Interlude: A Director's Gamble

(The Clock Tower: 6 months ago...)

"Can you believe it, Gabby?"

"That THE Olga Marie Animusphere wants to see us? Gu-dork, I had to remind myself repeatedly all morning and I STILL can't believe it. How about you?"

Gudao was walking through the halls of the Clock Tower with Gabrielle following beside him. They were making their way past stonework, display cases, and ornate busts and statues that lined the corridors of this prestigious place where all aspiring mages come to study.

"Could hardly sleep last night," Gudao admitted to his stepsister. "Not even the thought of doing our exams made me THIS nervous."

"I remember you cramming lecture notes for two straight weeks," Gabrielle amused, trying to keep the mood light. "We were lucky to bounce back after a rough first-semester, then we cruised through our courses the rest of the way. Could that be why she wants to see us?"

Gudao visibly pondered, unsure of how best to answer Gabrielle's question. It had been mere days since the conclusion of their final exams and they got all their test scores. Inside of which they both unexpectedly received invitations from the Director of Chaldea herself for an "interview" for later that same week.

And today was the day...

Having no idea as to why the one-and-only Olga Marie Animusphere wanted to meet them in person, the siblings were feeling both excited and anxious. It was almost unheard of for someone so high up in the magus hierarchy to take an interest in two fledgling mages with no nobility or reputation to their name; something Gudao was quick to point out.

"I don't see someone as important as the Animusphere heir to take time out of her busy schedule just for the two of us. Considering that there were students who scored even higher in semesters before. Like... a hundred and ten percent..."

Hearing that, Gabrielle's face fell as they kept walking.

"Makes our eighty-four percent's look laughable..." Gabrielle deadpanned before expressing how absurd that fact was. "How do you even get scores THAT high, anyway?"

"Wodime did it..." Guado replied. "And they gave him a plaque on display in the entrance hall, along with at least six others. I forget their names..."

"(Sigh) I'm willing to bet most of those people are from prestigious families. As proud as I am of the fact that we scored so high, it's still not enough for nobodies like us to get some special standing. This community's standards are so messed up."

Gabrielle's frustration was understandable to Gudao. It had been an uphill battle for both of them to get to this point; passing all their tests where so many fresh mages before them failed or dropped out altogether. The reality was that talent alone only gets you so far in the realm of Magecraft, where mages from the more recognized and privileged families get positions of power and influence that most unaffiliated mages work their whole lives for far less effort.

"I hear you, sis..." Guado sympathizes, trying to be hopeful. "Maybe Olga sees something in us that most of the other higher-ups don't. Potential reasons aside, I can't help but be grateful for the fact that someone of such status ACTUALLY noticed us. This could be game-changing..."

Gabrielle perks up after hearing that, having her mood lifted by her stepbrother. This got her thinking...

"You know," she says aloud. "I hear she is expanding her late father's company. What if her reasons for meeting us is to offer US a job?"

"That would be hitting the jackpot," replied Gudao. "Working directly for the Animuspheres could increase our standing in the mage community. That opens-up a lot of doors..."

Gabrielle smiled at him before adding adamantly:

"And maybe we can work our way to the top and change this biased society for the better, am I right? We'll show everyone that nobility and name recognition aren't everything!"

Gudao returns Gabrielle's regained confidence in kind with an assuring smile of his own. This was the dynamic between them; whenever one of them was down, the other would lift them up, then they would encourage each other forward. It was their chemistry and determination that got them through their studies, and it affirmed to Gudao that there was no challenge that he or his stepsister could not overcome as a team. It was amazing to think that such a bond between them was possible considering that they are not even related.

It certainly did not start that way between them at first.

It was a long time ago, Gudao thought as he looked at his cheery sister. And we were different kids back then, having issues we struggled to deal with. If not for Gabby, I definitely couldn't have gotten over-

His thoughts stopped when Gabrielle caught Gudao staring at her too long:

"You alright Gu-dork?" she asked worriedly before teasing him. "Not thinking of chickening out, are you?"

Gudao's surprise was quickly replaced with a confident visage.

"Not a chance..." he replied before changing the topic. "Olga's temporary office is this way."

They turned the corner and saw their destination at the end of the hall: a set of doors with a sign saying this space was reserved for Olga Marie Animusphere. As the siblings approached, a well-dressed man carrying stacks of paper with him emerged from the room and stopped to ask them:

"Are you two here to see Director Olga?"

"Yes we are..." Guado replied cheerfully. He and Gabrielle smiled humbly at the man until his face changed as he responded fearfully:

"RUN AWAY."

With that, the man hurried off on his own, leaving Gudao and Gabrielle shocked and flabbergasted. They turned and stared back at the man until he went out of sight. They then both turned their attention to the doors in front of them and stood silently until...

"Gudao?" Gabrielle asked cautiously in a hushed voice barely above a whisper. Gudao could tell she was now nervous.

"Yeah...?" He answers back, his tone mirroring his stepsister.

"I'm gonna be real with you..." Gabrielle tells him. "I was excited a minute ago... NOT anymore."

"Me too..." Gudao admitted. They have both heard rumors about Olga Marie Animusphere, including how difficult she was to work with, having a short temper, zero patience, and a habit of chewing people out and firing them on the spot. It made her quite notorious among the mage community. When Gudao and Gabrielle had received their invitations from her, they dismissed all those rumors as simply that; JUST rumors. Some over-exaggeration of how people thought Ms. Animusphere was in the public eye.

If that man's warning was any indication, perhaps those were not mere rumors after all...

And it made the siblings anxious of how bad this meeting could go. One thing's for sure Guado thought, they were here now, and there was no sense in turning back now. Not when he and Gabrielle's futures were on the line. Taking a deep breath, Guado reached forward to open the door.

"This is it..."

He pushed it open, and to the siblings' slight relief, all they saw as they stepped in was a secretary sitting by her desk and another set of doors on the opposite side of the room. Before either Gudao or Gabrielle could speak, the secretary stood up and greeted them.

"Ah, Mr. Fujimaru and Ms. Rutherford," she welcomed. "Director Animusphere is expecting you. She is in her office and currently in a conference call right now-"

Just then, they all heard a feminine voice booming from behind the other side of the adjacent doors.

"I've TOLD you! I haven't had any acne since I was sixteen, and I don't care if you believe me or not! And how's this? YOU'RE FIRED!"

Gudao and Gabrielle stiffened with fear while the secretary reluctantly picked up her phone and said:

"Ms. Animusphere?"

"What?!" The voice the siblings assumed was Olga Marie Animusphere came through on the speaker and they could tell that was the sound of someone who was very short on patience.

"Mr. Musik called to say that he wants to move your meeting with him to four-thirty this afternoon," the secretary replied, while giving both Gudao and Gabrielle an apologetic look. "Also Mr. Fujimaru and Ms. Rutherford are here to see you now..."

There was a pause on the line, and then-

"One minute..." Olga responded in a composed voice before turning her attention to whoever she was previously communicating with. Gudao and Gabrielle were able to hear from the room beside. "Hey! You still on the line? Nevermind... you're UN-fired. I want you to meet with Gordes and keep him occupied until I conclude my interview. Hop to it!"

The secretary hung up and addressed the stunned siblings.

"Sorry about the Director," she said to them with sincerity. "She's a very busy woman and the stress can be grating sometimes."

"Is she always like this?" Gudao found himself asking.

"Only in these past few months. And believe it or not, this is her on a GOOD day..."

"I'd hate to see her on a bad one..." Gabrielle murmured as she glanced at her stepbrother anxiously. Looking at her, Gudao was thinking the same thing. His face mirrored that of his stepsister, and they both began to ponder what in the world they were in for, and why against all their instincts did they not heed the warning of the man who was last to see the intimidating Olga Marie Animusphere...

---

"Like I said!" A white-haired woman in a black and orange Victorian outfit yelled into her phone. "I want all the rooms prepared accordingly! DO NOT skimp on the décor! I'll be dammed if the candidates arrive and have to reside in something sub-par and comparable to a cheap two-star motel! How about you quit wasting your breath and get back to your job before I make YOU pay for it!"

She swiftly hung up and was heaving angrily. Seconds passed, and the woman eventually took a deep breath and calmed herself. Despite her aggravation, she just wanted Chaldea to be as hospitable for her recruits when they arrive, and her subordinates were giving her grief.

Dullards, she thought. All of them...

It has been hard lately for Olga Marie Animusphere, heir to the late great Marisbury Animusphere. Between having to juggle inheriting her late father's assets, covering for her estranged cousin's antics, and dealing with the greedy vultures that were her father's partners, Olga already has a lot on her plate.

Olga slowly walked to an antique globe that opened to reveal a bottle of wine and a glass. She poured herself a small amount and took a sip. Olga sighs and puts the bottle away.

The truth was she could care less of how her father's previous benefactors were critical of how she was running things at the Antarctic facility since Marisbury's passing.

For nobody knew what Olga knew; her father's dying words, meant only for his heir to hear and no one else...

It was a prophecy... of the end of humanity.

Olga swirled around what little wine was left in her glass. It was said prophecy that nearly drove her father to madness in his later years; conducted unethical experiments at the facility in Antarctica, claiming it was all for "saving humanity." After her father's funeral, Olga was put in charge of everything Marisbury left for her, and her first order of business was shutting down the Demi-servant program.

Not even she believed her father's rantings... until she saw the classified documents of the expeditions and research into this threat of the future. As much as she understood the lengths her father went to prepare for the coming storm, Olga simply did not agree with his methods.

So she decided on a different course of action; one that was undoubtably riskier.

Olga researched everything Chaldea could find pertaining to the Holy Grail Wars: Heroic spirits wielded by their mage masters as Servants. She needed mages to summon these heroes of old to combat the enemies of humanity and fight the battles that needed to be fought.

Instead of manufactured servants like her father sought to create, Olga would rely on the bond between masters and servants to fight what was coming.

As it would turn out, Olga could not use just any run-of-the-mill mages to be her masters; her champions. She would need mages who can wield multiple servants.

Prime Mages: those with magic circuits optimized for such a feat. But there were so few left in the world, and Olga needed EVERY prime mage she could find.

And the lengths she went to bring some of them out of their countries and into Chaldea...

The Director took a glance at the antique globe and found it ironic how she was working hard to prevent humanity's doomsday when the major powers of the world are armed and ready to release death on each other given the chance. Olga thought about if her father ever stopped to think about what she currently was: if maybe humanity was a lost cause and postponing their ultimate judgement was a disservice as mankind is already prone to destroying itself. Wouldn't it be more merciful for humanity to perish by something other than its own hand?

Human history has led mankind on this path, and Olga, with all her authority and power, wished humanity did not have to turn out this way. It was a childhood fantasy of hers: being the president of the whole world, thinking it would have been great if SHE ran the whole world and ruled humanity if it meant no nations had to kill each other over inconsequential things. The belief that just one person can solve all the world's problems.

Then she remembered what her father always used to say when she was younger:

"History can't change, but people can..."

Her father was a historian himself. Olga was amused that Marisbury thought humanity should be saved not for what it has done but for what it can do. People deserve every chance to be and do better. Ultimately, one authority figure deciding on behalf of all mankind would rob them of the joys of being human. What's best for a person does not make them happy.

I guess there is some truth to that...

Perhaps it was why Olga decided on this path to stop humanity's doom. Had she stayed on the course her father started, maybe the Demi-servants would have been enough to stop it. But she simply could not go through with it...

Her father may have lost his humanity towards the end, but Olga did not have to. The right action towards saving humanity would be one that does not come at the cost of your own. The Demi-servants were born for a singular purpose, and all but one died never knowing what it would be like to be human.

So Olga ended it... and she had no intention of straying from the path she was on now.

She just hoped the individuals she was about to interview had the character and dedication to carry out the monumental task of combating humanity's extinction. With a heavy heart, Olga finished her drink and turned on the intercom on her desk before speaking into it.

"Alexis? Bring the kids in."

"Right away, Director..."

Olga closed the comm, quickly smoothing out any wrinkles on her attire and cleaned her desk making everything look neat and organized.

The Director of Chaldea had an image to maintain, and she'd be damned if nothing about her or her office presented anything less than the standards that came with the Animusphere name. She quickly straightened a slightly out-of-place fountain pen on her desk just before the doors to her office opened. Olga straightened her posture and greeted Gudao and Gabrielle as they entered.

"Mr. Fujimaru... Ms. Rutherford..." Olga acknowledges them both in a professional manner, before wasting no time in wanting to get down to business. "Thank you both for coming. Please take a seat."

The siblings comply and sit down on two cushioned chairs in front of Olga's desk. Although they found it strange that Olga skipped any formalities, words failed them as they were amazed at the reality of them being in the presence of Olga Marie Animusphere. They were simply speechless as the Director went around her desk and sat in her chair across from the duo, taking a pause to assess them.

They seem a bit lost and nervous...

Olga will get to the real point of the interview soon enough, but for now, she wanted to size them up.

"I do not wish to take up too much of your time," she calmly began, grabbing their attention. "But the reason I wanted to see you-"

A ring from her cellphone cuts her off to her annoyance.

"Oh, NOW what?" she grumbled before telling the siblings, "Excuse me..."

Olga spun in her chair and pulled out her cellphone. While her back was turned, Gabrielle leans toward Gudao and whispers.

"You know, now that we're here, this isn't so bad."

Gudao nods, both he and Gabrielle expected a worse introduction to Olga than what they got. It was assurance that maybe this interview would go smoothly.

"Agreed. We were worried for nothing-"

Just then...

"No... NO. I don't care what it costs! I've told everybody at the facility about the living quarters: the queen beds are standard for ALL the prime candidates...!"

Olga's voice grew while she was on the phone, and the shortness evident in her tone made both Gudao and Gabrielle glance worriedly in her direction. And what she said next made them stiffen in horror.

"Oh, for the love of all that's holy... if you EVER ask me that again, I'll feed your kidneys to a lion!"

She closed her phone in a huff before remembering that Gudao and Gabrielle were right behind her, she rotated her chair back so she could face them; not fast enough to catch the horrified look on their faces before the two swiftly composed themselves. The siblings both had the same thought played in their minds:

Olga really IS a hard-ass.

"As I was saying, before I so rudely interrupted..." Olga began. "It has come to my attention you both completed your final exams. You two were part of Professor Velvet's class, yes?"

"Umm... yes, that's right..." Gudao answered trying hard to hide the lingering fright from Olga's ill-tempered display from earlier. "He's a good teacher..."

"That's wonderful..." Olga said sarcastically. Truth be told, she was grateful towards Waver Velvet and his assistant Gray helping her when one of Olga's caretakers was murdered on the Rail Zeppelin. As to how she saw the teacher and part-time detective personally, Olga found Waver to be a rather insufferable individual, simply because he seems to always need to be "the smartest guy in the room".

The thing that annoyed her about him was that he usually was...

Yet if it weren't the current El-Melloi, Olga would have no background knowledge of the two individuals before her.

"Anyways..." Olga continued, pulling out a stack of paper and plopping it on to her desk. "I have both your test scores here. You both scored eighty-four percent average."

"That's pretty good, no?" Gabrielle asked hopefully, figuring Olga would never have called them here if their test score were not impressive in the slightest.

"Mediocre actually," the Director stated bluntly, making both Gabrielle and Gudao dismayed. Olga ignored their surprised expressions and started leafing through her notes. "That is true for most of the categories you two were both tested on."

Olga then started reading aloud, as if going down a list.

"Let's see... starting with offensive spells... pretty average. Enchantments: not exactly stellar. Boundary fields..." (instead of saying anything, Olga just sighed, adding to the discouragement of the siblings) "-and Evocation: you barely scratched by..."

To the siblings, this was starting to feel like they were summoned here just to be mocked for their test scores. Gabrielle had the nerve to call out Olga for making fun of them, but to her surprise, Gudao beats her to it, expressing his frustration.

"I am so sorry, Ms. Animusphere, but is there any point in all of this?"

Olga looks at him nonchalantly, albeit with a twitching eye showering her underlying displeasure at his act.

"I'm getting to that, Mr. Fujimaru," she replied firmly. "And I do not care much for your tone. I'M the one asking questions here."

Realizing his mistake, Gudao leaned back in his chair and swiftly apologized.

"My apologies..."

Olga's gaze lingers on the boy for a few seconds before turning her attention back to her notes, continuing where she left off.

"As I was saying, your exam scores are nothing to write home about. Which leads me to the last category: Familiar Manipulation..."

Olga shifted her full attention on Gudao and Gabrielle, and they prepared themselves for the worst she had to say, but-

"You both got perfect scores..." Olga stated, allowing a modicum of admiration to show through her voice, much to the surprise of the siblings.

"WHAT?"

The siblings' confounded response was ignored by the Director as she continued.

"The only two perfect scores in your class I might add... and by a far margin."

"THAT part of the test?" Gudao questioned. "It was nothing..."

"Yeah... me and Gudao are just naturals at it," Gabrielle answers honestly. Olga leans forward and gazes narrowly at the two siblings with purpose. She was quite surprised to find both of her interviewees to be so modest because they greatly excelled in one part of their test. It seemed unlike most promising mages their age, Gudao and Gabrielle were notably more humble and soft-spoken. Olga found it peculiar.

And that piqued her interest...

"Is that so?" she mused before recomposing herself before she let too much of her interest show. "I'm not going to lie. Most of the mages I've recruited so far can do all parts of your exam half-asleep. But any that get perfect scores in Familiars are always worth consideration in my eyes."

Hearing that further confused the siblings. It was clear, especially to Gabrielle, that Olga did call them here for a reason yet was being cryptic. It was as if Olga was holding back crucial information until she got something from them first.

"I beg your pardon, Ms. Olga, but did you say: "recruited"-?"

Olga suddenly cleared her throat, and Gabrielle realized that she should not be asking HER questions just yet. Gabrielle then quickly backpedaled.

"Oh right... sorry."

Olga stared at Gabrielle in an intimidating manner for a few seconds before continuing. She understood the girl's inquisitiveness, but until she knew that her two interviewees were the kind of recruits she was looking for, she did not want to spill the beans to them about her secret operation yet.

That was strictly on a "need-to-know" basis.

"Moving on..." she said, relaxing her position. "Are you two familiar with the Holy Grail Wars?"

"Yes, actually," Gudao replies with a nod. They're a competition between major Magus families and Heroic Spirits summoned as servants in a fight to the death for the Einzbern Holy Grail."

Gabrielle then continues for him.

"Upon winning, the last-standing mage and their servant either can have a direct path to the Root or have both their wishes granted."

"Unfortunately," Guado then began. "The last Holy Grail War in Fuyuki ended with the Grail being destroyed. They can never be held again."

At their answers, Olga raised an eyebrow.

"You two know your history..." she remarked, prompting Gabrielle to explain to her in admittance:

"We learned from Mr. Velvet, who was a participant himself."

"Rather his young assistant," Gudao added. "Who has mentioned it briefly a few times..."

Olga was slightly surprised at that and let out:

"Oh, Gray... I swear she never leaves him alone..."

Turning her attention back to Gudao and Gabrielle, she returns to the topic at hand.

"Anyway, the reason I've asked, is because I've been combing the globe for people to wield servants as masters. Not just a servant, but multiples at once."

"Multiple servants per master?!" Gudao suddenly let out. "Doesn't that take a lot of mana-?"

"NOT for Prime Mages..." Olga said swiftly, annoyed that Gudao repeated the same mistake again. Gudao shirks back in his seat as Olga voiced her displeasure. "Honestly, Mr. Fujimaru, both you and Ms. Rutherford need to know when to not speak out of turn. I'm beginning to think Professor Velvet was exaggerating about you two."

That last part made Gabrielle ask on impulse:

"Wait, you talked with him about us-?!"

Olga cleared her throat more forcibly than last she cut off Gabrielle. Intimidated, the orange-haired quickly stood straight and quickly apologized in fear.

"Sorry!"

Olga let out a barely audible grunt. The gullible impudence of these two were starting to get on her nerves, and she was beginning to doubt if they had the discipline and strength of character to be part of her secret operation. Despite her frustration, Olga rationalized that it might be better if she really started to get to the point of this interview.

"I have indeed interviewed your professor about you two, about your tenure here in the Clock Tower as well as your academic standing. From what I understand, you two have been consistently improving your grades since you began studying magecraft here. And let me just say, that you two... are BARELY noteworthy as mages."

Gudao and Gabrielle began casting their heads down shamefully, only to be stopped by Olga as she kept speaking.

"-Except in the fact that you both scored perfect when you were tested on manipulating familiars, without which you wouldn't be here right now. You see... as far as I know; ONLY prime mages could pass that test as well as you two did. And it just so happens, I am currently in DIRE need for prime mages. See where this is going?"

Gudao and Gabrielle stare at Olga with their mouths agape. What they just heard implied that Olga was looking to hire THEM. They did not know yet for what, but still; it was by far the most unbelievable thing they had heard since this interview began. They started to get their hopes up when-

"Before you two get carried away," Olga cautioned. "Know that I am aware of you two just academically speaking, but I'm afraid that a second-hand account from your professor only tells me so much about you two personally."

The siblings watched curiously as Olga then pulled out two files from the drawer of her desk, each with Guado and Gabrielle's names on them, which she then showed.

"I have here your files: Personal backgrounds, family history, etc... And the reason I've called you both here today is so we can go over them."

Both siblings tensed upon hearing that.

"Let me start with Mr. Fujimaru..." Olga said casually while reading through the documents his file contained. "Originally from Tokyo, Japan; Only child of two mages. Hmmm... seems you were a bit of a troublemaker in your early youth. Multiple run-ins with the law on charges of mischief and trespass."

Gudao said nothing, but was shocked Olga found out so much about him. Offended on behalf of her brother, Gabrielle cuts in.

"Ms. Animusphere-?!"

"Please Do NOT interrupt," Olga warned, and Gabrielle just looked anxiously to Gudao, who seemed too stunned to refute any of their interviewer's claims. His head was cast down as Olga then continued.

"Naturally, as you were a minor, all the charges were dropped or reduced to fines. At eleven years old, you and your mother moved here to England after your father committed suicide."

Gabrielle has heard enough, unable to stand her brother being slandered by his history. She then stands up angrily.

"What is the point of this?!"

Olga did not react to Gabrielle's outburst, but to her surprise, Gudao talks her down in a mature demeanor.

"Gabby, please... sit down."

His response was met with insistence from his sister.

"But-!"

"You should listen to your brother," Olga cuts in, having no malice in her voice. "I simply wish to hear HIS side of the story."

Gabrielle leered at The Director who seemed to be hurting Gudao by bringing up his past.

"Gudao doesn't need to-!"

She stops when Gudao grabs her hand. Gabrielle looks at her brother in surprise when she sees him looking at her with sincerity. It was clear he did not want her to start a feud on his behalf. Gabrielle's gaze softens as he tells her:

"It's fine, Gabby."

Gabrielle finally relents and calmly sits back down, respecting her brother's choice to continue without her shielding him. Little did they notice; Olga was keenly watching this interaction.

Gabrielle is the more impulsive of the two, but she listens when her brother lets her know she's out of line...

"Besides," Gudao said, turning his attention back to Olga. "It's mostly correct..."

There was underlying regret in his voice, not missed by the Director.

"" Mostly"?" she quipped, wanting to hear more. Gabrielle stays silent and listens as Gudao explains himself with some reluctance.

"What happened to my father wasn't a suicide. It was an accident... one that could've been prevented, had he not been forced to..."

"Gudao..." Gabrielle whispers with sympathy. Olga could tell that she knew full well of Gudao's background, and so the Director calmly pressed the boy on when he fell silent.

"Go on."

Gudao steeled himself, trying to stay composed as he explained further:

"As for my infractions, it was mostly trespassing into the local museum. My parents were busy people, trying to keep a roof over our heads so they didn't have much time for me. I never stole anything, but I found that having the exhibits all to myself was enough to fill the void. Maybe it was because of my mistakes was why..."

Gudao trails off, and Olga could tell that he could not continue. She could also swear she picked up lingering guilt in his voice.

"I see..." Olga let out in a hushed voice, almost betraying her newfound sympathy. Putting Gudao's file aside, she turns her attention to Gabrielle.

"Moving on; Ms. Rutherford," Olga said while opening her subject's records before reading through it. "Born in Northern Ireland, your father worked directly for the Mage's Association remotely and therefore a mage."

Olga then directs her gaze to the downtrodden Gabrielle.

"But your mother was not, correct?"

"Yes," Gabrielle replied reluctantly.

"And I presume that is why your parents are no longer married… is that accurate?"

Gabrielle just nods; words failing her as she knew too well where this was going. Olga briefly looked at the paper she held.

"And according to this, you are no stranger to trouble yourself. Your previous education at an all-girls school has recorded you getting into a lot of physical altercations with other students. A frequent occurrence if I am not mistaken."

While Olga did not make that sound like she was accusing Gabrielle of anything, it nonetheless made the orange-haired girl feel ashamed of herself. Gudao looks at his sister as she struggles to say anything for herself.

After a tense silence, Gabrielle finally mustered the courage to speak.

"I won't deny it," her voice mirrored her shame. "I was a bratty kid back then, after my parents separated. I was angry, confused, so I lashed out at whoever added to it. Not a day goes by when I don't kick myself for acting so stupid back then. It was because of me that my old man and I moved out of Belfast…"

A tear escapes Gabrielle's eye, which was quickly wiped away. Olga sensed the same sincere feeling of guilt and regret from her as she did from Gudao.

"Thank you for sharing." Olga said calmly, now having a better understanding of her two subjects, but she was not done with them yet. "Now, I assume you both wish to ask why I bring up your personal pasts. That is because your… "offences," all happened prior to six years ago, which is when Mr. Fujimaru, you and Ms. Rutherford's families have relocated to London. And from what I can gather…"

Olga pushed both of Gudao and Gabrielle's files aside, having no need for them at this point. The siblings looked attentively at her.

"Both yours and Ms. Rutherford's records have been clean ever since. Which leads me to ask you both…"

Olga leans forward, scrutinizing her subjects, revealing the one thing she wanted to know most about them:

"What changed?"

Gudao and Gabrielle's morph into mild surprise and they glanced at each other, suddenly understanding what the whole point of Olga's interview was. The Director already knew all there was to know about them in terms of their academic standing and their history. But what she really wanted to know was how they went from such low points in their lives to becoming upstanding mages.

This was an evaluation of their character...

Olga could tell from the look on the siblings' faces that they had finally figured this out. Gudao was the first to indulge the Director after thinking it over. Olga observes him carefully.

Gudao is more methodical and seems to think about his actions before going through with them. A contrast to his sister. And yet...

Her thoughts were paused when Gudao finally spoke.

"Well, when me and my mother moved to London, we met Gabby and her father shortly after. They started dating, we moved in together, and within two years they tied the knot. Things were awkward at first between me and Gabby."

Gudao glances at Gabrielle who smiled warmly and picks up where he left off, telling Olga:

"When I met Gu-dork here, he was quiet and withdrawn. I was thinking he's not cool enough to be my brother..."

The Director's gaze shifts from her to Gudao to hear what he had to say. To her surprise Gudao revealed light-heartedly:

"And Gabby was brash and complained a lot. I couldn't stand her at first."

"However...?" Olga asked out of the blue, intrigued by their interaction. She never met a family of mages who weren't even the least bit estranged with each other. Normally, in a mage family with multiple children, one solely inherits the family's knowledge of magecraft and it creates rifts between siblings. Olga has met enough magus clans with her father to know that to be true.

But from the way Gudao and Gabrielle joke about each other without any malice whatsoever, it led Olga to believe that they were not raised like most mages.

She wanted to learn more.

"I guess over time we started to gain an understanding of each other," Gudao goes on to say. "I mean, we both were just dealing with what had happened to us; what with Gabby's mother walking out on her and me losing my old man. We connected through this love for history we both had... not to mention manga and video games..."

Gabrielle suddenly stifled a laugh before she continued for him.

"When I was failing in school, Gudao was there to help me for he was a quick study. When bullies would gang up on him, I was there to tell them off until Gu-dork grew a backbone of his own. And then-"

She suddenly stopped, and when Olga saw Gabrielle's face fall slightly, she pressed her.

"Yes Ms. Rutherford?"

Noticing his sister's hesitation, Gudao picks up the conversation for Gabrielle.

"Me and Gabby discussed maybe going to the Clock Tower to become mages. She didn't want anything to do with it at first, but she eventually came around. Right Gabby?"

He turns to Gabrielle, who met his gaze. The look oof understanding on Gudao's face prompted Gabrielle to reciprocate. The orange-haired mage turned her attention back to Olga with renewed vigor.

"Right. After my mother left, I thought it would be bad for me to be a mage. My father tried to convince me a few times, but I shot him down at every opportunity. But Gudao here told me magecraft could be used for good, and we shouldn't waste that chance to do what most mages would not with it. We both decided that we going to walk that path together and do things OUR way."

Olga was attentive throughout, becoming further entranced by the interaction between the two siblings, who seemed so in-tune with each other. She tries to hide the growing smile on her face.

"Is that so?"

Gabrielle nods.

"I even declined to inherit my father's magic crest to prove it. We are going to pave our own paths as mages. Right Gu-dork?"

She turns to Gudao, and like clockwork...

"Yes Gabby. Me and her lives may have been negatively affected by magecraft, but we both realized that it doesn't have to stay that way. We could use it to better ours and everyone else's lives. We met the Clock Tower head-on and worked through our assignments and tests together."

"Not to mention showing the other students that family-name and heritage don't make a mage," Gabrielle adds confidently. "All it takes is hard work and determination. We can hang with all those entitled stiffs!"

"You said it..." Gudao agrees, mirroring the confidence displayed by his stepsister. "We're a team, and there is no challenge me and Gabby can't overcome together!"

Olga was stunned and surprised. This was the last thing she expected when she decided to interview two amateur mages who were siblings and yet not related to each other. Gudao and Gabrielle were unlike any prime mages she has recruited yet. So many times she met mages who did not share the qualities and character of these two despite them overall being distinguished and more capable than the subjects in front of her.

Whereas most mages were solitary, Gudao and Gabrielle worked together.

Whereas most were arrogant, THEY were humble.

Whereas most mages boasted of their lone strength, the siblings find strength in each other.

And where most mage families were estranged, Gudao and Gabrielle were as close as family could be.

Even when it came to their past mistakes and regrets, both of them continually strive to better themselves because of it.

These two unlikely siblings, brought together from different corners of the world, do everything mages these days simply would not. Gudao Ritsuka Fujimaru and Gabrielle Rutherford were built differently than the rest.

Olga sort of admired them for that, and it was not often that Olga found herself surprised by people in general.

"Quite the story," Olga remarked while composing herself. "Before we move on, I wish to ask..."

Gudao and Gabrielle looked at Olga attentively, curious about what the Director was going to ask them next, knowing it could be anything...

"What are you two planning to do after you graduate?"

Olga's question caught them off guard. The siblings look at each other to silently deliberate on how to best answer. Or could it be their answer would seem foolish to her and did not know how to best explain it?

"Well..." Gabrielle starts off reluctantly, almost sounding embarrassed. "Me and Gudao wish to start our own guild for mages just like us..."

Gudao nods, his face reflecting the same trepidation shared by Gabrielle. Yet he answered confidently all the same.

"Those at a disadvantage because they are not from prestigious magus families, so that they can also have a chance to shine."

Olga's eyes widen slightly, not expecting such a lofty goal to come from two undistinguished mages. Olga knew about the magus guilds of old in history known only to mages. Even the Mage's Association started as one all the way back in the Dark Ages before becoming a collective of interconnected guilds. The traditional concept of a guild has been lost over time and would be a difficult prospect to establish one in today's world; foolish even.

But from the way Gudao and Gabrielle conveyed their goal, they knew it was, yet believed they could pull it off. And the amazing thing was that their aspirations were not just for personal glory but to help others like them as well. Olga found herself admiring them even more.

It was at that moment that the Director found out everything she needed from these two mages. They had the character and determination to push through and work together with others for when the going gets tough. She may have naysayers back in Chaldea who would criticize her for recruiting two average mages. Some would even call her crazy, especially given what is at stake for all of humanity.

But Olga had a good feeling about these two...

Gudao and Gabrielle may be the prime masters she was looking for.

"Well... I am sorry to say to you both that it simply isn't happening..."

The siblings stared at Olga shocked at what she just said, and the way she said it so casually made Gudao and Gabrielle dismayed. They had the thought to tell her otherwise-

"Before you say anything," Olga raised a hand, stopping them. They watch with curiosity as a smirk formed on the Director's face. "Know that is only because your futures are now dependent on whether you two accept or not."

The siblings stared at Olga, completely perplexed as she put their files away and replaced them with two identical white folders. Gudao and Gabrielle snap out of their stupor and briefly look at each other in total surprise and shock.

"Here is the real reason why I have called you both here," Olga said while placing the sealed files in front of them, a rare, confident smile now on her face. "Tell me... are both of you up for saving the world?"

Speechless, the siblings stare down at their respective folders; both emblazoned with the emblem of the Chaldea Security Organization, along with a stamp labelled "top secret" over a title in large, bold letters:

-THE GRAND ORDER INITIATIVE-