Chapter 12 I'm Here to Negotiate

An angry voice was heard in the dark alley.

"That's not right. Isn't this Type-Moon? How can you have the authority of the organizer? Are you forcing others to participate in the game? In the Little Garden, people like you will definitely be treated as demons and conquered!"

Roland rubbed the back of his hand unwillingly. The Command Spell seemed to have merged with his skin and did not change at all despite the rubbing.

Although the nightlife in Fuyuki City was not busy and it was dark now, Roland still took off his coat very carefully and held it with the hand with the Command Seal to cover up the extra traces.

Even after returning home, he was still thinking about his future.

Now that the matter is done and the Command Seal is already on me, there is no way to explain it. Is it too late to leave Fuyuki City now?

But the answer is obvious. The Holy Grail War is a ritual jointly controlled by the Templar Church and the Magic Association. If you don't want to fight in the war and want to withdraw from the competition, you can go to the church to peel off the Command Seals and expose yourself.

If he refused to escape secretly, although he had not encountered such a situation yet, even Roland, who knew nothing about magic, could guess that there would probably be corresponding punishment, and in serious cases he might even be hunted down.

Seeing that the spiritual contract that was about to be digested was also about to be interrupted, Roland himself would never be willing to escape like this. He was an honest and trustworthy young man who worked hard to make money and helped the society to clean up dangerous people in his spare time. Why should he escape in disgrace because of a group of inhuman terrorists!

Moreover, the Holy Grail would not let him go. From the way of forcibly giving him the Command Spell this time, it can be seen that Roland knew that the seemingly bright and beautiful Holy Grail was filled with black mud transformed by surging malice.

It would be more satisfying to end one's life on one's own than to pin one's hopes on the goodwill of the Holy Grail.

Even if he really went to the Cathedral Church and chose to withdraw, would he be safe?

Roland fell into deep thought, and then flatly denied this.

This year's supervisor, Kotomine Risei, is indeed fair, but in this Holy Grail War, he chose to cheat in secret with Tōsaka Tokiomi, and he cannot completely deny the possibility that they will use coercion or bribery to help him provide magic power in exchange for a Heroic Spirit as a helper.

"Let's go to the Holy Grail War."

Roland spoke slowly, his expression becoming calmer, but this was by no means a desperate act of self-abandonment, but rather an ultimatum issued after a profound realization.

He didn't know whether it was the self-suggestion brought by this sentence, or whether his already thirsty heart was longing for indulgence. Roland only felt the continuous secretion of adrenaline, which ignited a burning and excited flame in his heart, even though he was always calm.

It would be fine if it was something beyond the standards of a Heroic Spirit, but if it was just a Master, Roland didn't think he would lose to anyone if he was well prepared.

The books left by Ryuunosuke Uryuu helped him supplement the basic knowledge about the Holy Grail War, but in order to better participate in this war, the supply of magic power cannot be underestimated.

If the Master cannot even maintain his magic power, then leaving aside combat, the Heroic Spirit will have to go hunting just to maintain daily needs. When facing a battle, this consumption will increase exponentially. No matter what the considerations are, Roland needs to find a way to provide magic power.

Roland found two methods based on his own situation.

The first one is relatively simple. It is to get rid of a magician with obsession and see if you can use the power of the Key of All Souls to make him into a contracted spirit.

But the problem is that the judgment of the Contract Spirit is not based on the person's ability. It does not mean that you will be able to get the Contract Spirit by killing a strong man. Only with specific obsessions and requirements will you be qualified to be made in the gap between life and death.

And even if you get it, Spirit Contract's ability will be determined by his life experience, and he may not necessarily give you the one you want most.

After Ryuunosuke Uryuu died, Roland confirmed through the Key of All Spirits that Ryuunosuke Uryuu was not qualified to become a contracted spirit. Perhaps it was because he had not yet met his true love and completed more works of art to achieve spiritual growth.

However, considering that guy's personality and experience, it's hard to say whether he knows that he has magic circuits. Even if he really becomes a contracted spirit, the abilities he brings are probably the skills of a murderer. The impact may be something like aesthetic abnormality?

Hunting other magicians was even more difficult. After occupying the two magic families of Tousaka and Matou, there were basically no vacant spiritual lands, not to mention the Holy Church here. There were basically no outside magicians staying here.

"So, the only option left is to find an ally?"

Roland sighed. Unlike the relaxed atmosphere of the Fifth War where the Masters who participated in the Holy Grail War could go to school and fight the Holy Grail War at the same time, and could even bring Heroic Spirits to visit other people's workshops from time to time, the Masters in the Fourth War were more serious about fighting a Holy Grail War.

Tohsaka Tokiomi had to be very secretive when looking for an ally, and the other members were even more so, each showing off their own abilities. The weakest one was Waver, but who could blame him for being so lucky? He met the destined Heroic Spirit.

Although he had a strong luck buff, Roland didn't think he was so lucky.

Therefore, in light of his current situation, it would be best to find someone who is ambitious, has a long-term vision, knows how to distinguish between benefits and disadvantages, and is willing to invest in the Holy Grail War, including but not limited to being responsible for providing magic power, finding related relics, and being able to accept Command Seals from others.

After summarizing his conditions and requirements, Roland's disappointment was evident.

"No matter how you look at it, it seems like he's just looking for a sucker. Is there really such a person?"

Roland touched his chin and his eyes moved.

"Oh, no, it seems there really is such a person..."

The next morning, in the central park of Fuyuki City, an old man in a kimono sat quietly on a bench by the lawn. The cool morning dew had already wet the old man's sleeves. In this kind of weather, even healthy adults would unconsciously tighten their clothes when walking on the road.

But the old man seemed not to notice. His back was straight and what he was leaning on in his hands seemed to be a sword instead of a cane.

This is in stark contrast to his decayed, mummy-like appearance.

The old man stared coldly at everything around him. A frighteningly sharp look was condensed in his sunken eye sockets. From his thin body, one could vaguely hear the sound of insects chirping.

Suddenly, the old man raised his head and looked towards the end of the road. In such damp and cold weather, the only person who would stay in the park alone besides him was probably the mysterious person who made the promise.

"Oh, he's really here..." Roland looked at the decayed old man in front of him without any awe. Instead, he showed a frivolous smile.

"Matou Zouken, I'm here to negotiate terms."