When Shinji, Gordes, and Siegfried returned to Millennia Castle, someone was already waiting for them in the parking lot, instructing them to meet with Vlad III immediately.
Gordes showed clear dissatisfaction with this. Even though Shinji had scolded him once, he still couldn't stand Danic's way of serving Vlad III as his lord, thinking it was disgraceful and a shame to the entire Yggdmillennia clan.
"What a useless patriarch," Gordes muttered while looking at the expressionless, silent Siegfried. Compared to Vlad III, Siegfried was better, and obviously, my standards as a Master are higher.
In contrast, Shinji rather admired Danic. He had grasped the personalities of the Servants and reached a consensus with them in the most suitable way. To stimulate Vlad III's initiative, he disregarded personal honor and disgrace. After all, he was a monster who could make Zouken Matou suffer losses, far better than the clueless fat man beside him.
Regardless of their inner thoughts and willingness, Danic was the patriarch of Yggdmillennia, and Vlad III was the leader of the Black faction. Their orders could not be defied, at least not for now.
Shortly after, in the throne room, the three saw Vlad III seated on the throne and Danic standing beside him.
Vlad III asked, "Assassin, report your actions from last night."
Shinji had anticipated this question. His task last night was to further investigate Yggdmillennia's defense system, but he appeared on the outskirts of Trifas and encountered the adjudicator that the Black faction wanted to recruit. How could this not arouse curiosity?
Of course, Shinji had prepared a response in advance. He spoke methodically, "At 20:00 last night, I left Millennia Castle and headed towards Trifas to re-examine the bounded field along the way. According to my estimation, the investigation would take at least four hours, but it went surprisingly smoothly. Not only did I not find any new issues, but the previously identified loopholes were also well resolved, likely due to Archer's work."
At this point, Shinji paused deliberately, and seeing Danic nod, he continued, "As expected of a great sage, so knowledgeable about magecraft. Thanks to him, by around 22:20, the investigation was complete. My Master Fiore's rest time was around 23:00, and I judged that returning to Millennia Castle would be meaningless. So, I took it upon myself to scout Trifas, where I had not been before."
"At 23:30, I finished surveying the terrain of Trifas and continued to advance to the outskirts. On the highway outside the city, I discovered Ruler. I thought it was an opportunity."
"Ruler has the authority to influence the war's direction significantly. If we could use her, the Red faction would surely be defeated. Even if we couldn't recruit her, we should leave a good impression to prevent her from siding with the Red faction."
"She didn't come back with you, so the recruitment must have failed," Vlad III said, resting his hands on the throne's armrests, his face emotionless.
"As the Lord said," Shinji slightly bowed his head to show regret, "Ruler is noble and determined, strictly adhering to the principles of justice and resolved to maintain distance from both sides. Although the recruitment failed, I believe this result is not unacceptable. At least if we can't recruit her, neither can the Red faction."
"Do you know Ruler's true name?" Danic asked.
"Ruler did not hide it. She is the Saint Jeanne d'Arc."
"So, it's the Saint of France," Danic knew of Jeanne d'Arc's legend.
"Because she strictly follows the rules and doesn't overstep, I had a new idea—to utilize my class skills to infiltrate Ruler's side. As long as Red faction members appear, I can catch them off guard."
"A good strategy."
Vlad III affirmed Shinji's idea.
"No one would ignore the adjudicator's presence, nor would anyone expect an Assassin to be lurking around the adjudicator. It's just a pity—"
"—It's just a pity that I realized the Red faction didn't intend to recruit Ruler but to eliminate her. I thought Ruler would team up with me to punish Red's Lancer, but she was more stubborn than I imagined. She refused my proposal, treating the Red-Black war and the attack on Ruler as separate incidents. Helpless, I had to fight Red's Lancer alone. In hindsight, I should have let Ruler and Red's Lancer fight first and then come out to take advantage."
Of course, this wasn't Shinji's true thoughts. Although Jeanne is strong and has privileges, Shinji still doesn't believe she can defeat Karna. Furthermore, Karna's golden armor ensures that Shinji's sneak attacks cannot cause fatal injuries. Rather than going through all the trouble for nothing, wouldn't it be better to stand openly and leave a good impression on both sides?
Before making this statement, Shinji had already confirmed that the observation magecraft in Millennia Castle could only transmit images, not sound. The people in the castle did not know what Shinji and Jeanne had talked about, and with Jeanne's character, she wouldn't follow him to the castle to expose him face-to-face.
"No need to be upset, Assassin. Even I would have made the same choice as you."
Vlad III did not blame Shinji for his mistake; instead, he gave him quite a high evaluation.
"I do not dare accept such praise from Your Highness."
"Excessive modesty can come across as insincere. You have already proven your capabilities through your achievements—tell us your assessment of Red's Lancer."
"Yes, Your Highness. Red's Lancer's strength is on par with Black's Saber. Whether as a Heroic Spirit or as a Servant, he is top-tier, and like Saber, he also possesses immortality."
"Saber, what is your opinion?" Vlad III turned his gaze to Siegfried.
Siegfried glanced at his Master, and seeing no objection, he said, "Assassin's words are accurate. Red's Lancer, Karna, indeed deserves such an evaluation."
"Karna!" Vlad III and Danic exchanged a look; the former was concerned, the latter as if facing a formidable enemy. "Are you certain?"
"He confirmed it himself."
"He disdains such disguises," Shinji and Siegfried almost spoke in unison.
Danic snorted heavily, his face cold and unwrinkled. "To have prepared such a catalyst in no more than two days—Rocco Belfeban, though he is the Minister of Spiritual Evocation, could not have done it alone. Belfeban's allies... El-Melloi II and Sophia from the Department of Spiritual Evocation? The three major departments of the Mage's Association are determined to annihilate us. But just one Karna is far from enough! We have Your Highness, Saber, Archer, and powerful Servants like Assassin. Victory will be ours. Your Highness—"
Vlad III understood. "The next time we encounter Red's Lancer, I will fight alongside Saber."
Siegfried frowned slightly but quickly let it go. As a warrior, he wanted a life-and-death duel with Karna, but this was not a one-on-one fight; it was war, and concentrating superior forces to defeat the opponent was the most common tactic.
Shinji wore a similar expression, but his frown did not relax. He stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, Patriarch Danic, may I have a word?"
P.S. Since the Holy Grail War began, Servants have run rampant, and the world is in turmoil. The nation faces peril, and the people suffer. I, Shinji Matou, will sweep across the six directions, conquer the eight wildernesses, win the hearts of the people, and earn the respect of all. This is not achieved through power but is destined by fate!