The conversation that took place in the Yggdmillennia castle did not last long. Once Jeanne d'Arc intervened with her authority as the Ruler, the tug-of-war between Kotomine Shirou and Fiore Forvedge was rendered unnecessary. Furthermore, Shirou's proposal to reconstruct the homunculi's mana storage system was rejected by Jeanne. In her view, these homunculi, having gained human rights, should not be forced back into the nutrient tanks.
Faced with Jeanne's reproach, Shirou showed no anger. Instead, he calmly smiled and said, "My proposal is not to put them back into the nutrient tanks but to create a mana conduit system.
After all, the nutrient tanks exist because these homunculi suffer from physiological defects that prevent them from functioning normally in the outside world. From that perspective, the nutrient tanks are not their prison, but rather their refuge.
More importantly, if we are to defeat Alaric, we will need ample mana to fully utilize our Servants' powers."
Shirou's expression remained unchanged as if he had everything under control.
If Jeanne were to exercise her authority as the Ruler, Shirou could simply respond as a Master of the Red faction.
In doing so, he would naturally shift the burden of choice back onto Jeanne:
Would she prioritize empowering the Red faction's Servants to increase their chances of victory or protect the homunculi?
This dilemma was not something Shirou concerned himself with. His only focus was how to stand before Alaric once again with dignity.
Whether or not he could defeat Alaric was uncertain. Alaric, having obtained the Greater Grail, had undoubtedly made his wish.
What that wish was, no one knew.
But Shirou was certain of one thing—he still had a chance.
Faced with the question Shirou had thrown back at her, Jeanne was momentarily speechless. Her gaze swept over the silently present Karna, Achilles, and Atalanta.
Assassin Semiramis and Caster Shakespeare seemed to still be in the Hanging Gardens, held hostage by Alaric.
Even so, Shirou still had the strongest trio of Servants from the Red faction at his disposal. It could be said that two of the most powerful Servants in this Holy Grail War were under Shirou's command.
To fully utilize these two Servants, a sufficient mana supply was indispensable, especially when they needed to confront an entire fortress.
Jeanne understood this fact all too well, but—
"If it's only for this purpose, I can take responsibility and agree on behalf of all the homunculi!"
A man's voice suddenly interrupted the discussion.
The man, named Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, was holding a bottle of alcohol and stumbled toward the group.
Formerly the Master of Black Saber Siegfried, Gordes had lost his status as a Master after Siegfried sacrificed himself to save the homunculus Sieg. His remaining Command Seals had been redistributed to others.
Once served by a Servant who not only disobeyed his orders but also struck him, Gordes had been deeply shaken. Despite his decline in status, he had still been regarded as a member of Yggdmillennia's main family and was rarely defied.
This had earned him the nickname The Incompetent King or The Useless Command Seal King, and he had fallen into a habit of drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
The pride he once held had been thoroughly shattered.
Gordes, an alchemist, had once nearly caught up to the Einzbern family in skill. Yet now, he had fallen into ruin, reduced to being just another member of the Yggdmillennia family.
However, Gordes still held onto the pride of his former family, believing his presence in Yggdmillennia to be temporary.
The Musik family had acquired some of the Einzbern family's techniques during the decline of the Three Founding Families after the Third Holy Grail War. In alchemy, they had barely reached a level comparable to the Einzberns. Despite his current fall from grace, Gordes still regarded himself highly.
The homunculi, including Sieg, had been created using these techniques.
However, unlike the Einzberns' creations, which resembled works of art, Yggdmillennia's homunculi were crude, mass-produced products. Although their quality varied, this gave them distinct personalities.
The credit for this belonged to Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, one of Yggdmillennia's most skilled alchemists.
Though his combat abilities were lacking, Gordes's alchemical talents were undeniable.
As for his character, that was another matter entirely. After his failure, Gordes developed a new attitude.
The current situation was the perfect opportunity for this scion of magical nobility to demonstrate his worth.
Yggdmillennia's strategy to win the Holy Grail War had been devised by Gordes. The idea of using homunculi to supply mana was a stroke of genius, giving their Servants an unimaginable advantage.
Although they had ultimately failed, the homunculi remained a valuable resource. They could still provide mana.
Perhaps because the Holy Grail War was still ongoing, Gordes was recognized as a Master. Jeanne's declaration echoed in his ears.
Though he had approached to prove himself, seeing the Masters and Servants of both the Black and Red factions instantly sobered him. Gordes fully grasped the gravity of the situation.
This was precisely the time for him to shine!
Seeing Gordes take responsibility on behalf of all the homunculi, Jeanne, who had been wavering, reluctantly said, "Then please ensure the safety of those children while establishing the connection."
Aside from converting mana from the Greater Source, the homunculi could only provide mana by using their life force.
Despite their numerical advantage, many of the homunculi had experienced a decline in physical condition after leaving the nutrient tanks and entering the outside world.
Given this, Jeanne was still uneasy about subjecting them to large-scale mana extraction.
"This kind of problem, I can solve in no time!"
Gordes raised the bottle in his hand and trembled slightly.
The issue of mana supply from the homunculi seemed to be resolved. With Gordes stepping in, even Fiore and the others had no grounds to argue. After all, Gordes held the highest status among those present.
Apart from this, Jeanne also rejected Avicebron's plan to complete his Noble Phantasm, "Golem Kether Malchut."
As a self-evolving Reality Marble, its very existence would alter the world. If it were allowed to reach its full potential, it would pose a great danger to them.
This outcome was not something Avicebron was willing to accept.
During the preparation phase of the strategy meeting, Avicebron approached Shirou alone and said, "I will form a contract with you. In exchange, you must ensure the successful completion of my Noble Phantasm."
"Of course. I'll cover for you with Ruler as well. Just make sure to act quickly, as growth requires time, doesn't it?"
Shirou's gaze swept over Avicebron and his Master, Roche Frain Yggdmillennia.