218 Holy Grail War's Discussion

Feeling the burning breath that hit her face, Sola's expression showed a hint of confusion, but her eyes were filled with hope and anticipation. 

"Sola, I love you! From the moment I first saw you, I couldn't help but fall in love with you! Your beauty, your pride, everything about you captivates me! You don't know how happy I was when Lord Rufleus declared you my fiancee! At that moment, I felt like I was ascending to heaven! You're my muse, the only woman I truly love! Neither magecraft nor family matters to me as much as you do! I will protect you with everything I have, even if it costs me my life! I will always protect you, no matter what!"

Listening to Kayneth's passionate confession, Sola's face turned as red as if she could bleed. Steam seemed to rise from her head.

"I... I understand..." Sola said softly.

Summoning courage, she lifted her head, closed her eyes, and lightly kissed Kayneth's cheek. After that, she quickly stood up from the couch and hurried towards the door.

"You're going the wrong way, missy. The exit is over there." Arkhan reminded casually while pointing toward another door with his head.

"..."

Upon hearing the reminder, Sola froze and fell silent. In the next second, she swiftly turned around, opened the exit door, and fled outside.

Arkhan put down his tableware, looking at the empty plates on the table. He nodded in satisfaction, stood up, and walked to the stiffened Kayneth.

"Hey, she's gone. No need to play the statue."

"Ahh... AHHH!!!" Kayneth screamed and clutched his head tightly. "What on earth did I just say—!"

"I think it was quite nice, no? Some things need to be said to have a result. Keeping them hidden serves no purpose and might even upset the other person." Arkhan pointed at the lipstick mark on Kayneth's cheek. "Look at that, the result is there."

"I knew it was you pulling the strings!" Kayneth turned to Arkhan, his eyes spewing endless flames. "Lancer, I know you're prestigious and powerful, but don't forget, I am your Master. Right now, you're just my..."

Arkhan calmly took out a silver, pen-like device from his pocket.

"Sola, I love you. From the moment I first saw you—"

"Where did you get that thing?!" Kayneth's voice instantly rose to a volume comparable to a Banshee's wail.

"Of course, I made it myself."

Arkhan shrugged, waving his hand, and a black hole surrounded by golden lines appeared. Numerous recording pens fell out of it.

"As long as I understand the structure, I can create anything. Oh, by the way, these are all recording pens."

Kayneth knelt on the ground with a thud, surrounded by an endless gray and white background.

"I never thought that after dominating the Clock Tower for so many years, I would end up defeated by the Servant I summoned myself..."

His words were sorrowful, his tone mournful, causing listeners to feel heartache and witnesses to shed tears.

"C'mon, isn't this for your own good?" Arkhan bent down, patting Kayneth on the shoulder. "You know it yourself, Sola is resisting this marriage from the get-go. If you don't make a move soon, it's like letting a cooked duck fly away."

"I don't need you to tell me about it!" Kayneth snapped, pushing Arkhan's hand away.

Arkhan chuckled and was unfazed. He stood up and casually settled into the custom-made Italian sofa.

Kayneth's lips twitched slightly as he saw his Servant's behavior. That sofa used to be exclusively his seat.

Leaning back on the sofa, Arkhan interlocked his fingers on his abdomen.

"Alright, chit-chat time's over. Let's talk about the Holy Grail War."

"Hmph, is there anything worth discussing? With you, Arthur, who ended the Age of Gods, and me, a Lord and the genius mage of the Clock Tower, teaming up against some local Masters and third-rate mages is just a walk in the park." Kayneth boasted, hands behind his back, full of pride.

If he hadn't summoned Arkhan, he might have been a bit more cautious, but now, having heard of the exploits of this otherworld Arthur, he was entirely convinced that no one on the opposing side could match their prowess in this Holy Grail War.

"Oftentimes, it's not ignorance and carelessness that bring destruction but arrogance and overconfidence." Arkhan glanced coldly at Kayneth. "If you don't shake off this flaw of yours, I guarantee you'll die in this war."

"You seem to know something." Kayneth frowned slightly.

"The local Masters you speak of are the Three Founding Families who prepared thoroughly for this war. They're the Tohsaka, Einzbern, and Matou families—all ready for war."

"The Tohsaka brought the fossilized skin of the world's first shedding snake, aiming to summon the Oldest King, King of Heroes—Gilgamesh. The treasures in his vault gather the prototypes of all the world's Noble Phantasms. Even I wouldn't dare say I have an absolute certainty of defeating him."

"The Einzbern hired the infamous Mage Killer, a ruthless mercenary. If you're not prepared, there's a good chance you'll end up dead at his hands."

"The head of the Matou family, Matou Zouken, his real identity is Makiri Zolgen, a Russian mage from five hundred years ago. His mastery over the Crest Worm magecraft is profound, even surpassing some Lords of the Clock Tower. He's someone who can go toe-to-toe with regular Heroic Spirits."

Glancing at Kayneth's gradually stiffening expression, Arkhan coldly snorted.

"Now, do you still think winning this Holy Grail War is just a walk in the park?"

The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.

The Mage Killer.

The Russian mage from five hundred years ago, Makiri Zolgen.

Various complicated thoughts tangled like a messy knot in Kayneth's mind.

After a while, he took a deep breath and looked at Arkhan. A hint of seriousness appeared on his snarky face.

"Do you have clairvoyance?"

"Sort of..." Arkhan replied calmly, unwilling to reveal that he knew the original work.

"Hmm..." Kayneth frowned and pondered.

He paced in place while his chin rested on his hand.

Originally, he thought this so-called Holy Grail War was just a farce concocted by a bunch of third-rate mages chasing after the delusion of an almighty grail. While he didn't disdain it, he didn't give it much importance, considering it akin to creating a research paper.

Now, with Arkhan's reminder, he realized that this war might be far more dangerous than he had imagined.