Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Just as Samael was secretly making plans, a familiar etheric resonance echoed in his mind.

Great, speak of the devil and he appears...

The ancient serpent curled its lips in pleasure, closed its eyes slightly, raised its right hand, and gently tapped its index and middle fingers together on its brow. Its divine will spread out like a tide, establishing a connection with an invisible resonance, and a stream of obscure information surged into its mind.

It's about Faker's trio...

Webber and Iskandar successfully tracked down Faker, Harrell, and Rafe by following the marks he left behind.

Although both sides were wary of each other, they temporarily reached an agreement due to the close relationship between Faker and Iskandar.

It must be said that although Webber's talent in magic was unremarkable, he possessed extraordinary talent in insight, analytical ability, and education.

Through brief interactions and indirect conversations, Weber obtained a considerable amount of information related to the trio. Subsequently, during a time when they were alone, he forwarded the compiled intelligence and his own analysis to Weber via the snake scale.

First of all, Faker's reason for responding to the Holy Grail's summons is simple: she wants to create the god Iskandar and revive the entire Alexander Empire.

Since the collapse of an empire stemmed from the fall of a conqueror king, perhaps by granting the empire an eternal and immortal king, all the disputes and disintegration would cease to exist.

And Hartles, as the Master, seems to be aiming to carry out this plan.

Of course, he had no interest in whether the Alexander Empire was restored or not. What he really wanted to do was change the entire landscape of the magic world and find the treasure that would make magic even more prosperous.

All along, this man has hated the current system of the magic world. He was betrayed and murdered by his jealous companions for excavating the legacy of the spirit tomb Abion. The Clock Tower, in order to seize the rare mystery, is engaged in pointless conspiracies day and night, staging one ridiculous farce after another.

Therefore, Hartres, who loathed this scheming and despicable life, chose to resign from his ministerial post and pursue a secret treasure that could bring unlimited magical resources.

Initially, he carefully selected his targets, seemingly having conspired with Marisbury Animusfia, the monarch of the Celestial Science, to secretly instigate a series of murders committed by Mystic Eye holders several years prior. Through this, Hartres acquired numerous Mystic Eyes.

However, since the other people's magic eyes could not help him understand the secrets of the root, they then turned their attention to the Holy Grail.

Later, Marisbury, as one of the parties, participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War, acquired enormous wealth, established Chaldea, and achieved his goal.

Realizing that their goals were not aligned, Hartles parted ways with Marisbury and subsequently got involved with Professor Rafe, who had left Chaldea.

Their shared goal was to create a prosperous future for magic.

Even more coincidentally, both Hartress's usurping eye, influenced by the Spirit Tomb, and Rafe's own "Observer" talent, possess a certain "foresight" ability.

According to their perception, Snowfield City seems to hold a "knot" that could change the world, and the Holy Grail might be the "key" to unlock it.

The magic of prosperity: mastering the future?

This answer does align with their motivations...

Sama stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and nodded slightly.

Hartres himself was a victim of the mysterious struggle. The two betrayals he suffered made him gradually disillusioned with the magicians as a group and even the entire magic world. Therefore, he wanted to break the entire system and make the mysterious power a universal existence, so that people would not have to fight for it and naturally there would be no more ugly things that would happen because of it.

Rafe is a descendant of Solomon, the King of Magic. His family mission and the responsibility in his blood are to continue the glory of magic, for which he is willing to sacrifice everything. The entire Fate/Grand Order incident stems from Rafe's belief that humanity has lost the "favor of the King," which is why he denies human reason and wants to resurrect King Solomon to restore the glory of magic from the Age of Gods.

Therefore, in a sense, the two had the same goal.

Whether it's the Demon Eye, the Holy Grail, the deified Iskandar, or the resurrection of King Solomon, they are all merely means, not ends.

Of course, their so-called magical prosperity is not simply about the return of mystery, but about combining human wisdom with the development of magic, making it something that transcends the authority of the gods.

Therefore, the mysterious resurrection and the descent of the gods created by Samael were not the answers they sought.

No matter how much the human race has evolved over the centuries, an arrogance that challenges the gods has always been etched into their very being.

That was their original sin, and also their honor.

But is it a knot that can challenge the authority of the gods?

Samael took a sip of his cola, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Can your arrogance control this answer?

After pondering for a long time, the ancient snake chuckled and shook its head, crossing out the three names on the paper.

To obtain such clear intelligence, and even uncover Hartrace's old secrets, Weber's analysis and eavesdropping alone were clearly insufficient.

If I'm not mistaken, the two people on the other side are intentionally sending a signal through Webber.

They are merely participants in this game, not the architects of all the plans.

~~

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit cavern used as a toilet, Weber heard a knocking sound on the door. He put the scale back into his pocket, got up to wash, and quickly opened the door.

"Miss Tiny? What brings you here?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, the mole who had just tipped them off couldn't help but feel surprised and guilty.

"The time for your audience with the King has come. I was worried you might get lost, so I came to guide you."

The voice was clear and pure, but lacked emotional depth.

A girl of about twelve years old stood quietly in front of the door, her tanned skin framed by glossy black hair. She wore a magnificent gown befitting a young lady from a wealthy family, its design anything but vulgar. However, although the dress accentuated her delicate features, her expression failed to convey a corresponding sense of grandeur.

It seemed that everything was so insignificant in the girl's eyes, even life and death.

That unique aura made Weber feel somewhat dazed, and a subtle sense of familiarity grew in his heart.

It seems that I experienced a similar scene at some time and in some place.

Soon, Weber had an idea...

If I remember correctly, the figure that gave him a sense of déjà vu here seemed to be... Einzbern?

The Holy Grail War that took place in Fuyuki City changed the fate of many people.

"Guest, may we leave now?"

The question in his ear interrupted Weber's thoughts. He came back to his senses, coughed slightly, nodded quickly, and obediently followed behind the twelve-year-old girl into the depths of the cave.

~~

On the second floor of the supermarket, Samael threw the crumpled paper in his hand into the trash can, and, under the moonlight outside the window, sorted out his thoughts.

Of the seven or eight Servants who have descended upon Snowfield City, Rider and Assassin can be ruled out as suspects, while the danger level of Faker, Rafe, and Heartless can be downgraded.

Then, there are at least four more riders whose class and identity remain unknown.

Since the Holy Grail is the key to unlocking that "knot," the remaining Servants and Masters may contain the culprit that caused the singularity of Snowfield City.

Let's start by investigating them!

Having made up his mind, the ancient snake lazily stretched and yawned as he stood up from the sofa.

"Sir, the bedding has been made."

Accompanied by a cold voice, the female assassin from the cult walked out from the daily necessities section and bowed.

Both his posture and his tone were extremely devout.

Fortunately, after several hours of calm and reflection, Kyoko's behavior finally calmed down and stopped being so fanatical.

Samael could only accept this respect, which stemmed from faith, so as not to dampen the already weak faith of this believer.

Fortunately, it was Diana and Mashu's turn to be on duty in the first half of the night. They were both on the first floor, so Samael didn't have to suffer those strange looks.

Indeed, he is upright and honest. Can't there be pure faith in this world?

Why do we always view him with prejudice?

While secretly grumbling and feeling indignant on his own behalf, Samael glanced at the madwoman in front of him, noticing that she had put on a veil again at some point, and smiled as he offered a suggestion.

"Why are you wearing a veil again? There are no outsiders here, so why not take it off and feel more relaxed?"

"As ordered..."

Upon hearing this, Kyoko was slightly taken aback, then nodded respectfully, her somewhat sluggish figure remaining rooted to the spot.

After expressing his concern and closeness to the believers in a kind manner and tone, the ancient snake waved his hand gracefully and walked towards the large bed made up of several sofas and tables in the shadows, where he comfortably snuggled into the soft quilt.

As night deepened, the soft bed allowed Samael, who was indulging in comfort, to close his eyes contentedly and gradually immerse himself in a wonderful dream.

However, just as his consciousness was drifting away, a rustling sound came from beside his ears, and a faint fragrance mixed with the smell of blood and rust filled the air around the bed.

Sensing the sudden strangeness in the air, Samael subconsciously opened his eyes, but his gaze suddenly froze.

A black robe slipped off her slender shoulders, and the bright silver light outside the window, like a thin veil, draped over her exposed brown skin, creating a hazy beauty. Her arms, crossed over her chest, and her flowing hair formed the last line of defense.

But after only a second of hesitation, the figure in the moonlight gently tapped her pearly teeth, biting her rosy lips, lowered her arms to cover herself, and pulled up a corner of the blanket.

Seeing this, Samael broke out in a cold sweat. Before the blankets could be swallowed up, he pressed down hard on the corners of the blankets to stop the intrusion from the outside. His voice was a little dry.

"Is your resting place next door?"

"I am here on orders to serve you..."

Kyoko bit her lip, knelt down in front of the bed, and answered earnestly.

"On orders? On whose orders?"

Samael was completely dumbfounded upon hearing this.

But the lingering gaze from the other side fell upon him.

No! I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!

Samael instinctively shook his head, wanting to clear his name.

At that moment, they seemed to hear some noise downstairs as footsteps approached from afar.

The ancient serpent looked at the female believer who had stripped herself naked in front of the window, and its face gradually turned green.

Now, there's no way to clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River.

Seeing Samael's reaction, Kyoko seemed to realize something, paused, and nodded deeply and solemnly.

“I understand! It was my misinterpretation of Your divine will that led me to commit such a foolish act!”

As she spoke, the woman raised her hand and choked herself. She was deliberately trying to maintain the dignity of her beliefs.

"stop!"

Samael quickly stopped the believer who was about to commit suicide again to atone for his sins. Looking at the stubborn and resolute death intent in the girl's eyes, and hearing the sound of her walking up several steps, he immediately steeled his heart, pulled the believer in front of the bed into the quilt, and covered her somewhat cold body completely.

Oh well, let it be black if it's black, anyway I've never been white.

When it matters, you have to charge forward!

Chapter 71 The Instant Noodle Terminator!

The footsteps grew closer, and at the end of the stairs, the metallic glint of the crown seemed to be faintly visible. Samael held his breath, his heart pounding wildly.

"Miss Diana, I... I need to use the restroom."

The calls from downstairs made the figure on the steps stop in their tracks.

"The restroom is at the very back; just walk straight ahead."

"It's too dark, I'm a little scared, could you come with me?"

Diana glanced at the second floor, which had returned to silence in the darkness, then looked at the pitiful pink-haired girl behind her. A gentle smile appeared on her heroic face, and she nodded slightly.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Samael recovered from his shock and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, he managed to preserve his lifelong reputation.

However, before he could catch his breath, his face stiffened, and he was pulled out by a pale arm that had somehow slid down to his groin.

The brown mermaid resolutely opened her cherry lips, lowered her head, and was trying to make an awkward attempt.

Clearly, Samael's act of pulling her into bed in an attempt to cover up his crime was misunderstood once again.

The ancient snake, staring at the gleaming white teeth that seemed impossible to conceal, turned green with rage. It quickly pulled the mad serpent up, pressed it firmly against her back, and, with a gurgling sound, whispered something dry into the girl's ear.

"do not move……"

Once the command was given, the girl with unwavering faith immediately took it as a divine decree and obediently nestled in the arms of the angel of death, remaining motionless.

Taking several deep breaths, he finally managed to suppress the raging fire in his chest. The ancient snake forced a stiff smile onto its face, its eyes darting around.

“It’s still early, why don’t we talk first? I’d like to learn more about my followers.”

Still early?

Kyoko looked out the window at the crescent moon that was about to climb to its zenith and the pitch-black night, and blinked blankly.

However, since it was His will, the girl did not think much of it and answered the various questions raised by the angel of death truthfully.

Through subtle questioning, Samael gradually understood the crux of the misunderstanding.