"Do you have any other abilities to set traps, or maybe some hidden skills—something that lets us hang back and play it safe? Casters have their own way of fighting, you know."
Rin Tohsaka's voice carried a mix of hope and frustration as she pressed Harry Potter for answers.
"Hey, you just mentioned 'hidden,' didn't you? Now that you say it, I might actually have something." The bespectacled boy raised his index finger with a grin.
Harry was busy wolfing down food stockpiled in the Tohsaka residence, trying to bolster his "presence" in this world and convert it into greater strength. He responded between bites, his mouth half-full.
Servants' existence was typically sustained through the Holy Grail's connection to the Throne of Heroes, but a Master's magical energy could act as a lever to amplify their power. For a Servant lacking a Master's mana, consuming large amounts of food could provide a trickle of energy to offset the deficit, albeit weakly.
Harry's eating served a similar purpose. By incorporating this world's food into his body, he gained a faint sense of presence, allowing him to tap into more of his highly mystical powers without being rejected by the world.
When Harry was summoned, he arrived with only his basic clothing. Most of his items and abilities were sealed beneath his spiritual core—not just equipment, but far more. Now, he could feel some of those seals loosening, unlocking marks within him that encompassed a vast array of powers: tangible weapons and gear, wonders of ancient architecture, mental landscapes, and distant legends from other worlds.
If this kept up, he might eventually be able to summon his old armies as projections in this world, unbound by its limitations.
For now, he could sense that ordinary equipment—like his wand, the Sword of Gryffindor, the voodoo sword meant for his base, and anti-magic leather armor—could be summoned. These items would come with their own enhancements.
To Harry's surprise, among these magical artifacts, he had assumed the hardest to summon would be the legendary Sword of Gryffindor, a relic passed down for a thousand years. But no—it was the Invisibility Cloak that proved the most difficult, still far from being accessible. He'd likely need another day to gather enough presence.
"What kind of ability is it? Can you create a magical workshop so we can fight from a fortified position?" Rin pressed, her tone hopeful yet cautious. She'd already abandoned dreams of grand temples; a simple magical workshop would be a godsend.
"No, it's not that. I have an Invisibility Cloak—perfect for optical stealth, though it doesn't muffle sound. If you can't hide your heartbeat, it won't fool a true expert. And right now, I can't summon it yet."
Rin's face fell, her hopes crumbling. She shouldn't have gotten her expectations up in the first place. He was probably talking about some trinket from his past life. This so-called wizard boy didn't know a thing, and she was running out of ideas for how they could possibly win.
"Do you think we can actually win this?" she asked, her voice softer now, seeking some shred of comfort from Harry.
"We'll win."
Harry's response was brimming with confidence. He'd never felt this good before.
The system ensured his abilities were permanently etched into his being, usable across all worlds. As long as he himself remained intact, a mere crossing of worlds wouldn't weaken him.
But he'd never experienced anything like this—a massive boost simply for being an outsider in this world. Most Servants grew stronger after ascending to the Throne of Heroes, empowered by legendary armaments. Even those who were mere mortals in life could become monstrously powerful after death if their deeds were great enough. But Harry's enhancements far surpassed those of ordinary legendary armaments.
"I guarantee we'll bring glory and victory to our team. Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp." Harry made the additional promise while chugging red wine.
Rin heard his words of reassurance and thought that maybe Harry's personality wasn't so bad. But they did little to ease her actual anxiety.
Her teammate was too cocky, completely unaware of his own limits.
The next day, Rin had to go to school.
Harry couldn't believe her nonchalance. She was about to fight in a war, yet she was heading off to class? What was she thinking?
Yesterday, she'd scoffed at his confidence, but today, Harry was stunned by the girl's own brazen attitude.
Wasn't she the one who'd drawn a bad card last night, acting like she was doomed to lose?
Haji Rin, you're so arrogant… and I absolutely love it.
Harry asked her again, "If I can't turn into spirit form, can I still tag along to school?"
"Of course not! You're not some transfer student. And at your age, you should be in elementary school. I'm way older than you!"
"I skipped grades. I was specially admitted to a top-tier university in some country when I was thirteen."
"So what? What kind of backwater university was that? Some colonial diploma mill? If you've got money, anyone can get in."
The twintailed girl realized this kid had zero common sense. Did he think being summoned here automatically enrolled him in school?
Harry: Wait, doesn't crossing into a new world mean you get to enroll right away?
And yet, Rin found herself surprisingly okay with the fact that this kid couldn't turn into spirit form. After botching the summoning and ending up with such a weak Servant, she'd already given up on this lifetime.
Even if this Caster claimed he had zero intelligence or admitted he'd misspoken and his name wasn't Dudley, Rin wouldn't bat an eye.
The second day after the summoning.
Rin trudged out the door, utterly dejected. Yesterday, despite being woken early by a faulty alarm clock, she'd been filled with anticipation for summoning her Servant. Even though she was exhausted, her spirits had been high.
Today was the complete opposite.
Ten years ago, when she saw her father's body, Rin had sobbed uncontrollably.
When the Command Seals appeared, she didn't hesitate to prepare for the summoning.
Yesterday, she'd thought: Ten years of grueling magical training, and it all comes down to this!
The Holy Grail War came once every sixty years. She had to consider whether this was her only chance in this lifetime.
To restore the Tohsaka family's glory, I have no choice but to rise to the challenge!
Now… it was all over. On the surface, she seemed fine, but inside, she was drowning in confusion and despair.
The girl was lost in profound uncertainty.
What now? Should she forfeit and seek the Church's protection from that detestable priest?
Or maybe she could use her Caster to take out the equally weak Assassin for a small victory before bowing out, saving some face.
Harry, on the other hand, kept things simple.
As long as Rin stayed in the rear, gathering intel, explaining the situation, and coming up with half-baked plans while leisurely attending school, he could handle the rest. As the frontline fighter in the Holy Grail War, Harry had a lot on his plate.
It was just fighting, after all—something he knew all too well.
In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, nobles loved to prattle on about "the game of thrones." To Harry, once he was fully powered up, it was all a game of fists.
This Holy Grail War was even more straightforward. Only seven Servants held true power, and there was no time to build a formidable army again.
In the end, only one could make a wish. No need for fancy words—this battle royale was simple: fight, and keep fighting until total victory.