Slumping over the desk, Juno pondered deeply for a while. Once her thoughts were organized, she picked up her pen and began to write.
[To the Oracle, from Juno]
"It has been some time since we last communicated. As you wished, I have successfully infiltrated the headquarters of the humans responsible for making the film. Outwardly, this place appears to be nothing more than a regular tavern, but I've already confirmed through various sources that the actors in the film often frequent this establishment. Upon hearing that the tavern was hiring new staff, I seized the opportunity and managed to secure a position."
"However, it wasn't until I joined this seemingly ordinary tavern that I realized just how terrifying a place it truly is. For starters, the tavern's owner appears to be an ordinary woman, but my Beastkin blood constantly warns me otherwise. She is, without a doubt, a lich who has transcended life and death. What's peculiar is that most liches exhibit signs of physical decay, revealing their inhuman nature over time. This owner, however, shows no such signs—her appearance is entirely human. I can't fathom what kind of power could allow a dead body to maintain such an immaculate form."
"Then there are the staff members. Honestly, if someone had told me beforehand how terrifying these people were, I wouldn't have set foot in this tavern. The headless knight working as a bartender and the other staff, all of whom exude an air of abnormality, make me want to flee on sight. Yet, the customers seem utterly oblivious, or perhaps they've noticed but have somehow accepted this strange reality without issue."
"Of course, as a spy of the Black Blade, I pride myself on my professionalism. Even in such an environment, I am confident that I've successfully concealed my true nature and integrated into their ranks. The only thing that truly unsettles me is the tavern's secrets."
"As you instructed, Oracle, I've been trying to uncover information related to the film. After some investigation, I learned that the film's creators operate from the second floor of the tavern. On my first day here, I made every effort to observe the activities upstairs."
"Thus far, however, I've only seen one ordinary human come down from the second floor. This person, while possessing considerable magical power, is clearly not as strong or mysterious as one would expect of the film's creators. At such close range, I'm confident I could eliminate them instantly. This incongruity with the powerful image of the filmmakers puzzled me."
"But just as I feared my efforts would yield nothing, persistence bore fruit. I uncovered a crucial clue. Although my current position as a mere employee doesn't allow me access upstairs, my Beastkin senses detected something abnormal: there's an undead presence on the second floor, one even more terrifying than the headless knight!"
"At first, I thought I must have been mistaken. But last night, I climbed to the highest point in Nosrick City to observe the second floor from afar. That's when I saw a mysterious figure cloaked in black. It didn't notice me, but merely catching sight of it nearly caused my instincts as a Beastkin to go haywire. This reaction, far stronger than what I experienced with the headless knight, convinced me of the horrifying nature of this figure—and of the dangers hidden within this tavern."
"Of course, I've long prepared myself for such risks. I won't disgrace the honor of the Black Blade by fleeing in panic. I remain at the tavern, ever watchful. I am certain that one day, the mysterious black-cloaked figure will slip up, and I will uncover the truth about the film's creators."
With the description of her recent experiences complete, Juno exhaled deeply. Everything she had written was an accurate record of her days, as required of her profession. As a spy, she adhered strictly to the Black Blade's creed: report only the truth. Only by delivering truthful information could the kingdom and army avoid disastrous decisions. False reports could spell the downfall of an entire nation—a mistake that must never happen.
However, this time Juno's correspondence was not with a military superior but with the Oracle. She knew the Oracle's expectations: her report must not only relay facts but also include her thoughts and insights to aid the Oracle's decision-making.
Opening a fresh sheet of paper, Juno began writing about the film that had recently captivated the entire southern region—Fate/Zero.
As a spy, she couldn't afford to slack off, even when it came to something as seemingly innocuous as a movie. The night before tickets went on sale, she had camped outside the theater. While other humans brought blankets and made makeshift beds, she made do with a patch of grass. Despite waking with an aching back, she managed to secure a ticket on the film's opening day.
This, she decided, was where her analysis of Fate/Zero would begin.
At this moment, as Juno carefully reviewed the intelligence she had painstakingly gathered, she faithfully transcribed the entire plot of Fate/Zero. It took more than a dozen pages to roughly outline the story, brimming with fantastical and imaginative elements.
Admittedly, the story could have been summarized more concisely, but to ensure the Oracle could grasp every crucial detail, Juno meticulously included all points worth noting. While some details seemed insignificant to her, she understood that to the Beastkin Oracle, a renowned expert in magic, these could be key leads to important revelations.
Thus, Juno dared not slack off, transcribing the entirety of Fate/Zero's first chapter before proceeding with her analysis.
[To the Oracle, continued]
"The above recounts the story of Fate/Zero. After watching the entire film in person, I broke out in a cold sweat. I could hardly believe what I witnessed was real. However, given your previous speculations, Oracle, I must confront the reality of the Human Empire's current capabilities."
"Firstly, the story's protagonists are magus participating in the Holy Grail War for their own purposes. It is clear that 'magus' is merely another term for 'mage.' Yet, these magus are capable of summoning heroic spirits from human history to fight for them. These spirits seem to possess self-awareness and do not always obey their summoners' commands, but the very possibility of their summoning is terrifying. Their abilities, far surpassing those of ordinary warriors, are frightening. For example, the King of Conquerors can summon an army of a million soldiers from his lifetime—what unimaginable magic would be required to achieve such a feat?"
"The pairing of a magus with a heroic spirit in battle seems deliberate. It reflects the Human Empire's long-standing tradition of guardian knights. Powerful mages are often accompanied by equally formidable knights for protection. Even the strongest Beastkin warrior would struggle to assassinate a High Mage protected by such a knight—let alone a knight who is also a legendary heroic spirit."
"Thus, I believe the Holy Grail War is less about internal conflict and more akin to a training exercise. It serves to hone the coordination between mage and warriors, preparing them as future weapons of war against surrounding nations."
"This speculation stems from the Empire's historical unity. Despite frequent infighting among its nobles and dukes, the Human Empire has always displayed remarkable solidarity when faced with external threats. The four territory grand dukes, petty nobles, and even commoners all unite under the royal family's call to defend their territory with unwavering discipline."
"This unity has allowed the Human Empire to survive amidst a continent filled with diverse and powerful races. Translating this to the Holy Grail War, we see a parallel. Although participants initially fight each other, they unify against threats such as the sea monster that appears at the movie's climax. This supports the theory that the heroic spirits summoned by mage are experimental war machines developed by the Empire."
"To be honest, Oracle, it's hard to convey the terror of these combinations without seeing the film yourself. A powerful heroic spirit paired with a magus possessing unique abilities can unleash unimaginable power in small-scale battles. Certain heroic spirits demonstrated terrifying strength in the film. While a few appeared less impressive, I suspect this was deliberate—after all, if the film is propaganda for the Empire, they wouldn't reveal everything."
"Even a well-equipped Beastkin squad would struggle to defeat such a duo, let alone if these heroic spirit warriors could be mass-produced."
"Regarding the Holy Grail War itself, I doubt the existence of a device capable of granting any wish. However, I suspect the 'Holy Grail' is of significant value to magus. Otherwise, it wouldn't drive participants to such extremes. The movie indicates that the Holy Grail War has occurred multiple times, which suggests it is part of an ongoing series of experiments by human magus. Over repeated trials, they've perfected the process. Based on its potential alone, this development leaves me deeply uneasy about staying in such a dangerous empire."
Juno set down her pen, feeling both satisfaction and trepidation. She had conveyed not just the facts, but also her interpretations and fears, ensuring the Oracle would fully understand the gravity of the situation.
"In short, regarding many descriptions in the story, such as those strange kinds of magic, the bounded fields, and other things that seem impressive but are hard to understand, I am unable to make a proper judgment. Therefore, I have tried my best to include them in my previous letters and will leave it to you, Arch Mage, to assess personally. Since only the prologue of the movie has been shown, and the second chapter won't be released until winter, I have already suggested to the officer of the Black Blade that I stay here until then. All of this is for the future of the kingdom, and absolutely not because I want to see the next part of the movie. No, it's precisely because I want to watch the film and report back to you at the earliest opportunity that I'm willing to stay in this dangerous place. Yes, absolutely!"
"By the way, on the day of the movie's premiere, I noticed that an imperial general arrived at the scene with two strangers, deliberately concealing their identities. Though my limited experience prevents me from identifying the individuals, judging by their bearing alone, one of them was undoubtedly a high-ranking noble. There might even be some connection between them and the movie. I will be sure to keep an eye on things as best I can."
"Well then, I will end this letter here. I will do my utmost to investigate the secret of this tavern and the identity of the filmmaker, and I will trace these movies back to their source. When that time comes, I will report to the kingdom and you, Arch Mage, immediately."
[Juno of the Black Blade]
After writing the final word, the girl let out a long sigh of relief, stuffed the letter into the mailbox, and immediately slipped out of the tavern's back door. However, despite her keen Beastkin instincts, she failed to notice that her every move had been observed in detail by someone on the second floor.
"Do you think there's something suspicious about that Beastkin?"
Edward glanced at the lich sitting in the corner of the room. The lich had been hanging around his place for quite a while, refusing to leave even when Edward offered to send it back to the chaos land. Since the lich couldn't step outside due to its nature, there was little choice but to let it stay.
Thinking back, the last person to do something like this was Daphne. Edward had promised to teach her magic, but after a few days, she disappeared. He later heard that she returned to the duke's mansion, probably because something urgent had happened there.
"No issues."
In response to Edward's question, Latisha answered decisively, clearly not considering a small Beastkin capable of causing any trouble. Since Latisha had dismissed the matter, Edward stopped dwelling on it and returned his attention to the filming project for Fate/Zero.
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