292 The Knight of Treachery

In a war, besides military resources and strategic command, bases were equally crucial strategic elements. This was especially true for Casters who wielded 'Territory Creation' skill. A good base could enable them to unleash more than a hundred percent of their potential.

In the Holy Grail War that unfolded in Romania, known as the Great Holy Grail War, the Yggdmillennia undoubtedly chose their long-established base of operations in Trifas, as their base.

Though the Mage's Association was forced into conflict, their formidable foundation allowed them to quickly adapt, swiftly acquiring control over Sighisoara.

Sighisoara, formed in the 12th century due to Saxon invasions, was a city that retained much of medieval European influence. It was challenging to find a city in the entire Europe preserving so many shadows of medieval times.

Positioned on the border, close to Trifas yet avoiding detection from the Yggdmillennia and their Servants, it was indeed a smart choice for the Mage's Association.

Since the start of the Holy Grail War, the Mage's Association consistently stationed mages in Sighisoara. Their primary task was to provide information and resource support for the Red Faction, acknowledging that facing Servants, no matter how many mages they sent, would only be a futile effort.

At 8 AM, a middle-aged man with sunglasses, dressed in a black jacket, sporting a deep scar on his cheek, and possessing a sturdy body, appeared at the foot of the Sighisoara's mountain.

He glanced up at the church on the mountaintop before proceeding to climb the one hundred and seventy-two steps.

The mages hiding in the shadows immediately noticed the man's presence. After taking a quick look at his appearance, they silently averted their gazes.

The man seemed oblivious, strolling casually toward the church, giving the impression of a tourist from out of town.

"Worthily Mage's Association, managing this place so tightly. If you want to breach this from the front, you'd need at least fifty mages in position..." Kairi remarked.

"Tch, with this level of defense, even a squad of knights from Camelot could easily break through."

A disdainful voice retorted from the empty space beside Kairi.

It was none other than Mordred, the Saber-class Servant summoned by Kairi, the infamous Knight of Treachery who rebelled against King Arthur.

Since arriving in Romania yesterday, he successfully obtained the status of Master. He quickly located a ley line node and conducted the summoning ritual using a fragment of the Round Table. Perhaps due to compatibility issues with his necromancy, he ended up summoning Mordred instead of the other revered Knights of the Round Table.

Despite this unexpected outcome, Kairi harbored no complaints.

Mordred's reputation might be tarnished, but her strength was unquestionable. Inheriting the blood of King Arthur, she stood as one of the top-ranked Servants among other Sabers.

After a day of interaction, Kairi had almost figured out the peculiarities of this rebellious knight's temperament. Overall, as long as he kept a few things in mind, getting along with her could be quite pleasant.

First, don't treat her as a man or a woman.

Second, don't criticize or praise King Arthur in her presence.

Third, satisfy her curiosity.

'What a troublesome Servant...' Kairi sighed inwardly. He could never have guessed that the legendary rebellious knight would turn out to be such a troublemaker.

"Hey, Master, there's something I wanna discuss with you."

'Here we go again...' Kairi's mouth twitched slightly as he asked. "What now?"

"Buy me some clothes will ya?"

This unexpected and sudden request left him momentarily speechless.

"Why? Can't you maintain your spiritual form? You shouldn't need clothes."

"Because being in spiritual form is uncomfortable, y'know? Not having my own feet on the ground makes me feel uncomfortable. Plus, when I look like this, I can't just walk around in broad daylight."

Mordred had a point. She practically couldn't stroll around in that full-body armor in plain sight. But then again, the Holy Grail War usually happened at night, so technically, there was no need for clothes.

"Oh, come on! My Master can't be such a stingy guy who won't even buy a mere set of clothes, right?"

"Hahh... Can't argue with you..." Kairi sighed resignedly. This Servant had thrown him requests like this countless times during their journey. Quite a stubborn personality.

Glancing at his watch, it was still 9 AM, and the clothing store wasn't open yet. He decided to buy her clothes after they met with other Masters from the Red Faction.

After climbing the stairs, he stood before a pristine Gothic church. Making sure there were no other figures around, Kairi opened the door.

Pushing through the heavy doors, the first thing he saw wasn't the elegant and noble decorations inside the church but a white-haired and dark-skinned priest smiling at him from in front of the altar.

"Welcome. You must be Mr. Shishigou, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Shishigou Kairi." Kairi nodded as he walked forward, silently asking his Servant in his mind. "How is it, Saber? Any Servant here?"

"No... I didn't sense any... But my intuition tells me something's off here. Better be careful, Master."

'No Servant, but something's off, huh...' Kairi kept her words in mind and maintained a calm expression on the surface as he took a seat in the front seats.

From this angle, he realized that the priest was much younger than he had imagined, probably not older than twenty. It was hard to believe such a young man was assigned as the overseer. He wondered what the Holy Church was thinking.

The priest, with an innocent face like a youth, flashed a mature smile.

"Greeting, I'm Kotomine Shirou, serving as the overseer for this Holy Grail War."

Seeing this, Kairi furrowed his brow slightly. Shirou's smile was overly perfect, not fitting for someone under twenty.

"By the way, Saber should be by your side, right? Aren't you going to reveal your Servant?" Shirou continued.

After some consideration, Kairi nodded and gestured to the empty space beside him.

"Come out, Saber."

Golden light particles converged, and Mordred, clad in heavy silver armor with red patterns, materialized. She stood by Kairi's side, wielding a longsword, as if on guard against something.

"Hah..." Shirou sighed as he lightly pressed his fingers against his temples, tightening his face.

"What's wrong?" Kairi raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing... Anyway, let me introduce you to my Servant. Show yourself, Assassin."

"Got it, Master."

The sudden voice of a woman almost caused Kairi to have a heart attack. Without any warning, a beautiful black-haired woman in an intricate black dress appeared in the seat next to him.