บท 343: C343
Shirou had Altrouge carry the unconscious Gray back to the room while he led the team to the warehouse where the angel statue was located.
If this battle was a replica of the Fourth Holy Grail War, then it was certain that the final enemy would be none other than Artoria Pendragon.
More than 1,500 years ago, she had been his most loyal knight. However, what stood before them now was just an empty shell devoid of self-awareness, so there was no need to hold back. However, after they arrived at the warehouse and thoroughly searched it, Lorelei shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, there's no Mirror World here."
"None?" Shirou furrowed his brows and then glanced at Waver, Luvia, and the other magi in turn.
Yet, each of these magi also shook their heads, confirming Lorelei's answer.
No Mirror World to be found here!
But that couldn't be right. When he was in his Eternal King state, he clearly saw the presence of the Mirror World in this very place.
After contemplating for a moment, he dismissed the others and made his way alone towards his room.
After the others had been dismissed, Waver approached Lorelei and said, "Please wait, Lord Barthomeloi."
Lorelei remained silent, simply turning her head to give Waver a cold gaze, "What's the matter, El-Melloi II?"
She didn't judge people based on their character but rather their value and abilities. Despite Waver's shortcomings in some areas, she held a particular appreciation for his theoretical knowledge.
Waver continued, "Lord Barthomeloi, your skills have reached their peak in all aspects, and I believe the same applies to Astromancy. I would like to request your assistance in creating a simulated map of the world's ley lines."
"Are you referring to the Astromancy of Animusphere?"
"Yes, precisely. Amongst the people present, only you possess the ability to replicate the magecraft of Animusphere."
She raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Will this aid us in this situation?"
He nodded solemnly and stated, "It's the missing piece we need."
After a brief moment of silence, she nodded and said, "I understand. Since His Majesty has entrusted you with the responsibility for this case, there's no harm in lending my assistance."
Waver appeared somewhat surprised by her response. Based on his expectations, Lorelei's usual demeanor would be characterized by arrogance and dismissiveness, even if she didn't outright refuse. However, this time, things seemed different.
"Lord Barthomeloi, it seems you hold great respect for the Eternal King."
She furrowed her brows and replied with a touch of displeasure, "Isn't that obvious? He is the ruler who governs all of creation!"
As he gazed at Lorelei, who appeared somewhat displeased, beads of cold sweat trickled down his face as he repeatedly offered apologies.
In that moment, a recollection of the ideology upheld by the Barthomeloi family, which circulated within the Clock Tower, flashed in his mind—the belief that even as Lords, they should submit to those of higher nobility.
It was an utterly extreme aristocratic ideology!
She spoke, breaking the silence. "Actually, this is also tied to the history of the Barthomeloi family."
"Ah?" Waver was taken aback by her statement.
She lowered her head slightly and continued, "The Barthomeloi family is an ancient lineage of magecraft, and they were among the founding magical families that constructed the Clock Tower."
"I am aware of this history. It has been documented in the historical studies of the Clock Tower," Waver nodded and continued, "The Clock Tower was originally established in the 2nd century AD. It is said that among the founders, there were numerous heretical magi who had been expelled or had no place to go, wandering across the British Isles. During that time, the Isles were fragmented into various small groups, each governing independently and constantly at risk of being wiped out. However, these small groups eventually united, with London as their headquarters. Over the course of several centuries, they grew and expanded, ultimately establishing different academic cities centered around London in the 12th century. And during that period, the Barthomeloi family emerged as the unofficial rulers of the Clock Tower... Wait, could it be..."
"Yes," she nodded affirmatively. "Back in the day when magecraft was flourishing, there was a big threat looming over the magi. They were in danger of being wiped out completely. But thankfully, the one who stepped in to save them was none other than the Eternal King himself. He not only granted them the land of Londinium but also acted as their patron."
She added, "Now, the person who had the Magus Red Dragon Badge was none other than the ancestor of the Barthomeloi family. This badge was a symbol of great prestige and power. The Eternal King only gave out three of those badges during his entire lifetime. The first one went to Merlin, the famous magus. The second one was given to Morgan. And finally, the last one belonged to the ancestor of the Barthomeloi family."
She paused briefly, her expression thoughtful. "The Barthomeloi family has always held that badge in high regard. It's a symbol of great honor and prestige for them. That's precisely why every single member of the family is expected to excel in their magical abilities. Falling short and having mediocre skills would be seen as the ultimate disgrace for the family."
Waver's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him. "I never expected there would be such a reason behind it."
It was clear now why the Barthomeloi family held themselves in such high regard, bordering on elitism, and looked down upon those outside their lineage. Having such a prestigious honor bestowed upon their ancestors in the bloodline-dominated world of magecraft, they truly believed they had the qualifications to hold themselves above others.
Understanding this, it made sense why the current Lord Barthomeloi, who had achieved the pinnacle of modern magi, would willingly collaborate with him in this manner.
Lorelei's tone grew resolute, cutting through the conversation. "Enough talk. Just tell me what you need me to do, El-Melloi II."
"Alright, then," Waver replied with a determined tone. "Let's begin by creating Animusphere's simulated map of the planet's leylines."
She nodded and began the incantation.
Constructing Animusphere's Astromancy magecraft was a breeze for Lorelei. She effortlessly created a simulated map of the planet's leylines, a miniature Earth adorned with detailed maps and leyline markings.
As Waver examined the model, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Just as I suspected!"
Curious, she asked, "What have you discovered, El-Melloi II?"
"I finally get it. I understand everything now. This Holy Grail... Let's gather everyone and I'll share my findings!"
...
Shirou entered the room and settled onto the bed, sitting cross-legged. He entered a dream state and began to meticulously survey the warehouse in his Eternal King form.
To his surprise, the anomaly had vanished completely! The anomaly that belonged to Artoria Pendragon was nowhere to be found within the warehouse.
Frowning, he shifted his gaze to other areas. This castle held not only counterfeit Heroic Spirits but also potential threats to Arcueid, Altrouge, and even himself.
Given the opportunity, he decided to conduct a thorough search, determined to expose the true nature of that mysterious entity.
"Wait a sec... No way...!" His eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe what he was seeing right before him. Within the castle grounds, there it was—a familiar sight. It was none other than Saber's anomaly, the same one he had noticed back in the warehouse. It had the second Noble Phantasm symbol marked on it.
[Malicious and Disgraceful Scum!]
But what really caught his attention was the anomaly's agile movements. It dashed through the castle with unbelievable speed, now in the backyard, now in the main hall. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, swift and almost impossible to track.
The speed was simply mind-blowing!
Hold on a moment... If it were Artoria, she could indeed overpower Arcueid and even behead Altrouge. But if she were the same as these pathetic imitations like Iskandar and Gilgamesh, it seemed impossible.
Could it be that Saber, just like his earlier imitation, Caster, possessed a physical card that granted her greater abilities compared to other counterfeit Heroic Spirits?
Or maybe... this wasn't Artoria at all?
Shirou snapped out of the dream and pulled a blank card from his pocket.
His attention focused on the empty card resting in his palm. There was no denying it, this card resembled the ones he had obtained in Fuyuki City—the Archer and Lancer cards crafted by the Ainsworth family from a parallel world.
These cards had the ability to extract the record of a Heroic Spirit from the Throne and imprint their class onto the card, granting the power of that particular Heroic Spirit. In simpler terms, it granted the might and abilities of a Servant.
So, was it possible for him to imprint the record of the Eternal King on this blank card?
By doing so, he could use the power of the Eternal King in the real world through the use of Install: Phantasm Summon.
And since he was originally the Eternal King himself, invoking the Eternal King through Phantasm Summon wouldn't restrict his power like it did for other Card Users. Instead, he could unleash the true might of the Eternal King.
Setting aside other considerations, with the second Noble Phantasm's ability, he should be capable of directly perceiving the true nature of the entity that had attacked Arcueid, even in a face-to-face encounter, right?
The current situation, where he had to rely on observing the world through dreams and obtaining inaccurate and outdated secondhand information, was far from ideal.
However, how could he engrave the records of the Eternal King onto the blank card?
That was a difficult problem. Perhaps he should attempt to directly invoke the blank card through "Install"?
Speaking of which, how does one actually use "Install" anyway?
As he had lost himself in his thoughts, he suddenly felt a pair of delicate hands reaching out from behind, and a soft voice whispered in his ear, "You must be tired, my king..."
The slender and tender hands gently landed on his shoulders, lightly massaging them, like a caring wife soothing her husband's tired muscles after a long day.
Startled, Shirou jerked and swiftly turned around, tightly gripping the intruding hands. His sharp gaze fell upon the person who had climbed onto his bed. It was Gray.
Her hood had slipped off, revealing a lovely face that bore an uncanny resemblance to Artoria when she was fifteen years old.
There was no doubt about it. It was Gray.
However...
My King...?
The address "my king" instantly reminded Shirou of his loyal knight.
He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you... Artoria?"
"N-no... I-I am Gray, Fujimaru-sama!" Gray's expression froze, and she spoke in a flustered manner.
"I see..." he released her hands and asked, "How did you end up in my room?"
"I... I don't know. I woke up here."
He let out a sigh and remarked, "It appears that Arcueid brought you here. Please refrain from touching someone from behind like that in the future. If it had been someone more alert, you could have been met with hostility."
"Yes, Fujimaru-sama." she nodded earnestly in response.
Internally, he almost broke out in a cold sweat and was about to say something when a knocking sound came from the door.
He asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Barthomeloi," came Lorelei's voice from beyond the door.
"What is it, Lord Barthomeloi?"
"El-Melloi II has uncovered the solution to the incident and wants to make an announcement in the main hall. I've come to invite you."
"I understand." Shirou nodded and got to his feet. He turned to Gray, who still appeared somewhat fatigued, and said, "Since your teacher has discovered the answer, Miss Gray, rest well. Once you've had a good night's sleep, the incident will be resolved."
Gray nodded and then watched Shirou leave with a longing gaze.
"My... king?"
...
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