Chapter 209: Faction Struggles


    <span>In the suburbs of London, a small town that disguises itself as a university town, with a clock tower as its centralndmark.Thisis the location of the Modern magecraft Theory Department teaching building and Waver''s exclusive office.


    <span>Two otaku, one older and one younger, are sitting on the couch ying a Gameboy handheld console, facing each other.


    <span>That''s right, they are ying a local wireless multiyer game. In 1998, the technology for wireless connectivity had not yet developed, so they could only connect through a data cable for close-range data exchange.


    <span>"Come in,e in, some of the pets need to evolve," one of them says.


    <span>"Let me check the guide.Gastly, Machop, and Geodude, that''s the four we need, right?Are you all set on your end?" the other replies.


    <span>"Of course, I caught them allst night."


    <span>"You were upte again, weren''t you?"


    <span>"Of course, which day this week haven''t I been upte? You know the reason. I''ll keep sleeping after you go to ss,pletingthe Pokédex is the top priority now!"


    <span>"Alright, let''s start the transfer. The first one is Gastly, ohyeah, let''s witness the birth of Haunter!"


    <span>The game they are so passionately ying is Pokémon, Nintendo''s wildly popr franchise that spans games, manga, anime, and all otaku media.


    <span>The specific games they are ying are the original Pokémon Red and Green versions, released in 1996. After their release, the cute monster designs, extensive collection elements, and high reyability quickly took Japan and the world by storm, reviving the gging Gameboy sales and solidifying Nintendo''s dominance in the gaming industry. Even before Shinji arrives in the Nasuverse, Pokémon remains a national phenomenon in Japan, with each new release causing a frenzy.


    <span>Given Shinji and Waver''s otaku natures, they haveof coursealreadpleted the games and filled their Pokédex, except for the few that require trading to evolve.


    <span>Waver is in London, where the Pokémon craze has not yet reached.Shinji has also been traveling with Touko, andthe few femalepanions he hasdon''t share much interest in the game.At first, Fujino and Sakura were willing to y with Shinji, but thenTouko had a random idea to teach them the basics of making dolls, so they became absorbed in creating "piles of colored blocks" (Touko''s words) as their version of live-action Pokémon, abandoning Shinji. As a result, these two magus otaku have no local multiyer partners and haven''t thought to find any elsewhere.


    <span>A few minutester, the cheers of the two otaku echoed through the office.


    <span>"We did it, Gastly, Sandsh, Machamp, Golem."


    <span>"Finally, we''ve collected all 151, 151, 151. Wejustneed to levelthemup to the maxandour mission will be aplished."


    <span>"Let''s do it tonight, thelunch break willbe oversoon. I have ss, youcan take a nap."


    <span>"You can grind at night, but I can''t. From today on, my glorious all-nighter gaming lifestyle is over." Shinji carefully saved his game, tossed the handheld aside, and stretched.


    <span>Waver also put away his carefree gaming expression: "Yeah, the professor must be here by now. The Clock Tower is about to go through some turmoil."


    <span>"That''s inevitable," Shinji nodded. "Many factions, especially those who made a move on El-Melloi in the past three years, are worried about thelord''sretaliation. And you know, Lord Keh has never been known for being merciful. Just between us, we''ve heard of three plots to make sure Lord Keh ''disappears'' permanently. Who knows how many more unheard schemes are out there?"


    <span>"That''s why the professor bought a direct flight from Japan to London but didn''t board the ne. Instead, he disguised himself and flew to Irnd via South Korea, then sneaked into Britain bynd from Irnd."


    <span>"Yes, if he entered openly, even with all our forces, we can''t guarantee Lord Keh''s safe return.You know,no matter how strong we are, we can''t stop a precision missile strike."


    <span>Shinji and Waver exchanged a knowing look.


    <span>In the Nasuverse, there is an often overlooked butrealpremise - technology, especially in weapons, has surpassed magecraft. The destruction caused by a top magus'' ritual over days can''tevepare to a nuclear bomb. Arranging a few bombers and precisely timing strikes on Keh would be enough to kill him, even if he had nine lives. And for these ancient families, acquiring such aerial firepower is notdifficult. Although those magus aristocrats may not have that mindset, it''s better to be safe than sorry.Any tiny possibility must be preventedbefore Keh can return sessfully.


    <span>What thetwo didn''t knowwasthat even with these precautions, Keh''s journey back wasn''t smooth sailing. Emiya Kiritsugu alone spent three Origin Bulletsandone of Keh Mystic Code mercury maids was severely damaged, showinghow formidable the obstacles were.


    <span>Of course, all of this is only up until this noon. When Keh enters the sphere of influence of El-Melloi in the suburbs of London and joins up with Reines and the elite who remain loyal to El-Melloi, it means theLordhas formally returned, and theother factions, even if they are unwilling, can only grit their teeth and ept it. Otherwise, it would not just be privateconflict,but an outright war, pping the face of theentireClock Tower and the twelve noble houses - no house can bear such a cost.


    <span>The subsequent struggle will be more politicized and aristocratic.


    <span>On the surface,it will be resolvedthrough negotiation or quibbling. Tremberio and Baruereta, who are opposed to aristocracy, will lead the democratic faction tounch inquiries and impeachment against Keh''s three-year unexinedabsence,to establish Keh''s dereliction of duty and further undermining El-Melloi, hopefully causing this "genius" to lose his position asLordand inciting internal strife within the El-Melloi faction.


    <span>Of course, Keh will not sit idly by and let this happen - he has prepared a series of arguments and "merits" sufficient to offset his three-year neglect of duty.


    <span>The aristocratic leader, Barthomeloi, will also provide limited support and assistance as the situation warrants - even if it is a united front, it does not mean they are of one mind. If Keh has no value, the aristocratic faction will immediately abandon him, which is also one of the reasons why he has been in hiding for three years - a person with a destroyed magic circuit has no value.


    <span>When the night that shrouds and conceals everything descends,the "elegance and harmony" on the surface will be cast aside, andmachinations, conflicts, purges, and other unsavory actions will unfold in the unknown.


    <span>There areonly a few hours left until the first night of theLord''sreturn.


    <span>Waver, as always, enters the ssroom.


    <span>Shinjizily reclines on the sofa, conserving his energy.


    <span>PS: In Fate/Zero, the Japan Self-Defense Force lost two F-15 fighter jets, and Father Risei directly arranged to get two recements from the Middle East and sent them to Japan overnight to fill the gap. As one of the major factions under the Mage''s Association that rivals the Holy Church, they must have this capability.


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