Nanashi Ninanai — Roleplayer Guild

Caster Himiko

@ADamnFiddle@Lonewolf685

Himiko simply smiled at Ravel as she listened to her answers. Caster had spoken a lot already, and she felt that her expression would signify her acceptance regarding the young magus being her pupil. The reverence the girl treated her to made Caster relive a part of her life as the secluded queen however. Rather than the young girl that ended up being her successor...this kind of reverence was more like one of her thousands of consorts. Which one was it? Caster couldn't remember. Her hazy memories due to the fog of ages only made things worse. Perhaps they all had the same face for all she could care about.

Even then, that piece of memory illuminated parts of her mind as Caster started to remember the reason she had that many consorts and secluded herself in the first place. She was never supposed to be a queen. Her land was torn by long lasting conflicts that were seemingly endless, and back then she was simply a priestess that was also dabbled with the demons out of curiosity. The people of the palace took her in when she was fourteen out of desperation, and they pushed her to use her curse to bring peace into the nation. 

Ah, power. Caster was too dangerous to let live, but if she was killed, it would lead the land to ruin once more. And thus, she became a puppet queen ruling over an illusion of peace. Took a while, but she later on secured the position for real with her own efforts, but by then she was too bitter and paranoid. Surrounding herself with people she thought wouldn't betray her, and secluding herself from the artificial paradise born of her curse outside just to retain her image as a charismatic, mysterious ruler.

Himiko wished she was in a position to laugh freely right now, as those memories raced through her mind. Even now she's still that fourteen-years old kid, still failing to grow up. 

But even then Caster couldn't disappoint her new pupil by showing she's anything but a wise and charismatic queen, right? Before anything else could happen however, Caster's trip down memory lane was briefly interrupted as Ravel's words passed through her ears. 

 “I am one of the few in my family that could potentially keep the bloodline going. In the event that I were to perish, then the Magus family known as the D’Arbys would likely fall as well. However, my family wishes me to bare them an heir, but it shames me to say as a woman I am inexperienced in that regard, outside of books and the like.” @ADamnFiddle

"..."

An awkward pause that lasted for an eternity followed Ravel's statement. Her visible facial expression still stone-like, Caster was thankful that her mirror obscured any signs of surprise and embarrassment on her face at the perceived prompt and the possibility that Ravel was asking her for a tip. How would she know about any of that? S-she never even touched any men in her life except her brother! Admitting that fact to her new pupil would be quite shameful, and Caster believed that failing to say anything on it would also shatter the image she was trying to cultivate towards Ravel and everyone else. It was a no-win situation unless Caster could figure out an answer...a satisfactory answer, something enough to shift the topic away without making further questions-

“Perhaps you know that Servant, Teacher?” 

"...Huh?"

"Teacher? Ara, your compassion is truly prolific to offer instruction to your Master so soon upon your meeting, and how wise a Master to seek out the tutelage of my priestess."@Lonewolf685

"L-lady Ama-?" A slip. Flustering greatly with the presence of the divine spirit she was supposed to worship, although perhaps not fully, Caster attempted her best to curb the teenager-like response and compose herself, although she knew it was a bit too late to restore any of her supposed adult charisma before the two around her. "W-what might interest you between the two of us here?"

"I know you two must be busy getting to know each other, but would you like to eat with my Master and I? We would really be honored to share in your company, Himiko."

"I...will be quite pleased to."

Even with the knowledge that this vulpine Servant really was the Divine Spirit she revered, Caster still found the fact hard to personally accept yet she couldn't just decline her offer. Even if she was currently being on the edge of shame, Caster found it to be no reason to be rude. And regarding the vulpine Servant's oddities...perhaps she was just misremembering the Divine Spirit's nature? After all, despite being aware that she was supposed to be her priestess, she could barely remember any instance of her worshipping the goddess directly. That memory fault could be the cause. That would be a good enough justification.

More importantly, as the realization of her current predicament dawned on her, Caster ended up being thankful that the vulpine Servant barged in at the right time. It was an excuse for her to avoid giving a direct answer to Ravel regarding her sensitive statement earlier, or at the very least, the two of them moving towards the side of the vulpine servant and her Master would delay the need for her to. Himiko stood up from her seat and plastered a smile on her face as she moved towards an empty seat near where the vulpine Servant sat, and she gestured politely to The Vulpine One's Master as she entered her field of view. 

”C-could I call you ‘teacher’?”

"It is fine, but I would rather if you call me Caster. As for earlier..." Himiko visibly took a deep breath, trying her best to pull out an answer that sounded sufficiently wise enough. "Wouldn't it best for you to focus on your achievements as a magus first? As important as a heir would be, a legacy built by achievements and glory would still be valuable for your family."

Those words sounded like a bunch of worthless gibberish. That wasn't even following the values that Himiko and the people of her era believed, and it perhaps wouldn't even follow the values of the magi in this era. She paused for a bit, thinking about more to say to not let her words rung too hollow. 

"It is also a bit too late to worry about that. We would be here for quite a while, and if you would die somehow, you would die while participating in this...war? But more importantly, unless you decided to settle with one of the fine magi here like, right now, you should not worry about it at all. Focus on your reason of being here and my future lessons for now.

Although, I suppose I could use some of my curses to..."

Himiko flustered a bit before stopping herself. Even saying that felt wrong. Her words lead to another bout of silence, as she hoped the vulpine one to say a piece of wisdom too, anything to bury the topic and shift it into something else. Meanwhile, on another table two Servants were having a round of arm wrestling that ended with one of them winning and the other yelling at the victor. Meanwhile, Masters were already planning something between each other. Despite them not being enemies here, perhaps it would be best if Caster started to think about closer alliances to protect herself and Ravel.
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