novelraw Page 9
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The Eye of Usurpation – This eye will be used as a cage to imprison a sealed soul. The sealed soul will be eroded in the unique dimension of the eye, eventually dissolving. The past recorded by the soul will be usurped by the holder, while simultaneously strengthening the holder's own soul. The eye cannot be used until the imprisoned soul dissolves. If the imprisoned soul is too strong, there is a possibility that it will break through the seal.
"The Mystic Eye of Usurpation, not bad, a Mystic Eye with high growth potential, but it is definitely not enough to seal a Servant in just one year. It is better than nothing. This level of collection is worthy of the fifteenth ancestor of the Tsukihime world."
After readjusting his emotions, Kenneth packed all nine pairs of magic eyes into his suitcase. After setting up the magic workshop, it was already past seven in the morning. Kenneth locked the door and went to the dining area of the magic eye collection train.
"Mr. Victor, what would you like to order?"
"Just black tea is fine, no need to add milk or lemon or anything, plain is fine."
"I understand."
After preparing breakfast for Kenneth, Leondra pushed the food cart forward to serve the other guests. On the table, a pair of demonic eyes were swirling in a glass jar.
"Gold-level, the Illusionary Eye?"
Picking up the brochure on the table, Kenneth gained an understanding of the displayed magic eye. Its hypnotic ability was just so-so. Looking around at the guests in the dining area, he didn't see anyone familiar. After finishing his breakfast, Kenneth gave up the idea of staying any longer.
Back in his room, Leondra, the host of the Eye of the Demon train, was already waiting at the door. After bowing to Kenneth, she handed him a list.
“Mr. Victor, this is the list of items for this auction. If you need anything, you can contact me using the communicator in the room.”
After indicating to Leondra that he understood, Kenneth pushed open the door and entered the room. Once he confirmed that there were no signs of intrusion, Kenneth opened the auction list that Leondra had sent.
Gold level:
The Blazing Demon Eye—ignites targets in sight...
Stealing the Demon Eye—stealing the life force of anyone who enters its field of vision, with the potential to attack the host...
The Illusionary Eye—Presenting the future as a myriad of possible illusions, this predictive future-vision eye is classified as Gold-level due to its difficulty to control.
......
In short, these gold-grade magic eyes used in the auction are no match for the magic eyes that Kenneth bought from Rosian. With his hands quickly flipping through the pages, Kenneth looked directly at the highlight of the auction, the gem-grade magic eyes.
Gem grade:
The Petrifying Eye—likely originating from Medusa, the Greek goddess of the earth—possibly possesses a mystery that is difficult for the modern magic world to replicate; it is the highest-level magical eye that transcends imprisonment and restraint...
"The Mystic Eye of Petrification? The highest-level Mystic Eye of Binding. I didn't expect to have such an unexpected gain this time."
Leondra picked up the communicator from the bedside table and connected the call a few seconds later.
"Mr. Victor, is there anything you need?"
"How much is that gem-grade magic eye in this auction? I want it."
Leondra paused on the other end of the communicator, looking somewhat hesitant:
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Victor, while I consult with the acting train conductor... No problem, Mr. Victor, would you like me to send the Petrifying Eye to you now?"
"can."
A moment later, looking at the pair of demonic eyes filled with a dark purple light, Kenneth's face revealed a smile that could be described as "getting something for nothing." This time, Kenneth's trip on the Demonic Eye Collection Train was incredibly rewarding. Thanks to the fact that Kenneth's invitation was personally delivered by Rosie, the Demonic Eye Collection Train, unaware of the truth, directly gave Kenneth this demonic eye, which was enough to cause a scramble among monarchical families, for free. Faced with such a good thing, Kenneth could only say: Give me some more.
That night, Kenneth was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door while lying in bed. After glancing at the workshop that was already running, Kenneth got up and went to the door.
‘click’
The lock turned, and a figure darted in the instant Kenneth opened the door, covering Kenneth's mouth with one hand and slamming the half-closed door shut with his foot.
"Quiet!! You'd better behave yourself if you don't want to die!!"
The sound of hurried footsteps swept past the door, and the room fell silent once more. Only then did the man behind Kenneth—no, he should be called a Dead Apostle—relax, his taut back slamming heavily against the wall of the room.
"Judging from the family crest on your wrist, you must be a member of the White Winged Duke's household!"
Kenneth's gaze shifted downwards to the man's exposed wrists, and he realized the origins of this traitor.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Dead Apostles and their Agents
Feeling the fingernails pressing against his throat grow sharper, Kenneth calmly closed his eyes.
"Although I don't know what made you look so disheveled, remember this: a magician's room is not a place you can just walk into and out of."
A hand slowly moved to the sharp claws that were gripping his throat, and Kenneth's neck twisted strangely behind him.
"Perhaps you have absolute confidence in your abilities, or perhaps you're just blinded by fear, but unfortunately, when it comes to magic, I think I do know a thing or two."
【You bastard… Ughhhhhh!!!】
Kenny's face began to contort, and the liquid mercury exploded instantly. The follower belonging to the White Wing Duke was caught off guard and enveloped in the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid. Immediately afterward, dense blue light spread across the walls of the room, and the bound Dead Apostle was stuck stiffly to the floor.
Kenneth pulled up a chair by the window, stepped on Dead Apostle, and took out his phone. A moment later, the call connected.
"Archibold, what's the matter?"
“I have a gift here that I think you might be interested in, Lord Barthemello.”
【Ughhhhh!! Ughhhh!!】
Upon hearing Kenneth utter that name, the lower-ranking henchman of the White Wing immediately began to struggle violently.
P.S.: There are nine ranks of Dead Apostles. Lower-ranking Dead Apostles belong to the sixth rank, which can already be described as nobles on the Dead Apostle side. Ancestors are the ninth rank, and the eighth rank is the successor (the highest-ranking Dead Apostle). The twenty-seven ancestors outside of the Moon Princess world are at this rank, and the seventh rank is the upper-ranking Dead Apostle.
"Oh, what's the gift?"
“A lower-ranking Dead Apostle, judging from the situation, he should be a minor lord under Ottenrose. I wonder if you, Loreleia, are interested?”
The next moment, Kenneth could clearly feel Loreleia's breathing become rapid on the other end of the phone.
"Where are you? I'll send the CLONE team... no, I'll go pick him up myself."
"No need. I'll take him down to that abandoned station in London a day from now."
Recalling the location Kenneth had given her, Lorelia on the other end of the phone gently tapped the table.
"The Magic Eye Collection Train?"
“That’s right. I recently took on two apprentices, and I wanted to prepare some good magic eyes for them, so I decided to participate in this auction.”
“I see. Then I’ll trouble Archibald to entertain that leech for me. Before that, I need to prepare a welcoming ceremony.”
......
After hanging up the phone, Kenneth looked with a smile at the struggling Dead Apostle at his feet.
"Thank you for your efforts, enjoy what little joy you have left."
After tossing this dead apostle, who represented the El-Melloi family's friendship, into the bathroom, Kenneth, in a good mood, quietly waited for time to pass. Kenneth didn't care that he had exposed his whereabouts to Loreleia; the benefits this dead apostle brought were worth it for Kenneth to do.
Moreover, given Lorelia's personality, Kenneth wasn't worried that she would reveal his whereabouts. As for Kenneth's deal with the Dead Apostles, Lorelia wouldn't take it to heart either; it was just business. Even the Bartholomew family obtained some Mystic Eyes from the Mystic Eye Collection Train. It's just that on the mystical side, if you want to do big business, you absolutely can't avoid Lorelia's businesses.
Looking at the wall clock, Kenneth knew his three-day trip was coming to an end. He got up, pushed open the door, and headed to the auction room at the front of the car. Since he was already there, Kenneth wasn't going to forget to give that magician from the Spellcasting Department a hard time.
-------------------------------------
"The Blazing Eye, Gold Rank, capable of igniting matter within its line of sight. Starting bid: Fifteen million US dollars..."
"Sixteen million..."
"Eighteen million..."
"Twenty-three million, anyone else bidding?"
With a lack of interest, Kenneth picked at his ear, his gaze frequently sweeping over the magicians in the venue.
"Next up, the Summoning Eye, Gold grade, capable of controlling spirits outside the scope of spirit summoning, with excellent internal magic circuits and good quality eye, starting bid is twenty million US dollars."
“Twenty-five million!!”
"Twenty-seven million."
"thirty million!!"
...
"Huh?? Trevor Pelham Cordrington"
The familiar voice caught Kenneth's attention. He stared at the magician who belonged to the Spellcasting Department, and Kenneth, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately revealed a mischievous expression.
"Thirty-five million."
A calm voice rang out, and Kenneth, who had been plotting for a long time, directly contradicted Trevor. Noticing the gaze directed at him, Kenneth remained unmoved and propped his cheek up with his fist.
"Thirty-seven million!!!"
"Ah~ forty million."
While yawning, Kenneth paid no attention to Trevor's sudden rise in pitch.
Forty-two million!!!
"Forty-five million."
Kenneth's voice was languid, but Trevor's chest heaved violently. The unsuspecting onlookers also turned their attention to the two of them. To be honest, no one present expected that these magical eyes could fetch such a high price. If Kenneth hadn't bought two pairs of magical eyes beforehand, the magicians present would definitely have thought Kenneth was a shill for the auction.
“Fifty million!!!”
"hiss!!!"
As Trevor made his bid, the magicians at the auction gasped in shock. No one had expected such a magical eye to fetch such an astronomical price. Kenneth lowered his head to the other side and gave up on bidding. He figured he'd just annoy the other party; if he actually spent fifty million on this useless thing, he'd be banging his head against the wall.
"Fifty million once, fifty million twice, fifty million three times, sold!!!"
Trying to calm his breathing, Trevor knew he wouldn't be so agitated if these magical eyes weren't so useful for his plans. He glared at the nonchalant Kenneth, then pushed open the auction room door and walked out.
At three in the morning, the Eye of the Demon collection train slowly pulled into the station. Just as Kenneth was dragging the Dead Apostle, who looked like a dead dog, off the train, several figures completely covered by cloaks suddenly blocked Kenneth's way. Upon noticing the black keys in their hands, Kenneth's face was immediately filled with disgust.
“Sir, we have been tracking this Mr. Osmond for a long time. Could you hand him over to us?”
It is common knowledge that the Magic Association and the Holy Church have always been at odds. The leader of the delegation was polite in words, but the black key with his cloak showing clearly indicated that he was already planning to snatch it.
"Tch, what a bunch of mad dogs! What if I say no?!"
Although Kenneth was a time traveler, his body's instincts made him feel no goodwill towards these agents of the Holy Church. Just as tensions were about to rise, crisp footsteps came from the fog-covered platform.
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Blade of Gold
If Sister Wang comes along, it might explode.jpg
Emerging from the thick fog, Loreleia stood directly among Kenneth's contemporaries.
"The burial agency? Give my regards to Narubalek. I've taken the human leech; I'll share the follow-up information with you."
Although Kenneth concealed his face, as one of the few magicians who could be treated as an equal by Loreleia, his magical aura was immediately recognized by her. Loreleia said: "Hmm, it's Archibald's scent!"
Noticing that Lorelia seemed inclined to stand up for Kenneth, the agents belonging to the Holy Church exchanged a glance and withdrew their black keys.
“We understand. We will convey Barthemello’s meaning to the leader.”
As mentioned before, the relationship between the Mage's Association and the Holy Church is extremely delicate, but there are always exceptions. One such exception is Lorelia. As a mage who has a deep-seated aversion to the Dead Apostles, Lorelia has cooperated with the Burial Agency to hunt down Dead Apostles quite a bit. Faced with Lord Barthemello, who can directly cooperate with the leader of the Burial Agency, these agents of the Holy Church naturally dared not say much.
After watching the proxy leave, Lorelia turned her gaze to the dead apostle being held by Kenneth.
“I’ve confirmed it. This guy is a direct subordinate of Ottenroche. I’m sure you can get a lot out of him, Loreleia.”
"Is that so? Looks like you've caught a big fish. Come on, I'll take you back."
After handing the dead dog-like wretch to the magician from the CLONE squad, Kenneth followed Loreleia out of the abandoned station. As for the other magicians who participated in the auction, upon seeing Loreleia, they naturally classified Kenneth as a magician belonging to Barthezmello.
As Kenneth rode back to the Clock Tower in Loreleia's car, the lights were still on in Lydia's room at the villa outside London, nearing four in the morning.
"Ugh!!! What's going on with that third-rate magician? Two days have passed, why hasn't he replied to me yet?!"
"How dare that third-rate magician not reply to my letter?! I'm getting angry!!"
......
In El-Melloi's study, looking at the twelve pairs of Mystic Eyes before him (nine pairs from Rosie, one pair from the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, and two pairs bought at the auction), Kenneth's heart began to pound uncontrollably. Half of El-Melloi's empire had been exchanged for this briefcase, and Kenneth felt as if his heart was bleeding.
A knock sounded, and after Kenneth answered, Roy appeared in the quaint study.
"Lord, this is something sent by Shiki Jieli. Please take a look."
"He's pretty quick, isn't he? Looks like I underestimated his abilities. Put him down and get me some hot water; I'm going to take a shower in a bit."
Watching Roy leave the study, Kenneth turned his gaze to the letter and box sent by Lion Catch Jie Li. Opening the box, a golden dagger lay quietly inside. The blade was made of gold; it was the ritual dagger Morgan left for Blackmore Village, used to resurrect Artoria, and also the dagger that Gray's mother, in her incarnation as the Skeleton King, stabbed herself into.
That's right, the Caster Kenneth is going to summon in the Fourth Holy Grail War is Morgan. Kenneth can swear that he is definitely not lusting after the Queen. Among the Servants with the Caster class, it is not easy for Kenneth to find a few mages who can use magic. As a twisted Queen fan, Morgan will definitely show up after learning about Artoria. Given Morgan's personality, Kenneth doesn't need to worry about her being bribed by the Counter Force. As for how to persuade Morgan, Kenneth says: Help me fight, and you can deal with Saber.
Considering that Morgan might still be alive, Kenneth didn't put all his bets on Morgan. The summoning was just a means to establish contact with Morgan. It was hard to say whether Morgan would be willing to create an avatar to respond to Kenneth's summons. To be on the safe side, Kenneth also prepared some backup plans.
Thinking of Sister Wang's heart, Kenneth, with a pure smile, opened the letter that Shishikage Kairi had sent along with the letter. After reading the letter, Kenneth's heart was completely relieved. Shishikage Kairi had done a good job. That Grand Bomber had committed suicide on his own initiative, and as a necromancer, Shishikage Kairi had not left a single clue.
“Professor Rafe, for the greater good, you should not go to see your king. Dying as Floros would be a relief for you.”
Kenneth offered a prayer for the soul-sent-away Rafe in his heart. After finishing his backlog of work, he looked at the familiar he used to contact Lydel, activated the spell, and observed Lydel writing the letter. Kenneth didn't rush to reply; he changed into a bathrobe and went into the bathroom.