"That Master's Saber may not belong to the Red faction after all."
Fiore shared her insight with Darnic.
"What makes you say that?"
"I asked Archer about it. When he was summoned, the Holy Grail explicitly informed him that he belonged to the Black faction. Similarly, Servants summoned for the Red side should receive identical information."
"What difference does it make? Even if he immediately knew he was from the Red faction, being surrounded by our Servants would discourage any rash action."
Darnic replied, addressing Fiore's doubts.
"No, I initially thought the same. But Archer clarified something interesting—he said, 'That Saber wasn't confused about why he'd appeared among the enemy, but rather surprised at seeing so many other Heroic Spirits around him.'"
"Is there really a difference?"
Darnic hadn't fully grasped Fiore's logic. Truthfully, Fiore herself wouldn't have figured it out without Archer's explanation.
"It's likely the information Saber received from the Grail referred to a standard Holy Grail War—defeat six other Servants to claim the Grail."
"That's merely speculation," Darnic argued cautiously. "If you're right, wouldn't that mean Saber belongs to some entirely separate faction?"
Darnic didn't fully trust Fiore's conjecture. If such a scenario were true, it would imply a flaw in the Grail's rules—rules that had remained unchanged for centuries. The Grail chose the Masters, after all; it had no reason to disrupt its own system.
But Fiore shook her head decisively.
"Our familiars have already confirmed that all Red faction Servants, including Saber, have already been summoned."
Darnic's pupils contracted sharply at the revelation, temporarily speechless.
"This Holy Grail War really is shaping up to be unpredictable."
"Yet no matter what happens, victory for our Yggdmillennia clan is the only acceptable outcome."
"The only acceptable outcome, huh?"
Darnic's words caused Fiore to sigh deeply. She looked upon Darnic's tightly clenched fist with growing concern.
This Holy Grail War was destined to be fraught with unexpected variables. For Darnic, reducing uncertainty was more desirable than adding even another powerful Servant.
He had spent countless years preparing for this day. Variables could bring opportunities—but equally, they brought peril.
---
Trifas.
A small city located in the Transylvania region of Romania.
It was also the location chosen by Darnic for the Holy Grail War.
From their castle perched atop a distant hill, the Yggdmillennia could closely monitor everything within Trifas's walls.
The majority of the city's structures were ancient buildings repeatedly restored and renovated since medieval times.
Rather than modernizing, Trifas retained its medieval character—filled with stone buildings, a population barely reaching twenty thousand, and subsisting mainly on small-scale agriculture and textiles.
The ancient city walls built to repel Ottoman invasions still stood intact, encircling parts of the fortress and town.
Now, Shirou and his Servant were strolling through the streets.
Arthur had changed into casual clothes—a black pair of pants paired with a red shirt beneath a long coat—looking effortlessly stylish and clearly not out of place among modern fashions. His striking appearance drew frequent glances from passing women.
"Master, surely you've noticed we've been watched this entire time?" Arthur said calmly, glancing toward a black crow perched conspicuously on a utility pole nearby.
"I've felt eyes following me all along," Shirou admitted with a weary smile. "But given the circumstances, it's understandable."
Shirou was, after all, an outsider within the Yggdmillennia's ranks. He wasn't even a proper magus—how could he hope to grasp their suspicions?
Moreover, his ambiguous identity gave them little reason to trust him. Surveillance was natural.
He had nothing to hide, nor anything to feel guilty about. Shirou's sole intention in participating in this Grail War was to prevent harm to innocents.
He had no desires toward the Holy Grail. Whether the Red or Black side ultimately prevailed, he would not interfere unless their wish threatened harm.
"Saber, do you have any wishes you want fulfilled by the Grail?"
Shirou asked Arthur directly, wanting to better understand his Servant's motivations for entering the war.
Arthur shook his head softly.
"I don't have any wishes left unfulfilled. I was summoned, and so I answered the call—as always."
Arthur's gaze remained sincere, free from uncertainty. He had long since freed himself from past obsessions and had no lingering desires requiring the Grail.
He simply felt a call and drew his sword in response. No special reason—and that was reason enough.
"I see."
Shirou nodded approvingly, feeling no doubts toward Arthur. As Arthur trusted him implicitly, Shirou also wholeheartedly trusted his Servant.
"Master, there's a Servant nearby!"
Arthur suddenly announced, eyes narrowing as he turned sharply toward an approaching presence.
Shirou instinctively became alert.
If one discounted the Black faction's Servants, this was effectively Shirou's first encounter with a Servant of the opposing side.
"Hey there, you two lads over there, no need to look so tense. We're just passing through. How about we pretend we never saw each other, hm?"
Through the crowd came a tough-looking man, wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket, a cigarette dangling carelessly from his lips.
He appeared utterly unconcerned by any potential danger he might face.
"You're a Master from the Red faction?" Shirou questioned calmly, refraining from projecting any weapons. If the opposing Master displayed no hostility, Shirou wouldn't either.
Besides, they were currently in the middle of a crowded street. Shirou would never endanger innocent people around them by engaging in reckless combat.
"Yeah, that's right. But hey, daylight isn't really the time for fighting a Grail War, right? Shouldn't you have your Servant take spirit form or something?"
That was a widely accepted convention of the Holy Grail War. To keep battles hidden from ordinary people, most conflicts typically took place at night.
Residents would simply wake up to news reports blaming explosions or damage on gas leaks or construction mishaps.
As long as nobody witnessed the truth directly, any explanation sufficed—no matter how implausible.
Still, Shirou sometimes wondered how people managed to sleep soundly through the deafening chaos these battles created.
---
T/N: UH OH MORDRED anyway HES SO HOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
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dont worry bonus chaps will be released on sunday
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