Chapter 97

"No matter what, thank you for not giving up on me."

At this moment, inside the Snowfield City Police Department.

"It's really hard to believe you'd actually come here..."

Orlando Reeves, the Police Chief of Snowfield City, looked at his Servant with considerable surprise.

The False Magecraft User, Alexander Dumas.

"Oh dear, oh dear, I didn't want to either, after all, I'm quite weak." Alexandre Dumas sighed and took a sip of water. "The reason I did it that way was because I had no choice. I had to focus on the Holy Grail War. I finally managed to form an alliance with Carl —no, since he calls himself Charlemagne just went along with his request—and I thought victory was just around the corner."

Although the Police Chief thought it would probably be just his usual frivolous remarks, it was true that True Magic could occasionally reveal important information, so the Police Chief decided to wait for the other party to speak without too much expectation.

"So why now—"

Before the Police Chief could finish speaking, Alexandre Dumas shook his chair violently, a self-deprecating expression on his face, and said:

"Hey buddy, I'm serious, why don't we just surrender? There's no way we can win, no matter how you look at it. I can't even get past that lightning."

"... Yeah."

"Police Chief, I'm not joking. Although I'm the one who creates heroes, I don't have the power to compare with those who are close to gods."

"You've already decided that it's Novia, the founder of the Church, but can Ritual of this magnitude really summon her? And from the perspective of the Magecraft World, Novia shouldn't be in a world where the Age of Age of Gods has vanished. Logically speaking, she shouldn't be comparable to the heroes of the Age of Gods."

"Hey buddy, things aren't that simple."

Then Alexandre Dumas gave his Master a bitter smile tinged with pity.

Those new to Magecraft might think so, but according to the facts, Novia was born on the same day Jesus ascended to heaven and died. And ultimately, Jesus, as the Savior preached by the Church, is more than just a simple matter of Faith.

Moreover, brother, Novia is not just the founder of the Church. On the Island of Britain, where the secrets are difficult to divulge and the world is sealed off, the 'Clock Tower,' one of the Magecraft strongholds today, relies on the relics he left behind in the Roman Empire.

The void beneath London is enormous, and it seems that the mysterious, vibrant flesh and blood were used by Emperor Nero at his behest. In other words, the mystery surrounding the Clock Tower is still thanks to him.

At this point, Alexandre Dumas paused for a moment, then spoke in a rather somber tone, as if deliberately addressing the Police Chief.

"Hey bro, do you know what Novia was called in our time? Maybe he's still called that now."

"The Holy One, that should be it."

"No, it is the Holy Spirit."

This statement carried significant weight; though it was just a single sentence, it was enough to render the Police Chief speechless.

If he truly is one of the Trinity, how could there possibly be any possibility of victory against him?

"But if that's truly the case, why participate in the Holy Grail War?"

The Police Chief questioned Alexandre Dumas with suspicion, noting his affected manner of speaking.

"Who knows? It's just speculation. Some people even say that King Avia of the King of the Huns is actually the same person as him. But don't spread that around. El-Melloi and his gang don't believe that the two are the same person. After all, it's no exaggeration to say that the Association and the Church are essentially Sea of Blood."

As he spoke, Alexandre Dumas seemed to remember something and continued:

You know The Count of Monte Cristo, right?

"Yes, those are characters from your novel."

"No, no, no." Alexandre Dumas shook his head. "Edmond Dantès was a real person; I was merely the writer. But actually, what I meant was, whether Novia was the Holy Spirit is the same as whether Edmond, the Count of Count of Monte Cristo, was a real person."

"... I don't understand? You can put it simply, or stop beating around the bush. There's only the two of us here, there's no need for this."

"The Christ Mountain is literally the Christ Mountain, yes, Christ."

180: Altrouge Brunestud (4k5)

In the heart of the Snowfield City, beneath that building, a gentle breeze was blowing.

It was a wind blowing from the Thunderbolt overhead, carrying a faint, natural scent.

"Sir, are we really going to have to wait here forever? It's almost evening..."

Hassan of the Zealot through the gap in the fabric covering her face, looking at Black Princess was nonchalantly drinking tomato juice beside her, with a puzzled expression.

Altrouge Brunestud turned her head, looked at her with sharp eyes, and said:

"It's going to be difficult for me to get up there. Those Thunderbolt and such have a restraining effect on the Dead Apostle bloodline in my body, so I'll just wait here. There's no need to rush."

After saying that, Altrouge Brunestud glanced at the Thunderbolt overhead, then looked around at the leisurely crowd who seemed completely unaware of what had happened.

This doesn't mean the people here are overly optimistic, but rather that the city is filled with subtle hints, suggesting that it was specifically created for the Holy Grail War.

The layout of public facilities and roads, the advertising signs and roadside trees, etc., are all decorated with Magecraft an ordinary Magecraft would only think are simple markings at first glance.

Or color schemes in scientific fields that may induce specific psychological effects, which only activate when many elements overlap, deeply influencing the mind and body of residents.

To accurately measure the implications generated by combining Magecraft and non- Magecraft elements, it is necessary to gather Magecraft with excellent observation skills and people like Lord El-Melloi II present.

This was enough to deceive the many Magecraft passing by, the many sociologists who had doubts about the city's rapid development, and even more so, the residents who actually settled here and were living their lives there.

Essentially, the city called Snowfield and everything within it are sacrifices Sacrifice to the false Holy Grail.

However, now, there are absolutely no hints here.

According to Altrouge Brunestud, the reason why the terrifying Thunderbolt could not be seen and why it was unaffected by the interaction between Servant was precisely Avia's doing.

Is that so?

"Of course, Dead Apostle are always the target of most people, no matter the era. Although there are Dead Apostle who have continued since the Age of Gods, they would still be targeted if the Deity knew about them. After all, humans and Dead Apostle are natural enemies at all times."

Hassan of the Zealot was quite aware of what Altrouge Brunestud had said. If she hadn't sensed the aura of the Holy Temple from Black Princess, Kyoko would have already assassinated her, given Hassan of the Zealot personality. After all, as a fanatic, she couldn't tolerate such defilement.

Hassan of the Zealot vaguely remembered that during the Crusades, in the time of Richard the Lionheart, there was a Dead Apostle Ancestor who led countless monsters to fight on the battlefield in the Middle East. His name was Nero Chaos. Therefore, she had long harbored a deep hatred for the Dead Apostle species.

"I was so sorry for overlooking that..."

The young female Assassin apologized to those who had failed to reach the Holy Temple she herself had been unable to access.

"There's no need to apologize, just grab something to eat first."

As she sipped her tomato juice, Altrouge Brunestud glanced at the menu on the table; every item on it was incredibly expensive by Human World.

But when you see what's served, you realize it's worth the expense; the amazing and touching experience the food brings is immeasurable.

After hesitating for a long time, looking at the food that was served, Altrouge Brunestud chose the Chocolate cake first. She happily moved the plate of cake in front of her, put down her fork, and took the first bite. She showed a joy that she hadn't shown in many years.

"You eat some too," Altrouge Brunestud said to Hassan of the Zealot. She finally put the cake in her mouth, without saying anything, just chewing with her mouth full, waiting for Hassan of the Zealot's next move.

"..."

Strawberry Cake sat in front of Hassan of the Zealot, who was sitting next to her. The cake looked delicious and tempting, but she didn't touch it.

Looking at her new Master, Hassan of the Zealot noticed that ever since that great man arrived, the previously taciturn and cold Altrouge Brunestud seemed to have become a completely different person, quite lively.

No, to be precise, it's like finally meeting the person you've been waiting for after many years.

That's certainly true.

When Altrouge Brunestud sensed this, although she didn't show any change in front of Hassan of the Zealot, she actually secretly cried a little.

As she tossed star-shaped sugar granules into the cake and stirred it with a small stick, Altrouge Brunestud glanced at Hassan of the Zealot, who still hadn't removed her cloth, and thought to herself that she and Hassan of the Zealot had actually gone through similar experiences.

As the new Master of Hassan of the Zealot, Altruki naturally learned about her Servant's past.

In the past, within the new empire that arose above the one Avia and I had traveled to, there was an organization founded by the old man from that Holy Temple—

"You're not qualified. Although you have decent talent, you lack creativity."

"And most importantly, you are not devout enough."

Whispers filled the Order, and at the Ritual to choose the next Hassan al-Sabah, Hassan of the Zealot and Hundred Faces stood side by side.

The floor was covered with a light green mat, and the air smelled of dried flowers—a scent that always appeared at any event the organization held.

"Therefore, the next one, Hassan al-Sabah, is Hundred Faces."

At that moment, Hundred Faces was like a beautiful stone sculpture, completely stunned.

When faced with the elders' choice, Hassan of the Zealot did not object. It wasn't that she didn't feel regret, but rather that she believed she was indeed not devout enough, just as the elders had said.

After all, she has always given people the impression of being unapproachable, but it's not intentional; it's just how she is.

Although she understood this, she did not change her mind; this was the path of her Faith.

As a member of the organization, Hassan of the Zealot is a girl with unwavering Faith, but it is precisely that unconventional Faith that leads people to scornfully call her a 'fanatic'.

Even those who worship the same god uttered contemptuous remarks, but the girl did not hate others. She simply believed that she was being despised because she was immature and her Faith was insufficient.

However, it was precisely this Faith, which was more devout than anyone else in the Order, and his exceptional talent that led to his elimination by the Order elders on the grounds of a lack of originality and insufficient Faith, thus preventing him from becoming the nineteenth Hassan al-Sabah.

But the girl believed that she had failed to be chosen because her Faith was insufficient, so she studied her Faith even more diligently than before. As a result, she accomplished nothing in her life and lived merely as a fanatic. In a situation where even martyrdom was not allowed, she wasted her life without any achievements and then disappeared without a trace.

Even so, the fanatic does not hate the world, nor does he harbor any resentment; after all, the Hassan of the Zealot is one that ordinary people cannot save.

As Hassan of the Zealot's Master, Altrouge Brunestud naturally saw and experienced all of this from her own perspective.

Black Princess naturally scoffed at the Order's claims. She could easily tell that these elders treated her foolish sister worse than the True Ancestor in the Millennium Castle. At least those guys, while trying to use her, wouldn't resort to such baseless lies to deceive her.

She even felt that if the old man really wanted to get involved in these matters, he might first eliminate these incompetent elders... But by then, these elders might just turn their backs on him.

"Please be careful with it!"

As Hassan of the Zealot silently gazed at the cake plate before her, she suddenly sensed an aura resembling a Heroic Spirit approaching from the nearby Cross, and immediately assumed a fighting stance.

"Please don't do that. I am not an enemy of the Child of the Planet. My name is Enkidu, and this is my Master."

An indistinguishable male or female Servant breathtakingly beautiful long green hair, carrying a silver wolf, slowly approached.

The False Lancer, Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, and his Master, the Artificial Silver Wolf.

"I should say 'Nice to meet you,' I am Altrouge Brunestud, and this is my Servant. What brings you here?"

In response to Enkidu's self-introduction, Altrouge Brunestud nodded in agreement.

The Black-Haired Girl, a hybrid of True Ancestor and Dead Apostle, naturally knew at that moment that Enkidu's aura was one with this vast world.

In other words, it's like nature in human form, a figure that is somewhat similar to a god or spirit, and Black Princess, as the True Ancestor, can also be considered the daughter of 'Gaia'.

Then, the beautiful woman with flowing green hair smiled serenely and replied:

"After the Holy Grail War ends, could you please take care of my Master?"

Upon hearing this, Altrouge Brunestud sat in her chair, tilting her head in confusion as she looked at the artificial creature that Enkidu put down.

Speaking of which, she hadn't seen her pet Cath Palug for a long time. The White Knight said that the creature seemed to always run off to play while she was sleeping, sometimes for hundreds of years at a time, and even now that she was awake, it still hadn't returned...

Thinking this way, Princess Kuro couldn't help but murmur:

"You've really gotten bolder, Kathy..."

After that, Altrouge Brunestud nodded:

"Alright, I'll find someone to take good care of it."

"Thank you." Enkidu chuckled and nodded, then looked towards the Grand Canyon, frowning. "Gilles has already... I knew it. If it could make that roar, it means that guy is here too."

Originally, Enkidu had no interest in the Holy Grail War. Apart from protecting his Master and fighting his long-lost friend, the King of Heroes, once again, he found it quite boring and didn't care about Novia's declaration of war.

Until recently, Enkidu sensed Humbaba's presence, the 'girls' whom the Chains of Heaven failed to save.

Unlike the 'system' of clay figurines that never change, Humbaba is cursed and forced to change.

That was also Enkidu's first friend, and every time they met, Humbaba would ask Enkidu if he still remembered him.

At the gods' command, the two were ultimately forced to part ways. And at the moment of parting, when Enkidu met Humbaba, the last words he heard were. "Who... are you?"

Later, Enkidu encountered many humans, Shamhat, changed his appearance, and broke free from the control of the gods to adventure everywhere.

However, the Chains of Heaven have never forgotten a single word spoken by the first 'human' girl they met, nor the records of the existence of the Humbaba.

Even when Enkidu dismantled the crazed Humbaba beyond recognition with his own hands, the guilt he felt caused Enkidu 'Enkidu system to emit strange noises.

That's why Enkidu rushed over to see Humbaba, who was still in immense pain, and that's how he encountered Altrouge Brunestud and Hassan of the Zealot downstairs.

Then, a few seconds later, the Chains of Heaven watched as the Bull of Heaven, who had appeared on the rooftop, vanished in a short time, along with the aura of the Goddess. He sighed helplessly, "That guy actually died... Humbaba, you..."

Enkidu was somewhat disappointed that he couldn't see Humbaba again and that his friends had passed away so quickly, but then he thought that since Ista died so soon, it was a good thing.

Seeing this, Altrouge Brunestud sighed softly, then spoke again in a troubled tone:

"Alright, alright, I don't like seeing such a listless expression. Here's some food, although it's mostly fruit or nuts. Would you like some?"