Chapter 65: Conspiracy
"Apologies, Lord El-Melloi, I am late."
Inside the church, Risei Kotomine had just arrived, with Kirei Kotomine following behind him.
"No, no, this is not late at all."
In a wheelchair, Kayneth struggled to move. Looking at the haggard appearance on his face, one would hardly associate him with the once-renowned magical prodigy.
Although Kayneth had suffered severe physical trauma that made it nearly impossible to regain his former glory, he managed—through the El-Melloi family's connections—to strike a deal with a puppeteer living in Japan. In exchange for an astonishingly large reward, he salvaged the dexterity of his hands and barely regained the ability to move freely within the limits of his wheelchair. The little finger of his right hand, encased in a thick plaster cast, had even regained sensation.
(Could that puppeteer be Aozaki Touko? Speaking of which, around this time, Touko should have already reached the level of "Sealed Designation." In my impression, she's the only one in Japan with that level of skill. Actually, ever since the introduction of FGO, I've been debating whether to let certain characters appear as Heroic Spirits—like Heroic Spirit Kotomine Kirei, Irisviel, Emiya Kiritsugu, or even Zhuge Liang. I'd really love to have them interfere a bit in the FSN volume. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the book review section.)
"Father Risei, what do you think of my plan?"
A deep, vicious grin stretched across Kayneth's face. But Risei Kotomine showed no fear.
"Lancer did exert himself when killing Caster, that's true—but we don't know the specifics."
"So you won't give me a Command Seal?"
"Not necessarily—"
Just as Risei Kotomine was about to continue, a sharp blade pierced through his back.
"Forgive me, Father."
Even Kirei hadn't expected himself to feel so calm. The black key in his hand thrust downward without hesitation.
"...Ah?"
With Kirei's years of acting as a proxy, the strike was executed with such precision that it carried no killing intent. In that moment, Risei Kotomine couldn't even react.
He staggered forward, swaying. As he turned around, he saw Kirei wearing a joyful expression, his hands drenched in blood. But until the very end, Risei could not understand why his proud son had betrayed him. He collapsed onto the carpet, lifeless and bewildered.
"Hahaha! What a show!"
Kayneth, unsurprised, laughed morbidly. He said to Kirei, "Don't forget to give me what I deserve."
"Rest assured, I'll give you the Command Seals once I obtain them. We're allies, aren't we?"
"Of course!"
Two already broken men had formed an alliance—an unholy, twisted pact.
---
On the other side, at Tokiomi Tosaka's residence, Bedivere had arrived under orders to protect the Tosaka family before Arthur's return.
"Lord Bedivere, have King Arthur and the King of Heroes already defeated Caster?"
"That's right. Exactly so. You may now apply for your reward."
"Thank you for the grace of the two kings." Tokiomi Tosaka was in high spirits. Unfortunately, neither Arthur nor Gilgamesh could be controlled by a single Command Seal.
"Sister Bedivere, is big brother coming back soon?" Two little girls ran up with excited faces, looking up at Bedivere.
Bedivere smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. Not only will he be back, but he'll bring you gifts!"
"Wow!!!!!"
Gifts? What kind of gifts?
At that moment, Arthur was in the bedroom, preparing to draw his rewards. This time, there were two: subduing Jeanne (if subduing her on the bed didn't count as a complete subjugation!) and killing the sea monster.
He had earned two chances to draw.
"System, use the first draw."
Ding, random draw opportunity used.
Arthur waited silently.
Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining a Magic Crest inheritance.
Magic Crest Inheritance: The Magus lineage of Hans Christian Andersen.
[Parameters]
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: E
Mana: EX
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: C
[Class Skills]
High-Speed Incantation [E]: A technique that speeds up spellcasting. In Andersen's case, it's not traditional magecraft but a blessing derived from the progress of his manuscripts.
Item Construction [C]: The ability to craft magical items through magecraft. Though Andersen never learned magecraft traditionally, he can produce items using his poetry and Noble Phantasm.
[Personal Skills]
Innocent Monster [D]: A reflection of how a person's true self is distorted by public perception. In Andersen's case, it's "the readers' curse." His own identity was overshadowed by the image of a fairy tale writer.
Human Observation [A]: The art of understanding people. It's not just about watching—it's about interpreting lives, habits, and emotions with the memory to retain it all. Though called a misanthrope, Andersen truly sought to understand others. His storytelling was his most sincere act.
[Noble Phantasm]
The Story I Wrote for You (Marchen meines Lebens)
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 0
Max Targets: 1 person
Andersen's handwritten autobiography, The Story of My Life. A projection of his very being and philosophy. Each page of this book can manifest the "Andersen the reader desires" through mana supplied by admirers, creating alter egos to act in his place. It can also return to blank pages and rewrite itself—allowing a person to evolve into their "ideal self."
(The Magic Crest inheritance enables the user to reach a Caster-class Heroic Spirit state based on Andersen's traits.)
Useless... for him, anyway. Arthur wasn't a support-type fighter. But this could be given to Sakura, who lacked a Magic Crest. With her support, even Rin could ascend to a new level. Killing two birds with one stone.
Arthur accepted the inheritance—it appeared as a glowing orb. He stored it away.
"System, second draw."
Ding, drawing begins. This draw is an attribute draw.
"Attributes? Just what I need. Doesn't matter which—it'll all help."
Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining an attribute boost: Luck increased by one rank.
Luck? Intangible, yes—but incredibly useful. He didn't want to end up like one of those Lancers with terrible luck. Their fates were too tragic!
Current Attributes:
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Mana: D
Luck: B (without faith enhancement)
Looking over his stats, Arthur couldn't help but anticipate the upcoming final battle with renewed excitement.
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