Durandal

"So what price do I need to pay?"

Yes, at a cost.

Things like free lunches might happen, but how could it possibly fall into your lap by sheer coincidence?

Heaven rewards diligence; expecting a return without effort is a child's fantasy.

Wang Xiaoming didn't believe that Circe would be so kind as to help someone he had only met once. Even if she was Medea's aunt, he shouldn't forget that Circe's true identity was still a Witch.

Seeing the somewhat subtle expression on Wang Xiaoming's face, how could Circe, who was adept at manipulating people, not understand his thoughts?

After giving him a half-smile, Circe said:

Are you misunderstanding something?

"?"

On guard

A big question mark appeared above Wang Xiaoming's head.

"Who do you think you are? An ordinary person with absolutely no talent, are you worth my expectations?"

A cold voice rang out. Circe before; her azure-gold pupils were now filled with indifference.

"If it weren't for Medea's sake, what right do you have to stand here and speak to me?"

To put it bluntly, you don't even qualify to be cannon fodder.

Circe's cold and hurtful words were like a heavy punch to Wang Xiaoming's face, making Wang Xiaoming feel ashamed and angry.

But Circe was right. So what if she had memories of the future? So what if she survived the Holy Grail War?

Ultimately, I'm just an ordinary person who knows and utilizes the future. If the secrets in my mind are discovered by some people with ulterior motives...

Thinking about this, Wang Xiaoming felt as if a cold hand was stroking his back, making him shiver involuntarily.

A sudden stinging pain in his palm startled Wang Xiaoming from his thoughts. He turned his palm over and saw that his hand, which had been scratched by fingernails, was already oozing spots of blood.

But so what?

Without strength, one can only be at the mercy of others.

Even if they smash your pot after you're dead, you deserve it!

This can't go on. My previous idea of living a peaceful life for ten years and then settling down to relax and do nothing after summoning Medea in the Fifth Holy Grail War has completely vanished.

Wang Xiaoming raised his head again, the frustrated expression on his face completely gone, replaced by a determined look. "Circe, what should I do?"

"Huh?"

Probably not expecting Wang Xiaoming to recover from the blow so quickly, Circe, who was taken aback, took a while to react. "There's no need to use honorifics. After all, given your relationship with Medea, there's no need to be so polite."

Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was beginning to relax, Wang Xiaoming couldn't suppress his desires and couldn't resist being mischievous.

"Okay, Circe."

Then--

After the white smoke dissipated, a cute pink pet replaced Wang Xiaoming's position once again:

"Gurgle!!!" (?д?;)

(I'll never do it again!)

Are you sure this is reliable?

Standing within the array drawn by Circe, Wang Xiaoming looked at Circe standing outside and suddenly felt a little apprehensive. However, upon seeing Circe, which seemed to hold a concern for someone with intellectual disabilities, Wang Xiaoming awkwardly scratched his head and fell silent.

"... Okay, never mind."

Seeing that Wang Xiaoming had calmed down, Circe raised the wand in her hand that resembled Medea's. Then, the tip of the wand suddenly lit up and began to draw obscure and incomprehensible trajectories in mid-air.

At the same time, the array patterns around Wang Xiaoming began to shimmer with colorful patterns, and the magic in the air gradually began to converge towards the array.

The person who felt this most deeply was probably Wang Xiaoming, who stood in the center of the formation.

According to Circe's previous statement --

This temple was built to worship the goddess Hecate. Although it was closed due to the end of the Age of Gods and the loss of its original function, the magic power within the temple began to dissipate over time. However, due to the temple's closure, a very small portion of the magic power remained.

Compared to before, this magic was negligible. However, it was still powerful enough for humans of this era to unlock Wang Xiaoming's potential... no, to reshape his Magic Circuit.

As a disciple of the goddess Hecate, Circe naturally had the right to manipulate the magic within the temple.

Under Circe's supervision, the magic power in the temple was systematically poured into Wang Xiaoming's body within the formation. However, how could Wang Xiaoming's body withstand such enormous magic power compared to ordinary people? As the magic power coursed through his body, Wang Xiaoming, who had already exceeded his body's limits, pulled the plug again, and his vision went black as he fainted once more.

The ceremony wasn't interrupted by Wang Xiaoming's unconsciousness; in fact, it proceeded even more smoothly, to the point that it triggered some "accidents"...

After the surgery, cough cough, the ceremony was over, Circe looked at Wang Xiaoming Circe and a subtle expression appeared on his face.

Upon regaining consciousness, Wang Xiaoming opened his eyes and saw Circe not far away, but her expression was somewhat dazed, as if she were thinking about something.

However, after seeing Wang Xiaoming wake up, she still gave him a strange look:

"I have two pieces of good news. Which one would you like to hear first?"

"???"

Seeing Wang Xiaoming's completely bewildered expression, Circe stopped teasing him and said directly:

"Firstly, the ceremony was a great success."

In fact, without Circe's explanation, Wang Xiaoming could clearly feel the magic flowing through his body. It seemed that with just a thought, he could use this magic for his own purposes.

"As for the second one..."

Seeing Wang Xiaoming's excited expression, Circe's expression became even more subtle. After a slight pause, she changed the subject:

"By the way, do you know the purpose of this temple?"

"Wasn't it said to be used for sacrifices to the goddess Hecate?"

Wang Xiaoming scratched his head. Although his coma had caused some slight memory gaps, it wasn't enough to make him forget such things.

"That's right--"

Circe nodded, then continued, "Furthermore, this temple, during the Age of Gods, could even communicate with the gods, that is, [listen to the will of Heaven]."

Seeing that Wang Xiaoming was becoming increasingly confused, Circe continued to explain, "Although the Age of Gods has ended, this temple still serves as a hub connecting the Reverse Side of the World."

"Then what..."

"Then, it seems that the process of creating your Magic Circuit just now accidentally triggered your 'origin,' which then caused a brief connection between the temple and the 'Throne of Heroes.'"

Wang Xiaoming's expression also became somewhat subtle, and the image of someone who "died from overwork" suddenly flashed into his mind:

"So?"

"So--"

Circe sighed and delivered the second piece of "good news":

"It seems you've caught the eye of someone in the 'seat,' so you should probably greet them first."

At the same time, a voice he had never heard before appeared strangely in Wang Xiaoming's mind:

[Hey, hello~ Uncle, my name is Hector, nice to meet you.]

Chapter 144. Durandal

The Trojan War, though its origins were merely a game played by the gods, is destined to become a shining jewel in the history of world warfare due to its ten-year duration and the astonishing manpower and resources invested by both sides.

Since we're discussing this war, we must begin with the Greece army, which initially held a significant advantage but failed to conquer Troy.

After the war began, the Greece army, which had a significant numerical advantage, even had world-renowned heroes like Achilles and Ajax participating in the battle. However, they wasted nine years without being able to conquer Troy.

There are many reasons.

The first to bear the brunt was Achilles, who refused to fight because he disliked Agamemnon's insatiable greed and arrogance.

Even after their return, the antagonism between the two sides did not improve, and the morale of the forces that had initially held the upper hand was greatly reduced due to internal strife.

Secondly, the city of Troy itself possessed an exceptionally robust structure, a feature rarely seen in history, and the protection of the sun god Apollo could also be considered a contributing factor. However, these were merely insignificant trifles in the grand scheme of things.

If the challenges ahead were truly limited to this, the Greece who had traveled a long way would have faced only some fatigue and hardship, rather than the torment of despair from a prolonged siege.

The biggest reason can only be attributed to that one and only tough man in Troy, the Troy prince and great hero Hector.

As a member of the royal family, he was both a warrior and a general, well-versed in military strategy and skilled in politics.

It was Hector who united the entire city of Troy, enabling everyone to fight with unwavering spirit.

When Achilles left because of his dispute with Agamemnon, the Greece were already on the verge of defeat.

Ultimately, the Trojan War was nothing more than Achilles because of his friend, who killed Hector, which led to the defeat of Troy.

However, the fact that Hector alone inflicted heavy losses on the Greece army could not be changed by this.

"How did the discussion with that person go?"

Seeing Wang Xiaoming, who had been standing still for a long time, open his eyes again, Circe suddenly leaned over and asked.

Wang Xiaoming had been silent since the beginning. As Witch of the Age of Gods, she naturally understood that he was communicating with the one on the "seat." However, the identity of that one person made Circe quite curious.

Hector has returned to the Throne of Heroes.

"It's Hector..."

Upon hearing Wang Xiaoming Circe utter the name of the Heroic Spirit, Circe instantly associated herself with the mythical hero who had protected Troy for ten years, and at the same time, the expression on her face suddenly became somewhat complicated.

Come to think of it, there seems to be some connection between myself and Hector.

After all, according to the Odyssey, she met that unfaithful man on his return voyage after his victory in the Trojan War...

Etc--

Circe, who had been captivated by Hector's name, suddenly remembered the second half of Wang Xiaoming's words after regaining her senses, and her gaze became extremely strange:

"You just said Hector has returned to the Throne of Heroes?"

"Hmm." Wang Xiaoming nodded, but the next second, Circe's wand slammed down alongside her exasperated voice:

"Are you... stupid?!"

"No, don't smash it! Have some self-respect!"

Although it wasn't the first time Wang Xiaoming had experienced being hit on the head with a magic wand, he didn't dare to fight back and could only look at Circe, who had an angry expression on his face, with a bitter face.

Do you know what you've missed?

"Ah, Hector said he would lend me his power, but I didn't agree."

Looking at Circe, who was still furious, Wang Xiaoming scratched his head and replied.

"Then why didn't you agree?"

Seeing Wang Xiaoming acting as if nothing had happened, Circe was furious, suddenly had an idea:

--Or we could just turn him into a pig.

However, upon further reflection, he realized that even his beloved pig was probably not as foolish as him, so he had no choice but to abandon the idea.

"Because things that aren't obtained through one's own efforts always feel somewhat unreal."

Wang Xiaoming told Circe exactly what he had said to Hector, and looking at the stunned girl opposite him, he gave a wry smile.

"Lend power to yourself?"

In fact, after Hector made this condition, Wang Xiaoming immediately thought of the "Pseudo-Servant" possessed by Heroic Spirit in the mobile game <Fate/Grand Order> that he played in his previous life.

It is indeed enviable to possess the power of Heroic Spirit comparable to that of a human.

Only--