Root. If the Clocktower wants to reach The Root so badly then they'd be better off waiting for the Grey's to get bored and off themselves, then send me in to nab the Grail last second! God! Any grade student could tell the best solutions are usually the simplest..."

She prattled on to herself, earning her odd or annoyed looks from others as she passed. Finally, she made it to the Doctor's office and kicked that door down. She scanned her future companions, seemingly unimpressed.

"Alright, fuckos! I was on the verge of solving the Bombieri-Lang conjecture. Let's get this meeting over with quickly so we can go kill those idiots and grab the Grail so I can get back to important shit like math problems!

"...yes, I will need several dozen containers of the Breath Of Ifrit. It will be required for this latest job. Money is no object, simply make sure it is sent to these coordinates post haste. It is always a pleasure to do business with you Karina." Her haggling bothered him to no end, but it was simply one of the many formalities when dealing with the Market. He waved his hand over the mirror and the glass rippled like a pond, the image of the professional looking Middle Eastern woman fading as the connection ended. Asmar toyed with the monocle in his coat pocket, a strange feeling of apprehension coming over him as he considered what this latest assignment would entail. It was highly unusual for him to work with a partner, even moreso to work with a Spirit, no matter the pedigree. Yet here he was being forced to work with not only a Servant, but 6 other Servants and 6 other Magus to claim this Holy Grail.

It must be a very important artifact for the Clocktower to personally send in a team to claim it. Normal protocol for a situation in this vein would be for the Clocktower Nobles to just perform a Grand Ritual and sweep the Grey Family from the face of the Earth. Perhaps it was also a matter of pride too. Asmar sighed quietly as he stuck both hands in pockets, the door of his room opening as he walked outside and then closing as he proceeded to Director Archibald's office. The pride of the Magus was their downfall, to be caught up in such things as how one looks and how your actions reflect on others is truly the height of foolishness. Perhaps that's why he was stuck at the rank of Fes.

---

He had arrived just in time it would appear, a violent Magus was screaming obscenities at the room and two others were having a friendly conversation. It appeared they were waiting for everyone to arrive before disseminating the necessary information. Pointless, a waste of everyone's time, especially his own. "Director Archibald. I trust you've prepared the dossiers ahead of time yes? It would reflect quite poorly on you if you didn't do such a basic task for such an important mission." Asmar gently pushed aside Paula, caring little for her temper tantrum as he pulled up a chair and sat down. He crossed one leg over the other and he stared intently at the man before him.

"I also trust that you've authorized the usual amount for mission expenditures, I had to withdraw from my own personal funds last mission because your people failed to do the proper paperwork." He would need to acquire a proper Mystic Code for this mission, perhaps a blade stained with the grudges of a hundred would do. No, laziness was the enemy of efficiency. No less then five hundred, only then could he properly use it as a catalyst for his other curses. Perhaps a brick from the Kaaba as well, the blessings of the holiest of sites would do well to guide his fate. Ah, all on the dime of the Clocktower of course, he may be rich but he was not frivolous either. Frivolous people tended to become poor very quickly, wasteful spending is the enemy of efficiency.

"Why did they request me? I can't stand people." This was the tenth time that hour he had said that. He had probably said it more to be quite frank, but he hadn't been counting after the first five times. His assistant though, standing by his side, was used to such behavior. The man had walled himself off from society. If she hadn't made sure to feed him regularly he might have starved. Each day going into his work, and then scrapping it all when nothing came of it. Only to start again from a different angle. Returning to old ideas too frequently to count. The only change to his routine in over two years had been the message from the Clock Tower. Requesting him, though probably because of his former years, than his more recent madness of the last 10 years. Crowds had begun to make him nervous after all. Too many mouths, they could tamper with his work without realizing it.

"My Moroz, you know what you stand to gain if you win." The white haired girl spoke softly. But it was cold. Like ice. After all, she was not human. And he was not human. Vladimir was said to be descended from demons after all. They were an odd pair, and several students of the clocktower had stopped to watch them. Vladimir stomping back and forth, constantly stopping before the doors, and ready to turn back home. But he had taken a lot of time getting here. Maybe he should participate in this war? It hardly mattered, his life was one of studying anyway. The Greys could wipe the map clean, and he would remain at home attempting the same alchemical formula at different temperatures in different corners of the room.

"And yet I am putting aside research for this. It is a squabble! Clocktower versus mages who summoned servants. I only just managed to get my artifact before I left. How am I sure it's any good?"
"You will manage. Because you are my Moroz. You are more talented than any other mage in that room. I'm sure you will do well. And I can protect you." Her cold voice was rather refreshing, and gave him a bit of strength. There was a sigh, and he pushed open the door.
"You made sure my alchemical supplies are all packed, correct?"

____________________________________________________________________________________
"Perhaps I should have been more specific with my question, right? I was—am—more interested in the reason why I—or rather us—were summoned here instead of being sent straight away to our destination. Is a briefing really necessary when the situation is this clear cut?"

He made his entrance on that line, adjusting his coat and tapping his cane as he did so. "It is simple. It is because it is traditional, rather than pragmatic. The Clocktower has always loved tradition over simple solutions." He didn't have much to say about Orsen. The two had a long... And complicated history between them. If not for the fact he was marching off to war soon, they would have a lot to talk about. But in such a crowded space, he dare not speak.
"I am Vladimir Moroz. That is all each of you must know. Now, let us skip other pleasantries, and summon the servants we have been gathered for." He held up his artifact, a ring. Old, and he dare not speak of its origins. A beautiful ring, and one he had managed to find amongst his vast collections. He had figured it held a power, due to who it was connected to. A man who could not love. Perhaps at a time he figured he could find a way to undo that, and unlock the secret of love. But like all of his research, it resulted in nothing.
Perhaps... This grail war might help. If he could stomach working with others.

"I see. Thank you for your explanation, Mr. Moroz," Hifumi nodded again as more people came in and one of them—Mr. Moroz it seems— spoke to her. It was just as she thought after all. Just a case of classic lack of efficiency Westerners are so fond of.

"You mean that we are going to do the summoning here? As far as I know, we will be sustaining the majority of our Servant's upkeep if we summon, or bring them outside of the Holy Grail War grounds. Is it really a wise idea to cripple ourselves before we even step into our enemies' doorstep?" Hifumi said, once again finding more inconsistencies, or blatant misinformation, in the stories told to her.

As far as the others are concerned, though, she mostly ignored their presence. Those who didn't have even a spec of propriety in their behavior were not the kind of people that Hifumi would bother herself with.

"You know big miss its customary to not barge into the Director of the Clocktower's office, and call his associates 'fuckos' good sir. Not that I particularly mind but certain aspects of the Clocktower should be respected." Anderson said as he reintroduced himself to everyone quickly afterward quickly motioning towards the rather disdainful glare he gave to Paula with a frown on his face he shook his head. "Paula...how many times must I insist that you act professionally in my presence? This is a very delicate matter I would hope that one of my own would act better." Orson said quickly apologizing to everyone here for her vulgar mindset. Leon sat quietly unsure of what these peoples' backgrounds were besides Miss Paula who was clearly from the tower judging by Orson's words. He wondered if everyone here was so crass. Orson quickly rallied himself, and adjusted his suit's collar.

"Now hold on everyone please give me a moment. It seems that word has let slip that I have intended to do the summoning of servants from the vessel of the holy grail. But this meeting must be done before that. As Mr. Asmir has asked I have assorted a small dossier on what we have regarding the Grey Family, their allies, and their current whereabouts. You have all be gathered here, instead of being sent off on your own, to form a cohesive unit. We cannot, must not, and shall not fight the Grey Faction until we have a battle plan suited for the occasion. There is one more mage left to arrive let him show up, and we shall get this show on the road so to speak. However to answer the question by Miss Hifumi it is simple: Here we can observe, and keep secret our servants names from the enemy. They have spies in their local areas for sure. The servants with higher upkeep can be kept in spiritual form until they reach the war. More over in case anyone has fears we can pull a master from this place to replace them quickly." Orson said to the assembled rabble as he motioned for everyone to calm themselves, and listen to him closely.

"Ha! I thought I was the only one excited for some war! Turns out some folks are just as trigger happy. Bloody brilliant. I was worried you all were some spiffy mages afraid of getting your gloves dirty. Seems I don't need to worry much." commented Anderson with a crazed grin. Leon was actually a bit terrified by the wide grin Anderson quickly turned from a gentle old man into a violent soldier. Leon's own thoughts swirled on if he could truly trust these people to be his 'faction.

Head Office, Clock Tower

---

No doubt, they were a prickly bunch. Jack had considered arguing that it was worthwhile to meet in London before departing in order to get to know one another and improve relations within the faction, but since they hadn't taken to each other for the most part that hadn't been very effective. He took a seat in the meantime, since they had one more magus to meet, and set a leather case down between his legs as he waited.

"Get my hands dirty? I don't mind that, and I know how I look, but I'm really on this job more to provide us with healing than I am to kill magi. You don't have to worry about me trying to snap up the Grail at the end, either. I'm just here on business."

It was true. Jack had no world-shattering wish in mind, though obviously getting one's hands on a thing like that was never a bad thing. He didn't even have much of a mage's most basic desire to reach the Root, so unbeknownst to the association he was really more of a 'spellcaster' than a genuine 'magus'.

"Having to sustain our Servants for the trip over might be a bit of trouble, but if the Grail recognizes us as Masters it should give us what we need no matter where we are. Command seals haven't appeared on me yet, but if things don't work out I'll just come along in a support role, as per my job. If our base in Poland is secure then summoning safely should be possible there, but I'd personally prefer to be as close to France as possible when I summon mine," He patted the case at his feet, "Since my relic's from one of the 12 peers."

Jack checked the time. "Best to hand out that data on the Greys, Director, or give us a verbal briefing if you prefer. Either way let's give this last guy a few minutes to make an appearance and then get to summoning."

Paula was very non-plussed when Asmar pushed her aside.

"Asdfghj. Don't touch me! Do so again and I will reduce you to a statistic, and you know how dangerous our line of work can be."

She huffed and took a seat, glaring at Anderson and Orson and crossing her arms.

"I was put on this project because of my particularly robust form of Numerology. The very hands of fate are mine to control. Victory will be assured, especially since the catalyst I acquired will ensure I summon a particularly powerful servant from the Age of Gods. This is all provided that we all get on the same page, my page."

"Anyways, enough talk. It is time for action! Give us the intel!"

@vancexentan@floodtalon

"𝙷𝚖𝚖? 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚘 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚘𝚍𝚜? 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜. 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸'𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚒𝚝 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎," 𝙷𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚖𝚒 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚌𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚝. 𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚣𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛—𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍—𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐.

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚔𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜—𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚒𝚗𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚕𝚢, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚗.

"𝙸𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚘? 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚜 𝙸 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎. 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝚏𝚎𝚞𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚜. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚢𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒, 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎," 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚒𝚖.

"𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚞𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚞𝚜 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜?"

"Because lass not all of us here are exactly push overs in physical combat." Anderson responded cryptically before Leon could ask him what he meant by that, knowing what little he knew of servants he knew they could bench press cars and the like, Orson looked at the clock on the wall to the side before responding quickly. "Despite Miss Paula's bastardization of the English language, and my personal distaste for her manner of speech I believe we have a suitable amount of masters here. Not all of them as I had planned but it will be enough. It would be for the best if we at least began to state our current situation." Orson stated quickly as he spread out some papers in front of him. Some pictures of a town, and others pictures of a scene in Poland with brutally executed, and mauled Magi with a forest in the background.

"This is a village just somewhere south of Danzig in Poland. Roughly east of the forest that is shown in the picture. It is quite the historical area however it is now near the home to the Grey Family's castle. Using magic they have strategically placed themselves in the center of some fairly substantial leylines, and are using them to channel mana for their servants. We don't know who they're using to fight but there's reports of monsters, and humans alike around the forest. The forest itself is particular because it is unnatural. There is not suppose to be a forest there meaning they bloody used magic to grow it, and hid it with magic from anyone who didn't intend to find it. You know the standard humans flying by everyday in planes, and what have you. Just enough to make sure normal people don't notice our scouts found it easily enough they aren't being that sneaky. Any attempts we have made to get into it have been stopped after the butchery of the mage scouts, and our specialists vanishing without a trace shortly after. The Greys' have no doubt summoned several servants otherwise we wouldn't have reports of the extra class Ruler surfacing somewhere in middle Europe. What they have planned is unknown to us regardless our only choice is to attack it with our own servants. There is a small village we have set up as a 'base' therefore we intend to send you all there." Orson stated professionally going over the details quickly, and as efficiently as he could.

"Illusionist magic is not a thing to take lightly it could be covering darker magic. I assume we have plans to deal with that? It is something that executors like me, and the lad here can take care of but it appears advanced if a whole party got lost in it." Anderson stated as Leon spoke up "I believe that the Director wouldn't send us out there without help. Do you have someone in mind?" Leon questioned the Director who nodded. "It would be a student of mine skilled in all sorts of occult arts including Illusion. A prodigy of sorts in the field of countering such things. She had even unraveled some ancient magics...basic ones but undoubtedly useful ones. I will show her to you later should you agree to the terms I have for you. But for now I will answer any questions about the mission, or the Greys that you may have for me. I will warn you we don't know too much." Orson told him as Leon requested that he give information on the people the Grey Family had working for them like the others had asked before.

"Well young man they have the Branfords who live in the Netherlands. But they renounced the Greys when we denounced them publicly among the society. However Arnold Branford's son is missing...he may be a ally of the Grey Family. I heard he was promised to a daughter in their family." Orson said as Anderson frowned, "Her name?" he said deathly serious as he looked at Director Orson with a cold stare. Orson sighed, "Arnold's family couldn't recall some magic made him forget...undoubtedly the work of the Grey clan...Or at least it is muddled by some sort of curse we will find out eventually." Orson stated as Leon sighed he had hoped for more but what he was given was not as much as he'd like. Leon then spoke out once more wondering how many Grey Family Members were there. "We should have a basis for how many members of their family is left correct? It would be useful to know if they hired anyone if they're just a family group doing this on their own." Leon asked of Orson who frowned painfully as if he had just been punched. "Unfortunately since the Greys sided with the Soviet Union in the Cold War we have little information on how many are left. We know the elder Grey lives, and his son does as well. We're sure of him having one grand daughter but no more information otherwise."

"And that's why only some of us are actual magi," Hifumi said, following up on the executioner's words. "In first place, why is the Church even taking part into this conflict? You are supposed to be overseers. This breaches any code of neutrality you ever preached about. But, I suppose that's only what can be expected of a nest of hypocrites such as the Vatican," she added in the same nonchalant voice from before.

The Church and the Mage's aren't even allies. Far from that, in fact. So, why in the world was this boorish musclehead even here to begin with?

"Oh, so that's what you think that we are supposed to fear about them? Amateur level tricks?" Hifumi said, this time with obvious disdain as she picked one of the photos of the dead scouts and analyzed it.

"You do realize that, no matter how good you Western Magi are, you'll never match the Witchcraft from the Far East, right? If illusions and 'dark magics' are everything you are apprehensive about then I suppose I understand now why I'm even here."

"But really, what kind of second class magus can claim the title of family head of even a mildly influential family and be unable to counter a trick as ordinary as memory alteration magecraft?" Hifumi made an effort not to laugh when Orson spoke about why they didn't know the name of the Brandford son's fiance.

"Excuse me if I what I'm about to say sounds inappropriate. I truly respect anyone who does practice magecraft with the required dedication and discipline. But," she made a pause, placing the photo back and directing herself to Director Orson before continuing, "for someone who achieved the title of Director and carries the same name as Lord Kayneth El Meloi... you truly aren't that impressive of a magus are you? Nothing I've seen or heard so far is impressive by any means other than the location of the Grey's stronghold, which seems to be proper—but not truly special—for a family of Second Owners. And their plan is so infinitesimally likely to succeed, thanks to the Counter Force, that it could be safely ignored and we would lose nothing. So, why are all of you making such a fanfare about legitimate second——no, third rate magi like them?"

"Also, bear in mind that I'm not saying this because of ego. I'm far from reaching a level where I can say I'm even in the top 100 of the Association's magi. That said, what I've seen so far truly are childish games for any well trained magus. So..."

"Is there anything else you are hiding from us? If not, I suppose we could just move on with the rituals, right? After all, the 'end of the world as we know it' waits for no one."

"The church is involved because we have good belief that the Grey Family are planning to do something that could overthrow the set up we have so to speak. Either they plan to use the grail to become conquering warlords, or they are planning something...more murderous. Patriarch Arnold Grey was known for his ruthless support of mage supremacy. Meaning he sees the everyday man is less than dirt. Besides even all that aside its technically not allowed to have several servants under one army. So he's breaking the rules. But a certain class called: Ruler is supposed to fix that so I'll leave that in their hands." Anderson replied quickly, and simply without malicious tones, or indication that he took offense at the blunt words of Murasaki.

"If you wish to be thrown out of this tower then please insult me one more time Miss Hifumi. I am Lord Director of the Clocktower, and the teacher to the next generation. The Grey Family are capable of more than just 'amateur' tricks. They're capable of molding the human mind incomprehensibly. Paranoia, and tricks of the eye are just the mere tip of the spear. Clearly otherwise Clocktower agents who died to even get us this small information would have stopped them before it came to this point. The Branfords are their own keepers I may not forcibly make them submit to our magics. However from their own statements they apparently may have had their entire memories regarding the girl wiped, not just covered up." Orson said with clear disdain as he slammed his hand down on the desk. "If you continue to be insolent I will overlook even your own considerable skill and have a student replace you. I refuse to tolerate someone who insults the quality of my men, myself, and underestimates the enemy who is clearly playing us for fools. They've been planning this for awhile that much is clear. Otherwise they wouldn't have gone to the lengths they have to hide even how many members of their family are alive."" Orson continued before Anderson stood up, and grasped the man's shoulder.

"Be at peace director. Anger breeds distrust, and miscommunication. Even if she is being a bit forceful you're not helping the situation. Miss Hifumi was it? I apologize for the Director. I may not speak for him but I believe the stress of being put in his situation, combined with the weight of his position has made him short tempered. However you too are being rather rude please reconsider your choice of wording before your anger the Director further. I mean not tell you want to do. This is just my opinion. If we are to be 'The Black Faction' then we need to at least work together." Anderson stated before moving back to sit down. Orson leaned backwards, and breathed in deeply before letting it back out calming himself. "Apologizes for my outburst everyone. I am a prideful man, and I have not slept for a day trying to make sure we got as much ready for the masters as I could."

“Well, isn’t this a lively gathering? I could hear your shouting as soon as I turned the last corner.” The door to the office opened once to admit yet another magus, a late arrival this time and judging by the small smile on his face a completely unrepentant one as well. He wore a black suit with a white tie and gloves, one hand resting on top a cane that he clearly did not need to help him walk while the other hand held a large metal case, almost as long as he was tall; and he was not a short individual.

“Pardon my late arrival, and my abrupt entrance, it took longer to acquire a suitable catalyst than I anticipated. The former owners were rather reluctant to part with it.” Thomas accented his statement by lowering the large, locked carrying case he held to the ground; the sound the steel container made as it touched the floor was one that indicated the excessive weight it held. His bespectacled eyes swept over the room, pausing slight on each face he found before finally coming to a stop as he locked eyes with the director sat at his desk.

“I overheard the end of your explanation; I can catch myself up on the rest later, but... I must ask. Do you truly expect us to just throw our Servant’s and ourselves into this forest and hope for the best? Not to disparage the efforts of your scouts, but surely given appropriate time we will a way through this forest the Greys have prepared for us? ”

How boring. While he wouldn't say it out loud, the girl before him was completely correct in all respects. But to voice his opinion was a waste of time and energy, they had been brought forward for a job, not a debate on the worth of their opponents. He would come at them with no restraint as he did with all jobs, to do anything else would be a waste of valuable time and energy. He sat up and snatched the dossier, flipping through it's information before lightly tossing it back onto the desk. "Assuming you have nothing else to inform us of, I will be taking my leave. I expect you will have my Mystic Codes at our base by the time I arrive, if this situation is truly as dire as you say then no time can be wasted. I've already submitted the proper papers, make sure to not lose them." As he finished his light admonishment he stood up, pushing his chair out as he looked over the ragtag group that would be his team. No, he would not be working with people so unreliable as this. He would summon his Servant and finish the mission without these fools, they would only slow him down and lower the overall efficiency of the mission.

"It is not quite my place to say this, but I feel I must say it regardless. You're all going to die with these attitudes. Fix them if you want to continue living. Oh, and you there." He looked pointedly at Murasaki, a ghost of a smile crossing his face for but a moment as he considered his next words. "Ah, I suppose any advice I give would fall on deaf ears. It doesn't matter in the end. You'll likely be the first to die if you don't take your enemies seriously. No matter how weak they may seem." And with that Asmar exited the room, hands in pockets as he checked his pocket watch with a neutral expression. Ah good, he had cut two minutes off the expected time of the meeting, perhaps he would have time to grab some coffee.

"Apologies, I may have gone a little too far when I questioned the director's ability as a magus," Hifumi said, answering not to Orson's fit of rage but rather to the Church ape who perhaps was a more sensible person at some level. Nevertheless, even though she said so, she never meant it, not that it would be evident from her usual neutral voice. This circus was more than proof enough that Orson was no doubt one of the many who bought his position at the Clock Tower, instead of earning it.

Either way, that didn't matter at the moment. Not when the others were finally coming in, or getting up, to leave.

While Hifumi couldn't agree more about the fact that this meeting had been nothing but a massive waste of time, she hadn't said everything she wanted to yet.

"I believe you have misunderstood my words. I said that the Greys are laughable. I never said, or meant to say, that I would be underestimating them. That they are hardly worth the title of magi and, nevertheless, spit in our face with their so-called 'superiority' is a major offense that any real magus wouldn't take lightly."

"That said, I do question the purpose of this reunion in the first place. How are we supposed to build a strategy based on flawed——no, nearly non-existent information?" Hifumi said, looking at the files provided by Orson.

"If there's no information to be had about our opponents' abilities, what good is it to know that they are entrenched within a fortress protected by a powerful bounded field? That's only natural of any magi. Only a fool would rush into their territory without thinking ahead."

"Just knowing that their forest is 'impregnable', and 'hidden from commoner's eyes', without knowing anything specific about their individual abilities, and the identities of their Servants, tells us nothing. So, what kind of strategy are we even supposed to come up with?"

"However," Hifumi said while tracing her fingers over one of the photos of the dead scouts, "I do have a strategy—actually, two—that no one seem to have come up with yet. I can speak it if you are interested. Otherwise, I'll keep it to myself until you are willing to listen to it. That said, I too would like to move forward with the ritual. What I have to say can be explained in the journey to our destination. There's no point in remaining here if there's no actual information to be gained from these files."

"If you truly wish so much to leave Mister Asmar then do so however I will not be held responsible if the summoning fails, or is taken before you do yours. The location of the hideout will be the Polish Church in the center of Movas. Do make sure not to actually try to force your way in. Anderson's friends are already there setting things up for the arrival of the Black Faction. Attempts to make it in before the main group probably won't go well since I already made arrangements for all the masters to be flown there by a private plane." Orson told the middle eastern wizard as he readjusted himself from his outburst. He looked down at the pictures in front of him, and then put his hand on the forest one.

"Too answer the question of Mister Tom I do not know what you intend on doing. I will be leaving that up to you. However i intend to send with you another student of mine. A girl by the name of Monica. She's also specializes in similar fields to the Grey except more on the bounded field side. She should be able to make short work of the bounded fields if given the time to find the location of at least one of the spell's anchors. Aside from that I believe Mister Anderson here should more than be able to locate such things. He's been an executioner of the church for longer than I've been a professional mage. You have the war of attrition on your side make use of it, and use the servants at your disposal to the best of your abilities." Orson stated quickly.

Leon having quietly sat twiddling his thumbs at this point waiting for a chance to interject himself decided it would be best if he spoke up now. "If you have some plans to fight the enemy Miss Hifumi by all means do so. We know precious little about the Grey, or even Black Faction as it is. Even if the others end up disagreeing a plan of action should be made apparent. Summoning servants should be something we do soon but not until we have our act together. If I learned one thing in my life is that actions speak louder than words but dumb, or ill thought actions means you lose. In order to win we have to make sure we take the best opportunity. And Director why aren't you interested in our actions?" questioned Leon as the Director sighed,

"Because as acting Director I will only be shuttling you supplies. I won't be there to actively assist you in combat. As such I believe it be best for all of you to judge among yourselves the best plan of action. It is not something I'd like to admit but I believe that it will be up to your who see first hand the situation to decide the best course of action instead of me acting like a politician, and giving orders from the back line."

"Well now, if that isn't a surprise," Hifumi said after she listened to Orsons's words. "Half of what I meant to say is pretty much the same idea the Director just talked about. Bounded fields are my forte, if we can locate their keystones—or whatever is it that they use to mark their boundaries—it's just a matter of time for me to be able to undo a section of it. Or..."

"I can also try to rewrite bounded fields. But this isn't something I believe that will be helpful unless we can secure the whole boundary line at once which would be rather hard to do given the circumstances."

"Lastly, my second plan is something that I believe some of you might appreciate. We can just try to destroy the boundary lines without having to deal with the bounded field itself. It's a temporary measure since any decently created bounded field would be able to repair itself as long as the keystones remain intact, but it's the easiest path ahead. Sadly, my magecraft isn't suited for such brute force applications of power."

"That said, I can at least cut sections of it temporarily which should be enough if we ever find ourselves in dire straits."

"Either way, if we are done here, I suppose that we can move forward, right?"