[h1][center][color=powderblue]Siegfried[/color][/center][/h1] [h2]Fuyuki Hyatt, Day Two[/h2] [hr] … He seemed content to stare out from the window, scanning the horizon with eyes that saw much, yet nothing. He had been on edge — that much was clear by his gait, from the more prominent frown adorning his features to the way his very posture seemed more stiff, arms folded before his chest as he sought a foe that might or might not have been there. The methodical tapping on his finger against his arm was the only sound that came from the Servant, lost in thought as he was. Perhaps a certain other would have had better chances of discovering any hidden observer, but Siegfried was not that man, and so, pondering such matters was pointless. Rather than an actual act of surveillance, it seemed it was simply the posture he had chosen to think last night’s events over. It had been unbecoming of him. Shameful, even. Normally he always held his emotions in check, but those few hours ago, he was afraid to say he had almost been swallowed up by them. It was not even something that [i]thing[/i] had done, he had merely felt so completely disgusted by its mere existence that he had not thought twice about other moves that could have been made. A victory was a victory, but at what price had this one come? His frown deepened, and the rhythm of the tapping increased. It was not even something that thing had done, rather, it felt as though he simply had no choice but to detest it for what it was. If nothing else, that had been new. Perhaps there is some truth to a certain statement — things that are too alike do end up repelling each other. His jaw twitched, as though the idea itself, though not spoken aloud, caused him to flinch. Surely… His Master spoke behind him, and he left those thoughts aside for a later moment. There were more important matters at hand than what ate at him, and it would not be a problem until it impaired his ability to act as a Servant. Forgetting about one’s problems is much easier than confronting them. “If that is your wish, Master, then let us depart when you are ready. I will keep to myself in Spirit Form unless my presence is required — there is little need to have other Masters and Servants catch a glimpse of me, should we run into them.” Of course, it would also allow her to gather her strength further after the events of last night. Balmung was not a toy to be wielded carelessly, and in a way, he felt ashamed to have needed to use it so early even though she had given permission. Sorry, Master. It seems you did not contract with as good a Hero as you had hoped. [@ConstantlyComic] [hr] [center][h1][color=ed1c24]David Ríos[/color][/h1][/center] [h2]Riverside Cottage[/h2] [hr] He paused, at the exit, humming to himself a tune he had picked up some years ago, its name forgotten already, but still memorable enough to have him subconsciously do this when thinking at times. Looking down the street, he felt he could safely bet he would not be the only one to attend the meeting with the Overseer today. Though it was the norm to present oneself after a successful summoning, it was also something he felt people would ignore if it was too inconvenient. And certainly, he felt there were few who would disagree with the idea that there were more productive things to get done in the first night than visiting the church when that could easily be pushed to a later date with little complaint. Taking that into account, he considered what his Servant had asked. Certainly, staying materialized would allow an even quicker response should the need arise, but… “Well.”, his tone contained a small flicker of unease. It seemed that her report last night had shaken some alarm into him, even if the investigation they had attempted afterwards had not borne fruit. “I would suggest that you keep to Spirit Form when we approach the church unless your presence is required, Lancer. Stay vigilant, of course, but I do not think — or, at least, do not want to think — there are Masters or Servants that would chance an attack in broad daylight, much less in the accorded neutral ground when we arrive. It should be fine so long as we do not veer into the more isolated areas. At least this early, that is.” Witnesses, after all, were such a bothersome affair to take care of. Really, it was by far easier to everyone involved to keep the secrecy that had been made the norm, even if one did not take the Overseer into account. So all considered, he felt his orders were reasonable. Hiding as much of his Servant as possible before the actual engagement would be the most beneficial in both the short and long run. He had been dealt his hand, so it was up to him to make the most optimal plays he could with it. Losing was not an option. His family’s — [i]his[/i] pride had already been placed as chips upon the table. To lose would be the same as dying even if no hero of antiquity or magus of modern times actually took his head. But that was fine. He had already known that the moment he arrived in this town, and he had accepted it. [@Ijoyen]