Awakening / The Head

Looking in the direction of the sound, a red-haired man was sitting lazily in the only chair in the room.

"What insightful opinion do you have, Dr. Heartless?"

The old man didn't get angry at being interrupted; instead, he smiled and asked the other person.

"How dare I offer any insightful opinions in your presence?"

The man called Heartless gave a faint smile and then said:

"As Mr. Flauros said, [Animusfi] and [El-Melloi] are only allies in name. Therefore, the Lord has no need to try to win over either side under these circumstances."

Although Heartless was not present at the scene, he was still fully aware of the situation, suggesting he possessed some kind of secret technique.

"Moreover, of the three [El-Melloi] on this trip, they've already excluded the arrogant Lord; as for that unreliable [Blue]..."

"I don't think the Lord would go looking for trouble."

Although Heartless's words were somewhat rude, the name [Aozaki Aoko] is seen as synonymous with [trouble] in the eyes of the mystical side.

"If that's the case, then the only one left is the holder of the Mystic Eyes."

"As expected of the Dean of the [Department of Modern Magecraft (Norwich)]. So, how about we reconsider my previous suggestion?"

Please spare me.

Heartless's smile faltered slightly, then he waved his hand in polite refusal:

"For someone like me, just surviving is already a huge struggle. Changing factions is something I wouldn't even dare to dream of."

The Department of Modern Magecraft (Norwich) was originally a Neutral Faction, and its head, Dr. Heartless, was the only head who was not a Lord. If he were to agree to the old man's request to change factions here, the Department of Modern Magecraft (Norwich) would probably be wiped out by the other factions before he even returned to the Clock Tower.

Moreover, this trip with Lord Animusphere was only at his request.

"Instead of discussing that, I'm more curious about why the Lord values that Mr. King. Based solely on the [Mystic Eyes of Petrification], I don't think it's worthwhile for [Animusphere] to get involved with [El-Melloi]."

"Hehe, of course."

After listening to Heartless's words, the old man smiled and shook his head.

"While [Gem]-level Mystic Eyes are quite rare, they're not enough to tempt [Animusphere]. What interests me isn't Mr. King's Mystic Eyes, but rather..."

After a brief silence, Lord Animusphere revealed news that caught their attention—

"He was a participant in the previous Holy Grail War."

PS: First of all, I want to clarify that I'm really not slacking off... I haven't had a break since the May Day holiday started.

Work at the office has been so busy, I'm completely out of it. Orz

(The above is just a rant. I'm really sorry for the long wait. I need to get back into the swing of things for the next couple of days. I'll update at least once every two days. If you want me to urge you to update more, you can join the group~)

Chapter 357. Awakening

"Hmm..."

The faint sound coming from the bed instantly chased away the drowsiness from Gray's mind.

"Master!"

"... It's Gray."

The Lord El-Melloi II, having just sat up in bed, instinctively breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Gray beside him. However, his breathing was still somewhat rapid, likely because he had only recently regained consciousness.

"Master, your health—"

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

It wasn't just a simple consolation. After taking a hit from an enemy Servant, the Lord El-Melloi II had already prepared for the worst. However, after regaining consciousness, he discovered that his body wasn't as bad as he had imagined. In fact, his body seemed healthier than before he was injured.

At least the fatigue caused by overwork has been completely gone.

Is it Caster?

"Yes, it was Miss Lily who saved you."

"Hmm, I owe them another favor... Hmm?"

A sudden, slight heaviness from his thigh pulled Lord El-Melloi II from his thoughts. Looking down, he saw Gray lying on his lap.

Amidst her soft, steady breathing, a reassuring smile graced Gray's slightly pursed lips.

"Mr. Waver, you're awake."

The sound coming from the doorway caught the attention of the Lord El-Melloi II, who saw Shirou carrying a plate of food walking into the room.

Is Miss Gray asleep?

Upon seeing Gray sleeping on Lord El-Melloi II's lap, Shirou instinctively lowered his voice.

"Um."

"She took care of you all night, and we did try to persuade her to go and rest..."

As for the result?

The fact that the Second Lord El-Melloi II discovered Gray's Gray immediately seems to explain everything.

Looking at that peaceful sleeping face, the Lord El-Melloi II reached out and gently touched Gray's head through the hood. He rarely showed such a tender side, even though he always had a cold expression.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Mr. Waver, how are you feeling now?"

After placing the plate he was carrying on the bedside table, Shirou turned to ask Lord El-Melloi II about his health.

"Yes, very good. I've already heard from Gray. Thank you for your help again."

"Don't worry about it too much, Mr. Waver."

In response to the Lord El-Melloi II's thanks, Shirou smiled and waved his hand, then said:

"Although your injuries are serious, it's not a difficult matter for Teacher Lily."

"Yes, after all, she's Servant..."

After a strange sigh, the Lord El-Melloi II fell into an odd silence.

"Anyway, since you've just woken up, please have some breakfast. I've also put Miss Gray's portion here."

"Um..."

The Lord El-Melloi II's mealtime was not long.

Although his physical injuries had healed with Lily's help, his energy deficiency still caused him to speed up the waving of the cutlery.

Only after the Lord El-Melloi II put down his knife and fork did he realize a problem—

Where are Caster and the others?

The group of female soldiers who should have been with Shirou were nowhere to be seen.

"Because Saber kept complaining about being bored in her room, she started wandering around on the train after breakfast. But with Fujino Asagami- neechan and Lily- sensei with her, there shouldn't be any problems."

Although he hasn't been summoning Saber for very long, it seems that Shirou has already figured out her personality.

"By the way, Mr. Waver..."

Seeing that Lord El-Melloi II was once again lost in his own thoughts, Shirou's expression seemed somewhat hesitant.

"You want to ask about [that guy], right?"

Seeing Shirou's hesitant expression, it was ultimately Lord El-Melloi II who broke the silence between them.

"Actually, Gray should have already told you, right? The culprit who caused me to look like that just now is the Servant you encountered earlier—[Hephaestion]."

"... Don't you have any ideas?"

Having cast aside his last vestiges of hesitation, Shirou finally asked his question.

Shirou, who participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War, can still recall the tall and imposing man from his childhood. Although it was just a childhood memory, the sense of resonance that made him feel a deep sense of identification with the man remains vivid in Shirou's mind to this day.

If he himself felt this way, then what were the feelings of the Lord El-Melloi II, who had once been deeply impressed by Iskandar as his Master, as he faced Hephaestion, who was praised by the world as Iskandar's most trusted confidant?

"... I don't know."

The Lord El-Melloi II's answer revealed a sense of confusion and hesitation.

"Perhaps she isn't [Hephaestion] after all."

"Ah?"

"Because... I haven't seen her in [Ionioi Hetairoi]."

"[The Ionioi Hetairoi (Aionion Hetairoi)]...?"

This wasn't the first time Shirou had heard this name.

Shirou didn't hide his experiences from Iskandar regarding the Fourth Holy Grail War. Therefore, he naturally knew about Iskandar's Noble Phantasm, a super-powerful Noble Phantasm capable of summoning the supreme army that had once ravaged the world under his command.

[Ionioi Hetairoi]

"When I first saw that formation, my legs went weak with fear... That great military force that once traversed faraway Macedonia and Asia Minor, every single one of them was a true Heroic Spirit. War gods, princes, founders of dynasties, all were brave warriors who had the same bonds and scenery imprinted in their hearts."

The Lord El-Melloi II's tone was less like he was speaking to someone and more like he was reciting a book he had read hundreds or thousands of times.

From his somewhat dazed gaze, Shirou seemed to see the peerless army galloping across Araya and the figure of the [King] leading the entire army.

"There were tens of thousands of soldiers in that army, and it was impossible for me to have spoken to every single general. However, there was absolutely no one among the generals present who was that woman; I am absolutely certain of that!"

"So that's why you said that the Servant wasn't Hephaestion?"

Shirou, having grasped the meaning of the Lord El-Melloi II's words, showed an expression of sudden realization.

[Aionion Hetairoi] is a [Reality Marble Ionioi Hetairoi) ] triggered by the powerful bond between Iskandar and his army. Therefore, it is natural that [Hephaestion], as the most trusted confidant, would not be excluded from it.

"That being said, it's hard to deny that she is Hephaestion. After all, she can use Iskandar's Noble Phantasm [Gordias Gordius Wheel]. The only Heroic Spirit who can use that Noble Phantasm, besides Iskandar himself, is Hephaestion has been said to be [also Iskandar]."

After negating his previous self, the Lord El-Melloi II smiled wryly and rubbed his slightly aching temples.

It's impossible that the Lord El-Melloi II was unaware of that anecdote.

The story of Iskandar saying "[He is also Iskandar]" and then laughing it off when Darius III's mother mistook Hephaestion for the King of Conquerors.

"But at least we can be sure of one thing now--"

Immediately afterwards, the Lord El-Melloi II extended one finger.

"The series of events we experienced on the train, and even some things that happened before we boarded, were likely orchestrated by this [Hephaestion]'s Master..."

Does this refer to the theft of the sacred artifacts and sending an invitation to Fujino Asagami?

As Shirou pondered Lord El-Melloi II's speculation, Lily's voice suddenly rang in his ears—

[Shirou, come to this carriage.]

These were Lily's words, and from her voice Shirou could vaguely sense that something was about to happen...

Chapter 358. The Head

In the dining car in the early morning,

Olga Marie had just finished breakfast and was about to get up and leave, stopped in her tracks because of a voice coming from behind her.

"Please wait a moment--"

Turning around, Olkimarie found El-Melloi's group standing behind her, except that the boy who was leading them was not there.

"... Oh, it's you. What's the matter?"

Olga Marie, recognizing the person, spoke in a tone imbued with complex emotions.

Because of Trisha's death, Olga Marie, determined to uncover the truth, couldn't focus her attention on anything else, especially if she was actually the one who killed Trisha...

Therefore, Olga Marie believed it was best to avoid getting involved with this group of people.

However, the other party was someone who had taken care of her when she was in a coma, and such a debt of gratitude was something that Olga Marie absolutely could not ignore.

May I call you Mary?