As a Ninja, I Only Want to Live off Others in Type-Moon

P.S.: Let me clarify something I didn't explain before.

In the original story, after Caleb was framed, it was time for his Mystic Eyes to be reclaimed, so they were forcibly removed. Then the auction was interrupted, his name was cleared, and the people from the Mystic Eyes Collection Train put his Mystic Eyes back. Only then did he go out to face the Servant.

69. News of the Forbidden Library

Higashino Kanade organized his thoughts before asking, "You know I've been using Mystic Eyes to copy the Grimoires in the library these past few days, but I noticed a problem. The books in the library only teach basic magecraft knowledge. There's practically nothing involving anything more advanced."

"To put it another way, the library is full of books for elementary and middle school students, but books for college students are rare. Do you know why?"

"Because true Mystery cannot be seen." Waver gave the answer without even thinking.

"Ever since the Age of Gods ended, Mystery has been constantly fading away. The more people discover Mystery, the faster it fades, until eventually even magecraft will disappear. That is why most Magi work behind closed doors, creating things in isolation."

"A Magus's long-cherished wish is to reach the Root. All their research exists for the sake of reaching the Root, so it serves only themselves and will not be casually made public. It is perfectly normal that you cannot find truly profound research reports in the library."

After speaking, Waver sighed lightly and said regretfully, "If you had attended a few more classes in my classroom, you wouldn't be asking such idiotic questions."

Sorry for being a complete magecraft muggle...

Higashino Kanade continued speechlessly, "Then is there something like a Forbidden Library? The kind normally open only to Lords like you, with things like Grimoires capable of destroying the world hidden inside?"

"Have you been playing too many games?"

Waver gave Higashino Kanade a look as though he were an idiot, then continued, "A similar place does exist, but even as a Lord, the number of times I can enter is very limited. You cannot bring anyone in, and nothing inside can be taken out. So give up on that idea."

"So such a place really exists, and you can enter it?"

"Heh." Waver said disdainfully, "I know you're incredibly capable, but even if you successfully infiltrated it, you would not be able to tell which book was a real Grimoire and which held a curse that could stop your heart. There are also patrolling Automatons in the library, along with countless magecraft traps capable of erasing a person completely."

"In short, there is only one thing to say: even if you went in, you would never come out alive."

After saying that, Waver stared intently at Higashino Kanade's face, hoping to see the disappointment or gloom of someone deeply struck by the truth.

Waver sometimes envied young people more talented than himself, and Higashino Kanade happened to sit at the very top of his pyramid of envy. He desperately wanted to see this sort of genius suffer a setback.

"Oh, I see."

Rather than being discouraged, Higashino Kanade became even more interested. The eager look on his face suddenly sent a chill through Waver's entire body.

"You're not thinking of sneaking in, are you?" Waver swallowed, his expression especially uneasy.

"No. How could I possibly get in alone?"

Higashino Kanade's firm answer made Waver sigh in relief, but his next sentence sent Waver's heart plunging back into the abyss.

"Master Waver, lend me your strength. The infiltration plan needs your cooperation at the very least."

"No!!!"

Waver shot to his feet and rejected him word by word. "Impossible! If you want to die, go by yourself. I haven't lived long enough yet!"

Waver regretted it immensely. He should never have told Higashino Kanade such a place existed. He wanted nothing more than to slap himself across the mouth.

"Master Waver, calm down. I said infiltration. As long as we have a meticulous plan, no one will discover us."

Higashino Kanade reached out in an attempt to calm Waver, but Waver snapped, "What makes you think you will not be discovered? Because you are a Phantasmal Species? I do not know what kind of defensive mechanisms are inside, but they can certainly kill a dragon."

Looking at the utterly unyielding Waver, Higashino Kanade thought of his task to upgrade the treasure chest. Gritting his teeth, he decided to use his trump card and drag Waver into the water.

"You still remember King of Heroes Gilgamesh, right?"

Waver froze for a moment, then said irritably, "Of course I remember. Don't tell me you think he is still alive? The Holy Grail requires the sacrifice of seven Servants to grant a wish. His Master must have ordered him to commit suicide in the end."

After narrowly surviving the Fourth Holy Grail War, Waver had investigated the outcome of that Holy Grail War years later.

According to a report from an executor of the local Holy Church named Kirei Kotomine, that Holy Grail War had no victor. All the Servants had returned to the Throne of Heroes, and the death of King of Heroes' Master, Tohsaka Tokiomi, further confirmed the truth of that result.

Without a Master to provide Mana for maintaining their existence in the modern world, a Servant would disappear very quickly.

"He really is still alive."

"What!?"

The cigar Waver had been smoking fell to the floor. The tremor in his hand showed just how unsettled he was—perhaps he was even afraid.

"King of Heroes did not die. At the final moment, the Holy Grail gave him flesh, granting him a body that could move about in the modern world."

"Impossible!" Waver wiped the sweat seeping from his forehead and forced himself to sound tough. "Kirei Kotomine's report was verified by the Magic Association. There could not have been any mistake. And why would Kirei Kotomine conceal the truth? His Servant, Assassin, had long since been eliminated by Rider. He was a loser of the Holy Grail War!"

"Because Kirei Kotomine was King of Heroes' Master. That is why he concealed the truth of King of Heroes' incarnation!" Higashino Kanade said decisively.

Waver's expression immediately stiffened as he considered the possibility that Higashino Kanade was telling the truth.

With a thud, Waver collapsed onto the sofa. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes as he muttered over and over, as if possessed, "Impossible, impossible."

Someone as intelligent as Waver only needed a few clues to deduce the entire course of events.

Combining the truth Higashino Kanade had revealed with the suspicious points he had discovered while investigating the Holy Grail War, he had already guessed the rough outcome.

"Master!"

Grea hurriedly supported Waver's trembling body and shot Higashino Kanade a look. "Junior disciple, stop talking. Master can barely take it anymore."

Waver truly could not take it anymore. He had even fallen into despair.

Ten years ago, on the Fuyuki Bridge, King of Heroes had killed the King Waver served with an absolutely invincible presence. If King of Heroes had not shown mercy and spared his life in the end, he would not even be standing here now.

Participating in the Fifth Holy Grail War and helping the King he served achieve victory had been Waver's wish for the past ten years. It was the Sea of Okeanos at the end of the world, carrying the dreams of countless people.

But now King of Heroes was still alive. Even if he summoned that King, could he truly help that King achieve victory? Was another identical defeat waiting for him?

"Professor Waver..."

Just as Higashino Kanade was about to say something, Grea glared at him in an uncharacteristic display of anger, as if saying, Stop crushing Master's spirits.

"Grea, let him speak..."

Waver smiled bitterly and weakly clutched his head. "There should not be any news worse than this today."

"Urgh... Master."

Grea looked painfully at Waver, who was on the verge of collapse. She reached out and gently stroked his back, hoping to ease his anxiety.

"The next thing really is good news. Do you want to know King of Heroes' fatal weakness?"

Higashino Kanade smiled, his expression exceptionally kind. Like a demon making a contract with a mortal, he seemed intent on devouring Waver without leaving even a bone behind.

P.S.: A little routine promotion.

"Falling Stars in Naruto"

That year, the Fourth Hokage was still a child.

Completed work: "Sword in Naruto"

A normal Naruto story seriously written by a normal author.

P.S.: This author has completed a two-million-word Naruto novel, so their reputation is rock-solid!

70. Compromising with the System

"A weakness..."

Waver was startled, and scenes of his battle against King of Heroes Gilgamesh ten years ago surfaced in his mind.

That aura of supreme dominion over heaven and earth, those Noble Phantasms capable of casually tearing apart a world with a single strike—even the transcendent Army of the King (Ionioi Hetairoi) had been effortlessly crushed. Such an invincible being actually had a weakness?

"Yes, a weakness that can send him to eternal damnation." Higashino Kanade said in an inciting tone, "Don't you want revenge? Don't you want to prove that you are a good retainer, worthy of the King of Conquerors? This is the only chance, Waver."

"Just this once, I do not want to lose."

Waver could feel his heart pounding violently. Especially after hearing there was a way to defeat King of Heroes, the emotions he had suppressed for ten years finally broke free from his control.

My King, even if only once, I truly want to ride across the battlefield with you again and bring you victory.

"Then what is the price, Uchiha Kanade?"

Waver calmly adjusted his glasses. Having learned that King of Heroes still existed, he had finally calmed down after resolving to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Uchiha Kanade sighed inwardly in relief, marveling that he had finally dragged Waver into this. As expected, the skill of talking people into things was the strongest in any world.

"Take me to that place. I have a somewhat immature plan."

"So you still refuse to give up?" Waver sighed and pulled a sour face. "Let me make this clear in advance: I will not sacrifice my future career as a Magus for your suicidal plan. Once you are discovered, I will immediately cut all ties with you and say you forced me to go. You planned all of this! You alone!"

"Hahaha, please do."

Instead of getting angry, Uchiha Kanade laughed. "I dragged you into this pretty badly, so I am not the sort of villain who casually pulls others down to the grave with him. When the time comes, just pin every crime on me."

Uchiha Kanade turned to Luvia. "If things are exposed, remember to cut ties with me. Say I was threatening you."

"Of course. Did you think I would abandon my entire family for you?"

Luvia agreed with incredible speed, looking exactly like a rich woman who had gone out for fun with a gigolo, then turned her back on him afterward.

Luvia leaned close to Uchiha Kanade's ear and said in an incredibly seductive voice, "I do not know what you are planning, but if you intend to hide your identity and never leave home for the rest of your life afterward, you can contact me~"

"You probably will not get that chance."

Uchiha Kanade's single sentence nearly made Luvia choke. Why was this straight-laced block of iron impossible to flirt with? Was she not pretty enough, or was her family not wealthy enough?

Luvia went off to sulk by herself.

What Luvia did not know was that, in that brief instant, she really had stirred Uchiha Kanade's heart.

Uchiha Kanade was a man, after all. How could he possibly not be moved by such pursuit from a beautiful young woman?

But Uchiha Kanade had no intention of deepening his relationship with Luvia, because he never planned to stay in this world for long.

This parallel world was merely Uchiha Kanade's instance dungeon. He had come with the mindset of grabbing what he could and running, so he would not think too much about the long-term consequences of his actions.

As for Uchiha Kanade's plan to loot the Clock Tower's Forbidden Library, any normal person would tell him: kid, you've chosen a dead end.

After all, once such a thing was discovered, he would definitely receive a Sealing Designation from the Magic Association and be forced to live as a fugitive like Aozaki Touko.

But Uchiha Kanade did not care. As long as he completed his task, he could return to his original world. He did not care what this world would become in the future, and the Clock Tower could not cross worlds to kill him for his crimes. That was Uchiha Kanade's confidence.

"When are you planning to go die?"

Waver stood and walked to the window, letting the cold wind blow over him in hopes of cooling his overheated mind.

"After a while. It will take at least a month to finish reading the hundreds of thousands of books in the library. Tell me first—what exactly is that Forbidden Library like?"

"What terrifying Mystic Eyes."

Finishing every book in the Clock Tower library within a month was absolutely unprecedented and would never be repeated. Did having Mystic Eyes really let someone do whatever they wanted?

Waver was somewhat envious of Uchiha Kanade's terrifying talent, but he still patiently began explaining the library to him.

The place Waver spoke of did not store the forbidden knowledge Uchiha Kanade had described, the kind capable of destroying the world. It was merely a warehouse for storing "spoils of war."

The warehouse could also be called a tomb. It was located in a Mage's Workshop beneath the Clock Tower, and contained the spoils accumulated over the thousand years since the Clock Tower's founding. These included the property confiscated from Magus families defeated in power struggles, the research legacies of Magi successfully given Sealing Designations by the Clock Tower, and all manner of treasures plundered during the Clock Tower's expansion.

It was a place known to very few people. Waver had only learned of it after becoming a Lord, and had exchanged his achievements for several opportunities to enter.

While Waver was explaining the warehouse to Uchiha Kanade, Grea noticed an ornate invitation that had somehow appeared on the desk. The signature at the bottom read Twin Towers.

Taking advantage of the pause in Waver and Uchiha Kanade's conversation, Grea picked up the invitation and walked over to them.

"Master, what is this invitation? Did Miss Reines entrust you with another matter?"

"More or less." Waver sighed, covering his aching stomach with one hand as he said painfully, "Troubles just keep coming one after another. I have not even had a proper rest yet."

"What happened?" Uchiha Kanade asked curiously.

"It is not exactly troublesome. The master of Twin Towers intends to display his prized creations, Golden Princess and Silver Princess, and has invited quite a few high-ranking Magi. Besides several Lords, even the famous Grand Puppeteer Aozaki Touko will be attending. I am going as the representative of the El-Melloi family."

"Aozaki Touko."

Uchiha Kanade crossed his arms and recalled the familiar name.

Ding! Triggered...

'Stop, stop, stop! System, you are not planning to make me get involved in the mess at Twin Towers, are you?'

The System's sudden appearance frightened Uchiha Kanade badly.

Yes. This System believes this is an excellent trial for the host and can increase the host's strength.

'I refuse! Not this time.'