Book 6: Chapter 5:2: Merlin: Stay Away from Me! Part 2
“Okay, now that I’m back in my male form, bring it on. But are you really planning to send me to that crowd of Sinsacks? Can’t it be something else?” Merlin trembled slightly at the mention of the Sinsack Army.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared?”
Merlin hesitated for a while. “I…I’m scared. Can’t you spare me, beautiful Miss Yakumo Yukari?” He had initially planned on acting tough and talking back. However, he finally admitted his fear after recalling what he knew about the Sinsack Army.
“As if I would spare you. And besides, this isn’t your true body, just a clone. What are you afraid of?” Yakumo Yukari tried to mollify him from the side.
“A clone? I don’t think so. Even if it is a clone, it’s not an ordinary one.” Merlin didn’t believe Yakumo Yukari. He didn’t think this body was just a clone; it felt so incredibly real. Furthermore, Yakumo Yukari wouldn’t have gone to such lengths for just a clone.
“Indeed, it’s not an ordinary clone, but it is a clone, nonetheless. This clone merely transfers a portion of the damage it receives to your true body. Also, your consciousness is fully within this clone. It’s still in a powerless state, though.”
“Why didn’t you summon my true body? Wouldn’t that be more satisfying?”
“Do you think I’m a fool? If I summoned your true body, you could use the Dimension Administrators Association to return to Avalon. Would you still be confined here? If it was your true body, you could resist; you wouldn’t be defenseless like now. That’s not a pleasant prospect.” Yakumo Yukari had spent considerable time choosing this form of Merlin.
“Tsk!”
Just as Merlin scoffed, he suddenly disappeared into a Gap that had opened beneath him. Those paying attention might have caught a fleeting glimpse of the character for “sin” within the Gap.
“Aaaaaah!” Merlin’s scream echoed across the barren landscape, sounding like he’d suffered a gut-wrenching fright.
To avoid disturbing the nocturnal creatures, Yakumo Yukari considerately closed the Gap.
“Do excuse me. I’m off to discipline this Merlin thoroughly and show him what cruelty means. In the meantime, I entrust the Holy Grail War to you. I hope it doesn’t end too quickly; otherwise, I will have less time to discipline him. I’m forfeiting my claim to the wish from the Holy Grail. You can have it,” Yakumo Yukari said, waving to the group as she prepared to leave.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got the Holy Grail War covered. You can focus on your task,” Chen Heng assured her, accepting the responsibility with ease.
“Doctor Roman, after I’ve disciplined him for a while, do you want me to bring Magi Mari-chan before you? The obedient type, guaranteed!”
“Uh…” Doctor Roman felt a shameful thrill at the offer. Although he knew this Magi Mari-chan was Merlin, the prospect of a completely obedient Magi Mari-chan still excited him.
As Yakumo Yukari watched the hesitant Doctor Roman, she knew what he was thinking. “All right, I think I understand your stance. Doctor Roman, you can enjoy yourself in this world for now. In a few days, you’ll have a perfectly obedient livestreamer—Magi Mari-chan—by your side.” Her mysterious smile hinted at something as she put away her folding fan, preparing to enter the Gap.
“By the way, everyone present, I’m closing this livestream. I’ll start another, but it’ll be adults-only. Minors should steer clear. We can’t be corrupting the young now, can we?”
With a wave, Yakumo Yukari closed the livestream room.
What was to follow was not for children’s eyes, after all, and Yakumo Yukari certainly hadn’t forgotten about the underage members of the Dimension Administrators Association.
“Hold on, Yakumo Yukari. You summoned Merlin through a special method, so he shouldn’t take up the original Servant summoning quota, right?” Chen Heng said, stopping Yakumo Yukari as she was about to step into the Gap.
“Oh! Indeed, I summoned Merlin using my Holy Grail, so it didn’t use up the Servant summoning quota. Are you interested in that?”
Yakumo Yukari paused, surprised by Chen Heng’s question. Given his ability to sweep his way through the Holy Grail War single-handedly in one night, Yakumo Yukari hadn’t expected him to want the Master qualification.
“If you’re not using it, can you give me the quota to summon a Servant? I could use it.”
“Ah! Sure, it’s yours. Just don’t get lost in your enjoyment and end the Holy Grail War too soon.” Yakumo Yukari used the Dimension Administrators Association’s red packet system to transfer her Master qualification and Heroic Spirit summoning quota to Chen Heng.
“Thanks. Enjoy yourself,” Chen Heng said.
“You’re welcome. You should come over and watch when you have time.”
“I’m quite interested, but I think I still count as a minor, right? I just turned 18, at least superficially. I don’t know if that meets the Dimension Administrators Association’s definition of an adult, so I’m not sure I can enter that livestream,” Chen Heng said, reflecting on the situation.
“…I’ll set up some special permissions for you, then. You’re not exactly a child, after all,” Yakumo Yukari said, this unexpected matter taking her by surprise. She didn’t think of Chen Heng as a typical 18-year-old, given his abilities and maturity.
However, that made sense. His parents had died before he was 14; then he had lived alone for over four years. Anyone would be mature after experiencing that. Furthermore, he previously carried the burden of avenging his parents.
After bidding Yakumo Yukari goodbye, Chen Heng turned his attention back to Doctor Roman.
“Doctor Roman, who do you plan to summon? You don’t have any Magic Circuits, do you?”
[TL Note: In the Fate series, Magic Circuits are a pseudo-nervous system that seems to reside in the soul. It is what qualifies a person to be a Magus, allowing one to convert Life Force into Magical Energy. It also has some other functions related to Magecraft. Here is more information: /wiki/Magic_Circuit.]
“Ah! Indeed. Although I don’t have Magic Circuits, the mana for this Heroic Spirit summoning is largely provided by the Greater Holy Grail. The remaining mana comes directly from the Dimension Administrators Association’s store, so there’s no need to worry about mana. Now, the most important question is who to summon and who can be summoned,” Doctor Roman replied. The thought of who to summon gave him a headache, considering his unique circumstances.
“How about you use yourself as a catalyst to summon, Doctor Roman? Maybe you could even call your wife, similar to what Tohsaka Rin did during the Fifth Holy Grail War.”
“Cat-catalyst? My wife?” Doctor Roman pointed at himself in confusion.
“Yeah, Doctor Roman. You’re Solomon, aren’t you? What’s so strange about summoning your wife? You might even summon your father.”
“I’d rather not summon my father,” Doctor Roman said, his face flushing slightly. His relationship with his father hadn’t been great when he was alive—not that they didn’t get along, just that they weren’t particularly close.
“Stop pondering and give it a shot. We have a ready-made summoning ritual right in front of us. You can’t just stand there without summoning a Heroic Spirit; that would stop the Holy Grail War from progressing.”
“Do you want my summoning quota, He Who Knows Fate? I can give it to you,” Doctor Roman offered, inspired by Yakumo Yukari’s previous actions.
“Me? No thanks! The summoning quota I got from Yakumo Yukari isn’t for me. I’m not interested. In fact, I never thought these Heroic Spirit clones could help in battle,” Chen Heng refused, waving off Doctor Roman’s suggestion.
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