I thought the King called me here so we could spend some time alone together."
Hearing these words, Vlad III frowned imperceptibly. Facing this Flower Magus Merlin, who held the title of Great Sage, he forced down his discomfort and spoke.
"We are currently at war. I summoned you here to discuss battle strategies."
He did not wait for Merlin's response and turned his gaze toward the door.
"Enter, Sage Chiron."
"Yes."
Accompanied by a gentle and magnetic voice, the mentor of Greek heroes, the Centaur Sage Chiron, pushed his Master Fiore into the hall in his human form.
"Uncle. Lord Uncle. Good morning."
Because she was suddenly summoned by Darnic, Fiore had clearly just woken up. Her hair was still a bit messy. As the designated next head of the Yggdmillennia clan, she understood that Darnic summoning her and her Servant so early meant there was an emergency.
"No need for formalities."
Darnic waved his hand, then addressed the arriving Merlin and Chiron.
"Two Sages. Just recently, the first Servant battle concluded. Regarding the information revealed in this battle, both the Lord and I wish to hear the unique suggestions and perspectives you might have."
A magical screen of light simultaneously appeared before Merlin and Chiron.
After the two Sages watched the magically presented recording with differing expressions, the atmosphere fell into a heavy silence.
"Is that guy... really human?"
Fiore broke the silence first.
Watching Souya on the light screen, she revealed a look of shock. He was wreathed in golden light, and a golden figure manifested behind him as he exchanged punches with Siegfried.
Because she held a special wish for the war, she had deliberately studied the Department of Spiritual Evocation and knowledge concerning Heroic Spirits. She understood better than anyone the massive gap between humans and Heroic Spirits.
"Judging by the Command Spells and his situation, he is a Master."
Chiron analyzed the footage based on his expertise while repeatedly watching Souya's fighting figure on the screen.
"Looking at his combat style and his muscle application, it is obvious he has undergone specialized training and dozens of life-and-death struggles. Furthermore..."
Chiron paused the scene on the magical screen to the moment when Souya wielded the long spear and clashed swords with Siegfried.
Everyone froze. Their attention had been focused on the part where Souya, draped in holy light, defeated Siegfried with a punch. No one had noticed that Souya's spearmanship also possessed the qualifications to battle Siegfried.
"Forgive my bluntness, but his attainment in spearmanship far exceeds his apparent age. Just looking at this segment of his battle with Saber, his strength approaches the level of a second-rate Servant."
"As for other matters, I apologize. I feel he looks familiar, but I am unfamiliar with both the manifestation of his power and his Servant. The only information I can provide is that this young man possesses immense potential. To be able to fight a Servant at this age... if he were placed in my era, he would likely be an excellent seed to become a hero."
Chiron said no more and stepped back behind Fiore.
The other Masters felt their hearts grow heavy.
It was already difficult enough for the Yggdmillennia clan to fight the Mage's Association. Now, an extra Master with strength rivaling a Servant had suddenly appeared. He seemed to be from the Holy Church.
Through this point, even Fiore wondered if the Holy Church's intentions were behind him. Did they, who always proclaimed fairness and neutrality, also have ulterior motives regarding the Greater Grail of the Third Magic?
A girl's voice interrupted their gloomy mood.
"Ahhhh, this is so interesting! A young man who wants to become a Saint. A face so handsome, a body so holy. I want to toy with him. I want to ravage him. And after I am done playing with him, I can go play with Jeanne. This Holy Grail War is wonderful..."
Everyone reflexively looked in the direction of the girl.
The Great Sage who called herself Merlin was looking at Souya's enlarged face on the screen with a flushed face. Her hands were subconsciously reaching toward his cheek on the screen, as if wanting to touch the face of her lover.
Such a scene, combined with the morning sun filtering through the window, cast the girl's silhouette onto the floor as a massive, ferocious shadow. It appeared incredibly eerie.
"Lady Merlin?"
Vlad III frowned and interrupted.
"I am listening."
In a flash, as if everything just now was a collective hallucination, the young girl retracted all the expressions from her face. Shifting to the demeanor of a wise sage, she smiled at the crowd.
"What is the matter, everyone? Why are you all looking at me with such strange eyes? You will make me shy."
The girl feigned bashfulness.
Everyone roasted her internally.
If they had not clearly seen that scene just now, no one would have connected the beautiful girl with a gentle smile before them to that woman with a stalker-like expression from a moment ago.
Although it felt strange, everyone did not find it overwhelmingly weird.
According to epic records, the Great Sage Merlin was not entirely human. She was half-human, half-incubus. As a mixed-blood, it was normal for her to have a side that ordinary people found difficult to understand.
Furthermore, just as they had not expected the Great Sage Merlin to be a woman, who could say for sure that Merlin had to be a serious and solemn person?
Looking at Merlin's purple eyes, everyone stopped dwelling on the scene from just now and pondered a question.
Did this Great Sage of Britain see through something?
Vlad III asked.
"Lady Merlin. Judging by your tone, have you seen through that young man's secret and the identity of his Servant?"
Merlin answered frankly.
"Of course I do not know what secret he holds, nor do I recognize who his Servant is."
"Then what was up with that look you had just now!"
Gordes instinctively blurted out. He immediately regretted it.
The instant after he finished speaking, the girl's gaze swept over him.
In just one glance, Gordes's entire body went soft. As if he had seen some indescribable terror, he collapsed to the floor in fright.
"Master!"
Siegfried was startled. He instinctively stepped in front of Gordes, and the outline of his Demonic Sword faintly appeared in his hand.
The others were also startled by this.
Merlin acted as if nothing had happened. Giggling, she looked at Vlad III and Darnic beside him.
"Although I do not know what is going on with that Caster and the young man, I can tell you Ruler's identity. She is the famous holy maiden of France, Jeanne d'Arc."
"Saintess Jeanne?"
Before everyone could react, Merlin's next words made them freeze again.
"Well then. Regarding that young man and Jeanne, you can safely leave dealing with them to me. After all..."
A blush began to surface on the girl's face again. Red-black light flickered within her purple eyes.
"The reason I appeared here is precisely to toy with and defile them."