Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Choice of Sacred Relics

Merely as a soul, the Lord's power was still undeniable. As a villain whose presence lingered from the early stages to the very end, the power he wielded was the highest Roland had ever encountered.

"If only it were the complete Lord..." The thought had barely formed in his mind before Roland quickly banished it. Those who believed themselves invincible rarely met a good end. Moreover, if the Lord were whole, his influence might extend to world domination, unlike now, where the cost and abilities were almost inseparable.

"But this assimilation condition..." Roland wondered, perplexed. This was his first encounter with a high-risk contract spirit of the red level. Unlike Yoshikage Kira, whose assimilation conditions were clear, the Lord's soul had a rather ambiguous prerequisite.

Resurrection? What did that mean? His soul had already been elevated to that of a demon, and his body was intact. What would count as resurrection—collecting twelve talismans like Jackie Chan? But the Lord had become a contract spirit as a soul; there were no talismans. Roland, unable to make sense of it, suddenly clapped his hands.

"If it's unclear, why not ask him directly?" The wisdom of a thousand ages, worn but present, was the most fascinating ability granted by the Lord's soul. Most people were drawn to the twelve talismans the Lord possessed, overlooking the fact that, as one of the eight demon rulers of the world, he was never a mere brute. He was a powerful demon sorcerer.

He knew the secrets of the Chronicle of Ages, could see through the methods needed to break the curse that sealed him, knew how to open the Gates of Hell, and had written a compendium of spells, harnessing the power of the Shadow Kingdom through incantations. In both experience and knowledge, he stood at the summit.

Alas, imprisoned in Hell, the passage of countless years had worn away his wisdom, leaving barely a fraction of his magical knowledge intact. He had to rely on his own spellbook to recall specifics. Most of the time, the Lord behaved like a reckless brute, unable to grasp his own talismans as well as the new generation of Saint Warriors like Xiao Yu.

For Roland, this ability did not inject the Lord's memories directly into his mind, but rather subtly infused his subconscious with the Lord's accumulated wisdom and discernment. When Roland faced a problem he couldn't solve, this wisdom would offer him an answer. When confronted with an unfamiliar spell, it would dissect its structure and method, granting understanding. In this respect, he had become a nemesis to all magicians.

So, was there any wisdom better qualified than the Lord's to clarify what "resurrection" truly meant?

After a brief contemplation, Roland arrived at the answer.

—To possess a body.

It was not as simple as the literal meaning; its true implication was to have a body matching the soul, to house the soul in mortal flesh—a condition the Lord could not tolerate.

Even without the divine power of the talismans, at the very least, it must be a body like Dao Long's, inherently suited to the soul—a dragon's form by birth. In fact, Roland had vaguely sensed this earlier: the alien feeling in the mirror world was proof enough. Had his body and soul not been inherently unified, he would likely have been able to astrally project his soul at will by now.

"So, I really am no longer human..." Roland sighed. As for acquiring a body, he knew how, even without the wisdom of a thousand ages to remind him.

Among the characteristics of Servants was their ability to take on spiritual form, which meant they required magicians to sustain them over time. But if they acquired a body, they could escape the dependency of returning after the Holy Grail War ended and remain in the world indefinitely—a different form of resurrection.

Of course, gaining a body through the Holy Grail was merely the basic method. If possible, Roland rather coveted the Third Magic that constituted the Greater Grail itself.

Thinking about it, it became clear why, during the last Holy Grail War, the Lord's soul—reduced to mere instinct—still caused massive fluctuations in the timelines. To materialize a soul and use it as a template to forge the perfect body.

"It seems I now have a reason to win this war." Roland waved his hand and returned to stand before Sakura Matou.

"Sakura, let's begin preparations for the summoning ceremony."

Though he had absolutely no prior experience in this field, guided by the Lord's wisdom, Roland easily completed the drawing of the summoning circle in the sealed warehouse nearby.

Sakura stood nervously in her designated spot, serving as a battery for magical energy.

Next came the issue of the catalyst.

Roland opened the box given to him by Zouken Matou. Inside lay an exquisitely crafted short sword, its hilt adorned with a round gem at the end, resembling both a staff and a blade.

Yet, more than practical use, the short sword seemed more like a commemorative artifact.

"Mercury Sword?" Roland exclaimed in surprise. Among the many magical artifacts, this one—also known as the 'Sword of Whoever Gives It Gets Stabbed'—was unforgettable for him. Was Zouken Matou trying to hint at something?

He stroked his chin and quickly dismissed the idea. Tokiomi Tohsaka wasn't dead yet; it couldn't be that. Besides, considering Zouken's identity, this thing could very well be a holy relic.

It might even have been crafted by the Heroic Spirit himself.

Founder of modern alchemy: Von Hohenheim Paracelsus.

In terms of ability, he was not boasting—this great alchemist, who recreated the Philosopher's Stone, was indeed first-rate as a Caster.

Yet his personality was rather peculiar, especially given the Holy Grail's genuine connection to the Root.

"And I can't let anyone else have the wish-granting opportunity." Roland's smile faded. He still possessed another holy relic, but with Saber already summoned, using Avalon to call forth a Caster would most likely summon the Magus of Flowers.

In a sense, Paracelsus was preferable.

Roland wasn't concerned about the strength of the Heroic Spirit summoned—given his current power, it was hard for any Heroic Spirit to surpass him.

Perhaps it was the Lord's desire for dominion at work, or perhaps this was Roland's nature, but whether the Heroic Spirit was trustworthy mattered greatly to him.

Thus, random compatibility-based summoning was never in his plans.

"What a hassle. Is there any way to quickly find a holy relic that meets my requirements?" With the summoning circle drawn and the ceremony yet to start, he felt something was missing. Suddenly, Roland's eyes lit up.

Though his request was capricious and arbitrary—after all, the criteria were vague—the Shadow Army seemed capable of fulfilling it.

In the original story, when Xiao Yu served as the queen of the Shadow Army, she had whimsically demanded someone who could understand the spell compendium, an unreasonable request, yet the Shadow Army faithfully executed it.

Roland snapped his fingers, imitating her, and ordered the two Shadow Ninjas emerging from the darkness.

"Go find a suitable holy relic!"

Without a hint of confusion, the two ninjas vanished into the shadows, then reappeared just as swiftly, as if they'd never left.

But unlike before, in their hands they carried a fluffy, beautiful sheepskin, so radiant with golden brilliance that even in darkness, it shone like the sun.