Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

"Gu..."

Kenneth's face turned pale and then red.

Just now, the Lancer team held a post-match blame-dealing meeting.

While Kenneth was doing everything he could to mock and ridicule Lancer—

His fiancée, Sora, suddenly burst into the room, defending Lancer while simultaneously berating Kenneth.

"That's about enough, Kenneth."

"Lancer did his best last night, and your criticism is completely unreasonable."

The opponent is that renowned Holy Sword Wielder; even if I can't win, there's nothing to be ashamed of.

Lancer's performance in simply uncovering her real name was already quite remarkable.

"Lancer has done everything he could, but you... Kenneth, think about what you did last night?"

Sora treated her fiancé like a queen would a subject, criticizing him from a superior position without holding back.

"Why did you leave Saber's Master alone last night?"

The Einzbern women stood there completely unsuspecting.

While Lancer is holding Saber back, you should have had plenty of opportunities to attack her, right?

But what were you doing at the time? You were just hiding in the shadows the whole time.

Just like Rider said, what a shameful coward…

"shut up!!!!!"

Last night's defeat, coupled with his fiancée's humiliation, pushed Kenneth's patience to its limit.

----------------

Volume 1, Chapter 51: The Birth of the Demon

Sora Nazele Sofiali.

She is the daughter of the prestigious Sophia family, which oversees the Department of Spirit Conjuring, one of the twelve disciplines of the Clock Tower. Her father, Rufreus, was Kenneth's mentor.

But this is by no means a reason for Kenneth to tolerate her rude remarks.

The reason why the Clock Tower Monarch remained blushing and silent despite Sora's extreme humiliation was for only one reason:

He really loves his fiancée so much.

From the moment Kenneth first saw her, the Clock Tower prodigy had already become Sora's captive.

From that time on, their relationship was no longer equal.

Normally, Kenneth would probably have kept enduring until the very end.

But yesterday, the Clock Tower's pride suffered its first defeat, and its self-esteem was severely damaged.

In this situation, instead of comforting him, Sora blamed herself entirely for Lancer's loss to Saber—

Even Kenneth, who was completely subservient to Sora, snapped.

"shut up!!!!!"

Sora was initially terrified, turning pale, before her expression turned ferocious.

"Kenneth, how dare you talk to me like that? Who do you think has been advising you all this time?"

Ha, so you come back and take your anger out on women after losing on the battlefield?

"So you've finally shown your true colors! You hypocrite!"

Sora roared and lunged at Kenneth.

But Kenneth simply lifted a finger and she fell into a deep, baby-like sleep.

After that, Kenneth ordered Lancer to take his fiancée to an empty room and keep her locked up until the Holy Grail War ended.

After settling his fiancée in, Kenneth led Lancer to another room.

His legs felt light as he walked.

It's over...it's all over...!

Although it was just a moment of anger, he had actually yelled at Sora and even imprisoned her.

Given Sora's strong and determined personality, she'll definitely keep her word and break up with me after she goes back to China... Ugh!

Kenneth's shoulders trembled.

There's no turning back now.

I must obtain the Holy Grail no matter what, so that Sora will look at me with new respect.

No, that's not enough.

I want her to understand what an amazing magician her husband is!

I will make sure she never interrupts me again!

Let's take this opportunity to thoroughly understand the hierarchical relationship between us!

Since arriving in Japan, Kenneth Elmero Archibald has felt a surge of fighting spirit for the first time.

Even at the cost of the family's honor, we must win this Holy Grail War no matter what.

With that thought in mind, he pushed open the door to that room.

……

……

"..."

Shirou kept his eyes fixed on Kenneth and Lancer as they entered the room, while trying to minimize his own presence.

"My lord... what is this?"

Lancer looked amazed when he saw the Trinity Magic Furnace displayed in the room.

Even if we were to travel back in time to the Celtic Age of Gods, such a thing would probably only exist in the most distant fantasies.

"This is the most precious treasure passed down through generations of my Archipelago family, the supreme ceremonial attire of the El-Melloi School, the Three Foundations Magic Furnace."

This is the product of what my ancestors created centuries ago by modifying the highest-level fantasy excavated from the "Haunted Tomb of Albion."

"Albion, the Tomb of the Dead".

Shirou silently memorized the place name, planning to ask Machi Ari about it when he got back.

Kenneth continued, "The magic that can transform the entire building into another world is continuously squeezed out over several weeks, triggering interactions through the three sets, ultimately forming the ultimate form of an inexhaustible magic furnace."

His sheer power is enough to overwhelm everything; it is precisely because he is the omnipotent El-Melloi that the ultimate truth of "simple is best" is reflected.

At this point, the man suddenly revealed a blatant expression of disgust.

"—But it lacks aesthetic appeal."

"what?"

Lancer asked in surprise, and Kenneth looked toward the core of the magic furnace, his gloomy face filled with contempt.

"Things that only possess magic lack beauty, so I deny their existence and create their substitutes."

This is the origin of "Volumen hydrargyrum," the highest-ranking ceremonial garment of the El-Melloi school.

Without a doubt, from the middle onwards it became Kenneth's self-promotion.

However, anyone who hears this story will be impressed by the genius of Lord El-Melloi.

As a magician born in a mysteriously vanished modern era, Kenneth created magical costumes that rivaled the fantasies of the divine age, simply as a joke to cater to his personal aesthetic.

This man's mind may have already transcended the mediocrity of his era.

"Lancer."

Kenneth spoke with a mocking expression.

"Do you have any further explanation for last night's battle?"

"Speechless, I am completely defeated by Saber."

Lancer answered respectfully with his head bowed.

"I swear on my honor as a knight that I fought with all my might last night, but even so—the tip of my spear could not touch Saber at all."

The Knight King of Britain, she is a more powerful and admirable opponent than legend has it.

I felt utterly ashamed—

But this was not because he had failed to defeat the King of Knights, but because he felt deeply ashamed of his inability to obtain the Holy Grail for his lord.

"……snort!"

Kenneth scoffed dismissively, but Diarmuid showed no resentment or bitterness what truly infuriated him.

Kenneth was well aware of just how supreme King Arthur's status as a Heroic Spirit was.

If it were Iskandar, which he had acquired before, that would be one thing, but Diarmuid alone could not possibly contend with that Knight King.

"Because you are a mediocre and incompetent Servant, I will be responsible for providing you with full support from now on."

If you still have a shred of pride as a hero, try your best to make amends for your mistakes last night.

Lancer knelt on one knee and spoke earnestly.

"Yes, my lord."

In the past, when Kenneth asked him what his wish was, he said the following.

"I don't want any Holy Grail."

Lancer does not require any compensation.

The first warrior of the Fiona Knights only wished to be loyal to the lord who summoned him and to achieve the honor of being a knight.

This is his wish in this life, and also his resentment from his previous life.

"I swear on my knightly honor that I will do whatever I can..."

"I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, will do anything to obtain the Holy Grail for you."

"In that case..."

Kenneth looked down at him with a wicked smile, raising his right hand, which was emblazoned with the Master's mark.

A deep red, eerie light illuminated the room.

"Give a command with a command spell—"

Lancer, abandon your chivalry.

……

……

"..."

Shirou silently observed the astonishing change with an expressionless face.

"Ahhhhhh! Stop... My Lord!!!"

Lancer lay sprawled on the ground, his body contorted in agony as he roared, his handsome face contorted with pain and resistance.

Command Seals have a very strong binding force on Servants, however—this can only be achieved based on "some definite action".

If you use a Command Seal to command "Come to my side", the Servant will be teleported directly to the Master's side.

However, if you use a Command Spell to say "Win the Holy Grail", the effect of the Command Spell will be very weak, only having a slight strengthening effect.

Without a doubt, "abandoning chivalry" belongs to the latter category, since the proposition of "obeying chivalrous conduct in the Holy Grail War" is too broad.

Surprisingly, this absurd command worked very well for Lancer.

For him, chivalry was no longer a concept, but had become a tangible belief.

"Lancer, if your chivalry is truly as noble as you claim, then try defying my Command Seals."