Encounter

"Mr. Kadoya and Miss Lily."

The elderly man, upon seeing the newcomers, smiled and greeted them.

"Lily spotted your car parked here from a long way off. What happened? Did it break down?"

Wang Xiaoming approached the old man and asked him about the situation.

"Ah, I think so. It broke down suddenly before we got very far."

The old man explained to Wang Xiaoming what had happened earlier.

"Is that so? Can I take a look?"

"Does Mr. Kadoya also know how to fix cars?"

The old man looked at Wang Xiaoming with some surprise, probably not expecting him to have unlocked the "repair" skill.

"I wouldn't call myself an expert, but minor issues are no problem for me."

After making a few modest remarks about his abilities, Wang Xiaoming went with the old man to the truck's engine, hoping to find out the real reason the car had broken down.

As the old man and Wang Xiaoming "temporarily left," the blonde girl who had been standing next to the old man suddenly walked to Lily's side and said to her in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"You're Caster from the Red Faction, right?"

"Huh?"

Seeing Lily's surprised expression, perhaps afraid of startling the old man who was an "outsider" not far away, the girl quickly explained to her, "I didn't mean any harm. I'm just a little curious. As Servant the Red Faction, why are you and your Master here?"

"Because we have no desire to compete for the Holy Grail."

It wasn't Lily who answered the girl's question, but Wang Xiaoming, who appeared behind Lily, smiling as he looked at the girl.

"If you're satisfied with this answer, then, Ruler, could you please stop bullying my Caster?"

"I didn't mean to bully..."

The girl, who instinctively wanted to argue, could only weakly lower her head after seeing the other person's "imposing" smile.

"... sorry."

"I'm sorry, Master meant no harm."

Seeing the girl's timid demeanor, Lily couldn't bear it and went forward to hold the girl's hand to comfort her.

"Ugh... Caster..."

Looking at Lily's healing smile, the girl even had the illusion for a moment that an angel had appeared in front of her, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Just call me Lily."

Lily introduced herself to the girl with a smile.

The girl, who already knew Lily's real name, nodded.

"Yes, I am Ruler, Servant summoned to oversee this Great Holy Grail War."

The Ruler is someone who makes the judgment within the Holy Grail System itself to decide whether to summon a Servant to act as the referee in the Holy Grail War. They do not favor any side and act in order to protect the concept of the "Holy Grail War" itself.

However, Ruler cannot be summoned in a normal Holy Grail War. But when a Holy Grail War takes a very special form and the outcome is completely unpredictable, and the Holy Grail, as the central authority of the ritual, determines that the ritual must involve a Servant who is beyond human reach, Ruler will be summoned.

For example, the current battle between seven Servants against seven Servants—the largest "Great Holy Grail War" in history.

Wang Xiaoming and Lily were the first master-servant pair Ruler encountered in this Holy Grail War, but judging from their appearance...

"Master, where is Grandpa Gao Li?"

After hearing Lily's question, Wang Xiaoming pointed to the cab of the truck behind him.

"It's just that some of the car parts are a bit worn out; it only needs a little repair."

By using [Reinforcement Magecraft] to "rework" the aging parts, at least Gao Li can ensure that there won't be any problems during his trip.

Lily, in turn, offered her praise without reservation.

"As expected of Master~"

--It's really puzzling that they summoned Servant but didn't want to participate in the Holy Grail War.

Ruler looked at the strange duo in front of him. Although he couldn't understand their thoughts, he still showed a corresponding expression based on the atmosphere.

"So you two already know each other."

Mr. Gao Li, who had re-emerged from the driver's seat, saw the three people standing beside the car chatting amiably and said to Ruler:

"The car is fixed. So, Miss, do you still want to go to Trifas or wait for tomorrow's bus?"

Please be sure to take me with you.

Ruler solemnly made the request to Mr. Gao Li.

There's no need to be so serious.

Mr. Gao Li waved his hand, then pointed to the cargo box of the truck.

"It's just that you'll have to put up with this for a while longer."

"It's nothing, I'm already very grateful that you gave me a ride."

"Well then, Lily, let's say goodbye for now."

After boarding the cargo container, Ruler smiled and said goodbye to his new friend.

"Yeah, Ruler, good luck! Fight!"

After the two finished saying goodbye, Wang Xiaoming, who had been standing silently to the side, looked at Ruler and suddenly spoke:

"Ruler, whatever you encounter along the way, I have only one request—"

Perhaps because of Wang Xiaoming's serious tone, Ruler leaned forward slightly to listen attentively.

"Please make sure Mr. Gao Li is safe."

After listening to Wang Xiaoming's request, Ruler, as the listener, solemnly raised his right hand.

"I swear in the name of Jeanne d'Arc d'Arc!"

PS1: Regarding the cover, the reason for the change is simply because Alicization is Lily's main storyline.

PS2: I'm planning to start a bounty for razor blades next month, hoping for your support.

PS3: Chapter Recommendation: <I, Wang Ha, the Three-Red Unparalleled Assassin>

He's a newbie pro, and I'm just an old slacker trying to ride his coattails.

Synopsis: I was originally just bones, and my only purpose is to return to the earth.

I walk in darkness, yet I serve the light.

The title of Grand is not what I desire; with this stroke, I will carve the strongest proof.

Can you tell me?

The bell is ringing!

This is the end of your destiny??????

Accept it, liberate your soul.

This is precisely the last chance for a human being to enjoy peaceful sleep.

Fool! Hand over your head!!

The Angel of Death!!!

Chapter 181. Encounter

Late at night--

The Transylvania Highway, the only road leading to Trifas, saw almost no traffic at this time of day, perhaps because Trifas is so remote. Furthermore, more than half of the roadside streetlights were broken, and the government apparently cancelled the repair budget, presumably because no driver complaints had been heard.

Buzz--

Suddenly, a beam of bright light pierced the darkness that shrouded the road from afar. Not long after, accompanied by the roar of an engine and the clattering sound of several wooden crates on the cargo bed, a truck steadily drove towards its destination.

"Mr. Gao Li, approximately how much longer until we reach Trifas?"

Ruler asked the old man in the driver's seat, and the old man replied while humming a little tune:

"Hmm--at this rate, we should arrive in Trifas by tomorrow morning."

"Don't you need to take a break along the way? After all, it's nighttime driving..."

Ruler asked with some concern. After all, as one of the world's most famous saints, who had led the France army against the English invasion during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), she knew all too well the physical toll of marching at night.

--Moreover, Mr. Gao Li is an elderly man who is over fifty years old.

Don't worry, there's nothing wrong.

Upon hearing Ruler's concerned words, the old man chuckled and said to her, "Ever since Miss Lily helped me improve my health, I feel like my body has returned to its former youthful state."

However, Ruler knew it wasn't an illusion. As Divine Era Magus Lily could do such a thing with ease, except...

Ruler suddenly became curious about her new friend and her Master:

"Mr. Gao Li, how did you get to know Lily and the others?"

"If you'd like to hear it, I can tell you slowly..."

Perhaps because the journey was too boring, the old man started talking non-stop. The story wasn't complicated, and was even a bit boring, but Ruler listened with great interest.

Thus, the old man's vivid descriptions added a touch of brightness to this long journey.

However, Ruler had no idea what kind of perilous situation awaited her at the end of this journey.

The dim moonlight was insufficient to illuminate the road and signs. Therefore, for now, one could only rely on the feel of the asphalt to determine whether they were heading in the right direction.

--According to "Pigeon's" report, Ruler somehow managed to hitch a ride without becoming a spirit and is heading towards Trifas.

Because of this, there's no need for tracking; as long as they lie in ambush on the road, Ruler's vehicle will naturally pass through. The materialized Karna has been waiting on the Transylvania Expressway, ready to carry out orders.

Lancer never considers whether the orders he receives are good or bad. He avoids thinking about whatever consequences the order might lead to. In his eyes, serving the Master who summoned him is the only priority.

Even so, he still harbored some doubts about the order. It wasn't about an enemy Master, nor an enemy Servant, nor even about devouring innocent humans to replenish magic power. He was being ordered to kill the fifteenth Servant—a Ruler who should have been the judge in this Holy Grail War. He was somewhat puzzled by his Master's command.

After all, Rulers don't favor either side. They are Servants who at most warn or punish those who violate the rules, preventing situations that would make the Holy Grail War impossible.

It's likely that he's trying to avoid punishment for violating the rules by excluding Ruler. This speculation is still quite arbitrary, but it's difficult for him to find another reason to exclude Ruler.

However, an order is an order. Karna would never do something like contradicting someone. In fact, he never even had such a thought.

If it were Master's order to "kill," he would carry out the killing without hesitation.

A pigeon landed on Lancer's shoulder. After Lancer removed the piece of paper from its beak, the pigeon hurriedly flew away. This was perhaps the familiar of that assassin. The Assyria empress possessed the extremely rare skill "Double Summon," which allowed her to manifest as an assassin but also function as a caster. In this way, the assassin filled the gap in the caster's role.

"..."

The information written on the paper was very concise—the vehicle type and license plate number. That was enough to pinpoint the target.

Lancer sat down on the huge highway sign, stretched out his legs, and patiently waited for Ruler to pass. In reality, Lancer knew absolutely nothing about who Ruler was. It was probably the Greater Grail that had kept information related to Ruler so well hidden.

Rulers, appointed by the Greater Grail, are tasked with managing the Holy Grail War system. In punishing those who involve outsiders, Rulers are similar to the Holy Grail War's overseers. However, their power far surpasses that of human overseers.

Importantly, Ruler possesses the privilege of managing the Holy Grail War single-handedly. Defeating them is virtually impossible. However, it is precisely because of this that fighting against them is worthwhile.

In the distance, Lancer saw the faint glow of a car's headlights.

After taking a three-hour nap during the journey, Ruler noticed a Servant a few kilometers ahead as the truck he was riding in finally approached Trifas.

Instantly, an alarm went off in her mind.

"Mr. Gao Li, please pull over to the side of the road!"

Ruler said this to the old man and forced the truck to stop.

"What exactly happened...?"