"Not bad. You've practiced enough in such a short time to show some real skill. I must commend you; you truly have a talent for illusion magecraft."
As Merlin assessed the situation, he stood up.
Watching the swarms of blue butterflies dancing before him, he couldn't help but praise Roy's training speed.
"Although I have imparted all my knowledge about illusions to you through dreams, it's still quite surprising that you could achieve this level in just one night." Merlin stroked his chin in thought.
"Have you ever encountered illusion magecraft before?"
"No, I only began to study it a few months after receiving my magic crest. After all, for me, illusion magecraft requires the least mana and is the easiest to trigger."
"Least mana and easiest to trigger, indeed. Since the butterflies in butterfly magecraft inherently possess illusionary qualities, and the knowledge stored in your magic crest also includes my contributions, it is indeed the best choice for you."
"However, the speed at which you grasp it is still quite fast... What exactly is going on?"
Feeling something was amiss, Merlin pondered for a moment but ultimately chose to attribute it to talent.
"You did very well today, especially for a human." Merlin smiled and leaned closer, gazing intently at his face.
"However, I still have some doubts."
"What is it? Although I had a strange feeling from the very beginning, it wasn't so profound. The more I interacted with you, the stranger it felt. I keep sensing that your soul is somewhat mottled as if mixed with some foreign substance. I can't quite put this feeling into words."
"Foreign substance? What do you mean? Are you saying something has mixed into my soul? Will this affect me?"
"It's hard to say. It could be due to the uniqueness of the Foreigner, or perhaps some other reason... I'm not sure about the specifics."
"After all, I'm only meeting you in dreams right now. To understand your true condition, I would need to examine you in person. But since you've been living for so long without any issues, there shouldn't be anything to worry about, at least not in the short term."
"Shouldn't there be?!" Roy stared blankly at the unreliable Merlin, a look of skepticism on his face.
"Don't look at me with such distrust. This is something I can't help with. Even though I have clairvoyance, I can only see the present; I can't see the future, and I certainly can't discern the essence. Just being able to detect the anomaly in your soul is quite impressive."
"If we let Gilgamesh and Solomon take a look, they should be able to find something. Their clairvoyance is more effective than mine."
Gilgamesh and Solomon?
"Are you sure I'll come back alive after meeting Gilgamesh?"
"Ah, after the Holy Grail War ends, you should go to the Clock Tower and mention my name to Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. He'll help you take a look. Although he's somewhat unreliable himself, his magical prowess is still quite formidable. I have a decent relationship with him."
Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg... the Old man of the Jewel, the Magician of the Second Magic, and someone who took down Crimson Moon. He certainly knows this formidable magician.
However, magicians in the moonlit world tend to be somewhat eccentric; the more outstanding the magicians, the more troubled they often are.
Zelretch's biggest interest is magical girls; he enjoys transforming young, beautiful girls into his ideal magical girls. Essentially, he is quite a despicable person.
If it were him, he might indeed be able to help. But is it possible that scum like Merlin is actually friends with him?
Truly, birds of a feather flock together; it seems that scum is drawn to scum.
"Hmm? I can't shake the feeling that you're thinking something quite rude."
"I'm not. I was just thinking that you're quite scummy."
"How terrifying! You can say such outrageous things without batting an eye."
"Heh." Roy chuckled softly, "Do you care about your reputation? After all, your name is known in Britain and even in the Throne of Heroes as that of a scum."
"Not at all as exaggerated as you say! Even in Britain, I'm quite beloved. Uh, don't look at me with that insect-like gaze; I admit my reputation is indeed a bit poor, but that's not important."
As he spoke, Merlin waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry; I will enter your dreams on time every day to teach you and provide the information I've gathered with my clairvoyance to support you."
"Although I'm better at swordsmanship than incantations, which can be cumbersome and may even bite my tongue, guiding a novice magus like you is no problem."
"However, please be prepared, as my upcoming guidance will not be easy."
"I certainly understand that there's no way to gain power without effort in this world. With rewards, there must be sacrifices." Roy was fully aware of the adage that there are no free lunches.
Even heroes in mythology receive blessings and powers from the gods, which are typically marked with a price.
"Very good; you seem quite spirited. Next, I will use a stricter approach than with Artoria to hone you into a true hero. Be prepared, young man."
Merlin laughed, but this time his smile was not the flippant one from before; it was a genuinely happy grin, like a child who had just received a new toy.
It's just uncertain how long this newly acquired toy can keep him entertained.
"Go back and think about your magical development plan. This is important for you."
...
He woke up...
The next day, Roy woke up from his warm bed and stretched against the morning sun.
However, the surroundings were no longer the dilapidated hideout of the Fujimura group, but rather a luxurious and warm exquisite room, likely a nice hotel.
"It's morning…"
"Just about to say good morning, but you've been asleep for ten hours; it's already nine o'clock." The Count leaned back in his chair, looking quite spirited, as Servants do not require rest.
"Have I really slept that long? But my mind still feels so tired."
There was no help for it; although his body had rested last night, his soul had trained with Merlin in the dream world for the entire night.
While he had physically rested, the mental fatigue did not dissipate, which was causing Roy a headache (in the physical sense).
Although he wanted to go back to sleep, this was not the time for it during the Holy Grail War, so he naturally couldn't allow himself to continue lazing around.
"By the way, where is this place, Count? Wasn't I supposed to be sleeping in the agreed-upon warehouse?"
Glancing lightly at Roy, the Count replied, "That place has already been compromised. This is the Hyatt Hotel; I brought you here for the night."
"A hotel? Wait, what did you say this was?!" A sudden bad feeling arose in his heart.
…
"My lord, is everything going smoothly?" In the spacious room, Fionn stepped forward to ask as he watched Kayneth come out of the workshop, looking radiant.
"Hmph, of course, it was completed. For the true El-Melloi, cracking such petty tricks is a piece of cake." Kayneth smiled confidently, then called forth Waver, who had been his assistant all night and was now utterly exhausted.
"Yes… Professor Kayneth."
In a weak voice, Waver stepped out of the workshop, his face marked with dark circles. Compared to Kayneth's current radiance, he looked like he was on the verge of burning out.
However, Kayneth didn't mind. Not every magus has the privilege of attending a one-on-one lecture with a Lord-level instructor who talks for an entire night; the effort Waver had put in was negligible compared to the knowledge gained.
After last night's study, he found that Waver wasn't as bothersome as before.
Although he had mediocre bloodlines and poor magic circuits, the boy's understanding of magical theory indeed surprised him.
The questions he posed were surprisingly answered with ease, and Waver even offered his own insights.
Compared to Kayneth's practical approach, Waver seemed more like a theoretical researcher.
He might be better suited for a place like the Clock Tower or perhaps the Wandering Sea or Atlas Institute.
"Kid, is this outfit the result of your all-night study?" Iskandar curiously tugged at Waver's new coat.
"Yes, this is a special mystic code made by Professor Kayneth. The entire outfit is sewn from bulletproof material and integrates many magical materials, with sufficient magical restrictions and auxiliary capabilities set into it."
"As for functionality, it can utilize the internal mercury garment to regulate body temperature and deceive night vision devices; its own durability, combined with an automatic counterattack technique, prevents bullets from penetrating. It can defend against Kiritsugu Emiya's sniping; by the way, it's also equipped with a thunder-type mystic codes that can simulate pulses, which can disable any high-precision equipment present. It also considers protection against fire, cold, sand, and so on…"
While Waver spoke, he demonstrated the capabilities of this Anti-Kiritsugu armor to Iskandar.
"Oh, this really is an impressive piece! If this amazing clothing could be mass-produced for the army, wouldn't it be invincible?" Iskandar rubbed his chin, seriously envisioning it.
"This thing is far superior to what I've seen in books about bulletproof vests and blast armor. It's decided... every soldier in my future army will need a set!"
"It's not as simple as you think, idiot! This is a mystic code, and quite a high-level one at that." Waver rolled his eyes at him, feeling utterly speechless.
"Not to mention the magical materials used for enhancing the enchantments; just the craftsmanship involved makes it impossible for most magus to tackle. This is a composite mystic code that only top-tier magus can create... where do you plan to find Lords to keep producing it for you?"
After the flashy demonstration, the functions of the outfit were finally all revealed.
Fireproof, waterproof, bulletproof, able to interfere with night vision devices, and capable of disabling high-precision equipment... it could be said that this was the nemesis of Kiritsugu Emiya and even modern technology as a whole.
If not for the outrageous craftsmanship and cost required for its creation, this absurd mystic code could indeed influence the global military system if it were widely distributed.
After assisting last night, he began to comprehend the arrogance Iskandar had spoken of.
If it were him, even if he knew the principle behind the Origin Bullets, he would only know the method, without any idea of how to counteract them. But Professor Kayneth, in just one night, had created a nearly perfect countermeasure mystic code.
The gap was too large. No matter how much dissatisfaction he had, he had to admit that Kayneth completely outclassed him, both academically and in action.
His previous desire to rebut him might have truly been the pinnacle of arrogance.
"Hmm... What's the matter, Waver Velvet?"
Noticing Waver's dejection, Kayneth let out a cold snort.
"Are you going to give up just because you've witnessed the gap between yourself and a true genius? If your capacity is only this much, then I truly overestimated you. Since you have the potential to become an El-Melloi, you must seize that potential. Even if it's just a little, you must not disgrace this great surname. Do you understand?"
Seeing Kayneth's stern gaze, Waver wasn't afraid. He responded firmly.
"Professor... I haven't given up, I definitely won't give up! No matter how much you dislike me, I'll never give up. Someday, I will prove to you the value of my thesis!"
"Hahaha, kid, that's exactly how my Master should be. You might lose, but you can't lose your fighting spirit. Never give up your heart of conquest."
"Rider... will you help me?"
"Of course! After all, you are my little Master. Who else would I help? When I win the Holy Grail, I'll take you with me to conquer this world, hahaha!"
"???"
Veins bulged on Kayneth's forehead.
This rude Rider had once again interrupted his sacred time for lecturing and even had the nerve to ignore him, starting a conversation off to the side.
But against someone like Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, who feared nothing, there wasn't much he could do.
As a historically renowned king, it was natural for him to have arrogance and act on his own accord. But this personality truly made Kayneth's blood pressure spike. Compared to this guy, his own summoned Lancer seemed infinitely better.
Both were famous top-tier Heroic Spirits, yet the difference between them was immense.
Kayneth sighed and then said in a deep voice, "In light of your attentiveness last night, you can keep wearing that mystic code for protection."
"Really?" Waver looked at Kayneth in disbelief.
He had witnessed the entire process of creating this outfit and knew how expensive it was. It wasn't something a commoner magus like himself could even dream of possessing. Now, his teacher, who had always been at odds with him, was offering it to him... he couldn't believe it.
"Hmph, wear it, Waver Velvet. As my student, even if you are the worst of my students, I can't allow you to be killed by those barbaric country magus and disgrace the name of the El-Melloi classroom, understand?" Kayneth's voice grew louder as he sternly warned.
"Keep yourself alive. Don't act recklessly, and conduct yourself as a student worthy of the El-Melloi classroom."
"Yes! Professor Kayneth."
Waver, startled, reflexively answered.
"Good. Now that you understand, take your exhausted body out of my sight. In your current state, you'll only hold me back in tonight's battle."
"Okay, understood! Thank you, Professor."
***
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