[The correct answer is B.]
[Congratulations to Waver, Chihiro, Hero King, Kayneth, the King of Conquerors, Diarmuid, Emiya Kiritsugu, Tohsaka Sakura, El-Melloi II, the Goddess Venus, Sola, and Valkyrie for obtaining 5 Saint Quartz.]
[Bluebeard forfeits his answer.]
[All other participants answered incorrectly, and will each lose 1 Saint Quartz.]
"It really was just wordplay," Waver and the others muttered, collectively giving a nod to El-Melloi II. Thankfully, he'd picked up on the trick in time.
"..."
Rin also glanced at Chihiro, a hint of reproach in her eyes.
Chihiro raised his hands defensively. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I was just guessing, too."
"Yeah, right," Rin pouted. "Next time, whatever you say, I'm picking the same answer as you."
[In this round, the highest score goes to the King of Conquerors, followed by Chihiro and the Goddess Venus, with Waver, Kayneth, Diarmuid, El-Melloi II, Sola, and Valkyrie tying for third. Each tier receives a gold, silver, and bronze treasure chest respectively.]
[Today's session has ended. The quiz will resume tomorrow.]
With that, everyone's figures disappeared from the hall, returning them to their respective locations. Only the First Emperor remained, feeling the subtle shift as his inherent barrier dissipated, indicating his return to the real world.
"No magical fluctuation at all... This system is truly something else."
...
"Alright, let's see what I get this time."
Back at home, Chihiro looked at the silver treasure chest in his hand and opened it right away. This was his first silver chest, so he was curious to see what kind of reward it would offer compared to the gold ones.
"Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the 'Magic Item: Awakened Will'!"
A card dropped into Chihiro's hand, depicting Matou Kariya, half of his face disfigured as in the original story.
The effect of this item was to strengthen one's mental resolve, making their willpower unbreakable.
"Not bad at all."
Though it might not be particularly useful to others, it was actually quite practical for Chihiro, as it would significantly enhance the effectiveness of his mind-affecting magic.
"Haha, looks like you're in luck, Chihiro."
Zhang Jiao walked over to take a look and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yeah," Chihiro replied, putting away the item with a smile. "Let's get some rest. Who knows what might happen tonight? We'd better stay vigilant."
"Good idea."
Zhang Jiao nodded, heading to his room to meditate. For him, meditation was as restful as sleep.
After returning to his own room, Chihiro took out three additional chests two gold and one silver gained from previous quiz sessions. He hadn't opened them earlier because Zhang Jiao had been nearby.
Might as well open them all today, starting with the newly acquired silver chest.
"Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the 'Magic Item: Goredolf's Gourmet Special'!"
Another card dropped into Chihiro's hand, this time featuring a beach scene with a chubby, blond man holding a steak, surrounded by people enjoying their vacation.
"Wait, isn't that the future head of Chaldea?"
For a moment, Chihiro wondered if the item would have the same properties as Goredolf's infamous alchemical skill, which could turn inedible monster meat into fresh steaks.
But after checking the details, he realized he was mistaken.
This item was similar to the Mapo Tofu and Sakura's Bento he'd received before. It could generate a serving of food daily to restore physical energy. However, the type of food varied at random, without a fixed selection.
"Why do I keep getting food-related items? I'm not even a foodie…"
Shaking his head, he moved on to the next chest, hoping for something more useful.
"Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the 'Magic Item: Five Hundred Year Obsession'!"
Chihiro grimaced as he looked at the card's design. Ugh, how unlucky to draw this.
The card featured none other than Zouken Matou, the loathsome old magus.
Sighing, Chihiro reluctantly examined the item's effect. As expected, it allowed the user to curse an enemy and seal one of their Noble Phantasms upon being defeated and forced to leave the battlefield.
Just like in the game, this was a powerful curse. Annoying as the old magus was, his skill set was undeniably effective.
However, this item was a one-time-use, disappearing after activation. It also came with a significant cost—sacrificing a Servant was required to trigger its effect.
"A real last-resort item," Chihiro muttered.
He looked at the final gold chest, hoping it would contain something useful rather than yet another quirky "gift."
"Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the skill 'True Name Recognition'!"
"A skill? I can get one of those from a chest?" Chihiro looked at the card in his hand, momentarily confused.
"True Name Recognition… Isn't this the skill that lets the Ruler class identify Heroic Spirits' true names?"
While it wasn't groundbreaking, it certainly had its uses, especially if he encountered a Heroic Spirit he didn't recognize from his past life. With this skill, he wouldn't have to fumble around in the dark.
"So, how do I activate it? Is it voice-controlled?"
No sooner had he spoken than the card turned into a beam of white light and entered his eyes.
"…Feels like nothing happened?"
Chihiro blinked, looking around. Everything seemed normal—no sudden insights or changes in his perception.
"Guess it's only activated when I look at a Heroic Spirit. No point testing it on my own room."
He glanced out the window, where Red Hare was sunbathing in the yard. Focusing on him, Chihiro's gaze changed, and something resembling a game panel appeared over Red Hare. The creature seemed oblivious to it.
[Name: Red Hare; Class: Rider; Gender: Male; Alignment: Neutral Balanced.]
[Strength: B; Endurance: EX; Agility: B+; Mana: C; Luck: C; Noble Phantasm: B.]
[Class Skill: Riding EX.]
[Personal Skills: Long-Distance Dash (Horse) EX; All Kinds of Martial Arts (Horse) A; Battle Maneuver (Horse) B.]
[Noble Phantasms: Pseudo-Military God's Five Soldier (Rank A, Anti-Unit/Anti-Army, Range: 1-40, Max Targets: 50); Human-Beast Integration (Rank A, Anti-Unit, Range Unknown, Max Targets: 1).]
"Whoa, I expected just the name, but this gives all the details…"
After a few seconds, the panel vanished, proving the skill wasn't permanently displayed.
"Good, at least it's controllable," Chihiro thought, feeling satisfied with the new ability.
*****
For every 500 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 40+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.