The next day.
The time for the operation quietly approached. When Rozen and Mash returned to the chapel, Olga Marie had already awakened.
"It seems you are prepared. Can't underestimate you newcomers," Caster said as he appeared in a haze of blue particles, leaning his wooden staff against his shoulder, wearing his usual fearless smile.
Seeing Caster suddenly appear, Olga Marie was startled and immediately vented her anger, "If you're going to be around, don't use Spirit Particle Imaging! Do you want to scare people!?"
As mentioned before, fundamentally, Servants are spiritual bodies, just much higher in rank, comparable to spirits or fairies. Thus, Servants can revert to their spiritual state, making them invisible to ordinary people.
This process is called Spirit Particle Imaging. Caster took advantage of this ability when he left earlier, turning into particles of light to hide his presence but not actually disappearing.
In this state, Caster was recovering his strength and mana while the others rested. But he never informed Olga Marie, causing her to be startled and then vent her frustration.
Regarding this, Caster shrugged. "Although Servants don't need rest, life activities do consume mana. While you were resting, I naturally had to restore myself to full condition."
That is why Caster retained his spiritual form, recuperating and restoring his strength and mana, reappearing at this moment.
"A handy trick," Mash commented with a hint of envy or practicality in her remark.
While Servants could use Spirit Particle Imaging to reduce their mana consumption and even recover, as a Pseudo-Servant, Mash couldn't achieve that. However, as a living being with a physical body, she didn't need to consume mana for life activities. Even if she couldn't revert to a spiritual state, it didn't significantly affect her.
As the others were chatting, Rozen finally turned to them and declared, "My mana has recovered to about eighty or ninety percent. It's time to head to Saber's location."
Hearing this, both Mash and Olga Marie tensed their expressions.
"In that case, please allow me to accompany you," Mash said to Rozen, "Though I'm not fully mature, I will do my best to protect my Master."
Looking at Mash with determination in her eyes, Rozen felt slightly moved.
"I guess I have no choice," Olga Marie sighed, "It's too late to say I don't want to go now. Since we can't contact Chaldea, I'll go with you."
In this case, Olga Marie was ready to venture into danger.
Caster chimed in, "I don't mind either, but are you sure? You probably don't have the qualifications of a Master, right? Going there, you'll just be a spectator, right?"
Facing the battle between top-tier Servants, an ordinary mage couldn't be of much help. In such a situation, it would be safer to stay behind and await the outcome.
However, Olga Marie didn't compromise. "How can I just let things develop like this? If we don't achieve results, Chaldea will probably be finished."
To lay the foundation for this Human Order, Chaldea recruited talent not only from the general society but also from the Mage's Association, selecting 38 potential Masters to participate in this operation.
Now, those 38 potential Masters were in grave danger, and the Mage's Association wouldn't just let it slide. If the operation failed, Olga Marie's responsibility would be greatly magnified by the Mage's Association, and she might even face dismissal from her position. Such a scenario was not entirely impossible.
Moreover, if the Human Order failed, there would be no future for humanity. With Olga Marie's meddlesome personality, she couldn't possibly sit idly by.
Rozen found himself looking at Olga Marie in a slightly different light. "I never expected you to be so responsible," he said with a smirk.
"Mind your own business!" Olga Marie retorted, glaring back.
Seeing that the arch-rivals were about to argue again, Mash quickly interjected, "So, where exactly is Saber?"
To deal with Saber, they needed to find where he was hiding.
"Well..." Caster was about to respond, but Rozen interrupted, "If I'm not mistaken, Saber should be there." He pointed in a specific direction.
Everyone followed Rozen's gaze.
The direction he pointed to was a mountain.
A mountain with a temple, emanating an ancient and mysterious aura, deep in the mountains.
"Oh?" Caster smiled with surprise. "How can you be so sure that Saber is there?"
"It's simple." Rozen turned his head to look at the deep mountain.
He had seen that mountain once before when he met Olga Marie.
Then Rozen explained, "Ever since transferring from Spirit Particle Imaging into this town and being attacked by Archer, I've had this eerie feeling from that mountain."
He didn't know why he felt this way, but Rozen was certain.
"That feeling is exactly the same as the one Professor Lev gave me."
Rozen didn't say this out loud, but since he had that feeling and realized its significance, he began to deduce the truth behind the singularity. After hearing from Caster about the events leading up to the singularity and what happened afterward, Rozen confirmed his suspicion.
Therefore...
"I believe that Saber, who possesses the Holy Grail that caused this singularity, is most likely in that mountain." Rozen asserted, "Once we reach that mountain, the final act of this Holy Grail War will unfold."
His bold statement surprised Mash and Olga Marie, while Caster couldn't help but smile.
"It seems you're not only gifted but also sharp in intuition and observation," Caster praised before nodding in agreement. "Indeed, Saber is in that mountain, and the ritual's magic circle for the Holy Grail War is located within a massive cavity in that mountain."
In other words, that mountain was the source of the Holy Grail War ritual.
"Then let's get going," Rozen instructed, glancing at the mountain once more.
Under the dark, oppressive sky, the ancient mountain exuded a sinister atmosphere, as if a predatory beast was preparing to capture its prey.