Chapter 45: The Agreement
"The Holy Grail?"
Hikigaya was genuinely surprised after learning from Alexander what it was he sought.
"Does such a thing truly exist?" he asked.
"Indeed. I wish to know its secrets," Alexander replied.
Hikigaya cooperatively expressed his astonishment. In truth, he was slightly taken aback; after all, the Holy Grail was far too famous.
The stories of the quest for the Grail were even more legendary than the object itself, with the Arthurian legends being the definitive representation. Since the Middle Ages, the Arthurian cycle has captivated the Western world. Countless knightly adventures and popular ethical dramas provided ample entertainment material, while the Round Table's quest for the Holy Grail infused the legend with religious sentiment.
Personally, Hikigaya was more interested in those "ethical dramas."
"I've heard the Holy Grail is a mirror reflecting the good and evil in human hearts, and that the quest is filled with trials from God." Hikigaya clinked glasses with Alexander, a mischievous smirk appearing on his face.
"I suspect we wouldn't pass God's tests. It's hard to imagine someone like Job being one of our kind."
"True. If we possessed devout faith, we wouldn't exist," Alexander laughed heartily.
"So, those stories were specifically written to manifest the greatness of God. In reality, it is merely a thaumaturgical artifact."
"Actually, I've never quite understood how Job could remain so devoted to God, even when God allowed Satan to torture him. In my hometown, such a deity would have been forsaken long ago," Hikigaya remarked. "I actually quite like Satan. Though he acts somewhat petty, he at least thinks from a human perspective—questioning whether Job's piety is truly selfless or merely born of long-term interest and fear of God."
He raised his glass and smiled. "A toast to the clever Demon King."
Alexander laughed as well, raising his own glass.
"A toast to the 'faithful servants of God.' How ridiculous that some fools call us Demon Kings."
The two shared a loud laugh.
After chatting for a while, Alexander extended the invitation to Hikigaya once more. This time, Hikigaya didn't deflect the topic; he considered it for a moment and agreed.
"This sounds genuinely interesting. Count me in," he said.
"Fantastic. Actually, I personally love exploring ancient ruins. Do you have an interest in that as well?" Encouraged, the delighted Alexander immediately proposed a second round of invitations.
"I heard you established a specific organization?" Hikigaya asked. "Are they your partners in this field? Speaking of which, what kind of places do you like to visit?"
"Many. For instance, ruins of civilizations recorded to have been destroyed in ancient times—I believe many more remain undiscovered. Additionally, the tombs of ancient emperors are very interesting; if luck is on our side, we can find some excellent things."
Alexander spoke with great enthusiasm.
Clearly, this was a professional tomb-robbing syndicate...
Hikigaya couldn't help but feel sorry for the ancient wealthy elites for a split second.
Then, he heard Alexander ask:
"I heard the Nine Gods Group is now under your command?"
"Essentially, yes."
"In truth, the land of Egypt has still not been fully excavated. Because so much time has passed, too many places were either never recorded or their surface structures no longer exist. However, the Nine Gods Group should have records on this. May I borrow that power?"
Hikigaya: "..."
Being too famous really isn't a good thing. Even if descendants dig for a century or two, they will still feel you're worth digging up. As for having been dead for thousands of years... isn't it because you've been dead that long that people want to dig to their heart's content?
One can only say it's common knowledge that the Ancient Egyptians were "infrastructure maniacs" of the pre-Biblical era; convincing people that their treasures could ever be fully unearthed is quite difficult.
"I can certainly ask about that," Hikigaya said. "However, taking everything unearthed away is definitely out of the question. After all, those are the belongings of their ancestors."
They were his subordinates, after all, and Hikigaya wanted to utilize Alexander's professional tomb-robbing techniques to secure some benefits for the Nine Gods Group. As for whether excavating ancient Egyptian ruins would hurt the group—not at all. Due to the severe loss of magical inheritance, the Egyptians themselves are the ones who love digging up their ancestors the most. They simply lack the specialized talent and have no way to reach the treasures buried deep in the earth.
Taking the items away—that would be the real injury.
"Don't worry. I'm only interested in specific items. For magicians, those things are difficult to use anyway. Besides, I'm only 'borrowing' them; I'll return them once I'm done." Seeing Hikigaya agree so readily, Alexander understood the sentiment and pounded his chest in guarantee.
Dealing with relationships between people is sometimes just this simple.
Hikigaya never quite understood why the mainstream view in magical society considered Campiones to be capricious lunatics—summarized as "Demon Kings." Whether it was Annie or the current Black Prince, in Hikigaya's eyes, they were perfectly normal as human beings.
Doni was just a martial arts nut; though Hikigaya often called him a buffoon, they could communicate fine once they found common ground.
Even Voban and Luo Hao... wait, sorry, let's just say Voban. Why couldn't one talk to him normally?
Hikigaya believed the key issue lay with the leaders of those long-established magical associations. They were used to an abnormal way of communication where they placed themselves right after Heaven and Earth; when they met a Campione who didn't buy into their act, they labeled them a "Demon King."
They made it sound like the Campiones were the only abnormal people in the world. Is this some kind of kindergarten logic!? Hikigaya thought to himself that the next time he heard someone call him a Demon King, he'd actually show up at their door and show them what a "demon" looks like.
The two chatted for a while longer and drank to their hearts' content. Finally, they bid farewell to Kara, walked out of the bar, and returned to the alley.
"Let's call it a day." Hikigaya shook hands with Alexander again, indicating it was time to head home. If he didn't check Komachi's homework every day, she would definitely slack off.
"I'm truly sorry about what happened earlier. I'll make sure to teach those people a lesson later." Alexander was clearly very happy from the drinking; though he was usually sophisticated, a distinct killing intent surfaced when he mentioned the incident.
"It was actually quite fine. Having people specifically show up to get their faces slapped is the treatment of a web novel protagonist," Hikigaya consoled him kindly.
"Why bother arguing with people like that? Just send a bolt of lightning their way and everything is settled."
"True. I think I understand your feelings a bit now." Alexander nodded.
"There's simply no way to communicate with idiots."
"Well then, call me if anything comes up. I'm living in Tokyo now; my sister is going to school there."
"Alright. Let's stay in touch."
After a proper farewell, Alexander vanished in a flash of lightning.
In the next moment, another burst of electricity flickered in the alley, and Hikigaya returned to Tokyo.
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