Waver regretted his words the moment they left his mouth.
Kayneth might have responded with a disdainful snort at best, but Rider, boisterous, curious, and utterly uninhibited, was a completely different kind of danger. His curiosity had the power to shift the tides.
"Oh? I figured you were just a little guy tagging along for the ride, but that's a surprisingly sharp insight."
Rider turned to Waver with genuine amazement. "You're not locked into rigid thinking. You consider every possible crisis, even ones others might overlook. Not bad at all, boy. You just might have the makings of a military strategist."
"N-no way..."
Waver, who had learned to weather Kayneth's icy barbs with calm, was utterly flustered under Rider's praise. His voice dropped with embarrassment.
"It's just... experience. Before I enrolled in the Clock Tower, every mage I ever met built their workshops underground. Always. So I went to check it out."
He paused. Despite being average at spellcasting, Waver had always prided himself on his academic breadth.
"Closed spaces help magic circulate more efficiently. And being underground adds natural protection. That's why it's standard. More resilient against attacks."
"Hmph. Spoken like a true basement-dwelling amateur," Kayneth scoffed. "At best, the two of you are acting more like Master and Servant than Rider and I."
"But you, Rider, aren't you supposed to be a king? I'd expect more insight."
And yet Rider wasn't angry in the slightest. He looked at Kayneth with curiosity.
"Oh? And what insight would you have, Master?"
"His point is practical, yes," Kayneth said, lifting his chin proudly. "But it lacks realism."
He stood a little straighter. "Waver Velvet, do you even know what this building is?"
"It's... the tallest and most eye-catching structure in Fuyuki. And... it cost a fortune to build."
Even as he tried to dodge Kayneth's wrath, Waver instinctively answered the question like a student before his professor.
"Correct. And you remember another basic rule of magecraft, don't you? The First Principle, mystery must be hidden."
Magic loses its potency once exposed. The concealment of mysteries isn't just tradition, it's survival. Whether aligned with the Association or not, all mages honor that principle.
"If this workshop were blown to pieces, it would indeed be destroyed. But this building is too high-profile. Even if ordinary people are driven away in advance, the value of this building means Insurance inspectors would be crawling over it. You'd risk exposing the Holy Grail War itself."
Kenneth's tone dipped into a growl.
"In that case, the burden of cleanup falls to the ones responsible for the damage. And this hotel isn't cheap, mind you, worth hundreds of millions of pounds."
Waver's face turned pale. He hadn't even considered the financial cost of being reckless.
"El-Melloi might survive the hit," Kenneth continued sharply. "But the average magus? They'd be ruined, hunted down by Executors and Enforcers alike."
"Tell me, Waver, do you think any magus would wager their entire life over something as petty as a territorial dispute?"
Waver had no answer. As childish as his question had been, the consequences were real. He bit his lip in silence.
But then Rider, of all people, spoke up.
"Master, your logic is impeccable, but you're wrong about one thing."
He smacked his broad knee and grinned. "You think every mage is hesitant. But this is a Holy Grail War. Servants have bet their entire existence for one wish. Isn't it natural that among the mages, there'll be those willing to risk it all too?"
He looked at Kayneth with a steady gaze. "Overconfidence is as dangerous as cowardice, you know."
"Tch. Spoken like a mediocrity afraid of his own limitations," Kayneth sneered.
Rider didn't push the point. Instead, he stood up, eyes twinkling.
"Then how about we go watch the so-called mediocrities in action?"
He stretched, invigorated. "C'mon, Waver. Your first real lesson's about to begin."
---
Fuyuki City – Shinto Port
By nightfall, the port was a sea of shadows. The cargo warehouses near the docks had emptied out long ago, and now only dim lamps flickered over empty lots and asphalt.
A perfect stage for the first clash.
A silver-armored knight removed his hood, standing tall beneath the lamplight. The faint aura that radiated from his body wasn't hidden, it was practically a challenge. A provocation to all Servants who might be watching.
Behind him stood Irisviel, her expression composed yet severe.
Though Kiritsugu Emiya had died, Irisviel followed through with their original plan. The Einzberns, as one of the Three Founding Families, had too much pride to hide in the dark. If enemies were going to come, she would meet them head-on, measure their strength, and plan accordingly.
Besides... she believed in her Servant.
Saber had no objections.
The Ever-Victorious King did not shrink from battle. Holding the strongest class, and being a top-tier Heroic Spirit even without it, Saber was overflowing with self-assurance.
If anything, he welcomed it. Irisviel might be less capable than Kiritsugu, there was no denying that, but the change had amplified Saber's own strength and magical output.
All of his parameters, save for agility and luck, had reached peak thresholds. Even compared to other Grail Wars, his current self stood out as exceptional.
How many enemies would appear?
Saber had failed to protect Irisviel twice. Those failures burned inside him like fire. Now he channeled that fury into pure fighting spirit, releasing his magic presence to its fullest and throwing down a gauntlet to the battlefield.
---
Elsewhere – On a certain Bridge, spanning Fuyuki's two wards
From this high vantage point, the port was clearly visible. Kenneth stood by the guardrail, looking down through a farsight-enhancing spell, the wind tugging at his coat.
Waver, meanwhile, had curled up behind a concrete barrier, struggling to handle the chill.
Rider? He sat cross-legged on the concrete with a wine bottle in one hand, gulping red wine as if he were watching a play.
"Why are we even up here?" Kenneth asked with a frown.
"It's a perfect observation post," Rider replied. "Wide view, fresh air. And besides, if anyone's watching Saber flaunt himself over there, they'll spot us too. That could draw them in."
For once, Waver found himself impressed. Maybe Rider wasn't just a brute.
Kenneth gave a humorless chuckle.
"No need to be so roundabout. If you're truly strong, gather the Servants and wipe them out one by one."
Rider blinked, surprised by the alignment in their pride.
"Well now... Master, I didn't expect you to share my views. Maybe you're not so bad after all."
He rose to his feet and whistled sharply, summoning his divine chariot wreathed in crackling lightning.
"Then let's go," he declared. "Let the war begin."