In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

"The rural landowners you mentioned, the three starter families of the Holy Grail War—Tohsaka, Einzbern, and Matou—have all made ample preparations for this war."

"The Tohsaka family has found the fossilized molted skin of the world's first molting snake, preparing to summon the oldest hero-king—Gilgamesh. That guy's Gate of Babylon contains the prototypes of all the world's Noble Phantasms, and even I dare not say that I have absolute confidence in defeating him."

"Einzbern hired a magician assassin, a mercenary with no scruples. If you're not prepared, you're very likely to die at his hands."

"That old geezer from the Matou family, Zouken Matou, is actually the Norse magician Machiri Zorgen from 500 years ago. This guy's mastery of Butterfly Magic is even more profound than that of the Clock Tower's monarch. He is someone who can go toe-to-toe with ordinary Heroic Spirits."

Glancing at Kenneth's face, which was gradually hardening, Yanan sneered:

"Now, do you still think winning this Holy Grail War will be an easy task?"

Chapter Four: My Basic Knowledge of Magic

The oldest hero-king, Gilgamesh...

Magician Killer...

Machiri Zorgren, a Norse magician from 500 years ago...

A jumble of complex thoughts tangled in Kenneth's mind. After a long while, he took a deep breath, looked at Anan, and a hint of caution appeared on his harsh face:

Do you have clairvoyance?

"I guess so." I can't exactly say I've read the script.

Kenneth frowned, propped his chin on his hand, and paced back and forth.

He originally thought that this so-called Holy Grail War was just a farce put on by a group of third-rate magicians in pursuit of the illusory Omnipotent Cauldron. While he didn't despise it, he didn't take it too seriously either; it was about the same as designing a thesis.

But now, after being reminded by Yanan, he realized that this war was probably far more dangerous than he had imagined.

"I've heard of Gilgamesh's exploits. If the Tohsaka family really summoned this king, they would indeed be a very troublesome enemy. I've also heard of Machiri Zolgen's name, but I didn't expect that guy to still be alive. It must be thanks to the Butterfly Magic. But how come you said I would die at the hands of that magician assassin?"

Kenneth's face was slightly gloomy. As the Clock Tower's recognized genius and the promising Lord El-Melloi, he simply could not accept dying at the hands of those war dogs.

It was Yanan who said this; if it had been anyone else, he would have already started cursing.

Although he noticed Kenneth's change in mood, Yanan's tone remained calm: "The magician assassin's name is Emiya Kiritsugu, the fifth heir of the Emiya family. His father is Emiya Norikaze."

“Wait, this name seems familiar.” Kenneth stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I remember this guy’s magic is quite interesting. [He can accelerate or stop the flow of time within a bounded field that is not interfered with by the world]. Even in the Clock Tower, this kind of time-based magic is rare. But he’s just the son of a designated seal magician, so he’s not much of a threat to me.”

While designated seals are indeed rare, Kenneth thought they were nothing special; truly powerful magicians wouldn't care about designated seals at all.

"The real problem with Kiritsugu Emiya isn't how high his magic level is, but that he's not a magician in the traditional sense. So don't expect him to actually fight you fair and square with magic. Gas attacks, sniper assassinations, RPG close-quarters combat, and bombing the ground—these are his favorite methods."

"Hmph, yet another heretic who has strayed from the orthodox path..." Although he said this, Kenneth's expression became more serious, after all, he knew how troublesome such a shameless guy could be.

Magicians have a common weakness: when faced with battle, they only pay attention to various magic spells and barriers, and underestimate pure physical attacks that do not rely on magic, treating them as secondary threats. However, since Kiritsugu Emiya was able to earn the title of "Magician Killer" by relying on this method, it shows that he is quite skilled in this area.

However, based on this alone, Kenneth still didn't think the other party was likely to kill him again. After all, as long as he took precautions in advance, such tricks could not pose a threat to him, a genius of the Clock Tower.

“Emiya Kiritsugu’s magic origin is his name, Kiri and Tsugu, which means to cut and to combine. This combination does not refer to repair, but a disordered recombination, an irreversible degeneration.” Anaen glanced at Kenneth. “You should know what this means.”

Kenneth's expression finally changed completely.

"The Holy Grail War is not only a war between Servants, but also a clash between Masters. Kiritsugu Emiya is a very goal-oriented person. His goal is to achieve the greatest results with the least cost. When the time comes, you will inevitably become his primary target."

“He’s nothing but a barking, defeated dog. That kind of guy, that kind of guy…” Kenneth clenched his fists tightly, his face extremely ugly.

He was unwilling to admit that when he heard Anaen say that he would become Kiritsugu Emiya's primary target, a sense of...fear actually rose in his heart.

"It seems you've finally realized the seriousness of the matter," Yanan chuckled. The reason he went to such lengths was to persuade Kenneth to curb his arrogance and conceit. After all, he was just a Servant now, and if something happened to his Master, it would be a considerable problem for him as well.

Unfortunately, there was another guy in this Holy Grail War who was specifically targeting Masters for killing.

"Tch, it's just a trick against magic circuits. Give me a month, no, a week, and I'll find a way to crack it," Kenneth said proudly. He wasn't making excuses; if he didn't even have that much confidence, he wouldn't deserve to be called a genius of the Clock Tower.

“I certainly believe in your abilities, but sometimes we also have to consider some objective factors.” Yanan glanced at the Command Spell on Kenneth’s right hand. “For example, time.”

Kenneth paused slightly, looking at the Command Seals on the back of his hand, his expression turning grim again.

The Holy Grail War has officially begun. They must arrive in Fuyuki City, the venue, within three days, or they will be disqualified.

The Holy Grail War was already fast-paced, and unexpected changes could happen at any time. In addition, without the assistance of the Clock Tower's various devices, he simply could not complete a means to restrain Kiritsugu Emiya before the war ended.

“The simplest way,” Yanan snapped his fingers. “Since our opponent is an unconventional magician, we can naturally use unconventional methods to deal with him. With the Clock Tower’s capabilities, getting a decent quality bulletproof vest shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“I refuse!” Kenneth said without hesitation. “As a magician, one should have the pride of a magician. To lower one’s standards because of the enemy’s despicable behavior is no different from that of a deserter on the battlefield! Such cowardly behavior is absolutely not allowed to appear in the life of Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald!”

Yanan glanced at Kenneth with interest. With such a persistent pursuit of magic, it was no wonder that this guy was called a magician who had the potential to enter the Root.

"In that case, let's exchange it for one or two defensive Noble Phantasms. That way, it won't tarnish your pride as a magician."

"Cough cough cough..." Kenneth choked on his own saliva several times, pointing angrily at Anaun, "Do you really think Noble Phantasms are like cabbages on the street, something you can just get whenever you want? And a defensive Noble Phantasm at that? That kind of thing hasn't appeared for hundreds of years!"

Among all Noble Phantasms, defensive and healing Noble Phantasms are the rarest and most precious. Even the lowest-level defensive Noble Phantasm is enough to exchange for a monarch's title at the Clock Tower.

"No way, you're the head of the Archibald family, the lord of El-Melloi, and you can't even find a Noble Phantasm?" Anahn looked at Kenneth with a strange expression.

Kenneth clenched his fists tightly, barely suppressing the urge to punch Yanan in the face.

Damn it, did he summon a Servant or an ancestor?!

"Sigh, having a Master like you is really troublesome." Anan sighed and held out his hand. "Let me see your Moon Spirit Essence."

Knowing that Anahn possessed clairvoyance, Kenneth was not surprised that Anahn knew about the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid. He simply took out a small test tube containing a silvery-white liquid that looked like it had solidified and handed it to Anahn.

Yanan uncorked the test tube, tilted it slightly downwards, and viscous mercury flowed out, dripping onto the ground and pooling together.

He carefully examined the supreme ceremonial robes of the El-Melloi school, his eyes revealing complex, deep green runes.

"Moon Spirit Essence is a Mystic Code that combines defense, offense, and target acquisition. Its mobility and destructive power are second to none, and it is in no way inferior to the collections of the Twelve Families. Looking at the whole world, only a genius magician like me could create such an outstanding Mystic Code," Kenneth said proudly.

Normally, he would never make such a nouveau riche-like show-off move. After all, he considered such superficial affectation to be too low-class and completely inconsistent with the elegance that a nobleman should have. However, because the pressure that Yanan brought him was too strong, he could only rely on this method to give himself a little more confidence.

“Hmm, it is indeed a rather good Mystic Code.” Before Kenneth’s lips could curl into a smile, Yanan suddenly added, “If Merlin and Morgan were here, they would probably give it a rating like, ‘It’s alright by the standards of a typical magician.’”

Seeing Kenneth gradually turn to stone, Yanan looked away guiltily, realizing he might have gone a bit too far.

"Cough, it's just a small setback. It's no problem for him, the future Grand Master..." He coughed lightly and continued, "If we want to guard against Emiya Kiritsugu, we can only rely on this Mystic Code now."

"It's unstoppable. Even if Kiritsugu Emiya's magical origin hits the Moon Spirit Fluid, it will still affect me." Kenneth muttered in a dreamlike voice, the words "ordinary magician" constantly echoing in his mind.

“That’s no problem. We just need to modify the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid a little,” Yanan said with a smile.

"You know magic?" Kenneth looked at him in surprise.

"Well, how should I put it? I'm just a Lancer, when it comes to magic..."

A deep green rune, seemingly encompassing all the truths of the world, floated at Anan's fingertips, a harmless smile on his face.

"I only know a little bit about it."

Chapter 5 Arrival in Fuyuki

Neon lights, Fuyuki City.

As evening approached, heavy, dark clouds hung in the sky, the air thick and damp. Early winter rain, carrying a biting chill, fell from the sky and onto the concrete jungle, painting the city in shades of gray and white.

The once bustling streets were now sparsely populated, and the few pedestrians who were there were always hurrying along. In 1993, Japan was in the midst of an economic recession. The bursting of the real estate bubble and the international financial crisis of 1992 cast a heavy shadow over this Far Eastern island nation, and depression and desolation enveloped every corner of this land.

However, it is clear that neither Yanan nor Kenneth felt any empathy for this.

They arrived in Fuyuki City this morning on a Clock Tower plane, and the journey was quite smooth; no surface-to-air missile suddenly appeared out of nowhere. From this perspective, the Clock Tower's security measures are quite effective.

Knowing the dangers of this Holy Grail War, Kenneth did not bring his fiancée with him. Apart from the Moon Essence Liquid, he also gave up all his other Mystic Codes and magical tools. However, at Anaen's suggestion, he increased the number of Magic Cores from three to five.

He had a clear understanding of his role: as long as he survived, he could leave the rest to Lancer.

The fact that the proud and arrogant Lord El-Melloi could make such a concession can only mean that this otherworldly King Arthur had left a very deep impression on him.

They were currently in the presidential suite on the top floor of the largest hotel in Fuyuki City. The room was decorated quite luxuriously, and more importantly, it offered a panoramic view of the entire city of Fuyuki.

“It’s absolutely utterly devoid of any aesthetic appeal.” Kenneth sat on the leather sofa by the bed, his face showing obvious impatience and frustration.

In his view, the vulgar items in this room were nothing more than a collection of "waste," nothing more than a gloomy room, expensive furniture, and luxurious daily necessities. For Kenneth, who was born into nobility, what he couldn't stand the most was that vulgar things were dressed up in luxurious clothes to pretend to be noble. This made him feel like he was in a pigsty decorated with luxurious surfaces.

If one were to delve deeper into this feeling of baseness, it would not be confined to this hotel; the entire island nation known as Japan would be permeated with an ugly feeling that made his spirit extremely unpleasant.

"I was planning to bring Sophie here for a trip next time, but now it seems there's no need for that."

Since that passionate confession, Kenneth and Sophie's feelings for each other have been rapidly growing stronger, which has greatly puzzled everyone in the Clock Tower. Some even suspected that Lord El-Melloi had secretly given his fiancée some strange potion, but then they thought about it again and realized that there was nothing wrong with doing so.

"It's not a good habit to only see the whole picture from a small part. Every country has its unique beauty. The key is whether you have the eyes to see it." Yanan, dressed in a hoodie and jeans, sat on the other sofa, flipping through the newspaper in his hand.

Thanks to the Holy Grail for the modern knowledge it provided, he was finally able to experience what it felt like to be proficient in multiple languages.

“I don’t think you have the right to lecture me on this matter. I wonder if you’ve ever even set foot on the island of Britain, Your Majesty King Arthur?” Kenneth said with some smugness, finally finding a way to subdue his opponent.

"Actually, to be honest, I've been to quite a lot of places." Yanan put down his newspaper and looked at Kenneth seriously. "Would you like to hear about it?"

Kenneth's breath hitched slightly, and he forced a stiff smile: "No need, let's talk about it another time."

A gut feeling told him that if he let Yanan say it, his stomach would probably hurt again.

As for why I said "again," it's because the last time this guy was fiddling with the primordial runes while saying "I know a little about magic," he had already deeply experienced this feeling.

Yanan smiled and shook his head, then flipped through the newspaper in his hands again.

"But speaking of which, Lancer, shouldn't you be a Celt? Why are your hair and eyes black?" Kenneth asked, puzzled.

"What's so special about that? The Roman emperor was a blond barbarian..." Anahn muttered to himself, then casually said, "There's another power residing in my body. My eyes and hair are the result of that power."

Kenneth nodded slightly, but a slight sense of frustration welled up inside him.

As a Master, he knows nothing about his Servant except for their name, identity, and origin, and he doesn't even know what their Noble Phantasm is. He's practically no different from a third-rate magician.

He didn't want to waste a Command Seal on something like this, but if he dared to spy on it, he might end up like that day.

No, I am the sovereign of El-Melloi, the ninth patriarch of the Archibald family. How can I let others lead me by the nose like this? I must take back the initiative!

With this in mind, Kenneth decided to take the initiative.

"By the way, Lancer, what is your purpose in participating in the Holy Grail War? In other words, what is your wish that you want to fulfill?" Kenneth smiled.

As a first-class lecturer in the Séance Department, Kenneth knew very well that the heroic spirits who responded to the Séance ritual often had their own wishes that they wanted to convey to the Holy Grail.

As long as someone has a demand, there will inevitably be loopholes. Once he knows this, he can figure out Lancer's bottom line and gain leverage in negotiations.

"Wishes? I don't have such things, and even if I did, that fake contraption wouldn't help me at all." Yanan gave Kenneth a strange look. "You're not telling me you really think it's an all-powerful wish-granting machine, are you?"

"Don't look at me like that!" Kenneth said, embarrassed and annoyed. Anan's gaze reminded him of how he usually looked at the underachievers in his class. "Since you know that thing can't grant wishes, why did you answer the Holy Grail's call?"

“Of course I’m here to save the world,” Yanan said matter-of-factly.