True Magician

Chapter 24

Italy.

The day before the Rating Game.

Sitting on the veranda of an establishment near the Vatican, I looked at the conversationalists across from me, my fingers tapping rhythmically on the surface of the table. Fou was with me, too. He was sitting upright on the table and chewing a croissant enthusiastically, holding it with his little paws.

- "It's nice to meet you again, Mr. Archaman." said Vasco and took a sip of tea from his cup. And it looked as ridiculous as possible when the overweight old man sipped from a cup the size of his finger.

- "I'm only here because your visit to Kuoh would cause too much fuss," I shrugged, "And I understand Miss Griselda's presence, but what the hell is the archangel doing here?"

- "Am I being a nuisance?" Gabriel asked with a pout on her face that looked cute.

- "Please do not express yourself in Lady Gabriel's presence, Mr. Archaman." Griselda said in a stern tone, looking at me intently.

My eyebrow twitched, but I remained silent and took a sip of my coffee.

Why am I here? Merlin informed me that the Church, more specifically Vasco Strada and Griselda Quarta, had begun actively searching for me, and showing up to them without using disguises was foolish. And having found me, they wanted to pay me a visit at my home in Kuoh, which would have made the demons very nervous. So I decided to visit them myself, for that way there would be less trouble.

What about Riser? That bastard completely hovered when he found out about me! No matter what I said to him, he just kept quiet and nodded purely on automatic!

So I had to give up and leave. Of course, I left a note telling him not to say anything to anyone, and a forced contract, just in case. It's pointless to erase the memory, because sooner or later this fact will come out.

- "So," I started and took the croissant that Fou was chewing, which made him yelp and, climbing on my head, started beating on it with his paws, and then took a bite, "Why didn't you sit still, and you started looking for my humble personality? Just so you know, we would have met in the future."

- "And we would have, if it hadn't been for Lady Gabriel." Vasco replied.

- "Excuse me?"

- "Lady Gabriel has... special sight that allows her to see into a person's soul," Griselda said, still glaring at me. And my eyes widened as I realized what she meant to say, "She arrived at the last moment as you were leaving, and was able to see who that black knight was..."

- "Sir Lancelot," the archangel finished for her and continued in a sad tone, "One of King Arthur's most loyal knights. May I ask how he is? And why he was... like that?"

Yeah... I should have just put up a closed field... well, and used a disguise. Uh-huh-uh.

- "Alive and well. Why was he like that? Magic." I said no. And I didn't lie, because I don't know if she can recognize lies. And the Servants are a manifestation of True Magic.

- "Tell the truth, Mr. Archaman. You cannot lie to Lady Gabriel." Griselda added. Well, as was to be proved.

- "He's not lying." said Gabriel, "He's just not telling all the truth."

Oh? Now this was getting interesting. Both in the anime and in the anime, Gabriel is an innocent and naive girl without a drop of anything negative. And the fact that she realized what I wasn't telling her suggests that she's not so innocent and naive.

- "But that's all I'll tell you." I shrugged.

Gabriel made a pouty face again, and Griselda wanted to say something, but she was stopped by Vasco's glare.