Kanade facepalmed. The damn system really gave him nothing! How was he supposed to enter without an invitation?
"Is there any way to get in without one?" he probed.
"Normally, no one can enter without an invitation unless they force their way in. But charging headfirst into someone else's workshop is basically suicide."
"Is that so?"
Kanade's hand drifted toward his ninja pouch, his mind already considering murder and theft.
As if sensing his intent, Flew quickly added, "Of course, there's another way I can get you in."
Kanade paused. Flew exhaled in relief.
From the moment he laid eyes on Kanade, Flew knew this boy was no ordinary person. Despite his youth, his gaze carried a world-weary depth, and his aura was intimidating—more like an ancient monster than a teenager. If not for the lack of decay in his presence, Flew might've mistaken him for an old magus using a child's body as a vessel.
"Someone so young with such a terrifying aura must be from a major family. I'll use divination later to figure out his background." Flew wiped sweat from his brow.
Had Kanade known his thoughts, he'd have credited the Akatsuki cloak for its effect—its imposing presence ensured no one would underestimate him.
"Invited magi are allowed to bring one attendant. Since I don't have one, you can enter as mine." Flew rubbed his fingers together meaningfully.
"Of course, as a mercenary, I'll need a small fee."
Kanade casually tossed him a few gold bars from his bag. Flew caught them, testing their purity with his fingers. "Excellent quality, very high gold content. The Higashino lad is quite generous!" He pocketed the gold, eyeing Kanade like a cash cow.
Kanade didn't mind. To him, money was no issue—especially since it came from his future wife's family.
"Aren't you worried I'll compete for the legacy?"
"Don't fret. I'm not here for the legacy of Griven Ashaburn, the Restorer. For mercenaries like me, money is everything. Even if I got my hands on it, I wouldn't know how to use it. Might as well earn some quick cash—like now." Flew made no effort to hide his greed, indirectly assuring Kanade he meant no harm.
A mercenary driven by money—not a magus but a magic-user, like Kiritsugu Emiya? Kanade mused.
In the world of magecraft, practitioners fell into two broad categories.
The first, like Tokiomi Tōsaka, were magi who devoted themselves to the pursuit of the Root, treating magecraft as a sacred path.
The second, like Kiritsugu Emiya, were magic-users who saw magecraft merely as a tool—researchers disdained by traditional magi.
"Lead the way."
Kanade didn't stand on ceremony. Flew hopped down from the boulder and guided him forward.
As they approached, the castle's details became clearer.
Encircled by a round wall, the grand castle was surrounded by a moat. The front courtyard was a dense forest, while the castle itself was U-shaped, with towering angel statues adorning its walls—evidence of its master's obsession with angels.
"The castle's master was Griven Ashaburn, a renowned Restorer in the magecraft world, held in high esteem. But he died without an heir, hence this gathering to select a successor for his legacy." Flew recounted as they walked.
Kanade listened carefully. "What's a Restorer?"
"Eh? You don't even know that?" Flew looked surprised but explained patiently, "A Restorer is someone who can repair Magic Crests. Unlike Tuners, who also restore Crests, Restorers can do so in a much shorter time."
"You see, Magic Crests are essentially like organs—they age and deteriorate. Many magus families decline because their Crests are damaged. That's why someone like Griven, who could restore them, was so revered."
Magic Crests were the crystallization of a magus's lifelong research, a means to combat the erosion of mystery.
For a magus family, a Crest was a treasured heirloom, passed down through generations in the hope that descendants would reach the Root.
But Crests could only be inherited by blood relatives, as they were akin to transplanted organs—only family members could mitigate rejection. This was why magi only took their own children as apprentices, and why magus society was family-centric.
"Higashino, I'm starting to think you're a complete newcomer. Did your elders teach you nothing?" Flew couldn't resist teasing.
"I used to live in a village called Konoha. I only started traveling recently, so my knowledge of the magecraft world is still basic." Kanade lied smoothly.
Flew grinned. "If you want to learn more, you can always ask me—for a small fee, of course."
"Sure, I'll pay based on the information."
Kanade agreed readily, though he had no intention of spending recklessly. With someone as money-grubbing as Flew, freeloading was the way to go.
As they spoke, they crossed the drawbridge, passed through the front courtyard, and arrived at the castle gates.
A butler-like old man in a suit stood there, bowing politely. "Do you have an invitation, guests?"
"Here."
Flew handed it over. After inspection, the butler gestured inward. "Please, come in."
The gates opened, and the two stepped inside.The quality is excellent, the gold content is very high. You're quite generous, Uchiha boy!" Flew chuckled as he pocketed the gold, looking at Kanade as if he'd found a cash cow.
Kanade didn't mind. For him, any problem solvable with money wasn't a real problem. After all, the money came from his future wife - spending it didn't hurt at all.
"Aren't you worried I might compete with you for the inheritance?"
"Don't worry about that, kid. I'm not here for restorer Griven Ashaburn's legacy. For mercenaries like me, money is everything. Even if I got my hands on that inheritance, I wouldn't know how to use it. Might as well make some quick cash while I can - just like now." Flew made no attempt to hide his greed, indirectly assuring Kanade he meant no harm.
"A mercenary motivated by money - not a magus but a spellcaster like Kiritsugu Emiya?" Kanade thought to himself.
In the world of magecraft, practitioners could be divided into two broad categories. The first were magi like Tokiomi Tohsaka, who devoted themselves entirely to the study of magecraft with the ultimate goal of reaching the Root. For them, magecraft was a sacred path to the Root.
The second were spellcasters like Kiritsugu Emiya, who treated magecraft merely as a tool to achieve their goals. They weren't researchers of magecraft nor sought the Root. Whether motivated by money or ideals, they were despised by traditional magi.
"Lead the way."
Kanade didn't stand on ceremony. Flew easily jumped down from the boulder and began leading Kanade forward.
As they approached, Adra Castle's appearance became clearer.
It was a massive castle surrounded by circular walls with a moat outside. The front courtyard was dense with trees, while the castle itself was U-shaped, curving inward. Numerous large angel statues adorned the castle walls, clearly indicating its owner's obsession with angels.
"The castle's owner was Griven Ashaburn, a famous restorer in the magecraft world with exceptional status and great respect. But he died without heirs, hence gathering so many people to select an inheritor for his legacy," Flew explained as they walked.
Kanade listened carefully before asking, "What's a restorer?"
"Eh? You don't even know what a restorer is?" Flew looked surprised but patiently explained, "A restorer is someone who can repair Magic Crests. Unlike tuners who also restore Crests, restorers can do it in much shorter time."
"You see, Magic Crests are essentially like organs - they age and deteriorate. Many magus families decline because their Crests are damaged. That's why someone like Griven who could restore them was so respected."
Magic Crests were crystallizations of a magus's lifelong research, products created to combat the erosion of mystery.
For a magus family, a Crest was a priceless heirloom passed down through generations, with hopes pinned on descendants to complete the journey to the Root.
Crests could only be inherited by a magus's descendants because they were essentially special organs that would cause rejection. Only blood relatives could mitigate the side effects of this rejection. This was why magi only accepted their own children as apprentices and why magus society was family-centric.
"Uchiha boy, I'm seriously starting to think you're a complete newcomer to the magecraft world. Didn't your elders teach you anything?" Flew couldn't resist teasing after his explanation.
"I used to live in a village called Konoha. I only started traveling recently, so my knowledge of the magecraft world is still at beginner level," Kanade lied smoothly.
Hearing this, Flew smiled politely. "If you want to learn more about the magecraft world, you can always ask me - for a small commission, of course."
"Sure, I'll pay based on the information."
Kanade readily agreed, though he had no intention of spending recklessly. With someone as money-grubbing as Flew, freeloading was the way to go.
As they talked, they crossed the drawbridge beneath the city walls, passed through the front courtyard, and arrived at the castle gates.
An elderly man in a suit stood there, playing the role of butler. Seeing Kanade and Flew, he bowed respectfully and said, "Do you have an invitation, guests?"
"Here."
Flew promptly handed it over. After inspection, the butler said, "Please come in."
The castle gates opened, and Kanade and Flew stepped inside.
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