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Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Fate/Zero: Heroic Spirit Compendium (Part 2)

Chapter 196: Fate/Zero: Heroic Spirit Compendium (Part 2)

Caster – Gilles de Rais.

Once a noble with lands and titles, Gilles de Rais had served as a military commander during a time when his nation faced grave peril. On the battlefield, he met a unique comrade—the holy maiden, Jeanne d'Arc. Together, they fought valiantly, earning legendary honors and eventually being hailed as national heroes.

But the glory was short-lived.

In a later battle, Jeanne d'Arc was captured by the enemy and condemned as a heretic. She was burned at the stake before Gilles's very eyes. He had tried desperately to save her, but failed.

That loss shattered him.

Broken in both mind and spirit, Gilles withdrew to his estate, where he delved into the dark corners of alchemic research. His obsession twisted into madness—he began performing horrific experiments, believing that the secret to the Philosopher's Stone lay in blood.

In the process, over 300 children were tortured and killed.

This descent into darkness eventually led to his own execution by burning. A fitting end to a man who had once stood in the light, only to fall so far into shadow.

Compared to the other two Servants—Lancer and Assassin—Caster's backstory was far more tragic, more grand, and more layered. His story evoked complex feelings: pity, horror, even a hint of familiarity.

Especially for the citizens of the Empire.

The parallels between Gilles's era and their own gave his narrative a haunting resonance. Some began to wonder whether such a person might truly have once walked their lands.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Inside Edward Tavern, murmurs once again rose.

"I never would've guessed… that madman of a Caster was once a noble general protecting his homeland."

"Same here. The idea that he used to fight beside a holy maiden—it's like two sides of a coin."

"Goes to show… no one's born evil. But still, with the crimes he committed, there's no justifying it."

"Hey, by the way… who is this Jeanne d'Arc? I thought I caught a glimpse of her in the movie—was that during Caster's flashback?"

"Yeah, I saw her too. She was beautiful. I hope she shows up more in the next part of the film."

The chatter filled the air.

Amid it, Emperor Hubbard put down his booklet with a long sigh.

"From national hero to monstrous killer… sometimes the collapse of one's faith leads to consequences more terrible than war itself. Even in our Empire's history, we've seen great men fall to darkness because of a single fatal decision."

Beside him, General Wilhelm nodded.

"It's less common among knights, but among mages? Happens all the time. Mages in pursuit of truth, realizing their mortality, turn to forbidden arts to become immortals. The tragedies that follow are… plentiful."

"Immortals, huh…" Emperor Hubbard mused. "That reminds me of the former administrator of the Mage Tower and head of the Imperial Mage Academy. He was… a bit like that, wasn't he?"

"Ah, that one? His case is special. Probably best not to lump him in with the others," Wilhelm replied.

"Haha, true enough."

As the Emperor chuckled at the thought, he noticed the Beastkin Oracle beside him staring intently at one of the booklets—brows furrowed, unusually solemn.

Curious, the Emperor leaned over.

To his surprise, the Oracle wasn't reading the Fate/Zero compendium.

Instead, it was the Steins;Gate Character Compendium he was absorbed in.

Of course, the Beastkin Oracle wasn't flipping through the character dossiers for the sake of the film's cast.

What truly held his attention were the speculative entries at the end of the booklet—the Magitechs listed with detailed diagrams and supposed crafting methods.

Though many of these were complete fabrications, written by Edward as half-jokes or pure imagination, the Oracle took them dead seriously. He pored over every page with grave intensity, treating the book as if it contained ancient, divine secrets.

Emperor Hubbard, noticing this, couldn't help but frown slightly. Still, he refrained from jumping to conclusions—he didn't suspect the old man of being a spy from an enemy nation. He simply chalked it up to the man's academic curiosity.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Meanwhile—at the Imperial Mage Academy...

The stories of the three Heroic Spirits stirred up a storm among the magi.

After reading through the records of the Servants' past lives, the students could no longer contain their thoughts.

"I didn't expect these Heroic Spirits to have such dramatic lives while they were alive… To think they now serve magi as summoned familiars… it's kind of heartbreaking."

"But it was their choice, wasn't it? The Heroic Spirits that answer the Holy Grail's summons are the ones who still have regrets… Their unresolved desires tie them to this world."

"Still, what happens to a Heroic Spirit after death? Where do their souls go? How does the Holy Grail even reach them?"

"You're asking me? Hell if I know. The movie never explains any of that."

"Right? Fate/Zero barely touches on the mechanics of Heroic Spirits. There's some detail about magecraft, sure, but even that's pretty vague."

"It's nowhere near enough. If they really want to make a complete setting compendium, it should be like—ten times as thick as this one!"

"Exactly! I demand a full reprint. A definitive Fate/Zero setting book that lays out everything!"

"Please. The movie's not even finished yet. You're asking for a setting book? Be patient. If you want something useful, go look at the Steins;Gate: Character Anthology. The Magitechs in there are nuts. Some of them might actually be buildable!"

"Wait, didn't the Mage Tower just formalize the patent system? That means if we manage to build any of these devices, we could patent them and make easy money!"

"Bro, that's genius. I'm out—gonna go start now!"

"Wait up! Don't leave me behind!"

"Hey! You money-grubbing lunatics—wait for me!"

In the blink of an eye, the square emptied of students as they all rushed off in a frenzy, fired up by the possibility of gold.

Only the professors and lecturers remained, blinking at each other in mutual silence.

None of them said a word, but the dark scowls on their faces all turned toward one man: Ska.

Apparently, they weren't happy about the fact that the movie's setting materials included detailed schematics of Magitechs that students could now rush to exploit. After all, wasn't that just handing them weapons to break the system?

Ska could only force a bitter smile.

He said nothing—not even in his own defense.

Because if he admitted what he'd done? He'd probably get beaten to death on the spot.

<+>

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