That canister has been taking up space in your room for a while. Maybe some alone time with a puzzle is exactly what you need. You push yourself to stand from your slumped position, Saber’s fingers dragging across your back as you rise.

“Thanks for comforting me, Saber.” You express your gratitude to your Servant and do your best to force down your sadness. Her hand hangs in the air as if reaching for you, a look of commiseration on her face. “Moping won’t help, though. I’m going to try cracking that cylinder open.”

“...As you say,” she replies with a hint of disappointment. Then, she vanishes.

The trip to your bedroom is brief. Once there, you open up your closet and reach into the back corner. Next to the empty box formerly housing your amulet is the canister, and atop that, the notebook with information on the locks. Transferring both items to your desk, you sit down and get to work.

Sorrow is ultimately drowned out by the length and confusing process. Many of the magically technical sections - which comprise a large portion of the text - are beyond your understanding. You can only make out very general concepts. On a basic level, the locks operate via the geometry of the sigils, as you’d already observed when Lucroy opened his door. Somehow, the shapes allow them to function as a complicated form of combination lock, which cannot be opened unless each and every symbol is positioned and aligned appropriately. Sadly, explanations of how symbols connect and ought to be arranged are mired in esoteric terminology. Only a few of the relationships are within your ability to immediately comprehend. Over the next several hours, you manage to learn the appropriate method of channeling small amounts of magical energy through your finger to interact with the lock, but the proper positioning of most of the myriad emblems eludes you.

At least you know what you’re up against. A bit more time and you should dechiper enough to get past this one lock. For now, though, you ought to stop. You put the book and container away, sit back down, stretch in your chair - and notice that your Servant is in her physical form. Saber is sitting on your bed, still armorless, chin resting on her palms, watching you. How long has she been there? Behind her, clouds are turning pink out the window. Night approaches. However, you’re sorely lacking in direction for your war effort.

“Master,” Saber says, predicting your thoughts, “you should know that I have not sensed Rider at school today.”

That’s odd. Shouldn’t she be back, just like Saber? Unfortunately, as important as that information is, there’s not much you can do with it at the moment.

>>Continue working on the canister tonight. You want to get inside as soon as possible.
>>Charlotte likes to keep tabs on Archer. Call her on the burner phone to see if she’ll help locate him and execute a joint attack.
>>Go to the Einzbern hotel and see if you can collaborate again tonight. Though they might not be there, you can always go somewhere else.
>>Remain at school and do something else. (What?)
>>Patrol a sector. (Which?)
>>(Write-in)

>>3865028
>>Continue working on the canister tonight. You want to get inside as soon as possible.
We need to get that tree branch to unlock our true powers!
Also I find it amusing that we don't even know about the fact we are pretty much allied with Rider

>>3865028
>>>Remain at school and do something else. (What?)
>relaxing dinner Saber
Shit has been too real lately. Invite Saber to eat with us so we can relax and I think she needs some reassurance.

>>3865028

>>Remain at school and do something else. (What?)
>>relaxing dinner Saber

Fuck it, I'm not a Saberfag, but we've been separated for a while. I think we owe Saber a bit more of our attention than we've given her so far.

Also, we never properly investigated the school for Rider's Master, or former Master I suppose. Is it worth looking into at spme point?

>>3865028
>>Remain at school and do something else. (What?)
>relaxing dinner Saber
Yes, relax her dinner!

>relaxing dinner Saber
There's a dinner Saber?

>>3865063
>>3865072
>>3865075
Fuck. Had rewritten it to be a little less datish and and more general bonding and erased the "with"
My desire is leaking through.

>>3865024
>>Remain at school and do something else.
>Relax and have dinner with Saber
Might as well try to unwind

>>3865028
>>>Patrol a sector. (Which?)
Remember, gang, the Predator will reach civilization by the end of the week. We're at a point where that's now an imminent threat.
>>>Go to the suburbs to search for the predator

>>3865028
>>>Remain at school and do something else.
>Relax and have dinner with Saber

We've neglected our Servant.

We should make sure to apologize to Saber for being inattentive and emphasize our respect for her

>>3865054
Raise Dem flags Bois.

May I suggest some friendly sparring after dinner? The practicality should appeal to her.

>>3865614
Get out of here Shirou.

Then again... You don’t really need to do anything at the moment, do you? The past eleven days have been exhausting. That walk in the park a few days ago helped you collect your thoughts, but it didn’t do much to help you unwind, especially considering that Saber was taken from you (albeit temporarily) that same night. But you aren’t separated anymore. She’s sitting right beside you, defensive plating shed for the first time, smooth, sable hair framing her surprisingly full figure. It occurs to you that your distance during those two days must have been agony for a Servant, especially one with Saber’s insecurities. You could stand to take the night off. And, additionally, you feel bad about spending all afternoon on the canister when Saber wanted to console you.

“Let’s go get dinner,” you say.

“Eh?” Saber’s face rises off her palms with a squeak of surprise. You said “let’s go” instead of “I’m going to,” and she clearly noticed. “You… wish to dine with me?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” you declare again, rising from your chair in preparation for your exit. “I know Servants don’t need to eat, but we’re taking a break from the War tonight, so let’s enjoy a meal together.”

“I- certainly!” Saber quickly springs to her feet, cheeks heating. “Where shall we go, Master?”

“The dining hall,” you reply. “The food isn’t great, but the location is safe, so we can take our time. Oh - and don’t call me ‘Master’ while we’re there. Regular students are bound to misinterpret that, so just call me Edgar.”

“I-I see,” the young woman stammers. Her face burns even brighter. “E… Edgar!” she speaks forcefully, as though willing herself to acclimate to the usage of your name. After a pause, Saber’s blush reaches a fever pitch. “...C-could you turn around for a moment? I must change.”

Swiveling obediently, you let yourself crack a smile. You might have a thing for the assertive type, but this flustered behavior is adorable. Several seconds pass without Saber giving you permission to look. A Servant shouldn’t take this long to change, given the strange ease with which they can manifest different outfits. Also… you’ve been hoping to see Saber in her uniform for nearly a week. Now that your chance is mere moments away, you feel strangely impatient.

Then, a hand grabs the crook of your elbow, and a familiar softness presses into your arm. Not to be outdone by the one she calls “hussy,” Saber has claimed your limb. She wears your school’s simple spring uniform of a red plaid skirt and a short-sleeve, white polo, emblazoned with a small Saint Longinus Academy logo on the left side of the chest. Her other hand settles on your forearm, squeezing you further. You can’t help but notice that she’s bigger than Charlotte.

“Shall we be off… Edgar?” The swordswoman’s face sports a beautiful, serene smile. All traces of her former bashfulness are gone. Whatever intent you may have had in the extension of your invitation has been entirely supplanted by your Servant’s obvious interpretation of the event as a date. Well, it’s not like you have a huge issue with that.

The stroll to the dining hall is silent and leisurely. Sunset bathes your descent of the hill in a warm golden light. Students mill about the campus, free from the burden of an early rising tomorrow morning. Couples sparsely populate the school’s gardens, soaking in the evening in much the same manner as you two. Saber’s head rests softly on your shoulder. You feel a sudden urge to stroke her hair. But you’re not sure how she would feel about that, and the maneuver would be terribly awkward while moving. Instead, you content yourself with this close-up view of her peaceful face. You’re surprised how quickly your suggestion to grab a bite has escalated. Somehow, Saber’s tranquility has drawn you entirely into both her mood and her pace.

Only once you enter the refectory do you fully realize the gravity of your decision to eat with her, dispersing the romantic haze that clouds your mind.

Now inside, the poor lighting of twilight cannot hide your identity. News of your reappearance, you suddenly recall, has yet to make the rounds. If that wouldn’t have caused enough of an uproar, you’re firmly attached to a stunning beauty - one completely different from Charlotte, who actively sought you out on campus not seven days ago. And everyone who cares to look notices. Shouts of surprise rise from scattered locations across many tables every few seconds. Saber decouples so the pair of you can fill trays with food, but the eyes of the more curious onlookers follow each step of the way. Transfixed boys glare with seething jealousy. Stupefied girls look on, utterly crestfallen, like the sandcastle they’ve been trying to build is crumbling a second time and all they can do is watch. Even when you take your meals to two isolated seats, bystanders stare. However, nobody comes to talk to you about where you’ve been or what’s going on, as if your date is protected by a powerful Bounded Field.

“Thank you for requesting my company, Edgar,” Saber, seated across from you, says between bites. She makes a point of omitting the terminology of the Holy Grail War. “Upon our meeting, I never dreamed that someone of my status would be able to share a table with you.”

“Nonsense. You’re the most valuable partner I have in all of this,” you respond. “It’d be terrible of me not to treat you with respect.”

Those words cause the young woman to stop eating, and she sets down her utensils. She’s quiet for a few moments, choosing her next words carefully.

“I must be honest,” your Servant begins in a serious voice, gaze dropping. “You are so accepting of me that I am terrified. Terrified that, should I show you my truest self, my most wretched depths, you will spurn me. I have faced that very rejection once before, and it is the most painful experience I can imagine. Should you scorn me the same way, I…” She trails off for a moment. “I know that, if we are to win, I must dedicate the whole of my power to you. But I cannot suffer that agony again.” Pleading eyes rise to meet yours. “Edgar, I need you to swear to me. Swear that, even if you see me for what I really am, you will not think any less of me than you do now. Will you make that vow?”

>>Swear.
>>Do not swear.
>>Propose some other oath to swear instead. (What?)
>>(Write-in)

>>3866432
>>Swear
We might end up doing the opposite.

>>3866432
>>Swear.
How cute
She thinks we aren't into bloodthirsty, inhuman monsters

>>3866472
Now on a second though, swearing to stay by her side no matter what would be an interesting choice even if it would lock what we would wish for
As a bonus it would also put Saber further ahead of all the other girls

>>3866432

>>Swear

>>3866432
>>>Swear.
Unless she goes full ham on someone we personally know and are ok with or civilians I can't see Edgar caring.
Oh my we did make friends with several opposing parties didn't we?
>>3866474
Not sure Edgar's at that point yet.

>>3866432
>>Swear.
Ilonabros...

>>3866432
>>Swear.
Pinky promise.

You know we should probably ask her name now that we are on a first name basis and for when McManus busts our balls over this.

>>3866432
>>>Swear.
"Don't worry, Saber. I could never think less of you than I do now."

>>3866548
But for real, I think this is really sweet. It doesn't have to be romantic, either, and in fact I don't know if that's what she's looking for. It's not a declaration of eternal love, it's a reaffirmation of the fundamental dignity of a person. Not necessarily "I will love you forever," but "you are important, and whatever qualities you have don't diminish your fundamental worth as a person or a Servant in my eyes." At least that's how I read what she's asking.

>>3866550
>At least that's how I read what she's asking.
That's what she always asked: for us to accept her and her Oni blood. Maybe now she'll be more forward.

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>>3866557
>Maybe now she'll be more forward.

>>3866432
>>Swear.
Everyone in this war is going to turn out to be inhuman aren't they? So far we've got:

Saber - Is actually an Oni
Ilonasviel - Is probably a magic cup
Edgar - Is probably a Dead Apostle/Talking Tree/Connected to the beginning of reality

So when do we get our Counter Guardian/Stray Servant/God of Evil?

>>3866610
>Connected to the beginning of reality
Those people tend to have more impressive abilities, like killing anything or hypnotizing Servants or something. Quickly, check if we can freeze time!

>>3866617
Well we were almost sacrificed as a kid and Mages don't just do that to get a candle lit magically, it's usually for summoning shit or opening doors to the Nth dimension.

>>3866636
Maybe Edgar hypnotized them into doing it.
Maybe Edgar scores affection points very quickly because he hypnotizes girls.
Maybe he doesn't actually freeze shit, he just hypnotizes himself into-- wait that's just how magic works

Sorry, but I can't finish the update tonight. I'll finish and post it early tomorrow.

>>3866706
>Edgar hypnotized them into doing it
That would imply Edgar wanted, consciously or subconsciously, to be sacrificed for some goal.

>Maybe Edgar scores affection points very quickly because he hypnotizes girls.
That's just how autism works in Nasuverse.

“You have my word.” To you, the oath comes naturally. It’s more or less an extension of what you’ve already promised her, anyway. If Saber is to use the full extent of her abilities for your sake, then you should be grateful rather than judgemental. You also have a strange feeling that this “true nature” of hers is more likely to attract you than repel.

“Then I have nothing to fear,” your date beams. “I trust you fully, Edgar.” She picks her utensils up once more and resumes eating. There’s an air of relaxation about her, as though a great weight has been lifted from her shoulders. You might be inside a dreary old dining hall, but right now, you’re certain that you have the best view on campus. The dinner continues to its conclusion alongside vague and coded banter remembering your exploits together. At no point does your Servant’s smile fade.

“I can’t take this anymore!” Suddenly, an accusatory, high-pitched, feminine voice penetrates the solitude of your meal. You know that sound; it’s your classmate Mathilda Hunt, storming through the imaginary barrier other students have chosen to respect. This girl has a famous disregard for civility while simultaneously abiding by a strict moral code. Usually, she doesn’t force her principles onto other people, but if she sees a serious injustice - say, a two-timing asshole leading a girl on - then she can’t help but get involved. The brunette parks her petite, uniformed frame at the end of the table, equidistant from you and your Servant, fists placed on her hips in an indignant power pose. “Did you know that this guy was with another girl just last weekend?”

“Of course,” the swordswoman replies coolly. Saber eyes the girl as she would a bothersome fly that refuses to be shooed away. “It is not unheard of for a man of Edgar’s caliber to attract and maintain multiple lovers.”

Mathilda is gobsmacked. You’re fairly astonished yourself. Of all the ways she could try to defuse the situation, Saber chooses perhaps the most audacious method conceivable! If nothing else, it’s had an effect on Mathilda. The wind is partly taken out of her sails, and she finally realizes that she’s never seen your companion before.

“Who are you, anyway?” the aggressor asks.

“I am an exchange student named Seiba Savanto. Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Saber says, bowing a little bit in her seat. Mathilda, possessing knowledge of neither Japanese language nor names, doesn’t even consider that the alias might be bullshit. Instead, she seems unable to provide a response, and turns to you as the next target for her crusade.

“Well, what about you, Edgar?” her inquisition persists. “Isn’t this playboy act weighing on your monogamist conscience?”

“You’re misunderstanding,” you reply. “First off, I’m not in a committed relationship with anyone-”

“No need to be shy, Edgar,” Saber interjects. “Our relationship is firmly binding, as you well know.” Wait a minute - she’s referring to the bond of Master and Servant, knowing that it’s going to be misinterpreted! And since it’s true, you can’t deny it! What is Saber thinking!? In that instant, your Servant stands. “Now, Miss, if your jealousy has subsided, then Edgar and I must take our leave.”

Obviously, Saber doesn’t intend to let you clear the air. In that case, escape is better than suffering through a tirade. You rise to return your trays and follow her out of the dining hall, leaving a thoroughly confounded Mathilda behind to mutter denial of Saber’s accusation.

The sun has set completely by the time you exit the dining hall. Very few students remain outdoors, granting the pair of you a relative privacy. Saber wastes no time in settling back onto your arm, devoid of the hostility she showed to Mathilda. She fills the peaceful air of your return journey with a long-awaited explanation.

“I suppose I should tell you who I am,” the swordswoman begins. “My True Name is Tomoe Gozen. I am a Japanese warrior from the end of the Heian period, where I fought in the Genpei War under my lord, Kiso no Yoshinaka. I was one of his strongest and most trusted allies. Sadly, even I could not turn the tide of every battle. My lord met his end in the ill-fated Battle of Awazu. Of course, as a soldier, I was prepared to die in battle, and intended to fight until the bitter end. However, my lord would not allow me to die at his side.”

You reach the residence hall and enter.

“I was forced to flee, lest his own death be shamed by my presence.”

The two of you ascend the stairs.

“Though I succeeded in performing one last glorious deed for him, I was not able to face my end with my lord. That remains my deepest regret.”

And finally, you reach your room.

“But you have chosen to grant my wish,” Saber continues, striding to the center of your room. “We will fight this War to whatever end we may meet. Together. For that, you have my gratitude.”

“All I’m doing is keeping my promises,” you say as you lock the door. “I don’t think it’s that praiseworthy. Instead, I should be thanking you for telling me so much about yourself.”

“No, I have kept this information from you for far too long,” your Servant insists. “I am very fortunate to have such an understanding Master.”

“I think you only ever compliment me,” you chuckle. “Surely there’s something you find fault with? A negative character trait, maybe disorder in my living space?”

“Well... I do have an issue with your room,” Saber says.

“And what’s that?”

“Your bed is only large enough for one person.”

For a moment, your mind freezes. That’s definitely an invitation.

>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.
>>“Yeah, it’s too bad.” You’d prefer to go to sleep.
>>(Write-in)

>>3868405
And so the ultimate prophecy fulfills itself.
FIRST
GIRL
WINS.
>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.

>>3868405
>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.
The time of the Saberfags is nigh.

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>>3868405
>>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.

inb4
McManus busts on in after hearing about this and Saber kills him.

Did we ever get any character art for Edgar?
I need it
for
...reasons.

>>3868405
>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.
At long last... we can inspect her gums.

>>3868403
>This girl has a famous disregard for civility while simultaneously abiding by a strict moral code
Oh shit, is this school for people with autism or what
>>"Don't worry, I can sleep on the floor"

>>3868405
>“Your bed is only large enough for one person.”
It's times like this where I wish that we were a little denser.

>>3868485
For some reason I always imagined he looked like Gudako(male) but in Kotomine attire.

>>3868521
Would be nice to have some sort of confirmation.
I need to make a Virgin Alberich vs Chad Edgar immediately.

>>3868526
I don't follow the other quest because I hate jumping into a quest when it's 5 or so threads deep, what's Alberich's deal?

>>3868546
horribly jobbing and having a sword that can cut through anything that has literally never worked in a fight. Also, lolis.

>>3868552
He has Durandal?

>>3868403
>This girl has a famous disregard for civility while simultaneously abiding by a strict moral code.... The brunette parks her petite, uniformed frame at the end of the table ... fists placed on her hips in an indignant power pose
FATTY
>>3868405
>“Your bed is only large enough for one person.”
Holy shit when did Saber get so alpha? Game recognize game, dawg.
>>>“That’s not the case.”
>>3868454
>McManus busts
McManus won't be the only one busting.

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>>3868578
Whoops, forgot image

>>3868574
he combined Durandal with his own sword to create a super bullshit portal sword. He can't hit anyone with it now though, what a scrub.

>>3868403
>Seiba Savanto
Saber, you're not allowed to come up with codenames anymore.

>>3868591
Seriously. Should've at least gone with Tomomo Gozenyoubi, because she's "Bigger than cHARLOTte"

>>3868403
>indignant power pose
classic mistake, not asserting dominance by t-posing from the beginning

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Anons. You're not suggesting that Edgar have sex before marriage, are you.

>>3868616
>You're not suggesting that Edgar have sex before marriage, are you.
He's an Executor (in training) so he's allowed to do that.

>>3868405
>>"Don't worry, I can sleep on the floor"

No thanks!

>>3868616
In a place of God, no less.

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>>3868616
>>3868634
>implying Edgar Tristan "Turbochad" Rood wouldn't Shimabara Rebellion that Eastern soil

>>3868485
I haven't provided any yet, but the closest physical representation I can find is Hashibira Inosuke from Kimetsu no Yaiba. I haven't seen or read it, but I've seen some fanart of the guy, and it's pretty close to what I have in mind for Edgar (excluding what he wears, obviously - I've described Edgar's favored outfit before, and it doesn't involve boar helmets). I can try to pick out a particular picture for future reference, but I hope that information is good enough for your purposes in the meantime.

>>3868510
That's certainly not what you told the forest...

>>3868634
The house of God is only next door, so it's fine, right?

>>3868667
Huh, for some reason I thought Edgar had been described as blonde at some point.

>>3868405
>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.

Saberchads, rise up!

>>3868616
Sorry Jesus, but dick overrides God Everytime.

>>3868405
>>"Don't worry, I can sleep on the floor"
Can't bang another dude's wife.

Also Anons help, I just wanted Musashi and now I've NP5'd Tomoe, she won't leave me alone.

>>3868700
You never heard of "till death do we part"?
She's fair game.

>inb4 she's a screamer

>>3868405
>>"Don't worry, I can sleep on the floor"
Rather not cause a route lock before we find out more about Tomoe's "true" side IC as well as whatever the fuck we are or aren't

>>3868700
As far as The Tale of the Heike is concerned, Tomoe Gozen was merely an attendant to Kiso no Yoshinaka, not his wife. I don't think F/GO considers the two to have been married, either.

>>3868616
He already made vow to stay with her
They are pretty much married

>>3868492
>>3868700
>>3868777
>>3868632
Why not just use the "no" option that's already given?

>>3868810
This answer will either force her to be even more direct or cause her to accumulate sexual frustration leading to her fucking us once she goes full demon-blood

>>3868405
>"That's not the case."
Saber is the best! We must acknowledge that red ribbon.
Only reason Edgar has to turn her down is some weird Oedipus complex/confidence problem.

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>>3868821
Why on Earth would she try again? It's obvious, our mind froze. This is clearly a come-on. It's written in the damn post, how much more clear does it need to be? A rejection here won't build sexual tension, it says "yeah, I don't want you. You're just a tool to me."
Additionally, why does everyone want Edgar to be so fucking passive? "You choose, cHARLOTte," "I wish people were more honest with me," "let Saber take the initiative." This is why Edgar died so early on.

>>3868810
It comes off as a bit dickish honestly. Tomoe points out the bed's too small, we agree and then just sleep in it anyways, plus Edgar's not Shirou levels of dense.

>>3868405
>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.

>>3868810
The write in is incredibly out of character. Edgar has rejected girls before and he knows Saber is feeling something for him, this isn't something out of the blue and shell shocking. If he is going to reject her it should be in an upfront and clear cut kind of way.

Edgar is honest and earnest to a fault.

>>3868405
>>“That’s not the case.” The night doesn’t need to end just yet.

Okay, so who's gonna be the hack writer?

>>3868900
I'll do it; actually working on it now.

>>3868810
It seems more polite than the premade response.

>>3868546
Alberich is a 2-week-old sociopathic magical construct, not a human. Romance isn't a strong point of his.

>>3868937
It's spineless is what it is. Falsely accomadating, they both know she doesn't need to sleep so giving her the bed isn't just a rejection it's an insult. "I'd rather make things worse for myself than sleep with you."

>>3868907
Don't forgot the seafood and the meat organs.

>>3868947
Very well then.

>>3868405
Switching from >>3868632

>>(Write-in)
> "I'm sorry Saber, but I can't return your feelings in the way you want me to. I haven't even figured out what my own feelings really are yet..."

>>3868970
Don't worry, I'm rereading FSN for inspiration.

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> Why yes, I do fuck 12th century warrior women.

> How could you tell?

>>3869097
of course, the jesus route
tomoe will be SO mad when jesus steals her man
>>3868907
>>3868993
Well, now I have to see it.

Guys... did the fucking tree just get Edgar laid?

>>3869819
einnashe bro always has our back

>>3869819
Bet it's how dad got mom.

>>3870081
>after saber shatters edgar's hips he sees the trees again
>treebro gives him tips for next time
>the advice given by a disembodied voice in a dream forest is actually useful

>>3870092
This is the DAA breeding program. A disembodied tree voice whispering in young men's dreams to help them have sex with powerful and violent women.

>>3870098
>oni vampire
>all that bloodsucking in one person
What kind of monster would do such a thing?

>>3870122
A monster who just wants their grandkids to live happy lives.

“That’s not the case,” you respond, approaching your partner. Saber’s hot; there’s no denying that. If she’s in the mood, then you’re happy to jump on the opportunity.

“You’re rather confident about that,” she says playfully. Her back is turned to you; her hands fidget before her, where you can’t see.

“Let me prove it to you.”

The girl’s skirt drops to the floor.

~~~

…
….
…..

~~~

Tonight, too, you’re in the forest. Strangely enough, when you arrive, a wind is blowing through the upper parts of the trees. The shifting, shaking, and scraping sounds almost like… snickering.

“You’re horrible,” the familiar whisper chides.

“What do you mean?” you reply.

“Taking advantage of a girl like that.” The susserating foliage levels its indictment against you. “She’s clearly into you. You don’t return that feeling, but you still used her for sex.”

“I used her? But it was her idea!”

“Precisely,” the leaves rustle. “She exposed her emotional vulnerability to you, and once you sensed it, you exploited it for your own sexual gratification.”

You fall silent for a moment. Is that really what you did?

“As it stands, you don’t even qualify as friends with benefits,” comes a zephyrean sneer. “To you, she’s a fuck buddy at best.”

“Can it, asshole!” you shout into the woods. To say you overstepped is one thing, but to accuse you of total apathy towards her pisses you off. “I may not be in love, but I care plenty regardless!”

“Don’t lie to me,” the forest hisses. Caught off-guard by this newest charge, your freshly sparked anger lulls as quickly as it flared. “You don’t care at all! That’s what you told her! That you don’t care if her powers are gruesome! That you don’t care if she doesn’t adhere to etiquette! That you don’t even care what she really is! You’re fond of her wild side, of her body, but not of her SELF! And the worst part-”

~~~

The first thing you see when you open your eyes is Saber’s pacific smile.

“Good morning, my lord,” she whispers. She’s under your arm, head resting comfortably on your chest, naked body still pressed to yours.

“Good morning, Tomoe,” you murmur in return.

“You are a remarkably quick learner,” the swordswoman purrs, tracing shapes into your torso with her finger.

“Your class is so exciting that I can’t help but pay attention.”

She giggles, plants a kiss on your lips, and slips out of bed.

“My lord, may I have your permission to take the first shower?”

“All yours.”

You watch from behind as Tomoe struts across your room, disappearing into your bathroom to cleanse herself of dried sweat. You rise and begin retrieving the strewn-about articles of last night’s carelessly discarded outfits. Your Servant will need hers back, and yours need a washing since you wore them all day. It’s a slow process; energy you should be able to muster struggles to mobilize in the wake of last night’s dream. The muffled pattering of the shower does nothing to drown out the final words of the forest echoing in your mind.

“She knows.”

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door.

“Oi, Eddy, you awake?” Father McManus calls.

“Yeah, but I can’t open the door right now,” you reply. “What is it?”

“I need some shopping done, if ye’ve got the time.”

“When do you need the items? And do you have the list?”

“Right here. If ye don’t get it to me by the end of today, I’ll just ask someone else in the morn.” A small piece of paper slides under the door. “Wait a minute! Eddy, if ye’re out here, then who’s in yer shower? Not a bird, is she!?”

“O-oh, don’t worry, I’m just about to get in!” You deftly dodge the question with the truth.

“...I see. Carry on then.”

Footsteps announce the priest’s departure. You pick up the catalog of inventory that needs restocking and look it over. It’s mostly office supplies and a little bit of hardware. Everything can be purchased from stores on the western side of Gethsemane. The hardest items to get will be a few culinary favorites of Father’s, which can only be purchased at the local farmers’ market. Once he had his first taste of rural Pennsylvanian baked goods, he was hooked. With this broad a selection, the trip will definitely take either all morning or afternoon.

While Tomoe is still in the shower, you think about how best to spend the next few hours.

>>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list.
>>Return to your work on opening the canister.
>>Go see Sister Gloria for information or advice.
>>Spend some time with Damien. Maybe he has a scoop.
>>Call Charlotte. Perhaps you can share intel or coordinate something.
>>(Write-in)

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>tfw Jesus was right

>>3870539
>>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list.
YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BACK US UP TREEBRO, NOT CONDEMN US

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>"And the worst part, she knows."
WAS IT WORTH IT, YOU HORNY FUCKS? I BET THAT LOW-KEY GUTTED HER AFFECTION SCORE.

>>3870572
Yeah, well, you were supposed to be sensitive to her true feelings instead of rushing for sex at the first opportunity.

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>>3870532
https://pastebin.com/tHdxz3Pq

>>3870578
Quit that shit, you know Edgar Tristan Rood: decisive, uncompromising, clueless.

>>3870585
More like "controlled, by stupid horny, anons". I just with I didn't get talked into vottibg with you but I doubt I would've have saved the vote. Now all we can do is try to fix it.

>>3870588
Real talk. You can't trust this forest, it killed Edgar's dad. Whatever it says should be taken with a shovelful of salt
>>3870584
>he actually did it

>>3870591
I still can't believe Edgar looked like Inosuke this entire time.

The forest is fucking with us Bros. It's probably some antinatalist or some shit, out to castrate the human race.


>>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list

>>3870539
>>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list.

>We disappointed Treebro
Gaia, prune this timeline.

>>3870539
>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list.
The damn trees must be an Einzbern plot to pull Edgar away from the true path.

>>3870584
You madman

>>3870611
>the forest is Zeke
Disgusting. I knew we shouldn't trust it.
>>3870539
>>>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list.

>>3870539 #
>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list.
With Saber, and try to apologize for taking advantage if we can’t outright fix everything.

Way to go, cumbrains.

>>3870539
>>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list

At least this backfired in you horny fucks' faces.

>>3870620
>Gaia, prune this timeline.
This one? Not the one where Edgar has anal sex with Ferdiad?

>>3870639
>>3870588
>>3870576
>>3870578
>>3870652
Fucking prudes.

>>3870657
A real gay bulge.

>>3870660
Prudes who are taking a fucking tree at its word, lmao

>>3870660
I know, right? Edgar has consensual sex with a woman who initiated the act and suddenly he's scum of the earth because a dream tree (that mom warned us away from) says so.

It's not like we're planning to kick her to the curb or just use her as an onahole. Just continue to explore our relationship outside of sex and the Grail War and shit'll be fine.

>>3870657
You have no idea how much I would have enjoyed writing that. Best timeline not realized.
>>3870660
Edgar would have to receive from Fer Diad, obviously. No gay bulge from Eddie to break through congancnes Fir Diad.

>>3870657
>Edgar losing his anal virginity is one of the prerequisites for surviving the Quantum Time Lock
Good thing we're in a Catholic school

>>3870670
The anus is a conceptual weak point of his Noble Phantasm.
It's how he died after all.

>>3870687
I'm not actually sure that's true. According to the Vassar translation [http://adminstaff.vassar.edu/sttaylor/Cooley/Ferdiad.html] it (apparently) went through an iron apron -- i.e. through the belly. So as good a meme as that is, I don't appreciate you disrespecting my man Fer Diad that way.

>>3870584
>flatworms in a wet cave

Truly a master of erotica. the guy Nasu had write the smut would be proud.

>>3870572
You guys ought to look on the bright side - this wasn't a route lock!

>>3870584
Jesus Christ, you actually fucking did it. You lunatic.
>all that """""prose"""""
It's true to the original, alright. That was hilarious. Full marks.

>>3870591
This made me laugh, too. You guys really pulled out all the stops for this update. I'm both impressed and flattered.

>>3870657
>the one where Edgar has anal sex with Ferdiad?
That's when Counter Guardians get involved.

>>3870539
>>>Take care of Father McManus’s shopping list.
Fuck you forest it may not be love yet but there's still time!

>>3870584
And I will be reading you later. Not sure if I need to be more or less sober for this.

>>3870584
>Your tongue pushes into her damp cavern, wrestling with her tongue like a pair of flatworms fighting for territory
My fucking sides

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>>3870584
Good lord you are good, just the right kind of lewdness, light hearted loving and silly dialogue/narrative I like.

Laughed and had a boner. Props to you.

So is that how dad died and why it's so painful for mom? He listened to the voice, let doubt creep in and died somewhere alone thinking he never loved her the way she deserved?

>>3871475
I fucking bet thats it. The tree is a corruptor.I bet its powerful and can make us powerful but we will pay for heeding it.

>>3871482
It promises and baits and misleads. Offering honey coated words when in need and venom when in control.

Statements by the FUCKING FOREST:
>“I am not of your kind.” The answer is carried on a whisper from the forest. It surrounds you.
>“Yes.” (When asked if it was an individual rather than part of a collective intelligence)
>“I do not know,” the wind replies. “If I am to learn, then I must ask: who are you?” (When asked if it was Edgar's enemy)
>“No, that is wrong… you do not trust-” something. The dream cut off there.
>“We are of the same kind after all,” the wind replies. (When Edgar said he wished he could be more sensitive to the girls' feelings)
Make of that what you will.

>>3871504
Looks like heresy.

I swear that completely disregarding the forest is going to bite us in the ass.

>>3871504
Either the forest is extremely young (mentally) or is intensely reliant on reacting to whoever it is interacting with.

At least that's what I thought until this last outburst. What reason does it have to act that way? To feel that way, if it is genuine? It can't be a projection of Edgars' own emotions since he didn't go into it thinking he was in love or that it was more to Saber than physical passion. Not that I'm saying it was just an emotionless fuck, friends can make love more intimately than professed lovers, but I seriously doubt either went in thinking "omg this is the one 4ever"(maybe during orgasmic bliss it crossed someones mind though). Seriously Sabers dialogue, if she was going for a "this is it true love" feel then she has been reading trashy airport love novels while in that arrow. She wants something to be there, sure but the two of them are still building to it.

The forest is either reading too much into it and over reacting or is fucking with us for a reason(or is batshit).

Also we aren't route locked which means we aren't locked out of Saber route.

>>3872199
Sweets BTFO. How will he ever recover?

>>3872199
>Hands poised to throw black keys at enemy masters
I don't know why this one killed me

>>3872464
It shows how he's actually capable of fighting others and at least forcing them to retreat

>>3872199
kek

~~~

“A few years back, Mom took me on a trip to Finland while she tried to work out a deal with the Edelfelt family,” you explain to Tomoe as the two of you travel through underpopulated streets. Shopping bags hang from one of your arms and two of Saber’s. As a Servant, she insisted that she could (and should) take the heavier load. “She thought it would be worthwhile to have me see a different part of the world since the Church was footing the bill. One thing led to another, though, and I ended up in a brief but violent altercation with the Edelfelt’s heir. Mom immediately pulled the plug on negotiations and brought me home. I’ve had trouble getting permission to leave Gethsemane ever since.”

“I see,” the swordswoman says. “However, I disagree that your mother had an overprotective response. It seems to me to be a reasonable course of action on her part.”

“It was just a spat, and I didn't even get hurt,” you reply. “Keeping me from leaving town for so long afterwards seems like a bit much, don't you think?”

"Well, I suppose restricting your movement so may be uncalled for."

You’ve finally reached the farmer’s market, the last stop before you’ve collected all required items. The shopping trip has proven worrying. A surprising number of storefronts remain closed, and there aren’t many pedestrians out, even though it’s a Saturday morning. You hope that the retailers you need to purchase from are manning their posts.

Inside, the building is broken into four blocks of stalls. Customers can walk around or between those four sections, tracing the lines of a two-by-two grid. Just by stepping through the entrance, your nose is filled with the familiar scents of homemade goods. Produced by farmers and sold directly to local consumers, sellers’ wares include various meats, vegetables, a myriad of baked goods, and even some more complex commodities like macaroni salad. Curiously, nearly all of the stalls are open; a far cry from the relative desolation of the city at large. You and Tomoe have no problems acquiring the rest of what you need. All four hands now full of bags, the two of you are just about to exit when-

“Ah! Sword guy!”

The surprised cry is near impossible for you to recognize, since you’ve only heard the voice behind it once before. You turn your head and see an all-too-familiar pale girl in a white hoodie trotting over to you, arms laden with a few bags of her own.

“Iris, wait-!”

Some distance behind her is the other girl from two nights ago, this time in a hoodie and skirt of her own; but her clothes are pale blue and teal blue respectively, and she holds only two bags. Recognizing Berserker’s Master, Saber quickly positions herself between you and the approaching Iris. Once the girl is close enough that your Servant is obstructing her, she begins poking her head around Tomoe’s body to see you, hardly acknowledging the presence of the obstacle.

“Whenever you throw your swords at me, you just make new ones!” she gushes excitedly, eyes alight with wonder. “It’s so cool! How do you do it?”

“Iris, stop!” the second young woman slows to a halt behind the first. “You know we can’t just talk about these things in public! Especially not with HIM!” She points an accusatory finger at you. The excitement of the scene begins to draw both shoppers and vendors alike into the role of spectator.

“Huh?” Iris turns back to the other girl, not getting any further from Tomoe. “But Caster says he won’t hurt us if we aren’t fighting! So we can talk, right?” Her head rotates to you once more, tilting quizzically. “Right?”

>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”
>>”No. Talking to you two would be plenty dangerous, even outside of battle.”
>>(Write-in)

I should alert you all that I won't be able to update Wednesday night, and I may not be able to update tomorrow night, either. Thursday should be doable, but complications may arise.

>>3872199
This gave me several good chuckles. Thanks, anon.

>>3872842
>>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”
Well Edgar has been open to dialogues outside of battle and hey, their team has some vital intel on just what the fuck is going on here.

>>3872842
>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”

We are at war, but no need to be rude.

Also, lol, did Edgar get suplexed by Luvia

>>3872842
>>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”

>>3872897
>did Edgar get suplexed by Luvia
That would certainly explain why he loves violent women.
>>3872842
>>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”
What's the worst that could happen?

>>3872842
>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”

>“Ah! Sword guy!”
Somewhere beyond the edge of space and time a man in red sneezes.

>>3872842
>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”

Iris is way more genki than I would have expected based off our last two encounters.

>>3872842
>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”

>>3872897
>Also, lol, did Edgar get suplexed by Luvia
>>3873026
>That would certainly explain why he loves violent women.
luvia will come out of the left field and wins the edgarbowl, screencap this

>>3873341
It's the Einzbern way to go all deredere on whoever they latch on to.

>>3873346
We can test by playing recordings of MMA and pro wrestling in his room and seeing if he pops a boner.

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>>3873379
In another timeline, Edgar gets pic related as his servant

How would that go?

>>3873436
Gethsemane experiences a a flash flood of hot glue.

>>3872897
The reason Edgar got in so much trouble wasn't the fight it's because Mom had to give him the talk afterwards.

>>3872842
>>”Well, I guess so, but definitely not here. Let’s find somewhere else to chat.”

>>3873436
Two weeks of constant hot, sweaty sex. Ends with Coatl mating pressing Edgar. Then they go and surprise attack the last man standing to take the grail and live happily ever after.

>>3873436
Scientists would finally have some empirical data regarding the absolute hardest a man can nut.

It was a possibility before, but now it's certain; no update tonight. I'll post again either Thursday or Friday night.

>>3874448
Updates are appreciated, your pace up till now has been pleasing.

So what is the Edelfelt's relationship with the church like? Do we havge any clues as to why mom would have brought Edgar to hang with them or is it a just because?

I know they're strong and influential so I'm just wondering if she thought to get help from them to deal with Edgar's mysterious problem.

~~~

At the western edge of the city, the four of you sit tightly packed on a bench. It’d be rude and impractical to stop at a restaurant or any such business with the number of bags your party is carrying, so you came out here instead. Each respective duo’s haul is grouped on the ground at either side of the long seat. You occupy the leftmost position, leaning as comfortably as you can on the armrest. Saber sits with predictably perfect posture directly next to you. Just beyond her is Iris, leaning in front of and over her Servant neighbor. Iris’s companion sits upright, arms crossed, giving you a contemptuous side-eye from the other end.

“So?” Iris presses her question, “How do you do it?”

“I don’t really create new swords,” you say. “I carry a number of hilts with me, and materialize the blades when I need to.”

“Oh, I see! That way, you don’t use as much energy! Constantly making swords from scratch would be tough.”

“Hah! And why should we believe you?” the fourth girl scoffs, deliberately emphasizing the suspicion in her voice. “You’re our enemy, so of course you’d lie about your abilities.”

“This isn’t something worth lying about,” you reply. “They’re a common enough weapon that I thought you would know what they are. Didn’t Caster tell you that it wasn’t magecraft?”

“Dunno,” Iris chimes back in. “When I asked her about it, she just said, ‘Why don’t you ask him directly?’ She can be really useless sometimes. Ah, but I got to meet you because of that, so I guess it’s okay.”

“Iris, are you for real? This jerk nearly killed you!” the furthest girl yells, indignant. “How can you talk to him so casually!?”

“Come on, Juniper!” Iris finally turns to face the other girl. “This is a rare chance to learn something new! You have questions you want to ask him too, right?”

Juniper swivels away from you both in a huff.

“Sure I do.”

“Then how about this,” Iris suggests, returning to her conversation with you. “We get to ask you a question, and then you get to ask us one in return. That way, it’s a fair trade!”

“Works for me, so long as the question is reasonable,” you say. This is more or less what you were hoping for when you agreed to talk, so you have no reason to refuse.

“Great! So, Juniper, do you want to ask, or should I?”

“...those fakes?” Juniper growls. It was so low that you don’t catch the first half of what she said.

“Could you repeat that?” you request.

“Those cheap knock-offs from two nights ago!” she barks, snapping her glare to fix you. “They tried to kill you, didn’t they? Why are you on their side!?”

Wait - does she mean the Einzberns?

>>“I needed an ally, and their Master offered to be one. It’s that simple.”
>>“After I killed her Servant, I felt responsible for their Master. That onus ended up snowballing.”
>>“Even after I defeated and spared their Master, she didn’t give up. I was worried about her safety, so I agreed to help her.”
>>(Write-in)

I squeezed an update out tonight, but it doesn't look like I'll be posting tomorrow. I should return to my regular schedule on Saturday.

>>3877519
>>“Even after I defeated and spared their Master, she didn’t give up. I was worried about her safety, so I agreed to help her.”

>“When I asked her about it, she just said, ‘Why don’t you ask him directly?’ She can be really useless sometimes. Ah, but I got to meet you because of that, so I guess it’s okay.”
I guess despite all her harping about us attacking a girl, Caster still got enough of a read on Edgar's personality to think he would be too honorable to attack Iris in cold blood. That, or Caster is a tremendous troll and Iris is suicidally naive.

>>3877511
>>“Even after I defeated and spared their Master, she didn’t give up. I was worried about her safety, so I agreed to help her.”

>Edgar helps eceryone during the war
>Everyone thinks he's playing 4D chess
>He just wants to help out his friends
We're going to get to the Grail and Twice Pieceman the world into constant war aren't we?

>>3877519
>>>“Even after I defeated and spared their Master, she didn’t give up. I was worried about her safety, so I agreed to help her.”

>>3877519
>>>“After I killed her Servant, I felt responsible for their Master. That onus ended up snowballing.”

>“Those cheap knock-offs from two nights ago!”
Someone who understands!

>>3877920
Who says that a knock off can't surpass the original?

>>3877939
I mean.
They can't.

>>3877939
Doesn't matter fake is fake.

>>3877519
>>“Even after I defeated and spared their Master, she didn’t give up. I was worried about her safety, so I agreed to help her.”

>>3877939
Still go for an original and not some tailor made knockoff. This doesn't mean the knockoff can't be quality or that the original can't be poor, but the original will always have more inherent quality over the tailor ade knock off by virtue of origins.

One arose through the quirks of biology and fate.
One was made for a purpose.

The first has higher highs and lower lows, it beats the endless gray middle-ground of the second.

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>>3879181
Are you having a stroke? What the actual fuck are you talking about? I guess I'm just glad to know that a Rolls Royce Wraith is inferior to Karl Benz's 1885 design -- because they're both cars, and the 1885 Benz has the "virtue of origins" of cars.

>>3879181
Fuck off Gilgamesh.

>>3879577
No no you are missing the soul of it. We aren't comparing cars to cars we are comparing cars to people. One is not and will never be the other.

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>>3879666
That makes absolutely no sense. How is a car at all similar to a person? Where do you get from one to the other? I need you to walk me through this.

>>3879813
I believe Anon is saying Ilona and Ursula do not qualify as people, merely objects.

>>3879813
They aren't people and they never were. They are technology, tools, devices and they have no hope of being anything else.

>>3880318
Nah.

>>3880318
>>3845198
>Boy, it sure would be nice if there were a way to fix that. Say, a magical wish-granting cup that would make her into a fully-functioning [...] young woman.

>>3880386
Yes, let's use our wish to make all homunculii real. people, free and with souls, and make it so after that anytime any homunculus is made it too will be free with its own soul.

That seems like a legit wish the Grail can grant.

>>3880386
Who the fuck let Sieg in here? Homunculi rights is gay cause held by gays.

You’ve seen firsthand that Ilonasviel isn’t cut out for the business of a Holy Grail War. She might be willing to kill, but she lacks composure. The way she cowers in abject terror whenever her life is on the line is plenty proof that she’s not soldier material. Yet, for whatever reason, the girl seems dead set on continuing to fight. Something about the fact that she’s still in danger doesn’t sit right with you.

“Even after I defeated and spared their Master, she didn’t give up,” you say. “I was worried about her safety, so I agreed to help her.”

“Oh, is that so?” Juniper sneers, voice dripping with doubt. “Please, you’re not that good-natured! You weren’t concerned about Iris’s safety at all!”

“That’s because she was trying to kill me.”

“So were the fakes!” Juniper shouts.

“He doesn’t need to worry about me because I can defend myself,” Iris says. “The little fake Master can’t do much. I’m sure sword guy - no, um…” She trails off, apparently no longer content with the nickname she gave you and unaware of your real one.

“Edgar.”

“Edgar! I’m sure Edgar would feel the same about Angie, you know?”

“Angie, huh…” Juniper calms slightly. “Well, I guess I can understand. Maybe you’re not THAT bad. But you’re still hostile, and I won’t trust you!”

“Okay, Edgar!” Problem resolved, Iris swings back towards you. “Now it’s your turn! What do you want to know?”

>>“Who are you two, exactly?”
>>“From the information I've gathered, Caster should be Leon Marshall's Servant. What’s your relationship with him?”
>>“I understand that Berserker is an extra Servant. How did you summon him?”
>>“What do you mean by ‘cheap knock-offs’?”
>>“Who’s Angie?”
>>Ask something else. (Write-in)

>>3880799
>>“What do you mean by ‘cheap knock-offs’?”

>>3880799
>>“From the information I've gathered, Caster should be Leon Marshall's Servant. What’s your relationship with him?”

>>3880799
>>>“From the information I've gathered, Caster should be Leon Marshall's Servant. What’s your relationship with him?”

>>3880799
>>“From the information I've gathered, Caster should be Leon Marshall's Servant. What’s your relationship with him?”

>>3880799
>>“From the information I've gathered, Caster should be Leon Marshall's Servant. What’s your relationship with him?”
So wait, are Iris and Juniper prototypes for Ilonasviel and her sister? So is Angie Angela? If only we could save scum.

>>3881420
>If only we could save scum.
YOROKOBE INTENSIFIES

>>3881420
Had the same thought. But wouldn't that make these two Einzberns too? Aren't all Einzbern homunculii based on their founder?

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>>3881464
Fuck I fucked that post up last night.

Rather, would that mean Illona is a fake of one of these two (probably Juniper) and the mysterious sister we haven't met of Iris? Illona seems to be in charge of Einzbern affairs so these two being replaced would have been a family decision.

You’ve been particularly bothered by Caster’s role in all this. Or, rather, the implications of her involvement with Iris and Juniper. She seems to be contracted to the elusive Second Owner of the area, so if she’s working with these two, there’s obviously a connection.

“From the information I’ve gathered, Caster should be Leon Marshall’s Servant,” you say. At the mention of his name, a wave of disgust washes over Juniper’s face. “What’s your relationship with him?”

“Hmm…” Iris thinks for a moment, trying to find the right word. “I guess you could call him our boss? Or maybe landlord is a better term.”

“More like our tyrant,” Juniper spits.

“We have nowhere else to go,” Iris explains. “Mr. Marshall gives us a place to sleep and pays our expenses, but in return, we have to do what he says. That includes fighting in the Holy Grail War.” Wait - Iris and Juniper are in the War against their will!?

“He’s horrible!” Before you can ask about Iris’s last statement, Juniper cuts in. “Constantly ordering us around, ‘do this, do that!’ while menacing us with tacit threats. And we can’t say or do anything about it! I HATE him!”

Bad blood between these two and Marshall boils over in Juniper’s polemic. If what they’re saying is true, the man is a piece of shit. Iris and Juniper are dependent on him, and he forces them to act as cannon fodder! A rare sensation heats within you. First a smolder, then an ember, then a spark.

“He’s using you as soldiers. Shouldn’t deserting be an option?” you ask through grit teeth. Iris laughs awkwardly in response.

“Unfortunately, it’s not that easy,” Iris’s gaze shifts downward. “His territory is huge. Caster is sympathetic, but even she can only do so much. If we try something, he’ll probably kill us before we make it out. More importantly, Angie never gets to leave the estate.”

Even should they already be outside, like they are now, if Caster follows them around, then a Command Spell could end their lives. There seems to be a hostage at play, too. Marshall has this pair firmly under his thumb. Caster suddenly returns to your mind. Tomoe has yet to warn you of another Servant’s presence, but her silent gaze has been fixed somewhere to her one o’clock for a while now. If no greater threat than Iris were there, no doubt she’d be watching the pale girl instead. As if on cue, Caster materializes, carefully timed so that there’s no one else around to see her.

“As nice as this conversation has been,” Caster says, “it’s about time we head back. We wouldn’t want to arouse suspicion.”

Iris and Juniper stand and pick up their bags. You want to continue, but if doing so would put the girls in danger, then it’s time to be done. You and Saber rise as well. Your Servant’s eyes never leave Caster.

“Thanks for the chat, Edgar!” Iris offers a cheerful farewell. “Let’s do this again sometime!”

“Later.” Juniper’s goodbye is curt, but her word choice, perhaps unintentionally, echoes Iris’s wish for reunion.

“Stay safe, you two,” you say, mind still burning. Juniper shoots you a disbelieving glare, but Iris smiles. Caster smirks at you knowingly. You feel a small urge: head to the estate with the girls and give Marshall what he deserves. However, walking into a Second Owner’s lair unprepared is not a good idea. Instead, you go your separate ways. Your mind cools on the journey back, but a foul mood lingers.

~~~

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Ed,” Damien growls. Campus sprawls out downhill behind him. Behind you is the brick administrative building that you just left with Tomoe after receiving significant payment from Father McManus. You had Tomoe give you her bags and dematerialize for the delivery to avoid a time-consuming tirade, but your glowering, blond friend has other ideas.

“Start from the top. One,” he continues, raising one finger, “tell me where you’ve been. Two,” another finger joins the first as he points at Tomoe, “clarify your relationship with her. Three,” a third digit rises, and the trio indicate the woman at his side, “what the fuck is this?”

“Greetings, Edgar Rood,” the Einzbern maid, dressed in full uniform, bows. “Milady wishes to see you. Accompany me to the car, and we will be off.”

This is the kind of situation you thought your phone number would prevent.

>>“Now’s a really bad time, Damien.” Go see the Einzberns posthaste.
>>“Ilonasviel is going to have to wait. Sorry.” Spend a few hours with Damien.
>>Do something else with your afternoon instead. (What?)
>>(Write-in)

>>3883460
>>“Now’s a really bad time, Damien.” Go see the Einzberns posthaste.

Not even an Einzbern fag but we have a pseudo alliance to cultivate

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1.48 MB JPG

>>3883460
>>>“Now’s a really bad time, Damien.” Go see the Einzberns posthaste.
I want more canister but we do have a good thing going with Illona, and I suppose she may be able to shed some light on the Berserker girls.

We should give Damien a witty deflection. Edgar doesn't lie so... "It's complicated."? That feels weak though.

>>3883460
>>"1 - I've had a fever for a couple of days since I injured myself hiking in the woods with..."
>>"2 - Savanto, friend from my Mother's side, she's in town for a while for a competition, I was showing her around when we met.."
>>"3 - Ilonasviel, who was in a rough patch when we gave her a hand and in return she helped me out when I was out of it."
>>"And speaking of which I've got to go check up on her, got to dash Damien, sorry."
Edgar Tristan Rood - Executioner in training, potential tree person, master gymnast

>>3883513
Edgar doesn't lie.

>>3883460
>"Shopping, it's a secret, a maid, smell ya later."

>>3883517
More twisting the truth, Edgar injured himself "hiking" for Archer, Tomoe is other friend from our Mother's side, the Grail War and we helped out Ilonasviel by not killing hee and she repayed after Archer took us out. All true, we're just changing the context a bit.

>>3883522
We literally are in war because we are also after honestly and not only literal truth so twisting the truth doesn't really fit

>>3883460
>>>“Now’s a really bad time, Damien.” Go see the Einzberns posthaste.
Just because homie ain't got game don't mean homie can keep a playa down, ya dig?

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It will be a while before the update, but in the meantime, here's a character portrait for Juniper as she appeared at your meeting.

“Now’s a really bad time, Damien,” you deflect, slipping past your friend to follow the maid. “We’ll talk eventually, alright?”

“Oh, come on,” he calls after you. However, after all the years you’ve spent together, he knows better than to follow. “You better spill it all when you get back!”

A hurried trip across campus is met with a good deal of confused stares before you make it past the gatehouse and reach your vehicle; a black, high-end sedan, very different from the SUV of two nights ago. Your chauffeur dutifully opens the door, and once you and Tomoe have clambered in, you’re off. The ride passes in silence. At some point, Saber vanishes into spirit form. Perhaps she doesn’t want her physical presence to be mistaken for a threat upon your arrival.

Your course takes you through downtown, and once again you’re surprised by how few people are out and about. On Saturday afternoon, the heart of the city should be nothing short of bustling. Instead, human activity is lower than even a normal weekday. There’s traffic, but no congestion. Plenty of storefronts and offices are open, but pedestrians only sparsely populate the sidewalk or traverse the entrance of any given building.

The ride comes to an abrupt end as your car parks in front of the hotel the Einzberns are supposedly staying in. You’re still confused as to how their room here fits into their overarching strategy. With their manor just outside of town, surely there’s no need to rent a living space within? You exit the vehicle with the driver while she hands the keys to the valet, and she leads you inside. The lobby is a large, open room with expensive-looking decorations, including a red carpet, a glass chandelier, chairs, couches, and tables to maximize the feeling of wealth. You don’t stay to soak it all in, though, swiftly taking the elevator up to the top floor as soon as you’ve crossed through to it.

‘Master, there is a Servant here,’ Saber alerts you. ‘I believe it is the winged woman from before.’ The moonlight woman? She seemed to be working with Ilonasviel. If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t need to worry about getting attacked.

When the elevator stops, its doors open into a small hallway that’s more like an antechamber than anything else. Opposite your lift is an elevator for staff use only. Stepping out from the metal box, you find a service closet to one side and a single door at the head of the corridor; the entrance to the penthouse suite. Your guide knocks three times on the door, then slowly unlocks and opens it, giving her lady within ample warning and time. You cross the threshold behind your guide and are shocked to see no one in the room save a lone woman, standing in between a couch and a coffee table.

She looks to be a bit older than you are, perhaps a year or two. With long silver hair and ruby-red eyes, you have little doubt that she’s an Einzbern. Her clothing consists of naught but a simple yet elegant, off-shoulder, white dress. Gold trims circle around the arms and waist, as well as line the edges of each piece of fabric. Her pale form stands a stark contrast to the room she occupies. It is a grand and luxurious space, colored almost entirely with brown and dark red. Intricate ornamentation covers the moldings of the walls and the wood of just about every piece of furniture. You can’t help but notice that certain locations, such as the corner of a cabinet or the armrest of a chair, are decorated with various wire bird sculptures.

“Milady,” the maid addresses her master, “I have brought Edgar Rood, as you requested.”

“Very good. Go prepare dinner, Gisela.”

Gisela? A third maid? You had thought for sure that she was Angela! Hell, that’s why you got in the car to begin with! There’s practically no difference between the two. You’ll have to make an effort to tell them apart in the future. More importantly, though, this means you’re in the company of total strangers. Ilonasviel and her maids may trust you to a dregree, but it’s not likely that these new acquaintances will, at least not at first. With the surrounding army of familiars and the presence of a Servant, you’re best off playing along with whatever has been arranged here.

“Greetings,” your host welcomes you, curtsying. “I am Ivonnesviel von Einzbern. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“I am Edgar Rood. The pleasure is mine,” you say, bowing in turn. This must be the other Einzbern whose existence you theorized so long ago. The possibility of her turning up had slipped your mind.

“Oh my, I didn’t expect you to be so well-mannered. Please, have a seat,” Ivonnesviel gestures to a couch across from her. You accept, and both of you sit down. “I hope it wasn’t too presumptuous of me arrange a meal for us.”

“No, that’s okay.” She's had multiple opportunities to kill you and has taken none. Poison shouldn’t be a concern. You haven’t eaten lunch yet, anyway, so it’s comforting to know that you’ll get to eat soon enough. However, it also means you’ll be spending quite a while in unknown territory.

“I’ve been meaning to give my thanks to the man who spared my sister,” the woman explains. “I was hoping to meet you sooner, but you left the manor before I could arrive yesterday. Nor were you able to speak when I healed your wounds.”

>>3884730
>>Indulge her in conversation. You have no reason not to. Maybe you can learn a bit about the Einzberns at the same time.
Life is full of give and take. Right?

”If my recovery was your doing, then you’ve given me thanks enough,” you reply. "Inviting me to a meal seems an excessive show of gratitude after that reimbursement. Is there another reason why you brought me here today?”

“I’d like to get to know you,” she says. “Between what I’ve researched, what I’ve heard, and what I’ve just experienced, you’re quite the oddball.”

>>Indulge her in conversation. You have no reason not to. Maybe you can learn a bit about the Einzberns at the same time.
>>Surely she has another motivation for inviting you to dinner without ever meeting you before. How is this related to the Holy Grail War?
>>Evade her questions as much as you can. She may well be hostile, and you should avoid giving her information.
>>(Write-in)

>>3884737
>>>Indulge her in conversation. You have no reason not to. Maybe you can learn a bit about the Einzberns at the same time.
Time for a frank exchange of ideals.

>>3884737
>>Surely she has another motivation for inviting you to dinner without ever meeting you before. How is this related to the Holy Grail War?

Dont trust the fakes.

>>3884737
>>>Indulge her in conversation. You have no reason not to. Maybe you can learn a bit about the Einzberns at the same time.
We aren't in hurry or anything so nothing is stopping us

>>3884737
>>Indulge her in conversation. You have no reason not to. Maybe you can learn a bit about the Einzberns at the same time.
Right okay, so let's run through the list:
Edgar - Saber
Charlotte - Assassin
??? - Lancer
Howell - Archer
Iris and Juniper - Berserker
Marshall - Caster
Ilonasviel - Shielder
Ivonnesviel - Rider and Moonlight

We've 2 Servants up, this Grail War is completely fucked.

>>3884986
StayNight had 10 so we are still withing acceptable range
Though despite presence of at least two distinct Dead Apostles(and possibly us being some True Ancestor knock-off or something) we are in heavy lack of cats

>>3884986
I mean, fucked up means everything is normal right? We haven't encountered anyone identifiable as a counter guardian at least. Or an time traveling master from another dimension.

>>3884737
>>>Indulge her in conversation. You have no reason not to. Maybe you can learn a bit about the Einzberns at the same time.

>>3884737
>>Indulge her in conversation. You have no reason not to. Maybe you can learn a bit about the Einzberns at the same time.


>Edgar got into a car with a complete stranger.

This is why mom worries about us!

>>3885276
At least we have our waifu/bodyguard with us this time.

>>3885276
They all look the same though!

A chat couldn’t hurt, could it? It’s what you’ve been up to all day, so you don’t have much of a reason to turn her down.

“What would you like to know?” you prompt.

“First, you are supposed to be an Executor, are you not?” she begins.

“Not quite,” you explain. “Technically, I’m in training right now. I could take on your average magus or vampire in a straight fight, so I’m a bit surprised they haven’t given me the full status yet. People younger and less skilled than I have handled the role. At first, I attributed it to typical red tape sluggishness, but it’s been long enough now that I think it’s intentional.”

“That’s not a mystery. Archer’s Master left you in an awful state when we found you that night. And not only did you let my sister go, you personally escorted her to safety. You’re terrible at exterminating magi,” she giggles. Okay, you’re clearly not the best, but even so, the church’s hesitation to put you to work is peculiar. Executors often work in groups. To qualify as one, you only need the ability to adhere to a chain of command, moderate competence, and adequate strength. Relatively speaking, of course; physically, you significantly outclass normal humans. Perhaps sensing your discomfort, Ivonnesviel continues. “I don’t mean that as an insult. You should be proud that you’re still a good person.”

“And I wouldn’t be should I get the job?” you ask, slightly offended by the implication.

“Your current path in life will make you a professional life-taker,” your host says. “Police officers and even soldiers keep the peace, killing only when necessary. Hunters use slain game to provide food and clothes. Executors merely slaughter at someone else’s behest. No remorse. No questions asked.”

You… hadn’t really thought about it like that before. The only ones you’d be eliminating would be vampires, demons, magi, and the like. Threats to the innocent that should, by all means, be brought down. But Ilonasviel is a magus, too. If you were ordered to kill her, would she really deserve it? Would you be able to? Your first encounter jumps into your mind. Yes, you would - in fact, you tried, without the slightest hesitation. Only Shielder’s incredible skill saved her. But now look at you, fighting by her side and dining with her sister. How can you reconcile that shift with the trainee you've been, and the warrior you’ve striven to become?

“Milady, dinner is ready,” Gisela calls from a doorway, interrupting your thoughts.

“Excellent. Let us eat, Edgar.” The two of you stand and follow the maid into a dining room. Aesthetically, it’s nearly identical to the room you just came from, but the chairs lack the cushioning of more comfortable articles that could become stained with food. Your seats are on opposite sides of the table’s middle, enabling closer, more intimate conversation than if you had been situated at opposing ends. The meal is well-balanced and delicious, although you don’t actually know what’s on your plate. You doubt that you could name half of this stuff. If nothing else, you can recognize bread and asparagus. Even the meat is alien to you, and it’s very tender; maybe lamb or something?

“Might I inquire as to how long you’ve been in training?” the Einzbern resumes the discussion.

“Hmm… maybe since I was six or seven? It started some time after my father passed away.”

“That young?” Ivonnesviel’s countenance both saddens and warms with empathy. “You’ve been groomed into a tool for most of your life, then. It seems we two have more in common than either of us realize.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, confused.

“I suppose you wouldn’t know that much, even as the overseer’s child,” she says. “My sister and I were raised and educated from birth in an isolated castle. The only reason we were given life was to ensure the success of this Holy Grail War and an Einzbern victory therein. We understand what it’s like to be molded into someone else’s weapon.”

Someone else’s weapon… is that really what you are?

“And I’m sorry about your father,” the young woman continues. “Ilonasviel and I never knew ours, if we even had one.”

“I hardly knew mine, either,” you say. The new perspective you’ve been given on your life is uncomfortable, but talking to someone with a comparable background to yours is strangely soothing. “I was so young when he died that I don’t remember much about him. My mother has also been selective in what she’s told me. Just something else you and I share, I suppose.”

Ivonnesviel’s warm red eyes meet yours with a soft smile, and she pushes a lock of silken silver hair behind her ear. Now that the tension of your encounter has melted, it registers with you that... frankly, she’s gorgeous. This afternoon has been full of surprises. You hadn’t expected opening up to someone you’ve never met would challenge your perception of yourself the way your host has, nor did you expect to connect so easily with a stranger.

“One final question,” the Einzbern asks. “What are your plans for tonight?”

>>”I was hoping to join your sister in whatever attack she intends to mount.” Ivonnesviel should be able to put you two into contact.
>>”I would like to find Archer and finish him off.” (Call Charlotte for help, or ask Ivonnesviel for assistance?)
>>”I think I’d like to stay and speak some more, if you’ll have me.” Your conversation thus far has been both informative and interesting. Why stop now?
>>”If you have something in mind, I’m all ears.” Perhaps Ivonnesviel wants to suggest something to you?
>>(Write-in)

>>3886173
>>>”I would like to find Archer and finish him off.” ask Ivonnesviel for assistance.

>>3886175
>>”I would like to find Archer and finish him off.” Call Charlotte for help

We haven't seen Charlotte in a bit, it might be a good idea to get in contact with her to see if she has any interesting information, or if she's plotting something.

I feel like we're forgetting something.

>>3886175
>”I would like to find Archer and finish him off.” Ask Ivonnesviel for assistance.

>>3886236
The people eater? Asking about Ivonnesviel's Servant? Damien?

>>3886236
Let's see
>brain forest
>canister
>archer+master
>the predator
>Marshall's group
>mysterious moonlight servant

>>3886236
Oh, or maybe how Ilona and Ivonne are connected to Itis and Juniper

>>3886245
Ah right.
>>3886175
>>(Write-in)
"I met with two girls earlier, Iris and Juniper, the masters of Berserker. Do you know them? They seemed to have a personal grudge against your family."

>>3886175
>>(”I would like to find Archer and finish him off.” ( ask Ivonnesviel for assistance?)

I do want to note she all but accused dearest Mother of forging us into a weapon against our will. Unacceptable.

Do not trust the fakes.

>>3886259
Actually change mine to Charlotte. I think we have to avoid doubling down on the Einzberns just now.

>>3886175
>>"I met with two girls earlier, Iris and Juniper, the masters of Berserker. Do you know them? They seemed to have a personal grudge against your family."
This could help us deal with Marshall later on, doubt the Second Owner's going to remain passive the entire war with a god damn Caster at his disposal.

>>3886175
>>"I met with two girls earlier, Iris and Juniper, the masters of Berserker. Do you know them? They seemed to have a personal grudge against your family."
We're going to end up triggering a Great Holy Grail War at this rate aren't we?

>>3886170
>But Ilonasviel is a magus, too. If you were ordered to kill her, would she really deserve it?
Yeah, probably
We don't deal with any good people there
>>"I was going to open that magical canister I found some time ago"

>>3886175
>"There's an immanent threat to human life, and I'm going to try to stop it."
Deal with the Predator. Please. We know that it is going to start killing people soon, if it hasn't already.

>>3886175
Switching from >>3886288 to:

>>3886371
>>"There's an immanent threat to human life, and I'm going to try to stop it."

>>3886173
Switching from >>3886311 to
>>"There's an immanent threat to human life, and I'm going to try to stop it."
Assuming I still have that ID that is

>>3886252
>>3886264
I'll be interpreting these as votes to stay and talk, with Iris and Juniper as the topic of conversation.

>>3886371
>>3886385
>>3886395
What's your plan for accomplishing this?

>>3886438
>What's your plan for accomplishing this?
No plan. Just wander until we either find the predator, or find Lancer who will tell us where to look.

>>3886510
Voting to aimlessly wander doesn't sound very productive.

You know if you anons want to take care of the predator going home and recruiting Gloria would be our best bet. Other than Mom, whose stuck hanging around the church as overseer I think, she's the only other one really qualified for.

Also been thinking about what Ivan said (Ivan and Illonahole, these poor girls) about being raised as a weapon and while I get the sentiment she's off on one thing which is Edgar hasn't been allowed to actually become an Executioner and unless he pushes for it hard I doubt he ever will, probably be sidelined off to some safe location to spend his days doing priestly stuff.

>>3886438
Didn't Lancer say that it was moving south? We can see if we can get Ivonnesviel to maybe have a maid and a couple of wire birds to help us scout, we can cover more distance and the birds can lead us to the creature if one of the maids finds it.

If not, then we can see if Charlotte's up for a hunt.

>>3886438
Taking an enthusiastic walk in the woods

>>3886203
>>3886234
>>3886237
>>3886259
>>3886260
Tracking down Archer has the most votes, but whether to ask Charlotte or Ivonnesviel for aid is tied. To make sure I have time to update later, I'm calling for a runoff vote between these two options.

>>Call Charlotte
>>Ask Ivonnesviel for help

>>3886796
So are we all casting votes again? Or only if we haven't boted yet? Or is this just meant to be a tiebreaker?

>>3886803
If you voted for anything other than the two available options, you can vote again. I don't suspect that the anons who did vote for one or the other will want to change theirs, but they can if they want to.

>>3886803
>>3886814
I should clarify that new votes are welcome as well.

>>3886796
>>Ask Ivonnesviel for help
I mean she's right there and we almost killed the prick when we were teaming up with Ursula plus that was when it was 1 on 1 with Saber, odds are better now that we might have the Moonlight Servant on our side as well.

>>3886796
>Ask Ivonnesviel for help

>>3886796
>>>Call Charlotte

>>3886796
>>>Call Charlotte
Are we just never gonna use her burner phone?

>>3886821
>>3886866
>>3887124
>>3887309
Another tie. I suppose that's convenient in its own way, since it doesn't look like I'll be able to update tonight regardless. The vote will remain open for now. In the morning, I'll either close it if the tie has been broken or flip a coin if it hasn't, and I'll try to post a new thread tomorrow night.

>>3887334
> Call Charlotte

>>3887334
>>Ask Ivonnesviel for help
We can cover more ground with more people and more Servants plus the maids were made for combat as well.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Still tied? Then it's a roll. Expect another thread to be ready much later.
1) Call Charlotte
2) Ask Ivonnesviel for help

Unfortunately, I don't have time to post the new thread tonight. I'll get to it tomorrow afternoon, if not earlier. I apologize for how dubious my schedule has been recently.

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241 KB GIF

>>3888557
Eh no worries boss have a good night.

The new thread is up!
>>3888764