[Snippet] Surviving in a World of Magic and Superheroes (Worm/Fate): Chapter 14

Everything went…better than expected, if I were to be honest.

Truthfully, I didn’t expect the church to capitulate on really anything. There was even the possibility that they would try to ream me and place all the blame on me against all evidence.

I was…just a single person. 

Sure, my family was prestigious, but we weren’t powerful politically. My connections weren’t anything to write home about when they didn’t come with the caveat of playing the brooding mare.

Being away from the Clock Tower for so long and basically exiling ourselves to the United States certainly had its downsides.

That’s not to say we hadn’t benefited substantially, but I was now paying the price of being outside the primary circles of talk.

The Cardinal was nice enough.

Perhaps, even sympathetic.

It was clear that he was more or less keeping me at arm's length, but he also showed a bit of compassion and understanding for my position.

I think that maybe he was more receptive because of my young age and lack of parents in this case. No doubt he had my file before I even set foot into the city and knew everything about me, so he most certainly knew that I was without parents.

Good news, he didn’t notice anything strange about Lancer.

He barely paid attention to Lancer.

I noticed him shooting her a few looks, and even some of the ‘guards’ doing the same, if more cautionary on their part.

Noting her danger?

But I’m highly doubtful that any of them jumped to the idea of Heroic Spirit.

Ghost Liners are barely even talked about in the Heart of Magus Society.

Who is going to see Lancer and immediately think, “Oh, she’s a Heroic Spirit!”

I can’t say that won’t happen in the future due to the crafts that some people practice. But for the average person in our underside of the world, it was highly unlikely to occur.

I think it was wrapped up the way it was because of how volatile the situation became. If it hadn’t become the spark that more or less got everything revealed to the public, I’m fairly sure they would have told me to kick rocks.

The fact that the Dead Apostle was a Parahuman seemed to be something the Church absolutely did not want to be spread.

I saw the reaction from the Cardinal.

That was a big response for the normally stoic man, from how he treated everything else.

It was no secret that the higher-ups had told everyone—Magi and all—not to mess with Parahumans. Not in the, don't get involved with them or run away from them. But no experimentation or such that involves them. Basically, a less stringent policy but similar take when dealing with Dead Apostles.

A taboo laid upon a taboo.

It’s no wonder that they sent a Burial Agent after the Dead Apostle I killed.

The Church wanted this thing put down quickly.

Maybe they were also just treating it as a bribe for me as well.

Either way…

I looked across the table at my newest employee.

Lancer was standing behind me protectively.

Ciel glared at me from her end.

At her side were a few bags.

I would freely admit I was taking inordinate pleasure in this situation. I had been screwed over particularly hard by her flippant disregard for courtesy, and now, here she is.

But that was barely a fraction of the reason why I made the demand that I did.

Probably about ten percent.

I had legitimate reasons other than to annoy her.

It’s just a bonus.

Having two very strong bodyguards was objectively better than having one.

It may sound stupid that I would trade pretty much all the built-up goodwill my family developed and cash in the debts they owed me, both from before and now, for this. But on the other hand, Ciel is legitimately one of the strongest beings in the world.

Sure, she would get beaten by Lancer outright.

But she’s also immortal.

The real kind of immortal.

She could take Lancer’s fully deployed Noble Phantasm, both of them, and come back from it.

That’s not something money can buy.

The ultimate meat shield.

Though, jokes aside, her power is nothing to scoff at either. If she were to become a dedicated Magus, she could probably compete with the Queen of the Clocktower in prestige in that area.

It hurt my pride to say, but her talent as a Magus completely eclipsed mine as well.

I pushed all those thoughts of inferiority and annoyance to the side for now. My anger was very justified, but there was no point in letting it blind me when I could at least make the most out of the hole I’d been pushed into.

“So, the Church seemed more than happy to throw you under the bus, huh?” I broke the silence that had been deafening the house.

Okay, that was slightly petty of me.

That certainly came from a place of anger.

However, I think I’m allowed these small benefits.

She was also already annoyed, and her face quickly twisted into a scowl. “I was officially sent on an assignment to assist the second owner of the city in cleaning up after the mess caused. The duration is indefinite.”

Ah, a fancy way of saying that you’re now mine, isn’t it?

Silence again, though.

This was awkward.

“...The Cardinal also told me to express his condolences for the position you were put into. As an added apology, the Church pulled a few strings, and you no longer have the local news camping out in front of your house.”

It looked particularly painful for her to say it.

Like, every word just stabbed her right in the heart.

I already noticed the News was gone.

Thank God for that.

Heh.

In hindsight, it makes sense that it was the Church that handled it. They framed it as ‘doing me a favor,’ but it benefited them as well. They wouldn’t want the News camped out in front of the house of a Magus on the odd chance they glimpse something the Church didn’t want public knowledge.

I appreciate the help, though. It certainly made my life a hell of a lot easier, all things considered.

“So, you have to listen to my orders, is it?” I leaned back in my chair with an admittedly very smug look.

Her eye twitched, and she seemed to sigh into something like reluctant acceptance, all but admitting that it was true. 

But it quickly twisted back into a scowl, and she smacked the table. “Listen here, you little shit. I may have to listen to your orders, but I swear to whatever God you worship, if you make me do anything disgusting, you’ll regret it.”

I blinked, not expecting her to just be blunt about it.

But then again, she was a rather blunt person.

“I—”

“Nothing past Anal, you got that!?” 

“...what?”

Error 404.

Brain rebooting.

“And I don’t do anything in public, if you even try to—”

“I fucking beg your pardon?” I interrupted her before she continued whatever it is she was about to rant about.

“What?” She seemed confused now.

“Did…did you think I wanted you to become some kind of sex slave?” I asked incredulously.

“......”

“Master, perhaps you should rethink the decision of taking her in. She appears to be quite the deviant.” Lancer chimed in.

Ciel seemed offended by that remark but was otherwise somewhat speechless. “...did you not?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I blurted right out.

“You’re a Magus!” She quickly defended.

“And!?”

“What else has to be said!? I expected you to bend me over the table the second I walked in the door!” She shouted, looking flustered if not embarrassed now.

“You’re a Magus too!” I shouted in response.

“So I know what I’m talking about!”

“I wanted a bodyguard!”

She went silent.

I wasn’t usually this explicit with my words, but I think it’s a bit understandable in this situation.

“Do you really think I would waste all the goodwill my family accumulated with the Church to steal away one of their burial agents just to get laid?” I asked her pointedly, catching my breath and regaining a bit of composure. 

“You’re like an 18-year-old boy! What else was I supposed to think when you told the Cardinal that you ‘wanted me’!?”

“If I were going to do that, I would have chosen the Demonic Bodhisattva over there instead!”

Her eyes widened. “How do you know about her!? Barely anyone knows about her, especially outside of the Church.”

Whoops.

I suppose it’s not common knowledge that the Burial Agency has a Divine Spirit, Kiara, on its payroll.

“I have an approximate knowledge of a lot of things.” I pulled my Magus mask on tightly.

She narrowed her eyes with suspicion at this point. “That’s dangerous knowledge to have. And if the agency knew, they may want to know what other secrets you know.”

Oddly, that didn’t sound like a threat but more…a warning.

I mentally calculated a lot of ways to respond and decided on an avenue.

Maybe it was foolish, but I decided to take the chance.

If Ciel was going to work under me, if she was going to be my ‘bodyguard,’ then I needed to set aside past grievances for my own benefit here.

I was a Magus; swallowing my anger was not even worth mentioning in the face of such benefits.

The thing is, I think she’s waiting for my response to see how she should treat me from now on. Was I just some idiot who knew things I shouldn't know, or was I someone that she had to treat with caution and respect?

I held a hand up to Lancer. “Formal introductions. Lancer, if you would.”

“Greetings, I am his servant, Lancer.”

Ciel raised an eyebrow. “Not much of a greeting.”

She didn’t catch on. I suppose I shouldn't blame her in this context; she may ‘know’ but not put the pieces together.

“Allow me to clarify. This is my Heroic Spirit, Servant Lancer.” I spoke with the best authoritative tone I could.

A few beats passed; there wasn’t much of a reaction, but slowly, the gears in her head turned as her eyes widened as she looked at Lancer.

“That’s impossible,” Ciel finally spoke.

I silently met her gaze, like she was searching for a hint of deception or waiting for me to say it was a joke or something.

“Seriously, that’s not possible. How could a Magus just summon a Heroic Spirit!?” She raised her voice. This was Ciel the Magus talking with her accumulated knowledge inherited from the Dead Apostle who ‘made’ her.

It was the disbelief, then the realization settling in.

Not just the realization that I wasn’t lying, but the realization that I wasn’t just a dumb kid throwing a tantrum this entire time.

I wasn’t just pouting or making wild threats at every step to this point.

That my threat rating just shot up exponentially.

And perhaps, the realization that they allowed the Cardinal to come within arm's reach of a potentially hostile Heroic Spirit.

And just like that, I wasn't just some random kid that lucked into having her as my ‘servant’ due to some bullshit my ancestors did.

And the last realization was that all this time, I had been speaking from a position that held power.

Ciel’s expression shifted quite a bit until she appeared much more serious than before. “Why are you telling me this?”

And there it is.

The obvious question.

Why would a magus just reveal all that information when information is a resource and commodity?

“Because you’re now one of my people. And being one of mine means that you’re afforded a modicum of trust.” I responded casually.

That was… a lie.

I didn’t trust her.

I would be foolish to trust her just like that.

And that may seem utterly contrary to what I just revealed. But no, I don’t trust her; what I do trust is what she wants, what she desires more than anything. I wouldn’t sleep at night knowing that the only thing keeping her ‘loyal’ was an order from the Church.

However, there’s something she wants more than anything. Something she would quite literally trade her life for. And that’s something I can offer to make her actually loyal.

Introducing Lancer to establish my authority.

Offer her more of what she wants to establish loyalty.

“I work for the Church.” She said plainly.

“The same church that tortured you when they first found you? That stress tested your immortality to figure out how thorough it is?”

“How—”

“The same Church that has the psychopath of a Burial Agency Director that would just as happily toss you to the wolves if you lost your ‘value’?”

Her jaw snapped shut.

She was a heathen, a disposable asset for them despite her skills. She knew that they knew she also wasn’t a ‘believer’ as well. As soon as her usefulness ran out, she would have been tossed out with the trash without so much as a goodbye.

I leaned in. “The same church that would sell you off to a teenage boy whom you presumed was going to turn you into a sex slave?”

Why wasn’t she more upset at the idea of being a sex slave?

The answer was actually rather simple. She had a goal that she would willingly trade her life for, so being someone’s sex slave for a period of time didn’t matter to her other than hurt pride and annoyance.

I have no doubt she was angry about the whole idea and utterly disgusted at it. But she would have gritted her teeth and put up with it if it meant she could still fulfill her goal eventually.

“I know how to kill Roa.” As soon as I spoke the words, the room became chilly.

I could feel her killing intent fill the space.

That creeping sensation up my spine, like if I made one wrong move, I was going to die. The fight-or-flight instincts buried deep in my brain were screaming at me.

“You will behave yourself in Master’s home.” Lancer’s words cut right through all of it.

Her presence is reassuring, both figuratively and literally in this case.

It caused Ciel to compose herself, but her expression—her glare—didn’t disappear. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised you know about that either.”

And now, I had her attention.

Michael Roa Valdamjong, also known as the Serpent of Akasha because of his uncanny ability to continuously reincarnate after dying by somehow utilizing the Akasha Records. Ciel was one of his previous ‘reincarnations,’ and through some cosmic fluke, he ‘died’ within her and reincarnated somewhere else. Yet she remained ‘alive,’ thus creating a paradox where she can’t ‘die’ because the being known as ‘Roa,’ which is the origin of her soul, was still alive.

Suffice to say, Roa killed her family after waking up inside of her. Killing her whole village even. When she finally regained her own control, Roa was gone, and she was left to deal with everything. The Burial Agency found her, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Her goal is to kill Roa so she can die too.

But, no matter what she does, Roa will just reincarnate again. Truthfully, I don’t know if even Lancer could stop Roa from reincarnating and killing him permanently. I wasn’t confident, and if it was possible, it would require her full Divine Spirit self to accomplish, thus making it a moot point.

“To be more precise, I know four individuals that are capable of killing Roa.” I clarified, but hearing that, she didn’t seem to care about specifics. Just the words ‘can kill Roa’ probably are enough to make her complacent for the moment.

“Two of them are very unlikely,” I continued. “Two of them are much more probable but come with their own problems.”

“What problems?” She asked, but her tone was filled with a strange grit. Like she was wound up, a spring that was pushed down and ready to spring up.

“They’re both Japanese.” I replied just as bluntly as I had been.

It took her a moment to make the connection. “So they could be anywhere after that stupid thing sunk part of the country.”

She was talking about Leviathan, of course.

And it wasn’t a secret that Japan had fallen to third-world status following the sinking of Kyushu. A significant amount of the coastal area of Japan’s west coast had been demolished by tidal waves as well.

Inland floods had further destabilized the country in another critical strike.

The result was the government collapsing and most public services collapsing along with it. They rely almost entirely on foreign aid at this point, and various Parahumans have sort of carved out their own territory, becoming warlords.

Suffice to say, a not-so-insignificant portion of their population had immigrated at the earliest opportunity.

Hell, Brockton Bay’s Japanese population has exploded in the years since it happened.

So, that’s to say, finding where either of those two people are is going to be difficult.

If they’re here.

If they’re alive.

“That’s your offer then, is it?” Her tone was much more…eased now. I think after she had a moment to decompress and consider what I said, her rationality took over. “Dangle that in front of my face in return for obedience?”

“Nope.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I’m not promising anything there. I said I know four individuals that can kill him. I don’t know if they’re alive or where they are at the moment, only of their existence.” No point in lying; that would only lead to bad ends. “What I’m offering is my full support. I will do my best to find them if they’re alive. And if none of them are dead, we can investigate other avenues that may possibly lead to putting down Roa for good. But even if all of that fails, I will still help you as much as possible to kill his reincarnations like you’ve been doing up until now.”

Trust can’t be built on a lie.

Especially trust built from a type of payment.

I needed someone who would protect my life fully without hesitation. Even if we can’t kill Roa, at the very least, I think she would accept the sincerity over time.

As much as I put my faith in Lancer, if there just happened to be another enemy in addition to one that required Lancer’s full attention, I was toast.

Ciel was genuinely strong, so I wanted her in my corner despite our grievances with each other.

“What do you want from me?” She asked.

“Be mine for a lifetime.” I didn’t hesitate. “If I manage to help you kill Roa, then stay at my side for my entire life.”

She was what, like eighty years old already? I help her fulfill her desire; she stays with me until I pass.

That seemed like a fair trade, right?

“That sounds a lot like a marriage proposal.” She snorted.

“How…deviant.” Lancer said expressionlessly.

“I am not a ‘deviant’!” Ciel scowled, crossing her arms “If you know what I want, then there’s no point in arguing. I only stayed with the Church because I thought it would be my best shot.”

I reached out my hand across the table.

Ciel wasn’t a devious person. She was the type that was very upfront and preferred to be blunt and explicit. If she didn’t like you, she would tell you to your face then punch you.

So, when she hesitantly reached out and took my hand, I finally relaxed.

And like that, my circle was properly expanded by one, and my safety was just that much more assured.

I was about to feel very proud of myself until she pulled me forward up onto the table until her face was nearly pressing against mine.

“Listen here you little shit. If I find out you lied to me or mislead me, no Heroic Spirit is going to be able to stop me from ramming my arm up your ass.” Her eyes staring unblinking into mine. “I’m Immortal, take a second to consider how stupid it is to piss off an Immortal.”

I gulped slightly.

I had the distinct feeling that her threat wasn’t hyperbole.

@***@

A/N

Ciel joins the party. At least for now, she’s slightly more optimistic than when she assumed she was going to be a sex maid. Things aren’t magically smoothed over, theyr’e still kinda mad at each other, but Frederick is willing to swallow it in hopes of having another powerful and trustful ally in the future.