Magician in Type-Moon

Page 79

"Ah..." Waver was a little unsure how to answer. He hadn't really thought about this matter yet. If he were to say now that he wanted to go to the Tohsaka family to get revenge, then his previous refusal to form an alliance would seem a bit foolish.

“Our next target is Ryudouji Temple.” Rider could see his Master’s hesitation and stepped in to help him out.

Lancer suddenly asked, "Why?"

Ryudong Temple is a sad place for her, and she still can't get over it.

"Because of certain costs, and what those costs are is our business."

Chapter 111 The Devotees

After saying that, he turned and left without looking at Lancer again, as if he had made some kind of decision.

Weber saw Rider turn and leave, and hurriedly followed after him. Although he was unsure whether the negotiations had broken down, it seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

As for the idea of ​​attacking Ryudouji Temple, Rider only revealed it now.

"Rider, why did you suddenly decide to attack Ryudouji Temple?" Weber asked as he kept up with him.

This direction of attack is strange. Given Iskandar's personality, his first priority would be to find the Hero King Gilgamesh and fight him again.

The second option is to attack the Knight King of Einzbern, since her Noble Phantasm and strength have been fully understood.

Ryudouji Temple of the Matou family, in theory, isn't a good choice, but Rider's current situation...

Rider glanced back at Webber, scratched his head, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Kid, do you think we escaped from that golden guy yesterday?"

Waver paused for a moment, suddenly recalling the fierce battle of the previous day. Indeed, there had been a moment when Rider and he were almost overwhelmed by Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm.

"Is it because of these electric currents in your body?" Weber asked tentatively.

Since that day, Rider has been deliberately hiding his presence. While there is a reason for his lack of magic, the main reason is that Rider himself does not want to show himself.

“Yes, kid.” Rider nodded and continued, “I owe some favors, and now I have to set aside the Holy Grail War to pay them back.”

Weber frowned slightly: "So, who exactly do we owe a favor to?"

"Kid, don't ask too many questions about this. Just remember that the hardest debts to repay are those of others. Once you're bound by them, you're just running in a limited space. This is a major taboo on the road to conquest."

Weber nodded as if he understood, though not quite. As for owing favors, he felt he already owed quite a few.

Whether it was the debt owed to Mr. Kenneth, or that Melvin Weinz, the young master who lent money to Weber.

“Now that we’ve made the decision, let’s get ready as soon as possible.” Rider patted Webber on the shoulder, his voice encouraging: “We can’t let anything hold us back.”

Weber took a deep breath and nodded, but ultimately, he still didn't know what Iskandar's purpose was.

This purpose seems somewhat difficult to express, and even someone as frank and fearless as Iskandar the Conqueror would have the idea of ​​hiding it.

......

When Irisviel opened her eyes again, the setting sun, tinged with orange, was already streaming through the castle's skylights.

Her sleep was very deep, and the loss of consciousness made her feel as if the entire day had never existed.

This body has gradually lost its function; the physical dormancy is less like sleep and more like a state of suspended animation.

"This is only the death of the first Heroic Spirit, and it's already come to this?" Irisviel murmured to herself, feeling a sense of helplessness.

Because Saber wasn't with him yesterday, Avalon's scabbard didn't work as intended.

As an artificial Holy Grail, after experiencing the death of the first Heroic Spirit, her body felt as if it had been stuffed with a large ball of scorching flames, and the burning sensation caused her unbearable pain.

Irisviel slowly sat up, feeling every part of her body protesting.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but the anxiety in her heart was hard to dispel.

Her physical condition has improved a lot, and it seems that rest has had some effect. Although she still cannot stand up, she can at least talk to people without any problems now.

Looking to the side, Hisayu Maiya sat motionless in the corner against the wall, as quiet as a shadow portrait.

Although it was incredibly reassuring, Maiya's appearance didn't seem like a living human being at all; rather, she looked more like a familiar or a robot, which even made Irisviel feel a little afraid.

"—Miss Maimi."

Irisviel called softly, almost as if sighing, and Maiya, like a hound hearing a whistle, quickly and quietly looked at her.

"What's matter?"

Irisviel felt a little guilty; she had only wanted to chat casually with Maiya.

Why are you fighting for Kiritsugu?

silence.....

Irisviel stared at Hisau Maiya's face, as if trying to see something in it.

Hisayu Maiya seemed unsure how to answer this question.

After all, the real Hisayu Maiya is already dead.

Irisviel has been asleep ever since Assassin died, and is unaware of what is happening outside.

This gave 'Kuyu Maiya' a good opportunity to get close to her.

The Einzbern artificial humans are as stupid as ever, just like that guy.

She tried to mimic Hisayu Maiya's answer:

"Because I have nothing else, I can't remember anything about my family, I can't even remember my own name."

"The name Hisayu Maiya was the name used on the first fake passport Kiritsugu made for me."

"—Huh?" Irisviel exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing the astonishment on the other person's face, 'Kuyu Maiya' was still thinking about how to come up with a suitable explanation.

Although she had read the real Hisayu Maiya's memories, it was still somewhat difficult to completely imitate that woman's tone and attitude.

"I remember it was an extremely poor country, without hope or future. The only way to survive was to hate each other and steal food from one another."

"There was always endless war there. Despite not even having enough funds to maintain the army, the two sides continued to fight every day... Just then, someone came up with an idea. Instead of recruiting and training soldiers, it would be more economical to capture children and get them to pick up guns."

"..."

“My soul as a human being has long since died; only my body continues to function, maintaining those once-familiar functions. That is my ‘life.’ Kiritsugu is the one who picked up this life, so I let him control me… That is why I am here.”

Although Irisviel had long suspected that Maiya's past was far from happy, hearing her recount her past in detail was far beyond Irisviel's imagination.

Seeing Irisviel speechless and falling into silence, this time, to avoid an awkward situation, 'Fake Maimi' spoke to Irisviel:

"Madam, I am surprised by your enthusiasm. You have been confined in the castle where you were born and raised, living a life completely unaware of the outside world. You are only about 10 years old since your actual birth, aren't you?"

"I......"

Maimi's words made Irisviel fall into deep thought.

Her husband, Kiritsugu Emiya, acted based on the ideal of "saving the world." Having witnessed firsthand his willingness to risk his life in pursuit of the Holy Grail, can she still say that she shares the same dream as him?

Irisviel looked out the window, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on her face. The elegance of a noblewoman and the innocence of a child were both present on her face at the same time, making her a princess who was somewhat troublesome.

"Actually, I don't really understand what Kiritsugu's ideals are."

That's right, the answer is—no.

Having only been around for 10 years, and still growing up in the deep palace, the knowledge she has learned is limited to the Holy Grail or some magic.

In matters of life, Irisviel was like a child, only having desires because of the man who suddenly barged into the castle and became her husband.

Upon sensing a man's desire and sorrow, the Heavenly Maiden could easily offer her life to accompany him on this journey to death.

"In the end, I was just pretending to understand. Perhaps I just wanted to walk alongside the one I love. Just like you said, I have absolutely no understanding of the world that Kiritsugu wants to change. My ideals from beginning to end are just things I learned on the spot from Kiritsugu."

"Irisviel said softly."

"...Is that so?" 'Kuyu Maiya' was a little dumbfounded. Are all the women of Einzbern so single-minded? This one in front of her is like this, and so is Rizresh.

Just like in a fairy tale, the down-on-his-luck prince went through many hardships to find a fairy who could grant his wishes. The fairy then granted his wishes, helping him restore his kingdom and avenge his family.

She didn't ask for any reward; she was simply willing to give herself because the prince had found her and needed her.

What kind of melodramatic, third-rate romance novel is this?

"Yes, but you can't tell Kiritsugu."

For Irisviel, this was an incredible feeling; she never imagined that there would be someone she could so easily confide in, things she could never say to her husband.

“I always told Kiritsugu that what he did was right, that his ideals were worth sacrificing my life for, and so I continued to play the role of a confidant.”

"Compared to a woman who dies only for her husband—a woman who shares the same dream as her husband and dies for that dream—it would be less of a burden for Kiritsugu, wouldn't it?"

“…I see.” 'Maimi' was a little stunned. Did Rizlaishi think the same way back then? Was that man named Machiri Zorgen your object of devotion?

Suddenly, 'Maimi' didn't want to talk anymore. It wasn't that she was saddened by the choice the person in front of her had made; she just found it a bit boring.

"You guys are all like this, it's really boring..."

"Maimi, what are you saying?" Irisviel was a little confused, wondering if she had offended the beautiful woman in front of her with what she had just said.

"It's nothing. Kiritsugu is coming back. Your safety is now in his hands. I have to go on another mission."

"Fake Mai" said in a pretentious manner, but Kiritsugu Emiya was indeed coming back. He had already sensed Saber's presence, so "she" had to disappear for a while.

Chapter 112 Wu Mi?

Just as 'Mai' left, Kiritsugu Emiya appeared at the door. He came to check on Irisviel's condition as soon as he returned to his residence.

He glanced at Irisviel, then his gaze swept across the room, taking in his surroundings.

He had a feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Kiritsugu, you're back." Irisviel smiled when she saw him. Although she still had some doubts, seeing Kiritsugu made her feel at ease.

"Hmm, is something wrong?" Kiritsugu walked to her side and asked with concern.

"It's nothing..." Irisviel explained her situation simply, as Kiritsugu Emiya was aware of her condition.

"I see." Kiritsugu nodded, a complex emotion in his eyes.

"Now that Saber is back, your body should be able to recover faster. You should get some rest." After saying this, without much further conversation, Kiritsugu Emiya turned and left the room.

After Maiya's death, Kiritsugu Emiya's attitude towards Irisviel became even more perplexing. He seemed unwilling to have much contact with Irisviel, as if he were running away from something.

After leaving the room, Kiritsugu took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. He stood by the window in the corridor, gazing at the sunset outside, his thoughts drifting into the distance.