"Hmph, I didn't deny anything!" Illya huffed, then continued, "So, you're trying to persuade me with this? To make me give up on the Holy Grail?"
"No, what I'm saying is that I can find a way to keep you alive and free you from the Holy Grail's control... and by extension, the Einzbern family's control. In return, you'd need to help me analyze the Grail."
"With your strength, couldn't you just defeat all the Servants and claim the Holy Grail? Then you could make a wish with it."
"Your body is the core of the Grail. I need to figure out how to transfer that function."
Morpheus' words could easily anger someone.
"Even though your sense of good and evil differs from most people, and you might kill when you're upset, my sense of morality isn't like that. I want to resolve the Grail situation while minimizing casualties as much as possible."
Illya's expression grew displeased. Her upbringing hadn't been ideal, and her life had always been a struggle for survival. Only through Berserker's power had she managed to survive this long.
To hear him say her sense of morality was flawed irritated her. "That's just how my life has been. If I'm unhappy, I kill. If others are unhappy, they can try to kill me. The enemies I've faced have never shown me mercy."
"Isn't that because the Einzbern lunatics lack any mercy?" Morpheus countered without hesitation. "Except for those two maids of yours... they care about you. Maybe you should take them with you when you leave the Einzberns."
Illya frowned, glaring at Morpheus for a long moment before saying, "Are you a creep or something, Unc? Spying on a little girl!"
"Spying? Oh, sure, sure, spying. Not only did I spy, I saw every possible way you could die, even you as a magical girl... and yes, even you in the bath."
Morpheus inwardly rolled his eyes but spoke formally, "That's slander. I haven't spied on you, Miss Illya. It's simply that I have certain abilities that let me glimpse fragments of the future and past."
"Prophecy? Future sight?"
"You could call it that. Or think of it as divination. I'm pretty good with Tarot, want to try it?"
"Hmph!"
"Since you're not interested, let's get back to the topic. I can protect your life and fix your body, but you need to promise not to interfere with my plans. That includes withdrawing from the Holy Grail War."
Morpheus paused, then added:
"As for Heracles, I'll find a way to send him back without involving the Grail, but there are complications. I can't guarantee success. If the Grail intercepts him and stores him in your body, potentially destroying your physical form, I can at least ensure your soul's safety."
"That guarantee sounds like saying, 'It's fine if you die.' For a partnership, isn't that a bit insincere?"
"I think it's quite sincere. Look, even if you die, I can preserve your soul, then use the Grail's knowledge to create a body... or have the Grail make a soulless body and put your soul back in. Perfect."
Illya stared at Morpheus, who looked utterly earnest. She desperately wanted to crack open his head to see what kind of nonsense was inside for him to say such shameless things.
But she held back, mainly because she couldn't beat him.
"How pathetic. I have no choice but to agree… Even if I refuse, he won't act, but when the Holy Grail War ends, my body will collapse anyway…
"Kiritsugu, did you ever imagine I'd go through this? After you died, Mother's ghost... no, that evil thing hiding in the Grail used her form to scare me.
"Because of you, the family despised me. They made me summon Berserker, forcing me to sustain him with my own magical energy. Every move he makes feels like it's tearing my body apart…
"But I had no choice. They threw me into terrifying places where I'd die if I didn't fight. Only Berserker's power kept me alive… even if his actions caused me unbearable pain…
"The Third Magic? That's the Einzberns' wish, not mine. I just want the people I care about to live... and to live with them, that's all…"
Illya thought silently, gazing at Morpheus. After a long pause, she said, "I can help you study the Grail, but… I have conditions."
"Name them."
"Your actions earlier were clearly testing Rin. Does that mean you're currently her teacher?"
"For now, yes. The magic I use is unique, completely different from your magecraft. It's true magic. I saw potential in her, so I decided to teach her."
"What about me? Can I learn too?" Illya asked.
Morpheus was slightly surprised but replied, "Of course. I'd teach anyone in the world who wanted to learn."
His words made Illya look at him like he was insane. After a moment, she said, "The more magecraft is spread, the weaker its effects become. Are you sure about this?"
"The wider it spreads, the weaker it gets, but the wider it spreads, the more stable its foundation. It's a tricky trade-off!"
Morpheus grinned, noticing Illya's growing irritation. He quickly added:
"I didn't say what I use is magecraft. Nor did I say my mysteries are the same as the ones you know."
Illya wanted to argue. She had studied magecraft extensively and had a deep understanding of its principles. Asking to learn his magic was about strengthening herself.
Sometimes, personal power was the most important thing!
But she hadn't expected him to say something like his mysteries being different from hers.
It was as if he was saying, "Your Root has nothing to do with me."
Just as Illya was about to retort, Morpheus spoke first. "It won't take much time. You can study with me and see the results for yourself to confirm whether what I said is true or not."
Seeing Illya still hesitating, he offered an even more irresistible condition. "Once you're convinced that what I'm teaching you is useful and proves my words, then you can fully cooperate with me."
With the initiative now in her hands, Illya felt a slight relief at his proposal.
"Alright, Unc. Since you put it that way, let's start with a temporary, limited partnership!"
***
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