I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 15

As Kenneth lifted Euryph's trembling arm, and just as the eager Kenneth was wondering whether he should go through the pre-meal rituals, Euryph, who was coughing violently, finally spoke.

"I understand my body, unlike you young people, I'm already..."

"Get to the point! If this drags on, the readers will start cursing the author for being a flop. I really don't want to argue with you anymore! I'm in a real hurry!!"

After playing the emotional card, Euryphus finally turned his gaze away from the sunset and met Kenneth's complex gaze, which resembled a pie chart. Kenneth almost couldn't control the sadness on his face.

"Kenneth, take Sora with you. Although that boy is a bit cold, he still cares about you. With your abilities, the Holy Grail War is just child's play for you. Consider it an early honeymoon and let him see your charm. Your relationship should be able to progress further."

Good heavens, this is really good heavens! Kenneth finally understands why the original Kenneth took Sora with him to deliver the goods. It turns out you were the one who stirred up the wind!

If this were the original Kenneth, he would definitely agree. But who is Kenneth? He would avoid Sora like the plague, let alone take her along. Honestly, Kenneth would rather take Orange and watch her and Aoko argue every day than take Sora, this burden.

Kenneth's mind raced. He first showed a hint of interest, then fixed his resolute eyes on Euryphus.

"Teacher, what you said makes a lot of sense. I also considered this idea at first, but after careful consideration, I decided to reject it."

Before Lord Euryphus could speak, Kenneth interjected:

"I am confident in my abilities, but this is, after all, a war. War means unpredictability. I cannot accept even the slightest injury to Sora. Rather than taking Sora into unknown danger, I would rather give up this opportunity and return victorious. I will stand before her with honor and dignity!"

"But…"

"Teacher, there's no 'but.' My love for Sora doesn't allow me to do this. Please forgive my stubbornness!"

With a 'whoosh,' Kenneth bowed deeply, giving Lord Euryphus no chance to refuse. Seeing that Kenneth had made his position clear, Euryphus's mouth twitched a few times.

After a long while, seeing that Kenneth still refused to look up, Lord Euryphus felt that all his previous words had been in vain.

"Forget it, as long as his attitude towards Sora hasn't changed, it doesn't matter whether Sora goes or not."

Having thought all this through, Euryphus adjusted his emotions, and a hint of melancholy crept into his voice.

"Is that what you think? As expected, old people tend to worry too much. Since you've already made up your mind, I won't force you. You young people think differently from us. Go ahead and do it. I'll be waiting for you to come back at the Clock Tower!"

"I understand, teacher. You must hold on until I come back!!"

For some reason, Euryphus felt that Kenneth's words had a hidden meaning, but seeing Kenneth's sincere eyes, Euryphus dispelled his misconception.

"Well, it's getting late, let's head back early. Although it's just a small ceremony, you must take it seriously and show those country bumpkins the authority of the orthodox magic world!"

"Lord, I've brought what you requested."

Just then, Roy's voice came from outside the door, and he looked at Kenneth with a puzzled expression. Euryphus was also confused for a moment.

"Teacher, I arranged for Roy to come. The El-Melloi family has some good potions; please accept them."

"Since you're so kind, I'll accept it. Prepare well and don't embarrass the Clock Tower."

"Okay, then I'm leaving now, teacher. Please wait for me to come back!"

Kenneth finally left the Spellcasting Department, looking back every few steps. Shortly after Kenneth left, Lord Euryphus stood up with renewed vigor. Looking at the potion left behind by Kenneth, Euryphus put aside his unease.

"It seems I was overthinking it. Has he just been too busy lately?"

Although Kenneth had always followed Director Ken's lifestyle when he was out, he still subconsciously distanced himself from Sora, which led Lord Euphoria to have some suspicions. After today's probing and considering Kenneth's behavior over the past few days, Lord Euphoria completely put aside his unease.

Similarly, given the current special circumstances, Kenneth doesn't want to turn against others at this time. He's already doing well fighting the Holy Grail War on his own, and if someone else were to sabotage him, Kenneth might really need to consider choosing a better location.

It wasn't until he returned to the El-Melloi family home that Kenneth shed his sorrowful expression. Touching his receding hairline, Kenneth truly didn't want to deal with these old foxes who only knew how to fight amongst themselves.

"What's wrong? You come back with a long face. Who owes you money?"

With an apple dangling from her lips, Aozaki Touko idly sat down opposite Kenneth.

"It's nothing. I spent the whole afternoon arguing with an old fox. It was a bit mentally taxing."

"Hmm? That guy from the Spirit Summoning Department?"

Aozaki Touko was also familiar with El-Melloi's social circle; the only person Kenneth could rack his brains to deal with was Lord Euphoria.

"That's right, once I return from the Holy Grail War, I will definitely find a way to annul my engagement with Euryph. He's just a burden; I wouldn't even take him for free!!"

"Is that so? I thought you were as loyal to Miss Sora as ever? No, Lydia, you didn't plan this all along, did you?!"

Kenneth picked up an apple from the table, took a bite, and waved it off indifferently.

"Why use such harsh language? What do you mean by 'planning'? Let me ask you a question: if you were a man, would you choose Sora or Lydia?"

"Lydel!"

Without even thinking, Aozaki Touko gave an answer at lightning speed.

"That settles it. If you were in my shoes, you would have done the same thing."

"No, how come they're the same? You weren't like this before..."

Kenneth raised an eyebrow and said disdainfully:

"Just think of me as someone who lost their mind before, but now my IQ has returned, I've come to terms with things, and I don't want to be a simp anymore."

"It's really unbelievable. If it weren't impossible, I would really suspect that you've been possessed by someone else."

'puff!!!'

At this moment, Kenneth completely lost his composure. Noticing Kenneth's gaze, Aozaki Touko was stunned for a moment, taking it as if her words had shocked Kenneth.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Summoning

As night fell, in Kenneth's magic workshop, inside an open wooden cabinet, lay a still-breathing corpse.

"So this is the guy? What a filthy body, brimming with resentment."

"That's right, this guy is the serial killer who's been making headlines over there. I never expected that the last Master would be him. Luckily, I caught him. We can't let him go to waste."

Faced with Kenneth's explanation, Aozaki Touko curled her lip in disdain. She still remembered that Kenneth had been researching the technology of one person summoning two Servants with her more than half a year in advance. Aozaki Touko would rather believe that the Clock Tower would go bankrupt than believe Kenneth's nonsense.

Since Kenneth was unwilling to explain, Aozaki Touko wouldn't inquire either. Magicians are inherently associated with secrets, especially a monarch like Kenneth who stands at the pinnacle. Aozaki Touko was just a lowly employee, and even if the two had a good personal relationship, she couldn't touch upon those secret things.

"Time's almost up. Let's check: Relics, normal; Mana fluctuations, normal; Summoning circle, normal; Connection between body and consciousness, normal; Mana core, normal..."

Turning his head, Kenneth looked at Aozaki Touko standing beside him with a serious expression.

"Time is almost up, I'll leave the rest to you, Orange."

Nodding to Kenneth, stubbing out her cigarette, and without saying a word, Aozaki Touko bent down to adjust the spell the two of them had been designing over the past six months.

"The ritual is fine. Go ahead and summon it. We'll only know if it succeeds or not after the second summon."

Taking a deep breath, Kenneth removed his leather gloves, revealing the scarlet Command Seal on the back of his hand.

"Three, two, one, time's up."

[Be full, be full, be full...]

[The cycle repeats itself, and then five.]

……

The command spell glowed red, and the blue-green magic power swirled into the magic circle beneath his feet. Feeling the magic power within his body being rapidly stripped away, Kenneth adjusted his breathing and calmly began to recite the next incantation.

【You are adorned with the seven heavens of the three great incantations, and come from the wheel of self-restraint.】

[Guardian of Libra!!]

A storm of magic engulfed the magic workshop located below, and the rising air currents made Kenneth's coat flutter. Illusory figures emerged from the smoke, and the magic furnace used for summoning began to spin rapidly. Noticing that bright golden light, Kenneth's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally at ease.

"Servant, Lancer! My true name is Karna. Nice to meet you."

"Please guide me. My life and my future are in your hands from now on, Karna."

Karna looked at this Master he had never met before with a look of confusion in his eyes, but then, realizing the sincerity in Kenneth's words, Karna stepped out of the magic circle.

"Is that so? Since you have such expectations, I must respond. Let us make a promise here: as long as I have a breath left, I will protect you."

Karna, clad in golden armor, stood quietly behind Kenneth after making a solemn promise. Seeing the obedient Karna, Kenneth was moved to tears. With Karna by his side, Kenneth felt more confident. He gestured to Aozaki Touko and once again stood before the summoning circle.

When Kenneth took off his left glove, Karna, who was standing behind him, also showed a hint of surprise. But as a loyal Servant, once Karna had made up his mind about Kenneth, he would naturally trust him without reservation.

Kenneth carefully put away the relic that summoned Karna, and with a troubled heart, placed the Infiltrated Gold on the altar.

"Karna, for the sake of the upcoming Holy Grail War, I'll call you Lancer, is that alright?"

"No problem, Master."

"Well, then I'll leave the rest to you, Lancer. Our new partner might have a bit of a temper."

Karna drew his divine spear and silently stood beside Kenneth, closing his eyes. Kenneth once again adjusted his magical energy fluctuations.

Sensing that Kenneth's magic power was rising, Aozaki Touko also activated the spell they had designed. The next moment, Kenneth felt his own existence become confused with that of Uryu Ryunosuke, who was paralyzed on the other side.

In fact, Kenneth had initially considered having someone else summon and then transplant the Command Seals, but considering the impact of different people on the summoning target and the compatibility issues with the same Servant, Kenneth decided to try summoning a second time himself. Putting everything else aside, for the sake of his own life, even if the chance of someone else getting a gacha pull was less than one percent, Kenneth didn't dare to gamble.

[Be full, be full, be full...]

[The cycle repeats itself, and then five.]

The familiar incantation rang out once again, but this time the one reciting it was Ryunosuke Uryu. Kenneth's Command Seal on the back of his left hand gradually glowed red. Realizing that the spell he and Aozaki Touko had prepared was effective, Kenneth did not let his guard down and looked warily ahead at the rising white mist.

The Command Seals flowed like blood on the back of Kenneth's hand, and a storm of magic gathered once more, slowly revealing a tall, ethereal figure within the magic circle.

Before Kenneth could speak, the phantom seemed to sense something, and from a great distance, a gaze suddenly fell upon the small workshop.

Finally, when that gaze focused on the golden blade at the center of the magic circle, a murderous intent suddenly locked onto Kenneth, who was still maintaining the ritual, and a curse swept across time and space, engulfing Kenneth.

Sensing something amiss, Karna's spear burst into flames, and he instantly shielded Kenneth from the curse. Meeting the cold gaze within the array, Kenneth, while maintaining the connection established by the Infiltrated Gold, spoke:

“Morgan, your ritual is doomed to fail. Now a better path lies before you. Feel carefully where the scabbard Avalon is. What you desire is there. If you can see it, then answer my call. This is your only chance. I think we can have a good talk.”

Faced with Kenneth's explanation, the phantom in the array paused for a moment, and then the gaze that had been focused on the workshop disappeared. Not long after, under Kenneth's gaze, the phantom in the array trembled violently. Before Kenneth could control Ryunosuke Uryu to chant the incantation again, the magic circle drawn with mercury flashed a dazzling blue light, and white smoke dispersed. The phantom in the array solidified completely in the next moment.

Inside the magic workshop, the magic core that Kenneth had prepared for the summoning began to operate at high speed due to the consumption of the two Servants. Amidst the trembling sound of the core's operation, the white smoke dissipated, and a tall figure with pale golden hair, the Takeuchi face inherited from the Pendragon family, and a long dress interwoven with blue and black, appeared before Kenneth's eyes, her face hidden under a black veil.

Gazing at the figure before him that bore a striking resemblance to Gunslinger, Kenneth realized he had made the right bet.

Chapter Thirty-Nine Morgan

The thin veil rippled slightly under the emanating magic, and Morgan's blue eyes narrowed as she gazed at the man standing opposite her. Morgan's emotionless voice echoed in the silent basement.

Give me a reason to convince me.

A cold voice echoed in his ears. Sensing the murderous intent in the tone, Kenneth stepped out from behind Karna. He first gave the little sun a reassuring look before turning his attention to the triune witch.

Morgan le Fay represents the power of the island, Vivian represents the evil face of the lake fairy, Morrigan represents the corner of death, and the queen is jokingly referred to by many netizens as having one foot kicked into the round table.

P.S.: As a newbie, I haven't followed the old Sherlock Holmes's description of Vivian the Lady of the Lake, King Arthur's sister, or the Fairy Queen. Please forgive me, and I'll strengthen the character of the Queen.

"Your ritual is doomed to fail. Do you know why I say that? I think you know that person better than I do. Given that person's personality, she will most likely refuse to possess another person's body for resurrection. Moreover, no matter how similar the consciousness extracted from the Golden Blade is, it is not her. What you resurrected is just a substitute."

The air pressure grew heavier, and Kenneth exhaled, focusing all his attention on the figure where black and blue intersected.

“I think you know where the real her is. The real her descended during this war, which is why I said this is your only chance. However, the Holy Grail has been corrupted. If you want to snatch her back from those two, cooperation is the most effective way.”

“I want to enter the Holy Grail, and you want a living King Arthur. All of this is based on the premise that the Holy Grail is clean, or at least clean enough for me to bear. Although our goals are different, the path to achieving them is the same. So, what are your thoughts, Caster?”

A blue light shone from beneath the black veil. Morgan fixed her unwavering gaze on Kenneth and quietly sized up the magician before her.

"you know me well?"

"No, I'm just saying what I know. That's all I have to offer. I'm just an ordinary person. All I want is to survive. To survive, I have to give my all for every straw."

Morgan narrowed his deep blue eyes, and after a long while, he leaned down and picked up the dagger from the altar.

"your name?"

Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald.

"Oh, you trust me that much? Do you know what it means to tell your name to a witch?"

Ignoring Morgan's suddenly cool words, Kenneth put his glove back on his left hand and looked fearlessly at Morgan, who had his hands clasped in front of him.

"It's not a matter of trust. We're both adults, and our interests are what we should be considering. As I've said before, I've laid out all my bargaining chips. That's my sincerity. Whether you're willing to accept my chips or not is beyond my control."

"Is that so? But don't forget, I'm a witch, and witches are emotional beings!!"

His pupils were filled with golden light, and an inexplicable magical power instantly enveloped Kenneth. Looking at Karna, who was protecting him, Kenneth patted Karna's shoulder and stood in front of Karna once again.

"You're right, but I also know that your feelings for her far exceed my expectations. Doesn't your willingness to show up here prove this? So, are you going to accept my offer?"

Despite the growing pressure, Kenneth remained unmoved as he stared at Morgan across from him.

"Really? The Holy Grail, that disgusting thing, and you, what an interesting magician. My name is Morgan, and you'd better not disappoint me!!"

The contract was established, and the magic furnace used to maintain the Servant's normal actions emitted a trembling sound from overload. Realizing that he had made the right bet, Kenneth felt a little relieved.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Morgan."

Without answering Kenneth's greeting, Morgan, clad in a form-fitting black dress, vanished from the workshop in the blink of an eye. Sensing that Morgan's presence hadn't gone far, Kenneth then turned to Orange, who was poised to pounce.