3 [3] You Will be the Antagonist
The Second Magic.
A legendary true magic mastered by the Wizard Marshal, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.
It allows the caster to freely travel between parallel worlds while maintaining the same identity.
Reinhard's isekai phenomenon is highly likely to be related to it.
However, this old jewel has been never seen for a long time now, and no one knows which corner of the world he is currently touring or what grand plans he is hatching.
Therefore, rather than placing hope in such elusive legendary figures, Reinhard is more inclined to rely on himself to uncover the true nature of the Second Magic.
If humanity is truly beyond salvation, at least he can create an additional escape route for himself.
"Yes, it is indeed the 'Second Magic.'"
Waver exhaled a misty cloud of smoke.
"If it's you, Rein, you might really have a chance to step into that vortex, the Root..."
Different from tricks like magecraft, true magic is a genuine miracle that connects to the Root.
Throughout history, countless magus have pursued the Root, engaging in various magical studies, human experiments, violating taboos, and even abandoning the baseline of humanity. However, very few have been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the Root.
"A genius capable of surpassing the Grand, with a chance to touch the Root."
Waver had such a high evaluation of Reinhard.
His disciple Reinhard has the potential for the Root!
On that day, Waver could already imagine that if it happened, he would become a 'magician's mentor' living in legends, right?
Then, there would be no need to work overtime every day!
To clear the huge debts sooner, to live a luxurious life of smoking one cigarette after another.
The master tried hard to paint a rosy picture for the disciple.
"There's no need to care about the envy of small-minded people, focusing on your own path is the most important."
Immersed in his generous fantasies, Waver luxuriously extinguished the cigar after just a few puffs in the ashtray.
"People will envy those who are ahead of them, but when faced with towering mountains, they can only stand and look up."
Those old bags from the Clock Tower are better off left alone, without causing trouble for oneself by trying to build relationships with those old bags. Reinhard felt a bit disgusted at the thought.
"I never care about these boring malice," Reinhard shook his head. "But, Professor, don't you feel regretful?"
"After all, this is an opportunity you've been diligently pursuing for a long time..."
As the words fell silent, the Lord of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory fell into a wordless silence.
Waver, in a daze, stared into the ashtray as the sparks on the remnants of the cigar gradually extinguished. After a while, he finally shook his head gently.
"...The Holy Grail War should not be the time for me and him to reunite."
That's right.
Waver Velvet himself was originally the one planning to participate in the war.
Not for any other reason.
As a loyal subject, he wanted to meet his king again, even if it was just a glance.
But Reinhard's resonant words directly struck Waver's soul, who was contemplating.
"If the king ordered you to live as a loyal subject, would risking danger just for the chance to meet him again truly be the meeting he desires?"
...That's right.
Doing something like bringing oneself back into the Holy Grail War just to meet the king again was ultimately a selfish and wishful thinking.
Although nearly a decade had passed.
The young man named Waver Velvet still hadn't moved on from that night in 1994.
Even though he was now the Lord in the Clock Tower.
It's really, no progress at all...
Realizing his own immaturity, Waver, with a bitter smile, finally let go of his worries. He no longer busied himself for a spot in the Holy Grail War and, instead, kept the promise he made with the king, choosing to live well.
"There will be opportunities to meet again in the future."
Waver touched his chest, and since then, he had kept the cloak fragment of the king by his side.
"In the profound journey of life, Rein, you are, in turn, my mentor."
Recalling the heartfelt conversations he had with his disciple.
Waver gazed at the black box on the coffee table with emotion.
Something truly nostalgic.
He had also taken such a relic from his teacher, Kayneth... Of course, it was taking, not stealing. How could you call it stealing in the world of magus?
The grand journey and the bonds forged between them also began with the 'Holy Grail War.'
"Relic..."
"How should I put it, those old folks at the Clock Tower can only use their pathetic brain capacity in such a dark place."
"They claimed to have 'carefully selected' an 'extremely powerful' relic for you..."
Waver emphasized those two very ironic words.
"However, they actually took out something almost insulting from the Spiritual Tomb of Albion. Are they trying to convey that my disciple is a heretical antagonist trying to subvert the rules of the Clock Tower? Heh-"
He knocked on the table with his knuckles.
Waver's face revealed a meaningful smile.
"Rein, do you know what's inside this?"
"... What is it?"
Seeing the excitement on his disciple's face, Waver's slender fingers slowly turned the switch on the black box.
With a crisp sound, the outer shell of the box opened, and the contents inside gradually came into Reinhard's view.
"Is this... a scale?"
Reinhard squinted slightly, his eyes, as deep as an inkwell, observing the pure white scale with a black circular pattern embossed on it, resting on a crimson cushion inside the box.
"The Ill-Fated Son of the White Dragon," Waver said each word, "It is said to be an inverse scale from its body."
"...Never heard of it."
Reinhard shook his head in bewildered amazement.
The Ill-Fated Son of the White Dragon?
This title sounded intimidating, was it a heroic spirit from some moonlit world that he doesn't know?
As an anime fan, Reinhard indeed had no impression of it.
Not only that.
With such an unlucky name, it didn't sound like a good person at all...
Looking at the character 'Ill-Fate,' Reinhard immediately understood why the old guys at the Clock Tower were repelled by him.
A person with no heritage should be paired with the ill-fated relic?
Tsk, what an insulting metaphor.
If they were encouraging him to participate in the Holy Grail War, Reinhard thought that at least they would present him with some holy sword like Excalibur.
After all, this is Britain, the Clock Tower, headquartered in London, must have quite a collection.
"...You haven't heard of it, and that's for the best. Those guys bully you precisely because you haven't heard of it."
Waver shook his head gently, somewhat sentimentally.
"In fact, not many people within the Clock Tower know about this hidden history."
"Simply because this is a part of history deliberately forgotten by Britain."
"Forgotten... 'Deliberately forgotten history'?"
Reinhard repeated this information-rich statement. This was also his first close encounter with a relic.
With great interest, he extended his right hand, picked up the dragon scale in front of him, and carefully examined it. The fingertips that came into contact with it felt a warmth reminiscent of jewel.
Unexpectedly, at this very moment...
A beautiful and melodious bell rang in Reinhard's mind.
[Ding!]
Hmm?
What is this sound...?!
Accompanied by the slow voice of the system.
A gray mist rapidly spread in front of Reinhard, completely obscuring his vision.
[Detecting a magical relic that meets the conditions, initiating the 'Antagonist Simulator' loading...]
[1%... 10%... 100%... 1000%... Breaking the limit...]
[The Antagonist Simulator has been loaded! Ready for the first simulation, please draw your initial talent...]
...
"The white dragon's son who wants to pierce the inner sea of the planet..."
"The secrets within, well, that's a long story."
"And according to the wild history I've come across, it's quite different from the current official records of Britain. In short, it's extremely rebellious... Well, since you're not from here, you can just listen to it as a story."
"So, this Servant, if he's truly summoned, Rein, his compatibility with you might be quite harmonious..."
"Since you're so interested, I'll reluctantly give you a brief explanation..."
"Eh?! Asleep?!"
"I haven't even started talking yet!!!"
Waver's lecture on the relic hadn't even begun.
His disciple, as if having drunk too much alcohol, slumped on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.
This undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to Waver's teaching confidence, as heavy as a withered arrow through the heart.
El-Melloi II's classroom lectures were always lively and full, and Reinhard was the first student to fall asleep during a class in his teaching career, directly robbing Waver of his important first time.
Well, even though the class hadn't started yet...
"Tsk... Is researching all day too tiring?
"While the mysteries of magecraft are fascinating, you should also pay attention to work-life balance..."
Due to frequent overuse of his brain, Reinhard occasionally fell into a daze (actually, his clairvoyance activated), earning him the nickname 'The Sleeping Magus.'
So, Waver was already used to it.
This guy would usually wake up on his own after half an hour, and during that time, he only needed to take a simple look after him.
Taking off his own coat, Waver draped it over his disciple.
Waver Velvet walked to the window sill, looking at the clear sky outside London, silently lighting a new cigar.
"Legend has it that the Son of the White Dragon pulled out the sword in the stone before King Arthur did, but abandoned it without a second thought, If the truth is as shocking as that, it's no wonder the Anglo-Saxons, who occupied the nest, wanted to bury this history in the dust..."
Unfortunately, whatever Waver said at this point, his disciple couldn't hear.
In the eerie space filled with a pervasive gray mist.
Looking at the translucent panel in front of him with the words [Please draw your initial talent], Reinhard was momentarily ecstatic.
Finally...
Finally!!!
Help to live in this rabbit hole arrived!!!
Although all this time he may have appeared calm and collected as if everything was under his control, only he knows how much blood and tears he has shed to find a way out of this rabbit hole!
Imagine watching the world come to an end in a few decades, if not for the help of his magecraft, he might have gone crazy and committed suicide.
It's just that...
No. There is no need to think about it, since it is in the past, now it is better to focus on the thing in front of him at the moment.
Reinhard took a deep breath, finally calming his thoughts a bit, and began to examine the panel in front of him.
"...Draw your initial talent?"
"It looks like some kind of simulator system..."
"This type of system often has a big gap between upper and lower limits, and the cost of simulation is not clear for now..."
"So, system, system? Can you respond?"
As the words fell silent.
With Reinhard's inquiry, the panel in front of him did indeed refresh with new content.
[The Antagonist Simulator is at your service!]
[The Antagonist Simulator is dedicated to assisting you in becoming the ultimate antagonist, if you are satisfied with its use, do not forget to give it a five-star rating.]
[Please draw your initial talent...]
Very well.
Being able to communicate smoothly with the system is undoubtedly good news.
But... the slogan of this simulator made Reinhard somewhat speechless.
To assist in becoming... the ultimate antagonist?
It sounds like a morally corrupt and twisted kind of thing, like posting explicit pictures without revealing the source.
Unfortunately, even though Reinhard, as an isekai victim, is quite obsessed with the mysteries of magecraft, he is still deeply concerned about the future of humanity. Despite his love for games with graphics content warning, he's not to the point of being considered a criminal. He may be a bit too immersed in this type games, but it's not to the extent of actually being considered a criminal... He thought it might not really fit the position of the ultimate antagonist with such a humble and down-to-earth background.
However, as these thoughts emerged in his mind.
As if sensing Reinhard's thoughts, the panel in front of him instantly displayed a corresponding response.
[Not so.]
[Host, you undoubtedly possess a strong motivation, clear plans, firm will, undisclosed secrets, outstanding execution, remarkable personality charm, and the determination to subvert the world.]
[Undoubtedly, you are the perfect candidate for the ultimate antagonist.]
"Ha?"
Reinhard carefully thought about it and realized...
"I see, it makes sense! I can't argue with that..."
Firstly, strong motivation?
Reinhard wants to survive this rabbit hole, that's motivation enough!
He can accept his own death, but if there's a chance to fight for survival, why not go all out?
Secondly, undisclosed secrets?
How can he tell the Clock Tower, a bunch of eccentric magus, that the world is about to end? Should he write a report and drop it in the dean's mailbox?
Reinhard is well aware that if he publicly propagates the theory of the end of the world on a large scale, some people in the council may unexpectedly be overjoyed. Having an excuse to send him to the sealing designated would be their prerogative.
This is indeed a secret that cannot be disclosed...
Lastly, determination to subvert the world?
Damn, this moonlit world line is about to be stirred into chaos by warp storms! Rather than being trampled by those four shit and their desecrated things, it's better to overturn it himself!
Leading humanity to directly ascend the technological tree of psychic energy, breaking out of the Earth and venturing into the universe!
If one day he touches that Root, maybe he can really do such a thing...
In short.
After saying so much, Reinhard actually realized...
Yes, these are the excellent qualities often found in the villains of various works.
It seems like... he has become a complete set?
Ah, this is...
Whether it's the reputation of the Clock Tower or the system's statement, suddenly being designated as the ultimate antagonist, Reinhard didn't know whether to be happy or sigh.
Although he was very curious about the origin of this simulator, he didn't think too much about things that were out of his control at the moment, it would only confuse him, and hinder the immediate goal he could achieve.
Since answering his own introduction, the system has been urging him to start the simulation, and asking about anything else just repeats [Activation pending], seeming not very intelligent.
Well, let's see what this simulation is about, everyone.
This thing doesn't seem to have any other usable functions...
Thinking like this.
Reinhard, with a trial-and-error mentality, chose to draw his initial talent.
If this system is useful, everyone is happy.
But if it's this system and it's really not good... then he can only keep beating it until it becomes useful!
Is the system such an inconvenient thing?
It still needs the host himself to give it a good adjustment!
Reinhard didn't know if the system could perceive these thoughts, but it seemed that its loading speed had increased?
[Initiating the extraction of initial talents...]
[1%, 10%, 100%, 1000%, breaking the limit...]
[The extraction of initial talents is complete! Ready for the first simulation; please draw your initial talent...]
[First, Dark Will: A profound dark will, representing your unwavering determination and resolution. For the goals you want to achieve, you will face your desires candidly, without hesitation to pay any price, even your own life can be used as a bargaining chip. In the raging waves, there is neither joy nor fear. You have near-immunity to interference on the spiritual side.]
"Dark Will? So the point is, immunity to mental interference, that's very useful here."
Thinking like this, Reinhard soon saw the second talent refreshing on the panel.
[Two, Ultimate Life Form: Born from the Phantasmal Species blood, you, who grows steadily every day, are advancing steadily into the realm of the ultimate life form. Your various basic attributes, the quality of your magic circuits, and your magical energy will continuously improve as you age, and all special attack effects will weaken against you.]
"Kars? But this seems different."
But he must say, this talent... is indeed very strong, obviously to the point of being abnormal.
And wouldn't he unlock an ending like being thrown into space and finally giving up thinking?
[Three, Peaceful Life: You long for a peaceful life, not clinging to victory or defeat, nor entangled in troubles. Your nature is chaotic and evil, but the humble and gentle shell has become the perfect disguise for your daily life. When the moment comes to break this peaceful time, you will burst out an unprecedented terrifying execution power. In intense conflicts, your growth rate will greatly increase, making it easier to achieve breakthroughs in skills.]
"..."
With the third talent displayed, Reinhard was already too tired to complain.
Dark Will, Ultimate Life Form, Peaceful Life...
These attributes stacked together made Reinhard's mind short-circuit briefly to bring up strange images that he didn't know whether to say or not.
...Tsk.
What kind of strange antagonist character is this?!
Bad news, this is a stitched-up monster.
Good news, it's all stitched up!
Just as this thought emerged in his mind... Reinhard's vision suddenly went black.
Only the cold voice of the system slowly echoed in his ears.
[Talent import complete...]
[Beginning module loading: Remnants of the Age of Gods]
