Chapter 117: A Contract with Rebellion! An Invitation from the Church?
On the moonlit hill, Arthur carefully scrutinized the petite knight before him, who was completely covered in armor, and his heart stirred.
Mordred?
She had indeed introduced herself as such.
As the Knight of Treachery who brought an end to King Arthur's legend, did she really have any compatibility with him?
What if he pulled out a Holy Sword right now? Would she immediately turn on her Master?
This Holy Grail War was unusually treacherous, and he was not confident he could simultaneously deal with thirteen Servants.
A conflict with his own Servant at the outset would be the worst possible strategy.
As his thoughts raced, Arthur suppressed the turmoil in his heart and calmly raised his hand to greet her.
"Hello, my name is Arthur pendragon. From this moment on, I will be your Master and a member of the Red Faction in this Holy Grail War."
Mordred scrutinized Arthur through her helmet. The fierce aura of a seasoned warrior swept towards him like a gale, but it silently dissipated three feet in front of Arthur, failing to shake him in the slightest.
She nodded almost imperceptibly, and the voice from beneath her helmet carried a hint of approval.
"Not bad. I thought I'd get some clueless Magus who would only drag me down."
Arthur's lips curved into a faint, calm smile.
"Thank you for your approval. It seems we both have a rather good first impression of each other?"
Mordred tilted her head and snorted softly, her gaze casually sweeping over Fou, who was obediently squatting nearby and yawning. Her movements suddenly stiffened.
"Hm!?"
She abruptly turned her head and stared intently at the relaxed Arthur, her tone full of surprise and subtle meaning.
"Master, is this guy your familiar?"
"Hmm... you could say that."
Arthur crouched down and waved to Fou. The pure white young beast trotted over lightly and then sprang onto his shoulder.
Mordred gazed blankly at the familiar combination of the silver-haired Master and the small magical beast before her, lost in thought.
Arthur keenly noticed her distraction, understood the reason, and immediately changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, Mordred, why can't I see your complete status panel as your Master? Do you possess some ability to conceal information?"
Mordred instantly snapped back to attention and explained, "Oh, it's probably because of the helmet. Wait, I'll take it off now."
No sooner had she spoken than her full-face horned helmet folded and transformed with a sense of science fiction, the armor plates retracting layer by layer until they were completely hidden within the armor on her back.
A beautiful face, identical to Artoria's, was revealed. However, in those emerald green eyes, an unbridled wildness burned, and her golden ponytail appeared unruly.
Arthur was filled with surprise, never expecting that this pair, uh...
Father and son? Mother and daughter?
Would be so alike.
He quickly composed himself, his eyes glowing with a faint blue light as he concentrated on reading her status information.
...
Class: Saber
Master: Arthur pendragon
True Name: Mordred
Attribute: Chaotic Neutral
—Ability Parameters—
Strength: B++
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Magic: A
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: A
—Class Skills—
Magic Resistance: B
The ability to gain magic resistance, capable of nullifying spells with three verses or less.
At Rank B, even Grand Spells and Ritual Curses cannot harm her in the slightest.
Riding: B
The ability to ride mounts.
At Rank B, she can skillfully ride various ancient chariots and modern vehicles, but cannot control Phantasmal Beasts such as Monstrous Beasts and Divine Beasts.
—Personal Skills—
Instinct: B
The ability to instantly discern the 'most suitable action for oneself' in battle, halving hindrances to vision and hearing caused by attacks.
Mana Burst: A
The ability to reinforce weapons and physique with magical energy.
At Rank A, even a mere short staff can become a weapon of immense power.
Charisma: C-
The ability to lead others. Mordred's leadership talent truly shines when she is in rebellion.
...
Thanks to Arthur's vast supply of magical energy, Mordred's ability parameters were splendid, living up to the name of the strongest class.
She was clearly aware of this, and facing her Master's scrutiny, she rested her hands on the sword hilt, openly displaying a proud smile.
Arthur caught the subtle change in her emotions and already had an idea of how to interact with this Knight of Treachery.
"Without a doubt, you are a powerful Servant capable of being an ace."
He slowly raised his hand, displaying the three intersecting crimson sword shadows of the Command Spells, his voice steady and solemn.
"Then, let's make the final confirmation."
"Answer me, Mordred, what is the wish you seek by participating in the Holy Grail War?"
Upon hearing this, Mordred lowered her gaze to the brilliantly shining royal sword in her hand. Its blade was dark and menacing, utterly lacking the majesty befitting a king.
"My wish..." she spoke softly, her tone incredibly firm, "To challenge the Sword in the Stone, nothing more."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, silently revising his assessment of this Knight of Treachery.
In life, she had instigated a rebellion to seize the throne, yet her current wish was merely to challenge the qualification of "King" once?
As the illegitimate child born of King Arthur and her sister Morgan, her entanglement with Artoria was far more complex than legends depicted.
Arthur lowered his hand and nodded slightly to Mordred, who was awaiting his response.
"I understand. Then, the contract is established."
"Good!"
Mordred's lips curved into a warlike arc, and she abruptly raised her royal sword, shouting.
"Then let's go! Let's take out the Black Faction's seven guys' lair in one go! And seize victory!"
Arthur chuckled, raising his hand to stop her.
"Enthusiasm is good, but I must warn you."
"The Black Faction is an ancient Magus family entrenched in the Trifas leyline. Their base is impregnable; a rash charge would be suicide."
Mordred raised a hand to scratch her cheek, her expression slightly awkward, as if she had only just remembered the modern knowledge that had been instilled in her.
Although Heroic Spirits are granted basic contemporary knowledge by the Holy Grail upon summoning,
Those pieces of information were like books forcibly crammed into her mind; if she didn't actively read them, it was as if they weren't there.
She quickly turned her head, looking towards the medieval-style town below the hill, and asked, feigning composure.
"So... we're not in Trifas right now?"
Arthur explained, "This is Bucharest, still a ways from Trifas. I plan to rent a car and go there first thing tomorrow morning."
Mordred's eyes were puzzled: "Tomorrow morning? Isn't night more suitable for Magi to act?"
Arthur nodded noncommittally, explaining softly with a patience he hadn't even realized he possessed.
"We are the last group of Masters to arrive at the battlefield. Before declaring war on the Black Faction's main base, it is wise to communicate with our allies."
As he spoke, Arthur looked up at the sky.
Outside the range of the spell that repelled idle people, several gray pigeons were circling, carrying small pieces of paper in their beaks.
Mordred also looked up with interest, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Familiars? But I don't feel any magical energy fluctuations at all."
"Perhaps it's our Caster's unique skill." Arthur shrugged indifferently. "Anyway, let's see the message first."
He walked to the spell node and casually deactivated the repulsion spell.
The circling gray pigeons reacted immediately, opening their beaks and letting the papers fall, then flapping their wings and flying away.
Arthur raised his hand, precisely catching the falling paper, and unfolded it to read.
Mordred immediately leaned in curiously: "What is it? Any good news?"
Arthur's fingertips lightly twisted, and the paper instantly dissolved into magical energy fragments.
His expression remained calm, but his tone held a hint of amusement.
"Not sure if it's good news."
"They've sent an invitation: tomorrow morning at nine, to the mountain church in Sighisoara, for a meeting."