Fate/ Grand Crypter

Chapter 35 (Septem)

Leo put down the report, rubbing his eyes and letting out a sigh. They had spent the last few days going over reports provided by Vindex regarding the recent spate of thefts. While some appeared to be ordinary, run-of-the-mill attacks, there were several that stood out as highly unusual. Residents had reported that night descended upon the world around them, with figures moving through the darkness. By the time the shadows lifted, the theft had been completed; the assailants had melted away into the daylight, their darkness vanishing with them. Another common trend among these attacks was the targets. Just as Kadoc had suspected, they were after gems and idols, items that could hold magical power. The mage's targets were consistent.

A loud paahh sound caused Leo to lift his head. The window opened, and a tiny Oberon shot through on the back of a large moth. As the insect landed on the table, Oberon flopped off and splayed himself over the table.

"Nothing," his voice squeaked. "Zilch, nada, useless! I looked everywhere! You worked me too hard this time, you know!"

"Calm down and take on your normal form," Leo said. "You're talking too fast."

Oberon scowled, and then a big puff of bright scales consumed his body. The cloud grew quickly and dissipated, revealing Oberon in his full form sitting on the edge of the table, the tiny insect he had used as a mount resting on his hand.

"I searched high and low Master, and I can promise you that these mages have not made another move. Perhaps you scared them when you caught them off-guard?"

Leo frowned, tapping the table with his finger.

"Possible, but I doubt it. They had magic that allowed them to conjure monsters. Why should they be scared of us? There is something else going on here, I just know it."

"Pessimistic as always Master," Oberon sighed.

At that moment, the doors to the room opened up, and Kadoc and Anasatasia walked into the room. His face was dour as he took a seat across from Leo, Anastasia sliding into a chair beside him.

"Nothing," he said with a grunt. "I searched high and low, but it's like the market. The same tactic and the same vanishing act."

"Well, at least that confirms the murders are being done by the same group," Leo said.

Kadoc had been investigating the second of the three leads that Vindex had given, the mysterious murders that had been happening across the city since the Emperor had left. Given the guard's inability to locate the culprit, it was not a large leap to assume that the mages responsible for the thefts were similarly responsible for this attack.

"It is unusual," Anastasia commented. "While the culprit is escaping capture well, there is an unusual amount of attention placed upon this series of crimes. The murders are often displayed prominently, and it is a topic of discussion in the city at all times. But other than that, the targets are often just ordinary people. None of the guards or the officers."

Leo frowned. Anastasia's comment had struck an important note. With the ability to attack and disappear so easily, there was little reason for the mages not to target individuals whose absence would affect the war effort. In contrast, they had gone out of their way to avoid such targets. It was not what he had expected at all.

"Maybe they are not allied with the United Empire like we expected?" Oberon suggested. "That explains their targets."

"Or maybe they know they can't kill us, and so they don't think it's worth dealing with anyone at a level we would be involved with," Kadoc said.

"That Chimera was powerful," Leo frowned. "Given they could summon such a creature, attacking us is not out of the question."

"It's not that simple," Kadoc shook his head. He lifted a bowl from the table and turned it upside down.