Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 84: Tragedy of Kenneth

Regarding the matter of the master and disciple, Justeaze calmly withdrew her hand, her composed actions reflecting her utmost confidence.

"I have temporarily stabilized his magic circuits and magic inscriptions, preventing further deterioration. The next step is to reconstruct his magical circuits based on the residual information in his body. According to my current prana and the magical energy that Shinji can generate, it will take approximately a week to reconstruct a magical circuit. Kenneth El-Melloi possesses forty-five primary circuits and twenty-seven auxiliary circuits. Taking into account the time needed for observation, calculation, and experimentation, it will require at least two years."

"Two years, huh." Shinji rubbed his chin, his gaze shifting between Justeaze and Kenneth, seemingly calculating something. "It sounds quite troublesome. Lady Justeaze, do you think we should treat him or not?"

If it were the old Justeaze, she would have answered, "Either option is fine, it's up to Shinji to decide."

But now, in the present where she was becoming more like an individual, where Shinji and Scáthach told her to decide things for herself, she tried to think and judge.

"Shinji, will curing him be beneficial to us?"

"Well, let's see... It would be beneficial to me and the Matou family, but it doesn't have a direct connection to your wish. What I'm interested in is his knowledge, as well as the connections and influence he possesses as the Lord of the Clock Tower. In the long run, it could lead to greater development for the Matou family, but that would take five years, ten years, or even longer. Whether this development can help purify the Holy Grail, I can't guarantee."

Shinji's answer was unbiased, simply providing basic analysis along with the truth. But for Justeaze, it was enough.

"If it's beneficial to you, then it's beneficial to me. Our fates are intertwined, and I will design a suitable treatment plan as soon as possible."

Justeaze's decision touched Shinji, and ever since their chance encounter, she had silently been helping him. He might not express this bond, but it would be engraved in his heart for a lifetime.

"I'm counting on you, but there's no need to rush. The most important thing now is the Holy Grail War. We can address the treatment after the war is over."

"Understood. Then I--"

Justeaze nodded gently, about to say something more, but was interrupted by Scáthach.

"Lancer and that woman have returned."

Shinji and Justeaze exchanged a glance, and then Shinji pulled his cloak, activating its concealment effect, completely masking his presence and form.

At the same time, Scáthach and Justeaze also dematerialized and used rune symbols to erase any traces.

A few minutes later, Sola, with her short red hair, entered the workshop. She casually placed the plastic bag she was holding on the bedside table and took out a towel from it. She wet it with water and began to wipe Kenneth's body.

As she looked into the eyes of her fiancé, there was mockery, sympathy, ridicule, and relief, but there was no pain or tenderness that a wife would have when looking at her husband. Although her wiping actions seemed careful, there was a sense of perfunctoriness in the details, as if she was doing it for someone else's sake.

Whether it was because her movements were too heavy or because of Justeaze's previous magecraft, Kenneth woke up from his unconscious state.

"Where am I?"

"It seems you've awakened."

The voice of his fiancée brought Kenneth back to full consciousness. He instinctively struggled to sit up but realized that he was tightly bound by belts around his chest and waist, unable to move.

"Sola? What is this... How did I end up here?"

As if she didn't see Kenneth's struggle, Sola just calmly responded with a question.

"Don't you remember what happened?"

That sentence seemed like a switch, gradually reviving the memories before he lost consciousness.

"I... I was hit... I used the Volumen Hydrargyrum to defend... but..."

But the memory was interrupted there, only sensing a sharp pain. When he woke up, he found himself lying here.

"What happened to my body?"

"Your magic circuits throughout your body show signs of being out of control. It's a miracle that you didn't die on the spot. I only had time to regenerate your organs and some nerves. Even if you gradually recover in the future, I don't know if you'll be able to walk. And..."

Sola's words made Kenneth feel despair closing in on him.

Self-inflicted injuries caused by a magical energy runaway were the desperate situation that every magi faced. Although Kenneth had always believed that he would never make such a low-level mistake, he knew exactly what this meant.

"And... your magic circuits have been destroyed. You won't be able to use magecraft anymore."

"I... I..."

The man once hailed as a "prodigy," bearing the name of "Lord El-Melloi," shed tears.

He couldn't understand how he ended up in this situation when the whole world was supposed to be blessing him. His genius was supposed to guarantee him an unlimited future and glory.

Everything that Kenneth had believed in was mercilessly crushed, shattering before him. Faced with this heartless reality and an incomprehensible situation, all he could do was cry in cowardice. He was now like a child who had just experienced the meaning of fear.

And this is exactly what Shinji wanted to see. If Kenneth is not brought down to the dust, he will never appreciate the preciousness of the sky. Once he experiences enough loss and fear in the dust, he will desperately grasp onto any lifeline, even if it is tainted with poison.

Therefore, now is not the best time to give Kenneth hope because he has not yet lost his last shred of hope.

"Don't cry, Kenneth. It's too early to give up now."

Sola whispered in a comforting tone while gently caressing his cheek. Her tenderness towards her fiancé would only appear when he needed it, even if it was deliberately feigned tenderness.

"The Holy Grail War is still ongoing, and we have not been defeated yet. If the Holy Grail is truly an all-powerful wish-granting machine, restoring your body to its original state shouldn't be a difficult task."

"...Sola?" Unconsciously, Kenneth's tears stopped.

"Kenneth, you truly are a genius. By adding your design on top of the original contract system, separating the supply of magical energy from the Command Spell authority. You possess the Command Spells, and I, like another Master, provide magical energy to Lancer. As long as I, the source of magical energy supply, am still here, Lancer will continue to abide by our contract. All we need to do is win, obtain the Holy Grail with the most victories, and everything will be restored."

Sola's words gave Kenneth great encouragement and hope.

Kenneth deeply loves his fiancée, and for him, the motivation she gives him is more powerful than anything else, giving him courage.

But... why is there an indescribable uneasiness passing through his chest like the wind at this moment? Is it because Sola saw Kenneth's doubts? Sola smiled like a gentle mother and held his right wrist. His hand couldn't move, and there were still two Command Spells on the back of his hand.

"So, Kenneth... transfer these Command Spells to me. I will replace you as Lancer's Master, all for the sake of bringing the Holy Grail to you."