Chapter 69: The Most Popular Greek Hero (Self-Proclaimed)

"That fake priest is nagging again. He says today is the final deadline, and only Saber and Archer remain unsummoned."

Tohsaka Rin struggled to move the heavy desk, clearing enough space to construct a Servant summoning circle.

"This is ridiculous. Because of the relic I found from my father, the clock was running an hour fast today. I already recalibrated it—what a close call! Almost messed it up. But now, everything's in place... The wavelength is stable. Even without a catalyst, I'll summon a Saber and show you!"

Stepping into the summoning circle, Rin pulled out a gemstone and began chanting the incantation for the ritual.

Just as the magic circle began to glow, an unknown surge of magical energy erupted from the leyline, rushing into the gemstone in her hand.

"...What the hell is happening!?"

The uncontrollable energy rampaged in Rin's grasp. The summoning circle, which had already activated successfully, dimmed—only to flare up again, as if taking a deep breath.

Then, the summoning circle exploded.

"Uwaah!"

A loud thud echoed through the basement, accompanied by a pained cry. Surprisingly, the one who made that sound wasn't Rin.

"Oww... What kind of summoning is this!? Be a little more professional, would you!?"

A blond-haired, blue-eyed Servant—who should have carried the grace and dignity befitting a Heroic Spirit—was currently kneeling on the floor in an utterly undignified posture. He looked a bit disheveled, rubbing his face to ease the pain without a care for his image.

"If you're going to summon someone, at least do it properly! You took up the space where I was supposed to materialize, so I got bounced out! What if I got scars from that?"

"...You're a Heroic Spirit. You're not going to get scars that easily, are you?"

Rin activated her Master privileges and checked the status of her newly summoned Servant.

Aside from his Strength being only C and his Magic being a mere D (which wasn't crucial for a swordsman), all his other stats were B or above—not exactly top-tier, but still quite decent.

However, his Noble Phantasm was extremely powerful, allowing him to summon other Argonauts as combat allies. The Argo had nearly all the great Greek heroes aboard, including Heracles himself.

"So, you're Saber, the Greek hero Jason? From now on, I am your Master!"

Rin thumped her chest confidently—though there wasn't much to thump.

"Master and Servant...? You're saying my rank is below yours? Hah! That's a good one."

Jason patted the dust off his clothes and stood up, completely unfazed by the embarrassment of his earlier entrance.

"We don't need two commanders. Just sit back and be a good little mascot."

"...Did you just call me a mascot?"

Rin, who had shouldered the responsibilities of the Tohsaka family from a young age, couldn't possibly tolerate that. She stomped her foot, making her twin-tails bounce.

"Looks like I need to make something clear! By my Command Spel—"

"W-Wait a second!"

Jason instantly folded. On the Argo, he had dealt with all kinds of personalities—so naturally, as a captain, he knew how to pacify his crew. The Command Spells were an important strategic resource in the Holy Grail War; he absolutely didn't want his Master wasting them recklessly. Most importantly, he didn't want to personally fight other Servants!

Realizing his Master was the type who needed to be handled with care, Jason quickly changed his tune. "O-Of course, my dear lady! You're the captain, you're the captain! Please, calm down!"

Since she clearly had a stubborn personality, he figured a little appeasement would save them both a lot of trouble.

"Hmph." Rin snorted, still displeased. Jason's attitude reminded her of a certain seaweed-haired idiot—both were arrogant, yet quick to back down when faced with real consequences.

She decided she needed to figure out exactly what kind of person her Servant was to avoid any unexpected betrayals. If necessary, she could even relinquish the Holy Grail to him, as long as it meant securing victory and restoring the Tohsaka family's honor.

"Alright, let's be upfront with each other. Saber, what do you wish for from the Holy Grail?"

"My wish... Oh, right. Why was I even summoned?"

Jason fell into deep thought. He was, at his core, someone who pursued pleasure. After materializing in the modern era, he had certainly thought about enjoying himself, but that desire only formed after his summoning.

"Master, given my fame, you must be familiar with my legend."

Rin nodded. Jason might be boasting a bit, but he was indeed one of the more well-known figures in Greek mythology.

"Then you should also know how my story ends. I embarked on a great journey to obtain the Golden Fleece, but my fate wasn't exactly... pleasant. Things like the Holy Grail, with all its exaggerated promises, usually don't end well. In Greece, that kind of thing never ends well."

Recalling some unpleasant memories, Jason shivered and hugged his arms.

"So yeah, I don't care about the Grail. You can have it, Master. While I'm here, I just want to enjoy myself."

He shamelessly laid his desires bare. "And if we could, y'know, avoid fighting altogether, that'd be great."

"...Are you really Jason? Or did something weird hijack his name?"

Rin felt like she had drawn the absolute worst luck. Was this guy really the captain of the Argo, who had gathered all of Greece's greatest heroes?

"Master, that's rude! If you don't like my wish, then tell me—what are you fighting for?"

Jason folded his arms and tilted his head, curious to hear her answer.

"For victory!"

Rin declared without a shred of hesitation. She had spent the last ten years preparing for this moment—to reclaim what her father had lost, to restore the honor of the Tohsaka name!

"...You're risking your life in this war just for victory?"

Jason stared at the seventeen-year-old girl in disbelief. To him, this kind of reasoning sounded like the kind of madness you'd expect from ancient warriors who fought for "honor."

"You're throwing your life on the line for pride? Who's the real legendary hero here, me or you?"

"Because the battle is there!"

Her response was inspired by George Mallory's famous words, "Because it is there." Rin had rehearsed this countless times, expecting that any true Heroic Spirit would resonate with such an ideal.

But Jason wasn't buying it in the slightest. He scratched his head, completely unimpressed. "What nonsense. Survival is way more important than honor."

"You—!"

Infuriated by his answer, Rin's face turned red. She didn't want to argue with him anymore, so she grabbed a broom from the corner and threw it at him.

"If I'm the 'captain,' then you can start by cleaning the ship! Get to work!"

With a huff, she spun on her heel, twin-tails swinging, and stormed off toward her room.

"...I have a feeling this Master is gonna be trouble."

Looking down at the broom in his hands, Jason let out a long, exhausted sigh.