Chapter Twenty-Five: Master and Disciple Reunited

My name is Lin Hao. A fight is about to break out at the warehouse.

All magi share a common philosophy: they must conceal their identity as magi from ordinary people. This is a matter of course in an era where science is regarded as the only universal truth. For the Holy Church, exposing the existence of magecraft to the public would bring only harm and no benefit. Therefore, as supervisors, they dispatch Executors to establish concealment barriers, mask any traces of magical activity, and hypnotize witnesses during the Holy Grail War.

For the same reason, Masters participating in the Holy Grail War primarily focus on probing and reconnaissance during the day. Real, no-holds-barred combat usually occurs only after nightfall. The only exceptions are classes like Assassin, which are adept at concealment and can use Presence Concealment to strike suddenly during the day or within relatively enclosed spaces.

Thus, even if Lancer were to walk through the streets of Fuyuki New City without concealing the magical fluctuations of his Servant status, it would be unlikely to draw an attack from enemies.

"You may show yourself to draw the attention of other Servants; just return to our chosen battlefield by nightfall. I cannot guarantee the others, but Rider will certainly follow. Hmph, Waver, who hasn't even bothered to study how to get along with the King of Conquerors, won't be able to hold him back." These were Kayneth's exact words.

At this moment, Lancer, walking down the street, was dressed in military-green skin-tight gear and a tactical vest, paired with jungle camouflage pants and canvas boots. He wore a blue beret and a pair of square-framed sunglasses. At first glance, one would instinctively assume he was a soldier on leave. With his alluring beauty mark hidden by the sunglasses—which Kayneth had specifically enchanted to act as a seal—his "strolling" did not attract much attention from ordinary people, especially women.

"This should be enough." Watching the sun's distance from the horizon, Lancer muttered to himself before turning away from the bustling shopping district toward a container yard near the harbor.

Because Fuyuki New City was undergoing comprehensive development, the railway's transport capacity alone could not meet the demand for materials required for the city’s expansion. Consequently, a new container terminal dedicated to freight was built near the Fuyuki Port, which was primarily used for passenger transport.

A container terminal refers to a clearly defined area capable of accommodating the complete container handling process, including water areas like harbor basins, anchorages, approach channels, and berths, as well as land areas such as freight stations, storage yards, quay fronts, and office and living quarters.

Although this container terminal was fully functional, its scale and throughput could not compare to those of major coastal cities. At this time, although it was not yet night, no new cargo ships were scheduled to enter the port. The cranes, bridge cranes, and transport trucks had all ceased operation, and the dock workers were leaving one after another, leaving only a vast array of colorful containers stored like building blocks in the yard.

As Lancer walked into the container yard, no one stopped him. Or rather, any dock worker or ordinary person who might have intercepted him—or witnessed what was about to happen—had already been steered away from this potential battlefield under the influence of a large-scale suggestion magecraft barrier.

After standing for a moment on the wide lane used by container trucks, the sunset that had been lingering on the horizon vanished completely. Shadows shrouded the container terminal yard, which was lit only by a few dim streetlights. Yet, no Servant appeared, as if Lancer's actions had been entirely ineffective.

"Rider!" Lancer amplified his voice with magecraft and called out to the surrounding darkness: "I know you are nearby!"

The container yard remained silent, save for Diarmuid’s clear voice echoing under the influence of magecraft.

"The relic your Master used to summon you was stolen from my lord. I wonder if he has confessed that to you?" A long and a short spear, one red and one yellow, appeared in Lancer’s hands. After brandishing them twice, he assumed a stance like a bird of prey spreading its wings: "Lancer, I hereby formally issue a challenge to you. If you possess even half the courage of your legends, appear and face me openly, instead of hiding in the shadows like those despicable Assassins!"

Almost immediately after Lancer’s declaration, a heroic laugh echoed through the air, followed by a violent roar.

It was an ancient, grand chariot with two heads, pulled by two sturdy, muscular bulls. The chariot body, the wheels, and the bulls themselves were wreathed in rolling blue-purple thunder. It charged toward Lancer from the sky, accompanied by the deafening sound of thunder.

"Hmph." Lancer chuckled, nimbly evading the chariot’s path.

The chariot master’s action appeared to be a mere show of strength rather than an actual attack. After the thunderous chariot landed, it quickly came to a halt, maintaining a distance of about twenty meters from Lancer.

"I am Iskandar! I have manifested in this Holy Grail War under the Rider class!" After the thunder dissipated, a burly man with red hair appeared on the chariot. Though his t-shirt and jeans looked out of place, his imposing aura more than made up for it. He seemed to be using this display to retort to Lancer’s accusation of "hiding in the shadows."

"Um... did Kayneth-sensei come after all?" A youth, as slender as a girl, poked his head out from beside Rider and asked Lancer cautiously. This remark was tantamount to admitting to Lancer’s previous accusation.

"Stand straight! There is nothing to be ashamed of!" Rider slapped Waver on the back, nearly knocking him off the bullock cart: "Tell me, after taking the relic, did you take any measures to hide your trail so no one would know it was you?"

"No, I didn't. I came straight to Fuyuki." Waver didn't understand why Iskandar was asking this, but thinking back, he truly hadn't made any attempt to conceal the theft of the relic. He had probably been discovered as soon as he left England.

"Then there is no problem! Sneaking away in the dark is the act of a common thief; but departing with a song of triumph is the plunder of a King of Conquerors!" Rider patted Waver’s shoulder in agreement, leaving the scrawny magus to offer only a wry smile.

"Is that so? Then what do you call the act of stealing from one's own family and running away from home without any attempt at concealment, relying on the fact that they wouldn't want to punish you? Mr. 'King of Conquerors' Iskandar? Could that possibly be 'conquest' as well?" As a man’s voice—cadenced and dramatic, full of operatic flair—sounded, Waver shrank his shoulders like a small animal encountering a natural predator.

From behind a container near Lancer, a tall man wearing deep blue lecturer robes emerged. His golden hair was combed neatly back, revealing an arrogant, stern, and wise countenance. He stood not far behind Diarmuid, as if prepared to fight alongside him, his emerald eyes fixed intently on Waver, filled with reproach.

"Kayneth-sensei..." Waver opened his mouth. The long list of things he had prepared to say—that they were no longer lecturer and student, that they were now enemies fighting for the Holy Grail, that it was a life-or-death relationship—completely vanished the moment Kayneth uttered the word "family." Now, he couldn't say a word.

"You ran away quite comfortably, little Waver," a noble and icy-looking red-haired woman appeared behind Kayneth. She looked at Waver coldly: "I have no particular opinion on that, but Reines has cried several times. Have you thought about how to console her?"

"Ma-Master's wife..." Waver Velvet stammered. If it were understandable for him to retaliate against Kayneth for tearing up his thesis, it was different before Sola-Ui...

The Reines she mentioned was Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, Kayneth’s young niece. Waver had often complained that the girl was always making trouble for him—not only did he have to help her with detention assignments, but he also had to take her out to play. There was no end to the physical labor she demanded, and in the end, she would dismiss him with nothing more than a few small snacks.

Today, Kayneth’s single sentence was like a flash of lightning in the dark, making Waver instantly realize what those "difficulties" were all about. The young magus, realizing how emotionally obtuse he had been due to his obsession with magical research, didn't even dare to raise his head.

"Oh, I see." Iskandar looked back and forth between the two parties and suddenly clapped his hands: "Is this the lion who kicked her cub off the cliff coming to check on it because she’s worried?"

"This object, designated as Holy Grail No. 726 by the Holy Church, is of no concern to us, but the Archisorte family has no tradition of surrendering without a fight," Kayneth ignored the lion and cub remark entirely. He raised his right hand, revealing the bright red Command Seals: "Even if I were to yield the Grail to Waver to fulfill his insignificant wish, it would only be when this war is reduced to just the two of us. Therefore, my proposal is an 'alliance'."

"Sensei?" Waver had expected to be packed up and taken back to England; he hadn't expected such a turn of events, so he nodded repeatedly: "I’m willing, I’m willing."

"Not with you, Mr. Waver." Kayneth glanced at Waver with a look of disappointment. "The alliance we are proposing is with this 'King of Conquerors.' Compared to us, who have spent a long time researching his history to cooperate with him effectively, you likely have no effective means other than Command Seals to make Iskandar obey. Your disorganized actions thus far have been you being led by the nose by Rider, haven't they? When will you finally face your own strength instead of causing trouble that makes people want to knock your head in?"

"Wuu..." Waver let out a small whimper, once again recalling the terror of being scolded in the classroom by Kayneth with such ornate, complex sentences that he was unable to talk back.

"An alliance? Does that mean you are both going to take orders from me?" Rider crossed his arms and flashed a rugged grin: "Fine! Since you are yielding the Grail to me, I will treat you as friends and share the joy of conquering the world with you!"

"This challenge is precisely for that purpose!" Lancer suddenly held his spear horizontally, pointing it obliquely at Rider: "Given that you have been acting in a disorganized manner since your manifestation, relying on your abundant magical energy, if I win, you are forbidden from continuing such behavior, and strategically, you must follow my lord’s arrangements. If I lose, I will not interfere with your actions in any way."

"A battle to decide command? Interesting, I accept!" Rider laughed heartily and slapped the armrest of his chariot. His t-shirt and jeans instantly transformed amidst a yellow whirlwind of desert wind into ancient Greek-style bronze armor and a red cloak. He also held a magnificently decorated heavy-bladed short sword: "And the winner will naturally be me!"

"Are you not coming over?" Sola-Ui squinted one eye and beckoned to Waver from afar: "Since there are no old fossils from the Clock Tower listening in, regarding your thesis, would you like to hear Lord El-Melloi explain it before scolding you, or would you like to be scolded by me first before I explain it?"

"I... I think I'll listen to you, Master's wife..." Waver looked at the battle-ready Rider and Lancer, then slunk down from the chariot and walked toward Kayneth, bypassing the battlefield between them.