Shinji Matou At Your Service

"I knew it was your doing."

After listening to Chiron's account, Shinji couldn't help but raise his hand and give Astolfo a flick on the forehead.

"Ow, ow, I'm sorry!"

Astolfo clutched his head, whimpering and apologizing in one fluid motion—truly a master of acting cute.

"You're forgiven."

Shinji shook his head with a wry smile, too lazy to argue with him.

Astolfo had this unique trait; no matter how much trouble he caused, it was hard to stay angry at him. This time, the mischief was minor, but in his previous life, he had caused much bigger problems and even got turned into a tree. Yet, he never faced any significant punishment and remained one of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins.

Of course, this was also because Astolfo never had the will to "do bad things." Even when he lost his rationality, his instincts would still reject actions categorized as "bad." So, no matter how much trouble he stirred up, the consequences were never too severe. Over time, even Emperor Charlemagne and Roland got used to it—just scold Astolfo as Shinji did, then help clean up his mess.

"Alright, let me take a look at what kind of homunculus could captivate both a Caster and a cross-dressing hero like you."

Shinji teased as he walked over to the bed, examining the boy lying there.

Silver hair, red eyes, a face like a doll. No doubt about it, this was the work of the Einzbern family. Although he was made male, there were still many traces of Justeaze in him. However, being a mass-produced model for supply purposes, he wasn't crafted with the same finesse as Justeaze.

If Justeaze was a perfect hundred, then Sieg would be an eighty. From this perspective, the production line created by fusing the technologies of the Einzbern and the Muzik families was quite impressive.

The only pity was that being a disposable mass-produced model, his lifespan was only three years. Far inferior to the meticulously crafted quality that the Einzbern would pour immense resources into. Just look at that Old Man Acht—he's been alive for two hundred years and is still lively, having made a mark in the magical world of this realm and potentially causing trouble in another, such as the anticipated Fifth Holy Grail War.

"So, the question is, what should we do with this homunculus? Leave him be? Help out Astolfo? Or hand him over to Caster?"

Standing by the bed, Shinji quietly observed the sleeping homunculus, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

It was already decided that Sieg wouldn't get the chance to save people by extracting Siegfried's heart. The real Siegfried was far more valuable than a three-minute Ultraman version of him.

As for what to do with Sieg, Shinji wasn't too concerned—alive or dead, a powerless homunculus didn't matter much.

But now that he had been delivered to his doorstep, he couldn't ignore his existence.

Of the three choices, leaving him was the first to be eliminated. Without his intervention, there was a high chance that Siegfried would sacrifice his heart.

That left the choice between Caster and Astolfo.

Caster, true name Avicebron. Also known as Solomon ibn Gabirol, was an 11th-century poet and philosopher. Born in Malaga, Spain, he was a significant figure who brought the academic and intellectual traditions of ancient Greece, Arabia, and Judaism into the European cultural sphere. He didn't leave behind the dazzling achievements of a swordsman or king, nor did he create art that would last for millennia.

However, he was one of the figures who sparked the Renaissance in medieval Europe. He derived the concept of "Kabbalah" from the Hebrew word meaning "to receive"—in other words, he created one of the foundations of magecraft, profoundly influencing both world history and the history of magi, making him an undeniable "hero."

Avicebron's personality was peculiar; due to his frailty and misanthropy, he deeply disliked interacting with others. While he could engage in rational conversations, there was no room for emotion in them. As a magus who had perfected a certain type of magecraft, he didn't need to worry about the mundane affairs of his household.

This magecraft is a golem creation, and Avicebron is the foremost golem master in the history of magecraft. Roche's exceptional respect for him, as well as Darnic selecting him for early summoning alongside Vlad III, is due to this fact.

Over two months, Avicebron has amassed a four-digit number of golems, ranging from large to small, with various functions such as long-range, close combat, and reconnaissance. They are an indispensable part of the Yggdmillennia clan's defense system.

Releasing all these golems at once would be troublesome even for a top-tier Servant like Siegfried, but this isn't Avicebron's trump card.

Avicebron's trump card, and his only Noble Phantasm, is called "Golem Keter Malkuth." This Noble Phantasm is the pinnacle of golems—no, it has surpassed the boundaries of golems and puppets, reaching a new realm of artificial life. Unfortunately, Avicebron couldn't complete it during his lifetime, and his wish upon being summoned as a Heroic Spirit is simply to finish this Noble Phantasm.

Now, his wish is just one material short—a first-class magus to serve as the "heart."

Avicebron's Noble Phantasm reflects the abilities of its "heart" directly into its power. Unfortunately, the Yggdmillennia clan's suitable candidates are all Masters and cannot be used as the "heart," so Avicebron turned his attention to homunculi.

Whether supply or combat homunculi, they all have first-rate magic circuits. The only thing they lack is self-awareness, so they cannot be considered complete magi. Avicebron tested many homunculi but couldn't find a suitable candidate until Sieg appeared.

Without any orders, using magecraft on his own is undoubtedly a sign of awakening self-awareness. In other words, this homunculus has already become a magus and has the potential to be used as the "heart."

As long as he finds him, his wish will be one step closer to realization, Avicebron believes.

"Golem Kether Malchut" is a growth-type A+-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm with the power to change the course of battles. From this perspective, handing Sieg over to Avicebron is the best choice.

If Sieg can serve as the "heart," Black's chances of winning will increase significantly, truly reaching the 80% estimate Darnic mentioned. Furthermore, using this as a stepping stone to gain command over "Golem Kether Malchut," Shinji is confident he can severely cripple the Red faction in one fell swoop.

Even if that doesn't work, it could still earn favor with the Caster and Berserker teams and eliminate the possibility of Siegfried sacrificing his heart to save someone.

With this thought, an urge to go directly to Darnic welled up within Shinji.