Chapter 302

It almost felt like I was back in class.

Olga Marie Animusphere definitely had that stern teacher vibe about her.

"Right, we'll be going over the basics. I won't be repeating myself, so if you still don't understand after I'm finish, ask someone else. I'm already too busy as is, and you should be happy I'm taking the time to do this much."

And the haughtiness of a Magus bleeds through.

But I was surprised to meet the Director this early. I thought for sure she'd be off doing more secretive and important things.

"Now, as I said, you all are going to be part of the 'B-Team' unless there are any noteworthy reasons for your transfer to a different section. "

A man a few seats over raised his hand.

"Yes, what?" The Director called on him.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, but 'B-Team' for what?" He asked, and it seemed to be a question many others here had as well by the look on their faces. "We weren't told much before being herded on ova."

"As if I couldn't tell you were an American before." There was a hint of a scowl as she replied, obviously noticing his southern drawl before shifting to a sigh. "By a show of hands, how many here knew about Magecraft before signing up?"

I was the only one to raise my hand.

The Director slowly brought her palm up to meet her face. "Excellent, complete novices."

… I feel insulted.

"Alright, so I'll explain from the beginning." She recovered quickly. "Welcome to Chaldea, our job is to protect the Human Order. That is, to protect what we perceive to be reality through our own collective subconscious. I won't be going too far into details, I'll make sure adequate materials are sent to everyone so you will not make fools of yourselves later on." She quickly added. "We have invented several devices that allows us to view both the past and future in a way to watch for irregularities that might become a threat for our continued existence. This is important because we have discovered one such occurrence. "

There was a chalk board behind her as she turned around, taking a piece of chalk. " The Simulated Global Environment Model – CHALDEAS." She wrote on the board. " A perfect replica of the planetary body of Earth through past and future eras. However, detailed observation is nearly impossible, so we developed a secondary technology to supplement this." She began writing again. "The Near-Future Observation Lens – SHEBA. If CHALDEAS is a representation of the world, you can picture SHEBA as a satellite that allows us specify a specific point for monitoring."

"Are you saying you can see into the future and the past?" Another asked, bewildered by the information. "That sounds like a load of barmy."

Olga frowned. "Being able to view both the future and the past has been available for as long as humans have existed. Merely, no project has taken it to this point in human history. If you are incapable of accepting such a widely-known application of thaumaturgy, you will not progress far in further deliberations."

Or, get over it, this isn't even the strangest thing you're going to see.

"Any questions, no? Good." She didn't actually give anyone a chance to respond. I think I was the only one in the room with an understanding of what she was talking about. I assumed there would be more review on the subject for the less baptized of this part of the world. "Now, moving on, we're going back to the reason you are being assembled into a team. We have detected an anomaly that appeared in the year 2004, in Fuyuki City Japan." She paused, looking at me. "You, the Asian –"

"Takao Shimoda." I answered for her.

"Takao Shimoda then. You're the only one here with 'experience', are you aware of what happened in Fuyuki city in 2004."

"A Holy Grail War." I answered.

"….Correct." She said, apparently not believing I knew the answer. "Atleast someone here doesn't need me to hold their hand." She turned around with a huff, as she started writing again. "Now, this is important, because in 2019, SHEBA predicted the extinction of Humanity, and we've linked it back to an unobservable locale that appeared in Fuyuki, 2004."

"If it happened years ago, how are supposed to stop it?"

"Good question." Olga replied, though it sounded annoyed more than anything. "There are two reasons you have been selected as a Master-Candidate for 'B-Team". She eyed the new hand but continued. "Yes, I will explain what that means in a moment." She muttered something under her breath about dealing with amateurs and it being beneath her. Though, I don't think anyone but me heard. "First, Rayshifting. Our method of Time-Travel." She sounded really patronizing with her tone.

She turned back around at the chalk board again, pausing as if trying to think about what to write. "Through the use of highly advanced Pseudo-Spiritron containment unit short named – Coffin – your body and history will be analyzed. The relations of causality will be distorted, and then the Coffin will form an imaginary formula to create a reference of the candidate's history in place. Using the CHALDEAS function as a map of Pan-Human History, the Coffin will analyze the situation at the designated time period, thus initiating a transfer. Once completed, it will engage a Spiritron Projection of the Master Candidate, allowing the Master to materialize in the era desired. This is called – Rayshifting."

She put the piece of chalk down, wiping her hands. With a proud smile on her face, she turned back to anyone. "Now, any questions?"

And everyone but me raised their hands.

She scowled, looking at us. "What part was confusing?"

"….all of it?" Someone said quietly, as she snapped her head and glared at him.

"We'll be using a device – Coffin – to analyze our bodies, and play a trick on reality so that we don't technically exist at this point in time. Then, at the spot we're supposed to time-travel to, the Coffin will create a magical replica of our body, and throw our Soul into it. Once we're done, I assume that the processes will then remove the 'trick' and reality will look at us, realize we're not were we're supposed to be on the time-line, destroy our 'fake body' and yank our soul back where they should be. Is that correct, Director?" I summarized for the ones having trouble.

The Director looked at me, seemingly having trouble responding correctly. "I-if you want to be crude about it." She huffed. "I suppose that's a very simplified explanation of the delicate and intricate process." She quickly recovered. "It will suffice for now until you all will have had the proper tutelage."

And now the others were all looking at me with a hint of thanks.

Obviously, it wasn't a 100% accurate explanation, but for people who had no knowledge of Magecraft, it would more or less give them a visual of what they could expect. There were many more variables that went into account with this whole process. Like for all intents and purposes, you existed at the spot you Rayshift to. Eating, sleeping, etc., needed to still be done, and if you die, you die for real.

"As I was saying. The process requires a certain…..compatibility with the whole process." She stated. And I think I picked up a hint of shame when she said that.

Curious.

"Is it dangerous, Director?" The American spoke up. "You're talkin about this stuff, but it's all new to us. Time-Travel, it sounds like some Sci-Fi mumbo jumbo."

"Everything about this process is dangerous." She didn't even try to sugar coat it. "Which is why we are seeking those with the highest compatibility to mitigate the risks. But make no mistake, if you are ever deployed, it is entirely possible you will be killed. This operation is about preserving Humanities' continued existence."

"You said we're 'B-Team', that means there's an 'A-Team?'"

She turned her head towards a shorter woman off to the side. "That is correct. They are the ones who will be taking point. They are skilled, trained, and knowledgeable about ever facet of this operation. They have extensive Magical Knowledge, and have trained in combat. You are the reserves, in the worse case scenario, you will be deployed if we have no other options left."

"But…..if this 'A-Team' is so much better, then what are we supposed to do if they fail?"

She took a deep breath. "That brings us to the next part." She turned towards me. "You, Takao Shimoda, what do you know of Servants?"

All eyes fell to me again.

"A derivation of Heroic Spirits. Individuals who have left their mark upon Human History, elevated to a higher state of existence after their death through worship, mythologization, and acknowledgement, which causes them to ascend to the metaphysical plane known as the Throne of Heroes. Closer to Divine Spirits than humans, you can summon a smaller piece of them into a 'Servant Container' compromising one of seven classes – Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, Caster, Assassin. From summoning them, you enter a Master-Servant contract."

She looked me over for a brief moment a silence reined. "Well said." She seemed to praise, something I think was rare for her. "As he said, Servants, they are pieces of Heroic Spirits – individuals exalted throughout history. The secondary requirement is your compatibility with being a Master. Someone able to summon and make a contract with a Servant. They are beyond human means, even a trained Magus is like a child infront of a Servant if they fought. They will be the main means of settling any conflicts, you will be acting as an Anchor and a source of magical Energy for the duration of the summons."

They kinda just stared at her blankly. Then slowly, turned towards me.

The Director let out a sigh. "Explain it in simple terms, Shimoda."

"Servants are ridiculously strong, you're basically a battery for them to operate because as they have already died and appear in the form of spiritual beings, they can't make any Magical Energy themselves like a living person." Of course, I assumed that the systems they had to facilitate the summons also carried the brunt of the costs, just like how the Grail did with the one I'm more familiar with.

Granted, they also haven't opened their Magic Circuits yet, which they undoubtedly possessed if they have the capacity to be a Master. You can be forced to shoulder a servant without Circuits, but actually summoning one can't happen without them. That's one of the aspects of 'compatibility'. Then again, I don't know what method they use, and this time line could have slightly different metaphysics than home so my information could be incorrect at this point.

"Does that mean we can do magic too?" One of them excitedly asked.

The Director let out another long sigh. "This is going to be a long morning."

[***]

"Man, this is crazy. Magic, Time-Travel, Souls and stuff." I listened in as I added some milk to my coffee. The American's southern drawl was an obvious catch even from across the kitchen. "Can't wait to be a Wizard."

With how many staff work here, this place had a massive kitchen. And it seemed like they would have coffee brewing every minute of the day.

Pretty good quality too.

I turned around, looking at the newcomers to this wonderful world full of backstabbing and magical shenanigans.

I couldn't even fault them for their excitement. How happy was I when my memories returned? To realize how much wider the world actually was.

So far, this has gone pretty well. Met the Director already and learned some new information. Now, I just needed to start investigating without drawing any unwanted attention. I need to straddle the fine line between competent but not unnaturally so.

Well, I'll just play it by ear.

"Magus, actually." I decided to interject, earning their attention. "The correct term is Magus – Mage has also been used often in modern times. Magi, when plural, is also an option. Most Magi from the prestigious families are very particular about terms like that. Wizard is a term associated with a prestigious position in the Clock Tower. You'll make them annoyed if you call yourself a Wizard. And definitely don't call yourself a Magician or a Sorcerer."

"Oh, thanks man." The American smiled brightly. "Don't wanna look foolish, that Director already been treating us like kids. By the way, the name's Samuel Washington." He introduced himself. "I'm new to all this Magic and what-not."

"Takao Shimoda." I greeted back. "Only a Second Generation, so I don't have too much a head start. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. However, I believe they'll be covering the basics to get you all up to par."

"Japanese, huh? Your English is pretty darn good. That some Magic spells?" He wiggled his hands for emphasis.

"Haha, no." I shook my head with a chuckle. "English is pretty much the default language in these circles since The Mages Association is housed out of England."

The shorter woman I noticed in the classroom earlier sauntered over. "I'm Evelynn Thomas, thank you for the explanations earlier."

"Hmm, that accent, I can't place it off the top of my head." I tapped my chin. "And no problem, I can understand how confusing this must all be for all of you."

"Canadian." The woman smiled lightly. "If you don't mind me asking, can you tell me about what kinds of Magic you know? This is all new and fascinating, I want to know everything I can. I wanted to approach one of those…. others, but they're kind of intimidating."

"Oh boy, well good thing you didn't go up and ask another Magus this question." Else they may have found a body shoved in a closet somewhere. "Be very, very careful about questions regarding someone's 'Magic'."

"….is it some sort of secret?"

"Yes, Magi protect their crafts with their lives. It isn't even uncommon for spouses to not reveal research with each other. It's a taboo to try and delve into another's Magic, and asking questions about it beyond surface level inquires is pretty much one of the worse social faux pas you can do. You need to understand, they won't just throw some insults and get upset. They very well may kill you for the slight, and the ones to judge the incident would probably agree with their decision because they hold the same values. Your 'rights' that you're used to having, don't even think about them anymore. This world is ruled by the strong, and if you step incorrectly, you can easily lose your life."

It might be harsh, but they needed a reality check before they got a lethal one.

Well, it left them a little speechless. Realistically, how do you even respond to that? Their world was already turned upside down, and now I'm telling them that they might be killed for saying the wrong thing.

"Just, be careful with who you talk to. Answer questions directly, don't agree to any deals, don't sign any agreements, and be very polite to everyone you meet. If you have any problems, feel free to come to me, and we'll see if we can't get them sorted." May as well prop myself up if I'm going to be here for a while.

"Thanks, Takao." Samuel smiled.

The others were mostly just watching on, but they heard what I said, so I didn't feel the need to repeat it. I can't force them to do anything, only hope they took my advice.

I nodded to him, taking a moment to sip my coffee, and I had an idea.

[***]

Let's see, it was two rights, a left, straight then another left and straight again, fourth door on the right.

I swear, navigating these halls was like going through a damn maze. And there aren't any signs telling you where to go.

Basically, Olga said 'go take a lunch break and leave me alone'. Granted, it sounded a tad more polite than that, but that was the gist of it.

I thought she would have called us back already, so I figured I'd go check up, and bring a little gift.

A second cup of coffee in my hand. She seemed really out of it and short tempered, so I figured she may be a little tired. Or I could be wrong and that's just her default, it's hard to tell with some Magi.

I pushed the door open, and it was in fact the room we were in before. I paused for a moment, as I noticed the only other person here. The Director had her face down against the desk, lightly snoring.

I cleared my throat.

The Director shot up from where she was resting. Her eyes' widened as she stared at me, a small bit of drool flowed down the corner of her lips before she hastily wiped it away. There was the faintest blush of embarrassment that adorned her cheeks.

"The others were wondering when we would start again." I decided not to draw any attention to her previous state. "Figured I would check in."

"Right." She quickly stood up, straightening her clothes. "Continued lesson, yes. We should start shortly to wrap up the basics."

"By the way, I got you a cup of coffee, if you want." I held it out for her.

She blinked, staring down at what was in my hand. There was almost the instinctual desire to grab it, but she held back. "…..why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why did you bring me coffee?"

"Why not?" I tilted my head. "You seemed a little tired." I added with a shrug. "Feel free to check for anything I may have added or any poison or whatever." I walked up, setting it on the table infront of her. "Just thought you might appreciate the pick-me-up."

"….I suppose It would be rude for me to refuse." She replied, clearly pleased with it even if she wasn't voicing it. "...thank you." She said very quietly.

"It's no problem." I gave her a smile. "I can't imagine what it's like trying to run an organization like this. Not to mention taking the time to deal with all of us."

The Director let out a snort. "It's my duty as an Animusphere." She flipped her hair back, preening slightly. "Not that I will be doing this for the recruits coming in over the next few days. You all are the top potential recruits bar one or two that are taking awhile to bring. Such that I am only giving my time in this singular circumstance to see first hand what degree of ability our B-Team will have."

"It must be difficult to find people who are both compatible with being a Master and Rayshifting if you're willing to take those who aren't even knowledgeable about our hidden world."

"Unfortunately, it's a small percentage that manages both." She grumbled. "We will make do with what we have. That being said, I believe you will make an adequate leader for B-Team."

"Leader?" I blinked.

"Indeed. You have shown a competency in everything that has been discussed. And your previous experience – however minor – already puts you far above what your peers have. Considering only your fellow B-Team members, of course."

Well, it would be beneficial for my whole purpose in being here, so why not?

"If you think so, then I'll follow your commands, Director."

"Y-yes, of course." She sounded rather happy about that for some reason. "I can tell you will fulfill the role splendidly." She nodded proudly to herself. "Hmm, maybe we can have you train with the A-Team. We'll see to make sure that you won't hold them back too much, then we can start preparing for more rigorous training afterwards."

"Speaking of preparations, you may want to give the new people a run down on the dos' and don'ts of the Magus Culture."

"….explain."

"I had one of the new people start asking me about my craft." I replied making her eye's widen in realization. "Obviously, they didn't know how…..taboo that is, and I did explain it to them. But there's more to it than that, so it may be prudent for some basic etiquette lessons so they don't run afoul any other Magus in the facility by accident."

"That is an excellent point." She grit out, seemingly annoyed with herself, probably for not thinking about it. "Thank you, Shimoda. That could have been…disastrous had something happened. It seems like I'm already proven right on your qualifications." There was a hint of a smile forming. "I was skeptical about a secondary team, but maybe it will prove useful after all."

"Glad to help, Director. Would you like me to go get the others?" I asked.

"Wait thirty minutes, I will go fetch some materials to explain the next portion with." She stated, though a faint 'and give me time to wake up' under her breath was added.

She quickly made her way out of the room, disappearing off to who-knows-where.

Well, that had gone better than expected. I mostly just wanted to win some brownie points with her for the benefit of my job. But I guess I'm going to be the leader of B-Team now? Not that this was some illustrious position, the others were completely new to Magecraft as a whole, so it's probably going to be like herding cats. I won't be here for too long, but I could set up the team and try to train a replacement for myself so B-Team won't fall apart when I do leave.

I wonder if she made me the leader so she wouldn't have to deal with it herself

Regardless, it would benefit me in the long run.

I left the room myself, going off back to where everyone else was staying.

God, this place is so fucking big.

And every hall looked the damn same!

Was it left left right, or right right left?

I turned a few corners and kept going straight but…..another long corridor that greeted me. Though, I saw the snow falling outside through some windows, and I could immediately tell I had gone the wrong direct.

Ugh completely lost, what a surprise.

I was very tempted to cast a spell to help me find my way.

Thankfully, my backround had Runecraft listed as one of my areas of expertise. That allowed me to get away with quite a bit I If I wanted to.

"Why don't I just – "

The words died in my mouth.

I felt a shiver, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I could feel my Aura bubbling underneath the surface, and even my Divinity was stirring. It was as if all my instincts were suddenly going into overdrive.

Slowly, I turned around.

It was not a person that made me feel this way, no.

There was a thing.

A thing standing there, staring at me.

A white creature, and in any other circumstance, I would find it adorable. Barely bigger than Sir Wiggles and probably equally as fluffy. Some kind of mixture of a squirrel and a rabbit that was honestly very cute if it didn't give off such threatening vibes.

I don't know how long I stared at it, and it returned my stare back. I could see it clearly though, the wisdom and intelligence that was shining in its eyes.

"What are you?" I managed to whisper.

It tilted its head.

"Fou" A strange noise was all that it replied with.

[***]

A/N

Olga: What, a competent Magus? You're B-Team Leader, i'm out, cya! :V.

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