Chapter 67: The Unyielding Ishtar

“So this talisman really belongs to you… was it stolen by the Matou family?”
Having finished gathering her gemstones, Rin Tohsaka watched the dragon talisman in Roland’s hand, and found herself believing his words a little more.
“Well then, what do you want to do? I’ll say this now—if you’re hoping to use Ishtar’s power to participate in the Holy Grail War, even if that goddess agrees, I won’t.”
After learning about the Holy Grail War, Tokiomi Tohsaka had warned Rin: this was a duel where magi wagered their dignity and honor—a noble ritual not to be sullied. Once you joined in, you had to be ready to die on the battlefield without regret.
Ishtar, however, was clearly an anomaly. If she were to intervene in the Holy Grail War, chaos would inevitably follow, no matter what she did.
Thus, Rin and the goddess had agreed from the start to stay away from the Grail War, and Rin entrusted her father with faith that he had what it took to win—even if it meant walking alongside death.
Determination blazed in Rin’s eyes, the resolve befitting the heir to the magecraft lineage.
“You can rest assured, I won’t use you against any Servants or other Masters,” Roland’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold smile flickering across his face.
“I merely intend to use the goddess’s Noble Phantasm to blast open the mountain of Mount Enzō, shatter the damned thing inside, and retrieve my lost talisman. That’s all.”
“I need to discuss this with Ishtar,” Rin replied, hesitating. If it wasn’t direct interference in the Holy Grail War, her resistance wasn’t as strong—especially since Sakura was still in the enemy’s hands.
“As you wish.”
Roland gently tapped Rin’s forehead, relaxing the seal enough for her to converse with Ishtar in her mind.
“Absolutely not!”
The moment the seal loosened, Ishtar’s voice resounded, full of indignation.
“If he made an offering and requested my help, I might consider it—but to ask such an unreasonable favor after ambushing me? Does he take me for a fool? Rin, just refuse him outright.”
“You’re right…”
Rin shivered; though Roland had given her an extra windfall today, she’d used up most of her hard-earned gemstones in two battles. If she agreed to help Roland, who knew how many more she’d have to fork over—she might lose all she gained today.
As she pondered how to politely decline, she looked up in confusion as Roland snapped his fingers.
“But since I’m asking a goddess for help, of course I wouldn’t let her go unrewarded. Once you’ve helped me recover the talisman, I’ll grant you a lost treasure.”

“A lost treasure?”
Rin froze, swallowing her words of refusal.
“You doubt me?”
Roland raised an eyebrow. As he spoke, a shadowy ninja silently emerged from his shadow, holding a jar so heavy it needed support against his chest. The jar was adorned with multicolored gemstones and intricate designs. Slowly, he lifted the lid.
Even though the sunlight was gentle today, the brilliance of the gemstones—each exquisite in quality—poured into Rin’s eyes like living radiance.
They were piled high inside the jar, a small mountain; far more than the handful she’d managed to gather.
Even as the scion of a gemstone magecraft family, Rin had never seen such a sight.
Her mouth hung open, her eyes sparkling.
In this moment, only one thought filled Rin’s mind—
—With so many top-quality gemstones, she’d never have to worry about magical expenses again.
“Rin… calm down, calm down, there’s no such thing as a free lunch—this is what you taught me. Though it dazzles the eyes, it could be a trap. To offer such precious gems—is he a god?”
Ishtar’s voice trembled, but from her lack of resentment over Roland’s earlier actions, it was clear—even the goddess was greatly shaken.
Rin’s gaze remained fixed on the jar in the ninja’s hands. She was about to echo Ishtar’s warning when Roland’s next words shattered her resolve.
“This is just the deposit. If you gather all the talismans, what you’ll receive will be tens of thousands of times greater.”
“Tens of thousands of times—!!”
Their thoughts overlapped in perfect unison.
“How many temples could that build…”
“So many gemstones—enough to last a lifetime…”
“Ishtar, what should we do?”
Rin’s reason had completely crumbled, but fortunately, despite her greed, she wouldn’t betray her partner for mere wealth. Ishtar’s opinion was what truly mattered to her.

But the normally boisterous Ishtar fell silent for once, simply staring at the gemstones in the ninja’s hand and at the rude human, torn by indecision.
“You think you can buy me with money? That’s an insult to the goddess!”
She wanted to rebuke Roland loudly, but the sum was simply too staggering.
“Well, he’s human after all. Since such an interesting event has unfolded, I suppose at least he’ll entertain me for a while longer—so, I’ll play along for now.”
The coy words told Rin all she needed to know of Ishtar’s intentions. Fearing Roland might regret his offer, she nodded heavily.
If she let this fortune slip away, she’d surely die of heartbreak!
“Very well, a pleasant transaction.”
This goddess was surprisingly easy to placate—Roland was somewhat taken aback. Among Servants, those with mental knots or flawed personalities were always troublesome; Ishtar, by contrast, was almost too agreeable.
“Wait! Since we’ve reached an agreement, you should help me remove the seal. If not, at least tell me its taboo!”
The more dangerous the sealed item, the more caution was needed—Rin knew this from experience. She’d nearly suffered disaster in her family’s study for overlooking such a detail; as a result, Tokiomi gave her a magic meter to help gauge danger levels.
A seal capable of suppressing a goddess like Ishtar was no ordinary seal—it demanded utmost care.
“Oh, that,” Roland blinked. “Its taboo is the same as its method of unsealing. You can handle it yourself.”
A mere apprentice could unseal it? Rin’s suspicion grew, and she pressed him for details.
“So, what’s the taboo?”
“Keep it dry.”
“Huh?”