Riddle Meisters, Get Out of the Mystery Side / There Will Always Be a Haystack to Catch the Assassin ...

"The Lord of the Clock Tower are all interested in the Holy Grail, yet the Mage's Association hasn't retrieved Holy Grail. Sure enough, the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg is behind this."

Fujimaru Kyoya understood Lord El-Melloi II's purpose in coming. In any case, there was nothing to hide about what happened during the Holy Grail War, and it wouldn't be impossible for the other party to find out if they wanted to.

More importantly, Bazett said that although the Lord's Magecraft skills... had a lot of room for improvement, he was undoubtedly the best at teaching students.

In less than ten years, he transformed an abandoned classroom into the most popular classroom in the Clock Tower. At the same time, although his disciples had eccentric personalities, their strength was among the best of their generation.

Considering that Tohsaka Rin will also be studying at the Clock Tower in the future, cultivating a good relationship with this teacher now would definitely be beneficial.

"Pseudo-Servant? This... might be a viable direction."

After Fujimaru Kyoya's explanation, Lord El-Melloi II was somewhat discouraged.

The reason why this Holy Grail War started again after a ten-year interval was entirely because the Fourth Holy Grail War had not yet determined a winner, so there was no need for sixty years to recharge.

Now that someone has made a wish in this Holy Grail War, the next one will have to wait sixty years.

Lord El-Melloi II was already in his twenties when he participated in the Holy Grail War. Now, ten years later, he'll be in his thirties. If he waits another sixty years... given his Magecraft abilities, he'll probably be old and gray by then, let alone be able to participate in the Holy Grail War.

However, the Pseudo-Servant did give him a new direction for research, for which he was still very grateful to Fujimaru Kyoya.

"Paris seems to be in turmoil lately. If not necessary, it would be best for Lord El-Melloi II to return to the Clock Tower as soon as possible."

Fujimaru Kyoya left this piece of advice and planned to return to the hotel, since he had just seen quite a few familiar faces.

A mere few hundred years cannot erase the memory of an Ancestor of Dead Apostles. Clearly, due to the interconnectedness of the "Flock," these herded Dead Apostle also sensed that those who should have been asleep were about to awaken.

It seems that centuries of leisurely life have made them unwilling to return to the era ruled by the Dark Six Royal Authorities.

I will consider it.

This was, of course, just polite talk on the surface. Lord El-Melloi II had no intention of leaving. After all, as a teacher, he needed to keep up with the latest information on the matter of "snakes," otherwise he would be teaching his students incorrect knowledge.

The representative of Serpent Magecraft is an unofficial member of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, who used the method of snakes shedding their skin to repeatedly change bodies and reincarnate, thus earning the nickname "Akasha Snake".

If the origin of Serpent Magecraft is denied, then that guy would be the first victim, but it seems he was in Far Eastern Island Nation a few years ago, so it's hard to say whether that was lucky or unlucky.

As for him, he still holds the same view: as the Lord of the Clock Tower, the Dead Apostle wouldn't cause trouble for no reason; moreover, his weakness is something that everyone in the mystical world knows, so he can't possibly affect anything regarding the resurrection of the Dark Six Royal Authorities.

I doubt he would...

"What a misfortune."

Looking at the gloomy surroundings and the cold atmosphere, Lord El-Melloi II was reminded of the time when he had just returned to the Clock Tower to rebuild the El-Melloi Classroom, only to be kidnapped by Reines.

This time it's even more significant.

The presence of the Black Ji and the White-Winged Duke at the head of the table, flanked by the White Knight, indicates that the Dead Apostle are serious this time.

Being stared at by one by one by the named Ancestor of Dead Apostles, Lord El-Melloi II was now practically begging for a photo at the cannibals' doorstep—he was utterly humiliated.

"Um... I think you've got the wrong person."

If facing a single Ancestor of Dead Apostles, the title of the Lord of the Clock Tower might intimidate the opponent, and a conflict could be avoided by paying a small price.

This was Lord El-Melloi II's thinking. After all, he had Grea protecting him, and even if he faced a few of the Ancestor of Dead Apostles, he might not be guaranteed to win, but he could at least escape.

In hindsight, we were overthinking it. This wasn't the work of some Ancestor of Dead Apostles at all, but rather a massive operation led by two King of Dead Apostles.

With the Dead Apostle so determined, the reputation of the Clock Tower is utterly meaningless.

Is the Dark Six Royal Authorities truly about to be resurrected?

Lord El-Melloi II's expression grew increasingly grim.

"That's right~ With Lord El-Melloi II's reputation so great, we wouldn't mistake an important ally."

"Assistant?"

Lord El-Melloi II, listening to Altrouge's words, was just as bewildered as Louis XVI holding Head & Shoulders. What could he possibly offer as assistance to Ancestor of Dead Apostles's caliber?

"These are the clues we found; let's show them to Lord El- El-Melloi."

Following Black-Winged Duke's command, a Dead Apostle retrieved an old manuscript with a string of incomprehensible text on it.

"The Holy Grail awaits beneath ancient RosaLink, guarded by both sword and Holy Grail at her door. She lies in the embrace of the masters' beloved masterpieces, finally finding rest under a starlit sky."

Lord El-Melloi II stared at the string of words, puzzled. It wasn't poetry; it was more like... a riddle.

Damn it, Riddler, get out of the mystery!

However, one key word Holy Grail, caught Lord El-Melloi II's attention, though it should be different from the Holy Grail in Fuyuki City.

"This information was obtained from a secret treasure passed down by the Priory of Sion."

"The Priory of Sion? Does that organization really exist?"

Clearly, Lord El-Melloi II, as a key figure in the mystery, had undoubtedly heard of this name.

Legend has it that this was formed by a group of mysterious believers who seem to have continued to exist to protect some secret. The Church has always denied the existence of the Priory of Sion, but at the same time, it has been eliminating anyone who might be a member of the Priory of Sion.

The Priory of Sion, on the other hand, has always kept itself hidden while simultaneously driving the course of history.

Art, adventure, science... they have people in every field, and their existence has driven two industrial revolutions, turning Magecraft into pariahs.

The Clock Tower was originally an institution for Magecraft and nobles to further their studies. However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, it was impacted by industry and had to accept commoner students. Furthermore, the original law department was abolished and thirteen other subjects were established to create the Department of Modern Magecraft, which is now led by Lord El-Melloi II.

In a sense, the Priory of Sion was Lord El-Melloi II's benefactor.

Without the Priory of Sion, a poor student like Lord El-Melloi II would have been utterly unqualified to enter the Clock Tower, let alone become Lord.

"That's right, this information concerns the whereabouts of the Holy Grail, which the Church wants to destroy, and the Dark Six Royal Authorities."

Chapter 234 There Will Always Be Haystacks to Catch the Assassins 61/165

"Senior Ciel, is this really accurate information? Or is the Priory of Sion playing a trick on us?"

In a quiet little inn, a refined-looking young man stared at a note in his hand, covered in incomprehensible writing. Did it really contain what they were looking for?

"This is information given to me from above. Whether it's right or wrong, I have to do it the way they say. That's the helplessness of the adult world, Shiki."

Sister Ciel, eating curry—a rare treat in Paris —complains about her boss's incomprehension. She laments that the workplace isn't school; there are no teachers to look after you, nor classmates to understand you.

The Burial Agency is definitely the worst workplace in the world. The only way to survive happily is to simply answer "Ah, yes, yes, yes~" to your boss's tasks.

"Will we all eventually become that kind of adult?"

Tohno Shiki sighed. Five years had passed since the incident with Roa, and he had finished his university studies abroad and reached the age to enter the workforce.

Because he was abroad, his feelings for Ciel did not diminish. However, it was precisely because of this growing affection that he worried about Ciel's work, especially since Ciel had lost his Immortality after Roa's death.

Ordinary missions are one thing, but this time he's facing the Ancestor of Dead Apostles, and he's heard there's also a powerful figure like Arcueid's sister. How could he not be worried?

The assassination techniques of the Nanaya Family and the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would definitely be a boon to Ciel; that was his original thought...

"Didn't you expect the initial problem to be solving a mystery? But the Holy Grail... has the Church's Holy Grail been lost?"

"Of course that wasn't lost. After all, it's Sacred Relic used by Jesus. Even if the Pope lost his head, he wouldn't lose that thing. The Holy Grail here... should be the Mary Magdalene."

Although the Burial Agency does not require faith, as Church employee, she still had to put on a show, and she did read the Bible and such.

"In ancient written characters, a raised triangle signifies a man, while a concave triangle often signifies a woman. But what does a cup look like?"

Tohno Shiki also realized the meaning behind Ciel's words.

The inverted triangle shape resembles a wine glass, and in the Bible, the blood of Jesus was placed in the Holy Grail, meaning...

"Was Mary Magdalene the wife of Jesus and born of God?"

Tohno Shiki immediately understood the seriousness of this matter for the Church. Once the Holy Grail or even the Blood of God within Holy Grail was found, Jesus' Divinity would be greatly weakened. However... Ciel didn't seem to care about this.

"The Church once made many efforts to destroy the Holy Grail, but it fell to the Dark Six Royal Authorities. It was also because of that person that the Church later split. Therefore, whether Jesus was human or not is no longer as important as it was back then."

Ciel has never had much faith to begin with, not to mention that it's the 21st century now, and the glory of God is gradually being drowned out by science. Even if it were revealed that Jesus was a man and not a god, it wouldn't cause much of a stir.

"What the Church truly cares about is the Dark Six Royal Authorities."

According to the intelligence gathered by Ciel, the Church was unable to suppress the intellectual enlightenment during the Renaissance because of the interference of the Dark Six Royal Authorities.

Even a century later, he played a key role in the establishment of Protestantism in Britain, making him arguably the Church's most hated and feared enemy.

The Dark Six Royal Authorities possess absolute power, yet they do not resolve problems through slaughter. Instead, they punish their opponents in a way that is absolutely unacceptable to others.

During the more than one hundred years he was active, the Church and the Dead Apostle were like castrated dogs, trampling on everyone and everything, until his mysterious disappearance allowed both sides to recover.

"Legend has it that the Dark Six Royal Authorities, in order to protect the Holy Grail, ultimately chose to bury themselves next to Holy Grail. After all, although that guy didn't seem like a good person, in the end, he did do quite a few good things."

Ciel recalled the members of the Priory of Sion whose identities had been confirmed: Da Vinci, Copernicus, Newton... From today's perspective, each of them was a great figure who laid the foundation for today's society.

"So the Burial Agency only sent you this time?"

Tohno Shiki now understood why everyone in the Church was so anxious, but the Burial Agency, their greatest fighting force, wasn't in a hurry at all.

They didn't care about the Holy Grail; as long as the Dark Six Royal Authorities didn't reappear, then it was a victory for them.

"Since the Dark Six Royal Authorities have buried themselves beside the Holy Grail, they generally won't appear. My task is simply to prevent the Dead Apostle from disturbing their rest."

As an organization established under the guidance of the Dark Six Royal Authorities, the Burial Agency naturally contains descriptions of its six Royal Authority, and there are even rumors that it has mastered the First Magic.

"This is a real headache."

Tohno Shiki lay in bed, the moment he closed his eyes, he could recall the events of five years ago: the terrifying Ancestor of Dead Apostles appearing in droves, and one of them possibly possessing Magic abilities...

[You have determined the approximate location of the Holy Grail, which has remained unchanged for hundreds of years; this is the result of the efforts of the Priory of Sion.]

[You plan to go to that location tonight to quickly resolve the Black Mud inside your body and manually end this simulation.]

[You see many familiar faces in the city: a blond True Ancestor with short hair is fighting with a little girl; Executor of the Burial Agency seems to be on a date with his boyfriend; priests and Dead Apostle are secretly clashing in the streets and alleys; amidst the chaos, a semblance of order remains.]

[You understand that this isn't because they care about the lives of ordinary people, but because the era of mystery is gradually fading, and mystery can no longer hinder the progress of science; they have no need to fight a war they are destined to lose.]

From the Fujimaru Kyoya overlooked the entire city. Even as night fell, the light of civilization continued to dispel the darkness that represented mystery.

Both Magecraft and Miracle are confined to an increasingly narrow circle.

Their former glory was shattered into dust by one great man after another, turning them into trash that people would disdain.

Ancient Magecraft civilizations may have been more advanced than modern technology, but in order to protect the mystery of Magecraft, those things were destined to become the exclusive domain of certain privileged classes.

"Times have changed; the Dark Six Royal Authorities are no longer needed."

Fujimaru Kyoya and leaped off the balcony roof, passing through countless darkness before landing safely on a haystack next to the hotel.

As for why there are haystacks next to a luxury hotel?

Hmph~ You don't need to know so much about Assassin's Creed.

Chapter 235 An Encounter Hundreds of Years Later 62/165

"Time is running out, Lord El-Melloi II."

The black-haired girl's sweet voice was like a Death knell to Lord El-Melloi II's ears, especially after Altrouge returned, which made the Black Ji's expression even more unpleasant.

She was just like a little girl whose toy had been taken away by her older sister.

"Are you thinking about something very impolite while looking at a lady's face?"

"No, I just thought of a possibility."

Lord El-Melloi II quickly denied his earlier thought, after all, he didn't want to die on the spot, and he himself had little resistance to solving riddles; he actually had some answers to the riddle.

"Actually, this riddle isn't very complicated. Everyone here is quite knowledgeable, so there's only one question I need to answer, right?"

Lord El-Melloi II placed his hand on the paper, pointing to the word "RosaLink".

If simply translated, it would be "Rose Line," but having lived for so long, they had never heard of Rose Line. Therefore, they preferred to translate it as RosaLink, a place name where the Holy Grail and the Dark Six Royal Authorities are buried.

"The raised triangle can be seen as an aggressive blade, and the concave triangle can be seen as an inclusive Holy Grail. These should be the iconic elements. As for the keywords 'masterpiece' and 'starry sky,' you probably interpret them as a metaphor for some kind of Magecraft."

Lord El-Melloi II's answer greatly satisfied the Dead Apostle present. Although they had more extensive knowledge than Lord El-Melloi II due to their age advantage, they were still far inferior when it came to such meticulous work as solving a puzzle.

In just half a day, El-Melloi had already revealed the answer they had been pondering; it seemed that all that was needed was to solve RosaLink's problem...

"I'm sorry, this answer is incorrect."

Lord El-Melloi II's outright rejection of all the Dead Apostle's efforts was tantamount to a blatant disregard for their intelligence. If it weren't for the fact that they were still needed...

"While RosaLink is indeed a place name from a mystical perspective, the Priory of Sion is not simply a mystical organization; it is also an organization that nurtured the seeds of science. They use mystical powers, but they do not identify themselves as mystical."