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Feeling a sense of crisis, Quinn immediately sprang into action. Although his magic and physical abilities alone were enough to make him one of the top figures in the modern world of Type-Moon, Type-Moon was, after all, a place teeming with all sorts of monsters and demons. He was not yet capable of confronting the assassins sent by the Counter Force.
He must find his loyal weapon—the Holy Lance Rungomminia.
Chapter 96
德。
With the Holy Lance in hand, Quinn would have the confidence to protect himself. As for how to find the Holy Lance in the modern world... that was just a coincidence. He happened to know where the Holy Lance Rungomminiad was at this time. However, before going to get the Holy Lance, he needed to take precautions to ensure that the Counter Force had something to do, lest he be approached by the Counter Force's assassins before he even got the Holy Lance.
Quinn's gaze fell on his desk, where his unfinished graduation thesis lay.
With his mind made up, Quinn returned to his desk, threw his unfinished alchemy graduation thesis into the trash can, grabbed a new sheet of paper, and wrote the title of his new thesis on the spot.
On the Origins and Reproduction of Morgan le Fay's Magic—Stablely Opening the Path to the Fairy Kingdom
Mr. Kenneth, please give your student one last helping hand. Take the hits for me and draw the attention of the inhibitor. Your student will repay you in the future!
Chapter 84 A Certain Grand Puppeteer: Are You Polite?
Quinn didn't spend too much time completing the paper. He was a user of fairy magic and knew Morgan well enough. Based on his knowledge, he could finish writing a paper about Morgan and the fairy kingdom in less than half a day, especially since he didn't actually write much substantial magic content.
If Morgan were to see this paper, Quinn felt she would likely be tormented by this strict witch until the wee hours of the morning, and then told she had no magical talent.
But this is at the clock tower.
So Quinn had no worries at all. After he finished writing, he put the paper in a bag, left his room, and headed towards a classroom in the clock tower. According to past experience, the person Quinn was looking for should be teaching at this time, and by the time he got there, the person should have finished teaching.
Indeed, when Quinn arrived at a classroom in the Spellcasting Department, he happened to catch the magic apprentices leaving get out of class, and the bright golden lemon head that stood out among a series of colorful hair colors also came into Quinn's sight.
"Hmm, Europa, what brings you here this time?"
When Quinn noticed his target, the man with his blond hair slicked back, who looked middle-aged despite not being very old, also noticed the most attractive person in the crowd in the corridor outside the classroom. His usually proud face suddenly felt a bit of a headache.
“Professor Kenneth, I’m here to submit my paper.”
Quinn was unusually humble in the crowd, showing none of the cunning he sometimes displayed in the simulation. But this obedient demeanor only made Kenneth more and more troubled.
Kenneth looked at the handsome and humble student in front of him, his emotions were complicated.
Kenneth was very optimistic about Quinn's future. In his eyes, Quinn was one of the few people who was born to stay in the Clock Tower. He had a keen political sense, knew how to seize every opportunity to climb up, and was good at handling interpersonal relationships. It could be said that apart from his humble family background, Quinn had almost no flaws.
The problem is that the Clock Tower is a place that places great importance on family lineage and bloodline. For magicians, a distinguished family lineage is directly linked to their future. The more ancient the bloodline, the better the magic circuits their offspring will possess, and their starting point as magicians will naturally be higher than that of ordinary magicians who have no bloodline bonuses.
Many magic instructors in the Clock Tower like to comment on their students based on their bloodline, and Kenneth himself is no exception.
However, he was more accepting of ordinary magicians and treated them as normal students. In a sense, Quinn entered the Clock Tower's prodigy's field of vision because of this, not because of Quinn. After taking Quinn as a student, Kenneth's relationship with his fiancée became more harmonious because of Quinn.
Of course, Kenneth still had to admit that Quinn was a man who knew how to please women. It was true that by just listening to a few of his suggestions, he could easily improve his relationship with his fiancée. Even many of the young women from the El-Melloi family's later branches had good relationships with Quinn.
Sigh, if only Quinn also came from a good family, he could recommend this student for a more central position in the Clock Tower. Unfortunately, family background is this student's Achilles' heel...
"This isn't the place to discuss papers. Please come with me."
Kenneth concealed his true feelings and, as always, communicated with Quinn in a calm manner.
Quinn nodded and followed Kenneth. The teacher and student left the public place and returned to Kenneth's lecturer's office in the Department of Spirituality. After closing the door tightly, Quinn took out his thesis and respectfully handed it to Kenneth.
Kenneth took the paper, glanced at the title, and his brows furrowed tightly.
How come a student who practices alchemy and spirit possession has an archaeology-related thesis?
Any other lecturer or professor would have been yelling at him by now, but Kenneth didn't. He knew Quinn fairly well and knew that his student always had a reason for doing things, even the most outrageous ones, and always had a reasonable explanation. So, Kenneth just gave Quinn a strange look, and only when he saw that Quinn's expression was normal did he carefully read the details of the paper again.
Ok?
After just a quick glance, Kenneth, who had been sitting somewhat lazily in his office chair, immediately straightened up and sat up.
Quinn was not surprised at all when he saw Kenneth's attitude suddenly change from "What a piece of trash this paper is" to "I have to sit up and read this paper." He was even a little smug. This was the difference between modern magic and magic from the time of the gods. For magic, which is a true system of ability that gets stronger the older it is, fairy magic, which would be considered high-end even in the time of the gods, is extremely attractive to modern magicians.
As for the title of his paper, which looks like an archaeological tracing, it was essentially a cover for the actual content of the paper.
To be precise, what he wrote should be called "On How to Recreate Fairy Magic in Modern Times." If we disregard its practical applicability, the value of this paper is equivalent to the work of a certain renowned Grand Puppeteer at the Clock Tower—the restoration of a portion of the primordial runes.
This is a valuable paper, and it would be an irresistible temptation for any modern magician.
If it weren't for Kenneth's mentor, Quinn would never have written such a paper inside the Clock Tower. But precisely because his mentor was Kenneth, Quinn was confident that he wouldn't suffer the same fate as some Grand Puppeteer, being regarded as a "sealing target" by the Clock Tower.
Because Kenneth, among magicians—a species whose average moral level is almost human-like—has a moral level that is already within the range of normal humans, he would never do something like turning a student into a living specimen simply because he thinks the student is exceptionally talented.
On the contrary, Quinn knew that if he demonstrated enough talent, Kenneth would protect him from harm in the Clock Tower.
"...Did you write this paper yourself?" Kenneth's expression gradually turned serious, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Quinn no longer carried the complex expression he had before, but was replaced by scrutiny. He did not remember that his student had such excellent magical talent as to be able to write something like this.
"You guided me in writing it, Mr. Kenneth."
Quinn smiled broadly as Kenneth scrutinized him.
Kenneth immediately understood Quinn's implication. His gaze softened, and his words became gentler. "You do understand things. Your paper is valuable, but also dangerous. However, it's just a paper. Do you know who the last person to do something like this was?"
Chapter 97
"Aozaki Touko, a student of Lord Balereta, is said to have been considered a rare genius by her teacher after restoring the primordial runes, her mind being the treasure of all magicians..."
“Alright, I can’t do that. I’ll put my name on your paper and say that I led the writing of it.” Kenneth stopped Quinn from discussing the various crimes of magicians. He understood what Quinn was worried about. After declaring that he would ensure Quinn’s safety, Kenneth remembered something and then said, “Now that your paper is finished, you shouldn’t have anything to do recently. I’ll be going to Japan in a few months. Would you be interested in coming with me?”
"Holy Grail War?"
“Yes, it’s something made by magicians from the Far East and the Einzbern family. The prize is a wish-granting machine that supposedly grants any wish.” Kenneth chuckled, his laughter full of disdain. “I’m planning to go and participate. Come with me. The wish-granting machine will be yours. It’s useless to me, but you might find it useful.”
"Thank you for your kind offer, but I actually have some things to do recently, so I'm afraid I can't accompany you," Quinn politely declined.
The reason is simple: Kenneth's death in the Holy Grail War is the "fate" that the Counter Force wants to ensure. To ensure this fate is achieved, the Counter Force will stop at nothing. In FGO, players once tried to let Kenneth leave Fuyuki City alive, but the result was that Kenneth had an accident when he was on a plane back to London.
Kenneth's death was ordained by the Counter Force. Under such circumstances, if I had followed Kenneth to participate in the Holy Grail War, who knows what would have happened?
However, Quinn did not intend to let Kenneth die just like that. What he wanted was someone to draw the attention of the restraining force to him, and that person was his teacher Kenneth. Therefore, he wanted Kenneth to live, not only to survive the Holy Grail War, but also to return to London normally.
then……
"Although I cannot accompany you, I have heard that the Holy Grail War requires summoning historical heroes to compete. If you would be so kind as to let me prepare the relics for you to summon these heroes, it would be my honor."
Upon hearing this, Kenneth smiled broadly.
“Of course, Europa, I’m looking forward to it. By the way, I’ve heard that you’ve been getting close to the daughter of my family’s branch recently, is it that girl named Reines? Do you need me to write you a letter of introduction? You know, if you want to stay in the Clock Tower after you graduate, having family support is very important.”
Chapter 85, Master, is there something wrong with your play this time?
Teacher, you understand me, I really want to improve.
In the past, Quinn would definitely have said that, but now, he doesn't really have many thoughts. He is no longer the same as before. Staying in the Clock Tower is not a necessity for him, but only a temporary way to avoid the suppressive force. However, he does not intend to refuse Kenneth, after all, Quinn is always a sentimental person.
When he was down on his luck, Kenneth's kindness in taking him as a student was genuine, and he naturally wanted to repay that kindness.
Just as he planned to help Kenneth return to London from the Holy Grail War, besides needing Kenneth to attract the attention of the Counter Force, his main goal was also to ensure that his mentor could survive. If he failed, Quinn would help the El-Melloi family in the future.
Therefore, he simply nodded, tacitly agreeing with Kenneth's suggestion, which made Kenneth even happier.
Given that Quinn has demonstrated talent comparable to Aozaki Touko, Kenneth is naturally more willing to invest more in Quinn. This investment is a marriage alliance, transferring a daughter from a branch family to his own name and then marrying her to Quinn. In that case, Quinn would be considered a member of the El-Melloi faction, and a portion of the magical property he creates would naturally belong to the El-Melloi faction.
Even if Quinn refused this offer, Kenneth would still be willing to give this talented student more help, but he certainly wouldn't use his monarchical power to protect him like he does now. After all, as long as Quinn isn't family, the benefits he can bring to the El-Melloi family will always be limited.
Now that Quinn has agreed, it's a win-win situation, which is naturally the best outcome. As for Quinn's unwillingness to go to Japan with him to enhance his career resume, Kenneth doesn't care at all. In the end, the Holy Grail War is nothing more than something created by magicians from a small Far Eastern country, and its value in the eyes of the Clock Tower is very limited.
He has plenty of academic research projects to embellish Quinn's resume. Even just having Quinn's name attached can mold him into a future star of the Clock Tower. In contrast, the favor that Kenneth showed by searching for relics specifically for him just because he was going to attend a small "academic seminar" is what Kenneth values.
Kenneth waved his hand, indicating that Quinn should take care of the preparations.
Seeing that his mentor had agreed, Quinn left the room without saying a word, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
“So, next we should go to the Blackmore Cemetery. At this point in time…” Quinn tried to recall the detailed timeline of Type-Moon, “The Holy Lance should not be in Gray’s hands yet, but in her teacher’s hands.”
Bersac Brakmoia is the current caretaker of Brakmoia Cemetery, responsible for guarding King Arthur's tomb.
Quinn knew very little about this man, but he vaguely remembered that this man was one of the few people in Type-Moon whose thinking was still relatively normal, someone he could communicate with normally. Using this guy as a starting point, the possibility of getting the Holy Lance back was very high. Besides…
Even if Quinn was mistaken, it wouldn't matter much. He was certain that the Holy Lance would return to his hands, because he was the true master of the Holy Lance.
……
Having finalized his plan, Quinn wasted no more time. He returned to his room, changed into casual clothes to look like a traveler, and then left the Clock Tower. He was still unknown; apart from being Kenneth's student, no important figure knew his name, and no one paid attention to his whereabouts.
Once you've bought your travel ticket to Wales, you can take various modes of transport to the counties in Wales. The real time-consuming part is finding Blackmore Cemetery.
Since the original text did not specify the exact location of Blackmore Cemetery, Quinn could only follow the clues provided in the text, which mentioned that "traveling merchants and library visitors occasionally visited the mountain village where Blackmore Cemetery was located," and began to visit all the traveling merchants and libraries in Wales one by one.
This was a rather time-consuming project, but fortunately, as time passed, about a week later, Quinn, who still hadn't found any clues about the Blackmore Cemetery, discovered that his body had undergone some kind of change.
He became incredibly energetic, no longer feeling hungry even without food, and his physical condition was much stronger than when he had just finished the simulator. He seemed to be gradually establishing some kind of connection with the ley lines, and the ley lines throughout the entire British Isles seemed to be aware of Quinn's existence, consciously supplying him with energy to support all his actions.
At first, the supply of this energy was not obvious, but it gradually increased. Now, Quinn can clearly feel the touch from the ley lines, and even the presence of certain things in the entire Welsh region. In his perception, a rather conspicuous and familiar signal is concentrated in a certain mountainous area.
That is the Holy Lance.
Sure enough, the old flame is the most caring, knowing to give me directions so I could go find her quickly.
Quinn, overjoyed at finally no longer having to search the map for clues, immediately rented a car and headed towards his "old flame's" location. Following the signal, Quinn drove through several drainage ditches and mountain roads before finally spotting the place hidden among the mountains.
Chapter 98
A secluded mountain village, and an old man squatting at the village entrance, carrying something that looks like a birdcage.
Before he could even get out of the car, a noisy commotion broke out.
"Quickly, take me there! His Majesty the Emperor is here! Hurry, hurry!"
Quinn's expression changed instantly. That voice was all too familiar. It was clearly the voice of Artoria's sworn brother, Kai. But... what era is this? How could he still hear Kai's voice? And was he calling for the emperor?
Immediately afterwards, Quinn saw the old man carrying the birdcage walking over nimbly. The old man first glanced at the car suspiciously, but when he saw Quinn inside, the suspicion on his face vanished, replaced by shock and respect.
"You've finally arrived, Your Majesty."
"What emperor?"
Quinn pretended to be completely unaware, but inside he was extremely nervous.
Hasn't the history book remained unchanged? How could someone in this godforsaken place know who I am? Could it be a trap of suppression?
However, one of the cubes in the birdcage the old man was carrying suddenly jumped up and said something that completely broke Quinn's heart.
“Quinn Europa! Even if you beat me to death, I’ll still recognize your alluring face. I’m Kay. Don’t think that just because you’ve abdicated, you can leave behind a mess. Do you even know what your good daughter Mordred has done?! She’s gone too far, daring to imprison her own mother! If you don’t go back and beat her up, she’ll drag you back and lock you in the dungeon!”
What do you mean, "take me back and lock me in the dungeon"?