Rovi's Name

May the Lord protect you on your journey—

Amen!

A moment later, it was still Fuyuki. This castle in Japan is bisected by a wide Taiga called the ' Miyuan River ', which runs north to south and divides the east and west banks, with the Fuyuki Bridge connecting them.

On this basis, the east bank of the river is the old town called ' Miyamachi '. The old town, built around the mountain, is a quiet place of residence that developed from a fortified castle that has existed since the ancient Warring States period.

The West Bank is a new urban area that gradually took shape after the advent of the modern metropolis, with bright lights and bustling activity.

At that moment, Rovi was in a church in the Miyamachi. He sat in the prayer seat in front of the cross, looking up at the old, upright figure with his back to him, facing the huge cross.

"There's no need to say anything unnecessary, Father Risei."

"Report this to me right away!"

"I don't want to run into any trouble or be considered an intruder."

And the 'Lord' you speak of is standing right in front of you. Do you expect me to protect myself?

Rovi smiled.

Without a doubt, after arriving in the mortal world, he rushed here from the new city district without stopping, just for this so-called 'report'.

He reported his identity as a young, inexperienced Magecraft from a wealthy family.

The most widespread modern religious church also wields considerable influence in the mystical realm.

Although the Church and the Clock Tower are of the same origin, both evolved from Lovi Advisor of Rome and holy son of Rovi at the beginning of the first century— the Rovi who sits here—one pursued truth and the other righteousness, making them irreconcilable enemies and leading to a long period of war.

It is not a heresy.

Indeed, they are heretics.

But heresy is often more abhorrent than paganism.

The final outcome was that no one could defeat the other, and therefore, the Clock Tower represented the Magecraft world and the Holy Church in establishing a pact.

The Holy Church has the authority to oversee mystics and Magecraft, while Magecraft have the right to manage Spirit Veins.

Any Magecraft from out of town entering this area must register with the Holy Church; otherwise, in the event of any mishap, they will be considered an 'intruder' and persecuted by the Church...

"Even so, it's rare to see Magecraft so eager to report." Father Risei, who had been facing away from Rovi and was quite tall, turned around.

He wore a heavy, black priest's robe, his face was ancient and weathered, but his hair was neatly combed, and the cross on his chest swayed as he turned.

He displayed a solemn and dignified demeanor. "The essence of Magecraft is mystery. Even Magecraft originating from the Fey Studies will not easily reveal its existence."

Unless it's something extremely important, Magecraft generally don't report to local church officials.

Church staff will also turn a blind eye.

Ignore it.

Yes, unless it's something extremely important.

"That's right." Rovi sighed, tapping the wooden armrest of his seat lightly with his fingers, and smiled. "I'm here for the Holy Grail War."

He wants to participate in the Holy Grail War.

This is something I've wanted to do for a long time.

At this Present Moment, Rovi is both extremely strong and extremely weak.

Because he has not yet fully adapted to the modern environment, and because he has not yet fully mastered the power of the Star-making God.

He must strike a perfect balance between the internal and external.

Before that, he could easily destroy the surface of a planet and shake its very essence, but he might also collapse due to the imbalance between his internal and external states.

Therefore, this was the perfect opportunity for him to seek death.

This is the biggest reason why he must participate in the Holy Grail War.

To die, one must always have a powerful enemy.

Most Modern Magecraft are too weak; only ancient heroes could possibly possess the ability to disrupt the delicate balance within them.

Besides, there are other reasons for participating in the Holy Grail War.

"The Holy Grail War?" Father Risei's face suddenly turned serious. "So, this is what you really reported?"

"That's Mr. Risei Kotomine supervisor of the Holy Grail War." Rovi nodded, tapping the armrest of his chair lightly with his fingers and smiling. "I'm very, very interested in the large-scale Magecraft ritual that exists in Fuyuki —the battle between heroes that takes place between heroes after Heroic Spirit Summon from the Throne of Heroes to the mortal world through a special summoning ritual and giving them Spirit Origin that allows them to manifest their physical form.

"Moreover, the Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou families that were originally created by the Holy Grail are: Tohsaka, who was born in Japan, was a disciple of the Second Magic User; the Einzbern family in Germany had the inheritance of the Third Magic; and the Matou Family, who moved from Western Europe to Japan, were descendants of a declining lineage of Fey Sorcerer."

"These are all extraordinary people!"

Listening to the other person's story, Risei Kotomine became slightly solemn... to an almost extreme degree.

The Holy Church is the overseer of the mystical world, and also the overseer of the Holy Grail War.

At this moment, Risei Kotomine's serious attitude was not only due to the conscientiousness of a supervisor, but also to... gathering intelligence on the enemy and keeping it firmly in mind.

The overseer of the Holy Grail War is also the 'cheater' of the Holy Grail War.

He had long ago colluded with the Holy Grail War participants of the Tohsaka Family, acting as a supervisor to 'cheate' for them.

This is also the real purpose of Rovi coming here to report.

They leaked their personal information.

Tell the enemy your purpose, tell them...

Here is my weakness.

Try it—

Kill me!

Rovi slowly stood up, clapped his hands, revealing the red lines on the back of his hands.

"The mark of a ' Master,' formed from condensed magical energy and signifying eligibility to participate in the Holy Grail War, can be used to summon Heroic Spirit Servant Heroic Spirit, strengthen them, and even enhance one's own combat power—the ' Command Spell '?"

Risei Kotomine took a deep breath. "It seems that you are indeed a participant in the Holy Grail War, there is no mistake."

He confirmed this.

The participants in the Holy Grail War are chosen by the ' Great Holy Grail ' which exists in some corner of Fuyuki.

Those who are associated with mystery and have strong desires will naturally be chosen.

In this respect, Rovi basically didn't need to do anything.

The Star-making God is inherently mysterious.

His own desires have always been incredibly strong.

"Yes, and I have summoned a powerful Heroic Spirit!" Rovi revealed a rather confident smile, perfectly capturing the mindset of a young, inexperienced Magecraft who wanted to show off. "Since you are the supervisor of the Holy Grail War, I'll tell you!"

"My Servant— "

The whistling wind echoed through the church, transforming into a fierce storm that revealed its enormous form. Risei Kotomine there, eyes wide and stunned.

In an instant, for a moment.

It wasn't until Rovi said goodbye and turned to leave that he came to his senses, moved his lips, and quickly took out his communication device.

"Kirei?"

"It's me, Father."

"Tell your teacher, Tohsaka Tokiomi, that someone has summoned a hero who is no less powerful than the great hero he wished to summon."

"Who is it?" The person on the other end of the line paused, clearly surprised.

Risei Kotomine stared at the door that was open and kept flapping, and after a moment, she uttered a name.

"The Sage of Uruk..."

"The etymology of Western wisdom."

"' Rovi '."

"..."

Rovi had just walked a short distance away, paused, stroking the red lines on the back of his hand.

' Rovi '.

Just moments ago, at the instant when Rovi summoned his ' Servant,' Risei Kotomine using the name she had obtained through her authority as the supervisor.

Rovi's Servant is ' Rovi '.

But he actually didn't summon anything.

Because he is still alive, there is no Rovi on the Throne of Heroes.

All he did was merge himself with the ' Spirit Origin ' bestowed upon him by the Holy Grail.

He himself... became Heroic Spirit.

Rovi wanted was either death or to become stronger.

What he wanted was to become stronger with death as his backing.

It is also a death in which becoming stronger is the only possibility.

But his death was never a pure death; rather, it was a death that could reach the Throne of Heroes in its physical form.

Ordinary death is not enough.

Even earth-shattering feats do not meet the requirements in the Holy Grail War.

However, he left countless achievements in history, and countless past versions of himself have left vacant positions.

When the Holy Grail War ends, the souls of the Heroic Spirit will automatically return to the Throne of Heroes through the Holy Grail.

Based on this...

Lovi, a Heroic Spirit Rovi Servant... as long as he 'dies' in the Holy Grail War, he can reach the Throne of Heroes through his past achievements Heroic Spirit Throne of Heroes.

The deliberate choice of the relatively weak Sage Rovi's identity and the deliberate leaking of information were all foreshadowing this.

Although the ultimate goal of the Holy Grail War is to open the path to the Root Vortex by using the souls of Throne of Heroes returning Heroic Spirit of the Throne of Heroes and their immense magical power... how could a momentary touch of the Root possibly compare to the power gained after a long stay in the Root?

Rovi glanced to the side at what was behind him.

In the Miyamachi, the vast night shrouded the tall cathedral nestled in the dense forest.

He could hear Risei Kotomine leaked information to another participant in the Holy Grail War, Tohsaka Tokiomi, through his son, Kirei Kotomine.

I can hear it.

And I'm even more looking forward to it.

The moonlight illuminated that youthful-looking face.

He smiled.

"The plan has succeeded. I hope you... won't leave me disappointed."

Amidst the fading sounds, Rovi's footsteps gradually disappeared into the distance.

"Rovi first appeared in the Uruk City-State in Mesopotamian Plains. According to the epic of Gilgamesh, he once rebuked the cruel and ruthless Gilgamesh in his youth, and thus gained Gilgamesh's appreciation."

Later, relying on his wisdom, he joined forces with Gilgamesh and Enkidu to fight against the bull, suppress Humbaba, and shake the gods in the heavens.

If Gilgamesh is said to be the most ancient King of Heroes, then Rovi represents the most ancient sage.

"Kirei, what are your thoughts on these things?"

Also located in Miyamachi, Fuyuki City, is the basement of the Tohsaka Family.

A man dressed in a red tuxedo with a short beard sat on the sofa, closed the book in his hand, and looked up at the person opposite him.

The room, though not spacious, was filled with flickering firelight, and the clean floors and walls made it feel completely airtight.

The man sitting opposite Tohsaka Tokiomi was dressed in a priest's robe. He looked very similar to Risei Kotomine, but much younger, appearing to be only in his twenties.

Kirei Kotomine.

A priest of the Holy Church, the overseer of the Holy Grail War, and the son of Risei Kotomine.

He is also a disciple of Tohsaka Tokiomi.

When asked by his teacher, Kirei Kotomine remained silent for a moment before speaking, "I heard of this name when I was studying at the Clock Tower."

"Rovi —the sage of Uruk, the Hero Mentor of Greece, the King of the Wild Hunt, and the Taiyi of Divine Land Huaxia..."

"They all left their names behind."

"Countless traces and numerous studies have pointed out that they are the same person."

"If that's really the case..." Tohsaka Tokiomi frowned, realizing that everyone Kirei Kotomine was talking about was a famous historical figure. "That would be troublesome."

"Teacher, there's no need to worry. My father only mentioned ' the Uruk Sage,' so presumably, the one summoned is simply the Uruk Sage." Kirei Kotomine said solemnly.

"Heroic Spirit who has been demoted to Servant cannot possess all the power."

"So..."

"The great hero you summon may very well be able to win!"

Tohsaka Tokiomi nodded, a flame burning in his eyes.

Yes, as the Uruk Sage once said.

The hero he summons is one who can win battles.

What Kirei Kotomine didn't say was... In countless records, the name ' Rovi ' ultimately points to the origin of all Magecraft today, the one who assisted Solomon in creating Modern Magecraft, and who reappeared at the beginning of the 20th century, leaving behind the Twelve Fey Sorcerer system, the 'Lord' of the Holy Church.

But these are words that can shake one's faith.

Because in the church's view, the 'Lord' will not respond to the call of heretical Magecraft —even though a ceasefire agreement has been signed, the Magecraft' hostile stance towards the church has not changed.

Therefore, Kirei Kotomine was unwilling to say it aloud.

"Then, let's not delay." Tohsaka Tokiomi stood up and said, "There's not much time left before the Holy Grail War begins."

"Now--"

"Let's Heroic Spirit Summon!"

"Kirei, how's the preparation of the Holy Relic going?"

"That's fine. As per the teacher's instructions, I've chosen the assassin role, which is more supportive."

"The Hassan lineage?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi nodded, "Then let's go, to the next level—"

"I have prepared the summoning ritual!"