The Fortress of the Impaler Lord

Kirei sighed, somewhat relieved that it was over fast. "Hmm... I've never been to Romania. If you'd like to see the sights, I'm happy to stick around."

Caster dusted off his hands, letting the mana still built up in his rings dissipate. "I need to find my Master." He headed back up toward the castle. The guards were still active, but he had no trouble getting around them. That was a sign though; the guards weren't the work of Lancer, but his Master.

The group waited for some time--after five minutes or so, the guards suddenly went limp. Some fell unconscious, while others blinked and looked down at the weapons in their hands in confusion.

Shortly afterward, Caster returned with Marisbury--sporting some blood on his robes and a new catalyst in hand.

Mari snuggled into Avalon's arms. "If I end up here, I don't mind being slow." Her cheeks turned pink. "Don't tell anyone I said that."

"Congratulations," Julian approached Marisbury after Aaron had been healed. He looked over him, but realizing he wasn't injured, simply patted his shoulder. "May I take a look at that catalyst? You can keep a hold of it if you wish."

"Sure." Maribsury showed him the broken wooden stake. It was ancient, with black bloodstains on it. "One of Lancer's original masterpieces, I'm sure."

Julian looked it over with a historian's eye, "I'd definitely say so." he ran his fingers along it carefully, "Apologies, I simply enjoy getting to be so close to history. Do you think you'll re-summon him?"

"Probably not," Marisbury said, wrapping it up carefully. "But, there could be a situation in which his abilities could be useful. That's why I'm stockpiling as many catalysts as possible."

"Good thinking," the mages returned to their hotel to rest a bit. Though it wasn't long before many grew restless and decided to see the town. Avalon cuddling Mari all the way there. She did however promise not to let everyone know how sweet and cute she was.

After a while, Phillipus finally built up enough courage to approach his other Caster colleague. He coughed lightly, awkwardly blushing yet smiling with sincerity. "I'm, ah, a fan of your work."

"Ah..." Caster smiled awkwardly. "Thank you. I'm aware I've left quite the legacy. However, I only did was as expected of me."

"Of course, of course! But what you did took much bravery and skill. I have to admit, back in my younger days I even tried summoning one of the Dukes for inspiration on my alchemical work..." He laughed sheepishly, waving a hand.

"Of course, I understand why it didn't work! And I was able to work past that block anyways. Oh, but - I'm sorry, I'm just prattling on. I just wanted to say it's been an honor to work with you. Ahh, if Medea were still here, we'd have so much to discuss about the eras of magecraft..."

"Ah yes, I suppose it wouldn't have. To be honest, even I found it difficult to summon Marchosias in this modern age. Magic isn't quite what it used to be."

He stared out over the mountains. "My death marked the beginning of the decline of a great deal of Mystery. Mankind does not have the same wisdom anymore. I am somewhat... disappointed."

Phillipus nodded, and clasped his hands behind his back, posture tall and confident. "It means we have nowhere to move but forward. This generation shows promise, and with the right guidance, perhaps we can reclaim even a sliver of what was lost. I believe Marisbury, with the right connections, can begin that process."

"The differences between even the 15th and 21st century are great - even this castle can illustrate that - but as long as this world does not end, one can grasp hope."

Solomon was silent for a while, but it was difficult to tell what he was thinking.

"Medea came from a time when magic was as easy to man as breathing. Now mages struggle to recreate even the simplest rituals. I thought humanity would have come much farther after two thousand years. There may come a time when magic dies out completely." He sighed. "Perhaps... we will see."

"It will not disappear without a fight."

Solomon was somewhat surprised at Phillipus' confidence, but he decided not to push the issue. After a short pause, he said, "I'm afraid I do not know much about your own work. I'd like to see some of your work."

As they chatted, Marisbury approached Lazarus. "Well, now that that is all taken care of, I expect I shall be returning to my institute in the next few days. I have much to prepare before running the Rayshift experiments."

He clapped his hands with excitement. "I would love to show you!" He patted himself down, drawing out his journal and a few vials, his gems rising into the air.

"The majority of my legacy is in medicine, as I was and remain a proponent of observational research, as well as the universality of disease, the importance of hygiene, and toxicity in excess."

"Magically, I pursued alchemy, markedly the Philosopher's Stone. I treated the lame and sick by balancing sulfur, mercury, and salt - mind, body, and soul. I even tried to teach magic to the common man, which made me a target of the Association." He smirked. "The irony of my alliance with Herr Animusphere is not lost on me."

Lazarus nodded, "Of course! If you don't want me to come with you, you can call upon me whenever you need me. I will probably be returning to Japan shortly so that I can take care of a loose end in the Matou family."

"I see... I can't say I dabbled much in medicine myself. The Association was well after my time as well, though... my Master has told me enough. I don't believe we'd get along."

"Of course," said Marisbury. "Before I go, could we take care of that business with Caster I asked you about?"

"That seems to be the case with most that the Association would turn to. They had the audacity to try to contact me after my death and I, in no uncertain terms, made them aware that I would not be extending any aide." He glanced over at Marisbury and Lazarus, noticing Marisbury looking their way. He tilted his head at Lazarus, raising an eyebrow.

Lazarus gave Phillipus a smile of reassurance, "Of course! I may actually take care of the business in Japan first, to make sure we don't have any interruptions, and then I'll begin work on that immediately."

"That's fine. I might as well talk to Julian about setting up my demonstrations and such while I wait."

To that end, he headed over to Julian to discuss funding his Rayshift experiment.

Julian greeted him with a nod and a smile, "Hello, Marisbury~"

Lazarus found a chair and sat down to put together some thoughts and plan their assault on Zouken's house.