11 Chaldea's Mascot

"Have you read a Song of Ice and Fire?" Nicholas asked curiously, observing the book lying in Yu's lap. It had a Japanese title, so obviously he couldn't make heads or tails of what it said, it'd be different if someone showed him the alphabet but no one did, so he only knew how to speak it slightly and even that because of some bits spoken by other staff members.

Hinak Akuta, Yu, looked up to meet his shining violet eyes but couldn't hold eye contact and averted her gaze, "What's that?" She was startled by him gasping like a deer that had been shot.

"...Percy Jackson?"

"...?" This time, Yu didn't even respond, she only tilted her head in confusion.

"Alright, Alright. Stephen King?" Nicholas was looking at her with so much disappointment even he found it strange.

"Yes."

The eccentric new member of A-Team let out a relieved sigh, a hand over his chest, "You had me scared there for a second." Everytime he passed by her, the wo-*ehem*hag-*ehem*woman was reading a book, she put it down when near him but still, "Check out the ones I mentioned."

"Got it." Yu allowed herself to slightly smile, satisfied with the shared interest, but at the same time found herself taking a page from his book, "You should try 'Magecraft for Toddlers'."

Nicholas rubbed his chin in thought before nodding profoundly, "I'll do that."

It was hard NOT to notice after over a month here, magecraft was convenient in a lot of ways and he wasn't averse to learning a trick or two to pass the time.

"There isn't an actual book by that name." Yu facepalmed, sighing, "I swear to God you're too dum-..." The Chinese immortal clenched her fist in annoyance when she noticed the smirk on the teenager's face.

She'd been had, again!

"Grr..." Yu rose to her feet, dusting her clothes with her hands, "I just remembered something I need to do."

"What do you even mean by that? All we gotta do around here is laze around or train or something."

"I don't have to tell yo-..." She winced remembering his lack of hesitation when it came to punching her and explained in a lower tone, "...It's something personal."

Nicholas could only chortle at her sudden change, "I wasn't going to punch you, you know. I don't hit friends... unless they're being retarded... then it's free game." He nodded sagely, speaking the greatest piece of wisdom available to him.

"F... Friends..." Yu whispered to herself, "'I-I'll see you later." She scurried down the corridor and exited into another before he could say anything more.

Nicholas shrugged and walked away, onto the next person that caught his eye. Chaldea had a lot of eccentric personalities.

-

Nicholas' walk brought him to the medical bay, the other Masters had been busy with their own stuff, well, other than the ones he temporarily put out of commission because they were trying to order him around.

"Magi nobility are weird as hell."

The A-Team were like black sheep considering how elitist and upstuck the rest of the nobility related Masters were. It wasn't even them being blatantly arrogant or antagonistic, just that they seemed to be hardwired into genuinely believing that anyone that wasn't a magus of ancient lineage was just inferior.

Though, as always, a punch to the face seemed to change their opinions damn near instantly.

"I would agree but there's a whole faction related to how they shouldn't prioritise blood and name but merit instead." Romani answered him from behind a green curtain, "You'd know that if you visited the Clock Tower."

"I can do that?"

"You could ask the Director for permission."

"It's been weeks and she hasn't put through my request to test the servant system. I'm not going to talk to her anymore." Nicholas answered like a child you didn't give that favourite game you promised you would, "I thought we were bros."

"... I'm not even going to talk about how that's just fundamentally wrong." He could hear the doctor chuckling from behind the curtain, "Aren't you curious about the ones that don't care that you're a civilian?"

Nicholas straddled a chair, biting into an apple he'd *ehem* stolen from Le-*ehem* picked up somewhere along the way, "Sure, go ahead. Spend an hour of your life explaining how there are and aren't assholes everywhere in the world."

"Ah no, I have to check up on one of the new masters." Romani pulled aside the curtains before moving to a stool in the middle and withdrawing a needle from a familiar lavender haired girl. He put either hand on the withdrawn girl's shoulders and grinned cheekily, "But young Mash here can do that! She was just telling me about how it was wrong that you talked and got along with everyone but her even though you got into a fight with Beryl."

"Ah no doct-..." Mash embarrassedly lowered her head when she noticed Nicholas eyeballing her like every person he met, scratching her flustered cheek, "I... erm..."

Nicholas tilted his head in confusion, "If she don't mind, sure." The teenager shrugged, unaware or uncaring of Mash's embarrassment.

"Mhm, as I thought." Romani nodded and hurried over to Nicholas before whispering in his ear, "Be nice to her... She doesn't have any friends."

The head of Chaldea's medical department had long grasped just what kind of person Nicholas Martel was, there was no way to change his mind or placate him, one could only appeal to his mindset and pick up the pieces after the storm passed.

-

"The Democratic Faction is led by the Trambelio family under Lord McDonell... Oh, that's the group the doctor was referring to, the group that cares about merit above all." Mash explained with a small smile on her face, happy that even she could help someone in her current state.

More so because everyone at Chaldea was so outstanding that she felt she couldn't compare at all, the only reason she'd been put on the A-Team was because she had function as a catalyst for summoning heroic spirits.

"I think... they'd pick you up immediately if you made contact with them."

Even Nicholas Martel, the newest member of the A-Team, the one she was talking to right now was absurdly outstanding. From what she'd heard, he'd assaulted Beryl Gut and crippled him permanently and well, it wasn't right but she didn't feel bad about him after what he'd done to her.

Furthermore, Doctor Roman had told her that he could actively participate in servant battles with raw power... Was it really that strange she felt she couldn't compare at all?

Actually, with the way he was silently staring at her, he probably agre-

"That's a smile I can appreciate."

Eh?

"I mean, all the times I seen you before, you smiled like a person that's given up." Nicholas quickly explained himself, sipping on his coffee.

"H...How?"

Nicholas deadpanned at her question, so much so that even she thought it was a stupid question, "I just touch grass regularly." His answer just confused her even more, "Anyway, carry on. Tell me more about the assholes."

"Ah yes... You mean the Aristocratic Faction right?" Mash was thankful he didn't leave her alone with her current thoughts and glad that studying up and asking around was helpful in some way, "Well, they're the ones who would try to remove you... Their leader is the Barthomeloi family, under Lady Lorelei Barthomeloi."

"I see, I see, got it." Nicholas nodded along, fully paying attention to her words, "There's also gotta be the guys that just don't give a shit."

"The Neutral Faction, under the Meluastea of Lord Karmaglyph Meluastea Deluc. He is usually withdrawn and keeps to himself." Of course what she knew was just what she'd heard from other staff, "He might be different if you actually meet him?"

"Man, I almost thought you were saying a spell with that name. His parents really hated his ass huh?"

Mash didn't understand the slight giggle that escaped her mouth but she could see how some of the names resembled spell chants.

It was nice to talk to someone who eagerly paid attention to her and found her words to be genuinely useful.

-

SOME FEEEEEEEEEEEDBYAAAAACK

Or some powerstones?

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