Rumble—
Amidst the sound of urgent footsteps and the rumble of wheels, a massive figure appeared on the street.
It was a grand chariot pulled by two sturdy bulls, racing along with two people standing atop. One was a massive, muscular man steering the chariot and guiding the bulls, while the other was a frail young man clinging tightly to the edge of the chariot, seemingly afraid of falling off.
"Oh? I didn't expect there to already be visitors here!"
As the bulls pulled the chariot to a stop in front of the bookstore, the muscular man let out a hearty laugh.
"See, young master, someone here shares the same heroic tastes as I do!"
"You're no visitor! You're a robber! What kind of heroic spirit tries to rob a bookstore right after being summoned!?"
The frail young man beside him cried out, tears streaming as he protested the muscular man's actions.
"And didn't you say we wouldn't be noticed? Well, here we are, spotted immediately!"
The frail young man was Waver Velvet, whom Zuke was searching for, and the muscular man was his Servant, Iskandar—better known as Alexander the Great. The relic used to summon him originally belonged to Kenneth but was stolen by Waver.
"Now that you mention it, the Holy Grail War isn't supposed to be visible to ordinary people, right?"
Iskandar stroked his chin thoughtfully, glancing at Zuke and Sakura Matou, who were watching them with amused expressions. He laughed and said, "But these two don't seem to be ordinary people, do they?"
"Eh? Really?"
Waver looked at Zuke and Sakura in surprise but quickly frowned.
"No, that's not right. They don't have Command Seals. They don't seem to be participants in the Holy Grail War."
"Your judgment is still lacking."
Iskandar's gaze locked onto Zuke, his massive frame trembling slightly.
"This pressure… No ordinary person could exude such an aura. Even in my conquests, I've never encountered a monster capable of intimidating me like this."
"Enough chatter, Iskandar. I'm here to talk to your Master."
Zuke eyed Iskandar's posture, which suggested he was ready to fight, and clicked his tongue.
If Iskandar decided to make a move, Zuke didn't mind eliminating him. However, that would complicate his dealings with Waver.
The moment Zuke spoke, both Iskandar and Waver froze.
"You… You know Rider's true identity?"
Hearing Zuke directly address Iskandar by his true name, Waver realized that Zuke already knew his Servant's identity.
Servants are famous figures from history and mythology. Once their true name is revealed, their abilities and weaknesses could be deduced from their legends.
"Haha, I haven't even introduced myself, and yet my name is already known?"
Iskandar laughed heartily, showing no displeasure at having his true name exposed. In fact, his personality was such that, in the original story, he freely revealed his own name.
He patted Waver on the back, almost causing the young man to tumble off the chariot.
"Hey, young Master, this person seems to be looking for you. Go talk to him!"
"Idiot! What if he's here to kill me!? Aren't you supposed to protect me as my Servant!?"
Waver, timid by nature, trembled as Iskandar pushed him forward.
Although Waver couldn't sense any oppressive aura from Zuke, Iskandar had openly stated that Zuke was a monstrous presence capable of pressuring him. This suggested that Zuke might also be a Servant, which terrified Waver.
"If he wanted to attack, he wouldn't just be standing here talking, would he?"
Iskandar saw through the situation clearly, recognizing that Zuke had no intention of fighting.
"I came to ask you to take this child to the Clock Tower to study magecraft."
Ignoring Waver's antics, Zuke glanced at Sakura, who was still sitting on his lap, and spoke.
"Her name is Sakura Matou. She has excellent magical potential, but I'll be leaving after the Holy Grail War and can't take care of her."
"Sakura Matou…? Isn't that from the Matou family…"
Hearing that Zuke was genuinely here to discuss something serious, Waver managed to calm down slightly.
However, upon hearing Sakura's surname, he immediately thought of the Matou family, one of the three founding families of the Holy Grail War.
As a participant, he had recently been gathering information. Just that morning, he read in the newspaper about the Matou family being raided due to mysterious insects infesting their estate.
"She was originally from the Tohsaka family, but since only one heir can inherit their magical circuits, they adopted her into the Matou family."
Zuke patiently explained.
"Tohsaka's ancestors were fairly reputable in the Mage's Association, right? Taking her to the Clock Tower to study shouldn't be an issue."
"Yes, Tohsaka's founder was said to be a student of the Jewelled King…"
Because he was participating in the Holy Grail War, Waver had studied the histories of its founding families and knew about Tohsaka Nagato, the family's founder.
But he quickly realized something.
"Wait! If you're a Servant, then we're enemies in the Holy Grail War! Why should I help you!?"
"If you don't help, I'll kill your Servant now and force you out of the Holy Grail War."
Zuke threatened calmly.
"If you agree, I'll leave Iskandar to be dealt with last."
Waver was stunned. He had never experienced a negotiation like this—either way, Iskandar would die, and he'd be forced out of the war. The only upside to agreeing was that he'd get to stay in the war a little longer.
"Interesting. In a way, this is an alliance, pushing our battle to the end of the Holy Grail War."
Iskandar laughed heartily, reframing Zuke's threat in a more optimistic light.
Indeed, from another perspective, leaving Iskandar for last meant dealing with other opponents first.
This was the difference between low emotional intelligence and high emotional intelligence.
Hearing Iskandar's explanation, Waver seemed to accept it. After a moment's thought, he said, "If she has Tohsaka blood and solid magical talent, the Clock Tower wouldn't reject such a student."
Finally, Waver looked up at Zuke and nodded.
"Alright! I agree!"
…
After reaching an agreement with Waver, Zuke left with Sakura.
Waver watched Zuke's departing figure, his expression uneasy.
Although he couldn't gauge Zuke's strength, the man's casual disregard for others unnerved him deeply.
"Hey, Rider, you said he's strong… If it comes to a fight, you'll win, right?"
Seeking reassurance, Waver looked up at Iskandar's massive frame.
"Of course."
Iskandar, sensing Waver's unease, gave a confident smile.
"I'll win."
To be continued…
Zuke asks for King Kai's Galactic Patrol Token!
Zuke's reasoning for wanting the token shocks Kai!
Zuke heads to Galactic Patrol's head office!
Merus personally attends to Zuke!!
Find out more about these events on my Patreon!
Btw, hoi Ningen, FBI is after you after going through your search history. Hand over your Power Stones to me so I can bribe them for you winks.
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