Wayland stared at the list of rewards, lost in thought.
In terms of pure practicality, the choices boiled down to High-Speed Divine Words E and the Faceless King.
Rank E was typically described as being 'ten times faster' than an average human's incantation. In the context of game mechanics, it was the lowest possible setting. Wayland's initial stats,aside from Luck,had all been rank E, but that was mostly because 'E' was the baseline for the system.
He hesitated on the incantation skill. If it proved ineffective for the larger, more complex magical formulas he anticipated facing, it wouldn't be worth the investment.
The Faceless King, however, offered an immediate and vital advantage.
The Seven Holy Paladins were hunting him. While he could stay within the safe confines of the Clock Tower for now, he would eventually have to travel to Fuyuki City for the Fifth Holy Grail War. Having a tool for infiltration and disguise would be invaluable.
"I'll take the Faceless King," Wayland decided.
["Understood. Since this is a physical object, it will take a little time to manifest. It's currently on its way."]
***
The Faceless King took the form of a light, translucent cloak.
Wayland draped it over his shoulders, and his entire figure vanished instantly from the room. He felt a faint hum of energy, and with a mere thought, the cloak retracted until it had condensed into a simple black bracelet around his left wrist.
He focused on the face of Louis Gordon, a colleague from the Bureau. A faint itch spread across his features, his skin crawling and shifting without the slightest hint of pain. Within two or three seconds, the transformation was complete.
He looked around the room, but there was no mirror in sight. He used a simple spell to conjure a block of ice, its smooth surface as reflective as polished glass. The face staring back at him was a perfect replica of Louis,flawless, indistinguishable even to those who knew him well.
While it couldn't replicate a person's build or innate aura, the disguise was more than enough for most situations.
Satisfied, Wayland deactivated the effect.
"Irigal, was it really Touko Aozaki who saved me?" Sebloro had told him the same thing, but he wanted to hear it from the system.
["Yes."]
"I see."
Wayland stepped out of bed, realizing he'd been changed into a fresh set of clothes. He walked to the window and saw the pale, bone-white tower standing directly opposite him.
'The Tower of the Moon?'
Based on the current timeline, Touko should be staying at the Twin Towers of Iselma.
'I wonder if the social banquet for the Golden and Silver Princesses has already begun?'
Wayland felt a surge of curiosity. He wasn't interested in the beauties for any scandalous reason; he was purely fascinated by the lore. To reach the Root through the concept of 'beauty' alone was a path he found difficult to envision.
["Master, Touko Aozaki is approaching. This lousy system is going to shut down again. I'm out of here."]
Before he could respond, Irigal had vanished.
'Lousy system?' Wayland thought with a faint smile. 'Just how much do you resent being a program?'
A soft knock came at the door. Wayland turned and bowed as Touko entered the room. "Miss Aozaki. Thank you for saving my life."
"It's no trouble," Touko said, her voice carrying a faint, cool smile. "Are you alone? Has Sebloro left?"
"Yes. He said his mission was complete and took his leave."
"Mission complete, huh?" Touko observed Wayland for a moment but didn't press the issue. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? There's a lively banquet taking place tonight. Why don't you join me?"
"A banquet?" Wayland felt a jolt of recognition. 'It couldn't be that much of a coincidence, could it?'
"You've likely heard of it," Touko said. "The debut ceremony for the Iselma family's Golden and Silver Princesses."
"I've heard of it," Wayland said with a nod. "As a magus, it's not an event one should miss."
Touko wasn't surprised. The Iselma family's sympathy-based magecraft was a unique path toward the Root. Any magus worth their salt would feel a natural urge to witness it.
They left the room and began their descent from the Tower of the Sun.
"A rather formiddable individual has arrived for this banquet," Touko said suddenly, casting a sidelong glance at him. "You should be careful. There's a good chance she's here specifically for you."
"What?"
Wayland scratched the back of his head. If memory served, the most formidable people at this banquet were supposed to be Touko herself, her mentor Lord Valualeta of Creation, the El-Melloi group, and perhaps Atrum Galliasta, who was preparing to lay siege to the towers.
But Touko wouldn't use those words for any of them. And why would they be here for him?
'Who could it be?'
"Who exactly are you referring to, Miss Aozaki?"
"Lord Barthomeloi."
Touko took a deep breath, her tone conveying the weight of the name. Even for a Grand-rank magus like her, the woman was a headache.
"Lorelei Barthomeloi."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]