-10- How can someone be so weak

In the vast and silent forest, except for the occasional bird flying by, there was no other movement.

Rozen, accompanied by his Archer-class Servant, confidently navigated through the forest, decisively changing directions without any hesitation. This resolute action didn't look like that of someone who had just arrived in this forest; instead, it seemed like they had lived there for years, displaying firm determination without any confusion.

Of course, this wasn't because Rozen was familiar with the forest. In simulated battles, the battlefield was different every time. The purpose was to train the Masters to effectively organize battles under various circumstances. Naturally, with a changing purpose, the opponents also varied - sometimes they were magical beasts, other times humans, and occasionally even other Servants.

"What kind of opponent will it be this time?" Rozen wondered, though he soon found out the true identity of the enemy.

However, before that...

"I'm so tired..."

After walking for less than ten minutes, Rozen simply lay down. Archer came to a halt behind him, seemingly looking at Rozen, who was sweating profusely.

The way Archer observed him seemed to say...

"How can someone be so weak? Are you thinking that, too, Archer?"

Rozen turned his head and glared at Archer.

"... ..."

Archer maintained silence, not uttering a word.

Naturally, this was expected, as the current Servant lacked consciousness or will.

In other words, it was Rozen's own feelings of inferiority at play.

Almost as if trying to defend himself, Rozen began to ramble on.

"I am a mage, and mages should be in a support role, casting fireballs, creating protective auras. How could I ever charge into battle like those rude brutes? That's why I don't need good physical fitness, don't you agree?"

"... ..."

"What? You say it could be training? Only fools would do that! A respectable mage would never bother exercising their body. It's a joke, right?"

"... ..."

"You say that modern mages also have to learn self defense technique? That must be your wrong impression!"

"... ..."

"In the end, in the Age of Gods, mages were much purer, never engaging in silly things like physical training. After all, they are mages - mysterious, elegant, and..."

"... ..."

"...Okay, fine. I admit I have poor physical stamina."

Realizing he was talking to himself and only making things worse, Rozen simply gave up, lying down with a look of despair on his face.

Perhaps Rozen's exceptional magical talent had incurred the wrath of the heavens, and as a result, his physical fitness was extremely poor.

If it came to running, even Mash could beat Rozen, and even the seemingly useless Roman would easily outperform him in physical ability, making Rozen the epitome of a sports idiot at Chaldea.

Now, this weakness was apparent. Although walking on uneven forest paths would naturally consume stamina, only walking for less than ten minutes before collapsing showed just how low Rozen's endurance was.

"This is why there is a phrase 'nobody is perfect.' There's nothing I can do about it," Rozen consoled himself, as if seeking an excuse.

Furthermore...

"Summoning a transportation familiar, I have as many as I want."

Saying this, Rozen snapped his fingers.

With the flow of magical energy, the magical circle formed by the spell immediately took shape. In a misty light, a giant wolf with a huge frame leaped out.

"Howl!"

The large wolf let out a howl and nuzzled against Rozen's chest, displaying an affectionate demeanor.

"Good boy, come, let me ride on your back."

Rozen climbed onto the wolf's back without a care, completely disregarding the fact that the wolf had a "soft waist."

"Woof!"

The giant wolf immediately barked like a loyal dog and, under Rozen's command, continued moving forward.

Archer followed in silence once again.

Before long, the three of them arrived under a tree, one much larger than its surroundings, towering several times higher.

"This is the place," Rozen closed his eyes for a moment, as if receiving some sort of signal and confirmed that this was where he wanted to go. He dismounted from the wolf.

Looking at the enormous tree in front of him, Rozen gave orders.

"Archer, take me up there."

Following the instructions, Archer approached and picked up Rozen. With a leap that showcased astounding jumping power, he stepped on tree branches and soared to the top of the tree.

When they landed on the treetop, Rozen nodded, making a rough estimate in his mind.

"Archer should be an upper-level familiar, right?"

As a mage proficient in summoning, Rozen graded his familiars' abilities to better assess their capabilities.

Lower-level Familiar: Individuals with no special abilities, like ordinary wild beasts, predators, or insects, belong to this category. The wolf just summoned by Ro Zhen was one of them.

Middle-level Familiar: Entities possessing certain special abilities, such as creatures knowledgeable about magic, monsters beyond typical biological systems, or beings with powers surpassing humans, belong to this category.

Upper-level Familiar: Even outstanding mages would be no match for them. Legendary creatures, powerful demons, and even Servants fall into this category.

Highest-level Familiar: At this level, an individual could single-handedly defeat an entire army or conquer an entire city. Even among Servants, only top-tier beings could belong to this category, making them extremely formidable.

Rozen used these four levels to distinguish the abilities of each individual, facilitating his judgments and considerations.

Of course, this was just a basic classification.

Regardless of lower-level, middle-level, or upper-level familiars, once at the highest level, there was no upper limit.

Those who could defeat one army were at the highest level, and those who could defeat ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand armies were also at the highest level, with a vast difference between the two.

Because of this, within the highest level, Rozen also made further distinctions.

Those who could single-handedly defeat an army were at the tactical level.

Those who could single-handedly conquer a nation were at the strategic level.

As for levels above strategic, Rozen couldn't even imagine such a realm.

So, for now, he only needed these classifications.

Based on Rozen's judgment, the Archer he currently commanded should be an upper-level familiar.

"Now it's already an upper-level familiar. If Archer could be summoned as a normal Servant, then it would probably be a highest-level familiar. I wonder if it would be at the tactical or strategic level."

Rozen speculated while sighing.

"A single mage, no matter how talented, can't really compare to Chaldea's system."

At present, Rozen could only summon middle-level familiars and hadn't yet reached the ability to summon upper-level familiars.

Even though Rozen had exceptional talent, he had only studied magic for three years, and being able to summon middle-level familiars was already astonishing.

However, in the face of upper-level familiars, middle-level familiars were probably nothing more than easy pickings.

"If I could casually summon upper-level familiars or even highest-level familiars, I'd be incredible."

Talking to himself, Rozen sat down, closed his eyes once again, and felt the magic surge within him.