Chapter 254: Waver's Hopelessness
Waver Velvet, disguised as an elderly couple's grandson through a suggestion magecraft, woke up in the second-floor bedroom as if it were any other day.
The sun outside was already high, and under normal circumstances, he would be gearing up for a day of studying. However, yesterday's battle against Caster's Noble Phantasm had left him drained.
Despite using a command spell to replenish Rider's magical energy in advance, the intense fight had taken a toll on his already weak magical energy, depleting his equally frail body.
Now, all he wanted was to lazily lie in bed, thinking about nothing, doing nothing. It would be perfect if he could continue like this until the end of time.
However, that was clearly impossible.
With his already poor foundation, he needed to strive harder. How else could he distinguish himself in the Clock Tower, surrounded by so many talented mages? How could he prove the correctness of his thesis?
Staring at the two remaining command spells on his hand, Waver fell into silence. His purpose in participating in the Holy Grail War was to prove his talent and strength as a mage. He had even gone as far as stealing a valuable item from his teacher, an act considered treacherous and unforgivable. Yet, his teacher remained indifferent, effortlessly summoning an even stronger Servant.
Even now, he couldn't forget the grandeur of Lancer facing Archer, the immense pressure reminiscent of facing his teacher, Kayneth.
Was the greatness of his teacher because of the accumulated heritage of his mage family over generations?
Waver clenched his fists with frustration, then dejectedly lowered his head, a sense of defeat overwhelming him.
He believed Rider's strength to be comparable to Lancer's, but as a Master, the gap between him and his teacher was insurmountable.
Not to mention, just activating Rider's Noble Phantasm once almost depleted all his magical energy. This was on the premise of him maintaining a bounded field to a minimum output. In contrast, Lancer could recklessly use various Noble Phantasms without worrying about consumption.
Without any warning, Waver suddenly recalled the scene from his dream—the group of men on the battlefield, full of enthusiasm, singing and following their king toward the endless sea.
Despite Rider's noble spirit, he was restricted to a narrow field because of a Master like him. Surely, Rider must resent him.
'Maybe I was wrong after all...' Waver sighed bitterly. 'A mage with such limited talent and a vile personality like mine isn't worthy of the king who harbors boundless dreams. Attempting to overthrow the concept of bloodline with my own strength is the epitome of idiocy...'
"Yo, Master, I'm back!"
Iskandar, with a beaming smile, pushed open the door with his chest muscles, proudly waving a package in front of Waver as if showing off his loot.
"Check it out, just got my hands on the limited edition of 'Pacific Theater of Operations IV' that was released today. Hahaha, my luck is as legendary as they say. So, what do you say? Let's play together! I even bought an extra controller for you!"
"Hey, Rider..." Waver, lying on the bed, gazed blankly and emptily at the ceiling. "Do you think I'm useless as a Master, stupid, and just a burden? I can't provide you with enough magical energy, and I might even faint on the battlefield anytime... A Master like me is... truly pathetic."
He buried his head in the blanket, almost on the verge of tears.
"If you teamed up with a more competent Master, facing Lancer or Archer would be much easier, I'm sure..."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Iskandar opened his mouth.
"Ahh, you might be right..."
'See, just as I thought...' Waver said inwardly, full of hopelessness.
"Indeed, you'd look more suitable if you were a bit more robust."
"Rider!" Waver, infuriated by Iskandar's half-joking response, jumped off the bed with a thud. As he was about to explode, a paper suddenly appeared in front of his face.
It was a map Iskandar had snatched from the library when Waver first summoned him—a colorful world map.
"Alright, Master, look here. This is our enemy."
On the A2-sized paper depicting the world map, Iskandar pointed to the entire world as their enemy.
"C'mon, try to draw us next to our enemies in proportion, compare our current selves side by side."
Facing Iskandar's nonsensical words, Waver sighed in resignation.
"Don't joke around. How am I supposed to draw that?"
"If you can't draw it, no matter how fine the pen is, it won't work. Even if you use a needle, it will still look too coarse. Compared to our enemies in front of us, we are just very tiny dots. So, there's no need to worry about being suitable or not."
The tall and majestic Iskandar laughed heartily.
"This body, compared to what I should conquer, is just a drop in the ocean. But precisely because of that, I feel more energetic! The smaller it is, the more I want to dominate the entire world with this small body. That's the most exciting feeling, the desire to conquer!"
Waver stared blankly at Iskandar, his throat involuntarily rolling, swallowing hard. He was completely overwhelmed by Iskandar's momentum.
But precisely because of this, Waver felt even more inferior.
In front of Rider, with such a vast heart, all his troubles and frustrations seemed insignificant. In front of the king who wanted to conquer the world, his abilities as a third-rate mage were truly rubbish; he couldn't handle Rider's talents at all.
"You know, Master, you're actually just like me." Iskandar slapped Waver on the back, nearly knocking him onto the bed. "No matter how I explain it to you, in the end, you'll feel insignificant. But even knowing that, you still insist on striving for higher goals. From my experience, the seed of a conqueror has already started sprouting in your heart."
"That isn't praise; it's like you're treating me as a fool..." Waver grumbled.
"Even if that's the case, you're still a lovely fool." Iskandar grinned openly. "Someone willing to pursue unattainable glory is the basic norm for people of my era. So, signing a contract with a foolish youngster like you is truly satisfying."
Hearing those earnest words, Waver quickly turned away in embarrassment, unable to meet Iskandar's sincere smile.
'Why does this big oaf always console people with things that don't make them happy at all?' Waver couldn't help but complain inwardly but a faint smile surfaced on his face.
"Heh, doing what one knows to be impossible, yet fearlessly walking on such a path—such heroic spirit. Truly befitting of a king who once conquered the world. Waver, you've summoned a Servant that suits you very well."
The voice of a stranger suddenly echoed in the not-so-spacious room.
Hearing that familiar voice, Waver's face turned pale in an instant.
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