The Secret of the Origin Bullets

The thought that Kenneth, who was still alive and kicking before him, full of energy enough to criticize him, might soon meet a violent death...

Left him feeling uneasy.

Still, he raised his hand, wanting to say something, but when the words reached his lips, he had no idea how to begin.

He could hardly open his mouth and say, "Professor Kenneth, you're going to die," could he...

If he really said that, all he would get was a harsh scolding, and it would probably serve no purpose.

Under Weber's pleading gaze, Rovey was ultimately the one who steered the conversation in the right direction.

"By the way, Professor Kenneth, have you finished analyzing the thing I gave you before I left?"

Rovey smiled as he asked Kenneth, who seemed rather pleased with himself.

As he spoke, he blinked and held up two fingers toward Professor Kenneth in a gesture that might have offended a certain kimchi-loving nation.

"What does that mean?"

Although Weber beside him could not understand what Rovey was trying to convey, Kenneth was all too familiar with that gesture.

It was the size of a bullet.

And before leaving, Rovey had indeed given him a bullet. A bullet...

A terrifying bullet that made him shudder, one capable of killing even a Lord.

At that thought, the joy on Kenneth's face faded back into calmness.

"Hmph, I finished it long ago. Did you think I was... No, forget it. It's nothing."

Halfway through his sentence, Kenneth snorted, then glanced at Rovey without saying much. Nor did he boast about his greatness and capability as a teacher over such a trivial achievement.

As a Lord, he was not foolish, nor was he like Weber, full of fantasies and naivety.

The bullet contained practically no technical sophistication. Even an apprentice who had only just stepped into magecraft could easily discern its secrets after examining it.

If that was the case, why would his disciple be troubled enough by something so technically simple to specifically seek help from him, his teacher?

The sequence of events became clear with only a little thought.

Rovey was reminding him. More than that, he was using this to advise him to remain calm, to be cautious and prudent.

If even a tiny bullet could threaten a Lord's life, then what about the other entities in this Holy Grail War?

If he let his guard down, even he might die...

"Though it was unnecessary, at least you've got some conscience, brat."

Looking at Rovey's smiling face, Kenneth lightly shook his head and spoke to him in a voice so faint it was nearly imperceptible. Rovey merely smiled and did not answer directly.

Then, through the unspoken understanding in the master and disciple's eyes, the matter came to an end.

However, compared to Rovey, Kenneth turned his gaze toward Weber, who stood beside him with a confused expression, clearly having no idea what had happened. Anger immediately rose within him again.

Considering that Rovey still cared about him, had promptly provided important intelligence, and had brought him an outstanding genius, Rovey's previous offense could be completely forgiven.

But Weber... was still a mediocre fool who could never accomplish anything without ruining something else.

Even in the midst of war, he remained this confused, half-baked mess. Even with a top-tier Heroic Spirit like Rider, he could not control him. His aptitude as a Magus was exceedingly mediocre as well, to the point that he could not even accomplish something as simple as supplying mana.

Half-baked strength, a confused mentality, and a Servant unable to perform at full capacity—his debuffs were practically maxed out. Kenneth truly had no idea where this boy got the nerve to participate in such a magecraft ritual.

Though Kenneth still held a grudge over Weber's betrayal and theft of the Sacred Relic, what concerned him more was the fact that the boy had not grown at all.

Knowing full well how cruel this Holy Grail War was, he understood that if Weber remained in this half-baked state, he might truly die.

So...

"Weber Velvet! What are you still standing around over there for? Get over here at once! To keep you from dragging me down in the coming battles, I'm giving you some extracurricular tutoring right now!"

The sharp voice suddenly rang through Weber's mind, startling the still-confused Weber.

He looked up sharply toward the source of the voice, but all he saw was Kenneth's retreating back.

"Professor Kenneth, I..."

That figure moved farther and farther away. He stretched out his hand, wanting to say something.

But Rovey's earlier warning became crystal clear in his mind, leaving him unable to truly speak.

"What do you mean, 'I'? You useless fool, get over here already! I'm giving all those useless Mystic Codes and accessories on you a complete overhaul!"

In the end, Kenneth's voice once again filled Weber's mind, and Weber could only follow after him in frustration.

"Queen Scáthach, you were once the teacher of countless heroes. Do you think Professor Kenneth is doing the right thing?"

Watching the two leave, Rovey asked Scáthach, who had just returned after setting traps.

"I don't know. Your modern methods of teaching are far too different from those of my time. A student like him would not have lived to graduate under me."

Scáthach shook her head decisively.

"Yikes... That's really brutal." Rovey clasped his hands behind his back and smiled helplessly. "He clearly cares about his student, yet he always has to put on such a high-and-mighty front. Is that a teacher's dignity? Teachers really are troublesome..."

"Still, while his pride is certainly part of it, if Professor Kenneth explained things directly, Weber, with his half-baked mindset, would definitely grumble inwardly that Kenneth was only saying it because he was jealous of Weber's research talent and unwilling to acknowledge his success. Only by personally experiencing failure can he grow."

"Who knows? Some good intentions..."

Even Scáthach felt a little sympathy for Kenneth, having to educate a student like that.

"Yes. After all, they were both so stubborn and proud, and both inherited the name El-Melloi..."

Rovey smiled and reached for the remote on the sofa, pressing the play button.

"Some things have no effect when said face-to-face. You have to wait for the right time before they can slowly understand them..."

The Secret of the Origin Bullet (5K Words)

Hyatt Hotel

Inside Kenneth's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse... No, his Magic Workshop.

Three strange figures of different heights and colors were all crammed into the tiny room.

"Ohhh! There are quite a few interesting treasures here! This King can feel that every one of these items contains considerable mana. Especially that marvelous furnace—it truly delights this King!"

"And... this King's condition has never been better. My mana is abundant, and I can exert more than twice my previous strength! At last, I can have a proper fight without holding back!"

Under Kenneth's direction, Weber had connected his mana supply to a Mana Reactor in the workshop not long ago.

The lack of mana that had been troubling Iskandar had finally been completely resolved. Now that he had returned to peak condition, he was visibly in exceptionally high spirits.

Curious about the reason, he had dematerialized and slipped in from outside. Then he saw the countless Mystic Codes and materials in the workshop that dazzled his eyes, as well as the Lord-class Mana Reactor at the center that was replenishing his mana.

"Don't touch anything, Rider. Get out of here quickly. With your size, it'll be a real hassle if you knock things over in the workshop."

Seeing Iskandar barge in uninvited and start poking at the surrounding Mystic Codes, Weber's heart suddenly leaped into his throat. He hurriedly tried to stop Rider's suicidal behavior.

"Ohhh, it would be troublesome? Then this King won't touch them. This King only wants that furnace." Iskandar pointed at the operating Mana Furnace behind him.

Iskandar did not care much about the other smaller items. What concerned him most was the Lord-class Mana Furnace supplying him with mana.

After experiencing its powerful effects, of course he could not easily give it up.

After all, with a furnace like that, he would no longer need to worry about whether Weber's body could withstand his power, allowing him to remain at peak condition in battle at all times.

He would not need to use his original trump card so cautiously anymore. The improvement to his combat strength would be enormous.

Therefore, whether for personal reasons or strategic ones, he was determined to get that furnace. After all, it was a treasure that could greatly increase his chances of victory.

"Rider!!"

Hearing Iskandar say something so shocking, Weber's heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

That big idiot might not know this thing's value and importance, but Weber certainly did.

This was a Lord-class Mana Furnace. Even at the Clock Tower, it was an exceptionally rare treasure. Some Mage Families even regarded such a thing as part of their family foundation, a trump card. Its value could rival that of a small or medium-sized Mage Family. By itself, it was equivalent to a portable, weakened Ley Line.

How could Weber not be terrified when this guy opened his mouth and asked to carry off a treasure as vital as that? He hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, afraid that the man would actually do it.

"Oh? Are you going to stop this King from conquering a treasure, boy?"

Iskandar asked Weber, "Then you are this King's enemy."

"Conquer my ass! Who goes into someone else's home to conquer things? That's just robbery, isn't it? And... this is an ally's workshop. Were you the sort to attack your allies when you were alive too?"

Weber rarely showed such backbone. Perhaps it was because the things he had recently learned had far exceeded his understanding. Perhaps he had also realized the cruelty of the Holy Grail War, and that with his former half-baked, weak mentality, it would be difficult to survive this war, let alone save Professor Kenneth, who was far stronger than him...

He needed to make some changes.

"Ho, you've changed quite a bit, boy... You seem to have more backbone now."

Iskandar crossed his arms and looked thoughtfully at Weber. "You've grown. Has this King's fine character rubbed off on you?"

"No matter who said that, I'd least want to hear it from you. What fine character could a guy who only talks about stealing possibly have?"

Weber pouted in displeasure.

"What do you mean, stealing? It is called conquest! As the King of Conquerors, this King must uphold the kingly path of conquest! Anything this King desires must naturally be conquered!"

Iskandar proudly pointed at the furnace behind him, patted Weber on the back, and said, "Boy, this King has taken a liking to that furnace. If you can get one for this King, then this King will stop eyeing this one."

That slap landed on Weber's thin back, and Weber's brow twitched as the blow nearly knocked the breath out of him.

Could you listen to what you were saying?

If I had the money to buy a Lord-class Mana Furnace, would I be this broke, to the point of having to stay at someone else's house?

"I refuse! Leaving aside the fact that I simply can't afford one, don't forget, Rider, I'm your Master. Stop making demands that I can't possibly fulfill!"

"So you can't afford it? Is this thing that expensive?"

"Isn't that obvious? Setting aside its price of over a hundred million pounds, Lord-class Mana Furnaces are things money can't easily buy."

"Do you think your Master can afford over a hundred million pounds?"

Weber was completely speechless with him. He decisively made Rider give up on the unrealistic notion of having Weber buy a Mana Furnace.

"I see. Then this King..."

Seeing Weber's resolute attitude, Iskandar let out a deep sigh. "Will have to go make money myself."

"?!!"

Weber's eyes widened. In that brief instant, countless scenes and possibilities flashed through his mind.

Hauling bricks, demolition work, farming, and boxing—jobs involving manual labor were perfectly suited to someone over two meters tall.

But Iskandar did not seem to understand modern prices. Over a hundred million pounds was not something manual labor could earn, unless...

Weber suddenly seemed to think of something. His eyes widened, and he carefully asked, "What kind of work are you going to do?"

He could not imagine that someone with Rider's personality would honestly haul bricks to help support the household. After ruling out every impossible answer, the last one, no matter how unwilling he was to believe it, had to be the truth.

"What else? Robbing money is obviously the fastest way..."

Iskandar gave a thumbs-up and flashed a cheerful smile. "Come rob a bank with this King, boy! We'll make a fortune together! If this King remembers correctly, this should be your modern people's treasury, yes? Now that I think about it, this King robbed the treasuries of quite a few nations in the past and seized plenty of gold, silver, and jewels from them. To think I would have a chance to do it again now. Robbing a modern bank... Just thinking about it makes this King's blood race!"

"Don't you dare!!"

Weber screamed. In that instant, his legs went weak. He was clearly completely defeated by the guy in front of him.

Because he knew very well that with Rider's personality, he would genuinely do what he said. And he would definitely rob the place in broad daylight without any disguise, then drag Weber along as an accomplice with absolute certainty!!

If that really happened, they would definitely make the news across the Far East. Then he would surely become the first Master in history to get arrested and spend the entire Holy Grail War sitting in a police station.

"Enough, both of you!"

"Weber, get over here at once!"

While they were arguing, Kenneth had already extracted the final research results.

After fiercely berating the two idiots for their foolish plan to rob a bank, an act that disregarded the concealment of Mystery, Kenneth called them over to witness the precious moment when he unraveled the Magus Killer's secret.

"So that's how it is. This special bullet really works on this principle...

"This is the true secret the Magus Killer has always concealed, and the reason Rovey deliberately stepped in to block it for me that night."

Looking at the Origin Bullet sample floating in the test tube, Kenneth slowly exhaled, still feeling lingering fear.

After several hours of research, he had completely deciphered the secret of the Origin Bullet. Following the clues, he had even uncovered the essence of that Magus Killer.

The principle was truly simple and crude, yet unexpectedly effective...

And for Magi, it was practically a natural superweapon.