Adelson and Sakumura stood together before the Einzbern Family's magical ward, raising their heads to gaze up at the enormous formation.
In truth, the magical ward had no visible form. Sakumura could see it because he had touched it with his blade, while Adelson could see it with his own eyes.
"Reject everything. Heh, that sure sounds nice."
Adelson reached out and lightly tapped the magical ward, a cold smile on his face.
It was not as if he meant to condemn them for it.
After all, the Einzbern Family had been trying, day after day, to fulfill a wish using what the long-vanished wielder of the Third Magic had left behind. The pain they had accumulated over the years was no less than that of other families or magi—perhaps it had even reached a level similar to Hinako Akuta's, given that it was the pursuit of an entire family.
But the problem was that they had long since taken the wrong direction on the path toward their dream. Or rather—if they wished to fulfill that dream, it was destined to be accompanied by the tragedies of others.
The Holy Grail War, that tragic and brutal magical competition, could be said to have been orchestrated single-handedly by the Einzbern Family in order to complete the Third Magic, Heaven's Feel.
During all this, which family had suffered the most?
Zolgen.
Matou.
Perhaps it was somewhat misplaced resentment, but in Adelson's eyes, if not for the Einzbern Family, Zolgen would not have borne infamy and fled to the Far East. London would not have suffered a catastrophe like the "meteorite," and Selim would not have sold off his ancestors' relics, leaving his mother Harley unable to ascend to the Throne of Heroes.
Zolgen himself had certainly been foolish and self-righteous in many