Lancer gritted his teeth at the sight. "What a contemptible man!"
"If an ordinary person were to step within that area, they would undoubtedly die, whether from the poison gas or the explosion!" A dangerous glint flashed in Ryōgi Raku's eyes.
Even if he were to enter unprepared, the damage wouldn't be as severe as one might imagine, but he would certainly be left in a sorry state.
Poisonous gases saturated the land. Unable to wait for them to dissipate naturally, Ryōgi Raku ignited high-temperature flames to gradually disperse them!
As the poisonous fog cleared, what appeared before his eyes was a scene resembling the aftermath of a battlefield. The scorch marks from Ryōgi Raku's own flames and the destruction caused by the explosion stood out starkly in this primitive jungle!
"The amount used was truly enormous... Emiya Kiritsugu must hold me in high regard!" Ryōgi Raku remarked displeasedly as he surveyed the scene.
"Emiya Kiritsugu?" Lancer was puzzled by the sudden mention of this unfamiliar name.
"Yes, he is Saber's true Master!" Ryōgi Raku explained to his Servant.
"What?! Saber's true Master!" Lancer exclaimed in surprise, "...Could it be that the lady is merely a proxy Master?"
Ryōgi Raku nodded in confirmation, "That's right. Irisviel is only Saber's acting Master, and Emiya Kiritsugu is the real one. He has Irisviel appear in public to lower people's guard, while he hides in the shadows hunting other Masters. That's his strategy, isn't it?"
Lancer had no doubt about Ryōgi Raku's words. His Master was sometimes so formidable that he could obtain vast amounts of information without even leaving his home!
"...But I never expected Saber's Master to be such a despicable villain! Saber must have a hard time having such a Master!" Lancer frowned, looking down on Emiya Kiritsugu.
"Indeed, Emiya Kiritsugu is that kind of man!" However, Ryōgi Raku secretly thought to himself, 'If I hadn't killed Kayneth, I'm afraid you, Lancer, would be even worse off than Saber, right? That's the true embodiment of E-rank Luck!' Of course, he couldn't say this out loud. After all, it hadn't happened, right?
Lancer also felt a sense of relief. "...It's fortunate that I was summoned by Lord Ryōgi! To be able to serve under such a wise lord now! No matter what, this Holy Grail War is truly my greatest fortune!"
Although Ryōgi Raku was very brave and fearless in such situations, if he didn't retaliate against Emiya Kiritsugu's provocation, he would seem utterly incompetent!
"But I won't kill you, Emiya Kiritsugu! Only when you discover the true nature of the Holy Grail and realize that everything you've done is wrong and sinful, when your heart breaks and your faith collapses—that kind of pain will be the best punishment for you!"
However, revenge was still necessary, so Ryōgi Raku also decided on his next course of action...
"Alright, Lancer, let's not let these matters ruin our good mood. Let's go! As for Emiya Kiritsugu, I've already thought of how to deal with him. I'm afraid you'll have to face Saber in battle again then!"
"...Do not worry, my lord! I will surely defeat her and bring you victory!" Lancer excitedly promised upon hearing that there would be another chance to fight Saber.
"Words are meaningless. Let's see how you perform then, Lancer!" Continuing to walk slowly, Ryōgi Raku didn't hold much hope for Lancer's victory. As long as Saber unleashed her Noble Phantasm, Lancer would have no fighting chance. However, because Saber was struck by the curse of Gáe Buidhe, she couldn't use her Noble Phantasm, so the two of them were on roughly equal footing.
"The evil of this world... you'll see it when the time comes!" However, Ryōgi Raku wasn't very confident about facing that thing...
…
The afternoon in Fuyuki City was quite leisurely. Unlike the fast-paced life of a metropolis, Ryōgi sat in a secluded little restaurant, drinking hot tea and ordering some snacks. Since there weren't many people around, the mature demeanor of a young man didn't strike anyone as odd...
Lancer was still in spiritual form, while Ryōgi Raku gazed outside boredly, feeling somewhat drowsy.
"It's so boring. I might as well have stayed home!" There were no interesting games in this era, and household items weren't his favorite type of entertainment. Thus, the pastimes that helped him kill time in his previous life were useless in this one!
Suddenly, Ryōgi Raku spotted two people. He immediately laughed happily and waved through the window. The two people outside clearly saw him and were also quite surprised...
After a brief argument with the burly man beside him, the young man was dragged directly into the small restaurant...
The newcomers were none other than Rider and his Master, Waver Velvet...
It seemed Waver didn't want to come in, but he couldn't resist Rider and was dragged in anyway!
"Hahaha! I never expected to meet Lancer and his Master here!" Rider's bold and rough voice arrived before he did.
"I didn't expect to see you here either, Rider!" Ryōgi Raku said with a slight smile. At the same time, he greeted Waver. Waver shrugged but still responded to Ryōgi Raku.
"...But, I never expected your clothes, Rider, to be so... special..." Seeing the "World Map" T-shirt, Ryōgi Raku's lips twitched as he spoke.
"Haha! Lancer's Master! You think it's great too, right?! Only by imprinting the world upon my body can I display the majesty of the King of Conquerors!"
"Hey, hey, it doesn't seem like he was praising you at all!" Waver was utterly helpless upon hearing Rider's words. He simply couldn't understand Rider's character. Such a tasteless and foolish guy was actually called a great hero passed down through history. This must be a joke made by historians!
"Haha!" Ryōgi Raku chuckled and continued, "So, Mr. Waver Velvet?"
"Ah? Yes!" Waver, suddenly called upon by Ryōgi Raku, was startled and answered quickly.
"Don't be nervous! I just want to say, remember your promise! Mr. Waver!"
"That's right! Little Master, what are you afraid of? With me here, no one can harm you." Rider declared confidently and domineeringly.
Ryōgi Raku remained silent. He had a good understanding of Rider's character.
"Ah? What promise are you talking about?" Waver asked cautiously after swallowing.
"It's nothing much. It's almost dinnertime, so just treat me to a meal here!" Ryōgi Raku said casually.
"Huh!" Waver secretly sighed in relief. Treating him to a meal shouldn't be a problem! But he seemed to have forgotten about Rider beside him. Today was destined to be an expensive outing...
Before long, the food arrived...
"Aren't you going to summon Lancer?" Rider asked.
"No need! He said that as a retainer, it's enough for him to simply protect his lord!"
"What a loyal and good subordinate! He really should join my army!" Rider exclaimed in admiration.
"I'm afraid Lancer wouldn't agree, Rider!" Ryōgi Raku said with a smile.
"Hahaha! That's true! Well, let's try the food of this era!" Rider laughed and didn't pursue the topic further. "Hmm, I never expected modern food to be so delicious!" he said while chewing large mouthfuls.
Waver watched from the side, eating very slowly. He was still a little afraid of Ryōgi Raku.
Ryōgi Raku shook his head, stopped talking, and simply ate his own meal...
Time passed quickly. What should have been a simple dinner took a long time...
The reason was...
"Ri... Rider, do you still want to eat more?" Waver's face was pale as he looked at the stack of empty plates in front of Rider, which was as tall as he was. He looked at Rider hopefully. While they were eating, many people had arrived one after another. Naturally, they took a few extra glances at the trio and were impressed by the big man's appetite. Of course, the owner was very happy. The more they ate, the more money he made!
"...Alright, alright! Little Master, that's enough. Even if something is delicious, you'll get tired of it if you keep eating!"
Hearing that Rider had finally finished, Waver breathed a sigh of relief...
However, he soon grew anxious about his wallet and silently took it out, hoping he had enough money... He hadn't brought much with him when he ran out this time!
"Hahaha! Since we've met by chance here, Rider, allow me to play the host!" Ryōgi Raku smiled carefreely. Seeing Waver's distress, he let him off the hook.
Among all the Masters, the one he admired the most was actually Waver. Thinking about his future development, such a timid person was able to change himself, become stronger, and thus achieve what many people dream of. That in itself is an inspirational story!
Changing oneself is probably the most difficult thing for a person...
Upon hearing Ryōgi Raku's words, Waver finally set his worries aside, though he still felt a little embarrassed. After all, he was the one who was supposed to treat them...
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(TL : More Chapters @patreon.com/c/Gooberilla)