Type-Moon, the Path of a Magician

The real name of the green Servant in front of him is Edmond Dantès, who is based on the protagonist of "The Count of Monte Cristo". He is the world's most famous avenger, the King of the Caves, and also the Servant summoned by Xia Yuan a few months ago.

However, rather than saying that he summoned it himself, it would be more accurate to say that he summoned it spontaneously, and he just happened to be chosen to be the master.

That day, he was just resting at home as usual, and then three red marks appeared on the back of his hand. Then, a halo of light rose in the bedroom, which scared him, and then he heard -

"Krypton hahahahahahaha——" Such a arrogant and devilish laughter.

Then the aperture exploded, and what he saw was.

"You are the one who called me, young man, the embodiment of revenge! It is... my dark grudge, Servant A-Venger!"

The moment he was summoned, Xia Yuan saw his appearance clearly.

The red scarf, the dark green cape, the tangible hatred, the green hat and the unbridled devilish laughter, isn't this the Count? The Count of Monte Cristo, the King of the Grottoes, Edmond Dantès.

But the question is, where did you come from? I didn't even call you!

How could a Servant be summoned by me when I have neither Magic Circuits nor Summoning Circles? And why was a class like A Venger summoned by me?

What the hell are these?

1994, Fuyuki City, Servant Summoning.

For him, an old chef, he knew what was going to happen without having to think about it.

The Fourth Holy Grail War.

The magicians are going to cause trouble in Fuyuki.

He had expected this and did not care too much about it. After all, he was just a mortal. No matter what happened on the mysterious side, it had nothing to do with him, and he did not intend to get involved. After all, if he got involved in such a war, he would not know how he would die. The best option was to avoid it.

But as the circle of light rose out of nowhere, followed by the arrogant laughter of "氪哈哈哈哈!", Xia Yuan, who had already prepared to move to a distant city this year, became completely numb.

When he saw the three glaring red marks that appeared on the back of his hand, he felt that he was somehow bound to the Servant in front of him.

He knew that the house insurance he had bought in advance and the relocation plan he had prepared were all gone.

Seeing the Count's arrogant face and the messy room, he just felt...

Sin ah.

Chapter 1: The Vengeful Ghost and the Traveler

[Are you alone? Really? Then come with me. From today on, we are two people——]

----

"Happy New Year, Count."

While cooking dinner, Xia Yuan did not forget to wish his Servant a happy new year, even though he did not celebrate the New Year at all.

"New Year? I remember it's an important festival in the East, roughly corresponding to Christmas over there. Although I don't know much about it, thank you anyway, Master. Happy New Year."

"Thank you."

After thanking the Earl, Xia Yuan brought the freshly prepared dishes to the table. Seeing the steak and several other Western-style dishes, the Earl couldn't help but frown. Then Xia Yuan pushed the dishes in front of him and said, "Come and try them. I specially learned a few Western dishes. They may not taste very good."

"What about the taste..."

The Cave King nodded, glanced at the dish in front of him, then looked at Xia Yuan's expectant eyes, skillfully picked up the knife and fork that Xia Yuan had prepared in advance, took a small bite, and nodded slightly.

"Isn't it delicious?"

Xia Yuan was a little nervous. This was his first time cooking Western food. Although he followed the recipe strictly throughout the process, he still felt unsure.

"Yeah, it tastes really bad."

The cooking time was not well controlled, the beef used was low-quality, and the seasonings were incomplete. Such food probably cannot be called Western food.

"Ah? Sorry, this is the only kind of beef available in the supermarket."

but……

The Earl put down his knife and fork, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly. At that moment, Xia Yuan always felt that he saw a hint of nostalgia in the Earl's smile?

This terrible yet very familiar smell really resembles her.

"But, I like it."

like?

"Really? As long as you like it."

Seeing that the Earl liked it, Xia Yuan reluctantly breathed a sigh of relief. His nervous mood finally subsided and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes. All of this was seen by the Cave King.

At first, the Cave King found it very difficult to understand why his master could trust him so much.

From the very beginning, when he came here as an avenger, the anti-hero Cave King naturally did not have much respect for his Master. What's more, this Master was just an ordinary person who could not even provide basic magic power. It can be said that as a servant, he would naturally be full of resentment towards him and would not give him a good look, let alone listen to his orders. Naturally, he had no right to be called his accomplice.

This also led to the Cave King often wandering out alone, and it was even common for him to not return for several days. If it weren't for the Command Seal on the back of his hand, Xia Yuan would have suspected that he had died outside.

Although the Holy Grail War has not yet begun, the Masters have already begun preparations. Such eccentric behavior is a taboo in the Holy Grail War. If it were any other Master, they would have lost their temper when faced with such behavior from the Rock King.

The Cave King also thought that his Master would use Command Seals to restrict his behavior, and he had already prepared himself mentally to backstab his Master.

However, Xia Yuan not only did not do so, he even strongly supported the Cave King to go out more often, take a good look at the development of the world today, and feel what freedom is.

If you encounter any trouble, just contact me and use the Command Spell if necessary. He won't ask about other things.

Then the master and servant got along for a long time in a very strange way.

To put it bluntly, everyone plays their own game.

Xia Yuan wore gloves that blocked the Command Spells and still went out early and came back late every day. The Cave King went out and wandered around as he pleased. As long as he contacted Xia Yuan regularly to report his safety, Xia Yuan would not restrict him in other matters. The two of them got along as if nothing had happened and life continued as usual.

This strange way of getting along is unprecedented in any Holy Grail War. How can a Master indulge a Servant so much? Or is it that he doesn't treat him as a servant or familiar? This way of getting along is just like... friends? That...

Until one day when he came back, the Cave King finally couldn't help but ask him.

why?

Such behavior confused him.

Maybe it was just an accident, or some kind of arrangement, but since he was summoned during the Holy Grail War, it meant that he had his own wishes, but now he was completely free and didn't take the Holy Grail War to heart at all. This contradictory behavior made him curious.

One day, he asked his master this question without any hesitation.

Hearing this, Xia Yuan just smiled and replied, "A. Venger, since you are the one being summoned, you also know that I did not use a holy relic to summon you, but you were summoned from the Throne of Heroes and formed a bond with me."

"Doesn't this mean that you are willing to reach an agreement with me? So I believe in you. No matter what mission or purpose you have for coming here, I am willing to believe you, even if you don't want to believe me."

He has no talent, and doesn't even have a magic circuit. He is so weak that he has no qualifications to be a Master.

"I don't have any talent, and I don't know how to be a qualified Master. I'm not even a basic magus. I'm a burden to you. It's not surprising that A. Venger is dissatisfied with me."

"If doing this can make A. Venger happy, I will naturally make this choice. Don't worry about me. Just do what you like. We are just partners, and no one is the master of anyone."

For avenger like the Count who enjoys taking revenge, falsehood and calculation will only bring him dissatisfaction and rebellion. Being honest and getting along with each other on an equal footing is the best option.

When the Cave King heard Xia Yuan's words, he was stunned for a moment. He looked at Xia Yuan with his golden eyes for a long time, then he smiled, a very relaxed smile.

“Freedom? Hahahaha, you’re not even a magician, you’re really interesting. Maybe that’s why you can do this, but... freedom...”

"For a vengeful ghost, the luxury word of freedom has long been abandoned. Listen carefully, the one who appears before you now is not the redeemed Edmond Dantes, but a vengeful ghost named the King of the Caves!

Therefore, I am made up of endless resentment, curses, and poisonous flames that kill at the first touch. If you want to touch me, be prepared. Do you really have the courage to associate with the devil? Master. "

The blazing black flames carried ominous resentment and curses, and the terrifying temperature made people retreat away. The Cave King in the blazing flames looked coldly at his master, but Xia Yuan did not care about it.

He shook his head and replied: "Whether you are Edmond Dantès or the King of the Grotto, a venger is a venger, and that is enough for me."

"If you need me, I can always contribute my strength. After all, we are partners... I guess that counts."

"Partner?" The Cave King snorted coldly, "Stop talking nonsense. I don't recognize a fellow like you yet. If you become a partner with a vengeful ghost like me, be careful or you will die suddenly."

"It's okay. In fact, I still like the Cave King very much."

"Huh? Like me? What stupid things are you talking about? Liking a revenge ghost like me is not funny."

"No, it's true."

"Although the Cave King is a little cold, I can see that you are not a bad person, you are just not good at expressing yourself."

Xia Yuan shook his head and said, "I can see that the Cave King was once a very gentle person."

Cave King: “…”

After a long silence, he slowly spoke.

"What's wrong with you? With this attitude, you want to stay with me even in this situation. It's just like her... No, she is still her after all. You are not the same."

After opening their hearts this time, the relationship between the master and servant, which was originally estranged, became closer, and the Cave King's murderous intent towards his master completely disappeared as they spent more time together.

Even during their interactions, he was very satisfied with his Master's thoughts and actions. Compared to those evil spirits in the Chateau d'If, his Master was still quite good.

For a Master like this, he doesn't mind helping less.

Then, during several frictions between the underworld, several troublemakers were knocked to the ground by some unknown strange attack and lost consciousness. They kept shouting about "evil spirits" until they were taken to the police station.

Because of those meritorious services, Xia Yuan's status in the Fujimura Group was significantly improved, and he was promoted from an external member to the backbone of the organization.

Although Xia Yuan would complain afterwards that the Cave King wasted magic power and might attract those magicians.

In short, the tacit understanding between the master and the servant continues to grow as they get along with each other. Just like any other casual story, two people with opposite personalities develop a faint friendship in their daily interactions.

Because he knew from the beginning that the Earl was not a bad person. On the contrary, he was very considerate. He would be unreserved and sincere to the Master he recognized.

Of course, neither side admitted this.

This is also an unspoken understanding between them.

…………

"Count, I have something to discuss tomorrow. I'm going to bed first. Please help me clean up the dishes."

"........."

Hmm? Is this what a Heroic Spirit is used for?

The count gave him a meaningful look, nodded, and asked, "What are you going to discuss? Do you need me to accompany you?"

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal. I want to quit this job. After all, the upcoming battle will be very dangerous. I don't want to implicate them and make them worry."

"I see... you want to retire..."

"I guess so. I can't continue to be a Yakuza anymore."

"Then have you thought about your future life after you leave the organization and wait for the Holy Grail War to end?" The count narrowed his eyes slightly, picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and savored it carefully.

"Master, if you were to leave your original life, you would definitely feel uneasy."

"..."

It is undeniable that I do feel this way.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Count. However, it should be fine. I have saved a lot of money in the past few years. It is enough to live for a long time."

"The Fujimura Group has already established a good relationship with the police. As long as they don't cause any major trouble and slowly transform themselves into the white side, there won't be any problems."

"I see. Since you already know what's going on, I won't say much."

"Have a good rest. Good night, Master."

The count tapped the table lightly, picked up the dishes and chopsticks, closed the door gently, stood up and left the room.

"Good night."

----

Chapter 2 Resignation Letter Before the War

[Even though we can’t understand everything after meeting and talking, if we don’t meet and talk, we won’t understand anything—]

----

There is a bar near Fuyuki Park that Xia Yuan often visits.

Under the plain plaque is the common entrance. The decoration of the bar is very ordinary, and there is nothing special about the appearance to attract customers. The lighting inside is also very dim, and there are several holes in the dark windows. The only thing worth praising is the better-tasting milk here and the cheap drinks at affordable prices.

Although the environment here has discouraged many customers, the bar still continues to operate there thanks to its low prices.

He originally came here because of the cheap and delicious drinks, and the environmental factors were not within his consideration.

Xia Yuan pushed open the door of the bar, and the familiar smell and dim light came into his eyes, still as unique as ever.