Lelouch's lips slightly raised up when he saw the intrigue on the king's face. "I wouldn't put it that way, milord, but of course, the information won't be for free."
It took Waver a good two seconds before he noticed Rider giving him a side-glance. Without words, they communicated through their link. The offer of their enemy's movements was tempting, especially more so when they long since established Waver's subpar skill in tracking their foes in real time. But they both knew that blind acceptance would put them at a disadvantage.
'We aren't trusting him, but we will hear him out, right?'
'Yes.' Rider was quick to assert. 'We're entering the endgame. Including him and the girl, half of the total participants of the war remain. Prioritizing the most dangerous opponents comes first now. But I don't know who will be more troublesome to deal with.'
'Saber… or Avenger?'
'Correct. Honestly, I don't see this Magus Killer as much of a threat to me personally, but to you…' Rider need not say. He was barely an honour student at his school's department, much less the prodigy that was his teacher. If push came to shove against such a foe, he'd have died the moment he met the man in an alleyway. 'But, regardless of who is our biggest bane, let's see what this boy wants first.'
Finishing their momentary mental discussion, Waver turned to his fellow Master. "Name your price for this information."
"Being too direct is also a fault, Waver Velvet." Lelouch seemed to advise but not in an arrogant way. Smiling, he started. 'I will not demand anything you cannot provide, but first, I should provide a short prelude. As you must have figured out by now, another Servant has recently been defeated, bringing the remaining participants to just four."
Iskandar nodded. 'Goldie but the dust, did he? I take it Avenger and yourself were the ones who took him out?" Rider made it a point to clarify how disappointed he was that he couldn't face Archer. Even if the Babylonian King had been too self-centred, Waver understood his own Servant respected the man somewhat. But to have beaten such a powerful Servant, there was a catch to that. Both he and Rider had figured as much before today. "But you didn't come here to gloat about how you'd beaten him, have you? More so when you didn't do it alone."
"Correct, Lord Iskandar. While Avenger was the one who dealt the final blow, we owe our victory to the cooperation of Berserker and his Master on this matter."
"Y-you teamed up with… Berserker?" Waver asked, unable to hide the fear in his tone.
"No. We were a team." The boy shook his head. "As we had agreed to take down our common foe and have done so, our truce ended at the death of Archer and the Master Tohsaka. It is why I come here alone to seek you out, Master Waver Velvet and Lord Iskandar."
"Hoh, now I see." Rider's gaze sharpened as his posture straightened up. "So that's your game."
"I guess I can't hide it from you, milord." The boy then turned to face Waver. "I offer this deal. Accept my gift that is the new location of Saber and her Master's abode and challenge them as you see fit. In the meantime, Avenger and I will take care of Berserker and Matou Kariya."
"W-wait, what?!" Waver almost shouted. "But… wasn't he your ally? Why would you—?"
"Calm yourself, boy." Rider boomed with a straight face. "This is a war. The enemy of my enemy is my ally so long as a mutual foe exists. And… with Archer out of the picture, it seems they've chosen us as their final foes for this." Rider then turned to Lelouch with a slight yet guarded grin. "I see that you're quite the ruthless pragmatist, young prince."
"Your words honour me," the boy bowed once more. "But as Your Highness said, this is war. Avenger and I have opted to take care of Berserker as neither he nor his Master would expect an attack. This leaves you to sort out your differences with the Lady King of Knights, does it not, King Iskandar? Once the dust has settled, Avenger and yourself will then be free to settle the last question between Conquerors. That being 'who between you deserves the title'."
Iskandar considered it. To eliminate other threats aside from them before they finally turn their blades against one another. An uninterrupted duel for the last bout for the Grail. But while Waver was the Master, in all honesty, he couldn't decide if this was their best bet or a trap. All he could do was silently stare at the floor between them.
Truth be told, they weren't so lucky in keeping tabs on the remaining Servants ever since the fight with Caster. They'd barely cottoned on to Gilgamesh's passing had Rider not sensed something disappearing in the distance. Waver knew that it annoyed his Servant how much fighting they were actually missing, but it's not like he had a choice when they could hardly confront the ones that constantly hid themselves.
All this time, they had no eyes on Berserker OR Saber due to the former disappearing soon after Caster's demise and the latter abandoning their former base. Now that they could find out where one of them was, this chance to take out Saber was a tempting offer. However, they still had questions.
"B-before we come to any sort of agreement, I have to ask. How did you manage to find us?" Waver tried to keep a neutral expression. Shocking as it was for their position to be compromised, he knew better than to let it show. Despite Lelouch Lamperouge not being a real magus in the sense of the word, Waver still should've expected there to be someone able to find them if it was this easy. "On that note, how did you learn about Saber's location?"
"On yours and Lord Iskandar's base, Lord Kayneth Archibald, Lancer's former Master, had used hypnotic magecraft on the local police as a means to track you down. He then shared it with me during the course of our… brief… alliance. As for Lady Artoria's and the Einzberns, it was Archer's Master, Tohsaka Tokiomi, who tried to trade it in exchange for his life."
"Is that all?" Waver asked bluntly yet sceptically.
"It's all I have to share." Lelouch's poker face held.
The polite smile was there for all to see, but now that the boy took a hard look at the alleged prince, he saw it more like a mask. A very polite yet daunting disguise that refused to show what was on his mind. It was unnerving, but at the very least, it didn't exude much condescension or arrogance. Quite the opposite of a certain professor who would smile upon him only when he found something to insult.
It was then that the boy remembered a question he wanted to ask. "You said 'alliance'. If you were once allied with Professor Archibald, what happened to him after?"
The answer really wasn't important. It was more out of curiosity than concern for his former teacher. That he and Rider already knew Lancer was dead didn't account for Kayneth's survival. But, knowing the prideful Lord of the Clock Tower, Waver highly doubted the prick would take his defeat lying down.
He knew that there were three bodies in the Church. Using familiars to scour the place shortly after detecting the end of Avenger and Archer's battle, Waver was able to somewhat identify two of them belonging to the priest that was the Master of Assassin and Tohsaka. The third remained unidentified, mainly for having been scattered all over the place as if it was the epicentre of the explosion.
"Kayneth Archibald has fallen. Killed during the eve of our victory over Archer and Tohsaka." The neutrality and indifference in the boy's tone was strong.
"And, pray to tell, who ended Lancer's poor excuse of a lord?"
"Would it really matter? Lord Kayneth has died whilst his fiancée apparently fled Japan soon after. From where I stand, their camp has lost all value in this war."
"Hmm, that is true…" Rider had inquired with a knowing smile. It seemed he too was just as aware as Waver as to the culprit. But with the point of discussion being pushed aside, demanding an explanation was meaningless. And it's not like Waver really cared about his teacher, to begin with. Rider continued. "Still, you of all people must realize that we can't take your word at face value. Even if the information you offer is true, can't have us making a deal without being sceptical even a little bit."
"That's understandable, Milord Iskandar."
"So, Lelouch," Iskandar's tone changed from casual one to commanding one he used as king at his time. "Let's stop beating around the bush and just get right to it. Tell me, young prince, what makes you so sure that I won't just strike you down here and now? Even if you do have a trap in store for it, I bet I can still stand a better chance against the missy after cutting off Avenger's mana source. Now that I think about it, even without your help, the matter of Saber and Berserker will be solved on its own since they seem to have their own issues. It is the final stage of the war. So, why should I keep you alive?"
Waver baulked. He'd rarely seen Rider act out like this. At the moment, he then remembered that his lazybones of a shut-in Servant was also still the King of Macedonia, the great conqueror who once took over almost the entirety of the known Grecian world. Even as his Master, Waver was still fazed by Iskandar's intimidating aura.
However, Avenger's Master hardly flinched. He continued to wear a cold yet peaceful mask. "To start, I should inform you of the fact that, if you do so, Avenger will burn down this little house and all who live in it. Next, she would raze the entire surrounding area with the same power she used to turn Caster's monster to cinders."
Waver's blood chilled at the callousness of the declaration. Rider maintained his stare as the boy continued.
"While Your Highness has a good chance to easily escape, anyone else won't be so lucky. With no arbiters in the war remaining, there would be no penalty for us to not go so far. It may even catch your Master in the flames of my Servant's fury."
"You make it sound like such a loss would hurt us," the giant stated but didn't hide the thundering of his voice.
"Oh, but it would." The boy smiled in the face of the heroic spirit. "In any case, my Servant can simply submit a report that your Master was the cause of the destruction. Being labelled a terrorist will more than hamper any movements you may think to use."
"Not much of a problem. I can outrun and defeat any who would try to hunt him down. Magi or otherwise."
"Well, I wonder for how long you can keep it up. More so when the Association catch's wind of the news." Levelling a glare at Waver, the older boy flinched. "Hiding from the police and government is one thing. But I question how long you can escape your own kind, even should this war end in your victory."
The boy had them there. He wouldn't escape. Waver knew that as fact.
Forget being a fugitive, if the Association believed the false report, no, if they could just pin the blame on him, he'd be a dead man. No one escaped a Sealing Designation, especially if the crime committed was too atrocious to consider anything but a magus gone berserk or overboard.
While his classmates and family could attest to his innocence simply by revealing his meagre capabilities as a magus, the magic community still had laws. The top brass of the Association would still need to do something in order not to lose face. And, with the Tohsaka head gone and the Church serving as the war's referees dead, they might as well override anyone else's opinion and take matters into their own hands.
If the boy was implying all that, then certainly, Waver would be defeated even the moment he and Rider won this war.
"But setting aside threats neither of us wants to deal with, there's the matter of Berserker, Lord Iskandar." As if his earlier implications hadn't been enough bad news already, Lelouch continued. "Unlike yourself and Saber, Avenger is better suited to face him for we already know his real identity. The same cannot be said of Your Highness who stands a better chance picking off Saber with hit-and-run tactics. Mobility is already your strong suit, but it may not hold up against Berserker who can very well steal whatever noble phantasm you can call upon."
Rider stayed silent. It seems the points the boy made were very good ones. If Lelouch and his Servant truly knew Berserker's identity, then leaving the mad knight to them would be the best option. Iskandar did have a bone to pick with Saber, and yes, they could still run circles around her if their lives depended on it. However, Lelouch hadn't finished.
"And besides, were there not two conquerors that had a question for the other? Would it not be best to allow yourself and my Avenger to duke it out and put said question to the test?"
"Heh, cheeky little…" Rider grinned sourly, getting the message. "And? What would you ask of us in return?"
He sounded like it was already a done deal. Waver tried to interject. "O-oy? Rider—?!"
"As I said, milord," but Lelouch was faster. "I merely came to give you a little… you could call it a 'distraction' if you'd like. If a certain someone were to engage Saber in a fight, we would find it easier to take care of Berserker. And once each respective opponent is defeated, there will be none to stand in the way of the Conquerors deciding between themselves who deserves the title of King. Does this fit to your liking, Your Highness, King Iskandar the Great?"
Invoking his title in such a manner was akin to a challenge. One Waver knew his boastful of a Servant was raring to answer. Sparing the hulking giant a glance, and he was certain. Iskandar was going to accept.
However, contrary to Waver's expectations, the King turned to him with the question. "What do you think, boy?"
"… Eh?" Waver paused. "You… you're asking me?"
'Who else would I be asking, boy? You're the Master in our relationship. Own up to it!' Iskandar's thoughts were conveyed with a small smile at the corner of his rugged face. "Come on, kid. What should we do?"
'But…' Waver stayed silent, both in thoughts and aloud.
He was a little amazed. For someone like Iskandar to entrust the final say to him… it was a bit unexpected. More so when he was the incompetent one in their relationship. And that's including the fact that the big lug was often lazing about.
Compared to the other Master said before him, who was Waver Velvet but the tag-along that couldn't do much in the way of leading their pair to victory?
'Don't let what the prince does bother you.' The booming thoughts invaded his mind. All that was missing was a slap to his back. Seeing Rider grin with his eyes, he wordlessly pressed. 'You are you, boy. Decide things at your own pace. As for me, I shall follow your lead, Master.'
Waver signed. He didn't even notice how a small smile formed on his face as he directed his attention to the patient prince.
"We'll take your offer." The prince smiled, but Waver continued. "However, I have to ask for a little more than their location. What do you know of the Magus Killer?"
"Honestly, very little apart from his reputation." Lelouch grimaced slightly as if it was an honest expression yet continued. "Aside from where their base is situated, I do not know his methods of attack or defence. I know he may use traps as he had done so when he ran circles around Lord Archibald, but then again, your professor wasn't all too kind to share his 'disgraceful' encounter."
That was understandable. If most of Lelouch's information came from his short contact with Kayneth, then there really wasn't anything Waver could glean from the boy. More so when he was but a normal person before the war started. That's if he was just a normal person before all this started. But Waver wouldn't delve into the specifics until it became a problem.
"What of the Einzbern's Master. If she's a homunculus, do you know anything about their capabilities, power, and how they support Saber?"
"Apart from the basic mana pool to keep her here, no. Those are things I have no knowledge of and scouting was too risky to attempt. One of the reasons I turned to you two was because of Rider's speciality." Turning to the Servant, the boy added. "Your chariot and speed will do better to bulldoze or evade any human traps they may have laid. At the same time, none can rival you in a chase."
"Hmph, of course!" Accepting the compliment with gusto, the giant didn't seem to take offence to the prince nonchalantly labelling him a battering ram of sorts. Even still, Waver didn't let it bother him. "I wouldn't worry too much about the traps apart from Saber herself. I highly doubt she'd rely on such ploys, to begin with… naïve girl that she is." Iskandar gave a hearty chuckle before nodding his head. "Alright! If that's all, then we can conclude this stifling negotiation!"
"Haaah… No more questions here." Waver sighed.
"Then I have nothing more to add." Lelouch bowed. "I thank you for the time you allowed me."
"Now, now. Enough of that, young prince. While I may be a King, dealing with stuff like this is best left to those who can stand it. I'm better suited for the actual conquest than negotiating a compromise." Iskandar waved the politeness away with a thunderous laugh before offering a console controller. "By the way, care to continue our game? It would be a waste to not do so after seeing a glimpse of your skill in control and planning!"
A vein popped on a young man's temple. "Riiiideeeer!"
"DAHAHAHAHAH!" Iskandar took Waver snapping as his cue to make fun of the boy again. "Ah, it seems my Master is determined to be a killjoy just when I'm having fun. You need to learn to relax, boy! Just like Lelouch here!"
"Sadly, I can understand his woes, milord." That the boy took his side didn't register with Waver until he was about ten seconds into beating his tiny fists against the giant's muscled shoulder. Lelouch's grin to him was still polite, but there was a hint of sympathy in it. "Not everyone can step back and have as much fun as you, Your Highness. There are those like myself that wish to end the conflict as soon as possible."
"So you say, but you can't deny you were having a little fun playing game and not planning someone's death, can you?" Rider smirked as he waved the controller in front of his face as if to tempt the prince.
"… True, I did have a little fun…" As if pondering the possibility, Lelouch smirked back.
"Okay! It is time for you to leave!" Waver started yelling before either of them got any more ideas, or the gall to act on those ideas. "Give us the address and be on your way! We'll pay Saber a visit then deal with you later!"
"Oh my, it seems I've touched a nerve." The prince didn't lose his smile even as he was nearly shoved out the door.
Waver's attempts at composure lost to his patience giving out. It seems, no matter the person, he was definitely unfit for dealing with royalty.