"Did you accept the position without knowing where to begin?"
Morgan asked at the dining room table of Artoria's house when she explained the content of the call she had with Howard Stark.
"It's not like I didn't have a plan, it's just that initially I didn't intend to use SHIELD to build what I had in mind, but this turns out to be more convenient; at least it secures us a place in a network that will extend across the globe."
"Does it have something to do with the hidden city beneath Rome?"
Morgan asked, to which Artoria nodded in affirmation.
Last year, at Artoria Morgan's suggestion, I investigated Italy using a form of artificial clairvoyance, employing sorcery and the arcane arts of the Marvel universe, the result of my research during my free time. Artoria didn't know exactly where the immortal city was; she only knew it was in Italy. Morgan didn't take long to find the city beneath Rome, taking over a large part of its subterranean territory.
Although there were some problems, Morgan managed to breach the defenses and peer inside. But the more she searched, the more she realized that no discreet entry was possible. Security was immense, and it was difficult to infiltrate undetected. Outside, there seemed to be hidden passages throughout Rome leading to the city, but all were sealed with some kind of spacetime barrier. Without a key, crossing them would only result in being transported to another time and space. This frustrated her. Even just a superficial glance at the surroundings revealed the high level of magic and technology the city possessed, but she couldn't get any closer to investigate. She could sense anti espionage barriers in key locations, and her clairvoyance spell wasn't perfect or absolute. She had to abandon her investigation and tell Artoria what she had discovered.
"The city will be vacated in about 13 or 14 years. I will try to contact the one who built it first to obtain a full entry pass, and if diplomacy doesn't work, we will wait for the owners to disappear, enter by force, and use the remains left behind to start something new."
Artoria didn't care much about the traps and blockades in the city if one couldn't enter through the known paths. Then one has more than one way to cross barriers without much trouble, regardless of their type. This is an advantage of Noble Phantasms and the conceptual abilities of Heroic Spirits; they break all rules, at least in this world where neither Gaia nor Alaya restrict their effects.
"Sigh You know your way of doing things: strike first and ask questions later. When there's no effective plan B, it remains the same, but since the benefits are clear, I won't bother reprimanding you for it."
Morgan commented, knowing what her sister would think. Artoria wasn't one to bother thinking about what she would do if things didn't go as planned; she would just keep going and resist with all her might whatever came her way. It wasn't very smart, but it worked for Artoria in this life as well as in her previous one.
"By the way, what do you plan to do with Chaldea? I learned about its development when I was still alive in our previous world, but do you plan for it to be the same in this one?"
"...Mm, not entirely. It will still focus on preserving human dominion on the planet, but from a broader perspective, there are more things in this world to address, and the concept of 'human' includes various things. To preserve independent functions, personnel will only be assigned by me."
Not long ago, when Miss Carter learned that Artoria had agreed to join SHIELD, she called her quite excitedly, bombarding her with management plans and consultations. Artoria listened attentively, accepting several of the suggestions, but had to decline her proposal to send personnel and support to lay the foundations of Chaldea.
Artoria couldn't afford to let a casual Hydra infiltrator infect what she was building; those guys have a knack for slipping into any crack if you weren't paying attention for a moment.
Artoria planned to use homunculi as general staff and some people from outside whom she knew to be trustworthy as specialized personnel and agents, as well as heroic spirits who could help in the construction and management of the Chaldea system; that part was already taken care of.
"We'll have a lot to do for a while, but for now, we have to wait."
Artoria commented, placing the last tray on the long table already full of food.
She and Morgan were preparing the food while discussing the matter. Well, more Artoria. Morgan only had basic cooking skills. During their time living together, Artoria's dynamic had been like that of a loving elderly couple, sharing the same bed at Morgan's insistence and taking baths together. Artoria had already grown accustomed to Morgan's constant mists that shook her will, but the seed was constantly watered.
Artoria sometimes thought that the moment Morgan intensified his advances, she would no longer be able to maintain her composure.
As Artoria was thinking about that, she was about to take a seat to enjoy her hearty breakfast when a loud crash came from the main door of the villa.
"BAAN!"
"Why aren't you answering my calls!"
A voice very familiar to both of them shouted, generating a grimace of confusion in Artoria and one of deep annoyance in Morgan.
"I've been trying to connect to your villa's hotline all morning! Why aren't you answering?"
The sudden guest, who turned out to be the young Princess Isabel, already 20 years old but still with her strong attitude, shouted angrily at Artoria while the drill shaped braids of her hair spun, demonstrating the level of her indignation.
Artoria no longer knew if it was her imagination or if they really did spin like that, and what kind of unnecessary power that would be.
"Excuse me, Princess, but I don't understand what you're talking about. I haven't received any calls from the palace until now."
Artoria wasn't lying; she hadn't received any calls yet. But first, she had to appease this little queen, so she stood up from the chair she had just sat down in and got down to her level to speak as calmly as possible.
Artoria didn't ask how she got in; she'd probably get even angrier.
"What's there to explain? This little rat had been squeaking since early this morning, ruining our peaceful, warm sleep, so I silenced him before he could continue to insist."
It seems the culprit came forward without even opening an investigation, and of course someone wasn't happy about it.
"I knew it was you again, you scumbag! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me a rat!"
The young queen croaked, confronting Morgan who was indifferently sipping his tea.
"What's wrong with calling a rat a rat? Or do you prefer drill head? I think that suits you better."
"Chiiiiiiiiii!"
Upon hearing Morgan's insults, the princess shrieked angrily as the drill braids of her hair spun even harder, and smoke rose from them due to the friction.
She no longer knew what to think.
"Okay, that's enough, you two. This isn't the time to fight, princess. Since you're here, join us for breakfast and tell me why you wanted to contact me."
Artoria said, trying to calm the situation, "These two always fight every chance they get, and if you don't stop them, they'll spend hours spewing venom at each other."
"Hmm, I don't feel like sharing a table with this old hag, but I left the palace in a hurry and haven't had breakfast, so I'll accept Miss Artoria's invitation."
"Stealing the crumbs like any rat."
"You witch!"
"Come on, don't fight anymore, princess, sit down."
After the situation finally calmed down, the three women ate without restraint. Well, Artoria and Morgan devoured everything in front of them with such speed and elegance that it seemed unreal. Isabel was stunned to see such a spectacle of food destruction that she barely touched her plate.
If their faces didn't prove they were sisters, then their very appetites were more than enough evidence of their relationship.
With the obvious demonstration of speed and ability, Morgan and Artoria finished eating in a span of 15 minutes, while Isabel wasn't even halfway through.
"Do they have the stomach of a whale or something? Where on earth do you hide so much food?"
Isabel blurted out, looking at the row of plates stacked like a tower on the table.
"Sigh Well, I've gotten used to it, Miss Artoria. The reason I tried to call you is because the palace is holding a meeting with members of the royal family to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary, so I wanted you to be my date."
The princess explained, eating peacefully. She couldn't do the same as the two monsters with black holes for stomachs, obviously, so she wouldn't finish so quickly.
"A date? And what about her fiancé?"
"Bah! That mama's boy is playing over there in Norway and won't be back for a while. What do you say? Is that okay?"
The princess asked, downplaying her future partner. She really didn't care much about her fiancé, what he was doing, or whether he was alive or dead. She just wanted to take the opportunity to show up at the party with Artoria as her partner. It didn't matter if it was another woman; many people no longer considered Artoria's gender a decisive factor in the discussion. But of course, someone had to bring her down to earth.
"And what about my invitation, little princess? You don't think I'd let you take my sister without my consent, do you?"
Morgan asked, looking at the princess with a faint smile that seemed to emanate darkness, to which the other party responded angrily.
"You're not invited! Stay hidden in your cave and don't come out, witch!"
"How cruel, but it's not like I need someone's permission to attend, is it, little sister?"
Slithering through the shadows, Morgan appeared behind Artoria and climbed her back like a snake slithering along the ground, placing her head on Artoria's shoulder and breathing down her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"Princess, I know you don't like the idea, but Morgan will sneak in anyway, so to avoid future problems, just write an invitation for her. I'll still be going with you as my date, don't worry about that part, okay?"
I really couldn't stop Morgan if she decided to sneak into the palace and cause a scene just because she wasn't invited. While we're in the British Isles, she can move freely wherever and whenever she wants.
"Chick! Fine, but don't think you've won! Witch!"
"My dear, I won long before you learned to walk."
"Damn conceited old woman."
"You wanna fight? Drillhead."
"Sigh"
Artoria thought she'd gotten used to this routine, but... it's still tiring. She just hopes they get along a little better.
Rome, 1956 — Monte Mario
After a long wait, Artoria and Morgan arrived in Rome at midday and positioned themselves on the highest mountain in the area. Artoria gazed at the sun, seeing beyond just the dazzling light in Manaba, while Morgan constructed a counter information territory to avoid unwanted glances and visitors.
During the nine years that passed, Artoria set out to do her part for SHIELD and monitor and investigate potential supernatural threats. Morgan had improved her clairvoyant magic and turned it into a kaleidoscope, but instead of recording and interfering with different dimensions, it was more like a systematic surveillance system that reacts to magical influence of any kind and records events in moving images in short, like modern security cameras, but made with magic.
The spell functioned like a mirror room with a memory crystal at its center engraved with runic magic. Morgan deciphered the magic after seeing the records used by Hydra; it turned out to be easier to learn than the runic magic of the Type Moon universe... at least for Morgan, and those are real runes.
Thanks to this (fake) kaleidoscope, Artoria informed SHIELD of several supernatural hotspots, such as the vampires in Romania, the creatures hidden in Transylvania, the cult of Latveria, and the City of the Dead beneath Europe. This solidified their trust in Artoria's position, and they approved her independent actions, confident that she would handle any problems that arose. After all, they knew how powerful she was on her own and how skilled Morgan was, who was also registered as deputy chief of the Chaldea branch of SHIELD.
Things proceeded normally until the day Artoria had been waiting for arrived, the day that Leonardo da Vinci would appear in this time and return to the brotherhood of SHIELD.
"It seems to have ended."
Artoria commented, looking away from the sun and sitting down next to Morgan, waiting for the person they were watching.
Morgan had used a remote transmission spell using Artoria as a station to reach the man in the sun.
Artoria's powers had no restrictions in this world, and her divine influence grew stronger with time. Her strength was enough to expand her senses and see beyond the physical, focusing her attention on something specific. This was true clairvoyance, but she could only see things of the present and some of the near future, among other things.
Well anyway, Morgan used this to send a short message to Leonardo on the sun. Now they just had to wait. There was no need to confirm whether he would come back with the same character as the Leonardo of this world; his curiosity would surely outweigh his caution.
"Are you sure you can convince him to give you full control of the place after everyone leaves? From what you've told me about him, I don't think he'll be fooled by words alone."
Morgan asked, pulling a picnic basket out of somewhere and handing her a 10 foot tall sandwich that supposedly shouldn't be able to fit in a basket that size.
"There's no need for complicated schemes for this, sister. We'll present ourselves honestly and state our purpose; what the other party decides will be up to them."
"That's very naive of you, little sister. What if he doesn't even listen to you, decides you're a danger, and kills you?"
"You and I both know that's not possible. Besides, I have the advantage of making a good impression on everyone I meet; those are the advantages of having great charisma."
Artoria commented with a slight smile. This was what Artoria relied on to take the reins of the conversation: her high Charisma and leadership attributes. These passive abilities of Servants greatly influence humans, making anything they say contain a special nuance that convinces them that their words are real and have a deep meaning. Artoria also possesses the Charisma of Hope ability from her Caster version, which makes her speeches reach people's hearts.
While the two women were talking, the person they had been waiting for finally appeared.
"When I received the message from a strange origin, I considered many possibilities as to who the sender could be. Now I feel there are paths that even I cannot foresee."
He was an older man with a full beard and white hair, dressed in what looked like a Renaissance astronaut suit, carrying a baby that looked more like a baby shaped robot.
This was Leonardo da Vinci, and the baby in his arms was the star child, the only offspring of the celestials.
Da Vinci stared intently at the two women in front of him, constructing in his mind the origins and intentions they had towards him.
The tallest woman wore heavy silver armor and a plush white cape draped over her shoulders. A golden crown with a cross in the center of her forehead adorned her, and at her waist, a gold decorated scabbard held a sheathed sword. Her presence was overwhelming; her height was already considerable for a normal person, but her intense aura made her seem like a giant towering above the heavens. More than a god holding the world in her hands as if it were her own, she enveloped it like a wall, protecting it from the outside world. She was beautiful, more beautiful than any other woman a man had ever seen, with a penetrating yet indifferent gaze that seemed to see right through you.
The woman beside her was smaller but still tall enough by normal standards. Her face was hidden by a veil, but a resemblance to the taller woman was still discernible. She wore a long, somewhat revealing black dress that showed off her milky white skin and long legs. Her head was adorned with a Roman crown of black spikes, and unlike the taller woman who seemed to radiate light, this woman was enveloped in darkness, a darkness illuminated only by the serene, cold, and dangerous moon, like an ancient monster lurking in the abyss, watching, analyzing, waiting for something and nothing at the same time.
It was an odd duo that da Vinci didn't fully recognize; he had a hunch, but it was minimal.
"I apologize for the sudden call, Mr. Leonardo, but I wanted to speak with you about a specific matter."
"You seem to know me, miss. I have several questions I'd like to ask you about this, but first, let's hear what you have to say. Shall we introduce ourselves?"
"Of course, excuse my rudeness, my name is Artoria Pendragon and this is my sister Morgan Pendragon."
Artoria appeared, and Morgan nodded with a smile. He had no intention of participating in the negotiations; he wanted to see how Artoria would convince the other party to hand over control of an entire futuristic city.
"Artoria Pendragon, Morgan."
Da Vinci repeated the names in a whisper, wondering where he had heard them before. The similarity to the names of two important figures in Arthurian legend brought back memories of some research he had done quite some time ago.
"!!!"
He remembered it when he decided to investigate the Arthurian legend in depth. Upon discovering the origin of magic in Wales, he found an old writing made by one of the last knights of the Round Table, Bedivere, describing the last moments of King Arthur and his regrets.
The content wasn't very relevant; what puzzled da Vinci at the time was that the King Arthur described didn't look like a man at all; it was more like the description of a beautiful woman.
Da Vinci didn't have to think much if he wanted to know if the writing was fake; with just one look he could tell it was real, which left him even more bewildered.
When he investigated further, he found more inconsistencies between what he had found and the legend that had been told.
The final piece of the mystery came unexpectedly to da Vinci: a legend hidden in one of the books of the Royal Library of the United Kingdom, tucked deep in the back.
In it, he emphasizes the return of a king in times of chaos; the last and the first did not explain who he was referring to, but da Vinci didn't have to think long to guess who it was.
This was the result of changing the original legend of King Arthur from the Marvel world to the Type Moon world, altering certain things so that her trajectory wouldn't change subsequent events.
"...I see, so you are."
Da Vinci commented, looking at Artoria and Morgan, to which the former only smiled slightly.
"Well, this is more interesting than I imagined. Let's see what you have to say, Your Majesty."
"I am no longer a king, Mr. da Vinci, but I appreciate your education."
With that last bit, Artoria began to explain her idea, which involved some of her future knowledge and motivations. Da Vinci listened attentively, stroking his beard and showing genuine interest.
"I see, it's a very similar ideology to the one that founded the brotherhood of SHIELD."
I commented on da Vinci, gazing into the distance at a distant memory.
"That is why I want to ask you, Mr. da Vinci, the original architect of the immortal city, for your permission to take the abandoned remains of the city when the time comes and rebuild it into something new."
"Hmm, from the way you're saying it, I gather that the immortal city is currently inhabited, but it won't be in the future. Hmm, you don't have to tell me what will happen. Apparently, it's better to keep things as they are. So I understand the idea, but how do you plan to rebuild from the foundations of the city I built? I'm not entirely sure. In this era, it's unlikely anyone would actually be able to replicate my technology or figure out how it works. How do you plan to solve this?"
Upon hearing da Vinci's question, Artoria smiled slightly and said the following:
"What better help than the very person who built it?"
"Hmm? But you didn't say—"
Before continuing to speak, da Vinci realized something mid sentence. He looked at Artoria, then at Morgan, and then burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha! I see, that's why you came to me first! Okay, you've convinced me. If the future is as you suggest, then I'll hand over control. Take this."
Da Vinci gave Artoria a prismatic cube with the faces of sodium engraved on it.
"Well, thank you! Ha! By the way, don't let that child near silent mathematics or he'll become a real nuisance."
Artoria warned, pointing to the star child in Leonardo's arms; she really didn't want to end up killing a celestial offspring and getting into open conflict with them.
"Hmm, it seems to be something important. I'll keep it in mind when I return to the immortal city. Well, that's all. I hope to see you again sometime, but I have a feeling that won't be possible."
After that, Leonardo supposedly disappeared into the immortal city.
When no trace of the man could be seen, Artoria looked at Morgan with a slight smile, holding the prismatic crystal cube in front of her.
"I did it."
Artoria said, smiling, which made Morgan frown slightly in annoyance.
"Don't let it go to your head, little sister. If you bother me anymore, I'll bite your tongue while you sleep. Besides, we still have to verify that it's authentic."
Morgan responded by approaching Artoria and taking the cube from her hands.
"For now, our goal has been achieved, so let's go home. In a few years, things will start to intensify, and we need to be prepared. Also, Miss Carter called me for a meeting, so we'll be taking a trip to the United States."
"Another trip. Sometimes I think that woman is just looking for an excuse to keep you in a small room making you say what you already sent in writing."
Morgan complained, grabbing Artoria's arm as she was already leaving. They changed into their normal clothes and left Rome using Artoria's spatial ability.
Now that they had the key, there was nothing more to do there.