52

There were really not that many things to do in Chaldea, if you're a Servant anyway.

Kiyohime with a sigh looked at her fan, closed it in her hands, and started thinking.

The Training grounds? Thank you , but no, she was not so muscle headed and aggressive as to fight the rest of the Servants daily. In addition, her Noble Phantasm remained the largest part of her strength. Using it, she could confidently defeat almost any Servant of Anchin. Without it... The situation would be a little bit too precarious for her taste.

The Workshops? Kiyohime did not suffer from excessive love for such things.

The Kitchen? Kiyohime knew how to cook perfectly and if Anchin was within walking distance of the kitchen and the girl, she would not neglect the opportunity to demonstrate this. However, without Anchin, cooking for someone else? Kiyohime's brow scrunched up at that thought.

The Lounges? They were full of all kinds of things - Mozart occupied both the piano and the game systems located there. There's also some other games like billiards and board or card games, but those things was not particularly enjoyable to Kiyohime. Perhaps, again, if the opportunity to play the games had been proposed to her, by Anchin, she would have been glad to have a chance to at least look at one of the many entertainments of this world with her beloved. But without him all of that was pointless.

In total, Kiyohime had few options available for an enjoyable pastime.

Kiyohime looked at her hand, delighting at her perfectly manicured nails, then looked at her white silky skin and beautiful silver hair, after which she shook her head.

The beauty salon was already thoroughly used in all its capabilities. Even if Kiyohime wanted to visit it again - she simply would not have anything to do in the salon, as her appearance was already impeccable.

In other words, Kiyohime literally had nothing to do.

"I'm sure Anchin is now fighting..." - this thought gripped the girl's heart with a steel grip - "For my sake... Without me..."

Just one thought about Anchin made Kiyohime breathe stutter intermittently. This line of thinking is not worth it. He simply cannot bear the thought of making her, Kiyohime, his beloved, fight. He could not even bear the thought that she would be wounded in battle, just as she could not bear the thought that her Anchin was fighting somewhere she cannot reach, in the Singularity.

"Anchin" - Kiyohime sighed again intermittently, after which she wiped away the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono - "Please... Just come back..."

For a second, Kiyohime was infested by the idea of demanding information about Anchin from the "chief", Olga-Marie, but luckily, as soon as this thought appeared - it subsided - "Those idiots still have not established contact with the Singularity..."

Kiyohime sighed again for the umpteenth time. What carelessness! How could Anchin allow such idiots to be in charge of him! Anchin would be a much better leader - Kiyohime was sure of it.

However, even despite such thoughts, the cruel truth of reality before the eyes of Kiyohime did not rush to disappear.

She just had nothing to do.

The girl sighed again, after which she was deep in thought again. She is not so stupid and vulgar that, like that petty thing, Serenity, to sit in her room for hours and days, staring at the wall. No, she was Anchin's beloved - and even though this Serenity arbitrarily called herself a "wife," Kiyohime knew the truth! - and therefore would not allow her silly behavior to be reflected in her beloved Anchin!

Therefore, Kiyohime, after another heavy sigh, still decided on a course of action. She decided to go to the only place suitable for her status, as the beloved of Anchin, and a Servant of Chaldea's Master. To the library it is.

Perhaps, at least in the library, she could find a cure for her boredom. No romance novel, of course, could convey the same depth and strength of the feelings that existed between her and Anchin, however, the authors could try. Perhaps even their paltry attempts will be able to dispel some of the boredom of Kiyohime.

Having reached a decision, the girl moved through the winding corridors of Chaldea, reaching her destination after only a few minutes.

"The Chaldean Main Library" - proudly plastered above the huge entrance arch, behind which, reaching the distant walls and stained glass windows, there were huge shelves lined up full of books. Indeed, the Chaldean library was filled with books - of various contents - as expected of a research institute and a center of magical research under the patronage of the Animusphere family. Even if only one person was alive from this family at the moment.

Kiyohime took a step inside, then frowned a little. Her keen senses as a dragon told her that another person was not far from her. Even more than that, by the smell, Kiyohime could identify the visitor as a Servant. The number of Servants who usually visit the library was not so great - and its number became even smaller after Medusa left for the Singularity - another detail that Kiyohime was not happy about. However, of all the unlikely options, Kiyohime definitely did not expect this.

"Hassan?" The girl looked a little in surprise at the Servant, whose shape and face was hidden by a tattered black cloak and with a white skull-like mask.

Assassin, having heard his name uttered, extended his long bony hand, taking one of the books on the shelf, after which he turned to the girl and nodded at her - "Kiyohime."

Kiyohime did not need to communicate with someone like Hassan. Strictly speaking she had no desire at all to do this. However, taking into account the general deplorable situation she is in, who is currently greatly suffering from idleness and boredom. And also due to the fact that Hassan had interacted with Anchin in this incarnation longer than Kiyohime herself, she decided to start some kind of dialogue.

Glancing at the shelf from which the book was taken from, Kiyohime raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette? Hassan, up to this point, I would never have thought that you are interested in historical novels."

"I am not interested in its artistic merit," Hassan, however, answered so calmly that it could have been easily be seen that he did not want to talk with Kiyohime at all, "I am only interested in facts."

"So that's why?" Kiyohime shook her head. "And what facts in the biography of the unfortunate Queen of France might interest you?"

Kiyohime herself had in mind that what she said would be taken as an easy joke, but unexpectedly for Kiyohime. Hassan having flipped through several pages, suddenly extended an open book to the girl, - "This one."

Kiyohime, accepted the book, then carefully read the lines pointed to by Hassan.

"...There is a well-known legend that the ring Marie-Antoinette wore was presented to her by a family of peasants who kept the ring as a family heirloom." - read the dry lines of text - "Allegedly, this ring was passed down in their family for more than three hundred years, waiting for its chance when it can be presented to Marie-Antoinette. The ring itself was made of silver of the highest purity and inlaid with a large ruby, the inscription "Flower of Versailles" was engraved on the ring itself. According to legend, a wandering girl and her two companions in need of food and shelter once visited the family of peasants, after which, when the peasants showed them hospitality, the girl left them that ring.

Of course, such a legend, although beautiful, has no proof for its veracity and most likely was invented by storyteller much later, while the ring itself was created by court jewelers... "

Kiyohime disinterestedly glanced at a few more lines, after which, having determined that nothing interesting was written in the book, she returned the book back to Hassan.

"And what should I have understood from this passage?" Kiyohime looked at Hassan, who, having closed the book, returned it to its place.

"Hm?" Hassan suddenly turned to Kiyohime and tilted his head slightly, as if in confusion, then nodded slowly, "Oh yes, you weren't present then... Hm, then, maybe I have something that will allow you to understand."

After these strange words, Hassan suddenly straightened up, allowing himself to rise to his full height.

'He is really tall…' - despite the painful thinness, which even a black ragged cloak could barely managed to hide, Hassan was really tall. No, perhaps it was because of his painful thinness that he seemed even taller than he actually was - although even without taking into account the optical illusion, Assassin's height was approaching - if not exceeding - two meters.

Recovering his full height, Hassan easily extended his hand, the one not wrapped in numerous bandages, and grabbed another book that he could finally reach from a shelf and pulled it towards him. After which, he quickly began to leaf through the pages. After a few seconds of searching, finding the part he needed, Hassan again slipped the book into the hands of Kiyohime.

"Vichy Fire," read the title of the chapter. Kiyohime, whose mind seemed to be a little curious about what was written, read the lines.

"In 1431, after the execution of Jeanne d'Arc, due to mass religious hysteria a significant number of events were observed in France spontaneously organized by soldiers of the French army and the French clergy struck by religious hysteria. The most famous, though not the only such documented case is the so-called "Vichy Fire". According to modern archaeology data, this fire was organized by an unknown crowd of zealous admirers of the deceased Jeanne d'Arc, as her "retribution to the people who betrayed me." This fire almost completely destroyed the city and provoked riots, resulting in a short-term uprising of people who claimed that they saw the return of Jeanne d'Arc as a "black witch, burning with anger, riding a black dragon". Subsequently, many of the arsonist that was captured also claimed that it was Jeanne d'Arc with her dragon who was responsible for the mass arson. But the French crown did not did not consider such tall tales as evidence and soon executed the twenty-seven people for arson and mass incitement to riot against the crown. Also, this event and its consequences are considered one of the first events after which the view on the actions of Jeanne d'Arc changed from absolutely positive to balanced or even moderately negative... "

Kiyohime frowned.

"Vichy, a great fire and a witch on a black dragon," Kiyohime muttered to herself, "That sounds very familiar."

"That's right," Hassan said calmly, "This is exactly what happened during our incursion into the Singularity. There we attempted to get into Vichy after we were deceived by Chevalier. The Witch arrived a little later on Fafnir and, enraged by what had happened, burned Vichy to the ground, while in Vichy itself there was an uprising against the Witch and her soldiers. This is what happened in the Singularity."

"Hm," Kiyohime frowned, recalling the facts that she knew, "But Chaldea... This apparatus of Chaldea - should have fixed the Singularity, right? After eliminating the cause of the Singularity, Chaldea was supposed to replace the existing Singularity with a "corrected" version of the world, right?"

"Yes," Hassan nodded. "Exactly. And that's why I became engrossed in thought about what it means the "corrected" version."

Kiyohime blinked several times before being able to understand the simple words uttered by the Assassin - "What does the "corrected" version mean?"

"Yes," Hassan nodded. "That's it."

Suppose that there is a certain Singularity in which there is a certain Witch who destroyed France and summoned many Servants to help also dragons and wyverns. In the course of her actions, she destroyed many cities and killed many people, after which a certain Ainz appeared who could defeat her and destroy the Holy Grail, which created distortions in reality and history. This meant that the Singularity was supposed to disappear. Without the support of the destroyed Grail, a distortion like the Witch should not have existed at all. Chaldea then had to replace this reality where the Witch existed with that in which the Witch did not exist... However, what was to happen to the destroyed cities and the deceased soldiers?

If Chaldea used some existing template of the "correct history" to do it, then the story should have been corrected for one in which neither the Witch, the summoned Jeanne, nor Ainz himself existed. But this gave rise to a paradox. Chaldea did not have enough strength to completely rewrite the effects of the Grail and rewrite history as if it had never existed at all. This meant that instead of changing the distorted reality to the one in which the Grail did not exist, Chaldea was only able to change history to the one where the Grail did exist, but was destroyed by Ainz.

In this case, a question arose. What was to happen to the other victims of the Servants' battle in the Singularity? If Chaldea could not completely rewrite the reality created by the Grail, then this meant that certain events that were not directly related to the Grail and did not stand out so much from the "correct history of mankind" remained in the new reality created by Chaldea.

For example, the burning of Vichy. The existence of the Witch was destroyed after the destruction of the Grail, like her dragon as well as her Servants. However, the fact of a fire in Vichy, the rebellion and even the memories of some people that "a black Jeanne d'Arc riding a dragon burned Vichy" still remained in reality. Chaldea could not completely erase such things from reality. All it could do was smooth the corners a bit, finding possible reasons that did not stand out from the "correct history".

"Moreover," Kiyohime suddenly realized something else. "The event, after which the memory at Jeanne d'Arc changed to become moderately negative…"

"Yes," Hassan nodded. "The existence of someone like the Dragon Witch is impossible from the point of view of a "correct history." However, the fact that she was summoned means that a reason needed to be found for this. Even if it be weak and insignificant, but still real. For example, a fire in Vichy...

Kiyohime worriedly looked at Hassan, - "But this means that…"

"Yes," Hassan nodded. Looking at him, it was impossible to say that he did it gloomily, or vice versa, interestedly, - "As far as this one can understand... What happened in the Singularity can affect the course of normal history."

Kiyohime frowned. This was troubling news. Truly disturbing.

"What other changes did you manage to notice?" Kiyohime looked at Hassan, to which he only shook his head.

"There are many. However," Hassan turned away, returning the book to its place. "The fire in Vichy is the most notable event. The remaining possible cases can be detected only with careful observation and reading, also by knowing what to look for. Most often, such changes remain only as notes in history books or legends - as with the case of Marie-Antoinette's ring. It was a ring that she exchanged for clothes and a cart with a couple of peasants during our infiltration into Vichy. After hundreds of years - either due to the influence of Chaldea - or perhaps even Alaya itself - the original story has changed, turning it into a small legend, the only people who knew about the existence of an "unchanged" history could determine the incorrectness. Besides…"

Hassan thought for a second, "I know that Gilles de Rais received a much more heroic legend, especially in France. Although he is still known as the Blue Beard in many parts of the world - in France, he is revered as the defender of the French people and the main champion of Jeanne d'Arc. There is also a legend that during the fires in France that arose after the death of Jeanne d'Arc and arranged, presumably, by crazy fanatics, someone saw a man garbed in the robe of Saints, which many correlate with Saint George, who saved the people from the attack of fanatics. Also, for example, there is a not very well-known legend that the executioner of Marie-Antoinette, Charles-Henri Sanson was actually a disguised dragon - or that he said the words "no matter how many times this happened - it will always be our incorrigible fate" during the execution of the queen. There was also a story, not from France, in a strange way…"

After the words were uttered, Hassan suddenly froze, then shook his head, "No, nothing."

"Nothing?" Kiyohime raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure that you started saying some kind of phrase. And I don't think you wanted to say "there was still a story, no, nothing."

Hassan was silent for a second, after which he glanced at Kiyohime.

On the one hand, Hassan was not that concerned with the emotions of Kiyohime. If there was a mission or an order from the Master, anyone would die. Just because he was a Servant - and the Servants obey the orders of the Master. So simple.

On the other hand, if there was no Master's decree regarding his behavior, then Hassan could be in a somewhat strange situation, forced to decide in accordance with his own judgment. And Hassan's judgment was not always the best.

For example, if he had told Kiyohime about another strange legend that had made its way through the ages to a distant country, she would probably have reacted to it with an emotional response, which could both positively and negatively affect her current state - which could affect her further mission as a Servant. If he withheld this information, then he would definitely provoke a negative reaction from Kiyohime, which could affect their combat compatibility with Hassan himself. In other words, Hassan was at an impasse of speculation.

However, at the same time, judging by his observations, if necessary, Kiyohime would have placed the mission assigned by the Master above her own preferences, so he nodded, "There is another legend, but it concerns the events that took place in Hungary, one and a half hundred years later."

Kiyohime blinked, - "Hungary? But I never…"

Suddenly, Kiyohime was silent.

She has never visited Hungary or the region that would later be called Hungary, of course. But she knew one person - one Servant - that came from there.

"That's right," Hassan nodded. "According to one of her legends, Elizabeth Bathory claimed that in her childhood she had a friend of unearthly beauty with whom she spent all her time with. She spent several years travelling with her, but at the age when she was supposed to get out of girlhood she saw her friend for the last time - and that friend admitted to her that she was a dragon, after which she left and never returned."

Kiyohime choked on air.

Unlike many - almost all the Servants summoned from the previous Singularity, only Kiyohime was able to survive the Singularity and therefore preserved an untouched set of memories of what had happened. About the battles, victories, and defeats... And about one annoying horned Lancer, pushing on the nerves of Kiyohime.

"That's... how..." she said slowly.

"Yes," Hassan sighed, "In fact... It's hard to imagine whether such information would have any effect on Servant Elizabeth Bathory, summoned, for example, by Ainz. However, this has an impact on human history. Although the likelihood that the summon will be the "correct" Elizabeth Bathory, one that was not connected by this legend is much greater... It also means that there is at least a theoretical probability that the summoned Elizabeth Bathory will have memories of a "friend from her childhood". A friend who…"

"Who is me," Kiyohime nodded. "I... I understand."

Hassan stood silently, looking at Kiyohime.

Of course, Kiyohime loved Anchin. More than anything she loved Anchin. For the sake of Anchin, she would give everything in this world.

But that stupid annoying Lancer with terrible a singing voice... Kiyohime remembered her. She remembered a lot of things. How she sang and got on her nerves, how she talked all the time, how she was always angry and how she demanded too much respect for her pseudo-dragon person.

And also, as she walked alongside Kiyohime, she fought alongside her, and died, meeting her alter-ego face to face. Kiyohime remembered all this.

It was strange, but for some reason, the knowledge that some unknown chronicler wrote in the legend of Elizabeth Bathory that she and Kiyohime were connected was absurd, but at the same time... Strangely warm.

Kiyohime smiled.

"I think this strange assumption is also related to Ainz," Hassan's voice pulled Kiyohime out of her thoughts.

"Hm?" The girl looked up at Assassin.

"A lot of documents were kept in the chief's office, including the personal files of all Master candidates," Hassan explained, after which he muttered thoughtfully, "It was strange, but this man personal file was not there..."

"It doesn't matter," Hassan shook his head. "The list of Chaldean candidates for the Masters. One of them belonged to the forty-eighth Master, Gudao Fujimaru."

"Hassan," Kiyohime glared at Assassin with a threat, "Did you try to acquire some personal information about Anchin?"

"My mission as a Servant is to serve my Master," Hassan instantly bowed in apology, "If the lord-mage considers my actions unnecessary, I am ready to bear any punishment that he considers appropriate. However, until that moment, I considered it necessary to find out all the information available to me about my Master in order to serve him in the best way."

"If it's like that," Kiyohime still measured the man with a scornful look, but seeing in his posture and gestures completely ready to suffer punishment for what he had done, she had a little mercy, "In that case... What did you manage to find out?"

"Master number forty-eight," Hassan said calmly, "Gudao Fujimaru. Registered in the Mage's Association. Does not come from an ancient family. Distant relationship with the Tohsaka family. There is no information about his graduation from the Clock Tower or from the Atlas Academy. No information on any completion of any assignments. There is no evidence of any notable achievement. There are no distant or close relatives. Is regarded as self-sufficient."

"So..." Kiyohime frowned.

"None," Hassan nodded. "No personal connections and no notable acquaintance. An upstart out of nowhere."

"Watch your tongue, Assassin!" Kiyohime instantly flared up from the words used to describe her beloved Anchin.

"Of course," Hassan only nodded. "This is the official information from Chaldea. Any official information about Ainz Ooal Gown is not mentioned."

"Hm," Kiyohime frowned. According to the documents - no. In fact - yes - "And what do you think about this then?"

"I think..." Hassan paused for a second, picking up the words, "That such a minor and underwhelming, according to the documents, magi could appear and disappear at any moment. He would have remained just another entry in the archives of the Mages Association. Like one of the legends that appeared after the resolution of the Singularity."

"Do you think that the appearance of such a magi was an irregularity that arose because of a violation of the history of mankind?" Kiyohime looked at Assassin interestedly.

"Yes," Hassan nodded. "At least that appear to be the most logical conclusion in this case."

"But this does not make sense," Kiyohime suddenly shook her head, "Someone like the forty-eighth master... The occurrence of changes in the history of mankind was associated with our actions in the Singularity. How can the existence of the forty-eighth master be changed in such a case?"

"That is a difficult question," Hassan frowned at it, "I... Still, I'm not a genius or specifically educated in such matters. I would like to convey this information to Da Vinci or Roman, they may know or discover something about this. However... I have an idea. For example, the legend of you and Bathory... Arose one hundred and fifty years after your contact in the Singularity. This means that the consequences of such changes in the Singularity can be reflected after a long time. What if, in this case, a certain change in history... occurred in the distant past, after which it generated a similar reaction after many years?"

Kiyohime froze, pondering the thought, - "So you think that many years ago... A certain change in history led to the birth of Gudao Fujimaru? Some unknown magi... For the sole purpose of allowing Anchin, ahem, Ainz to incarnate in his body in the future?"

"This is my guess," Hassan shook his head, "And I myself see all the inconsistency in such a theory. That's why I wanted to convey what information I could uncover to Da Vinci, but at the moment she is busy fixing the broken pseudo-"Throne of Heroes", so for now I have found it necessary to search for more information."

"Is that so," Kiyohime shook her head, "But in that case, even if it is possible... All of the new legends were connected with some event. With some actions in the Singularity. The Witch burned Vichy - this is how the "Vichy Fire" appeared. I travelled together with Bathory - this is how the "friend of the Bathory girl" appeared. How could an unknown random magi related to Anchin be born?"

"In that case, my assumption is..." Hassan fell silent for a few seconds, "That Ainz himself created him."

Somewhere far away, Ainz sneezed again and just in case put his hand to his forehead to check his temperature.

"It may be strange," Hassan nodded. "However, we know for certain that the lord-mage was able to recreate the chief's body in totality. In this case, he could create a certain magi. Without friends, without family, without attachment. For the sole purpose that at the right time he would be able to serve as his passage into this world."

"That's how…" - Kiyohime thought about it, and then froze.

This can not be…

Her pupils dilated.

Can not be…

What if…

This, of course, is impossible...

But what if...

If…

Anchin was also such a created incarnation of Ainz?!

Somewhere far away, Ainz sneezed once more and just in case looked into his inventory for a scroll of "cure disease".

"But even so - it's certainly almost impossible," Kiyohime shook her head, "Even assuming that Anchin did create the forty-eighth master himself... How could he do this? To create such a thing, he would have to act from the past and perfectly predict the future. Maybe for hundreds of years. Doing such magic in the past and culminating in the future ... This is not the level of magis or Servants. This is the level of the Gods…"

Realizing what was said, Kiyohime was silent.

"And the lord mage killed gods," Hassan said calmly.

There was silence in the library. A loud, thundering silence in which you could hear how the moments pass.

"In other words," Kiyohime slowly summed up what was discussed, "Do you think that Anchin... Ainz was able to somehow disrupt the history of mankind in some way... Thanks to which he was able to create a certain Gudao, the forty-eighth master... In order to be embodied in his body many years later?"

"This is just my conjecture," Hassan shook his head, "I just wanted to combine it with what Da Vinci and Roman could figure out... Perhaps, having received all these information, they would be able to come up with some kind of harmonious theory."

Hassan was not wrong. They could come to some harmonious general theory, together with all the facts that they knew, Da Vinci and Roman could. Though, not even such a harmonious theory should have been the right one.

However, Hassan did not yet know how, gradually, due to the actions of Servants like him, the legend Ainz's acquired more and more details, gradually becoming more and more confusing and moving from pluses to minuses. On the other hand, a negative number is modulo positive still.

"That's all I managed to find out," Hassan finally nodded, and then turned away from Kiyohime. "Now, I'm sorry. I would like to meet with Da Vinci."

With these parting words, Hassan instantly disappeared behind the arch leading to the exit from the library. If Kiyohime wanted to run after him now, then she would not have been able to catch the elusive Assassin, given his love to use the Presence Concealment all the time. However, Kiyohime did not plan to run after Hassan at the moment. Left alone with herself, Kiyohime thought for a moment.

Thought very hard.

It was strange, but still...

If that was true...

If Anchin really was another embodiment of Ainz...

This meant that there were others.

Other incarnations. Who walked on other roads. Speaking other languages.

Who met with other girls.

Kiyohime clenched her fists to a painful whiteness.

Anchin was hers. No one will ever dispute this. She will not give Anchin to anyone.

But if Anchin really met with other girls, then maybe... Just for the sake of example... For a while... She should start investigating about Serenity's plans for Anchin.

The known enemy is better than the unknown after all.

Name: Kiyohime

Race: Heteromorphic

Title: Dragon in Love

Occupation: Servant of Ainz

Residence: Chaldea, a beauty salon in a residential wing

Karma: -25 (Neutral)