To become a king and a magician

After pondering for a while with his chin resting on his hand, Xia Chuanhu asked, "I see... By the way, what do you think your chances of winning against Shang Fuhailin Anashu are?"

"Although I know this cannot be used as a reference, I am 90% confident about Fu Hailin's son's situation. In addition, considering the information I have on hand and the information recorded by Fu Hailin himself... I would say there is a 30% chance of survival."

It's not about the odds of winning, but the survival rate.

Hier never expected to be able to defeat Fuhailin on his own, after all, it was a ancestor that could wipe out an entire town and that even the church's punitive force could not destroy, but could only be ravaged and defeated by it.

To overcome this alone is unrealistic and an impossible task.

"A survival rate of only 30%... that's indeed quite low. What about the odds of winning?" Xia Chuanhu continued, asking the same question, "How much of a chance do you have of defeating Fu Hailin?"

"Huh? Didn't I already say? Mitsunari—"

"That's not a guarantee of victory. Did you fail your Chinese reading comprehension test?"

Reaching out and tapping Hier's forehead, Natsukawa Tora said seriously, "Hier, in my eyes, you are currently in a very contradictory state."

"Contradiction? Me?"

"Yes, it's contradictory, very contradictory. Because you want to die while at the same time not wanting to die."

"What do you mean...?" Hiel didn't understand Natsukawa Tiger's meaning. "Are you saying I'm a coward?"

"No, no, no, you certainly wouldn't have such thoughts, but the fear of death is human nature, and even I can't avoid it. I'm talking about your resolve—up until seven years ago, you probably never thought about what would happen after you eliminated Roya, right?"

Hier's life was turned upside down by Roya's appearance, filled with nothing but death and destruction—the death of his family and the destruction of his hometown. Therefore, Hier must have hated Roya, otherwise he would not have joined the Burial Agency.

However, Hier had not thought about what would happen after Roya's death until seven years ago. Before that, she had always wanted to eliminate Roya and take revenge on him.

Now that Roya has been destroyed, Hiel, who has suddenly lost her purpose, does not know where she should go in the future. She should have had time to think about this, but before that, the Burial Agency abandoned her first, limiting her choice to perish together with Fu Hailin.

As a member of the Burial Agency, even though he has essentially been abandoned, Hiel still wants to complete the mission.

But similarly, as a human being, Hiel didn't want to die after being abandoned by everyone.

Ultimately, she wasn't prepared to give up everything for the sake of burying the machine.

Her half-baked skills have left her in a state of extreme contradiction. If Xia Chuanhu were in her position, he would probably fake his death during a battle with the son of Fu Hailin, then disappear into the countryside under an assumed name.

"Do you want me to help you, Hiel?" Natsukawa Torama suddenly asked. "As for Fuhailin, I can help you subdue it. I'm not bragging, but I believe I have the ability to eliminate it on my own."

"Huh? What did you say?"

Hier thought he might have misheard: "You said... you're willing to help me?"

"You told me this with that in mind all along, didn't you? Although that's probably what you were thinking subconsciously—but whatever, since this train will enter the Fuhai Forest's territory, I can't slack off anymore."

The Fifteenth Ancestor—this was undoubtedly an object beyond Olga Marie's capabilities, and according to the agreement, Xia Chuanhu had to protect her from the Fuhai Forest.

Since that's the case, then let's just wipe out the entire Fuhai Forest. It's not like he can't do it.

"After that... if you want, I can help you again. Whether you want to fake your death and hide away under an assumed name, or go back to report to the burial agency and withdraw, it depends on the situation, and I'd be happy to help you."

"Anyway, this isn't the first time I've been the tiger behind someone else."

28. I'll probably save someone along the way while fighting the boss.

It's started again—this is the shared thought of Rei Sajou and Aika Sajou.

Appearing when a woman is in trouble and at a low point in her life, offering help under the guise of self-interest.

Although I know that Xia Chuanhu doesn't have any other intentions, and is simply doing it for himself as he said, for some reason, the result of his actions is often that he incurs even more romantic entanglements.

If it were only once or twice, it could be explained as a coincidence, but Xia Chuanhu has done this so many times over the past ten years that both of them have developed some resistance to it.

(Is this the prelude to yet another one? Another version of myself?)

Who knows? Let's see what she chooses.

Sajō Aika remembers Hier. The only connection and communication between her and Natsukawa Tora is that they met ten years ago in Paris and seven years ago in Misaki City. Apart from that, the two have no other interaction.

Even if Natsukawa Tora is incredibly charming, surely three encounters wouldn't be enough to make Hier fall for him?

So Aika Sajou is quite at ease with Hier.

Hearing what Xia Chuanhu said, Xier thought for a while without saying a word, then shook his head: "No... I can't trouble you like this. This is my own business. You don't need to do so much for me. I appreciate your kindness."

Xia Chuanhu is strong, and Xier knows that, but no matter how strong he is, he can't possibly deal with an entire church. Judging from his current situation, he must already be someone of some status in the world of magicians, so there's no need for him to provoke the church for the sake of someone like him who is about to die.

Even though the clock tower and the church were inherently at odds.

On the other hand, normally speaking, if a church member like her were alone with a magician, she should have killed him at all costs, since the feud between the two families had long since reached an irreconcilable point.

It was only because the two had known each other for a long time and had a decent relationship that they didn't fight.

"Well, if that's how you want it to be, then so be it. But once we enter the area where Fuhai Forest is located, I will definitely take action. I'm letting you know that beforehand, you understand?"

"Yes, I know. Let's try not to get in each other's way."

As soon as Hierle finished speaking, the train, which had been moving forward continuously, suddenly paused, then its speed noticeably decreased, and an announcement came over the loudspeaker—

This train will stop here for two hours. Passengers are free to choose whether to stay inside the train or go for a walk outside.

The Magic Eye Collection Train is a train that travels on the spiritual veins, but it also needs fuel to support its operation. Regularly stopping at pre-set supply points along the way is a fixed part of each journey.

Hiel stood up from his seat: "I'm going outside to get some fresh air; it gets a bit stuffy staying indoors all the time. See you later, Natsukawa."

"Okay, see you later."

After watching Hier leave the carriage, Natsukawa Tora leaned back on the sofa and relaxed slightly. He then tapped the table, conjuring a glass of wine, and took a sip.

Standing behind Natsukawa Torata, Sajou Rei asked, "Even though Miss Hiel said that, I think you, Master, will still help her in your own way, right? For example, when the train is trapped by the Fuhailin, you'll seriously try to eliminate it to solve the problem, and along the way, you'll [casually] save Miss Hiel, who is struggling—something like that?"

What are you saying? I don't quite understand.

Xia Chuanhu smiled and pretended to be confused: "Xier doesn't need my help, she said so herself. But you know my fighting style, it's the kind that has a huge impact on the surroundings. Even if we say we won't interfere with each other, it will still affect her side more or less."

"Yes, I know. Master only wants to deal with Fuhailin, not help Miss Xier." Sajou Rei played along, pretending to be confused.

From the moment Xia Chuanhu confirmed that his opponent was Fu Hailin, he knew he had no choice but to take action. On this train, anyone he wanted to keep alive would ultimately survive.

Hierre must be one of them—he couldn't bear to see someone he knew die before his eyes; if he was going to die, he wanted to find a decent place to die. As for the girl, at least she should die in a field of blooming flowers.

"Da da da..."

Just then, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor came from the direction Natsukawa Torato and Sajou Rei looked in that direction at the same time.

"I remember...you're the attendant who's with Olga Marie, aren't you?"

"Yes, her name is Theresa Filoz. It's an honor to be remembered by you, Lord Natsukawa Torato."

The blonde, intellectual beauty wearing glasses said with a smile.

"May I sit down? There are some things I'd like to discuss with you."

"Please go ahead."

They really seem to be having one conversation after another. Natsukawa Tora tapped the table and ordered a drink for Theresa: "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Regarding your matter, for security reasons, I did some research on you after our first meeting last night, and I learned quite a bit of unexpected information."

Theresa glanced at Natsukawa Torato out of the corner of her eye: "It's like when you were just an ordinary person who didn't know anything about magic twelve years ago..."

"That's something I really miss."

"He was not a magician. He was accidentally drawn into the Fourth Holy Grail War and got involved with Lord El-Melloi. Even though he disappeared for a time and his fate was unknown, he was lucky enough to survive in the end. Then, a year later, he enrolled in the Clock Tower through the Lord's recommendation."

"I don't quite understand why you, as an ordinary person, would choose to come here after participating in the Holy Grail War and learning about the cruelty of the magic world. Is it because of your experiences in the Holy Grail War?"

"For example, encountering a hero from the past—"

Theresa's voice stopped there.

After holding his wine glass in silence for a while, Natsukawa Tora smiled and said, "You've really done a thorough investigation. So, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"I was just interested in your thoughts during the investigation and wanted to chat with you. There's no particular reason. If I had to say, it's just that I wanted to confirm what kind of person you are for the young lady."

"Well, you've really gone to a lot of trouble. As you said, the reason I came to the Clock Tower is the same as you said. I met a certain idiot in the Holy Grail War, and he led me to do some big things. After escaping death, I thought about what I should do in the future... and that's how I ended up at the Clock Tower."

"What I do now... what I actively want to do, is all based on my thoughts at that time."

Are you satisfied with this explanation?

29. We must fight until dawn the next night as well.

On their first day aboard the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, after their encounter with Chiel and conversation with Theresa, Natsukawa Torato and Sajou Rei didn't meet anyone else.

To be precise, he didn't sit down and talk to anyone else. Magicians don't trust anyone outside themselves, especially since this train wasn't a social venue but an auction. Most magicians spent their time learning about the Mystic Eyes being sold in order to find their desired ones.

People like Natsukawa Tora, who are indifferent to the Mystic Eyes and only know how to wander around aimlessly, are ultimately a minority.

After dinner, in Natsukawa Torato and Sajou Rei's room.

"boom......"

He plopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and closed his eyes, immersing himself in his surroundings. The Fuhai Forest was similar to a Reality Marble; its expansion involved eroding the world. As a spirit of the planet, Natsukawa Tiger could easily perceive these changes.

Of course, this is on the premise that the erosion occurs within his perception range.

(No abnormalities...at least there's been no change within a ten-kilometer radius. It's still a long way off before we can enter the area that is currently within the boundaries of Fuhai Forest.)

That would be best. Xia Chuanhu wanted to make some preparations before entering the area of ​​Fuhailin. If it were just him, there wouldn't be any problem at all, but this time he didn't just want to defeat Fuhailin; it would be best to defeat it while also protecting Olga Marie on the train.

This will leave him somewhat overwhelmed.

Coming back to his senses, Natsukawa Torama opened his eyes: "Should I use summoning magic to summon a spirit and temporarily place it beside her?"

This way, ensuring Olga Marie's safety is definitely not a problem, but we also need to consider the impact that the Pokémon's battles will have on the surrounding area. Without Natsukawa Torato's control, those Pokémon will definitely act according to their own whims and do whatever they want.

Xia Chuanhu estimated that when he returned, he would see a train that had been destroyed in pieces by the elves and Fu Hailin.

"Are you thinking about Miss Olga Marie, Master?"

At this moment, Sajou Rei came to the bedside and looked down at her, asking a question.

Xia Chuanhu nodded: "Protecting her from the Fu Hai Lin's attack is the most troublesome part. Xier will definitely rush into the Fu Hai Lin, so I will go in with her, but that will make protecting the train a bit more difficult."

"That is indeed a problem. No matter how strong you are, Master, you can't manage two places at the same time. After all, Fuhai Forest is not like us, where we can freely allocate time. But don't worry, Master, there is a solution."

As she said this, Sajou Rei quickly climbed onto the bed, rolled up the blanket and covered herself and Natsukawa Tora together, and leaned down to gaze at her master: "Please entrust me with the task of protecting this train, master. I swear to you that I will not allow this train to suffer any damage before you defeat Fuhailin."

"Hmm...that is one method, but wouldn't it be a bit too much for you? This train is quite large."

"Making good use of the barrier will make things much easier. After all, offense is Master's responsibility, and I only need to focus on defense, so it won't be too difficult. However, maintaining the barrier requires a lot of magic power, so Master—"