Magician in Type-Moon

Page 450

Ten times?

It should be less than fifteen times.

"So, that's why he invited me to this banquet on the boat?"

"what happened?"

"I finally understand. Although this is probably only half the answer."

Matouchi's voice was low, but it contained a deep sense of determination.

I remember when we boarded this ship, that's how that apostle invited Matou Ike.

The method of "engaging the gears of time" and Kiz's message were used to lure Matou Ike into this gamble.

And now.

The massive spell left behind by Kiz.

Or should it be called heritage?

Matou Ike thought for a moment, then continued:

"You remember how the gambling that magicians participated in could lead to biases, right?"

“Yes, even a regular blackjack game won’t become ordinary with a magician around.” Medea nodded.

In fact, extreme hands frequently appeared in the blackjack matches against Melvin. While they weren't necessarily good hands, they could only be interpreted as indicating a certain trend, and Medea could clearly sense the unusual deviations.

It was as if I had been touched by an unseen hand of God.

"That kind of deviation happens because gambling functions as a kind of magic. Do you remember that the origin of gambling was divine judgment?"

"Of course I remember." Although knowledge about gambling was not within Medea's purview, her experiences over the past two days had been enough for her to fully experience that feeling.

Tracing the history of gambling leads to divine judgment, which is sought from the gods.

“But that dead apostle wasn’t conducting a divine judgment, was he…?” Medea asked.

"Of course. That guy probably just likes humans. Because for better or worse, gambling highlights all aspects of humanity. This is especially true if he was originally a magician. For Van Fim, this Deathline Joy Ship is his hobby, his way of life, and his meaning of life."

While the concept of "meaning of existence" seems peculiar to the Dead Apostles, it suits Van Fem very well. Because a way of life that should have remained rigid for over two thousand years was remarkably flexible in Van Fem.

Because we are alive, we can make a difference.

So, is change proof of being alive?

"but--"

Matou Ike shook his head, as if he had thought of something.

“Even if it’s just a hobby, the land he manages has already influenced the spiritual veins of Monaco. Not just the land, but this spiritual vein extends from the port to the sea… and of course, the route of the ‘Deadline Pleasure Ship’ is no exception.”

The judgment of the gods.

A creature that devours God.

The spiritual veins of Monaco.

Fim's boat banquet.

and also--

The techniques left behind by Kiz.

Medea suddenly realized something.

This idea is utterly absurd, bordering on nonsense.

However, once it appears in your mind, it's like a ghost possessing you, and it's hard to get rid of it.

"The spell left behind by that guy Kiz..."

"Yes, it must have borrowed magic from the Fim Ship Banquet itself."

This was to be expected.

But it would be extremely difficult to say that Kiz used magic set up by someone else.

The reason it was possible was perhaps because Fim's ship banquet itself was not magic.

Even if the result presents a magical phenomenon, it is not a magic trick deliberately created by someone.

The organizer, Van Fem, never harbored such intentions.

This is why Kitz had room to manipulate things.

This is what is known as a magical event.

When many magicians gather in the same place to gamble, biases will inevitably occur.

This deviation is enough to transform a simple gamble into—

Some kind of unpredictable magic.

Jian Tongchi pondered for a moment.

“That guy must have started tampering with things a long time ago… not just a hundred or two hundred years, but much longer. After all, it’s been more than two thousand years since Elgo’s experiments began.”

Two thousand years.

Such a long time span far exceeds personal ambition, and even surpasses the will of an era.

Even if the "Fim's Feast" is a recent development, something similar—a gambling establishment exploited by people—may have existed long before.

Kiz may have been looking for something to exploit since then.

From the time of Iskandar the Conqueror to the present day.

From the time of his son Alexander IV until now.

— Almost the same length.

A magical ritual spanning human history.

"...So, Kiz's goal wasn't to 'get' anything at the banquet on Fem's ship, but rather—"

“Attending the banquet on the ship was his real purpose.”

Medea said in a low voice.

Matouchi nodded slightly.

"So, what exactly is the purpose of that technique?"

"...It's still unclear."

Matou Ike shook her head, however, the words that followed had already taken shape:

"However, since 'Divine Judgment' is the foundation of the spell, in order to achieve its maximum effect, the caster or their contractor must win."

A practitioner, or a contractor.

In other words, the situation is—

"That guy's disciple?"

"This should be."

After Melvin introduced himself, Kitz's disciples gradually came to the fore.

I used to think it was just a coincidence, but now I understand—

The reason Kiz took these people as his disciples was precisely because of this technique.

"...So, based on the reasoning just now, is Bai Ruolong also like that?"

“Even if it had nothing to do with the prizes at the banquet, he seemed to be involved in this magic ritual.”

Matouchi's gaze darkened slightly.

"Whether it's Bai Ruolong or Allet... as long as one of them wins, this ritual will most likely take effect."

However, this raises another question—

Did Bai Ruolong know about this herself?

Did he realize that he was also bound by the magical rituals left behind by the deceased Kiz?

If Matouike's prediction is correct, then the current situation is quite troublesome.

What was once a gap he could ignore has now become an abyss between victory and defeat.

After all, this is a special match.

Normally, the rules of this betting game should allow for a certain degree of flexibility.

but now--

Bai Ruolong's chips have accumulated to a point where it is difficult to reverse the situation through conventional means.

—If no special measures are taken, then the outcome of this bet is no longer in doubt.

But Bai Ruolong's victory means that Kiz's spell has taken effect.

This means that an unknown magic trick is about to unfold.

"...It seems we can't hesitate any longer."

Matouchi tapped the table gently, pondering the last possibility.

Chapter 506 Attack

Matouchi let magic reside at her fingertips and wrote something on the back of the blue horse she had just seen.

The horse that had been written on leaped again and disappeared on the other side of the window.

Matou Ike slowly stood up.

"Anyway, as long as we win, that's all that matters."

Even Medea was speechless at his shameless tone.

"Just beat Van Fem and Roron in this bet. Isn't that much better than demanding victory in the magic battle?"

"Did you win?" Medea asked the same question she had when she entered the room.