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"So where does the uncertainty lie?" Da Vinci listened while using his magical artifacts to record the entire conversation.
"Whether the Holy Grail is tainted or not actually has no impact on our wishes." Ling sat up straight, looking at Da Vinci and Shion, and began to analyze with a very serious attitude.
"Our goal is to return to the original timeline, and to put it bluntly, the damage to that timeline is completely out of the question. So the two biggest questions are, first, how do we win this Holy Grail War?"
"So what's your plan?" Da Vinci didn't care that listening to her would cause harm to other timelines. In her previous life, she was a magician, not a saint, so the occurrence of sacrifices was normal in her eyes.
After asking the question, Ling revealed a sly smile, "Actually, when I told Kiritsugu Emiya about the Holy Grail War, you should have discovered something, right?"
Olga rolled her eyes in annoyance after hearing this. "Of course you found out. Since you know what happened in the so-called Fifth Holy Grail War, there's no reason you wouldn't know about the participants and Servants in the Fourth Holy Grail War, right? But you didn't reveal a single thing to that man. I have to say you're really cunning."
"It's not that I'm cunning, it's just a spur-of-the-moment thing and I don't like him." Ling chuckled.
Ziyuan habitually raised her hand to remove the glasses on her face, and looked at Ling with a strange gaze, "If you don't like him, why did you sign the self-mandatory certificate with him?"
Ling seemed to have anticipated this question, "Of course he's after his daughter!"
These suggestive and dangerous remarks prompted Olga to reach out and touch the soft flesh of Ling's waist before twisting it 180 degrees.
"Hiss—" Ling gasped, forcing a calm expression as she looked at Olga and asked, "Um, Olga, what are you doing?"
"No! What! Are! You! Do! Any! Things!" Olga showed no sign of letting go, glaring at him defiantly. "I'm the one who should be asking you what you're planning to do to that little girl!"
“As I said, the Masters of the Fifth Holy Grail War are all extraordinary beings. Of course, I’m doing this to try and seduce them all. Even if I can’t, it’s still necessary to leave them with a good impression.” Ling revealed a pure and innocent look, and then Olga released her hand without making a sound.
"This is not normal, this is not normal, this is completely abnormal!" Da Vinci stared at Ling with wide eyes, as if he had discovered something incredible. "I have never seen you so proactive in planning for the future. This is an anomaly! This must be an anomaly!"
"Isn't it too rude to describe it as an anomaly, Da Vinci-chan!" Ling, now wide awake, shook her head. "I used to be in a lazy state because there was no danger, but now I'm facing a major crisis, so of course I have to gather all my strength to solve it."
"Hum, a major crisis. If you can describe it as a major crisis, then it must be something completely beyond my calculations." Through Akasha's records, Shion knew what Ling was like in Chaldea in the past. If he had to describe it, he was a lazy bum without any dreams, just leisurely passing the days. If he hadn't suddenly gone to another timeline, he probably would have continued to live like that even if the end of the world happened.
"Fine, whatever you want. As long as you really want to come back, I don't need to ask you what you do." Da Vinci looked at Ling, who was completely different from usual, with a wry smile. He felt it was a pity that he couldn't join in the fun. "However, the Holy Grail War is dangerous after all. You two must be careful. Even if you can't get the Holy Grail, I don't want anything to happen to either of you."
"Don't worry, Da Vinci, there's no option for a direct confrontation in my plan. As a noble mage, I'll naturally remain elegantly hidden behind the scenes, devising a long-term plan to achieve my goals step by step." Ling said confidently to the three of them, whether in a joking or serious tone.
"No, no, no, your class is assassin, never magician!" Da Vinci dismissed Ling's fantasy with a wave of his hand and a shake of his head.
“Then there must be something wrong with Chaldea’s Spirit Origin Observation Machine.” Ling remained unmoved. “My life has never been about assassination. I can’t poison, I can’t use a hidden blade, I can’t perform a Leap of Faith, and I can’t even do the simplest infiltration. How could I be an assassin?”
Chapter 345 Mutual Humility (Part 6)
Shion wanted to say something, but after thinking for a moment, she didn't say anything. She knew that Ling's registered class in the Chaldea database was indeed Assassin, and Chaldea's observation data at the time was indeed correct. However, in her previous observations, this Servant's Spirit Origin Mode had become completely unrecognizable, which meant that his class was now completely uncertain.
"I won't ask you what this so-called Leap of Faith is, but in short, your class is definitely not Magician!" Da Vinci looked at Ling with a headache. "I don't know why, but I always feel that if I admit you're a Magician, I'll start to doubt my own class..."
“Ah, because you’re a fairly orthodox magician, Da Vinci.” Ling looked at Da Vinci with an “I understand you” look. “Imagine that among magicians, whether they are Grand or Grand candidates, none of them are actually skilled in magic. It’s a bit pathetic.”
"Oh dear, now that you mention it, it seems like being a magician really doesn't have much of a future. Maybe I should just modify my spirit origin and become another class." This wasn't the first time Da Vinci had heard about the three people from the Listening Black. She could laugh it off before, but after truly understanding what kind of people those three were, she felt a little ashamed of herself for descending as a magician.
"Hmm, thankfully, we alchemists aren't magicians in the traditional sense. I wonder if I'll become a Heroic Spirit after I die, and if so, what class I'll become." Shion laughed heartily, suddenly becoming quite cheerful for some reason.
“Who knows,” Ling shrugged. “But Shion, your future as a Heroic Spirit is likely to exist. However, before becoming a Heroic Spirit, you’ll probably become a Servant and enter the gacha pool first, right?”
"I don't understand what you're saying at all." Ziyuan tilted her head and looked at Ling.
"If I understood that, then I'd have to consider whether there's an even bigger problem in this world." Ling waved her hand, indicating that she didn't need to worry about it. "Oh, by the way, how much of that artificial blood did you bring?"
Ling suddenly remembered another person, and after remembering that person, a plan flashed into her mind.
“Hum, although it’s not much, it’s enough for me to use for a long time.” Ziyuan didn’t know why Ling asked this question, but she still answered honestly.
"Shion, you'll be leaving Chaldea eventually, right? After all, you can't stay here for long." Ling gazed at Shion. "If I'm not mistaken, the project on the Wandering Sea should be quite intense."
Ziyuan knew what Ling was talking about. She nodded but didn't say anything.
"So, when you leave, could you hand over the remaining artificial blood and the synthesis method to Leonardo da Vinci?"
"You want it? Of course, no problem, but the shelf life is quite short. The ones left behind will spoil by the time you come back." Ziyuan knew that Ling had become a vampire and thought he was worried about her food. In fact, even if Ling hadn't mentioned it, she had already planned to leave behind the method of making artificial blood.
"Well, it's not entirely for myself, I'm doing it for Yu Ji." Ling looked at Zi Yuan and Da Vinci and felt that it was better to say some things out loud. After all, if they could make that person an ally, things would be much easier in the future.
"Yu Ji? You mean the lover of Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu?" Both Zi Yuan and Leonardo da Vinci were very knowledgeable, and unlike Olga who was completely confused, they quickly thought of the historical figure.
"Yes, that's it. If possible, Shion, spare some of the artificial blood and have Da Vinci secretly give it to Hinako. Oh, right, when you give it to her, Da Vinci, you should tell her that you have a way to let her see [Kaiji Zero]. If she asks questions, just say you don't know anything. Oh, and remember to be extra careful when you meet her alone. Although she is currently in a very weak period, she is still capable of defeating you, Da Vinci-chan, especially if you are ambushed."
Ling's words revealed a huge secret. Shion and Da Vinci were both lost in thought, while Olga could no longer maintain her composure. She grabbed Ling's collar in shock, "What did you mean by what you just said? Akuta Hinako is a Dead Apostle like this person from the Atlas Institute?"
“No, no, no, Hinako Akuta isn’t a Dead Apostle.” Rin shook her head.
Ziyuan adjusted her glasses, exchanged a meaningful glance with Da Vinci, and then said, "Wait, don't say it out loud. If you want me to analyze it, at least I should be mentally prepared."
"First, you mentioned Yu Ji, and then you mentioned Akuta Hinako. Can I assume that the two are related?" Shion raised her index fingers and then crossed them together. "Could I even assume that they are the same person?"
Ling had no intention of hiding anything, so he readily nodded, "Yes, Akuta no Hinako is Yu Ji."
"—So, does that mean there's a monster here in Chaldea that's lived for over two thousand years?" Leonardo da Vinci's expression remained relatively calm, but his heart was in turmoil.
Not to mention Olga, the director of Chaldea, who stared blankly at Ling's face, doubting the information she had just heard.
"Yeah, but I advise you not to call her a monster. Of course, don't mention her age in front of her either, or I don't know if Hinako will turn into a grumpy old man. Pfft, but women really do care about their age. She's already so old, yet she still gave herself a name like 'Hinako.' Can I assume she likes to act young?"
At the same time, in the Chaldea Library, Hinako Akuta, who was reading in a corner, sneezed. She looked up and glanced around, finally fixing her gaze on the lower right. If there were a perspective view, it would be clear that the direction was Leonardo da Vinci's workshop. After a moment's thought, she decided against going to investigate. After all, the reason she entered Chaldea was simply because human society no longer offered her a peaceful life, and she wanted to avoid attracting attention.
"Then, you said she wasn't a Dead Apostle, so is she the so-called 'True Ancestor' you mentioned?" Ziyuan recalled that Ling had mentioned something about a hybrid of 'Dead Apostle' and 'True Ancestor'. Although there was no record of 'True Ancestor' in this world, considering that Ling asked her to give some of her artificial blood, then without a doubt, 'True Ancestor' was also a vampire.
"I guess so. Although I don't know how she was born, she is indeed a [True Ancestor]. I don't know if she has a vampire urge, but as far as I know, she hasn't drunk blood for at least a thousand years. Well, thinking about it this way, she's really amazing. Unlike Hinako Haku, who can suppress her vampire urge by sleeping in the Thousand-Year Castle, Hinako Haku has been active until the modern era. It's a miracle that she didn't go berserk and become a Demon King."
Chapter 346 Mutual Humility (Part 7)
"Who put that monster into Chaldea?!" Olga finally snapped out of her daze, glaring angrily at Ling. "It's an extremely dangerous vampire. If it gets into Chaldea and the ghouls spread—"
Looking at Olga, who was overwhelmed with emotion and had nowhere to vent, with pity, Ling said softly, "Are you really surprised, or do you just not want to believe it?"
Olga froze instantly. Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared at Ling, who seemed indifferent to the situation. Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and bit it hard.
"Hey, hey, hey, where did you come from, you little dog? This is the second time today!" Ling looked at Olga, who had found a way to vent her anger, with a mix of laughter and tears, and sighed inwardly at her bad luck.
"I think Olga knows how those people in Group A got here. Don't look at me like that. I'm just telling the truth." Seeing Olga biting her hand while glaring at her with murderous intent, Ling continued speaking, because the truth was the truth.
"You didn't mention anything about Group A to me, Ling," Da Vinci said in a complaining tone. If they weren't from different worlds, she would have liked to give Ling a beating too.
"—Indeed, I don't want Leonardo da Vinci to know about what happened after the incineration of humanity." Ling temporarily left Olga alone and answered Leonardo da Vinci's question in a calm voice.
"After all, that's something that has nothing to do with the current Da Vinci, so as someone unrelated to him, I don't want you to feel too burdened." Ling used this reason, which even he himself found despicable, to brush it off.
"Hum, so that means it's something related to me, right?" Ziyuan quickly spoke up to avoid making everyone feel awkward.
“Ling, I am, after all, your teacher. Have you considered my feelings when you do this?” Leonardo da Vinci sighed, unsure of what to say.
"When Da Vinci sauce becomes the real Da Vinci sauce, I will tell you everything." Ling's eyes darted around, avoiding Da Vinci's gaze.
Da Vinci gave him a deep look. Only now did she realize that Ling's heart was more terrifying than she had imagined.
Da Vinci originally thought that Ling only had the ability to see a thousand miles or had part of the Second Law, so he knew about the development of other timelines. In order to protect the future he knew, he didn't say much. However, Da Vinci finally realized that things were not so simple.
In particular, Ling's extremely well-hidden and wary attitude towards everyone, while seemingly getting along well with you on the surface, made Da Vinci feel a little disheartened by Ling, because she had no idea what Ling was really up to or what she was hiding.
Originally, she thought it was normal for Ling to have something hidden. Over the years, she had gradually discovered that Ling was not a bad person at heart, and even gave people the feeling of being completely harmless. But now she could not think that way anymore. Ling's meaning just now clearly revealed her own death. Even if she did not care about her own death, Ling had not reminded her about her own death at all, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
Ling felt uncomfortable with this silence. Indeed, he had concealed the truth about Leonardo da Vinci's death, but in his view, it was no different from da Vinci becoming da Vinci Lily. Even if his performance was slightly lower, his memories and personality remained unchanged, didn't they?
Deep down, he even harbored a strong desire for this to happen, because in that case, Leonardo da Vinci, who had experienced death, would be just like himself now. He wanted companions, companions with similar past experiences, companions who had died but were resurrected in another form, so that he could ask her if she was the same person as she was in the past.
In fact, Olga was born through this process. However, Ling, who had seen all of Olga's memories, knew that Olga did not have the memory of death, so she was missing a very important part. Therefore, he wanted to find a true companion. Knowing that Leonardo da Vinci would go through this step, he deliberately did not tell Leonardo da Vinci.
"Alright, alright! I surrender! Stop looking at me like that! I'm not sure if Da Vinci will turn into Da Vinci-chan, because I've already told you about the burning of humanity in advance! If that happens again, you'll be asking for it!" Ling finally started to throw a tantrum. He covered his head with the blanket like a child, neither letting anyone see him nor looking at anyone else.
Olga crawled out of the covers, licking the blood from the corner of her mouth. By the time Ling covered her back with the covers, she had already let go of her mouth and calmed down.
"Then let me ask you, how many things are you hiding from me?" Olga rolled over and sat on Ling's stomach. The two started fighting over the blanket. Olga tried to pull it off, but Ling held on tightly.
“There are so many things I’m hiding! But why should I tell you? I’m already fed up with myself! Who cares about you guys?” Olga and Da Vinci had never seen Ling react so strongly before. They looked at each other, and finally Da Vinci gave Ziyuan a wink. After all, as an outsider, Ziyuan was the one most likely to talk to Ling and get her to accept it.
"Um, Rin-kun, you haven't finished. How exactly do you plan to obtain the Holy Grail? After all, you don't qualify as Masters or Servants in this Holy Grail War."
Shion tried to steer the conversation back to the main topic, and Ling readily accepted it, saying sullenly, "As for qualifications, you can just grab them. It's not like you have to be chosen by the Holy Grail to become a Master. Command Seals can be transferred, and having Command Seals means you have the qualifications to be a Master."
"Whom are we robbing?" Ziyuan then asked.
“Snatch Director Ken. Since he’ll die anyway if he participates in the Holy Grail War, we might as well take that qualification from him. It would be a good deed.”
"You mean Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald?" Olga had heard a name she was very interested in before, and combined with the news about the change of the Clock Tower monarch, she was sure who Ling was referring to.
"Yes, that's El-Melloi I, who was originally in the same aristocratic camp as your Animusfia. By the way, El-Melloi II will also participate in this Holy Grail War. Oh, right, in that other timeline, there's an El-Melloi II now, isn't there?"
Ling felt the topic had gone astray, so she loosened the blanket and looked at Olga sitting above her. "Wave Velvet became El-Melloi II, and the monarch of the Modern Magic Department. Something like that happened on your side, right?"
Olga nodded with a complicated expression. "I am an ally of Reines Elmello Archizorti."
"Hmm~~ That girl who forced Waver to become El-Melloi II is still your ally~" Ling looked at Olga with a strange gaze.
Chapter 347 Mutual Humility (Part 8)
"Since El-Melloi II was born, that means Principal Ken died in the Holy Grail War or the Sub-Holy Grail War, right? But if that's the case, your age is really problematic, Olga. After all, according to the canonical timeline, you and Reines El-Melloi Archizorti were born in the same year. Logically, in the El-Melloi II Case Files—correction, when the Mystic Eyes Search Train incident occurred—you and she formed an alliance, but the age discrepancy is quite large. I've seen it, you were at most four or five years old then. How did you manage to get along so well with her, who was already twelve? Even if I've browsed through all your memories, how could I not understand how it all happened? Is this what they call aristocratic interaction?"
Olga now finally understood why Ling looked at her so strangely, but she didn't know how to explain it.
"Forget it, that's your problem anyway, it has little to do with me. We should plan how to take over Director Ken's authority instead." Seeing Olga's conflicted expression, Ling didn't press her further.
“No, in the end, who gave you the audacity to steal the Master qualification of a Clock Tower monarch?” Although Olga was struggling with her thoughts, she hadn’t lost her ability to think. She had heard of Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald, whom she had never met.
"Oh dear, my Master, I never intended to steal his Master status from the very beginning. The time to strike will naturally be when he's been crippled by Emiya Kiritsugu and his fiancée has betrayed him."
As she spoke, Ling briefly recounted what Ken had encountered during the Fourth Holy Grail War. After listening, Da Vinci, Shion, and Olga all wore expressions as if they had eaten something unpleasant.
"That magician assassin is indeed a dangerous person." Olga frowned unhappily.
"Hum, although I'm not in a position to say anything, that Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald is just too useless, isn't he?" Shion stroked her chin, looking at Olga with an expression that said, "Your Clock Tower monarchs are trash."
"No, no, no, the point isn't how miserable Diarmuid Audie was, is it?" Leonardo da Vinci said with a look of sympathy. "He finally came down here, only to return with such memories. The original body on the Throne of Heroes must wish he could descend and kill all those people, right?"
"Forget it, what can we do when he descends as a Lancer? Lancers have E-rank luck and are often ordered to commit suicide by their Masters. It's a complete tragedy." Ling carefully observed the three people's reactions. Sure enough, their opinions were determined by their own circumstances.
“But, Ling, I don’t think your plan will go so smoothly. After all, you’re missing a very important condition.” Da Vinci had already seen the flaws in the plan. If Ling hadn’t been hiding something important from them, then what Olga and Ling were missing would have been enough to ruin the plan.
"Hum, that's right. If my calculations are correct, your fighting strength is seriously insufficient." Ziyuan added what Da Vinci hadn't said. From her observations of history and her examination of the current Ling, she had long since concluded that Ling was not strong.
Ling also knew this weakness. Compared to those heroic spirits who left their mark on human history, he was just an ordinary person who was nothing special. He was confident in escaping, but if he were to fight those Servants, he might be killed by them in just a few rounds.
Therefore, all his plans required him to remain behind the scenes and only get involved at special times. Moreover, to ensure safety, he even had to abandon these plans depending on the situation. Fortunately, there were still six months before the Holy Grail War began. He planned to use these six months to make up for his lack of strength. As for the fastest way, of course, it was to find outside help, and he already had a clear idea of who to choose.
"There's no need to worry about that. I've already planned to resolve the power shortage issue before the Holy Grail War begins. I have that capability."
This isn't just empty talk. Since he promised Kiritsugu Emiya to help him solve Illya's lifespan problem, he figured she would be happy to hire her as a bodyguard as well. After all, considering the timeline of this world, she should be short of money right now.
As for how Ling can get money, that's not a problem at all. Don't forget this is Einzbern. Since Yustissa has extended an olive branch to him, he might as well take advantage of it.
In this world, Animusfiaga is unreliable, and the Atlas Academy is unlikely to help. The only one they can rely on is the Einzberns, whose relationship is currently complicated. Since they are both prepared to participate in this Holy Grail War, they should be happy to accept a new option that can improve their chances of winning.
Ling had considered the possibility of himself or Olga becoming Masters before the Holy Grail War, but the qualification of a Master is determined by the Greater Grail, and he knew that his greatest advantage was his knowledge of the plot. Therefore, not interfering was the most advantageous thing for him.
This Holy Grail War isn't just about returning to the Chaldea timeline; his biggest goal is to gain the ability to overturn the table. In this Holy Grail War, there's a Noble Phantasm that's incredibly powerful. If he manages to seize and preserve that item, he'll have an extra trump card.
In the past, Ling would never have been so bold, but after learning what the old man with the gem wanted to do to him, he had no choice but to take the risk in order to fight against this being who stood at the top of the Type-Moon world.
Thinking of this, Ling's face darkened, making Olga angry that he was angry with him for biting him earlier.
"What a hassle. Why can't I just be a harmless, lazy bum? Why do you have to force me to lose my temper?" He muttered to himself, looking at the canopy above the bed, his voice unusually melancholy.
"Oh dear, what's wrong with him now?" This wasn't the first time Da Vinci had seen Ling enter this state. In the past, he would inexplicably say some things that were both intriguing and nonsensical, especially right after waking up from a nap. When asked what was going on, he would only say that he had a nightmare and had no intention of telling you the truth.
As a result, Ling remains a mystery to everyone.
Just then, there was a knock on the door from Leonardo da Vinci's side, followed by Roman's voice, "Leonardo, are you there?"
The doctor's voice brought Ling back to his senses. He gave Da Vinci a strange look and said, "Hey~ Leonardo, he's the only one in all of Chaldea who calls you that, Da Vinci-chan."
Chapter 348 Mutual Humility (Part 9)
“Sometimes, I think you really need to be taught a lesson.” Da Vinci smiled calmly at Ling, then opened the door.
When Dr. Roman walked in, he was taken aback to find that these people were having a small meeting. He then sat down next to Da Vinci and looked at Ling with a serious expression.
Ling ignored his meaning and directly pulled Olga over to take his place, leaving the doctor, who wanted to say something but hadn't had a chance to speak, with a bitter expression.
"Romani, is everything alright in the control room?" Although Olga didn't understand why Ling had come to see her, she naturally switched into director mode after seeing the doctor.
“Huh, um, ah…” Dr. Roman looked at Olga with an uneasy expression. “Overall, it’s fine. Now that it’s break time, they are all consciously accepting the suggestion magic.”
After saying this, he didn't know what to say next, and everyone fell into a state of silence.