A report, a night battle, and the credit for probing Red's Lancer's abilities significantly elevated Shinji's status in the eyes of Vlad III and Danic, almost on par with Siegfried and Chiron. When he had something to say, both would let him speak first, carefully considering his words before making any judgments.
Danic extended his right hand in a gesture of invitation.
Shinji did not hold back and immediately asked, "Do you two, and the other Masters of the Yggdmillennia clan, truly believe that the Black faction's victory is certain and that the Red faction's defeat is inevitable? I'm not talking about slogans; I mean genuinely believe it in your hearts!"
"I thought you were going to say something significant, but it's such a shallow question."
The reply did not come from Vlad or Danic, but from Gordes, who had not had a chance to speak.
"Of course, I think that way. You should be able to sense how enormous our advantage is."
Although Danic was displeased with Gordes' rudeness, he did not act against him due to the latter's contributions. Instead, he affirmed Gordes' statement:
"With three top-tier Servants—Vlad, Saber, and Archer—and the other Servants being very competent, we have a considerable edge. Though our Masters may not match the Mage's Association's hunting dogs, the mana distribution compensates for that gap, perhaps even surpassing it. Furthermore, we hold the home-ground advantage and have sixty years of preparation. According to my calculations, our chances of victory are at least eighty percent."
Shinji sighed upon hearing this. "At first, I thought the same, but after my battle with Red's Lancer last night, I feel that you all, no, the entire Yggdmillennia clan, might be too optimistic."
The Yggdmillennia clan's attitude was more than just optimistic. They believed that after years of dormancy and thorough preparation, they had an excellent hand, with an inflated mindset no less than Gordes'. Indeed, people of the same kind flock together.
Shinji's deep understanding of the Red faction's Servants assured him that they were not weaker than the Black faction. In terms of combat power, they might even be stronger. Even with his interference significantly boosting the Black faction's strength, the gap was not as wide. In a scenario where the strength gap is narrow, one side being cautious and advancing steadily while the other is overly confident and reckless clearly shows which side has the higher chance of victory.
The only consolation was that the Black faction, including Gordes, was not beyond saving. Vlad III and Danic were not arrogant fools either. Once they realized that the Red faction was not as weak as presumed, they would take their opponents seriously. This was precisely what Shinji intended to achieve now.
"I consulted Fiore and learned that our enemy is a colossal entity that has stood for nearly two thousand years, with deep foundations. Although we caught them off guard, such a giant, given time, will inevitably receive continuous support. Every day that passes, their strength grows. It may not be long before their accumulation matches or even surpasses ours."
"The accumulation I speak of includes various aspects, from logistical support to combat strength. Clan Leader Danic just mentioned two departments, Summoning and Spirit Evocation. Given such titles, they must have amassed many precious catalysts. In this scenario, not to mention one Karna, adding Arjuna, Rama, or other great heroes is not impossible. To exaggerate, if there were seven top-tier Servants comparable to Karna, would you still have such confidence?"
"That's impossible," Danic shook his head. "In today's era of rampant pseudo-Holy Grail Wars, even Belfeban and Sophia couldn't possess so many precious catalysts. I've been in contact with various Clock Tower families for many years and know them well. Unless the Twelve Lords unite, it's impossible to summon seven Servants comparable to Karna. The internal factional struggles within the Clock Tower ensure that unless the Twelve Lords face a life-and-death crisis, they won't unite. The Belfeban faction could at most produce relics for three top-tier Servants, and even then, there's no guarantee of a successful summoning."
"Let's assume three for now," Shinji extended three fingers. "As someone from an assassin background, I prefer to consider the worst-case scenario to ensure nothing goes wrong. Three against three would be roughly even. But I also heard that a colossal entity, no less powerful than the Mage's Association, has joined the fray. I think it's called the Holy Church. It seems related to the Catholic Church?"
"It's an internal organization of the Catholic Church, opposing the Mage's Association for many years," Danic explained in detail, though he was unsure why Shinji mentioned this. "They once managed the Fuyuki Holy Grail Wars, aiming to prevent the relics' misuse. This time, the Mage's Association invited them to demonstrate their legitimate stance. The Master they sent is an unheard-of priest, not a significant figure, nothing to worry about."
"I don't see it that way. Please answer me this: if a neighboring country of equal strength invited you to witness and assist in quelling an unchallenged rebellion, would you send an insignificant person just to go through the motions?"
The two top heroes of their respective nations fell into deep thought.