“Indeed, that is a good thing,” Tokiomi agreed.
Gwyn didn’t care whether he truly thought it was a good deed or if he was simply echoing him.
He simply said, “It seems for now, you won’t have to bear the title of ‘The Scapegoat for All the World’s Evils’ just yet.”
That strange title again?
What on earth did it mean?
Tokiomi’s confusion grew.
Had this Servant seen something using his abilities?
Why did he keep using that title to refer to him?
It was as if he held some sort of prejudice against him.
However, he buried his doubts in his heart and did not ask aloud.
Gwyn propped his chin on his hand, let out a thoughtful hiss as he recalled more details, and asked:
“To prevent the Holy Grail War from affecting your family, did you send your wife and daughter to Zenjou?”
Tokiomi nodded.
“Yes.”
“Hmm…” Gwyn pondered for a moment.
“How about this: have them return to Fuyuki City immediately, and I will allow you to provide me with mana.”
“Why is that?” Tokiomi was puzzled.
“I’m afraid my wife and daughter won’t be able to help you; they might even be a burden.”
In truth, he was resistant to the idea.
This was an unreasonable request.
He cared about his family’s safety, even if he was willing to act humble.
After all, his goal was simply to reach the Root.
Once he succeeded, he could just use a command spell to order the Servant to commit suicide to vent his frustration.
But if he brought his family back…
wouldn’t they be hostages?
“For fun,” Gwyn explained nonchalantly.
Just for fun?
That explanation was worse than no explanation at all!
The anger Tokiomi had managed to suppress flared up again, but he didn’t dare lash out, quickly reining in his emotions.
“If it pleases you, then I am willing to do so.”
In the end, Tokiomi chose to compromise.
“You know how to adapt to the situation,” Gwyn gave a rare word of praise, looking satisfied.
He removed his helmet, revealing a young face in his early twenties, incredibly handsome and possessed of an intense charm.
Even a grown man like Tokiomi was dazed for a moment before he began the ritual.
Finally, the contract to provide Gwyn with mana was completed.
Feeling the minuscule amount of power within his body, Gwyn sneered and shook his head contemptuously.
Even when given a chance, you’re useless.
He reached out his hand, and a large cluster of golden soul fragments appeared.
*Pop!*
Gwyn crushed the massive, dense soul cluster, which transformed into countless tiny strands of soul-fire that surged into his body.
Soul of a Great Lord of Cinder x99.
To put it simply, it was a massive experience boost.
After a moment, Gwyn indulged in the feeling of his body gradually being filled with power.
In Tokiomi’s eyes, however, the Servant’s attribute data began to skyrocket.
E-, E, D…
Finally, they reached terrifying levels: Strength A+~EX, Endurance A+~EX, Agility A+~EX, Mana A+~EX.
Only Luck and Noble Phantasm remained at E-~EX.
A+ wasn’t Gwyn’s limit; it was just that on a standard Holy Grail War Servant status sheet, A+ was usually the highest, with A++ appearing occasionally.
EX represented a magnitude that the Holy Grail could not observe or measure…
though it seemed there had never truly been a’standard’ Holy Grail War.
Looking at that string of luxurious A+ ranks, Tokiomi had only one thought:
This is a guaranteed win!
It was fortunate that he had remained rational and hadn’t rashly shown his impatience or distaste, let alone gone to the Church overseer to request a Servant swap.
Otherwise, he would have missed out on such an extraordinary Servant!
Heaven truly blesses the Tohsaka Family.
“The show begins.”
On the sofa, Gwyn picked up a cup of tea and swirled it gently, his gaze deep.
…
At the same time, far away in Germany at the Einzbern Family estate.
Emiya Kiritsugu, known as the ‘Magus Killer,’ and his Homunculus wife, Irisviel, were standing before a summoning circle.
To secure victory in the Fourth Holy Grail War and achieve the Third Magic.
As one of the Three Founding Families of the Holy Grail War, the Einzbern Family had gone so far as to hire Emiya Kiritsugu—a man notorious in the Mage world—and had him marry into the family.
Simultaneously, like the Tohsaka Family, they had conducted an extensive search for catalysts.
Finally, not long ago, the head of the family, Acht, had given the Emiya couple a scabbard.
He claimed it was a precious relic they had salvaged from the sea.
After multiple appraisals, they were certain it was the legendary scabbard:
Avalon, also known as The Everdistant Utopia.
The scabbard of the world-famous legendary King of Knights, King Arthur.
It was said to be the true source of the holy sword’s power, ten times more precious than the sword itself.
“With this relic, we will surely be able to summon that legendary King of Knights!”
Irisviel seemed incredibly excited.
Emiya Kiritsugu, however, remained extremely calm.
“Iri, let’s begin.”
“Okay.”
Irisviel calmed herself as well, placed the scabbard in the center of the circle, and began to channel mana while chanting the incantation.
Although Emiya Kiritsugu was a Mage, his level of magecraft was pitifully low; he relied entirely on his inherited Time Alter to make a living.
His methods for hunting Mages didn’t involve magecraft, but rather long-range sniping, poisoning, or blowing up entire buildings…
So in reality, while Emiya Kiritsugu held the command spells, the person actually performing the Heroic Spirit summoning and providing the Servant with mana was Irisviel.
Emiya Kiritsugu stared at the circle as it began to glow brightly.
Once the incantation was finished, a Servant appeared.
He was stunned for a moment.
“The legendary King Arthur is actually a woman?”
An expressionless, valiant female Heroic Spirit clad in silver-white armor appeared in the center of the circle.
A sheathless greatsword hung at her waist, she held a long spear in her right hand, and gripped reins in her left.
[Image]
Lancer Artoria
She sat atop a tall, handsome armored warhorse, scanning the two of them with a cold gaze.
Looking at the spear in her hand and the horse beneath her.
Irisviel couldn’t help but ask, “Are you a Lancer or a Rider? I thought we would summon the strongest class, Saber…”
She seemed a little disappointed.
The Servant did not answer her question, but instead issued a majestic counter-question:
“I ask you, are you the humans who summoned this King out of a desire for the Holy Grail?”
Emiya Kiritsugu answered instinctively, “Yes, we summoned you for the sake of the Holy Grail. I hope to use the Grail’s wish to make the world a better place.”
The Servant chuckled, seemingly mocking his naivety, or perhaps it was a smile with some other ambiguous meaning.
“How interesting.”
“Very well, I shall play along with you for a while.”
The Servant rode her horse out of the circle, then dismounted.
Noticing the scabbard in the center of the ritual site, she paused for a moment.
“How laughable, to finally reclaim it in such a manner.”
Shaking her head, she picked up the scabbard and absorbed it into her body.
At the same time, this confirmed one thing for Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel:
The Servant before them was indeed the legendary King Arthur.
This was truly unbelievable.
If King Arthur was a woman, then her Queen, Guinevere, and her son, Mordred…
The two didn’t think further on it, lest the implications become too terrifying.
‘King Arthur’ walked to the center of the circle, thrust her spear into the ground, and let out a command in a booming voice:
“My knights, appear!”
The circle instantly erupted with intense light, and the flow of mana created a gale.
“Gawain,” ‘King Arthur’ called out a name.
With a flash of white light, a handsome knight in golden armor appeared.
As soon as he appeared, he immediately knelt in greeting, shouting, “Gawain greets my King! Your knight shall fight for you once more!”
‘King Arthur’ merely nodded in response and continued calling names:
“Mordred.”
A knight wearing a horned helmet appeared, likewise kneeling and shouting:
“Mordred greets my Father! I shall once again become the sharpest sword in your hand, clearing all obstacles for you!”
“Tristan.”
“Tristan greets my King…”
“Kay, Agravain, Gareth, Bedivere…”
More and more Heroic Spirits gathered, until it looked like nearly the entire Knights of the Round Table had arrived.
“Lancelot.”
There was no response.
“Lancelot!” King Arthur frowned slightly and called again.
Still, there was no response.
Mordred couldn’t sit still and barked angrily, “That damned traitor, how dare he not respond to Father’s summons!”
“No matter,” King Arthur remained expressionless.
She drew her holy sword, held it before her eyes, and slowly ran her index and middle fingers along the blade.
The holy sword seemed to let out a low hum, vibrating slightly as if thirsting for blood.
All the Knights of the Round Table present raised their holy swords and shouted in unison: “For our King!”
Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel looked at the room full of knights, exchanged a glance, and saw shock and wild joy in each other’s eyes.
They had only intended to summon one Saber, but they hadn’t expected to summon a whole group of them.
With over a dozen genuine Heroic Spirits, how could they possibly lose?
With such an overwhelming advantage, how could we lose?!
Answer me!