Chapter 18

Beta: Worldbringer of Joseun

Cover: LousGndiner

"Did it work?"

"... For just a second, but no. Not really," Rin admitted as she sucked in her annoyance. "I had hoped for more, but it was just going to be a precaution anyway. This result was more or less expected."

It was the day after their tenuous midnight meeting. Revelations had come to light and plans had been reforged. Normally, Rin would've been lazing around after such a stressful night, but there was no rest for the weary. Especially now, with their current predicament.

Illya had stayed up last night apparently, and was taking the rest of the day off. The rest of their plans were mostly in shambles, but they supposed it was a good thing. None of them had any idea how to manage a populace, let alone from the shadows. If they managed to find someone with more capable hands, who actually wanted to manage a populace, then more power to him.

Rin was perfectly content with spending her time with her family.

That being said, she was still a magus at heart. Experimenting with the world around her, without the apparent influence of Gaia or Alaya to impede her, gave her a surge of emotion that most other magi might never experience.

It was something they could've only dreamed about, to experiment freely without worrying if the collective will of humanity would destroy them for it.

One such experiment was what Shirou and Rin were performing right now. Rin, having borrowed some capital from Illya to proceed with the tests, and Shirou with a particular Noble Phantasm at hand… one that admittedly brought up a few bad memories.

"Looks like we can't rely on Rule Breaker," she muttered.

The principle of the test was simple. Rule Breaker, the Noble Phantasm of Medea of Colchis, had the ability to sever any and all magical contracts. Such as contracts made by a power like the Holy Grail, with Servant contracts being the most memorable. The random building they had purchased was essentially 'contracted' to them through supernatural means.

And Rin did mean supernatural. Whatever was binding the building and its functions to her was not magical, at least not completely. If it was, then Rule Breaker would have either transferred ownership to Shirou, or dismantled it entirely. Instead, Rin saw her access and ability to modify the rules of the building fade momentarily.

They did try to keep Rule Breaker stabbed into the building, but results did not vary in the slightest. The Noble Phantasm did not fail, for it was made to sever contracts. Rin felt her contract sever, but it was quickly remade by something else.

It was almost as if the world itself was building these contracts.

… Perhaps Gaia and Alaya do exist in this world after all? It would certainly make sense. If this Gaia-like entity was somehow facilitating the respawning of adventurers and monsters…

Rin felt like the hypothesis could use some more work, but there was obviously an external factor restoring the contract. She'd need more knowledge to formulate something concrete, but it was all she got. The Arcadia had history books, but after reading through them all, she realized that it was sorely lacking.

She needed scholarly records, not third-hand accounts of events from mere scribes looking to embellish details. She swore that if she had to read about how the 'Glorious Humanity' managed to defeat the 'Monstrous Alvs', then she was going to have an aneurysm.

At least Illya will be happy about the building. Things were admittedly starting to get crowded in the dorm, even after the expansion Illya had purchased.

On the off chance they got too attached to move, they could always use this building as a factory of some sort. Ferlna was starting to get annoyed at the fact that they constantly raided the Arcadia to brew up their potions.

"Should we head back?" Shirou asked with a raised brow. "Illya mentioned that we would be going over the new plans today."

That she did. They would've spoken about it earlier, but with Illya imitating a ghoul and simply groaning in her bed, it was postponed to the current time of three in the afternoon.

"Yes, but humor me with one last test Shirou," Rin said with a smile.

She enjoyed how he tried to hide the shudder than ran down his spine. It made him look cute.

"Sure, what do I have to do?"

Rin contemplated it, but decided against it. "On second thought, it's too dangerous. We should try it on another target or something."

He narrowed his eyes in what was an attempt at being intimidating, not that it affected Rin in any meaningful way. Promise. "Rin, what were you planning?"

Rin just smirked and patted his head. It did feel weird to raise her hand as high as her head, because they were the same height now. "Somethings are better off unknown," she sang.

Even when Shirou kept asking, she did not answer.

That was fine. She didn't want him to freak out. After all, asking to get stabbed by Rule Breaker didn't exactly inspire happy emotions from anyone. Especially her.

It was a momentary consideration. The bodies they wore were not theirs. The abilities they had were translated into the world they resided in. It made sense that these adventurer forms somehow had something to do with it, or at least the result of whatever it was.

Rin at least knew that whatever Rule Breaker would hypothetically do to their bodies, it wasn't going to be permanent – whatever force that was keeping this building linked to her was going to ensure that. But still, she didn't know what it would do, and that was the worrying part.

So much was still unknown about these bodies. They were immortal. They were able to eternally gain experience and grow powerful. Even their own blood had the ability to perform miracles, if what Ferlna said was right. Basically, it was like being a Dead Apostle without the downsides. Would getting stabbed by Caster's phantasm remove it all temporarily, or something even more? Something… unimaginable.

Or death. Equal chance of that, being a magus, walking with death, and all that.

So many unanswered questions, and only research could help her obtain the answers she sought.

At least Ferlna would be happy. Rin was very much eager to experiment with this body more. Who knows? Maybe something good would come out of it.

Rumors, the voice of the wind, they existed within every wall of a city. They drifted and spread further than any vile plague ever could. However, they were just as deadly, able to topple nations with the right push.

For that reason alone, they were to be taken with a hint of caution.

"The adventurers bought out the guild hall! They're preparing for war!"

One such rumor, could ruin it all.

Meltraus growled under his frazzled beard. He was not at his forge, having closed up for today. Night was barely on its way but this city did not die. Even if adventurers called it in for the night, the Landers – those who were one with the land – were as active as they came.

The eternal fire of the forge would never die or tire, just like the smiths who work under it, eternally toiling under the forge.

However, even he wanted to get some shut-eye. He wasn't a bloody vampire. He needed his rest every now and then, especially in such strenuous times. Especially now that some bumbling buffoon came in and ruined the mood.

Meltraus sat in a chair, shorter than the chairs that the dwarves would use but that was because he was human. He was delivering all that he had crafted for the week to fulfil the requests, asinine requests for sure but he had a daughter to feed and raise so he wouldn't complain.

"Bezkoa," Kazhak, an old friend and rival, narrowed his eyes from his seat. "What in blazes are you talking about?"

The young dwarf, barely a hint of stubble on his chest with a still growing beard, panted and gathered his breath. He had probably ran all the way here. "I… I heard from the Kunie Clan. They were bought out by an adventurer. They no longer have authority when it comes to the building."

Kazhak frowned. "So they can no longer bar fools entry?"

"How much did that building cost again?" asked some human smith that Meltraus had never seen before. He was likely a new addition. "… Five million gold, right?"

An astronomical amount of money. Almost unimaginable. Not even the Royal family could afford that without severely harming their coffers.

"But why? That Ferlna girl had said they were just children having a tantrum. This isn't what I'd expect a tantrum to entail. But that doesn't exactly mean a war is on the horizon…" Kazhak muttered. He turned and shared a look with his old friend. "… does it?"

"Master Kazhak, of course it means that!" Another dwarf spoke up. "That woman said it herself, they're getting organized. Their whining and slouching days are almost over. This is just the beginning."

"But why would they buy the guild building? I had thought they'd buy the Cathedral first."

"It doesn't matter! What matters is that they're finally getting their act together. I can't wait to see some adventurers actually going on adventures for once."

"That doesn't mean it's a good thing!" Bezkoa berated the dwarf who spoke up. "This… it means a bucket load of things. I've seen some adventurers gathering together supplies, buying food from any merchant they can find. Even upgrading their bloody weapons. They're getting their act together alright, but it ain't anything good!"

"Heed your tone young one, I do not like what you're implying," Meltraus growled out. His baritone echo commanding attention. "Do you think war is upon us already?"

"What else could it be?" He said with both frustration and worry in his eyes. "The Kunie Clan grows worried. The merchants are growing weary. The adventurers have gathered enough supplies to feed an army–!"

Before the young fool's tirade could continue, Kazhak got up from his seat and threw an empty wooden mug at him. "Get some rest you fool! The fire of the forge has gotten to your head."

Not one to argue with the guild master, Bezkoa nodded and left the room albeit hesitantly.

"… He does have a point, master Kazhak," the nameless human smith muttered. "It sounds a lot like a war effort is beginning. I'm sure we aren't the only ones who think so."

"I ain't daft, of course it looks like a war is on the horizon," he said resolutely. "I just wanted the buffoon to stop shouting it out like a whore in a whorehouse. Things are already too strained. We don't need an idiot to continue hammering it in."

A few short nods went around the table.

"Meltraus, what can we expect?" Kazhak muttered as someone returned his thrown mug. "You're training one of them, an adventurer. Anything to add to the table?"

"Just because I've been training the boy doesn't mean he would know," Meltraus muttered back. "We don't speak in the forge anyway, only the sound of steel upon steel is permitted."

"Aye, but damn that doesn't help at all," his friend frowned. "How long until the month ends? A week, maybe a little more than that?"

"With how the adventurers are acting, we might not have a week," another dwarf muttered. "Is another meeting going to be held soon?"

"Knowing that the news has more than likely spread further than this forge, especially if the Kunie Clan is letting others know…" Kazhak muttered. "Aye, we might be having a meeting sooner than we thought."

Meltraus frowned.

That didn't bode well.

Not well at all.

Illya sat atop the rooftop she usually rested at when stalking Hamelin.

Krentelfal was nowhere in sight, but that was expected. She had ordered him to remain hidden, after all. Even if she was technically working together with the Villain-in-Glasses, that doesn't mean she was going to reveal all the tricks up her sleeve.

A short bark caught her attention, and Illya frowned.

"He's getting a little uppity, isn't he?" Illya muttered.

Her companion, Sakura smiled wryly in apology. "Sorry, Illya-chan. Raijuu is a lot more active when we're further away from the city."

That was saying a lot. The mutt jumped around a lot, and was currently chasing its own tail, whereas before it would be perfectly content sleeping the world away. It was like it didn't like being near something at the heart of the city.

That, or it was tired most of the time. Granted, Illya didn't understand dogs. They were mangy and only reminded her of the wolves that tried to feast on her flesh. At least they were better than cats. She hated cats.

"Did you feed him or something?" Illya asked.

"Just before we left, yes," Sakura admitted. "It's unfortunate that the Bestiary is closed today. I was hoping to get their help about it."

It was closed because they had nearly bought out their entire stock. Making several thousands of potions was not cheap, and it took a lot from their coffers to make them. Granted, they made back the money pretty quickly by selling the potions, but it was still a dent. Illya imagined that the place would not be selling again until the very next month when they restock.

It was mid afternoon, a little later than Illya was used to but she could only blame herself for that. Both she and Sakura were waiting on a few arrivals, their discussion the night before had been cut short, mostly because they were all too tired to continue and speaking in such a state wouldn't help anyone.

Illya smiled as she felt something enter her bounded field. It moved slowly and silently, followed shortly by a calm set of footsteps.

A minute later, the roof door was opened, and he appeared in all his glory.

… He was actually quite underwhelming when looked at up close.

"Good afternoon, Shiroe of the Tea Party," Illya greeted. "I trust you are well?"

His slight smile, showing a hint of awkwardness and relief at her greeting, faded as he spoke. "Yes, I am. A little tired, but I suppose that is to be expected… I see you brought company."

"Will that be an issue?" she said with a smile. There was no denying the underlying hostility should that be the case.

"No, not at all," he quickly remedied. "I'd be a hypocrite if I were to think that, for I brought along someone as well."

The Assassin behind him nodded in greeting.

"I understand that our discussion the night prior could cause some… issues," namely, the constant threats they had veiled in their words. "In the spirit of forgetting past transgressions and grudges, I will be introducing myself once again," he bowed in greeting, "I am Shiroe, the guild leader of Log Horizon. It is a pleasure to finally be of acquaintance."

Illya raised a brow.

Not of the Tea Party? The solo Enchanter must've found himself a guild, which really shouldn't be a surprise. The man had connections, and from that allies. It wasn't that hard to imagine that he'd abandon the lifestyle once he found himself in Elder Tale.

Illya bowed and reciprocated. "Illyasviel, the guild leader of the Emiya Family. It is also my pleasure,"

However, she wasn't going to ignore who she had brought along. "This is Sakura, a druid and fellow member of my guild," Illya introduced, to which her companion waved in greeting. She was followed by an indignant bark from the mutt, as if its pride was wounded by not being mentioned. "And that is Raijuu, her pet."

Shiroe nodded. "Well then, if there are no harsh feelings remaining, let us proceed–"

Suddenly his eyes widened and he stared at the dog.

"… A dire wolf?" he muttered. "No, the fur is too vibrant and it doesn't fit any of the existing canine pets. Is this also something your guild has made?"

Illya raised her brow and frowned. "The mutt? No, Sakura just decided to adopt it. I don't know where she did, apparently she just found it."

"I couldn't really abandon him, could I?" Sakura muttered as the dog leaped to her bosom, a familiar place for it to rest. However, she blinked in realization. "Pardon, made?"

"I had assumed that you created the pet as you did with the experience potions, but it appears I was wrong. I still have questions about it, but I suppose I will leave that discussion for another day," he relented. "For now, let us proceed."

In short, the two of them had set up a meeting. Illya chose the location, mostly because the Strategist had picked the location last time, and here they were, wide awake and renewed enough to continue their conversation.

And what was the topic?

"You were right about the Landers," Shiroe commented while he pushed his glasses up. "I had Akatsuki travel around this morning and we could see how frayed the situation is now. It escaped my sight before, but now that we're aware of it, I have a few ideas to help us prevent the fallout."

"Truly?" She mused. "Well then, let us not waste any time."

And so they did.

It was a little awkward at first, having both been wary of each other for so long that it felt wrong to stand by each other in the open. However, after skirting around that issue for so long, they settled into rhythmic discourse.

Shiroe had asked what her plan was, and she had simply told him that they were planning to create a sense of unity. Relations were slowly being worked on and repaired, but it was at a snails pace. They were only a few people in their guild, and some even had other tasks to attend to.

It was sort of working, but only one district had adventurers and Landers speaking amiably. Even then, the Landers were still cautious of them, and the adventurers, sensing the caution, were cautious right back. It was a vicious cycle that Illya found herself unable to break.

Illya was experienced in magus politicking, not how regular people interacted. However, she did have a general rule in mind when it came to people.

A person was smart.

People were stupid.

All of Shiroe's plans, when summed up, were about keeping the status quo until the Round Table – snrk – meeting occurred. When that time comes, they'll be able to instill order and make sure nothing bad happens to either group. Illya had read a few laws that the tactician planned to implement, and she had to admit, they were good.

Although, they were basically humanitarian laws altered to fit their status as immortals. It was a good start, but they couldn't really improve on it.

What both Illya and Shiroe were worried about, was how the Landers would react to it all. They didn't need to worry about how players would react, mostly because their present situation was so incredibly undesirable that they'd willingly go along with it.

One only needed to step into the shoes of others to see from another perspective. Take this example for instance; A person, followed by a bunch of others, stepped up to a stage and addressed everyone, giving out new laws and rules that the populace must follow.

You, a bystander with nothing to do with these people and perfectly content with your current way of life, suddenly found yourself under the rule of others without any say or clue. What would you do?

The answer was to deny that rule, extensively. This was the exact upcoming scenario from a Lander's eyes, and it wasn't a good one.

What they feared was civil war and the casualties that could follow, none of them would be adventurers.

Illya couldn't exactly say that this current situation could've been avoided either. Had they continued with their original directive and denied the Enchanter's proposition, their current issue would remain unchanged. As such, working together turned out to be a boon.

Especially because no other guild would've noticed the issue, or do anything about it.

To sum up the situation, they needed a way to break the news to the Landers slowly, without setting off the ticking bomb set directly underneath their feet. The problem was that they didn't have much time left.

They thought that they had until the end of the month, but with Shiroe having purchased the guild building days ahead of schedule, they had even less than that.

Akatsuki, being the sneaky Assassin that she was, had been ordered by Shiroe to scout around the Lander hubs without being noticed. In doing so, she discovered that the purchasing of the guild building hadn't gone unnoticed. Sure, the playerbase were still ignorant, mostly because they couldn't care to check and hadn't even considered it, but the locals had. They knew what was happening.

It didn't help that D.D.D's Raid preparations were being misconstrued as an upcoming war effort. Illya could blackmail them to stop, but that wouldn't work. Raid guilds would still need to go on raids, and they hadn't grown dependent on her guild's EXP potions yet to follow such orders.

The only time they'd be able to have enough influence to affect the other players would be to have and wrap up the Round Table meeting.

Shiroe had apparently sent invitations and prepared a room for the meeting to take place. He was well-prepared for it, but he wasn't in regards to the Landers. Once again, putting yourself in their shoes, you see a bunch of adventurers talk in what is basically the most important building in the city?

The 'Preparing for War' rumor was practically fueling itself.

There were even rumors that adventurers would buy out the homes of every Lander, therefore forcing them out of the city. It was a preposterous rumor, but to a bunch of worried fools, it was enough to cause them worry.

Luckily, they knew that another Lander meeting was going to take place, and they had a solid date as to when that was… However, not so luckily, the date was exactly when the Round Table conference was going to occur, which meant they coincided and they'd need to split up their efforts.

Illya, Waver, and Taiga were all needed at that conference. Shiroe had mandated for every guild leader to bring two bodyguards, not very much sense in the idea seeing as they were immune to death. However, due to Illya's invasion of their homes, wasn't a bad idea to these guild leaders.

After all, if you knew someone could enter a safe zone without the owner knowing, then even the most redundant precautions became valid.

So yeah, that was a point against Illya, but what did they expect? Relying on such an anonymous system when loopholes existed… loopholes that Illya made sure everyone knew existed. A blunder, for she wouldn't be able to exploit them now that they were out there, but she couldn't exactly do anything about it now could she?

Anyway, she needed to bring them because they were the highest leveled members of her guild. Taiga was level eighty and Waver was ninety, strong enough to hold their own against the ninety plus levels of the other guilds if push came to shove.

It was also because every guild was bringing two additional members, that it would be looked at negatively if she brought any less, or people who were as low as most of her members. Image was important when it came to convincing a whole bunch of guilds to form a coalition.

In addition, Shiroe couldn't spare any of his members to help with that. They were still needed in apprehending Hamelin's members once he started blacklisting them, which Illya was not opposed to in the slightest.

Which meant that the only members they had remaining to try and intervene or steer the upcoming Lander meeting were Shirou, Rin, and Sakura. Illya did include the Landers she recognized as allies, which Shiroe was surprised of. Apparently, he was aware of them being people, but he didn't know that there was some Lander politicking going on in the background.

He said that Landers were basically peasants from medieval times so he didn't expect them to be so level-headed. Level-headed? They were about to jump start a civil war. How was that level-headed!?

She got her answer when she realized that peasants from medieval times were so much worse. So much dumber and impulsive to the point that witch hunts and crusades were the norm. So yeah, level-headed.

So far, every base was covered, but it was uncertain. Everything was uncertain, but not as uncertain as their plans were.

Illya would have said that her idea was flawless, but that would be her magus pride talking. Nothing was perfect. There were always holes in a plan to exploit. No plan survives contact with the enemy, so Illya was just prepared to deal with that when the time came.

She might have agreed to help Shiroe out, but she was still keeping her original idea in mind. The Tea Party's strategist was very convincing, and she had some modicum of faith that he would be able to convince the rest of the guild leaders to follow suit. Krusty of D.D.D. would see the benefit, and she was sure that the Merchant guilds were already going to put their lot in with the strategist.

However, the rest of the combat guilds were going to need more convincing. Sure, the threat of blacklisting them was going to force their hand, but in case it wouldn't, Illya was more than willing to force them herself, lest they lose their precious source of potions.

Especially now that Hamelin would forever be out of the picture…

… Hmm, they did still need a stable source of adventurer blood…

Nah, Rin was a magus but even she'd be queasy about that. Sakura, Taiga, and Shirou would sure as hell disagree, and even Lord El-Melloi II would see her in a less than positive light. That idea was out of question.

… But they did need a stable source of it. They couldn't just drain a gallon or so of blood every time they need to make a batch. These bodies might be immortal, but they sure as hell weren't going to chance a death by blood loss.

"I suppose that wraps up the discussion," Shiroe said. He had a scroll open, which he used to manually take down notes of the situation with a quill. Already, Illya could see a few ideas noted in there that he didn't share, mostly because they were either proven to not work or not fleshed out enough. Although, she couldn't make out much more from it because he had wrapped it up and placed it into his inventory. "The matter of the Landers will have to be handled with your group. Once my guild wraps up their roles with Hamelin, I'll have a team to try and help you out."

Illya frowned somewhat. "I'm still not sure how much help they'd be. From the sound of it, they hadn't interacted with Landers enough to make an impact. The only adventurers that have done anything for Landers in this city are of my guild. I trust them enough to be able to convince a whole meeting of them."

But they probably wouldn't look too well at them, especially with adventurer sentiments at an all-time low in all districts but their own. It would be bad if they just intruded into the meeting… Yeah, they'll need either Ferlna or Meltraus to risk their reputations and let them in. They need to appear as amiable as possible to try and resolve this situation.

And even then, there's no guarantee it'll work and appease the Landers, especially the temperamental ones.

"I hope that trust is well placed," Shiroe lamented. "Because if it fails…"

"They won't," Illya said with absolute confidence. "Above all else, I trust them. They've survived worse, and won't let something like this hold them back."

"Worse… I see," Shiroe closed his eyes. "Very well, I will believe in you and your guild."

"And we won't betray that trust," Sakura said, having remained as silent as Akatsuki throughout the discussion.

Shiroe looked away from them and towards an unseen menu. "… It is getting late. The Round Table meeting will be tomorrow. I suggest we all get some rest," he grimaced. "We will need it."

"If that's the case, then how about we have a little snack?" Sakura excitedly offered.

The short Assassin blinked. "A snack?"

Her master, smiled wryly though. "We really shouldn't impose…"

"I insist!" The plum Foxtail pushed. She opened her inventory and took out several items wrapped in parchment paper. From the smell of it alone, Illya could tell what it was. "My chef subclass isn't that high leveled, but at the very least, I'm confident in these sandwiches!"

Those of Log Horizon shared a glance with each other, but ultimately accepted what Sakura handed to them. It was likely that they thought it would be rude to do so.

What they found was surprising.

It was definitely a sandwich, two pieces of bread holding filling within. However, it was made from Theldesian ingredients. Sakura had used a variety of ingredients, but stuck to the few that she could recognize having a real life counterpart.

The filling was simply pan-seared fish. It wasn't salmon or anything familiar, mostly because the developers found it necessary to be as fantastical as possible when implementing the wildlife, so this 'zalmen' was used instead– but that was stupid so Illya stuck with salmon.

It was fatty, yet firm. The original pink marbled color had faded into a seared shade of gold. Sakura had been liberal with her use of butter and greatly enjoyed basting it. Even from where she was, Illya could smell the crushed garlic and lemon juices.

It wouldn't have been any different to a regular sandwich, but quality bread takes time to make. Thus, they made do with what the locals had on hand, which was a tough sourdough – not that it was bad or anything. In fact, the tough dough had kept any juices from spilling out of the fish, and it complemented a lot of the ingredients used.

To dumb it down; there was seasoned fish, cabbage, tomatoes, and bread. All good features in a sandwich.

… but all that was just what her brother had just told her. Illya wasn't a chef, and wasn't going to pretend to know all the techniques used to create it.

But she could appreciate a good snack when she sees one.

Illya smiled as her guild member handed one to her. It was still hot too, because keeping things in your inventory apparently prevented it from getting ruined or cold. There wasn't any air or bacteria in there. Heck, Illya wasn't even sure time passed when inside there!

So the thing was just as fresh as when Sakura had made it, which was this morning. Hot off the pan.

Judging by how their guests were diving into it with gusto, they thought it was good too.

"Was it as good as the Crescent Burger?" Illya couldn't help but poke fun at them.

"I don't believe in drawing comparisons," he replied after finishing off his snack. It was clearly a lie, but Illya let it slide. Perhaps he saw it as being polite or a form of professional pride. Letting his opinion on the sandwich be heard wasn't important. "Thank you, miss Sakura. That was wonderful."

The assassin behind him nodded adamantly in agreement. She didn't speak, mostly because she was still stuffing her face. She sort of looked like a squirrel.

"No, if anything, it should be me thanking you," Sakura claimed.

He blinked in surprise. "For what? I don't recall aiding you or your guild in any way before today."

"You opened Crescent Burger," she replied. "You might not realize it, but it isn't just adventurers who enjoyed eating it. A few people – Landers, that I know were praising it as if it was the best thing that came out of adventurers! The best thing ever since…"

The Villain-in-Glasses winced as he realized what she hinted out.

"It earned a lot more support from some neutral Landers," she added. "In doing so, a lot of people are seeing adventurers in a better light!"

"That being said," Illya entered the conversation. "A lot of recent happenings have turned that perspective around, so not as great." The guild building purchase among other things.

A stern glare was sent her way by his wayward bodyguard, but it was quelled by the look her guild leader shot her with. Shiroe sighed as he recognized his fault in their current predicament. "Perhaps if I had held off from purchasing the guild building until the day of the meeting, this could've been avoided."

"Perhaps," Illya admitted. "However, dwelling on what could've happened or what should've happened helps no one."

He smiled. "Likewise, I'm glad you think so. However, I still feel a modicum of responsibility falls on me. If you would let me, I can try and make it up to you all."

"My lord?" his assassin suddenly spoke with a hint of concern.

The 'lord' in question simply stood up and dusted his cloak of any dust. "We can end this meeting here, and if you are interested in me making amends, you can follow me."

Sakura frowned a bit. "I don't think that–"

"If you're offering, then who are we to refuse?" Illya claimed. The pout Sakura sent her way did nothing to deter her. The Foxtail druid likely saw no reason for Shiroe to apologize or make amends, and she was likely right about it.

However, if they had declined, then he would constantly see himself as in debt to them. Normally, Illya would've been all over that, but that wasn't the precedence she was trying to set.

Moreover, he wanted them to follow him. There was something he wanted to show– or perhaps even give to them, but clearly this rooftop wasn't the best place to do so.

Shiroe nodded in thanks and made his way down the nearby stairs. Illya, along with a still pouting Sakura, followed soon after.

Tohsaka Rin and her fellows, the Emiya Family, had not stopped by the Arcadia today.

If she had to be honest, Ferlna had started getting used to their presence. The constant banter that they shared, added with how they shared research notes, made for a very beneficial and productive evening. However, she would be lying if she said that it didn't have its own downsides.

The peace and quiet she had once to research into topics left untouched by the scholars of her old home was long since forgotten. Dare she say it, woefully out of reach. She would miss her seclusion, but she wouldn't dare give up what she had attained now, for it surpassed anything she could have obtained alone.

Knowledge. With the arrival of Tohsaka Rin and her guild, Ferlna was granted insight into mysteries that Landers largely left unsolved.

The general outlook on adventurers was of mystery. For what seems like ages ago, they were sentinels, protectors of all that dwell within the realm of man. Never had they considered that they were as… humane, as they were, even if present times contradicted that.

Ferlna put aside a book she had been reading. She had read it before, almost a thousand times for a thesis she had once published. However, the version in her hands was vastly different, and the reason for that was because of the notes scribbled under each paragraph.

She disagreed with several statements and made revisions under them. Whether those revisions were accurate or not, Ferlna made it a point to look into them herself. Magi Tohsaka had already showed how their perception of reality, of what was possible and what was impossible, was all based on just that. Perception.

Even if you could see the horizon, you would be blinded to what was behind it.

Tohsaka Rin was a temperamental Sorcerer, not unlike those in the Capital. However, the true difference between them lay in how they viewed the world around them. A common scholar saw their world as it was, as something that simply was. There was no need to question the stars and how they moved, or of the creatures that lived within it.

To them, the world simply is.

Tohsaka and her guild saw it very differently. The world was a treasure box, just waiting out of sight for someone to open it and discover what secrets were hidden within. They wouldn't give up even if that box was locked by the sturdiest steel in existence.

And Ferlna admired them for it.

Tohsaka's headway into dual casting, the mystical creations she had seen birthed from a mere antique, and the unique insight that ConquerorsAdvisor had. It was all enthralling. So much so that Ferlna feared she would be blinded.

But she wasn't. In fact, she felt that she could see clearer than ever, more than the stagnant researchers she had once labeled peers.

Her fingers traced the edited book once more.

… As much as she enjoyed what she was reading, intrigued and excited at the notion of testing, she knew more than most of how tenuous the situation of this city was. Akihabara, the city made for both adventurers and Landers alike, was on the precipice. Tilt too far and they'd all crumble away.

A balance had to be achieved, and while it was stable for now, it would not be for long. A quick glance outside showed that already.

Landers barely walked the streets anymore, mostly sticking to back alleys and other hidden walkways. They knew when to avoid a temperamental adventurer when they saw one, and now they barely chanced meeting them for fear of incurring their wrath.

She had heard of the rumors from travelling merchants, of what happened to a sister city, Susukino. It was ravaged by adventurers. They had grown powerful and just as power hungry. What was once a peaceful land, where both adventurers and Landers lived in peace and tranquility with the snowy peaks, had been reduced to a shell of its former self.

Of course, they were rumors from frightened merchants. Considering how long it took them to get here from Susukino, these tales could be months out of date. Not exactly reliable… but it didn't change what had occurred.

They took over.

An adventurer guild had forgone from their roles as righteous protectors and fallen into the roles of vile usurpers. Merchants told tall tales of the Royal Family being ousted, and of brutal warriors and brigands manning Susukino's walls. It was a tale of disaster, of caution, and of what Akihabara was looking forward to should relations between Lander and adventurer sour any further.

Ferlna grimaced as she left her seat, ready to close up shop for today. Adventurers rarely visited her small store anymore, something about the shop being mostly for 'Newbies'. A term to look into for sure.

Others, more unsavory fools, saw Susukino as a compelling reason for a proper uprising. They said that Susukino failed to stop the adventurers purely because they did not have the will to strike at their past protectors.

Worst of all, the people were believing it.

It didn't take much to know that the rest of the Lander blacksmiths, the ones not daring to chance the idea of being conquered, had been forging blades without end. The smoke of the forge eternally covered the merchants district, and she was beginning to worry that the adventurers were slowly catching on.

It wasn't as if adventurers knowing was a bad thing, the Emiya Family were fully aware of the issue and sought to mend it. However, just as there were fearful buffoons, there were also arrogant swords ready to cull their throats.

Adventurers were strong. To compare a Lander to an adventurer was like comparing an ant to a boot. Once the wearer took notice, they would grind them beneath their heel until they perished.

Ferlna prayed to the gods above that would never happen. Cooler minds will prevail. She just needed to ensure that they would…

Mana, the energy of all life, swelled between her fingertips.

… even if it meant she had to be convincing.

"Shirou, could you hold this for me?"

"Rin, you have an inventory."

"It's full of reagents so just hold onto the thing for a bit!"

Shirou – read as personal lackey, sighed as he grabbed the few flasks he was handed and placed them into his inventory.

The two of them were originally supposed to have returned to the Guildhall, but then Illya had sent a message outright canceling the original meeting. Something about an interesting prospect coming up. Whatever it was, it had better be important, because Rin did not like wasting time.

After they saw no more reason to head back to home base, Rin opted to do a bit more personalized research and so went back to the Arcadia. However, with the absence of her research partner, Rin found it quite boring. Of course, she blamed Shirou for barely knowing anything about magecraft so she couldn't have a productive day. Locking herself up in a room solely for research just wasn't as efficient as it was weeks prior.

Instead of wasting her time in an empty establishment, she dragged him out and down the back alleys until they found several new stores to look through. They weren't new to Rin though, having been brought along by Ferlna a few times on some errands, but Shirou hadn't ever seen these stores before.

Then again, he had never taken a trip down to the southern district before.

Unlike the much more commercial central district, where the Guildhall and Cathedral were situated, or the northern area where D.D.D. had laid claim, the southern district was much more… subdued in atmosphere. There weren't any Landers purchasing and working, but Shirou could see a few airing out recently washed laundry.

Apparently, Rin needed more supplies. She had ran her stock of elemental stones to the ground and needed more. Normally, she would have been more restrained in her spending, but they had a sizable amount of gold bequeathed to them. Most of it came from Shirou's own labor and he should've felt indignant at being used as a money bag, but he wasn't going to be spending his salary on anything anyways. Might as well put it to good use.

And keeping Rin happy rather than grouchy was a good use for it.

"Come on," Rin said as she tugged her unwilling prized mule. "I know for certain that we can get our hands on some crystallized dragon eggs here. I don't know how it's crystallized or how Landers could've gotten hold of it from a phantasmal beast of all things, but I'm not missing out!"

"Didn't Lord El-Melloi II say something about not judging the items here by our world's standards?" He said with a raised brow. "What if the dragons here are much weaker?"

She paused in her steps and sent him a contemplative look. "… You have a point. The strength of its mystery would certainly be lessened…"

After standing in one spot and tapping her toes for a solid few seconds, she shrugged. "At least it could serve as practice for when I get a hold of truly high grade materials. I'm still interested to see if the eggs could influence my gemcraft in some way."

Well, she got him there.

"Oh, by the way, I'm changing my subclass."

Okay, sure why not–

"Pardon?" Shirou suddenly blurted out.

"I'm not good as an alchemist," she admitted. "It's out of my element. I've worked with Gemcraft my whole life and I honestly want to find something that suits me more. I only became an alchemist because I wanted to see if it could help with you know what."

"That makes sense," he confirmed. "If you're changing then does that mean–"

"No, you may not change into the chef subclass."

Shirou couldn't hide the aggravated huff he let out, much to the pleasure of his tormentor. It wasn't fair, damn it. "Even you think so?"

"Shirou, as much as I'd love to have your cooking again, I'd much prefer we have a blacksmith around to keep maintenance costs low," she said. "Have you seen the number of adventurers that waste their gold on that? I swear, I see those guys by the smithing district every day."

"That's because they're swinging it around without care," Shirou said with irritation. "They have no form, merely trusting that their bodies will make the moves for them. They don't even have concern over their weapon, they'd smash it against a rock if it meant loot."

And it was all true. The number of times he had seen other blacksmiths complain about it was too damn high. At least it was more work for them, but no smith liked to see one of their weapons damaged, or a weapon they repaired a day ago come back looking like it was crushed by boulders.

"-But they still get damaged in the end," Rin said slyly. "And even if we – and I mean you, Illya, and Fujimura-sensei – took care of our weapons better than anyone else, they'll still need repairs. Can you honestly trust any other smith to do that?"

… Perhaps Meltraus, but other than that, Shirou couldn't think of one. He had no idea what weapons Fuji-nee regularly used in battle – because she had lowered her level when they trained together and couldn't equip it – but the Golden Rhapsody, Illya's axe, was incredibly unique and required a lot of attention to detail.

He could trust a grand master blacksmith to do that, but not any regular one. Especially not an adventurer smith, because they literally clicked a button and prayed.

"Fine, you made your point," he conceded. "But, you didn't mention what kind of subclass you want to get."

"Honestly? I didn't know either. I just didn't like my current one," she admitted with the same sly smile on her face, with her Ritian tattoos truly emphasizing it. "However, our resident Lord of the Clock Tower had an interesting suggestion. Unfortunately, he didn't know where exactly I could get the suggested subclass because he's new to this place. However, Ferlna knew, so we're nearing the area now."

Shirou simply nodded, but frowned. It wasn't his place to question it now, especially after Rin had seemingly gone out of her way to look into it herself, but she was being awfully cryptic about it… then again, she probably wanted the suspense.

"Here we are, viola!"

Shirou blinked at the store they arrived in.

"Rin, this is a jewelry store."

"And?"

He narrowed his eyes and glared. "… The things in here are out of my price range."

Way out of his price range, by at least a few zeroes.

"I'm not buying any gems here yet!" She indignantly cried. He did not miss the yet sneaking in there. "I'm here for the subclass, that's all."

Shirou mused and looked at the store. It had no name, but there was simply a wooden sign with a stereotypical diamond ring carved into it.

The store itself was fused into the war-torn building behind it and had lights within it, likely to emphasis the gemstones and jewelry within. There were one or two patrons already inside, but none of them looked to be Landers. Perhaps it only catered to adventurers?

It honestly reminded Shirou of similar stores back home, only it had a more rustic look to it.

Rin, not bothering to wait for a reply, entered the store. Seeing no reason to wait, Shirou followed.

"Greetings, my name is Flandel," greeted the Elf Lander from behind the counter. He was tending his initial patrons, but they were clearly too lost in their own world to miss him. In fact, they seemed to be leaving already. "To what pleasure do I owe this visit?"

He looked lanky and wore a golden monocle. He also had pale green hair somewhat characteristic to their race. The way he smiled at them felt professional, but also quite… fake, in a way?

"I am Tohsaka Rin," she introduced herself. She had even folded her arm under her torso to rest her elbow on it, tracing her chin as she did so. Shirou could only blink at the act.

He nodded. "And this gentleman is?"

"A fellow guild member of mine, Emiya Shirou," she replied in his stead, which he raised a brow at. Seriously, she was acting off.

"Emiya Shirou you say?" He muttered with slight glint of intrigue in his eye. "The very same adventurer who undertook an apprenticeship under the grand master Meltraus?"

Rin blinked. This time, she was the one surprised, but she quickly composed herself. "I was aware that the other blacksmiths may know of him, but I wasn't aware that someone such as yourself would as well."

The elf smiled. "I have had a few clients who couldn't help but gossip. I dare say that there is no Lander in the city that isn't aware of your colleague here. It isn't everyday you find an adventurer so willing to delve into our practices and learn them."

Shirou felt himself sigh internally. He felt it would've been rude to do that, so he just settled for slouching slightly. He had honestly no idea he was this well-known. It was just mild intrigue and gossip, so it would probably blow over after a while. Right?

"Forgive me, I seemed to have sidetracked your visit," Flandel remedied. "For what purpose have you visited my esteemed store?"

"It is quite simple," Rin smiled and shifted her footing slightly. "I'm here because I heard I'd be able to learn how to become an Artificer."

Artificer?

Shirou racked his brain to try and figure out what that subclass did, but he came up blank. Was it a jeweler of some kind?

A light seemed to blare within the elf's monocle covered eye as he nodded. "Ah, it has been a while since I have seen an adventurer willing to dabble into my profession. If you would like, I could take you as an apprentice as well?"

"As intriguing as that proposition might be," Rin started. "I am unfortunately quite a busy adventurer. Therefore, I will unfortunately have to decline."

The elf still smiled, but he had lost a bit of excitement in his eyes. "I see, forgive my presumptions. I had just assumed that you would like to follow in the footsteps of your colleague."

"No harm was done, the subclass is all I require… for now."

The glint returned.

"For now?" he muttered, to which Rin nodded with a smile. A short second after, the elf returned it with a grin of his own. "Very well then, I will be back shortly."

Soon after, he retreated into the backroom.

Shirou, having watched the interaction, frowned. "Okay, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"That. All of that. Why was he acting all… pleased?"

Rin rolled her eyes, which looked all the more haughty with the pose she wore. "In a way, I promised that I would become a returning customer. Jewels and gemstones are a niche business even in this world. Only the truly rich, or those with enough surplus, could hope to enter this store. With such a small amount of customers, returnees are highly valued."

"And the way you're acting? It's also weird."

"Connections, Shirou~" she teased. "It doesn't hurt to try and make some. Although, you do have a few of your own… as miraculous as that is."

Shirou sighed.

"So that means you're going to come back here?"

"I may frequent the store every week or so,"

He sighed deeper. His poor wallet.

"Don't worry," Rin assuaged as soon as he sensed his worries. "I'm not so cruel as to keep you as a personal piggy bank forever. I just need the subclass. Then, I'll be able to make my own money."

This, instead of causing relief, raised a brow of concern. "You can get money by yourself?"

Shirou knew he screwed up when she glared at him.

"How do you think I was able to pay for groceries with Kirei of all people handling my family's budget!?" she rhetorically prompted with a growl. "That asshole used it all for church donations and only left just enough for tuition! I had to work part-time, and erase the memories of classmates that saw me working. It was a nightmare!" She then muttered about how glad she was that he was dead.

"Jobs are allowed at Homurahara, Rin," after all, he had one of his own… which he would likely be fired from already. He hadn't been to Copenhagen in a solid month.

"You don't think I know that!?" She berated before huffing. "… I just didn't want everyone to see my job."

"Which was?"

She muttered to herself. It was quiet enough that he couldn't hear, so he asked again.

"A-At the convenience store, okay!?" Rin growled. "I erased my classmates' memories whenever they saw me at the grocery store, alright!? It was embarrassing– Don't laugh!"

Shirou did as he was told and didn't laugh. The palpitations of his chest were just lies. Unfortunately, Rin didn't see it that way and indignantly ground her teeth together.

At least it made sense why she left her house to move in with him. Free meals.

"I'm not laughing, I swear," he said but she didn't buy that pathetic lie. "Look, let's talk about something else. This subclass, Artificer, what does it do?"

She still pouted and glared at him, but at least she answered.

"Artificers work with jewels and gemstones to create just that, jewelry and other accessories," she explained. "They mostly provide slight bonuses, not as much as say, armor or weapons, but it's useful. Plus, it'll help me with my gemcraft to some degree. A perfect fit, don't you think?"

Putting it like that, yes it did seem like a good fit. A great fit in fact.

The elf returned from the back with a book in hand. "The Artificer's handbook, only a hundred gold."

Shirou winced. It was a steep price, and it made what it had cost to become a blacksmith seem like nothing. Then again, it was nothing. He became one for free, basically.

He was about to take out his gold to pay, as he had usually done today, but Rin brought out a bag of gold before he could even blink. "Thank you for your business," the elf said as the book was handed. "I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish, Miss Tohsaka."

Rin smiled as she received it, "I'm certain that I will be able to surprise you."

She turned before she walked out of the store, and Shirou didn't waste time following her.

Hopefully, that was it for shopping today, or this week for that matter.

Everyone was back in the guild room.

Taiga and Lord El-Melloi II had returned first. Apparently, they had gone off and explored the city on their own. They went south to see the giant Silver Leaf Tree, mostly because Taiga wanted to see the sight, but the Lord of the Clock Tower noted some mystical properties of the tree that he wanted to take a look at in closer detail.

Then, there was Rin and Shirou, who had gone off on their own after Illya canceled their meeting. The guild leader was just a tad bit glad that she did, because she had found out that the eldest Tohsaka sister had gained a new subclass. Artificer, which was sure to be useful.

And that left Illya and Sakura, who had been shown something… quite interesting by Shiroe the Enchanter.

"A steam engine, you say?" Lord El-Melloi II muttered. "I see, if they had production subclasses like mechanics or carpenters to work with, then it is certainly possible…"

"Will that be able to help with your certain project?" Illya asked.

"The knowledge is useful, but for our purposes, we cannot let any mechanic know of our production methods," he admitted. "However, using a fiery beast as a replacement for coal certainly makes it renewable. We can start work on an automated machine for brewing EXP potions."

"All in all, good news!" Taiga shouted from her seat at the table. She was originally gnawing on a chicken drumstick, but that obviously hadn't lasted long. "By the way, I met this guy called Isaa-something. He was getting annoying with how he was complaining to that poor guy, so I gave him what he deserved!"

"And then we had to run from the Royal Guards right after!" Lord El-Melloi II berated. "Honestly, why couldn't you have just let it go?"

"Do you let bullying happen around you? I thought you were a teacher!"

"If I had to stop a schoolyard rumble, between magi, as a magus, then I'd be a laughing stock."

"Do you want any seconds, senpai?"

"Forget him! Another portion for me, Sakura!"

"Fuji-nee… are you serious?"

"Yes, I am– hey! Who took my shrimp!? Tohsaka-san?"

"Unfortunately, I do not know where your shrimp went, Fujimura-sensei. Have you tried asking Shirou?"

"Nee-san… that was mean."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Illya watched as she ate. She smiled as she let the atmosphere of relaxation take hold of them.

This was what they wanted. This was what they needed deep down inside. After living with the threats of a failing homunculus body, an arm slowly killing its host, of magi lurking in every corner, and with the fact that they could barely stop any of it, this was what they, the Emiya Family, had wanted.

A world to live without worries.

Illya slowly frowned.

And they would achieve it.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of a new era, or perhaps the end of a fragile peace. They were at the precipice, where everything had to go right or else their efforts would have been for nothing, and everything would be lost.

Two meetings. One of Landers and one of adventurers. Both in one day.

They all knew their roles. They knew what they were working towards and what was at stake. That was all that mattered.

Tomorrow, the Emiya Family will succeed.

An ever-familiar ache slowly crept forth.

… They had to.

Next Chapter: August

A/N: I was hungry when I wrote about the sandwich.

I'm also in my second decade on this earth as of this month. WHERE DID THE LAST SIX MONTHS GO!?

Sorry folks, but there will be no Round Table Meeting this chapter. That, I feel, deserves its own chapter. The impact that it will have is too large to relegate to half a chapter or something, especially because I'm going to be covering two meetings at the same time. Why do I do this to myself?

I'm going to be clearing up a misconception or two. The Emiya Family will not be merging with Log Horizon. Just like how the Crescent Moon Alliance doesn't merge with Log Horizon despite having an extremely close working environment and day-to-day interactions. The Emiya Family will remain its own thing.

The next misconception I'm clearing up is assuming Shiroe's plan is better than Illya's plan, or vice-versa. Neither is superior, just different. While Illya's plan does sound far more concrete, it isn't what Illya primarily wants. Keep in mind, she wants to live in peace with her family. She doesn't want the stress of managing a whole city with her guild. Being open and sharing the load via a coalition is just more in-line with what she wants, but not one she'd normally think of.

Moving away from that, we have a small issue. Classes are starting up again in my country and, despite them mostly being online classes, it means my free time is also taking a nosedive. What a tragedy. The next chapter will still be on the next Even month, which is August. You know what? I'm starting to think nobody reads these A/N's because I keep getting shit like "When's the next chapter?" when I blatantly have a schedule I follow. Do I need to explain this in my profile or have a section dedicated to that? I'm feeling inclined to do either right about now (Which I did).

Oh yeah. Season 3 of Log Horizon is delayed.

*cough* COVID *cough* 19 *cough*

That is all. Leave a review when you catch an error and I'll try to get to it as soon as I can, or I'll forget about it on accident and it'll remain on this story like countless others. Why am I like this?

Until next time,

Kappa