Chapter Thirty-Two: Eve of the Decisive Battle

Thanks to "Superpower General Store" for the spicy strips.

Thanks to "Old Sword Who Wants to Stab the Cowlick" for the monthly ticket.

Thanks to "A Lone Lamp Guides a Beauty Across" for the spicy strips and blades.

Thanks to "First Firmament" for the two monthly tickets.

Thanks to "My Harem" for the blade.

Thanks to "Thought Begins and Ends with Learning" for the blade.

Thanks to "Crimson Moon Fantasy Dream" for the monthly ticket.

Thanks to "The Fool Walking the World" for the monthly ticket.

I'll thank all the bosses from before the day before yesterday in tomorrow's chapter. Thanking too many people at once feels insincere. (covers face)

Chapter Thirty-Two: Eve of the Decisive Battle

The Matou Family had become an empty shell.

Yesterday, a handsome Nordic man walked out of the Matou Family estate and took over all of its assets. He distributed the household's cash among the servants, then auctioned off its properties. With the enormous funds gained from selling the Matou Family's assets, he established numerous foundations to raise orphans, care for elderly people without family, reward those who acted bravely for a just cause, encourage outstanding students, and help the unemployed find work...

On this island nation mired in economic recession, everyone from ordinary individuals to the country itself was tightening their belts, terrified of one day dying in poverty. Yet at a time like this, someone had actually given away his entire fortune for charity. It was like a thousand-pound boulder crashing into the water, stirring up wave after wave.

The entire country erupted because of it! Naturally, the poor were delighted, since someone was willing to help them escape their plight. The important figures were delighted as well; as long as they could win over such a wealthy man, both political achievements and wealth would come pouring in.

The big shots in Fuyuki City's business and political circles were stunned. They had never paid attention to this inconspicuous family, yet it turned out to be this wealthy. The assets it had put forward were enough to buy all of Fuyuki City!

The influential figures all began investigating the Nordic man named Makiri Zolgen. As more information was uncovered, reports about the man were delivered to their desks.

The last time this name had appeared in the island nation was two centuries ago. He had been a major figure in the Inner World.

The big shots promptly chose to follow their hearts.

"So you really sold everything that thoroughly!" The slender youth sat cross-legged on a rather poor-quality tatami mat and sighed helplessly. "At least leave behind some household necessities!"

The rosewood grand master's chair from before had been sold as an antique. The table, tea table, folding screens, and more had vanished in the same manner...

The Matou Family estate was empty now. Empty in the physical sense. Makiri Zolgen was clearly uninterested in all these flashy things. He had sold every piece of Japanese capitalist-style decor and turned it into cash to aid the Third World.

The Second Master would probably burst into tears the moment he returned from studying abroad!

Fortunately, Li Zihan was not a fussy person. A "clean" living environment was not entirely intolerable. He would only be staying here for a few days anyway. Once those days were over, he would run, regardless of whether he won or lost.

In Li Zihan's hands was a Grimoire with an orange-red cover and pale golden edging. Compared to when it had first been created, its appearance had not changed much. However, after Makiri Zolgen's full enhancement, the Command Spells attached to the book had become thirty percent more effective at restraining Servants.

It was certain that if these Command Spells were used to fully strengthen Alcaeus, he could be enhanced to a level infinitely close to his original self. Barring surprises, Alcaeus would then gain power surpassing Archer's.

Gilgamesh restrained Heracles, but wasn't Heracles equally capable of restraining Gilgamesh? As long as that Noble Phantasm was successfully used, whether it was Ea or the Chains of Heaven, both would become scrap iron.

Looking at it this way, the greatest threats to him were instead Lancer, Rider, and Saber. If they came to ambush him while Alcaeus and Gilgamesh were fighting, that would be overwhelmingly bad.

Among the three, Saber could not be killed. Li Zihan's understanding of Gilgamesh was limited to the anime and games he had seen in his previous life. It was possible that, besides Ea and the Chains of Heaven, Gilgamesh possessed other Noble Phantasms capable of restraining Alcaeus.

When that time came, he could only rely on Saber's Excalibur as an outside piece on the board, destroying Gilgamesh and Alcaeus together.

If I did that, the next battle would be my own hard fight. Li Zihan rubbed his temples, feeling somewhat troubled. If possible, he did not want to act personally. It was not that he could not win; he simply did not like relying on brute force.