Waver regretted it the instant the words left his mouth. Kayneth would, at most, respond to such undermining remarks with a few cold snorts, but Rider was another matter entirely. His intense curiosity and boisterous nature had the destructive power to send events veering off in a completely different direction.
"Oh, oh! I thought you were just a little helper brought along to make up the numbers. Who knew you had such an interesting perspective?"
Rider gave Waver an impressed look. "Not letting rigid thinking bind you, and instead considering every situation that might pose a threat-that's an excellent way to think, boy. You might have a talent for being a strategist."
"Not really." Waver, who could remain unruffled even in the face of Kayneth's sharp tongue, instead lowered his head shyly when praised by a legendary hero. "It's just based on past experience. Before I entered the Clock Tower, every mage around me built their workshop in a basement, without exception. So I looked into it."
Waver paused. Though his own magecraft was nothing exceptional, he was confident in the breadth of his knowledge.
"An enclosed space makes it easier for magecraft to circulate. An underground location, combined with the workshop's own defenses, also keeps outside attacks from destroying it immediately. That's why they choose to build underground."
"From that penny-pinching, practical perspective, perhaps you two would make a better Master and Servant pair. Rider, you are a king, after all. I thought you would be able to see through my intentions."
Kayneth gave a contemptuous snort, neither accepting nor rejecting Waver's answer.
Rider took no offense at the mockery. Instead, he turned to Kayneth with interest. "Oh? Then what is your perspective, Master?"
"From a practical standpoint, what he said may be correct. However, building a workshop in a basement considers only practicality, not reality."
Kayneth proudly raised his head. "Waver Velvet, do you understand the geographical significance of the building beneath our feet?"
"It's the tallest and most conspicuous building in Fuyuki City, and it cost a great deal to build..."
Waver had already lowered his head to avoid becoming the target of Kayneth's anger, but when he heard the question, his habits as a student took over, and he answered instinctively.
"Correct. And surely you haven't forgotten another point: the first principle of all mages. Mystery must remain concealed."
If magecraft was not kept hidden, its power would diminish. Magecraft exposed to the public would be weakened; whether it remained secret affected the future of an entire family and an entire system of magecraft.
Mages both good and evil followed this principle, because it also meant protecting themselves.
"If someone chose to blow up this workshop rather than storm it head-on, they could indeed destroy it easily. But you must also consider the consequences of blowing up a city's most conspicuous building."
Kayneth explained in his hoarse voice, "Even if the ordinary people were evacuated in advance, the value of this building would guarantee an investigation by the insurance company. That would expose the mysteries surrounding the Holy Grail War. To prevent that, whoever handled the aftermath would have to pay for everything themselves."
"This building must be worth at least a hundred million pounds..."
After estimating the price of the hotel beneath their feet, Waver turned ashen.
Yet Kayneth remained utterly merciless and pressed on. "Even for El-Melloi, that is no small sum, much less for an ordinary mage. Anyone unable to pay would find themselves wanted and hunted by Enforcers and Executors."
"Do you think any mage would stake the rest of their life on an ordinary Magecraft Competition?"
Waver lowered his head and said nothing more. Indeed, he was still somewhat immature. Though he did not believe Kayneth was necessarily right, there was certainly merit in what he had said.
At that moment, however, Rider offered unexpected support.
"Master, there is nothing wrong with your reasoning. But you have made one mistake."
Rider slapped his knee and flashed a broad smile. "When it comes to attitude, I do believe there are mages who would worry about such things. But since the Heroic Spirits have all staked their wishes on this battle to the death, I believe there must be mages of that kind as well."
"No matter how outstanding your abilities are, excessive arrogance may become a stumbling block for you, Master."
"Hmph. That is nothing but the needless fretting of lesser men." Kayneth clearly disagreed.
Rider did not try to persuade him further. Instead, he stood up. "Then shall we go and watch these so-called lesser men fight to the death?"
"Just what I had in mind. Come along, Waver. Your first lesson is about to begin."
-Shinto Port, Fuyuki City.
As a warehouse area connecting the harbor to the Industrial District, the place was deserted after nightfall. Only dim lights shone in solitude, casting shadows over the emptiness.
Remote and open, it combined both qualities that made it an ideal place to initiate the first battle.
The imposing silver-white knight slowly removed his hood and stood beneath the lights, releasing his presence without the slightest hesitation, almost as though issuing a provocation.
Behind him stood Irisviel, her expression solemn.
After Kiritsugu Emiya's death, she had still chosen to follow the original plan. As the most unusual representative of the Three Founding Families, she could never have remained hidden in the shadows anyway. In that case, she might as well display her strength, gauge the enemy's power, and prepare for the battles ahead.
Besides, she believed in Saber's strength.
Saber had no intention of disobeying Irisviel's orders.
Belonging to the strongest class and himself a first-rate Heroic Spirit, the ever-victorious king would never lose the confidence to fight openly and honorably.
If anything, this suited him perfectly. As a Master, Irisviel was more capable than Kiritsugu Emiya. Under these circumstances, Saber's abilities had received a considerable boost, with both his strength and magical energy increasing.
According to Irisviel, apart from agility and luck, which remained in the second tier, all his other attributes had reached the highest rank. Even among the Heroic Spirits of past Holy Grail Wars, he was an exceptional case.
How many enemies would come? Having already failed twice in his duty to protect, Saber transformed all the anger in his heart into surging fighting spirit. He unleashed his powerful magical energy without restraint, openly challenging every Servant to battle.
"Someone beat us to it."
Near the River Mouth, dozens of miles from the Port, Kayneth stood at the edge of the Mion River Bridge connecting the Old Capital and Shinto. Unafraid of the powerful sea wind, he watched the situation at the Port through clairvoyance magecraft. His poised figure stood in stark contrast to Waver, who was huddled into a ball beside him.
Even so, he still fell somewhat short of Rider, who sat cross-legged on the ground, taking great swigs of red wine.
"Was it necessary to come somewhere this high to scout?"
Kayneth frowned deeply as he voiced his question.
"This is an excellent vantage point for reconnaissance, and the scenery is splendid too," Rider said calmly. "As Rider, my greatest strength is mobility. With a presence that obvious, the other Servants must be watching as well. Wouldn't it be even better if another Servant showed up at the same time?"
Hearing such careful reasoning, Waver looked at Rider in surprise. He might look like a reckless brute, but was he actually rather clever?
"There is no need for that. If you are sufficiently confident, gathering all the Servants and defeating them at once is certainly one approach. But it is too much trouble. Since I am the strongest, I need only issue an open challenge and eliminate everyone who answers it, one by one."
Rider gave Kayneth a surprised look. He had not expected him to follow his thinking. Though his Master was an excellent mage, his views on how to act were less compatible with Rider's than the little fellow's were. Yet when it came to pride, they unexpectedly saw eye to eye.
"If that is my Master's opinion, then that settles it. Hold on tight!"
Rider stood and whistled, calling a thunder-wreathed chariot through the air. "Let's go declare war openly!"
In the original story, Kiritsugu Emiya blew up far more than this. Including everything that came later, the damage probably totaled several hundred million euros, all paid for by the Einzberns. Then he even blew up the Holy Grail. The Einzberns really took a brutal loss.