Fate/Lunasa Fomhar

Chapter 27: Farewells and Welcomes

FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 27: Farewells and Welcomes

Half a day had passed since Mata Hari and Boudica left the main island to go search for their allies. The majority of Chaldea's Servants were busy helping the people recover from their ordeals inside Aspidochelone. Romani and Da Vinci also offered to arrange for new sailing vessels to take the humans away from Okeanos to their home countries. This meant that three separate fleets were being organized to carry the civilians either to Italy, India or China, depending on which faction they belonged to. It would take about a month for preparations to be complete, and since it was the first day of August, it gave everyone plenty of time to enjoy the rest of summer on Okeanos. It also presented an opportunity for those formerly trapped inside the Phantasmal to realize that they truly were in the 'mythical realm' of blue skies and sunshine that was the outside world.

At the moment though, one Servant stepped away from this pell-mell and sat at the edge of the old pier cross-legged and with his arms folded. Gilgamesh panned his crimson eyes along the vast stretch of ocean, while a series of shimmering gold portals opened up and cast a variety of fishing rods on his behalf. He wasn't really fishing because there was a need for food, though he wouldn't complain about eating freshly caught fish for himself. It was more to pass the time as he waited for Mata Hari and Boudica to return with Cuchulainn Alter and Connla.

Since neither Connla nor Mata Hari were around to cater to his every whims, and everyone else was too busy taking care of the survivors, he was forced to fend for himself. He wasn't too interested in assisting with the efforts, even so much as ignoring all of the treasure still lying inside Aspidochelone's stomach. He had plenty of time to investigate that later. It was more important to him that he made sure every last one of his vassals returned home.

Gilgamesh remained quiet this whole time, hardly celebrating when he reeled in another large trout. As he hooked another piece of bait on the line, he noticed something white moving along the blue horizon. It grew larger by each minute, and he used a pair of binoculars to observe. Indeed, it was the boat carrying the four Servants, who were now returning to base camp. He stood up and glared as Mata Hari drove closer to the pier, then moored the boat and hopped off with a flighty step.

"We're baa~aack!" she chirped merrily. "We managed to find them safe and sound!"

"Is everything else fine back here?" Boudica asked.

"... Yeah," Gilgamesh muttered, clearly disinterested in the conversation. He instead stared at Cuchulainn as he stepped onto the pier carrying the exhausted Connla. Although she wasn't asleep, she was obviously teetering between staying awake and passing out. The Sumerian king approached them and asked, "How fares the runt, Mad Mongrel?"

"She's a little out of it, but still alive," Cuchulainn said. "If you're thinking of barking orders at her, then save it for another time. She may need a full week before she's back to normal."

"I see..."

"Hm? What's wrong with you? Getting fed up that everyone's too busy to be bossed around by you?"

"Still your tongue, beast. I'm not so incapable that I cannot manage my own affairs. I simply needed to ensure that every last one of my retainers are still fit to serve me, if not now, then at a more appropriate time. Now that it is no longer a concern, I can concentrate on investigating Aspidochelone's innards and adding anything of value to my collection. Not that I have much faith I'll find much, considering that Crom Cruach would take even garbage as a suitable proffering for his sordid services."