Fate/ Grand Crypter

Chapter 12

Leo's sleep was uneventful. When he awoke he found that Kadoc had vanished from the other bed. He likely didn't want to be seen as a dead weight by the rest of the team, Leo mused. Standing up and stretching, Leo moved over to a mirror on the wall. Reflected within was his face, Leo Valualeta's face. The soft brown hair and eyes looked back at him, unfamiliar. Unlike his old appearance, he no longer had perpetual bags beneath his eyes. At least he seemed to be the same age. He ran some water from the sink and splashed his face with it, washing away the fatigue.

There was a weight on his shoulders that was dragging him down. As the water dripped down his face, he examined himself in the mirror, trying to identify any signs of fatigue from the previous day. He could see nothing, except... Leo let out a long sigh.

"Oberon, kindly get off my head?"
There was a moment's pause, then a tiny insectile form buzzed from Leo's head and landed on the bed, expanding quickly into the form of Oberon. The Faerie Prince looked at Leo with a yawn and a smile.

"Good morning Master! I see you have recovered!"

"I am sure I would have recovered better if I didn't have my Servant sleeping on my head," Leo remarked.

"Oh, come now. We are old friends now, you and I. Surely you can give me a smile, especially after that risky little scheme of yours worked out?"

Leo walked over to the desk and picked up his dark overcoat, throwing it over his back. Oberon was right, the plan involving Heracles was risky. Oberon had used his magecraft to create a dummy Lev Lainur, or more accurately a green shape that flew in the directions provided. He had used that to lure Heracles into the cavern, just in time to set him on the actual Lev, who would be waiting. The plan had hinged on Leo's doubtful magecraft, and its supposed ability to manipulate and direct the actions of those it depicted. That combined with Oberon's efforts had just been enough to bring his plan into action, a plan that Lev Lainur could not have foreseen nor countered. But, despite that...

"We got lucky," Leo said, turning around to face Oberon. "I don't intend to celebrate a lucky victory. Besides, we still have much work to do."

Oberon lay on the bed watching Leo, a slight smile constantly on his face.

"It's not healthy to repress yourself so much, you know? You need to enjoy your wins, I am sure you used to be able to do that?"

"Perhaps once, yes. But there is too much at stake right now." Leo moved towards the door. "Fuyuki was only the beginning. We still have much to do."

"And how do you know that?" Oberon's voice brought Leo to a halt. "How do you know that Fuyuki isn't the end?"

Leo realized his mistake, far too late. He knew Fuyuki was only the prologue, the beginning of a 7 part story. But as a part of that story, he shouldn't have known about it yet.

"You seem to know a lot about what is yet to happen, Master. I wonder, do you have some hidden magecraft that lets you spy the future, or perhaps... did someone tell you what was meant to happen?"

Oberon's words crept over Leo like ice in his bones. What Oberon knew was still unknown. As a character from much further into the story of FGO, he naturally had made comments on previous events. And as a summon in the game, it was implied that he knew what was to come. But could Leo have truly summoned and contracted such a servant? Sadly, from his nightmare the night before, he already knew the answer to that question.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Leo turned and faced Oberon. His servant had stood up and was watching Leo with amusement, waiting for his response.

"We all have our secrets, right Oberon? For the moment at least, we shouldn't dig into each other's personal lives. After all..." Leo looked directly into Oberon's eyes. "Our relationship is a contractual one, right? Is there anything more to it?"