The Book of False Attendants (1/2-Please Add to Favorites!) / Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald (2/2)

Taking the book Rovey handed over, Matou Zouken's pupils suddenly contracted, and he immediately revealed an incredulous look.

"The Caster Class... If you chose to summon that man, then he truly would be an impeccable candidate. His talent and strength would not be inferior to any genius or hero. But it really is surprising that this thing survived even after the Clock Tower ordered its destruction..."

"...Rovey Crowley, Aleister Crowley? And... Crowley. Hehe, I see, I see... I was wondering how something like this could possibly appear. So there was such a connection. No wonder your magecraft and Alchemy are so unusual. Were they actually inherited from that man?"

Matou Zouken carefully examined the worn book in his hand, muttering to himself.

Though he was immensely curious, Rovey, the book's original owner, was right beside him. Thus, he did not privately open it to read it. Instead, he savored the unusual aura lingering upon it.

Alchemy, summoning magecraft, and traces of all kinds of Western magecraft theories...

Though its name had become illegible, after living for so long, he could still identify its origins. It was actually the original manuscript of the "Law Book."

One had to know that this thing had been ordered confiscated and destroyed by the Clock Tower many years ago.

"Law Book."

There was not merely one book of that name in the world of Mystery, but many. Yet the one that had caused such an uproar could be traced back to a certain genius from several centuries ago.

That man, whom the world of Mystery called a heretic, had proposed many heretical concepts and theories.

Without hesitation, he combined theology and magecraft, proposing new theories and using the miracle of the mind to manifest ancient magecraft from an extraordinarily unconventional angle. It was something incredibly difficult to believe or comprehend.

This was detached from the foundations of both modern magecraft and Age of Gods Magecraft. Even today, no one knew exactly how he had accomplished it. Naturally, such actions had also earned him pursuit from both the Mage's Association and The Church.

And this book was a grimoire written by that heretical man in Cairo, Egypt. Its name was—the "Law Book."

After completing this work, that mysterious man vanished from the world. To this day, no one had ever seen him again.

Some claimed that he had been secretly executed by the Burial Agency of The Church. Others claimed that he had been taken into custody by the Department of Law under a Sealing Designation. Still others claimed he had already reached The Root, with his body departing this world...

In short, all manner of speculation about that man continued to emerge, and even now, there was no satisfactory answer.

Yet one could not deny that he had been audacious—a traitor who had abandoned both the divine path and the path of magecraft. At the same time, he had been an imaginative pioneer, and many theories he left behind had now been proven true.

Naturally, Matou Zouken found it rather unbelievable that this thing had ended up in Rovey's hands.

At the same time, he had roughly realized that Rovey's family and that madman were far more than simple namesakes. Was he an inheritor? Or a descendant?

He began to ponder inwardly.

"Interesting. If we can truly summon the most vicious man in the modern magecraft world, then winning this Holy Grail War may become much easier..."

Matou Zouken gave it an extremely high evaluation.

Rovey, however, said nothing. He merely tossed the Law Book into the summoning ritual before him, attempting to establish a connection with a certain Heroic Spirit through it.

As time passed second by second, faint magical energy seeped from the summoning circle, but no Heroic Spirit appeared. The connection he had expected failed to form as expected.

After a long wait, the flickering light completely dissipated.

"It failed..."

Looking at the extinguished summoning circle, both Rovey and Matou Zouken could not help feeling somewhat disappointed.

"So it really won't work..."

Watching the light fade from the ritual circle, Rovey lowered his arm and retrieved the Law Book from within.

Though he had expected this before the summoning began, witnessing the result in person still left him feeling somewhat disappointed.

After all, if he could truly summon that man, he would be spared quite a few troubles afterward.

Trying to meet the author of the Law Book and seek advice on some of the problems he faced was also one of the important reasons why he had chosen to participate in the Holy Grail War.

But since it had already failed, there was no need to cling to it too stubbornly.

A shortcut was certainly tempting, but carving out his own path was not necessarily a bad thing.

"So it failed after all. That is understandable. That man was never so easy to summon, and even the world of Mystery can no longer determine whether he is dead or alive."

Matou Zouken shook his head, unsurprised by the result. Then he looked at Rovey beside him and spoke.

"I wonder whether the Crowley Patriarch possesses any other Sacred Relics that can serve as summoning catalysts. If not, I can provide some assistance."

"There is no need... I had expected this result before we began. Just in case, I specifically took other Sacred Relics from my teacher's estate this time. They may not compare to the Law Book, but their quality is not bad either."

As he spoke, Rovey pulled open his collar, removed the vermilion necklace around his neck, and handed it to Matou Zouken.

"Since that is the case, I will use this for the summoning—the broken fragment of the Magic Spear Gae Bolg."

The Scroll of False Allegiance (1/2, Please Bookmark!)

"Oh? This is..."

As Rovey reached out and tore the vermilion fragment hanging from his neck free, the magecraft that had restrained its magical energy immediately lost its effect. The unique aura of an Age of Gods artifact spread through the room.

Sensing that unusual aura from the distant Age of Gods, even Matou Zouken could not help casting a curious glance toward it.

Rovey did not deliberately conceal it. In any case, the two of them would be cooperating in the Holy Grail War afterward, so they would naturally learn each other's Servant's true names.

Thus, he simply handed over the spare Sacred Relic that he had deliberately taken from his teacher's residence before leaving.

"Ho? It truly is the aura of the Age of Gods. A Noble Phantasm fragment from a Magic Spear... What a treasure. You Clock Tower nobles certainly have no shortage of collections. First the Law Book, and now a fragment of an Age of Gods Noble Phantasm."

"The Vermilion Magic Spear, along with Rune... Then the summoned Servant should be Cú Chulainn, Child of Light of Ireland, correct? If she were summoned in the Lancer Class most compatible with her, she would indeed be an impeccable Servant. But as a Caster, it is somewhat regrettable. Still, I have heard tales of Cú Chulainn studying Rune, with magical attainments comparable to an Archdruid. So this truly is an impeccable Sacred Relic."

Matou Zouken picked it up and scrutinized it. Though he could not read the Rune engraved upon it, with his knowledge and experience, recognizing its origins was not difficult.

Though he found it regrettable that Cú Chulainn had not been summoned as a Lancer, he did not try to dissuade Rovey.

The stronger their summoned Servants were, the greater the advantage for both of them. Yet in this cooperation, neither of them was truly wholehearted. Each harbored thoughts of his own.

Without question, if the opportunity arose after all their other opponents had withdrawn, the two of them would certainly engage in a fierce battle over ownership of the Holy Grail.

Therefore, seeing Rovey summon a Caster secretly relieved him. Though Cú Chulainn indeed possessed some compatibility with Caster, the threat posed by this Caster was undoubtedly far less than that of the Lancer Class she was most proficient in.

With his preparations, along with Berserker Lancelot's second berserk transformation, he would absolutely be able to defeat her.

Clearly, Matou Zouken did not know about the peculiar curse borne by Lancer, the sorrow of Luck E, or the blue lancer who spun and charged forward.

"Lancelot and Cú Chulainn—both Servants are truly impeccable... Now that we have selected our Heroic Spirits, the next step is the remaining preparations. As for tactics..."

Paying no attention to Matou Zouken's petty hidden thoughts, Rovey narrowed his eyes and continued.

"Not long ago, you said that the girl Matou Kariya wished to protect was Sakura Tohsaka. In other words, the man who once stole the woman he loved was..."

"Tokiomi Tohsaka."

Matou Zouken answered.

"Yes, so it really was the Tohsaka Patriarch... What a twisted fate."

Hearing that, Rovey smiled as though he deeply agreed.

"Compared to an outsider like me, Matou Elder, you undoubtedly know far more about the Three Families. So what do you think of Tokiomi Tohsaka?"

Rovey continued questioning him. Of course, he knew Tokiomi Tohsaka and understood that the Tohsaka Family's inherited magecraft was Jewel Magecraft, with Tokiomi himself particularly skilled in fire magecraft.

But he did not say so. After all, he was merely an outsider Magus and had no reason to know the Tohsaka Family's information so intimately. Thus, he had to guide the conversation and let this Old Worm reveal it himself.

Moreover, the information he knew came only from memories of the past, and all of it came from visual media. Due to limited time, the magecraft shown and the like had probably only displayed each person's major characteristics, without fully explaining the more complicated details.

Before the battle began, asking Matou Zouken, who was especially familiar with Tokiomi Tohsaka, and then making minor adjustments to the plan based on that information was also a very good idea.

"Tokiomi Tohsaka... Heh, he is nothing more than a thoroughbred Magus, and one lacking talent at that. The only thing worth praising is his devotion to the path of magecraft."

"That man strictly follows the rules and principles between magi. He is especially obsessed with the inheritance of magecraft and the pursuit of The Root. That is why he sought another family to adopt his descendant."

As he spoke, Matou Zouken shook his head, his gaze filled with contempt.

To be honest, he truly looked down on that fool Tokiomi Tohsaka, and he felt sorrow for Nagato Tohsaka's descendants. Yet when he thought carefully about it, his own descendant, Matou Kariya, had actually been outdone by that goateed brat. His expression darkened even further. This was also one reason why he had always looked down on Matou Kariya and often called him useless.

As for his other descendant, Tsuruno Matou... That one was even more useless. His talent was not even equal to that of someone else's second-generation Magus. Matou Zouken had never considered nurturing him at all.

I see... So he really is the Tokiomi Tohsaka I remember.

Hearing this good news, Rovey nodded slightly.

"Then Tokiomi Tohsaka will be easy to deal with. But his Servant may be somewhat troublesome."

"Yes. If it is only Tokiomi Tohsaka, he is indeed not much of a threat. But this Holy Grail War is fought by Masters and Servants together."

Matou Zouken narrowed his eyes and proposed.

"However, I happen to have a plan."

"Let me hear it."

"I intend to have that fool Matou Kariya impersonate Berserker's Master and fight in my place publicly, while I hide in the shadows and act when the opportunity arises. That disappointing descendant of mine should also want to use this chance to settle matters with Tokiomi Tohsaka, shouldn't he?"

After saying that, a cruel smile appeared on Matou Zouken's face.

"Hm?"

Rovey raised an eyebrow. A smile appeared at the corner of his lips, and after pondering for a moment, he spoke again.

"That is indeed a good idea. Matou Kariya can control Berserker in the open while you move freely and conceal your identity in the shadows. When the time comes, you may truly catch the other Masters off guard."

"Yes. With your Caster and Berserker controlled by Matou Kariya drawing their firepower, this plan has a high chance of success."

"That said, Matou Elder, how should we disguise it? Although this generation of the Matou Family's magi is indeed dwindling, having Matou Kariya participate is a good choice. But Tokiomi Tohsaka and the other competing magi will not be so easily fooled. If they spot a flaw, it may instead make them wary."

Rovey deliberately reminded him, enticing Matou Zouken to act.

"Oh... You need not worry about that, because I had already intended for Matou Kariya to control Berserker and fight in my place. As one of the original founders of the Holy Grail System, the Matou Family naturally possesses methods unknown to others."

As he spoke, Matou Zouken reached out and searched through the bookshelf, placing a book-shaped Mystic Code he had prepared in advance before Rovey.

"This is called the Scroll of False Allegiance. It is a Mystic Code I specially created long ago for the sake of disguises. So long as one Command Seal is consumed, it can be activated. It can temporarily transfer Command Seals and control rights, so if Matou Kariya carries it, he can absolutely deceive the other participants. In any case, I have already left safeguards within that boy. With Sakura Tohsaka still in your hands, he will never rebel."

"Transfer two Command Seals, then have that boy use both of them when the time comes and pretend that Berserker has withdrawn. Meanwhile, I can reclaim control here. That would also be a fine tactic."

Matou Zouken stroked his chin as he pondered seriously.

As one of the original three founders of the Holy Grail ritual, his qualifications and knowledge were far beyond those of others.

In such a short time, he had already devised a viable plan with a considerable chance of success. This made Rovey view him in a new light.

Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern...

As expected of someone who could become close friends with Paracelsus von Hohenheim. He had once been a brilliant genius. Even if his soul had aged, he truly could not be underestimated...

Kayneth El-Mello Archibald (2/2)

Time: Not long ago.

Location: London, Clock Tower.

That day, a young man who had just finished dinner with his fiancée returned to his office.

His name was Kayneth El-Mello Archibald.

The current Lord El-Melloi, he was also a renowned genius at the Clock Tower. Following Grand Puppet Master Aozaki Touko, he was praised as a Magus with the potential to reach Grand Rank in the future.

He currently served as the head of the Mineralogy Department, director of the Spiritual Evocation Department, a Clock Tower lecturer, and a Color-Rank Magus.

Still in his twenties, he had already become a Lord. Whether in intelligence or status, he had reached the peak of his career. He was also one of the upper three banners of the Clock Tower's Aristocratic Faction. While commanding the El-Melloi school, he had the support of the two great noble houses, Yulifis and Barthomeloi. At present, he was flourishing in his prime.

Even many old Clock Tower magi did not deny that he would attain Grand Rank in the future. They also eagerly awaited whether Kayneth, this young genius of magecraft, could bring them a different kind of surprise like Aozaki Touko had.

Kayneth, who was already nearing the pinnacle of his life and receiving the admiration of others, was in high spirits.

Especially since he had recently succeeded in proposing to the daughter of his mentor, Lord Yulifis of the Spiritual Evocation Department. In the future, he would marry Sola-Ui, thoroughly cementing the alliance within the Aristocratic Faction and allowing his school to seize more of the Clock Tower's core authority. Before long, he would become the center of the entire Clock Tower.

At least, he firmly believed so.

After all, at such a young age, he had developed his own universal Mystic Code and mastered the major theories of the Mineralogy Department. He was also exceptionally proficient in spiritual evocation magecraft and was Lord Yulifis's prized disciple.

For that old Lord, who already had one foot in the grave and was now relying on his magecraft and Mystery to prolong his miserable existence, forcibly keeping himself in this world like a zombie, Kayneth was indeed an excellent talent.

To outsiders, he was a despicable and harsh man still immersed in the glory of the aristocracy. Yet those familiar with him understood that his harshness was directed only at students of lowly blood. Toward true geniuses from noble families, he spared no effort in teaching and nurturing them. Kayneth was precisely such a person.

It was because he had recognized Kayneth's bloodline and talent that, while his own future was uncertain, he nurtured a disciple so that after he departed, Kayneth could continue serving as a pillar of the Aristocratic Faction and help Barthomeloi oppose those incompetent mediocrities of the Democratic Faction and the fence-sitters among the neutral faction.

Kayneth solemnly chose to accept this and would soon marry his mentor's daughter.

What Kayneth did not know, however, was that his teacher Yulifis was also attempting to extend his own life. To that end, he had secretly contacted Aozaki Touko, who was under a Sealing Designation, seeking some special method.

In Yulifis's eyes, Aozaki Touko, descended from the Fifth Magic user, was undoubtedly a member of the magecraft aristocracy. Her abilities were also beyond reproach, so he naturally did not reject her. A large part of his expectations for Kayneth was also the hope that he could recreate Aozaki Touko's brilliance.