The Moment to Choose a King (Continued)

"I'm not you. How would I know why you want to be king, or what you intend to do after becoming one?" Shirou said frankly. "But I can give you a chance to draw the Sword of Selection."

"The Sword in the Stone?" Mordred's eyes widened, and she could not help reaching out, but she restrained herself.

"Then what's the price?"

Shishigou Kairi asked.

His gaze behind his sunglasses pierced sharply toward Shirou.

A negotiation was a process in which both sides paid a price and got what they needed.

The Shishigou family had once made deals with demons, so he had no choice but to treat Shirou's proposal with caution.

"The price is simple. You'll stand with the Black Faction, or at the very least remain neutral. The Black Faction needs your strength. In addition, I need serum for Hydra Poison, so we can guard against Assassin Semiramis's snake venom during battle."

"And what do we get?" Shishigou Kairi asked calmly.

"Mordred remains in this world, and you can spend the rest of your life with her."

Shishigou Kairi stared at the almost disproportionate reward in surprise. "That counts?"

"Of course. You actually like children, don't you? At the end of the day, you only wanted to remove the curse in your bloodline so you could have someone by your side. In that regard, you're very much like Mordred—you're both lonely. And a Servant won't die because of you. This is an absolutely worthwhile deal."

Shirou tempted Shishigou Kairi. "What do you say?"

Time passed second by second. With every additional second, his Master had to endure more pain.

But Shirou was not in a hurry. Sharpening the axe would not delay the cutting of firewood; getting impatient now would only let himself be seen through.

After a long