[FDJ]Chapter 135: Blind Spot

In the early morning, the residents of Tiberias started their day as usual after dawn. The war had undoubtedly forced many to adapt to a "new" daily life far from home. Only a few of the incoming civilians could find work in the city; most relied on so-called relief food to avoid starvation. For now, external war pressure and internal faith allowed the populace to maintain an orderly life.

In an unseen corner of the human world, two demons watched the people on the street heading to various churches, naturally pausing their debate that had lasted throughout the night.

Katina and Elligos often found points of contention within human civilization and could argue endlessly about them. For these two high-ranking demons, the long-wasting time was a necessity for survival. Finding ways to waste time in their millennia-spanning existence was quite challenging. Many of their peers were addicted to browsing various books, not limited to human literature but also texts from the Age of Gods, which high-ranking demons particularly favored. For them, traversing different eras was like flipping through the pages of a "book."

"To live for the illusory 'God,' humans always find reasons for their survival. If they knew the true way to heaven, would they despair?" Katina leaned against a stone wall, gazing at the long queue forming. She did not harbor malice towards humans but neither did she hold any goodwill, viewing their bustling activities as equal to those of birds and beasts. Perhaps it was this impartiality towards humans and their civilization that, if they ever stood completely opposed to humans, would trigger catastrophic disasters.

"Have you seen it? Oh, you used to be an angel." Elligos lay on a giant beast's back, glancing briefly at the gathering human queue and a distant church. He showed little interest unless a few brawls broke out among the crowd, which would pique his interest to fan the flames, turning human disputes into greater chaos. "How do humans get to heaven?"

"Exceptional human individuals can be recognized and led by lower-ranking angels to a repository called 'Heaven.' It's similar to becoming a servant of a suppressive force or advancing to the Throne of Heroes. They become the collection of the One Lord—Yahweh. Of course, in terms of recruiting people, the suppressive force is the expert. The collections in Heaven pale in comparison to the dazzling Heroic Spirits in the Throne of Heroes." Katina still held respect for "Yahweh," referring to him as the One Lord.

"Piety alone isn't enough? You guys are picky, trying to create a Throne of Heroes exclusive to Yahweh?" Elligos asked, knowing the answer but still pursuing the question with his companion.

"That... the Lord's intentions cannot be fathomed. Of course, the actual guidance is the work of angels. Some lucky faithful might be exceptionally admitted for their piety, but Heaven doesn't accept just any trash. Throughout history, there have been plenty of devout failures. So only a few lucky ones can get in, and that's due to angels privately letting them through. When I was still an angel, I let a few ordinary believers in, but if higher-ranking angels rechecked, they'd still be caught and re-evaluated." Katina spoke of these pre-God era events without hatred for her former companions, just a divergence of paths.

"Humans would make this their lifelong goal? Pathetic lowly creatures, thinking that mere piety is enough. Maybe it would be fun to transform into angels and tell them the truth. How many humans do you think would believe it? 10%? Or 60%?" Elligos always found ways to spark conflict and chaos and was keen on igniting the flames.

Katina quickly halted his musings, knowing that the collapse of faith could be fatal, especially when the populace faced multiple threats. Large-scale chaos would bring no benefits. "Now is not the time to torment humans for fun; we have important matters to attend to. Once we deal with the troubles of this era, we can send the little one back intact. After that, we can travel to any era and try out your idea."

"The most fun things are to be experienced right when thought of; that's when they're the most interesting. Waiting too long, the fun ferments and changes flavor." Elligos was merely making a casual suggestion; otherwise, he wouldn't have sought his companion's advice.

Numerous crows were now monitoring every corner of the street. Katina quickly spotted her target. "That human I sliced in half yesterday is on the move. Seeing his plump body on the street makes me want to cut him again, to remind him of what it feels like to be split in two."

The female demon licked her lips, excited by her prey's renewed movement. Her eyes switched between the perspectives of several crows, keeping a close watch on Duke Reynard, who was trying to blend into the congregation.

Reynard's goal was to leave the city.

...

Carrying a golden box that contained fragments of the Ark of the Covenant, Richard and Archer Tristan headed to a desolate area where magical energy converged. In less than a week, traces of grass had already grown on the wasteland due to the influence of artificially gathered underground ley lines. Given time, perhaps low shrubs might grow here.

"Master, it's very unusual that there are no traps set here," Tristan said after a preliminary reconnaissance. Even with his eyes closed, he could detect abnormalities within a one- to two-kilometer radius, making it difficult for any human magical mechanisms to escape his detection. But there was nothing here except the evidence of artificially gathered ley lines.

A water source set up for a thirsty enemy? Archer Tristan didn't believe there was no hidden plot. Richard, too, remained highly vigilant, but under the current circumstances, time was of the essence, and they couldn't afford to go too far out of their way.

"As long as our enemies' raw strength is below ours, there's nothing to fear," Richard said, more to reassure himself. He carefully placed the golden box down, allowing it to absorb the magic from the underground ley lines.

Archer Tristan climbed to a higher vantage point, holding his lyre and remaining alert to every shadow around them, not missing any movement.

Although the magic of the underground ley lines had been artificially gathered, its reserves were far less than those in Tiberias. According to Richard's calculations, he would need to travel to several locations to gather enough power. Fortunately, Caster's familiars were monitoring the changes in the ley lines across the region, providing him with optimal suggestions at any time. They could use the familiars to establish coordinates and, with the power of the Holy Grail, teleport to any location.

Their advantage remained intact, unaffected by their temporary change in strategy.

Tristan noticed his Master falling into a meditative state after setting down the golden box. The process ended quickly, but the result did not seem to please his Master.

Richard picked up the box, which had finished absorbing the magic from this ley line, his expression once again serious.

"Master, what's wrong?"

"We're going to the next ley line convergence point," Richard said, pulling the Holy Grail from within himself and signaling Archer to come closer. The two of them synchronized with the golden light of the Holy Grail and vanished from the spot.

This scene was witnessed by a crow flying overhead, but its master did not consider Richard's actions a priority.

...

Shortly after dawn, Saladin proactively suggested that the two pairs of Masters and Servants continue searching for a breakthrough and investigate why Richard was extracting so much magical energy.

Everyone had their convincing theories, so Saladin's suggestion spared Eleanor from having to propose it herself. The asymmetry of information allowed this unreliable team to maintain coordination, a testament to the cleverness of someone's planning. Both Suzuki and Eleanor believed that Saladin wanted to withdraw and thus transferred his Servant, rather than considering the most straightforward reason.

For a magus without the proper qualifications, controlling a Servant is extremely burdensome, especially in actual combat when it comes to using Noble Phantasms. A regular magus might face immediate weakness or even unconsciousness from the energy drain of a single Noble Phantasm released by their Servant. Chaldea has documented numerous instances of Subspecies Holy Grail Wars where Masters faced dire consequences after their Servants drained their magical energy. Suzuki was aware of this, but from his perspective, he had never considered this issue. Despite his inability to use magecraft, he possessed 32 extremely excellent magic circuits. His magical energy was so abundant that he could afford to be wasteful. Even when he simultaneously connected to two Servants, he only felt discomfort while forming the second contract. During battles, he bore the energy consumption of both Jeanne d'Arc and Gilles de Rais and withstood the energy drain from both Servants' full use of their Noble Phantasms.

The more exceptional one is, the easier it is to create blind spots for oneself, even without realizing their unique circumstances. The most straightforward conclusions are often overlooked. The boastful old man maintained a delicate balance, betting that he could uphold his profound image until the end of the Holy Grail War.

"May Allah bless you with success," Saladin said, noticing Eleanor's anxiety, Suzuki's confusion, and Aphf's trust. It was enough. At least he could utilize these people before him until the Holy Grail War concluded; subsequent issues would naturally be resolved later. He was the one who least wanted to participate in this Holy Grail War, forced to use his comparatively weak magical skills and sacrifice his lifespan to seize the opportunity to summon an irregular Servant.

Suzuki followed Eleanor onto the newly summoned luxurious chariot. As allies, Aphaf and Don Quixote also boarded. The chariot quickly exited the valley, heading towards Tiberias. Of course, Eleanor would find an opportunity to change course midway and head to the Ley line convergence point.

But at that moment, the elderly knight Don Quixote, who had been silent, suddenly called out to Eleanor, who was directing the chariot. "Honorable lady, if you wish to win, I suggest you state today's objective plainly."

Suzuki immediately moved closer to the front of the chariot where Eleanor was standing, wary that Aphaf and her Servant might notice Eleanor's ambiguous stance and consequently suspect him as well. Attacking the Master has always been the most straightforward method in the Holy Grail War.

However, Suzuki quickly realized that Aphaf was also surprised and puzzled by Don Quixote's question, even showing an intention to stop her Servant's rude behavior.