Magician in Type-Moon

Page 431

After a brief pause, Matou Ike continued, "How's the Butterfly Magic going?"

King El-Melloi II on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts, before responding with a sense of resignation:

"It's almost finished, but that old guy Orlock Sissamond still hasn't shown up."

"Hmm." Matou Ike didn't dwell on this matter for too long, after all, there were other things to deal with. "Has Touko found out anything recently?"

After the Night Robbery, Matou Ike asked Touko to investigate the Thousand World Tree Clan behind the mysterious "Imperial Magic Guild" in Europe.

And some things about the Atlas Academy and the Wandering Sea.

After a long silence, the voice on the other end of the phone finally came through again.

"There's been some progress on Orange's side. The Yggdrasil clan seems to be planning a big move. They may be using this Grand Order decision as an opportunity to push someone to become the monarch."

"The monarch?" Matou Ike repeated in a low voice.

"Yes, the Yggdrasil clan seems to want to enthrone Hartres, the Dean of the Department of Modern Magic, as their thirteenth monarch. Not long ago, this Dean joined the Yggdrasil clan."

Matou Ike frowned slightly. "So, they already have substantial support."

“That’s right.” El-Melloi II’s tone was somewhat heavy. Although it was about the oranges, because it involved the Clock Tower, most of the work still fell on his shoulders.

“The Thousand World Tree Clan is different from other magical families; the forces behind them are extremely complex. You should understand that, and now that Hartres has joined, it undoubtedly adds a lot of leverage to them.”

"So, what are their chances of success?" Matou Ike continued to press.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before El-Melloi II finally spoke: "It's hard to say, because rationally speaking, the chances of their operation succeeding are zero."

"Zero?" Matou Ike was a little puzzled, after all, the man on the other end of the phone would never use such a confident word.

“That’s right,” El-Melloi II said calmly. “Although our investigations show that the Yggdrasil Clan has won over many established magical families, it’s unlikely they’ll succeed in seizing the throne through this. You should understand what the position of the Clock Tower’s monarch represents.”

Upon hearing this, Matou Ike nodded.

Although the position of the Clock Tower monarch is not fixed, and it could even be said that the twelve seats are changed more easily than those of secular royalty, change and addition are two completely different concepts.

Since the founding of the Clock Tower, the twelve monarchical seats have never changed.

Because the monarch's position represents the core interests—

—The right to excavate and distribute the Albion Great Tomb.

This extraordinarily large cemetery, located beneath the Clock Tower, is the richest source of magical resources on the planet.

Whether it's various spells, secret techniques, or precious magical materials, this place is top-notch.

The impact of a change of monarchical position is more about handing over a portion of resources to a new master, rather than causing significant fluctuations in the overall structure.

However, attempting to add a seat would directly weaken the fundamental interests of other existing monarchical families, as each additional seat means a reduction in resources.

"Why is it based on 'rationality'? Are there still variables in the emotional aspect?" Matou Ike asked again. He had just heard the hesitation on the other end of the phone, but he was so distracted by the word "zero" that he didn't ask immediately.

"Logically speaking, the actions of the Yggdrasil Clan undoubtedly touched the sore spot of the twelve monarch families. Even the Bartholomew Clan would not allow such a thing to happen, but..."

The voice on the other end of the phone paused slightly.

"According to Orange's investigation, the Yggdrasil clan seems to have reached some kind of deal with the Transpelio clan... This is insane!! Why at this critical juncture?!"

The call was only halfway through when El-Melloi II's tone suddenly became impatient, clearly indicating that this matter was one of the reasons he was currently overwhelmed with problems.

"I remember the Tramberg family is..."

Before Matou Ike could finish speaking, he was interrupted abruptly, El-Melloi II was clearly agitated.

"They're from Melvin's family! And that Oedipus complex guy is now even pulling off a disappearance act!"

Melvin's family, the Wienz family, is a branch of the prestigious Transpelio family, a prominent democratic clan.

“If you’re talking about Melvin, then I should know his current whereabouts.”

Chapter 479 Why?

"you know?"

Webber Velvet's voice became slightly calmer, but one could still hear the deep worry and anger behind it.

Melvin's reckless actions clearly made him increasingly anxious.

"Yes, he's on the same cruise ship as me right now." Matou Ike's tone was completely flat, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.

"Aaaaaah!! You mean he went to that cruise ship owned by the Twenty-Seventh Ancestor?! Doesn't he know how worried I am about him? At this critical moment, he still went to gamble recklessly, it's simply unforgivable!"

The Second Prince's voice suddenly rose, his anger almost overflowing from the microphone. He couldn't believe that Melvin would choose to venture into such a dangerous place under such complicated circumstances.

"Not only that, that guy also became a magician of the Wandering Sea, the disciple of that guy named Kiz whom I mentioned to you before, and now he can use magic from the Age of Gods."

Matou Ike remained unaffected by the other person's emotions and continued speaking calmly.

"Kiz?"

Weber's tone grew lower, as if he were deep in thought. After a few seconds of silence, his voice carried a hint of weariness, "That magician from the Wandering Sea... what exactly is Melvin doing? How did he get involved in that matter you're handling?"

"Who knows?" Matou Ike replied casually. "I'd like to ask you about his current situation, Waver. Do you have anything to tell me? You know, his actions are now on the opposite side of us."

The silence on the other end of the phone lasted a moment, as if Weber was deep in thought about how to deal with the situation. His breathing was slightly heavy, as if he had already made some kind of decision.

"...Don't kill him."

"Hmm. So do you know why he got involved in this?" Matou Ike asked again, her voice calm but with a hint of urgent inquiry.

Weber's voice was heavy on the other end of the phone.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "...Perhaps it's because of Tramberg. That guy has fallen out with his own family."

"Is it because of our strategy?" Matou Ike's voice was calm, as if he already had some guess.

After all, in the strategy to deal with the Yggdrasil Clan, the cooperation between Matou Ike and the El-Melloi family is not as simple as a "detective game" on the surface.

Instead, they adopted a multi-pronged approach of probing.

This strategy is more of a multi-faceted probing and suppression—using the El-Melloi family's influence within the Clock Tower to put pressure on the Yggdrasil, while simultaneously using a series of control measures to disrupt its growth space in the magic world ecosystem, thereby effectively obtaining intelligence.

If the Transpelio clan truly abandons its principles as a monarchical family and reaches a deal with the Yggdrasil clan.

If the Transpelio family truly abandons its principles as a monarchical family and reaches some kind of deal with the Yggdrasil clan, then Melvin, as a member of the Weinz family, will inevitably be thrust into the spotlight.

His actions go beyond simple personal choices; they involve more of a power struggle and a battle for interests.

Matou Ike could imagine that the monarch of Transylvan would summon Melvin and coldly ask him a question: "If you had to choose between friendship and bloodline, what would you do?"

You should know that in the world of magicians, bloodline is a very important thing.

Such words are enough to put any family member in a difficult situation.

“But if he chooses to become the magician of the Wandering Sea, and become Kiz’s disciple…” Matou Ike murmured to himself, a calm insight flashing in his eyes, “then perhaps he can break free from the shackles of his bloodline and completely break free from the influence of the Transpelio clan.”

Is this Melvin's purpose? If so, Matou Ike couldn't help but sigh, Melvin has truly made a painful yet decisive decision for his future...

"But is this decision really the right one?"

A fleeting thought in Matou Ike's mind made him frown slightly.

Melvin, the guy he had already seen through, was clearly not a simple person.

If the goal is to avoid taking sides and making difficult choices between friendship and bloodline, there is clearly a simple and easy path to take—do nothing, remain silent, and remain neutral.

In other words, he could do nothing, or even use his broken body as an excuse to remain an aloof observer.

This method is not difficult and is suitable enough to provide Melvin with a safe foothold without involving any complicated family relationships, even in an environment like the Clock Tower where complex interests are intertwined.

Silence fell again during the communication. Matou Ike waited patiently, sensing a subtle shift in his emotions.

The silence seemed to carry an indescribable sense of oppression until, after a few seconds, El-Melloi II finally spoke, his tone carrying an undisguised heaviness.

"...Perhaps, our strategy might indeed be one of the reasons...but please help me ask him why he took it upon himself to get himself into this mess."

At the end of his words, El-Melloi II's voice trembled slightly, and the helplessness and anxiety he couldn't express became even clearer.

Although the words were plain, Matou Ike could tell that there was more of a plea in his words, and even some lingering reluctance.

.......

“Yes, why bother? A physical excuse would have sufficed.” Melvin’s smile held a hint of sarcasm. “If we have to talk about a reason, perhaps it’s that Holy Grail War…”

"The Holy Grail War?" Matou Ike frowned slightly, clearly somewhat confused.

The battle ten years ago is long gone, and the only person in front of us who is connected to the Holy Grail War is Waver Velvet.

Melvin didn't explain immediately, but continued on his own: "For you, that's probably two weeks, but for me, this one hour is all there is."

"A classmate who suddenly said he was going to Japan to participate in the Holy Grail War, and then came back completely different..." Melvin's tone gradually became tinged with an uncontrollable emotion.

His gaze was fixed on Matou Ike, and in his eyes he seemed to see a familiar image.

“Can you understand how surprised I was, how envious I was?” Melvin’s voice was low and trembling slightly. “My body is getting weaker day by day, and yet I see this guy, who has only gone through at most two weeks of adventure, emerging from his chrysalis like a caterpillar. Do you know how much pain I’m in?”

"How could I possibly know? Just like you can't understand how I feel."

Matou Ike replied indifferently, fiddling with the gold coins on the table.

Chapter 480 Qualifying

"Well, it's just someone else's feeling anyway."

Melvin casually retracted his previous words, his tone seemingly perfunctory, yet the complex emotions he couldn't hide were clearly visible.

Matou Ike didn't rush to respond, but quietly waited for Melvin to continue.

"But you, with so many adventures, miraculous survivals, changing your destiny, and constantly achieving new successes."

Melvin's tone carried a hint of sarcasm, yet also seemed to contain an irrepressible envy. "Seeing these things makes even someone as long-dead as me want to try living again."

Melvin's words struck Matou Ike with each syllable, his eyes filled with a complex emotion, as if he were peering through the other's appearance and seeing something he could never reach.

"Are you envious of me? If you want to live, then go ahead and live," Matou Ike replied calmly, his tone devoid of any obvious emotional fluctuation.

"That's incredibly difficult. You're the only person I know who has managed to do it."

Melvin's words seemed somewhat heavy, and a half-smile appeared on his face, like a child secretly looking at his favorite toy, unable to possess it.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that then," Matou Ike replied calmly.

"Ah, there's nothing I can do." Melvin's lips curled up slightly, revealing a helpless smile.