Type-Moon: Shinji Matou Also Wants to Be the Protagonist

“I am no longer the Master of Casters. I have come to find you, Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald!”

Chapter 33: The Deal

Kenneth's cloudy eyes darted around, trying to focus on Shinji's face.

That excessively young face made his pupils contract sharply. Had he really fallen to such a young opponent?

"Not a Caster's Master?"

He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace than a cry.

"The Holy Grail War has only progressed this far, and you've already lost your Servant? How... pathetic."

"Likewise, Mr. Kenneth."

Shinji didn't take it to heart; he wouldn't stoop to the level of a disabled person.

Moreover, it's hard to say whether Kenneth's "pathetic" refers specifically to Shinji or himself.

He walked to the foot of the bed, preparing to raise the half of the bed where Kenneth's upper body was.

The slightly rusty screw started turning, its grating sound echoing through the empty underground space.

"However, considering we're both going to become Servants, I'm probably in a slightly better position than you."

After adjusting Kenneth's sitting angle, Shinji dusted off his hands.

Kenneth's pupils suddenly contracted.

"you--"

He tried to prop himself up, but he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger, and could only stare at Shinji in vain.

"Are you trying to humiliate me? When I'm at my lowest point?"

“If I wanted to humiliate you, I would bring your students with me. You should know which students they are.”

Shinji pulled a chair from the corner, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound.

Kenneth's face contorted. When he saw the Conqueror soaring through the sky at the dock, he realized that Waver Velvet, the "good student" who stole his relic, was also on the battlefield.

There was no opportunity for a dialogue at the time; otherwise, given his personality, he would have certainly ridiculed Weber relentlessly.

However, his situation is different now. As a loser, bringing up this student again would only humiliate him.

"...What exactly do you want?"

“I’m here to make a deal, Mr. Kenneth.”

Sitting in the chair, Shinji looked directly into Kenneth's eyes.

“A transaction requires both parties to be on relatively equal footing, which is why I waited until now—until Miss Sorawu left, until you fully realized your situation.”

Kenneth's breathing became heavy again.

Solau's name was like a thorn, piercing his already shattered pride.

"What transaction?"

He finally managed to squeeze out those words, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper was being rubbed.

"Your knowledge! Spirit consecration, mineral science, magical engineering, magical costumes—I want everything you know!"

When he said these words, Shinji's tone was as calm as if he were stating the weather.

But this sent a chill down Kenneth's spine; the greed in the child's eyes was undisguised.

"You're crazy."

Kenneth twitched the corners of his mouth, trying to regain a semblance of monarchical authority.

"Why don't you ask for the magic crest on my body!"

Magical markings are the core medium passed down through generations of magician families. They contain all the magical achievements of a magician family from the first generation to the present, and are the most important thing in a magician family.

All of Shinji's requests can be fulfilled through the Magic Crest.

However, we must mention the characteristics of magic markings here.

"Putting aside whether I have El-Melloi blood, your magic crest is already shattered into pieces. What use is it to me?"

Compared to objects, magic imprints are more like living organs, and each inheritance is like performing an organ transplant.

The magical imprint of a family, through generations of interaction and refinement among family members, has become an integral part of the family's bloodline.

Almost every transplanted organ from an outsider dies.

Furthermore, the properties of Magic Marks and Magic Circuits are very similar, so this thing is also within the special attack range of [Origin Bullet].

Upon hearing Shinji's words, Kenneth gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

Shinji's words hit Kenneth's sore spot perfectly.

Kenneth's failure was not only his personal failure, but also the downfall of the El-Melloi family's millennia-long legacy.

But he was still unwilling to give up and tried to struggle.

"The Mage's Association will not allow such a transaction; the El-Melloi family line—"

"The El-Melloi family line is over."

Shinji forcefully interrupted Kenneth's stubborn words, shattering his last illusion.

"When you became like this, there was no hope left."

"Leaving aside the internal strife within the Clock Tower, how much of the El-Melloi family's magical crest is left? Without the foundation within the magical crest, what will the El-Melloi family rely on to maintain its existence?"

The harsh reality seemed to break Kenneth's spine, causing his body to go limp and his eyes to lose their luster.

Shinji didn't actually need to say these things; he could figure them out himself.

He just kept burying his head in the sand, pretending he didn't know.

Now, he has to face these problems.

After a long silence, Kenneth finally turned his head and looked at Shinji beside the hospital bed.

His voice was much calmer, and his eyes regained their sharpness, as if the genius Lord Kenneth had returned.

What can I get in return?

"A chance for revenge."

Shinji stretched out his hand, and a scarlet Command Seal quietly rested on the back of his hand.

This is Shinji's last Command Seal, and also a proof of his Master's identity.

However, Kenneth refused the offer made by Shinji outright.

"not enough!"

"Then I'll help you repair the magic mark."

Shinji offered a second price.

The principle behind creating a magic crest is to embed the remains of a fantasy species or a powerful fragment of a magical artifact into the body.

Through generations of struggle against rejection, it was eventually integrated into the family bloodline.

This process does involve some technical overlap with the creation of Imperial Arms.

With this in mind, Shinji was confident he could perform the work of a tuner, or even a restorer.

Incidentally, the tuner can adjust the status of another person's magic mark to achieve an amplification effect.

A restorer, as the name suggests, is someone who can restore a magic mark.

Both of these abilities are extremely rare in the Clock Tower.

"It's still not enough!"

But Kenneth was still not satisfied, and Shinji was at a loss; he couldn't possibly quote any price.

Shinji adopted the transaction method simply to leverage Kenneth's initiative, extract more resources, and at the same time, try to get Kenneth to hand over the goods willingly.

If they use force, Shinji would have to conduct technical verification after obtaining the items to avoid any problems with the data, which would be too troublesome.

He simply handed the initiative to Kenneth, but if he dared to make exorbitant demands, Shinji would really have to consider using force.

"Then what do you want?"

Kenneth laughed, his eyes fixed on Shinji, and said:

"I want you to join Elmero!"

Chapter 34: Contractual Documents

Shinji paused for a moment, then gave a strange look.

"Join Elmero?"

He repeated the request, as if to make sure he hadn't misheard.

"Don't worry, I don't need you to clean up my mess."

Kenneth interrupted him, his voice weak but strangely calm.

"El-Melloi is finished, the Magic Crest is destroyed, and I can't hold onto my monarchy in the Clock Tower. I know all of this."

He struggled to raise one hand and pointed at Shinji.

"But El-Melloi isn't finished yet. As long as there are people who inherit this name and carry on those achievements, El-Melloi will continue to exist."

Shinji fell silent; he hadn't expected Kenneth to make such a demand.

This is not about seeking personal gain, but about finding a way out for the family.

In making this choice, Kenneth still retained a trace of monarchical demeanor.

Although Shinji, who knew the future, believed that El-Melloi would experience a series of ups and downs later on.

But under El-Melloi II's leadership, they eventually returned to their peak, and Shinji no longer needed to interfere.

Moreover, the future famous El-Melloi II is already Shinji's teacher.

If you look at it that way, it seems he's already destined to be a member of El-Melloi's faction.

However, it seems that this kind of joining is not what Kenneth wants.

What do you want me to do?

"In El-Melloi's name, take everything from me."

A certain obsession burned in Kenneth's eyes.

"Not as a disciple, not as a collaborator, but as a member of El-Melloi."

"You can keep your original surname, but you must add the name El-Melloi, and you must claim to be a branch of El-Melloi."

Shinji had a bit of a toothache; was this some kind of trouble-making scheme to find him another ancestor? Kenneth tentatively asked:

"What if the El-Melloi family can weather this crisis without my help at all?"

Upon hearing Shinji's words, Kenneth's face revealed a mocking smile.

He knew all the branches of El-Melloi, and there was no one who could take on the main responsibility.

However, he didn't rule out any possibility, perhaps he also hoped that a powerful figure would emerge from the El-Melloi bloodline.

"If that's really the case, that would be even better, but the Archibald family bloodline will end with me. At the very least, Archibald's magical research achievements must be passed down."

By the end, Kenneth could no longer hide the bitterness on his face.

He was the only Archibald in his generation, and he had not yet had the chance to have an heir.

Even if someone else inherits the position of head of the El-Melloi family later, it will have nothing to do with Archibald's lineage.

Shinji did not answer immediately; he was weighing the pros and cons.

Joining El-Melloi means gaining a prestigious title, but it also means inheriting El-Melloi's grudges.

Political struggles within the Clock Tower, the covetousness of other families, and scrutiny from the Magic Association will all follow.

But the benefits are also obvious.

El-Melloi, at least, represents Archibald's network of contacts, books, and workshops accumulated over a century.

Shinji can rightfully claim all the things that would have disappeared with Kenneth's death.