[FDJ]Chapter 27: Deliberation

On the eve of dawn, in the darkness, crows pointed towards the constellation of Gemini.

The demon that hovered over the plains of Catalonia hid within an imperceptible barrier, where no one could see through. She had already discerned the strategies of the eight Servants and their Masters or those who stood in for them. Unlike the demon riding on a camel, it was only natural for a demon who placed her hopes in humanity to possess the ability to comprehend the entire situation by employing the power of the divine. Humans were insignificant, helpless, and ignorant; even the king of the Huns was a fool.

The demon did not wish to meddle in this unusually abnormal Holy Grail War. The chosen one, Suzuki Yuki, had already arrived in this era. Out of respect for her fellow companions, the demon was willing to make an exception and allow the feeble humans to attempt to reverse their ruin. After examining the strategies of all the Masters and Servants, she estimated that Suzuki Yuki had a small chance of preventing the formation of a Singularity.

"Caim, can we truly do nothing? From what I can see, that woman's chosen child is incapable of even using magecraft. By now, a human with a keen mind should have noticed that the King of the Huns possesses the Holy Grail," the male demon riding on a demonic warhorse interjected, unable to contain himself. He wielded a long spear, his face completely concealed by pitch-black armor, his gender discernible only from his voice if demons had genders.

"Eligos, are you trying to sway my will as well?" The demon named Caim, a woman, couldn't help but engage her companion in a debate once again. She paid no attention to Suzuki Yuki, whom she had been instructed to closely observe. In her view, even if this Holy Grail War produced a Singularity that deviated from human reasoning, it wouldn't have a lasting impact. The Western Roman Empire and the Hunnic Empire were both nearing their end. The outcome of a mere battle held no significance to her.

If this place could truly ignite human civilization, they would have long since personally delivered a new Holy Grail to the key figures.

The demon Eligos looked toward the direction of the Western Roman Empire's coalition forces and sighed. "I'm not concerned about whether a Singularity will occur or not. It's just that based on the current balance of power, excluding the Servant factor, it's clear that the Huns have the advantage. The Huns' cavalry is far superior to the miscellaneous troops on the other side. Infantry alone won't suffice for battles on the plains. Why did Attila lose the Battle of Chalons in 451? There's no reason for her to lose. She had 15,000 elite cavalry and 35,000 infantry. Excluding her troops, she still had over 30,000 vassal soldiers. Her enemy, on the other hand, only had 35,000 personal troops, with 8,000 well-equipped cavalry and a so-called elite infantry of only 27,000. In a fifth-century battle fought with cold weapons, the side with the advantage of elite cavalry should not have lost on the plains. The Western Roman generals hastily assembled a coalition force of 45,000, only then matching the opposing forces in terms of scale."

"In your eyes, are the armies other than the Romans and the Huns merely cheering squads?"

"If I didn't know the course of the entire war, I wouldn't believe that Attila would lose." Eligos anticipated the imminent battle. He was also a warlike god who didn't value human life. Without enough bloodshed, he couldn't attract the attention of this bloodthirsty demon. "Since you've decided not to intervene, I won't bother with this insignificant matter. Attila now possesses the Holy Grail. Perhaps it will change history. She is a fragment from outer space, not simply a human king."

"In any case, she won't come here. I'm too lazy to help humans. I have high hopes for that pure-blooded magi. He possesses extensive experience in magical rituals. Since the Holy Grail War is a factor, you can't only consider the Holy Grail and overlook the Servants on the other side. Currently, it seems that there are more Servants on his side. I bet on the victory of the Western Roman coalition."

"As usual, whoever loses will be responsible for the aftermath. This era doesn't need a Singularity to occur."

"The Singularity in 451 was originally my responsibility in its nascent form! It's unfair," Caim recalled losing the bet to the treacherous woman riding on a camel, and it made her furious.

"If, by any chance, this human named Suzuki Yuki manages to survive, someone will still need to clean up the mess next time. How about we make a bet on that?"

"Fine, deal. Worst-case scenario, I'll take action and save this human's life."

==*==

The two demons surprisingly reached a consensus, but their debate over the strength of the armies other than the Romans and the Huns continued until the sun rose high in the sky.

The main forces of the Western Roman Empire were still waiting for reinforcements. As soon as the day broke, the temporary camp of the Romans became lively, with soldiers preparing to break camp and move forward under the command of their superiors.

The scouts from both sides had encountered each other at least 30 times, not counting those who didn't return alive. The magus, who had only slept for a short while in the latter half of the night, immediately gathered his honored guests and shared the intelligence from the previous night.

The magus was extremely anxious. He had lost his enthusiasm for commanding tens of thousands of troops in a grand battle and was solely focused on the Holy Grail War.

"Oh, Master, you can't give up sleep and food like us Servants. The Holy Grail War and a healthy lifestyle are equally important. A beautiful day begins with a cup of Merlot tea..." Suddenly, a tall Servant dressed like a clown appeared, holding a teapot and cup. He poured a cup of tea and placed it on the Master's table. His flamboyant "performance" and the idea of performing magic to conjure up a buttered bread were interrupted by the Master's icy gaze.

"Caster, I've told you yesterday, the day before, and last week that I don't drink these strange beverages!" The magus wanted to wave his hand and overturn the strange red liquid in front of him. He would prefer a cup of authentic human blood over that.

"I thought you had forgotten that you don't like this drink after a sleepless night." The clown looked disappointed and took the cup away, leisurely taking a sip himself. "A beautiful day begins with a cup of Merlot tea. And here's a freshly baked buttered bread."

The clumsy magic trick performed by the clown made the magus want to use an incantation to stop him. If he had a chance to redo it, he would use human blood for the summoning circle, even if it meant summoning an extremely wicked spirit, rather than having this clown summoned from an ancient tome.

"You can use magecraft to bring the bread into your hand, so why pretend to take it out from under your clothes? Can't you move faster?!"

The clown took a bite of the long bread, looking innocent. "But it's more fun this way."

"You're a Servant, right?"

"Of course." The clown casually threw the bread, which transformed into an elastic time bomb as it hit the ground, then bounced back into his hand, reverting to bread. He wiped his hand on the bread and continued with his breakfast.

"Servants don't need to eat?"

"But I want to eat."

The magus felt that if he continued arguing with the other, he would turn into a clown himself, drinking strange red drinks, eating high-calorie commoner food, and dealing with the eccentric mannerisms that gave him a headache. The songs sung by the old Hun Witch were even more pleasant than this!

"Please wait quietly until the guests arrive."

"After they gather, I can..."

"No, you can't! Shut up!" The magus stood up angrily, pulling out the chair beside him and gesturing for the other to sit.

After the commotion subsided for 20 minutes, the people the magus was waiting for had all arrived at his tent.

"Is this a magic trick of spatial expansion? Truly befitting of a Roman magus. Impressive, impressive." A clothed puppet sat in the outermost seat, followed by a female Servant.

The puppet's peculiar manner of speaking made the magus vaguely feel a headache coming on. He regretted not using an incantation earlier to seal his own Servant's mouth, so he wouldn't have to hear anything other than the pure Roman accent echoing in his ears... He turned his head and could see his Servant's exaggerated expression, a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"You are the Master of Lancer. The wandering magus, Master Celsus, who originally resided in Metz?"

"You are too kind. Before you, I can only be considered an ordinary magus, skilled in object manipulation." The wooden puppet bobbed its solid head, emitting a voice from within its body, sounding as if it were produced by mechanical gears inside.

"Lancer? She is a great beauty." Prince Torismund of the Visigoths, who entered first, sat in a position close to the magus, accompanied by a female Servant. Unlike the puppet, this prince who had some knowledge of magecraft was quite arrogant. The magus had already heard that he had had several "frictions" with the generals in his army.

If it weren't for the fact that the Roman Empire is far from its former glory, and if it weren't for that damn Attila forbidding the Huns from becoming mercenaries, he wouldn't want those barbarians among the barbarians to join the coalition. It's all Attila's fault. The magus, ever since he set out with the army, has been casting a curse every day, cursing that damn queen to choke on her drink and die.

"Master, your complexion is bad. Take a sip."

Unaware of someone next to him handing him a hot red drink, the magus, who was lost in thought, subconsciously took the cup and drank it in one gulp. He was thinking about having a drink.

"Ah! Ugh! What the hell is this!" The magus stood up abruptly and threw the cup to the ground. Once again, he had tasted that red unknown liquid, a magical potion that tasted worse than human blood or snake blood.

The clown caught the cup and made it disappear with a flick of his hand. "A beautiful day starts with a cup of Earl Grey tea. Has everyone had breakfast? I have some bread here."

The magus maintained a stern expression and only spoke after his servant finished distributing the bread. "Master Celsus, sitting across from you is the Master of Rider, Mr. Torismund, the prince of the Goths. If he devotes himself to studying, I believe he will be an outstanding magus." The magus felt that Torismund's magecraft couldn't even touch a stick. The little bit of magical lineage he had, who knows if it came from his king's father who looked like a wild boar. Barbarians using magecraft was nothing short of a joke.

"But I'm not interested in magecraft. Great Commander, I am passionate about warfare." Torismund showed a certain level of respect for the magus, who was nearing 50 years of age, otherwise, he wouldn't have obediently sat there. In the eyes of this prince, the magus was not just someone who could perform flashy tricks and magic. He was a genius on the battlefield, capable of organizing a coalition to fight Attila.

"Alright then. Let's discuss the matter at hand."

The magus felt increasingly exhausted. If he had a chance to regret it, he would seek out the relics of Cleopatra and participate in a grand magical ceremony with incomparable beauty, experiencing the romance that belonged to a magus. Instead, he was stuck with a clown who had no combat abilities.

=====

Check Out My Other Work: Shinji Matou At Your Service