Leonidas: The Man

Abner regretted that he had miscalculated his compatibility with Leonidas, which led to this awkward situation. This was the most awkward part of summoning a Servant with a Catalyst; while it had the advantage of identifying the summoned Servant and avoiding random chance, it also made compatibility issues awkward.

The best method, of course, would be to use Command Spells. However, there were only three, and each use diminished the supply. Abner was unwilling to waste such precious resources on such a minor issue.

What's more, the more "specific" the command of a Command Spell, the stronger its inhibitory power. Vague commands like "be a little nicer" wouldn't change much, even with a Command Spell.

Moreover, if he were to use a Command Spell, he feared that the rift between him and Leonidas would become irreconcilable.

However, Lancer had already been summoned. Rather than regretting it, it was better to prioritize how to make Leonidas perform at his best.

Fortunately, Leonidas didn't harbor any hostility towards him, but rather seemed to be issuing a warning, like a "show of dominance." From his demeanor, he didn't seem like a Servant with many ulterior motives. If Abner didn't overstep, they might get along quite well—or so he hoped.

Furthermore, Lancer Leonidas possessed quite excellent ability stats. As he claimed, it would be difficult to find an opponent in a head-on battle.

Coupled with Abner's magical support, they would be a formidable force.

Looking at Leonidas's imposing gaze, Abner's heart churned with doubt again.

It was fortunate that Abner was a disciple of Lord El-Melloi II and didn't possess the arrogance of a typical magus. Other elites from the Clock Tower might have, on the day of summoning Leonidas, put on a bluff out of pride and angered the Servant, leading to their demise.

Of course, if it weren't for Abner, those guys would surely have summoned Servants who looked particularly powerful.

"My name is Leonidas."

The giant's voice seemed to want to imprint his name firmly in Abner's mind, sounding almost physical, tearing at his eardrums, a truly "deafening" sound.

"I know, Lancer."

"Leonidas."

"Alright... King Leonidas."

It was clear that Leonidas greatly disliked the title "Lancer." Perhaps it reminded him of the word "Servant." A Spartan, who were slave owners, would absolutely refuse to be called a slave, wouldn't they?

Heh, losing two advantages before the battle even began.

Abner could only mock himself with a playful tone. The first disadvantage was compatibility, which had already been mentioned. Secondly, once a Servant's true name was revealed, their strengths and weaknesses would also be exposed to the enemy.

However, Abner remained relatively calm.

Anyone who saw the combination of a round shield, a spear, and a red cape would likely think of Sparta, especially with the prominent inverted V on the shield, which was the Spartan emblem. From there, it was easy to deduce that Lancer's true name was Leonidas. This was the downside of being too famous.

For example, Saber in the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars, King Arthur, had her true name revealed as soon as her golden sword was displayed.

However, Leonidas was the type of character whose true name, when known, only made things more troublesome. Abner couldn't think of any way to trick Leonidas.

"Leonidas."

Leonidas repeated himself.

"You are a free man, not a Spartan. You don't need to address me as 'King.' I am merely a warrior; I have no need for such empty titles."

Freedom again.

Abner gave a wry smile, feeling as though he was beginning to understand Leonidas.

A hero who fought for freedom, valuing "freedom" above all else. Moreover, this freedom was not just for himself; he would fight to defend his own freedom and also fight for the freedom of others.

However, this made Abner even more curious about the historical "Helots" of Sparta, who were called slaves. But...

Looking at Leonidas's torso, which was like a living bronze statue, Abner didn't have the courage to ask directly.

"Understood, Leonidas. Then you can just call me Abner. This is our residence, or in your words..."

Abner was momentarily at a loss for words. He had intended to say "Magic Workshop," but he feared that the mystical term might anger the valiant warrior.

"Bastion. Is that the word you're looking for?"

Leonidas uttered a term that clearly carried an aggressive connotation.

"Ah, yes, that's it."

"I understand. That thing called the Holy Grail already told me these things when it summoned me. Although I despise mysticism, a contract is a contract. You provide me with power in this world, and I will repay you with my shield, sword, and spear."

As if to emphasize his point, he pulled the spear that had been stuck in the floor with a powerful twist of his wrist. The dark blue shaft spun lightly in his hand, and each rotation undeniably stirred up sharp gusts of air.

While his technique wasn't flawless, his sheer power more than compensated for the flaw.

"Ah, I trust you completely, Leonidas. Please... no, let us achieve victory together."

Abner once again skillfully rephrased his statement.

Speech was a skill. People who were poor at speaking, no matter how kind-hearted, would only anger others. Skilled speakers could make even betrayal feel sweet.

Abner was clearly the latter type. Knowing what the other person disliked, he would avoid saying it. Phrases like "Please bring me victory" would surely anger a man who valued status and position, by placing the speaker in a superior position.

Moreover, this experience of speaking was also novel for Abner. At the Clock Tower, as a "magus of the El-Melloi II lineage" and an "outsider," he rarely had the chance to communicate normally with others. Perhaps it was discussing academics with senior magi, where Abner could only be a listener. Or perhaps it was discussing research with his students, where Abner didn't need to consider their feelings.

Communicating with someone on equal footing, considering their status, their likes and dislikes, such painstaking conversation gave the communication-deprived Abner a fresh feeling.

Just as Abner was about to say something, a "machine" in the corner of the room, ancient in design and adorned with a large ruby, suddenly began to vibrate. The gem, suspended by threads, acted as if an invisible hand were using it as a pen tip, dipping into ink and writing perfectly onto an A4 sheet of paper.

This was a magical device lent to him by Tohsaka Rin, a magical artifact that the Tohsaka family had used for generations as a "messenger." Its function was similar to a fax machine; the resonance between the two gems could accurately transmit information from one side to the other.

Superior to a fax machine, as a magical tool, it would never have its data intercepted.

More troublesome than a fax machine was that there were only a few such devices, making them not very versatile. If it weren't for considering the feelings of the Magic Association, Tohsaka Rin would probably have used a fax machine directly.

With an apologetic look at Leonidas, the heroic warrior cheerfully waved his hand, signaling him to go about his business. The burly man walked to a nearby window frame, hooked his fingers, and tapped it twice. Finding the windowsill quite sturdy, he casually drew the short sword at his waist and used the windowsill as a whetstone, preparing himself!

Watching this action left Abner speechless. A Lancer who uses a sword? That's truly rare.

But upon closer thought, in the Fifth Holy Grail War, Archer used dual blades. Is this some kind of trend?

Ah... perhaps it could be used as a blind spot... disguising Lancer as Saber?

Abner's active mind whirred rapidly, and his hands didn't stop either. He quickly walked to the gem device and picked up Tohsaka Rin's [fax].

There was only one large, messy line of text on it. The sender's urgency had already been conveyed to Abner through the device.

[Mina is missing!]