The Mage's Association was in a heated debate. According to Shishigou's report, a priest named Shirou Kotomine had seized control of every Red Faction Master except himself and Archer's Master. Were they alive or dead? Well, to these old mages who'd long abandoned humanity for magic, they were as good as dead.
Faced with Belfeban's question, Lord El-Melloi II shrugged.
"Sit back and wait for the war to end."
It was the obvious choice. The Holy Grail War had a time limit; when it was over, all the Servants would vanish, and it wouldn't matter whether Kotomine or the Yggdmillennia clan came out on top. Either way, both had already betrayed the Mage's Association, so it'd be a matter of time before they were dealt with.
Besides, most of the Red Faction's Servants were top-tier, except for Caster. Jumping into that fray would just lead to the same fate as the elite mages who'd tried to raid Yggdmillennia earlier—utter failure.
"What about Shishigou and that woman?"
"Forget about the woman for now," Belfeban said, slapping a photo onto the table. "As for Shishigou, bringing him back is out of the question. The idea of him winning the Grail? Let's just say it's wishful thinking." He leaned back, smirking. "But, I have to give him credit for one thing."
Lord El-Melloi II raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"
"The Ruler of this Grail War... His name—" Belfeban grinned wider, "is the White Hero, Cyd."
"What?!" El-Melloi II's eyes widened. "He's an actual summonable Servant?"
"Yup. Directly summoned by the Greater Grail itself. This confirms that the White Hero can indeed be called forth." Belfeban shrugged. "Though I'm sure you already figured that."
"And now you plan to summon him nonstop?" El-Melloi II asked, already feeling a headache coming on. He never did see eye-to-eye with these old mages. Their obsession with Cyd was something he couldn't wrap his head around.
"No, no. The catalyst's already been sent to Chaldea. Their summoning system is more complete than ours, and they've had successful cases."
"So, this is about that theory?" El-Melloi II sighed.
"For a true mage, any possibility is a guaranteed result," Belfeban said, swiveling his chair to stare out the window. "And he's that kind of mage. After all, he's spent an enormous fortune out of his own pocket for this."
"Yeah, that's the real kicker," El-Melloi II muttered, thinking about his own mountain of debt. His stomach started to ache again.
"Mages these days care about this 'possibility' as much as they care about the Earth getting bleached tomorrow," Belfeban chuckled. "If it's not their own money, they don't care how things turn out."
Back in his room, El-Melloi II sighed deeply. "Mages really are the embodiment of selfishness."
He glanced at the distant cabinet and laughed bitterly to himself. "Am I any better?"
"Nope, not really," came a voice from the door. A blonde girl casually shut the door behind her. "With your skills, you've only taken ten steps back, tops."
With a defeated look, El-Melloi II watched as Reines, the girl who'd made him Lord El-Melloi II, sat down in his chair. As if on cue, his maid Gray quietly placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her.
"This door has a lock, you know," El-Melloi II grumbled, rubbing his forehead.
"Not when I have this!" Reines smiled mischievously. "I've got my ways."
"This Mystic Code isn't for breaking into people's rooms!" he snapped.
"Relax, I only break into your room," Reines said with a sly grin.
"Sometimes I really want to strangle your ethics teacher!" El-Melloi II groaned.
"Oh, no worries. I already did that for you. He's probably rolling around in the deepest pit of Hell right about now," Reines said with a sip of tea. "So, my dear brother, how about you use your spare time to take care of a few things for me?"
El-Melloi II sighed. He couldn't win an argument against Reines. He couldn't fight her either. The best he could do was bark helplessly, but even that just made her happier. So, he decided to stay quiet.
"What do you want?" he asked, sitting on the couch.
"Just looking out for my dear brother," Reines said, feigning innocence.
"If you stopped making my life harder, I'd thank the gods," El-Melloi II muttered.
"I'm only trying to help you pay off your debt faster," she replied sweetly.
"Thanks," he groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. "Now, what is it?"
Do you think this debt is mine?!
"I'm just curious," Reines said with a grin. "You used to be obsessed with the Holy Grail War, but now you're not even interested."
"That was a long time ago." El-Melloi II's eyes flickered toward the cabinet. If it were a normal Grail War, he might've considered it. But a seven-on-seven war? If he summoned that guy, it'd be chaos. After all, he was someone who found recruiting other Servants... interesting.
I will lead you to conquer the world!
Yeah, that's something he'd say. And probably do.
Worse yet, if the other mages learned that he had a catalyst for that guy in the middle of this Subspecies Holy Grail War, he'd be nothing more than a tool to them. And that was something Weber Velvet could never allow.
"What a shame," Reines said, breaking his thoughts. "If you did join, you could've chatted with the White Hero. You might've even worked harder afterward! Maybe gotten some perks out of it, too—your beloved sister might have gained a bit of face."
"You already know?" El-Melloi II sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
"That you like men?" Reines teased.
"No!" he shouted, jumping to his feet, only to sink back into the couch. "I meant about Cyd being summoned."
"Of course, I know," Reines said, flashing a grin. "Out of all the Servants, he has the most unique advantage."
"Because the gods favor him? Isn't Arjuna the same?" El-Melloi II asked, frowning.
"No, no, no. This White Hero isn't just favored—he's blessed. He carries the undeniable proof of the gods themselves," she said, moving to sit beside him on the couch.
With a loud "thump," El-Melloi II sprang to the opposite side of the room, plopping down on another couch.
"He's a Servant that proves the divine right of the gods," Reines laughed. "His existence ensures that Mystery will never fade."
"Now I get it," El-Melloi II nodded. With time, Mystery had inevitably weakened, and modern Magecraft had been born as a compromise. The older generation had always looked down on modern mages. "Still, at the end of the day, he's just a Servant. How could he stop Mystery from fading?"
"What if he were still alive?" Reines said with a sly grin.
El-Melloi II's expression grew serious. "You know what you're saying, right? A being that's lived from the Age of Gods to the present, blessed by the thirteen most powerful Greek deities? You know what his appearance in the modern world would mean?"
"The world would change," Reines said casually. "Maybe his return would bring the Greek gods back, too."
"That'd be a nightmare," El-Melloi II muttered. "Please don't say things like that so carelessly."
"Oh, I'm not just guessing, my dear brother," Reines said, flashing a mysterious smile. "That woman? She confirmed it. Cyd's still alive, and she plans to bring him back through this Grail War."
"You talked to her?" El-Melloi II's jaw dropped.
"She seemed cold, but she's actually a bit of an airhead," Reines shrugged. "Kind of like your apprentice."
"No, no, no. There's no way Cyd's still alive. Living people can't be summoned as Servants," El-Melloi II shook his head.
"Who knows?" Reines grinned. "Maybe he doesn't exist in our world, so he's 'dead' by technicality. Besides, that woman was very confident."
"Oh no… This is going to be a disaster," El-Melloi II groaned.
"Don't worry, dear brother," Reines chirped. "If you handle this, you'll be able to pay off a nice chunk of your debt!"
"Absolutely not!"