Chapter 672

"Hohoho! With just a bit of merchant's instinct, you'd know where to lay your pieces. And what I need to know, the Holy Grail has told me." Lao Aodi couldn't help but praise, saying, "You... are the Servant of that sea-wandering ranger. I never expected your sense of smell to be sharper than that of a hound lineage's lackey!"

"By the way, you're not returning to your Master's side to fight loyally for him, but instead charging in alone—is that alright? That cowboy is now imprisoned and desperately needs your rescue!"

Lancer completely unmoved: "Tsk, really careless. If I were to smash your head here, it would be equivalent to rescuing my iron-clod Master, right? As someone who's been there, let me give you a piece of advice—the Holy Grail never goes as one wishes; all it can leave behind are spirits buried by desire."

"Hohoho! Thank you very much for your advice. So, am I not now giving the Holy Grail a new value? An entertainment program more worthwhile to invest in than a wishing machine."

——

fate/the Emiya family's meal.

"What a great opportunity! Lancer! Right now, why waste any more words on him?"

Upon seeing the mastermind behind the scenes, Lao Aodi appear, Yuan Ban Lin sprang up from her cushion, practically more excited than the Lancer on the screen, as if she herself were present.

In her view, capture the king before the lackeys; this archvillain has finally shown himself—this is the best moment to end this farce. Moreover, no Servant has appeared on the scene; the remaining unrevealed classes are only Berserker and Rider, and either of those two, even if they tried to hide, would be discovered by Lancer.

Although Lancer lacks information on those two classes, conversely, Lao Aodi surely also doesn't know Lancer's Noble Phantasm information.

"I think Lancer would be better off being cautious—Bo Ti Ou and them are heading for the grand theater; it'd be best to wait until everyone regroups, then act together more safely." Shi Lang felt his plan was more steady.

"Huh? Regroup? Why waste a chance to take out the enemy directly?" Yuan Ban Lin turned, arms akimbo, with a "you're too naive" expression: "The fleeting window of opportunity—just three seconds… as long as three seconds, Lancer could take down Lao Aodi!"

She pointed at the old man with his back to Lancer on the screen—this utterly defenseless posture clearly shows she doesn't even consider him worth noticing!

——

"Hmph, an entertainment program… I see, this thing has good compatibility with the Holy Grail, no wonder it could trigger this Holy Grail War." Lancer coldly chuckled: "I've been thinking, in this mysteriously declining world, on such barren land, even if you hold the Holy Grail, aside from pouring liquor into it, what else can you do?"

"If there were something that could replace mana to fuel the Holy Grail's miracle‑creating heat… that would be another matter. The Holy Grail War, which should have remained shrouded in mystery, has turned into a public entertainment show."

"And on this planet steeped in dreams, people, having learned of the Holy Grail's ritual and witnessed the summoning of heroic spirits, came to believe in the Holy Grail's miracle. Thus, their wishes, bit by bit, became fuel, plating the Holy Grail with a veneer of fabricated miracle—while the farce you're hosting tramples those wishes."

After hearing Lancer's analysis, Lao Aodi clicked his tongue in amazement: "Truly remarkable insight, an otherworldly Servant—your appearance really does surprise me. But your arrival is necessary; the Holy Grail needs more efficient fuel, namely you——"

"Yin Fu Xiao Jie, oh no, ███, it's time to show your true charm to Pinokangni."

Yin Fu Xiao Jie slowly walked behind Lancer, who instantly felt a wave of hallucination before his eyes; the curtains rustled down, covering everything on the stage.

Lancer just vanished before everyone's eyes.

——

Re: Starting Life in Another World from Zero

"Eh?? Where did that huge Lancer go?!"

Cai Yue Mao wore a puzzled expression—clearly he had just rubbed his eyes a moment ago, and Lancer vanished like that? He had still expected a battle between Caster and Lancer!

"Could it be a kind of teleportation‑like magic?" Ai Mi Li Ya felt somewhat perplexed; this was completely at odds with Caster's earlier claim of having no power at all.

Lancer is no ordinary Servant—he could shatter Assassin's initial barrier against the Star with a single strike of his spear, showing his strength is not to be underestimated, yet Yin Fu Xiao Jie dealt with him so easily? And left not a trace… Ai Mi Li Ya could only think of 'teleportation' as an option.

Without a doubt, this Servant hasn't been truthful with his Master; Yin Fu Xiao Jie not only has power, she's strong.

Could she still have a hidden ace up her sleeve?

"After being summoned by the Holy Grail, what she can wield should surely be far more than just the power of Harmony; Xingqiri and Zhigengniao, as Pathfinders, don't have such strange means." Pa Ke hehehe laughed, "Could it be… she actually knows magic?"

Ai Mi Li Ya shook her head: "That world probably doesn't have magic at all… at least we haven't seen any yet, but if we must speak of magic, Black Swan Miss's ability is quite similar."

——

"Thank you for your hard work, old friend. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed, and I still remember every performance of yours on the silver screen, every dance you skipped, every little tune you sang… back then, you were like a cluster of blooming warbler‑tail flowers. However, compared to your prime‑time dance‑typhoon posture, I prefer your current look—stripped of all external adornments, so ordinary you are."

Yin Fu Xiao Jie coldly said: "Enough, Aodi. Outdated metaphors are like leftovers that make me nauseous. I've already fulfilled the promise—it's your turn."

"No rush, old friend. Everything you want doesn't need magic or miracles—money can do it—so‑called Holy Grail is merely a vessel forged with gold. The protagonists of our show are about to arrive; you must hold them back until the final step of the ritual is completed. Then I will fulfill the promise."

"Aodi, it seems your business acumen has rotted along with this world. I can't even manage to restrain that Servant, and you actually expect me to defeat all of them?"

Lao Aodi burst out laughing at those words: "Hohoho! Don't sell yourself short—unlike Ge Rui Di, you are a true artist! Your talent on stage, playing myriad roles and embodying the joys and sorrows of countless lives, makes you the bane of these heroes."

"I will entrust the accumulated power of the Holy Grail to you, giving you the chips to overwhelm them. Thus, this grand ceremony will surely reach a perfect conclusion."