Chương 343: Chapter 343: Withdrawing Money
The event of the Greater Grail being taken completely altered the fate of the Three Families. The Einzberns broke their self-imposed isolation and began actively engaging with the outside world. The Tohsaka family abandoned their pursuit of the "Root" through the Holy Grail and instead returned to the path of their founder, Tohsaka Nagato, focusing on gemstone magecraft and Bajiquan.
As for the Matou family, they gradually declined due to Zouken Matou's serious injury, which left him incapacitated.
Although the identity of the magus who dealt the decisive blow to Zouken was not explicitly stated, combining Zouken's words with Shinji's analysis, it wasn't hard to guess who it was—Darnic, the current head of the Yggdmillennia family and the orchestrator of the plan to seize the Greater Grail during World War II.
If Shinji remembered correctly, this individual, like Zouken, was adept at extending life. The difference was that Zouken relied on replacing his body, while Darnic's magecraft involved consuming souls.
Compared to Zouken, who could not resist the erosion of his soul over time, leading to increasingly unusable bodies, Darnic had no such concerns. His appearance hadn't changed in over sixty years, and his body maintained the functions of its prime. However, his magecraft was even more dangerous than Zouken's.
Aside from the zero tolerance for error, which could instantly result in death, there was also the issue of compatibility between the body and soul. When pure souls mixed with others, the match became less perfect. Moreover, a significant problem was that Darnic's personality was gradually deteriorating.
The soul is a very mysterious realm. Even a newborn baby isn't a complete blank slate; it's just that its sense of self is weaker compared to an adult, making it easier to consume. However, no matter how weak this self is, it still erodes Darnic's personality. Over time, Darnic would inevitably turn into someone else named Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. Even if he retained his memories and had a complete record of all details, he would no longer be his original self.
Immortality ultimately violates the natural order and is a taboo that can only be truly resisted by miracles, or rather, magic.
Of course, Shinji was still young and hadn't thought about extending his own life. The primary reason he was willing to meet with Zouken was to assess the latter's condition and determine whether this old worm would pose a threat to the Shinji of this world.
As long as this decrepit old worm showed any hint of coveting his other self, Shinji would mercilessly eliminate him. Even if Zouken were at his peak and Shinji's mana was reduced to less than one-tenth, he was confident he could kill Zouken. And if anything unexpected happened, he still had Artoria as a trump card—considering the Knight King's personality, she wouldn't hesitate to slay a villain like Zouken.
The initial assessment left Shinji mostly satisfied. The old worm, who could no longer rise, seemed genuinely devoid of his former ambition, simply hiding in his lair and quietly awaiting his end. The atmosphere in the house, though filled with the dusk of old age, was not nauseating, which strongly supported this judgment—Shinji could never forget the oppressive and sickening feeling of the Matou house when Zouken was still alive in another world.
However, Shinji didn't let his guard down. He knew that in terms of scheming and playing tricks, he was far inferior to this five-hundred-year-old worm. To ensure his safety in this world, he needed an additional guarantee.
"You said earlier that I could make any request?"
"Yes, as long as the Matou family can fulfill it."
Zouken nodded and quickly showed a bitter smile, making his already unsightly old face even more unpleasant.
"That said, the Matou family doesn't have much capability left."
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you."
Shinji responded with a smile, though to Zouken, it looked entirely out of place.
"Please, sir, go ahead."
"The Matou family has declined in magecraft but has made quite a bit of progress in the mundane world. Just so happens that my Master is a bit short on cash recently and urgently needs some money. How about a few million dollars? That shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
Since Zouken was incapacitated, unlike in another timeline where he monopolized the family's power, the Matou family's affairs were now mainly managed by Matou Byakuya. Byakuya's commercial talents were fully realized, making him wealthier in this world than in the other world.
And This Was the "Withdrawing Money" Shinji Mentioned
This was precisely what Shinji meant when he told Artoria and the others about "withdrawing money." In this world, Shinji had no foundation and therefore no money. Yet, he needed a substantial amount for his plans. Thus, he set his sights on the Matou family, the natives he was most familiar with in this world.
"Although a few million dollars is a considerable amount, the Matou family can afford it. When do you need it?" Zouken's response greatly satisfied Shinji.
"As soon as possible. Open an account in Shinji's name at a Swiss bank and set the password to his birthday."
"I'll contact Byakuya right away."
Zouken left the backyard and returned five minutes later.
"There is an account in Shinji's name at the Swiss bank, with $1.2 million in it. If that's not enough, I'll have Byakuya add more."
"No need, that's plenty." Shinji waved his hand, having anticipated this answer.
In another world, there was a similar account at a Swiss bank, holding funds for Shinji's travels abroad. Regardless of the era, the Matou family's boys always spent more time away from home than at home.
"The second matter: Ultimately, I am a Servant and merely a passing guest in this world. I cannot teach this child anything. Therefore, I need you, the great magus, to take on this task. Train him to become a top-notch magus."
"Shinji is my grandson; I will certainly do my utmost. Rest assured, young man."
This time, Zouken's response did not satisfy Shinji. Shaking his head, Shinji said:
"Not enough, it's not enough—honestly, I don't trust a magus' promises, especially not from someone like you who would do anything to stay alive. I'm afraid that once I'm gone, you'll covet his body. I need something more concrete."
"What kind of guarantee?"
"A contract of geis!"
Zouken's already narrow pupils became even narrower.
Shinji squinted his eyes in response, meeting Zouken's gaze head-on.
"If you truly intend to train him, signing or not signing makes no difference. But if you're just trying to placate me—well, I'm not a famous Heroic Spirit, but dealing with you would be a piece of cake."
Before he finished speaking, Shinji's left arm glowed with a golden light, a radiance that made Zouken feel a lethal threat. Before crossing into this world, Shinji had completed his integration with the relics, formally inheriting the Buddha Bone Relic. This inheritance was etched into his soul and merged into his Servant's body by Justeaze, granting Shinji an extraordinary physique and a natural restraint against demons and monsters—Zouken, having turned into a worm, was undoubtedly a monster.
"Now, give me an answer: sign or not?"
"You truly go to great lengths for Shinji. Fine, I will sign." Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Zouken had no choice but to agree. "However, the Matou family does not have the parchment for writing a geis. Could you grant me two days?"
"No need. Just because the Matou family doesn't have it doesn't mean the Tohsaka family doesn't. I'll fetch it right away." Shinji left Zouken no chance to stall. "In the meantime, I'll have someone keep an eye on you."
Saying this, Shinji reached out through their contract to contact Artoria.
"Where are you?"
"McDonald's? You really are something—"
"Never mind, I'm sorry to disturb you while you're eating, but I need your help."
"It's not dangerous, just urgent. Get to me as quickly as possible and bring ten burgers."
"They're not for me; I'm worried you didn't have enough to eat. You can keep eating when you get here."
As if I don't know how much your bottomless stomach can hold?
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