It's a dream.
The dark dungeon had become a paradise for rats and maggots, with heart-wrenching wails echoing in his ears at all times.
This scene was very familiar to Roy; he had returned to the Prison Tower once again, but this time, the protagonist was not himself, but rather him.
Watching the disheveled man imprisoned deep within the dungeon, Roy instinctively wanted to reach out to him, but he hesitated.
"…"
He saw the injured man trembling as he crawled up, his eyes devoid of any confusion, with a flame burning in his gaze.
Until the man turned away, gradually fading into the darkness, leaving behind a murmured phrase.
[Wait, and keep hope in your heart.]
...
Roy awakened from his dream and felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down his forehead as he nervously looked up, fearing that Lancer might suddenly burst out from the ceiling.
At the Hyatt Hotel, he knew this was the most luxurious hotel in all of Fuyuki City, and it was also Kayneth's lair. Was the Count really bringing him into someone else's magical workshop?
Noticing Roy's unease, the Count spoke calmly, "There's no need to be nervous. Although we're very close, the building where that magical workshop is located is not connected to here. We've hidden ourselves well; as long as we don't use magecraft here, we won't be discovered."
Upon hearing the Count's words, Roy sensed something. He got up and pulled back the curtains, immediately spotting the larger and more luxurious main building of the hotel across the street.
Moreover, there was a powerful magical aura emanating from the top floor of that building, which he could clearly perceive.
Goodness, how audacious!
Having figured out the situation, he guessed that Kayneth, with his noble arrogance, would certainly choose the most luxurious main building as his stronghold, completely disregarding the side building where he was.
This was a classic case of darkness under the lamp.
While Kayneth was brazen enough to expose his magical workshop, he could never have imagined that there was a magus even more arrogant than him, daring to hide close to his own magical workshop.
But being this close was rather thrilling…
The first night had already passed. Thanks to a certain incubus, he had grasped the situation of this Holy Grail War, but there were still at least six days and nights to go…
According to the intel, the depth of this Holy Grail War was clearly beyond his expectations; the Counter Guardians had already appeared, and what was worse, they all held hostility toward him.
Except for the disgraceful Assassin team, all the Servants present were top-tier. With his current combat strength, he wouldn't survive the Holy Grail War, let alone complete his tasks.
Was the Count strong? Very strong... a solid top-tier Servant, with speed that was also top-notch.
But he couldn't match the other Servants in this war. Gilgamesh needed no further introduction; he was the Servant killer and the strongest in this entire war. Fionn, the unparalleled leader of the Knights of Fianna of Erin was not much weaker than Gilgamesh. Each of Iskandar and Artoria were top-tier Servants; in a direct confrontation, the Count wouldn't stand a chance against any of them.
He hadn't shown himself last night, but Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine were very aware of him.
Other groups of Servants wouldn't easily let Caster off the hook either, because the most troublesome Servant in the Holy Grail War wasn't the one with the strongest overall abilities, Saber, nor the long-range sniper Archer with nuclear blast capabilities, but rather the seemingly least destructive Caster.
Because everyone was a magus, they all had an idea.
If only modern Servants were summoned as Caster, it would be one thing. But what if a Age of Gods Caster appeared?
Wouldn't that be a scenario where age of gods magecraft could make everyone dance in circles, and silently strike at the Greater Grail without anyone noticing?
Just thinking about battling others to the death, only to find that the Holy Grail was already seized by someone else in secret, was enough to give him a brain bleed.
So everyone present was very wary of the Caster who had yet to appear last night. They were probably all conducting searches by now.
If that were the case, it would be fine; while they were taking risks, they could directly target the Holy Grail and the ley lines to increase their chances of victory. However, what Roy had to consider was that they weren't Caster at all; they just appeared as Caster in others' eyes.
Looking at the Count beside him, Roy raised his hand and reached into the air, using the detection magecraft he had just learned.
Then he saw a shocking scene.
[Merlin
Caster
Strength : B
Endurance : E
Agility : D
Mana : A
Luck : C]
"Whoa…" Seeing the Count's outrageous status, Roy took a sharp breath and exclaimed, "Goodness!"
Was he actually guarding against his own Master? Merlin had completely disguised the Count's status using magecraft, fully cloaking it to deceive others.
If that scoundrel Amakusa Shirou were to use Ruler's ability to check the Count's information, he would definitely suffer a major setback in battle.
"Count, let's go."
"Where to?" The Count furrowed his brows and asked, "Don't you want to stay and rest for a while? After all, your condition isn't exactly great."
"I don't need to anymore."
Roy jumped down from the bed and looked out the window at the sun that was already high in the sky. "The night is the battlefield for Servants; the daytime is my stage. Although I may not be a competent Master, I still want to help you as much as I can."
Since he had already been labeled as Caster, he might as well fully embrace the mischievous nature of Caster.
Now was the time not to slack off; he had to take action. If he continued to sit idly by, his only fate would be to head toward destruction.
First, he needed to stir up this murky water thoroughly and find a chance to steer the situation in the direction most favorable to him.
So it was time to…
"Let's go, Count."
"Understood."
...
"Your expression really resembles that of a prisoner about to face the death penalty."
The Count teased while smoking.
"You're clearly terrified, yet you still want to go in? While I may not know much about magus, I can sense that this building is quite unusual."
"Yeah, after all, it's a magical workshop set up by a Lord of the Clock Tower. Even a Servant inside would probably not fare well." Roy gazed at the towering building before him.
This was a magical workshop, and a remarkably rigorous one at that, completely exposed to everyone's view without any intention of hiding.
It showcased a blatant attitude of "I'm right here, come in and fight me if you dare!"
Shouldn't it be expected of Kayneth? He had the arrogance of a top-tier magus written all over his face. Even acknowledging the power of the Servants, he still made such a decision.
He was too confident in his magical prowess, but unfortunately, he had encountered someone like Kiritsugu Emiya, a magus killer who disregarded all ethics... explosives to the face, with no intention of breaking the formation quietly.
"Of course we have to go in. How else can we pull in powerful reinforcements?"
"Oh? Why do you think the magus of this magical workshop will cooperate with us?" The Count asked with some confusion.
"Do you know him well?"
"Yes, I know him very well."
Roy spoke frankly about the reason.
"Because I've seen everything."
Everything, huh…
He really said it... his secret.
"Krahahahaha, that's quite a good answer, Master." The Count chuckled, flicking away the almost burnt-out cigarette butt.
"Since you've said so, let's go in and take a look. Just remember not to stray too far from me."
"I know."
Entering someone else's magical workshop was like stepping into their territory; one's own strength would weaken within, while the enemy's would be enhanced. Everything inside would be controlled by the opponent, and one might unwittingly meet their demise.
Though he was just a hastily trained magus, Roy still had the discernment to recognize this, so he certainly didn't plan to force his way in but rather aimed for a sincere exchange.
"Hello, could you please pass this letter to Mr. Kayneth, who is staying at this hotel? I am his friend."
He greeted the front desk staff and, while doing so, sent a few butterflies flying in front of her, gradually completing the mental suggestion magecraft to erode her thoughts.
"Sure, sir, please wait a moment."
With the help of the suggestion magecraft, the staff member very cooperatively sent someone to deliver the letter to Kayneth on the top floor.
After a while, a classical handsome man with golden long hair slowly descended the stairs, his graceful figure attracting the attention of the crowd.
"Lord Kayneth requests your presence upstairs."
"Thank you for leading the way."
As he followed Fionn into the corridor, Roy felt a certain gaze watching him closely from the shadows. If he made any unusual movements, Kayneth would immediately suppress him.
However, he had indeed come with sincerity this time, and his bargaining chips were substantial enough to even move Kayneth, the lord. Plus, since it was his magical workshop, Kayneth didn't think there would be any surprises and agreed to meet with him.
When he pushed open the last door, a magnificent hall adorned with gold and splendor revealed itself to Roy, every inch exuding the scent of money.
"Evil capitalism!" Roy protested in his heart, though he still politely said, "Sorry for the intrusion."
Upon entering the room, he saw Kayneth, dressed in classical attire, sitting on a sofa savoring a cup of red tea.
Truly a nobleman…
He couldn't help but sigh slightly as he looked at Kayneth and said, "Nice to meet you, esteemed Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. Though my visit is a bit abrupt, I sincerely apologize. It's an urgent matter that I can only meet you in this manner."
"Hmm? A little brat has mixed into the Holy Grail War?" Kayneth's face was filled with the arrogance and disdain of a noble.
Roy didn't mind Kayneth's rude behavior; the arrogance of magus was ingrained in their nature, especially for noble magus like Kayneth, whose arrogance was even more pronounced.
"Though it's a bit sudden, may I ask, esteemed Lord El-Melloi, since you've chosen to invite me to meet, it means you agree to this transaction, correct?"
"Hmm, a precious magic crest that has been passed down for hundreds of years is indeed very tempting. I believe no magus would have reason to refuse such a generous offer."
"However, why should I believe that a mere ordinary person like you can present such a treasure? So, prove it to me."
"Alright."
Upon hearing Kayneth's request, Roy didn't refuse. He activated his magecraft, causing the magic crest on his arm to appear.
"Is this sufficient?"
"Hmm, the quality of this magic crest is quite high, and it has been preserved very well. It truly is a precious item passed down for hundreds of years."
"Where did this come from? Such an ancient magic crest must have originated from a long-established magus family. How did it end up in the hands of a mundane like you?"
Seeing the magic crest materialize on Roy's arm, Kayneth couldn't help but frown.
He could naturally recognize the value of the Matou family's magic crest, but the more he saw, the more puzzled he became. Why would someone give up such a precious magic crest just for such a small request?
What was he really scheming?
"This is a magic crest from Makiri Zolgen, and as for how I got it… a few months ago, my Servant and I killed Matou Zouken and took it."
"Matou Zouken? I remember he is the head of the Matou family, a magus family in Fuyuki City. What is his connection to Makiri Zolgen?" Kayneth asked, slightly frowning in confusion, pointing to the chair in front of him, signaling Roy to sit down for a detailed discussion.
Seeing this, Roy didn't hesitate and graciously took a seat in front of Kayneth, beginning to recount the events of the past few months.
From the spontaneous summoning of the Heroic Spirit to connecting magic circuits and becoming a magus, to eliminating Matou Zouken, and so forth…
"So, you're just an ordinary person who accidentally became a magus through a series of fortunate misunderstandings. No wonder you can easily give up such a precious crest; it seems you truly don't understand its value." Kayneth said after hearing the story. With Roy's intentional guidance, Kayneth successfully misinterpreted him as a novice just starting out in the Magus Path.
Only this way could he explain Roy's easy abandonment of the magic crest.
Thinking carefully about the conditions mentioned in Roy's letter, Kayneth frowned and asked, "The value of this magic crest far exceeds your imagination. You could even use this crest as a foundation to establish a new magus family. Yet you are using it as a bargaining chip for something so trivial. What exactly is your goal?"
Understanding Kayneth's doubts, Roy shook his head helplessly and explained, "My only goal from the beginning has been to have you, Lord El-Melloi, become my teacher."
"If you're unwilling to believe me, we can establish a self-imposed magical contract."
"A self-imposed magical contract? Are you sure about that?" Kayneth's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
A magical contract is similar to an agreement, where both magus write the terms of the contract on a magical scroll and sign it together, creating a binding effect.
What Roy proposed was an even more binding self-imposed magical contract. The so-called self-imposed contract is a type of magical contract used by magus when establishing an agreement that absolutely cannot be breached, serving as the most absolute guarantee against a breach of contract.
The contract is written on parchment and includes details such as binding techniques, subjects being bound, the formal content of the oath, conditions for fulfilling the oath, and signatures of the parties involved.
Both parties use their own magic crests to impose the curse of Geass upon the practitioner, which cannot be nullified by any means in principle.
Once the magus signs the contract and fulfills the conditions to make it effective, even if the signatory dies, as long as the magic crest is inherited by the next generation, even the spirit after death will be bound.
If this contract is signed, it means this kid is serious.
"I'm very sure; I am willing to sign the self-imposed contract, and the content will be exactly as stated in the previous letter." Roy replied with a very certain tone, extending his finger.
"First, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald must take me as his apprentice and teach me magecraft diligently, without leaving out anything."
"Second, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald must guarantee my safety during the Holy Grail War and ensure that I do not suffer harm from other Servants."
"Third, in return, Roy and his Servant are prohibited from causing any harm to Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald during the Holy Grail War."
"Fourth, upon Roy's death, all of his magical assets must be transferred to Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, including the magic crest and his body."
These four mandatory clauses meant that Kayneth only needed to accept Roy as his disciple and make every effort to ensure his safety during the Holy Grail War. In return, Roy was effectively selling himself to Kayneth, promising to transfer his magical legacy to the El-Melloi family after his death.
For Kayneth, this contract might bring him some minor troubles, but compared to the cost Roy was offering, these troubles were negligible.
"For me, I only need to pay a trivial price to gain an original magus and a long-established magic crest. I really have no reason to refuse such a transaction."
Seeing Kayneth's interest, Roy chose to strike while the iron was hot, smiling as he looked at him and said, "Indeed, Lord El-Melloi, you only need to pay a trivial price to obtain a precious magic crest and eliminate an enemy completely. What are you still hesitating about?"
At this point, Kayneth was not a hesitant person. He replied seriously, "Alright, since you've brought this to my doorstep, I'll grant your wish. Remember your choice today and don't regret it."
"Thank you for your advice, but I never regret the choices I make."
----
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