Fate: Hero Simulator

[3rd POV]

"I've heard so much about you, El-Melloi II."

Marisbury Animusphere, like an old noble, displayed flawless manners. He showed respect even towards someone who could potentially be his enemy.

"The honor is mine."

Lord El-Melloi II, not particularly trained in noble formalities, had brought Reines along for this meeting.

After a few polite but empty words, they quickly got to the point.

"As someone who has participated in the Holy Grail War, I assume you understand the importance of the Holy Relics. I would like you to appraise this."

Marisbury said.

He clapped his hands, and a woman dressed like a secretary immediately came forward, holding a long wooden box.

Holy Relics are items once used by famous historical figures or great individuals in history.

In the Holy Grail War, the key lies in the summoning of Servants.

If a Holy Relic is present, it can specifically summon a Servant linked to a particular person.

Without a Holy Relic, the summoning will depend on the compatibility between the Master and the Servant.

The latter was too random, not something a magician should consider.

The long, narrow box was opened, revealing a sword that emitted a faint blue glow, still gleaming with brilliance even after a thousand years.

"This weapon undoubtedly belongs to the realm of Holy Swords. Its history can be traced back to the 5th century... wait, the 5th century?"

As a true British man, it was impossible not to know the legend of King Arthur.

The 5th century was undoubtedly the era when King Arthur was active.

"This... is one of the Holy Swords of the Knights of the Round Table?"

El-Melloi II recalled what he had read and heard about the weapons of the Round Table knights.

However, none of them matched the sword before him. Suddenly... a thought crossed his mind.

"Vortigern's Blade."

"Indeed."

Marisbury said, his expression showing relief as if he had already known the origins of the sword. He had only sought him to confirm his suspicions.

"This land was once ruled by the Celts, not by us Angles or Saxons. In order to promote legitimacy, we made King Arthur our ancestor and erased all traces of the White Dragon story. This has led people today to be fascinated by the legend of King Arthur while the legend of the White Dragon is largely forgotten."

This secret is difficult for ordinary people to access, but Marisbury, as one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower and the head of the Animusphere family, naturally understood the stories behind it.

"Just as expected, to maintain the legitimacy of the Anglo-Saxons and bury our past invasions, we altered and hid the history. Most people nowadays only know that Vortigern was King Arthur's rival, but they don't know about another knight who defeated several of the Knights of the Round Table."

El-Melloi II may not have been born into a prestigious family, but he had read extensively and delved into hidden history especially after facing King Arthur in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

He gained a deeper understanding of this subject.

"Everything about 5th century Britain is deeply hidden, and even though I've investigated over the years, I've only come to two conclusions."

Even though they were future enemies, once the conversation shifted to the academic field, the two magus could still discuss matters calmly.

"First, there's very little information about Vortigern. We don't know much about his life or why he betrayed Britain. Second..."

"The betrayal of Mordred is strange, right?"

Marisbury quickly caught on.

"The affair between Lancelot and the Queen was exposed too coincidental. Even though King Arthur's reign was unstable near the end, he still went on an expedition to Gaul. And most importantly, during the Battle of Camlann, most of the Round Table knights weren't there."

Mordred's betrayal always seemed weird, but for many years no one ever questioned it.

The ordinary people treated it like a myth, and the magical community kept quiet about this period of history.

Even if someone noticed something odd, they would never discuss it openly.

If they were to truly investigate, how did the rulers of Britain transition from the Celtic people to the Anglo-Saxons?

Why did the Anglo-Saxons specifically choose to honor King Arthur as their ancestor?

How should they explain the constant absence of the Round Table knights from significant battles in the later years of the Camelot dynasty?

...

"You're getting off-topic, but I feel better knowing your expert opinion. As long as I can summon Vortigern's blade, I'll have a good chance of winning."

"You're that confident?"

El-Melloi II wasn't pleased.

It was one thing to look down on him, but if he was also underestimating the Conqueror King, Iskander, he couldn't tolerate it.

"After all, this is someone who defeated many of the Round Table knights and even beat King Arthur. As far as I know, the Master of Saber in the last Holy Grail War made it to the end, right?"

"Do you think he'll participate again?"

Just thinking about King Arthur made El-Melloi II feel uneasy.

"Who knows? It's better to be safe than sorry... Anyway, We've talked enough for today. I'll transfer the payment for the appraisal fee to your account as promised. Goodbye."

After getting the desired result, Marisbury quickly finished his tea and saw the guests off.

Once they left, the female secretary stepped forward and carefully took the sword away.

"Master, do you really want to sell this sword?"

"Of course. Why would I summon a servant who might have only possibly defeated some of the Knights of the Round Table?"

He laughed dismissively. He had invited El-Melloi II over as a distraction, a way to mislead him.

He was determined to win the Holy Grail War, and his competitors were already clear: El-Melloi II and the three families from Fuyuki.

However, the three Fuyuki families weren't a real threat to him.

The Ainsworth family was filled with the old and the weak, the Matou family had lost their magical lineage, and the Tohsaka family only had a little girl left.

He didn't even need to pay attention to them. The only one he had to worry about was El-Melloi II, another lord like him.

"The Atlas Institute's contract, pseudo-Earth ring model, simulation, spiritron transference... I've prepared most of the conditions, and all that's left is the startup capital."

He thought of the Great Holy Grail in Fuyuki.

It was the easiest way for him to acquire a large sum of money.

Even though he already knew that the Holy Grail had been corrupted, everything was ready, and he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

"Although the Holy Grail has been corrupted, if we borrow its power and wisdom, there might still be a solution."

He removed his gloves, revealing a simple gold ring on the ring finger of his right hand. He would never easily show others the Holy Relic used to summon a Servant.

"The king who set the foundation for future magic... If it's you, I believe you'll be able to fulfill the long-standing wish of the Animusphere family—Chaldea."

Marisbury was very confident in his trick.

While El-Melloi II had been preparing for the Holy Grail War, he was unaware that the war would begin the following year.

The fool believed it would be over fifty years before it started.

By the time he discovered the Holy Grail War had already begun, El-Melloi II would have no time to see through his trick.

He is determined to win this Holy Grail War, and Chaldea would definitely be established.

To be continued...

...

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