XElenea
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MP : 5 Chance
🕑 Added 2024-10-07 22:00:08 +0000 UTC"Well done, Master. Your performance surprised me a bit. I didn't expect an ordinary person to hold out this long."
After quickly dispatching the large enemy force, the Count turned around and saw the two skeleton soldiers lying next to Roy. He couldn't help but offer praise.
"At first, I was a bit concerned, seeing that you're just an ordinary person without magic circuits. Looks like I was worrying for nothing."
"Heh, I'm an ordinary person... Sorry to disappoint you."
Resting against the wall for a while, Roy managed to recover some of the stamina he had just exhausted, enough to catch his breath for a moment.
At the same time, his fear of the hidden world grew deeper. If just a few skeleton soldiers could put him in such a miserable state, what kind of power could those higher-level phantasmal species or magus wield?
His knowledge of magus was only based on fragmented memories, and he had only been wary of the Servants. Now, he realized how wrong he had been. For someone like him, the threat posed by those powerful magus was no less than that of the Servants.
"Sigh…"
Glancing at the now empty handgun in his hand, he couldn't help but sigh.
Are the weapons of the surface world really so powerless against the magecraft of the hidden world?
In this confused and disoriented state, he feared that if he didn't die in the Prison Tower, he'd perish in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
"..."
Calming his mind, Roy stretched his joints briefly before turning to the Count. "The end of the first level... that's where you said the Judgment Hall is, right?"
"That's right. At the end of this corridor lies the Judgment Hall, which holds the Sin of Envy."
"So, there must be some sort of guardian at the first trial, right? What is it? A Servant, or some kind of phantasmal species?"
"That…"
The Count shook his head. "I don't know either. You'll have to see for yourself once you get there."
"See for myself? So, the guardian isn't fixed... it changes based on my memories and psyche?"
"Krahahaha, sharp as ever! That's right, I don't know the guardian's identity. It depends on you, the challenger. Right now, you are the one challenging this Hell Tower!"
"Oh, shut up, Count. Can you stop being so dramatic all of a sudden? Be quiet. Why are you shouting so loudly?"
Hearing the Count's sudden outburst of demonic laughter, Roy still found it hard to get used to. In such a dire situation, his heart wasn't strong enough to make him laugh. He was already doing his best to hold back tears.
A dimension traveler?
But still just an ordinary person.
"You're no fun, Master." The Count quickly calmed down and looked at the still composed Roy, unable to help but ask.
"Aren't you even a little excited? Unveiling hidden truths, defeating the guardian enemies, fighting with all your might for survival... this is the heroic tale of sin and redemption!"
"..."
When they were outside, the Count had at least suppressed his true nature while interacting with Roy. But here in the Prison Tower, he had fully let loose. Why did he have so much inner drama?
In this situation, anyone else wouldn't be able to laugh either.
Roy's face twitched slightly, but he forced himself to respond. "Excited? Of course, I'm motivated to fight with you for survival. I'm just not very good at expressing it."
"Oh? I'll believe you for now, but with your reclusive nature, Master, it'll be hard to make friends out there."
"…"
'Being told that I wouldn't make friends especially by you feels particularly insulting.'
The Count simply chuckled before teasing again, "The seven deadly sins, everyone is guilty of them, but I really can't imagine what the sin of envy looks like for someone like you. With your calm demeanor and steady attitude, I bet the version of me outside must find you incredibly boring."
"Boring? Not really. But at the beginning, Count, you were rather cold."
"Cold, you say? It's human nature to respond coldly to unfamiliar or unaccepted things. If you hadn't earned my recognition, you wouldn't have had the qualifications to travel alongside me. You wouldn't have become my accomplice."
"No matter which version of me you encounter, that principle remains the same. However, from the way you speak, it seems you and I get along well?"
The Count raised an eyebrow and explained.
"We've only formed a connection. Becoming full accomplices is still a long way off. After all, I'm not even a qualified Master yet."
"Judging whether you're qualified isn't up to you. It's up to me. Whether you're fit to be my accomplice will be decided by that version of me outside."
"For now, though, I'm more curious... what form does your sin of envy take?"
"The sin of envy in my psyche? If I had to point to someone who embodies envy, it would be… him."
Recalling what he witnessed of Fujimaru Ritsuka in the Prison Tower, Roy paused to think, and with the Count's prompting, he conjured an image in his mind. His expression shifted slightly.
"Oh? Judging by your face, you've thought of someone. Is that enemy a tough one to deal with? Krahahaha, I'm actually starting to look forward to this."
The Count, loud as ever, grinned wildly as he looked Roy over with interest.
"Fine, be as excited as you want, but that enemy won't be easy to handle. Count, make sure you don't underestimate him later, or you'll regret it."
Regret?
"Krahahaha, really? Even after seeing my power, you're saying that? This is getting interesting. Now I'm even more eager to see what your sin of envy looks like in your psyche."
"But before that, we should take care of the spoils first."
"Spoils?"
Roy looked around at the dust-covered floor. Besides the ashes of skeletons the Count had burned to nothing, he didn't see any so-called spoils in the dark corridor.
Without offering any explanation, the Count twirled his cloak, and with the speed of a Servant, dashed down the hallway, kicking up clouds of dust.
Moments later, he returned, holding out his hand to reveal a handful of dark purple dust.
"What's this?"
"Magic dust."
Roy gave the Count a confused look, just about to ask more, but in the next moment, his mouth went dry as he saw the Count pouring the dark purple dust directly into his mouth.
"Mmpphh…!"
Roy was stunned, unable to speak.
...
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Heaving violently, tears began to flow involuntarily from his eyes as the turmoil in his stomach made him feel nauseous. The sudden dryness only amplified his discomfort, making it hard for him to move.
"Do you feel anything?"
The Count stared at Roy in surprise.
He had somehow started smoking a cigarette that had slipped from Roy's pocket, its tip already lit.
"Feel anything? What kind of feeling?! You just fed me ash! Aside from this physical discomfort, what else could I possibly feel?!"
"...Not that."
The Count shook his head slightly, pointing to Roy's chest, he meant a sensation in his body, not just the physical discomfort.
"Does feeling like I want to vomit count?"
"…"
"Master, what I want you to feel is the magical energy flowing within your body. How does it feel? Can you sense the magical energy circulating inside you?"
'Magical energy flowing inside me?'
"But I don't have any magic circuits…"
The Count fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "The fact that you can summon me and reach the Prison Tower means you qualify to become a magus. Moreover, the Command Seal is a magical crystallization that only magus possess, and I'm here to help you stimulate your magic circuits with the magical materials from this place."
"However, you really don't have even a shred of common sense about being a magus, Master. While I'm no expert in magecraft myself, I've learned some basics from the Heroic Spirits I've encountered. Now I'm going to help you activate your magic circuits; otherwise, with your current half-baked skills, whether you want to participate in the Holy Grail War or pass through the upcoming Judgment Room, you have no chance."
Rubbing his forehead, the Count felt a bit speechless but remained patient as he explained the relationship between summoning Heroic Spirits and having magic circuits.
After hearing his explanation, Roy's eyes lit up, excitement flooding his being.
"You mean I can also become a magus?!"
"In theory, yes. But be prepared for the worst; after all, I'm just a vengeful spirit, not a famous magus. I can't guarantee what kind of surprises the stimulation might bring."
"Of course."
The Count smiled wickedly. "If you're scared, you can refuse now. After all, you're the Master, and I…"
"I trust you, Count."
The response was instantaneous.
"I won't force you, after all, I'm just…"
"Hm? What did you just say?"
"I trust you, Count."
His serious gaze contained no deceit. He wouldn't mistake it... what shone in his eyes was trust and recognition.
There was no hint of retreat, no hesitation at all. This trust was a trust that could be placed in someone's hands, transcending the typical Master-Servant relationship.
In fact, he felt a bit envious of the version of himself outside, who, despite being a vengeful spirit, had earned such unwavering trust from the Count.
"Is that so? I really have no way to deal with you."
"Krahahaha, fine, since you've chosen to continue, then brace yourself. I'm a vengeful spirit with no sense of mercy, and I won't hold back just because you're in pain! Be prepared, Master!"
"Oh, Count!"
