The Millennia Fortress, the stronghold of the Yggdmillennia clan. Although it bore the name of a city, it was actually more appropriate to call it a fortress the size of a city.
Because the plan centered around this unprecedented Holy Grail Great War had been established sixty years ago, even after two generations, this city still maintained a mode prepared for war.
As for the most important place in the fortress, it was neither the magical workshops of the various families nor the treasury where the clan head Darnic had stored catalysts and Mystic Codes gathered from all over the world to prepare for the war.
It was the massive magical battery array located beneath the Millennia Fortress.
This ultra-large magical battery, built on the foundation of homunculi born with excellent Magic Circuits, was the fundamental reason why the Black Faction's seven Servants could use their Noble Phantasms freely compared to the Red Faction.
However, due to the tight war situation, Dragon Tooth Warriors—originating from the Mage's Association and suspected to be created by the Red Caster (actually Assassin)—were continuously attacking the Millennia Fortress from the front lines day and night. Because Avicebron had not been summoned according to plan, Roche was unable to create a golem army to support the battlefield. Therefore, the Black Faction had to send out more homunculus soldiers to fight.
The Black Caster Merlin cast illusions on them for reinforcement. Only then could the weak homunculi barely fight back and forth with the Dragon Tooth Warriors.
Under these circumstances, the originally important magical battery array had relatively few guards. Only a few homunculi without combat functions were left to patrol.
This gave a certain homunculus who had inexplicably awakened human consciousness the opportunity to escape.
Stimulated by the fear of seeing his kin used up and discarded like trash through the culture tank, the homunculus boy struggled to support his legs and forced himself to walk from the underground magical workshop to the first floor of the castle.
Along the way, patrolling homunculus soldiers discovered him. But because their programmed functions were limited, and their orders did not include instructions on what to do if they found an escaped homunculus, they ultimately just watched silently as the homunculus boy walked away from them step by step.
This scene made the boy feel fortunate yet sad. Like a newborn, he did not understand why they were like this, and why he was different from them.
He just wanted to escape this place quickly to avoid the fate of being exhausted and discarded like trash.
But just as he was about to faint from exhaustion, he suddenly heard the sound of a girl humming lightly, growing louder from a nearby corner.
The voice was melodious and pleasant. To the homunculus boy at this moment, this was tantamount to the harbinger of hell.
Something capable of freely expressing emotional behavior was clearly not a homunculus. Whether it was a human or the monsters they called Servants, to him right now, they were terrors that would seal him back into the culture tank.
An unknown strength revived the homunculus boy. Leaning against the wall, he forced his body into a nearby room. This was the only escape method he could think of.
The room's interior was rather dim, but there was no one inside. The homunculus boy leaned nervously against the door, listening to the sounds outside.
The girl's humming grew closer, accompanied by crisp footsteps walking toward the homunculus boy's direction.
Instinctively, he held his breath.
Feeling the voice and footsteps stop right in front of the door to his room, the homunculus boy fell into complete despair.
The intense emotional impact and the backlash of exhaustion hit him all at once. He was almost uncontrollably about to faint.
The moment the door opened and light spilled in, holding onto his last shred of hope, he spoke his final words.
"Save... me."
Then, his world plunged into darkness.
"My, my? I just went to a meeting, how come there is a little mouse in my toy room?"
The girl with grayish-white hair trailing on the ground leaned on her parasol, tilting her head to look at the boy collapsed in her workshop wearing only underwear. Her purple eyes were full of confusion.
But this confusion quickly turned into joy.
"Well, it is nice to have a new toy deliver itself to my door. It just so happens that not long ago, Rider's Master came to consult me about golem crafting. On a whim, I told him the alchemical method of transmuting living creatures and inanimate objects. Although he could not believe it, his eyes said it all."
"If you want to create a golem comparable to a living being, is the simplest method not to combine a golem and a living being? What a little fool."
The Caster who called herself Merlin muttered to herself somewhat neurotically while using magical energy to lift the homunculus boy from the floor and place him on the operating table.
Upon seeing the homunculus boy's face clearly, Merlin's eyes instantly lit up.
"What a good-looking little boy. If he were in my era, those hypocritical priests would definitely use all sorts of excuses to trick him."
"Although that fat pig's action of granting homunculi sapience is quite foolish, without a certain level of sapience, a child like this would be too boring, just like a doll. They are only delicious if they can feel pain and scream."
It was only at this moment that Merlin seemed to belatedly remember something. She tapped her chin with her finger and pondered.
"Speaking of which, did this child call out for me to save him just now?"
"Could it be that this homunculus has developed human consciousness?!"
As if discovering something incredible, Merlin suddenly jumped up from the floor, looking at the homunculus boy with an inexplicable flush on her face.
"Then, let us give him a full-body examination first!"
Like magic, Merlin's Gothic dress transformed into a nurse's uniform. Faint light flickered in her eyes as she began to examine the homunculus boy on the operating table using magecraft.
In a short while, she had learned almost everything about Sieg's body, brain, and even deeper aspects.
What followed was almost uncontrollable joy and a blush on the girl's face.
"How perfect! What a pure creation! Such a pure white boy untainted by any impurities... even in Greek mythology, he would definitely be a child favored by the Chief God Zeus! To think such a thing would fall into my hands!"
"Coming to this Holy Grail War was my best decision!"
Saying this, as if remembering something, Merlin began to ponder again.
"Then, how should I toy with him to bring me the greatest pleasure?"
"Dissection? A waste. Profanation? Although it sounds nice, this body is too weak; he cannot compare to that Holy Son. Then how about throwing him into an illusion, letting him experience paradise while dying painfully? Hmm, I am tired of playing that game."
"So conflicting! So frustrating!"
The girl scratched her long hair in annoyance. Then, her eyes lit up.
"I've got it!"
"Since this child has human consciousness and such a special identity, why not throw him to Jeanne and see how she handles it?!"
"On one side is duty; on the other is the kindness of a Saintess. When the two collide, how will you choose, my dear Jeanne."
"As expected, toying with a holy maiden is the only way to bring me physical and mental pleasure!"
Thinking this, Merlin did not hesitate anymore. She began setting up illusions and seeds to control the plot's development on the homunculus boy's body.
When everything was completed, she thought for a moment, and her expression looking at the homunculus became even more delighted and satisfied.
"Such a good boy. It would be a real pity to discard him after using him. Once he is tainted with enough of Jeanne's aura, I will use him to sacrifice and summon my old friend to complete my ultimate entertainment."
"Then, it is happily decided."