In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

He was completely overwhelmed by the other party's imposing presence.

But it was precisely because of this that he felt increasingly inferior. Compared to Rider, whose heart was so vast, his own troubles and anxieties were nothing but trivial matters. Compared to the king who conquered the world, he, a third-rate magician, was far too insignificant. He simply did not have the ability to control the other party.

“Kid, you’re actually the same kind of person as me.” Rdier suddenly slapped Webber on the back, almost making the latter fall onto the bed. “No matter how I explain it to you, in the end you will feel that you are insignificant, but even knowing this, you still insist on moving towards higher goals. From my experience, the seed of dominance has begun to sprout in your heart.”

Weber said in a muffled tone, "You're not praising me at all, you're just treating me like an idiot."

“Even so, you’re still an adorable idiot.” Rider laughed frankly. “People like you who are willing to pursue unattainable honors are the basic principle of people in my era. So that’s why signing a contract with a silly boy like you is really a pleasure.”

Weber turned his face away, unable to meet Rider's simple smile.

Why does this big, goofy guy always try to comfort others with things that are anything but pleasant?

"To do something knowing it's impossible, such a bold spirit, truly befits a king who once conquered the world. Waver, you've summoned a Servant perfectly suited to you."

A soft laugh suddenly echoed in the not-so-spacious room, and Weber's face turned pale instantly.

"Lancer!!"

Golden spiritual light gathered from the void, its rich radiance bathing the small space in a brilliant golden hue. Anan, dressed in modern attire, materialized, a warm smile playing on his lips, like a gentle older brother next door.

Weber, like a startled rabbit, immediately hid behind Rider, looking around nervously as if searching for someone.

"Stop looking, it's just me. Your teacher went to the Holy Church to receive the Command Spell." Yanan showed no awareness of trespassing and sat down on the ground as casually as if he were at home. "But speaking of which, your magic workshop is too rudimentary. Not only do you not have any spells, but you also only have two or three familiars. If your teacher sees this, he will definitely give you a severe scolding without any mercy."

“Anyway, he always looked down on me,” Weber said sullenly.

"If you want to be respected, you at least have to produce decent results. Your teacher is called a prodigy because no matter how incredible the theory is, he can produce practical results. You should know that too."

Weber clenched his fists tightly. Although he was somewhat unwilling, he had to admit that what Yanan said made a lot of sense.

"As someone who has only been in the family for three generations, without any renowned teachers, and who mostly relied on self-study to be accepted into the Clock Tower, which commands magicians worldwide, you certainly have reason to be proud." Yanan gazed intently at Waver. "But you should also understand that from the moment you stepped onto this higher platform, the past has nothing to do with you anymore. Dwelling on past vanity will only hinder your progress. You look down on those elites and nobles who flaunt their ancient lineage, yet selectively ignore their outstanding achievements. Whether this stems from pride or inferiority, you surely know better than I do."

"I...I..." Weber's lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

“For a magician, theory is always just theory. Only concrete results can support the correctness of a theory. You’re trying to overturn the theory of bloodline with just a paper without producing any results. That’s putting the cart before the horse,” Yanan said leisurely. “If you don’t understand, why don’t you put yourself in Kenneth’s shoes and think about how you would react to such a paper?

Weber thought for a moment, then said dejectedly, "I'll definitely think that guy is a clown."

“Very good. Being able to recognize this shows that you have begun to grow.” Yanan smiled and snapped his fingers. “Now, let’s go back to the beginning, put aside all the vanities of honor, bloodline, and family, and choose your future path with your true heart.”

"What road?" Weber looked at Anaen with a puzzled expression, while Rider's eyes also showed a gleam of interest.

“First,” Yanan held up a finger, “I’ll deal with Rdier right here and now, eliminating you from the Holy Grail War. Then Kenneth will banish you from the Clock Tower for theft, sending you back to where you came from, to continue being your genius.”

“I refuse,” Weber said without hesitation.

"Oh? Are you sure you don't want to seriously reconsider?" Anan's eyes gleamed with interest. "If you return to the Clock Tower, you will face circumstances hundreds of times more difficult than before. Do you really have the courage to face all of that?"

“If it were me before, I would definitely be scared, terrified, or even back down.” Weber looked up at Rider, who gave him a hearty smile at the opportune moment.

"Heh..." A slight smile played on his lips as he turned his head, his gaze earnestly fixed on Anan. "But not anymore. I'm no longer bound by that narrow world. I want to do what I want to do, even if it's difficult, even if I might never find the answer in my entire life, I still want it—"

"Let's go see the sea that belongs to me."

After a moment of silence, Yanan shook his head and smiled, then held up his second finger: "Alright then, let's talk about the second path."

“Kenneth will not only not expel you from the Clock Tower, but he will also use the power of the Archibald family and his fiancée Euryphus family to put you on the throne.”

"Your Majesty!" Weber felt as if he had been struck hard on the head with a hammer, and he became completely dazed.

As is well known, the Clock Tower has twelve departments, each with only one monarch whose power and status are at the top of the entire Clock Tower. Therefore, those who can hold this position are all powerful and influential families at the top of the Clock Tower.

How could such an opportunity possibly fall into the hands of a mere third-rate magician?

“But don’t get too excited yet,” Yanan said calmly. “Even if El-Melloi and Euryphus join forces, it won’t be easy to put an outsider on the throne. So, the only option you have is the Department of Modern Magic.”

The Department of Modern Magic is the lowest-ranked of the twelve departments in the Clock Tower. Not only does it have the fewest resources, but it is also rumored that its students are the most unruly in the entire Clock Tower, making it arguably the least popular place in the Mage's Association.

However, after some consideration, Webber realized that the modern magic department was the most suitable place for him.

Most of the students in the modern magic department are young people of the new era. He can take this opportunity to change the mindset of the next generation of magicians, and the more he is in that kind of environment, the easier it is to achieve results.

“But with your current level, you're far from being the monarch of the Modern Magic Department, so you need to continue training for a few more years. Also, to avoid offending other families, you must be affiliated with the El-Melloi family. That means even if you become the monarch of the Modern Magic Department, you can't use your real name; you can only be called El-Melloi II.” Annan stared at Waver. “Can you accept these two points?”

Weber hesitated for a long time before finally nodding.

"So, what are the teacher's conditions?" He looked at Anan with some nervousness. The throne was not so easy to obtain, and he was prepared to be ripped off.

“Your teacher hasn’t decided on the specific conditions yet, saying he plans to tell you on the day you ascend to the throne. However, there is something that requires your help right now,” Yanan said.

“Us?” Weber paused for a moment, then seemed to suddenly understand something and turned to look at the tall Rider beside him.

“That’s right,” Yanan said with a smile. “We want to form an alliance with you.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Valhalla

"An alliance?" A hint of surprise appeared in Weber's eyes. "With your and your teacher's strength, do you still need to form an alliance with us?"

The strongest Master and the strongest Servant—it wouldn't be surprising if they could sweep through the Holy Grail War overnight. So why would they need to form an alliance with me?

“Human strength has its limits, and I am not as invincible as you imagine.” A helpless smile appeared on Anahn’s lips. “In a one-on-one situation, I am indeed confident that I can not lose to any Servant, but this is war, and the only purpose of war is victory. Therefore, no matter how dirty the means, they are all permissible.”

"You mean the alliance between Archer and Berserker?" Weber asked cautiously.

Yanan nodded slightly: "That's one aspect, but I'm worried that their preparations may go beyond that."

After a moment's thought, Waver suddenly stood up, his eyes wide, and exclaimed, "Saber!!"

“That’s right.” Yanan nodded. “To deal with me, Archer’s Master will definitely seek an alliance with Saber’s Mater. After all, they are one of the three starter families, while we are just outsiders.”

Moreover, given Kiritsugu Emiya's personality, he would never let such an opportunity slip by.

Even if Saber and Irisviel told him about the Holy Grail, he would selectively ignore it. That man, unless he was completely defeated by reality, would never choose to give up as long as there was a glimmer of hope.

“That makes sense.” Waver stroked his chin. Even if Lancer is strong, he can’t possibly face Archer, Berserker, and Saber all at the same time.

“So we need your help.” Yanan stood up. “I will face Archer and Berserker, and Rider will hold Saber back.”

"Huh? You're going to challenge Archer and Berserker alone?" Waver's eyes widened slightly. Archer and Berserker were the most powerful Servants in this Holy Grail War besides Lancer. He had originally thought that Anaconda would leave one of them to his side to deal with.

“Archer has an Anti-World Noble Phantasm, so Rdier’s [Army of Kings] won’t be very effective against it. As for Berserker, haven’t you already fought him?”

Recalling the way Berserker wreaked havoc in Rider's Noble Phantasm that night, Waver couldn't help but feel a pang of unease. Although he didn't want to admit it, the risk was indeed quite high if Rider were to face Berserker alone.

Rider said that Berserker used an anti-army Noble Phantasm when facing the otherworldly monster summoned by Caster's Noble Phantasm. At that time, the other party only needed to use the King's Army Stance, and then with its ghostly speed, it could easily take Rider's head off.

It was still because he was too weak. Waver sighed inwardly. If he could supply enough magic power, the attributes of those heroic soldiers would be improved again, and Berserker would not have been able to break through so easily.

“I understand. We’ll handle Saber then.” Waver pounded his chest, his eyes serious. “I promise I won’t let her interfere with you until the battle is over.”

"Not bad, kid, that's the kind of spirit you need! No matter how strong the enemies in front of you are, just crush and trample them all!" Iskandar laughed heartily. "Although I don't really want to lay a hand on a little girl, for the sake of your future, I'll grant your request this time."

"You should have listened to me!"

"Since that's the case, then... um?"

Yanan frowned slightly, when Kenneth's slightly hurried voice suddenly came from beside him: "By command of the Command Spell, Lancer, come to me immediately!"

problem occurs?

Before Yanan could continue thinking, a tremendous suction force suddenly came from the void, causing his body to involuntarily transform into a spiritual state, and he disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye.

“Uh…” Waver blinked in confusion, turning to look at Rdier. “Was he forcibly summoned?”

“If I’m not mistaken, that should be it.” Iskandar stroked his chin. “Why did you suddenly call Lancer over? Could it be that something happened to your teacher?”

“How could this be! It’s daytime, and Master is in the Church of Sanctuary. How could something have happened to him?” Waver’s voice trailed off. He knew how proud his master was. He would never waste his time using Command Spells to summon a Servant unless he was facing an insurmountable problem.

Could it be that the teacher is in trouble?

Thinking of his throne, Weber felt a surge of anxiety and quickly said, "Rider! Quick! Let's go to the Church of the Holy See too!"

"Haha, that's exactly what I was thinking too!" Rider laughed heartily, tossing the package in his hand onto the bed without a second thought. His attire instantly transformed into brown armor, and with a whoosh, he drew the Cypriot sword from his waist and pointed it at the sky outside the window.

"Descend here, my mount, GodiusWheel!"

"Are you an idiot?! It's daytime! Get over there!"

Inside the church, golden spiritual light instantly converged, and Anahn, clad in azure silver armor, emerged from it.

The moment he appeared, a strong smell of blood and the lingering smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The dark eyes lowered slightly, and an elderly man dressed in a clergyman's robe lay on the ground with a large hole in his heart, from which blood flowed continuously. He had completely lost the breath of life.

Kotomine Risei, the corrupt referee and supervisor of this Holy Grail War.

In fact, Anaen didn't have much prejudice against Kotomine Risei. Although he didn't stand firm on his own position and sided with Tohsaka Tokiomi, he at least remembered his responsibilities and didn't do anything too outrageous. So he tolerated the other's existence and didn't take action against him.

But given the current situation...

He turned to look at Kenneth, who was surrounded by several glittering gems and had a slightly solemn expression, and sighed: "I understand your reserve as a nobleman, but isn't it a bit too much to use a Command Spell to summon me here just for something like collecting a corpse?"

Kenneth's face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot: "You think I killed him?"

“Isn’t that right?” Yanan shrugged. “Anyone who saw this scene would come to the same conclusion.”

"I don't know this old guy, and we have no conflict of interest. Killing him will only bring me hostility from the Holy Church, and will do me absolutely no good," Kenneth said with his arms crossed and a cold snort.

"As the monarch of the Clock Tower, do you still care about this?"

"But my reputation will be affected!"

That makes sense. Anan rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. The current Kenneth hadn't had all his dignity and honor trampled on like in the original story. He was still the proud Lord El-Melloi. Under these circumstances, he indeed had no reason to attack Kotomine Risei.

“So,” he glanced at the old priest’s body on the ground, whose wide eyes still held deep astonishment, “what exactly happened?”

“It was Assassin!” Kenneth’s expression turned slightly grave. “Just now, right after the priest handed me the Command Seals, Assassin suddenly appeared and shot him dead with a single bullet.”

"One shot?" Yanan's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean, Assassin used a gun?"

"Hmm, but I'm not sure if it's a disguise or a Noble Phantasm."

No wonder Kenneth suddenly summoned me with a Command Spell. It makes sense; even the Lord of the Clock Tower would feel uneasy facing an Assassin who possesses the ability to conceal one's presence... Anan looked around but did not sense any Servant's presence.

However, it's hard to say for sure. If Assassin really is the person he's thinking of, then it's normal that he can't sense him.

After all, that guy's aura concealment level is as high as A+. If the other party doesn't make a move, he might not even notice the other party even if they are face to face.

He pondered for a moment, then turned to Kenneth: "Help me remove the bullet from his body."

"What kind of tone is that? I'm your Master. When did it become your place to order me around?" Kenneth said angrily.

"This is to deal with Assassin."

"..."