16 Chapter 15: Debate of Kings

Godou could only look on in shock at the way Shirou was acting. He was like a completely different person!

Yuri couldn't help but laugh at the look on Godou's face, "surprised? Yesterday he was in his knight mage mode."

"Knight mage mode?" Godou questioned, very confused, as he took the same seat as he had yesterday.

"All the mages in the world can more less be split into three categories," Shirou spoke up, "Knight mages are mages that often confuse honor with pride, generally making more trouble than they prevent. Knight mages constitute most of the mages in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. You should be familiar with their actions, given your recent trip to Italy. The way I acted yesterday is the best way to deal with knight mages, particularly hostile ones."

Godou couldn't help but nod. Shirou's description fit most of the mages he had met in his brief tour of Europe. Full of pride and claimed it was honor denying any faults on their part, with very few acting truly honorable. An example being Erica threatening him with a knife for the grimoire he was returning the day they first met and later acting like no such event ever happened. Curious about the other types of mages, he asked, "what are the other two types of mages and where are they located?"

Shirou swallowed what was in his mouth before speaking, "the second type could be described as martial mages. Nearly every mage that calls the mainland of Asia their home is a martial mage, with very few existing outside the continent. They value ability and potential above everything. Due to the fact that most can trace their allegiance to Luo Hao, it is best for Campione to act arrogant around them, otherwise we'll either confuse them or we'ed lead them to act in a way that would bring Luo Hao's wrath on them." Shirou paused to take another bite to eat and Godou asked another question, "what do you mean by ability and potential?"

Rin was the one who answered, "to answer in reverse, potential is what you may one day become capable of doing, your 'peak', while ability is how much of your potential that you can currently use." Godou nodded, the answer making sense to him.

Shirou swallowed and finished answering the first question, "the final category is intellectual mages. This category holds all mages who aren't in the first two categories and can be found almost everywhere. The only two mage associations that are intellectual mage-based is the Witenagemot in England and the History Compilation Committee here in Japan. There is not a universally correct way to treat intellectual mages. One example of a stand-alone intellectual mage that you know is Lucretia Zola." Godou though back and agreed that Lucretia seemed to do things in the way she felt like doing, without a universal set of rules to restrict how she acted. She couldn't be any more different from the members of the magical community in Japan, but it could be due to all the ones he had met being associated with Shirou.

Godou shook his head, clearing his thoughts and refocused on the task at hand, "back to the original topic, why are we meeting here?"

Shirou got a serious look on his face, "we are here about the future. Yours to be precise. I assume Doni would have told you that to step on another Campione's territory is tantamount to picking a fight with said Campione."

Godou could only nod glumly, "I'm guessing you've claimed Japan."

Shirou nodded, "the main problem is that we both can make valid arguments for our cases. I have claimed Japan for over a decade and you have spend your life living here. I am willing to postpone that discussion until you graduate from high school, or even university if you enter. The main issue until then is your involvement in the magical side of things and your family's involvement."

Godou was enraged, "leave my family out of this!"

Shirou sadly shook his head, "they're already involved. Unless you break off all connections to your family, they eventually notice that you aren't aging, if nothing else. You can't prevent that from happening no matter what you do."

Shirou's answer stunned Godou. He never considered that far ahead, and Shirou was entirely correct. They would find out eventually, from a slip-up or even his eventual lack of aging.

Shirou spoke again, "it seems you hadn't though that far ahead. You have two choices regarding your family, tell them or have them find out on your own. If you want, I can help with telling them."

Godou asked the question occupying his thoughts, "how am I supposed to decide?"

Shirou thought briefly, then answered, "think of it this way, they can either learn now, or they can learn about it later in addition to the fact you have been lying to them for however so long it has been."

Godou collapsed on the table, his soul trying to escape his body. Once again, Shirou was correct. The thing was that he REALLY didn't want to tell them. Shirou observed Godou before offering a lifeline, "I'm guessing you'd like Illya and Mariya to explain to your family?" Godou nodded slowly in response.

Shirou continued on, "back to you, how are we going to have you participate in the magical side of things in the meantime?"

Godou didn't even lift his head from the table, "you can have all of it, I want no part."

Shirou sighed, "that won't work. As much as you try to remain as normal as possible, you will no longer be able to. Heretic gods and Campione will seek you out if they come to Japan and I'm not always going to be in Japan. As it currently stands, you can't use all of the powers you got from Verethragna, can you?"

Godou raised his head, "why powers and not authority?"

Shirou responded without delay, "because you only got one authority from Verethragna, it just grants you the power of his 10 avatars when the conditions are met."

Godou contemplated what Shirou said, "makes sense, but how do you know?"

"Pandora-oka-san told me when I met her recently."

Godou sighed, "what would you have me do?" Shirou had all but controlled this conversation from the very start, he likely already had a plan.

"Your greatest power at the moment is the Warrior with the Golden Sword. It severs divinity, killing gods and sealing authorities of Campione. It does have a flaw though. It can only affect one aspect of a god or the authority of one god. Gods with only one aspect are rare, but they do exist. If you defeated two or three, you should be far less helpless than you currently are. Until such time, you are vulnerable to common mages due to how your authority is severely restricted. Until you are able to look after yourself, I believe that continuing your school life is for the best. I will arrange for you to battle heretic gods that you will be able to defeat with the warrior avatar when the chance reveals itself."

Godou could only think long and hard. As much as he really wished to protest, nothing Shirou had said was wrong and Godou couldn't think of a reason to refuse other than the fact he didn't want to have any more exposure to the magical side of things. After a long internal struggle, Godou gave his answer, "I accept."