Chapter 48: The Fooled and Manipulated Jeanne

"Takashi Kuroda, can you explain now?" After the intimidating Servant who called himself a "King" left, Jeanne's tense nerves finally relaxed. She turned to Takashi Kuroda, who had been shielding her, and asked.

"Yeah, let's talk while we move. The energy from that Noble Phantasm must have drawn attention. We should get out of here first." Takashi grabbed Jeanne’s hand and quickly led her away.

Before long, a thunderous roar split the sky, followed by a panicked, almost desperate voice: "Rider!! You idiot!! Stop being so flashy! What if someone sees us?!"

A massive figure carrying a scrawny, terrified young man on a chariot soon arrived at the scene. Unfortunately for them, they found nothing.

...

"So… that’s the whole story of why you fought that Servant?"

Inside a secluded room at a restaurant, Takashi and Jeanne were discussing the events of the morning. Takashi had framed Mordred as an unknown Servant who attacked him because she sensed the faint Servant energy around him, mistaking him for an easy target.

He also claimed that she had a Caster-class ally who had set up a bounded field to isolate the area, intending to eliminate him quietly. Fortunately, his black mist’s unique properties allowed him to bypass the barrier and guide Jeanne to him.

That’s right—Jeanne had only arrived because Takashi had subtly manipulated her with his black mist. From the start, this entire confrontation had been staged for her benefit—to clear his own name and make her realize the severity of the situation. This was no longer something she could handle alone.

"A Saber who attacked me, a Caster who concealed their presence… and the Assassin from last night. That makes three Servants working together." Takashi led her along.

"Three Servants…" Jeanne’s brow furrowed deeply.

"And that’s not even the worst part, Jeanne. During the fight, I realized something. The Servant who granted me this power… his class is Caster. Do you know what that means?" He dropped another bombshell.

"Wait, if you’re the Caster, then what about the one outside who set up the bounded field?" Jeanne immediately caught the inconsistency—there shouldn’t be two Casters in a Holy Grail War.

"Either that wasn’t a Servant but the Saber’s Master, or it was another class using similar magecraft—maybe a Noble Phantasm."

"No, that was definitely a Servant. I wouldn’t mistake that. Let’s hope it’s the latter…" Jeanne muttered, troubled.

"And if it’s not? If there really are two Casters…"

"Then I understand why the Greater Grail summoned me as Ruler—to oversee this war and maintain its rules. The number of Servants has already exceeded the standard seven. Someone has used a special method to summon multiple Servants. The way these three coordinated against you proves it. This is far beyond what I can handle alone." Jeanne’s voice was grave.

"Someone is trying to disrupt the Holy Grail War by summoning extra Servants. And I can’t fight so many alone."

"So let’s work together, Jeanne." Takashi leaned forward. "I’m the only Master who’s seen them and survived. They’ll definitely come after me to keep this secret. And you—you know about them too, and you’re an obstacle to their plans. We’re on the same side. We have to ally."

"Just the two of us? Shouldn’t we inform the other Masters and rally their support?" Jeanne questioned.

"It’s useless. Even if you reveal yourself as Ruler and explain the situation, none of them have been attacked by unknown Servants. They won’t believe you. People trust their own eyes over others’ words. And these Masters are desperate to win—there’s only one victor. They’d sooner betray each other than cooperate. You know how humans are, don’t you? The Maid of Orléans."

Takashi’s words silenced Jeanne. As someone who had been betrayed and burned at the stake, she knew the ugliness of human nature all too well.

"Of course, I’m not saying we should rule out alliances entirely. If we find trustworthy Masters, we’ll bring them in. But we need to vet them carefully. I trust our judgment. Just… not yet. Right now, we can’t even tell who’s a normal Master and who’s part of this conspiracy. Revealing too much would just alert them and force them into hiding."

Jeanne nodded slowly. "Then why did you have me pretend to be a Master earlier? Wouldn’t our real identities already be known to them?"

"First, it’s about how we present ourselves to the other Masters moving forward." Takashi smirked. "But more importantly, you’re right—our identities are known. But only to them."

Jeanne’s eyes lit up as she grasped his meaning. "You’re saying…"

"Normal Masters and Servants will assume we’re just another Master-Servant pair. Only those hidden ones know the truth. So if multiple Servants attack us—especially if they ruthlessly target you, a seemingly defenseless ‘Master’—what does that tell us about them?" He interlaced his fingers, resting his chin on them.

"I see… You’re using this to distinguish the legitimate participants from the impostors." Jeanne nodded in approval. "Impressive, Takashi Kuroda. To think so far ahead in the middle of a fight with that Saber…"

"What can I say? I’m a Master in this war. If I don’t strategize, I’m dead." He shrugged.

"Heh… At this rate, I’d say your chances of winning are quite high." Jeanne smiled.

"I’ll take that as a blessing. But given my situation… can I even be considered a normal Master anymore? I might already be an ‘irregular’ myself." His tone turned sly. "Once we deal with them, will you turn on me, Jeanne? Personal feelings aside, I know how strictly you adhere to your role as Ruler."

"Only if you’re confirmed as an irregular. But… this fusion between Master and Servant… We’ll deal with it later. At the very least, I can guarantee your safety—ensuring you leave the war alive. Consider it a small personal favor. The Grail will understand."

"Then, I look forward to working with you… my ‘Master.’" Takashi extended his hand.

"Likewise… Wait, should I still call you Takashi Kuroda as a Servant?"

"You can call me Caster. Or… the Ruined King. That’s the title of the one who gave me this power."

"The Ruined King? What a strange name… Was there ever such a Heroic Spirit?" Jeanne frowned. Neither her own memories nor the Grail’s knowledge included such a figure. She made a mental note to research this title later—perhaps it could help resolve Takashi’s condition.

"Heh. Now Jeanne’s tied to me. This is like a wolf boldly claiming to be the witch, only for the clueless seer to vouch for them. With the highest authority in the game (aside from the actual Ruler), this war just got a lot more interesting." Watching the thoroughly fooled Jeanne, Takashi smirked in anticipation.