"The Golden Fleece?"
Taking the unusual catalyst from the Shadowkhan, Roland sank into thought as he took in its splendor, which seemed almost soothing to the soul.
The Shadowkhan manifested differently under different masters, and their capabilities varied enormously. But one thing was certain: these faithful servants would follow their master's heart, doing whatever needed to be done without distinguishing between good and evil.
Among the Heroic Spirits Roland knew of and could reliably summon, Medea was indeed one of the finest choices.
Her unrivaled prowess as a Divine Era Magus and her understanding of magecraft would make her the best possible teacher in that field. Her personality also suited Roland's tastes perfectly.
Although her reputation was notorious, setting aside those prejudices, she was actually quite easy to manage.
I'll choose her. Having made up his mind, Roland extended his arm, reined in his stray thoughts and emotions, and focused on the incantation before him.
Although Shendu's wisdom meant he wasn't completely ignorant of the process, this stage was far too prone to mishaps in Type-Moon for him to be anything but cautious.
Sure enough, the moment Roland began reciting the incantation, he felt something awaken inside him.
A strange sensation surged from every part of his body, like an inexhaustible breath, like a river flowing without end. His shoulders trembled slightly as he felt that overwhelming abundance of power.
Meanwhile, Sakura Matou, standing in her designated position, looked at Roland in confusion as the summoning circle activated. She showed no sign whatsoever of having her magical energy drained.
I'd suspected it before, but to think I really do have magical energy!
Although his soul had undergone a transformation, the differences between the worlds' systems still existed. Ordinary people in Type-Moon primarily supplied magical energy through the Magic Circuits of their own lesser source, which were attached to the physical body. To prevent any mistakes, Roland had brought Sakura Matou along anyway.
He hadn't expected reciting the incantation to be like waking his sleeping body. Tangible power poured out of him and into the Magic Circle, bathing the entire room in a brilliant, shimmering glow.
A gale rose from the summoning circle. Magical energy gathered into invisible spirit particles, forming a miracle at the circle's center that connected to the Throne of Heroes.
Clad in a magus's robe, with half her face buried beneath her hood, the witch spoke in a clear, icy voice.
"Servant, Caster. I am Medea. Are you my summoner?"
She appeared to be somewhere between one hundred forty and one hundred fifty centimeters tall, holding a staff topped with a moon-shaped ornament that stood taller than she did.
Her figure was graceful, but gave an impression of slender fragility. She was entirely enveloped in her mysterious black robe, yet the pale purple strands peeking impishly from her hood and her ivory skin still offered a glimpse of the witch's beauty.
She seems slightly different from what I remember, but nothing appears to have gone wrong.
"Master? Are you dissatisfied with having summoned me?"
At Roland's momentary silence, Medea's voice abruptly turned cold. No expression was visible beneath her hood.
"Not at all. I'm very satisfied. If anything, something reasonably normal has finally happened. Let's get along in the Holy Grail War ahead."
Roland was in an excellent mood. He had encountered far too many changes in this Holy Grail War. Shifts in the relationships between Masters, shifts in strategic objectives-all those factors had combined to eliminate two of the original pairings before the fighting even began.
Although Roland, the instigator himself, wasn't trying to complain, he still wanted to bring every situation under his control for the sake of his goal.
People who stirred up trouble for their own amusement really weren't compatible with him. Someone dependable like Medea was better.
"Is that so?"
Medea paid little attention to her Master's praise, instead looking toward Sakura Matou beside him.
Noticing Medea's icy gaze, the little girl scampered behind Roland and hugged his leg, then cautiously peeked out at Medea.
At that sight, Medea glanced at the modified summoning circle on the floor and asked in a voice so clear it seemed transparent, devoid of any emotion.
"This child is merely an immature apprentice, isn't she? Master, why did you bring her here?"
"To serve as a magical energy battery, of course."
Roland answered without hesitation.
Such an unapologetic answer actually made Medea pause before she questioned him in bewilderment.
"Why? Even by the standards of the Divine Era, the true ether flowing through your body is miraculous in both quality and quantity, Master. In this age when the greater source has begun to dwindle, shouldn't you be Mystery incarnate?"
Although she still felt a little uneasy, Medea had to admire how impeccable her Master's innate qualities were.
The essence of magical energy was life force. Magi could extract it from the external greater source as well as their internal lesser source. For Medea, who had lived in the Divine Era, this difference between eras was her greatest assurance that she could overwhelm modern magecraft.
The true ether that had still existed in her environment was practically poison to modern magi. Yet the Master's body before her was filled entirely with terrifying true ether.
And there was no sign of his life force having been refined at all. It was as though that true ether had materialized out of nowhere, from an unobservable realm.
Even in the Divine Era, such a being would be called a hero... no, a god would be more appropriate.
"So that's how it works..."
Seeing that Roland seemed about to sink into thought again, Medea fixed her purple eyes on her Master. "Purely in terms of efficiency, there's absolutely no need to use a child like this as a battery. Even if you wish to conserve your own magical energy, once I establish a workshop, I can draw from the greater source myself and obtain more efficient magical energy batteries."
"Hm?"
The implied plea made Roland freeze briefly, the corner of his mouth twitching as he realized that Medea seemed to have classified him as an unscrupulous magus.
"Then let's do as you wish."
Now that he had magical energy, Roland hadn't intended to use Sakura anyway, so he readily nodded. But Medea's next words made him stiffen.
"Is that so? Then it seems I needn't terminate this contract just yet."
Was this witch really so blunt?
"Don't you have a wish you want to fulfill?"
"No," Medea replied coldly. "This is nothing more than a dull, tedious world, no different from the past. If you gave me a reason to terminate our contract, Master, I would actually feel relieved."
Roland's expression grew stiffer and stiffer. This was straying further and further from his recollection. Was this utterly dispirited woman really that witch? She had only just been summoned; surely nothing had happened to her yet?
In an instant, Roland's gaze sharpened, and his deep eyes gradually became stained with scarlet.
"Medea, bring out your Noble Phantasm."
The witch obediently produced an ornate, lightning-shaped dagger. Although it was rated only C among Noble Phantasms, many A-rank Noble Phantasms fell far short of it in functionality.
Rule Breaker is here too. There shouldn't be any problem, should there?
"How do you feel upon seeing this Noble Phantasm, this symbol of betrayal, Master?"
Medea showed no fear, speaking as though she had given up on herself. "It's no wonder you're uneasy. After all, in its presence, the contract and positions of Master and Servant can be reversed at any moment. One careless mistake, and the Witch of Betrayal might turn the tables on you. Shall we dissolve our contract? Or will you use a Command Spell to compel me while you still can?"
"Don't hesitate, Master. You're merely one of countless oathbreakers."
"I'm not particularly good with words, nor am I good at dealing with women."
Seeing Medea looking as though her defenses had crumbled, Roland raised his hand.
"I could once pride myself on being honest and trustworthy, but even that's questionable now. So it'll be quicker to show you through my actions."
Medea was essential to Roland's future plans. Even among Casters, the talent to modify the Holy Grail System was uncommon.
For that reason, he had to establish a relationship of mutual trust with her.
"By my Command Spell-Medea, when you feel that I have betrayed you, use your Noble Phantasm to dissolve our contract."
Medea had already lowered her hands, too weary even to resist and ready to return whence she came. Seemingly stunned by that command, she fell into a long silence.
Only after quite some time did she speak in an icy tone.
"Have you lost your mind? I'm a Caster. I have no Magic Resistance, so I can't resist such a specific Command Spell at all. Even a passing, unintentional thought would place me under its compulsory control, you know."
"That's fine, isn't it? What I seek is eternal peace of mind, and that applies to those around me as well. If you still feel uneasy at my side, neither of us will be able to find happiness."
"You're leaving that decision to your Servant? I am the Witch of Betrayal, you know. Sometimes even I don't know what I might do when my emotions take over..."
Medea still wanted to argue. Unlike before, their positions seemed to have reversed, but Roland ended her protests with a single sentence.
"I trust you."
"...Phew." Medea lowered her head slightly, the faintest curve lifting the corners of her mouth. Was she pleased at having earned her Master's trust, or happy to have found someone who understood her?
She straightened up and approached Roland with an air of sweetness.
"Then, my inexperienced Master, shall we get along until our inevitable victory arrives?"
Roland looked at Medea in confusion. Suddenly, a fragrant presence rushed straight into his arms, and he felt something cool against his neck.
A pair of slender arms wrapped around him.
Medea slowly slid her arms downward, and Roland felt her seemingly rub against his lower abdomen on purpose.
"You're too close."
Roland spoke in a low voice, mercilessly planting his hand against Medea's approaching head and pushing her a little farther away.
In the process, Medea's hood naturally slipped off.
Unlike the Medea Roland remembered, the girl in his arms was stunningly beautiful but didn't look mature. Instead, she had a noble, innocent air, like a princess, even as her eyes held an alluring sensuality.
It was truly strange. Allure and innocence, two contradictory qualities, had found harmony in this girl.
She clearly has Rule Breaker, the Noble Phantasm born from her legend, doesn't she? And her behavior has traces of her time as a witch. How could this be?
Roland instinctively supported Medea's waist, staring at the girl before him, unable to hide the astonishment on his face.
"Medea... Lily?"
An extra update at midnight tonight!