Chapter 115 Airborne! Traitor to the Clock Tower? (The Red and Black War begins)
Coming to his senses, he had already stepped onto foreign soil.
In London, in front of a Big Ben building, Arthur, with a pure white cub on his shoulder, stopped.
To the public, this place was a historical artistic treasure; in the eyes of a Magus, it was the highest academy for studying the arcane arts—
The Clock Tower.
Arthur slowly raised his head, gazing up at the magnificent building before him, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
He had never personally set foot in the Clock Tower before, only glimpsing it from Chaldea's documents.
He never expected his first visit to this sacred place, revered by countless Magi, would be in a parallel world in 2014.
This feeling—it was truly strange.
After all, not long ago he was still in Fuyuki City, in the Far East, having just finished the task entrusted to him by the mysterious voice.
In the blink of an eye, he was arranged by Gaia and Alaya to participate in a new Holy Grail War.
At this thought, Arthur couldn't help but raise a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.
"Even if you're worried about alerting the unknown entity and can't directly send me to deal with it, you should at least explain things clearly!"
"What exactly is a seven-on-seven Holy Grail War? With fourteen Servants, where should I even begin to look for the mission target?"
"Fou~ ~ ~"
The pure white cub on his shoulder stretched leisurely, letting out a long yawn, completely ignoring its owner's complaints.
Arthur gently rubbed Fou's small head, the exquisite touch providing a little comfort to his troubled mind.
[Do not be impatient. Mashu is a good child; they have strived to hold on until now.]
[We know you want to go back and help, but your current power is not enough, far from enough.]
[Follow her guidance, continue forward, until you possess the power to change the world.]
[Also, no matter what you encounter, no matter where you are, you are the most important child to me and Alaya.]
After a brief moment of distraction, Arthur quickly pulled himself out of his memories, regaining his usual composure.
"Power to change the world, huh?"
"I will do it."
...
Clock Tower, Department of Spiritualism, Director's Office.
The interior layout was retro and elegant, the overhead light dim, and on the side walls, animal bones and glass jars were faintly visible.
Arthur sat on the guest sofa, and with a glance, he knew that those materials were far from ordinary.
Locke Belfeban, with a face full of wrinkles, stood with a straight back and chuckled at Arthur.
"What, interested? I don't recall these materials being useful to the Department of Astrology as well?"
Arthur shook his head with a light smile, took a sip of coffee, and calmly replied.
"I have never stepped out of my family's domain before, so I can't help but be curious about other disciplines. Please forgive me."
Belfeban blinked his seemingly cloudy old eyes, carefully scrutinizing Arthur, whose words and actions were impeccable, and pondered to himself.
The Department of Astrology, which has always practiced isolationism and rarely involved itself in disputes of interest, actually took the initiative to participate in the Holy Grail War, even sending a direct descendant of its Lord.
What exactly are the old foxes of the Arthur family plotting?
Aren't they afraid of such a talented and virtuous person being lost to those traitors of Yggdmillennia?
"It's normal for young people to have a strong thirst for knowledge. If you have time afterwards, why not follow me and study for a period?"
Arthur nodded slightly: "Thank you for your high regard, I would be delighted. However—"
"Should we not discuss the main business first?"
Belfeban glanced at the old-fashioned clock on the wall, chuckled twice, and explained indifferently.
"Actually, before this, we originally planned to entrust a bounty hunter to participate. Counting the time, he should be here by now."
Creak—!
As if to confirm the old man's words, the old wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and a burly figure strode in.
Shishigou Kairi had a scar near his eye, fashionable sunglasses obscured his vision, and his black jacket made of magical beast hide exuded an aura of blood and gunpowder.
He clearly hadn't expected anyone else in the room besides Belfeban and looked at the calm-faced Arthur with surprise.
Belfeban gestured for Shishigou Kairi to sit, then introduced him to Arthur.
"This is Shishigou Kairi, once an excellent student of the Clock Tower, and now maintains a good cooperative relationship with us."
"This is Arthur pendragon. That surname, Shishigou, you should understand its significance."
Arthur and Shishigou looked at each other, the former smiling with reserved pride, the latter with a serious expression.
Clearly, Shishigou, who had studied at the Clock Tower for a period, was no stranger to the surname of the Lord of the Department of Astrology.
He had originally thought that only a desperado like him would dare to accept a commission like the Holy Grail War, which put one's life on the line.
What necessity did a noble scion of one of the Twelve Lords have to get involved in this mess?
...
Belfeban, ever the shrewd old fox, noticed the atmosphere in the office growing heavy, cleared his throat twice to smooth things over.
"Getting back to business, have either of you heard of the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City?"
Arthur's expression was as calm as ever, while Shishigou frowned slightly and spoke in a deep voice.
"I know a bit, after all, the various subspecies Holy Grail Wars in recent years have been causing quite a stir, it's hard not to notice."
Belfeban heard this, bared his teeth, and revealed an unpleasant, sinister smile.
"Then, do either of you know the true purpose of the Fuyuki City Holy Grail War?"
Without waiting for their response, Belfeban let out a cold chuckle.
"It is to reach the Root."
"By using the powerful souls of seven Servants, a tiny hole can be pierced, and then one can…"
Such an unexpected answer left Shishigou speechless for a moment, and he lowered his head, lost in thought.
Arthur feigned an arrogant smile, his face full of eager excitement and longing.
"The Root is what we Magi seek our entire lives, and I have come for this very reason!"
"Therefore, I am determined to obtain the qualification for this commission!"
Belfeban's eyes flickered, and he smiled as he looked at Shishigou, who was still deep in thought, then spread his hands helplessly.
"His attitude is as such, Shishigou, do you still wish to contend?"
Shishigou: (＃ﾟдﾟﾒ)?
No, contend with whom?
Contend with the family line of the Lord of the Department of Astrology?
Do you think I ate the wrong medicine this morning!?
Shishigou did indeed harbor a bit of ambition, and if it could be realized through the power of the Holy Grail, that would naturally be for the best.
But!
If his life wasn't guaranteed, what good was ambition?
Shishigou looked up at Arthur, who maintained an air of absolute certainty, raised his hands, and let out a wry laugh.
"I understand, I concede. I voluntarily withdraw from this commission and will no longer interfere with this matter."
Subsequently, Shishigou stood up, nodded to Belfeban and Arthur one by one, and then quickly departed.
At this moment, Arthur gazed at the cunning Belfeban, a reserved smile, unique to nobles, playing on his lips.
"The irrelevant people have left, please elaborate. The so-called Clock Tower traitors—the Yggdmillennia family."