Darnic had briefly considered forcibly changing Astolfo's Master again—to himself, or perhaps another magus from the Yggdmillennia family. At least that would make him easier to control than leaving him with that homunculus.
But Celenike had mentioned that Astolfo possessed a Noble Phantasm called [Magical All-purpose Tome of Tactics], which could temporarily raise his [Magic Resistance] to Rank A. Commanding him to act against his will would require using two [Command Spells] at once.
Thus, forcibly transferring his contract would risk losing their last remaining Servant entirely.
Naturally, other magi of the Yggdmillennia clan—unaware of Astolfo's hidden Noble Phantasm—couldn't fully grasp Darnic's hesitation.
Especially Gordes, whose Servant had already been lost. He openly looked down on Astolfo's current Master, seeing this homunculus as an insult to magi everywhere.
And then—
And then, the other homunculi started giving Gordes the cold shoulder.
Whatever he tried to do now, the homunculi simply pretended not to notice him. Even when he approached directly, they'd brush him off, claiming they had other tasks to attend to.
Though, admittedly, they truly did have plenty to handle.
Gordes naturally threw tantrums, but they were futile.
With so few homunculi left, Gordes couldn't risk openly mistreating them—especially with Shirou Emiya and Jeanne d'Arc right there in the small encampment. He had no choice but to swallow his frustration in silence.
Facing the angry questions from the Yggdmillennia magi, the homunculus—displaying a maturity far beyond what they'd seen before, and eyes that radiated a clear, unmistakable will—spoke resolutely:
"I formed a contract with Rider because I didn't want him to disappear after losing his Master."
He then looked directly at Darnic. As a homunculus created by Yggdmillennia, he knew exactly who truly made the decisions here.
"We returned here with only one purpose: to grant freedom to my fellow homunculi."
His tone was unwavering, leaving no room for negotiation.
After careful consideration, Darnic glanced once at the homunculus standing next to Astolfo, then at the others quietly tending to the wounded. Finally, he responded clearly:
"Setting aside other matters for now—since you've already become Rider's Master, I hope you'll lend us your strength."
Darnic's meaning was plain enough: he was willing to grant the homunculi their freedom, but he needed Astolfo's power to win this Holy Grail War.
It was a logical compromise.
After all, the Black Faction had suffered severe losses.
Yet, the Holy Grail War continued.
To stand against the Red Faction, they desperately needed Astolfo's strength. Therefore, Darnic decided to compromise, regardless of the rest of his family's opinions.
"The homunculi's mana supply is effectively meaningless now. If you're willing to lend us your strength, releasing the other homunculi can certainly be negotiated," Fiore smoothly continued, following Darnic's logic.
Fiore had always seen things far more clearly than Gordes. Black simply couldn't afford to lose this Servant.
Moreover, even if they didn't agree, Black currently lacked any Servants capable of restraining Rider if the homunculus insisted on leaving with his comrades.
No matter how weak Astolfo might appear, he was still a Servant—virtually unstoppable by ordinary means.
In truth, the Yggdmillennia family was at a complete disadvantage when negotiating with this homunculus.
As for mana supply, that indeed posed no real issue.
The primary purpose of the homunculi had always been mana supply; no one expected them to rival Servants in combat.
To Servants, homunculi were mere numbers—something clearly demonstrated by the sheer number lost during the war. No Servant had specifically targeted homunculi, yet nearly all of them had perished regardless.
At present, Shirou Emiya was practically the only magus left who required mana. Even then, there was little necessity to rely upon the homunculi's supply anymore.
Without Servants, vast mana reserves were meaningless.
Astolfo had established a contract directly with this homunculus, making mana supply his Master's personal responsibility. Given Rider's relatively low mana consumption, there was no need for external support.
Jack the Ripper, uncontrollable and unaffiliated with Yggdmillennia, already had a Master and an ample supply of hearts—she certainly didn't need homunculi for mana.
As for Shirou Emiya, Fiore planned to assist him in fully activating his currently dormant Magic Circuits. Once that was done, Shirou likely wouldn't require homunculi assistance either.
Effectively, the homunculi had lost all purpose for Yggdmillennia in this war.
Besides, releasing these homunculi now wouldn't prevent the creation of more later—the technique for creating homunculi still lay firmly in Darnic's hands.
Though the original method came from the Einzberns, now that it was in Darnic's possession, it could rightfully be called his own.
After carefully weighing pros and cons, and under Darnic's pressure, most Yggdmillennia magi eventually agreed—or at least stayed silent.
Only Gordes continued to loudly voice his dissatisfaction, storming off in a huff.
Aside from Fiore, Gordes, and Darnic himself, the only remaining Master of Black was Caules, who had no objections whatsoever to his sister's decision. But of course, Yggdmillennia's magi capable of opposing the Mage's Association weren't limited to those Masters alone.
"Although the castle has been destroyed, I still have a villa on the other side of Trifas serving as a temporary workshop. We should move there. Emiya-san, Saint-sama, and Sisigou-san—please, I insist that you join us."
After resolving Astolfo's situation, Darnic naturally didn't forget Shirou Emiya—who had performed exceptionally during this Holy Grail War—nor the war's mediator, Jeanne d'Arc, or the former Red Saber's Master, Kairi Sisigou.
Astolfo was a necessary Servant, while Shirou Emiya, Jeanne, and Sisigou were key allies he desperately needed to win over. After all, those three held no particular loyalty to Yggdmillennia.
Shirou Emiya, Jeanne d'Arc, and Sisigou had no objections.
Shirou Emiya wasn't even from this world and had nowhere else to go. Moreover, he still sought to end this Holy Grail War personally, especially after what Shirou Kotomine had told him.
He intended to stay involved, despite the loss of his Servant.
As Ruler, Jeanne needed information about Shirou Kotomine's plans. Traveling all the way to the Mage's Association was impractical, making the Black Faction her best—and only—source of information. Additionally, she needed allies to oppose Shirou Kotomine's ambition, and Black naturally fit that role.
Sisigou, like Kiritsugu Emiya, was essentially a freelance mercenary hired by the Mage's Association. Since he'd already been eliminated from this Grail War, accepting a new contract seemed reasonable.
"Don't forget the payment," Sisigou reminded casually.
"Naturally, Sisigou-dono," Darnic replied, offering a perfectly formal bow.
In their current dire straits, Darnic needed every bit of strength he could muster.
After resting briefly at the temporary encampment, the group departed, moving toward Yggdmillennia's villa for their next steps.
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