They've already fought their way through the Holy Grail War, and you still call them dragons?

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman whose face could not be seen clearly under a black veil bowed politely to Emiya. He could only see that the suit and high heels the lady was wearing were very expensive.

She's the school director's daughter, that's normal.

So the starting point of the conversation became comparing the lineup of female companions?

Emiya then raised his hand and began to introduce Nono, Eri... the maid Shami, and finally the two new... little followers whose positions he hadn't figured out yet, Helver and Orluen.

Wow, sorry, it suddenly became an overwhelming lineup.

A sneer came from somewhere. Emiya rolled his eyes and immediately saw an old man with a beer belly and a cowboy hat not far away, who was laughing at Ange's embarrassment without any concealment.

“Seeing young people full of energy gather together, I feel like I’ve become younger myself.”

Ange didn't show any embarrassment at all. He raised his glass and clinked it with Emiya out of courtesy.

Emiya couldn't empathize with old man Ange's feelings. He felt that he and Ange were completely different. "...I wonder if Miss Laurent has anything else to say?"

He looked at Elizabeth, who was wearing a black veil. She didn't seem to have any intention of leaving after saying hello, as if she was really paying attention to him... But Emiya didn't believe what admirers said. The other party's temperament was also very mature, and she couldn't be compared with that childish sister.

"Yes, Lord Emiya, I heard... Charlotte also participated in the Holy Grail War."

Elizabeth spoke slowly, "She's the daughter of the director of Gottingen. I heard she ran away from home and went to study abroad at the Clock Tower. To be honest, I was very worried about her... Unfortunately, I was still in school at the time, and only recently received this news."

"Huh? Charlotte is also a member of your secret party?"

Emiya was suddenly shocked. He had always been curious about what family this little sister came from and why she was always afraid of being beaten by her grandfather all day long. It turned out that she was also a member of this so-called secret party?

He always felt that the secret party organization that suddenly emerged in this world line development that he had never known before was highly suspicious.

The organizations behind Odin have influence all over the world. So, could the equally powerful Secret Party be the umbrella that provides Odin's organization with cover?

"That alchemical genius, Miss Charlotte?"

Ange smiled. "Strictly speaking, not really. Although Miss Charlotte is the daughter of a school director's family, she has the right to freely choose her own school. If she wants to study at the Clock Tower, we, the Secret Party, have no right to stop her."

...Of course, probably except her own parents.

Once Charlotte dares to go home, she will definitely be warmly received by her grandfather, and then a fierce PK between the grandfather and granddaughter is not impossible.

"So that's how it is. To be honest, it was indeed dangerous for her to participate in the Holy Grail War, but fortunately, the Servant she summoned lent her his power."

"Charlotte herself seemed to be aware of the dangers of the Holy Grail War and took cautious action to survive."

Elizabeth was incredulous. "Can humans also gain the power of Heroic Spirits? By modern standards, wouldn't that mean we could mass-produce living Heroic Spirits, making them invincible?"

Emiya corrected him, "It's not that simple! The prerequisite for becoming someone with the power of a Servant—or a Pseudo-Servant—is that the Heroic Spirit itself gives up emerging consciousness and lends its power to the object. This is the first limitation; it's not something you can just wish for."

"Secondly, becoming a Pseudo-Servant yourself, like commanding a Servant operating outside, requires a huge expenditure of magical energy. Without a sufficient energy source, this won't work."

Of course, this is just talk, just idle chat in the form of theoretical discussions. There is no holy grail, so don't fantasize about these things or take them too seriously.

After Ange and Elizabeth finished chatting for a while, their glasses were empty, so they had to take a break to refill their glasses.

The service staff of the eight Sheqi families were all pulled out to clean up the chaos outside the venue. At this moment, there were hardly enough people in the venue to serve the secret party masters.

Emiya wasn't hindered, it didn't matter. The attentive maid Xia Mi would take care of everything. She even bossed around and unceremoniously called the two newcomers, Helvil and Orluen, to work together, serving tea and water to Nono Eri and herself...

In a sense, it can be said that she has finally made it through. Xia Mi finally regained the style of the big boss who once called the shots and manipulated everything in the Holy Grail War from people of lower status than herself.

Emiya looked at her energetic appearance speechlessly. How could this be all she could do?

He turned around and chatted quietly with Nuonuo, explaining a few things, "Is the secret party's influence very large? Do you think it's related to Odin and the others?"

“Maybe, but I can’t be sure.”

Nuonuo tilted her head and thought for a moment, "How about we try it out later? Let's use the information we collected previously, and oh, the backgrounds of the two new maids, and try that Ange. He's the principal, there's no way he doesn't know those things."

"Okay, then remember to profile them and monitor their status and reactions."

After a while, Angers and his party came back again. Like a plaster that couldn't be shaken off, they seemed to be trying hard to gain favor, and all kinds of polite words came out of their mouths.

One moment, he said, "Oh, the ski resort at Mont Blanc in France is open for limited hours this year. If Emiya is interested, why not make an appointment to go there during the winter?" Then, he said, "It's so hot and humid right now, and there's a private summer estate in Bergen, Norway. How about going there in a few days?" ...

Angers is undoubtedly a master at enjoying travel. He is familiar with famous scenic spots around the world and even private vacation spots. He can easily bring up various topics and talk about them.

Emiya had no choice but to interrupt and get the conversation back on track. "Regarding the Holy Grail War, there are still some unclear points. I'm actually quite puzzled by this. I wonder if your secret party knows anything."

Ange smelled something unusual, "For example?"

"The Sheqi Eight Clan and I once wanted to investigate a suspicious gang codenamed 'Aoi House.' They were suspected of being responsible for the human trade transit from overseas, but before we could investigate, their executives vanished."

"The only result is that Aoiya's overseas trade client calls himself 'Boar Neo'. Do you know what that means?"

While speaking, Emiya and Nono beside him closely watched the reactions of Ange and Elizabeth.

Finally, Ange spoke up. He sighed and said, "Yes, some people knew about the Boar Neo incident, but we kept it a secret within our secret party, so the news was only circulated among the top leaders."

“Why the blockade?”

"Neo the Boar, he used to be a student of the secret party, but was expelled because he seriously violated the rules of Kassel Academy." Ange looked very secretive and didn't want to mention his own scandal.

"Oh, that's how it is."

It was really your secret party that exiled him.

Emiya didn't believe that the secret party would not have any surveillance on such students.

After all, the boar Neo was openly engaged in the human trafficking business.

"So, do you know Vincent?"

"Vincent?"

"It's said he's a strange person who believes in the Saint and has spent his life pursuing the gate to the Kingdom of God. It seems he's trying to constantly solicit investment and trade with others to achieve this goal."

Ange thought about it for a moment, and surprisingly, he actually remembered something.

"...There really were people like this in the history of the Secret Party. I remember it was several centuries ago."

Ange is quite knowledgeable about history. He even teaches in school and is responsible for history course tutorials.

"That organization is called the Twilight Creed. They're said to believe in and worship Ragnarok, the Pantheon, and Odin... They can't really be considered followers of Odin. Their true deity seems to be that mythological era."

"They firmly believed that mythology was real, worthy of a lifetime's pursuit, and that Ragnarok had arrived... Ultimately, the Secret Party deemed this doctrine too grandiose, and the Twilight Doctrine split off."

Emiya's eyes were sharp. How come all of them are from your secret party? Could there really be a traitor?

Chapter 265 Human Desires Are Like Rolling Stones

Ange said a lot, and finally concluded, "In other words, the Twilight Dogma firmly believes that in addition to the dragon clan, there were once powerful gods in this world. At the time of Ragnarok, they represented the dragon clan in a decisive battle."

"In the end, the Ragnarok War resulted in both sides suffering losses. A massive tsunami swept across most of the world, burying prehistoric civilization. Only after that did humanity have the opportunity to develop."

"You know, these bizarre mystical theories were often scoffed at by us secretive people in the past because they were too exaggerated."

Emiya heard some deep feelings and disbelief in Ange's words.

"But the Holy Grail War overturned your perception, right? The gods in mythology do exist."

Emiya had heard Xia Mi say before that in the most ancient period of this world, there were only highly developed intelligent life civilizations like the dragon clan, and there were no so-called gods.

However, what White King Izanami did turned the situation around.

Perhaps, although the gods of the Age of Gods do not exist in this world line, the foundation of mythology still exists... The establishment of the metaphysical foundation makes the appearance of gods possible.

"Yes, I have to admit that the Secret Party, with its long history of accumulation, is too arrogant as an organization, and its understanding of the world remains quite superficial."

Ange expressed regret and reflection on the former secret party's elimination of the Twilight Doctrine. He had some reflection, but not much, after all, that was a historical event that happened a hundred years before his time.

Ange was unable to change the outcome of the Twilight Dogma's eventual separation.

"I see... So you think Vincent is just a look-alike, and you've never paid attention to the subsequent activities of Twilight Dogma?"

"Perhaps, they did during the initial period of separation. We needed to assess whether they intended to expose the true nature of the world after leaving the Secret Party. However, this small organization never changed its mystical style. In the end... the Secret Party gave up on paying attention."

"Then let me give you some advice. It's not too late to pay attention now. See you later."

Emiya and Nono exchanged glances, told each other this sentence, and hastily ended their conversation.

Ange looked at Emiya's hurriedly departing back and his somewhat distant attitude just now, and his mood inevitably became heavy.

How could he not know that there were problems within the secret party?

But Ange had already realized that this problem was closely related to the secret party's own deep-seated predicament. A complete solution in a short period of time was almost impossible.

The Secret Party's existence dates back an incredibly long time, almost ten thousand years. From an outsider's perspective, it's hard to believe that such a pure organization, dedicated to the noble ideal of slaying dragons and fighting for humanity, truly existed, active throughout history.

Ange knew that all the members of the secret party were selfish. If the dragon clan was defeated, they would be able to seize more resources and power in this world. The common interests were the reason why everyone supported slaying the dragon.

There is no benefit. Who would be willing to risk losing their head to do this job just out of passion?

...But now, the Holy Grail War reveals the deeper secrets of this world: Heroic Spirits, the World Tree, and myths...

From then on, everyone could discover that there was such a vast unexplored realm for humanity! My God, humans could use magical means beyond the power of words, summon powerful heroic warriors, and harness the might of the gods...

In comparison, what are those dragons that require a price to defeat?

People's greed was aroused and their minds became increasingly restless.

As the wise philosopher said, the desires of the human heart are like rolling stones on a mountain. Once they start, they can never be stopped.

"Principal, what should we do now?" Elizabeth's voice was filled with worry.

The biggest purpose of this trip was to establish a good friendship with Emiya, but at least not to make them enemies. However, Emiya seemed to have a very negative impression of them.

"Tell that drunk old fellow (the night watchman) over there to stop playing around and start the journey," Ange sighed. He had never sighed so frequently in such a short period of time before, but now, his lips opened and closed, and he couldn't help but say the same words again:

“The world is changing so fast.”

"headmaster?"

"Don't worry. The school board still has four elders guarding it. Although the elders don't completely agree with us, they can still prevent those demons from causing trouble openly. Also, I will have Norma investigate that person named Vincent..."

"Boar Neo and Twilight Dogma, if they truly act so recklessly, the Secret Party will have no reason to let them off lightly..."

Ange picked up his phone and sent a message:

"Sorry for bothering me, my friend, Frost. I think those people can't help but make new moves. They even blatantly use some secret party traitors as minions. For the sake of our family's honor, I guess you'd be willing to cooperate with me once again..."

----

The waters of the Arctic Ocean are dark black, the drifting ice floes are blown away by the strong wind, and the sea fog gradually fades away under the sunlight of the polar day.

The travelers on the nuclear-powered icebreaker YAMAL exhaled a breath of hot air. It is now midsummer in the northern hemisphere, and the temperature is rising. It is the peak tourist season in the Arctic Circle. Many tour groups have entered the Arctic Circle to feel the cold northwest wind and take some beautiful photos to show their "freezing beauty".

It’s actually quite warm this year.

The traveler heard on the news that fragments of an asteroid had fallen into the area, causing a large amount of sea ice to evaporate. As a result, a large amount of sunlight was not reflected by the ice surface, and the temperature of the nearby sea would rise by two to three degrees Celsius due to solar heating.

The reason why YAMAL sells tourist tickets and receives travelers is that it is a luxury cruise ship converted from a nuclear-powered icebreaker. It is operated by a cruise company and sails in the Arctic Ocean all year round.

The entire ship has 11 floors of cabins. The six floors above the deck line that can see the sun are designed with 56 luxurious guest rooms. However, apart from the 55 rooms that can be booked, the luxury suite occupying the entire top floor is the year-round private room of the cruise company owner.

The traveler learned from the sailors on duty that the boss had never set foot on land since he boarded the ship several years ago, but he didn't know whether it was true or not.

The traveler wanted to take out a cigar as usual and walk over to talk to the familiar sailor, but the other party waved his hand, holding the AK-47 hanging on his shoulder in his hand, signaling the traveler to stop and return to the cabin.

The travelers were puzzled at first, but soon they heard the roar of a huge Mi-17 helicopter overhead.

The noise made by the large helicopter flying towards the helipad was not pleasant. The travelers obviously couldn't stand it and quickly returned to the cabin with their heads down.

An old man in black, dressed in a formal attire, came to greet the helicopter. He sat in an electric wheelchair and stared at the plane while accompanied by guards.

The old man's name was Vincent, and according to the passengers on this luxury cruise ship, he was the rumored company owner.

But in another dark world, Vincent's identity is an existing member of "Twilight Dogma"... But at this moment, Twilight Dogma strives to develop in a low-key manner. Its headquarters is this ship that drifts in the Arctic Ocean all year round. It even changed its new organization name to "The Far North" as early as the last century.

Unfortunately, being low-key is of no use.

Vincent didn't know yet that the most terrifying godslayer and the most powerful secret party in the world had inexplicably noticed him at the same time.

Vincent stared at the large helicopter that landed on the apron, causing the hull to shake slightly. If he was not mistaken, it should be the guests from the "Medical Association", the investors who supported Vincent's luxury cruise ship to sail far.

The old man had been looking forward to this for a long time. The Medical Association bought his most successful work, Regislife, from him and promised him "eternal life" not long ago, and even a real chance to "become a god".

This seemed like a lie, but Vincent did not dare to question it arbitrarily. Over the years, as a peripheral member, he had already deeply understood the terrifying power of the Medical Association.

The helicopter's door opened, and a man in black wearing a bird-beak mask quickly stepped down. His voice was old-fashioned and majestic as he stepped down. "...Charon, you greeted me right on time."

All members of the Medical Society call each other by different code names, and Vincent's code name is Charon.

"Sir, the blood of the First Saint is ready," Vincent said respectfully, a touch excited. "The ceremony you requested can be performed at any time."

Vincent couldn't help but be excited at this moment. After all... he would soon get rid of this rotten body and be reborn!

"You're too impatient, Charon. While aging is painful, there's no need to rush." ​​The masked man waved his hand. "First, arrange for someone to help unload the things from the plane."