บท 324: C324
Adashino Hishiri... is dead!
As a key member of the Department of Policies and the supervisor of this inheritance, she unexpectedly died.
What's even more crucial is that most people's attention was focused on the blocked exit, and they didn't notice how Adashino died. It was only when they regained their senses that they saw her lifeless body impaled on the sword of the angel statue.
Only a few people noticed how she died, such as Mr. Dawn, who had a grave expression on his face.
Merem asked, "Dawn, did you see what happened?"
"I don't know for sure. All I saw was her falling from the second floor and... well, that was it."
Merem nodded, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, panic swept through the magi. The sudden appearance of Barthomeloi Lorelei, Altrouge, had already shaken them, and now with the exit blocked, they were starting to consider retreat.
But now, to make matters worse, people were actually losing their lives!
And to top it all off, the first casualty happened to be the notary public responsible for handling the inheritance!
The Holy Grail was undeniably a source of great mystery, and notions such as cherishing life and avoiding unnecessary risks were not commonly held beliefs among magi, particularly in the Western circles.
But who would willingly plunge into such murky waters when the possibility of obtaining the Holy Grail seemed out of reach?
As tensions rose, people began pointing fingers and casting doubts on one another.
And the figure who bore the brunt of the suspicion was Altrouge.
There was simply no escaping it. Being a Dead Apostle and an anomaly, it was only natural for her to be the primary target of suspicion.
Rizo-Waal Strout's indignation flared up, and he snapped back, "You foolish humans! Her Highness never issued any order, so it couldn't have been us!"
While Dead Apostles typically saw humans as nothing more than food, it didn't mean that Rizo-Waal Strout was willing to take the blame.
Especially now, when his princess was in a very unstable mental state.
If it were the usual situation, Rizo-Waal Strout would have gone on a killing spree long ago!
Being one of the oldest among the trio of Dead Apostles, Rizo-Waal Strout belonged to the same generation as Trhvmn Ortenrosse. He possessed the infamous demonic sword known as the "True Demon Neardark." Since the Age of Gods came to an end, very few humans had emerged with the ability to stand against him.
Even the formidable Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne, who had once dominated Western Europe after Camelot era, proved to be mostly inadequate when pitted against him.
However, it was important to acknowledge that Rizo-Waal Strout was no match for Barthomeloi Lorelei, the Queen of the Clock Tower, who hunted the White Wing Lord for her own amusement.
Furthermore, it was worth noting that this formidable woman had brought her entire elite force along with her.
Moreover, the man responsible for pushing his Princess to such a state of losing control was a matter of great concern for Rizo-Waal Strout.
The Eternal King... Rizo-Waal Strout had never crossed paths with this monarch. During the monumental war that took place over 1,500 years ago, the White Wing Lord held the position of supreme commander, while Rizo-Waal Strout fought on the Eastern European front and suffered devastation and defeat at the hands of Attila.
Therefore, he allied himself with Altrouge and remained steadfastly loyal to her from start to finish.
Nevertheless, despite not having encountered the Eternal King in person, it didn't mean that he hadn't witnessed the war's ultimate conclusion.
The moon, descending like the world's end, only to be lifted up by Zelretch, and the radiant starlight that ultimately brought about the destruction of the Crimson Moon...
Altrouge, being a servant of the Eternal King, was a fact known to any Dead Apostle with even a basic understanding of history.
Thus, when Altrouge pointed at the man and referred to him as the Eternal King, a shiver ran down Rizo-Waal Strout's spine.
Undoubtedly, the Eternal King of the West couldn't possibly be of East Asian descent.
However, it was also within the realm of possibility that he could be a reincarnation or some form of vessel specially prepared for his return.
After all, in the magi community, the concept of reincarnation was not an uncommon one.
One of the most renowned examples of the concept of reincarnation can be found in the ancient Egyptian magecraft system.
Regrettably, the knowledge of ancient Egypt and its magecraft has been largely lost to the currents of time.
In modern times, the Butterfly Magecraft is the most widely recognized form associated with reincarnation magic.
Hence, despite Rizo-Waal Strout's previous outburst of anger towards Shirou, deep down, he remained highly cautious and wary.
The whole situation was chaotic and messy.
Shirou's brow furrowed in deep concentration. The news of Adashino's death didn't concern him much, considering her expertise in the specialized magecraft of the Department of Policies. It was highly plausible that she had faked her own death.
What truly puzzled him was the enigma surrounding the exit of Adra Castle. There were no signs of a Bounded Field, no traces of any magical spells, and yet, they remained trapped within its confines. Even the black mud had proved to be ineffective in aiding his escape.
"Waver, keep a watchful eye on my body. I'm going to sleep for five seconds," he said, assuming a cross-legged position.
Waver nodded in understanding.
He had no idea what Shirou had in mind, but he recalled that in a similar situation before, the breakthrough had only come to him when Shirou slept and gained direct insight.
Given the circumstances at hand, he wondered if Shirou could unlock the puzzle once more by sleeping.
With that thought, Shirou shut his eyes and drifted off into slumber.
He intended to enter the dream realm, the Shadow Land, and log into the account of the "Eternal King" to see the key points.
Unfortunately, this time, he merely slept without any progress.
When Waver finally roused him, half an hour had slipped away.
Waver asked about the outcome, but Shirou responded with a pensive silence, his forehead creased with concern.
Rather than going to the Shadow Land through the dream realm as intended, he experienced nothing more than an ordinary, normal sleep.
It was hard to believe.
He was certain that his dream realm had already been linked to the Shadow Land. Even if Scathach didn't want to, the connection shouldn't have been severed. Yet, this time, he couldn't establish the connection.
It was reminiscent of when Shirou had traveled back to the world over 1,500 years ago through the "Root," where the Shadow Land couldn't meddle with the world.
He tried again. This time, he woke up within the dream realm using his own consciousness. He logged into his "Eternal King" account and began observing his surroundings.
His gaze first fell upon the lifeless Adashino Hishiri – [A deceitful snake pretending to be dead. How foolish!]
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