9 Matou

Night.

Suburbs of Fuyuki City.

"Master, you really are something! Just a trip to the church, and you've managed to package yourself as a believer." The Count couldn't help but laugh when he saw Roy returning with a black Bible in hand and a shiny silver cross around his neck.

At the same time, he thought to himself that this Master was certainly full of surprises.

With his keen eye, he could tell that these two items were not just any random trinkets; they carried a faint blessing. The black-covered Bible was an authentic item consecrated by the Church, and the cross was a special artifact soaked in holy water, capable of warding off evil. The incantations inscribed on it were sufficient to deal with the lowest-tier undead.

Although they couldn't be considered particularly precious treasures, they weren't something that could be casually gifted. The fact that the priest of the Fuyuki Church had so easily given them to an ordinary person he had just met surprised him.

Garnering such goodwill from the Church upon their first meeting, this Master of his truly had a knack for unexpected accomplishments.

"I didn't expect that old priest to be so enthusiastic, perhaps it's more accurate to say devout. I just casually mentioned wanting to get closer, and he ended up stuffing these gifts into my hands as he left. He even invited me to try taking up the role of a priest at the Fuyuki Church after the Holy Grail War."

"Well, congratulations then, Master. Being accepted by the Church could be a way out for you. However, you need to be cautious; those priests aren't to be underestimated compared to magus." 

Seeing the Count's puzzled expression, Roy added with a bitter smile, "I haven't betrayed anyone, you have to believe me."

"Ha, I would certainly believe you, Master. If you were truly to betray me, you could just use a command spell to control me to kill myself without needing to take this risk by coming back," The Count sitting beside Roy casually flipped through the Bible while speaking, "The Church's folks claim to work in the name of the Lord. Although it seems righteous, they are just as corrupt as the Mage's Association, so you should be careful when dealing with them."

"I know that." Roy agreed with the Count's perspective. "That priest, Kirei, might seem decent, but he's ultimately someone who has broken the rules and is aligned with the other competitors. He's certainly not someone worthy of trust."

Reflecting on the words of Kirei, Roy recalled the dealings he had with Tokiomi Tohsaka and could guess that Tokiomi had already gathered all the information about him.

However, he didn't mind this leak of information; in fact, he was grateful to the Church for helping him create confusion. He had only become a magus just yesterday, while the Church's information was based on his status not long ago.

Through his conversations with Kirei, he could confirm that in the intelligence they collected, he still appeared as an ordinary person incapable of even supplying magical energy, which did not raise any suspicions.

This misinformation could actually help him conceal his true identity and provide him with more room for maneuvering.

Even when the Holy Grail War began, they would likely categorize him as an outsider without competitive threat. While it was not impossible for them to eliminate him first, as long as he remained hidden enough, no one would willingly expose themselves just to eliminate someone like him.

No one would be foolish enough to reveal their position and strength for a team lacking any winning capability.

Thus, as long as he could stay hidden, his safety factor was actually quite high.

After contemplating for a moment, Roy decided not to dwell on the matter any longer.

He glanced at a huge building not far away, exhaled, lowered his head, and began to think, his expression shifting between light and dark, as if he were engaged in some inner struggle.

Stealing a glance at the Count, who was engrossed in reading the Bible, Roy slightly parted his lips as if wanting to say something, but after hesitating, he ultimately decided to put his hands down.

"No, it's not possible... attacking the Matou family or something... that's just too extravagant."

Like many others who had come to this world, Roy also yearned to change the tragic fate.

The Matou family was, as he knew, the greatest tragedy.

If the Fourth Holy Grail War was a collection of tragedies, then the greatest victims in this tragedy were undoubtedly the unfortunate Sakura Matou and Kariya Matou.

The former suffered because her father, the fool Tokiomi Tohsaka, meant well but ended up doing harm by adopting her into the Matou family, unaware that it had already fallen. The once righteous ally had become something unrecognizable, and the proud butterfly magecraft had devolved into bug magecraft, subjecting Sakura to over a decade of inhumane torment in the insect nest.

Kariya Matou shared a similarly tragic story. After years of struggle, he escaped the hellish insect nest, only to willingly endure the cruel transformation by the old worm's mark in an attempt to rescue Sakura from her suffering, representing the Matou family in battle. After a year of torment and modification, he too became something unrecognizable and ultimately perished in the Fourth Holy Grail War, exhausted and extinguished.

If it were a fairy tale where a knight dies to protect a little princess, it would indeed be quite tragic.

But he would never know that Matou Zoken never intended to keep the promise from the beginning. While he fought valiantly, Sakura had already been pushed into the insect nest by the old worm, making all his efforts utterly futile.

Having witnessed such tragedies from across the world, he had empathized with it.

If only he could save her and reverse the tragedy.

This was empathy, and Roy truly wanted to try to save her, but he also had a clearer understanding of his own situation.

In terms of magical prowess, he was just a novice who had just opened his circuits, unworthy even to carry the shoes of a master like the old worm.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would probably be devoured by his swarm on their first encounter, dying a death that could not be more final.

But if the Count were to intervene...

Now that the issue of magical energy had been resolved, besides the Berserker summoned by the Matou family, the Count, as a top-tier Servant, could easily sweep through the entire Matou household.

Even the so-called magus masters would be meaningless when crushed under the mysterious specifications of the Servants. The magecraft of Matou Zoken, that old worm, would not stir a ripple in the Count's hands. Even if Lancelot had been summoned, in his berserk state, he would be powerless to stop the Count, who moved with incredible speed, from taking someone away.

But... would doing so really benefit him?

He had no familial ties to Sakura Matou; he hadn't even met her. Why should he take such a risk for her? Was it truly out of goodwill that he would put himself in danger?

Once the Count and he were exposed, their initiative would likely turn into a passive situation.

Currently, none of the Masters had revealed themselves; everyone's situation was like hunters in a dark jungle... the deeper they hid, the greater their advantage. Was it really worth the risk of acting recklessly for someone else's well-being?

And who would thank him for it?

With no returns, he would instead bear risks and responsibilities.

He was no saint; at most, he was just a small-time thug who knew how to play both sides and had some street-fighting skills.

"I have no power."

He couldn't do anything.

"...Let's go back."

After a long internal struggle, Roy sighed, disappointed, and called for the Count to return with him.

"..."

However, the Count did not move, merely narrowing his eyes to look at him nonchalantly as he lit a cigarette.

"Count... what are you doing? We should go back; we need to prepare for the upcoming battles."

"I know."

"However, before we return, I'd like to talk to you first, Master. I can't ignore this burden you're carrying."

"Hmm... Is it that obvious?"

Roy forced a bitter smile.

"What do you think? Has no one ever told you? Master, you're really not good at hiding your emotions; that bitter expression on your face reveals everything. Who could you possibly hide it from?"

"So, what exactly happened? Can you share it with me? No need to keep it to yourself; we are accomplices after all."

The Count's golden eyes lit up, staring at him earnestly.

"Alright then... Count, come with me to a place."

After a moment of hesitation, Roy finally spoke, "I'll explain on the way; I might really need to borrow your strength this time, Count."

"Glad to serve, my accomplice."

The Count took his hand.

...

"Krahahahaha, I thought it was something serious! Seeing you stammering like that, it turns out it's just this?"

After hearing Roy's account, the Count seemed to understand everything.

According to fairy tale logic, a little girl has fallen into the hands of a dark mage and is currently suffering. A certain brave warrior has learned of this and wants to save her, but he is afraid of implicating his companions and thus hesitates to act.

That's about it.

For the Count, the idea of an innocent girl falling into the hands of a dark mage was not particularly shocking. After all, he had lived in the chaotic Middle Ages, where child abduction and even child trafficking were common occurrences.

Moreover, having crawled out of the hell of the Prison Tower, he had seen all the tragedies of the world. As a vengeful spirit, he did not feel much empathy for Sakura Matou's tragedy. There were far too many misfortunes in the world; he could not manage them all and had no desire to.

He was just a vengeful spirit, not some righteous ally.

What did the tragedies of others have to do with him?

However, since this was a request from his Master, it had to be treated differently.

'But to think that the first time he was asked to use his power, it was just for this? My Master, I must say, you're adorably foolish...'

Glancing at the somewhat anxious Roy, the Count couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Don't worry, Master. Just leave it to me."

…

"This is it."

Arriving near the Matou residence, the Count swiftly exterminated all the detection familiars and placed Roy in a safe location, then turned his gaze toward the eerie old mansion of the Matou family.

"Tsk, this is really unpleasant magecraft. The stench of decay here surpasses even those evil spirits in Prison Tower; it seems that the magus inside is indeed a scum of the earth."

Confirming the location of the Matou mansion, he patted Roy on the shoulder and reminded him, "Master, you wait for me at this safe distance. I can handle what comes next alone. Just stay safe."

Roy nodded, accepting the suggestion.

"You too, Count. If you need support with a command spell, contact me immediately."

He understood his own weakness. If he followed the Count inside, he would not only be unable to help but would only become a burden.

"No need for that." The Count laughed heartily. "For a vengeful spirit like me, this prison that isn't even hell can't possibly defeat me. As a Servant, I'm not weak enough to need my Master's concern."

"Wait for me here. Once I shatter this ridiculous cage, our journey will be to the other side of vengeance and grace. Krahahahaha...."

With a bout of wild laughter, the green cloak on his shoulders billowed in the wind as the Count rose, surrounded by dazzling black light, and charged into the old Matou mansion.